I would like to share with you the Chamber network’s March 2013 economic outlook based on data released during February.
The bottom line is that ultimately February’s data releases mirrors our view that the UK economy will improve slowly over the medium term and entering a new recession is unlikely at this stage.
However, any recovery will be slow by historical standards. Although the downgrade in the UK’s credit rating is unlikely to have a significant impact on the UK economy, it will increase the pressure on the Chancellor to use the Budget to deliver measures to boost growth.
Key headlines:
• Economic growth for 2012 revised up, but the outlook for the UK economy weakens • Jobs market improves once again, but public finances remain in a poor state • BCC cuts economic growth forecast for 2013 and 2014, but 2015 revised up
On Wednesday 22nd January, the Norwich Opportunity Area (NOA) Work Skills Event in Norwich saw over 500 Norwich students practising their networking skills, with support from 40 local business volunteers.
The students took part in a series of workshops learning to identify and articulate their skills; to use social media professionally and were given helpful tips on how to make a great first impression.
They then participated in a large employer networking session to practice refining their handshaking skills; gain experience of how to introduce themselves to new employers; and to gain advice from the employers about ways to make sure they can achieve their ambitions for the future.
The employers, including over 25 employers from within the Norfolk Chambers membership, were from a wide range of sectors including: accountants, lawyers, insurance, banking; ICT digital, construction, manufacturing and the care sector.
Anne Bailey, CEO of Form the Future, who helped deliver the event, said: “We were really thrilled by the employer support and delighted with outcome of the event. The event was designed to help prepare students in Norwich to feel confident in finding a work experience placement and knowing how to find and approach new contacts.”
The feedback from the employers was very positive. They fed back how much they enjoyed speaking to some really impressive young people and hearing from talented individuals in Norwich schools.
Commenting on the employer response, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy from Norfolk Chambers of Commerce said: “Every Norfolk business is looking at how to access a skilled workforce. It is more important than ever that we involve more of the local business community in supporting enterprise engagement. Taking part in events such as the Norwich Opportunity Area’s Work Skills events can give employers access to their potential future workforce.”
Norwich Opportunity Area are keen to capitalise further on this event, if your business would be interested in hosting any of these now very well prepared students for a placement or work visit, please drop a line to: [email protected]
It’s a question we’re often asked by new members about our networking events. All of our events have their own feel. Whether it’s one of our big flagship events such as our upcoming The Big Debate, The B2B Exhibition or one of our networking breakfasts. I always reply with the same answer. ‘I promise you will feel relaxed straight away, our members are so friendly and welcoming’. Whether its West Norfolk, Great Yarmouth, Norwich or South Norfolk – we are really lucky to have a fantastic mix of people and personalities! This was clear to see this morning at our South Norfolk breakfast at Barnham Broom, where Sarah Jones and her team welcomed us with hot tea and coffee and ensured we all had a delicious start to the day. Whilst we had lots of new faces attend this morning, it was hard to see who a seasoned member was and who was new. It was a loud and engaging breakfast following our ‘Heads and Tails game’ when lucky Rhonda Jackson of CJ Jackson won the overnight stay for two at Barnham Broom! Congratulations Rhonda! Our guest speaker was Graeme Taplin, Director of Drone Photography. Graeme moved to the UK from Melbourne, Australia in 2001. Graeme shared with us the wide variety of his work, with stunning photography of many recognisable Norfolk landscapes. It was so interesting to hear about the Aviation rules and regulations that he has had to adhere to, and the skill involved in this work. The commercial possibilities are so diverse, from Town Planners, estate agents through to schools. Thank you so much to everyone who attended, and for making our first South Norfolk breakfast of 2020 so enjoyable!
Even last year as the A47 Alliance, which includes Norfolk Chamber, discussed Norfolk’s road priorities now that the A11 is being dualled, improvements to the A47 felt very much like just a hope.
However, the Chamber business community, as always born optimists, have continued to lobby our local MPs, Government Ministers through the British Chamber of Commerce and really anyone who would listen to us.
The turning point when hope turned into a possibility was the report which the Norfolk Chamber members fed into, which quantified the economic impact the improvements to the A47 would bring.
The Gateway to Growth campaign to secure A47 upgrades identified that these could generate nearly 100,000 jobs, add £390m to the region’s economy and attract £800m of private investment. It was at that point that all the good work by the EDP, our MPs and the Norfolk business community started to impact on the Transport Minister Stephen Hammond.
We are told that no decision will be made until after the spending review in June so we need to ensure that we maintain the pressure on the Government in anyway we can. This includes lobbying Ministers both in Westminster and more importantly when they visit Norfolk. Vince Cable MP is due in Norfolk tomorrow and it is essential when he leaves Norfolk that he has a clear understanding from the business community that improvements to the A47 are no longer a ‘nice to have’ but are necessary for Norfolk to achieve its economic growth potential.
I have been invited to attend a workshop on 30 April at BIS Conference Centre in London to discuss the design and delivery of a new strategy for business support in England.
It would be great for as many businesses as possible to feed back to me what is currently working for them as far as accessing business advise and what they would like changed, for me to take to this meeting. Norfolk Chamber is currently working on enhancing its knowledge section within our website and will be starting a series of topical workshops for our members very shortly, so this feedback would also help us meet your requirements.
The background for the meeting as given by BIS is a follows.
The business support landscape has undergone a radical transformation over the last two years, following the implementation of the strategy set out in January 2011 in Mark Prisk’s policy statement “Bigger Better Business”.
More recently, at and around the recent Budget the Government made a number of announcements on support for small businesses that centre on enabling firms to navigate the vibrant, dynamic market of support to business help available.
At a local level, through a single efficient signposting service developed through LEPs, run by local organisations bringing together national, local private and public support.
On the internet through a new private sector led online market place that will deliver a new Growth Voucher programme
Via the Business Bank, which will include a programme of work to bring together high growth and specialist government advice schemes and create a single customer interface.
BIS plan to publish a refreshed strategy later in the year and have asked for Norfolk Chamber members’ support in doing so.
The aims of the BIS workshop is to:
Co-design and create a strong system for business advice, that is easy for businesses to navigate and ensures co-ordination between programmes of national importance and local schemes
Explore how together we can join up, including with the private sector, to stimulate demand for business advice, promoting the benefits and encourage small businesses to act in their own interest and make better use of the help available
If you were sitting at the meeting what would you say? Please let me know through our LinkedIn discussion or via email to me [email protected]
The recent problems created by the intermittent service Vodafone network service in some parts of Norfolk has brought this issue into close media focus.
At the Chamber we have discussed, debated and lobbied the need for faster reliable broadband for a number of years. We will be delighted when work can be started with the delivery of the Better Broadband project to improve broadband across Norfolk.
However what about mobile coverage/quality? There seems to me to be two key issues to be addressed. A poor service and no service from any provider known as not-spots.
In October 2011, the Government announced £150m in capital expenditure to improve mobile coverage and quality – known as the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP).This project is being run by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK). Due to Norfolk County Council’s ‘can do attitude’ the DCMS is seriously looking to make Norfolk a priority area within the UK to access part of this funding.
There is a way to go yet and a lot of work to do but there is a good chance that Norfolk’s not- spots relating to mobile coverate will start to be sorted shortly. Also as the not-spots along our train tracks come under the Department of Transport not the DCMS separate discussions are going on relating to the very poor mobile coverage service we get on the rail route to and from London.
Even when the not-spots are sorted it will not mean that good quality coverage will be created across Norfolk, additional investment from another funding pot will be needed.
As a business community we can help make this happen starting with the following:
Lobbying the two LEPs covering this area to include better Mobile Coverage within their Growth Plans
Bringing this issue to the attention to our local MPs at every opportunity
Indentifying the economic issues which you face as a business due to poor mobile coverage across Norfolk
Supporting Norfolk Chamber with our lobbying campaign in Westminster
The Norfolk Chamber is working with the DCMS and Norfolk County Council and we will let you know what we need from you shortly. I just wanted to alert you to the fact that activity is taking place to improve this important part of our infrastructure and Norfolk Chamber will be doing all we can to make it happen sooner rather than later.
Planning ministers always get a rough ride. If they’re not being barracked by the business community for the slowness of the planning process, or by the construction sector for the lack of develop-able land, they can be guaranteed a tough time from serial objectors to development and progress.
From a business perspective, Nick Boles, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Planning, has had the courage to do three things. First, he has boldly said that we need to develop a small amount of additional land in England if we are to be able to build vibrant communities, expand dynamic businesses, and house future generations. In a country where less than 3 per cent of land actually contains buildings, and where only 9 per cent is considered urban, harsh constraints on land use are only making it tougher to create the jobs and homes we need.
Second, Mr Boles has committed to making planning reforms work on the ground. Far too often, we in business have heard warm words on this issue, only for local bureaucracy and yes, NIMBYism, stifle any meaningful change.
And third, Mr Boles has put principle ahead of politics. Unlike so many across the political spectrum, he is forcing England to debate tough and sometimes unpalatable issues that are essential to our future economic prosperity and well-being.
Let me be clear. I have unresolved doubts about the mortgage market proposals made by the government in the Chancellor’s recent Budget. I’m not entirely convinced by use-class changes that could starve many towns and cities of commercial and industrial sites in favour of residential. And like others, I would be keen to see brownfield sites used before greenfield, wherever this is economically viable (sometimes, objectors to greenfield development have to realize it isn’t).
Yet when it comes to the planning system, the evidence from the business community and from individuals struggling to find housing, whether rented or owned, is clear. Planning liberalisation is one of the few supply-side tools that the government can use to spur both confidence and economic activity. Mr Boles would do well to keep his hard hat on, and use this tool – knowing he has the full support of the business community.
Successful Norfolk entrepreneur Chris Sargisson commences his new role as Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce today, Monday 12 June.
Chris was educated in Norwich and lives in the city with his wife and two children. He worked in the 1990s shaping Norwich Union Direct before leaving to set up and launch its4me plc, one of the UK’s most successful online car insurance brokers and major Norwich employer. Chris also created House Revolution, one of the UK’s first online estate agencies, alongside running his own business consultancy practice which has helped organisations of all sizes across the UK.
The new Chamber Chief Executive will be attending many of the key Chamber networking events in the coming months, so there will have plenty of opportunities to meet with Chamber members.
Upon starting the role, Chris said:
“To represent the many Norfolk businesses that form the Chamber membership is incredibly exciting. I’m extremely honoured to have been given this opportunity and genuinely looking forward to using my entrepreneurial business experiences to support, develop and build upon the already outstanding hard work and successes of the chamber team.”
The government is working to boost economic activity across the UK, ensuring that towns, cities and regions across the country can begin to benefit from the opportunities of leaving the EU. As part of this work, they aims to create up to 10 Freeports in locations across the UK.
The government wants to establish Freeports, which have different customs rules than the rest of the country, that are innovative hubs, boost global trade, attract inward investment and increase productivity. In doing so, they want Freeports to generate employment opportunities to the benefit of some of the most deprived communities around the UK.
The government has the following objectives for UK Freeports:
Establish Freeports as national hubs for global trade and investment across the UK.
Promote regeneration and job creation.
Create hotbeds for innovation.
The government has drawn on evidence from successful Freeports around the world to develop a UK Freeport model. The proposed model includes tariff flexibility, customs facilitations and tax measures. We are also considering planning reforms, additional targeted funding for infrastructure improvements, and measures to incentivise innovation.
To support this work, the Department of International Trade are running a formal consultation to understand your thoughts on the UK’s plans for Freeports. They aim to feed your views into the policy development process.
They want all the nations of the UK to be able to share in the benefits of Freeports. As such, they intend to work with the Devolved Administrations to develop proposals that would enable the creation of Freeports in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in addition to those in England.
So take part in the consultation today, share your views and have an impact on the development process for this exciting opportunity for the UK. Please see the PDF below for the official Freeports Consultation document from the Department of International Trade.
For any further queries on guidance or accessibility, please email [email protected].
This consultation closes at 11:59pm on 20 April 2020.
“To create a truly sustainable economy, growth needs to be linked to positive impacts upon the environment and resources used, not only effectively but also intelligently” This statement from the New Anglia LEP Green Economy Pathfinder manifesto is difficult to argue with it.
So why in the past has adopting sustainable business practices so often been viewed as a ‘nice to have’ or an ‘ideology’. In 2013 this simply is not the case. Sustainability is now seen as an efficiency driver, especially when expertise is effectively shared and businesses collaborate. What is clear, is that if you want to save money and be more competitive, you have to engage with sustainability.
An effective transition to a sustainable economy will also boost economic recovery, create jobs, increase resource security and help make Norfolk more globally competitive. Significant population growth, greater resource constraints and other global mega-trends are challenging business models throughout the economy. The businesses that prepare for these events through innovation, communication and engagement will be the winners of the future.
The New Anglia Green Pathfinder report, relating to business resource efficiency, identified that low-cost and no-cost resource efficiency opportunities could generate savings of around £1.6bn in the New Anglia LEP area alone. So if you are a business who feels that you are missing out, how do you get involved?
As when looking at any business practice you can take advantage of the knowledge of businesses that have already taken up the challenge and can demonstrate that it has made a difference to their bottom line. For instance, local company Bernard Matthews and a keynote speaker at our sustainability conference next week is fast becoming one of the UK’s leading energy neutral businesses thanks to a broad range of green initiatives. Local companies Greenright Homes and Muntons have both delivered real returns from embracing new technologies.
The government has recognized the need to support businesses in this area and there are currently opportunities to secure loans and grants to assist your businesses embrace new low carbon technologies.
There is no doubt that sustainability is a key factor in running a successful business. Business leaders that rise to the challenge and lead the way in the development of low-carbon goods and services will help define the future success of the UK economy.
Norfolk has some of the UK’s most dynamic, innovative and sustainable businesses which are leading the way and it is important that all businesses review how they can embrace this agenda.
I believe Mark Pendlington Group Director Anglian Water Group, who is also presenting at our sustainability conference on 9 May , sums it up well “Business leaders that rise to the challenge and lead the way in the development of low-carbon goods and services will help define the future success of the UK economy.”
In these challenging economic times being resource efficient becomes increasingly important and so I would encourage all businesses to find out more, as being sustainable could really help your bottom line.
What is the capital grant scheme? The Low Carbon KEEP capital grant scheme allows SMEs to recoup 40% of the cost of purchasing capital items, such as essential equipment or software, which are fundamental to the success of a Low Carbon KEEP project. All capital items purchased utilising Low Carbon KEEP capital grant funding will remain in the ownership of the SME partner. Should the Low Carbon KEEP project come to a premature conclusion, the amount of the capital grant awarded will be proportionally reduced. . If you decide not to apply for capital funding at the beginning of your Low Carbon KEEP project, but change your mind afterwards, you can still apply at a later date, provided your project has not come to an end.
What is the maximum value of capital funding available? The maximum value of ERDF capital funding available to any single project is £20,000. All grant calculations and payments are made excluding VAT. The capital grant funding can be used to purchase more than one item on more than one occasion
Can you provide an example of a capital grant item which is deemed fundamental? All items deemed eligible for funding must be fundamentally linked to the project activity proposed and be directly beneficial to its delivery. For example a logistics project might legitimately propose capital expenditure on vehicle tracking devices but not on the installation of low energy lighting equipment in the SME Partner’s offices. The role of the capital items proposed must be fully explained and justified in the body of the application. All items must be procured according to ERDF regulations to be eligible for payment. The approval of proposed capital expenditure is entirely at the discretion of the programme’s assessment panel. If in any doubt as to the legitimacy of a proposed capital purchase the partnership must consult with the programme management team prior to submission of the application.
Who is responsible for payment when initially purchasing capital items? All claims to funders are made retrospectively on a quarterly basis, with the SME incurring the entire expenditure in the first instance.
When will the SME partner receive the funds from the capital grant scheme? No grant will be paid to the SME Partner before it has been successfully claimed from funders by the programme management team. This may take several months.
When can the SME partner make a capital purchase to be eligible to claim funds from the capital grant scheme? The SME Partner must be prepared to enter into a Capital Grant Agreement with the Low Carbon KEEP Programme prior to any purchases being made. No claims will be processed without a fully signed agreement in place. All items must be fully evidenced and that evidence submitted in a timely manner to be included in programme claims to the funders.
Any other useful information? All costs detailed in the application must be as accurate as possible. The monetary amounts detailed will be used to form the basis of the Capital Grant Agreement and will not be altered after approval of the project. It is strongly recommended that accurate quotes are sought from potential suppliers to achieve the required level of accuracy.
The major banks ( Barclays, HSBC, RBS (incl. NatWest), Lloyds (incl. Halifax/Bank of Scotland) and Santander (plus NI banks) in the UK and Northern Ireland have agreed that if your loan application is declined you have the right of appeal, as part of the BBA Better Business Finance Programme (betterbusinessfinance.co.uk).
When an appeal is raised, the decision will be reviewed by a second person from within the bank who was not involved in the original decision.
The banks will consider all the information originally provided and ask for more where they think it is necessary.
The whole process is monitored and scrutinised by an independent team to ensure the banks are implementing a fair, prompt and transparent process.
In the first year of the programme, an appeal led to a change in decision in 4 out of 10 cases as a result of the process.
How do I appeal? If you have been declined finance you bank should have given you instructions on how to appeal with your decline. You will need to instigate an appeal if you feel you have been declined unfairly. In most cases it can be started with a phone call to your bank, and there isn’t a charge.
An appeal can be made after any formal request for lending had been declined – this means any application that has gone through a credit assessment, after the bank has received the information from you to make a decision.
The bank should explain to you why your application has not been successful, and work with you to reshape the request if possible and give guidance on alternative sources of finance if appropriate. The banks and the BBA are making this as easy as possible.
Where is there more information? Contact your bank for information on appealing.
Alternatively, the participating banks and the BBA launched the website https://www.betterbusinessfinance.co.uk to provide more information on the appeals process and lending in general.
There is a range of Government support for finance Just as businesses have different finance needs, there are a range of different Government support products for businesses, from grants to loans for start-ups, to tax breaks for angel investors.
You can find information on all Government schemes, a tool to help identify the most relevant ones at: gov.uk/business-finance-support-finder