Chamber News

If you are an SME with a logistics function and feel that your data could be working better for you there are free to access grants available to strengthen your position. 

TALE (Transport and Logistical Efficiencies) targets SMEs with a logistics function – this includes freight transport, warehousing, manufacturing, distribution and a wide range of commercial services – TO MAKE YOUR DATA WORK FOR YOU. TALE can help your company to manage its data systems to improve profit margins and reduce costs. We offer a free 1:1 diagnostic session where one of our Business Support Facilitators would come and visit you and get to know everything about your business (your position in the market, future ambitions etc.) and suggest opportunities for support as well as help you shape a project you may already have in mind to improve how you use your data or your use of technology.

TALE offers: (1) Workshops delivering practical advice on ways to improve your performance, topics include Customer Insights, Cyber Security, Operations, Business Intelligence and Digital Strategy. (2) Grants to contribute towards your individual company’s data project – for example updating software or launching a new product. TALE grants offers up to £60,000 towards an individual company’s data project – for example hiring a consultant, updating/purchasing software and/or employing someone to do a logistics or data-based role associated with the project you are implementing. Grants aim to assist your company’s growth plans and can contribute 40% of total project cost and are non-repayable. For more information please visit www.tale.org.uk

Norwich City Council have released their latest economic barometer. The report highlighted:

Locally

• Castle Mall Shopping Centre are looking to welcome PureGym and a bowling alley in the next few months
• Profit warnings from stock-exchange quoted companies from the East of England rose in the last year
• Norwich is now in the top 10 least affordable cities for housing according to a Lloyds Banking Group Report
• Norwich Market was named the best large outdoor market in the country in the Great British Market Awards 2019

Nationally

• The Bank of England expects growth this year to be the slowest since 2009
• Business growth activity in the tech sector declined towards the end of 2018, with Brexit and global trade frictions being cited
• The British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported sales increases in January for their members – helped by higher spending on food and New Year price cutting.
• Manufacturing had lacklustre output and new orders slowed at the start of 2019

For full details of the latest economic barometer click here.

Norfolk businesses urgently need answers to the many no-deal Brexit scenario questions.  Today, Norfolk Chamber has officially written to all our MPs asking for their support in Westminster to get answers to those questions.

• Brandon Lewis – MP for Great Yarmouth
• Chloe Smith – MP for Norwich North
• Clive Lewis – MP for Norwich South
• Elizabeth Truss – MP for South West Norfolk
• George Freeman – MP for Mid Norfolk 
• Sir Henry Bellingham – MP for North West Norfolk
• Keith Simpson – MP for Broadland
• Norman Lamb – MP for North Norfolk  
• Richard Bacon – MP for South Norfolk  

Each MP will receive a letter with the below text, together with a list of the unanswered questions:

“I write today on behalf of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and the business communities across Norfolk to highlight the critical questions that remain unanswered for business in the unwelcome event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on March 29.

To be clear, UK businesses do not want a messy and disorderly exit from the EU. However, given that ‘no-deal’ remains a possibility, firms need clear answers on the terms of trade they would face in that scenario.

With less than two months to go, businesses still do not have the information they need to plan effectively for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement and transition period. Many of the most basic questions remain unanswered, and we have set these out in the document attached.

Norfolk Chamber has been working closely with the British Chambers of Commerce and have campaigned strongly for official guidance – and we have, where possible, welcomed the technical notices, partnership packs and other details of ‘no-deal’ planning as a result.

Yet there are still many areas where businesses have no firm guidance at all. This is especially true in the case of international trade, where the bulk of the questions attached outline the many uncertainties faced by business in this scenario.

Questions include, will businesses be able to move skilled staff members between the UK and the EU after 29 March and if so, under what conditions? And will existing trade agreements be rolled over or replaced on a bilateral basis in time to prevent the loss of preferences and customs facilitations?

Many of the unanswered questions reflect fundamental aspects of how companies operate. For instance, the terms of trade agreements can affect pricing decisions, margins and even choice of business location and the geography of supply chains. The absence of clarity and precision has already stifled investment and growth and it is getting worse the closer we get, resulting in unnecessary costs, inability to plan and, increasingly, loss of business as customers look elsewhere.

It is clear that the UK is not prepared for a ‘no deal’ exit from the EU on March 29. Firms are being asked to prepare for all scenarios but simply aren’t being given the tools to do so.

On behalf of Norfolk Chamber and the business community, we ask that you raise this with the Government as a matter of urgency and consider the steps that you can take to avoid ‘no deal’ on 29th March.”

Commenting on the labour market figures for February 2019, published today by the ONS, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“The fall in unemployment and strong employment levels are further evidence that the UK jobs market remains resilient, with firms continuing to recruit despite an increasingly challenging economic backdrop.

“With earnings growth holding steady, the gap between pay and price growth remains significant, providing some welcome respite to financially stretched households. However, the uplift to consumer spending from the recent improvement in real pay growth is likely to be limited by weak consumer confidence and high household debt levels.

“The increase in the number of vacancies to a new record high confirms that labour and skills shortages are set to remain a significant a drag on business activity for some time to come, impeding UK growth and productivity. 

“It is therefore vital that with less than 40 days to go until the UK is scheduled to exit the EU, businesses urgently get the clarity they need on the key unanswered questions in a ‘no deal’ scenario, including the information they to need to plan for their own workforce needs such as how firms can move skilled staff between the UK and EU in the unwelcome event of a messy and disorderly Brexit on March 29.”

Commenting on the productivity statistics, Suren added:

“The decline in productivity in the final quarter of 2018 was disappointing and reflected the marked slowdown of GDP growth in the quarter. 

“Sluggish productivity is a key concern for the UK economy as it continues to limit the UK’s growth potential and reflects the continued failure to tackle longstanding issues in our economy, from weak business investment, the growing skills gap to chronic underinvestment in our physical and digital infrastructure. Regardless of what happens with Brexit, addressing these vital issues would help drive the productivity gains needed to lift the UK’s long-term growth prospects.”

Now is your chance to have your say on the draft Economic strategy 2019 – 2024 for Norwich City Council. 

The aim of the 2019-2024 economic strategy is to provide the framework and ambition that will direct the actions the City Council and its partners will take to achieve increased economic productivity and a prosperous, resilient and inclusive economy.

The draft strategy has been informed by the 2018 Norwich Economic Assessment and also takes into account the recent work undertaken by the 2040 Vision partnership to develop a new vision for Norwich.

Having read the draft strategy you can have your say on it by completing the online survey by Thursday 21 March 2019.

Your feedback will help shape the economic strategy and develop annual action plans.  Norwich City Council are planning to publish a final document during April 2019.

Have your say now.

Norfolk Chamber as you’ve never seen it before…

We are changing and moving forward with a new voice and a new mission. The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is evolving to become the ‘Norfolk Chambers of Commerce.’ With our new mission of ‘Connecting, supporting and giving voice to every business in Norfolk’- we are reaching beyond our previous boundaries, striving forward, to ensure that we connect and give voice to all businesses, in Norfolk and beyond.

Our new name, ‘Chambers’ and a fresh brand echoes an organisation with a rich heritage of serving the business community for over 122 years and now also encompasses the modern businesses of today, tomorrow, and the future.

We are Chambers that engages the whole of Norfolk: from West Norfolk to North Norfolk; from Breckland, to Broadland; from Great Yarmouth, to South Norfolk; and the whole of Greater Norwich. This is why the change in our name is so important, we want to include everyone.

Chris Sargisson, CEO of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, said: “One of our roles is to make sure that we’re fundamentally supporting every single business element in the region, rather than just a few. So, moving to Chambers is a way that we can actually start to indicate how we are understanding now unique each region of Norfolk actually is, whilst acknowledging that there are many areas of common ground that we can all work together on.”

What does your new Chambers look like?

We are here to bring people together, to share knowledge, whilst ensuring that we understand your business needs and the challenges of doing business. We can then ensure that we effectively influence and lobby the policymakers on your behalf. Being sure to get the Norfolk business voice heard loud and clear, to help support the economic growth of our region.

In 2018, we accomplished lots of work behind the scenes – such as talking to our members, and non-members about their perception of what the Chambers is and what it should be. These conversations have helped us to form and shape our mission and to grow into the forward-thinking organisation we are today.  For example, did you know that we offer a whole range of international services and that we are involved in getting the business voice heard on skills, infrastructure and business rates both regionally and nationally?  With over 900 members, who have businesses of all shapes and sizes, and it’s important that they know and understand how our Chambers can help them. We are here to change this!

Part of this change has involved the creation of a new Customer Experience Team to support you and your business. To build your network and to work in partnership with you to help resolve some of the challenges you face. Our team will be working across the county, in both the city, the main towns, the market towns and the rural locations.  We are already doing some great work in West Norfolk, where we have several networking events to support the local business communities to share their skills and knowledge.

What’s coming next

In time, you will see a new Digital Platform to support our members to get the most out of their membership, this will involve a tailored networking account, with informed and innovative information. Chris Sargisson, CEO of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, “When you log in, your account is engineered to be able to provide you with some real beneficial insight along the lines of, ‘If you go to one networking group this week- it’s this one, because actually, they’re talking about a subject that I know that you’re interested in.’  It might not have anything to do with the Chambers of Commerce, but that’s fine.  The same with reading one article, or if you listen to one podcast, and so the conversation continues.”

Our printed magazine ‘Norfolk Voice‘ is now moving towards the Digital Platform under the same name ‘Norfolk’s Voice.’ And will now have a whole host of interactive features including; videos, blogs, podcasts, member news, specialist subject/knowledge articles and an opportunity to showcase the best of business thought-leadership articles, and companies as well as the opportunity for sponsorship and advertisement too. In time there will be a printed edition to support this content.

Chris Sargisson, CEO of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, “So, we’re taking the Norfolk voice concept, the magazine concept, and we’re opening it up as a very wide digital channel over the next two to three years, that will gain more and more momentum for every business in Norfolk, that’ll help us achieve that ‘Every’ element so it ties in. And then the second element is to move away from the concept of having a website where you go and you trawl through and you find things, to actually having a very interactive platform.”

From now onwards you will see our new brand rolling out over our various media channels, with our big launch happening at The Royal Norfolk Show, this June. Watch this space.

The percentage of both manufacturing and services exporters who are expecting to increase their prices has risen in the past three months, as international traders struggle with the value of the pound and pressure from the cost of raw materials and other overheads, according to the latest Quarterly International Trade Outlook from the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with DHL.

The report, based on a survey of over 2,600 exporters, and export documentation data, shows that nearly half (49%) of manufacturers and 39% of services companies plan to raise their prices, up from 41% and 34% respectively.

Exchange rates continues to weigh heavily on the minds of businesses, with 69% of manufacturers citing it as a source of concern. Weaker sterling is also pushing the cost of raw materials up for exporters, with 84% saying that they are a source of pressure driving prices. For services, other overheads such as office rents is the leading source of price pressure (59%).

Elsewhere, the BCC/DHL Trade Confidence Index, which measures the volume of trade documents issued by Accredited Chamber of Commerce for goods shipments outside the EU rose by 4.06% on the quarter, and stood 1.03% higher than in the same time last year.

Despite these issues, however, many exporters remain bullish – 57% of both manufacturing and services exporters say that their turnover will improve in the next 12 months.

The survey results indicate the impact of Brexit uncertainty and wider global trade trends but also highlight issues in the domestic environment that are barriers to growth for UK exporters. With the UK’s departure from the EU becoming a vacuum for all of government’s resources and attention, the growing skills shortages show no sign of abating. The majority of recruiting businesses in both sectors struggled to find the skills they needed in the last quarter.

The leading business group is calling for an end to the Brexit logjam that has prevented parliament from finding consensus on the way forward and consumed all of Westminster’s attention. Government must provide long-awaited clarity on future trading conditions and then refocus on the fundamentals of the domestic economy to boost stability and confidence.

Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy at Norfolk Chamber said:

“These are uneasy time for many exporters concerned by persistent uncertainty around Brexit and future terms of trade with key partners. As we approach 29 March, so many questions remain unanswered and with the unwanted possibility of no deal still looming, businesses are preparing the possibility of increased volatility.

“At a time when all of the cogs of government seem to be jammed by Brexit, issues crucial to the UK’s competitiveness and productivity have gone ignored. Business communities continue to shout about the scale of labour shortages, with four-in-five manufacturers reporting recruitment difficulties. Yet there has been little action relating to improvements in the UK’s training or skills system, nor has the government’s immigration blueprint delivered on calls for a system to provide easy access to skills at all levels.

“The government must urgently deliver clarity on the UK’s future after March 2019, and then immediately refocus on the fundamentals of the domestic environment. Removing barriers to growth at home is more important than ever at a time of such uncertainty and transition for our business communities.”

Shannon Diett, VP of Marketing at DHL Express, said:

 “The increased trade confidence index, rising 4% on Q3 2018, indicates that despite the many difficulties, the resilience of British business remains, although businesses face pressure. This is in opposition to the Q3 results, which showed a decline on the previous quarter. There is also a very slight improvement year on year with an increase of 1% on Q4 2017. As the trade confidence index is a measure of trade outside of Europe, this indicates increased trade beyond the borders of the EU. We would encourage businesses to continue looking beyond Europe for opportunities, and ask the government to ensure trade deals are in place post Brexit to enable this successful trade to smoothly continue.

“The uncertain conditions have only increased as we moved into the first quarter of 2019. The lack of clarity is causing businesses to move into no-deal Brexit scenario preparations, which adds considerable additional cost to business. The impact this is having on businesses trading internationally should not be underestimated, especially when considered alongside the rising pressure of poor sterling exchange rates driving up prices, as reported in this outlook. Almost half (49%) of exporting manufacturers and 39% of exporting services firms expect their prices to rise, which is an increase on the previous quarter. A considerable 84% of manufacturers are experiencing price pressure due to the weaker pound pushing up prices. Resilience drives these businesses forward despite the considerable pressures, and we stand alongside them in seeking the clarity and resolution we all need surrounding Brexit. An end to the uncertainty is urgently needed to allow businesses to move forward and continue to compete on the worldwide stage.”

Key findings from the report:

• 37% of manufacturers and 29% of services saw an increase in export orders in the last three months, a slight pick-up from 35% and 24% respectively
• 18% of manufacturers and 15% of services sector firms saw a decrease in orders
• 69% of manufacturers and 49% of service firms are more concerned about exchange rates than the previous quarter
• 80% of manufacturers and 73% of services firms who attempted to recruit, struggled to find the right staff. This is up from the 76% seen in Q2 for manufacturers and 69% for services
• 84% of manufacturers cite the cost of raw materials as a leading source of price pressure, while 59% of services firms cite ‘other overheads’, away from raw materials, finance costs, and pay settlements
• 57% of both services and manufacturing exporters expect turnover to increase in the next 12 months
• The BCC/DHL Trade Confidence Index, a measure of the volume of trade documentation issued nationally, rose by 4.06% on the quarter and stood at the fifth highest level on record.

The results from Quarter 4 revealed a stalling economy that was being impacted by continued levels of uncertainty.  Growth in domestic sales and orders reduced and firms faced recruitment difficulties continued and persistent price pressures.  In the services sector, a key driver of UK economic growth, the percentage of firms reporting an increase in domestic sales and orders weakened and domestic activity among UK manufacturers fell drastically.

In Norfolk nearly four-fifths (79%) of manufacturers that tried to recruit reported difficulties in finding the right staff, whilst 74% Norfolk of the services sector also reported that they were struggling to recruit.  The previous survey results indicated an increase in price pressures and an increase is the number of manufacturers expecting to raise prices. 

Now in the first Quarter of 2019, with the Brexit deadline fast approaching – we need to understand how Norfolk businesses are reacting to the current economic climate.  Today (Monday 18 February 2019) is the first day of the fieldwork period for the Q1 Quarterly Economic Survey (QES).

The QES is the largest independent business survey in the UK and is used by both the Bank of England and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to plan the future of the UK economy.  It is also closely watched by the International Monetary Fund.  It is vital that as many Norfolk businesses as possible take part, so we get a true reflection of the local economy.

You can have your say by completing the QES online NOW.  It takes less than 3 minutes.  The completion deadline for this survey is midnight on Monday 11 March 2019.  The Q1 results will be published week commencing 01 April 2019.

Key Norfolk findings in the Q4 2018 survey:

Norfolk Manufacturing sector:

• The balance of firms reporting increased domestic sales fell drastically and those reporting improved domestic orders also fell
• The balance of firms reporting improved export sales rose several points from +38 to +43, while the balance of those reporting improved export orders rose from +27 to +43
• The balance of firms expecting to raise prices in the next three months stands at +53, up from +40 in Q3
• The percentage of firms citing the cost of raw materials as the source of cost pressures continued its upwards trend from the last quarter, now at 94%, the highest since Q2 2013
• The percentage of firms attempting to recruit remained fairly static – moving upwards by only one point to 74%. Of those, 79% reported recruitment difficulties

Norfolk Services sector:

• The balance of firms reporting increased domestic sales rose.  Those reporting improved domestic orders also rose slightly
• The balance of firms reporting improved export sales fell drastically from the previous quarter of +14 to -5, while those reporting improved export orders also fell from +10 to -9
• The balance of firms expecting to increase prices in the next three months stands at +38, down slightly from +42 in Q3
• The percentage of firms looking to recruit dipped from +73 to +70.Of those, 76% had recruitment difficulties, down slightly from a high of 84% in the previous quarter

With the recent success of being recognised as the UK’s first sharing city, Norwich is clearly doing all the right things to put our city and county on the map as a collaborative economy. We join other global cities such as New York, Barcelona, Athens, Dallas and Singapore. Supported by Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) and Norwich City Council, Norwich’s focus is six key areas as a sharing city are;

·         Economics Growth

·         Convenience and Efficiency

·         Sustainability

·         Digital Inclusion

·         Global Recognition

What is a sharing city? This whole movement has come about from the increased pressure on our worlds resources and the challenges we all face to maintain a thriving community with a decreasing impact on the environment. In many ways, we are returning to the traditional basic principle of ‘sharing,’ but with a 21st approach.

Norwich has a number of companies that work on sharing initiatives and are leading the way with their businesses, for example, Liftshare, Norwich Farmshare, and Inlet. The Chambers is really pleased to be a sharing partner. If you want to know more and celebrate Norwich’s success there is a conference coming up on Thursday 28th February 2019, come along and celebrate this great achievement. https://bit.ly/2DQt9aZ

Check out the Norwich Sharing City website for the full information. https://norwichsharingcity.co.uk/

The Big Debate

On Friday 8th February, with almost a year in behind the scenes planning, a windswept, blustery afternoon saw the opening of our high profile event, The Big Debate 2019.

The event was held at OPEN on Bank Plain, Norwich, ran from and was fully booked with over a 100 delegates leaving standing room only.

Thanks to our sponsors, Greater Anglian and to our Host Shaun Lowthorpe, Content Connective.

Shaun is a freelance writer and the owner of Content Connective specialising in business case studies and communications for brands and publishers. He was Business Editor at the EDP where he worked as a journalist for 16 years overseeing daily business coverage, the EDP Business Awards, Future 50, East Anglian Farming World, and Mustard TV’s Business Extra programme so was a perfect fit for hosting our event.

Aimed at discussing and debating the most pressing issues that our region is facing, Chamber members were given the opportunity to question an outstanding panel consisting of five Norfolk MP’s, Council members, New Anglia LEP, and local business leaders.

With every chair taken, delegates from industries and businesses across Norfolk came together to discuss topics ranging from the ever-present Brexit, education, diversity within Norfolk and perceptions of our county.

The Chamber identified topics that were forefront to the business community. Questions were uploaded live to a backdrop behind the panel and guests were able to see which topics were important to other members, creating an engaging and thoughtful debate.

The afternoon consisted of four debates, each with a mix of panellists;

Skills/Education

Stuart Rimmer, Chief Executive, East Coast College George Freeman, MP for Mid Norfolk Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North

Place/Perception

Tom McCabe, Executive Director of Community & Environmental Services, Norfolk County Services Jeanette Wheeler, Partner, Birketts LLP Julian Munson, Head of Enterprise Zones and innovation, New Anglia LEP Rebecca Lewis Smith, Managing Director, Fountain Partnership Sir Henry Bellingham, MP for North West Norfolk

Diversity

Jeanette Wheeler, Partner, Birketts LLP Fiona Ryder, Managing Director, TCD Media Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South

Brexit Debate

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North Chris Starkie, Chief Executive, New Anglia LEP Sir Henry Bellingham, MP for North West Norfolk Clare Hedges, Senior Associate – Head of immigration Team, Birketts LLP George Freeman, MP for Mid Norfolk Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South

Our Host Shaun Lowthorpe expertly directed the constant fire of questions to the panel and the discussions were energetic, dynamic and lively.

The Brexit debate had possibly the shortest and the most poignant question of the day to be asked in the final debate, ‘What is Brexit?’.

Whilst it raised a smile with the audience, it was a discussion that led to serious points – Clive Lewis MP talked about one of his constituents experiencing more racism since Britain voted for Brexit, and that he fears the decision to leave may be seen by some as a sign that it is acceptable to have divisive views.

The event whilst debating relevant and serious issues concerning Norfolk both now, and in the months to come, was closed with a cross-section of opinions and viewpoints coming together in an atmosphere of positivity and energy going forward into 2019. 

On Monday 11 February Norfolk Chamber of Commerce presented three charities based in King’s Lynn with £3,440 in total donations from a charity event last year.

In November last year, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce held their annual West Norfolk President’s Charity Dinner at the Town Hall in King’s Lynn.

The black-tie event was held in aid of the Mayor of King’s Lynn, Nick Daubney’s favoured charity, The Purfleet Trust, as well Festival Too and King’s Lynn Night Shelter.

Over 60 local business people attended the event and were privileged to hear from the guest speaker, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, explorer, fundraiser, author and public speaker.

Local businesses donated some amazing raffle prizes and on the night, the raffle alone raised £560 for the nominated charities.  The total of the money raised is still being finalised, but is expected to exceed £2,500.

The West Norfolk President, Michael Baldwin presented the three charities with cheques last Monday. 

A very big welcome to our new staff member Haze Carver, who joins the Customer Experience Team.

Some of you might have met Haze on Friday at the Big Debate and no doubt you will get a chance to meet her soon! Haze joins us from Anglian Home Improvements where she was the Events Marketing Executive but comes from the Creative background of Design and Publishing.  

We are delighted to have her on our team!