Martyn Pellew

Nov 11 2009 by Martyn Pellew, The Journal

SUCCESS usually comes to those too busy to be looking for it - said US 19th Century author Henry David Thoreau.

As a business community, the trials of the last two years have made us busier than ever before.

You would be hard pressed to find a single business that has been unaffected by the dramatic change in economic fortunes brought about by the banking crisis. And yet, as we see the various economic indicators swing back towards the positive, we are in a position to start talking again about success.

On Thursday evening, NECC is hosting its incredibly popular annual Tyne & Northumberland dinner at the Newcastle Civic Centre. This will be no night of doom and gloom, rather a focus on the strength of our business community in the region and on the success we are starting to see from our companies and people.

Success for some is surviving the storm, for some it is the innovation they have brought to their business as a result of having to adapt to a changing landscape, and for a number it is successfully growing their companies despite the downturn. The very fact that tickets for the dinner sold out well in advance is perhaps an indicator that companies are ready to start talking about success.

It also illustrates what a remarkable event the NECC annual dinner is and how it is a must in the calendars of our members. This year, Sir Alistair Graham, former Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, delivers the key note address. Described in some quarters as Westminster's 'sleaze watchdog', Sir Alistair is likely to have some fascinating comments on MPs expenses and how London's political village will go about restoring trust with the electorate.

As the economy moves back to growth, the relationship between the business community and politicians will be key. The UK economy is massively in debt and, regardless of party in charge after next year's election, tough decisions will need making to address this issue.

Businesses are the lifeblood of the economy and it is they that will determine how quickly we get back on track. We need the Government to recognise this and ensure that every method at their disposal should be used to give firms the breathing space to grow and take on staff.

The greater the success we have at doing this, the faster the recovery. That's one thing we can all raise a glass to this Thursday evening.

Martyn Pellew is president of the North East Chamber of Commerce