Whilst the UK economy is facing challenges at home and aboard the service sector will be the main driver of Britain’s recovery, whilst the manufacturing sector continues to struggle. However as many firms have maintained their skill base and with further support during the recovery, particularly for exporters, the manufacturing sector will gradually continue to rise.
However findings from BCC’s recent skills gap report, cited that gaps around knowing how to take a product to market is holding back potential exporters.
We believe commercial export skills should be central to business education, and help guide entrepreneurs through essential areas of managing finances, cross border supply chains, understanding legal and bureaucratic requirements. The survey also found language skills will be critical to the success of exporters, and currently very few speak the language of their buyer sufficient to do a deal.
Whilst French remains the most commonly spoken language, of 5000 businesses interviewed only 5% had technical French language skills. As the UK continues to drive up exports, and reduce the balance of payments deficit, this is going to be more of a problem. In faster growing markets such as China and Russia, 95% of businesses have no skills in these languages, and yet according to an IMF forecast China will grow by an estimated 7.75% and Russia by 3.4% (IMF)
There is a real need to heighten the importance of languages in the curriculum and skills agenda, and create the next generation of business leaders to be born global, and for businesses to have more incentives to train staff in languages relevant for their International trade.
The Chamber movement has been going for over 200 years, providing businesses with practical support, access to knowledge, skills and encouraging exports through our export seminars, workshops and export documentation and translations services.
For help and advice on export seminars, Country awareness and export documentation please email export@hertschamber.com
Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts
Monday, 24 June 2013
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Businesses Need Support Too!
As the Government calls for business to lead the country out of the economic difficulties we have faced over the past two or three years I am inclined to ask the question ‘can it do it on its own’? Whilst I am absolutely positive that business will give it its best shot I am becoming increasingly concerned that collectively British society needs to do more to help. I know it’s tough out there and, that for perfectly understandable reasons people are concerned about the future, but the truth is we all need to knuckle down and do our bit.
Over the years I have visited parts of the world where the local population would give their eye teeth to be able to enjoy some of the advantages we have. Anyone who has walked the back streets of a Chinese city or parts of Eastern Europe would be staggered at how people eke out a living without complaint and certainly without expectation that someone else will bail them out. Here our default position seems to be that someone else should find a solution for us.
Most business people, particularly those running small businesses, understand that if they are to succeed they will need to do so through their own drive and determination. I am yet to meet a successful business person that has factored in support from government as being key to their growth, nor have I met one that has folded at the first sign of adversity. The fact is that successful people get on with it and make things happen but they need support and encouragement the same as everyone else.
Several times in recent weeks I have heard people snipe at businesses. Whether it be the man in the street, a journalist or Trade Union leader, ‘they are only in it to make money’ seems to be a frequent refrain. It would be easy to respond that any business that does not make money will soon go out of existence and, perhaps more appositely, will not be able to create the jobs we all need to exist. More fundamentally, though, the remark totally misses the point that making money is a by-product and rarely the initial objective. It also fails to recognise that it is the business people who have backed their own judgment and taken the risk.
Of course the people who have supported them should be able to share in their success but at the end of the day it is people with entrepreneurial drive and eye for innovation and hard work who will make the difference. We need to get behind them.
Over the years I have visited parts of the world where the local population would give their eye teeth to be able to enjoy some of the advantages we have. Anyone who has walked the back streets of a Chinese city or parts of Eastern Europe would be staggered at how people eke out a living without complaint and certainly without expectation that someone else will bail them out. Here our default position seems to be that someone else should find a solution for us.
Most business people, particularly those running small businesses, understand that if they are to succeed they will need to do so through their own drive and determination. I am yet to meet a successful business person that has factored in support from government as being key to their growth, nor have I met one that has folded at the first sign of adversity. The fact is that successful people get on with it and make things happen but they need support and encouragement the same as everyone else.
Several times in recent weeks I have heard people snipe at businesses. Whether it be the man in the street, a journalist or Trade Union leader, ‘they are only in it to make money’ seems to be a frequent refrain. It would be easy to respond that any business that does not make money will soon go out of existence and, perhaps more appositely, will not be able to create the jobs we all need to exist. More fundamentally, though, the remark totally misses the point that making money is a by-product and rarely the initial objective. It also fails to recognise that it is the business people who have backed their own judgment and taken the risk.
Of course the people who have supported them should be able to share in their success but at the end of the day it is people with entrepreneurial drive and eye for innovation and hard work who will make the difference. We need to get behind them.
Friday, 20 February 2009
ECONOMY, ECONOMY, ECONOMY...
A great deal has been said about the current economic climate, probably too much, there seems to be an ongoing competition amongst experts and the press as to who can come up with the most dire forecast. One says things are bad another says it’s worse. This may serve to burnish certain egos but it does nothing for consumer confidence and certainly doesn’t do anything for the majority of businesses that have been well run. In Hertfordshire we are fortunate to have many companies large and small that have set the standard in terms of innovation; companies that have been developed using sound business practice; companies have been run responsibly. Whilst some will need to tread cautiously they remain viable and will continue to be source of wealth generation and employment.
In any period of challenge those that have the ability to demonstrate clear thinking will come to the fore, thrashing around for one solution after the other is not the answer. The problem is within the financial system not, by and large, within the run of the mill businesses that most of us know and understand. Of course they are affected but it is not a problem of their making left to their own devices with sensible levels of financial support they will continue to succeed.
What is needed is a period of reflection enabling the myriad of initiatives to work, the seemly endless drive to fill column inches or airtime must come to an end. In the same vein the apparent need by some to provide justification has to cease. We all have a good idea what went wrong and where the blame lies. It will be the innovative non-financial businesses that will get us out of the problems that face us we are calling on politicians, regulators and the financial press to clear their heads and ensure that an environment is created that will enable them to so.
In any period of challenge those that have the ability to demonstrate clear thinking will come to the fore, thrashing around for one solution after the other is not the answer. The problem is within the financial system not, by and large, within the run of the mill businesses that most of us know and understand. Of course they are affected but it is not a problem of their making left to their own devices with sensible levels of financial support they will continue to succeed.
What is needed is a period of reflection enabling the myriad of initiatives to work, the seemly endless drive to fill column inches or airtime must come to an end. In the same vein the apparent need by some to provide justification has to cease. We all have a good idea what went wrong and where the blame lies. It will be the innovative non-financial businesses that will get us out of the problems that face us we are calling on politicians, regulators and the financial press to clear their heads and ensure that an environment is created that will enable them to so.
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