In business, we don’t want the Government to grow our company for us, we just want the right conditions that allow businesses of all sizes and sectors to flourish.

The recent economic data has been reasonably positive. GDP has been growing and unemployment fell according to the latest figures. And, while inflation, ticked up to 2.2 per cent it is still very close to target and is a world away from the double digits we saw only too recently.

Lower inflation allowed the Bank of England to cut interest rates and, while it was only by a quarter of a per cent, it sends a strong message to business that the economy is stabilising and now could be a good time to start investing in growth.

It might be too early to say so, again, I’ll be interested to see what businesses in the city feel about this at the forum.

As well as the forum, there are some really exciting events coming up in the next couple of months that I’d encourage businesses to book onto in order to support their growth.

The first is on September 19, when the Chamber is hosting the Green Futures: Expo and Summit at Ashorne Hill. It is a chance to hear from a range of experts and meet businesses in this field who might be able to support the transition towards net zero. While it’s supporting businesses to do the right thing, it’s also about seeing how it can help you to improve the bottom line too.

Then, on October 11, it is the Chamber’s International Trade Summit at the Holiday Inn, Walsgrave, Coventry, which will provide an insight on how to either begin trading overseas or to expand the markets you operate in if you are already exporting.

The evidence shows – and I know this from my own business – that businesses that export are more likely to grow, survive and operate much more efficiently than those that don’t so, again, it’s well worth booking on to find out what help is out there.

For more information on those events or to book on, go to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events/