November is shaping up to be a memorable month for the city.

Not only did the York 800 celebrations continue in style with three major bonfire and fireworks events this year, but we’ll be welcoming some high-profile guests to our graduation ceremonies at York St John and York Business Week returns for its third year on November 12 with a fantastic programme of events for businesses large and small.

During York Business Week you will be spoilt for choice, with no fewer than 30 events running throughout the week. Aimed at corporates, SMEs, established businesses, start-ups, students and the unemployed, the events aim to showcase the world-class businesses that flourish here in York and the breadth of advice that’s available in the city.

It also hopes to inspire a new generation of enterprise, and we know from seeing the demand increase year on year for our Acorns business start-up programme that there is a generation of extremely capable entrepreneurs out there looking for sound advice and ongoing support.

We are incredibly lucky to have such a wealth of knowledge and experience in York, and every day I see the hard work that is going into channelling that expertise into comprehensive business support. Events such as York Business Week help pull everything together and signpost people to others who can help them, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the economy, both locally and further afield.

But that will only work if people are prepared to pull together, share their expertise and experience and support each other. Here too, we strike gold in York. Everywhere I go, I meet people who have that open, “can do” approach to supporting others and sharing knowledge. That’s partly what makes doing business in this city so special and that’s what York Business Week harnesses and celebrates.

So think about what you’ve got to contribute to York Business Week and how you’ll get involved this year. I guarantee it will be worthwhile.