Chamber News

An extensive independent survey has found that attempts to make a mobile phone call in locations across Norfolk are likely to be unsuccessful nearly one in five times.  Norfolk County Council commissioned the survey earlier this year to establish a true picture of mobile voice and data coverage in the county, with the goal of using the information to work with mobile providers to improve coverage and tackle ‘not spots’. The survey was carried out between February and March this year and saw a specialist company, AWTG, appointed to gather information on the extent and quality of mobile phone coverage throughout the county. The survey was conducted along more than 3,400 miles of Norfolk’s roads but also at 30 railway stations and main railway lines, enterprise zones and popular tourist sites and destinations. The key overall findings from the survey show:

• Phone signals for making voice calls in Norfolk were identified as a particular issue, with only 82% of call attempts being successful. The call failures happened throughout the county across a broad range of locations and for all operators
• Mobile data (3G and/or 4G) services were available in around 91% of locations surveyed
• Attempts to browse the web and stream video using mobile data were successful around 85% of the time, but web browsing success rates were considerably lower across all operators on 3G
• 4G data download speeds were good compared to the national average, particularly on EE, however 4G coverage issues were widespread which could impact on people’s experience of using the service, particularly indoors

Tom Garrod, Chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Digital Innovation and Efficiency Committee, said: “People have been telling us for some time that phone signal around the county isn’t good enough. While the survey shows Norfolk is comparable to the rest of the UK in some respects, it’s clear there is still considerable room for improvement, particularly in enabling people to make phone calls wherever they are in the county. “We’ve made it clear that this isn’t just a fact finding mission for us – we want to use this information to make a difference and improve mobile phone coverage in Norfolk. We’ve already made the four main mobile network providers the offer of installing their mobile infrastructure on more than 200 public sector buildings and structures in the county, which was warmly received, so we now need to match these structures with the ‘not spots’ identified in the survey.”  

Also commenting on the results of the mobile phone coverage survey, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said:

“Norfolk Chamber and our members welcome the work that the Digital Innovation & Efficiency Committee has done to map the actual mobile signal coverage in our region.

“We have a diverse and innovative business community in Norfolk, however if we want to be seen as a place to do business and be able to compete at a national and international level, we need to further improve Norfolk’s mobile signal infrastructure.  The survey has now made available actual data that can be used by businesses to make informed decisions about which provider will suit them best.  The data will also allow Norfolk Chamber and the County Council to lobby for greater investment for our region which will allow businesses the connectivity they need to do business on the move and generate more economic growth and jobs.”

Norfolk County Council will also start work on plotting the information collected onto an interactive map that will be available on the council’s website. This will allow people to see which of the four major providers – EE, Telefonica/O2, Three and Vodafone – have the best coverage by area and for their needs. This map and more detailed information about the outcome of the survey is due to be available to coincide with the next meeting of the council’s Digital Innovation and Efficiency Committee, where the outcome of the survey and next steps will be discussed. The committee will meet on Friday, 11 May at County Hall in Norwich.

Norfolk Chamber believes that getting the A47 fully dualled is vital to the future success of Norfolk.   So we are working in partnership with Norfolk County Council and the Eastern Daily Press on a Just Dual It! Campaign.

The campaign will highlight how vital the need for further improvements along the A47 really are.  It is already evident that poor infrastructure is restricting business growth in Norfolk.  Improvements along this significant east/west trunk road will help every sector of the business community, right across the county and will enable them to deliver greater economic growth and jobs for our region. 

We are asking businesses and the general public to complete ‘Wish We Were Dualled’ postcards to highlight why you want to see the A47 dualled.  The postcards will be collated in the summer with the intention of taking them down to Westminster to evidence the strong support that exists for getting the A47 dualled.

To date over 1,700 postcards have been returned – but we want more!

You get involved by:

• Completing an e-postcard now – click here
• Pick up a Just Dual It! postcard from receptions in any of the following buildings:

• Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, 9 Norwich Business Park, Whiting Road, Norwich
• Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich
• The Eastern Daily Press, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich
• Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Town Hall, Hall Plain, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2QF
• Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Kings Court, Chapel Street, King’s Lynn

• Tweet your support for the campaign using the hashtag #justdualit. If you include your full name and location (e.g. village/town name) in the tweet, we will transfer your message onto a postcard for you

Please help us to show the Government how important this is to Norfolk. Thank you for your support!

Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber is part of a group of businesses who will be talking STEM at the University Technical College’s ‘Get ahead’ event on Thursday 19 April. 

The event is free to attend and will be a great opportunity for students and parents to understand what opportunities are available when considering a technical career.  You can meet local industry experts; a chance to talk to current apprentices about their experiences; and the various exhibits will include a DAF truck, racing motorcycle and go kart, 3D VR, modelling software.

Other speakers include James Shaw from the RAF, Sue Falch-Lovesay from Vattenfall and Richard Bridgeman from Warren Services.

Commenting on the importance of these type of events and encouraging students to consider STEM subjects, Chris Sargisson said:

“Norfolk Chamber is urging businesses to step forward and inspire the next generation of talent by supporting events such as ‘Get Ahead’.   Young people need to be aware of all the opportunities open to them within the county.  By being passionate about this, we will stop seeing the migration of students, who qualify and move away.  We can retain our brightest stars in the sorts of roles where their skills are desperately needed.”

The event is being held on Thursday 19 April from 4pm – 7pm at the University Technical College, Norwich.  To find out more and to book your place click here

Qdos Consulting, the providers of Chamber HR, Legal, Tax and Health & Safety advice line and website which is free to Chambers of Commerce members has enhanced the online support available. 

The new-look website allows members to find what they are looking for more easily. We are confident that members will find the website simple to use and will find the service a lot quicker and user friendly, with access to over 750 improved and enhanced documents, policies, letters and template forms for employers to use. The website also benefits from an improved navigation and search facility system which also allows members to access documents from a number of different locations on the website.

Members have free access to four key services as part of their Norfolk Chamber membership;

• ChamberHR – advice line and website resources
• ChamberLegal- advice line and website resources
• ChamberH&S – advice line and website resources
• ChamberTax – advice lines for taxation and VAT and incluses insurance to cover to deal with a full HMRC enquiry, aspect enquiries, PAYE disputes and VAT disputes

All of these advice lines will be accessed via one phone number – 01455 852037 and the HR and legal lines are available 24/7, 365 days a year. For more information of what is included in the four key service click here. 

The website resources require a password provided by Norfolk Chamber of Commerce to all members and once logged in users will have access to a document library with over 750 free downloadable template documents covering employment, health & safety and legal matters. To access the online resources click here. If you don’t know your password please contact Jake Burns, Membership Advisor on 01603 720207 or email [email protected]

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) today (Thursday) publishes its Quarterly Economic Survey – the UK’s largest and most authoritative private-sector business survey. Based on the responses of over 7,100 businesses, the survey shows that UK economic growth remained subdued in the first quarter of 2018, with Norfolk’s export performance remaining static in comparison to a strong performance at a national level.  However the national figure are now in line with those in Norfolk.

In the service sector, a key driver of the UK economy, the proportion of firms reporting improved export sales and orders remained static, although overall growth remains muted and relatively unchanged from the previous three months. Consumer-facing industries continue to report tougher trading conditions than B2B firms. 

Domestic factors continue to weigh on the UK economy. Fewer firms in the manufacturing sector saw an increase in domestic orders, and the balance of firms reporting an increase in domestic sales is now at its lowest level since Q1 2017. Tighter cash flow is an increasing concern for many, and the skills shortages that have plagued businesses for the last few quarters have failed to ease significantly, with those in both sectors still struggling to recruit.

Despite a small uptick in business confidence at a national level, at a local level, the picture remained stagnant.  Amid a troubling domestic backdrop much more needs to be done to safeguard the future of the economy. A strong focus on fixing the fundamentals of business – reducing the upfront costs, reforming the Apprenticeship Levy, and boosting our domestic physical and digital infrastructure – will go some way to removing many of the barriers which are holding back business communities across the country.

Key Norfolk findings in the Q1 2018 survey:

Manufacturing sector:

• The balance of firms reporting increased domestic sales fell slightly from +17 to +16, the lowest since Q1 2017, while domestic orders remained still at +23.
• The balance of firms reporting increased export sales stayed the same +31 – the regional and national figures are now in line with the Norfolk results. Export orders also remained static at +26, a stronger result than the East of England figure (22+), but still slightly below the national number (+28).
• The percentage of manufacturers that attempted to recruit in the last three months also remained the same at 83%.  Of those, 67% had recruitment difficulties, down slightly from 73% in the previous quarter but still high by historical standards. Of these, skilled manual labour was the leading areas of recruitment difficulties (77%).
• Confidence in turnover rose slightly from +45 to +46, whilst confidence in profitability dipped from +36 to +35. The balance of firms investing in plant and machinery rose slightly from +31 to +33.
• The percentage balance of manufacturers expecting their prices to increase fell from +54% to +49%.  The price of raw materials continues to be the primary source of price pressures, with 81% reporting it as a cause (in line with the 80% last quarter).
• The balance of firms reporting cashflow improvements still remains close to negative territory at +4 – the same as the last quarter.

Services sector:

• Export sales and orders remained unchanged this quarter at +8 and +6 respectively.  However, domestic sales and orders both increased at +19 for sales and +13 for orders.
• The percentage of businesses attempting to recruit fell slightly from +65 to +63. Of those, the percentage of services firms reporting greater recruitment difficulties fell from 83% to 63%. Professional and managerial roles are the leading areas of hiring difficulties (53%)
• Confidence in turnover fell from +26 to +24, as did confidence in profitability from +20 to +15. The balance of companies investing in training remained unchanged at +13, while investment in plant and machinery rose from +7 to +8.
• The balance of services firms expecting prices to increase, fell from +49% to +44%. But the balance of firms citing pay settlements as a source of price pressures rose from 45% to 47%
• The balance of firms reporting cashflow improvements remains quite low at +11 (up slightly from +10 in the previous quarter).

Commenting on the results, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:

“What growth we see in the Norfolk economy is due principally to strong global trading conditions, rather than domestic demand, which remains muted. Uncertainty, recruitment difficulties and price pressures remain persistent concerns for businesses of every shape and size, even if short-term confidence levels remain resilient. 

“Whilst the national economy saw a good performance from exporting manufacturers – which brought their results in line with those in Norfolk this quarter.  The Norfolk manufacturers did not find further opportunities and their results remained the same as the previous quarter.  Therefore whilst more exporters were able to reap the benefits of lower Sterling, the UK economy as a whole is treading water, rather than powering ahead. 

“It’s time for the UK government to multitask and demonstrate that it can do more than negotiate Brexit. A far stronger domestic economic agenda is needed to fix the fundamentals needed for business to thrive here at home. 

“At a time when Norfolk firms face steep up-front costs, the apprenticeship system is in crisis, roads are being allowed to crumble, mobile phone and broadband ‘not-spots’ are multiplying, it’s obvious that the key to improved productivity and competitiveness lies in getting the basics right. 

“Sorting these business fundamentals must move to the top of the agenda – and fast.” 

Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

“The results indicate that UK GDP growth continued to underwhelm in the first quarter of 2018. Activity in the dominant services sector was muted in the quarter, with most of the key indicators remaining below their pre-EU referendum levels.

“Our findings suggest that cash flow is increasingly an issue for businesses who remain under pressure from a combination of high upfront business costs, subdued financing levels and unfair payment practices. Tightening cashflow is a key business concern as it can leave firms exposed to sudden changes in economic conditions.   

“UK exporters enjoyed another strong quarter, boosted by the improving outlook for the global economy. There was an encouraging uptick in investment intentions and business confidence. If this trend continues, we could see overall business activity pick up in the coming quarters. 

“The latest results also indicate that inflation is now on a downward trajectory, with inflation expectations easing in the quarter. Significantly, firms continue to report little upward pressure from pay settlements. While we expect interest rates to rise next month, with UK economic conditions subdued and inflation weakening, the case for a further tightening in monetary policy continues to look limited at best.”

A phased launch of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) will start in August this year.

The new system will, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has announced, be phased in between then and early 2019.

The CDS will replace the existing Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system.

From early 2019, businesses exporting goods to countries outside the EU or importing them from those countries will need to make all declarations using the CDS.

During the transitional phase between August 2018 and early 2019, CHIEF will continue to run alongside the new system.

CDS will be accessed via the GOV.UK portal, using a Government Gateway account. Traders using customs declaration software will, HMRC has confirmed, need to follow instructions and documentation provided by the package supplier.

HMRC also points out that companies will be required to provide some additional information for declarations in order to align with the World Customs Organization (WCO) Kyoto Convention, currently being implemented in the UK through the Union Customs Code (UCC).

That information will include an audit trail of previous documents and additional party types, such as the buyer and seller.

In order to align UK customs data with international standards, there will also be a number of other changes, including to the location of goods identification and the warehouse type code list.

Businesses wishing to keep informed about developments with CDS are invited to register with the HMRC Business Help and Education email service at public.govdelivery.com.

CDS updates will be available under the “trading with other countries” heading.

Businesses in West Norfolk are invited to attend a free special networking lunch hosted by Norfolk Chamber of Commerce at King’s Lynn Town Hall on Thursday 26 April. With over 75 businesses already registered to attend, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for businesses to make new connections, share bright ideas and expand their professional network at this key event hosted by Norfolk’s leading business organisation. Businesses will hear from Norfolk Chamber’s Chief Executive, Chris Sargisson who will reveal exciting new plans to enhance the Chamber’s involvement, presence and service offering in West Norfolk. Following a consultation with local businesses in 2017 to find out what future developments and support they would like to see, the Chamber has responded by planning future activities that will boost engagement with the West Norfolk region. Chris Sargisson said: “There are lots of exciting, successful businesses and plenty to celebrate in West Norfolk. We’re keen to meet as many businesses as possible on 26th April to form closer relationships with the business community we serve and to communicate Norfolk Chamber’s commitment to providing outstanding support, services and new opportunities in the West Norfolk region.” The event will be hosted by the president of the West Norfolk Chamber Council and general manager of the Bank House Hotel, Michael Baldwin. Michael is a champion of the West Norfolk region and committed to promoting King’s Lynn as a leading business destination.  Showing his enthusiasm for the event, Michael said: “I think that this event is a really important step forward in making the west of Norfolk more engaged with the chamber….  We have lots of new and established organisations who I hope will see the chamber as a go to when it needs support. There is a lot of investment happening in West Norfolk and I see real potential for Norfolk Chamber to be involved and help shape the future of the local area.” Businesses will hear from guest speaker, Matt Sykes, founder of training firm, Salescadence. Matt will provide top tips on how to effectively approach networking events and deliver clear guidance on how to make every opportunity you get to meet someone a truly memorable one. The event will feature an exhibition of supporters of the event, which includes New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, King’s Lynn BID and Love West Norfolk. ‘Connecting Businesses in West Norfolk’ is open to businesses with a registered premises or those that operate in West Norfolk. Book your free place today at www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/events  Date: Thursday 26 April 2018 Time: 11am – 1pm Venue: King’s Lynn Town Hall

Over 100 members joined us at Cooper Norwich BMW showroom for a free breakfast event. Guests were taken on an impressive behind the scenes tour of both MINI and BMW showrooms.

There was plenty of networking, coffee and breakfast to fuel guests for their day ahead. There were stands from local businesses including; Workplace Charging, MIGSOLV, Barnham Broom Hotel Golf & Spa, Big C, Flawless Faces, CMT Muscle Health & Wellbeing and Norfolk Gin. 

Members heard from Andrew Bracking, Head of Business and Jennifer Sutton, Business Development Manager at Cooper Norwich BMW on business related services. 

Jon Holland from Thrifty Car & Van Rental won the business card draw for the BMW Easter Hamper which included goodies such as prosecco, chocolate, and BMW branded merchandise. 

Chris Sargisson, our Chief Executive closed the event with his entertaining on stage personna and reminded members how they could get involved in Norfolk Day and Just Dual It campaign for the A47. 

You can view the photos from the event here. 

On Friday 20th April 2018, several of our region’s MPs will be launching new job campaigns for their regions.

Elizabeth Truss MP and George Freeman MP will be launching a new campaign, Breckland for Jobs in conjunction with Breckland Council and in West Norfolk, Sir Henry Bellingham MP will be launching the West Norfolk for Jobs campaign.

Both initiatives are in partnership with The DWP and are aimed at helping young people aged between 18 to 24 secure work, which will help our local economy and build better communities.

Can you help?

Could you support a young person by offering mock interviews, CV advice, information and advice on your industry?  The initiatives will also be able to help you find suitable candidates to apply for any apprenticeship or jobs you need to fill.

West Norfolk for Jobs             King’s Lynn                 8.30am

Breckland for Jobs                 Dereham                     10.30am

                                                Thetford                      2.30pm

If you would like more information and to attend the launch event and meet your MP, please contact Nikki David on email: [email protected] to confirm your official invitation to join us at the launch of this exciting campaign.

There would be some reductions in consumer prices, but nothing to get too excited about according to new research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

In The Customs Union, Tariff Reductions and Consumer Prices, the IFS estimates the scale of the gains that consumers might expect if the UK were to leave the Customs Union and reduce its tariffs.

Its analysis shows that this would have only a limited impact on the cost of living of the average household because the average tariff rates that the EU charges on the sorts of goods consumed in the UK are not particularly high.

The IFS points out that the average tariff under the World Trade Organization (WTO) most-favoured-nation (MFN) status that would apply to UK imports from countries with which the EU has no trade agreements is 4.6%.

Once the EU’s various trade agreements which waive or reduce tariffs on imports from certain countries are taken into account, the average is 2.8%.

With services dominating the UK economy, just £26 of every £100 spent by UK households is affected, directly or indirectly, by the import prices of goods on which tariffs are charged.

“Simple arithmetic suggests therefore that even cutting all tariffs to zero could only reduce prices overall by 1.2% at most,” report author Peter Levell concludes.

Crucially, any benefits that might accrue to consumers from running an independent tariff policy also need to be set against the inevitable costs to UK trade that would result from leaving the Customs Union, the report warns.

Businesses will probably be affected by customs delays and storage costs that would result from the erection of customs barriers on trade with the EU, while regulatory differences between the EU and the UK are also likely to create various non-tariff barriers to trade.

Such changes are likely to increase costs for consumers and offset the (already rather limited) gains from tariff reductions, the IFS argues.

Vattenfall’s Supply Chain Information Pack has been launched today and gives lots of early information on the background to the project for Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas windfarms.  It outlines the timelines for construction, the range of opportunities available and links to sources of support and advice for local companies interested in getting involved with the project.

Initial focus on the 60km onshore cable route works means exploring a wide variety of opportunities, ranging from landscaping, composites, plant hire, waste management, fabricators and farmers to transport, accommodation and safety supplies. 

Commenting on the launch of the Supply Chain Information Pack, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:

“Norfolk Chamber believes that Vattenfall will help deliver skills and local jobs for the future generations both onshore and offshore in our region.

Vattenfall can offer supply chain opportunities to a diverse range sectors and more importantly, they are keen to ensure that their investment remains within the region.  This investment, together with their support to create a future skilled workforce, will help support greater economic growth and prosperity and long term sustainable relationships with the Norfolk business community.”

You can now register your business interest with Vattenfall by completing their online form – click here to complete it now. 

If you have any immediate questions about the supply chain opportunities at this early stage, you can contact Vattenfall direct.

Alternatively, Vattenfall will also be at the EEEGR Southern North Sea conference and Exhibition on the 16th and 17th May at the Norfolk Showground Arena.

Do you have some interesting business news you would like to share or shout about? Maybe your company or a member of your team has recently won an award or achieved something fantastic. Our printied magazine,The Norfolk Voice is a great place to share this news. All we need is some information from you and a high-quality photograph to accompany your text.

It’s not too late to make this edition May/June, and we would love to feature your news or a detailed article in the magazine. If you could get some information to us before Monday 9 April please get in contact with Dominique Bivar Segurado our Marketing Coordinator [email protected]. Alternatively upload our news/blog to Members News section of our website to be automated considered for inclusion. You can find out how to upload Member News with our step by step guide here.