connected magazine Issue 73

INSPIRING BUSINESS SUCCESS

ISSUE 73

The ofďŹ cial monthly magazine for Chamber members

SUPER SOLAR

How FlexiSolar is driving solar evolution with a new communications campaign PLUS. . . all the news from the Chamber Network Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

e

this issue

30

8

CONTENTS

25

13

17 5

Chief Executive’s highlights

6-7

Connections

8-9

Influence

10-11

Global reach

12-13

Knowledge

24

22-23

Cambs & South Cambs Chamber news

24-25

Out & about

27

Fenland Chamber news

29

Huntingdonshire Chamber news

30-31

Peterborough Chamber news

14

Protection

15

Ask the expert

33

16-17

New members

34-35

18-19

Charity

39

Signpost 2 Grow

20

Matthew Gooding column

41

Insight from Sarah West

21

Ely Chamber news

45-47

Stamford Chamber news FlexiSolar

Events

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

connected 3

welcome from the

EDITOR Welcome....

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

Chief Executive John Bridge OBE DL Editor Sadie Parr Published by

Join the Chamber to celebrate the festive season!

We have events taking place across the county, starting with our Business Women’s Christmas Lunch on Thursday 29 November in Peterborough. Details of all our events can be found on page 45-47.

There is a recap from this year’s International Trade Summit on page 11 where the focus was on helping companies to break into new markets.

There is also details of the Business Brexit Checklist which has been designed to help businesses consider the changes that Brexit might bring to your firm. Plus, make a note of our opening hours during the festive season for export documentation.

The Chamber will run events on Brexit as developments are announced. To receive notifications and information please email me to register your interest.

Sadie Parr Editor, connected s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Print xlpress Design Jill Rowbotham Advertising Caroline Baker caroline.baker@trinitymirror.com Membership team Bren Coleman 01223 209811 Paul Gibbons 07759 934111 Cambridge Enterprise House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9ZR. Tel 01223 237414 Peterborough 6 The Forum, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT. Tel 01733 370809 Email enquiries@cambscci.co.uk Visit cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk @CambsChamber Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

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.

4 connected

NOV 2018

28 Informal Networking Evening, Chatteris

5

Amazing Benefits of Chamber Membership, Peterborough

21

Informal Networking Evening, Peterborough

29

Business Women’s Christmas Lunch, Peterborough

6

Amazing Benefits of Chamber Membership, Cambridge

23

27

East Cambs Business Boost, Ely

Global Business Network, Cambridge

DEC 2018

Informal Networking Evening, St Ives

7

Christmas Lunch, Cambridge

3

12

Christmas Drinks, Stamford

view from the

BRIDGE

I recently met with Abdeslam El-Idrissi, Director of Trade Services & Acting General Manager, at the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the key implications and necessity of planning for Brexit at their offices in Grosvenor Street, London.

The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce is a not-for profit membership organisation established in 1975 under the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for the Arab Countries. They have a unique function in the promotion of bilateral trade and investment between Britain and the Arab countries.

We are delighted to be an Agent Chamber for them which allows us to offer our exporters a documentation service that includes the certification and legalisation of trade documents for Arab countries.

It was a pleasure to visit the University Arms in Cambridge to see the excellent new facilities and restaurant and meet with General Manager Ian James and Head Chef Tristan Welch.

The University Arms Cambridge was re-created in 2018 by architect John Simpson and interior designer Martin Brudnizki, and offers 192 rooms and suites across four floors, with views over Parker’s Piece, historic Regent Street, and the hotel’s inner courtyard.

Parker’s Tavern is a quintessentially English brasserie on the ground floor of the University Arms. Head Chef Tristan Welch has designed every dish to be a whimsical re-imagining of a British classic, sourced from field, fen and England’s seas.

The Jiangxi General Chamber of Commerce, from the south east Chinese province, brought a delegation to Cambridge led by Vice Chairman Zhou Huaai. We met with them at the Holiday Inn Cambridge where they were keen to discuss and understand the legal status of Chambers of Commerce in the UK and how they operate as independent ‘not for profit’ businesses and in a very different way to the state controlled Chambers in China.

We look forward to continuing to form connections with their Chamber and facilitate the introduction of UK and China businesses to each other for mutual benefit as personal contact and relationships is key in enabling international trade between our two countries.

John Bridge OBE DL Chief Executive, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

connected 5

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.

MEMBER BENEFITS As a Chamber member you have access to many exclusive and discounted offers from our national partners and local Chamber members, helping to drive your business costs down.

These include Chamber Business Healthcare and Chamber Foreign Exchange.

Helping you to build a stronger, healthier business AXA PPP healthcare can help you create a healthcare plan that’s as unique as your business. Private healthcare cover can help you and your employees to get the care you need quickly, with less impact on your business.

As a Chamber member, you can benefit from free access to Health at Hand, 24/7 telephone

helpline, offering confidential health information and support from health professionals. You can also receive up to 50 per cent off your Chambers membership for up to three years when you take out business healthcare cover with AXA PPP healthcare.* For more information, visit the Chamber website at www. cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk or telephone Bren Coleman on 01223 209811. *Terms and conditions apply.

See axappphealthcare.co.uk/ chambers for more details.

Offer is only available to direct new customers and members of participating Chambers.

Chamber Foreign Exchange Foreign exchange and payment solutions experts moneycorp, offer members special terms and access to excellent foreign exchange rates.

Using their scale and existing network, moneycorp can help members make significant savings, while providing a service which will save time and give you peace of mind by knowing their FX needs are in the hands of experts.

Chamber Foreign Exchange offers competitive exchange rates, free online currency accounts, reduced transfer fees and fast, online transactions.

Find out more at www.moneycorp. com/en-gb/business

Chamber Network Driving the Skills Agenda Chamber members, Burmor Construction and Anglia Ruskin University met at a Chamber networking event which was sponsored by Anglia Ruskin.

They took an opportunity to share information about their range of Degree Apprenticeship courses supporting the construction sector.

Burmor knew they wanted to recruit a trainee Quantity Surveyor and quickly realised that the Degree Apprenticeship route was an ideal way to find and train the right candidate for the role.

Marc Rothera, from the Degrees at Work team at Anglia Ruskin, explains: “After initial conversations with Patrick and colleagues at Burmor, to ensure they understood the content and structure of the course, as well as the support I was able to offer with promoting their vacancy, we worked through a successful recruitment campaign and Burmor were able to select a candidate they liked and who

6 connected

started on the BSc (Hons) Chartered Surveyor course in September.”

Patrick Burke, Managing Director at Burmor Construction, adds: “Before meeting Marc Rothera we had spent many months trying to recruit our next trainee Quantity Surveyor, but without success. With Anglia Ruskin’s assistance we had well over 20 good quality applications and were able to offer a position to a trainee who has now started his studies at Anglia Ruskin. We now very much intend to continue our relationship with Anglia Ruskin both to support our current trainees and to assist with our recruitment in the future.”

If you’re considering apprenticeships as a means to grow or develop your business then Anglia Ruskin University have a range of courses covering IT, Management and the Built Environment and you can find more information at: www.anglia.ac.uk/talentdevelopment and: www.anglia.ac.uk/csda You can also contact Marc via

degreesatwork@anglia.ac.uk or on 01245 686707 (or look out for him at one of the Cambridgeshire Chambers events as he’s a regular there!)

widen your

CONNECTIONS

CONNECTIONS BUILT OVER BREAKFAST Delegates that attended our recent Cambridge breakfast were introduced to content marketing and why it is important by Mike Sewell, Managing Director of Cambridge content marketing agency CPL. A full English breakfast was provided by Girton Golf Club and delegates formed new connections

through our popular safari networking.

Our networking breakfast events will return in January 2019. Keep an eye on the website and Twitter for details as they are announced. Don’t forget you can sign up on the website for reminders to events nearer the time if you are not ready to book your place.

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE

#CHAMBERNETWORK connected is a key communication channel for Chamber members who use this publication not only to promote their own news and special offers but also keep in touch with what’s going on within the local business community across the county.

Including an advert in connected will see your company branding, products and services reach over 1,200 companies across Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire.

Advertising rates Advertising rates for Chamber members: Quarter page - £125.00 (plus VAT) Half page – 225.00 (plus VAT) Full page – 450.00 (plus VAT)

MEMBER2MEMBER OFFER Advertising Special Offer - 20 per cent discount for adverts placed before Friday 14 December 2018.

Cambridge County Polo Club is launching “POLO”, our glossy annual magazine for the 2019 Summer Season, an essential guide to Polo in Cambridge.

A copy of “POLO” will be given to all club visitors, including all our Polo & Picnic Days and Business Open Day guests and available free to members of the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce.

Polo is known as the ‘Sport of Kings’, associated with prestige, style and glamour, with the largest percentage of AB1 audience for any sport, making it the ideal vehicle for brand promotion.

Contact Jonathan Roth for the Rate Card at jon@cambridgecountypoloclub.co.uk or telephone 07973 205543.

If you have a member offer to share, please log-in to the member area of the Chamber website and upload your offer.

In addition to adverts, you can also include leaflets in this fantastic publication which is read by over 2,500 local business people each month.

connected 7

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.

BCC Quarterly Economic Survey: Uncertainty bites as survey shows UK economy is stuck in a rut

Grant funding for electric vehicles Businesses in Cambridge are now able to access grant funding to replace their existing vehicles with electric vehicles, thanks to capital grants now available through the Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEECP).

BEECP can potentially provide grant funding up to a maximum of £20,000 or 25 per cent of the total costs, to eligible businesses for energy efficiency measures such as LED lighting, heating and insulation and, as of 1 October, they are now able to offer financial assistance to help eligible businesses to buy electric vehicles or invest in a solar PV renewable energy system.

Antony Gough, Project Manager at BEE, explained: “To date, we’ve awarded over £150,000 in grants to businesses within the Cambridgeshire area, enabling them to implement energy efficiency projects which not only improve their sustainability credentials, but reduce their operating costs too. To be able to extend our offering to include electric vehicles and solar PV means that we are hopefully able to assist even more businesses.”

Businesses are urged to register their interest whilst the funding is still available.

There are general eligibility criteria that the business will need to meet to qualify for support from BEECP, but 95 per cent of businesses are eligible. Businesses can find out more and register their interest at www.beecp.org/sign-up or by emailing info@beecp.co.uk or calling 01733 882549.

8 connected

The British Chambers of Commerce’s quarterly economic survey – the UK’s largest private sector survey of business sentiment, and a lead indicator of UK GDP growth - shows little to be cheerful about as growth flatlines and business confidence weakens.

Key findings: • Percentage of services firms attempting to recruit is at its lowest level for 25 years • Of those services firms recruiting, difficulties rose to a record high • Exports sales and orders are at their lowest level since the EU Referendum in Q2 2016.

The results come as all signs suggest that this year’s annual economic growth is set to be the lowest since the financial crisis.

The slowdown in exports in the manufacturing sector, and many services firms seemingly giving up trying to hire new staff, should be cause for concern, warns BCC. The survey, of 5,600 businesses, has revealed that the percentage of services firms attempting to recruit is at its lowest level for 25 years, and of the firms in the sector that did try and recruit, the percentage experiencing difficulties rose to an all time high, since the survey began in 1989.

Also, in the services sector, the percentage of firms reporting an increase in domestic and export sales and orders eased slightly in the quarter. Meanwhile in the manufacturing sector, the balance of firms reporting an increase in export sales and orders fell to their lowest in two years. The balance of manufacturers expecting their prices to increase also rose, with 81 per cent citing the cost of raw materials as the driver of cost increases, the highest level for seven years.

Uncertainty over future trading conditions is continuing to act as a brake on business investment in

both the manufacturing and services sectors. The balance of firms who looked to invest in either plant and machinery or training, fell in both sectors to their lowest level in over a year. Business confidence in turnover and profitability also weakened in the quarter.

Commenting on the results, Suren Thiru, BCC Head of Economics, said: “These results suggest that the current period of below average GDP growth continued into the third quarter of 2018.

“Activity in the services sector slackened in Q3 with the key indicators of domestic and international activity softening in the quarter. That said, the services sector is still likely to have been the main driver of third quarter growth.

“The manufacturing sector remains a weak spot for the UK economy, with export activity slowing sharply in the quarter. Brexit uncertainty and the increasing cost of imported raw materials is weighing on the UK’s external position – further evidence that the persistent weakness in sterling is doing more harm than good. As a consequence, net trade is likely to have contributed precious little to UK GDP growth in Q3.

“The sharp deterioration of the share of firms attempting to recruit is a concern and reflects both persistent hiring difficulties and heightened economic uncertainty - which if sustained could materially weaken jobs growth.

“Against this backdrop, the Bank of England’s recent decision to raise interest rates continues to look like a misstep. With economic conditions subdued and continued Brexit uncertainty, there should be a greater emphasis on providing increased monetary stability alongside a marked fiscal loosening to lift the UK out of its current low growth trajectory.”

the power to

INFLUENCE

GROWTH FUNDS RELEASED TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC GROWTH Cambridgeshire Peterborough Combined Authority Growth Deals provide capital funding from the Government’s Local Growth Fund to local economies via Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). LEPs then invest in local projects which help overcome strategic barriers to growth - from road improvements and incubator space, through to new skills facilities and space for innovation.

Between 2014 and 2016, the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership successfully bid for three tranches of Local Growth Funding, via ‘Growth Deals’ with Government. The value of this programme is £146.7 million which must be spent between 2015 and 2021. Of this, around £98 million is committed to projects, leaving just under £50 million left to allocate.

Growth Deal is capital funding only, to be invested as loan or grant in projects or programmes which will have significant impact on growth in the LEP area.

All funding set out in the prospectus is available across the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough area Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Rutland, Kings Lynn West Norfolk, St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath (West Suffolk), North Hertfordshire, South Kesteven, South Holland and Uttlesford, Essex. This coverage may change subject to the outcome of Government’s review of Local Enterprise Partnerships.

The Business Board, as the new Local Enterprise Partnership for the Greater Cambridge Greater

Peterborough area, will receive and consider new applications for funding which will be recommended to the Combined Authority for approval, contracting and monitoring.

Please see the Growth Funds Prospectus for more information http://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/ business-board/growth-funds/ Potential applicants to programmes within this Prospectus should email GrowthFunds@cambridgeshirepeterboroughca.gov.uk or call 01480 277180 in the first instance.

New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership New Anglia has also released a call for their Growth Funds which will deliver two capital projects: • £10m for the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR) • £10m for Lowestoft flood alleviation works.

And, two programmes: • Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund – to accelerate development of our Enterprise Zones by investing in new buildings and infrastructure • New Anglia’s Capital Growth Programme – to invest in projects to unlock additional growth around connectivity, unlocking growth and investment in skills.

Potential applicants to programmes within this Prospectus should email Jonathan.Rudd@newanglia.co.uk to request an application form. More information can be found at http://newanglia.co.uk/growth-deal/

The Secondary Engineer® ‘Fluid Power Challenge’ to be extended The successful national programme, The Secondary Engineer® Fluid Power Challenge is being launched into schools in Cambridgeshire and East Anglia.

The project aims to introduce over 200 14-year olds to the fun and challenge of building a pick and place robot arm using low cost materials and fluid power principles.

Fluid Power Challenge is run by the not-for-profit Primary Engineer Programmes® and is supported by many companies including WEBTEC, as well as numerous trade associations.

The Secondary Engineer® Fluid Power Challenge is a pneumatics and hydraulics systems project which gives schools the opportunity to engage in basic engineering principles and concepts, using readily available materials to design and build working systems. Not only does this support the study of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) in a practical manner but allows pupils and teachers the opportunity to work with engineers in the classroom and compete against teams from other schools.

Martin Cuthbert, WEBTEC’s Managing Director,

commented on the project: “The Fluid Power Challenge is well named; this initiative has the power to inspire the engineers of tomorrow, to let children have fun building a real-life robot arm and at the same time connect industry and schools during the learning journey. We are delighted to support the Fluid Power Challenge as we urgently need to attract the next generation of engineers and all credit to the Primary Engineer team for making this possible.” connected 9

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.

Accredited Training in International Trade

IMPORTANT - Dates for the Christmas break The Chamber will close for the Christmas break at 12.30pm on Monday 24 December and will re-open at 9.00am on Wednesday 2 January.

During the closure documents submitted electronically will be processed on Monday 31 December from 10.00am-1.00pm. Please ensure you upload all supporting paperwork to enable us to process these applications.

The last date for submitting consular documentation is 11.00am on Tuesday 18 December, documents submitted after this time will not be processed until Wednesday 2 January.

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

The courses provide the knowledge to assist with your international trade activities and you will receive detailed notes to take away to build up a toolkit of reference information.

Dates for 2019 will be announced shortly.

Customs Special Procedures: Focusing on Inward Processing and Outward Processing Tuesday 27 November, 9.15am5.00pm This course looks at the roles of processing in order to identify if you could trade more competitively. With IP, you could benefit from duty being relieved on imports of non-EU goods, which are to be processed in the community before being put to an eligible disposal, while with OP we willl explain how you are allowed to claim relief from customs duty on the EU goods which have been exported for process.

Rules of Origin: Preference and Nonpreference Tuesday 11 December, 9.15am5.00pm On this one-day course we explain the complex subject of origin, which is essential to understand as the country in which a product is made can affect the import duty that is applicable.

Cost per course: £250.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £300.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members.

Venue: Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, 6 The Forum, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT Full course outlines can be found at www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk To book, please call Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk

10 connected

The changing face of International Trade The British Chambers of Commerce International Trade Summit brought together dynamic Chamber members, exporters and trade officials as we seek to help firms break into new markets.

Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, commented in his welcome speech: “In these changing times, a trusted name and brand can help businesses negotiate the challenges and opportunities of importing and exporting: the Accredited Chamber of Commerce Network provides just that.”

The event was attended by Chamber staff and members, and an action packed programme allowed delegates to put their questions to the panel on discussions covering the changing face of international trade: what does it mean for business? Trading the world – be inspired, and the power of brand – making it global.

Keynote speakers included Baroness Rona Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, Department for International Trade (DIT); Andrew Mitchell, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe; and Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer from Land Rover.

Delegates had the opportunity to attend breakout sessions looking at turning export opportunities into profitable growth with Bibby Financial Services, taking your business global with DHL Express; and managing currency risk in an uncertain economic environment with Moneycorp.

Stella Cockerill, Chief Operating Officer at Cambridgeshire Chambers

of Commerce, commented: “This was a very informative event with a superb line up of speakers. There was a great deal of positivity about the future, despite some of the uncertainty around Brexit. My key take away from the day was that the future success of the UK will continue to rest with the ability of our businesses to produce high quality products and services and target them effectively at new markets.

“There was a recognition from government and businesses of the value of the Chamber network in providing information, connectivity and support to all businesses to make this process easier. We will continue to strive to create the right environment for businesses to innovate, grow and explore new opportunities. Brexit might alter how businesses export and import but it doesn’t alter the fact it will still be key for business to consider global markets in order for them to maximize their growth potential. Let’s get trading!”

extend your

GLOBAL REACH

BCC: Ease Brexit uncertainty to boost innovation through trade A survey by British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with DHL Express UK, has revealed that almost half (49%) of businesses have uncertainty over Brexit front of mind when deciding whether to trade internationally, highlighting the economic cost of the persistent lack of political clarity.

A similar number (48%) of firms are concerned by the related issue of exchange rate volatility, which can increase the cost of raw materials and potentially make UK exports less competitive. Exchange rate volatility is a much greater concern for manufacturers (61%) and B2C firms (64%) than B2B businesses (36%).

The research also shows that while there are many concerns for businesses when deciding whether to trade internationally, those that do trade internationally are more likely to be innovative within their business – 65 per cent of those that are internationally active have launched a new product or service in the last 12 months, compared to just 41 per cent of firms who are UK-focused.

Commenting on the results, Dr Adam Marshall, BCC Director General, said: “Firms have been dealing with uncertainty over the future relationship with the EU since the referendum vote over two years ago. However, this survey shows that as we get closer to the crunch, the lack of precision is starting to have a material impact on their decision-making.

“It is vital that clear progress is

made in negotiations – to give firms confidence and empower them to take risks and try to break into new markets, creating the Global Britain this government so often talks about.”

Shannon Diett, VP of Marketing, DHL Express UK, added: “The uncertainty expressed by British businesses taking part in this survey mirrors the increasing concern we are hearing from our customers, both of which further highlight the criticality now surrounding the Brexit negotiations. It is important to note however, that increasing the number of markets a business trades with helps to reduce risk and increase the

opportunities for growth.

“It is imperative that decisions are made to allow businesses to plan for a successful Brexit and to facilitate continued smooth international trade with Europe.

“At DHL Express we are preparing for every scenario and as part of this we are reviewing resources, infrastructure, systems and people.

We are joining forces across the DHL divisions to do everything within our power to ensure our customers can continue to operate and trade internationally in the smoothest way possible.”

BUSINESS BREXIT CHECKLIST This checklist has been created to help businesses consider the changes that Brexit may bring to your firm, and to help business planning at both operational and Board levels.

The UK’s impending departure from the European Union will bring change for businesses of every size and sector.

While some companies are already planning for the challenges and opportunities ahead, Chambers of

Commerce believe that all firms – not just those directly and immediately affected – should be undertaking a Brexit ‘health check’, and a broader test of existing business plans. Time spent thinking through the changes that Brexit may bring to your firm could yield real dividends in the future.

While the final settlement between the UK and the European Union is still to be negotiated, there are steps that

businesses of all sizes can take now to start planning ahead.

This checklist has been prepared in response to the finding of recent surveys, which suggest that a significant number of firms are either watching and waiting or taking no action at all.

To receive a copy of the checklist, please email Sadie Parr at s.parr@ 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.

Is asking ‘why’ appropriate?

By Blue Donkey - Intelligent Telemarketing In the world of telemarketing, asking ‘Why?’ in response to a statement or rejection, especially in the early stages of a business relationship, can be just as annoying as the relentless questioning of a tantruming toddler. A lot of potential customers will find the directness of the question rude and off-putting and it could damage your future dealings with the company. Working out a way to ask direct questions a little more gently could help you to avoid hurting your fledgling business relationship while still getting the information you need for a successful telemarketing call.

Beginning a question with the word ‘why’, when speaking to someone in a business context can often come across as too direct.

Potential customers don’t want to have to explain themselves to people they don’t know, so may well be put off by your enquiry. Toning down the directness of your questioning is actually very easy. In fact, you don’t even need to change the word order of your question, you simply need to soften it with a bit of an introduction.

For example, adding a, “Can you tell me…” to the beginning of your ‘why’, will help to make it less jarring.

You could also try responding to a point raised by your potential client with a phrase like, “That’s interesting, why is that?”, although you’re still getting the information you need, your query will come across as a lot more polite.

However you choose to phrase your questions, it’s important to make them sound natural and spontaneous.

12 connected

Creating a circular future The circular economy offers businesses a new opportunity to cut costs whilst making resources go further and reducing environmental impact.

It aims to reduce reliance on finite raw materials by using current resources to their full potential, giving all forms of waste a whole new purpose - it’s much more than zerowaste-to-landfill and recycling. Many people are surprised that Government figures show that the service sector, including construction, accounts for 86.4 per cent of UK waste, rather than heavy industry. Creating value from wide-ranging waste streams means increased income, cost savings and better business.

Peterborough is considered an international circular economy leader and has committed to creating a city-wide circular economy by 2050.

To help local organisations identify circular opportunities of their own, the Future Peterborough project (run

by Opportunity Peterborough and Peterborough City Council) offers free, practical support and advice.

To discuss how much the circular economy could save your business, please contact Jim Harvey, Circular Economy Lead at Opportunity Peterborough on 01733 864585, email jim.harvey@ opportunitypeterborough.co.uk or visit futurepeterborough.com

Automatic Enrolment – how do workplace pensions work?

More than 1.2 million employers have now successfully met their automatic enrolment duties and put nearly 10 million staff into a workplace pension.

Workplace saving is now the social norm with 84 per cent of staff now saving, and automatic enrolment has reached a steady state with around 100,000 new businesses a year putting staff straight into a pension.

However, automatic enrolment has ongoing tasks which must be completed to ensure employers continue to comply with the law, and staff continue to receive the pensions they are entitled to.

Ongoing duties include monitoring the age and earnings of staff, keeping records, managing requests to leave or join a pension scheme and maintaining pension contributions.

Every three years, employers must also complete re-enrolment which means enrolling all eligible staff who are not

currently members of a workplace pension, into a scheme. They must then complete a re-declaration of compliance.

Last April, the minimum pension contributions increased from three per cent total contribution to five per cent and next April it will increase again to eight per cent. This is a straight forward task for employers, but they should ensure the correct amount is being paid into the pension scheme. We have been monitoring compliance with the increase in April through PAYE data provided by HMRC, and indications are that it is very high.

Useful links for employers AE guide for employers: www.tpr.gov.uk/employers Ongoing duties guidance: www.tpr.gov.uk/ongoing Declaration of compliance: www.tpr.gov.uk/declaration

grow your

KNOWLEDGE

How can SMEs ensure continuous cash flow from clients and customers?

There’s no doubt that maintaining a continuous cash flow when running a SME is incredibly hard - Catherine Rickett, Debt Recovery Manager at Roythornes Solicitors, shares her top tips to keep the cash flowing as an SME (small to medium enterprise) business owner.

Between recruitment and staff retention, financial outgoings and ensuring the bills are paid on time, chasing unpaid invoices can often seem like a job that can wait for tomorrow.

Whilst many suppliers and clients will pay without a quibble, some are more difficult to enforce, and it is these conversations that are frequently fraught with confrontation.

Often it can be difficult to have ‘that discussion’ with a client whilst attempting to maintain a good relationship and retain their custom.

Building solid relationships are invaluable in business, especially when you’re just starting out, and the prospect of bringing legal action against a long-standing or important client can often be rather daunting.

I would argue that this is a major misconception, as 85 per cent of our solicitor’s demand letters result in payment in full and in the vast majority of cases without any adverse impact on the business relation in

Customer and Community Improvement Fund

question.

Having a firm but fair approach to payment collection is key to ensuring invoices are paid on time and in full. With that in mind, here are our top tips to keep business cash flow consistent: • Be proactive about collecting payments from clients. Have solid, late-payment penalties and collections policies in place, and stick to them. If your client doesn’t hear from you as soon as the payment is overdue, you can be sure that you won’t be the first to get paid; he who shouts the loudest, gets paid first!

• Make it easy for your clients to pay. The easier you make it, the more likely they will pay you.

Consider having card payment facilities, BACS, direct debit, online payments or even PayPal. • Know your client! Consider undertaking a credit check on new or even existing customers if you are having difficulty in obtaining payment. It may be that your customer is unable to make payment due to their own financial problems.

• Consider applying an incentive for early payment. Money is better in your pocket than theirs and whilst you may feel uncomfortable

The customer and community improvement funding is a £500,000 fund and it’s available every year. The fund was established to help customers and local communities along LNERs (London North Eastern Railway) route to undertake project and initiatives that will ease or resolve issues around stations, bring to life unused spaces, support educational needs and engage community groups.

lowering your prices for early payment, sometimes it can cost more to recover debt than any discount applied.

• Have clear procedures. You need effective systems in place, with standard letters going out on the day after an invoice is due, seven days after etc. It’s not an ad hoc ‘admin chore’; you need to be strict with yourself and your customers.

• Keep a ‘cash cushion’. Ideally, this should be three months’ operating expenses to protect you from unexpected cash flow issues. Bad payers are a business reality and if your company is working from an account balance of nil, one slow sales month could mean instant disaster.

We understand the need to preserve relationships so that commercial agreements can continue and our team of experts are able to have these difficult conversations on your behalf, starting with our solicitor’s demand letter for as little as £5.00 (plus VAT). Even if the problem is not resolved at that point, there is no obligation to commence proceedings and we will then advise our clients on the appropriate action to take.

Details of current projects can be found at www.lner.co.uk/CCIF CCIF gives communities the opportunity to bid for funding that can be used locally to address areas of social need, educate or engage with the community. If you have an idea or project visit the website to understand what needs to be in your application and look at the overview of what’s been delivered so far. connected 13

enhance your

PROTECTION

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

FOUR ESSENTIAL BUSINESS SERVICES Did you know?

As a member you have FREE access to FOUR essential business services: • ChamberHR • ChamberHS

ChamberHR

• ChamberLegal • ChamberTax With these services you have access to HR, Health and Safety and also Legal document libraries

ChamberHS

14 connected

But, did you also know that there is more…

ChamberLegal

Quest Office As a Chamber member you already have access to document libraries with hundreds of documents, templates, forms, guides, policies and procedures alongside telephone advice.

However, now you have the option (at exclusive rates) to have more tools to hand.

Our Employee Management System (EMS) will enable you to manage employee sickness, holidays and employee records including personal information, performance, training

where you can download from a bank of hundreds of templates.

and more.

With the help of AdminLite, you will be able to automatically populate and build documents (from the document libraries) with employee data from your Employee Management System.

To access the EMS you will need to upgrade to a Bronze, Silver or Gold HR package – all at exclusive rates because of your valued membership.

To find out more please give Bren Coleman a call on 01223 209811 or email b.coleman@cambscci.co.uk

ChamberTax

ask the

Hearing healthcare Trevor Chapman, Director, angliEAR Hearing & Tinnitus Solutions Ltd who has a wealth of experience across various disciplines in the hearing industry, answers questions relating to your hearing healthcare.

Many people only think of hearing protection for a noisy factory or construction site, but healthy hearing healthcare should be promoted to all employees. This ensures employees perform at their optimum, protects mental wellbeing and their ability to work until they are ready to retire.

What are my legal responsibilities to protect employees’ hearing?

Employees and visitors to your workplace should wear hearing protection if the sound level exceeds 85 decibels. Custom hearing protectors, for employees that are exposed to noise, reduce the risk of hearing loss better than the standard foam ear plugs commonly used.

My employees have eye tests regularly should I encourage them to look after their hearing?

Hearing loss has been linked to social isolation, depression and dementia. In a recent survey from EuroTrak 2018, respondents cited difficulties in meetings

EXPERT

by missing out on details, which made them feel they were incapable of doing their job. 87 per cent of hearing aid owners said their hearing devices improved their working life and increased promotion chances.

How can employee hearing loss affect my bottom line?

NHS England also linked hearing loss to increased sick leave and people having to retire early, all of which add extra cost to employers.

Isn’t hearing loss something old people get?

Whilst it is true that the most common form of hearing loss is related to age, noise induced hearing loss can occur at any time. Millennials are thought to be at the greatest risk of hearing loss due to the use of headphones and earbuds. It is not recommended to listen to music for more than 1.2 hours per day at 80 per cent of the volume. So that hour’s lunch break, listening to music, could actually be creating problems for the future.

Perks of the job? Or engaging your employees?

It was not so long ago when at the end of an interview, the inevitable final question to interviewees about ‘anything else that you’d like to know?’ would be ‘how many days’ holiday will I get?’ Benefits have moved on a bit, and are now widely classified as ‘core benefits’ and ‘employee benefits’.

An employer is legally obliged to offer certain core benefits such as paid holiday and a workplace pension scheme however, how far over and above this they go will depend on each organisation.

Employee benefits however are a more flexible element, and are widely considered to be a valuable and costeffective way of recruiting and retaining

employees.

Steph Gordon, Senior Employee Benefit Consultant at Scrutton Bland, highlights some of the most popular: • Enhanced pension contributions • Life Assurance • Income Protection • Flexible working hours • Holiday buy/sell • Health Cash Plan • Dental insurance • Private medical insurance • Health screening • Subsidised gym membership • Workplace ISA • Share schemes • Discounted meals • Wellness programmes.

Where do I start?

Many employers will already be offering some benefits, but they may not be appropriate or cost effective. Start with a back-to-basics review of your pensions and benefits arrangements.

Look at your competition Benchmarking your benefits against competitors can be really useful.

Offering the same, or better, will be beneficial.

The benefits of communication Do your employees understand and use the benefits you offer? Are they

available to review, choose and promote via a modern online platform?

How do you communicate your benefits both at inception/renewal and throughout the year?

Check your costs Do you know how much you are paying for the benefits you offer?

Are these costs giving you and your employees good value for money?

When were the premiums last reviewed in the market?

What about pensions?

All employers have to offer a workplace pension, but it’s worth checking what you are paying for it. Pension charges can vary from a 0.75 per cent annual management charge (AMC) to as low as 0.2 per cent AMC, some also include an employer charge. It is important to understand what your employees (and potentially your business) are paying and how it compares to the wider market.

Where are you getting your advice?

It is important to know if your financial adviser can look at the whole market for you, or if they are restricted in terms of the providers they can use, or policies, products and investments they can offer. Also look at what you are paying your financial adviser? Is it competitive? connected 15

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

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 this month COULTER ELITE RESOURCING @COULTERELITE HOLIDAY INN PETERBOROUGH WEST

Deanta UK Ltd

Based in Ely, Deanta are the fastest-growing door company in the UK. Their new state-of-the-art warehousing and office facility employs more than 40 people from Cambridgeshire.

They have over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry which they strongly feel is fundamental in building strong, sound working relationships with their stakeholders. www.deanta.co.uk

@HIPETERBOROUGH HUNTINGDONSHIRE FA @HUNTSFA ILLUMINOUS CONSULTING NETWORK DESIGN @NETWORKDESIGN1 POINT PROFESSIONAL RECRUITMENT LTD @POINTRECRUITS RANDD UK LTD @RANDDUK RING ASSOCIATES @RINGASSOCIATES SELFCAIR UK LTD SKK DESIGN STAMFORD TOWN COUNCIL @STAMFORDTC SYNERGY PROCUREMENT SOLUTIONS LTD THE KING’S (THE CATHEDRAL) SCHOOL @KSP_NEWS THIS LAND VENTURE CATERING

16 connected

Holiday Inn Peterborough West Situated in Thorpe Wood, Holiday Inn Peterborough West has 133 en-suite bedrooms, 13 event rooms seating a maximum of 400 delegates, landscaped gardens, leisure facilities and open lobby dining.

The hotel was refurbished just two years ago and they are excited to be having additional projects to further enhance the hotel. salesmgr@hipeterborough.valoreurope.com

news from

Hughes Trade Hughes Trade is a one-stop-shop for everything electrical. From TVs to top tech and kettles, to washing machines; they keep huge own stocks ready for speedy delivery where and when you need them – all at low trade prices.

Their advisors are on hand to assist you.

NEW MEMBERS

The King's (The Cathedral) School

www.hughestrade.co.uk

Illuminous Consulting Illuminous Consulting provide design and technical consultancy for low carbon, sustainable building services. In an increasingly complex sector of construction, they believe that clarity in communication and a focus on the needs of the client are key to delivering both innovative and practical solutions.

In addition to building services design, Illuminous Consulting provide specialist lighting design, low carbon energy assessment and modelling of buildings, and wider strategic advice on infrastructure and utilities for sites and developments. www.illuminousconsult.com

The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough is one of only four state Cathedral schools in the UK, dating back to 1541. It is an outstanding educational establishment which embraces everything that the modern world has to offer. Pupils thrive in their challenging, supportive and friendly environment. They are keen to develop and strengthen links with the local business community to look at ways of developing opportunities for the School, and for their pupils.

They are extremely proud of their heritage, and are keen to hear from any former Petruburgians. The Development Officer, Annabel de Capell Brooke - decapellbrooke.a@ kings.peterborough.sch.uk – would love to hear from you. www.kings.peterborough.sch.uk

Venture Catering Venture Catering, a division of PRC Ventures, is led by Paul Tapparno-Clark, the Head of Operations, with his management team of Bev Page, Sheila Presland, Della Barraco-Hill and Andy Woodbine. They are a vibrant and exciting catering company that stands apart from its competitors. A structured learning company where their experienced staff showcase their skills and provide opportunities for apprentices and work experience students.

Venture Catering offers services for all types of business and private functions, understanding the importance of every event running smoothly whilst providing the highest quality of food plus efficient and friendly service. connected 17

WINTERCOMFORT FOR THE HOMELESS LAUNCH CHRISTMAS APPEAL 2018 Cambridge based charity Wintercomfort for the homeless have launched their annual Christmas Appeal. Wintercomfort is open throughout the festive period, including Christmas day, providing Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Last year we welcomed 35 people.

In the last year we have helped 742 individuals, welcoming an average of 53 people each day at our centre. We supported 52 people back into employment, making lasting, positive changes in their lives.

Sarah Halls, Director at the Charity, said: “We are looking for as many businesses and individuals to support us this Christmas, the appeal is vitally important to our work all year round, as Cambridge’s only day centre for homeless people. We see time and time again that homelessness is not a choice people make.

Every donation will make a huge difference.”

For more information email: simonpickering@wintercomfort.org. uk or visit: www.wintercomfort.org.uk/christmas

Huntingdon’s Bubble Rush 5K raised £21,500 for Arthur Rank Hospice!

Arthur Rank Hospice is delighted to announce that Bubble Rush 5K sponsored by One Leisure, which took place this summer has now raised £21,500.

More than 900 people took part in the third annual family fun run at Huntingdon’s Riverside Park.

The family entertainment bubbled-over on what was a brilliantly sunny day with compere Neil Marsh chatting to participants as they crossed the finish line, Finn the Bubble Fish posing for photos with fans and the ‘Incredi-bubble’ igloo brimming full of blowing bubbles perfect for a selfie!

Having warmed up, hundreds of friends, families and colleagues - wearing brightly coloured tutus, sunglasses, visors and neon head-bands - made their way around the 5K, which took in two laps of Riverside Park. Dotted along the route, foam stations pumped out 30 cubic metres of green, blue, yellow, pink and white foam per minute, as Bubblers ran, walked, skipped, danced and pushed buggies through!

Image courtesy of Virginia Lane Photography

18 connected

Donna Talbot, Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: “We are thrilled so many joined us across the three waves we had this year.

It’s wonderful to know that the funds raised will directly benefit the patients cared for by the Hospice, making every moment count for whatever remaining time they and their families have together. We would like to thank all the stall holders, participants, volunteers, our sponsors and everyone involved in making the event such a success.”

chamber supports

CHARITY

A year of transformation in young lives Throughout 2018, Romsey Mill has worked alongside over 950 young people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including some of the most vulnerable and at risk.

Our youth workers created opportunities with these young people to help them overcome significant challenges and obstacles in their lives.

Mike Farrington, who leads Romsey Mill’s youth development work, said: “We love young people and are passionate about supporting them to overcome challenge, live fulfilling lives and inspire change in the world around them.

“Many of the young people we work with may be exposed to difficult home situations, engaged with social care, or struggling with mental health issues including self-harm, anxiety and depression. Some are involved in the criminal justice system, engaging in anti-social or risky behaviour; or are at risk of exclusion or excluded from mainstream education.

“By working with them we are able to help them see transformation in their own lives.”

Here are some instances of the change for good we have seen in the lives of young people: (Note: all the names of the young people have been changed and the photos shown do not feature any of those shown in these stories)

‘Anna’

‘Anna’ was referred to Romsey Mill by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health team, with severe social anxiety and a fear of meeting new people. As a young person in employment, she particularly wanted support to overcome these challenges to be able to increase her work hours, have more confidence with public transport and learn to drive.

One of our female youth workers engaged ‘Anna’ in weekly one-to-one sessions, which resulted in getting a bus into town together, doing some shopping and then getting the bus back. By the summer, ‘Anna’ was able to travel unaccompanied on these journeys, something she had been previously afraid to do. She then increased her work from one day a week to four, and recently took her

Romsey Mill youth workers and young people on a summer residential trip

first driving lesson, being confident to spend time in a car alone with her instructor.

‘Anna’ said: “I’m very grateful for the time and care from my youth worker, helping me achieve goals I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own.”

‘Lee’ Romsey Mill first started working with ‘Lee’ when he was 13 and at risk of being excluded from school due to behavioural issues. Having moved house many times in his life, including staying at women’s refuge shelters, ‘Lee’ knew very little stability, and had experienced a huge amount of rejection.

‘Lee’ had weekly meetings with a youth worker, initially finding these sessions difficult. He particularly struggled with conversation and was unable to make eye contact.

However, as time went on, he became more confident and participated enthusiastically in activities.

Unfortunately, Lee didn’t manage to maintain his place at school and was moved to a new school where he didn’t know anyone. Although ‘Lee’ loathed this change, our youth worker supported him through the process and helped him settle in the new environment.

Reflecting on his support from Romsey Mill, ‘Lee’ said: “The sessions with my youth worker gave me the break I need to stay on track the rest of the week.”

This summer, ‘Lee’ took his GCSEs at the same school and now continues to be supported on a monthly basis as he makes the transition to College where he is studying on a catering course.

This Christmas, Romsey Mill has a fundraising appeal to help more young people see positive, long lasting change in their lives. If you would like to partner with us, we would love to hear from you.

Romsey Mill Telephone: 01223 213162 Email: development@romseymill.org www.romseymill.org Twitter /Facebook/Instagram: romseymill

Young people from different Romsey Mill groups who took part in a sponsored football match in July to raise funds for Stand Up to Cancer

connected 19

OLYMPIC ATHLETE TALKS BUSINESS AT EAST CAMBS EVENT

An Olympic gold medalist is set to headline an event aimed at small and medium East Cambridgeshire businesses this November.

Annual business event, East Cambs Business Boost, which debuted last year, has been created by East Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce. The event is set to bring together over 200 local SMEs through networking, business exhibitions and seminars.

The headline speaker at this year’s event is Olympic athlete and Deputy Lieutenant, Sally Gunnell OBE, who is a renowned keynote speaker as well as an influencer in the world of Health and Wellbeing. Sally is the only female British athlete to have held Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles concurrently.

At this event, Sally will be covering her

20 connected

journey from top sporting achievements to how she has applied it to her business. Topics in her speech will include how important wellbeing is for success at home and in the workplace, as well as how to build resilience in day to day life.

On the event, Sally said: “I’m very much looking forward to speaking at this event. I work with organisations of all sizes applying techniques and experiences learned from the Olympic track to the board room.

“I have seen significant results between improved organisational health, performance and results, and my team and I aim to help businesses achieve their full potential through providing bespoke solutions.

“I am excited to be speaking about these solutions in East Cambridgeshire and meeting some local businesses on the day.”

High profile speakers alongside Sally include Ash Read, the Managing Editor of the social media management platform Buffer, Mark Pinches, the Head of Coaching at Westfield Health and Caroline Robinson, the Director of Sandler Training.

Martin Smith, Business Development Manager at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Bringing this event back

for a second-year highlights just how important it is to invest in supporting local businesses in East Cambridgeshire.

“We constantly express how East Cambridgeshire is a nice place to live and work and it’s events like these that help us reiterate this message.

“We want all local businesses to do as well as possible and this is just one of the ways Enterprise East Cambridgeshire help create a buzz in the local business community.”

The event will take place on Friday 23 November from 9.15am-2.00pm at The Hive Leisure Centre and is kindly sponsored by Ellgia Recycling, Grovemere Properties and Busy Bee Recruitment.

To register for your free ticket, or sign up as an exhibitor, please visit www. eastcambsbusinessboost.co.uk

news from

ELY CHAMBER

Red Shoes Accounting chosen to lead national software campaign Red Shoes Accounting has been chosen to lead the ‘More Than Software’ campaign for global giant, Thomson Reuters, to promote their Digita Software for accountants and tax practitioners across the UK. The campaign centres around the launch of a report recently published by Thomson Reuters entitled The Accountant of Tomorrow, which surveyed 345 accountants across the UK about their forecasts for the industry over the next 10 years.

Victoria Cooper at Red Shoes Accounting was chosen with just three other owners of UK accountancy firms to front the campaign as a shining example of a small accountancy practice that offers real advisory value to business owners; in addition to the

ELY HERO AWARDS

Sponsors, judges and supporters gathered at Poets House, Ely for a special presentation to Ely Hero Awards nominated Charity of the Year - Steel Bones.

Steel Bones are an Ely based charity who support Civilian Amputees and their families to face the trauma and challenges they endure on a daily basis. Emma Joy-Staines, Charity Founder along with ambassador and Child of Achievement 2018 winner, Kiera Haynes accepted the donation from special guest Ruth Marley, winner of the Ely Hero Award 2018.

Ely Hero Awards have proudly been able to donate £550 to Steel Bones. The charity received a surprise anonymous donation on the evening making their total £600!

Emma said: “This is huge

usual end of year tax return, payroll and bookkeeping services. The campaign will be featured across major national news media and finance publications.

Victoria said: “I am delighted to be featured in the More Than Software campaign for Digita and Thomson Reuters. The campaign is fantastic recognition for Red Shoes Accounting and highlights the changing role that modern accountants are playing integrating into their clients’ team to offer added value, flexibility, and competitively priced responsive and friendly services. We work closely with our clients during their business life cycle and it’s exciting for us to monitor the progress and help them achieve their business goals. This campaign celebrates that approach.”

for us and the money will mean that we can help families across the UK. The Ely Hero Awards has been deeper than the just the money, it has been about the awareness too. These awards are special and there are not enough of them in the world!”

Metro Rod Cambridge, main organisers of the event, have been thrilled at the impact on the local community in just two years of organisation. Kevin Russell, Owner, says: “It is a great honour to have been able to once again support a local charity, this being Steel Bones. They provide such incredible support to civilian amputees which is much needed and to know that our donation can assist to further their work makes everyone involved with Ely Hero Awards very proud.”

New ‘Borrow Bag’ scheme targets a plastic bag free city Visit Ely and local independent business, Sew Much To Do, have joined forces to launch ‘Ely Borrow Bags’.

Ely Borrow Bags comes from the nationwide Morsbags initiative and aims to encourage local shops and businesses to offer customers strong reusable, original, recycled and washable bags that will last for years, thus reducing the use of plastic bags.

This is a community-based scheme and volunteers are invited to join in whether by making and distributing the bags, donating fabric or helping to spread the word. Since its launch in early October, there has been wide spread interest from retailers, customers, and locals, as well as the media!

Ely Borrow Bags is coordinated by Sew Much To Do which will also be running regular bag making ‘sewcials’. Full bag making instructions and how to get more involved are also on

the Visit Ely website at www. visitely.org.uk. Follow the ‘Morsbags’ pattern or let your creativity flow and design your own. All we ask is that each bag carries the Ely Borrow Bag logo, a Morsbag tag and you let us know how many you’ve made so we can update our tally. Labels are available from either Ely Tourist Information Centre or Sew Much To Do. Tracey Harding, Tourism, Town Centre and Events Manager for Visit Ely, said: “This is a fantastic initiative and we really hope local people and businesses will become involved. We are extremely grateful to Sew Much to Do for co-ordinating a series of group sessions which will kick start the project and make Ely another step forward to becoming a plastic free city.” connected 21

Want to impress the press?

Two highly experienced media specialists, former Press Association Director, Andy Rice and former BBC journalist Simon Hall have collaborated to provide members with a seven-step guide to engaging with the media.

The two met at Simon’s workshop, held in October at the Allia Future Business Centre, organised by Cambridge Network. Andy comments: “Simon really did all the hard work.

He’s been working at the sharp end at the BBC for years, and really knows what it takes to get the attention of a busy journalist; but I’ve managed Editors, and worked with some of the largest media organisations in the world whilst at PA, so I guess I’ve been able to add a little extra frisson.”

Andy, who joined Chamber member Giggabox earlier this year has put together a seven-step guide to getting your press release published or your story picked up by the broadcast media.

Their suggestions include finding an angle that will appeal to a particular audience, advice on how to find impactful headlines, the importance of rich media and the need to follow up and don’t be afraid to build a relationship. The full article can be found at www.giggabox.co.uk/blog

22 connected

Award win for driving improvements in student support services Cambridge Regional College has been presented with the ‘Using Standards to Support Change’ Award at the Assessment Services Ltd Annual Awards for the college’s programme to ensure that all students and apprentices receive the best information, advice, guidance and support to transform student success and life chances by using the Matrix quality-mark assessment to benchmark performance.

Awarded to Emily Bennett, CRC’s Director of Student Support Services, the awards recognise organisations which have achieved demonstrable benefits from using quality standards.

CRC quickly implemented several new initiatives as part of the action plan to secure improvements, including bringing together 30 colleagues from two sites under one umbrella of Student Support Services, developing the ‘WeAreCRC’ values and aligning student employability skills to them, and launching ‘The Hub’ at both campuses and online – a 24/7 personalised support service available to all students and apprentices onsite, in the workplace and outside of college hours, so all can easily access the support they need as and when they need it.

The result was a significantly

improved Matrix outcome where the assessment team praised the pace of improvement and the clear and genuine ‘one team’ ethos on display.

The College achieved its target of securing a highly positive assessment in slightly less than 12 months. The impact on students was seen in high levels of anticipated achievement for those accessing specialist support services and increases in students receiving support from external agencies through improved agency partnerships with the College.

Cambridge Regional College Principal, Mark Robertson, says: “We are delighted with this award and being recognised for the hard work of our staff in making the merger of two colleges a smooth and successful process delivering improved services for students. The Matrix Quality Standard provided a clear framework to support change and a structure totally in line with the college strategy which puts the students and staff at the heart of what we do. We are committed to helping all succeed and achieve their ambitions.”

Service launched to provide local teens with personalised guidance and support The number of young people reporting anxiety has rocketed. Form the Future CIC hope to relieve some of the stress and pressure that they feel with the launch of ‘Focus on Success’, a private careers advice service.

Jane Paterson-Todd, Non-Executive Director at Form the Future CIC, believes that young people are more likely to succeed if they’re given sufficient support, guidance and stimulation. She notes that it is also important to work with them before they make the choices that directly affect their future, and not when they are already demotivated or disengaged.

By providing one-to-one guidance

that is personalised to each student, Form the Future hope to catch those at-risk at an opportune time in their life and equip them with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to better prepare them for life after education.

Debra Thorpe, Careers Advisor at Form the Future CIC, said: “I work with clients to make sense of the options available to them and help them to follow a direction that will bring a fulfilling career. To do this I use Morrisby, a careers aptitude assessment tool popular with independent schools that identifies their strengths, motivators and passions and how they can use these to make the decisions that are right for them.”

news from

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS CHAMBER

Rebecca Walpole welcomed to Special Projects Division Kershaw Mechanical Services are delighted to welcome Rebecca Walpole to their Special Projects Division.

Rebecca joins the business with nearly 20 years’ experience in building services engineering, manufacturing and contract management. Her previous roles include Contract Manager and Senior Building Services Consultant.

Working closely with the Special Projects Division and wider management team, Rebecca will have the responsibility for overseeing the divisions’ strategy for growth. Utilising her vast industry experience she will look to build on

Scrutton Bland becomes the first UK certified partner of award winning cloud app

Scrutton Bland is thrilled to announce that through its partnering with GoCardless, the online payments company, they can now offer clients the facility to collect direct debits as part of its cloud based accounting solution sblive.

Launched two years ago, sblive combines leading cloud-based accountancy software with a unique combination of professional advisory services designed to help clients become ready for HMRC’s Making Tax Digital initiative and streamline their finances and accounts.

This exciting coup means that the East Anglian based firm has become the first GoCardless certified partner to offer the solution in the UK. Using online technology, GoCardless (named as the UK’s fastest growing fintech company in 2016) gives businesses of all types and across all sectors the ability to collect invoice payments, membership fees

or subscriptions via direct debit.

Simply by asking clients to complete a direct debit form, GoCardless can be integrated into sblive business packages in order to speed up payments and increase cash flow whilst reducing the administration process and time wasted on chasing payments.

Speaking about the expansion of Scrutton Bland’s sblive solution, Ryan Pearcy said: “This is an exciting development: GoCardless is perfect for a wide range of business sectors, but in particular it will really help those who are reliant on recurring revenue streams, such as the property and creative industries.

“With transaction fees at one per cent (capped at £2) the cost of the software can be easily recouped by time savings which means that businesses no longer have to spend hours processing payments and can have confidence in incoming funds.”

existing client relationships, form new ones and exploit the divisions’ expertise in order to secure future contract opportunities.

Martin Stacey, Division Manager, Special Projects Division, Kershaw Mechanical Services said: “We are delighted to have Rebecca join the division, she has with a wide breadth of experience in mechanical and electrical engineering and her background in project and contract management will enable us to drive forward with our ambitious plans for growth”

The Cambridge makes the difference for First Time Buyers As part of its commitment to making a difference The Cambridge Building Society has announced ambitious plans to focus on partnerships and initiatives to benefit people who need extra help with having a home of their own.

The first initiative is a mortgage for First Time Buyers that only requires a two per cent deposit, designed to help those who can’t rely on the bank of Mum and Dad to get on the property ladder.

The First Step Mortgage is the only product of its kind on the market and has been introduced by The Cambridge as part of its focus to actively find solutions for those who need them the most.

As the average age of a First Time Buyer is now 31 and the average price of a first home stands at £208,741 this innovative mortgage has been designed to support people who don’t earn a high salary, can’t rely on family money, but are still able to afford monthly mortgage payments.

Chief Executive Stephen Mitcham said: “Budgeting to save thousands of pounds for a deposit is hard, especially for those who earn an average wage. As a communityfocussed organisation we recognise our responsibility to the people around us. Profit making isn’t the objective of this product launch, we’re simply doing it to make it easier for people who need help the most to make that first step into home ownership.” connected 23

Send us your photos each month and we’ll include the best of the bunch! Email images direct to s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Informal Networking across the county

ARTHUR RANK HOSPICE STRIKES GOLD

In October our informal networking took us to Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall in Peterborough and Ashtons Legal in Cambridge. In Ely we returned to Poets House where we took part in an escape rooms challenge with representatives from Visit Ely.

Arthur Rank Hospice has been recognised as being one of the best employers in the Eastern region, having achieved gold accreditation thanks to exceptional results in a staff survey. The Charity was presented with its accreditation at a conference at Rowley Mile Racecourse in Newmarket, during a day of celebration and learning.

Local STEM education initiative reaches new heights Leading science, technology and engineering organisations from across Cambridgeshire gathered at The Bradfield Centre alongside representatives from local schools and home educating networks to show their support for Cambridge LaunchPad, an innovative STEM outreach programme.

CRC catering lecturer appears on live TV discussion panel Graham Taylor, QTLS Lecturer at Cambridge Regional College, was a guest on Spotlight on Channel S, talking at length about the upcoming ARTA Awards and the current state of training within the catering industry.

24 connected

it’s happening

Prizes and exchanges at King’s Ely

OUT & ABOUT

Community ‘heroes’ recognised for station voluntary work A couple who dedicate their time to keeping Cambridgeshire’s wildlife thriving have been recognised with an award. Philip and Kathryn Ball beat 45 other nominees from across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire to win the ‘Best Personal Contribution Award’ at Greater Anglia’s 2018 Adopter Awards.

Two King’s Ely Senior students have won an award in recognition of their Spanish and theatrical skills while 13 students and two teachers from Gymnasium Remchingen school in Germany enjoyed an actionpacked exchange visit to King’s Ely.

Businesswomen help raise record funds for breast cancer care Over 300 businesswomen from the Peterborough area tucked into a fundraising lunch in aid of breast cancer care – making the event its most successful to date. The sell-out

lunch raised a record £17,100 to help provide specialist equipment for the Breast Care Unit at Peterborough City Hospital, currently not available within NHS budgets.

‘Rough Sleepers’ raises money for charity Uniformed services students and National Citizen Service staff from the College of West Anglia took part in an overnight charity event hosted by the YMCA Trinity Group.

Students and staff slept overnight at Peterborough Cathedral to experience what it is like to be homeless for the night and raised a total of £232.00 for the locally-based charity.

connected 25

pem.co.uk

A new angle on a Cambridge firm Delivering certainty in an uncertain world.

If we were to tell you that PEM’s financial services combine tradition with innovation, solid accountancy knowledge with personality and reliability with energy, you might think that it doesn’t add up.

But it does. Beautifully.

Choosing PEM means you’ll enjoy an honest relationship with someone who understands your needs and manages your finances in the best way possible.

PEM, Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2LA 01223 728222 pem@pem.co.uk

news from

Fenland Chamber of Commerce

FENLAND CHAMBER

Fraser Dawbarns welcomes new family lawyer

Shaun Hindle wins Business Person of the Year at awards ceremony Hundreds came together to celebrate the best businesses in the region as the Fenland Enterprise Business Awards returned for its tenth year. The ceremony took place at March Braza Club in October to celebrate the great work that local businesses do.

Shaun Hindle, Director of Employer Engagement, won business person of the year award at the ceremony. He said: “I’m very excited and really appreciate the award.

It has been a marvellous success. I have worked at CWA for two years and we now want to keep on growing in the business community and gain recognition for the future of the college.”

Shaun is also Chair of the Fenland Chamber of Commerce.

Fraser Dawbarns are delighted to announce that family lawyer Jackie Jessiman has joined the firm.

Operating from our Ely and March offices, Jackie will be bringing over 20 years’ experience and a wealth of expertise to the residents of Ely and March.

Having worked at law firms in Cambridge and Reading, Jackie is experienced in dealing with a wide range of family related legal matters. Jackie specialises in financial matters arising from divorce proceedings, children matters and also has considerable expertise in dealing with issues arising from the breakdown of non-marital relationships, pre-nuptial and post nuptial agreements.

Jackie is accredited by Resolution, a national family lawyer association that seeks to achieve a non-confrontational and positive approach to relationship breakdown and other family issues. Her clients regard her as a good listener who takes the time to understand their circumstances and advise them on the best way for them to proceed.

Jackie is looking forward to a new challenge saying: “Joining Fraser Dawbarns so soon after the opening of the Ely Office is an exciting opportunity to extend the partnership’s reputation into new and vibrant markets. I look forward to providing the community with support for all its family legal requirements.”

Managing Partner at Fraser Dawbarns, Melinda Smith, welcomes Jackie to the firm: “We’re delighted that Jackie has joined our team. She is a very experienced lawyer in all aspects of family law and has a very approachable and friendly nature, putting clients at ease in circumstances which are often emotional and difficult for them.”

CUB UK’s energy efficient credentials recognised with national awards The energy efficiency work of the March based company CUB UK was recognised with awards at the recent Regional and National Energy Efficiency Awards.

The CUB team work hard to ensure their business customers get the most from their energy packages by finding them the best tariffs, methods of purchasing their energy and the most energy efficient ways of using it.

At the Regional Energy Efficiency Awards for the East of England they won ‘Energy Consultancy of the Year’. This award recognises the efforts of an energy consultancy that provides excellent customer service, and demonstrates a high standard of

assessment and best practice within their local community.

At the National Energy Efficiency Awards, at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham, which was hosted

by Sir Lenny Henry CBE, they came second in the category ‘National Quality Management, Compliance & Training Company of the Year’. For this award they were successful in proving what it is that sets them apart within their field, and demonstrated a clear knowledge of energy efficiency best practice. The judges also looked at the impact their work has had, what their customers have to say about them and what level of expertise they have.

CUB was also presented with a

Special Commendation for being a ‘Socially Responsible Company’. This award recognises the achievements of an organisation in addressing the requirements of the community in which they operate. Social Responsibility is about more than the financial bottom line for a business. It is about ensuring the organisation is having a positive effect on society and the environment.

Chairman, Jaqui Fairfax, commented: “We have an excellent team at CUB UK. These awards recognise their hard work, dedication to our clients and innovation within the energy markets. I am so proud of them all.” connected 27

10% off

all units and accessories on Laura Ashley kitchens

T: 01223 248 409 | Unit 31 Clifton Road Cambridge CB1 7EB T: 01638 640 400 | 1 Old Station Road Newmarket CB8 8DT www.bydi.co.uk

info@bydi.co.uk

news from

HUNTINGDONSHIRE CHAMBER

Vehicle Sign System for learners gains attention from driving instructors Following the launch of Euro Road Safety’s Insight Vehicle Sign System in March of this year, the product has gained the attention of driving instructors interested by an innovative alternative to traditional L and P plates.

With new regulations allowing learner drivers on motorways it has become even more important for learners to stay visible on the road. The unique design of the system means that whatever model of car is being driven, the sign will appear at an easy-to-see 90-degree angle to the car door and will not impair the driver’s rear view.

It is clearly visible up to 50 metres in

front or behind the vehicle.

Euro Road Safety has now created a ‘How-To’ video, which can be viewed on their website, demonstrating how this unique product should be fitted.

Inventor, Phil Thorpe, said: “If L plates fall off while the car is being driven, it leaves the learner at risk of accidents because other drivers will not anticipate quick braking or slower manoeuvres. I worked with Euro Road Safety to develop a robust product that could offer learner drivers more reassurance that they will be treated with consideration on the roads and was pleased to hear that we have

recently been selected as finalists for an Innovation award!”

Beacon Wealth Management Ltd in The Parliamentary Review Tony and Karen Larkins, owners of Beacon Wealth Group, were amongst the great and the good gathered in the Barking Hall London, to celebrate their inclusion within various government reports.

Beacon Wealth Management Ltd had been approached by RT Hon Lord Pickles to assist in the parliamentary review by the Department for Work and Pensions, due to their high standing within the profession. Spectators included George Osbourne and Ed Balls.

Tony Larkins, Beacon Wealth Group, Managing Director, commented: “It was an honour to have been asked, and to attend an event with so many captains of industry.”

Over 200,000 copies of the report by the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) are sent to businesses around the UK.

First Mailing launch new service First Mailing has been investing in new resources and staff to develop our new digital marketing department. We can now offer you the perfect balance between paper based direct mail and digital marketing.

The new services that have been introduced include social media management, email marketing, cross media strategies, content management and campaign tracking and analysis.

We are offering a choice of set monthly packages covering varying aspects of digital marketing, alternatively we can create a tailor made solution, specific to your business needs.

As a Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce member, we are offering all our fellow Chamber members 10 per cent off a monthly package when you sign up for three months. This offer is exclusive and only available to Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce members. For more information about our digital marketing services get in contact today by calling Hannah on 01480 421398 or email info@firstmailing.co.uk.

Luminus celebrates National Fitness Day Luminus staff celebrated National Fitness Day in September with a range of activities, all raising money for the Sick Children’s Trust.

Events included a cycle ride (on exercise bikes) the distance from London to Edinburgh, a walk from Huntingdon to Godmanchester, a table tennis tournament and a National Fitness Day quiz, raising awareness of the benefits of keeping fit. All staff enjoyed fresh fruit and raised £80 for charity.

Luminus employee Joel Atkins said: “The National Fitness Day event was a brilliant opportunity for the company to come together for some fun, fitness and fruit and to think about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. I particularly enjoyed the table tennis tournament which I have determined to win next year!”

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

Get in touch. tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk connected 29

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

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Annual Dinner marks another successful year of business

Employment law seminar tackles the biggest challenges of the modern workplace

Employment status in the modern workplace is becoming an increasing challenge for UK businesses – and one that was not shied away from at a recent city employment law seminar.

With one in five workers in the UK working in conditions where they could lose their jobs suddenly, employment status is a growing modern workplace challenge.

Hosted by Anne Corder Recruitment and Hegarty LLP Solicitors, the seminar welcomed over 200 delegates from 130 local businesses.

“Reviewing employee and worker status, and the rights associated with various categories of work, is highly relevant to local employers right now,” explained Martin Bloom, partner at Hegarty LLP Solicitors, when discussing the choice of headline subject for this year’s seminar.

“Many businesses use agency workers, zero hour contracts or casual contracts. Recent tribunals, like Uber’s, have flagged up critical questions around each of these and ultimately how an employee is defined in the modern workplace.”

Martin’s briefing advised the seminar’s delegates to watch closely for results of the current government Taylor Review but to also refer to resources from ACAS and the HMRC. Tim Thompson, partner at Hegarty LLP Solicitors, followed Martin to offer employers advice on navigating demotions and warnings. Along with the seminar’s ever-popular case law update, delegates left with a wealth of valuable employment law advice.

30 connected

East of England Arena and Amadeus join forces to win regional business

Over 460 delegates came together for a spectacular black-tie event under the moon to celebrate the city’s continued economic success at the Opportunity Peterborough Bondholder Dinner in October.

The Bondholder Dinner is one of the most highly anticipated events in the city’s business calendar, celebrating local businesses’ contribution to Peterborough’s continued growth and success.

The event also featured an after dinner talk from The Very Revd Chris Dalliston to celebrate the cathedral’s 900th anniversary year and acted as a special preview of the Museum of the Moon.

Museum of the Moon is an art installation created by UK artist Luke Jerram and was secured for the event thanks to the support of Vivacity and the Without Walls programme of which it is an Associate Touring Network partner.

Tom Hennessy, newly appointed Chief Executive of Opportunity Peterborough, said: “It was great to welcome guests representing more than 230 companies to such a prestigious event, made all the more special as the cathedral celebrates its 900th anniversary. It’s been another successful year for Peterborough - the city has continued to attract investment from across the world and remains one of the fastest growing in the UK. This is in no small part down to the hard work of the organisations that work here and we’re delighted to have helped them celebrate their achievements and strengthen their business connections.”

The East of England Arena and Events Centre (EEAEC) and catering specialist Amadeus have appointed Michelle Sergeant as Amadeus’ Sales Account Manager.

Amadeus, part of the NEC Group, and the Arena have joined forces to drive conference and banqueting business for the venue.

Working from an office on the East of England Showground site, Michelle boasts a background in catering, hotels and hospitality – and is currently working with local corporates and businesses to establish the EEAEC as the ideal venue for meetings, gala dinners, Christmas parties, awards ceremonies, conferences and other events.

The move signals the ongoing success of the partnership between Amadeus and EEAEC, with Amadeus as the exclusive catering partner for all indoor events at the venue.

Dean Rees, Business Development Manager, EEAEC, said: “Our partnership with Amadeus has been very fruitful, and appointing Michelle to come and reach out on our behalf to regional business customers feels like a solid endorsement of our ongoing collaboration.”

Michelle added: “The East of England Arena is a hugely versatile venue with a lot to offer local and regional businesses, especially in terms of hospitality centered events like awards, dinners and parties, but also conferences and meetings.

My role is to show them that the combination of the venue and the hospitality that EEAEC and Amadeus can offer as an integrated package, will not only meet but surpass their expectations.”

news from

PETERBOROUGH CHAMBER

EML Electrical are proud supporters of Disability Peterborough and Waitys Monster Challenge David Waits is taking on eight monster challenges over a period of 10 months to raise money for Disability Peterborough; when we heard what he was doing we knew we had to sponsor him.

His challenges include The National Three Peaks Challenge, a Parachute Jump, 100km South Coast Challenge, Climb Island Peak (21,000ft in the Himalayas), North Downs Pilgrim Challenge (66 miles) and Full Marathon De Sables (250km across the Sahara), to name a few.

The challenges that David is taking on impressed us enough, but when we heard about the charity, we knew this was something we needed to get involved in.

Disability Peterborough provides services for people with disabilities,

Moore Stephens Senior Partner retires

reaching over 35,000 disabled people and their families every year. They offer a wide range of services from advice, guidance and information, right through to accessible sports and leisure facilities, as a very small snippet of the amazing work that Disability Peterborough does for those disabled people they support.

Challenges like David’s monster challenge and sponsorships like ours can help this charity achieve so much.

Funding success helps supports adult learners Cross Keys Homes has been successful in securing just under £25,000 of funding through City College Peterborough’s Community Learning Trust fund.

This is the second year CKH has been awarded the funding and it means it can build on its award winning ‘All About You’ courses aimed at supporting Peterborough’s adult learners who are least likely to participate in mainstream learning.

The courses will include home and garden maintenance, family cooking on a budget and adult literacy. Plus, for the first time this year, CKH has been awarded extra funding to deliver accredited level one qualifications in mental health awareness and in volunteering.

With courses running through to June 2019, Cross Keys Homes is hoping to help support over 100 new learners thanks to this funding.

NEWS PRESENTER OPENS LIBRARY EXTENSION The King’s School, Peterborough were delighted to welcome Sarah Bryd to open our new library extension. Sarah was previously Head Girl at King’s and is now

Dickon Sandbach, Senior Partner at Moore Stephens, is retiring after 40 years with the firm.

Dickon joined the firm (then known as Nicolas Hart & Co) in Stamford in 1978. Dickon became a Partner in 1985, Joint Managing Partner in 1997 and Senior Partner in 2009.

He has been Partner in Charge of the Moore Stephens Peterborough office since it opened in Lynch Wood in 2001.

Dickon said: “The Peterborough office of Moore Stephens has been extremely successful. I am pleased to say that we have enjoyed persistent growth over the last 15 years and this looks set to continue and accelerate over the next few years. One matter that does give me considerable pride is the team which I have been able to build up. This has meant that I am able to leave Moore Stephens knowing we have high quality people with a lot of expert and specialist knowledge. They will be able to take the firm further and to a higher level than I ever could.

“My thanks go to the colleagues and clients I have worked with over the years – it has been a pleasure to have enjoyed their company.”

Joint Managing Partner, Andy Hancock, who will be heading up the Moore Stephens Peterborough office following Dickon’s retirement said: “Dickon has made an enormous contribution to the firm over the past 40 years, particularly as Partner in Charge of the Peterborough office.

He will be missed as both a colleague and a friend.”

a Presenter on Anglia News. Sarah was wowed by the works to the library which have been carried out. The area has provided school-wide access to a multifunctional space for students with access to books, films and ICT. The new facility helps to foster independence amongst sixth form students in preparation for life beyond King’s.

The works were carried out thanks to funding most generously given by the Wolfson Foundation. The Foundation is an independent charity which supports and promotes excellence in the fields of science, health, education and the arts and humanities. Since it was established in 1955, over £900 million (£1.9 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 11,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review. connected 31

HEWITSONS YOU Whether you are an individual, a business, or an organisation such as a charity, our approach to understanding the issues you face ensures we deliver the specialist legal guidance to get you where you want to be. You and Hewitsons: it’s a partnership that works.

Cambridge London Milton Keynes Northampton

hewitsons.com

Where our clients become our partners

news from

STAMFORD CHAMBER

NEW COLLEGE STAMFORD SUPPORTED COLLEGES WEEK CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR FUNDING College’s week; Blog by the Principal of New College Stamford Further Education Colleges are an essential part of the education system.

New College Stamford is one of 266 colleges in England educating 600,000 16-19 year olds, 300,000 apprentices, 1.4 million adult learners and 150,000 higher education students each and every year. We play a vital role in our communities, we help people of all ages to make the most of their talents and ambitions and we drive social mobility. We also support businesses to improve their productivity and we are a demonstrable driver of economic growth.

I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that colleges and college staff transform lives.

Since 2010, however, further education colleges have - uniquely in the education system - been targeted for austerity and funding cuts, dealing with an average reduction in funding of some 30 per cent whilst costs have increased dramatically through increases to the national living wage, the apprenticeship levy, higher pension contributions and inflation. New College Stamford, like all other FE colleges, has had to make cutbacks, resulting in a drastic and hugely regrettable drop in learning opportunities for adults and teacher pay at less than 80 per cent of schools. Our brilliant and dedicated staff at New College Stamford have received only one pay rise of one per cent in the past four years – not because we want to go this way, but because the funding cuts have left us with absolutely no option.

This is why unions, students and colleges came together to support

Colleges Week, 15-19 October. In her conference speech our Prime Minister, Theresa May, signalled the end of austerity. The message was timely Colleges Week was our opportunity to call on government for better investment in colleges, and fair pay for college staff.

During Colleges Week we promoted the ‘Love our Colleges’ campaign through a range of activities on and off campus. On Wednesday 17 October a group of New College Stamford students were in London taking part in a national day of lobbying. This included a march from Pall Mall to Westminster, followed by a rally in Parliament Square and a meeting with our MP, Nick Boles, at the Houses of Parliament.

Almost all of you will have friends and family who are part of the further education alumni. Many of you reading this today will have studied in a further education college, just as I did back in the 1980s and again in the 1990s!

You will remember the friends you made, the support of your tutors, the knowledge and skills you gained, and the role further education has played in shaping your life and career. Some of you will have become further education students later in life as adults, perhaps to help you move your career in a different direction or gain promotion, perhaps to learn new skills such as IT and computer use so that you are equipped for our changing world, maybe even to experience the health benefits of stretching your mind and learning something new. Whatever your motivation, and whatever the nature of your further education study, you will be able to relate to our campaign for fair funding.

Need help finalising your business’ Christmas wish list?

Sleigh bells following you into every shop? Seasonal sandwiches taking over your lunchtime eateries?

Festive fever has broken out, and the first symptoms always show in retail.

Naturally, the build-up to Christmas is a crucial time for many businesses – so getting the right messaging out there is vital.

Strawman understands the importance of winter promotion, working with several brands over the past four years to help

increase awareness, and more importantly, drive sales.

Last year, Strawman helped launch a Christmas campaign for a premium wool bedding brand, spanning social media channels, website design elements, in-store and point of sale materials.

The yuletide spirit clearly spread fast, reaching over 100K people and creating over a thousand website conversions from social media activity.

If you’re still thinking about your brand’s

Christmas wish list, get in touch with Strawman, or pop by the Stamford office.

Just ring ahead if you’re taking the chimney.

Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page? Get in touch.

Tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk connected 33

HOW FLEXISOLAR IS DRIVING

SOLAR EVOLUTION WITH A NEW COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN Chamber member FlexiSolar tells us more about its new campaign set to encourage a new solar conversation and inspire renewed commitment to large-scale solar solutions.

I

t’s hard to believe that FlexiSolar is only a year old. With significant Innovate UK funding and a continuing investment in R&D, their feet have hardly touched the ground as the UK’s integrated solar carport specialists. The Fenstanton based business came into the market last October, with an official launch by Huntingshire MP Jonathan Djanogly – and FlexiSolar joined the Chamber soon after.

FlexiSolar’s large projects have already demonstrated how the solar carport approach impacts both large

34 connected

organisations and local communities as a viable energy solution. In a high profile solar carport project this year, FlexiSolar constructed what is currently the UK’s largest solar carport system to date 10,000 solar panels with a capacity of 2.7MW. The bespoke solar structures in place shelter approximately 1,378 car parking spaces at the Bentley Motors manufacturing facility in Crewe.

FlexiSolar are now on a mission to start a new solar conversation. The organisation is acutely aware of the role solar plays for the future of the planet and is passionate about delivering it. That's why they’ve developed a new campaign to reiterate the importance of solar - and

report from

the organisation’s continuing commitment to it.

Launched to tie in with FlexiSolar’s first anniversary of its Innovate UK supported launch in October 2017, ‘Driving Solar Evolution’ is a unique series of communications developed to inspire renewed commitment to on-site renewable energy generation projects from largescale solar carports.

With solar technology continuing to develop, the benefits continuing to build and the number of businesses showing their support continuing to rise, ‘Driving Solar Evolution’ is FlexiSolar’s response, to encourage greater understanding and wider commitment across the UK. Speaking about the new campaign, Sales Director of FlexiSolar, Guy Morrison said: “The large-scale solar carport concept is the very DNA of our business and our belief in its impact is at the heart of our team. But this isn’t just advanced thinking for energy generation and EV

charging – it’s an essential and financially beneficial technology advancement for all businesses and communities and it’s important that we continue to spread this message.”

News of FlexiSolar’s campaign launch is timely, launched at the very time the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its climate change report calling for urgent action to phase out fossil fuels. This very issue is a key focus of the new FlexiSolar campaign, with a detailed think piece published asking how we can get more large organisations to make the change to renewable energy.

The ‘Driving Solar Evolution’ campaign will be showcased at EMEX - the UK's flagship energy event for those wanting to increase their organisation's energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

FlexiSolar are exhibiting at the event in London this month (from 21-22 November 2018), an occasion that sees thousands

FLEXISOLAR

of visitors descend on ExCel; building partnerships between business, third party intermediaries, training suppliers, government and public bodies.

Guy Morrison continued: “Demands on energy continue to increase. We know that today’s businesses are already energy conscious, but it’s not enough. Through ‘Driving Solar Evolution’, we call on the forward-thinking businesses of tomorrow to show that they are truly committed to energy security and carbon reduction.”

FlexiSolar is sharing its ‘Driving Solar Evolution’ insights on social media using the hashtag #DrivingSolar, as well as at sector events and in the press - to highlight how the solar decisions our energy conscious businesses make today will make a real difference to the planet of tomorrow. The campaign will continue to build in the months to come, with all the latest information on the campaign available from www.flexi-solar.com/ driving-solar-evolution.php

connected 35

#bringmesolutions

Is your PPC in a pickle?

Say hello to the UK’s largest regional media network.

Not only can you communicate with our unrivalled audience, but you’ll also have access to an array of powerful online and offline marketing solutions all designed to help your business get noticed, get smarter and get response. Chat to us today and see how we can help you drive your business forward.

Please call 01223 632200 to speak to one of our team

bringmesolutions.co.uk

Executive meetings at Jesus College A prestigious and private setting with modern facilities in the historic heart of Cambridge.

Make the right impression with our West Court executive meeting package for up to 22 delegates, from breakfast meetings to overnight stays.

Your ideal venue Options for your meeting include state of the art AV facilities, superior refreshments, private dining and hotel-standard bedrooms.

Contact conference@jesus.cam.ac.uk or call 01223 760524 to discuss your requirements and arrange a viewing.

More at www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/conferences

CALLING

OFFICE DESIGN, REFURBISHMENT AND FIT-OUT Make sure you get the most from your new office space ...

From initial property appraisals and consultancy, space planning and interior design, right through to project management of the fit-out or refurbishment, we work with our clients to deliver working environments that achieve their corporate goals - on brand and within budget.

Our approach brings human science and intelligent design together to stimulate people to be more positive and productive. We call this alchemy Intelligent Spaces and we use it to create offices that cultivate creativity and maximise performance.

Contact us today to see how we can make your workplace work.

CAMBRIDGE OFFICE WELLINGTON HOUSE, EAST RD, CAMBRIDGE, CB1 1BH T: 01223 660360 E: HELLO@SPACIO.CO.UK ESSEX • LONDON • PARIS

SPACIO.CO.UK

SERVICES Office design & space planning Workplace consultancy Office fit out & refurbishment Furniture solutions Marketing suites Office search & relocation Bespoke joinery Project Management

connect with

Marketing Strategy Marketing is the foundation of everything that drives the communication about your products and services, and as a budding entrepreneur it’s all about establishing your priorities with a clear strategy. Ensuring your concept connects with your target audience is the key to ensuring your business is a success. It’s quite simply the difference between making sales, or incurring losses.

A good marketing strategy should always begin with market research. Understanding your marketplace, target audience and their needs, and the competitive arena that surrounds you, are essential in establishing the most effective strategy.

Developing a plan is imperative when creating a marketing strategy. This will help to organise your thoughts as well as the details from your research, determine your audience and messaging, and decide on the best channels to use to reach that audience.

What you should include in a basic plan: • Your target objectives for your product or service • Target audience/s • A definition of your market place • Considerations about, and advantages over, your competitors • Product pricing details • Marketing messages/brand tone of voice • Marketing tactics – the tools and channels used to deliver your messaging to your target audience.

Setting your objectives and defining your audience are the main two priorities, after this you should try to use the tools below to help you build a greater picture of the business and marketing landscape in which you will compete.

The Marketing Mix The Marketing Mix, often referred to as the 7ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Process, People and Physical Evidence), helps you define the landscape for putting the right product or service in the right place, at the right time, at the right price.

This gives you the framework for scalable success in your business, and helps you focus on the relevance of your product or service.

SIGNPOST 2 GROW

Signpost 2 Grow’s Next Level Event May 2018

When thinking of each individual element think of these factors: Under Product think: • Design, Accessories, Branding and Quality • Value, Packaging and Warranties • Technology • Usefulness • Convenience.

Under Price think of different pricing strategies such as: • Skimming • Psychological • Cost-Plus • Loss Leader.

Under Place it is important not just to think about the traditional places where products would be marketed i.e. retail, wholesale, peer-to-peer etc. think about how technology has changed the way we buy products and how social media has affected the way we find/come across products.

When addressing promotion think: • Advertising, leaflets/posters and direct mailing • Special offers, competitions and free gifts • Endorsements • User trials • Joint ventures.

Process is particularly important when a service is involved; how is your service consumed? What steps do your audience have to take to receive your product/ service?

It’s common when thinking about the people aspect of the marketing mix to just think about your consumers/audience however the following groups also need to be considered: • Employees • Management • The workplace culture • Customer Service.

Physical Evidence could refer to: • Evidence that a product/ service has been delivered • How a business and its product/service is being perceived in the marketplace.

SWOT Analysis What is particularly useful is the ability to identify marketing opportunities for your business, as these will ultimately lead to sales. The acronym stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, and it can help you to identify these in relation to your own products and services.

Make sure you assess these items against your Marketing Mix and your competitors where possible. It will all help to enrich your final strategy.

Defining Your Marketing Channels Once you’ve clearly identified your marketing opportunities, you will then need to determine the most effective marketing channels to reach your target audience.

There are plenty to choose from, and in many cases, it is advisable to undertake a variety of integrated activity across many channels; but ultimately it will come down to relevance, time, and budget.

There are several ‘advertising’ methods to choose from including; Direct Marketing, Digital, Social Media, PR and Events to name just a few. Within these umbrella categories there are many tools and channels you can use to deliver your marketing messages.

Organisation is very important when delivering your marketing messages; create a schedule of activity plotting your marketing actions against your delivery channels to give an overview of what and how you are delivering on your strategy.

Remember that your strategy should be flexible to allow for any variables to change. Prepare for alternative scenarios; create an assumptions section to appear at the start of your plan where you try to anticipate how certain areas of change could have an impact on your current strategy.

To find out more, visit our website www. signpost2grow.co.uk or give us a call on 01480 277180.

connected 39

insight from

Marketing in 2019 – How to Ensure Your Business Overachieves

With a new year dawning, awardwinning Sarah West from Full Mix Marketing, shares her tips for achieving your business’s goals through marketing in 2019.

1 – Stay focused Many businesses report they’ve tried most types of marketing with limited results. They’ve often chosen the right methods but they’ve either been delivered inconsistently or not given enough time.

Key is to identify the correct mix of marketing for your target customers.

Relying on a single method is rarely effective. Once you’re confident you’ve chosen the right types, keep faith and

give them sufficient time. Particularly with B2B, it takes repeat exposure for customers to become familiar with your brand and decide they need what you provide.

Ensure your marketing is delivered to a suitable quality. Cheap marketing is expensive if it fails to produce results.

Effective marketing costs nothing when it creates a return!

2 – Become well known Publicity is powerful. Customers will only buy from your business if they know you exist. Many businesses succeed simply because they’re the name customers are most familiar with.

Digital marketing and social media have made publicity easier. Blatant sales messages rarely gain attention but most businesses can find enough news and developments for engaging content. A good PR story is infinity more effective than a front-page advert!

Keep your message consistent. Distil what you deliver down to a handful of soundbites and include them in every press release, blog or post.

SARAH WEST

3 – Shine online Few businesses exist without some level of online presence which customers experience on their way to buying. For many, a fantastic website won’t win more business but a poor website can lose potential customers if it doesn’t reflect the qualities they expect.

Digital advertising is a quick way to drive customers to your business but should be actively managed to optimise results from your budget. There is no ‘onesize-fits-all’ for search engine optimisation, so ensure the actions taken are based on sound evaluation.

4 – Be bold If you want to attract customers, you’ll need marketing which stands out. Most marketing is visual, so clear and bold design will typically outperform anything too clever or innovative. Don’t forget to tell people exactly what you do, the benefits you deliver and encourage them to act.

Want to get more from your marketing in 2019? Visit fullmixmarketing.co.uk for more support.

connected 41

25.7m 477m Unique visitors each month

Page view each month

east.trinitymirror.com

connected 43

Exploring Cambridgeshire Colleges to clocks, cows to punts

CambridgeshireLive.co.uk # WeHaveCambsCovered

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

chamber

100 YEARS

EVENTS

inspiring business success

AMAZING BENEFITS OF

CHAMBER

MEMBERSHIP DATE: Wednesday 5 December TIME: 9.30-11.30am LOCATION: Peterborough Chamber, 6 The Forum, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT

DATE: Thursday 6 December TIME: 9.30-11.30am LOCATION: Milton Hall, Ely Road, Milton, Cambridge, CB24 6WZ PRICE: Free to attend, please register in advance CONTACT: Bren Coleman on 01223 209811 or email b.coleman@cambscci.co.uk Come and learn the real, tangible benefits of membership in terms of financial savings and increasing revenue and profitability.

Whether you’re looking to generate interest in your services and increase sales, develop your professional skillset, explore new opportunities to do business overseas, or take advantage of the cost-savings and protection available, our extensive membership package offers it all.

You will also discover our latest promotional opportunities and get connected with our benefit service providers. We will also explain how we can help you engage with others in the Chamber network and across the wider business community.

Global Business Network: Trading with Turkey DATE Tuesday 27 November TIME 5.00-7.00pm LOCATION The Moller Centre, Storey’s Way, Cambridge, CB3 0DE PRICE Free to attend, places to registered via Eventbrite CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk Organised by the International Sector.

Whether you are already involved in international trade or considering expanding into new markets, Global Business Network offers a unique informal environment to share experience and expertise.

This month we welcome Derek Noakes from the Department for International Trade who will explain the documentation requirements when exporting to Turkey and an overview of the business opportunities.

Chamber members can book events online at www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk connected 45

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

Your essential business calendar for the next months.

INFORMAL NETWORKING EVENINGS

November 2018

21

Barclays Bank, Peterborough 5.30-7.30pm

3

28

Cross Keys Hotel, Chatteris 5.00-7.00pm

DEC

St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club, St Ives 5.00-7.00pm

Informal networking evenings will return in January 2019.

EAST CAMBS BUSINESS BOOST 2018 DATE Friday 23 November TIME 8.45am-2.00pm LOCATION The Hive, 15 Ely Leisure Village, Ely, CB6 2SH PRICE Exhibitors £95.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £125.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members to exhibit Free to delegates, places to be booked via Eventbrite CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk East Cambs Business Boost 2018 will bring together over 200 local SMEs through networking, business exhibition and keynote speaker sessions including Sally Gunnell OBE DL. This year’s theme, ACTIVATE, is inspired by the modern fitness facilities at the brand new The Hive leisure centre, part of the Ely Leisure Village development.

The event will help accelerate business growth for the East Cambs area with sessions that will help ACTIVATE your sales, ENERGISE your team, MOVE your business up the Google rankings and ensure your business is PERFORMING at its very best for future growth.

46 connected

BUSINESS WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS LUNCH DATE Thursday 29 November TIME 12.00-2.30pm LOCATION Holiday Inn West, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, PE3 6SG PRICE £25.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £35.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk Organised by the Business Women’s Sector.

This annual event brings people together to network, share business knowledge and get some inspiration from our guest speaker Sureya Landini, Founder of Blue Donkey Intelligent Telemarketing Ltd. Attendees will also indulge in a two course Christmas dinner and glass of wine, and take part in our Charity raffle for Romsey Mill.

A popular event, it is advisable to book your places early.

chamber

CHRISTMAS LUNCH DATE Friday 7 December TIME 12.00-3.00pm LOCATION St John’s College, Cambridge PRICE £55.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £65.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members CONTACT Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk

Join us in The Great Hall at St John’s College for the Chambers’ most prestigious event of the year, the annual Christmas Lunch.

Take in the grand surroundings over a welcome drink before a three course lunch is served by the awardwinning hospitality team at St John’s College.

A raffle will take place in aid of our Charity of the Year – Romsey Mill. If you would like to donate a prize please get in touch.

Sponsorship package available, please contact Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk for details.

EVENTS

DINNER WITH LEADER OF SKDC DATE Thursday 22 November TIME 6.00-9.30pm LOCATION The Gallery Kitchen Restaurant, New College Stamford PRICE £30.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £37.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk An exclusive evening of fine dining at the Gallery Kitchen Restaurant, chance to engage with Stamford Chamber committee members and connect with other local business people.

During the evening we’ll hear from Cllr Matthew Lee, Leader of SKDC, who will talk of his first year in office and plans for the Stamford economy.

The price includes a drink on arrival, a five course dinner, tea/ coffee and petit fours.

CHRISTMAS DRINKS DATE Wednesday 12 December TIME 6.00-7.30pm LOCATION Dawson of Stamford, 6 Red Lion Square, Stamford, PE9 2AJ PRICE £7.50 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £12.00 (plus VAT) nonChamber members CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk Come along for a glass of wine and sample some fine party food in the unusual surroundings of Dawson

of Stamford. Held in this historic building you will be offered the unique opportunity to see the upstairs gallery of its fine quality antique silver.

This informal evening provides a good opportunity to meet up with familiar faces and make new connections.

Sponsored by

connected 47