To support international business, CamdenBoss’ MD, Katy Davies, asks the Government to focus on rebuilding the UK’s credibility and instilling financial confidence
Reflecting on 2022, it’s incredible to believe that it’s been possibly even stranger than the two preceding years. Looking to 2023 I’m not sure I dare make bold predictions given that all bets seem to be off.
That said, my sincere hope is that the UK economically and politically stabilises following the recent tumult. CamdenBoss’ turnover is about 33 per cent export and the impact of recent events on our overseas perception has been astounding. My plea to the new Government is to focus on rebuilding the UK’s credibility and instilling confidence in financial markets.
As a component and plastic enclosure manufacturer, we’ve been fortunate enough to not suffer from supply shortages to the same extent as others. However, many of our products are used in complex customer projects involving components, which have been severely impacted. We’re ending 2022 with intel that this is easing and my instinct is this will continue through 2023.
Inflation will remain a global challenge across all industries, continuing to juggle customer relationships and pricing with volatile input costs. The Government’s energy support is excellent, however my recommendation is that businesses revisit solar/renewable energy business cases, as for us it became a no-brainer to mitigate a further source of inflation.
The key scarce resource for 2023 and beyond will continue to be labour and skills. Focus on recruitment and retention is the new normal for all leaders and it’s time for the industry to showcase what it has to offer the employment market.