At the start of any year, people discuss whether it will be better than the last. Comments and surveys in 2010 suggested that it had been an easier year than 2009, but still difficult.

Most of the pain of reducing staff, tackling falling sales and finding new markets had been dealt with.

Then came the public spending cuts announcements. Essential purchases will be made, although at lower levels, so it is hard to predict what the impact will be.

In 2011, free advisory services and grants for businesses will reduce or disappear along with individual, free business consultations. There is no shortage of help available from the private sector, but with the user paying.

During the recession, companies continued to train staff. The Train To Gain scheme made a contribution towards those costs for some.

We expect to see support for apprenticeships, but businesses will have to pay in full for other standard and bespoke training.

In my view, it would not be helpful to return to the days when businesses said they didn’t want to train staff because a competitor, who didn’t train, would recruit their people.

Is it time to look at competitive co-operation where companies needing the same skills jointly commission training to reduce the cost and avoid the “poaching”?

Bradford does still have a strong manufacturing base and a commitment to building the local supply chain. That’s certainly something we need to build on this year.