The voice of Sussex business

The team and I at Sussex Enterprise meet businesses all the time and again and again, we hear the same issues. These are – preparing young people for the world of work and improving skills, access to finance, making it easier for businesses to export, rebuilding infrastructure, driving down business costs and making the European trading bloc work better for business.

That is why the British Chambers of Commerce (of which Sussex Enterprise is a member) yesterday launched a nine-page business manifesto – A Britain Built for Growth. This is a particularly important event as we approach the Scottish referendum, the general election next year and the possibility of a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. Whatever the results of these momentous events, we hope that the party or government in power in 2015 and their representatives in Sussex will have read our manifesto, which Sussex businesses have contributed to, and listened to what they have asked for.

We are confident that some of our proposals will be accepted leading to an education system that better prepares young people with skills to successfully make the transition to work, a new era in business banking where businesses enjoy better terms and conditions, more businesses with the support to break into new overseas markets. In addition, businesses will benefit from a tax system that supports business growth, we will see infrastructure improvements and our relationship with the EU will reflect what businesses tell us they want.

Our ambitions for Sussex businesses may be high but as a member of one of the leading voices for business and with a number of British Chambers of Commerce proposals adopted by the Chancellor at the last budget, we are confident of change. At Sussex Enterprise, the only accredited Chamber of Commerce for Sussex, our aim is to help grow Sussex businesses and the Sussex economy.

For more information contact Sussex Enterprise, Victoria Business Center, Burgess Hill on 0844 37 595 50