Chamber News

Oil and gas developments in East Africa are creating new business development opportunities for SMEs. The Africa Business Centre is organising a five-day trade mission during March 2013, for UK based SMEs.

It will provide a comprehensive introduction to oil and gas opportunities in Uganda and Tanzania via briefings and meetings with key government and commercial contacts. The aim is to equip delegates with all relevant information and contacts to support their future entry to the market.

For more information, please contact the Africa Business Centre directly:

Africa Business Centre Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce The Hub Exploration Drive, Aberdeen Energy Park Aberdeen AB23 8GX

Tel: 01224 343 928 Email: abc@agcc.co.uk

For more details on the trip, take a look at their website.

At a recent West Norfolk Chamber Council meeting, a lively discussion was held on topics ranging from broadband and the regeneration of the town centre, to increasing Chamber engagement with the local business community.

The members agreed that more effort should be made to highlight the positive aspects of doing business in West Norfolk and discussed how to ensure the West Norfolk business voice is heard. They decided on a dialogue exercise with Chamber members based in West Norfolk. The Chamber Council will take a cross-section of West Norfolk Chamber members and hold one-to-one conversations with them as to what their main issues are, how the Chamber can engage further with these members, and what we can all do to create economic prosperity in West Norfolk.

Heather Garrod, President of West Norfolk Chamber Council said “it is important that the business community plays an active part in helping to promote economic growth in West Norfolk. Engaging on a one-to-one basis with local businesses will contribute towards the ‘voice of West Norfolk business’ being heard at a local, regional and national level.”

The West Norfolk Chamber Council members also highlighted that improved broadband in West Norfolk is an essential tool to promote economic growth and will help level the playing field for SMEs. Currently, the larger organisations can afford to install fibre-optic cables to their business premises however, for smaller organisations this cost prohibitive. Over the next 12 to 18 months BT will be improving access to broadband and are currently rolling out fibre-optic cabling in Clenchwarton and West Lynn. West Norfolk Chamber Council members are keen to see that businesses throughout West Norfolk benefit from the anticipated broadband improvements.

The King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council’s Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) was debated. This initiative involves the regeneration of the town by linking the retail core with the historic town centre. This regeneration will be fundamental in improving what King’s Lynn has to offer and will help attract both tourism and business to the area and the West Norfolk Chamber Council is in full support of this project.

If you are a West Norfolk Chamber member and want to be involved in the dialogue exercise, please contact Nova Fairbank on Tel: 01603 729713 or Email: nova.fairbank@norfolkchamber.co.uk.

OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA

Venue: Norfolk Chamber Office Date: Thursday 29 November 2012 Time: 3.00pm-5.00pm Have you considered India as an export market for your business? Join us for an in depth briefing, to learn more about a multi-sector delegation to Western India during January 2013. The UK India Business Council is leading the delegation with support from both Suffolk and Norfolk Chambers of Commerce. Kevin McCole, Chief Operating Officer of the UK India Business Council, is travelling to Norwich to brief all local businesses, who would like to know more about this exciting mission. Please see our flyer for further information. This briefing is FREE to attend but delegates must book in advance in order to attend. To book your place, please email: export@norfolkchamber.co.uk

Representatives from both Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council attended a recent meeting of the Norwich Chamber Council to present the proposed improvements planned for St Stephens Street and the Chapelfield North Area and to listen to the comments from the members of the Norwich Chamber Council.

The aim of the proposed improvements is to create a better transport system for future of Norwich city centre, with improved access for buses, cycles and pedestrians. The proposals will still allow cars to access all current car parking facilities, however the access routes to these car parks may alter. The proposals would also change pedestrian flows around Chapelfield Gardens and cycle routes would be improved from the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and the University to the city centre.

At present, statistics show that over a 12 hour period 3,000 vehicles access St Stephens Street. The aim will be to reduce this number by: a) removing the general car traffic, of which the majority is using St Stephens Street as a route to another destination; and b) diluting the number of buses by changing the bus traffic flows. The public consultation for these improvements is currently underway and will close on 3 December 2012. For full details and to have your say visit the Chamber Consultation page.

Norwich Chamber Council members highlighted concerns that at present car drivers seem to be more willing to stop at pedestrian crossings than bus drivers. If general traffic was removed from St Stephens Street, would this cause increased safety worries for pedestrians trying to cross? Members queried whether the increased bus traffic and the change in general traffic flows would affect the ‘drop off’ for the Free School on Surrey Street, which is located at the bus station?

They also highlighted that for parents with young children and for those in the city for business purposes, access to the city centre by bus was not always practical. Therefore continued access to the car parks was essential, especially as Norfolk is a predominantly rural county and cars are essential to those without access to decent public transport links.

The latest meeting of the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council, was chaired by the new President of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council, John Morse from Gardline, at which the members debated how best to ‘talk up’ Great Yarmouth.

It was agreed that more effort should be made to highlight the positive aspects of doing business in Great Yarmouth. Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Leader of the Great Yarmouth Borough Council emphasised that the Cabinet was very keen to work alongside the business community to drive economic growth in Great Yarmouth. One suggestion was a summit meeting to be held in the New Year to create a plan of action that will encompass two key objectives: support for local businesses and support for inward investment into Great Yarmouth.

Great Yarmouth Chamber Council members also decided on a dialogue exercise with Chamber members based in Great Yarmouth. The Chamber Council will take a cross-section of Great Yarmouth Chamber members and hold one-to-one conversations with them as to what their main concerns are, how the Chamber can engage further with these members, and what we can all do to create economic prosperity in Great Yarmouth.

John Morse said “I believe that it is important for the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council to lend its weight and full commitment to a process of enthusiastic regeneration of Great Yarmouth, and we will now take an active lead in this process, on behalf of businesses in the town”

If you are a Great Yarmouth Chamber member and want to be involved in the dialogue exercise, please contact Nova Fairbank on Tel: 01603 729713 or Email: nova.fairbank@norfolkchamber.co.uk.

Commenting on Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s speech on flexible working and parental leave, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive at the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said:

“We support the concept of flexible working, but the proposals to extend the right to request to all workers could make it more difficult for employers to offer flexibility to employees who are parents or have caring duties. Many employees already benefit from flexible working and in the rare cases where an employer feels they cannot support flexible working, a burdensome new consideration process is very unlikely to change that view.”

On flexible parental leave:

“Businesspeople understand and accept the logic of giving new parents more flexibility over which of them is best placed to take parental leave. Unfortunately, the government’s current proposals risk causing unnecessary friction between parents and employers, and raise unrealistic expectations about the level of flexibility most businesses will be able to accommodate. The government’s plans will also generate major uncertainty for employers, as they will represent the seventh change to parental leave in a decade, and the government is already talking about another change in 2018, hardly the sort of stability that ministers say they want to promise to businesses.

“It is right and desirable that a mother should be able to return to work when she feels ready, and transfer her remaining parental leave and pay to her partner if that is what works best for their family. However, we cannot support proposals encouraging parents to request patterns of shared leave alternating between them in chunks as small as a week and if the government is planning a review in 2018, it would make sense to delay this controversial element until that review. Few employers will be able to find adequate cover over an extended but non-continuous period. We believe that such requests will almost always be rejected as unworkable, causing unnecessary stress to the relationship between employer and employee.

“Requests to change leave arrangements will introduce further uncertainty for the employer, particularly because for the first time their relationship with their employee will become contingent on decisions by a third party – the employee’s partner’s employer. Such requests must allow sufficient time for the employer to alter their planned cover after the request has been agreed by both employers.

The Quarter 3 Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) reported that despite a backdrop of national results showing weak economic growth and poor business confidence, some areas of business in Norfolk were doing better than their national counterparts. Both the Norfolk manufacturing and service sectors showed positive results around their future export orders, as well as their domestic orders.

Norfolk Chamber members are now starting to report a slight upward trend in comparison to previous months. Is your business following suit or are trading conditions still proving to be a challenge?

The British Chambers of Commerce QES is used by both the Bank of England and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to plan the future of the UK economy. The survey takes less than 3 minutes to complete online, so please take the time to input into this important survey to ensure Norfolk businesses have a voice and are heard at a national level. The survey needs to be completed by Monday 3 December 2012. Click here to complete the survey.

Norfolk businesses attending the recent Chamber Bank of England lunch at Dunston Hall, Norwich highlighted that despite the tough economic climate, signs of improvement are showing in some sectors. Topics covered at the lunch included access to finance, for which a lively debate ensued on the best ways to access finance and what the UK banks were doing to support the SMEs. A discussion was also held on the merits of leasing business premises over buying them.

Blair Ainslie, MD for Seajacks, Great Yarmouth, said “both the oil and gas and the renewable offshore sectors were strong, but going forward, more definition was needed from the Government on subsidies for offshore wind, as the industry needed longevity and certainty for the next ten years, not just the next five, to maximise on growth potential.”

The engineering sector also appeared to be doing well and Paul Moughton, MD of Moughton Engineering said “despite the recession his sector of engineering was doing very well.” He put his success down to being flexible enough to react to his client’s needs at short notice. The retail sector highlighted that, whilst growth had been good last year, this year they were expecting to remain on a level, especially as the Olympics, the Jubilee celebrations and the weather all had an adverse effect on their growth.

The IT/Technology sector noted that whilst growth could still be seen in IT infrastructure, the bespoke software market was proving to be a fast growing market. Graham Duckworth, MD of Green Duck identified that he had seen a shift in where his company was aiming. He said “to accommodate work with some of my larger public sector clients has meant increasing staffing levels and the company is moving to new premises.”

All agreed that the successful businesses were those who had a ‘can-do’ attitude and had adapted to the new tougher economic conditions.

Over 40 start up businesses have joined the Norfolk Chamber network since April. They are using its contacts, online communication channels and events to help grow their businesses. Hear what they have to say:

“Chamber helped us to grow our business”

Many young businesses have benefited from Chamber membership. Norwich-based Sweetbriar Office Solutions, for instance, benefits from the networking opportunities.

Based on Frensham Road on the Sweetbriar Industrial Estate, the company comprises a team of local people who have more than 25 years’ experience in the stationery industry.

They officially opened on March 1 and supply a number of businesses across Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire, providing everything from office supplies and printing to office hygiene, interior design and refurbishment and paper recycling systems.

Jenny Blunt, the Office Manager, said: “Attending the variety of events, breakfasts and similar events arranged by the Chamber of Commerce has enabled our business to connect with people who make the real day-to-day decisions, which has helped us grow our business.”

“Chamber events help me to make great contacts”

Forage4it, which helps clients meet their legal obligations under security, environmental and WEEE regulations. The business reuses, recycles and disposes of used Electronic/Electrical equipment. PCs, laptops, phones appreciates the role played by the Chamber.

Pete Lloyd, who runs it, said: “I find the support offered by the Chamber to be very good. I am particularly keen on events such as the chill-out networking events. Not only do these give a good opportunity to meet and talk to others in business, they also enable you to make some great contacts.

“But what I find most helpful about these events is the chance to spend time with other positive people. Building a business can be a lonely affair so it’s good to meet and talk to others that are trying to achieve similar things to you, to swap advice and stories.”

Norfolk farmer Richard Wright has also drawn on the networking opportunities offered by the Chamber as he develops his business.

“The Chamber feeds into the wider business network”

The Chamber’s role in influencing decision-makers is important for Norfolk businessman and former solicitor Mark Oxley, who helps clients resolve a wide range of business and personal problems.

His recent work includes advising on company turnarounds, acting as trusted adviser on multi-jurisdictional business, probate and aggressive tax planning issues and advising small businesses across a wide range of strategic and operational issues.

He said: “For me, the key thing about the Chamber is the way it feeds into the wider business network, both nationally and internationally.

“It is important to have an organisation that can operate on the macro level, ensuring that Government appreciates the views of businesses in Norfolk. No other organisation does that and that makes the Chamber a useful forum.”

“Chamber events give me access to people I do not know”

Norwich-based Leavs Ltd produces bespoke organic packaging from botanicals and by-products of popular farming crops. The company’s innovative approach was recognised by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, which mentioned Leavs in the Green Economy Pathfinder Manifesto presented to the Government in June.

Richard said: “The Chamber has helped me establish the business. The really useful thing has been the Chamber events. They are really important because they give me the opportunity to meet potential customers and gain access to people I do not know.”

“I’ve had a great experience of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce”

For Richard Shepherdson, setting up his own business was a major step, having spent his earlier career in the public sector.

When he decided to take that step, the result was Norfolk Workplace Mediation, which helps resolve disputes, and he has appreciated the support he has received from the Chamber.

Richard said: “I am always amazed when I read some of the research-based estimates regarding the cost to industry of poor relationships at work, bullying and the inevitable resulting anxiety. The facts are difficult to exaggerate.

“I have always had a professional interest in emotional literacy and believe with a passion that excessive conflict within the workplace is simply not necessary. I was struck by the extent of the misery which so many people feel obliged to endure at work and I realised that I want to do something about it.

“Becoming self-employed is a risk, however. From the start, I knew that there is a need among local employers which I am able to fulfil. It was obvious to me that the issue of poor workplace conflict is a serious problem which affects most businesses at some level and I set-up Norfolk Workplace Mediation because I realised that the principles of how to address these problems are actually simple ideas which most of us can easily understand.

“I’ve had a great experience of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce – it seems to offer a broad variety of opportunities from which members benefit according to our different needs. Currently for me, it’s mainly about networking opportunities and B-2-B. I am relatively new to the business world because my previous career was in the public sector and I’m really enjoying finding out about the many different ways in which people work.

“I loved the ‘Engaging Customers using Social Media’ event and was both surprised and fascinated to learn about just how commercially significant social media has become. I felt that I was being kept informed about an important aspect of my work and I have to say it immediately influenced my business plan. People at Chamber events are sociable and approachable; I’ve met some interesting people and made new friends.

“Publications including the Business Directory are useful and members are kept informed by email. I have a two-year business plan and the Chamber will remain central to that. The Chamber is particularly well-suited to the kind of service which I am able to provide.” 　

New businesses need all the help they can get when it comes to establishing themselves and in Norfolk there’s plenty of support available, ranging from support with marketing and social media, specialist advice to networking opportunities.

One of the organisations offering such help is Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, which sees membership as a good way for new businesses to get themselves noticed. Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is a business membership organisation supporting members of all sizes and from all sectors; from start-ups to large corporate members such as Aviva and Bernard Matthews. As a member you can raise your profile using our free PR system incorporating: access to our website; social media exposure; and our bi-monthly magazine, Norfolk Voice. Reach new customers through networking at Chamber events and access free business services such as HR and legal help lines.

Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: “We can help new businesses grow, save money, raise their profile and build their contacts throughout Norfolk.

“We are able to make the wider business network accessible to new enterprises by giving them a cost-effective chance to tap into our network, our marketing reach and really get their business seen.

“We can help new businesses grow, save money, raise their profile and build their contacts throughout Norfolk”

“The USP of the Chamber is that we have a 800 business membership with medium-to-large corporate businesses active within the network, thus giving the new enterprises an opportunity to meet and engage with influential business leaders from all sectors. The 40 new start up businesses who have joined us since April are already reaping the benefits

“Never has there been a more important time to look at a increasing brand awareness within the business community and using the Chamber network to communicate brand awareness is an extremely cost-effective way of marketing.

“As part of Enterprise Week we are launching a start-up part to our website www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/start-up dedicated to help new businesses to find their way around the support on offer. If you are a new business under 12 months old they have a special rate of £8.25+vat per month.”

Local businesses were given invaluable information on the young, vibrant, growing market of Turkey, during an International Trade Event organised by Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Barclays and UK Trade & Investment.

Yuksel Akca, Chief Commercial Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy travelled up from London and gave delegates some valuable facts and figures about the Turkish economy, as well as details of the business sectors where opportunities can be found by UK exporters. Matthew Dabbs of Barclays delivered an informative workshop covering their suite of services under the brand ‘Business Abroad’. Matthew also provided useful guidance on a number of payment terms that exporters could consider when trading overseas, and advice on Foreign Exchange options. The seminar was held at the premises of local exporter Fluke, based at Hurricane Way, Norwich. Keith Betts and Gavin McQuillan explained how successful Fluke has become over the years, with overseas trading playing an important role. Tracey Howard, International Trade Director of Norfolk Chamber was very pleased with positive atmosphere at the event, “The delegates were delighted with the amount of information that Yuksel provided, which gave them a clear indication that Turkey is definitely a thriving market to consider. We hope that the success of this first seminar will lead to a growing following of the series, which will continue through to March 2013.” The next event in The Global Marketplace Series, will look at Libya which takes place in Great Yarmouth on 6th December. The UN expect Libya’s economy to bounce back strongly following the conflict, and are forecasting high growth rates. With business opportunities in Education, Oil and Gas, Healthcare, Security, Finance and much more, the potential growth for Norfolk businesses, is huge. Speakers will include Lesley Batchelor of the Institute of Export, John Parr of the Libya-Britain Business Council and Phil Turner of Midexco, a local firm with vast experience of trading with Libya. A workshop covering the AEO Scheme will be delivered by Steve James of HMRC. For more details on The Global Marketplace Series, take a look here.

Norfolk County Council has recently published an infrastructure update which gives the latest news and progress on key infrastructure projects like the dualling of the A11, improvements to broadband and rail, details of the ‘Transport for Norwich’ strategy, an update on what is happening with the A47 and Norwich Airport. The highlights are given below:

A11 – Fiveways to Thetford Improvement The contractor, Birse is expected to commence on the Fiveways Roundabout in mid-January 2013. For the duration of the main works a 40mph speed limited will be in place. There will be limited capacity through the junctions for an 8 week period with diversion routes to reduce traffic levels.

The B1112 was fully closed from 15 October to 5 November to allow for junction improvements, as this will be one of the diversion routes whilst Fiveways is being upgraded.

The improvement works will also require some tree felling and the routes highlighted below will be closed overnight from 8pm until 6am on the following dates:

• B1112 to Elveden Crossroads 13 – 14 November 2012
• Elveden Crossroads to Thetford Roundabout 20 – 21 November 2012

To see the full progress of the improvements to the A11, a public exhibition will be held in Elveden Village Hall from 22 to 24 November 2012.

The overall construction duration is expected to be 20 months with a planned completion date of 2014.

Transport for Norwich Government funding of £86.5m has been secured for the Northern Distributor Road (NDR). Norfolk County Council Cabinet has approved proposals for the NDR to be a dual carriageway from Postwick to the A1067. The Postwick Hub has been given planning permission and work is due to start later in 2013, subject to the completion of a Public Inquiry into the side roads and slip roads.

Work on a range of Transport for Norwich implementation measures has begun:

Dereham Road Bus Rapid Transport Corridor Construction works to improve the Old Palace Road junction will commence in January, following utility works.

Better Bus Area Programme The Grapes Hill Bus Lane Consultation has been completed and a report will now be considered by the Norwich Highways Agency Committee (NHAC) on 29 November. If the proposals are successful work will commence in April 2013.

Other improvements being considered as part of the Better Bus Area programme are new electronic signage at key transport interchanges; improved interchanges between bus and rail at Norwich railway station; and bus shelter enhancements along Dereham Road / Newmarket Road.

Consultations are underway (5 November to 3 December) on the removal of general traffic from St Stephens and Surrey Street and improvements to Chapelfield North, with the results going to the NHAC in January 2013.

A47 Corridor An A47 Prospectus is due to be published this month setting out the business case for improvements.It will be launched by Norfolk MP Keith Simpson driving the Norfolk stretch of the A47 in his Union Jack mini, from the west of the county, via the Showground, to Great Yarmouth. The journey will be filmed from within the car to compile a short film giving a driver’s eye perspective of the A47. The launch has been timed to coincide with the A47 Alliance sending a delegation to Westminster to present the business case to the new Roads Minister, Stephen Hammond MP on 26 November 2012.

Work is taking place in 2012/2013 to identify improvement schemes for the A47 Thickthorn and Longwater junctions to accommodate the growth that is projected by the Greater Norwich Development Partnership’s Joint core Strategy and work is also being done with the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk to identify which junctions/links will need to be improved to accommodate growth in and around King’s Lynn.

The Government’s Pinch-Point programme provides funding for schemes that are designed to relieve congestion and spur economic growth through small-scale schemes on the trunk road network. £1.3m has been approved for the Honningham expressway. The scheme will be constructed over the next 2/3 years, although no detailed programme is available at present.

£40m of the Pinch-Point funding is still to be allocated and Norfolk County Council has submitted bids for: the A12 Beacon Park; A12 James Padget and Bridge Road, Great Yarmouth; A149 ASDA junction right turn; and improvements at the B1108/A47 Norwich Research Park junction. A decision on these schemes is expected in the New Year.

Rail Improvements The Norfolk Rail Prospectus was launched on 4 October and the event was well attended by Norfolk MPs, local businesses and stakeholders from the rail industry and local authorities. At present a consultation is ongoing until 16 November.

In July this year the Government issued a High Level Output Statement, setting out high level objectives required from rail, together with announcements about larger schemes to be delivered between 2014 and 2019. The Ely junction was included in the announcement. Norfolk County Council continues to work with the Government and the rail industry, as the detailed spending programme is drawn up by Network Rail.

Atkins have now completed their consultation work to identify how to deliver more capacity and faster journeys from Norwich, via Ipswich and Colchester to London. Work is ongoing with Essex and Suffolk County Councils and New Anglia LEP to get their recommendations included in rail investment programmes.

Better Broadband for Norfolk BT was approved as the project partner for this scheme in September 2012. The BT bid met the County Council’s ambitions of providing broadband access (a minimum of 2 megabits per second) to every property in the county and superfast (24Mbps+) to most. 83% of Norfolk properties will be able to receive superfast broadband by June 2015 – this is double the number that would be able to receive it by this date without the BT deal. BT will install an ‘open’ infrastructure – this will allow any Internet Service Provider to offer services on it and customers will have the choice of who to purchase their Broadband from. The contract is due to be signed this Autumn, with installation work beginning in Spring.

Norwich International Airport Andrew Bell, the CEO of Norwich International Airport (NIA) is looking at ways that the local business community can work with NIA to promote and increase business travel. The airport needs help to get businesses to identify needs and opportunities, as it must present robust businesses cases to airlines when trying to attract them to open new routes. Norfolk County Council will shortly launch a survey to assess current and future potential travel needs.