As Coronavirus continues to impact the day-to-day operations of businesses across the UK, the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce stand ready to support you. We have created a range of resources to help address your concerns which can be found on our website.
Since March 2020, thousands of businesses across the UK have contributed to the Coronavirus Business Impacts Tracker. Your views have gone directly to the highest levels of Government and have formed one of the most important datasets shaping the economic response throughout the crisis.
In this 5 minute survey, please feel free to give your views on business conditions, Coronavirus business support schemes, and possible changes flowing from the introduction of the EU-UK trade agreement on 1 January. A link to the survey is below: COVID-19 and Brexit Survey
Your views have never been more important for both your own business and all others within the business community.
Norfolk County Council have released their business ratepayers consultation for 2021/2022. With a very challenging year for everyone last year, the budget for the coming financial year had to make allowances for the continuing response to the Covid-19 pandemic; dealing with Brexit and reducing carbon.
There is major uncertainty about government funding beyond 2021-22, including uncertainty linked with impact of COVID-19 and leaving the EU. As well as significant uncertainty around impact of COVID-19 on council tax and business rates income 2021-22. Therefore Norfolk County Council are proposing to increase council tax by 3.99% in 2021-22 (including 2% Adult Social Care precept), with a further 1% increase in Adult Social Care precept deferred to 2022-23.
A Capital Programme of £537.660m is proposed for 2021-25+ reflecting significant capital investment in major projects including:
Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing.
Long Stratton bypass.
Programme to improve SEND school provision
The County Council have also provided a presentation to outline key spending decisions, which can be viewed here.
They are very keen to hear from the Norfolk business community. Please give your feedback via: HaveYourSay@norfolk.gov.uk by 31 January 2021.
With over 125 years in business, Norfolk Chambers of Commerce places emphasis on supporting more Norfolk businesses by embracing digital communities.
As Norfolk’s largest business membership network, Norfolk Chambers of Commerce is aiming to give local businesses even more opportunities to connect, engage and collaborate.
With a mission of Connecting, Supporting and Giving Voice to Every Business in Norfolk, the non-profit organisation is turning up the volume on how and where businesses can get advice and support.
Norfolk Chambers has already launched two new exciting digital platforms – Norfolk’s Voice – a members only e-zine, and the first stage of Norfolk Knowledge Hub, a knowledge and skills sharing platform that is free to use for all.
The move to become a Digital Chamber has been a long time in the planning. Last year Norfolk Chambers introduced Vice Chairman of the Social Media Council at the DMA and director of award-winning digital marketing and social media experts SocialB, Lynsey Sweales, as its President. With over 16 years’ experience in digital marketing working with clients such as Google and Aston Martin, Lynsey brings in a wealth of experience to help encourage companies to embrace digital innovation and grow their business online.
There has also been a change to Norfolk Chambers’ senior management team. Nova Fairbank who was previously Head of Policy, Governance & Public Affairs has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and Paul Vincent, previously Financial Controller has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer.
Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chambers said: “This investment in change is part of the development and growth of the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce. As a Chamber we provide networking opportunities, share knowledge, offer business advice and support, signpost to business opportunities and inspire innovative thinking to enable companies to do better business. These new digital platforms and new roles within the Chambers will enable us to remain relevant and help support many more Norfolk businesses in their quest to get ready to grow.”
On Thursday 10th January I had the absolute pleasure of spending the evening at City College Norwich’s Debut restaurant for a Cyber-Security themed dinner. It was an intimate affair with the option of a mojito mocktail or prosecco on arrival, I opted for the prosecco of course. With around 20 people in the room it was easy to speak to a number of different people most of whom had never been to the restaurant before and were looking forward to it as much as I was.
Reception part of the evening over we were called to our seats for dinner to begin, I have to admit I was rather excited by the prospect of a mystery dinner and it did not disappoint. The food was absolutely outstanding, especially given that the entire thing was executed by the college’s Hospitality Apprenticeship students. It was a four-course affair with a pea and mint soup amuse bouche; crispy goats cheese, beetroot texture, and French salad starter; duck breast with parsnip, red cabbage, and potatoes; and a salted caramel and chocolate tart for pudding. Every single course was outstanding and presented to a very high standard, the students serving us were very professional and I’m sure will go on to have fantastic careers in the hospitality industry. I had the pleasure of being seated next to one of the degree apprenticeship officers from the college who explained that many of the students go on to work on cruise ships, in high level kitchens, and private yachts and I can certainly see why! Before the speakers took their place on the stairs (in lieu of a stage) we were presented with truffles and tea, which went down an absolute treat. I even joked to some of the people on my table that I have had worse food and service in a restaurant!
The evening was focused on cyber-security and made possible with the help of Cyberfen so after we had finished our outstanding dinner came the presentation portion of the evening. First up with Peter Cubbin who’s main message was for us to forget the technology, something you don’t expect to hear at a cyber-security evening, or at least I certainly didn’t. He highlighted that often when organisations experience disruption to their processes it’s usually because they are collateral damage of a larger attack, his example was the Wannacry virus which put large swathes of the NHS on lockdown in 2017. He argued that this could have been avoided if organisations had updated their systems to take on a security patch released by Microsoft in the months running up to the attack.
Next up was Deborah Cubbin who explained to the room that businesses need to be considering the wider repercussions of an attack on the business as a whole. She said that too often the onus is put on the IT and Security team to fend off an attack whereas business leaders should in fact be involving themselves in security. When a business experiences an attack it can have a detrimental impact on their reputation and therefore should be considered a business issue as opposed to a technical issue.
Finally Paul Maskell took to the stage with the message that organisations need to be taking people’s data more seriously. He used the hypothetical situation of me asking to borrow his car, he would be happy to lend it to me but he had previous experience of doing so to Kieren who had not treated it very well and in turn leant it to his friend who had taken it for a jolly down to London. His point was that when I asked to borrow his car, where he previously would have agreed, due to his negative experience with Kieren he would be less inclined to do so. He said the same is true for customer’s data, they trust us as businesses to look after it and do the right thing when they give it to us, companies that betray this trust make customers more wary of sharing it in future. We should be protecting data as if it is the most important thing to us.
The evening closed with a short introduction to the new Information Technology and Computing, Level 3 City College are running from September 2019. The course has been designed alongside employers and teaches students both the technical and soft skills they need to succeed in the workplace.
I was absolutely delighted to be invited to such a great evening and will definitely be attending the next one, assuming I get an invite of course!
Commenting on the announcement of the fund, Nova Fairbank, Chief Operating Officer for Norfolk Chamberssaid:
“This is a welcome first step in dealing with some of the major issues that small businesses trading with the EU are facing. With their finances already under a significant squeeze firms, particularly those which export, are inevitably encountering difficulties in adapting to the complexities of the new arrangements.
“It is now crucial that the grants provide sufficient funds to make a real difference and the government should stand ready to increase their size if needed. We will continue working closely with government to make sure this scheme is delivered as quickly and smoothly as possible for firms still adapting to the new EU trading arrangements and the impact of the pandemic.
“The Norfolk Chamber will also continue to offer as much direct support as we can to SMEs especially through ChamberCustoms and our other International Trade Services.
Having lived, worked and raised my family in Norfolk for well over 25 years now, it’s kind of easy for me to articulate the many great things our region has on offer. Simply put, it is just a fantastic, supportive place to be. I’m guessing though if you’re reading this, then you probably already know. Sure, there’s a shopping list of things we need to make the region better: roads, connectivity, and 5G for example, but compared to many other locations the positives truly outweigh the negatives. Not everyone, in Norfolk, is aware of this fact, (well some are), but not many …. yet! Brand Norwich and Norfolk In the years before I took this role of Chamber CEO, hearing people refer to the place I lived and worked inaccurately would make me smile. I would think to myself. “Pfffft, whatever. Go ahead and believe the outdated stereotype, I know the truth.” Now I see things very differently. Our region (Norwich, Norfolk, the East, my road etc.) has some of the most creative, innovative and world-leading businesses to boast about. Changing the inaccurate perception of ‘place’, rather than being a niggle is now one of my biggest goals. If the understanding of our region remains in the past, then students in our schools, or to put it a better way: ‘your future workforce’ will not consider that their future is on their doorstep. You are on are on their doorstep! Perception comes before investment! Consider this, our creative, innovative, and future world-leading businesses need the best connectivity. The agricultural community needs the best connectivity to make the most of new technology designed to save time, money, fuel and more. If the perception of place by decision makers outside the region, who are responsible for making these decisions, is outdated then it makes the job of getting what we need (not want, NEED) much harder. We need to update the perception of our region as ‘perception is our reality.’ If the perception remains outdated it will hold us back from the many things we need. JFK Former American President, John F Kennedy’s inaugural speech of 1961 was a ground-breaking speech of the time. Kennedy gave a clear message of hope, and a new approach of peace with the focus on, the relationship with the international stage. He asked for his fellow Americans to join him on the journey and make an oath, to no longer look inwards, but outwards and beyond, and for all his citizens to be responsible for their country’s journey and its future. “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” Norfolk businesses, need to go on a similar metaphoric journey. We can change our voice and therefore the true perception of our region and to do so we must work as a collective and not as an individual. Our narrative of the region – let’s be clear The way we tell our story, about what we do and who we are is key to everything. How we speak, the stories we tell and the words we write. We are all ambassadors responsible for our futures and the new generations of worker’s futures too. Remember if we don’t tell anyone about what we do, how will they know? How will they understand the correct use of ‘place,’ how and why they should ‘invest’. There are three things to collectively doThing 1: We need to be seen. Online consumption has changed the game for every business. You must now master the art of storytelling and create digital content. Show the world what you do, share the environment you work in, live in and play in. Now! The Chamber will help and if you create it, we will broadcast it. ‘Norfolk’s Voice’ is a soon to be launched as a digital channel, it’s all part of our transformation program to allow a greater voice for business. It will need your content, your stories, your voice. The narrative of the ‘now.’ Why? Because in Norfolk the now is the ‘WOW’! Thing 2: “you can’t sell on a negative!” No one I’m sure will have a tin of Yeoman’s pie filling in their cupboard, if you have, throw it away as I think they stopped production in the 1980s, so it will probably make you poorly, anyway back in the 1980’s Yeoman’s ran an unusual marketing with the slogan ‘guaranteed, no lumps of fat or gristle.’ Doesn’t sound very appealing does it… lumps of fat or gristle! Leaves you feeling a little queasy, but I can see what they were trying to do. However, the approach runs the danger of associating you with the thing you’re trying so hard, not to be associated with. 100% pure beef would have worked better! We ‘Norfolk folk’ have a bit of a habit of referencing the misperception of the region first, before highlighting the positives, “People say Norfolk is the end of the line. But it really isn’t!” Why is being the end of a line a negative? Surely, the end of your journey is where everything starts, a beginning, not an end? Don’t highlight negatives, particularly ones that no longer exist. “Norwich used to have the black death in the 1600s, but it’s been eradicated now, well several centuries ago!” How far back do you want to go? Close the book on the negatives, place the book on a high shelf and let it collect dust. Thing 3: Like JFK make an oath! Do something every day or every week for Norfolk. Something that you do, see, find or hear that accentuates a positive. There are loads to choose from. See it, share it, and put a Norfolk wrapper around it that talks about the place my favourite is #brilliantnorwich, #brilliantnorfolk. Think of the power of the collective, If we all did this, imagine the effect. If we don’t do these three things the negatives will prevail. They are easy to find, they get lots of coverage sadly. So, make the oath, and restore the balance. It’s all about the Now.
Commenting on the latest GDP figures published today by the ONS, BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, said:
“The UK economy recorded stronger than expected growth in the final quarter of 2020 as the squeeze on output from the November lockdown was more than offset by a temporary boost from the release of pent-up demand from the subsequent easing in restrictions, increased activity from the coronavirus testing schemes and Brexit stockpiling.
“Despite avoiding a double-dip recession, with output still well below pre-pandemic levels amid confirmation that 2020 was a historically bleak year for the UK economy, there is little to cheer in the latest data.
“Modest growth at the end of 2020 is set to be followed by a substantial fall in output in the first quarter of this year as the current lockdown, the unwinding of Brexit inventories and disruption to UK-EU trade flows combine to suffocate activity.
“While the vaccine rollout offers optimism, with the scarring caused by the pandemic likely to crystallise as government support winds down and the prospect of persistent post-Brexit disruption, any recovery may be slower than the Bank of England currently predicts.
“The current drip-feed approach to support measures means firms cannot plan for more than a few weeks ahead. It is critical that the government swiftly implements a package of measures that support businesses and the economy for the whole of 2021, including removing the cliff-edges for business rate reliefs, VAT deferrals and furlough.”
The Norfolk Chamber Board has appointed successful Norfolk entrepreneur Chris Sargisson as the new Chief Executive to succeed Caroline Williams, who is stepping down after 17 years in the role.
Commenting on the changeover of Chief Executive, Jonathan Cage, Norfolk Chamber President said: “We wish our current Chief Executive Caroline all the best in her new career. She has played a key role in the success of the Norfolk Chamber since 2000 so it’s been an extremely important exercise to select the right candidate both to build on Caroline’s many achievements and take this important organisation forward.”
Chris Sargisson will head Norfolk’s premier biggest business membership organisation starting in June. “He strikes the right balance of proven business experience and successful entrepreneurial behaviour” said Jonathan Cage.
Chris was educated and lives in Norwich with his wife and two children. He worked in the 1990s shaping Norwich Union Direct before leaving to set up and launch its4me plc, one of the UK’s most successful online car insurance brokers and major Norwich employer. Chris also created House Revolution, one of the UK’s first online estate agencies, alongside running his own business consultancy practice which has helped organisations of all sizes across the UK.
The Greater South East Energy Hub installer Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Energy Efficiency Measures is now live.
This is an opportunity for PAS2030:2019 and MCS accredited trades to access £69 million energy efficiency measures to be delivered by local authorities across the Greater South East region in 2021. The Dynamic Purchasing System will be running until March 2026 and will be available for all local authorities and social housing providers in the Greater South East region to use to procure contractors for energy efficiency measures.
A Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is public sector procurement tool for buying works, services and goods. The Greater South East Energy Hub Trades DPS is a two-stage process, the first stage is setup, all suppliers who meet the selection criteria are admitted to the DPS. Suppliers can join each month when the opportunity opens. Individual contracts for works are awarded in the second stage. In this second stage the authority invites all suppliers on the DPS (or the relevant category within the DPS) to bid for the specific contract. This is suitable for small to medium sized companies.
The Greater South East Energy Hub are holding a free supply chain event on the 23 March 2021 in association with the Built Environment Network to explain how it works, what the jargon means, pitfalls to avoid and how to get on board. Don’t worry if you are not ready to join the DPS this month as the portal for new suppliers will open every month.
Not accredited to PAS2030 or MCS? – Free or subsidised training is now available for tradespeople or businesses who install energy efficiency measures or low carbon heating and want to carry out work under the Green Homes Grant schemes:
The Kickstart Scheme has been underway since September 2020 and has now seen 120,000 16-24-year olds find employment.
The Kickstart Scheme, which is fully Government funded, is aimed at 16-24-year olds who are on universal credit and who may find it more challenging to access the world of work, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.
The scheme offers six-month work placements of which the Government will pay 100 per cent of the young persons’ age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week, which the employer can top up if they chose to in both salary and hours. In addition, the Government will also pay the employer £1500 for each young person they take on, to support any training or associated costs like uniforms that they might incur when setting up the scheme.
Recently it was granted that companies with less than 30 vacancies can now apply directly via DWP without using a Gateway, however, the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce is a recommended Gateway and without cost to you, will help you with your application and liaise with the DWP in ensuring your application is successful. We can also assist with any training needs you require from recommending and putting you in touch with training providers, as well as saving you time in the application process while making the whole process as smooth as possible.
Yesterday, the Sunday Times published an open letter from the UK’s leading business organisations, including the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), on behalf of the Chamber network.
The leaders of the BCC, CBI, EEF, Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Business all joined together to call on the Government to ensure that the Brexit negotiations take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and that they engage continuously with UK business interests on the many crucial and complex aspects of our future economic relationship with the European Union.
Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“As the Government prepares to move forward with Brexit, the aim must be to protect and strengthen our Norfolk economy and the wider UK economy. How to do this, means working in real partnership with all businesses, local and national to draw upon on expertise.
The challenge for such a partnership is for key influencers to agree and work towards a common goal. The proactive behaviour from the leaders of the British Chambers of Commerce, alongside the four UK-wide business organisations, who collectively have a great many people across the region has resulted in the formulating, agreeing and submitting of a joint statement to Government on the UK’s future relationship with the European and expressing clearly the principles for our economic success and prosperity.”
The Philippines is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with an economic growth of 6.8% in 2016, and a remarkably positive GDP growth trajectory over the past decade projected at 7% by 2018. It is the second largest market in ASEAN with 103 million people, the 36th largest economy in the world (by nominal GDP) and is forecasted to become the 19th largest economy by 2030. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently predicted the sustained growth momentum in the country. Key drivers of growth are services sectors (i.e. real estate, manufacturing and tourism), strong domestic consumption, high remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) amounting to $26 billion annually and recently, the increased public spending of the government.
Opportunities
Strategically located in Southeast Asia, the Philippines is an ideal market for doing business particularly for companies that are looking to set up a regional operation. Seeing infrastructure as the bedrock of economic development, a huge opportunity lies within the infrastructure and construction sector. The government recently launched its ‘build, build, build’ campaign as it paves way towards the next six years’ “golden age of infrastructure”. British companies are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities. Other strong sectors include information and communication technology, food and beverage (F&B), agribusiness, real estate, energy, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and healthcare.
Strengths
The Philippines takes pride in its competitive wages and highly trainable, educated and English-proficient workforce, which heightens the ease of doing business. It has strong domestic consumption and a growing middle class with high appetite for imported brands/ products. The government has a positive attitude on foreign investment/ importation, with 2016 FDI inflows amounting to $8 billion. Services sector remains the main engine of economic growth catering to international companies through its young and dynamic human capital.
For more information about opportunities in the Philippines, please contact Rona Diaz.