07/02/12

It's not all bad, argues chamber chief

Jo James, chief executive of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce

by Jo James, chief executive of Kent Invicta Chamber

I have read many articles about business confidence being at an all time low. That's something I can't argue against but which makes me frustrated.

I could write a long list of businesses that are really suffering and can't see a good future ahead of them. But I could also write a list of businesses that are bucking the trend and doing exceptionally well.

We tend to hear more about what's going badly than what's going well.

The economic climate is not good, but what it doesn't need is for us to continually say it's not good and talk ourselves out of doing business. So I am sitting here with my confidence hat well and truly on!

There are so many positive things happening in our county that we should be shouting from the roof tops. Yes, external influences are proving difficult but we know how to innovate and move forward.

The Kent MegaGrowth 50 event last year was an example of what can and is being done. Motorline, with outlets in Canterbury, Maidstone, Ashford, Tunbridge Wells and Crawley, was named company of the decade, seeing 10-year growth of nearly 600% .

In fact, the top 10 companies saw growth between 177% and 600%. That's the news we should all be taking inspiration from.

Recruitment Genius, Maidstone, not only won the chamber's most promising new business award in 2011 but also went on to become a finalist at the KEiBA Awards. It won the British Chambers of Commerce national most promising New Business award of 2011. Then we have the KEiBA Awards.

I recently attended the launch event for the 2012 awards at Shepherd Neame's Old Brewery Store in Faversham.

Some of last year's winners said a few words. What I couldn't help but notice was their enthusiasm about doing business in our county.

I remember thinking, if only Shepherd Neame could find a way to bottle it, Kent would become tomorrow's China!

Still, what they do bottle is another Kent success story - the oldest brewery in the country and producing 1.3m pints a week. CHEERS!