The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 46: Dec/Jan 2019 | Page 16

BUSINESS REVIEW OF THE YEAR BUSINESS REVIEW OF THE YEAR By Fiona Scott As 2019 draws to a close and we step into 2020, what has business been like for us in Swindon, Wiltshire and beyond? We are no further forward at time of writing on Brexit. Will it happen or not? All we know for certain is that there will be no movement on ‘in’ or ‘out’ until 31st January at the earliest. Or will there? What will the General Election on 12th December bring? Business has continued to be done and in the last couple of weeks the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer suggested that, in the South West, confidence has fallen in the region with about 37 per cent Legal of businesses feeling that exit from the EU was having a negative impact on their expectations of activity. Other regions of the UK seem to be more confident with a slight uplift in expectation, the most confident region being the East Midlands. Also while confidence appears to have dipped, there has been an increase in export growth and domestic sales have remained stable so far. One of the biggest challenges across the region remains the labour market – with recruitment and retention being a key focus for those business owners with staff. Highly skilled staff in various sectors are scarce and there has also been concern over a lack of skills among staff in the so-called soft skills – the ability to deal with people, talk on the phone and so on. One reason for this is that our region has the lowest unemployment rate in the UK, Gemma Sumsion, Partner and Head of the Commercial Department at Goughs Solicitors Highlights from 2019 Our Commercial Team at Goughs have been as busy as ever during 2019. Whilst keeping our ear to the ground on all things Brexit, we’ve been servicing our strong loyal client base and seeing through some fantastically exciting deals. 2019 was a true highlight for us in terms of turnover, where we saw our best year yet with growth exceeding 22 per cent compared to last year and we are continuing with that theme of growth into 2020. What I’m looking forward to in 2020 With the political climate still very uncertain we are continuing to see real opportunities being grabbed by our clients and are not expecting any let up on our workloads. Sustained growth has been the theme at Goughs for some years now and we see that really coming to fruition in 2020 with the opening of our new office in Greenways Business Park, Chippenham in early 2020. The new office will see Goughs grow from six to seven sites providing a new home for our ever-growing Commercial Team and some much needed space to ensure growth across the firm, whilst also offering a genuine agile workspace. My predictions for the next decade Robots have already taken over our homes and we are seeing them amongst us in our working day and this is only going to go one way. But this isn’t necessarily a negative, turn it on its head and see the positive side and where this new i-colleague might be able to make working lives that little bit less stressful and free up some time in our busy lives! [email protected] 01225 762683 For more info: www.goughs.co.uk Legal Malcolm Gregory, Partner, Royds Withy King, Swindon Highlights from 2019 In March, we were voted Best Managed Firm at the Managing Partners’ Forum Awards 2019. We are proud to be a dynamic and ambitious firm, and one of the leading and fastest growing law firms in our regions. The main highlight for 2019 has been how the various projects in and around Swindon are coming together to provide some momentum for the development of the town, including the bus station and entrance to the high street. For more info: www.roydswithyking.com 16 www.tbeswindonandwilts.co.uk currently at about 2.7 per cent. However whatever the general picture may be, there are many business in our area reflecting on the last 12 months and we’ve invited them to share their successes with you. We’ve asked each contributor to share their highlights from 2019, upcoming milestones and any news about their sector likely to make an impact in 2020. What’s going to make a difference to your sector in 2020? Looking ahead, an outcome on Brexit will ensure businesses, including our commercial clients, can get on with some certainty. It will also allow UK policy makers to think about the future. We’re also facing consolidation and regulation changes, which will allow solicitors greater flexibility in how they work. Therefore, 2020 looks set to be another interesting year with plenty of challenges. But with challenge comes opportunity, enabling us to bring our brand – being ‘ahead of the curve’ – to life by really getting to grips with the issues. Every law firm has its own way of working, so what makes Royds Withy King different? Our people and our passion for delivery are a good place to start. [email protected] 01793 847777