Survey reveals ‘skill and flair’ of Lancashire business owners

October 8th, 2010

• Over 90 per cent of businesses have maintained or increased sales
• 72 per cent confident of investing in their business in next 12-months
• Almost half plan to increase staff numbers

Confidence is returning to Lancashire’s business community with many companies increasing sales and staff numbers in the last 12-months and making plans for further investment.

And following the results of the 2010 Lancashire Business Survey, launched today (Friday October 8), business leaders believe the “dogged determination, skill and flair” of the county’s companies is helping them be successful in a difficult economic climate.

The comprehensive appraisal of businesses across the Red Rose County paints a picture of growing self-belief among business owners, with 93 per cent of respondents claiming to have maintained or increased sales in the last 12-months, and just 7 per cent saying business has shrunk. The survey also found almost half of respondents plan to increase staff numbers in the next 12-months.

The annual Lancashire Business Survey, now in its third year, aims to uncover the county’s ‘commercial DNA’ by capturing the opinions, experiences and insights of Lancashire businesses, with results and analysis supplied to local and regional government to help shape policy making.

The survey has been conducted by a partnership of private sector lobbying group Downtown Preston in Business, Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, Forbes Solicitors, Northwest Regional Development Agency, Business Link Northwest, marketing communications consultancy Freshfield, and digital communications consultancy Soap Media.

The results were announced at an event at Preston North End today where guest speakers included Geoff Driver, leader of Lancashire County Council, Damian Walmsley, partner at Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, and Daniel Milnes, partner at Forbes Solicitors.

The survey found that 72 per cent of businesses are either very confident or moderately confident about making a major business investment in the next 12-months.

However, over a third (36 per cent) of businesses said better financial support from government is needed to aid the recovery, and almost half (48 per cent) highlighted cashflow as the most critical issue they are facing.

Damian Walmsley, of Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, said the results characterised Lancashire’s spirit, but also that the county was home to some highly skilled and entrepreneurial business owners.

He said: “I believe these figures demonstrate Lancashire businesses’ dogged determination and resoluteness. The economy remains challenging, but there is this stubborn optimism for which Lancashire folk are renowned, but which is clearly backed up with genuine skill and entrepreneurial flair. Our business owners are getting on with the job of trying to invest in and grow their companies.”

Daniel Milnes, partner at Forbes Solicitors, said: “These results tally with what we are hearing from our clients all over the county. They are not calling us to despair or give up: they are asking us to help make their plans for the future happen. Those plans include expansions, innovative business collaborations and more, but what they have in common is a forward-looking attitude which is less about where we are and more about where we are going.”

Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Preston in Business, said: “The Lancashire Business Survey offers a barometer of where leading Lancashire businesses from across the Red Rose County are at, both in terms of their own internal performances; and also in their outlook on the current economic and political climate. I am sure it will be a useful piece of intelligence for the agencies that govern us, and those who have a genuine interest in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of our regional business performance.”

Interestingly the survey shows there is broad support for the coalition government, with 57 per cent of respondents believing the new government will be good for business.

However, 72 per cent of businesses disagreed with the decision to abolish the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), with 45 per cent of those respondents saying it should remain, and 27 per cent saying that it should be kept on but trimmed down. Only 15 per cent said it should be culled altogether.

When it came to people, the survey found just over a third (34 per cent) of Lancashire businesses had made a reduction in staff numbers in the last 12-months, with 28 per cent recruiting more staff, and 38 per cent making no change to headcount.

Encouragingly, almost half (46 per cent) plan to increase staff numbers in the next 12-months, with just 5 per cent expecting staff numbers to decrease.

When it came to funding and support, the survey found 50 per cent of Lancashire business owners surveyed had invested their own profits into their companies in the last 12-months, with 22 per cent using bank and loan funding, 14 per cent public sector grant funding, and 5 per cent private investors or venture capital.

In an endorsement of the county’s business acumen, over four fifths (83 per cent) of businesses in the region use Lancashire-based professional advisors, with just 6 per cent using advisors in Liverpool, 5 per cent Manchester, and 6 per cent elsewhere. 88 per cent thought professional advisors in Lancashire could provide the same level of advice as Manchester and Liverpool-based firms.

Red tape continues to be a burden on Lancashire businesses with 86 per cent of respondents reporting it had impacted them negatively.

The survey also examined some of the local issues within the county. Three quarters (75 per cent) of respondents believed rival authorities should support Preston’s Tithebarn scheme, while 25 per cent understood their concerns. 86 per cent did not believe that a major retail and commercial centre in Preston would damage East Lancashire’s economy.

The most positive connotations of Lancashire as a business location were its major urban centres (26 per cent), proximity to rural environment (16 per cent), central UK location (13 per cent), work / life balance (12 per cent), and low-cost office space (12 per cent).

A total of 103 companies responded to this year’s survey, representing a broad range of business sectors, including agricultural, building and construction, finance, food and drink, leisure, manufacturing, retail, services and technology.

Posted in News | Comments Off

Lancashire Business Survey results event

September 24th, 2010

The results of the 2010 Lancashire Business Survey, undertaken by Downtown Preston in Business, will be unveiled at a special breakfast event on Friday 8th October at PNE’s Invincible Suite. The Leader of Lancashire County Council, Geoff Driver will be among the guest speakers.

Date: Friday 8th October
Time: 8.00am – 10.00am
Venue: Invincibles – Preston North End

Click here to book

http://www.downtownpreston.com/events/2010/18/index.php

Posted in News | Comments Off

2010 survey closed

September 13th, 2010

Our 2010 survey is now closed. Thanks to everyone for their support. We are now analysing the data and further details will be released soon. We are planning our results launch in early October.

Posted in News | Comments Off

‘Localism’ Does Not Mean ‘Parochialism’

August 18th, 2010

By Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown in Business

In the run up to this year’s General Election, the Conservative Party promoted the idea of ‘localism’ over the ‘regionalism’ agenda that had been pursued by the Labour government for thirteen years.

Since forming a new government with their coalition partners in May, the Tories have been quick to announce the abolition of Regional Development Agencies and Government Offices in the regions. We are now embarking on the creation of new structures to support strategic planning and the co-ordination of public and private investment in transport, housing, skills, regeneration and other areas of economic development.

Local authorities have been asked to submit proposals for new Local Economic Partnerships (LEP’S) in their own areas, and bids have to be in by September 6^th. Whilst Liverpool and Manchester push ahead with proposals that will see a single city-region wide LEP established in Merseyside and Greater Manchester, Lancashire council’s have once again decided to indulge in turf wars. Incredibly, there is talk of up to five LEP’s covering the red rose county, with Pennine Lancashire, the Fylde Coast and two further LEP’s being formed in Central Lancashire. To add to the chaos, there are rumours that Lancaster is about to throw it’s hat in the ring with Cumbria.

Lancashire County Council have proposed a single LEP covering its administrative boundary, an option supported by the vast majority of businesses across the county, but rejected by local politicians.

How they can justify the creation of a series of relatively small and therefore ineffective bodies that will appear overly bureaucratic and duplicitous to the business community; struggle to have a strategic vision and inevitably fail to compete with better co-ordinated and larger LEP’s elsewhere in the North West is beyond me. For ‘localism’ in Lancashire read ‘parochialism’. That is not what is required and surely not what the government intended.

I hope that business organisations across the county articulate the views of their members and the wider business community, rather than falling into line with a short sighted policy in the hope of getting their hands on some of the cash that will come the way of LEP’s in the future. The debate should be about the growth of Lancashire and how that is best achieved – not the building of empires in either the private or public sectors.

Posted in News | Comments Off

2010 survey response numbers beat 2009′s total in one week

July 14th, 2010

Written by Frank McKenna, Chairman of Downtown in Business

The record number of responses we have received to the 2010 Lancashire Business Survey demonstrates clearly the determination that the private sector from across the county has in getting its voice heard.

As the new coalition governments plans for reducing the deficit become more apparent, along with the associated changes to business support and economic development activity, it is of no surprise to me that the business community is keen to utilise the survey as a vehicle for getting its views across to the public sector agencies that govern us.

From how Preston city centre should look to regenerate, through to the future of our coastal resorts, this survey gives businesses an opportunity of expressing an opinion, whilst also providing important intelligence to inform us of what sectors are performing strongly, what your hopes are for the coming year, and what barriers you see to building business confidence. If you haven’t done so already, I would urge you to complete the survey and make sure you have your say!

Posted in News | Comments Off

Business survey can help lay foundations for a prosperous future

July 5th, 2010

By Danny Houghton, business development partner, Moore and Smalley

As Lancashire emerges from the recession into an ever-changing commercial landscape, it has never been more crucial for businesses to make their voices heard in the decision-making process.

They can do this by taking part in the Lancashire Business Survey, an annual benchmarking project that evaluates the most critical issues facing the county’s businesses.

In many ways Lancashire is a micro-economy within the North West, so it is important that the special issues that shape our commercial development are presented cohesively to the economic planners in central, regional and local government.

The survey aims to capture the opinions, experiences and insights of some 500 of Lancashire’s foremost businesses and this analysis of the county’s ‘commercial DNA’ will play a key role in delivering a more productive business environment across our community.

The survey is being carried out by a partnership of ourselves (Moore and Smalley), private sector lobby group Downtown Preston in Business, Forbes Solicitors, Northwest Development Agency, Business Link Northwest, marketing communications consultancy Freshfield, and digital communications consultancy Soap Media.

One of the major questions in the survey relates to the recently announced decision by the coalition government to abolish English regional development agencies. It will be interesting and instructive to gauge the reaction of Lancashire’s business leaders to this move.

Another significant part of the survey addresses business performance and, while there is no doubt that challenging times lie ahead, I firmly believe the unique entrepreneurial qualities of Lancashire businesses will enable them to compete strongly in the global economy.

Posted in News | Comments Off

Make your voice heard

July 1st, 2010

The 2010 Lancashire Business Survey has now officially been launched at today’s Downtown Preston in Business’ property forum. During the summer months, you will have an opportunity to share information and thoughts on Lancashire’s economy. The deadline for entries in September 3, 2010. All details are on the website. If you would like to contribute to our blog please email Tracey McKenna at tracey.mckenna@downtowninbusiness.com. Thank you.

Posted in News | Comments Off

2010 Lancashire Business Survey

May 27th, 2010

Details for the 2010 Lancashire Business Survey have been confirmed. The survey will be launched in early June with our team collating data over the summer months. A special event will take place in September to reveal the results. We look forward to announcing further details soon.

Posted in News | Comments Off