| ngham, like the majority of towns and cities in the UK, | | | | with all its events be they business or community also |
| has seen major industrial changes during the last three | | | | plays a large part in bringing outside visitors to the city. |
| four decades, with numerous companies, both large | | | | The city also has many places of interests and |
| and small, opening and closing their gates for the last | | | | attractions on offer, the majority of which can be |
| time. | | | | found on Activ Birmingham’s Home Pages. |
| It has also suffered considerably in the current | | | | Also with three universities on its doorstep and the |
| economic recession as the economy shrank for a | | | | continuing annual influx of university students wishing to |
| record sixth quarter in a row, with unemployment in the | | | | remain here, Birmingham business should never be |
| city now standing at some 8.1% of the working | | | | short of the professionally qualified person seeking |
| population. The unemployment figure in April 2008 | | | | future employment in the area, if initially it may only be |
| stood at 5.2% and in September 2008 at 5.7%. The | | | | for an experience gaining period. |
| current seasonally adjusted claimant rate, however, | | | | One area that Birmingham, with its change of |
| now stands at some 12.8%. | | | | employment direction, may struggle with is employment |
| Business output has also been in decline, with the latest | | | | for individuals with little or if any qualifications, as the |
| third quarter fall figure at 0.4% taking the total output | | | | work these people would normally be employed to |
| loss to some 5.9% since the current recession began. | | | | carry out will become even less as time goes on. |
| Not only have businesses suffered from a downturn in | | | | There will soon be a serious need for extended type |
| orders, but major stores, shops, hotels and restaurants | | | | schooling and/or college placement for hands on |
| have also been affected, with people cutting back | | | | employment training best offered by Colleges of |
| heavily on weekly luxuries etc. Whilst new car sales | | | | Further Education. The type of employment being |
| were also in steep decline the government’s | | | | mainly associated with the construction type industries, |
| scrapage scheme has given the majority of dealers a | | | | for example - gas fitters, electricians, plumbers, |
| breathing space and some leeway for the future. | | | | bricklayers, plasterers, window and kitchen installers |
| Major supermarkets have also experienced a decline | | | | etc. |
| in sales as more and more of the population venture | | | | This forthcoming problem needs to be drawn to the |
| into and return to supermarkets offering the more | | | | attention of all those who it is felt will struggle to meet |
| discounted brands of foods. Shoppers, currently, are | | | | an acceptable education standard, as soon as such a |
| more prepared to shop around in order to save on | | | | probability is first noticed; otherwise their futures in |
| their weekly shopping outlay. | | | | employment in the area of Birmingham look to be very |
| However, on the better news front, latest surveys | | | | bleak to say the least. Job Centres, who probably deal |
| have suggested that the economic output is no longer | | | | with less than half of all available vacancies, most of |
| in decline but there appears to be no immediate signs | | | | which are for the less skilled trades will experience |
| of any growth patterns emerging. | | | | even greater difficulty in future years , in the placement |
| Access to finance still remains a problem area for | | | | of unqualified personnel of all age groups. |
| both small and medium size companies, despite the | | | | Businesses need to continue to be positive and |
| extra £200 billion pounds which have been fed | | | | prepared for the eventual economic improvement. |
| into the UK financial system. Recent surveys have | | | | With the euro zone countries now moving out of |
| indicated that at least a third of the companies | | | | recession there appears, at last, to be light at the end |
| questioned have found it harder to obtain monetary | | | | of the tunnel. |
| support in the last quarter. | | | | With more and more businesses and households now |
| With a majority of the younger generation, be they | | | | daily being connected to the internet and with a |
| employed or otherwise, still prepared to have a normal | | | | Government requirement for an internet connection |
| Friday and weekend fun time; the majority of clubs | | | | being made available, if required, to virtually every |
| and pubs appear to have ridden the recession more | | | | household in the country, the days of expensive |
| favourably. | | | | business media advertising will be in decline and instead |
| There has been a major change in business direction in | | | | of a daily advertising cost, businesses can and will |
| Birmingham, originally known as the “City of a | | | | advertise their wears annually on the internet at similar |
| Thousand Trades,” with both large and small | | | | prices, or slightly more, if featured or sponsored |
| engineering firms fast disappearing and its last | | | | advertising on the various web site home pages is |
| remaining car company, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), | | | | required. |
| gearing up to close one of its last two remaining | | | | The advantages of internet advertising on the home |
| assembly plants. Such failing businesses have and are | | | | page of sites, is that it will be seen by visitors from all |
| being gradually replaced by the various service type | | | | over the world, which can obviously run into many |
| companies, driven by the expansion of the professional | | | | thousands monthly. Advertising in free papers and |
| and financial services sector, plus the outside visitor | | | | national or local daily papers, as indicated above, is |
| economy from within the British Isles and those | | | | expensive and provides no guarantee that they will in |
| travelling from abroad. | | | | fact be seen by the large majority of readers. |
| Birmingham seems to be in the frontline as the most | | | | All businesses are advised to look carefully at internet |
| popular area for business service firms, largely | | | | advertising, as it will certainly play a big part in future. |
| because of its central location and easy access links | | | | Businesses also need to be fully aware that home |
| by road, rail and air. It also has a major advantage | | | | page advertising, especially on the heavily visited sites |
| over the likes of London with more affordable and | | | | will be fairly limited as advertising space will be at a |
| quality office space, the easy availability of the | | | | premium. Future internet advertising will, without doubt, |
| professionally qualified employees and also, an | | | | become the business norm and all prime site spaces |
| important factor for car users in their travels to work, | | | | will, obviously, be offered on a first come first served |
| more than adequate car parking facilities. The NEC, | | | | basis, Birmingham businesses, you have been warned. |