connected Issue 88

INSPIRING SUCCESS

ISSUE 88

The official magazine for Chamber members

JOHN BRIDGE OBE DL STEPS DOWN AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE CHAMBER PLUS. . . ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE CHAMBER NETWORK

WEST SUFFOLK COLLEGE

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01284 716246 training@wsc.ac.uk

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this issue

6 8

16

30

32

CONTENTS

26

34

6-7

Chief Executive’s feature

22-23

HR update

8-9

Connect

24-25

New members

10

Transform

26-28

Cambridge & South Cambs area news

11

Protect

30

Ely & East Cambs area news

12-14

Inform

32-33

Huntingdonshire area news

16-17

Ask the Expert

34-35

Peterborough area news

18-20

Global news

36-37

Events & Training

21

Charity news

38

Marketing insight

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welcome from the

EDITOR

ISSUE 88 INSPIRING SUCCESS

for The official magazine

Chamber members

STEPS JOHN BRIDGE OBE DLCUTIVE DOWN AS CHIEF EXEER OF THE CHAMB PLUS. . . ALL THE LATEST

ER NETWORK

NEWS FROM THE CHAMB

Chief Executive Vic Annells Editor Sadie Parr Published and Printed by

Welcome ....

We are delighted to welcome Vic Annells as the new Chamber Chief Executive after John Bridge OBE DL stepped down from this position at the end of April. Please turn to pages 6-7 to read more about this key change at the Chamber.

Our HR & Recruitment sector have held some informative zoom sessions regarding a safe return to the workplace. They have included an article in connected this month to highlight some of the questions they have been facing as employment lawyers.

We are grateful to all our members who contribute to our magazine each month.

To appear in Issue 89 please submit your articles by Wednesday 26 May. SADIE PARR s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

We have a face-to-face event planned in June… turn to page 36-37 for details.

www.xlpress.co.uk Design Helen Dwyer Advertising Sadie Parr s.parr@cambscci.co.uk Membership Team Ashleigh Jackson 01223 209812 Bren Coleman 01223 209811 Chamber contact details Clifford House, 2 Station Yard, Oakington, Cambridge, CB24 3AH Tel 01223 237414 Email enquiries@cambscci.co.uk Visit www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk

MAY 2021

@CambsChamber Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce @CambsChamber

Views expressed in connected are not necessarily these of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of editorial content, no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/ or omissions. The editor reserves the right to make amendments without notification.

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JUNE 2021

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15

16

22

29

Inward and Outward Processing course

Understanding Rules of Origin course

BCC Global Conference

Meet the Neighbours networking

17 BCC Global Conference

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John Bridge OBE DL steps down as Chief Executive of the Chamber After an outstanding 17 years as Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, John Bridge OBE DL stepped down from the role at the end of April 2021 to focus on new ventures and related projects.

John Bridge OBE DL

Vic Annells

John observed: “I’ve enjoyed a long and terrific run as Chief Executive, and I’ve had the privilege of working with the most fantastic people at the Chamber and across the region. For me, it’s always

been about team, collaboration and cooperation and I am immensely proud of all that we have achieved together over the last 17 years – from the vital A14 road upgrade through to simply elevating the region’s individual business voices.”

In stepping down as Chief Executive, John will remain engaged in related projects, which will enable him to use his skills and contacts as he continues to serve the region and looks forward in his new capacity to being able to meet once again with all the friends he has made during his most enjoyable and successful time at the Chamber.

Brian Jones, Chairman of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “John has been a most committed and determined Chief Executive, always with the region’s best interests at heart - and his very significant contribution to the county is clear in all that he has achieved while he’s been at the helm. We wish John every success with his new ventures and are delighted that he will continue to work closely with the Chamber on a number of related projects in the future.”

Taking over as Chief Executive is Vic Annells, former Executive Director of Mansion House & the Central Criminal Court.

Vic Annells with John Bridge in 2016 at a Chamber sector event focusing on Saudi Arabia 6 connected

Commenting on Vic’s appointment, John said: “I know that with Vic at the helm, with his outstanding credentials, the Chamber will sustain the excellent service and contribution it makes to the business community as well as continuing to develop and grow.”

Vic began his career with the Royal Mail, and has since gained international experience working in Africa, the Middle East and Europe for both the public and private sectors, having had senior roles not only in business but also with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department for International Trade.

Prior to his appointment with us at the Chamber he was the Executive Director of Mansion House & Central Criminal Court in London, having previously been Country Director for Saudi Arabia.

Before this, he worked as the HM Consul General and Director General of UKTI in Milan. He will be well known to many of our members and businesses in Cambridgeshire having worked here as Regional Director for the East of England for UK Trade and Investment based in Histon.

On his appointment as Chief Executive, Vic Annells commented: “I am delighted to be taking over from John at such a critical time having now left the EU and being on the road map towards our

unlocking the lockdown and trying to help everyone in building back better.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to John for his dedicated service and all he has done for the Chambers, he has been an asset and will be missed by all. I am pleased to say that John has promised to continue to stay connected and share with us his expertise to help continue the change of CEO to ensure our all businesses in our area continue to be supported during these incredibly challenging times. Thank you John.”

Cover image: Vic Annells with John Bridge at the Chambers’ Centenary Dinner at Jesus College in 2018 connected 7

We provide Chamber members with many opportunities to widen their network of business contacts – building connections, creating opportunities and maximising the benefits of being part of Cambridgeshire’s most vibrant business network.

CONNECT Building connections is key to individual and company development. Businesses network to develop relationships with people and companies they may do business with now, and in the future. These connections help to establish rapport and trust among the business community. The Chamber provides many opportunities for members to widen their network of business contacts through building opportunities and maximising the benefits of being part of Cambridgeshire’s most vibrant business network.

• Opportunity to attend over 150 events a year • Join our social media groups • Links with national companies providing business services at

exclusive rates to Chamber members • Enhance your credibility by displaying our ‘member of’ logo on your website and business stationery.

PARTNER OFFERS As part of Chamber membership you have access to a number of reduced rate services from our partners. One of those is cost effective cloud solutions from DC Intelligence.

Key benefits: • Services built on a trusted VMware platform by a certified VMware Cloud Verified provider • Bespoke solutions tailored by experts to meet client requirements

• Cloud backup (Veeam and Cohesity) • Secure365: Security and back-up services for Microsoft 365 users, antimalware, anti-phishing, anti-spam, mailbox and OneDrive back-up • Access to the G-Cloud 12 framework.

For more information you can complete the enquiry form on our website and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your requirements and provide a quote. https://www.cambridgeshirechamber. co.uk/cloud-and-technology-solutions/

Foreign Staff Communications – Employer to Employer Considering the current extremely challenging climate PAB Languages Centre Ltd want to support each other within the business community as much as we can.

If you need fast and accurate language communication services including staff well-being messages as well as new hygiene, health and safety information and announcements – call us on 07799 772360.

While we are working from home for the next few weeks, we brought all our departments together, to focus on helping people to communicate messages with their foreign staff and associates accurately and fast. We have lifted our charges for 24 hours turnaround service: https://www.pabsema4. co.uk/free-translation-quote We are an employer with many staff working currently from home and we want to help others over the coming weeks while ensuring we can protect our people.

Thank you all for your business and support as we all face this unprecedented situation.

BOOK No cancellation fees for 2021 meetings* Discover more at meet-cambridge.com *This offer applies to new bookings made via Meet Cambridge for day and residential meeting(s) contracted to take place in 2021. Cancellation fees and/or attrition fees will not be charged if you have to cancel your meeting(s) because of a COVID-19 related issue up to 14 days before your meeting(s) is due to take place.

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network and

CONNECT

MEMBER OFFERS DO YOU HAVE A MEMBER TO MEMBER OFFER TO SHARE?

Log-in to the Chamber website and upload your offer and it might feature in the next edition of connected.

ADAPTING OUR WORKSPACE TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES IN CAMBRIDGE The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work, with businesses considering all the options for how to keep their teams productive and motivated, wherever they’re based. Hybrid

working – where staff work some of their time remotely, from home or elsewhere, and the rest of their time based within the office, seems to be the popular choice right now.

We know how important it is to keep teams connected while working from home. Without an office, there is less social interaction and as many of us know, zoom meetings just don’t compare to face-to-face collaborations with colleagues.

So… we now offer a ‘Part-time private office’.

A private office for small teams from as little as one day a week. Available for small teams of 1-4 people with: Laptop docking station, Monitor, keyboard and mouse, Locker, cleaning, business and service

charge, IT connection and utilities included.

Prices start from as little as £65. With parking and a cafe on-site.

Please get in touch for a full list of prices and availability.

20% off your first booking for Chamber of Commerce members.

Email hello@futurebusinesscentre. co.uk for more information or visit www. futurebusinesscentre.co.uk/locations/ cambridge Sally Bain, Allia Future Business Centre

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As a Chamber member you have the power to influence key decision makers and play a leading role in tackling the issues that are preventing your business from reaching its potential, while an experienced team of lobbyists represents your interests in Whitehall.

As a Chamber member you have the power to influence key decision makers and play a leading role in tackling the issues that are preventing your business from reaching its potential, while an experienced team of lobbyists represents your interests in Whitehall.

• Raise local issues affecting your business through your local Chamber committee • Complete our quarterly economic survey to ensure your views are represented in the results each quarter • Contribute to national debates • Lobby local MPs on matters of local, regional and national economic interest.

QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY The QES is the largest and longest-running business survey in the UK and is a powerful tool for representing the voice of business to Government. All responses, which will remain completely anonymous, will be used to form a picture of the local economic prospects as well as contributing to the regional analysis which is known to be held 10 connected

in high regard by the government, Bank of England and economic commentators.

With the ongoing pandemic the data will mark the clear shift from pre-Coronavirus conditions to the current situation and will form a significant part of the historical record.

The latest QES runs from 17 May until 11 June. Please spare a few minutes to complete the survey to ensure Cambridgeshire has a strong voice in the future planning of the economy.

There is also a monthly economic review prepared. This briefing provides an east-touse commentary on the key domestic and international economic indicators for UK businesses. The latest review is available to download from the local Chamber pages on our website.

LOCAL CHAMBER COMMITTEE Each of our six local Chambers – Cambridge & South Cambs, Ely & East Cambs, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and Stamford - work hard to ensure that the needs and concerns of SMEs are reflected in the local and regional decision-making processes.

Our committees meet 10 times a year to discuss local issues and to plan what they can do to support businesses within their area. Each committee is made up of Chamber members from the relevant area from a range of sector groups.

If you would like to find out more about joining one of our local Chamber Committees, or would like to bring an issue affecting your business to the attention of the Chamber, please email chamber@cambscci.co.uk.

We also have plans to bring back our free informal networking evenings in each area.

Keep an eye on our website and social media for details. These events provide a cost-effective opportunity for businesses from all sectors to raise their business profile amongst the wider Chamber membership.

To access these services please visit the protection page on the Chamber website or call our membership team on 01223 237414.

how to

PROTECT

HR and Health & Safety FREE one-2-one review from Quest Ensure your business is protected…

All Chamber members are entitled to a FREE One 2 One Review with a Quest Business Manager. They will be able to discuss how you manage your HR and health & safety matters, discuss any issues you may have and assess your compliance status, including the impact of the upcoming Good Work Plan. You will receive an honest assessment of your requirements and if the Chamber services will effectively support you, that is what they will recommend. If however

you do need additional support, which may cost extra, the good news is that there are automatic discounts available for members Fore more information, or to book a review, please call 01455 852028 or email hello@questcover.com Please note you may be asked for your Chamber membership number. If you don’t have this to hand, please call the office on 01223 237414 and ask a member of the team to provide this for you.

CHAMBER FOUR SERVICES Members have access to four key services as part of their membership provided by Quest: • ChamberHR • ChamberLegal • ChamberH&S • ChamberTax These Four Services are a source of information, especially as we start to re-open fully following lockdown.

All of these services include: • One advice line which gives you unlimited access to experienced, specialist advisers covering HR, employment law, legal, health &

safety, tax and VAT. Telephone the helpline on 01455 852037 • One website that offers a comprehensive library of over 750 documents that are free to download and can be customised to suit the needs of your business • Comprehensive legal expenses insurance which covers you for employment disputes, tax investigations, property disputes, data protection and more.

For more details on Chamber Four Services please visit our website or contact Bren Coleman at b.coleman@cambscci.co.uk connected 11

Chamber membership provides access to key information, expert advice and legal protection, enabling you to stay informed, legally compliant and free to focus on what you do best – building your business.

HOW DOES YOUR MARKETING AFFECT YOUR BUYERS’ JOURNEY? As more businesses find their postlockdown feet, consumers and businesses will once again be faced with the decision of where to spend their money.

Here’s how using specific types of content at each stage of the buyer journey can maximise exposure and help turn interest into a lead:

This not only applies to everyday ‘quick buying’ decisions, like new small household goods or clothes, but to business purchases such as marketing services, software or other types of support for your organisation.

AWARENESS The awareness stage of the buyer’s journey involves them realising they are experiencing a problem or need but not having all the information or knowledge to understand exactly what that need is.

And this is where marketing plays a huge role. Karen McNulty, Operations Director at Peterborough-based PR and digital marketing specialists Media Matters, has some advice.

“Some decisions may take longer than others – purchasing a kettle or new pair of jeans will likely be substantially quicker than purchasing a car, holiday and even a new house. The same is true when someone is making a purchasing decision in a professional manner.

“So, understanding the buyer journey and what leads them to make their final choices is key – and this consists of three stages; awareness, consideration and decision.

“As a consumer or potential client/customer moves further along the buying process, it’s likely they’ll narrow down the number of products or services they are considering. At each phase they will do more research into their options, looking deeper at how the potential product or service fits their needs or solves their problems.”

For your marketing, think about how best to get your professional point across, using tools like blogs, social media campaigns, infographics or leadership articles on your website – actions that can inform, educate and problem solve.

Once you have the customers engaged, it is time to ensure they have all the relevant facts to help them through what is effectively the ‘window shopping’ stage.

Visiting websites, reading reviews, doing in-depth product research and weighing up each product or service’s USPs will be key areas.

CONSIDERATION The type of content you might choose to put in front of prospective customers in the consideration stage of the buyer journey could include newsletters with company updates, industry news and exclusive offers or discounts, online or offline promotional or networking events, webinars and community forums.

DECISION By the decision stage, the buyer will have already narrowed down their solution options and have a pretty good idea of the product or service they need to overcome their problem or help them achieve their goal.

At this stage, most buyers will be looking for the best solution, within their budget, usually making a list of pros and cons of each offering within their final category choices.

Marketing departments can help address these questions with a range of supporting content which sets you apart from your competitors, including; product/ service checklists, price guides, case studies / testimonials, reviews or online demos.

Getting the touch points right when it comes to the buyer journey is key to successfully converting leads.

Workplace Wellbeing Hub launched to support all A Cambridgeshire charity has launched a new Workplace Wellbeing Hub aimed to support the mind, body, and soul of people across the county, regardless of their workplace or circumstances. The Workplace Wellbeing Hub has been funded by CWC – a charity who promote the concept of workplace chaplaincy across the county as an extra level of support for employers, employees and the self-employed.

CWC has funded the website alongside a grant from Peterborough City Council and has also funded specific resources supplied by local mental health organisation, CPSL Mind.

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Alastair Reid, Chair of CWC, commented: “As a charity we have recognised people need additional support during these times.

Many are experiencing stress in their work and personal lives due directly to the pressures brought about by the current pandemic and we feel this website will be a great help.”

The website is lively, colourful, dynamic and is easy to navigate.

Among the many subjects and features included are podcasts and videos on various subjects including physical exercise, mental health resources, spirituality including topics such as mindfulness and beliefs. It is designed to be a combination of fun and serious, there is hopefully something for everyone.

For more information see www.workplacewellbeing.org.uk

learn and

INFORM

RETENTION IN CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS – FIVE TOP TIPS FOR RECOVERY Most construction contracts use retention, a percentage, often five per cent, of the gross value due to the contractor, which is withheld by the paying party until certain ‘trigger events’ are achieved, to ensure that the contracted works are completed to the specified requirements.

Unfortunately, retention is a welldocumented source of problems in the construction industry, with retention often not released on time or, in some cases, not at all.

Below are Arbicon’s five top tips for recovering retention: 1. Check your contract terms Your construction contract should contain clear and unambiguous terms setting out when the retention is due to be paid, together with further clauses allowing for interest on late payment.

2. Monitor when the retention is due Record the date when your retention will be due and monitor progress of the contract to ensure the retention is claimed on this date. The recovery of retention is easier to manage where you have a defined process and timescale, which in turn leads to improved cash flow.

5. Get help demanding payment Recovering unpaid retention can be challenging, time consuming and burdensome. Consulting and utilising the services of a third party such as Arbicon can be of great assistance.

If you would like advice on recovering your retention, please contact Arbicon on 01733 233737 or visit www.arbicon.co.uk.

3. Records, Records, Records It is important to keep records that relate to the ‘trigger events’ to prove that they have been achieved and your contractual obligations have been fulfilled.

4. Follow the contractual process Follow the process in your contract to request and release your retention. If you do not follow the correct process, the sum is unlikely to be released.

Annual Tax Return When it comes engaging an accountant to complete your annual tax return, plan to employ your accountant during your financial year.

You might see this as further expense, but talking to your accountant during the financial year, could benefit you more as they can advise on how certain expenditure will impact your accounts and final tax bill.

For example, you might want to entertain staff or customers, each of these have different tax rules, and it is better to understand them before the expense, rather than after when there is nothing that can be done. Entertaining is an important part of growing a business and keeping morale high, we are not saying don’t spend the money on this but be aware of the impact it has on your profit for the year, or your employees personal tax.

Also ask your accountant questions, why is a great question. One client of ours would be told by her previous accountant to pay their tax return on a certain date and told how much to pay. She did not understand what she was paying until we broke it down for her. Remember this is your personal money, yes trust your accountant but ask questions.

There are other benefits in using Accountants, and this will depend on the size of business. Accountants tend to work with several different clients who have different requirements and issues, your accountants experience with different clients could benefit you.

Let us say you work away a lot, and stay in hotels for the majority of time, and this negatively impacts your cash flow, and because you are so engrained in the business you do not have time to think or plan. Have a chat with your

accountant, they may advise getting an account with a big national hotel chain, this account may come with a discount, which we have seen in the past. The benefit here is you no longer pay for hotels in advance, they go on account, and payment is between 30 and 45 days later depending when you booked, and because you have an account, you may get a discount or beneficial rates which reduces the cost of using hotels and improves your profits, therefore it means more money in your back pocket.

We understand that as a business or sole trader you want to reduce your tax liability, but to do this you need to plan, and the best way to plan is to discuss your thoughts, needs etc with your accountant, waiting until you need to submit your tax return is too late.

Talk to your accountant during the financial year.

GMS Accountants connected 13

Chamber membership provides access to key information, expert advice and legal protection, enabling you to stay informed, legally compliant and free to focus on what you do best – building your business.

Smarter shopping – what Full Fibre means for the future of retail For some time, we’ve been hearing about the decline of physical retail, spurred on by the digital age and our growing preference for the online marketplace. In the 10 years between January 2010 and January 2020, for example, the UK lost over 50,000 shops.

Despite that, physical retailers still hold much of the market share. And there remains plenty of opportunity for physical retailers to set themselves up for renewed success. One such opportunity lies in the very thing that’s blamed for their decline – digital technology.

It’s almost impossible for online shopping to replicate the most experiential elements of buying something in-person. For this reason, physical retailers should play to their strengths while also exploring how digital technology can give customers the best of both worlds in-store.

Take Amazon as a case in point. Its Amazon Fresh brand has launched its first till-less grocery store in London, which sees shoppers simply scan their phone on entry and receive a bill automatically on departure – without a need to scan products individually. This ‘effort-free’ mode of shopping, however, relies extensively on technology and connectivity, with hundreds of cameras and sensors working seamlessly.

Other retailers have focused on transforming their fitting rooms through the use of augmented and virtual reality. Imagine being in a fitting room, putting on a jacket you like the look of and being able to change the colour or size in the blink of an eye. That makes life easier for the customers, but it also saves time, allowing more people to make use of the changing room and thus generating more sales.

Technology can also be used to encourage passers-by to step inside through interactive window displays, as Ted Baker has shown to great effect.

Perhaps most importantly, retailers can use digital tech to better understand 14 connected

consumer behaviour. By harnessing data, they can make informed decisions such as what merchandise to prioritise and how to lay out the store to encourage sales or make them more profitable. Stock levels can even be tracked, helping keep unneeded stock to a minimum and saving money on warehouse space.

These are just a few of the opportunities presented by digital technology for the high street. And while the cost of some of these technologies may be prohibitive for now, that will change as the tech becomes more ubiquitous – meaning it won’t just be major retailers who can reap the rewards.

However, data hungry technologies need connectivity they can rely on – without that, any positive customer benefits could easily be undone by a glitchy experience. They need the best possible digital foundation which is why CityFibre is building a new full fibre network in Peterborough and Cambridge.

Designed for the digital age, full fibre networks use 100 per cent fibre optic technology to carry data at light speed

all the way from the home to the point of connection – a pristine open highway with no bumps in sight. This gives users consistently faster speeds, near limitless bandwidth and connectivity you can depend on.

Most importantly for retailers, full fibre underpins 5G connectivity, which will be crucial to their ability to adopt cutting-edge technology and encourage shoppers to flock to the high street. Think of it as a high-capacity public wifi, connecting consumers with digital tech in shops, restaurants and on the streets themselves, and creating an experience that just can’t be matched in an online-only world.

So whether it’s friction-free shopping, interactive displays or smart fitting rooms, full fibre and 5G helps to power all of these advances. Now, who’s for some retail therapy?

For more information about CityFibre’s Gigabit City Programme visit www.cityfibre.com

Early advice is key to success!

Local Authority Building Control

Success

Time

3C Shared Services is your not for profit Local Authority Building Control (LABC) service. We are a locally based, value for money, award winning team that is committed to giving you the best service available.

We want to support businesses now and into the future, helping recovery following Covid19. You can move from surviving to thriving with our help, building the success of your business. We can offer advice at any stage of your building project to give you the confidence you need to move forward, and to protect your investment.

3C Shared Services have a vast amount of experience within our qualified staff and a broad, in depth knowledge of all types of buildings and construction methods. We have achieved a reputation for professionalism and practical, cost effective advice, which has enabled us to forge strong working relationships with many building companies and architectural practices.

We are passionate about the projects we do in our community. Being part of three local authorities; Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire District and Huntingdonshire District councils, the motivation for everything we do is to ensure the community builds together well.

We continue to be the chosen building control provider for the majority of work within the 3C district and can therefore guarantee an independent and competitively priced service. Initial informed, flexible and concise pre-application advice is free.

Following that we can provide all of the following for one agreed fixed price; so you know exactly what you’re paying: •

In depth pre-application advice, working closely with the project design team.

•

Ongoing oversight of your project.

• Streamlined development process, through established contacts in the Fire Service, Highways, Planning etc.

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Regular site visits through an agreed inspection plan.

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Fast efficient service - same day inspection service guaranteed.

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Pro-active working on site to resolve any problems or defects.

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A completion certificate at the end of the project to the applicant.

We would welcome the opportunity to explain a little more about our service, the projects we have undertaken and explore how we could best support your business going forward. So give us a call or drop us an email to and find out what we can do for you.

0300 772 9622

buildingcontrol@3csharedservices.org

ask the

EXPERT

What are the positives around hiring virtually?

Nel Woolcott, Partner at Anne Corder Recruitment, answers your questions.

AS THE ROADMAP OUT OF LOCKDOWN CONTINUES – WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES AROUND HIRING/ RECRUITING VIRTUALLY? The recruitment process has been really challenged by lack of in person contact.

At the beginning of the lockdown, we saw almost a halt to recruitment activity, and employers and candidates were nervous about concluding a process on screen, and onboarding without having met in person at all.

We look back now and have countless anecdotal evidence that it is possible to do this and do this well. With many lessons learned around flexible working, and moving to a wfh model, organisations can certainly throw their net wider to recruit for hard to hire roles, and we have clients now that are looking nationally when hiring as they have no intention of returning to a full-time office-based model.

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There is a recognition that paying travel expenses and overnight accommodation costs once a month for a team meeting can be as cost effective as the costs of having some in the office. Organisations are engaging in extensive employee lead discussions around what the return to “normal” should be like and allowing their teams to decide where they are best placed to be most effective with many businesses opting for a hybrid model offering the best of both worlds.

WITH INDUSTRY RESEARCH SHOWING AN INCREASE IN WORKING FROM HOME PRODUCTIVITY, HOW HAS FLEXIBLE WORKING BEEN THE BIG WINNER IN THE PANDEMIC? In lots of ways – ability to hire from more remote locations for pressed skillsets – embracing that work is what you do not where you go. Allowing for people to be more fluid about their working hours reduces stress and will increase wellbeing leading to more productive employees.

Better work life balance as no long commute.

Challenges sit around ensuring people take the correct breaks and don’t overwork leading to burn out – creating some rules around when and how meetings can be had. Just because you

are two paces away from your home desk does not mean you should always be available to meet. Great initiatives that clients have instigated to protect their employees include insisting on a full fixed lunch hour and restricting times that virtual meetings take place.

WHAT STEPS CAN EMPLOYERS TAKE TO ENSURE THEY MAINTAIN THE POSITIVES FROM THE NEW WAY OF WORKING? Hybrid model will lead to some challenges as you may have some employees looking to return to the office and others that prefer not to – learned of one organisation that is allowing the employees to decide where they work and will measure productivity to the end of the year to see how that works. Some insisting that all meetings take place over Teams even if you are in the office to stop any “them” and “us” feelings of exclusion. Regularly asking employees how it is going and responding. Survey responses in the first lockdown were overwhelmingly in favour of being home based but in the second showed a greater appetite to return to the office. Ask your employees, keep communications open and active so that you can continue to react to the changing environment.

ask the

EXPERT

Portable Cleanrooms Among the many crises which developed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of laboratory space was one of the most significant.

Guardtech Cleanrooms Commercial Director Mark Wheeler explains how his firm were quick to utilise their skillset to provide innovative portable controlled environment solutions for rapid PCR testing.

WHAT ARE CLEANROOMS AND CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS? A cleanroom is an environment in which a number of important parameters are controlled, with the focus on achieving minimisation of atmospheric particulate.

The key elements of control are centred around restricting access, controlling movement, filtration of incoming air supply, regulation of temperature and humidity, and restriction of incoming and outgoing goods and materials.

WHAT SERVICES DOES YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDE? We specialise in turnkey construction projects, taking care of every aspect of our clients’ cleanroom needs – from design to construction and, finally, commissioning, which is essentially

ensuring that everything works effectively and meets certain standards. But as well as servicing, maintenance, testing and validation of cleanrooms, we also provide quick-assembly cleanrooms, a range of cleanroom furniture and equipment, and portable controlled environments, commonly used as mobile labs.

WHY DID YOU START TO BUILD MORE MOBILE LABORATORIES? The first series of shipping container cleanrooms were actually developed to serve the export market, but after the COVID-19 crisis really gripped the UK we realised we had not only an opportunity, but a responsibility, to get these mobile labs out there quickly. They then evolved into biosafety labs to carry out PCR testing to detect coronavirus strains in DNA and we suddenly had a product that was helping to solve the UK’s lab shortage crisis – thus helping to save lives.

HOW IS A MOBILE LAB BUILT AND WHAT’S INCLUDED? We fit out shipping containers, vans and portable cabins in the same way we’d fit out a cleanroom in any other building – with a plant, fan filter units, air conditioning, workspaces, extraction,

electrics and any other pieces of essential furniture and equipment we can make space for in order for the operators to carry out their vital work.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR CLEANROOM DESIGN AND BUILD? With everything that has happened as a result of the pandemic, control is set to become the new norm. Businesses now realise more acutely than ever before what’s required to protect product as well as staff. They need immediate, flexible solutions, which is why we’re predicting a bright future for our quick-assembly modular ISOPOD cleanrooms. With lab space at a premium, budgets tighter than ever before and time constraints more rigid than they’ve ever been, our ‘flatpack cleanrooms’ will solve a lot of problems for a lot of businesses.

Guardtech Cleanrooms are an industryleading provider of bespoke cleanrooms, delivering custom cleanroom design and construction solutions alongside controlled environment commissioning.

They’ve supplied the Life Science and High-Tech Engineering industries throughout Europe since 2000.

For more info, visit www.guardtechcleanrooms.com call 0330 113 0303 or email marketing@guardtech.com

If you would like to feature on our Ask the Expert pages, please email the editor at s.parr@cambscci.co.uk to reserve your space. connected 17

We’re your gateway to international trade, providing a unique combination of expert knowledge, essential documentation and the business connections needed to capitalise on new market opportunities overseas and succeed in a global marketplace.

International Trade News How Customs Declarations affect UK importers and exporters?

CAN I EXPORT TARIFF FREE UNDER THE NEW UK-EU TRADE DEAL? The information on a customs declaration is used to evaluate safety and security aspects, and any applicable restrictions. The information is also used for duty and VAT purposes: • For imports, HMRC requires the information to calculate how much duty and VAT a trader will have to pay.

• Direct representation indicates that the declarant doesn’t make decisions about what to declare to HMRC, but simply passes on the information provided by the trader. In this situation, the declarant would only be liable for mis-representing the information provided by the trader. It is the typical relationship type when using a customs broker.

• For exports, HMRC needs to be notified that the goods are leaving the country and therefore no duty or VAT will be payable.

• Indirect representation indicates that the declarant is an integral part of the decision-making process. As such, the declarant would have joint and several responsibility for the information submitted to Customs.

Be aware that declaring information to Customs authorities carries a degree of liability. It is important to understand who’s responsible for deciding what should be declared. This involves choosing the correct commodity code to classify the goods; identifying the correct procedure to explain why the goods are moving; claiming specific preferential tariff treatment; or stating that a particular licence is or is not required.

HOW IT WORKS When traders choose to get support with preparing their customs declarations from somebody else, for example by nominating Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, as their customs broker, the relationship between the trader and the declarant should be explained to HMRC. The way in which a trader can be represented by the declarant can be either direct or indirect:

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The UK legislation on customs matters currently follows the overall European legislation in terms of tariff (duty payable) and code (rules on goods movement). As a member state, the UK collects duty on goods entering the Single Market applying the EU Tariff. The rules regulating how goods move and when duty is collected are aligned with the overall Union Customs Code. This is likely to change at the end of any transition period. Traders are required to provide information when presenting goods to Customs. They can do that themselves, choose a customs broker or intermediary, or ask the freight forwarder to support with that task. Whatever the choice, traders will have to be clear on what information is required when presenting goods to Customs.

SOME OF THE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES INVOLVED • CHIEF: Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight. The HMRC centralised computer system that handles customs declarations. You can only access it via authorised software.

• NES: National Export System – This is a front-end computer system, integrated with CHIEF, dedicated exclusively to handling customs declarations for export. NES has a basic web interface that traders can use directly.

• CDS: Customs Declaration Service. The new computer system being gradually introduced to replace CHIEF. • UCC: Union Customs Code. This is a European Customs legislation that defines rules to move goods between countries. Each member state adopt the UCC into their own legislation.

• Tariff: A set of rules and regulations covering duty applicable and importation/exportation of goods.

The UK Trade Tariff is split into three volumes and covers everything traders need to know about goods classification when dealing with import and export.

Need help with your Customs Declarations?

The Chamber can help. Give our International Trade Team a call on 01223 237414.

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We’re your gateway to international trade, providing a unique combination of expert knowledge, essential documentation and the business connections needed to capitalise on new market opportunities overseas and succeed in a global marketplace.

Trading Internationally The Chamber offers a range of services to help companies maintain their competitive edge in the international marketplace.

Full support is detailed on the International section of our website but below are details of a few of the services we offer.

COMPLIANCE, LOGISTICS AND VAT Chamber member re:TRADE, powered

by VAT IT, is a single solution offering compliance, logistics and VAT services assisting UK businesses struggling with post-Brexit compliance and supply chain issues.

They provide a free consultation to understand the overall existing supply chain and provide expert guidance on how best to ship goods from the UK to the EU, minimising compliance costs and maximising supply chain efficiency.

Their facilities include checking

all customs paperwork to ensure full compliance, facilitating VAT registrations in all EU export countries, and linking up on EORI and VAT numbers in order to submit import

VAT reclaims to give cash back to businesses.

Contact them today for a complimentary consultation: https://hubs.la/H0HgCBh0

ATA Carnets The Chamber offers a comprehensive ATA Carnet service, processing and even preparing the documents on your behalf.

An ATA Carnet is an internationally recognised booklet of vouchers which replace the usual customs declarations for the temporary movement of goods. It avoids the need to provide securities for customs duty and simplifies the formalities for goods temporarily exported or imported.

The ATA Carnet is valid for a maximum of one year from issue and may be used for temporary importation of most goods as long as they are to be re-exported without having undergone any change.

To find our more please contact the Chamber International Trade team on 01223 237414.

Arab-British Certificates of Origin These certificates are normally required for shipments to Arab League states. Some importers in these territories have special arrangements with their own customs authorities whereby United Kingdom Certificates of Origin can be issued instead of the Arab certificate. Cambridgeshire Chamber encourage you to double check with your customer which type of certificate they require. If an Arab-British Certificate of Origin is requested, this document may be need to be legalised by the relevant embassy.

Call the International Trade Team on 01223 237414 and find out any special documentary requirements and a quote for processing. You should allow two-three weeks for the return of legalised documents.

For any query relating to importing or exporting please contact the International Trade Team on 01223 237414 or email enquiries@cambscci.co.uk 20 connected

chamber supports

CHARITY

CHAMBER CHARITY OF THE YEAR

Anna’s Hope – 15 years of making a difference for children with a brain tumour

When we heard from the doctors that Anna was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour and she would need major brain surgery followed by 13 months of aggressive Chemotherapy our world was turned upside down and we did not know who to turn to.

Fortunately Harry, a Specialist NeuroOncology Paediatric nurse, was by Anna and our side throughout the gruelling journey. Harry helped provide practical and emotional support during treatment at home and with Anna’s School and she was by our side when Anna lost her battle.

This support inspired us to fund the first stage of our plan to ‘Make a Difference Now’ for Children with a Brain Tumour.

In 2009 ‘The Anna’s Hope Specialist NeuroOncology Paediatric Nurse was recruited’ based at Addenbrookes Hospital. In the picture you will see Carole and Rob with Alison, who was the first nurse to take up the post, and James who was one of the patients we helped.

Following three years of funding by Anna’s Hope we were delighted that Addenbrookes took over funding and 12 years later the post continues to Make a Difference today.

If you want to help us continue to make a difference to the lives of children with a brain tumour now please contact Carole Hughes by e-mail admin@annashope.co.uk or tel 01780 740492.

Carole Hughes connected 21

Managing a safe return to a Covid-19 secure workplace

2020 and 2021 will be years individuals and businesses alike will not forget in a hurry!

Claire Berry, Employment Lawyer

Nicola Cockerill, Employment Solicitor

Rebecca Ryan, Employment Solicitor

We have all seen a complicated mix of challenges and opportunities, often at the same time. However, fingers crossed, the Government’s roadmap to emerging from lockdown appears, pretty much, on track. The current rule in England remains that “[people] should continue to work from home where [they] can” and we expect this to be the case until at least June 2021. This gives businesses plenty of time to consider what they want their new working environment to look like, and to make plans.

With that in mind Employment Solicitors, Nicola Cockerill, Rebecca Ryan and Claire Berry, would like to share a few issues they have already been helping their clients with:

guidance). Where you can demonstrate you have taken all reasonable steps, you can insist the employee returns. Refusal to return could be a disciplinary issue.

recruitment/ retention of staff and reduced sickness absence. However, ultimately, it is up the employer to determine where an employee works, especially if it is already a contractual term.

However, you should bear in mind that any employee with at least 26 weeks’ service can make a flexible working request. You have a legal duty to reasonably consider that request and can only refuse it for one of the permitted reasons.

However, remember you have the additional responsibility to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees (Equality Act 2010). Disability covers mental (e.g. anxiety) as well as physical impairments.

There is also specific protection for employees who believe they have been subject to a detriment for raising H&S concerns.

H&S/ PLANNING CHALLENGES

For all these reasons, we suggest you involve employees in the return to work process, listen to any concerns and appreciate that, for some, you may need to proceed more cautiously to get everyone on-board.

•W hat if an employee refuses to come back to work, saying they do not feel safe?

You have a duty under the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to take all reasonable steps to reduce workplace risk, including illness. This involves considering and minimising potential risks (see www.hse.gov.uk for further

It is anticipated that, going forward, many employers and employees alike will, where possible, appreciate the benefits of a more fluid working location.

The benefits include: greater work/ life balance, increased productivity, greater

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y staff now want to work from •M home, but I want them in the office.

What can I do?

VACCINATIONS •C an I insist an existing employee has a vaccine?

You cannot make a change to an employee’s terms and conditions of employment without their express consent.

It could be a reasonable management instruction. However, whether it is ‘reasonable’, will very much depend on the nature of the role.

You will also need to be careful that your requirement is not discriminatory to those with a protected characteristic, particularly disability, age, pregnancy/ maternity, religion, race etc.

photo created by rawpixel.com

• What about for new employees?

In theory, yes, you can insert a contractual term requiring vaccination to be included in the employment contract for new employees. However, again, this could be discriminatory.

In either case, we recommend you encourage vaccination but do not make it a contractual requirement.

• Can I ask an employee if they have had a vaccine?

Again, in theory, yes. However, this will be sensitive personal data and so you need a lawful reason for processing under Data Protection legislation (see www.ico.org. uk ). You also need to be careful your request is not discriminatory.

We recommend you carefully consider the reason you want to know, and if you

consider it necessary, you protect the data.

HOLIDAYS •W hat if an employee has to selfisolate following a holiday?

knew they would have to self-isolate, it is unreasonable to expect to be paid. A period of unpaid leave or extra holiday could be an option.

It is unlikely to be a reasonable instruction to tell an employee they cannot go on holiday! Also, remember that holidays are important for H&S and wellbeing.

We recommend you discuss your expectations with staff well in advance of the holiday season and consider a Covid specific addendum to your holiday policy. This is an area we expect more clarification in the coming weeks/ months.

We recommend you discuss risks with staff in plenty of time. If they can work from home then this is a sensible option.

However, if they cannot, it is a trickier matter. On one-hand, they are willing and able to work, being preventing from doing so for a reason outside their control. On the other, particularly if they

As an aside, remember that workers can carry forward their statutory holiday entitlement for up to two holiday years.

Be careful to discuss expectations with employees and avoid holidays ‘backing up’. As long as you give sufficient notice, you can require workers to take holidays at required times.

We hope this has been helpful. Keep an eye on the Chamber website for future HR events.

You can also contact any of us on: Rebecca Ryan, Employment Solicitor, Leeds Day LLP, 01480 442040 rebecca.ryan@leedsday.co.uk Nicola Cockerill, Employment Solicitor, Buckles Solicitors LLP, 01733 888925 Nicola.Cockerill@buckles-law.co.uk Claire Berry, Employment Lawyer, Price Bailey Legal Services LLP, 01223 941242 CAB@pricebaileylegalservices.co.uk connected 23

Would you like to become a Chamber member?

Get in touch today to find out the many benefits.

Tel: 01223 237414 Email: enquiries@cambscci.co.uk

• NEW MEMBERS • Atrium Clinic

Healthy Workspace Service Ltd

BBR Mastermind Ltd

Hub 4 Parts Ltd

Boost Recycling Ltd

Jordan Consulting Services Ltd

Burghley House Preservation Trust

Plasgram Ltd

Cambrionix Ltd

Proforce Security & Events Ltd

Cheveley Park Farms T/as The English Set Company

TER UK Ltd

Citrox Biosciences Ltd

The Chrysalis Crew

Cyrus Audio Ltd

TyLt Consultancy Ltd

Family Voice Peterborough

Vernalis (R & D) Ltd

Green Energy Switch

WJM International (UK) Ltd

Founded on passion by Jack Bradshaw, Daniel Mcleod and Wendy Richards, with a common desire to work with the corporate market and to help business owners grow their businesses.

We have leveraged through the success of our sister company Rapid Image UK Ltd, specialists in wedding photography and videography since 2014.

THE BENEFITS OF USING RAPID MEDIA UK • F avourable media coverage is a powerful tool in your marketing strategy

Rapid Media UK Rapid Media UK provides photographers and videographers that work with you to create the perfect media coverage for your business and events. Whether you are a small business, or a huge enterprise let us know what you are looking for and we will work out the best creative course of action to get your business noticed!

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• Y our business will be portrayed in a positive light by projecting the credibility, expertise, and image you want to convey to your target audience • O ur dynamic team are vibrant, considerate, knowledgeable, and fun to work with • W e guarantee world class customer service combined with passion and dedication.

We would like to offer Chamber members 20 per cent discount off any Photography and Video needs for their business. www.rapidmediauk.com

welcome

Atrium Clinic Atrium Clinic offers mental health online coaching to SME businesses from clinicians. We survey staff and identify those in need, invite them to wellbeing coaching so take-up is high and long-term deterioration is less. We offer psychometrics and clinician-led training on a- pay- as- yougo basis that won’t break the bank.

Atrium welcomes Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce members to access our online coaching and counselling services with special concessions of £50.00 per session (plus VAT), for the next two months. Get your wellbeing check-in to bolster your energy to move forward with your whole and work life.

Telephone 01702 332857, email info@atriumclinic.co.uk or visit www.atriumclinic.co.uk

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Healthy Workplace service, funded by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council and delivered by Everyone Health Ltd, supports workplaces across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees.

The Healthy Workplace service supports workplaces to improve employee health and wellbeing by: • Identifying your needs • Providing suitable interventions and training • Actively providing networking opportunities and resources.

For more info and to book a FREE chat with us, go to https://HealthyWorkplacesCP.co.uk

re: TRADE powered by VAT IT re:TRADE, powered by global leader VAT IT, is the one-stop supply chain solution addressing Brexit trade challenges such as shipping, EU customs clearance, VAT registrations, and Import VAT reclaim. re:TRADE makes it simple and cost-effective to move goods across borders and transition your business operations to the “new normal” post-Brexit.

Schedule your free consultation at https://hubs.la/H0HgCBh0

photo created by yanalya - www.freepik.com

Healthy Workplace

NEW MEMBERS

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Do you have come exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237424 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Cambridge cyclist completes more than 400 miles for charity Cambridge cyclist Rob Barber, PR and Internal Communications Assistant at Cambridge Building Society, completed 452 miles to raise money for The British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, and Diabetes.

In September last year Rob raised £230 for Cancer Research UK, and in April 2021 decided to do it again. This time he’s raising money for not one, but three different charities. To keep active during lockdown Rob has taken on this challenge to look after his own health whilst supporting the hard work of people battling life threatening disease.

In preparation for his latest endeavour, Rob cycled the equivalent of travelling from Cambridge to Cornwall, and back!

Whilst his tyres have given up a few times, his dedication to complete the challenge never fell flat.

Rob comments: “Whilst most of us have had to adapt to the ‘new normal’, there are lots of people that still face their own personal battles. I can only imagine the toll the last year has taken on people battling cancer, people faced with diabetes, and those affected by heart issues. We all know somebody affected by these terrible illnesses.

“Four years ago, I lost my uncle to diabetes - so this is the least I can do to give back. If you have the means, and you’re capable, why wouldn’t you want to help? So I got the padded bib shorts out again and covered a lot of ground in Cambridge and surrounding local areas. I’ve cycled through four seasons in one ride on most occasions, the wind definitely makes cycling harder. The worst ride I had was in torrential rain. One evening as I was doing laps around Cambridge Science Park, I got home and literally poured

water out of my shoes! I’m delighted to get the miles under my belt whilst raising money for these very worthy causes.”

If you’d like to make a donation, please visit Rob’s fundraising pages by heading over to https://linktr.ee/rjrobbie.

DOMINO PRINTING ENHANCES GLOBAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT WITH NEW AUGMENTED REALITY TOOL A Cambridge company has strengthened its capability to deliver fast and efficient support to its customers around the world, with the creation of a new augmented reality tool which provides remote visual support in real-time.

Domino Printing has launched SafeGuard AR, enabling customers using its coding and marking technology to benefit from quick production line fixes, preventing down-time and reducing the need for onsite visits.

Using SafeGuard AR’s secure virtual service environment, customers can show Domino’s remote service staff exactly what is occurring on the line. The ability to ‘see’ with the customer’s eyes makes it quicker and easier to identify the cause of line issues and implement fixes. The tool can also be used to zoom in on specific areas, pause live video, annotate, draw, and share notes on screen.

Eddie Storan, Domino’s Head of Global Service, said: “Uptime and overall equipment efficiency are of the utmost importance to our customers – when unplanned downtime is due to coding and marking equipment, it can be both costly and frustrating for them.

As coding typically sits towards the end of the production line, a faulty system can have a huge impact through wasted stock and rework, with the added commercial and brand risk of product recalls and punitive fines.”

Collaborating with customers in this way allows Domino’s service engineers to gain a better understanding of a problem than can be achieved by traditional telephone support. When possible, a 26 connected

customer can be guided to safely implement a fix themselves, or, in cases necessitating a site visit, an engineer can be dispatched with a thorough understanding of the issue and equipped with all necessary materials to rectify the problem. In this way, SafeGuard AR helps to increase first-time fix rate, and dramatically decrease case resolution time.

Though already in development at the time, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated both the completion of the SafeGuard AR application and the full programme of testing by customers.

The virtual aspect of the application was particularly useful in overcoming limitations on site visits by service engineers during the global lockdown. Following its success, Domino is now able to offer the service to customers in all regions.

news from

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS AREA

Scrutton Bland builds on their construction sector expertise in particular regarding those operating in the construction industry. With a family background in the building trade, and a father who ran his own construction business, Ben has hands-on experience of what is involved in running a business.

Scrutton Bland has strengthened their Business Advisory team with the appointment of Ben Cussons as Director.

Ben has been with Scrutton Bland since 2011 and has a large portfolio of clients across the region.

Ben specialises in providing targeted business finance advice to clients of all sizes,

“I understand the stresses and problems that business owners are facing at the moment,” says Ben. “More importantly I can bring in the professional expertise of our teams to help with digital accounting, tax filing, year-end accounting, tax planning and strategic advice.”

Ben is also part of the team delivering Scrutton Bland’s cloud-accounting services to businesses, helping them to move from traditional paper-based accounting

to digital bookkeeping – a cost-efficient service that has been very popular with local businesses grappling with the requirements of the government’s Making Tax Digital initiative.

“I know that the Scrutton Bland in Diss have a fantastic reputation for their insurance services,” says Ben. “I want to bring in more of our accountancy expertise alongside all that insurance knowledge, so we can offer a more rounded service to our clients in south Norfolk and north Suffolk.”

Jason Fayers, Scrutton Bland’s Managing Partner, commented: “This appointment is very well deserved - our Business Advisory team has developed and grown in recent years and shows our commitment to growth in the region.”

AccountAbility-Plus appoint Claire Brooks as Commercial Director

VMhosts celebrates 10 years of providing first class IT services

AccountAbility-Plus announce the appointment of Claire Brooks as Commercial Director as of 1 April 2021 to drive forward their next growth phase.

In late 2020 VMhosts celebrated (albeit remotely!)

10 years of providing a wide range of IT services to their ever-growing client base. They were also able to grow both their sales and technical team which increased their competitive offering.

Claire brings with her a wealth of expertise, having worked in the business service sector for 15 years.

Her experience has focused on establishing and implementing strategies to drive business growth in existing and new markets. She also has a strong background in restructuring businesses to achieve efficiency, growth and culture change.

Kate Sammons, MD at AccountAbility-Plus, said: “We welcome Claire to our growing team. Her expertise, enthusiasm and drive bring a fresh focus to this critical role.

“Despite the current challenges facing many businesses, we believe we are on the brink of huge opportunities, and AccountAbility-Plus is perfectly placed to support existing businesses take their next steps and assist the many new businesses formed over the last 12 months.”

Claire added: “I am delighted to join Kate and the team. Solid and expert back-office business support is key to any business’s growth, regardless of their life stage. Our current clients highly value our support, we have an amazing story to tell about the solutions we provide that transform their operations daily.

“I look forward to getting to know and supporting more of the great businesses in our region.”

The vision was to utilise untapped potential in the virtualisation space. VMhosts identified a niche opportunity in using virtualisation technology to provide a multi-tenanted environment supporting cloud-based apps and services from a host of different providers. Drawing on the technical expertise of founder Michael Custance, VMhosts developed an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model, allowing clients to buy powerful remote server hosting capability while removing the need for expensive hardware, sites and maintenance.

The company is enjoying a period of rapid growth and has been steadily broadening its core business to include disaster recovery and back-up services, providing security and resilience in today’s always online world.

VMhosts offers a unique approach to customer support and create individually tailored support packages to meet and grow with their client’s needs.

Building on its private sector experience, VMhosts is now expanding into the public sector and is looking forward to continued success in an ever-increasing market. connected 27

Do you have come exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237424 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Kershaw wish a happy retirement to valued employee

Access student on course to read Classical Archaeology and Ancient History in Oxford During her secondary years, Chloe Francis attended Lea Manor High School, Luton.

Upon completion of her GCSEs she moved away from formal education, following unforeseen personal circumstances but after a few in years in employment, Chloe felt that the only way to achieve her full potential, was to return to education.

At the age of 22, Chloe set about exploring her options for further studies and a combination of location and course suitability led her to enrol on the Access to Humanities course with Cambridge Regional College.

Chloe said: “I was confident that studying with CRC would present a lot of opportunities.

My tutors were supportive, and I enjoyed my studies very much.”

Since starting her studies, Chloe has secured a place at Oxford University to read Classical Archaeology and Ancient History. She will begin her degree course in October 2021 and attributes this success to the skills she has gained in and around education, and life in general, since returning to education.

Chloe added: “Taking these next steps to gain a university degree will open so many doors that were shut to me before. I have learnt a lot from my tutors, and the experiences the course presented, and I would encourage anyone considering a return to education to go for it. You have absolutely nothing to lose and only great things to gain! Don’t hesitate, you never know where you could end up.”

Thinking ahead to her dream career, Chloe has ambitions to become a curator in the Greek and Rome exhibitions at the British Museum.

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Valued Kershaw employee and skilled tradesman Dominic Minervino has hung up his tools for the last time after more than 50 years of devoted service.

When Dominic Minervino arrived at the Ainsworth Street Office on his first day at Kershaw as an apprentice welder in September 1970, he could never have imagined he would still be working there some 50 years later.

Over half a century on, Dominic, fondly known as Dom to his friends and colleagues, retired from his position as Supervisor, having provided over 50 years of valued service.

Having joined the company at the tender age of 16, Dom trained as a pipe fitter welder and progressed to become a well-respected site supervisor.

Over the years Dom has seen the Heating and Ventilating industry change dramatically – with the introduction of stricter H&S laws, increased use of technology and modernisation of systems and machinery. He has been pivotal in the completion of many projects for Kershaw, including Sainsbury’s Norwich, Cribb’s Court Cambridge and Princess Alexandra Hospital Harlow to name a few.

Ian Greenstock, Executive Chairman, Kershaw Group said: “We would like to wish Dom a happy and joyous retirement. He has been an outstanding employee and all of his colleagues will miss him dearly. His knowledge of the industry and loyalty to Kershaw has been second to none. Having worked with us since he was 16 we wish him all the best in the next phase of his life.”

Andrew Saunders, Operations Director, Kershaw said: “Having worked together on many projects I can honestly say Dom’s experience and understanding of the industry are unparalleled. Over his 50 plus years at Kershaw, he has been a truly valuable asset and a stalwart employee. I sincerely hope that Dom has an amazing, well-deserved retirement and we will miss him very much” As a nod to Dom’s love of golf, Ian Greenstock and Andrew Saunders visited Dom on his final day on-site at the Royal Vets College in London to present him with various golfing goodies as a thank you for his dedicated long service.

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news from

ELY & EAST CAMBS AREA

Do you have come exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237424 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

KING’S ELY AND THE BOAT RACE 2021 King’s Ely was delighted to welcome the President of Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club (CUWBC) into school just days after the crew were victorious in The Boat Race on Ely’s River Great Ouse.

Sophie Paine, who has been President of CUWBC since August 2020, visited school on 7 April to meet staff and students from King’s Ely Boat Club – adhering to current Covid-19 guidelines of course. Sophie talked about CUWBC’s preparations for The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, which took place in Ely on 4 April – and of course their race day victory!

Usually held on The Thames, The Boat Race was moved to the River Great Ouse due to concerns over Hammersmith Bridge and the implications of hosting such an event in London with Covid-19 restrictions in place. Ely has a proud history with The Boat Race. It was founded by two students, Charles Wordsworth from Oxford, and Charles Merivale from Cambridge – Merivale went on to be the Dean of Ely Cathedral. The first race took place in 1829 and this year was the 166th men’s race and 75th women’s race.

Speaking about her visit to King’s Ely, Sophie said: “After a rewarding win for Cambridge on 4 April, it was my absolute pleasure to share the experiences of our victory with King’s Ely’s rowers. It was all the more special to share this success with rowers who know what it’s like to row on the Ouse. Best of luck to all of the rowers in the future!”

King’s Ely was also proud to accommodate crew members from Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) in the week leading

up to the race. Crews stayed in boarding accommodation and enjoyed delicious meals in the Monastic Barn, prepared and cooked by the school’s Catering Team.

OUBC crew men KINGS

OUBC crew ladies KINGS

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Kaitlyn Dennis, President of Oxford University Women’s Boat Club, said: “Between training sessions and media engagements, the squad spent the week at King’s Ely. The grounds are beautiful and the staff made us feel very welcome. We are very thankful for their hospitality and for keeping us well fuelled.”

With arguably the best stretch of river for rowing in the country, it is not surprising that King’s Ely has been a strong force in UK rowing for many years. As one of the major sports available to students from Year 8 upwards, rowing is enormously popular with students.

The King’s Ely Boat Club is located just a short walk from school, providing an uninterrupted stretch of water that runs for over 15 miles in each direction, including a five kilometre straight, making it the perfect place to train.

Craig Ward, Head of Rowing at King’s Ely, said: “To have The Boat Race in Ely this year was a real pleasure. The buzz around the Boathouse and the students was clear to see. Having such a world-renowned event on our stretch showcases how lucky we are to row on the Great Ouse. It was an absolute pleasure to invite CUWBC President Sophie Paine in to talk to our Year 11-13 rowers. Sophie highlighted the dedication and passion that is required to achieve as a student-athlete, and the preparation and focus required in high level rowing.”

Go the distance – become Living Wage accredited!

Paying the real Living Wage is good for business and good for employees.

Get moving and find out more: www.cambridge.gov.uk/living-wage living-wave-A4-v1.indd 1

30/04/2021 09:29

Do you have come exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

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End of, and Start of, an Era at Playfords Ltd 31 March marked the end of an era within Playfords long and successful history. Alan Tuohy, Mick Tee and Julian Winspear retired from Playfords following a combined 102 years’ service.

Having joined Playfords through the acquisition of the company in 2006 during their tenure in charge the business has gone from strength to strength seeing an increase in revenues from £3.0m turnover in 2006 to £15.0m turnover today. Successfully merging with its sister company Hedley Solutions in 2014 Playfords has continued its growth and development, in recent years increasing its presence with the addition of a new regional office in Dartford and securing high profile projects such as critical works within Guys and St Thomas Hospitals and high-profile works at the Royal Opera House and Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Alan Tuohy, having started his career as an apprentice with the London Electricity Board, quickly progressed from apprentice, approved electrician, supervisor to project management, gaining valuable experience of a diverse range of projects along the way, and expanded his knowledge of mechanical services working for multidisciplinary companies.

Joining Hedley Solutions on 1 January 1997 he headed up a management buyout of the business in 2000. Following success within Hedley Solutions the business purchased Playfords Ltd 2006 with Alan taking up the challenge of developing Playfords into what it is today.

Playfords would like to thank Alan for his 24 years and three months service with the company and efforts to make the business what it is today.

Mick Tee joined Hedley as an apprentice in July 1976 and has worked for the business all of his working life culminating in 44 years and nine months total service.

Having progressed from apprentice to electrician and onto management Mick quickly established himself as a key member of the management team and took on the responsibility of managing our key NHS customers. Joining Alan 32 connected

and Julian in 2000 he was part of the management buyout of the business and joined the Board of Directors. Working with Alan and Julian and seeing the success of Hedley continuing Mick took on the role of Manging Director at Hedley Solutions alongside Julian following the acquisition of Playfords in 2006. Following the merger of the two business in 2014 and the creation of Playfords as it is today Mick has played a key role in helping to establish our business within the critical infrastructure works, we complete for the NHS in London.

Julian joined Hedley in October 1987 as a labourer initially becoming a time served Technician Electrician during his early time with the company. Joining the management team in 1997, Julian quickly took on the development of our structured cabling works, gaining the necessary qualifications and certifications in order to progress Hedley’s in this then emerging market. Using his knowledge and specialist skills in this field Julian quickly established Hedley’s as one of the major players in the market working with key Clients to further grow and establish Hedley’s. Part of the management

buyout in 2000 Julian joined the board of directors and worked to further grow and establish the business. Following the merger in 2014 Julian has continued to head up our Voice and Data operations retaining our key accreditations and helping to make it the key part of our business that it is today. During Julian’s 33 years and five months service with the business he has seen the development and change within the Voice and Data Industry and kept Playfords at the forefront of this evolving market.

Playfords would like to thank Alan, Mick and Julian, all the very best for the future and we hope they enjoy their well-deserved retirements. They will be sorely missed.

James Tuohy, Playfords new Manging Director, commented: “I would like to personally thank Alan, Mick and Julian for their many years of hard work and more recently with their support and backing of the recently completed MBO. Playfords starts a new era on fantastic footing with a great order book of secured work and excellent projects already underway, we start this new era very much on the front foot.”

news from

HUNTINGDONSHIRE AREA

Webtec rewarded with prestigious Silver Investors in People Award Webtec, the specialist manufacturer of hydraulic measurement and control products, is very proud to achieve the Investors In People Silver award standard. The company has been working hard to achieve the high standards set for this prestigious global award since it gained IIP accreditation in 2017.

The Investors in People accreditation has been developed and refined over nearly 30 years to help companies, leaders and employees work together to create better, more productive workplaces. Webtec’s company values and dedication to increasing the knowledge and skills of its employees, customers and its vision to ‘inspire others to enjoy the challenges that engineering brings’ through engaging with the wider community are very much in-line with the IiP’s ‘Leading, Supporting and Improving’ standards.

The company was commended for engaging with colleagues developing internal initiatives such as the Place to Work Group and Webtec Wellbeing, as well as the emphasis on innovation and continuous improvement.

On receiving the award, Jo Middleton, Webtec’s HR Business Partner commented: “Achieving IiP Silver is a fantastic step

forward for us. There is great commitment amongst our staff, and we are always seeking ways to improve and develop. I am looking forward to the next phase in our IiP journey.”

Martin Cuthbert, Webtec MD, said: “Especially during the really challenging conditions we are all currently facing, we are really proud that the hard-work of the Webtec team to continuously improve and of the managers to delegate and empower more people in the company to lead change has been recognised by this year’s IiP assessment.”

Nicholas Smith, the IiP Practitioner who conducted the assessment, said: “It has been inspiring to see the progress that the team at Webtec have made in the development of their culture and management practices and the benefits that these have delivered for the business. Webtec’s attainment of the Silver award level is well deserved and I look forward to working with them as they continue their journey.”

Wyboston Lakes Resort offers staff the chance to switch to renewable energy at home Wyboston Lakes Resort is giving all its team the opportunity to ‘go green’ at home by switching to renewable energy – with a financial incentive as well.

three major awards for the sustainability of its operations and has reduced its carbon footprint by 65 per cent of its total emissions since 2019.

The offer is a result of Wyboston Lakes Resort’s partnership with The Energy Check, energy saving experts who, since June 2020, have been advising the Resort’s management team on energy usage, how to reduce it and become more sustainable.

The 380-acre site which includes a hotel, two conference and training venues, spa, golf course and business units operates 100 per cent of the time on renewable energy.

The Resort was recently presented with

All members of the Wyboston Lakes Resort team who switch to the competitively priced renewable energy will also receive a £20 shopping voucher for completing a dual fuel switch and a £10 voucher for a single fuel switch.

Katherine White, Director of People, said: “The team here are totally committed to finding every opportunity to help us make the site’s operations more sustainable.

Katherine White We thought that, in addition to the other employee benefits we offer, we would give them the chance to make their homes more sustainable as well. Many have already shown keen interest in it.”

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Do you have come exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237424 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Buckles team bolstered by major recruitment drive Buckles Solicitors LLP has hit the ground running in the early months of 2021 with several significant appointments and promotions across a range of legal departments.

Among the new recruits, the Firm welcomes a new Partner, Rachel McCahill, who is a Corporate Recovery and Insolvency specialist with 22 years’ experience and who has been listed as a leading individual in the Legal 500 for the last two years.

Rachel acts in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious insolvency and restructuring related matters, both corporate and personal. Rachel also deals with personal guarantees, receiverships and any situation involving financial distress.

Rachel said: “I’m delighted to be joining Buckles at an exciting period of growth for the firm with lots of plans and projects in place.”

Buckles has also appointed a trio of highly experienced Consultants. Based at Buckles’ London office, Nicole Hirst is a specialist in commercial litigation, including crossborder matters. Nicole has experience in

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arbitration and mediation and deals with contentious intellectual property matters, including the protection and enforcement of registered and unregistered rights. Lola Pacheco is a qualified Spanish Lawyer and Consultant specialising in civil and immigration law matters, whilst Bruce Turner is a Consultant in Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence law with more than 20 years’ experience.

Buckles’ Private Client team has strengthened with the arrival of two Senior Solicitors, Abbie Boon and Vicky Tassell. Abbie specialises in Estate Administration and has a particular interest in the Agricultural sector, having acted for many clients in both lifetime planning and estate administration, specialising in complex tax rules. Vicky assists clients with both lifetime planning, such as the preparation of Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney, and Estate Administration, such as applications for Probate.

Meanwhile, Senior Associate Rebecca Varey has joined the Family team and is based at the Firm’s Cambridge office. Rebecca has 18 years’ experience as a family lawyer,

specialising in all aspects of family law, including divorce, financial settlements and matters relating to children. She has a particular interest in Children Act matters.

Lauren Priestley has also joined Buckles as a Paralegal working in the Firm’s Dispute Resolution and Personal Injury teams.

In addition to recent appointments, four lawyers have been promoted this month.

Katy Poole (Company Commercial) becomes a Senior Associate and James Munn (Property) becomes a Senior Solicitor.

Anna Whiston (Family/Private Client) and Lea Maynard (French law) rise to Senior Paralegal positions.

Buckles’ Chief Executive, Duncan Jackson, said: “The last 12 months have been challenging for everyone for many different reasons but, thanks to the unrelenting dedication and effort of all our staff, we have significantly outperformed the sector.

As a result, we are delighted to welcome all the new recruits to the firm who will both enhance our existing services and provide our clients with access to advice on an even wider range of specialisms.”

news from

PETERBOROUGH AREA Head to Toe Charity and Nathan Murdoch combine to bring a masterpiece to Children’s NHS services in Peterborough.

We know hospital settings can sometimes make people nervous - and the teams at the Children’s Development Centre in Peterborough wanted to do everything they could to reduce some of this potential worry for the children and young people they work with. The teams based at the City Care Centre on Thorpe Road, support children and young people with complex needs including autism, learning disabilities and developmental challenges - helping them to reach their potential and get the best possible start in life.

NHS staff at the Centre wanted to reduce some of the children’s anxiety around being in a hospital setting, by introducing creative and fun elements to their visit. In a collaborative project between Head to Toe Charity and local artist Nathan Murdoch, an incredible mural has been created to give the young people a focus whilst waiting for appointments.

This will help to distract and reduce their anxiety to help them relax prior to their appointment. We have been able to achieve this by securing a grant from Head to Toe Charity and are thankful for the wonderful artwork produced by local artist Nathan Murdoch from Street Arts Hire.”

Hannah Wysocki from Head to Toe, said: “The final results are stunning – we can’t thank Nathan, Adam and Street Arts Hire enough. The murals will not only brighten the day of young people and their parents, but also our teams who work at the centre. Our NHS staff continue to do remarkable work in response to

the Covid-19 pandemic and Head to Toe is proud to continue to support their incredible efforts.”

To find out more about some of the amazing projects we are funding across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, check out our website at headtotoecharity.org, or get in touch by calling 01223 219708 or email charity@cpft.nhs.uk

Nathan’s street art will be recognisable to those who reside in Peterborough, with the artist previously attracting global attention for his arts against racism mural in the Millfield area of the city and his portrait of The Prodigy frontman, the late Keith Flint.

Kathy Lambourn, a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant at the Centre, who has helped organise the project, said: “As a team at the Child Development Centre, we felt that we wanted to create a more positive experience for the children and families who visit us, to help them feel relaxed and welcome. We feel they deserve an environment that is appealing with colourful, bright, interactive visual displays.

Savills UK promotions Savills has announced the following promotions within its Peterborough office, which took effect from 1 March 2021.

The promotions will see two people move up to associate. Angus Miller in business space and Mark Thomas in Rural, Energy and Projects (REP).

David Goodson, head of office at Savills Peterborough, comments: “I would like to say a huge congratulations to both Angus and Mark on these very well deserved promotions. They have both worked hard to consistently deliver excellent outcomes for their clients in what has been a particularly challenging year and contributed to both the success of their teams and the wider Peterborough office.”

Angus Miller

Mark Thomas connected 35

chamber

TRAINING

The Chamber runs a rolling programme of training courses that culminate in the nationally-recognised Foundation Award in International Trade.

Our regular training courses provide the knowledge to assist with your international trade activities. Currently, all courses will take place online via Zoom.

Step by Step Understanding a Understanding Rules of Origin Tuesday 22 June, Wednesday 22 Sept, Customs Declaration Wednesday 26 May, Tuesday 24 Aug, Tuesday 9 Nov The training course will highlight what you need to know to complete customs declarations accurately and efficiently for both the import and export of goods, including taking you through step-by-step guidance on completing the SAD C88 form.

Letters of Credit

Tuesday 14 Dec This course will explain all aspects of the Rules of Origin and Trade agreements and how to understand and comply with them to help companies be more competitive in export markets.

Rules of Origin are the major factor in FTA agreements and we will learn how this is calculated and the benefits of having UK Origin.

Tuesday 8 June, Tuesday 7 Sept, Tuesday 23 Nov This workshop covers the five main types of payment for exports, from advance payment to open account, including Sight Documentary Collection, Term Documentary Collection and Documentary Letters of Credit. It includes the use of Bills of Exchange with and without documents. You will gain a better understanding of how important it is to getting it right first time avoiding delayed payment of goods exported.

Understanding Exporting

Inward and Outward Processing

Customs Procedures and Documentation

We will look at the impact of the EU Union Customs Code (UCC) on the application, the requirement for duty guarantees and administrative processes involved in managing IP.

Incoterms 2020

Tuesday 15 June, Tuesday 14 Sept, Tuesday 7 Dec The course will cover special procedures and the benefits of using IP and OP in your compliance.

As well as reviewing the IP application form and the C99/ C&E812 suspension returns, we will also look at what internal processes are required.

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Tuesday 6 July, Tuesday 5 Oct This course covers all the basic key areas around exporting and will explain the requirements for documentation, plus an overview of country of origin and incoterms.

Understanding Importing

Tuesday 20 July, Wednesday 13 Oct This course covers all the basic key areas around importing and will explain the requirements for documentation, plus an overview of country of origin and incoterms.

Tuesday 27 July, Tuesday 26 Oct It is vitally important that importers and exporters understand the information required to be submitted, fines and inspections are things that no company wants to endure. This sessions looks at the procedures required to deal with customs.

Tuesday 10 August, Tuesday 2 Nov It is essential that businesses understand Incoterms® as their use is vital for the successful movement of goods between customers and suppliers around the world. This session will explain Incoterms®

and their importance in international trade contracts.

Full course details are available on our website www.cambridgeshirechamber. co.uk/training All our training courses run from 10.00am-2.30pm.

Cost per course: £280.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £375.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members.

To register please visit our website, email s.parr@cambscci.co.uk or telephone 01223 237414.

SME Brexit Support Fund is open for applications The SME Brexit Support Fund could give you up to £2,000 to help with training or professional advice, if your business has up to 500 employees and no more than £100 million annual turnover.

Grant for Training

The grants can be used to provide training on the following: • How to complete customs declarations • How to manage customs processes and use customs software and systems • Specific import and export related aspects including VAT, excise and rules of origin.

Applications will close on 30 June 2021 or earlier, if all funding is allocated before this date.

Visit: https://www. customsintermediarygrant.co.uk/ sme-grants-available-training to apply

Many Chamber events are still being held online but we are working on a programme of face-to-fae events to get our members connected again.

Please see our website for the most up-to-date event listing.

chamber

EVENTS

CONNECT & INFORM NETWORKING Monday 21 June, 5.00-6.30pm Coffee House, Lancaster Way Business Park, Ely, CB6 3NW The Chamber, Grovemere Property and Lovewell Blake are joining forces to invite you to a face-to-face networking event with a guest speaker talking about flexible working.

As we ease out of lockdown, many workers will be returning to the workplace after long periods of furlough or working from home. Whilst some are keen to get

back to old routines, many have now adapted to their new ways of working and spending extra time at home. This talk will identify the types of flexible working requests employers may be presented with and how to manage these.

Our guest speaker is Claire Moore, HR Advisor at Lovewell Blake. As well as providing internal HR support, Claire advises a wide range of clients on all aspects of the employment relationship through the Firms HR Consultancy Service. Claire graduated with a 2:1 in

Business Management in 2010 and has since gone on to complete her Level 5 CIPD qualification in Human Resource Management.

Agenda 5.00pm – Informal networking on arrival 5.15pm – Guest speaker Claire Moore 5.45pm – Networking 6.30pm - Close Places at these events can be registered via the Chamber website.

BCC Global Annual Conference 2021 Return to Prosperity and Growth

MEET THE NEIGHBOURS

Tuesday 29 June, 11.00am-12.15pm Meet neighbours from Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northampton Chambers of Commerce.

Joining forces with neighbouring Chambers this event is designed to forge new business relationships across county borders and maximise your opportunity to build a profitable network.

Attendees will join a break at room for 15 minutes where each person gets the opportunity to speak to the room.

This event is for Chamber members only. Please register via the Chamber website.

Summer is coming and so is the first VIRTUAL edition of British Chambers of Commerce Global Annual Conference taking place on 16 and 17 June.

The theme for Day 1 is ‘A Year of Challenge and Reflection’, examining how to break through the difficult legacy left by the pandemic and move to a brighter future for the UK economy, leading to growth, resilient businesses and jobs.

Day 2 will tackle the big challenges of today and tomorrow with the theme ‘The Road to Viable Renewed Growth’.

The annual event has a fresh look and a new virtual stage which means it’s accessible to everyone, anywhere in the world.

Cost: £125.00 (plus VAT) per day, £180.00 (plus VAT) for both days for Chamber members, £195.00 (plus VAT) per day, £295.00 (plus VAT) for both days for Chamber members Tickets are on sale via the events page on the Chamber website. connected 37

insight from

SARAH WEST

Should ‘Digital Marketing’ be ‘Marketing Digitally’?

Digital marketing has perhaps received its biggest boost with more people working from home. But getting results still requires careful execution.

So, what is more important – the digital or the marketing? Sarah West, of leading B2B marketing agency Full Mix Marketing takes a look.

What’s the Difference?

It’s sometimes difficult to see the seam between digital and marketing.

Converting a designer’s vision into a website can be a puzzle. Online editors provide easy but limiting options. Additional features, functions or ecommerce require coding skills.

The Marketing Particularly post-pandemic, your website is increasingly your shop window. It can be both the first and lasting impression your business leaves.

It has to look and feel the way you want.

More critically, it must provide visitors with the experience they require to result in enquiries or sales.

Whilst many businesses craft a comprehensive narrative about everything their business is and does, many visitors can be less attentive, less patient and more immediate in their needs.

The true digital marketer helps satisfy both by ensuring the website concisely communicates everything the business wishes, in a way that grabs the visitor and persuades them to act.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Let’s look at the main channels and both sides of the equation:

The Digital Social media requires a fundamental understanding of each platform. For example, Twitter limits the number of characters, Facebook disliked images with high levels of text and smileys can look out of place on LinkedIn. Advertising is particularly data led. Without technical know-how, budgets can quickly be exhausted.

The Marketing Social media is fundamentally an immediate form of public relations. It’s a megaphone through which you can quickly broadcast a message to your target audience.

Whilst social media can seem short-lived, a pattern of posts can quickly add up to a shared impression of the author. Quality is important. You may be excellent at what you do but a poorly worded post or out-of-focus image can have people wondering.

The true digital marketer will concentrate on communicating messages your target audience are keen to receive. Sales messages can switch users off, so they find ways to pique interest whilst making it clear what you deliver and what makes it great.

WEBSITES

PAID SEARCH

Since the advent of the internet in the 90’s; email, websites, search engines and social media have all become main-stays of marketing. And the shift in technology has seen a change in skills too. PR experts have become Content Marketers, Graphic Designers have become Web Developers and Business Developers have become Social Media Influencers!

With digital marketing comes algorithms, coding and information which requires a technical understanding. The likes of ecommerce, search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) are highly data driven. Its unsurprising IT experts outnumber creatives in some marketing agencies.

However, at its heart, all marketing remains about communication. Whatever the media, it’s the message you use that will influence customers’ behaviour. From websites to emails, social media to videos, PPC to SEO, it’s understanding your customers and what they value that will result in sales.

The Digital Increasingly, the construction of a website has an impact on success. To impress both visitors and search engines, it must be secure, quick and display consistently.

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The Digital Paid advertising on search engines is technical and data led.

The user interface is complex and requires a strong understanding of the variables

within. Whilst it is possible to delegate many decisions to Google or Bing, this can increase costs rather than results.

The Marketing It’s important to generate the right clicks, from the right people, at the right stage in their buying journey.

We’ve inherited many complex PPC campaigns from fellow digital marketers which have failed to understand what the businesses provide and what their customers want.

The true digital marketer gains a better understanding of what you offer, what people search for and the experience that will result in an enquiry or sale.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO) The Digital At first glance, this is the area where digital outweighs marketing.

Sadly, leading search engines do not publish instructions. Instead, they offer hints that many experts debate, debunk and dissect online. An analytic mind is essential.

The Marketing Google wants to see lots of fresh and relevant content, on a fast and secure website, which other internet users value.

There are technical SEO attributes which need careful focus. Beyond these, SEO becomes largely about content – regularly updating your websites with text, images and features that appeal directly to your customers.

The true digital marketer will turn to Content Marketing. Google will quickly identify anything which is ‘keyword stuffed’, so it’s more efficient to create content which users genuinely value and ensure your business is the one they choose.

Gaining online respect is about being part of online communities, featuring on websites and building a reputation for ‘knowing your onions’. Again, a true digital marketer will ensure the content created is shared with the right people.

The Right Balance?

Digital Marketing must be a balance. Like a racing driver, you need a technical appreciation of the car to truly maximise your performance.

However, the secret of success is the best possible understanding of your business, your customers and the right messages to attract and convert them.

More help can be found at www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk

KEEP CONNECTED #ChamberNetwork

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