Foreward from the Chairman

The last twelve months have been just as difficult as many feared for the small businesses of Staffordshire and indeed the UK as a whole. Following the “credit crunch” and the meltdown of our financial institutions many small businesses have found it extremely difficult to access credit. Indeed many have found facilities either substantially reduced or on occasion withdrawn as banks seek to repair their damaged balance sheets. “Quantative easing” seems to have had little success as banks hang on to new money created by the Bank of England and many viable businesses have gone to the wall through lack of working capital. This situation  has prompted Staffordshire County Council to invest in the counties local businesses by making £500,000 available through Black Country Reinvestment Society to help ease the financial burden felt by so many in the region.

Staffordshire Business & Environment Network continues to see its role as helping local businesses through these very difficult economic times by again concentrating much of its efforts, for 2010, on cost reduction particularly through resource efficiency.

The 2010 programme of events will have a definite bias towards resource efficiency particularly as the Network has been successful in bidding for funding from Business Link through its new Improving Your Resource Efficiency programme. This will see the Network receive £60,000 over the next two years to help deliver even more support to Staffordshire businesses.

Our aim is to ensure that, wherever possible, SBEN members emerge from this global recession, leaner and greener than ever. We want to ensure that when the upturn does finally arrive our local companies are in the best possible position to take advantage.

Despite the difficulties I have already outlined environmental legislation continues to impact and costs continue to rise. New legislation such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment will impact during 2010 and issues surrounding Climate Change will not go away. SBEN through its Organisers Committee and its numerous partner organisations will continue to ensure that its programme of events is both focussed and relevant to what is actually needed! We have already addressed this issue by “brain storming” what should be in the 2010 programme with our major supporters, partners and committee members. It is of little use our thinking we know what industry needs! We need to find out what it actually needs!

During the coming year we will continue to work with our partners including Staffordshire University, Keele University, Groundwork West Midlands EBS, North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Midlands Environmental Business Company, the Business Brokers, Business Link and Advantage West Midlands to ensure we have access to a wealth of expertise to support our members. In addition SBEN will work hand in hand with the RE:think Renewable Energy Project to help SME’s in the County deliver their plans on renewable installations. This project will see both feasibility/technical specification grants and capital grants available over a three year period.

As in previous years, and I would remind everyone that the history of SBEN goes back to 1992, our members are at the heart of everything we do. Activities continue to be driven by member’s requirements and there is steerage through our Management Team and Organisers Group.

As I have already alluded to these focus bodies ensure that the Network provides what business wants not what individuals might think they want!

As Chairman, I would like to thank all those who continue to make the Network the success it is today. SBEN is rightly seen as a role model for others to follow and we should all be proud to have such an organisation in the County.

 I sincerely hope the next twelve months will be less difficult than the last. However, with support from the Network I am sure that our members can look forward with relish to the opportunities the end of the recession will undoubtedly offer.

Staffordshire County Council as ever deserves particular thanks for its substantial and continued support.

 

Janet Bailey
Chairman
Staffordshire Business & Environment Network
April 1st 2010