Trade Secretary calls on North West companies to sell to Australia during trip Down Under

THE International Trade Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan has called on businesses in the North West to export more Down Under during a visit to Australia to see the opportunities presented by the new UK / Australia free trade agreement. Trevelyan signed the trade deal, worth £2.3 billion to the UK economy, in December. In the 1st week of September she will take the next step in implementing the deal as the Trade Bill is debated in Parliament, so our firms and citizens can start to enjoy its benefits as soon as possible. The deal is expected to boost the North West's economy by around £100m and benefit important sectors like manufacturing and business services.

Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:- "The North West export a wide breadth of products to Australia from clothing and footwear to machinery to cars and our new free trade agreement will only increase those opportunities. It is fantastic to personally drive these opportunities whilst in Australia after months of virtual negotiations. Our independent trade policy is delivering for the UK, tearing down trade barriers, reducing costs and helping boost wages across the country. I encourage all British businesses to make the most of the fantastic opportunities Australia, and our free trade agreement, has to offer."
 
Based on current trading arrangements, more than 1,500 North West businesses exported nearly £400m worth of goods to Australia in 2021. The UK-Australia trade deal aims to boost this number further as more firms embrace the export opportunities Down Under.  A range of firms are set to benefit from the deal. This includes:- Delamere Dairy, whose goat milk products were launched Down Under 3 years ago. Easier customs procedures and slashed tariffs will help support the Knutsford based producer's exports to the market.  In addition, Manchester Airport Group has hailed the improvements to digital trade under the deal.

The Group's BD and Partnerships Director, Richard Hill, said:- "The Free Trade Agreement will make it easier to share technologies and services, so we can work in partnership with Australian airports to support their recoveries when it is most needed post Covid19.  Building and maintaining UK-Australian trading relationships is important to enable collaboration with existing and future airport partners."

The visit comes as Trevelyan works to bring the deal into force so that businesses up and down the country can start benefitting from the agreement as soon as possible. The UK is also in the process of acceding to CPTPP, a trade bloc in the Indo-Pacific made up of 11 countries with a combined GDP of £9 trillion, of which Australia is a key member. This could see 99.9% of UK exports becoming eligible for tariff-free trade with the bloc, further boosting opportunities for UK businesses in the Region.
 

Southport New Comedian 2022 competition returns to the Southport Comedy Festival

ASPIRING comedians from all over the country have been invited to apply to win 1 of 8 places in the grand final which takes place on Tuesday 4th October as part of the 11th Annual Southport Comedy Festival Under Canvas at Victoria Park in Southport. This year's event is sponsored by Dragon Soop, a caffeinated alcoholic beverage that comes in a range of flavours.

"Dragon Soop is delighted to be involved with this popular festival and wish all acts a Sooper experience!" Isabelle Kent, SalesandMarketing Director

The Southport New Comedian of the Year competition is open to all comedians who have less than 4 years' experience of performing before a paying audience.

Applicants are asked to upload a short promo video onto YouTube. You can find more details on the New Comedian Competition page on the Southport Comedy Festival website.

The winner will be selected by a panel of judges and will be awarded the coveted title of:- 'Southport New Comedian of the Year 2022,′ in addition they will also receive a cash prize and a trophy kindly provided by Dragon Soop.

Southport Comedy Festival Director Brendan Riley said:- "We are thrilled to have Dragon Soop onboard as our sponsor for the New Comedian competition, a highlight of our festival providing a springboard for new talent.With so many big names performing at this year's festival it is great to offer a night that promotes and encourages new comedians who are starting off in their career. For comedians to win this competition, it means you have been spotted, it is a great thing to put on your CV. A lot of comedians have gone on from this competition to enjoy full professional careers. They come and enter the competition from all over the UK. Tickets for our New Comedian of the Year final are just £5 each. We always keep our ticket prices low, to make our events as accessible as possible. The final is always a great night with sell out shows in the past. So come along to encourage new talent and help them become the stars of tomorrow!"

The Southport New Comedian of the Year event is part of the 17 day Southport Comedy Festival in association with Halliwell Jones BMW with a star studded lineup to include Al Murray The Pub Landlord, Milton Jones, Paul Sinha, Jo Caulfield, Ed Byrne, Reginald D Hunter to name just a few.

Courtesy of Elite Marquees, this year's festival will be staged once again in a giant luxury heated and seated marquee in Victoria Park, home of the world renowned Southport Flower Show, between:- 30 September and 16 October 2021.

The Southport New Comedian grand final will take place on Tuesday 4th October. Tickets are just £5 each, and are available from the Southport Comedy Festival website.

* Dragon Soop should only be consumed by adults aged 18+. Please enjoy responsibly.
 

Survey reveals 18% of aspiring business owners in Liverpool would prefer to launch their business in the retail, catering and leisure industry

MONEYPENNY surveyed 500 business owners and senior decision makers to gauge their confidence in their business's future. They also surveyed 1000 members of the British public to measure the appetite for starting a business. Separate into 2 surveys, 1 to gauge the confidence amongst business owners and senior decision makers in their business and the other to explore the number of people considering launching their own company.

Firstly, business owners were asked what factors had recently caused them to worry about the future of their business. The top 3 factors were:-

1. The Covid19 Pandemic = 56%.

2. The cost of living crisis = 52%.

3. The fuel crisis = 39%.

Demographically, 72% of those worried about the cost of living crisis were female, other factors worrying business owners included the increase in energy costs (30%) and a decline in consumer spending (25%).

The survey also revealed the ways businesses are adapting to the financial crisis, 53% have already increased their prices whilst 31% stated they have left or sold their physical office, moving completely remote to avoid renting costs.

Regionally, 66% of Londoners have increased prices and 50% of those surveyed in the North East have resorted to taking out a business loan to cover the increase in costs.

When quizzed on their confidence in their businesss future, a total of 82% answered that they were confident, 32% were very confident and 50% were somewhat confident.

Sadly, the survey also revealed that 3% were not optimistic about their business's future with 2% expressing they don't believe their business will survive the next 3 years.

One question included in the survey was whether businesses had been forced to downsize as a result of financial strain. The results portrayed a clear trend with a higher amount of businesses letting people go throughout the years of the Pandemic.

23% of businesses downsized 2 years ago, at the height of Covid, comparing this to the 5% of businesses who downsized 4 years ago, it is clear to see a jump in figures coinciding with the Pandemic.

The second survey was really useful for exploring whether the appetite for launching a business remains despite the financial problems posed.

This survey revealed that despite all the potential risks currently worrying business owners, 37% of the general public had thought about starting their own business, with 67% of 16 to 18 year olds considering getting on the entrepreneurial ladder early. 

For the 37% who responded that they had previously considered beginning their own business, they were quizzed on the factors that have delayed or prevented this from taking place.

The top 3 factors were:-

1. The cost of starting a business = 30%.

2. Confidence in their own ability = 30%.

3. Running a business seems too difficult = 27%.

It was revealed that potential business owners lack the confidence to start, while the cost of living crisis proved problematic to these aspiring business owners.

Examining City specific data, 44% of those from Edinburgh struggle with confidence while 34% of Londoners stated the cost of launching a business was a contributing factor.

Other factors include the rise in the cost of living (23%), the aftermath of Covid (18%) and the energy crisis (17%).

Despite these factors posing obstacles to potential business owners, 24% of those surveyed revealed they might start their business in the next 12 months. 11% were unsure, but didn't completely reject the idea of starting in 2023.

Lastly, the survey explored the most desirable industries for aspiring business owners by asking them to state the sector they would most like to launch their business within.

The top 3 most desirable industries were:-

1. Retail, CateringandLeisure = 11%.

2. ArtsandCulture = 8%.

3. Education = 7%.

Looking at City specific demographics, 18% of the City of Liverpool would prefer to launch their business in the retail, catering and leisure industry.

It was interesting to see the top 3 industries made up of 3 sectors heavily disrupted throughout the Pandemic. The least desirable industries were the manufacturing and utilities industry (3%) and the legal sector (2%).