The University Technical College Norwich (UTCN) is holding a Year 13,CV and Interview Day on Wednesday 30 January 2019 to provide their students with the opportunity to receive actual business feedback to enable them to tweak their CVs and to have ‘real’ experience of an interview in a safe environment.
“The feedback from last year’s event was incredible and made such a difference to student confidence in interviews and resultant job offers. Volunteers do not need to be experts – the information and interview sheets will be here, so no preparation required.”
All volunteer employers who attend will receive a short briefing before the sessions. The CV Support Session will run from 10.15am – 12.30pm and the Mock Interviews from 12.45pm – 3pm.
If you are unable to help on 09 January, UTCN also have lots of additional opportunities for curriculum support, assemblies, sponsorship (e.g Dynamo Racing attached), and work experience – either 2 weeks in July or day release Wednesdays/Fridays.
If you are able to volunteer, please contact: [email protected] and quote UTCN Business Support in your email subject box.
Commenting on the labour market figures for December 2018, published today by the ONS, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“While the latest data confirms that the UK jobs market remains in good shape, the second successive rise in unemployment, coupled with a decline in the number of people who are not seeking work, is further evidence of the increasing tightness in the UK labour market. However, businesses report that the political and economic turbulence, together with significant difficulties finding the right staff, are diminishing recruitment intentions, which is likely to increasingly weigh on the UK labour market over the near term.
“With earnings growth increasing once again, the gap between pay and price growth is widening. However, any boost to consumer spending from stronger real wage growth is likely to be limited by weak confidence levels. The number of job vacancies remaining at a record high is further evidence of the worrying skills shortages plaguing UK businesses, which is constraining business growth.
“More must be done to support firms looking to recruit. Businesses are still waiting for the government’s long-delayed Immigration White Paper to shed light on how they will be able to plug local shortages in the future and find the skills they need to grow.”
Cllr. Sarah Bütikofer, Leader of North Norfolk District Council, is seeking feedback from businesses and members of the public regarding the Council’s services and activities.
Local business owners and residents are being encouraged to consider the one thing that they feel North Norfolk District Council could be doing that it is not currently delivering – these views can be emailed to [email protected]
Additionally, Cllr. Bütikofer will be starting the New Year by holding monthly surgeries at the Council’s offices in Cromer with the first session scheduled for Thursday 10 January 2019 from 12.30pm – 5pm. Half-hour appointments can be arranged by contacting [email protected] or calling Lynda McElligott on 01263 516242. Dates for future sessions will be advertised on the Council’s website at www.north-norfolk.gov.uk.
Commenting on the new initiatives, Cllr. Bütikofer said:
“I invite anyone to make contact the Council with ideas they might have or to visit me to talk through any issues or concerns they have. This is an opportunity for people to express their views about things that matter to them and their local community and for the Council to understand what is important to the North Norfolk electorate.”
Norwich City Council’s new corporate priorities, approach to savings and proposed increase in council tax are the focus of a public consultation. Over the last 10 years the city council has achieved £30m worth of savings, new income and efficiencies. However, central government funding cuts and unavoidable growth leaves the city council with a projected shortfall in future years.
Paul Kendrick, the city council’s cabinet member for resources, said:
“Despite these challenges, the council isn’t proposing any significant service changes in the next financial year. “Instead, we’re adapting financially by generating more income and making savings and efficiencies where appropriate. So I encourage as many people as possible to give us their views on our budget consultation for 2019-20.”
The online budget consultation sets out the council’s new draft corporate priorities and will shape how it will play its role in realising the Norwich 2040 city vision through partnership working, service delivery and income generation. The consultation asks for feedback on three main elements:
Commenting on the GDP and trade statistics for October 2018, published today by the ONS, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“The latest GDP data is further evidence that the drag effect of persistent Brexit uncertainty and the significant cost pressures faced by consumers and businesses is taking its toll on the UK economy.
“The slowdown on the underlying three-month measure of GDP was largely driven by weaker service sector growth as car sales fell. That said, the service sector still made the largest contribution to overall economic activity, with manufacturing and construction adding little to overall UK growth.
“The widening in the UK’s trade deficit is a concern and reflects a sharp rise in goods imports. Trading conditions for UK exporters are deteriorating amid moderating global growth and uncertainty over Brexit. Businesses continue to report that the persistent weakness in sterling is hurting as much as its helping, with the weakening currency raising input costs.”
Commenting on the impact on Norfolk-based companies, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy, Governance & Public Affairs for Norfolk Chamber said:
“Norfolk businesses are playing a waiting game – they are holding back on much needed investment, due to the uncertainty of Brexit and this is impacting on the local economy. It is vital that they get the clarity and precision they need on future terms of trade; who they can hire; what rules they will need to follow; and what more the government will do to support them through this turbulent period.”
The Norwich Christmas Breakfast has been the most popular Norfolk Chamber breakfast networking event year on year. Attracting over 100 businesses, the morning features a Chamber Member charity, festive networking activities and a hearty breakfast for a cold winter’s morning. On 6 December we headed for the Holiday Inn at the airport, armed with Christmas crackers and 130 attendee badges. Our featured charity this year was East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) who are in the final stages of building their new hospice here in Norfolk. Attendees came in force in their Christmas attire, bringing donations for EACH, ranging from biscuits to toothbrushes, helping them to stock important goods for the new hospice. The event opened with free networking time for attendees to grab a drink and meet some new and old faces. Once everyone had taken a seat, we kicked things off with a talk from EACH, updating everyone on the building of the new hospice, the nook, and telling attendees about the all the fundraising they can get involved in. This was followed by a quick networking activity before the Christmas crackers were pulled and breakfast had been served. This gave delegates time to network on their tables and get great discussions going. We then moved on to hold two more networking activities. For the first, delegates had to order a list of Christmas songs by their release dates, the second they had to match up film quotes to the films. With the event ending the final task was to pick our ‘Best Christmas Outfit’ winner. Chris Cliffe of CJC Procurement Ltd took third place with a light up jumper, Alex Wiseman from Indigo Swan also rivalled with his light up jumper taking second place. However, there could only be one winner, and it had to be David Tuthill from Coleman Opticians. David not only sported a wonderful Christmas jumper, but he wore clip on baubles in his beard throughout the entire event, making him a worthy winner. The morning then ended with thanks from EACH for the kind donations, and from Norfolk Chamber to everyone for attending. As our last event of the year, we wished everyone a Merry Christmas as they left to go back to their day.
The British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with DHL, has published its latest Quarterly International Trade Outlook, based on survey and export documentation data. It finds that as the clock ticks ever closer to Brexit, a combination of exchange rates and price pressures is forcing exporters to increase prices.
The survey, of over 2,500 exporters, including those from Norfolk, shows that there is an increasing number of firms who are expecting to increase prices in the next three months. 41% of manufacturers and 34% of service firms surveyed report that their prices will rise, up from 35% and 32% in the previous quarter.
Exchange rates is the top external factor concerning business, with 68% of manufacturers and 50% of services firms citing it as an issue. The vast majority of exporting manufacturers (85%) site the cost of raw materials as a pressure driving prices.
These rising costs are contributing to a slowdown in export orders, with just 35% of manufacturers and 24% of services businesses reporting an increase in orders – compared with 39% and 30% respectively the previous quarter.
This is also reflected in the BCC/DHL Trade Confidence Index, which measures the volume of trade documents issued by Accredited Chambers of Commerce for goods shipments outside the EU. This decreased by 3.86% this quarter and 4.81% compared to the same quarter in the previous year, but still remains high by historical standards.
The current Brexit uncertainty is weighing heavily on business communities across the country. It is crucial that firms get the clarity and precision on the terms of trade they will face with the EU and many other countries in a matter of months. They will also need to know who they can hire, what rules they need to follow, and what more the government can do to support them through this period.
Key findings from the report:
35% of manufacturers and 24% of services saw an increase in export orders in the last three months, a slowdown from 39% and 30% respectively
17% of manufacturers and 14% of services sector firms saw a decrease in orders
68% of manufacturers are more concerned about exchange rates than the previous quarter (up from 60%)
76% of manufacturers and 69% of services firms who attempted to recruit, struggled to find the right staff. This is up from the 69% seen in Q2 for manufacturers and 60% for services
85% of manufacturers cite the cost of raw materials as a leading source of price pressure, up from 81% in Q2 2018
The BCC/DHL Trade Confidence Index, a measure of the volume of trade documentation issued nationally, fell by 3.86% on the quarter, but remains high by historical standards
Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy, Governance & Public Affairs for Norfolk Chamber, said:
“The ongoing political and economic turbulence continues to play on the minds of exporters. Every twist and turn in Westminster is pounced upon by the markets, so it is no surprise that the volatility in the exchange rates weighs heavily.
“Despite the continued political turmoil, companies will always find a way to trade with each other. While exporters are doing their best to harness the advantages of the falling pound, its impact on imports in the supply chain often makes this a double-edged sword.
“Giving clarity and precision to firms should be of paramount concern for the government. And at a time of record high skills shortages, the government must urgently publish the Immigration White Paper, to give long-term clarity to firms in all corners of the country who need skills at all levels.”
Shannon Diett, VP of Marketing at DHL Express, said:
“The small decline in the Trade Confidence Index, down 3.9% on Q2 2018 and 4.8% on Q3 2017, is not surprising given the uncertain business climate we’re currently facing. We are however encouraged to see that both manufacturers and service firms remain confident that trade will improve over the next 12 months. We continue to encourage businesses to increase the number of countries they trade with to help reduce future risk and increase the opportunities for growth.”
Commenting on the publication of the policy paper by DExEU on the rights of EU citizens in the UK in the event of no deal, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy, Governance & Public Affairs for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“While it is long overdue, businesses and EU citizens in the Norfolk and the eastern region will welcome the clarity on how the EU Settlement Scheme will operate in the event of no deal.
“Advice on EU nationals was glaringly absent from the no deal technical notices published by the government over the summer, leaving firms without clear guidance on whether and how they could access European skills and labour if a deal isn’t agreed. Business has been clear that it does not want a messy or disorderly Brexit, but it remains necessary for firms to prepare for all eventualities. Given the quite significant difference between the outcome of deal or no deal, businesses could be forgiven for thinking this is too short a time scale to plan for major changes to their recruitment processes.
“The government must now urgently publish the much-delayed Immigration White Paper to provide firms with long-term certainty as to how they’ll be able to find the necessary skills in the future to plug local shortages.”
A Year 5 pupil Dragons’ Den competition saw Mile Cross pupils face real life business dragons in the Norwich School During the Michealmas term, Norwich School Business Enterprise department have had the great pleasure to work on their first partnership project with Mile Cross Primary School and City College Norwich in a Dragons’ Den competition.
60 year 5 pupils from Mile Cross and L6 Business Enterprise pupils joined forces at City College’s StartUp lounge for the first day of the event on 6th November. Teams of Year 5 pupils were assigned a L6 mentor and tasked with coming up with a business idea that would wow the dragons.
The project, jointly led by Nicola Hill (Assistant Head of Outreach) and Toby Whalen (Deputy Head at Mile Cross Primary), aimed to provide an engaging introduction into product design, marketing and finance. Ideas ranged from fitness parties to an automatic dog ball thrower, with pupils taking inspiration from their surroundings a the StartUp Lounge.
The project final took place this week at Norwich School, with high profile dragons from Norwich’s business community, including Stefan Gurney and Miles Watson from Norwich Business Improvement District and Nova Fairbank from the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. Mile Cross Head Teacher and Norwich School’s Steffan Griffiths also took on the role of dragons, with teams pitching their ideas to win an “investment”. The overall winning idea, “Zombie Bears” caught the imaginations of the dragons, with their sophisticated marketing and branding ideas and their captivating pitch.
Both the Year 5 pupils and the L6 Business Enterprise pupils gained much from the partnership, and plans are already in place for the next Dragons’ Den after the success of this inaugural event. Comments from our guests highlight the significance of the partnership:
Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy, Governance & Public Affairs, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce
“The students pitching at today’s Dragon’s Den have done an amazing job. Their presentations were well thought out; their business cases were solid; and all teams presented enthusiastic and interesting pitches. The Dragons had a truly difficult decision to select the winning bid. The talent and energy in the room was brilliant and I think we may have seen several future entrepreneurs! Well done to all the teams.”
Stefan Gurney, Executive Director, Norwich Business Improvement District (BID).
“It was truly inspiring to see the next generation of Norwich entrepreneurs pitching their innovative business ideas to us. All of the teams created products with originality, strong business models and presented with passion and energy. It was a difficult decision to choose a winning pitch, but a huge congratulations to every one of the students who worked so hard and gave us such a tough choice. Norwich’s future is in safe hands.”
Breckland Council’s Budget and the Medium Term Financial Plan provide the funding for delivery of the key priorities outlined in their Corporate Plan and the range of local services they can provide. They have invited comments from businesses and residents alike and would welcome your thoughts on their draft proposal
The documents are available at www.breckland.gov.uk/Budget-consultation-19-20 these outline the council’s draft budget and Medium Term Financial Plan. Please share any comments by emailing [email protected] before the consultation closes on 1 January 2019.
The Chamber Business Awards recognises and celebrates the success of UK businesses across the country. Entries from Aberdeen to Cornwall flock in from organisations of all sizes and sectors. Rewind back to September when the regional finalists were announced, and five Norfolk businesses won awards in six categories out of a possible seven in the Eastern region. Our winners were:
Fast forward to Thursday 29th November, regional winning businesses and Chambers across the country gather at Tobacco Dock, London to compete for the national titles. The evening got into full swing when host Jenni Falconer began announcing the winners, and we had our fingers and toes crossed for our finalists. It was a great result for Norfolk businesses as two were crowned runner-up in their categories. They were:
Larking Gowen LLP, National Runner Up in the Workplace Wellbeing Award
Liftshare, National Runner Up in the Employer of the Year Award
As the awards continued and there were just two left to announce, we were feeling proud of the achievements of our finalists so far… and then we had a winner!! Gnaw Chocolate took home the national title of Small Business of the Year 2018 – sponsored by Facebook! From more than 750 applicants, to regional heats, we are so pleased for their hardworking team and we couldn’t be prouder of the achievement of Gnaw Chocolate. We hope you’ll join us in sending congratulations to them, and to all our finalists for flying the flag for Norfolk.
On congratulating Gnaw Chocolate, Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“Gnaw Chocolate is a fantastic example of what a small business can achieve. This award is a testament to their passion and quality. It’s great to see a Norfolk company blazing the trail, bringing locally sourced ingredients to a global customer base. Their success is well deserved.”
Facebook said:
“Congratulations to Gnaw Chocolate. It’s great to see a local business innovate with such passion and embrace technology to reach both its local and global audiences. A worthy winner and we wish them the best for the future.”
Two other Norfolk Regional Winners were also named runners up for the national awards. Larking Gowen for the Workplace Wellbeing Award and Liftshare for Employer of the Year.
To view all the national winners from the awards, click here.
In the run up to the Brexit leave date of 29 March 2019, the BBC are seeking small to medium sized firms that would be willing to speak to Radio 5 Live, and possibly also BBC Breakfast TV, about their concerns in the run up to the leave date, and also how their business has been affected by the Brexit and the changes in the economy since the leave vote thus far.
They are looking for businesses from across any sector of the economy but their preference is for smaller regional firms with under fifty employees.
It is crucial that the Norfolk business voice is heard and that the small business perspective is taken into account. If you would be willing to be interviewed, please send your contact details to: