Chamber News

The latest meeting of the Norfolk Chamber’s Representation Council was held at Barnham Broom Hotel.

The members looked at a briefing document outlining Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Business Plan for Norfolk’. The document pulled together the key priorities of the two Local Enterprise Partnerships; the British Chambers of Commerce; and Norfolk County Council and the local authorities. Both Chris Starkie, Managing Director of New Anglia LEP, and Tom McCabe, Director of Environment, Transport and Development at Norfolk County Council attended the meeting to add their input into the discussion.

The group talked about some of the key issues, including continued support for improved rail infrastructure; the energy sector; better broadband; the visibility of Norfolk; improvements to the A47 and the concept of a central brand for the East of England.

Key areas considered were businesses competitive advantage; value for money; Norfolk’s proximity to London and Europe; quality of life; and the need to ensure Norfolk’s key selling points are visible to the rest of the UK and overseas.

Over the next few months the Norfolk Chamber will survey the different areas of Norfolk’s business community to ensure that all their main priorities have been taken into consideration in the Chamber’s Business Plan for Norfolk. The West Norfolk business survey was undertaken in September/October and other areas will be surveyed shortly.

Ian Hacon, President of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said “Norfolk Chamber is keen to ensure that the outside perception of Norfolk is that we are ‘open for business’. The Norfolk business community has lobbied hard over the years for improvements in Norfolk’s infrastructure and the success in getting the last section of the A11 dualled, shows the power of the ‘voice of business’ in Norfolk. We now need to rally together to continue to call for improvements to the A47, rail links and broadband.”

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive said: “We are keen to ensure that the Chamber Business Plan for Norfolk is a comprehensive document that truly reflects the needs of the business community to ensure that we create jobs and economic growth for Norfolk.”

To coincide with its International Trade Conference (9 October), the British Chambers of Commerce is leading a trade mission to India (7-12 October) with a group of businesses seeking to grow their exports to the subcontinent. The delegation will visit Mumbai, where thanks to the support of the UK India Business Council, they will have the opportunity to connect with prospective partners and distributors, and meet UK businesses already operating in India.

The delegation will then travel to New Delhi to join up with other delegations of British businesses, including one led by Business Secretary, Vince Cable, at the Britain in India Business Convention. Delegates will have the chance to hear about growth sectors in India and to network with Indian and British businesses, with one of the events hosted by the British High Commissioner. Delegates are members of Chambers of Commerce from across the UK, with an additional place sponsored by the Virgin Startup programme.

The BCC trade mission delegates include:

• Angelberry (member of Business West) – operate quick service restaurants specialising in frozen yogurt
• Innovashion (participant in the Virgin Startup programme) – developed the T-Stick, a new way of drinking tea
• Kromek (member of North East Chamber of Commerce) – provide security technology to the nuclear and medical markets
• SASIE (member of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce) – a developer and installer of sustainable energy systems
• Soilutions (member of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce) – provide soil and water cleaning solution
• Tendeka (member of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber) – provide services to the oil and gas industry

David Riches, Executive Director of Commercial Services at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

“There couldn’t be a more important time for the UK economy to support trade to overseas markets which offer sustained growth. The Accredited Chamber Network runs a trade mission programme throughout the year, linking with overseas British Chambers and business groups, to help UK businesses access opportunities in key markets around the world. This trade mission will provide our delegates with insight and contacts on the ground in India – an essential first step in the journey towards export growth.”

Commenting on the revised estimate of UK GDP, published today by the ONS, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:

“Overall the GDP figures are positive – they show an upward revision in quarterly growth in Q2 and growth in business investment. The current level of GDP is considerably higher than its pre-recession level, which mirrors the Chamber’s view that earlier official estimates have understated growth in recent years. However, there are concerning features in the latest figures – the volume of exports has fallen slightly and the current account deficit has widened to above 5% of GDP, a level which in the long- term will prove to be unsustainable.

“While the strength of the recovery will support business confidence, these figures reinforce the need to rebalance the economy towards exports and investment. It is important that the MPC and the government make every effort to sustain the recovery. Interest rates must be kept low until there is a clear need to start increasing them, and government must do more to support exporters and improve access to finance for growing businesses.”

• GDP quarterly growth in Q2 2014 was revised up from 0.8% to 0.9%, but year on year growth in Q2 remains unrevised at 3.2%
• The level of GDP in Q2 2014 is now estimated to be 2.7% above its pre-recession level in 2008, this is considerably higher than previously estimated because of upward revisions to published figures for earlier years
• Business investment rose by 3.3% in Q2 2014
• Exports fell by 0.4% in Q2 2014, while imports fell by 0.3%
• The current account deficit widened from 4.7% of GDP in Q1 2014 to 5.2% in Q2 2014

https://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa2/quarterly-national-accounts/q2-2014/i…

Commenting on the speech by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:

“The Chancellor made a blistering affirmation about the importance of the UK’s economic progress – brushing aside nimbyism and those who don’t believe growth is essential for Britain’s future. He correctly identified that economic growth is a pre-condition for delivering the public services that we all want, such as pensions, NHS and education. The Chancellor has also committed not to duck big decisions on national infrastructure projects including aviation, rail and roads. Businesses are used to hearing these pledges, but will always judge politicians on whether they actually deliver.

“However there were two pieces missing. We would have liked the Chancellor’s speech to address access to finance, as this is so important to raising business investment and long-term sustainable growth. Also a commitment to export support should be a government priority, as it is vital to re-balancing the economy.”

On the economy and deficit reduction:

“The Chancellor’s ambition for UK growth is in stark contrast to others in the political discourse, some of whom seem to have accepted a ‘new normal’ of low growth.

“Businesses will support the Chancellor’s continued commitment to mend Britain’s public finances. Above all, companies value certainty, consistency and predictability when it comes to economic policy – so it is pleasing to see the measures announced by the Chancellor are in keeping with the goal of getting the deficit down.”

On pensions:

“Putting money into a pension pot is not only important for the financial health of individuals, it’s important for the health of the economy too. Savings underpin investment and we need to do more as a country to boost business investment. This must go hand in hand with measures to boost savings. So we welcome the Chancellor’s announcement to abolish the so called ‘death tax’ to give people an additional incentive to save for their retirement.”

On welfare cuts to fund apprenticeships:

“The Chancellor made the correct link between skills and immigration, as the people of Britain should be able to compete for jobs in an open market. With our open borders, the only way to do this is by ensuring the UK has a highly skilled workforce that businesses want to employ.

“The commitment to raise the level of public investment in apprenticeships will be supported by business. Increasing the number of apprenticeships from two million to three million over the next five years is a challenging but worthy aspiration. As an economy that relies on knowledge and skills, training our young people is as important as the infrastructure of our nation such as our roads, railways and airports.

“We agree with the supporting package of welfare measures that do more to make work pay for young people, and ensure that the funding is available for the additional apprenticeships.”

At a recent meeting of the Norwich Chamber Council, the feedback from members highlighted that overall the Norwich business community is buoyant. Many companies reported increased staff recruitment and overall growth of their businesses. The retail sector also reported improved sales.

The members also heard from Andrew Bell, Chief Executive of Norwich International Airport. Andrew outlined their plans for the airport, including the proposed aeropark and the Aviation Academy. He advised that the airport was now the second largest heliport in the UK with four offshore operators based there. Between them they accommodate over 100,000 offshore workers flying out of Norwich each year.

The plans for the aeropark were highlighted. The 100 acre site will be to the north of the runway and will be aimed at aviation related industries. A link from the A140 will be constructed, however it was noted that the airport and the aeropark would strongly benefit from the development of the Northern Distributor Road.

The Aviation Academy is a unique concept, backed by both the airport and the University of East Anglia. It will help create skilled aviation engineers by offering a work based skills academy that is university backed. Students who complete their training, will graduate with a degree and a Civil Aviation Authority Licence, which is necessary to work on and maintain commercial aircraft.

At a recent meeting of the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council, the members had the opportunity to hear from Jonathan Newman, the Town Centre Manager. Jonathan provided an update of what was being done in the town centre to try to encourage more shoppers and more retailers to Great Yarmouth. The cost of parking was discussed and it was noted that there are currently 1,200 free parking spaces in Great Yarmouth as long as you are prepared to walk for a few minutes to get to the main attractions.

The threat to the town centre from the retail parks on the outskirts of Great Yarmouth was also debated. Many of the national retailers require a large retail footprint and the buildings in the centre of Great Yarmouth cannot physically accommodate this. It was agreed that Great Yarmouth town centre needed to look to provide an alternative and unique offering, which the larger out of town retailers cannot offer, to ensure the continued survival of the town centre.

At a recent West Norfolk Chamber Council meeting, held at the Bank House Hotel, the members welcomed another new member, David Guyatt from Lloyds. The round table update showed the mood was very positive, with all the area council members reporting a buoyant business environment. The Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk identified that progress was being made in bringing forward housing schemes – with 20 units now sold in the housing development on the NORA site and a further housing scheme would shortly be going to Cabinet for approval.

West Norfolk Chamber Council also took an initial look at the key priorities for West Norfolk that should be included in the Chamber’s Business Plan for Norfolk, which is currently being drafted. Some of the schemes/projects identified were: the Construction Industry Innovation Facility at Bircham Newton; the creation of a Centre for Advanced Knowledge Engineering at Downham Market; additional onsite NORA infrastructure to accelerate development of the site; and improvements the A47.

It was noted that many of these projects were being highlighted to the Local Enterprise Partnerships for inclusion in the next round of bid funding.

Heather Garrod, President of West Norfolk Chamber Council said: “It is important to maximise the growth potential of the West Norfolk business community and the Area Council are confident that these types of schemes and projects will deliver economic benefits and jobs to our region.”

On 18 September Norfolk Businesses joined us at John Lewis for a relaxed evening of networking with an interactive technology element.

Delegates heard from Richard Marks Head of Branch at John Lewis on how the recent innovations in technology have helped them to develop as a company and constantly look at how they are working.

It was then onto the main part of the event; Sony were the first to stand up and they talked about the recent developments in technology, in particular there new Sony Z2 tablet which can survive under water up to 1.5m of water for 30 minutes and the attendees got to have a go with some of their latest innovations.

Google then talked to the delegates about how their Google Apps can be used across your company and customised specifically to each businesses needs. Delegates had the opportunity to edit one document all at the same time using one of Google most recent tablets.

The event finished with a prize draw with some great gifts, including a brand new Sony Z2 tablet. There was a great buzz with delegates getting to try out our sponor, customised’s lighting display and tweeting throughout. See some of the tweets below

To view more photo’s from this event visit ourFacebookorGoogle+page.

Our next After Hours event is our Super Bowl Challenge on 29 January at Hollywood Bowl. To book your place or for more detailsclick here.

Sponsored by:

In September 2013, the UKIBC unveiled its Launchpad market entry service to help UK companies and organisations enter India. Tushar Chaudhary, who heads the initiative and also leads its client relations activities, discusses what UK companies need to know about entering India and outlines the first year’s progress.

We were confident that the UKIBC – backed by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) – had a strong brand in the UK, and that there was a need for such a bespoke initiative around market entry.

Avoid onerous and long term contracts The Launchpad concept was based on two core elements; to provide a low-risk and low-cost market-entry model, and to remove all the time-consuming hassle – such as company incorporation, hiring staff, understanding local tax and legal issues – so clients could concentrate on their core business.

Both aspects have proved very popular. It is a low cost service and more importantly, clients know in advance how much their first-year’s market entry strategy will cost, and because the service is tailored to their specific needs, they receive advice and guidance which they could not gain via generic market research or online platforms.

The beauty of Launchpad is that it can be applied to almost any sector and any size of company. We have, for example, clients from Higher and Further Education, from Manufacturing, and from Infrastructure all using the service.

Find the right people to work for you The key to its success has been the quality of Launchpad consultants, which UKIBC have recruited to spend that crucial first year working with each client.

We work with specialist HR agencies to identify potential specialists, according to the sector in which the client works, and typically, we’ll interview four or five before making our final selection.

In each case, they have to demonstrate the correct skill-set, good local contacts in India and between 10 and 15 years’ experience in the target sector. Such knowledge allows them to both take critical decisions, and act as brand ambassadors for their clients in India.

The client-consultant relationship is very flexible, so they might work on specialist market research activities, identify potential partners, distributors and suppliers, gather market data, or discuss such key issues as branding and positioning of the company’s products or services.

Feedback from our UK clients has confirmed our belief that there is no substitute for having a specialist consultant on the ground, to represent your business as it looks to enter the Indian market.

I and my colleagues in the UKIBC also manage both the performance of each consultant, and their market-entry project, to ensure they are achieving the client’s objectives.

In turn, the client and their consultant are supported by a strong and sophisticated eco-system; including UKIBC members in India, the British Business Groups, UKTI, and such national trade bodies as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Assess the Indian market’s potential for your business In the coming year, we expect demand for Launchpad to continue to increase. I think the mind-set among UK companies has evolved from ‘Why India?’ to ‘How India?’, and over the coming months and years we are going to see a lot more UK companies active in the market.

India’s potential as a market and a trading partner is well understood, and the new government has stressed its desire to make the country a global hub for international business, across all sectors.

I am confident UK companies will be a key driver in the next phase of India’s development, attracted by new business opportunities, the size of our domestic market, the abundant availability of skills, and the aspirations of our ever-growing middle class.

Tushar Chaudhary Head of Launchpad and Client Relations UK India Business Council

If you are interested in making India an export destination for your company, please contact the UKIBC Team:

UK India Business Council 12th Floor, Millbank Tower 21-24 Millbank London SW1P 4QP T: 020 7592 3040 E: [email protected]

Reacting to the speech by Shadow Business Secretary, Chuka Umunna MP, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:

On local growth:

“Norfolk businesses will support Chuka Umunna’s commitment to further devolution of economic development in England. There is no such thing as national prosperity without boosting the growth prospects of the UK cities such as Norwich and counties such as Norfolk. Decisions on local growth are best taken when businesses and councils decide what arrangements work best for their areas, and deliver these accordingly.

“Government must ensure businesses are placed at the heart of local growth. In the British Chambers of Commerce Business Manifesto , which the Norfolk Chamber supports, we are calling for a ratepayers vote on local economic development strategy and funding decisions, to ensure that plans for an area’s future have the support and input of the whole of the business community.”

On skills:

“Norfolk business will find much to agree with in Labour’s focus on delivering more apprenticeships and technical degrees. We must support all talent pools in the economy to maximise economic growth in a knowledge based economy. Education, training and skills at all levels are as important to the infrastructure of the nation as our roads, railways and airports.”

On the national minimum wage:

“There is no doubt that the widening pay gap and a lack of social mobility is detrimental to the UK economy. This is not a phenomenon born during the recent recession, but a trend that has been developing over decades. As the economy continues to improve, businesses agree that the minimum wage must rise. However, businesses are in favour of an evidence-based approach to wages legislation. Politicians should focus on implementing policies to raise productivity and improve skills in the workplace – which are key to higher wages for all in the future.”

On zero hours contracts:

“Zero hours contracts are vital for a successful jobs market, but they must be fair and work for all parties. Much of the negativity surrounding zero hours contracts misunderstands the vital role they can play in creating jobs. For example, they can be beneficial for students, older workers or those with caring duties who don’t want to be constrained by a fixed contract. And they allow employers to experiment with new services or markets. The UK’s flexible labour market has prevented unemployment from increasing to the levels economists expected during and following the recession.”

On Europe:

“While the majority of our members want to remain in the European Union, they want to see a renegotiated settlement that works for business. This includes securing safeguards for the UK and other non-eurozone countries in future EU decision-making, so that as eurozone countries look to integrate further, non-eurozone states are not disadvantaged in the future governance of the Single Market.”

Commenting on the speech by Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP, John Longworth BCC Director General said:

“Businesses will welcome Ed Balls’ emphasis on embedding fiscal responsibility in government decision making. The proposal to task the OBR with objectively analysing the costings of party manifestos is a good one. Though arguably a gimmick, the proposal to cut, then freeze ministers pay until the budget deficit is eliminated mirrors the kind of action that the best businesses would take when managing their own finances.

“We are pleased that the shadow chancellor has addressed in his speech some of the key asks from our Business Manifesto – establishing a fit for purpose and properly financed British Investment Bank; infrastructure development; expanding airport capacity; and building the number of new homes Britain needs.

“Businesses will also support his announcement to commission an independent review into British export support. Growing the UK’s export sector is essential to rebalancing the economy and putting it on a long-term sustainable footing. Ensuring we have the best possible support mechanisms for export businesses will be necessary if we are to compete with the world’s best. The voice of the business community must be heard loudly in this review.

“While we welcome Labour’s recognition that child care costs are now a major issue for both employees and employers, we believe the best way to address this is through a Childcare Contribution Scheme, as outlined in our Business Manifesto. Under our proposal all working parents with a child under school-age would be eligible, and would be given the funding upfront through the government’s existing childcare voucher scheme. The scheme would provide financial support from government of up to £10,000 and would be cost neutral for the tax payer.

“It is also heartening to hear that the shadow chancellor recognises the impact of taxation on business investment. However, businesses will be dismayed at the reintroduction of the 50p tax rate. Businesses have long said that the 50p top rate of income tax is a disincentive to enterprise, to wealth creation, and to investment here in the UK. There is little evidence it will raise additional tax.”

Commenting on the outcome of the Scottish Referendum that Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

“The people of Scotland have spoken. Their historic decision to remain part of the United Kingdom will be a relief to many businesspeople and a disappointment to others, but it was a decision for the Scottish peoplealone to make.

“The companies I speak to are clear that this cannot simply be the first in a series of referenda, until one side or the other gets the result that it wants. Business and investment prospects across the UK would be deeply hurt by a Quebec-style ‘neverendum’ – a lesson that politicians must heed.

“Yet businesspeople all across the UK have long known that the referendum would be the start, rather than the end, of a process of change. Businesses will now expect Westminster and Holyrood to reach a devolution settlement that is clear, fair to both sides, and swiftly executed.

“Businesses want greater devolution of power to be accompanied by greater devolution of finance, so that Scotland, and the rest of the United Kingdom, take responsibility for their respective tax and spending decisions. English, Welsh and Northern Irish businesses and taxpayers should not be subsidising support or incentives for their Scottish counterparts – nor the other way around.

“Any devolution deal for Scotland should trigger a new debate on local autonomy in England, where businesspeople in many areas want more freedom from Westminster and more influences over how their taxes are spent. Local businesses deserve a say in how a new, less centralized UK is governed in future.

“We have been through a period of disruption. Creative disruption can be galvanizing to countries, just as it is to businesses. It is up to the leaders of our nations now to make sure this is the result. Our United Kingdomnow has the opportunity to define a future direction that stimulates growth and prosperity as never before – and for us together to make our way in the world, firmly on our own two feet.