IT’S been a traumatic couple of weeks for me.

Attenborough started it with those Racer snakes, as a confirmed ophidiophobe it was the stuff of my darkest nightmares and fighting the resistance to hide under the bed for a week to get over it was tricky.

When I did finally feel the world was OK again I watched the US election results and suddenly under the bed didn’t seem quite so safe anymore.

My neighbours then put their Christmas tree up on November 16, which was enough to send me right over the edge.

As I can’t find a nice safe bunker to watch the events unfolding across the Atlantic, the depressingly familiar repeat of reports of violence, shouting of “we won” and the questioning of democracy that followed the Brexit vote here, I’ll have to grin and bear it.

Actually, listening to Trump’s acceptance speech and his promise to work together and listen to the small voices it did remind me of our own devolution deal.

The Tees Valley does share something in common with Donald Trump (no, not that) in that we have just been handed some real power for the first time and must now decide what to do with it.

Now, it would be easy to be overwhelmed by it but if it is going to work for everyone then the small voices must be heard.

At a recent consultation with the business community, it was clear that the small and medium-sized businesses in the area want a far greater input into projects affecting them.

In fact, they are pushing at an open door, for something like the design of business support in the Tees Valley as part of the Business Compass, input from companies to ensure we get it absolutely right is crucial.

The issue is that business owners are busy, they don’t always pay attention to calls to action and can be impossible to reach – much like the electorate.

It is when things go wrong or are not quite to people’s liking that they tend to protest, often when it is too late to really do anything about it.

So, this is my plea to the business community, particularly the small companies, get involved, give your opinions, get what you want from the deal.

Otherwise, you might find someone has built a wall you’re not happy with that’s going to be very difficult to get rid of.

Rachel Anderson is head of policy and representation at the North East England Chamber of Commerce