Representatives from Norfolk Chamber, Norwich BID and Norfolk County Council met this week to share the work that Norwich BID have been doing in relation to mapping the traffic usage around the inner ring road and the centre of Norwich.
The software uses Google Maps and tracks mobile phones and can highlight any traffic issues and congestion. The data is refreshed every 15 minutes and has been in place since the summer. Data is also being added in to account for weather conditions.
Norfolk County will be looking at their own existing data to validate the data that Norwich BID have collected. All parties are looking at ways to work together to make the best use of the data and how it can help improve access into Norwich. Norfolk County Council have agreed to carry out a traffic survey of the inner ring road in Spring 2017.
In the previous quarter, Norfolk businesses reported a mixed picture. Norfolk manufacturers enjoyed improved domestic and export sales compared with the previous quarter and many benefitting from sterling’s recent fall.
Meanwhile, the balance of Norfolk’s service sector firms reported improved domestic but their export sales was at a low level. Uncertainty following the vote to leave the European Union had led many Norfolk businesses to lower their expectations for hiring, turnover, and investment in plant, machinery, and training.
Overall the Q3 survey results suggested that the Norfolk and UK economy was still growing – albeit at a lower level than before the EU referendum – which supported the BCC’s forecast for growth of 1% in 2017.
So how well is the Norfolk business community doing now? Today (Monday 07 November) is the first day of the fieldwork period for the Q4 Quarterly Economic Survey (QES). It is more important than ever that as many Norfolk businesses as possible complete the survey.
The QES is the largest independent business survey in the UK and is used by both the Bank of England and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to plan the future of the UK economy. It is also closely watched by the International Monetary Fund.
Some key Norfolk findings from the Q3 2016 survey:
Overall, the figures for both the Norfolk manufacturing and services firms indicate growth, but at a slower pace than before the referendum
The balance of Norfolk firms reporting an increase in advance export orders is +13, up from 0. One factor may be the fall in sterling, which has made some UK manufacturers more competitive.
Fewer firms in both sectors expect to take on staff in the next quarter. For services the balance for firms (+18, down 5) is the lowest since Q2 2013
The balance of Norfolk services firms reporting improved domestic sales fell sharply to +10 from +21, while the advance orders balance fell from +19 to +0 – indicating a significant slowing of growth. This was reflected in the results for the East of England and nationally
Norfolk firms in both sectors have reported that the exchange rate is a greater concern to their business than three months ago, with 38% of services businesses (up from 12%) and 68% of manufacturers (up from 19%).
Norfolk Chamber is very proud of our Chief Executive, Caroline Williams, who won the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ at the EDP Business Awards last night.
Caroline was presented with her award by Mark Pendlington, Group Director for Anglian Water. It was given in recognition of her tireless commitment to representing the business community in the county over nearly 17 years.
Fifteen awards were handed out during a glittering awards ceremony, held at the Norfolk Showground and attended by more than 450 guests.
Traffic surveys designed to gather information to determine future transport provision in Great Yarmouth are set to be carried out in the town in the next two weeks.
Over the weeks beginning Monday 14 and Monday 21 November, Norfolk County Council will carry out the roadside surveys at sites throughout the town in order to better understand the travel patterns of residents, visitors and commuters to Great Yarmouth.
Motorists will be asked to pull over at safe locations and asked a short series of questions, including information about the journey they are making, which should take no longer than five minutes to answer. The information gathered will then be used to inform future transport planning and investment in the town, including for the proposed third river crossing.
Commenting on the traffic surveys, Neil Orford, President of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council said: “I am pleased to see a survey being carried out in Great Yarmouth to support future transport investment in the Town. Any improvements to the transport infrastructure will be of great benefit to businesses, residents and visitors to the Town.”
The programme of surveys has been devised, as far as possible, to avoid any ongoing roadworks and will be carried out by Norfolk County Council. The locations of the surveys are not identified in advance, as this can distort the results. Norfolk County Council has apologised in advance for any inconvenience the traffic surveys may cause.
TechEast, the organisation formed to accelerate the expansion of the East of England’s technology cluster, recently launched its London Embassy and opened membership. The organisation aims to help create 5,000 jobs, generate an extra £650m GVA of economic growth in the East and be one of the UK’s top 5 tech clusters by 2020.
The TechEast Embassy is based at Crown Place, 4 minutes’ walk from Liverpool Street station. Companies that become TechEast members will be able to book a meeting room or drop in to use hot desks as part of their London business development plans.
Neil Garner, CEO of WhiteSpace Norwich, Thyngs and TechEast Deputy Chair commented: “We want to attract members of all sizes and stages in their development so we have included a special low-cost option for Individuals. The East of England is a fantastic place to do business, there’s some amazing people and it’s very collaborative. TechEast is key to getting our brilliant tech businesses more recognition on a national and international scale and we are committed to helping them reach their full potential by supporting them in whatever capacity possible. Membership of TechEast gives individuals and companies in the East the chance to showcase their strengths, grow their business and help others to do the same.”
Norfolk Chamber are a Corporate Affinity Partner of TechEast. Commenting on the launch, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said: “As corporate sponsors we welcome the launch of the London Embassy. We would encourage Norfolk tech businesses to make full use of the London Embassy’s facilities. One of Norfolk Chamber’s key campaigns for 2017 will be ‘Revolution in Technology’ which aims to accelerate the growth of Norfolk’s digital economy and support our members to take advantage of digital trends.”
Neil Miles, CEO of Inasight and Chairman of TechEast said: “The provision of a London facility was the top requirement when we polled potential members and we made it one of our six manifesto pledges at the TechEast launch in April this year. I am delighted to announce that TechEast’s London facility is fully operational and now open to members.”
The membership scheme includes opportunities for member companies to increase their brand visibility, networking and business development activities. In addition, TechEast also provides access to discounted business services, such as legal, financial, insurance and recruitment from partners.
TechEast brings together leading technology-sector businesses from the East of England, to speak with one voice that is heard across the UK and around the world. A regional powerhouse of excellence, TechEast will be recognised as the UK’s most open and collaborative digital tech cluster, where new companies and entrepreneurs can thrive and grow in a supportive environment.
TechEast announced its first board in July 2016, including: Neil Miles as Chair, Neil Garner as Vice Chair, Graham Masterson – KCOM, Marlon Bowser – HTK, Professor Fiona Lettice – UEA, Mike Kingston – Aviva and John Dugmore – Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.
For more information on the Embassy, membership and the manifesto, go to www.techeast.com.
The funeral of Norfolk Chamber’s past presidentJohn Murfitt will be held on Wednesday 16 November at 2pm. The service and burial will be held at Greenacre Woodlands Cemetery in Colney, South Norwich.
If you are a business colleague and wish to attend, please can you advise by return email, so we can advise the family of expected numbers:cw@norfolkchamber.co.uk
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) today (Sunday) publishes a survey of businesses, which shows that a third of companies (33%) regard the availability of childcare as a key issue in recruiting and retaining staff.
The survey, of more than 1,600 business leaders across the UK and supported by Middlesex University, also shows that over a quarter (28%) of firms have seen a reduction of working hours by staff due to the cost of childcare, while nearly 1 in 10 (9%) have seen employees leave their business.
While the survey has also shown that nearly 40% of businesses view government plans to double free childcare next year as likely to have a positive impact on their business, BCC is calling on government to go further, and consider the costs and benefits of a universal childcare entitlement up until school entry, which would help more firms retain and promote productive staff, and help working parents progress.
Key findings in the survey:
33% of businesses regard the availability of childcare as a key issue in recruiting and retaining staff
When asked to report any issues due to the cost of childcare, 28% of firms said they saw a reduction of working hours; 12% a reduction in productivity; 9% saw employees leave their business, and 8% saw staff changing roles within the company
Expanded childcare entitlements are viewed positively by firms. 39% of businesses expect government plans to double free childcare in 2017 would have a positive impact on their ability to recruit staff, while 37% felt it would benefit their ability to retain key staff.
Commenting on the findings, Adam Marshall, Director General at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“Firms across the UK are losing talented staff, often because of the availability and high cost of childcare.
“At a time when economic growth is softening, and skills gaps and recruitment difficulties are hindering businesses, the government should consider the childcare system as part of Britain’s core business infrastructure – in the same way that it thinks of energy, transport, or broadband.
“Government must take a clear and detailed look at the costs and benefits of a universal childcare entitlement, to bridge the gap between parental leave and the start of school. This could take the form of a family account that enables parents to select the support that’s right for their working patents from the market. In time, this could help businesses raise productivity, and help more parents stay in work. As businesses have evolved to become more flexible, government policy should also evolve – to help as many working parents as possible stay in the workplace.
“Expanded childcare options are good for families, good for businesses, and good for the economy.”
David Williams, Director of Corporate Engagement at Middlesex University, added:
“Our research highlights that childcare is a fundamental issue for many employers.
“Businesses need to retain talented staff and with the renewed focus from the Government on upskilling the workforce particularly around apprenticeships and corporate degrees it is crucial that there is sufficient affordable childcare available for employees who are studying to help fill the skills gaps.
“The childcare support available for those studying needs to be simplified and made clearer for all to help tackle gender inequality and maintain diverse workforces.”
Networking and attending events are among the most effective ways of making business contacts, even in a digital world dominated by social media. Face-to-face to face contact remains a powerful way of striking up business partnerships but for many people, networking can be a daunting experience.
Norfolk Chamber hold regular networking events to give you the opportunity to meet new people to sell to or grow your business with. The friendly team are always on hand to guide you, lead fun activities to help you get started, and advise on the best event to meet your target audience.
Here are just a few ways we help you make the most out of your networking time:
Icebreaker activity – All of our breakfasts start with the ‘networking icebreaker’ to help get guests to introduce themselves and talk around an activity such as a quiz or brain teaser.
Staff on hand to help – Norfolk Chamber staff will welcome you at the event and all guests will have badges to allow you to see who is who. If it is your first time at one of our events or you’re nervous let us know and we can help introduce you to our members.
Safari Networking – At some of our breakfasts ‘safari networking’ is a popular activity where after breakfast you will move to a randomly selected table to meet another eight people before hearing from the speakers.
Speed Networking – Want to meet a large number of people in a short amount of time? Speed networking is a quick fire way to make introductions, you will have five minutes per group of six people and then quickly move to the next and repeat again.
Team building – The After Hours series of events are crafted to include teambuilding exercises to get you talking while having fun at bowling, cocktails, enjoying tapas or watching a fashion show.
Delegate list – you will receive a delegate list at least two days in advance to allow you to identify who you would like to meet at the event and even contact in advance.
Mobile App – At our events we use a mobile app called ‘Presdo Match’ which acts as a virtual delegate list with names, and companies of people attending the event. It is linked up with LinkedIn profiles to allow you to put a face to the name.
Training – The Chamber also holds training courses to help develop those networking and communication skills.
Pick the event – is it the right one for you? Will your target audience be there and is the subject of interest?
Keep an eye on local news topics – key areas of business support or growth and read up on the speaker; that way you will always have an interesting topic at your fingertips.
We asked some of our Chamber members for their thoughts on networking.
“Networking is not just about making contacts and collecting business cards, it is about building relationships with new contacts and developing those relationships with existing customers. I have been participating in Norfolk Chamber networking events for more than twenty years and always found them to be the single most productive way to find genuine new business contacts. There are alternatives and they come and go in popularity, but the Chamber remains constant.”Roger D Tubby,Sales Director, ColourPrint
“While platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter have revolutionised the way businesses connect with their customers and clients in recent years, I don’t think I can ever imagine a time when technology will stop me wanting to get out there and meet new people when it comes to networking. Events run by the Chamber provide a great opportunity for businesses like ours to meet up with existing clients, introduce ourselves to new ones and stay up to date with what’s happening in our region all at the same time.” Mark Sowersby,Head of PR and Communications at Shorthose Russell
“I really enjoy the friendly, no pressure atmosphere of the Norfolk Chamber and find the best way to meet people is to fully engage with the networking activities and to speak to those around me.” Paul Grenyer,Director, Naked Element Ltd.
Top tips from the Trainer
Ian Hacon, Yellow Brick Road runs regular training courses with Norfolk Chamber and shares his top tips with you.
The great thing about networking at the Chamber is the variety of events, from subject specific events like digital, to the fab B2B, breakfasts and specific policy events. You can pick and choose the event where you think you can get most benefit, this may be from contacts in the room, learning something new or contributing to the local debate on issues
I have ten top tips I suggest:
Do your homework
Get your pitch right
Arrive with a smile
Keep your mobile out of sight
Ask open questions to build rapport quicker
Listen
Be yourself
Have two stories ready about yourself – one personal, one that shows off your business
Read the signs
Follow up, follow up, follow up.
Interested in learning more? Ian is offering detailed training courses at a discounted rate for members. Dates for 2017 now available. Book now.
Last November, in advance of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK, the UKIBC launched its first annual survey on UK companies’ perceptions about the ease of doing business in India.
The survey collected opinions from over 100 UK businesses operating in India and our findings showed that the majority believed that India’s ease of doing business was already improving. The survey results are here.
This year, following on from Theresa May’s first bilateral international visit to India, we are relaunching this survey to assess how effective the recent reforms have been for UK companies engaging with India and whether Mr Modi’s government has made further progress in delivering his ‘red carpet’ commitment.
The survey responses will form part of a wider submission to the Government of India as it prepares for its 2017 budget. Your feedback will be valuable in encouraging a continued focus on ‘ease of doing business,’ so we would be extremely grateful if you could take the time to make your views heard.
If you would like to discuss the survey or ‘ease of doing business’ in India, please get in touch by emailingtara.panjwani@ukibc.com.
Regeneris Consulting has been commissioned by Norfolk County Council to assess the wider economic benefits of the proposed dualling of two sections of the A47. The two proposed sections of the A47 being considered for dualling are:
The Acle Straight
Tilney to East Winch (eastern and western sections)
They want to hear the views of Norfolk businesses who use the A47 and, in particular, those businesses who currently use either or both of these sections of the A47. Your feedback will be vital in contributing to the evidence base around the road’s use, function and economic role.
Tech City UK is calling on the UK’s Tech Nation for an In-Depth Look into the Digital Economy
Tech City UK, the organization which accelerates the growth of digital businesses and skills across the country, is now asking the tech community in every region to complete its 2017 annual survey.
The new survey will take an even more in-depth look at how the digital economy is evolving, giving a greater voice to the UK’s tech communities and highlighting the considerable progress they are making.
They want to hear from people across the digital sector: tech businesses, academics, investors and other members of the ecosystem, can complete the survey in a few minutes. Whether you’re part of a tech company or the local ecosystem (e.g. accelerator, co-working space, university), they’d love you to represent your views in Tech Nation 2017!
The survey takes no more than 7 minutes and the deadline for completing the survey is Monday 05 December 2016. The report will be released in the first quarter of 2017.
Last year, the Tech Nation 2016 survey provided the most detailed analysis to date of how the digital sector was driving economic growth, showcasing the innovation and energy of tech hubs across the UK. The report was well received around the world and has become a beacon of information into the performance of 27 of the UK’s digital clusters.
Gerard Grech, CEO of Tech City UK, commented: “The Tech Nation report has become a leading resource to showcase the depth and breadth of the UK’s digital economy. Working with an incredible collection of local community partners, we’re able to see how each cluster is growing, the variety of tech businesses in each region and the potential impact on the wider economy. Last year’s report showed that the UK digital tech industry is growing 32 percent faster than other sectors and generating jobs 2.8 times faster. We’re eager to hear from people across the community to get a real feel for how we’re performing in 2017.”
The village of Croxton near Thetford, has today (Friday July 5) become the first community in the county to get connected to high-speed fibre broadband under a partnership between Norfolk County Council and BT.
Dozens of homes and businesses in the village can now access the new broadband technology, which provides download speeds of up to 80Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps , with the potential for even faster speeds in the future.
Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, said: “Access to superfast broadband will play a key factor in driving growth and boosting local economies around the UK. Norfolk was one of the first local authorities to bid successfully for funding under the framework contract, and I’m delighted that they’re also one of the first counties to be enjoying much faster speeds as a result.”
George Nobbs, Leader of Norfolk County Council, said: “We announced only last month that around 3,500 homes and businesses at about 30 locations in Norfolk will be able to access better broadband earlier than anticipated. There will be more and more of these announcements in the coming months and by the end of 2013 we will be well on our way to transforming our broadband landscape forever.”
Caroline Williams, chief executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, added: “It really is great to see this important milestone towards the Norfolk business community getting the faster broadband they need to the drive Norfolk’s economy forward.”
Bill Murphy, BT’s managing director for next generation access, said: “It is a fantastic achievement that people in Norfolk are already seeing the benefits of this programme. This investment in fibre broadband will boost the local economy and help to create or protect local jobs both in communities like Croxton village and across the whole of Norfolk. It will be of enormous benefit to local businesses which can use the faster speeds to improve their competitiveness both within the UK and abroad.”
George Freeman, MP for Mid Norfolk who has led for Norfolk MPs on broadband issues, commented: “It is excellent news that the first area to receive fibre broadband services in the UK under the BDUK framework is in Norfolk. This, alongside further investment in our communications and transport infrastructure, will enable Norfolk’s economy to thrive.”
The Better Broadband for Norfolk programme was launched to help large parts of Norfolk that currently suffer from slow or no broadband access. In 2011 the council pledged £15 million to the scheme, and this was matched by central Government as it became one of the first local authorities in the UK to be successful in bidding for BDUK funding under the framework contract.
In addition to covering the ongoing costs of supporting and maintaining the network, BT is making an £11 million contribution towards the cost of installing the fibre infrastructure, bringing the total capital investment in the project to £41 million. The deal between BT and the County Council means that more than 80 per cent of Norfolk’s homes and businesses are expected to be able to access high-speed fibre broadband services by the end of 2015. The programme also aims to provide all homes and businesses with a minimum broadband speed of 2Mbps within the same timescale.
For more information about the Better Broadband for Norfolk programme and to view the full list of the first 30 communities to benefit from the intial tranche of the Better Broadband programme, visit www.betterbroadbandnorfolk.co.uk.