Several businesses have made significant staff redundancies over the last 5 weeks with ‘off the record’ indications from other Managing Directors that there’s unfortunately ‘more to come’.

Some business owners have told us about a dramatic decrease in incoming new business enquiries and that ‘smaller’ projects are becoming increasingly competitive to win as a result of clients tightening the purse strings. Conversley others are saying ’it’s business as usual’.

Whatever your position it’s clear 2009 will likely be a challenging year – for all of us.

As a network of ‘likeminded’ people running similar businesses, Bristol Media should be perfectly placed to respond to the recession by kick starting initatives and developing ideas/projects to help members get through the worst of it.

But we need your feedback now.

What are the challenges you’re facing?

Where would you like us to focus our efforts in the coming months?

• We’ve already held a ‘recession roundtable’ discussion with some of the leading digital and marketing agencies in town (Highlights were circulated and have been downloaded by over 900 companies) with a similar initaitive planned for the TV sector in the next few weeks.

• We are also working on a number of new ‘recruitment’ and ‘staff retention’ projects with a group of digital and marketing owner/managers next week. Details to follow.

• After feedback we’ve repositioned and changed the content of the Consultrix seminars to focus around ‘survival of the fittest’ and ’how to get through it".

• We’re funding 40 member places (usually £499) enabling members to attend for free the How to retain and develop business with existing clients seminar in Bristol on Jan 28th.

But there’s more we can be doing, so let us know by emailing us or giving us a call on 0117 971 0199.