21 minute read
Events
Business innovation as Chambers collaborate to champion regional firms
Supporting businesses throughout Covid-19 has been the top priority for every Chamber of Commerce and the West Midlands Virtual Business Expo, which kicks off in March, will provide the ultimate event for firms to network, make new connections and grow, as the business world looks to future recovery in post pandemic times.
The West Midlands Business Expo will see the collective efforts of Chambers across the Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Shropshire and Staffordshire, with businesses given the opportunity to exhibit at the Virtual Expo, alongside a packed agenda of engaging business focused events. Taking place between 22nd and 26th March, the Expo comes at the end of a third national lockdown for the country in which many firms have continued to struggle to stay afloat, despite a range of financial support measures put in place by the UK government. Over five days, the Virtual Expo is expected to attract thousands of visitors from across the region with exhibitors manning their virtual stands to showcase their products and services, whilst being able to respond online to new customer enquiries. A range of informative business events will also be delivered during the week with each
Virtual expo-arena atrium
Chambers of Commerce across the Midlands region have joined forces to raise the profile of thousands of businesses in a week-long celebration.
day having a local flavour, demonstrating the unique strengths and opportunities across the five West Midlands areas.
Chambers of Commerce across the UK have been at the forefront of supporting & advising firms through the COVID-19 pandemic and helping them to understand the latest developments, as well as acting as ‘the voice’ of their members to local, regional and national government.
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the city and county would be the focus of activities on Thursday, March 25.
She said: “It is great to be working collectively with Chambers across the region to deliver this week of celebration that will bring businesses from all over the West Midlands together.
“This has been the most incredibly difficult year for firms all over the country and businesses in the West Midlands have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. It has led to companies having to change the way they work and adapt to the circumstances. Chambers have had to do exactly the same and this Virtual Expo is an example of that.
Sarah Perry, Managing Partner at Warwickshire law firm Wright Hassall – which is the Coventry & Warwickshire sponsor for the week, said: “Since the pandemic struck a year ago, we’ve been working with the Chamber to ensure that businesses have been kept informed and up-to-date on all of the issues that have arisen from the Covid-19 crisis.
West Midlands Business Week Sponsor
“Since the pandemic struck a year ago, we’ve been working with the Chamber to ensure that businesses have been kept informed and up-to-date on all of the issues that have arisen from the Covid-19 crisis. “We are incredibly proud to be supporting this Business Week in our 175th anniversary year and we look forward to being part of the team that celebrates everything good in our region.”
Sarah Perry, Managing Partner
Bookings for the event are now being taken. For more information on the West Midlands Business Week please speak to the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce on 024 7665 4321 or head to www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events
Senior business figure launches new initiative to support businesswomen
One of the UK’s most senior female business figures has launched a new initiative in Coventry and Warwickshire, giving aspiring businesswomen the support they need to achieve their goals.
Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, the president of the British Chambers of Commerce, was the guest of honour at the launch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s 21in21 Women in Business Mentoring Programme, on International Women’s Day on March 8.
The online event saw aspiring businesswomen paired with successful business leaders in the region to begin a year-long programme of mentoring and support. Applications opened in mid-January and the Chamber has been inundated with applicants for the programme.
The new initiative is being sponsored by the West Midlands Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (WM RFCA) and builds on the Chamber’s successful Women in Business network which has provided networking opportunities and inspirational role models for businesswomen across the region over many years.
Siamha Butt, head of engagement at WM RFCA, said: “We strongly believe that empowering the next generation of female leaders will have a positive impact upon both industry and the wider community.
“That is why the West Midland RFCA is excited to be part of the Chamber’s 21in21 programme. We look forward to working with our inspiring mentors and mentees.”
Mentors have been handpicked from a range of sectors and backgrounds from across the region – including manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and professional services.
They will provide their mentees with one-to-one support including advice, guidance and inspiration to help drive forward with their ambitions, either within an existing business or with their own venture.
Keely Hancox, operations manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We were very excited to launch this initiative on International Women’s Day and to have Baroness McGregor-Smith as our guest of honour, who offered inspiration to everyone who attended.”
“It is built on our successful Women In Business Network which has, over the years, showcased successful women In business and inspirational speakers from a range of companies.
“Their stories engaged, inspired and motivated hundreds of Coventry and Warwickshire women in business; be it those looking to grow their business, develop within their professional field or climb the career ladder.
“Our new 21in21 programme takes that to a new level.
“We have secured a range of business leaders, Chief Executives and experts in their field from some incredible organisations across Coventry and Warwickshire. They will be volunteering their time, expertise and advice to our first cohort of mentees.
“Our mentees will really benefit from being able to tap into the knowledge of their mentor but also use them as a sounding board for ideas as well as gain an understanding of their mentor’s journey to success, how they may have overcome challenges in the past.
“We will be checking in with our mentors and mentees over the course of the year and will hold a celebration in March 2022.
“Our aim is for this programme to make a real difference to those who are involved, but also build on the programme in future years to help more and more aspiring businesswomen, be it those looking to grow their business, develop within their professional field or climb the career ladder.
Watch this space for more updates on the programme.
For more information email the Events Team at the Chamber: events@cw-chamber.co.uk
Meet our Mentors We will be featuring Mentors in each edition... ‘Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self?’
Isabella Moore CBE “Don’t be afraid to delegate. Build a team with the best skills possible for your Business.” Dr Beverly Lindsay OBE OD DL “Take more time to listen.” Louise Bennett OBE DL “Believe in yourself.”
The 21in21 Women in Business Mentoring Programme is sponsored by the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association
The origins of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Associations (RFCAs) date back to 1908. Today there are 13 Associations covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Association has an influential and wide-ranging role. It is a regional civilian body comprising of voluntary members and a full-time secretariat. Along with other RFCAs, it has been established by statute to offer advice and support to the Defence Council on behalf of the Reserve Forces and cadets. We also help to promote all three Services, both Regular and Reserves, within the community through liaison with local authorities, employers and other influential groups and individuals.
Siamha Butt, Head of Engagement at WM RFCA, said “West Midland RFCA, along with our partnering Armed Forces representatives, are proud to be sponsoring the 21in21 Programme and supporting such an integral element of the community in which we operate. We are pleased to be able to share our own expertise and impart our knowledge to the mentees who are aspiring to achieve great things”.
Promotion for Lodders’ employment law specialist
Midlands law firm Lodders has promoted employment and HR law specialist Faye Reynolds to senior associate.
Faye’s promotion comes just 12 months after she joined Lodders as an associate in January 2020.
She said: “The past year has seen unprecedented, significant and frequent changes to the employment law landscape with in particular new rules and legislation designed to support employers and employers since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March last year.
“The employment law team is here to help our clients to manage important employment relationships by delivering practical, operational and strategic advice with a focus on commercial solutions. This has proved a vital lifeline for many throughout the last year, and we have acted swiftly to provide practical updates to help them navigate the challenges of COVID-19, with a growing bank of free resources and guides on the firm’s website.”
Faye works with employers and employees on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law, using her extensive experience, including tribunal advocacy, of acting for local companies, SMEs and international corporations.
Lodders’ employment team advises senior directors, stakeholders and high net-worth individuals in Warwickshire, the Midlands, Gloucestershire and across the south west. It also works with ownermanaged businesses, charities and larger corporations in TUPE cases, reorganisations and redundancies, alongside advising on employment and HR strategy.
Faye said: “As well as coping with the impact of the pandemic and national lockdowns, employers face changes to the off-payroll tax legislation IR35 from April 6, the impact of Brexit, and growing pressure to address inclusivity and diversity and support employee wellbeing for what is an increasingly remote-based workforce. We offer accurate, no-nonsense HR and employment legal advice with handson assistance with the complexities of these and other employment law.”
For more information visit www.lodders.co.uk
Cloud computing specialist celebrates 20th birthday with 20% growth
A cloud-based technology specialist in Allesley, Coventry, has recorded year-on-year growth of more than 20% as it celebrates its 20th birthday.
During 2020 Netmetix successfully helped companies move their outdated computer systems to the cloud and has supported existing clients in quickly switching to remote working at the start of the pandemic last March. The company has also worked with strategic partners to enable engineers and designers to use computeraided design (CAD) software remotely, which they were previously unable to do without moving expensive desktop computers from the office to their home.
Paul Blore, managing director of Netmetix, said: “The past year has been challenging for all kinds of reasons associated with the global pandemic, but I think we have adapted extremely well and continued to grow despite adversity. Our growth this year is a great testament to the team at Netmetix. The commitment, effort and dedication they have given to get us to this point has been outstanding, and I have every confidence that the coming years will see us all continue on our upward trajectory.
“I was once told that it takes 20 years to be an overnight success. Having adapted and evolved over the past 20 years, we are now recognised as experts and leaders in our field, working with a fantastic range of clients, so I know we can now genuinely consider ourselves a successful company!”
Netmetix is recognised as one of the leading UK specialists in Microsoft Azure cloud-based IT infrastructure services and believes that every organisation, no matter its size, deserves to have the best cloud technology at an affordable price. The company partnered with Microsoft Azure over ten years ago and has been awarded Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status in seven categories.
Lindsay Woodward publishes first marketing book
Local marketing consultant Lindsay Woodward has just published her first marketing book: “How to Write an Effective Marketing Plan.”
Released in January, Lindsay wrote the book following conversations that she’d had with many business owners who didn’t know what marketing activities to execute. It’s a guide for SMEs that want more marketing success.
Lindsay said: “One of the questions I get asked all the time is what marketing activity is most effective. The truth is that there isn’t one definite approach. Marketing has to be tailored to each individual business. My new book explains to people how to find the approach that will work for them.”
Lindsay is no stranger to writing books; she already has seven published novels. Her fiction work covers a range of love stories with either a supernatural or sci-fi twist, but this marketing book is her first non-fiction release.
Lindsay added; “I’ve always had a great love of writing. I even studied it at university. It’s how I ended up in marketing, as I wanted a career that utilised my skills and passion. Therefore writing a marketing book just seemed to make sense.”
Lindsay has been working in marketing for nearly 20 years. She’s a chartered marketer and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, so she knows her craft very well. All of her books are available to buy from Amazon.
To find out more, visit www.l-w-marketing.com/marketingbook
Whitefriars’ Gate in Coventry city centre
A project to restore a historic building used for decades as a toy museum in Coventry city centre has taken another step forward after Historic Coventry Trust secured a major grant to help restore it.
The trust plans to fully restore Whitefriars’ Gate in Much Park Street and convert it into visitor accommodation and a small office unit. The grant of £100,000, awarded by The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), will allow the project to progress while the remaining funding is secured. The funding was provided as part of
New lease of life for former toy museum
AHF’s Transforming Places through Heritage Programme.
The AHF is supporting 10-15 capital projects across England put forward by charities and social enterprises which restore and bring new uses to historic high street buildings in a three-and-ahalf-year programme funded by £15 million from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
The Grade II listed building was built in the late 14th century as the postern gatehouse of the nearby Carmelite Friary, Whitefriars Monastery – the remains of which are now located on the eastern side of Coventry’s ring road. The gatehouse is built of red sandstone, with bands of green sandstone for decoration on the front elevation.
At some time after the dissolution of the friary in 1538, there appears to have been a major phase of alteration to the gatehouse, when it was adapted to provide two separate cottages. Adjacent was the 16th-century Rose Inn which was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Much Park Street suffered bomb damage during the Second World War, leaving the Whitefriars gatehouse and its later extensions standing isolated in this part of the street.
Graham Tait, assistant director at Historic Coventry Trust, said: “We are currently developing a detailed design to convert Whitefriars’ Gate into visitor accommodation as well as utilising the building extension – the remains of the adjacent Rose Tavern – for commercial use as offices or retail.”
MTC apprentice project to aid lockdown learning
A team of apprentices at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre has redesigned a DIY hydraulic arm kit so an educational charity can continue to reach schoolchildren despite COVID-19 restrictions preventing school visits.
Twelve learners undertook the project for the Imagineering Foundation in partnership with engineering experts from the MTC as part of their MTC apprenticeships level 3 programme.
The aim of the project was to redesign the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) kits’ components, packaging and guidance to enable parents, teachers and schoolchildren to buy the kits from large online retailers.
The apprentices worked in small teams to make the kits more environmentally and financially sustainable. They also created instruction media so the kits could be completed independently, away from the classroom, and without the support of Imagineering staff, as well as marketing material to promote the product.
Their final design is now in production so it can be CE marked against the latest criteria. Once certified, the first batch of commercial kits will made available for sale.
The project was funded by the MTC and has been so successful that further funding has already been made available for learners in MTC Apprenticeships’ 2020 cohort to develop a second kit. The team is hoping to make the initiative a permanent part of the MTC apprenticeship programme.
Senior research engineer, Sarah Heaven, who oversaw the project for the MTC, said: “The apprentices brought new ideas to the project that have made the kit more accessible and relevant to our target audience. In particular, their social media and gaming input will increase the product’s accessibility, helping to promote STEM skills and careers throughout the next generation.”
Bob Shanks, chairman of Imagineering, said he had been very impressed with the enthusiasm and professionalism of the MTC team and the innovative thinking the apprentices had brought to the project.
For more information visit www.the-mtc.org
The DIY hydraulic arm kit redesigned for lockdown learning
Warwick site fully occupied
Athena Court at Tachbrook Park
Small businesses are investing in their future and increasing demand for office space in Warwickshire, according to a property expert.
Athena Court at Tachbrook Park in Warwick is now completely full after Complete Building Control signed a three-year lease to move into an 840 sq ft premises.
Fourteen employees of the Midlands regional office of the building control business have moved into unit 26.
Tony Hargreave, property asset manager at Warwickbased AC Lloyd Commercial, said enquiries from SMEs looking for offices in Warwick and Leamington was high.
He said: “It’s been very encouraging to see SMEs thinking about their longterm future despite all the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 by relocating to larger or smaller offices depending on their requirements and maybe more staff working from home once the lockdown ends.
“It emphasises that they are optimistic for their businesses and underlines that Athena Court is a fantastic central location in the heart of the UK.
“The market is competitive for office space between 500 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft. There has definitely been an upturn in enquiries following the vaccine announcement and the news that large numbers of people have had their injections.
“Athena Court is now 100 per cent let following Complete Building Control taking up the final unit but we have some more space becoming available shortly at nearby Bishops House for premises ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 sq ft. Interest is strong, which is encouraging.”
Pete Hogarth, director at Complete Building Control, which moved almost next door from the Pure Offices site, said: “Complete Building Control opened a regional office here six years ago with a single staff member and there are now 14 of us.
“We had kept extending by taking on next-door offices because we have been growing every year. Even last year, we still continued to expand.”
NEAT assists vaccination roll-out
National Express Accessible Transport (NEAT) is playing its part in the COVID-19 immunisation programme by taking vulnerable customers to get their vaccinations.
NEAT operates the Ring and Ride service on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM). With many customers staying at home and the number of trips reduced, NEAT is making dedicated vehicles available to take vulnerable customers to their COVID vaccination appointments.
Vinay Parmar, managing director at NEAT, said: “The NHS is doing such a fantastic job giving out vaccinations and we want to do all that we can to play our part in the fight against COVID.
“We’re always looking at the different ways we can provide support in our communities and I’m proud that we’re able to help those who rely on us to get to their vaccination appointments.
“Our drivers have completed over 150 vaccination trips already, with many more booked in the coming weeks. And with our strict COVID measures and dedicated vehicles in place, our customers can travel in confidence that we’ll get them there and back safely.”
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We know that some vulnerable and elderly people are struggling to get to their vaccination appointments, so working with NEAT we have repurposed a number of Ring and Ride services to help address this problem.
“We know just how important getting people vaccinated is to bringing the misery of the last year to an end,
Athena Court at Tachbrook Park
which is why we announced earlier this year that we have lifted the 9:30am concessionary travel pass restrictions on buses and trams, meaning anyone who needs to use public transport to get to a vaccination appointment pre-9:30am now has several options to do so.”
Ring and Ride is a door-to-door transport service for anyone who lives in the West Midlands and finds it difficult to use conventional public transport. To use the service, customers need to register by phone or online at www.ringandride.org
Has Import/Export Trade Ground to a Halt post Brexit?
Dafferns Chartered Accountants, the Coventry and Warwickshire full-service accounting firm approaching their 125th anniversary. Business and international specialists, advising a substantial number of clients with international trade.
With the Coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, the UK’s actual exit from the EU has gone under the radar somewhat, but has it really been as painless as the lack of news articles would suggest?
Well, we haven’t suddenly stopped being able to buy the things we take for granted as being available, but there is no doubt there have been an awful lot of teething problems. The public face of this is perhaps not being able to get hold of certain fruits or vegetables on a particular visit to the supermarket, but that has become commonplace during the pandemic, so it has largely gone unnoticed. A slight irritation perhaps, but no more than that.
For many businesses up and down the country and throughout the EU, the reality is that an awful lot of head scratching and urgent intervention has been required since January 1st in order to keep goods flowing in and out of the country. Necessity is the mother of all invention of course, so whatever was needed, a way has been found to get around the obstacles, but this has certainly not been without pain.
I have been fielding many calls over the course of the last three months from clients in desperate need of import VAT/duty advice to keep their purchases flowing in, as well as helping clients to develop efficient processes and structures for handling exports to EU customers. Without this time and effort from all people involved in the logistics of moving goods in and out of the UK, the import/export trade really would have ground to a halt.
Whilst you might not have much sympathy for the extra time and effort businesses will have been putting in, there is a real cost to this which will ultimately have to find its way into the prices being paid by consumers.
Also, I wonder whether the lifting of Covid restrictions is going to place significant pressure on supply chains when all of that pent up demand is released and that is when the real impact of Brexit will be felt. I suspect we will just shrug it off because we will be so happy to be allowed to socialise again, but once the initial euphoria has passed, what then?
There is still much hard work ahead, but I’m sure our capacity for invention will keep the wheels turning.
For further information or advice please contact Brian Jukes, on 02476 221 046 or email brian.jukes@dafferns.com Dafferns Chartered Accountants
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