With all that has happened economically and especially politically in the UK over the past two years, and given what is to come, it’s all too easy to be pessimistic when contemplating the future.
When we work outside London and the South-East, we see a groundswell of optimism, an appetite for investment, and businesses taking the bull by the horns.
At Reach Revenue we specialise in helping businesses achieve their growth potential by developing sales and marketing strategies which are tested, refined, and proven to be effective for our clients. And because we are working with more and more businesses based in the North and Midlands, have seen at first hand the increased confidence of entrepreneurs, heads of business, and investors in the region.
The devolution agreement for the North of Tyne in 2018 is a strong indicator of things to come, allowing greater separation of powers and funding from Westminster. And with the Midlands Engine, which is expected to gain considerable traction in 2019 and beyond, and renewed vigour behind the Northern Powerhouse, there is a real buzz around what can be achieved outside of London and the South.
While it is true projects such as the North Powerhouse has struggled to get off the ground and Brexit has done nothing to encourage business leaders to be bold and have confidence in the direction of travel for the UK, this is precisely why the North and the Midlands are seen to be taking back their own control – to borrow and slightly amend the well-parroted phrase of the government since the Brexit vote.
Many heads of business now predict the future of growth in the UK will shift towards the geographical heart of the country. Let’s look at some of the proof:
- KPMG’s report entitled, ‘Moderate, occasionally rough. Visibility poor: UK Economic Outlook’, states, “the disparity between North and South highlights the huge untapped potential outside the South East. And making the most of new technology to share future growth dividends more widely among the UK population will help create a more inclusive society”.
- Manchester was named as one of Europe’s fastest-growing cities by Deloitte in 2018.
- Stockport has the fastest growing economy out of the Powerhouse cities in the North West.
- Derby had the third fastest growing city economy in the UK across Q3 2017.
- Leicester was named the second-best city in the UK in which to start a business.
- A devolution deal for the North of Tyne region was approved by Parliament which means £600m of investment will be made by the government.
- The Midlands Engine aims to boost the economy in the Midlands by £54b by 2030.
- Leeds City Region is on track to become one of the world’s first zero-carbon energy economies.
- The UK Powerhouse report showed that employment growth in Leeds was the highest of all UK cities with a 2.3% annual increase.
- The Northern Powerhouse has already led to the creation of both the National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the Henry Royce Institute (a national centre for research and innovation of advanced materials).
These are only some of the successes and signs of pending prosperity in the North and Midlands. And with the superb benefits for employees of living outside of the South, including affordability and availability of sizeable family housing, reduced commuting times, and an overall improvement in work-life balance, businesses are seeing huge upsides in terms of worker commitment, productivity, and creativity. This of course then benefits the customers who experience a company with truly invested people, improved levels of service, and more innovative and creative products.
Maximising the opportunities offered by the North and Midlands
Business leaders who have made the bold step to invest their futures and that of their organisations north of the Watford Gap, will know that a sales and marketing strategy that is commensurate with their new location and business model is imperative to the ensuring success. This is where Reach Revenue can assist. Once you are ready to start the engine of your business, we will work with your team to carefully craft a sales and marketing approach which will be tailored to your enterprise. We have proven time and time again that by iteratively testing and selecting marketing and sales techniques that are most effective, we will quickly determine the optimal model for you. Our approach works – let us show you how.
Reach Revenue works with business owners, leaders and investors to develop high performing sales and marketing teams aligned to the strategic objectives of their business. To find out how we can help you, please call 0203 858 8030 or email info@reachrevenue.net