Hot 100 debate: Challenge and opportunity

Our annual Hot 100 report shows Lancashire’s SMEs continue to deliver - whatever the challenges in front of them. We gathered a panel of Hot 100 business leaders at marketing agency every1 in Preston to discuss future growth and what lies ahead.

PRESENT:

Do the results revealed by the Hot 100 suggest Lancashire business is in good health?

Khalid Saifullah:

People are feeling a lot more positive and willing to make investments. In the area where we are based we see development left, right and centre. New jobs are being created.

We’re seeing strong growth in the service sector and around manufacturing in particular.

Simon Clayton:

There’s an investment in marketing to grow businesses.

Ken Shackleton: We supply boxes to manufacturers and since the Brexit vote we’ve seen positive growth throughout that sector.

In the last three months we have seen a slowing down in certain sectors. That could be cyclical.

That caution is because of uncertainty, because Brexit is almost upon us and people want to know what the deal is going to be.

Khalid Saifullah: It is affecting investment because we’re not sure exactly what the outcome is going to be and what the deal is going to look like. There’s hesitancy in terms of how far to invest.

We can’t make that decision. You have to press the pause button and eventually that will affect growth.