In these times of financial cutbacks and escalating energy costs, it is a pleasant surprise to find that Huntingdonshire has kept its eye on the future.

Wanted: school leaver or retiree for post of Junior Web Developer. Location Cambridgeshire. Please circulate http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1646983/Web-developer-ad.pdf

Have you started or are thinking of starting up your own business? Come along to HBN to meet other small businesses who have been through the experience and are willing to share and exchange knowledge – in the meantime try the experience of starting your business in the visual form of a flash game. Click here for link to game

Today's HBN Friday meeting was a lively debate about what is the best way to have a web presence.

A number of us present have web sites set up that are visually attractive or met the purpose they were originally designed for. However, updating or adding content is often difficult and consequently not done as frequently as desireable.

As a member of the West Anglia local group for  the Society for Editors and Proofreaders, I have been invited to review a new book, by Margaret Aherne...http://bit.ly/ustqQi

Watch the video by going to to http://youtu.be/ZiRoQrpEq8o

Chairman’s Message “The Courage to Conquer Tough Times”

Dear Members, I look forward to taking up the reins of Chairman of Huntingdonshire Business Network and getting members back to our meetings, also to encourage new members to come along and join us. It was over 6 years ago when I last held this post, and times have certainly changed in the Networking world…..

Last Friday, after two years of having the honour of being HBN Chairperson, I finally laid down my magnetic badge of office. Two years that had seen us enter the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, a mushrooming of new networks and the impending loss of business support for the region. Two years that had also seen HBNers variously dive, leap or even tentatively dip their toes into the new world of social media; adopting QR codes; and still retaining the core principles of support, information exchange and collaboration in a friendly environment.

The horrendous accident on the M5 on Saturday, travelling on the same M5 on Sunday to Hereford, all following the Magpas Helimedix presentation at HBN's AGM on Friday. This is sychronicity with a clear message: If, God (insert deity of your choice or humanist equivalent) forbid, you or your loved ones are involved in a major incident in the East of England, you can only hope that the volunteer consultants, medics and paramedics of the charity Magpas are there at the scene.

This Friday's HBN Seminar was on the current financial situation and how our local HSBC was reaching out to businesses. A team of three from HSBC came with some trepidation and left with both them and the HBNers having exchanged a lot of business and technical knowledge in the true spirit of friendly networking.

Putting business in broad global context, we have: Jittery markets, confidence low, worries about getting a loan the Eurozone troubles and US Risks. The reality that overall businesses reported fewer orders being placed for next year.