DESPITE the current economic climate, business analyst and former professional BMX champion Ian Dixon believes in staying upbeat, upright – and firmly in the saddle.

The Richmond-based entrepreneur and founder of Professional Bodies, a people-orientated organisation with sound, senior management experience, is convinced that strategy re-alignment is the key to survival and prosperity for businesses in the future. He works with small to medium-sized enterprises across all business sectors.

Ian, 47, who recently completed an MBA in Enterprise, which specialises in the SME sector, at Teesside University, represented Great Britain in BMX at world championship level on no fewer than six occasions.

Referring briefly to his BMX days, he said: “I still like to keep fit, but not at that level any more. Since then, I’ve become a bit of a number-cruncher, which is a vital function if you want to help a business by analysing and identifying weaknesses before making sound recommendations.”

“Although the economic climate isn’t good at the moment, I don’t believe it’s as bad as it’s made out to be. However there’s a real danger that the current tidal wave of bad publicity is making matters worse, leading us from recession to depression.

“I believe we are at, or close to, the bottom of the trough, which is why it’s important for companies to implement some form of maintenance strategy to get through the next six months – which unfortunately could for some be difficult.

Many experts are of the opinion that by late 2009, we may be seeing an improvement – but it’s getting there that matters.”

Ian, who founded Professional Bodies in November, 2008, and works with strategic partners across the region, went on: “I’m in it for the long-haul. I see my job as about creating and maintaining long-term relationships with reputable companies.

To underline that, I will interact at any level required to get the job done, up to non-executive director on the board of those companies seeking to utilise my expertise.

“I want to use the knowledge gained during five years at Business School to help local businesses succeed, and as a matter of course, always embrace the use of the latest technologies, such as video-conferencing, to reduce the companies’ carbon footprint and make it as efficient as possible.”