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Let’s go into 2012 with a roar


By David Richardson

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Developments at Scrabster will have huge implications for the local economy. Photo: Willie Mackay.
Developments at Scrabster will have huge implications for the local economy. Photo: Willie Mackay.

THIS is traditionally a time of good cheer: for reviewing the year past and for looking forward with eager anticipation to the year to come. But perhaps not this year, for this midwinter the outlook does appear to be bleak indeed.

India, China and Brazil are leaving Europe and the USA standing, the Eurozone is in crisis, the UK’s relationship with Europe is decidedly strained, the UK economy may well face a double-dip recession, and unemployment, especially amongst the young, is rising steadily. Meanwhile, in the Highlands, a region heavily dependent on public-sector jobs, cutbacks by the council and others will inevitably impact on services, employment and society.

So what do we do? Curl up in a corner, close our eyes and whimper, or face up to the problems, seize the opportunities that are out there for the seizing, and go into 2012 with a roar?

The answer has to be the latter. The problems are real, they are impacting on us all and we do have to understand them if we are to overcome them. However, this does not mean that we have to panic. We will have to adapt to survive, but it is the fittest that survive and we must ensure that our economy and society are as fit as they possibly can be.

IF small businesses are going to soak up the unemployment resulting from public-sector cutbacks as the Government hopes, then it is vital that all levels of government – and society as a whole – recognise the absolute importance of small businesses to the future prosperity of the UK and take urgent action to make it as easy as possible for them to do business.

This means following the Federation of Small Businesses’ prescription: ensuring that the advice and financial assistance that small businesses need to get going, operate and expand are readily available; removing the red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy that hampers them; ensuring that the Highlands’ reputation for top-quality environment, goods, services and people is second to none; and ensuring greater co-operation between businesses, and between businesses and the public sector and communities.

Above all else, it means creating a culture that encourages, fosters and celebrates small businesses and the people who risk all to set them up and run them. These were the key messages from the recent North of Scotland launch of the FSB’s Real-Life Entrepreneurs Campaign in the Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Stadium.

If you would like to find out more then take a look at the recordings of the event on Inverness TV – www.invernesstv.net – or e-mail me for the speakers’ notes – david.richardson@fsb.org.uk

OF course, although vital to the Highland economy, there are limits to what small business can do alone and the region must have investment from outside if it is to flourish. This is another reason to be positive.

Massive developments like the duelling of the A9 and the A96 and the introduction of superfast broadband will make the Highlands far more accessible from the outside – and they will also make the outside much more accessible to the Highlands.

There is no doubt that many Highland businesses will have to be more outward looking and to think nationally and even globally if they want to thrive in future, and these developments will help enormously, as will the creation of the new UHI campus, a real jewel in our crown. The other great opportunity is renewable energy. The rapid growth of this industry and the developments at Scrabster, Orkney, Nigg and Invergordon – with hopefully Ardersier and Kishorn to come – will have huge implications for the local economy and will provide opportunities in the primary and secondary supply chains for many small, local businesses.

It is also good to see that energy companies, the Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are working hard to ensure that small local businesses can take advantage of supply chain opportunities, something that the FSB endorses and encourages wholeheartedly.So there we have it. The world may indeed be a gloomy place, but the people of the Highlands and Islands have amazing resilience and assets to be proud of.

A great deal of investment will soon be taking place to connect us to the outside world and to provide industry and jobs here on the ground.

With the right ideas and attitude, and the right encouragement from all levels of government and from society as a whole, small businesses can indeed adapt, survive and thrive to the benefit of us all.

Our glass is definitely half full!


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