CHAMBER NEWS

If you’ve read any of my previous columns you will know that the phrase ‘return to normal’ jars with me. I don’t consider that we should be returning to anything: this is a new beginning and I’m hoping Cornwall’s businesses are seeing it as such - feeling energised and excited about the future.

At Chamber HQ, we brought everyone back into the office to work for the month of September. I even surprised myself at just how much more progress we as a team have been able to make being face-to-face.

I’ve talked a lot over the past year about the power of Zoom and Teams and how we can still do business without physically attending meetings – and I stand by that.

However, this month I’ve been reminded of just how important it is to be able to interrupt each other and go off on tangents; often it’s these tangents that lead to the big breakthroughs and ideas!

This is a new era and as such we as employers have been responsive to issues raised by our employees – I urge you to do the same.

It’s important that businesses use this transitional period as an opportunity to revaluate how things are done. If someone needs to walk their lockdown dog every Thursday morning and come in at 10 instead of 8.30, will it severely impact the business? Or could a more flexible working pattern boost productivity?

There’s no rule book anymore, which is a real opportunity to test out what works for your business. At the Chamber we’ve actually come to the conclusion that five days a week in the office isn’t necessary at present, so in October as I write this, we are moving to three days office, two days home.

It’s a whole new balancing act and as responsible employers we should all have the mental health and wellbeing of our employees at the forefront of our minds. Nearly two years working from home is a long time to transition

This week, I have penned an open letter to Michael Gove MP and Andy Haldane (who is heading up a new task force in the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). The letter calls for Cornwall to be remembered in the Government’s Levelling Up strategy and will be signed by the public and private sector bodies tasked with Cornwall & Isles of Scilly’s economic wellbeing and development. Cornwall has benefitted from over 20 years of EU funding, but we’re only just getting started. Thanks to the funding, the groundwork has been done, the building blocks are in place, and we are ready to take things up a gear, but to do this we need Levelling Up with Government assistance. I am concerned that ‘Levelling Up’ seems to apply to northern red wall constituencies when in fact, both economically and politically, Cornwall & Scilly need more of the government’s attention. In the letter, we ask the government to look at the metrics by which Levelling Up is to be applied and the impact on voters’ lives and prosperity it can have. We know that if the Government does this, it will find a rock-solid argument for Levelling Up Cornwall. I will keep you updated with our progress. It’s absolutely crucial that we keep momentum going in Cornwall and are given a chance to thrive. Now is our time to shine; the building blocks are in place from the funding we have received, the people are keen and showcases like G7 and resulting inward investment clearly show our intent and our potential. away from– many have built their lives around the new working conditions, so to reverse it without consideration and flexibility could be detrimental to a business.

If your younger members of staff seem a bit disconnected, get them signed up to Surge of Entrepreneurs. Surge is Cornwall Chamber of Commerce’s business network for the under 30s; we have some great events in the pipeline and a fantastic support network where they can speak to their peers and learn from each other.

Contact jessica@cornwallchamber.co.uk for more details.

Stands at Cornwall Business Fair now booking! March 9 at Newquay Sports Centre – the centrepiece of Cornwall Festival of Business. Cornwall’s largest business event.

Book a stand now at the Fair: richardwoods@eslas.co.uk ; or a festival event: naomi@cornwallchamber.co.uk

Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is an independent not-for-profit organisation accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce. We solely exist to represent businesses in Cornwall. Our events provide a platform for businesses to connect, create and make valuable business relationships. Membership to the Chamber starts from as little as £17 +VAT per month and provides you with the tools to promote your business.

Get in touch today to have a chat about how we can support you and your business.