Article from Mike Hawkins JP - Executive Secretary of Brentwood Chamber of Commerce ; for Brentwood Gazette April 2007


A new Chamber of Commerce year brings new challenges

Next month we have our annual members’ meeting, hosted this year by chamber member Brentwood School. It will mark the start of a fresh set of challenges for us, as it will for all our members.

Yet things are starting to look more encouraging for Brentwood and its local businesses. This is not to understate the difficulties all businesses face from a very competitive environment – and with an ever more daunting mountain of official forms to complete and red tape to overcome. But business people are made of stern stuff and we are fortunate to have a wide and attractive range of shops and businesses, from sole traders to multi-national corporations, here on our doorstep.

Brentwood is also attracting new businesses, with the Baytree centre now in full swing and more newcomers, including a cinema multiplex, promised for the William Hunter way development. And before long, the lure of Brentwood’s status as an ‘Olympic Borough’, i.e. hosting an Olympic event, is sure to attract new investment into the town.

It is also very good news that we now have our very own full-time radio station in the town, Phoenix 98 FM. I recently had the pleasure of joining in Dennis Rookard’s talk show (Thursday evenings at 7pm), alongside the Gazette’s Ben Hall. Phoenix transmits 24 hours a day, which is quite a challenge. If you haven’t yet tuned in, give it a go. It deserves to be supported.

Here at Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, we remain very optimistic about the future for the town, its residents and its businesses. As always, we are on the lookout for more members. The more we have, the stronger our voice is in representing local business interests. If you are in business in Brentwood and haven’t yet joined Brentwood Chamber, please get in touch with us (tel 01277225214 or email info@brentwoodchambers.co.uk)