A prosperous 2017 for Liverpool businesses

2016 was interesting, and eventful, for Liverpool and the rest of the UK. We were subjected to the noise of Brexit, Trump winning the US presidency and the England football team failing at yet another tournament.

Now, as the year winds to a close, we begin to plan for 2017 amidst the clamour of the media circus surrounding Brexit and how bad it will be for businesses and families alike; and the questions being asked about how Trump’s presidency will affect the world’s economy and political landscape. It’s hard to find hope for 2017 unless you, as a city, have already faced adversity and raised above it before.

Liverpool’s Liver bird, like the phoenix, has risen time and time again. Through world wars 1 and 2, thriving in an industrial era, through the Thatcher era Toxteth riots and Hillsborough, we have shown our tenacity as a city and a culture on our own. In fact, Liverpool is now recognised as more of a land on its own, than part of an establishment; and Liverpool’s residents are the fundamental ingredient for the city’s success in 2017.

There are, however, key factors coming into play to help our businesses thrive along the way. We, dare I say it, are following in the footsteps of Manchester and are taking steps to appoint our own Metro Mayor to take back control of our own finances from central government. Local authorities within Merseyside, Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens and Halton will elect a Metro Mayor in May, once parliament gives the green light. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson says that he was hoping to bring business investment to all the boroughs in the Liverpool City Region by creating Mayoral Development Zones.

Business First, Liverpool, is keen to help all our current and future tenants succeed in 2017 so we will be keeping a close eye on this one.

Another potential to help us climb the ladder to success in 2017 will be more scope on the Northern Powerhouse deal. The Liverpool Enterprise Partnership (LEP) website now states that there are 40 organizations signed up to pledge support and champion the north’s strengths and promote transport links, skills, and innovation.

Business First will be attending the LEP conference, in February, to see how this can help push growth for our tenants and we will feed back to them all on what we learn. Here at Business First we already benefit from great transport links with Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Liverpool South Park Way rail-links, and inner city bus-links. Not to mention we are moments off the M62.

Amongst all our Northern Powerhouse excitement we do have a much closer to home almost instant winner on our hands; in the form of The Mersey Gateway Bridge! It is due to be completed in 2017, opening up a 6-lane route between Liverpool and North Cheshire. Making commuting and accessibility between the two boroughs easier than ever before, this opens up much more possibility for expansion and growth for businesses looking to sow seeds in Liverpool in the coming year.

Doing a straight run between the Mersey Gateway Bridge and Liverpool city centre you will find yourself passing our two Business Centres with free parking and zero city centre congestion. We are ideally located for your clients to come off the motorway into our modern building, where you can host your meetings or conferences in our fully equipped conference rooms with free tea and coffee.

So as the rest of the country braces itself for what is to come, we can rest assured that in the comfort of our busy centres, what will be will be and in Liverpool, we will always rise again.

Here’s wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a very prosperous 2017.