Chamber News

Welcome Nicole (pictured left) and Jordan (pictured right) who have started working at Norfolk Chamber of Commerce this month. They are both joining the newly created Customer Experience Team, with the aim of finding out about our 950+ members and how we can best support them. 

Find out more about them below and why they are excited about working for Norfolk’s largest business membership organisation. 

Nicole Risby 

Nicole spent most of her young adult years working for the family business, Turners and Moore. Her father purchased this company when she moved to England in 2005 from Puerto Rico. When her father retired he promoted Nicole and her brother to Directors, and they worked alongside one other for four years. Nicole decided she wanted to move on from the family business to experience more opportunities, from there she worked for Youngs Doors, part of the RG Carter Group, as admin/transport co-ordinator. She then worked at Anglian Home Improvements in 2017 in the Quality Assurance Team ensuring calls were compliant and coaching agents on improving call quality and customer satisfaction.

On starting her role today, Nicole said: “I have always been interested in the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, the support that is provided for new businesses to grow, develop and seize an opportunity is aid we need in today’s society where there are so many barriers and obstacles. I am a people person, so meeting customers and helping them excel their business is going to be so rewarding. It’s important that we all come together and help each other succeed, that is what excites me about this opportunity. I am grateful to have found not just ‘a job´ but what I hope to be a long career here within the Chamber.”

Jordan Domin

Jordan has spent the last two years working as a recruitment consultant for one of the largest agencies in East Anglia. She really enjoyed her time with them as it gave her the opportunity to meet and speak to so many different people but when the opportunity to work for the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce came up she jumped at the chance. Before working in recruitment Jordan was a trainee manager for a national wine merchants and has a qualification in wine, although she admits her skills are now somewhat rusty, she stills enjoy the odd glass or two. Jordan also has a small dog that she enjoys exploring the wilds of Norfolk with and drags along with her most places she goes.

Jordan started her new role last week and said: “I’m really excited to be joining a team that’s building a new experience for both members and non-members and looking forward to getting involved in the numerous events they hold throughout the year. In my first few days it’s been interesting learning about their current way of doing things and the chance to build on this and increase engagement with both member and non-members is really exciting for me.”

You may well see Nicole or Jordan at an event very soon. If you would like to get in touch about membership please call 01603 625977 or email hello@norfolkchamber.co.uk

The Government has announced today its intention to fit full-fibre broadband as standard in all new homes. 

But did you know there is already voucher scheme available, where small businesses can claim up to £3,000 against the cost of connection?

Full fibre broadband connections offer the fastest and most reliable speeds available, and the Department of Digital, Culture Media and Sport has recently announced a UK-wide £67m Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which is open to Norfolk businesses and residents.

Gigabit vouchers can be used by small businesses and the local communities surrounding them to contribute to the installation cost of a gigabit capable connection. Businesses can claim up to £3,000 against the cost of connection, either individually or as part of a group project. 

It is also possible for multiple businesses to pool their vouchers i.e. if there are 10 businesses on a business park and they all apply, that’s £30,000 towards the connection costs (for installation and other year 1 costs).

For more information and how to apply click here

Norfolk Chamber and our partners are calling on all businesses in Norfolk to give their support for our Just Dual It! Campaign, which aims to get the A47 fully dualled.

Since March this year, Norfolk Chamber, the EDP, and Norfolk County Council have been campaigning to convince the Government to commit to dualling the A47 trunk road from Lowestoft in the east, right across Norfolk and through to Peterborough in the west. 

Currently just 47% of this major route is dual carriageway and while Highways England have committed to making £300m of improvements to the road, including dualling some stretches, this will still leave substantial sections of the A47 as single carriageway, with no current plans to dual them.

Whilst we have received significant support for the campaign from across the east of England, we have been advised by central Government that evidencing support from key businesses along the A47 route will be crucial to our chances of success – which is where you come in.

If you agree with us that the A47 is vital to the region’s economy and believe getting the road fully dualled will benefit your business, please help us to make the case to the Government as strongly as we can by completing the enclosed outline template and returning it to us by either email: nova.fairbank@norfolkchamber.co.uk

Or by post:

Nova Fairbank

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

9 Norwich Business Park, Whiting Road, Norwich, NR4 6DJ

We have tried to make it as easy as possible for you to support the campaign, we hope it will take you no more than a few minutes. Your combined support will be vital in helping us to secure the much needed funding to dual the A47.

We need your responses back by Friday 31 August 2018, ahead of going down to Westminster in Autmn to present our case to Department for Transport ministers. Please help us make it impossible for the Government to ignore us.

Complete and send your response now.

With the Government’s recent decision to approve expansion of Heathrow Airport having been welcomed as offering a post-Brexit boost for exporters, it is easy to forget that more than £7 million worth of goods are traded through nearby Gatwick Airport.

Now a new report aims to highlight the role of Gatwick in supporting international trade.

Published by Oxford Economics, Gatwick’s Economic Contribution Through Trade and Investment examines the contribution that the airport makes to the British economy through its role in facilitating international trade and investment, both directly and indirectly.

Air cargo operations saw some 97,000t move through the airport in 2017, with an estimated value of £7.5 billion in international goods transported between the UK and overseas markets.

Exports from the UK accounted for 70% of that trade value, imports making up the other 30%.

Oxford Economics calculates that, once multiplier impacts are taken into account, the trade activity centred on Gatwick Airport added £7.2 billion to the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year.

Those multiplier activities also helped, claims the report, to sustain 113,800 jobs across the UK.

Much of the region’s economic activity is centred around the airport, which is why there is a greater concentration of company headquarters clustered in the region around Gatwick than in London noted former Transport Minister Steve Norris, who is now Chair of the Gatwick Growth Board.

Those high-value industries attract significant foreign investment and trade activity, he added, with access to international markets being a key reason why they invest and locate in the region.

Commenting for Gatwick Diamond Business, which represents businesses across the region, Chief Executive Jeremy Taylor said that, while the report highlights Gatwick’s important role supporting regional exporters, it also shows that much more can be done to promote the airport to other businesses and cargo companies.

Following the re-launch of the Norfolk Chamber in West Norfolk, we are now seeking to appoint new members to become part of the West Norfolk Chamber Council.

The West Norfolk Chamber Council will consist of a cross-section of the local business community and aims to represent the main business sectors within the local area, particularly key sectors such as manufacturing, professional services and IT/Digital companies.

One of the roles of the West Norfolk Chamber Council is to promote the views of the local businesses in the area, both to the Norfolk Chamber Main Board and to other local stakeholders, such as the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Norfolk County Council and both LEPs. Regular meetings are also held with the local MPs, to ensure the West Norfolk business voice is carried to Westminster.

As a member of the West Norfolk Chamber Council, you would have the opportunity to make a difference to West Norfolk and ensure your views and those of your counterparts are heard.

For more information please click here.

As Norfolk Day approaches we launch details of our #15SecBiz video premier, to be held at Norwich Cathedral on Friday 27 July.

Join us as we screen all of the #15SecBiz videos we’ve been recieving over the last few weeks. We’ll also be giving out our special ‘Norfolk Day Oscar’ to the best #15SecBiz video that really gives the ‘wow’ factor and shows how great Norfolk really is for businesses.

Network with fellow Norfolk businesses and hear from our CEO Chris Sargisson about why Norfolk is such a great place to do business, whilst enjoying a light buffet from Norwich Cathedral. See the full agenda below:

Agenda: 12:00 Arrival for light refreshments  12:15 Presentation from our CEO, Chris Sargisson           #15SecBiz video showreel           Light lunch  13:30 Oscar voting closes & prize giving 14:00 Event close Don’t worry if you haven’t made your #15secbiz video yet, there is still time to get your video to us and be in with the chance of winning the award. Visit our webpage for more information. Click here! Find out more about the event: click here!

Commenting on the labour market figures for July 2018, published today by the ONS, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“Robust jobs growth, together with another drop-in unemployment, is further evidence of the continued strength of the UK labour market.

“The second successive slowdown in regular pay growth is disappointing. This means that earnings growth in real terms remains in positive territory by just a small margin and so is unlikely to provide much of a boost to consumer spending power. UK wage growth continues to be undermined by poor productivity and the marked impact of underemployment. The failure to tackle the escalating burden of upfront business costs is also weighing on the extent to which pay is able to rise.

“The increase in the number of job vacancies to a new record high is further evidence of chronic skills shortages, a key business concern. Firms continue to report that they are facing an uphill struggle to find staff with the right skills, which is stifling business activity and productivity.

“While we expect that interest rates will rise sooner rather than later, with earnings growth underwhelming there remains sufficient scope for the MPC to keep a rates hike on hold for longer, particularly given the current economic and political uncertainty. Instead, more must be done to support firms looking to recruit and upskill their workforce, including reforming the Apprenticeship Levy to ensure its fit for purpose, easing upfront business costs and delivering a future migration system that helps, rather than hinders UK productivity and growth.”

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is looking for sponsors and partners to help deliver the UK Pavilion at World Expo 2020 Dubai. This major event will run from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021.

DIT explains: “Working with us to establish a presence at the largest business, economic and cultural event in the world will give you a global platform to gain significant commercial exposure and help the UK create a truly spectacular presence at the Expo.”

The theme of Expo 2020 Dubai is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.

According to DIT, it signals the global need to work together to inspire future generations and to develop partnerships across sectors, organisations and geographies to address the many needs of a fast-changing world.

The UK’s theme for the Expo is “The UK – innovating for a shared future”. It will have a self-build pavilion located in the Opportunity district of the Dubai site. The three sub-themes of the Expo are opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Aiming to drive significant trade and inward investment for the UK, DIT will use the Expo to highlight a number of key sectors, including infrastructure and finance, technology, healthcare, consumer goods, catering and food and drink.

Any company wanting to register an expression of interest, in either cash or value in kind sponsorship, should contact the Sponsorship and Partnerships team at DIT by 31 July 2018.

Contacts include Fay Wiltshire (fay.wiltshire@trade.gov.uk) and Rebekah O’Connor (rebekah.oconnor@trade.gov.uk).

For the first time Norfolk Chamber has decided to enter the Grand Norwich Duck Race, in support of charity member Break. The Grand Norwich Duck Race will be held on Sunday 26th August where corporate and community groups will bring their decorated ducks to race from St George’s Bridge to St Fye’s Bridge, outside the Ribs of Beef Public House. After much deliberation and duck puns around the office, we are excited to reveal the name of our duck: Harry Quacker & the Chamber of Commerce! Harry Quacker was designed and hand-painted by our very own Sam Brown. You can keep up-to-date with Harry Quacker through Twitter – @HarryQuacker. Break support young people in care and moving on; children and young people with disabilities, families in need of support and children at risk, across East Anglia. Throughout 2018 Break are also celebrating 50 years changing the lives of vulnerable children and young people.  Activities will begin from 11am including a cake stall, ice creams, face painting, Archers Butcher’s sausage stall, little duck stall, games and other activities. The main events are: 2.00pm – Individual Duck Race – 3,000 little ducks will take to the water to swim their way to the finish line 2.30pm – Large Painted Duck Race – large decorated ducks take to the water to compete to win the Grand Norwich Duck Race trophy Come along and support Harry Quacker & the Chamber of Commerce on Sunday 26th August as he magic’s his way to victory!   Find our more about the Grand Norwich Duck Race: click here

Following the successful launch of two new job initiatives, Breckland for Jobs and West Norfolk for Jobs in April this year, local employers are continuing the good work for Norfolk Day.

Norfolk Day is on Friday 27 July 2017 and is celebrating all that is great about Norfolk, from its people; its places; its culture; and its local business communities.  In celebration, we already have fifteen Breckland and West Norfolk for Jobs employers in King’s Lynn, Dereham and Thetford, who have agreed to open their doors for job seekers to visit them on Friday 27 July 2018.

The locations and the employers are listed below:

West Norfolk for Jobs Employers

• Associated British Ports
• Extra Hands
• Kenneth Bush Solicitors – King Street & New Conduit Street
• King’s Lynn Library
• Gaywood Library
• The Entertainer 
• Wilkinsons     

Breckland for Jobs Employers

• Cranswick Country Foods
• Hawk & Owl Trust 
• Independence Matters 
• Waitrose  
• Advanced Air                                                         
• Charles Burrell Centre
• Thetford Library
• Warren Services  

For more information and timings on the employers taking part – please see the attached PDFs.

For more information about West Norfolk and Breckland for Jobs , please contact Nikki David, Strategic Coordinators – Breckland & West Norfolk for Jobs on email: nikki.david@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Commenting on the release of the UK government’s long-awaited White Paper on the future UK-EU relationship, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“At last, businesses have a more comprehensive understanding of the Government’s aspirations for the UK’s future relationship with the European Union.

“This vision should not have taken two years and three weeks to emerge, but it is nevertheless a welcome starting point for businesses.

“Momentum and pace are now needed to translate ambition into answers to the real-world, practical questions that businesses face. Even with the welcome direction of travel in the White Paper, companies still don’t know how they’ll be paying VAT, how they can move people between offices, or whether goods will get across borders with a minimum of fuss. It is incumbent on the two sides to work pragmatically and productively on the nuts-and-bolts detail of the future relationship over the coming weeks, drawing on business experience and expertise.

“Time is short – and for businesses, it’s results that count.”

Following publication of the White Paper, the leading business organisation maintained 22 ‘red-rated’ and 2 ‘amber-rated’ issues on its Business Brexit Risk Register, which brings together the 24 top questions being asked by businesses across the UK. On this, Marshall added:

“Businesses still need clear and detailed answers on many of the practical, real-world questions they face. Many of these answers can only emerge through negotiations – so it’s time for the two sides to crack on and get to a deal. And we have said many times, and will say again, that the UK government must deliver clarity wherever the answers to business questions are entirely within the UK’s own control.”

The British Chambers of Commerce also urged the UK Government to step up preparations for all eventualities – including ‘no deal’ scenarios — to ensure that businesses have clarity on how the UK would operate its borders, immigration system and regulations in the event of a breakdown in negotiations. Adam Marshall said:

“Firms need clear guidance from the UK government on preparations for all eventualities, so that they know how critical systems and borders would operate in the unwelcome scenario where a comprehensive deal cannot be reached.”

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) today (Monday) publishes its Quarterly Economic Survey – the UK’s largest and most authoritative private-sector business survey, and a lead indicator for UK GDP growth. Based on the responses of over 6,000 businesses, including those from Norfolk, the survey suggests that UK economic conditions remain sluggish, despite a modest improvement in activity in the second quarter of 2018.

In the dominant service sector, consumer-facing industries, such as hospitality and retail, continue to report tougher trading conditions. Cashflow and investment intentions are falling significantly for retailers in particular as consumer spending, a key driver of UK growth, continues to remain subdued.

In the manufacturing sector, the balance of firms reporting improved domestic sales rose in the quarter, and the balance of firms reporting improved orders increased to the highest level since Q1 2015. However, the size of the sector means that its contribution to UK growth remains limited. Nationally and in the East of England, the balance of manufacturers reporting improved export sales and orders eased in the second quarter, whilst Norfolk manufacturers reported increases in their export sales and orders.  Overall this suggests that slowing global economic growth is forcing firms to look domestically for sales.

A number of the key forward looking indicators, if sustained, point to a subdued outlook. The number of businesses reporting that they are intending to invest fell in the quarter, and business confidence for both sectors also fell. The biggest concern for businesses, however, continues to be the difficulties they face when trying to access skills, with the percentage of firms reporting problems rising again.

All this shows the economy is in a holding pattern, with annual economic growth this year set to be the lowest since the financial crisis. Much more needs to be done to put the UK economy on a surer footing. The BCC calls for a push to fix the fundamentals for business – fixing the crisis-hit training system, improving connectivity, delivering infrastructure improvements, and incentivizing investment – to create a “Brexit hedge” for the economy.  At the same time, the government urgently needs to provide clarity on the real-world questions that businesses are asking on the UK’s status after leaving the European Union, to give firms a clear path that would enable them to invest and grow.

Key findings in the Q2 2018 survey:

Norfolk Manufacturing sector:

• The balance of firms reporting increased domestic sales rose from +16 to +35, while the balance reporting improved domestic orders also rose, from +23 to +35
• The balance of firms reporting increased export sales rose from +31 to +44. The balance reporting improved export orders also rose, from +26 to +31
• The balance of firms increasing investment in training fell, from +33 to +5, while the balance of those increasing investment in plant and machinery also fell from +33 to +30
• The percentage of firms looking to recruit remained steady at +30 while the number of those struggling to recruit rose significantly from +67 t0 +82
• Cashflow continues to be a concern within manufacturing, with just +10% reporting improved cashflow.
• The balance of firms expecting turnover to increase remained static +45 (from +46)
• 67% of firms in the sector expect the cost of their raw materials to rise in the next three months
• Confidence that profitability will improve over the next twelve months dipped from +35 to +30

Norfolk Services sector:

• The balance of firms reporting increased domestic sales rose from +19 to +34, while the balance reporting improved domestic orders rose considerably from +13 to +28
• The balance of firms reporting increased export sales also rose, from +8 to +35. The balance reporting improved export orders also rose substantially, to +22 from +6
• The balance of firms increasing investment in training rose to +22 from +13
• The percentage of firms looking to recruit rose from14% to 37%, but the number of those struggling to recruit also rose to 82% (from 63%)
• Cashflow is a concern, with just 12% reporting improved cashflow.
• The balance of firms expecting turnover to increase in the next year increased, from +24 to +59
• Confidence that profitability will improve over the next twelve months increased from +15 to +36

Commenting on the results, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:

“Amid growing international uncertainty, from escalating trade disputes to oil price rises, the UK economy continues to grow at a sluggish rate. Brexit is a key factor – but long-standing structural issues are also holding companies’ growth back.

“The availability of skilled staff remains the biggest issue that firms face. Unless the government gets a handle on the disarray in the training and apprenticeship system and sets out a clear immigration policy that enables firms to cover vacancies, the economic potential of many areas across the UK will continue to be held back. Scrapping the harmful Tier 2 visa cap – which handicaps firms in every part of the UK – would be a swift and powerful statement of intent.

“Business needs clarity on Brexit, and a strong domestic agenda that creates a ‘Brexit hedge’ as we navigate turbulence over the next few years. Big, bold action is needed for the UK to buck the current slow-growth trend – with major new incentives for business investment, confidence-boosting infrastructure projects, and a concerted effort to slash the up-front cost of doing business, which is putting consumer-facing businesses especially under intense pressure.”

Suren Thiru, Head of Economics, added:

“Our latest survey indicates that UK economic conditions remain subdued. While the modest pick-up in domestic activity points to a slight rebound in growth from a weak first quarter, there remains little evidence in the current data to suggest a sustained upturn in the UK’s economic growth prospects. 

“Activity in the key services sector remains moderate, with most of the main indicators still below their pre-EU referendum levels. While still high by historic standards, the easing in export sales in the manufacturing sector points to a tightening in trading conditions. With growth in key markets moderating and the impact of the post-EU referendum slump in sterling dissipating, the improvement in the UK’s trade position in Q1 may well be short lived. 

“The latest results also indicate that cost pressures eased markedly in the quarter, suggesting that inflation will drift downwards over the near term. Significantly, there remains very little evidence that above target inflation is translating to stronger pay settlements, with weak productivity and the high upfront cost of doing business continuing to limit the extent wages are able to rise.    

“Against this backdrop, the Bank of England’s recent rhetoric around raising interest rates continues to look ill-judged. With the UK economy seemingly stuck on a low growth path and inflation easing, it would be prudent for the MPC to provide greater monetary stability rather than undermining the UK’s growth prospects further.”