Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC)’s 'Sustaining Growth, Supporting Business' campaign sets out the key priorities for Scotland’s businesses over the next five years. It forms the foundation of SCC’s engagement with the next Scottish Government and the calls to action will help Scotland’s businesses to compete and deliver growth in our economy.
How government connects with Scotland’s businesses is crucial to the effective delivery of support that will take them to the next level, growing and creating the jobs and wealth that will sustain our public services. SCC believes that the private sector must assume a leading role in this task, as business to business support is often the most effective means to achieving this end.
Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:
“When a business is looking for assistance in taking forward the next stage of its development and growth, the most natural, trusted and effective source of that information is from a another business person who understands the situation the business is facing and who may have taken these steps themselves. The Chambers of Commerce network has extensive experience of this through the delivery of a variety of business mentoring schemes, which have further underlined the importance of the knowledge of local circumstances as well as the challenges and opportunities facing modern businesses.
“We believe that there is a far wider role for business to business support to play in terms of how Government at all levels engages with business. We want to see this successful model become a central method of providing solutions for Scotland’s growing businesses, both in terms of delivering direct business support and through enabling wider coalitions to promote partnership working.
“For example, the private sector has a vital part to play in leading the marketing of local tourism initiatives across Scotland, supporting the great work that Visit Scotland are accomplishing at national and international levels and in building a critical mass for local innovation hubs, stimulating entrepreneurship and taking advantage of new ways of working.
“That generation of new ideas, grounded in local knowledge, is one of the key reasons why business support must be by business, for business.”