Jonny Harrison is sailing to Australia from the UK via the Panama Canal before he starts work in Sydney on a secondment at his firm PricewaterhouseCoopers »
Andrew Hebden is Assistant Editor (Business) of The Journal »
Katie Pringle has started her own business, Rock, Paper, Scissors »
Andrew Mernin is the Digital Journalist for nebusiness »
Matthew Rippon is an IP lawyer for BHP Law »
Formerly editor of a national business lifestyle magazine, Jez Davison is a business writer for the Evening Gazette in Teesside »
Ross Smith, Head of Policy and Research at the North-East Chamber of Commerce »
Julian Christopher from Footprint Public Relations, on media and marketing »
Norma Foster from the North East Regional Portal writes about e-business »
Ian Brown, Northumberland farmer and businessman writes about the agricultural industry »
Accessibilty Champion Steve Wilkinson on the importance of inclusion »
Andrea Wilkinson of Shared Interest is visiting Rwanda to deliver business training »
Jonathan Wheatley from Stokesley-based MC Ware writes about IT matters »
Paul Williamson from Deloitte »Several things have happened this week to make me think about collaboration and indeed co-operation; two sides of the same coin me thinks!
As a third generation farmer I was brought up on borrowing, lending and bartering. In more recent times I have of course come to recognise that all business transactions where services and or goods are exchanged must show the appropriate level of VAT- Can you tell I have just had my third VAT inspection? Although at the rate of one per decade, when I have several businesses, I am content they don't see me as non-compliant?
So in renewables and rural diversification who needs to work with who?
I tend to be happy to share my thoughts with people and recognise that I am good at some things and less so in other areas. The VAT is correct because Lindsay my wife is a trained bookkeeper...I am not! Now collaborating for me is an obvious direction to go in.
Farming in the UK , though, has a mixed reputaion compared to our mainland European neighbours - size of business and cultural background explains most of the gap. English Food and Farming partnership EFFP is looking to show by example and I suspect so will the new regional food group.The ugly truth is that just because it says in a strategy that people ought to does not mean they will! Talk is cheap and that is why case studies - particularly ones that answer questions honestly - are worth a thousand long words.
Today I was at a meeting at Kirkley Hall with a wide range of people coming together to get renewables working in the north east with particular focus on vocational training. Northumberland College has led on this for a year or so and I would like to thank Rachel Ellis-Jones for showing us that good things happen when we start to look at the whole picture and then do the bits we have expertise in.
I'm now involved with producing fuel from my land near Alnwick and the one thing I know is that I need a higher and further education network to educate myself and my present and future staff - as well as the general public - about a pioneer sector. The north east can lead on alternative and innovative energy and it starts with the educators and the entrepreneurs.
Anyway I'm just a humble VAT registered plumber so what would I know!
When all is said and done more IS said than done....don't you think?
PS within 16 hours of lodging this blog I was called by customs officials to organise a VAT inspection on my farming business.......spooky coincidence, if you believe in that sort of thing!
PPS inspection went very well, pleasant member of staff, under 1 hour and no need to go through the archive I had dusted down...just in case. They are there to help.
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