Chamber News

Residents across North Norfolk are being warned to avoid paying private companies that charge for appealing against council-tax bands.

North Norfolk District Council has received reports of people being asked to hand over their bank details by these third parties – all for providing a service that is actually free for householders. Employing one of these companies does not help or influence the outcome of an appeal, and is a complete waste of money.

What makes matters even worse in this instance is that some of these third parties are trying to impose a fee simply for filling out a form, regardless of whether the application to lower the council-tax band proves successful or not.

Cllr Wyndham Northam, NNDC Cabinet member for Revenues and Benefits, said: “If you are a council-tax payer and you want to appeal your council-tax band, it is easy to do this yourself and there is absolutely no charge for doing so.

“Some private operators are very clever at selling their services, but signing up with them means paying an unnecessary fee and receiving absolutely nothing in return that council-tax payers can’t do themselves.”

NNDC warns people to be wary of all cold-callers, especially those demanding bank details. People should never hand over their bank details or other personal information in situations such as this and should always make further inquiries if in any doubt.

Improvements to the roundabout that connects Dereham Road and Sweet Briar Road begin on Monday (4 September) in the latest Transport for Norwich project to get underway.

Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council have redesigned the junction, which also links Guardian Road, to reduce congestion in the area.

By increasing the size of the existing roundabout and widening sections of the carriageway, the project is designed to make the junction work more efficiently, improving the reliability of bus journey times and flow of general traffic.

New crossings and widened footways will also mean better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

Councillor Martin Wilby, chair of the county council’s Environment, Development and Transport Committee, says: “Upgrading this junction will not only help general traffic flow and bus journey times as they stand but will also increase its potential capacity for the future. Additional improvements for pedestrians and cyclists in the area make the project a great investment for the city’s road network.”

Councillor Mike Stonard, city council cabinet member for transport and vice chair of Norwich Highways Agency Committee, says: “This is a large-scale improvement project which will take several months to complete. We really appreciate people’s patience while work takes place and are confident that all road users will notice the benefits once work finishes. Our team on site will be doing everything they can to keep disruption to a minimum.”

Work is due to continue until April 2018 with a break in the use of traffic management from the week of 13 November until early January to cover the busy run-up to Christmas.

For full details of the scheme, including information on traffic management and road closures, visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/derehamroad.

We have received notification from the Egyptian-British Chamber of Commerce that the Egyptian Consulate will be closed from Thursday 31st August to Monday 4th September for Eid al-Adha. 

All documents received by the Consulate on those dates will be processed as usual on Tuesday 5th September 2017.

Any documents that we receive between this time will be sent for legalisation, but there may be a slight delay with the return time of your documents.

Earlier in 2017 Norfolk County Council undertook a consultation to seek views on congestion issues in Great Yarmouth and to share the emerging preliminary proposals for a Third River Crossing in the town.  

The consultation responses showed an overall support for the scheme, with the majority of respondents saying that:

·         Congestion in Great Yarmouth is either a serious or a very serious issue,

·         The Third River Crossing would make their journey times shorter,

·         Congestion would be greatly reduced by the new crossing.

Since this initial consultation the scheme has been developed further, including examining possible types of bridge and its height. Beginning on 4 September Norfolk County Council will be seeking views on the work undertaken to date so that they can understand the important issues to consider as the scheme is developed further. 

They will be consulting on the current scheme proposals for the Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing, which will allow them to understand the important issues to consider as the scheme is developed further.

Further detailed scheme details will be published along with an online questionnaire between 4 September and 6 October 2017 and consultation events will be held locally.

Norfolk County Council are running a number of staffed exhibitions during this time and you can find out more by visiting the exhibitions at these locations:

Imperial Hotel – 13-15 North Drive, Great Yarmouth, NR30 1EQ

·         Monday 4 September 2017 – 12pm-9pm

·         Tuesday 5 September 2017 – 10am-9pm

·         Wednesday 6 September 2017 – 10am-9pm

·         Thursday 7 September 2017 – 10am-9pm (staffed 2pm-9pm)

·         Friday 8 September 2017 – 10am-9pm

·         Saturday 9 September 2017 – Closed

·         Sunday 10 September 2017 – Closed

Great Yarmouth Library- Tolhouse Street, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2SH

·         Monday 11 September 2017 – 12pm-5pm

·         Tuesday 12 September 2017 – 9am-5pm

·         Wednesday 13 September 2017 – 9am-7.30pm

·         Thursday 14 September 2017 – 9am-5pm 

·         Friday 15 September 2017 – 9am-5pm

·         Saturday 16 September 2017 – 9am-4.30pm (staffed 10am-4.30pm)

·         Sunday 17 September 2017 – Closed

Gorleston Library – Lowestoft Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, NR31 6QU

·         Monday 18 September 2017 – 12pm-5pm

·         Tuesday 19 September 2017 – 9.30am-8pm (staffed 2pm-8pm)

·         Wednesday 20 September 2017 – 9.30am-5pm

·         Thursday 21 September 2017 – 9.30am-8pm 

·         Friday 22 September 2017 – 9.30am-5pm

·         Saturday 23 September 2017 – 9.30am-4pm

·         Sunday 24 September 2017 – Closed

Kings Centre – 30 Queen Annes Road, Southtown, Gt Yarmouth, NR31 0LE

·         Monday 25 September 2017 – Closed

·         Tuesday 26 September 2017 – 12pm-5pm

·         Wednesday 27 September 2017 – 10am-5pm

·         Thursday 28 September 2017 – 10am-8pm (staffed 2pm-8pm)

·         Friday 29 September 2017 – 10am-5pm

·         Saturday 30 September 2017 – Closed

·         Sunday 1 October 2017 – Closed

You can express your views or contact the 3RC team by email on: [email protected]

Or you can write to “Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing, Major Projects Team, Norfolk County Council, County Hall – Floor 2, Martineau Lane, Norwich. NR1 2DH”

Around 4 in every 5 businesses have seen their costs increase this year through changes in employment legislation, according to a survey released today (Friday) by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

BCC’s annual workforce survey of over 1,400 businesses, including those in Norfolk, and held in partnership with Middlesex University, reveals that pensions auto-enrolment, the National Living Wage and the Apprenticeship Levy have increased the cost base of businesses, and could lead to reduced opportunities for investment and wage growth.

The rise in the National Living Wage (NLW) in April of this year has increased employment costs for one-in-two companies (50%) in the UK. There appears to be a North/South divide, with firms in the North of England (55%) and the Midlands (51%) more likely to be impacted by the National Living Wage than firms in the South (43%).

For the UK to remain an attractive and competitive environment going forward, action is needed to prevent unsustainable rises to the cost of doing business. The BCC is calling on the government to ensure no new upfront costs or taxes – which sap investment, growth and recruitment potential – are imposed on business for the remainder of this parliament.

East of England key findings of the survey are:

• Nearly three quarters (68%) of respondents report an increase in costs as a result of pensions auto-enrolment, with nearly a quarter (15%) indicating a significant increase 
• A fifth (20%) of businesses have seen costs increase from the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, and 2% from the Immigration Skills Charge
• Based on the forecast that the National Living Wage will increase to £8.75 per hour by 2020, 33% of respondents said in response that they would raise prices of products and services, with a further 25% expecting to reduce pay growth

• Consumer-facing industries were particularly affected by the rise in the NLW, with 73% of B2C sector firms – including wholesale, retail, accommodation and foods sectors – seeing an increase in costs. In comparison, 56% of manufacturers and 41% of B2B services report higher costs

• 21% of businesses say they would respond to future planned increases to NLW by reducing pay growth for staff, 17% by reducing staff benefits and 12% by scaling back recruitment

Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said:

“Norfolk businesses are under increasing pressure from the burden of employment costs, and this will influence the choices they make and outcomes for employees. Higher employment costs impact on the bottom line and reduce the resources available to invest in the business and its people.  

“The Chamber survey shows that two thirds of businesses will need to take action in response to proposed increases in the National Living Wage over the next three years.  Firms are most likely to respond by raising prices or adjusting employee pay growth and wider benefits.  Increasingly, manufacturers are looking towards greater use of technology and automation. There comes a point at which rising employment costs can no longer be absorbed through reduced profits.

“At a time when employers across Norfolk and the rest of the UK are facing acute skills shortages, it is vital that they have the resources and flexibility to invest in their workforce and the future needs of the business.

“Employment is just one element of the high upfront cost of doing business in the UK.   It is the cumulative impact of all of these changes, and the pace at which they are being introduced, that causes the greatest concern and poses the biggest risk.  There is little scope for firms to absorb any further costs without there being damaging effects on competitiveness, growth and opportunities for people in the workforce. The government must ensure that there are no upfront further costs or taxes on businesses and entrepreneurs for the remainder of this parliament.”

David Williams, Director Corporate Engagement at Middlesex University London, added:

“Businesses are facing the challenge of maintaining profitability while remaining price competitive. This is a tough balance to achieve during what is an uncertain period, and we are seeing many start to tighten their belts and pull back investment.

“We need to up our productivity to enable us to compete globally in a post-Brexit Britain, so it is important when making difficult choices, the development, upskilling and retention of the workforce is high on the list of investment priorities, and that businesses get the support they need to do this.”

Events like the B2B Exhibition 2017 are excellent ways of telling people about your business so it pays to prepare. We asked some seasoned exhibitors for their tips.

Charlotte Sheehy, Associate – Business Development and Marketing, Leathes Prior Solicitors said:

“Firstly, if you’re not booked in for a stand at the B2B Exhibition then I would go for it. The package is great value and the event is great for networking and brand awareness. Make sure you man the stand well throughout the first part of the day as this is when the event is at its busiest.

Create a competition or a prize draw to collect valuable data from business cards which, provided you seek authority, could be a great addition to your emarketing lists. Make sure you stand out, there is a lot going on at the exhibition so make sure you don’t get lost in the crowd!

Try to have enough people on your stand so that you can take time out to network with delegates and other exhibitors, and attend the free masterclasses.

Follow up! Take careful notes of all enquiries and don’t forget to contact delegates after the event.”

The team at Indigo Swan said:

“Be engaging. People are expecting to just mosey around passing a lot of the stalls, so it’s extremely important to do something easy and interactive.

Be clear. Can people look at your stand and understand what you do?

Also, can the people on your stand explain simply in one sentence exactly what you do?

Be attentive. Make sure when speaking to someone, engage with them and don’t get distracted by other people taking interest. Due to this, it is vital to have a well manned stall at all times.

Smile and have fun. The most important thing to remember is people attract people. Would you naturally gravitate to the stall where people are having fun doing a fun activity or the stall with the person just on their phone

Children’s charity Break exhibits at many events through the year and works hard to try and stand out from the crowd on a relatively small budget. Here are some of their top tips for making an impact:

“Let people know you will be exhibiting. Promote in newsletters, e-signatures and through social media and look for PR opportunities on the back of the exhibition.

Use social media on the day.

Have a strong branded presence, the backdrop, decoration, branded clothing or pin badges – it shows pride in the brand.

Keep the stand organised and tidy – again, shows pride in the brand.

Know the audience and have literature that explains what you do in a way that’s relevant to them. Also have information about other aspects of the organisation to hand – you never know who you will meet and what their interests are. Have something that will grab attention and be a talking point – so people will stop and make conversation. This year, we will have one of our giant GoGoHares.

Interactivity; use a screen to show a video about what you do and the impact you make. People will stop and watch and you can begin the conversation.

Have people on the stand who are knowledgeable about your organisation and who enjoy talking to people. They should be good listeners, be knowledgeable and be able to spot opportunities for potential partnerships.Have enough people available to work the room.

Think about capturing contact details, e.g. a business card draw and the follow up. Ideally, make sure follow up is done the first working day after the event

Maximise impact post event through social media and PR e.g. create a gallery of photos on FB.

Sweets and more sweets…”

Rebecca Houston, Client Services Director, Desire Marketing said:

“The key to a successful event lies as much in the planning as being present at the event itself. The better prepared you are, the more successful you’re likely to find the event. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Research attendees and other exhibitors. See if there is an attendee list. Know who’s going to be there and some preparation. Create a ‘buzz’ about the event.

In the run-up to the event you need to let people know you’ll be there. Use social media to start engaging with visitors well before the event. Make sure you use any relevant hashtags being used by the event. Think about all the touch points you have with customers. Make the most of any opportunity to promote your attendance. From emailing customers and adding details to your website through to simple things like updating your voicemail message and bringing it up in conversation.

They can all be effective in creating a ‘buzz’.

Eye-catching stand design. If you plan to turn up with a tired looking stand and just hand out free pens, you may not get the results you want.

An eye-catching stand design can attract people to come and talk to you. Why not think about hosting a competition or prize draw to attract visitors? Run a video showcasing your products or services. How the staff manning the stand look is also important. Wearing a uniform and/or name badges will help promote a professional image.

Finally, review how the event went. You are likely to learn some valuable lessons for the next event you attend.”

We still have a few remaining stands left at the B2B Exhibition on Thursday 12 October 2017, at Norwich City Football Club starting at £325+VAT. The event is FREE to attend as a visitor with expert masterclasses and 100+ exhibitors to meet with it’s the region’s premier business to business exhibition. Visit www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/b2b

Notice is hereby given that the 121st Annual General Meeting of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be held at The Open, 20 Bank Plain, Norwich on Wednesday 04 October 2017.  Registration will be at 9.45am, for meeting commencement at 10am.  Please see attached for all papers relevant to the meeting. Papers for the AGM are attached. 

The British Chambers of Commerce International Trade Summit is taking place on 12th October at Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham.

The summit is designed to provide companies at all stages of the export journey with knowledge, expertise, advice and contacts to succeed overseas. This event is not about selling to businesses or telling them what they already know.

What you WILL get on the day:

• Dynamic exporters sharing lessons and tips from their experience
• Knowledgeable speakers sharing their insights
• Interactive workshops on the practicalities of exporting 

Speakers include:

• The Hon Alexander Downer AC, Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
• Dr Nik Kotecha, CEO, Morningside Pharmaceutical
• Elizabeth Gooch MBE, CEO, egsolutions
• Neil Goldman, CEO, Colpac 
• Shanker Singham, Director of Economic Policy & Prosperity Studies, Legatum Institute
• Alex de Ruyter, Founder of the Centre for Brexit Studies, Birmingham

Take part in interactive breakout sessions and network with Chambers of Commerce from across the world – and get the skills, knowledge and contacts you need to take your international trade to the next level!

Find out more at www.bccexport.co.uk

On Thursday 17th August over 50 guests joined us at Jarrold Norwich for an informal evening of fun, fashion and networking! The evening started with a networking icebreaker called the outfit challenge, this involved guests getting into groups and picking an on-trend outfit from the fashion floor for under £250. Each team presented their outfit and were judged by the Jarrold’s stylists. The winning outfit included Black jeans and textured white jacket. Jarrold provided a delicious buffet which guests tucked into before and after the networking challenge and the wine was flowing throughout the evening.

Following guests were treated to a beauty demonstration by MAC and fashion show from the Jarrold’s team. The evening was closed with a raffle prize draw with prizes from Jarrold and an exclusive hour for guests to shop around the fashion floor. All guests left with a big smile on their face, and several left with a new piece for their wardrobe! The next upcoming event is Talking Technology on Thursday 20th September at The Space in Norwich https://bit.ly/2x5bNCW

Commenting on the position paper for continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK, Julie Austin, International Trade Manager for Norfolk Chamber said:

“Businesses here in Norfolk and the rest of the UK, as well as on the Continent will welcome the British government’s desire to maintain maximum continuity in the way goods are traded when the UK withdraws from the EU. 

“UK goods will be fully compliant with EU regulations, product standards and safety checks at the time of the UK’s exit from the EU, and vice versa. Trading companies should not have to get new product approvals, or be subject to duplicate safety checks, for existing products. Related services should also be able to be sold as well. 

“As the negotiations continue, both sides should commit to avoid unnecessary compliance checks for businesses, both at the time of the UK’s exit from the EU, and in future wherever the UK and the EU agree to maintain close regulatory alignment.

“A ‘no deal’ scenario, which would see loads of extra red tape imposed on goods traders on both sides of the Channel, must be avoided – as it’s in no one’s best interests.”

Norfolk Chamber, is working in partnership with New Anglia LEP, BITC and the Enterprise Advisor Network to support the work being done in the Norwich Opportunity Area to create greater engagement between business and schools.  

The Norwich Opportunity Area is one of 12 Opportunity Areas in the UK and has received £6m investment from the Department of Education to ensure that all young people in our city can reach their potential.

The ambitious target of the Opportunity Area is for every child in a Norwich school to have a meaningful encounter with an employer each year that they are at school. While many of our schools already do great work in this area with many businesses and providers, to improve social mobility we must scale this up significantly – in 2016 Norwich was ranked 323rd out of 324 local authority areas for social mobility.

The Norwich Opportunity Area and its supporting partners are looking to create a cohesive and effective approach to raising aspirations and equipping young people with the skills that they need to succeed but we need the help of the Norfolk business community

To hear more and find out how your business can help – you can attend a free event on Wednesday 20 September 2017 in the Auditorium at The Forum in Norwich from 5.30pm – 7pm.

You will be able to hear how Norwich City schools and colleges will now be supported by the Department for Education and the Careers and Enterprise Company to engage more strategically with local employers and organisations. We’ll show you how you can get more involved in a city school

Who should attend this event?

• Are you a business that would like to support young people in a Norwich school to think about careers and prepare for working life?
• Do you already have a strong relationship of supporting employability, careers or enterprise in a school in Norwich?
• Do you have an engaging company programme that you would like to share with schools and colleges in the city?
• Does your organisation promote and/or broker employer engagement through a wide range of activities?

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

“Through our Young Chamber programme, we are working to help bridge skills gap, using our extensive connections with the local business community and the strong relationships with our school members.

We have recently launched our Young Chamber Enterprise Recognition Award to recognise and celebrate education establishments in Norfolk who are committed to improving the employability skills of young people in our region.  We would encourage any business, looking to engage and support schools, to attend on 20 September to find out how to they can help deliver their workforce of tomorrow.”

Register for your free place now.

In Quarter 2, the outlook of companies in all sectors and locations across Norfolk, indicated that for many businesses growth was static at best, and at worst, beginning to slow.

The Norfolk services sector saw domestic activity, employment and investment results weaken and the manufacturing sector saw export sales and orders falling.  Both sectors reported concerns over raw material costs and pay settlements and confidence in future turnover decreased.

Has your overall business confidence improved in this quarter or has continued economic uncertainty continued to hamper you?

Has your company increased its sales and orders, either at home or overseas?  Are you looking to recruit more staff, or invest in plant and machinery? 

It is more important than ever that as many Norfolk businesses as possible complete the survey, so have your say now.  Today (Monday 21 August 2017) is the first day of the fieldwork period for the Q3 Quarterly Economic Survey (QES).   

The QES is the largest independent business survey in the UK and is used by both the Bank of England and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to plan the future of the UK economy.  It is also closely watched by the International Monetary Fund.

You can have your say by completing the QES online NOW, which takes less than 3 minutes.  The completion deadline for this survey is midnight on Monday 12 June 2017.

Some key Norfolk findings in the previous Q2 2017 survey:

• Manufacturers report continued pressure from the price of raw materials, with +82 reporting this as the cause of price increases (up from +68).
• Pressure from pay settlements also rose in both, rising from +20 to +27 in manufacturing and +21 to +49 in services
• The manufacturing sector reported increased domestic sales – rising slightly from +9 to +12, as did domestic orders from +6 to +10. Export sales fell from +17 to +11 and export orders fell from +20 to +7
• In the service sector, domestic sales remained static and domestic orders fell from +13 to +8. The balance reporting increasing export sales rose from +6 to +13 but export orders fell from +4 to 0
• The balance of manufacturers confident that turnover would improve over the next 12 months fell from +35 to +23, and the balance for services from +42 to +31