A local manifesto: Getting business booming

Part 3 of the manifesto series.

Currently, Inverness has a bright future with investment from a good number of businesses setting up and expanding their bases here.

However, there are darker spots. The success of Inverness is seen as a drain on outlying areas. The success of retail parks within Inverness is seen as detrimental to the Old Town. There are fears that Inverness will be just another 'clone town' or 'Tescotown.'

Just to play devil's advocate, I think Tesco is a good thing. It provides employment and cheap food with choice. I know some of you will think that's not a price worth paying though so let me know how you think the world should be in this area.

A lot of companies either depend on the public sector for work or do a lot of their work for the public sector*. Is this a acceptable or is it just pushing money around the system and not generating any real change? Can you change it without causing hurt?

Where do you draw the line between helping businesses and propping up businesses that should fail? Is it better to prop up some businesses as the secondary benefits outweigh the costs of closure?

What role should the local economic agencies be playing? Are they doing it well or could they do better? My view is that HIE can only go so far in promoting a successful economy - business itself also needs to take risks and finish the job. Again, I know some people will disagree with that and have suggested ways to me in the past in which they thought the LECs could be helping companies more.

Let me know your ideas to get business booming locally!

Manifesto Series
Click here to comment on 'Our wellbeing'
Click here to comment on 'Our modern transport system'
Click here to comment on 'Getting business booming'
Click here to comment on 'Creating successful communities'
Click here to comment on 'Scotland in the World'

*This includes mine.