Business news isn’t boring – it affects people's lives

It’s often been said that small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy.

If you want to take the pulse of the national, regional or local economy, you need to know what’s going on in the marketplace where all those start-ups and family firms operate. 

The Stray Ferret is committed to covering all the local business news in the Harrogate area.

When Harrogate telemarketing firm Amvoc collapsed in 2023 with 450 job losses, we broke the story. I talked to employees who lost their jobs and did my best to accurately reflect the huge impact it had on many locals' lives and the story behind the company’s collapse.

Across the district, we try our best to cover both big events, such as Amvoc or the collapse of Ilke Homes in Knaresborough, as well as small success stories, new business ventures and longer interviews with business leaders.

News of a restaurant closing means a lot to the people who loved the food it served and to the staff who worked there, but it also says something about the wider local economy and the changing nature of our high streets or consumer preferences. 

Our role is to help local businesses tell their story and, by tracking events, support business owners to understand the ups and downs of the local economy.

Every week, I talk to the owners of small businesses for our Business Q&A, which highlights the human faces behind retailers and restaurants, manufacturers, as well as companies involved in travel, tailoring, boat supplies, archaeology and helicopter hire. 

The organisations that act as a voice for these companies – the forums and the chambers of commerce – typically hold monthly meetings, where plans are hatched and decisions taken. The Stray Ferret attends many of these and we’re almost always the only journalistic presence there. 

Business news isn’t boring – it affects people's lives.

We want to hear more from local businesses, and from the people that work for them. Please do get in touch with me at grainger@thestrayferret.co.uk.