FIRST of all, welcome to Dorset Business online.

The Chamber goes from strength to strength under the leadership of Peter Scott and his incredible team.

There are some amazing new plans for the forthcoming year, particularly with respect to training and skills, the Dorset Business Awards, and some great events for members.

I have two main messages. The first is that the purpose of the chamber is to deliver value to you, its members; the second is that you will only receive this value if you become involved in and use the chamber to its best advantage.

Dorset Business events are renowned as a way for you to meet potential customers.

But they also enable you to meet potential suppliers. In addition, you can meet potential new business partners, or simply like-minded business people for a useful exchange of views and opinions.

Our training and skills service is also now up and running with a calendar of events.

In his capacity as senior vice-president, David Foster has established the manufacturing group, to enable manufacturers to exchange ideas and views.

Similarly, the land use sector group is chaired by Phillip Warr, who has set its objectives and defined its terms of reference.

I would like to see it much easier for business people to locate and buy their own freehold offices and workshops; and we need to lobby for improved transport links.

We should not fall into the trap of simply believing that it is impossible to improve transport links and we should ask for a better service.

Dorset Business is a major success story of the south and south-west of England.

To continue this success and to represent you, as the economic driving force of the region, we need your support.

And, in return, we promise to uphold your values and to continue to strive to represent you.