Maintaining continuity should be your guiding principle now and into the future.
Continuity remains a key factor in much of what we all do in business.
Of course, on occasions it is difficult to maintain and keep at the forefront of our minds when there are conflicting pressures on time and resources. But amongst all the changes that are taking place, your Chamber is one organisation where maintaining continuity has been a byword; right from the very first Chambers of Commerce.
With that background, I was therefore delighted to be invited to serve as your Chamber President for another term. As our membership continues to grow, we are attracting new interests and involvement from across established and developing sectors of industry and commerce.
Your Chamber Council has likewise been strengthened with the arrival of new members. Monica Douglas-Clark, Fleur Robinson, Neil Howie, and David Alexander are already adding to our breadth of knowledge and understanding. This comes at an important time for all of us.
Some will recall a previous Prime Minister recommending self-help and community service that can assist in building a prosperous and expanding society. Some of that early enthusiasm has remained, even in the face of challenging times. Through these contributions to our society, legacies are being built.
The work of such diverse bodies as Young Enterprise, Burton Albion Community Trust, and the YMCA, amongst others, all show the variety of voluntary services and resources that are available. People from across our communities make invaluable contributions. As one TV channel calls them, they are ‘Unsung Heroes’. What makes this all the more poignant is that the volunteers provide their time, expertise and knowledge, without limitation. Payment is an anathema to them.
Your Chamber recognises that these resources are making sterling additions to our wider society. Many amongst our membership are involved in the local communities both at their places of work; and, with a whole variety of different groups where they live.
That brings me back to my theme this month of continuity.
Maintaining key elements in what we do and what we deliver is still highly important. That is an underlying principle of your Chamber’s activities. The success of major events like the Let’s Do Business Expo, are tangible examples which we can all draw on. Over the past four years, the overall format of the event has remained consistent; and new elements have been added. This has brought additional energy to the exhibition.
In the case of the Burton Mail Business Awards, (BMBA), being shortlisted provides these businesses with a new vitality. It offers greater opportunities to promote their success and build their sales. They can take great pride from their achievements.
One of these Awards can provide the stepping stone to greater regional and national accolades. As a Burton Chamber member recently reminded me, by preparing for and entering an Award, you are showing to your customers, and to the wider business population, what you are bringing into the world of commerce.
My advice is not to miss out on any opportunity to enter and present what is of interest to and beyond your existing customer base. Can there be any better reason than that for entering? And, the Awards Night at the Pirelli Stadium will be the icing on your cake.
My recommendation is to start with local awards as we did at Yee Group. Then, to look further afield. It’s so much easier if the preparation is started earlier, rather than later. You might even simply start by entering the Chamber’s own sponsored category of ‘Most Promising New Start-Up’ in the BMBA 2017. As they say, the more entries the better. It will provide you with important continuity, however and wherever you decide to enter in these changing times.
Make ‘continuity’ a key word in your own dictionary as I have and ensure that it continues for the next 12 months and beyond.
I welcome feedback and comment on this column and the work and activities of the Chamber. You can contact me at [email protected]
Simon Chapman
President of Burton and District Chamber of Commerce
Managing Director, Yee Group Limited
