Does business lead where politicians follow or vice-versa? The two are undeniably intertwined and the relationship can be dysfunctional with one often taking credit or blame for the other’s actions. Whatever your opinion, post Brexit, politicians and business will have to work in tandem to build UK Inc. We will see headlines of our major corporations leading the charge, though it is often the small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) that will quietly be trading across the globe. Small businesses accounted for 99.3% of all private sector businesses at the start of 2017 and the total employment in SMEs was 16.1 million; 60% of all private sector employment in the UK.

One such company, Tricon Foodservice Consultants, trading since 1981 and employing just 45 people has, over the last few years, completed major projects in 28 countries (and counting). These have included 6 stadiums in Qatar for the next World Cup; 38 leading Five-Star Hotels (including some assumed 7-star hotels); a number of Pavilions for a Global Expo; working on some of the leading office complexes including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple, Goldman Sachs and UBS; 5 of the leading Global Exhibition & Conference Centres; Oilfields in Kazakhstan; An European Opera House, numerous Historic Buildings; the Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona and to complete the political circle, The Palaces of Westminster.

Tricon Foodservice Consultants is one of the 99.3% of small business you have never heard of, unless you are working on a major new global project that requires the development and design of amazing food and beverage operations. The head-lines will feature the Starchitect’s name for new iconic buildings (that now always have a name; perhaps to stop other less complimentary ones!) though all these projects have a myriad of support businesses often working anonymously to the public eye.

What is key is that the government must get behind these companies and provide a platform that enables UK Inc to get out on the Global stage. Strong and Stable may be an expression that not all want to hear, whatever side of the political spectrum, though that is a fundamental pre-requisite going forward. We need a Government that works along side and supports small business across the Globe. Let the ‘Big Names’ lead the charge, but remember where 99%+ of the companies come from.