CHAMBER NEWS

IN HIS MONTHLY COLUMN, CORNWALL CHAMBER CEO, KIM CONCHIE, REFLECTS ON THE SAD PASSING OF THE QUEEN AND LOOKS FORWARD TO HAPPIER TIMES

It seems I am never short of content for an opening paragraph for my column these days! Pandemic, energy bills, war, and now

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A LIFE OF DUTY

the sad passing of our Queen - the only constant amid the chaos of the last few years, and the trials and tribulations of the last 70.

As a Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall, I feel privileged to have served Her Majesty in some small way. The life of duty, service, championing of our country at home and abroad and her unstinting energy made her a role model for all of us. I had the pleasure of meeting her once when I was invited to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party as Chair of my industry’s trade association in a previous life and, indeed, a previous millennium!

I have met our new monarch a couple of times before his elevation to the role of King Charles III - most recently at this year’s Royal Garden Party in Cornwall and before that at a Business in the Community conference in London. I found him to be as gracious and interested in people as his mother. It’s all change now and I, for one, am looking forward to welcoming our new Duke and Duchess of Cornwall to the Duchy soon – that’s William and Kate if you hadn’t heard.

I’ve been asked many times in the last fortnight to comment on the impact the death of our monarch will have on the business landscape in an already turbulent time. In one sense, death is another Horseman of the Apocalypse sent to test our fortitude, but I don’t begrudge at all an additional Bank Holiday to allow us all to pay our respects and contemplate her amazing reign. But the Queen’s death is different from the cost-ofliving crisis. It doesn’t have the same grinding impact on our lives and businesses.

I am old enough to have run a business through tough, inflationary times and some different skills as well as fortitude are needed. Do not offer fixed price contracts to customers when you can’t control your input prices, do not stop marketing, customer care or applying best practices. And be the best. There is a drift to quality in recessionary times and the good businesses will survive – prosper even.

Cornwall Chamber continues to act progressively and energetically on your behalf. By the time you read this, Sustainability September: Project Planet C will have come to a close. Mid-way through the month as I write this, I can already tell you that it has been a roaring success, and our mission to train 200 Cornish business climate ambassadors to be carbon literate by the end of October is well on course.

Planet C was about making the journey to net zero accessible to everyone and changing the culture within a business so that climate action isn’t seen as an add on that drains resources and distracts from the everyday.

I really feel like this is just the beginning of Cornwall asserting itself nationally and showing that not only do we have the knowledge, resources and landscape here to lead the UK to net zero, we have the businesses who – regardless of sector – have brought the campaign into the fabric of their organisation.

We now look forward to our October Big Breakfast and Connected Lunch, our Chamber Innovation Investment Network - where angel investors meet thrusting young investable companies, and a series of masterclasses and advice. If you would like an event on a particular subject to help support you through these challenging times, please do let us know hello@ cornwallchamber.co.uk.

I hope September has been a good month for your organisation and despite business conditions being difficult, you are feeling strong and supported. Do get in touch if you need extra help in a particular area.

HM THE QUEEN WITH FRANCE’S PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON AT THE G7 CORNWALL IN 2021 (PHOT0 BY KARWAI TANG)