I AM sure I am not the only person to have breathed a sigh of relief when the campaigning finished and the wall-to-wall media coverage that surrounded the General Election finally came to rest!

I travel a great deal as part of my role with the Somerset Chamber and this gives me the perfect opportunity to stay in touch with current affairs through both local and national radio. It struck me as odd that when the media coverage halted during Thursday 7th May, the headline news bulletins were very thin on content. It was almost as if the world had stopped spinning while the UK went to the polls and nothing else was as important.

I understand this up to a point, and realise that it is easy to see only what is immediately in front of you. The reality, however, is very different and there is a very big world out there that is filled with opportunity for Somerset businesses.

International trade is a huge, largely untapped market for Somerset businesses. What we already do, we do very well, and a number of our local businesses already have strong export order books.

However, as a county we are not as export focused as we could be. Funding is available for local businesses to explore overseas markets and, as well as being one of the conduits through which this can be released, we at the Somerset Chamber can assist by leveraging our association with the British Chambers of Commerce international networks, to provide meaningful intelligence and sales contacts.

As someone who has worked overseas, I can speak with some authority on the strength of the UK brand. Our reputation for quality and reliability is market leading, and I worry that if we do not take advantage of these markets, then someone else will.

Asian markets in particular have a good appetite for UK products, and Somerset businesses are well placed to service this demand. ‘Made in Somerset’ is a marque to be proud of – one of the reasons why it has been chosen as the title of this year’s Somerset in Business Conference on 4th June.

As for the newly elected government, while the Chamber has no political bias whatsoever, at this time in Somerset’s economic development, consistency has to be an advantage. It was the same Chancellor who pledged in the recent budget to release funding for the long overdue road infrastructure improvements for Somerset, and the same local MPs who promised to prioritise superfast broadband for all, as well as reviewing business rates and zero hours contracts. I assure you they will not be allowed to rest!

The 2015 Somerset in Business Conference, entitled ‘Made in Somerset’, takes place on Thursday 4th June at Junction 24 near Bridgwater. For further details visit www.somerset-chamber.co.uk