Speaking at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow, Nosheena Mobarik told members to look overseas for business opportunities and export as much as possible.
She said: "To improve Scotland's economic situation, our business leaders have to take a full and active part in a collective national effort to improve our export performance. All of us have a duty to assist in whichever way we can and, individually in our own businesses, get out there and sell to the world."
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She admitted that bad economic news had caused optimism to shrink, and said the Governement should do more to help businesses.
Mrs Mobarik said: "There are still too many areas of government action that fall short of what business needs. The Scottish Government needs to do better.
"With its remit and budget, and freedom over how that money is invested, the Scottish Government can play a valuable and active role in stimulating economic activity - in education; skills; health; housing; innovation; land-use-planning; business rates; support for exporters, which is a matter very close to my heart; using the public sector's purchasing power to help small businesses through procurement; and transport, including improving Scotland's connectivity to the rest of the UK and overseas."
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