IT is easy to imagine that the Euro is a long way off and probably won't affect your business, far away as we are in the Forest of Dean. It may well be that it will be a long time before the UK joins anyway! So why concern ourselves about it?

The Royal of Dean Business and Professional Association is involved with a large number of small businesses in and around the Forest, helping them make the most of their business opportunities and helping when they are in difficulties. We have realised that the Euro is a lot closer and can affect a large number of businesses in the Forest before too long.

Business to business transactions will soon be dominated by the Euro currency as well as the tourists coming with Euros in their pockets to spend.

Small businesses have to provide the right service to the larger companies who buy from them and who in turn sell on up to international buyers. It is in this chain of selling that the Euro is going to become the key currency of Europe as a whole and that will include the UK long before we vote on the referendum about our currency.

Imagine that a manufacturer in Europe is pricing his product to sell throughout the world. He has enough problems with external currencies, he wants all the component costs in a currency that is constant. He therefore demands that the whole supply chain up to his business quotes in Euros. That fixes his costs and leaves him confident to deal with his buyers. At any point on that chain, suppliers as far away from him as the Forest of Dean must comply or lose the chance of business.

It doesn't stop at manufacturing. Many of the service companies will have parent companies in Europe or customers who operate across the continent. They too will expect to be quoted in Euros when, for example, they buy tyres for a car run by a company with its head office in France or Germany.

It might just add that special level of service in our shops if we welcome the European travellers with an offer to sell our goods, priced in Euros as well as £s.

So, whatever your business, understanding that little bit more about a subject that will soon dominate the European commercial life could be useful. The Association is holding a seminar at the Council Offices on October 11 at 7:30. It is free including a light buffet. The speakers include Barclays Bank, LINK and the council's head of economic development. Fax your reservation to 01600 712 896 or email [email protected]">[email protected]

The Euro is coming – Mike Wonnacott, St Margaret's Road, Ruardean.