Western Business Forum Launch a big success
The first meeting of the Western Business Forum – ‘making it happen in 2008’, was a resounding success with over 60 business people gathering at Cumberwell Park near Bradford on Avon.
To say the meeting was topical was to put it mildly. Jeavon Lolay, economist with LloydsTSB gave an up to the minute forecasts for the economic outlook in the light of the turbulent times on the world’s stock markets this week. However even this was upstaged in timeliness by Bruce Lockhart, Tax partner with Old Mill Accountancy who gave a workshop on Capital Gains Tax as the latest details were emerging and being fed to him by a colleague over a mobile phone.
Although the economic outlook given by Jeavon was not as bleak as some might have anticipated he did focus on the particular problems that face the UK economy. In particular the fiscal deficit which is now running at around 3% of GDP. After 15 years of economic growth he likened this to ‘failing to fix the roof whilst the weather is dry.’ Given inflationary pressures on energy and food and a knock on from inflation in the far east Jeavon could not see scope for many cuts in the interest rate and unlike the USA and most of Europe there is no room for tax cuts to stimulate the economy.
Businessmen at the meeting also focused on how they could improve their own personal achievements in 2008 in a lively interactive session led by personal coach Nigel Linacre of consultants Inside Out. The feed back from those attending was very positive and people are already looking forward to the next forum meeting on 24 April.
Ends.
Notes to editors
For more information contact
Alan Stone - Marketing Manager
Tel: 01749 335007
E-mail: alan.stone@oldmillgroup.co.uk
About Old Mill Accountants and Financial Advisers
Old Mill accountants and financial advisers employ 160 staff in three West Country offices. The rural services teams are headed by Partners Mike Butler (Yeovil) and Ian Sharpe (Shepton Mallet). Looking after nearly 1,000 farmers they are one of the leading specialist farm accountants, and are happy to help with any financial and tax-related enquiries from the media.