On the day that the National Living Wage comes into effect, The British Chambers of Commerce calls on the government to act cautiously as it increases the wage – or risk business investment, productivity, and growth.
Given that companies face a number of up-front costs, there is a risk that some firms could be forced to divert money away from investment in skills and infrastructure, which could hurt the UK’s productive potential.
Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“It is important that all Norfolk businesses, both large and small, understand the new National Minimum Wage regulations to ensure they are compliant with the new regulations which are now in effect. Low pay and low social mobility are challenge to the Norfolk economy, but they won’t be solved just by driving up wage rates. The best way to get a high-wage economy is through better education, training, and investment, by schools, universities and businesses alike.”
Dr Adam Marshall, Acting Director General of the BCC, said:
“As a member of the Living Wage Commission, I saw first-hand how a decent wage can transform people’s lives, as well as their performance at work. So we should celebrate every business that can, and does, make the commitment to pay each and every employee a living wage. That includes a significant majority of Chamber of Commerce members all across the UK.
“However, the government’s new National Living Wage will apply a ratchet effect to all companies’ pay bills, and sits alongside a raft of other high employment-related costs. It is unclear whether the NLW will spur productivity or strengthen businesses, communities or the economy as a whole. While many companies have the ability to increase pay, others will struggle to do so alongside pensions auto-enrolment, the apprenticeship levy, employer National Insurance contributions, and other up-front costs. Some will have to divert money from training and investment to increase pay, which could hurt their productivity. Others may stop hiring altogether.
“In the face of these concerns, the government must make a clear commitment to avoid over-burdening firms when it comes to future increases in the National Living Wage. Future increases must be proportionate, take account of other employment-related costs, and be based on clear and unequivocal evidence.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council have extended their deadline for receiving comments on their Housing Strategy to 15 April 2015.
The purpose of the survey is to input into their Housing Strategy, to ascertain whether there is a need for a specific type of housing in the Borough to attract or retain people, or whether housing is a small part of a much larger issue.
They want to discover if the supply of housing has a direct impact on your business, and if so, what type of housing you feel would help address this issue.
On 23 June 2016, the UK will settle the long running question of whether we should leave or remain within the European Union. No country has ever left the European Union before, so no one can predict the end results.
On Friday, 10 June 2016 from 2.30pm – 5pm, Norfolk Chamber will be holding a debate to give the Norfolk business community clear information on the viewpoint for both sides of the argument.
This will be one of the biggest choices facing the British electorate in a generation. We want to give you the opportunity to hear from both the Remain and Leave campaigns, and have the chance to ask for the clear evidence and information that businesspeople need in order to make an informed choice at the ballot box.
As part of the British Chambers of Commerce’s ongoing research programme into business sentiment towards the upcoming referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, the BCC is running amajorpollto measure business attitudes and impacts.The fieldwork for this survey is open from 5 April to 15 April.
The last EU poll from the British Chambers of Commerce, conducted in February 2016, highlighted over two-thirds (69%) of the senior businesspeople in the East of England, confirmed that the outcome of the Prime Minister’s renegotiation was unlikely to change how they will vote. This wasdespite large majorities saying they are familiar with theobjectives of therenegotiation package.
Views varied between categories of business, with those exporting only to the EU expressing the strongest support for “remain”, while those exporting only outside the EU expressing the strongest support for “leave”.
Commenting on the last BCC poll results, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said: “The findings suggested that for businesspeople, this was a question of in or out- not renegotiation. Business remained divided on Europe, andbusinessleaders’ views reflected the size of their firm and their export interests, rather than the current political debate. They are making rational economic choices based on their own interests.”
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of being a part of Europe? Would Britain be better off staying inside the club or going it alone?
Those in the ‘remain camp’ – the leading group being Britain is Stronger in Europe, highlight that 3 million jobs (one in every ten UK jobs) are linked to our trade with the EU[1] and the UK gets £66 million of investment from EU countries every day[2]. UK workers get vital protections because we’re in the EU: including guaranteed holiday and maternity leave, and protection from discrimination. According to figures from HMRC, 61% of small business export to the EU and 200,000 UK businesses trade with the EU.
Whereas those in the ‘leave camp’ – the main group being Vote Leave, believe that Britain is being held back by the EU, which they say imposes too many rules on business and charges billions of pounds a year in membership fees for little in return. They also want Britain to take back full control of its borders and reduce the number of people coming here to work. They also highlight that leaving the EU would result in an immediate cost saving, as the country would no longer contribute to the EU budget. Last year, Britain paid in £13bn, but it also received £4.5bn worth of spending[3].
Norwich City Council have released their latest economic barometer. The report highlighted:
Nationally
UK inflation remained the same in February 2016 at 0.3%
The Markit/CIPS manufacturing PMI fell below market expectations last month
New UK car sales rose to 84,000 for February.
The number of workers on zero-hours contracts for the main job rose
Locally
Aviva announced that its profits have grown by 20%
Building of the Quadrum Institute – a new centre for food and health research to be located at the NRP starts work this month. The anticipated opening will be in 2018
Primark have announced plans to expand their store front in June 2016
Gnaw, the handmade chocolate company has set itself a goal of adding 15 more world-wide markets this year.
Premier Travel is an independent and privately owned local travel agency with 80 years’ experience in making holiday arrangements, and has 17 branches throughout East Anglia. Since 1936 when our bus service first began in Cambridgeshire, we have grown substantially and are now well -established within the region – proudly trading at a range of locations across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.
Our five Norfolk-based branches are located within Norwich (at Bedford Street and Reepham Road), Dereham, Swaffham & Wymondham and we have been trading in the area for the past eight years – during which time our friendly teams have all built longstanding relationships with their customers and the local community.
At Premier Travel we pride ourselves on our knowledge and expertise – each of our staff are experts in their field and many have travelled extensively around the world; so can offer a first-hand insight to the destinations we sell. In addition, we also provide a fantastic personal service and a book by appointment facility, so you can pop in and speak to one of our experienced staff at a time that’s convenient for you.
As one of the leading independent travel agents in East Anglia, we are able to work with an extensive range of travel companies to bring you the widest possible choice when it comes to your holiday arrangements. Whether it’s a coach ticket, a UK break, a dream wedding overseas or a once-in-a-lifetime round the world trip – we can create the perfect holiday to suit your requirements at a budget to match. We also offer a specialist honeymoon gift list service too, meaning your friends and family can contribute towards part of your special holiday should they choose.
Whilst we can offer every type of holiday to suit your needs, we specialise in creating tailor-made itineraries to a wide range of worldwide destinations; in particular the Far East, Australasia, Southern Africa, the USA and Canada. We also offer a selection of holiday extras to enhance your trip – ranging from travel insurance and airport car parking to foreign currency; available to purchase at excellent rates of exchange, with no commission charged.
Premier Travel is also a member of ABTA so you will benefit from their assistance and Code of Conduct when you book with us, and many of the travel arrangements we provide are protected (please ask us about the protection applicable to your booking) for your peace of mind.
Find out why so many people trust us with their holidays by visiting your local Premier Travel branch, calling our specialist team or emailing us for a quote or further information. You can also find us online by visiting our website:
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey – Britain’s largest and most authoritative private sector business survey, based on over 8,500 responses from firms in Q1 2016 – suggests that growth in the UK economy continued to soften in the first quarter, with most key survey indicators either static or decreasing.
Several key indicators for the services sector – the UK’s main driver of economic growth – fell slightly this quarter, with domestic sales and orders reaching their lowest level for over three years. For manufacturing, domestic sales fell again, and remain low in historical terms.
While some manufacturing sector indicators have shown slight improvements, these increases are from a very low base. Combined with the slight weakening in some areas of the dominant services sector, the Q1 figures suggest a static picture- with potential downside risks for UK economic growth ahead.
Key findings in the Q1 2016 survey:
Overall, the figures for both the services and manufacturing sectors indicate continued growth. However, this has remained static across many indicators, and slackened in others.
In the Norfolk manufacturing sector there continued to be a decline in both export sales and orders (-25) and (-33) respectively. Domestic sales moved out of negative territory from (-8) in Q4 2015 to (0) this quarter, however home orders fell further to (-9).
However, more Norfolk manufacturing firms grew their workforce in the last three months (+2), but those expecting to recruit in the next 3 months declined to (+10) from (+18) in Q4 2015.
The Norfolk service sector showed mixed results, with domestic sales falling (+21) and orders remaining static (+11); whilst export sales and orders increased (+9) and (+3) respectively.
In both the Norfolk manufacturing and service sectors reported less difficulties in recruiting staff.
Confidence in turnover and profitability for both services and manufacturing remains low by historical standards
The balance of Norfolk manufacturers intending to increase prices fell sharply, from (+23) to (0) (reversing the rise of the previous quarter). The service sector balance decreased from (+22) to (+18).
The balance of firms intending to invest in plant and machinery and training either fell or remained static in the services sector
Whilst the number of Norfolk manufacturers investing in plant and machinery rose, but those investing in training fell.
Norfolk companies reported increased pressures for higher pay settlements (+37) in manufacturing, (+20) in services). In manufacturing, the level is still higher than before the financial crisis.
“Our latest QES survey results suggest that the Norfolk economy is in a holding pattern. While the majority of the picture is static overall, there are clear indications that economic growth is continuing to soften. From sales and orders, to confidence and investment intentions, many of the Norfolk business indicators are at a low ebb. However there continue to be opportunities and we will continue to support our businesses through these challenging times.”
Dr Adam Marshall, Acting Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“The softening environment should be a wake-up call for Westminster. Further action is likely to be needed to support business confidence, encourage trade and underpin investment in the months ahead.”
David Kern, BCC Chief Economist, added:
“These results are disappointing but not surprising. Although GDP growth for the previous quarter was upgraded slightly, our survey points to a slowdown in Q1 2016. This is the inevitable consequence of mounting global and domestic uncertainties, but it is nevertheless concerning that the vibrant and dominant services sector is likely to face mounting challenges in the next few years. The mediocre employment balances are a warning that we cannot afford to be complacent about the continued dynamism of our labour market.
“The improvement in the manufacturing export balances, probably helped by sharp falls in sterling, is welcome. But exports are still weak by historical standards. Our current account deficit has escalated to a record high in 2015 and is likely to remain unacceptably large in the next few years. Britain’s credit rating will be at risk, unless we make improving our trade balance and boosting our exports national priorities.
“In spite of the headwinds facing our economy, Britain has major areas of strength that can make a sustainable recovery possible, if correct policies are adopted. In this survey we report a few setbacks, but UK businesses are very resilient. Our labour market and the services sector remain dynamic, and Britain is still likely to grow faster than most other G7 economies in the next 2-3 years.”
Norfolk Chamber and Norse Commercial Services hosted a business leaders dinner last night. The dinner was held at the historic Kimberley Hall and the attendees heard a fascinating talk from Professor Tom Williamson on the history of Kimberley Hall and its links to Capability Brown.
The discussions centred around the challenges faced by the larger Norfolk businesses. Topics included: Devolution; the EU Referendum; how to engage with young people and young entrepreneurs; inward investment; and the perception of Norfolk to the UK and overseas.
On Thursday 7th April, over 70 Norfolk Chamber members joined us for a Business Breakfast at the Cliff Hotel in Gorleston. The venue provided us with a great setting in the newly refurbished Music Room. The room was full of buzz as the delegates networked over coffee and breakfast.
Caroline Williams, Chief Executive at the Norfolk Chamber kicked off the proceedings by welcoming delegates and thanking the event sponsors, New Anglia Growth Hub.
The first presentation of the morning came from Glen Moore, New Anglia Growth Hub, who explained what support the Growth Hub can provide for businesses. Glen focused his talk on the oil and gas industry as he explained the price of oil has substantially declined over the past year, and the role of the oil and gas sector.
Following Glen’s presentation, Events Coordinator Bryony introduced the networking activity: Table Networking Bingo! So, in true chamber style, delegates were able to network with a twist! The bingo cards were full of interesting activities, such as ‘I own a motorbike’ and ‘I can speak another language’, delegates were then asked to tick off any squares that were true to their table! When the results were in we had a tie between two tables with a score of 19 out of 25!
Once the room had settled down, our main speaker Fred Rogers of Subsea Protection Systems joined us to explain how his company has diversified to avoid the crash in oil prices. He began by giving a brief history of his company and how they have grown to international status. Fred then told delegates how SPS had avoided a previous crisis in 2008 by diversifying into Windfarm Protection, which helped them recognise that price of oil could not be sustained indefinitely and therefore, they needed to adapt further. The presentation finished off by an overview of the various industries they have now grown into, including, coastal and flood protection, offshore tidal turbines, and the farming industry. This subject was of particular interest to many of the members in the room as was shown by the attentive Q+A session.
The event was closed by an update from the Norfolk Chamber’s events team, and thanks were given to our members, the event sponsors: New Anglia Growth Hub, our featured Charity: Independence Matters and to the venue.
Delegates were then able to get in some final networking to make those all important contacts.
Exporting is GREAT aims to inspire and support 100,000 additional UK exporters to sell their goods and services overseas by 2020.Launched in November 2015, Exporting is GREAT partners with major UK businesses, to support companies at every stage of their exporting journey – from identifying opportunities to winning contracts overseas.
Atwww.exportingisgreat.gov.ukUK businesses can register their interest for real-time global export opportunities. The site contains thousands of exportopportunities – worth hundreds of millions of pounds and organised by sector and market – which are easily accessible. A thousand new opportunities are being uploaded each month.
At Norfolk Chamber we can assist Norfolk businesses on their export journey from introductions to overseas Chambers, training staff on all aspects of exporting, communicating with clients in their own language through our Translation Service to our Documentation Serviceto get goods through customs.
We are here to assist you -if you have any questions please contact the team on 01603 729715 or e-mailexport@norfolkchamber.co.uk.
On Thursday 28th April, 80 members attended our Norwich Breakfast to find out how they can be better connected in their business using cloud computing.
Delegates networked over coffee and breakfast, with an incredible view of the groundsat Norwich City Football.
After much success at the Great Yarmouth Breakfast in January, we started the event withatwist on a popular networking activity – ‘Speed’ Safari Networking.
With everyone on their feet in an open space, delegates had 4 safari moves and 5 minutes at each table, allowing them the opportunity to network with up to 28 different people! We once again received fantastic feedback from this activity as it created a real buzz in the room and kept the conversations flowing during breakfast.
After guests were treated to a delicious Full English breakfast, they heard from guest speaker Craig Davies, Target Cloud Consulting. Craig gave an informative and engaging presentation on how cloud computing can revolutionise your business.
Here’s some of the great feedback we recieved on the day:
To take advantage of these great networking opportunities, book now for our next Norwich Business Breakfast.
A major survey of businesses across England and Wales has found that more than a third – 36% – of businesses believe that the most important thing the government could do for business is provide grants towards the cost of installing energy efficiency measures.
The BCC and British Gas survey, of over 2,100 businesses of all sizes and sectors, also shows that many of the businesses who rent or lease their premises feel that they have no influence over energy efficiency improvements on their site.
The findings suggest that in addition to financial aid, there is more to do from suppliers and government to promote the wider use of smart meters to help companies reduce their energy costs, while at the same time businesses should review their existing contracts and switch if necessary, in order to feel the benefit of a fall in wholesale prices.
Key results in the survey:
The largest share – 36% – of the businesses surveyed feel that the most important thing the government could do for business is provide grants towards the cost of installing energy efficiency measures
Only 8% feel that more information would help them in this aim, while just 4% say that financing options such as lease agreements and low-cost loans would help
Only 13% of businesses have seen a decrease in their energy costs over the last three years, compared to 35% that have seen prices rise, and 37% with little or no change
When asked what is preventing businesses from investing in energy efficiency measures, 23% of the largest firms said that other investments were taking priority, compared with 13% overall, and 15% of businesses state that savings would not be worth the cost of investment
Just over a quarter – 27% – of businesses who rent their premises state that they have no influence on energy efficiency improvements
Only 6% of businesses say that the wider use of smart meters is the most important thing that government and suppliers could do to help firms
Commenting on the findings, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber, said:
“These results demonstrate that getting the economics of investment right for energy efficiency is crucial to promoting take-up. At a time when Norfolk businesses face growing upfront cost pressures from other sources, grants and tax breaks have an important role to play in offsetting the cost of new energy efficiency measures. On its own, more information won’t do the job.
“Commercial landlords also need to do more, to support leaseholders and renters who are looking to save money and make their energy use work for them.”
Gab Barbaro, Managing Director of UK Business at British Gas said:
“It’s clear from this research that businesses in rented and leased premises need more help from their commercial landlords, and new regulations to tackle the least energy-efficient premises can’t come soon enough.
“I’d urge all businesses to seek help from their supplier or landlord, and start with the basics. For example, by applying for a smart meter, businesses could much more accurately work out what’s driving their energy use and make considered decisions about how to reduce it.”
The new rules which come into force on the 1st July 2016 regarding new container weight rules have been causing some confusion among exporters. We have been able to get some further clarification and the links below provide further information.
1) FCL – Full Loads – If you are loading the container at your premises you are advised to register and will be responsible for the declaration of weight. The container weight is always on the back door of the containers so you will be easily able to see what it is to add to your gross weight to give the TARE
2) For LCL – Part Loads – You are not the Shipper – the Consolidator is the Shipper and is responsible for the weight declaration of the total container to the shipping line.
For FCL :
The loader does not need to be shown as the shipper on the Bill of Lading as freight forwarder can also be shown as the shipper (bear mind many of the forwarders are now shifting the onus back on the exporter for FCL cargoes so they don’t attract fines.
FOR LCL :
You would normally only be issued with a House Bill of Lading not a Shipping Line Bill of Lading and it is those that will have the total container weight on them, you would not see that on your House bill issued by a forwarder as you are only a consolidated exporter not responsible for the full load.
Some ports are introducing commercial service to weigh containers.