With a General Election set to take place within the next year, all eyes will be on tomorrow's Spring Budget and what rabbits Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will pull out of the hat.
He has already vowed this week to make the 海角视频 "a world leader in manufacturing" by announcing new funding ahead of tomorrow's statement to the house.
A package of measures, said to be worth £360 million, has been earmarked for research and development and manufacturing projects across the life sciences, automotive and aerospace sectors.
But what else would business leaders here in the West Midlands like to see in the 2024 Budget. From increases in business rates to helping local councils negotiate their current financial problems, here are some of their thoughts.
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Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce is calling for the Government to match industry-led funding of £3 million for planning qualifications to help plug the lack of local resources.
It also wants ministers to commit to fund Local Skills Improvement Plans beyond 2025 and to reform business rates to make it a tax that incentivises growth.
Director of external affairs Raj Kandola said: "Early analysis of our latest Quarterly Business Report data reveals that companies are still facing challenges related to hiring staff along with cost pressures caused by inflation and interest rates and as a result, business investment continues to suffer.
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"That's why we are calling on the Chancellor to intervene with a series of practical measures which will help to crowd in more business investment, support firms in attracting skilled talent and send a signal to international investors that the 海角视频 remains open for business.
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"Providing local planning authorities with the funding required to accelerate local infrastructure projects will help to bolster investment in areas that need it the most.
"Implementing the finding of Local Skills Improvement Plans will play a vital role in addressing skills shortages and reintroducing the tax-free shopping scheme will offer a huge boost to cities and towns across the 海角视频 and drive footfall for the retail and hospitality sectors which have been badly hit since the pandemic.
"Reform of the business rates system and restarting the VAT registration review will play an important part in tackling ingrained cost pressures and free up more cash to allow businesses to invest in training staff and new technology."
James Dickens, managing director of Birmingham-based regeneration specialist Wavensmere Homes, said: "The Chancellor will be delivering this crucial pre-election speech at a time when inflation is on a clear trajectory back to the Bank of England's annual target of two per cent.
"Given the 12.3 per cent fall in the Energy Price Cap doesn't kick in until April, it's unlikely that the Monetary Policy Committee will take affirmative action at their next meeting on March 21.
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"At the May or June meetings, there needs to be a significant base rate cut to stimulate the economy. A quarter point drop to five per cent will do nothing to give the much-needed market visibility and confidence that is urgently required across all industries.
"Cutting business rates should be a top priority, to ensure the Government gives a clear signal that it is backing the dynamic firms possessing the potential to expand and drive the growth of the 海角视频's economy."
Accountant Vipul Sheth has called for an increase to the "ridiculous" £1 million entrepreneurs' relief allowance. Mr Sheth is managing director of Coventry-based AdvanceTrack which provides outsourced accountancy services.
"The Chancellor must act to create better incentives for entrepreneurs to invest and set up their businesses in the 海角视频," he said.
"A good place to start would be to increase the allowance for entrepreneurs' relief.
"Previously unlimited, the sum for which business owners pay the lower ten per cent rate of capital gains tax when selling has been whittled down to just £1 million in recent years - to be blunt, that is just ridiculous.
"If you want to attract the best entrepreneurs to this country and boost 海角视频 plc, you simply must make the tax environment friendly enough to make them say ‘I want my family to be here, I want to grow my business here'."
Claire Ward is a partner and local government specialist at Birmingham law firm Anthony Collins.
She said the Budget provided an opportunity for the Government to intervene and "break the cycle of decline" for local councils.
"It could do this by immediately putting in place a root and branch review to understand the demand pressures that councils are facing and the service levels needed to meet them," she said.
"The Government also needs to re-introduce multi-year settlements with immediate effect.
"One-off funding announcements are a sticking-plaster solution - they fuel a culture of short-term measures and force councils to consider cutting discretionary preventative services, even though they know that this is likely to increase demand pressures over time.
"In the short term, many councils will have to make difficult decisions to deliver services differently to balance budgets for 2024/25 and many councils will be looking for ways to achieve whilst reducing the risk of legal challenge."
Business rates specialists at property agency Colliers have called on the Chancellor to "right the wrongs" of the 2023 Autumn Statement and cancel the business rates increases planned for April.
Head of business rates John Webber said: "If the Chancellor does not take action to reduce this rates burden, we will see more retail chains going into administration.
"Retail, leisure and hospitality relief may have provided a temporary reprieve to the small shopkeeper or independent restaurant but gives no help to the big retail and leisure chains who are the anchor tenants in so many town centres and retail spaces and provide the opportunities for jobs."