Chamber News

We are offering businesses the chance to win a year’s free pass to some of the key business events hosted by Norfolk Chambers.

What you need is what we do, and attending our events will enable you to unlock all the skills and resources of the Norfolk Chambers Team – and so much more!

The prize includes a Norfolk Chamber’s event pass to the value of over £200, with tickets to events such as The Big Debate, Talking Tech, B2B after party, Bank of England event and our money can’t buy Business Leader Event.

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, head over to our LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram account @NorfolkChamber and let us know in the comments on the competition post: Why would you like to have a Norfolk Chambers event pass for a year?

Please also make sure that you:

• Are following us
• Like the post
• And tag in a business that you think might be interested in a Norfolk Chamber events pass.

The winner will be selected by our senior management team on Monday 31 May.

Terms and conditions

• These terms and conditions apply to the ‘Win a Norfolk Chambers Event pass for a year competition promoted by Norfolk Chamber of Commerce (which we will refer to as “Norfolk Chambers”, “we” or “us”).
• By entering this competition you agree to abide by this terms and conditions.
• By entering this competition you are agreeing to Norfolk Chamber using your comments posted on the competition posts for marketing purposes.
• The competition is open to all Norfolk businesses and organisations, including charities and social enterprises.
• Entries to the competition excludes Norfolk Chambers employees and their immediate families, or anyone else connected with the promotion.
• Businesses can enter the prize draw by following Norfolk Chambers on social media, liking the competition post, tagging in another business, and telling us why they would like to win a Norfolk Chambers of Commerce event pass for a year.
• Businesses can enter via the competition post on Norfolk Chambers LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and can enter via all four platforms, but only once per platform.
• The closing date for all entries is Monday 31 May, 2021. All entries received after this date will not be considered. The winner will be chosen from all entries by the Norfolk Chambers senior management team. Their decision is final.
• In the event of the winner not taking the prize within 7 days, the senior management team will select another winner from all entries.  
• We reserve the right the verify the eligibility of entrants and to check their identity.
• The prize is a year’s event pass to key Norfolk of Chamber events including: 1 x B2B After-party Ticket – Worth £15, 1 x Big Debate Ticket – Worth £25, 1 x Talking Tech Ticket – Worth £40, 1 x Ticket to Boards on the Broads – Charity donation of £10 made on your behalf, 1 x Ticket to the Bank of England event in November – worth £35, Invites to all Business Leaders Events – exclusive money can’t buy invitation. Total prize value is approx. £200.
• We reserve the right to change the total prize value, subject to changes with event ticket prices.
• There is no cash alternative.
• The winner will have their picture and story published on our e-zine Norfolk’s Voice and will be part of a marketing campaign to promote this.
• We reserve the right, acting in our sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant and withdraw/withhold any prize from a winner who:
  • is found to have abused or tampered with the operation of the competition.
  • has acted in any manner deemed by us to be in violation of these terms and conditions
  • is found to be ineligible or fails to provide promptly any requested evidence of eligibility.
  • fails to respond to a winners notification within 7 days.
• If any provision of these terms and conditions is held invalid by any law, rule, order or regulation of any government, or by the final determination of any court of a competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the enforceability of any other provisions not held to be invalid.
• These terms and conditions, its subject matter and its formation, are governed by English law. You and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction in connection with these terms and conditions and your entry into competition (including any claims or disputes).

Promoter: Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, 9 Norwich Business Park, Whitling Road, Norwich, NR4 6DJ.

Behind the scenes: Co.nnect With ‘Em All! Campaign

Norfolk commercial photographer Joe Lenton is the creative force behind our new ‘Co.nnect With ‘Em All!’ campaign that shows how Team Norfolk Chambers can help support your business. We grabbed five minutes with him and discovered a creative photographer who can help businesses communicate through their brand’s imagery.

The creative brief was challenging – create 15 ‘Magnificent 7-meets – Fantastic Four – meets Justice League – meets – ‘you know that BBC Heroes series’ – style portraits, each depicting the different skills and personalities of the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce team, that can be used as trading cards for businesses to Co.nnect with…but Joe Lenton rose to the challenge.

As a Norfolk Chambers member, Joe wants to connect with Norfolk businesses who would like to create impactful photography campaigns to communicate their brand more effectively, so what better way to support Joe than by commissioning him to take the photographs for our main campaign this year?

Hello Joe, so before we start this interview, tell us what your ‘superhero powers’ are?!

JL: Haha! Oh I’m not sure! I guess if I were to sum up what I enjoy doing and am best at then it would be working with businesses to help them communicate their key messages through their imagery. I love seeing what they are doing and help them stand out from their competition by giving their imagery a creative twist.

Well you have certainly done this with the Norfolk Chambers team’s portraits – thank you! Would you say that CGI is your signature style?

JL: I see myself as a creative communicator and being able to offer quality creative craftmanship. The CGI adds to this and supports my photography to offer businesses something different. I taught myself how to use CGI during the first lockdown and I have enjoyed experimenting with the many different ways of using this technique in my photography – particularly when shooting products. Many people think of CGI in movies or computer games, but I use it to enhance product photos or portraits. In fact, during lockdown when we couldn’t shoot on location CGI enabled me to create virtual backdrops. It also is perfect for creating product prototypes to save businesses creating them themselves. CGI can save businesses time, money and with less materials and paint used for backdrops it can help the environment too.  I am still mainly an advertising photographer, but CGI has become an important tool to be able to call on.

How about the creative portrait scenes in the Norfolk Chambers campaign? How did you create the effects and work with the brief?

JL: The brief gave me quite a bit to work with and combined with the six brand colours of Norfolk Chamber there were a lot of creative elements to get my teeth into! As each of the team members needed to have their own personalities, but had to fit together as a team, I shot each one from a low angle to create that superhero vibe and used the same lighting set up to keep the feel consistent. I used quite contrasty lighting to make it feel more 3D as we see shapes more clearly when the highlights and shadows are more pronounced. In post-production, I used the Chambers’ colours to create smoke, fire, lightening and other effects, which were tailored to the roles and skills of each member of the team. For some, I also created a CGI scene to place them in before adding extra smoke and glowing highlights.

We are certainly honoured to work with you on creating our Team Norfolk Chambers avatars, especially as you have worked with some fabulous Norfolk businesses such as Booja Booja, Jordan Fitness and St Giles Gin – is there a particular sector that you want to work with?

I enjoy working with food and drink producers and manufacturers as I feel that my style of photography can make product shots more impactful. Saying that however, I enjoy the challenge of making anything look interesting, including things that people might consider mundane. Any kind of product can have the potential to look great. I’m a creative image maker at heart so in many ways the more challenging the shoot the better the creative opportunities!

Finally, to keep in with the theme of our Team Norfolk Chambers trading cards, if you had your own trading card what would it say?

Haha! I guess that I would be the ‘Creative Craftsman’ with my top skill being to help communicate through imagery. My strength would be in having the understanding and empathy to project what a business wants to communicate. My weakness would be that I’m a perfectionist. My special power would be using visual language as a powerful communication tool.

Joe Lenton is an advertising photographer and CGI artist who specialises in product photography. If your business needs great pictures from someone who really understands your business needs give him a call! www.joelenton.com 01603 516288.

Get 50% off a professional photography audit with Joe! 

Norfolk Chambers Members can get a 50% discount on a professional image audit for their business by Joe Lenton. Find out more on our Member to Member benefits page here

The Chambers Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), the UK’s largest independent business survey, is open today (Monday 17 May 2021) for three weeks.

As the country officially starts to unlock and businesses look to return to a more normal trading conditions – it is more important than ever that your voice is heard by Government, the Chancellor and the Bank of England.

How has your business performed in the last quarter, what do you see as the challenges and opportunities going forwards?  How confident are you about your financial position, your workforce and your future orderbook?

Without this vital local and regional knowledge they cannot make the right decisions and put relevant support mechanisms in place that will ultimately impact on you and your company.

The QES is anonymous, open to anyone and only takes a couple of minutes to complete online. 

We need your input, if you only take one survey, then please make it the QES

Take Part Now.

Commenting on GDP figures for Q1 2021, published today by the ONS, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:  

“While the UK economy contracted in the first quarter, the downbeat headline figure masks a renewed momentum through the quarter from January’s drop in output to an exceptionally strong March outturn as lockdown measures started to ease.  

“The decline in economic output in the first quarter largely reflected the squeeze on activity from coronavirus restrictions, which was partly offset by growing business resilience to those restrictions and a monthly boost from the reopening of schools in March. 

“The first quarter decline should be followed by a robust rebound in the second quarter as the effects of the release of pent-up demand, as restrictions ease and the strong vaccine rollout, are fully felt.  

“However, with the longer-term economic damage caused by coronavirus likely to increasingly weigh on activity as government support winds down, the recovery maybe slower than many, including the Bank of England, currently predict.”

Responding to the details of the Government’s legislative plan set out in today’s Queen’s Speech, Nova Fairbank, Chief Operating Officer for Norfolk Chambers, said: 

“Norfolk businesses will welcome the clear direction in the Queen’s Speech, as the Government looks to boost the economy and place all parts of the UK on an equal footing. 

“As local companies begin the slow process of rebuilding following the pandemic it is vital that they are given the support they need to kick start their recovery. 

“A strong focus on improving digital and technical skills that match the needs of local business will be a key driver in making that happen. 

“Improving rail and bus services, maximising the national coverage of 5G mobile services and superfast broadband, while simplifying the planning system are important enablers to ensuring companies can rebuild and grow. 

“These are all challenges that have existed for a long time, and we are now at a critical juncture where they must be addressed. This opportunity cannot be wasted, and the Chamber network will have a laser focus to ensure the Government delivers on its promises. 

“It is disappointing that new employment legislation that could address the flexibility of working practices did not feature. The pandemic has changed the way we work forever, and employers need clear guidance on how to provide long-term flexible working arrangements that will make jobs more accessible for everyone.” 

As we launch our Norfolk Chambers Team out into the Norfolk business community, we are offering businesses the chance to win a year’s free access to some of the key business events hosted by Norfolk Chambers, so that you can Co.nnect With ‘Em All and use the many skills of The Motivator, The Zinger, The Promoter, The Producer, The Connector, The Architect and The Supporter (and many more soon to be announced!) to help your business.

What you need is what we do, and attending our events enable you to unlock all the skills and resources of the Norfolk Chambers Team – and so much more!

click here

 Responding to the announcement of the ‘green list’ for international travel, British Chambers of Commerce Co-Executive Director Hannah Essex said:  

“We welcome this announcement as a first step on the road to a broader resumption of international travel over the coming months. Many businesses will be hoping that this soon leads to a further expansion of the ‘green list’. Firms are eager to reconnect with their overseas customers and suppliers, indeed for many having that access could be key to their very survival.

“Firms want to see government do everything it can to continue to drive down the cost of the tests required for business and leisure travellers. These costs must not be allowed to become an impediment to the viability of businesses reliant on tourism, or on UK firms’ chances of seizing opportunities for global trade and staking a place in growing markets. Government should keep these lists under constant review. Being driven by data and not dates, there should be no hesitation in adding a country to the green list if the data shows it is safe to do so.”

Norfolk Chambers of Commerce is proud to announce that Lovewell Blake, chartered accountants and financial planners, will be the sponsors of the Co.llaborate workshop hub at B2B this October.

Norfolk’s leading business to business showcase returns on Thursday 14 October 2021 at Norfolk Showground* and Norfolk Chambers are delighted to confirm that Lovewell Blake will be the official sponsors of the Co.llaborate workshop hub at the show.

The B2B Exhibition is Norfolk’s largest business-to-business exhibition. Free to attend and attracting hundreds of businesses on the day, B2B is a highlight on the Norfolk events calendar. 

The Co.llaborate hub will give exhibitors and visitors the chance to learning something new or brush up on their knowledge with a programme of free workshops and seminars.

Tracy Cox of Lovewell Blake said: “With the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown at businesses we are pleased to be able to support the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce’s leading business to business exhibition by this year becoming their Co.llaboration sponsor.

“Lovewell Blake has teams of specialists who between them have a wealth of knowledge and experience, by sponsoring the seminar/workshop area we are supporting other local businesses and individuals as they share their experiences and knowledge to a wider audience.”

For exhibitors, the event gives the opportunity to meet new potential clients, catch up with existing contacts and have a presence at this prestigious event.

Alongside these free business workshops and seminars, you can also meet a plethora of businesses in the exhibition, take part in speed networking sessions throughout the day, relax in the Proudly Norfolk food hub and join us for the B2B after party (ticketed event).

If you are interested in becoming an exhibitor at B2B you can find out how to book your stand here

For all sponsorship enquiries, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

*We are doing everything we can to bring you this event in October by following government COVID guidelines. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic we may have to postpone this event at short notice if circumstances arise that are out of our control.

The independent Workplace Training and Development Commission was convened by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) in the Autumn 2019, at a time when 3 in 4 employers were reporting recruitment difficulties and levels of business investment in training had been falling year-on-year since 2014.   The Commission was asked to focus on the needs of adults over the age of 25 in the workplace and to consider ‘How can we achieve a world-class system for retraining and upskilling our workforce to take advantage of rapid changes in technology, working practices, and industrial and consumer trends?

Solutions focused, the Commission sought ways to improve workplace skills planning, overcome barriers to business investment in training, maximise training and development opportunities and share best practice.

A Call for Evidence gathered the experience of UK businesses from a wide range of sizes and sectors. Commissioners, drawn from business and skills backgrounds, then made recommendations for both employers and policy makers.  These aim to help firms be proactive in meeting their training needs and also create a more flexible skills system that responds to their requirements more effectively. 

The report highlights how the impact of the pandemic has made investing in adult skills more important than ever.  It calls for the skills system to be more nimble and agile in how it responds to the evolving needs of individuals, employers and local economies as the workplace becomes rapidly more digital, automated and low carbon focused.

The Commission makes practical and pragmatic recommendations for policy makers and businesses that can be summarised under two main themes:

HELP BUSINESSES TO BUILD HIGH-PERFORMANCE LEARNING CULTURES

• Ensure businesses have the support and confidence to plan and implement organisation-wide workplace training and development needs, linked to innovation and increased productivity, and using the tax system to stimulate more business investment in skills.
• Maintain a stable, coherent and high-quality skills system that meets employer needs at all skills levels and that values vocational training on a par with academic routes.
• Deliver prestigious technical qualifications together with bite-sized, flexible units of accredited learning to help adults train and reskill more quickly for the evolving workplace.

PUT BUSINESS AT THE HEART OF SKILLS PLANNING

• Ensure the skills system meets the needs of businesses and local economies and that people are trained for sustainable jobs. Local skills plans must be underpinned by robust and effective engagement with businesses of all sizes and aligned with local economic strategies.
• Enable businesses to engage effectively with further education colleges, other providers, and local stakeholders to ensure the skills system responds quickly to growth opportunities, new technologies and industry trends.
• Allow more place-based control, flexibility and coordination of skills funding and strategy, to maximise the return on investment in skills and better target resources to local economic priorities.

Commissioners identified the following priorities:

HIGH-PERFORMANCE LEARNING CULTURES

All SMEs should have access to impartial advice and support to adopt new innovative processes, conduct a workplace training needs analysis, identify relevant, high quality training provision and engage and support people to learn.

DIGITAL SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Help SMEs to access general digital skills training for their teams, as well as more bespoke training, to support change management and the digitisation of processes and automation.

THE SKILLS SYSTEM

Provide more focus on meeting the needs of all adults in work. This requires less emphasis on the achievement of full qualifications and more access to flexible, bite-size units of accredited learning.

FOCUS ON EMPLOYERS AND PLACE

Skills and broader economic strategies must be aligned with business needs and growth aspirations, be underpinned by extensive business engagement, research and data, and enabled by greater flexibility and autonomy over skills policy, funding and decision making at the local level.

ENABLING EMPLOYEES

Boost adult education funding to facilitate lifelong learning and enable individuals, particularly lower- skilled individuals, to quickly retrain and move into higher-earning roles in sustainable careers at a national level.

BUSINESS INVESTMENT IN SKILLS

SMEs must develop the people management skills to identify and articulate the training and development needs of all adults in the workplace, ensuring that everyone is included and supported to upskill.  Firms should seek business support to benchmark best practice and investment in innovation – and the workforce skills to maximise its potential. Employers should engage proactively with organisations involved in skills planning and provision at the local level to ensure training curricula and delivery meets the current and future skills needs of the business.

Download the Workplace Training and Development Commission report below.

For more information, contact [email protected]

Here at Norfolk Chambers of Commerce our mission is to connect, support and give voice to every business in Norfolk. So, who better to make this happen so that businesses in the region can thrive and grow than the Norfolk Chambers Team…

What if you and your business could access a team of people with different skills who together can help your business grow? Here at Norfolk Chambers we have a multi-skilled team of professionals that our members can collaborate with to help connect with other businesses, get business support, and help get their voice heard on important business matters and to promote the key messages of their business.

This is why we have launched a campaign to show you what skills are available to you – and how when we collaborate, Team Norfolk Chambers is a unique force for your business.

Launching with seven members of our Membership Team, each team member has a trading card with a secret superhero name which highlights the key skills that they can offer Norfolk businesses. You can co.nnect with each trading card – and our mission to you is – Can you Co.nnect With ‘Em All?

On the Membership Team are: Lizzy Dring, Business Development Manager (AKA. ‘The Motivator’), Kalene Herrington, Events Manager (AKA ‘The Producer’), Emma Harrowing, Marketing and Communications Manager (AKA ‘The Promoter), Haze Carver, Customer Experience Team (AKA ‘The Zinger’), Andrea Wilson, Customer Experience Team (AKA ‘The Co.nnector), Kirsty Jonas, Customer Experience Team (AKA ‘The Architect’) and Dale Graver, Customer Support (AKA ‘The Supporter).

Over the next few months we will be unlocking the other nine members of Team Norfolk Chambers, to reveal more skills and connections that we can bring to Norfolk businesses.

Together we can help make things happen for businesses like yours. If you need bespoke support for your business – we can provide membership that can be as individual as you are. If you need to increase your customer base – we can connect you to like-minded businesses. If you need to shout about a project/product you have launched – we can amplify your message. If you need exporting advice – we can help you trade globally. If you know what you want to do but don’t know where to start – we can support you through making collaborations.

Each of us have different skills, but when we co.llaborate we are a unique force for your business. Therefore, we can say with confidence:

What you need, is what we do.

Can you Co.nnect With ‘Em All?

Find out more here

Photographs for our campaign are by our fabulous member Joe Lenton Photography

A series of online roundtables with members of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and the Chambers of Commerce Network from around the UK, has provided valuable insights into the workforce challenges faced by businesses on the ground during the pandemic. 

The valuable insights has led to a report by the British Chambers of Commerce and Barclays LifeSkills have today released a new report entitled ‘The Next Normal: Futureproofing the Workforce for a Post-Pandemic World’.

The joint report:

·       Finds that new ways of working introduced during the pandemic offer opportunities for both employers and staff

·       Highlights how supporting employees’ mental wellbeing and digital skills will become increasingly important

·       Shows that equipping school-leavers with key people skills to deal with new working arrangements will be vital

The report seeks to tackle questions around the workforce challenges faced by businesses during the pandemic, and how companies can support their staff in the future. It also highlights the need for employers to be ready to adapt their training priorities in order to help the next generation of school-leavers enter the workforce in a markedly changed, and still changing, workplace.  

The findings were discussed during a series of online roundtables with members of the Chambers of Commerce Network from around the UK, including Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, conducted between November 2020 and February 2021. They provided valuable insights into the workforce challenges faced by businesses on the ground during the pandemic. 

During the roundtables, employers described the challenges of adapting to a fully online working environment, necessitated by the pandemic. They detailed how effective communication across new digital channels had become a key component in their workplace. Companies see it as a priority that young people gain these skills very early in their careers, while the existing workforce is rapidly up-skilled to adapt. 

In terms of attracting new talent digitally, businesses found on-line recruitment processes had worked well and had given them access to a much larger pool of candidates. Employees saw greater appreciation from employers of their wide-ranging motivations, which was reflected in more flexible working arrangements. 

Responding to the report, Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said: “This report contains some really crucial insights into the way employers have managed their workforces throughout the unbelievably testing circumstances of the last year, and how they view the route forward post-pandemic. 

“It tells us that companies are now looking to the future of the workforce and are keen to grab hold of opportunities for greater productivity and improved wellbeing for their employees. 

“But firms will need more support to ensure their staff thrive. The capability to adapt to shifting training priorities and new ways of working across the board will be a key strength for any organisation. 

“As firms look to recover from the effects of the pandemic it is also vital the next generation of employees coming into the workforce are equipped with the abilities that companies value most. The Accredited Chamber Network can have a big role to play in supporting that.” 

Kirstie Mackey, Head of Barclays LifeSkills, said: “It’s vital for the recovery of the economy that everyone has access to the skills they need to thrive. 

“Our programme has supported 12.4 million people so far to access the skills and support they need, whether preparing for a first job, progressing in their career, or even starting their own business.  

“Recognising the need for the same support for businesses to help the next generation, in 2020 LifeSkills developed new resources to equip businesses and their employees with the support they need to adjust to a rapidly changing working world, whilst rebuilding their confidence.  

“We launched a new digital business hub, alongside our other content which supports families and teachers, to specifically help businesses with all kinds of practical advice, from managing finances to health and wellbeing tips. We look forward to continuing to work with Accredited Chambers of Commerce to help businesses futureproof their workforce and access the support they need.” 

You can view the full report below.

Norfolk Chambers of Commerce is proud to announce that Proudly Norfolk, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to celebrating the amazingly diverse food and drink industry in Norfolk, will be the sponsors of the Food and Drink hub at B2B this October.

Norfolk’s leading business to business showcase returns on Thursday 14 October 2021 at Norfolk Showground* and Norfolk Chambers are delighted to confirm that Proudly Norfolk will be the official sponsors of the Food and Drink hub at the show.

The B2B Exhibition is Norfolk’s largest business-to-business exhibition. Free to attend and attracting hundreds of businesses on the day, B2B is a highlight on the Norfolk events calendar. 

The Food and Drink hub will not only give exhibitors and visitors the chance to grab a bite to eat, but it also represents some of the best Norfolk food and drink businesses that you can connect with.

Sarah Daniels of Proudly Norfolk said: “Proudly Norfolk has a diverse membership base. From micro businesses to international food manufacturers and distributors. However, each business has a couple of areas in common, their impact in the county plus their love of the county.

“Members will be at B2B selling their wares, so that attendees are well fed and watered! Also, members will be able to network and learn from other businesses. Cross sector knowledge sharing at its best!

“We believe in collaboration between businesses within our community, and therefore a partnership with the Chamber is a natural choice for us, both organisations support, promote and celebrate their members and the local community. The alignment is good!”

For exhibitors, the event gives the opportunity to meet new potential clients, catch up with existing contacts and have a presence at this prestigious event.

Alongside an exhibition of amazing businesses at B2B, you can also attend free business workshops and seminars, the Norfolk Knowledge Hub where you can access business know-how from business specialists and speed networking sessions will be running throughout the day.

If you are interested in becoming an exhibitor at B2B you can find out how to book your stand here

For all sponsorship enquiries, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

*We are doing everything we can to bring you this event in October by following government COVID guidelines. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic we may have to postpone this event at short notice if circumstances arise that are out of our control.