Now entering its tenth year, the Norfolk Safer Community Awards offer the opportunity to support the excellent work of police officers, police staff and the community in helping to keep Norfolk a safe place to live, work and visit. Once again this year the Norfolk Chamber a proudly sponsoring The Chief Constable’s Special Recognition Award, this is awarded to an individual or team where their contribution to delivering the Constabulary’s performance has been significant yet under-recognised. The awards combine internal recognition with local communities voting for officers deserving of an award for their contributions to their local community. Additionally, if people know of an exceptional individual or group who deserve to be thanked they are encouraged to nominate them for an award. Jason Williams, Business Manager at the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“We have been honoured to support the NOSCAs for many years and are again proud to support the Chief Constable’s Special Recognition Award, as part ofour partnership working with Norfolk Constabulary. We congratulate all nominees for the contribution they have made and their continual efforts in ensuring Norfolk is a safe place to live and work.”
More information on the award can be found here: https://www.noscas.co.uk/
Employment Law experts, Oliver Brabbins and Robert Hickford of Steeles law delivered a thought provoking HR forum to 40 attendees yesterday (13.9.17).
Focussing on Preventing Discrimination in the Workplace, the speakers examined the Equality Act 2010 and gave a comprehensive review of the law relating to this sensitive are of HR management.
Attendees heard a review of a number of landmark cases of discrimination and harassment in the workplace and a roundup of other recent landmark employment law cases.
The next HR Forum, sponsored by Birketts, focuses on Employee Investigations and takes place on 08 November 2017. Find out more and book your place here.
Commenting on the labour market statistics for September 2017, released today by the Office for National Statistics, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said:
“The continued rise in employment, coupled with falling unemployment, is further evidence that the Norfolk jobs market remains resilient, with firms continuing to recruit despite a softening economic picture.
“That said, the labour market continues to face a number of major challenges. With pay growth unchanged, inflation continues to comfortably outpace earnings growth, which is putting the brakes on consumer spending, a major determinant of UK economic growth. However, the continued weakness in real wage growth should give the MPC sufficient leeway to keep interest rates on hold, despite the pick-up in inflation.
“It is concerning that the number of vacancies remains well above the historical average – a further indication of the continued skills shortage faced by business, which is weighing on productivity and growth prospects. The latest research from the British Chambers of Commerce found that half of firms Norfolk and the rest of the UK had faced skills or labour shortages over the past year.
“A key priority for the Autumn Budget must be to support companies looking to recruit and grow their business, including tackling the high up-front taxes and costs of doing business in the UK. As the Brexit process unfolds, a key focus must be on delivering a post Brexit immigration system that reflects the needs of the UK economy.”
The European Commission has published its position paper on Customs Related Matters Needed for an Orderly Withdrawal of the UK from the Union.
This can be found at ec.europa.eu and particularly concerns the customs status of goods that enter, leave or transit the customs and tax territory of the EU or the UK, where the movement starts before and ends on or after the withdrawal date.
It argues that the basic approach to be followed should be that the rules applicable in respect of an operation when it is commenced should continue to apply to that operation until its completion.
“It is for the declarant to demonstrate the status of the goods (Union or non-Union) before the date of withdrawal and the fact that the relevant movement or entry into a customs regime was initiated before the date of withdrawal,” the paper states.
The Commission also calls for the eventual Withdrawal Agreement to set out the appropriate treatment in relation to VAT and excise duties and licensing requirements in those circumstances.
Responding to the paper, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said: “On VAT specifically, we note that the Commission has recognised the need for a supplementary agreement, which is essential given that any new demand for upfront payments of import VAT could cause major cash flow headaches and additional red tape for firms.”
The BRC also argued, to ensure that supply chains are not disrupted and goods can continue to move between markets as efficiently as possible, that deals between the UK and the EU are also required on security, haulage, transit and drivers.
Global export orders show signs of levelling off, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has warned.
The claim is based on new data published in its latest World Trade Outlook Indicator (WTOI) which provides “real time” information on developments in world trade compared to recent trends.
By combining several trade-related indices into a single indicator, the WTOI measures short-run performance against medium-term trends.
The latest indicator suggests that global merchandise trade growth will continue to strengthen in the third quarter (Q3) of 2017.
The latest reading of 102.6 is higher than the 102.2 recorded in May this year and that, the WTO points out, suggests sustained momentum for trade growth. The score of 102.6 is, in fact, the highest level reached by the indicator since April 2011.
Although air freight, export orders and container shipping all performed strongly, they were balanced by weaker results in other indices including automobile production and sales.
Export orders are above trend, the WTOI reports, but they appear to have reached a plateau, which suggests that upward momentum in trade growth may have peaked. If that is the case, then trade growth is anticipated to moderate toward the end of the year.
The WTO stresses that, although the indicator suggests how trade might grow in the near future, it is not intended as a short-term forecast.
Rather, it should be seen as something that can help identify turning points and gauge momentum in global trade growth and as a complement to trade statistics and forecasts from the WTO and other organisations.
The two-page World Trade Outlook Indicator can be found here.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Friday) slightly downgraded its medium-term outlook for the UK economy over the next few years. While the BCC has slightly upgraded its UK growth forecast for 2017 from 1.5% to 1.6%, its growth expectations for 2018 and 2019 have been cut from 1.3% to 1.2%, and 1.5% to 1.4% respectively.
The leading business group has slightly upgraded its forecast for 2017, driven by a moderately stronger outlook for consumer spending growth in 2017. While inflation remains elevated, it is expected to peak at 3% by the final quarter of 2017. However, inflation is still forecast to outpace average earnings until 2019, eroding real wages and weighing on consumer spending, a key driver of economic growth, in future years.
A weaker contribution from net trade and more subdued consumer spending growth were the main reasons for the slight downgrade to the BCC’s growth forecast for 2018. While the outlook for export growth remains unchanged, the rate of import growth is expected to increase, with little evidence that customers are switching from imported goods despite their rising cost. Falling real wages, and a slight weakening in labour market conditions, will see consumers rein in their spending in 2018. The slight downgrade for growth in 2019 reflects a lower contribution from net trade and weaker investment compared to our Q2 forecast.
The UK economy is expected to remain on a slow-growth trajectory for the forecast period, which reinforces the need for decisive action to boost the domestic business environment. The government must use the Autumn Budget to alleviate the burden of upfront costs facing companies, incentivise investment, and improve infrastructure.
Key points in the forecast:
UK GDP growth forecast for 2017 is upgraded to 1.6% from 1.5%, and is expected to slow to 1.2% in 2018 (downgraded from 1.3%), before rising to 1.4% in 2019 (downgraded from 1.5%)
Inflation of 2.7% is forecast for this year, and 2.9% and 2.5% in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The previous forecasts were for 2.9%, 2.8% and 2.5% respectively. Inflation is expected to peak at 3% in the last quarter of 2017, lower than our previous forecast of 3.4%, due to the slowing growth in input costs
Export growth of 3.1% is forecast this year,and is expected to slow to 2.9% in 2018 and 2.8% in 2019. This is unchanged from our previous forecast
Import growth forecasts have been upgraded to 2.9% in 2017, 1.5% in 2018 and 2.0% in 2019, from 2.5%, 1.3% and 1.8% respectively.
Consumer spending growth has been upgraded for 2017 from 1.3% to 1.5% but is expected to slow to 0.8% and 1.3% in 2018 and 2019
Business investment growth has been revised slightly upward for 2017 and 2018, to 0.4% and 0.8% respectively, but has been downgraded for 2019 from 1.2% to 0.9%, with some firms expected to bring some investment decisions forward
Our new forecast is that the first increase in UK official interest rates, to 0.5%, will occur in Q3 2018. This is two quarters later than predicted in our Q2 forecast
Looking at sectors, manufacturing has been upgraded from 1.2% to 1.4% in 2017 and is expected to grow at 0.7% and 1.1% in 2018 and 2019. Construction has been revised upwards for 2017, from 1.1% to 1.3% and is expected to grow at 0.7% and 1.0% thereafter. The services sector has been upgraded from 1.7% to 1.8% in 2017, and is forecasts to grow at 1.2% and 1.6% in the following years
Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said:
“While some Norfolk businesses report strong trading conditions, the overall UK economy is treading water, and there is no sign on the horizon of a return to healthier levels of growth.
“The BCC forecast suggests that the hoped-for rebalancing of the UK economy towards investment and export is unlikely to materialize in the medium term. The rising upfront cost of doing business in the UK, the uncertainty around Brexit, and the constraints created by skills gaps and below par infrastructure in Norfolk collectively outweigh any benefit arising from the recent depreciation of sterling. A cheaper currency does not automatically mean an export boom, no matter how some politicians and commentators will it to happen.
“The Norfolk business community needs to see action to boost confidence on two fronts: Brexit and the business environment here at home. A comprehensive Brexit transition deal, and a swift shift to focus on the future UK-EU trade relationship, are needed this autumn. Norfolk also needs an Autumn Budget that pulls out the stops to support business growth, at a time of significant uncertainty and change.”
Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the BCC, said:
“The changes to our growth forecast suggest that the UK economy is likely to remain on a low-growth trajectory, and will be marginally smaller at the end of the forecast period than we predicted in the second quarter.
“It is increasingly clear that the post-EU referendum slide in the value of sterling has done more harm than good. Inflation is being driven by the sizable increases in the cost of imported raw materials over the past year, and is expected to remain a drag on consumer spending over the near term, with pay growth not expected to outpace price growth until 2019.
“The contribution of net trade to UK GDP growth is not expected to be as strong as we previously predicted, as we see little evidence that the depreciation of the pound is materially boosting the UK’s external position. While the outlook for UK exporters is for modest growth, imports are expected to grow at a faster rate than we previously forecast, with little evidence that consumers or firms are switching away from imports towards domestic alternatives despite their rising cost.
“Although there remains considerable uncertainty over UK’s growth prospects, the risks to our current outlook are to the downside. On Brexit, our forecast implicitly assumes a relatively smooth exit from the EU. A more sudden departure would be likely to trigger a far more marked weakening in economic conditions.”
Over 90 businesses came together last week for drinks, burgers and some networking. Norfolk Chamber Gold Patron, Migsolv, kindly hosted this event at their premises on Barnard Road.
Guests were greeted with complimentary ‘goody-bags’ and an open bar.
Throughout the evening delegates were able to attend tours of Migsolv’s high security data-stores to gain an understanding of how they work.
Jason Williams, Business Manager at the Norfolk Chamber said:“This was a fantastic event and we are very grateful to our Gold Patron Migsolv for hosting it. It gave a great setting for lots of productive and interesting networking and the added benefit of good quality food & drink and a very informative tour of the data centre was much appreciated”
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has confirmed that it is examining options for reducing tariffs on UK exports.
With concerns having been aired over the impact of a trade deal with the USA on the Scotch Whisky industry (see Brexit sparks fears of whisky galore), the DIT has moved to reassure businesses that it is seeking to make it easier for UK companies to benefit from post-Brexit trading opportunities.
Figures from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) show that whisky, salmon and chocolate remain the UK’s top three export products.
DIT staff are now said to be looking at how future trade agreements, and stronger trade ties with key trading partners around the world, could reduce export tariffs for Scotch Whisky, smoked salmon and other iconic Scottish produce.
Tariffs can, of course, be a significant barrier to trade.
While the DIT says that those on smoked salmon average 13%, in the case of Scotch Whisky, tariffs can be over 150% of the value of the product with similar levels applied to gin.
Currently, any changes to export tariffs require negotiations at EU level. With the UK scheduled to leave the Union in March 2019, the DIT stresses that it is working now to assess which markets offer the most potential for UK export growth post-Brexit.
“Reducing the costs for companies to sell overseas will become one way of further opening up free trade routes and boosting sales,” International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox agreed.
The DIT also revealed that it has established 11 working groups to strengthen trade and commercial ties with key trading partners around the world, including: Australia, China, India and the USA.
Thiriving Great Yarmouth businesses are invited to step into the spotlight by entering the Spirit of Enterprise Awards 2017, which marks its 10th anniversary this year with the introduction of a special category, Business of the Decade.
Considered the most prestigious annual celebration of business excellence in the Great Yarmouth borough, the annual awards scheme is organised by enterpriseGY, Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s business support service.
Businesses are encouraged to put themselves forward for the various awards by noon on Monday, October 16. The awards are free-of-charge to enter online at www.spiritofenterpriseawards.co.uk and finalists will be profiled in a supplement in the Great Yarmouth Mercury, with winners appearing in a further supplement.
The special anniversary category, Business of the Decade, is open to all businesses in the borough – large or small – regardless of whether they have entered the competition before.
The finalists and winners will be showcased in the press and at a glittering awards ceremony and gala dinner at the Town Hall on Friday, November 17. The media sponsors are the Great Yarmouth Mercury and The Beach.
The award categories are:
Business of the Decade
Great Manufacturing/Engineering
Great New Business
Great Business Growth
Great Business Idea Great Customer Services
Great Family Owned Business
Great International Growth
Great Investment in People
Great Community Contribution
The Spirit of Enterprise Awards help to highlight the borough’s many and varied successful businesses, supporting one of the council’s priorities, which is to work with partners to help champion and enable economic growth and job-creation in the area.
In a joint statement, the council’s political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Kay Grey, Cllr Trevor Wainwright and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: “The Spirit of Enterprise Awards are this year celebrating 10 fantastic years of recognising and raising the profile of top-performing firms across the borough.
“This wonderful showcase of successful businesses helps to boost confidence in the strength of the local economy, helping to create favourable conditions for investment, sustainable growth and job-creation.
“For the businesses themselves, having the chance to shout about and be recognised for their achievements brings important benefits, including raising their stature and reputation, and boosting staff morale.
“There are lots of brilliant businesses across the borough and we look forward to some strong contenders this year for both the title of 2017 Business of the Year and the special anniversary category of Business of the Decade.
“We must also take this opportunity to thank the 2017 sponsors, including main sponsor Stephenson Smart, without whom this wonderful celebration of business excellence would not be possible.”
Improvement work to reduce traffic jams and delays in Great Yarmouth is due to begin on Fuller’s Hill roundabout on Monday, 18 September. Norfolk County Council is spending £650,000 to create an extra lane on the roundabout by reducing the size of the central island. An additional right-hand turn lane will also be put in on the North Quay approach from the north where often queues are particularly bad due to the volume of traffic wanting to get onto the A47. The work is due to take around 14 weeks to complete and is scheduled to finish by Friday, 22 December. During the vast majority of the works, all roads approaching the roundabout will remain open however they will be down to one lane so people travelling through the area should plan for longer journey times than usual, particularly at peak times. When completed, people can expect fewer delays in the area and shorter, more reliable journey times. It’s hoped that air quality may also benefit, with a reduction in queueing stationary traffic giving off emissions.
Commenting on the improvement works, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said:
“Fuller’s Hill roundabout is a key gateway junction into Great Yarmouth and the improvement to this junction, as well as the forthcoming improvements to both Vauxhall and Gapton Hall roundabouts will deliver much needed relief to some of the traffic congestion, helping towards improving quality of life and supporting the local economy.”
Martin Wilby, Chairman of the Environment, Development and Transport Committee at Norfolk County Council, said:
“The current Fuller’s Hill roundabout simply wasn’t designed to cope with the amount of traffic that is using it today. Adding an extra lane to the roundabout and creating an additional approach lane for A47-bound traffic should make a big difference and help keep things moving, which in turn will benefit local people’s day-to-day lives and the town’s economy.” Drivers heading for Yarmouth town centre or the seafront from the direction of Caister may wish to avoid the roundabout altogether by turning left to stay on Caister Road which then becomes Northgate Street. A sign will be put up before this turning warning drivers that there could be delays ahead. Efforts are being made to minimise the impact of the work on the town, with the peak summer tourist season completely avoided. If at all possible, the County Council will suspend the work and remove the lane closures for the town’s Christmas lights switch-on and Christmas Fair on the weekend of 24 to 26 November. There will be a need to close the roundabout and all approach roads overnight for five nights, these closures will take place towards the end of the works and are necessary to allow the roads to be resurfaced and repainted safely. This work has been scheduled to be carried out overnight specifically to reduce the impact on people who use these routes. No other complete road closures are planned. The Fuller’s Hill roundabout improvement work is part of a multimillion pound programme to transform the Great Yarmouth area over the coming years to make it easier for people to get to and around and make it a more attractive place to live, work and visit. This will help attract future investment and economic development to the area, creating skilled jobs, business opportunities and giving local people a better quality of life. Norfolk County Council has been allocated £9 million by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership to make road and transport improvements in the town. Along with the Fuller’s Hill roundabout works, schemes planned in the near future include improvements to North Quay, The Conge and the rail station forecourt. Chris Starkie, Managing Director of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “These improvements will play a big part in easing congestion for local people, businesses and visitors to the town. When taken as part of the wider £9m project they will have huge benefits for the economy of Great Yarmouth, the surrounding area and our region as a whole.” Signs are already in place near Fuller’s Hill roundabout about the upcoming works and likely delays. Further information on this scheme and those mentioned above will be available shortly on the Norfolk County Council website at www.norfolk.gov.uk/tfgy
Chamber members had the opportunity to highlight and discuss the challenges facing the local business community with Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk today (Friday 08 September).
Amongst the topics discussed were Brexit; the need for better broadband and mobile coverage; road and rail improvements; and the skills and enterprise agenda.
Mr Lamb also highlighted his new role as the Chair of the Science & Technology Select Committee and advised that he was interested in hearing from businesses who were looking at AI (artificial intelligence), automation and the social implications of these issues.
On Brexit, the group noted the need for definition on what will happen to the flow of data across borders, following Brexit – in today’s digital world this will be critical to many businesses no matter where they are in the world. Also of concern was the need for clarity on overseas labour, with many firms facing skills shortages.
Health and wellbeing and how the increasing number of sick days impact on organisations’ productivity was also noted.
Mobile and broadband coverage was again raised as a considerable challenge to those businesses wanting to be able to take advantage of new technology developments and compete with the rest of the UK. They noted that unreliable connections act as barriers to growth, which put those companies most in need of support at a competitive disadvantage.
All agreed that more work needed to be done to close the gap between business and education, some of which can be done locally, but more support from central Government was called for to help put more focus on the enterprise.
Commenting on the meeting, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager from Norfolk Chamber said:
“We are really pleased to welcome Norman Lamb to the Norfolk Chamber office to hear from the local business community. It is important that our MPs understand the needs of business and the Chamber will continue to ensure our members views are hear loud and clear in Westminster.”
Facebook, the world’s biggest social networking site, has been added this week to the impressive programme of national and local speakers at this year’s Talking Technology 2017 conference in September.
The Norfolk Chamber conference on Wednesday 20th September at The Space, Norwich will feature keynote presentations delivered by industry specialists and workshops on the latest tech innovations that will inspire guests to unlock their businesses growth through technology.
Industry experts will be taking to the stage to discuss the future of technology, including tech giants, Facebook, Microsoft, Aviva and local tech pioneers, Ubisend and Prison Voicemail, to name a few.
Joining the expert line-up is John Carr, Team Lead of Facebook’s Small & Medium Business division for the UK and Ireland. He and his team help clients and agencies get the best results from marketing campaigns on Facebook.
John will be leading a 20 minute keynote presentation on ‘Mobile, Visual, Personal – Future-proofing your business with Facebook’ which will focus on how the world is now mobile meaning business is becoming borderless and the importance of a mobile strategy for your business.
To celebrate success stories of local tech firms, guests will hear from businesses in Norfolk who will share their experiences and expertise on digital and technological developments in a series of short ‘Lightening Talks’. These local names include Tech East, Blue Sky Drones, Step into Tech and Foolproof.
Plus attendees will develop practical skills and take away top tips, from ‘how to create digital content’ to ‘user research’, in four 30 minute expert-led workshops, delivered by leaders in their field: Immersive VR, the User Story, Innershed and Integro.
All this, as well as a Q&A Panel, an exhibition featuring some of the region’s best businesses and a networking lunch where guests can collaborate and share ideas with innovators and members of the local business community directly.
Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber who will be hosting this year’s event said: “Without the knowledge to embrace technology, many businesses are at risk of being left behind. Talking Technology aims to equip all businesses with the knowledge and digital skills that can be implemented in their growth and development. Make sure you are there to take part in giving technology a Norfolk voice and to discover how to unlock digital growth for your business!”