Chamber Blog

Please don’t think I’m about to use the first of my columns to get ‘party political’, or indeed that I’m  going to beat the all too familiar path towards Brexit. That said, current events do rather point to the importance of negotiation as a really important process when it comes to getting things done.

Every deal that’s done, every sale that’s made involves, to a greater or lesser extent, some negotiation.  It’s about knowing what you want out of it, and trying to achieve that to you and your customer‘s satisfaction.

As far as our ‘leaders’ are concerned, right now the Brexit negotiations look about as complex as they could get. Sailing in uncharted waters, they’re negotiating with 27 countries on unprecedented issues. It’s tough.

But consider this. Every business person who exports to Europe, or anywhere else,  has to negotiate not just with each country but with each customer within each country. And every customer at home too. In today’s business climate it’s not uncommon for the next sale, the next deal, to be unprecedented either. It might require a new modification to the product or service, a new price to be established or a new delivery schedule.

So here’s the thing. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that it’s commerce, and the people who drive it, who have to negotiate all day every day in order to make things happen. The things that create sales, revenue and jobs.

Let’s not forget either that commerce can’t do it alone. Infrastructure, technology, strategic direction – they’re all essential requirements from government (note the lower case ‘g’; this applies to whoever is at Westminster), and it’s very much part of our role as the Chamber to ensure that you, the practitioners of  commerce in our region, are heard. And more importantly listened to.

I’ll be building on the outstanding work done so far to ensure that we develop and refine our message, and our means of delivering it, to ensure that we are taken notice of.

Now, that might mean we have to accept that some things can be done before others. That priorities are adjusted. Fine – That’s negotiation.  But here’s the thing, yes  we can do negotiation. My  track record is largely in the technology sector, but firmly in the entrepreneurial arena, and negotiating has been critical to successes. Believe me, back in the day, talking with a multiple of  financial service companies, some of whom were formed 300 years prior and still using pencils was a challenge. Convincing them that the internet was the future trading platform took a lot of negotiation. I enjoy it. Especially if it’s carried out in a positive atmosphere, because that requires you to behave optimistically, a key attribute in driving your business forward.

So,  I’ll call on all my  experiences to support the region’s commerce and steer us into, and through, the aforementioned uncharted waters, and beyond, as I have many more exciting plans to share.

A spelling mistake isn’t going to kill your brand, but if you want to grow it online using Social Media there are a few things your business needs to avoid doing.

1 | Spamming – Quality over quantity

Throwing content out there willy-nilly is a common mistake for a lot of people. The idea of getting as much content in front of people’s faces can be a very damaging thing, especially on Facebook.

Facebook uses a number of algorithms to prioritise content on somebody’s timeline, one of which includes frequency of posts. So I would recommend posting no more than 5 times a day.

Twitter on the other hand is completely different, people seem to digest content much faster and content is sorted by ‘most recent’. I recommend anywhere from 5-20 posts on Twitter per day.

A little bit of planning never hurt anybody – spread your posts out throughout the day and use a number of different methods of sharing (video, images, etc).

2 | Ghostown

Another common problem almost stems from fear of my previous point. People tend to worry about ‘over-posting’ and end up leaving their Social Media platforms looking like a baron wasteland.

Don’t do this either! Get a decent plan in place, and stick to it. A content calendar can be a very useful tool when combatting both ‘spamming’ and ending up like a ‘ghostown’.

3 | Too much automation

Automating posts can be a wonderful thing (wow, what a perfect segue; why not check out my previous Blog on it), but using it too much can become damaging, and your content can begin to look robotic and people will tune out.

Use it, but only in moderation!

4 | Very little/no interaction

Interaction is a key element to bringing your brand to life. Talking to people and answering questions, either out in public or via private messages, can give your Social Media channels personality.

But be aware, ensure the ‘voice’ you use suits your brand.

5 | “I must be on every platform!”

A common misconception of Social Media is that your content must be everywhere, this is definitely not the case! You need to focus your content on platforms that your message suits.

For instance, there is no point in creating an Instagram page if a majority of your content is not image based.

Pick the platforms that suit your message!

6| Sharing only your own content

Yes, your content is fantastic – but other people’s content may be able to complement what you have to say. Share Blogs and news articles that relate to your topic/product!

7 | Not committing long term

Staying committed to Social Media can be tough. It can end up being a massive time consumer. With a lot of aspects of business going digital, Social Media is only going to become more pivotal.

Make sure it’s part of your long term plan. Invest in it wisely, and don’t forget about it and leave it to gather dust in your attic of ideas.

If you ever need support with Social Media or your overall digital strategy, don’t hesitate to get in touch.  Norfolk Chamber has a wealth of members who are great at pointing you in the right direction!

Jack Edwards Membership Communications Co-ordinator jack.edwards@norfolkchamber.co.uk

Imagine the scene – it’s Week 3 of the year’s 2nd Quarter. You know how important it is that the first month of the Q is a successful one, as it helps build momentum or maybe even carry the momentum forward from a successful Q1. Everyone is expecting you to deliver a strong performance, because that is why you do it. It’s what you love doing – delivering performances through others; helping them succeed and being successful yourself as a result. But there are more than a few “moving parts” in this machine and just like a conductor of an orchestra, you need to know who to lean on and when… Otherwise the music quickly turns flat…

Motivational calls, interrogation of forecasts, role playing client negotiation, following up that event you went to or that campaign you ran – the list never ends and it is relentless. However, there is one thing that appears on the to-do list for every commercial person who they know will cost them time and money (the former being the most valuable resource any of us have) and only has a limited chance of delivering an ROI. That thing? Problems with your staff.

How many times have you been distracted from the important tasks, the ones you know are most likely to contribute to generating revenue, when one of your staff calls in sick the day after a bank holiday weekend? How did it make you feel the last time you wanted to treat your staff with an event (staff night out or something similar), but one person in the team seems to be permanently unavailable? What about that employee who is regularly rude to colleagues, who in turn come to you with their issues?

From experience I can confidently say it is a minefield! I prefer to set expectations with my teams about such matters and if any don’t hold up their end of the employment “bargain”, I’ll have an honest conversation with them. But what happens if that doesn’t work? What if someone is determined to make a formal complaint about the employee who is persistently rude? This is where Qdos can help.

If you have policies in place for such an event, that’s a good start. Make sure you get them reviewed regularly by a commercially minded professional who understands what your business is about and how you like to operate. It is really easy to identify what not to do, but having processes in place that genuinely reflect who you are and what your company is about, is much more powerful and something that can lead into employee engagement (HR speak for “getting the most out of your staff by making them happy”).

So, if you’ve found yourself getting distracted from the things you really need to be doing and you’ve had experiences where staff have caused you a headache which you’d like to avoid in the future, contact the ChamberHR advice line on 01455 852037.

Incremental Holiday System – Increasing holiday entitlement

Increasing holiday entitlement for long serving employees is one of the methods employers use to reward employees for their commitment to the company.

This week a client wanted to implement an incremental holiday system based on employee length of service.   This being the longer serving employees who had up to 10 years plus service with the company.

Employers are perfectly entitled to implement such schemes however they must fully observe the provision of the Equality Act 2010 to avoid any claims of direct/indirect claims of discrimination.

How can rewarding for someone for their long service be discriminatory, you might well ask?

Well, when we speak about increasing holiday entitlement for long service, the age of the person comes into play because the longer the service the more likely it is that they will be older.  I can hear the penny dropping now!

This is not to say that an employer cannot reward someone with a benefit past five years’ service but what the law says in these circumstances is that the needs of the business in implementing this must outweigh the discriminatory effect.  It can be to encourage loyalty or reward higher levels of experience.

This can apply to any benefits that are awarded through length of service not just holiday. If you would like more information, make the most of free ChamberHR advice line by calling 01455 852037.

Today Norfolk goes to vote in the general election. Whilst the Chamber has kept neutral throughout this campaign, I always find it frustrating as a business owner myself that businesses themselves don’t get a vote, yet they contribute greatly to the economy and the tax revenue which effectively funds the majority of public services. Whilst virtually all businesses rely on the people they employ, it is also important to remember if there were not entrepreneurs out there who were prepared to start up and build successful businesses then many of these people would not be in employment.

There is a real danger that when people make their decision at the ballot box that they will vote on the basis of a headline grabbing sound bites which have been posted by all parties and their supporters on social media, rather than a well informed study of each parties manifesto.  This election above all previously seems to have been significantly affected by social media and in my view not all for the good.  People are circulating photos of graffiti covered political banners, protests are being held when politicians are visiting communities and businesses, and generally the overall feel of the campaign has been aggressive.  

Social Media should be a brilliant way for politicians to get over their policies and beliefs in an efficient and rapid way. Allowing people where they want to show support for their political party, without being shouted down and often abused by those who often make the most noise on social media.   

Clearly Social Media and the internet generally has already been shown to be an amazing tool in the promotion of business activities, allowing access to billions of potential customers worldwide, which prior to the internet would of been impossible.  A whole new industry has developed helping companies to make the most of social media and the need for that ever so important google ranking. It is almost now impossible to ignore it and it appears that Social Media has to be an intricate part of any successful digital marketing strategy.

We are however still developing the rules for engagement with social media, creating a whole range of issues for businesses to consider.  One of the biggest of these is the blurring between peoples personal profiles and their business profiles.  Often business owners merge the two making it even more important that they manage carefully what they post on social media sites and consider how this could impact on the reputation of their businesses.

Clearly following today’s election, I am sure that Social Media sites will be going mad and I only hope that whatever the decision is, that we as a nation accept the result and try and move on and stop this continually divisive series of events, which started with Scottish Independence, followed by Brexit and now this general election.  

I was in Cornwall last week, a place as far away, both geographically and psychologically, from the Westminster bubble and the group-think of corporate multinationals as one can get in England.

Yet, talking to members of this vibrant and close-knit business community, it swiftly became clear that they didn’t feel national politicians were listening to their needs – particularly when it came to getting the people they need to make their businesses, and their county, great.

The rocket scientist in need of specialist engineers that are sought after all around the world.

The firm of local solicitors who wear their local commitment and employee ownership with pride, who need new recruits to power their continued growth. 

The tourist attraction that lost highly-regarded European catering employees who didn’t feel welcome after the referendum vote – which despite its reputation as a great local employer is struggling to find replacements because of a shortage of candidates in their community.

The renewable energy firms keen to transform Cornwall into a test-bed for the innovative and new technologies to power the UK’s future, who work closely with local colleges, yet still need more talent and clearer government policies to make those breakthroughs happen. 

These sorts of businesses – all of whom place local employment and a strong local economy at the heart of their thinking – were sceptical about what they are hearing in this election campaign.

And they’re not alone.

We are asked, all over the United Kingdom, how politicians of all colours can put forward policies that have serious consequences for the growth prospects of rank-and-file businesses. Some even ask whether the major parties understand the growth needs of their local economies at all.

The Conservatives’ plans to limit migration, increase the charges businesses face for employing non-EU talent when they struggle to recruit, and to create new employment regulations dictating their relationship with employees are seen with the same apprehension as Labour’s ideas for sweeping nationalisation, higher taxes, and deep market intervention. 

By and large, these businesses are not international PLCs seeking to protect their comparative advantage. Nor are they amongst the tiny number of firms that hit the headlines for their unseemly and unwelcome ‘low-pay, low-care’ business culture.

Instead, they are part of the huge majority of civic-minded businesses – who increasingly feel that their prospects are hindered by a Westminster that neither understands nor cares for them.

They’re the firms who have always worked to take on apprentices, who put training at the heart of their growth plans, who invest for the long term, and who make deep and abiding contributions in their local communities.

There are elements in each of the major parties’ election manifestos that gives them cause for concern about future recruitment and growth.

The prospect of higher up-front business costs, more government intervention and perceived indifference toward enterprise and wealth creation would have a chilling effect on these firms – and at precisely the wrong time. The animal spirits of Britain’s ‘civic businesses’ require a boost, not a knock, in order to play a strong role in navigating the Brexit transition and laying the groundwork for our future success.

Yet instead of being encouraged and incentivised to look at new models of growth, many feel they are being unfairly rapped over the knuckles by politicians, most of whom have never had to walk a mile in an entrepreneur’s shoes.

Policies get announced, politicians move on, but the unintended consequences of their actions linger for the businesses who pay the inevitable financial or compliance costs for decades to come.

Governments in other countries, too, will be watching with interest – and will ramp up their lobbying efforts to attract UK-based firms, if they sense an opportunity. Our politicians must reflect on the impacts of some of their election-season promises on the business environment, and work to mitigate these – or expect to see more firms talking openly about whether further expansion here in the UK is an option for them.

It’s time for an end to the chastising of business, and an end to the competition for eye-catching policies in areas like immigration that have negative impacts on business confidence and future jobs and investment.

It’s time to listen more to the real-world, practical barriers to hiring and growth that are being raised by the committed, hard-working firms we see in cities and counties all across the UK. The optimism and commitment of the Cornish firms that so inspired me – and hundreds of thousands more besides – is very much at stake.

Adam’s blog was featured in The Times Red Box on Friday 02 June 2017 – to read more Red Box articles click here

To tale the hit or to comply that is the safety question! Top tips below.

Companies are still willing to take the risk of not complying with health and safety legislation and those caught out are being hit massively! Is this true? What do you mean?

Anecdotal evidence from a client has surfaced regarding a recent minor incident where a Managing Director intimated by saying ‘…it was only a small accident and will only cost us about £4,000…’ This mentality shows the type of culture this enior figure is creating in his workplace and is dangerous as this minor accident may lead to something far worse due to the attitude of the organisations’ leaders.

Major incidents of serious material breaches face investigation, criminal charges and possibly prosecution fines that could tip the balance of a company either making it through or breaking and creating a circumstance of people losing their jobs.

So, what are we likely to face fines in if we breach a safety regulation?

According to recent studies on the latest prosecution data for the Health and Safety Executive, businesses paid an average of £115,440 in fines when guilty of a safety breach. Yes that is expensive, but is it cheaper to comply? Of course, depending on the size of your company you can expect to pay between £5k and £40k to comply with legislation. What would you suggest this money pays for? Hard to say but it could include; investment in newer technology and machinery, competent specialist advice whether internally provided or external consultants, training, protective equipment, research and other staff levels. Again, your organisation size will determine your investment capabilities.

Which industries are worst hit?

Manufacturing and construction received the highest number of fines (215), due to their work, such as; working at height, working with gas, transport, dangerous equipment etc. However, the utilities and extractive industries will have far higher fines (avg. £409,729) but less of them (18). We should consider, the costs shown are only the prosecution costs, health and safety failures will have many ongoing costs associated to it, such as; total of injuries and ill-health sustained, the reputational costs, especially if it makes national headlines, costs of the investigation, re-training, more staff overheads to cover people being off work etc., etc., etc.!

Ok, so you have convinced me that compliance with health and safety is a priority in how we operate, but can you clarify how we can do this?

Investment is key, decide on your preferred methods, as you know, health and safety can be a specialist area and depending on the size of your organisation, will help you decide on the amount of competence you require. Invest in an internal safety manager or training internal staff to be better at safety is one method. The other is to gain the support of an external consultancy company who will have provisions that your onsite employees can tap into to ensure that they are meeting compliance needs.

How else can external consultants help?

External consultants will provide the support mainly to SMEs who feel they don’t need to pay for another full salary. Consultants’ services will vary in demand, but can include; providing training, performing audits, offering a telephone and website service and documentation support to help your business comply. A little further work is required by the organisation to ensure that health and safety needs are being met, but always knowing there is the support of the consultant to rely upon when decisions, issues and compliance questions are raised.

Are there any tips to avoid fines?

• Simply, do not cut costs at the expense of safe working.
• Put good procedures in place.
• Show how you tackle issues or staff concerns.
• Have a good safety record and communicate with your staff. Improve your safety records through a good work culture.
• This year, if there is one thing that is recommended from a health and safety perspective that I emphasise you should do, is review your safety practices with an audit, ensure your documents and risk assessments are up to date.

This won’t cost you a lot and could help you save a fortune in the future.

If you want help with your audit and review of arrangements, call Qdos Consulting Ltd on 01455 852028 and our experts can talk you through the process.

Many people would be forgiven for thinking that HR’s role was only concerned with ensuring administrative processes work smoothly and employee relation issues are managed appropriately.  All in accordance with complex and continually changing employment legislative requirements.

HR’s role however, is ultimately focussed upon the on-going development of the organisation to support the delivery of the business plan. The most successful organisations recognise the importance of progressive people practices that touch all aspects of their operation. An HR professional’s role is therefore a varied one operating at both a strategic and operational level. The three most important stakeholders of the HR function are usually senior managers, line managers and employees.

Establishing and implementing an HR strategy centred upon the employee is essential to their engagement and productivity level. By building two-way relationships with their employees, organisations can truly listen and understand what motivates them. By strategically planning how an organisation will meet its current and future people needs and aligning this with individual employee development plans, is critical for organisational success, productivity and the career and engagement level of the employee. To help achieve this, HR’s role to coach and mentor line managers has never been more important, helping them to improve their leadership and softer management skills – which are often the hardest to develop.

It has also never been more important for HR professionals to provide challenges to senior managers. Particularly in relation to the values and culture of the workplace – a key driver of employee engagement.  Effective company values will always trump company strategy. Putting people practices in place, that encourage internal behaviours that mirror your organisation’s external behaviours, is critical to creating an effective employer brand and ensuring your business stays ahead of the curve.

If you would like to discuss how ChamberHR can assist your business in staying ahead of the curve with HR, call 01455 852037.

The Norway model. The Swiss model. The Turkish model. A CETA (the EU-Canada trade deal) inspired Free Trade Agreement. What kind of deal can the UK strike with the EU? And can businesses prepare for one of these options – or even for the possibility of leaving the EU without a transitional or future agreement in place in 2019?

The answer is: at the moment – no. The implications of each of these scenarios are far-reaching – affecting issues such as movement of people, tariffs, taxation arrangements, customs procedures – and the difference between each of these models is so significant, that it is currently too challenging to scenario-plan for any of these eventualities.

This is why many businesses are choosing to get on with their day-to-day work, and wait until there are further developments in the upcoming negotiations. Of course, there are some – such as those that use the UK as a hub into Europe, or businesses that were already looking to expand to the continent prior to the referendum – for whom Brexit has been a catalyst to strengthen their footprint on the continent.

For most other businesses, it is a question of wait and see. But when details start emerging on the future arrangements with Europe, the high-level discussion of models will need to be brought back down to earth. Businesses will not be concerned with how the deal will be called. Instead, they will want to know answers to questions such as: Will I now have to pay VAT on imports? What kinds of origin rules do I need to adhere to? Will I need to prepare myself for longer customs procedures? If my products go through phytosanitary checks in the UK – would they now have to go through a second set of checks in the EU?

These are the questions that will have the greatest impact on UK trade in the immediate term. Changes in areas such as taxation and customs will have significant implications for supply chains, for importers and exporters alike, for companies both large and small. But where a larger company can, should they wish, afford to think through potential answers to the above questions – SMEs will remain focused on the day-to-day running of their business, and wait until there are clearer answers.

And that is why, when significant progress is made in the negotiations, and future arrangements with the EU become firmer – the government must communicate this to businesses without delay. At the end of the day its companies that trade, not governments – so they must make sure not only to deliver the best deal for business but also take into account the tangible impacts and focus on the practicalities for firms.

Only when the future UK-EU trade ‘model’ is broken down into its practical nuts and bolts can Government truly enable companies to keep thriving in their trade with the EU – and beyond.

We all know trying to manage and maintain Social Media channels full time can be a challenge. Scheduling posts can make your life a lot easier.

There are a few tools that I use myself which can definitely help you focus your efforts on other areas of your business.

TweetDeck – tweetdeck.twitter.com/

TweetDeck is an online tool that you can link to your Twitter account to schedule posts and manage your feed. It is a very similar tool to Hootsuite, but TweetDeck allowing you to schedule posts with images and send out tweets to the minute makes it a much more useful tool.

Postfity – postfity.com/ 

I’ve only recently discovered this tool; I use this for scheduling posts on LinkedIn for both my personal account, and for the Norfolk Chamber page. Much like TweetDeck, this online tool allows you to schedule posts to the minute as well as adding images.

Google URL Shortener – https://goo.gl

This is a great tool, even when you’re not scheduling tweets. As the name suggests, Google URL Shortener lets you shorten your links. Who’d have guessed, hey?

However, this isn’t the reason I love it so much.

When you’re logged into your Google account on Chrome, this online tool shows you how many clicks each link you’ve shortened has, with a breakdown of where they came from and when.

Facebook already have their act together and allow you to schedule your posts straight from their website along with their own in-depth analysis, which is very handy.

Why/how can it help you?

Scheduling posts is a very easy way to reduce stress and save yourself time and (in the long run) money! All of these tools allow you to post images, which can go a long way in making your posts more noticeable in the midst of people’s timelines.

These tools also allow you to schedule your posts to the minute, which will make your posts seem a lot less robotic when they appear on your feed.

Be sure to not have all of your Social Media content automated though, a personal touch can go a long way.

Postfity, Google URL Shortener and Facebook’s analytical tools are brilliant when it comes to reporting. You can track clicks, impressions and much more to help you pinpoint which of your campaigns are working the best and which ones you should perhaps rethink.

Feel free to get in touch if you would like more information on scheduling tweets or have any other Social Media queries:

Jack Edwards – Membership Communications Co-ordinator jack.edwards@norfolkchamber.co.uk

This is the first column that I have written on behalf of the Norfolk Chamber for the EDP as it normally falls to our CEO to come up with some interesting words of wisdom, so please bear with me. It has been a hectic couple of months at the Chamber with Caroline Williams MBE our CEO for 17 years standing down last week and the recruitment and appointment of our new CEO Chris Sargisson, all at a time when the political world has gone into overdrive.

It was interesting when recruiting for the role of CEO of Norfolk’s leading business organisation, as the position attracted all kinds of people, and we were lucky enough to have a huge amount of interest. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who applied and showed interest in the Chamber in particular those candidates who we interviewed and shortlisted. There is a real passion within the region for the Chamber and a large number of people keen to ensure it continues to be a success. The standard of candidate was really high and it was a very difficult decision to make. 

The role of CEO at the Chamber is a very high profile role within the local business community, regularly meeting with leading politicians, small and large business owners, and key local authority officers and councillors, as well as running a busy SME. One minute you can be meeting the Prime Minister,  the next the sole owner of a start up business looking at making organic yoghurts, each being as important and all requiring your time.

The recent interview process however highlighted a number of areas which we need to address with respect to how the Chamber is viewed, some we were aware of others were quite a surprise. There was a concern that the Chamber is perceived as a form of select privileged business club.  This is clearly not the case and every business is welcome to the join the Norfolk Chamber even those who are not actually located in the County.

It is important for Norfolk’s overall business community that we have a strong Chamber of Commerce who challenges on behalf of the business community our politicians and policy makers locally, regionally and nationally. When running your own business it is great to know that you are not alone and that there are a number of similar like minded businesses all working together for the same cause. The Chamber provides this forum and seeks to help businesses who may not have the time to get their points over, to be heard and taken seriously.

The next few months are going to be incredibly important, with the result of the general election effectively impacting on every business. The Chamber takes a neutral political stance in these circumstances, however we always ensure that the key issues that effect our Member Businesses are clearly articulated to the various political parties. We also, where possible, try to provide guidance on what individual political parties manifestos mean for business generally.

During this period the Chamber Board and the management team will be making comments on how the political situation will impact on various sectors within the region with expert representation within manufacturing, food/agriculture, media, finance, skills, social media and construction. It looks like May is going to be a very busy month, on top of the training and networking events already planned by the Chamber.

Our new CEO will be starting close to the result of the general election at the beginning of June. Clearly a baptism of fire for anybody in a high profile role, especially if the outcome is the final political surprise in a series of three:

Brexit, Trump , ?…

Regretting your vote ‘for’ or ‘against’ Brexit?

Well hold on to your seats folks because a general election scheduled for 8 June 2017 could totally change the direction Britain will now go once Britain exits the European Union (EU).

Last year Britain voted to leave the EU. However the Prime Minister, Theresa May has now announced that a ‘snap general election’ will be held which could put one of the other political parties in charge of Britain’s exit from the EU. Having said that it could also be the case that the Conservative Party stand to gain a much stronger position in the polls and the bargaining table in Brussels.

It’s too early at this stage to predict how this could affect employment law in the UK. If Labour were to gain the majority vote we could see employment law being heavily influenced by Europe, despite the fact that European judgements will no longer have effect on employment law in the UK after Britain exits the EU.

Watch this space!

In the meantime, if you have any issues regarding employment law and HR please contact the free 24/7 Qdos Consulting HR advice line (members only): 01455 852037