Resources
Doing Business in Birmingham and the Midlands
■ First in a series of special reports on the business of doing business in the British Isles.
■ Birmingham, the West Midlands and the East Midlands emerge as a patchwork of challenges and opportunities
■ New industries are emerging as others adapt to the changes caused by globalisation and other mega-trends - -
Content
Region shops for a brand new image
Birmingham and the Midlands want public perceptions to match a bright new reality after a wave of regeneration
Who’s who: big wheels in business circles
A personal selection, in no particular order, of 10 influentual people across the region’s industry sectors
Living guide: benefits of a wide range of choices
The lowdown on where to live, where to send your children to school, the best shopping, and the region’s cultural attractions
Where to work and network: making a meal of it
Dinner jackets and spangly frocks get heavy wear in the region, and business breakfasts are also popular
Economy: sunny in ‘golden valley’, cloudy elsewhere
Some areas, especially south of Birmingham and Warwickshire, are coping with change well but others are finding it a struggle
Transport: no easy route out of congestion
Hopes are pinned on road pricing to resolve one of the big complaints for business in the region
Guest column: why it’s best to be in the middle
Most Brummies have a clear sense of who they are, even if others feel sorry for them
Professional services: large firms home in on second city
Birmingham has one of the biggest clusters of legal, accountancy and related companies outside London
Financial services: sector with clear goals
Financial intermediation is increasingly important to the region’s economy, and especially in Birmingham itself
Creative industries: making moves in the movies
In film production, Birmingham can capitalise on saturation in Manchester and belt-tightening in London
