I was recently asked the question: How much do businesses need Europe? The feedback I received from our members was loud and clear. Europe is a very important trading market to a large number of significant employers in Norfolk.
Europe represents a large market opportunity and business potential of any company based in the UK. Over 50% of exports from the UK go to EU and in this region, it is even more significant, with 60% of our exports bound for the EU.
With 500 million people, Europe is a large internal market for business. There is the ability to move goods and services as freely from Norwich to Berlin as from Norwich to Leeds.
The absence of tariffs and administrative barriers has helped Norfolk businesses enjoy the sort of freedom that firms in other free trade areas enjoy. A quote from one of our Norwich member reflects much of the feedback we received: “The thought of a divided Europe with the associated export and legal requirements is like a doomsday scenario”
The EU provides businesses with access to new markets, a wider pool of labour and very importantly suppliers. In many instances this has led to lower costs making products more competitive not just in Europe but domestically and to other overseas markets.
Europe is seen as having a ‘low barrier to entry’ for companies looking to grow their market overseas for the first time. As the UK market continues to be challenging local businesses are looking to grow their business internationally. The comparative ease of trading with Europe is seen as a good first step before tackling the more challenging lucrative markets such as Brazil and China.
The U.S., Japan and India are in the process of agreeing free-trade agreements with the EU. Whilst the UK has 60 million people and is an important market for them, they are more interested in the 500 million EU market. Working together as a single market does give us stronger negotiating powers.
Norfolk is increasingly attracting investment into local companies with one of their objectives being to access the single market. Would this continue if we were not part of Europe?
However it is not all sunshine and roses. With 400 new laws being passed by the EU since the Coalition came to power at a cost to taxpayer and businesses of £700m, change needs to happen, particularly relating to Employment Law and Health & Safely directives.
Business wants to see is a level playing field especially relating to Compliance. Often what the UK interprets as ‘Rules’ the southern and eastern European countries interpret as ‘Guidelines’. We need more decisions made in Westminster not Brussels. We need the protectionism against our service providers occurring within some Member States recognised and stopped.
The consensus from Norfolk Chamber business members were that being part of the EU was very important as a trading single market but changes do need to be made.
With a recognized aging workforce within the energy sector there is no doubt that Norfolk’s young people are an important workforce for the future. However currently there is a complete lack of coordination relating to how we can get our young people work- ready.
The Coalition Government swept away Business/Education groups and all their funding; abolished Connexions which although did need reforming at least was a point of contact for schools and businesses and has changed the statutory duty for schools relating to careers. Careers Education which was a statutory duty is no longer a priority and although most schools do give some time to it the quality is variable; Careers Guidance which is independent one2one advice is now a statutory duty but with no funding attached. Not a positive picture.
What always happens when there is a gap in the market is that commercial suppliers move in to fill the gap. Although many of them have great products, schools find it a real challenge to understand what is available overall and what would be right for them. There is a danger they will buy a product to tick the Government’s boxes.
Is the message really getting through to our young people and their parents that on their door step there are and will be a vast number and types of jobs within the energy sector and so it an exciting career choice. The answer is probably No. The confusion of places to get information and the types of opportunities available is far from clear. The schools structures are changing and they no longer work as closely together as they have done in the past.
Norfolk Chamber has identified 2013 as the year to increase the potential of our young people. We are in the advantageous position of having within our Chamber network, schools, colleges, local authorities and of course businesses and have started to challenge the current situation. A recent meeting in GY between the GYBC cabinet, GY Chamber Council. GY College and GY schools identified that there were opportunities within the curriculum timetable to introduce improved careers information and the Chamber has challenged the GY School Heads to work together so the business community have a single group to work with.
Apprenticeships have improved considerably and many energy sector companies are showing real best practice but for many is it confusing and time consuming. Norfolk Chamber has secured funding from the Skills Funding Agency to set up a Chamber Apprenticeship Broker Service to help local businesses employ 40 apprenticeships aged between 16 -18, by the end of October 2013.
There are a number of different apprenticeship schemes now operating in Norfolk. The role of the Chamber will be to lend a helping hand to businesses to help them identify the most appropriate scheme and providers to meet their needs and get more young people into jobs. Chris Perry at the Chamber is the key contact on 01603 729707 chris.perry@norfolkchamber.co.uk.
The business community understands its responsibility to its young people and many local businesses are giving time and resource to explain the opportunities available to them. However a more coordinated approach needs to be taken across the Board and the Chamber and its embers will be at the forefront of making this happen.
George Osborne got a number of things right in his Spending Round for 2015/16 this week. From a business perspective, longer-term commitments to infrastructure funding – including a clear nod to British Chamber of Commerce proposals for road maintenance and house-building – will yield both confidence and additional activity. So, too, will the Chancellor’s efforts to shield some business spending priorities from his well-honed axe, including export support, science and innovation, and defence procurement. A number of the things that featured on Chamber members’ wish lists, we are told, will be tackled in the near future – if not immediately.
Yet the Chancellor, and the political elite as a whole, also got some things very wrong. The overly partisan tone of his speech, and the debate which followed, was a sobering reminder of the fact that both sides of the House of Commons remain more focused on electoral advantage than the national interest. Questions remain about whether, and how fast, ministers’ promises of action and investment will materialise. But most importantly, the Spending Round represents a failure to more radically re-prioritise state spending on growth and competitiveness. Despite a clear effort to contain, if not slash, ballooning welfare and entitlement spending, the government’s failure to radically re-shape the state may be something Britain lives to regret in the second half of this decade.
For every win for national Chamber network lobbying – and there were many, from long-fought road improvements on the A14, A19, A303 or M20 – I cannot help but wonder what might have been if a truly ground-breaking course had been set with wealth creation, prosperity and competitiveness at its heart. Norfolk Chabmer was particularly disappointment that the A47 was not on the list for funding but we will continue to lobby for what we know the business community needs.
So we will continue the support BCC in their fight , led as of yesterday’s Annual General Meeting by a new BCC President, Nora Senior. You may have caught Nora’s first interview in this morning’s Telegraph, the first of many to come over the next two years. I know she will be a strong and effective champion for Chambers and business, just as her predecessor Martyn Pellew has been, and look forward to working with her.
We are delighted that Nora will be one of our key note speakers at our Unlocking Potential Business Conference in Norwich on 22 November.
There is a lot of talk about the need to support SMEs (in English that stands for Small and Medium Enterprises) who are the engine of growth for the UK economy.
But what constitutes a small business? I started to do some research and it depends who you ask and why you are asking. The Government statistics defines small as employing less than 50 staff and Medium fewer than 250.
Interestingly 99.5 per cent of all Norfolk businesses employ less than 200 staff with 85 percent employing less than 10. As an aside in public sector speak businesses employing less than 10 are defined as micro- a term disliked intensely by small businesses who fall into that category.
So does size matter? Well yes and no. If you are after government funding it matters a lot as if you don’t fit the number of employee and turnover criterion set by the different funders you do not qualify.
However what is more important to an individual business is their size in relation to their own sector. A firm of a given size could be small in relation to one sector where the market is large and there are many competitors, whereas a firm of similar proportions could be considered large in another sector with few players and/or generally smaller firms within it.
At the Chamber we feel is it not necessarily the size, shape and age of a business that matters as much as their attitude, although we do realise that the number of employees does often determine the structure of the business.
Although a small business ourselves, employing 12 staff, Norfolk Chamber due to the nature of our business and the expectations of our members has many of the structures of a larger business i.e. accreditations such as ISO9001 and IIP. This combination of accreditations and versatility works for us as it is a differentiator.
What is clear is that our Norfolk Chamber smaller members are living up to their reputation of being dynamic and successful. We asked the question recently to our members “What is particularly exciting about your business right now?” The answers came back loud and clear!
There are too many quotes to include them all but comments include Liftshare: “Signing up some huge new clients like Vodaphone, Serco and nPower” Deltic Training: “Increasing amount of business overseas” Right Angle Events ” We are currently in a state of excellent growth and have taken on new personnel” Paul Robinson Partnership “The implementation of BIM technology and collaboration across all projects is a real step forward. “AFA Projects “Changing delivery methods – we recently delivered training in South Africa from our converted cow shed” Britannia Fire “Double digit growth in turnover and in profit” Tax Assist Direct “International expansion to USA Canada and ANZ” and there were many many more.
As the economy starts to show promise it is really great that Norfolk’s smaller businesses are alive and very much kicking. The future will continue to be challenging but there is no doubt this sector of our business community is up to the challenge.There is a lot of talk about the need to support SMEs (in English that stands for Small and Medium Enterprises) who are the engine of growth for the UK economy.
But what constitutes a small business? I started to do some research and it depends who you ask and why you are asking. The Government statistics defines small as employing less than 50 staff and Medium fewer than 250.
Interestingly 99.5 per cent of all Norfolk businesses employ less than 200 staff with 85 percent employing less than 10. As an aside in public sector speak businesses employing less than 10 are defined as micro- a term disliked intensely by small businesses who fall into that category.
So does size matter? Well yes and no. If you are after government funding it matters a lot as if you don’t fit the number of employee and turnover criterion set by the different funders you do not qualify.
However what is more important to an individual business is their size in relation to their own sector. A firm of a given size could be small in relation to one sector where the market is large and there are many competitors, whereas a firm of similar proportions could be considered large in another sector with few players and/or generally smaller firms within it.
At the Chamber we feel is it not necessarily the size, shape and age of a business that matters as much as their attitude, although we do realise that the number of employees does often determine the structure of the business.
Although a small business ourselves, employing 12 staff, Norfolk Chamber due to the nature of our business and the expectations of our members has many of the structures of a larger business i.e. accreditations such as ISO9001 and IIP. This combination of accreditations and versatility works for us as it is a differentiator.
What is clear is that our Norfolk Chamber smaller members are living up to their reputation of being dynamic and successful. We asked the question recently to our members “What is particularly exciting about your business right now?” The answers came back loud and clear!
There are too many quotes to include them all but comments include Liftshare: “Signing up some huge new clients like Vodaphone, Serco and nPower” Deltic Training: “Increasing amount of business overseas” Right Angle Events ” We are currently in a state of excellent growth and have taken on new personnel” Paul Robinson Partnership “The implementation of BIM technology and collaboration across all projects is a real step forward. “AFA Projects “Changing delivery methods – we recently delivered training in South Africa from our converted cow shed” Britannia Fire “Double digit growth in turnover and in profit” Tax Assist Direct “International expansion to USA Canada and ANZ” and there were many many more.
As the economy starts to show promise it is really great that Norfolk’s smaller businesses are alive and very much kicking. The future will continue to be challenging but there is no doubt this sector of our business community is up to the challenge.
When it comes to the economy, it feels like rays of sunshine are breaking out from behind the clouds that have been parked over the United Kingdom ever since the financial crisis of 2008. As the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) brand-new Q3 forecast suggests, growth is likely to be higher than anticipated over each of the next three years. Recent economic releases, from net trade to retail sales, show an uptick in our national performance. Barring business investment, nearly every indicator monitored in the latest Bank of England agents’ report is trending positive – mirroring the trends the Chamber Network first spotted in the Quarterly Economic Survey this spring.
So there are real, and increasing, reasons for Norfolk business to be cheerful. It’s not just a long spell of warm and summery weather, but a recovery in real world conditions, that underlies the latest trends in the economy. But we’re not completely out of the woods yet. There are a number of factors that we at the Chamber will continue to keep an eye on that could affect the scale and pace of our economic resurgence. As John Longworth Director General at the BCC has said, recovery is precisely the time when the political class must be most alert and attentive, because any slackening of their focus on growth could hurt our prospects of moving the economy from good to truly great. Some of the factors we’ll be watching carefully:
International shocks. With the potential for conflict in Syria, German elections, and the never-ending Eurozone drama, events overseas could impact us here – from inflation and energy price spikes through to impacts on demand in our key export markets.}
The UK’s public finances. Don’t believe the political rhetoric on either side; at best, we’re treading water. The markets have been benign and accommodating to date, but there’s no guarantee this will continue over the medium-term.
Monetary policy. Mark Carney, the new Bank of England governor, chose to make his first major public speech at Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber this week, and highlighted his commitment to forward guidance on interest rates and stability in monetary policy. Yet interest rates could rise faster than predicted if the recovery continues to gather strength. What’s more, there is an eventual reckoning to be had as quantitative easing is unwound and withdrawn from the market.
Business investment. As both our QES and the Bank of England’s figures show, businesses remain reluctant to undertake major investments. Amongst the new and growing, this may reflect tight credit conditions and discouragement. Amongst established and larger companies, though, this is continued conservatism at a time of perceived uncertainty. Unless investment picks up, rebalancing may be some way behind.
Public investment. Our Westminster politicians have an innate ability to wobble at precisely the worst time, as behaviour over HS2 has demonstrated this week. Indecision and uncertainty on road, rail, energy and aviation projects could hurt our medium-term recovery prospects.
And finally, the UK’s trade balance. While Chamber exporters continue to power ahead in many markets across the world, particularly in services, we’re not seeing the kind of shift in the UK’s trade performance that meets market expectations (to say nothing of pushing the UK’s dire balance-of-payments track record into the black).
The fine balance between opportunities and threats makes our job at the Chamber complex, to say the least. But I am confident in saying that I feel better about the prospects for Norfolk businesses than for a considerable time. As a very wise person once said, “you can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf”. Norfolk businesses are starting to hone their surfing skills – and we’re here to help.
Here’s an interesting quote from a man who knows a thing or two about marketing in the internet age. Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, said, ‘We have technology, finally, that for the first time in human history allows people to really maintain rich connections with much larger numbers of people’.
It’s obvious of course, and the vast majority of us now shop online, search for information there and connect with family and friends through the social media. At work we readily embrace the digital age, sending e mails every day, visiting websites and using computers, tablets and smart phones as simply tools of the trade.
But how often do we take a step back and ask ourselves if we’re really using the technology to do better business? In reality, and despite their sophistication, the digital and online opportunities that we have are media. No business would use what we now call the traditional media of press, radio and TV without a strategy. Identifying the audience you want to reach, getting the message right and requiring measurable results are prerequisites for planning.
It’s not that you have to become a geek, with the technical skills to write computer code, any more than you needed to be a skilled printer to place a press advertisement. It’s about knowing how to use the digital media to generate sales.
Do you for instance actively enhance your profile by planned on line activity? Do you target your e mail campaigns to ensure maximum returns? Is your company growing its database of contacts?
Aside from e mails and interaction with your website, the social media are now a vital element in the business marketing mix. By identifying the appropriate networks and using them strategically organisations can build brand awareness and create a dialogue with customers.
Brand building doesn’t happen by accident however. SEO, the Search Engine Optimisation that ensures more people find you when they’re looking for your kind of products and services, is a critical part of a serious online strategy.
Most of us, at home and at work, are increasingly ‘savvy’ when it comes to the internet. But even now we’re capable of taking it for granted. When it comes to business we need to make sure that we’re using it to our advantage. To make them work for you requires a certain level of technical knowledge of course, but more importantly it needs an understanding of who your customers are, and how you can best interact with them. What are the words that will make them open your e mails? Are they part of the hugely significant 50% of online network users who subsequently took off line action? In other words, because they met you in a virtual place they then went to a real place to buy your product. The Chamber’s be better@online event taking place next week will answer many of my questions; I suggest you use it to help answer yours.
As Bill Schrader said, ‘Almost overnight the internet’s gone from a technical wonder to a business must’.
With not enough hours in the day, why should a business take the time and effort to increase their profile and engage locally, even if their main customer base is outside Norfolk?
There is much in the press about business confidence and how the lack of it can hinder the economy. I personally get a really positive feeling when I read about businesses that are recruiting, have a new contract or are involved in their local community. I feel it is all our responsibility to realise the impact that good news stories have, not only on other businesses, but on our staff. The more visible we can individually be the better for our local economy.
There is no doubt that is does take resource to celebrate success but the positive impact on your business will make it worthwhile. Potential customers will become aware of you, current customers will feel smug that they are dealing with you, it will be easier to recruit new staff and your existing staff will love it!
There are many ways of achieving impact. Entering awards it one method which can seem pretentious but by looking at what your business has achieved, will both identify gaps, as well as help you celebrate success. Although there can only be one winner the whole exercise can be very beneficial to the business. You will only have to read the EDP Business Award 2013 shortlist supplement to appreciate the profile these businesses will have achieved from entering.
At our B2B Exhibition on 17 October you can hear from 12 local ‘big thinking’ businesses who by being willing to share their stories, will increase their own profile.
Adding your good news stories or blogs to not only your own website but to third party websites and publications is also a great way to help increase your profile and make us all feed more positive. The EDP is always looking for good business stories for their publications and EDP24 website. As is the Norfolk Chamber, good news stories added to our website are tweeted out to our 3000+ twitter followers and the best are include in our bi-monthly magazine.
Finally, get involved in your local community. Your local school, charity and community all need your business help and expertise. By getting involved you will not only increase your visibility but will be making a real difference to someone’s life. It is also a great way to develop your staff and make them feel positive about your company at the same time. Norwich for Jobs for instance is a campaign to help halve Norwich’s youth unemployment. Pledging your support, which does not commit you to anything further, strengthens the whole campaign and identifies you as a business that cares about young people. It is not enough just to care, to really make a difference you need to be seen to care.
We all have a responsibility to make ourselves more visible. Confidence really does mean better business.
BIG THINKING empowers businesses with vision. It’s the attitude that drives smaller businesses to try out huge ideas, their refusal to accept lack of precedent tempered only by acknowledging that lessons can be learned from bigger players. Embracing the techniques and methods of sizeable companies into newer and smaller operations is key to BIG THINKING.
Equally, large organisations can learn from ‘the new kids on the block’, who can be inspirational to BIG THINKING big companies. Big or small, new or established, BIG THINKERS never set the default position; they always press the switch marked ‘power on’.
BIG THINKING is a concept enmeshed with the digital age. Now the smallest of start-ups can interact with the biggest of audiences, and the largest of corporations can target the narrowest of niches.
It takes BIG THINKING for a small business to use the new media to talk to the world. It takes seriously BIG THINKING for a big company to use the social media to talk to a single customer as an individual.
Companies of all sizes who embrace BIG THINKING know the dangers of simply ‘thinking big’. They know that for all the power of the internet you don’t build a brand or bolster the bottom line by simply putting up a website to say ‘look at us’. BIG THINKERS know that people buy from people; they network face to face, learn from research and then say ‘this is why you should buy from us’.
BIG THINKERS are people who never stop asking how, or why, or why not? They have the attitude that develops services and products that are right for now, and tomorrow.
And it’s about customers. BIG THINKING starts well before the sale, with a vision that’s then honed into a strategy. But it doesn’t end with the sale, because BIG THINKERS persist, with engagement, interactivity and service that retains customers and builds businesses.
If there is an ideal place to launch BIG THINKING it’s Norfolk. Birthplace of legendary brands like Colman’s, Start-Rite, Barclays and Aviva, all of the county’s commercial sectors pulse with innovation and excellence. Its BIG THINKERS have never been afraid to import the best of people and knowledge, and they have exported the best of products and services, sometimes having to overcome a cynicism about this county that others do not have to endure.
It’s the attitude that says we’ll do better business if we dare to innovate and develop our strategies creatively. We’ll do business better if we exchange ideas and realise that small and new businesses can inspire big and established ones, whilst in turn start-ups and tiny companies can learn from the experience of corporations.
Our Conference will have a stellar line up of speakers who exemplify the concept of BIG THINKING. You’ll hear how it’s worked for them. You’ll see how it can work for Norfolk’s businesses This is a Business Conference with Attitude.
‘Big Thinking’ is all about attitude. It’s the kind of thinking that makes small companies try big ideas. It’s about exchanging ideas, enabling smaller businesses to learn from big ones, and established companies to be inspired by the newer ones.
The concept is in tune with today’s digital age. Now the smallest of start-ups can interact with the biggest of audiences, and the largest of corporations can target the narrowest of niches. ‘Big Thinking’ is what drives a small business to use the new media to talk to the world and a big company to use the social media to talk to a single customer as an individual.
Big thinking businesses know that for all the power of the internet you don’t build a brand or bolster the bottom line by simply putting up a website to say ‘look at us’. They understand that people buy from people; they network face to face, learn from research and then say ‘this is why you should buy from us’. These are the people who never stop asking how, or why, or why not? They have the attitude that develops services and products that are right for now, and tomorrow.
And it’s very much about customer care. It starts well before the sale, with a vision that’s then honed into a strategy, but it doesn’t end there. With the right attitude companies persist, with engagement, interactivity and service that retains customers and builds businesses.
It’s because businesses in West Norfolk are so committed to customer care that we’re particularly proud to be sponsoring that category in this year’s Mayor’s Awards.
We have outstanding businesses in West Norfolk and this concept, that spans the original vision through to after sales customer relations, is so right for them.
For the conference we’ve assembled a stellar line up of speakers who exemplify this dynamic concept. They’ll explain how it’s worked for them, and how it can work for Norfolk’s businesses.
This is a Business Conference with Attitude.
BIG THINKING, the Business Conference With Attitude 22nd November 2013, OPEN, Bank Plain, Norwich 9am – 1pm
Onshore wind farms have been in the press recently with mixed messages coming out from government. However the Norfolk Chamber is clear that offshore wind farms and the current and potential investment from Norfolk Chamber member East Anglia Offshore Wind (EAOW) and its contractors is good news for the Norfolk business community. EAOW is a joint venture between Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) and Vattenfall.
To date EAOW have invest £7m in East Anglia and they have made it clear during conversations we have been having with them that they are trying to use local contractors where possible to ensure the region benefits as much as possible from jobs and investment as a result of the scheme. With support from Brandon Lewis MP I have written to John Hayes to ask for a meeting with him in Westminster, and have already organised a lunch with him and industry leaders in May 2013 after his keynote speech at our Sustainability 2013 conference on 9 May 2013 at John Innes, Norwich.
Ann Stewart economic cabinet members Norfolk County Council and I met up with Andy Paine EAOW programme director in Barrrow in Furness in September prior to visiting Vattenfall’s latest offshore wind farm Ormonde. Andy is clear that with the help and support of local contractors East Anglia Offshore Wind is making strong progress and is on schedule to lodge their first application for consent this year. Further opportunities will become available as the wind farm progresses through its consenting, construction and operations phases.
EAOW has already placed a number of contracts with companies in the region and that over the last two years, as part of plans to build one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world; it estimates it has helped support almost 170 jobs across East Anglia through its investments.
These include Chamber member Gardline marine services, marine researcher Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), fisheries consultants Brown and May, online consultation experts Consense, consultants Eastern Edge and land agents Freedom Group who are all working on East Anglia ONE, the first phase of the East Anglia Zone
There is still work for Norfolk members to do however to ensure that investment comes to this area and not further up the east coast. As mentioned earlier Ann Stewart Economic Cabinet member for Norfolk County Council and I spent time with Andy Paine and his team including Vattenfall’s President and CEO Oystein Loseth celebrating the official opening of Vattenfall’s newest 30 turbine Offshore Wind Farm Osmonde just off Bury in Furness in September 2012. My pictures tell their own tale!
Until I physically visited the Osborne Wind farm I had found it is quite difficult to understand the size of these turbines but seeing is believing. Each jacket foundations is 45 metres high and weights approximately 500 tonnes or putting it another way each individual jacket will weigh as much as 70 African elephants and if all thirty jackets were stacked end-to-end they would be 13 times higher than the Forth Rail Bridge! The Osmonde turbines cover an area of 8.7km2 and will meet the needs of more than 100,000 UK households so the development being planned by EAOW to power over five million homes is truly amazing
The four hour boat trip out to the Ormonde Windfarm with high winds, rain and significant swell convinced me that I am not looking for at a career change… but it did convince me that the potential for this region is vast. Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers are having regular meetings with EAOW and will feedback supply chain opportunities to our members as and when they become clear. In addition we will continue to lobby government so that they fully understand the importance of offshore wind farms to the UK economy and start to give some certainty to the industry.
The weather – and its effects on counties, towns and cities across England and Wales – has been dominant this week.
In the weeks to come, and as the initial effects of the flooding begin to fade from the scene, the Norfolk Chamber will be advocating for:
A fair deal from insurers – with swift compensation for affected businesses, and clarity on future cover and costs. The Association of British Insurers has set out customer commitments on flooding that we will be watching carefully.
Help for affected companies – including proposals for zero-interest or low-cost loans to help companies rebuild or relocate
Action on transport resilience – with short-term action to ensure roads and railways are open, and longer-term action to ensure networks can withstand future weather events
Better coordination – with the police, local authorities, and key agencies listening to the needs of businesses and acting accordingly.
Ministers have also asked for our help to explain how government is helping businesses. At the request of Number 10, you can find out more about the government’s relief efforts here.
Thanks in part to our representations, the Prime Minister has already announced 100% business rate relief for affected businesses, and three months’ extra time to pay on VAT, PAYE, and Corporation Tax. It’s vital for companies to call HMRC’s hotline to set up these arrangements.
With luck, the severe weather that has affected us in recent weeks will soon pass. Yet we know that the recovery will take time, and will stay on the case. If you’d like to highlight specific issues tied to recent weather events, please do get in touch cw@norfolkchamber.co.uk.
‘Look at Norfolk. See Success’ is the message we have conveyed in 2014. It’s time to celebrate, and build on, our increased visibility.
The end of a year is inevitably a time for reflection on both what’s happened in the previous twelve months, and what’s planned or hoped for in the next. It’s seldom been more appropriate for Norfolk to consider those issues than right now, as we look towards 2015.
This year saw the county become more visible on the political agenda. The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce was influential in securing audiences with key politicians, at national level, and giving the region the opportunity to have its business voice heard. Chukka Umunna, George Osborne, Vince Cable and David Cameron all came here at the Chamber’s direct invitation, and their primary reason for doing so was to hear what our members have to say, and see what we have to offer. Note the letter below of thanks from David Cameron. Just as importantly it was an opportunity to inform them what we need to realise the county’s demonstrable potential.
It’s potential that will be made deliverable with better infrastructure. Five years ago the A47 and A11 struggled to get on to the government’s agenda. Now they know that the A11 is vital for the growth of the local economy, and improvements to it could deliver over £600 million in economic benefits. What’s more, the work on the A11 is complete and the cones will disappear tomorrow.
Norfolk Chamber members from start-ups to large scale organisations, together with the rest of the business community, the LEPs and our MPs have been very successful in highlighting the business case for improvements to the A47. The message was that improvements along this route will open up opportunities for Norfolk businesses to deliver more economic growth, housing and jobs for our county. The result of our being seen and heard is that the Prime Minister has pledged that the Government will commit £300million for work along the A47 route but we do need to continue to lobby for the dualling of the Acle Straight and the all-important Dereham, Swaffham, King’s Lynn corridor. We’ve shown that we’re on the road to success and we need to build on this success.
The rail links are as vital as the roads, and again the Norfolk Chamber business community has been successful in bringing its needs into focus. Improvements put forward by the Great Eastern Main Line Campaign will boost our ambition to be a mobile and accessible economy. Our voices were heard and, follliwng the commitment to a rail Taskforce by the chancellor at a Chamber event last November, in this year’s Autumn Statement we have a commitment from Government to ensure that ‘Norwich in 90’ becomes a reality. The signals are set at go.
The poor strength of of our mobile and broadband signals is firmly on the agenda going forward. The Chamber actively engaging members in surveys, and gathering opinion to inform our dialogue with Government has allowed us to, collectively, make it known that it’s essential for every business in our region to be digitally enabled beyond the minimum on offer. Superfast broadband should actually mean superfast and not what is mainly on offer..
Feedback clearly shows that accessing skilled staff is considered a key concern, and restricts growth. With greater connectivity, and innovative technology expanding the economy comes the need for additional employment and the challenge for businesses to find people of all ages with the right skills. There has been a great step forward with the development of apprenticeships but the business links with schools still has a long way to go to ensure that our young people understand the world of work and which careers are open to them. Westminster must understand of our needs and help us to encourage school to work closer with business.
Central to all of this increased visibility for Norfolk has been the business voice. Working with our members, our MPs, the educational establishment, businesses and our partners we have made 2014 a vital and firm rung in the ladder to our success as a region. We have proved that the business voice counts. Government has heard us. They’ve seen that looking at Norfolk means seeing success. And we can and must celebrate that. Please ensure that you do book onto our next MPs event to ensure we get a really loud Norfolk business voice on the 6 February, 2015.
To climb to the next rung is the work for 2015. We’ve shown what we can offer. We’ve successfully made our case for the tools we need to deliver it. We must now, with the same collective and cohesive determination, ensure that the promises are kept, and that we get on with the job and build on what has been put on the table.
Now that we have a focus, and are clearly in focus, we can be sure that when commerce and government look at Norfolk, they see success!