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Committed to Business for 120 years.

Exploring the history of the organisation

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2016

Norfolk

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08/09

10/11

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18/19

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24/25

26/27

28/31

32/39

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42/45

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CONTENTS

Welcome!

2016. Let’s make it an amazing year!

It’s always great to look forward to a shining New Year, and all the positive expectations that it holds.

2015 ended with Norfolk’s economy reflecting the national picture. Manufacturing continued to find UK and export sales tough; the service sector’s figures remained robust, if slightly below the previous quarter.

Looking forward to 2016, two things spring to mind. Firstly, Norfolk Chamber will be celebrating its 120th Anniversary. I’m proud to be associated with an organisation that has, for so long, been instrumental in the key decisions affecting Norfolk’s economy.

We’ve discovered some really fun and interesting facts in the archives, dating back to our formation in 1896. You can read the highlights on page 28 and find more details at www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/120th If you’re celebrating a big date in 2016 do let us know and we’ll see how we can link our celebrations.

Secondly, 2016 will be the year that the Chamber membership really makes a greater impact on the lives of Norfolk’s young people.

CHAMBER NEWS

MEMBERS NEWS

CHAMBER POLICY

FOCUS ON FINANCE

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

THE BIG INTERVIEW

COVER FEATURE

MEMBERSHIP

CHAMBER EVENTS

NEW MEMBERS

Many of you have already signed up to our school activity planned in 2016, but we’re also launching our Chamber Community Fund with the Norfolk Community Foundation.

The idea is that our membership will make a contribution, at a level that suits them.

Norfolk Chamber will match that, and the funds will go towards community group projects supporting Norfolk’s youngsters.

Details are on page 31 and on our website.

MEMBERS NEWS

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

MEMBERS NEWS

BUSINESS SUPPORT FEATURE

VIEW FROM THE BOARD

THE LAST WORD CHAMBER’S GOLD PATRONS

So, we will be celebrating our achievements over the past 120 years, but we will most definitely be looking to the future as well.

Now is the time to take the positives from 2015 and build on them. A time to focus on ensuring that we secure the best for our members and provide you with new and innovative opportunities to grow your organisations.

Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Norfolk Voice is a Norfolk Chamber of Commerce publication.

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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ChamberNews

Chamber support constant.

Hello, 2016 is still a new year, and there’s a lot to be done in the coming months. That said, we will be taking a look back during this year as we celebrate our 120th anniversary.

Throughout all that time, and all the changes the county has seen, some things have remained constant.

The Chamber has steadfastly supported the region’s businesses from the outset, as we do today. And, for all the innovations in technology, media and communications the common thread that’s run through the years has been the vibrant, creative and determined approach to business that is the very DNA of our county’s commerce.

That thread has grown and strengthened into today’s supply chain. It’s the process that facilitates production and distribution. The interface between suppliers and customers is the spinal cord of our business life.

As a commercial body we have that backbone, but we also have a voice. A huge part of our role is to engage with businesses, so that we’re aware of your concerns, and can relay them to the powers that be, lobbying and influencing for the benefit of the region.

From the skills gap, to infrastructure, to business rates, your opinions gain credence and impact when

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we speak with one voice. Chamber membership gives you the opportunity to contribute and have your input channelled to where it will have most effect.

2016 will be a year when we’ll be working hard on getting our message, your message, across. It’s a real benefit that comes with membership of The Norfolk Chamber, so I’ll be telling people about it when I’m wearing my ‘recruitment hat’.

I’d said at the outset of my Presidency that attracting and retaining new members was an important part of my vision for 2016, and I’m sticking to it.

As members yourselves don’t forget that you can spread the word too. The more people we have within the Chamber the more we’ll strengthen our network and increase the opportunities to do business. And deliver influence.

As we cross into our 120th year it will be nice to look back, and celebrate our achievements. But it will be important to look forward. And from those 120 years of commercial experience there’s one thing that remains unchanged, and we’ll carry it into 2016. Business is done when buyers and sellers connect.

We can help with that. As we always have.

Jonathan Cage

President, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

New Head of Business Services.

Towards the end of last year, we welcomed Neil England as our new Head of Business Services.

This new position in our Senior Leadership team is responsible for the development and delivery of the Chamber’s vision and business plan. Neil also oversees our Events, Membership and International departments. His immediate focus has been on driving forward our three year business plan.

Neil brings to the Chamber his experience as a senior manager in both private and public sectors, most recently as Head of Operations at the Construction Industry Training Board’s National Construction College.

Neil England

Head of Business Services

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

He got up to speed quickly at the end of last year by meeting members at events such as the Audience with Norfolk Schools and Transport for Norwich breakfast, attending Area Council meetings, working with our Board, and engaging with the British Chambers of Commerce

(BCC) at their International Trade Conference. This has helped him to get familiar with our purpose and how both the Chamber, and the national (and international) Chamber network link together in providing unique support to businesses.

Neil said: “Coming from a national organisation, I am struck by how much Norfolk businesses want to get involved in developing the local economy and by how there is such a feeling of working together to achieve this. I was also amazed to find that the huge level of activity generated by Norfolk Chamber locally, regionally and nationally is by just sixteen people and I am really pleased to join such a dynamic and enthusiastic team.”

“This county is a fantastic place to live and work and I feel I have joined the Chamber at just the right time to be part of the next exciting phase of Worldclass Norfolk!”

Neil’s appointment now brings the Chamber to full strength and with the other three newcomers we welcomed in our last edition, we are all really looking forward to taking on the year ahead!

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

MembersNews

Arjan Meijer attends launch of International Academy Norwich.

Launch plans have been unveiled for the International Aviation Academy-Norwich.

Arjan Meijer, Managing Director at KLM UK Engineering, and his team joined business leaders and academics at Norwich Castle for the unveiling of the detailed plans for the Aviation Academy due to open in late 2016.

The academy will be located close to Norwich International Airport terminal and will be equipped to provide training to 200-300 students at any given time. The aim is to prepare them either for further or higher education, or higher apprenticeships at the academy.

The academy will be the first in the country to create a ‘real world’ learning environment that includes a full size working aircraft. It will focus on offering a broad education and skills training in aviation and will raise the standards of learning using innovative teaching techniques.

FREE HR advice line and documents available to all Norfolk Chamber Members. Contact Jason Williams to find out more: jason.williams@ norfolkchamber.co.uk or 01603 729704

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Students take on jobs on takeover day.

More than thirty Health and Social Care, Childcare, Hospitality, Sports and Motor Vehicle students from City College Norwich stepped into a range of job roles as part of the national Takeover Challenge.

Several different groups of students came together to take part in a takeover at The Parkside School in Norwich. At the additional needs school, which has pupils aged 7 to 17, 14 level 3 Health and Social Care students provided classroom support to pupils. In addition, Childcare level 3 students Katie Dade and Estee Anema shadowed the school’s headteacher and deputy head throughout the day.

Childcare Level 3 student Estee Anema, 17, who spent the day working with the deputy headteacher, said: “It’s been amazing experiencing all of the sorts of different skills you need to deal with the things that happen in a school just in one day” Health and Social Care Level 3 student Jordan Smith, 18, spent the day supporting pupils in the classroom in a teaching assistant role. Jordan said: “It’s been really wonderful. I was nervous at first, but now I love it! I would like to come back and do my additional needs work placement here.”

Meanwhile six Sports students helped out with afternoon PE lessons at the school, and the school’s kitchens were staffed by three Food Studies students who prepared 132 school lunches for pupils. Three more Food Studies students worked at the school’s White Lion Café in Norwich city centre.

Elsewhere, at Heathersett Fire Station, six Motor Vehicle students worked alongside Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service staff.

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Level 2 student, Harry Clayden, 17, said: “It’s been great. I thought all they did was just put fires out, but I’ve learnt there’s a lot more than that.”

The Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Day is a national event involving 44,000 people across England. It is a day where organisations all across England invite children and young people into their organisations to “takeover” their roles and be involved in decision making. It promotes Article 12 of the Unicef Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which says all children should have a say in matters that affect them.

Howarth Engineering named in Future 50.

Howarth Engineering has been approved onto the Future50 Business Growth Scheme.

The scheme aims to create a network of the region’s enterprising and innovative businesses with the greatest potential to have an impact on the local economy over the next three years.

The Future 50 members are the individuals and companies that are creating jobs, growing at a faster rate than others and have the drive and ambition needed to be leaders in their sector.

Funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, the scheme will allow Howarth Engineering to accelerate their growth through business advice, networking events, business support and access to grant funding.

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MembersNews

OpenContact scales new heights in London.

Alton Nutile

Commercial Manager, Dardan Security

Breakwater IT and Swains Plc. Breakwater IT, a leading IT support and technology solutions company, and Swains Plc, one of the UK’s premier business telecoms providers, hosted a morning of cars and communications at Lotus Cars, Hethel.

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Businesses from around the region gathered in the Club Lounge at Lotus, overlooking their impressive test track, to engage in demonstrations from TalkTalk Business and Datto.

workings of the Lotus factory, the facility in which all their sports cars are individually hand-built.

Norwich-based outsource call centre business OpenContact is taking over the skyline of London after partnering with another iconic tall building, 20 Fenchurch Street aka “The Walkie Talkie”, to provide telephone booking services for the restaurants in the Sky Garden at the top of the 38-storey skyscraper.

The Lotus Exige was then given a spin on the test track as three attendees had the chance to get behind the wheel. Tom Thornley, Director of The Original Cottage Company, Alton Nutile, Commercial Manager of Dardan Security, and James Howells, Managing Director of Turning Factor, all enjoyed feeling the power and sheer speed of the Exige.

This follows an ongoing partnership with The Shard, Europe’s tallest building, which began in 2012 when OpenContact was appointed to handle the telephone bookings for their viewing galleries – The View from the Shard.

Speed had a continued presence as attendees received a first-hand experience of the inner

Aston Shaw completes second practice acquisition for 2015.

In what has been a year of unprecedented growth for leading accountancy practice Aston Shaw, the firm are pleased to announce the acquisition of a local tax practice owned by Richard Harris after he retired on 1st December 2015. This deal marks the second practice acquisition in under 6 months for the firm, continuing Aston Shaw’s ever growing presence in the East Anglian region.

Richard Harris is a seasoned tax advisor with a notable background as an HMRC Inspector, tax lecturer, in-house trainer and tax manager for some of the UKs most high profile firms such as PWC, KPMG, BDO & Grant Thornton, before setting up his own tax practice in 1994. The Norwich based practice boasts an impressive 350 strong client base and offers a full range of specialist tax related services to both individuals and SMEs in Norfolk.

Commenting on the transaction, Richard Harris said: “The practice has been a big part of my life for more than 20 years. I am delighted to have found a successor with such an enviable reputation for expert technical tax advice, that is ideally placed to continue to consult and implement intricate tax strategies for my clients.”

Mark Noakes, Director of Aston Shaw added: “The acquisition is a strategic move for us, taking advantage

of the improving economic climate within the region and driving forward our plans for continued sustainable growth. The deal complements Aston Shaw’s core assurance, advisory and tax capabilities – we work closely with clients to create and maintain an optimal tax position that is of benefit to them and their business.”

This is the latest in a series of moves to drive expansion of the 6 office regional firm – with even more developments in the pipeline.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

OpenContact’s Managing Director Fiona Temple said “I am very proud of our associations with these buildings in London. As prestigious London attractions, they demand extremely high levels of customer service, and this is something that the team at OpenContact have been delivering for all of our clients for the past 15 years. We now have a very strong foothold in the visitor attraction market, and plan to grow further based on our experience.”

OpenContact are also enjoying further growth thanks to their long term partnership with the UK’s number one forest adventure company Go Ape, for whom they have been providing call centre services for more than 11 years.

Go Ape’s owners, Adventure Forest Limited have just launched a new business in Glasgow: Air Space, Europe’s largest indoor trampoline park, and OpenContact are again providing the telephone booking services.

The team has grown by more than 15 people in the past eight months, and currently employs 58 in total, with aims to grow this further in 2016. Sales have also grown by 25% year on year.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

AdvertisingFeature

Report indicates Norse Group boosting Norfolk economy by £129 million a year.

A recent independent report has indicated that fast growing Facilities Management, Property Services and Care Homes group Norse contributes around £129 million a year to the Norfolk economy.

In total the Group directly employs 5,385 people in the county, across a range of full-time, part-time and other employment arrangements.

The Norfolk-based group’s continuing success is bringing jobs and prosperity worth millions of pounds to communities across the UK, according to a detailed new report by SQW, a leading provider of research, analysis and advice on sustainable economic and social development.

In 2014 total employment in Norfolk was 401,000, with a total GVA - the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area - of £16 billion. Norse Group therefore accounts for almost 1.6% of jobs in Norfolk and around 0.7% of Norfolk’s GVA, making it one of the largest contributors in the county.

Their experts estimate that the business group supports a Gross Value Added (GVA) of around £129 million in Norfolk through its services, wages and procurement of supplies. The figure also includes Norse’s effect on supplier companies, job creation and the spending power of its workforce.

The in-depth independent report highlights Norse’s growing economic importance and praises its approach to staff training, work inclusion, community engagement and charitable giving.

Including the supplier impacts and spending by employees, the Group supports the employment of an estimated 6,384 people in Norfolk.

This is boosted by jobs and income generated by the Group’s activities outside Norfolk, as far afield as Devon and Barnsley.

Peter Hawes, Managing Director of Norse Commercial Services, said,

Be a visible part of Norfolk’s Business Community

“We have always been extremely proud of the important role Norse plays both in Norfolk and across the UK – and that has now been both highlighted and reinforced by the findings of this comprehensive

analysis. The remarkable figures detailed by SQW’s economists in the report speak for themselves and confirm the strength of our business and our commitment to social value.”

Norse started in Norfolk and today we’re truly a national success story, so we know a thing or two about the importance of visibility to local businesses.

Increasing visibility of the commercial achievements of Norfolk will benefit us all and at Norse we are playing our part: •

Supporting local SMEs

•

Developing the talent of Norfolk’s young people

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Encouraging the improvement of our region’s transport and communications infrastructure

•

Promoting Norfolk as an area of commercial excellence on the national stage

In this, the 120th anniversary year of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, Norse fully supports its key campaigns for our county; let’s all raise our visibility and continue our success story.

t 01603 894100 e info@ncsgrp.co.uk w www.ncsgrp.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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The race is on for inspirational companies in Norfolk.

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‘Puppet art’ charity auction for Norwich Theatre.

Last month over 60 unique pieces of “puppet art” went under the hammer at a charity auction at, and for, Norwich Puppet Theatre. The Auction is part of the ongoing 35th Anniversary celebrations for the Theatre to help ensure that it will be celebrating its ruby, gold and diamond anniversaries.

Actress Maureen Lipman, Dame Cleo Lane, local MPs Chloe Smith, Clive Lewis and Norman Lamb, and artist Colin Self were among the many people to answer Norwich Puppet Theatre’s appeal to create puppets based on simple calico glove. The results were as varied as the artists themselves from Ella Goodwin’s fabric cat to Rick Stein’s line drawing of a fish!

The puppet that raised the most money was a skeleton puppet created by Professor Richard

Sawdon Smith which sold for £400 – to a buyer in Dubai, and over £5,500 was raised on the night plus a further £700 from extra donations.

The star studded event was held at London’s five star Hilton Hotel in Park Lane and 450 guests were present, representing the entire events industry.

Right Angle were triumphant against stiff competition.

The event that won the award was a Crime Scene Investigation experience called The Killing, delivered to their client, Shop Direct, in a warehouse in Liverpool.

The award was received by Lizzy Gaskin from Right Angle. She said “We are delighted to have won this

The most prestigious and respected awards championing responsible business in the UK and abroad will identify and celebrate inspiring examples of businesses making a difference by creating stronger communities, building more inclusive workplaces and tackling societal and environmental challenges.

Ian Woods, operations manager at the theatre, said a big thank you to everybody involved in the event. “It was a great celebration of Norwich Puppet Theatre, and it showed the support that is out there for us in the community - from the generosity of the people who gave their time and attention to decorate the puppets to the people who came to bid for them on auction night. The money will help to support our education and outreach work, taking shows and workshops out into the community.”

Now in its 19th year, the awards are open to companies of all sizes - from SMEs to multi-national companies - and across all sectors.

It represents the breadth of the growing responsible business movement with categories appealing to a wide range of positive business activities, from helping young people develop skills for the future to investing in the wellbeing of employees.

Now the theatre is getting ready for its Christmas show, Rumpelstiltskin.

The closing date for entries is 12 February 2016.

Right Angle wins national award.

Right Angle were awarded the prestigious C&IT Magazine Team Building Experience of the Year 2015, run by Conference & Incentive Travel magazine, part of the Haymarket magazine group.

HRH The Prince of Wales’ charity Business in the Community (BITC) is calling on Norfolk based businesses to showcase how they are taking practical action to address pressing issues as the 2016 Responsible Business Awards open for entries.

award. It represents eight years of delivering high quality team building experiences to our customers.”

Right Angle was formed in 2007 by former Scotland Yard Detectives Steve and Kate Gaskin. The company provides an array of highly original team building immersive experiences. Recently, two new Team Building experiences The Bodyguard and Taken were also released to the market.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Raising funds.

Wildeye Conservation Film Festival is raising funds to ensure that the event has a major impact on the fight for conservation. Its fundraising campaign is now live on Indiegogo.

The organisers are offering a number of perks, including Rycote and Telinga equipment. For more information about these, please see the campaign page. Even small amounts can help this project, so please support us and spread the word to others about their mission.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

MembersNews

Milestone figure reached for TaxAssist.

East Anglian Children’s Hospice (EACH).

Bring a bag to work for EACH

TaxAssist Accountants has reached the milestone figure of 200 franchises in the UK. The franchise which has been celebrating its 20th Anniversary, continues to successfully recruit new franchisees, and finished off the year with a flourish, taking on six new franchisees on its last course of the year.

There are now more than 250 TaxAssist shops and offices around the UK, and 24 in Southern Ireland.

TaxAssist has seen huge interest in its franchise model in Australia and is hopeful the first franchisee will sign up shortly.

Karl Sandall, CEO of The TaxAssist Group, said: “I am very pleased with the way the franchise network has grown. TaxAssist has a good track record and a solid, successful business model which means we have always outperformed many other franchises and accountancy networks in terms of growth. We already have a lot of interest in our next course in February and I would urge anyone interested in the franchise to get in contact to see if their preferred territory is currently available.”

TaxAssist has franchise opportunities available all over the country, and has recently opened up new territories in Central London.

Anyone interested in finding out more should contact Jody Fiveash on 0800 0188297 for a confidential chat, before booking onto a discovery day.

Clear out your good quality, unwanted items and help your local children’s hospice at the same time!

Norwich Sunblinds support Sleep out Norwich.

Winter - the time for drawing the curtains and snuggling up by the fire - or is it?

Sunblinds signed up for the charity event Sleep Out Norwich, to help raise awareness.

For some young people, there will be no curtains and certainly no heating. We can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough in the Winter, especially if you are a vulnerable young person.

The charity in question is The Benjamin Foundation, a Norfolk charity supporting children, young people and families with a wide range of issues including homelessness. They celebrated their 21st birthday in October.

Part of their work involves providing accommodation centres for young adults provide support and a safe place to live while they help them get their lives back on track.

What we can do, though, is to help raise money for a deserving local charity and have a taste of what it feels like to sleep outside on a Winter’s night. This is why Fiona and Lesley from Norwich

We always need items to sell in our shops Please help us by bringing a bag to work and donating things like… n Clothes …great if you have good quality clothes to donate n Books …any quality, but modern paperbacks are great n Bric-a-brac …good quality and preferably clean n Toys of good saleable quality n Cosmetics (sealed/not used) n DVDs/CDs. For more information please contact James Bacon Norfolk Corporate Fundraiser.

Novagraaf launches UK patent helpdesk.

Novagraaf has launched Patent Desk, a new service for companies and individuals seeking to understand and capitalise on patent protection for new inventions.

The service is provided by patent specialists in Norwich with additional support from Novagraaf’s London-based attorneys.

For many businesses, obtaining and enforcing patents can appear to be a complicated and expensive process.

Unsure which inventions are eligible for protection, but without the budgets to take the necessary advice, many companies are missing the opportunity to fully capture and realise the possibilities of their intellectual assets.

Novagraaf’s new Patent Desk service seeks to redress this balance by providing advice for both existing and new customers, and by streamlining the process to minimise cost once inventions have been identified for protection.

Norfolk Chamber members can get their news stories in this magazine for FREE by uploading them to www.norfolkchamber.co.uk

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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Bridging the gap.

At the Norfolk Chamber, we are passionate about developing the talent of our young people.

n Every school needs a business governor n Establish elements of the curriculum for subjects to relate to industry, for example surveying links to trigonometry in maths n Trust and communication is needed between education and business in order to work effectively

We need to take action now and be ‘constructively disruptive’ to make real improvements in business education and skills for the next generation.

There is already significant positive activity relating to business and schools in Norfolk and the Chamber is looking to enhance this work 10 particularly in relation to supporting schools on curriculum projects and careers advice.

If we are to ensure we are developing a passionate, skilled and vibrant future workforce it is essential that…we work together collaboratively to provide the best opportunities and chances for young people.

Dr. Simon Fox, Principal at Flegg High School

Starting the conversation.

Dominic Harvey,

Aylsham Young Chamber

n Honest experience and stories from business people n Getting the message out in schools that paid apprenticeships are a strong option

As part of our 120th anniversary year, we want to focus on bridging the gap between business and young people. We have committed to providing funding for projects with young people. In partnership with the Norfolk Community Foundation, our Chamber Community Fund will award grants to charitable organisations working with young people up to age 25. The Chamber will match poundfor-pound every donation made. (See page 31 for more details.)

Caroline Williams, CEO at Norfolk Chamber

At the Audience with Norfolk Schools, we asked our audience what they felt needed to be done:

Register your business to help our ‘Bridging the Gap between business and young people’ campaign: www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/bridging-the-gapnorfolk

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

We hosted the event ‘An Audience with Norfolk Schools’ on Friday 20th November 2015 to listen to schools, students and business views on how we can help bring them closer together – see page 43 for full write-up.

One of the key points from the Principal at Flegg High School was that enterprise education should not be misinterpreted as simply entrepreneurship. We need to look at teaching our young generation a range of skills important for the world of work, not just ‘The Apprentice’ stereotype.

We had a ‘Hear from the Heads’ round where six other head teachers shared what they currently do in partnership with businesses, and where they would like more help.

The ‘stars’ of the event were the Aylsham students who presented what they do through Young Chamber and took questions from the audience with a maturity that belied their age; clear proof of the power Young Chamber can have.

We have listened to all the feedback from this event, and have started planning how we put some of this into action in 2016 and beyond.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Beth Meyer,

Aylsham Young Chamber

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

ChamberPolicy

‘Your Future’ Career Events.

Your Future events planned with more expected in April-June 2016 Sprowston Community High School - 4th February Attleborough Academy Norfolk - 10th February Flegg High School - 3rd March We will also be working in partnership with Norfolk Skills & Careers Festival – 9/10th March

To kick start Young Chamber in 2016, we will be holding ‘Your Future’ career events. We are working in partnership with local schools to deliver events tailored to their students.

We do not want this to be the same old ‘careers fair’. We will be working hard to ensure the business exhibition is interactive and engaging, not just handing out business cards! There will also be opportunities for each sixth form to speed network with businesses; bringing the Chamber’s expertise at networking from business breakfasts, directly into the schools.

The Young Chamber works alongside staff to open opportunities to students. We are an essential and valuable asset to the school as we assist in helping students bring the best out of their enterprising ideas.

Not only is it an incredible chance for students of all ages and interests to come together and share their entrepreneurial passion, it has also helped me to grow my skills as a person, such as building my confidence in conversation skills with real business people.

Beth Meyer, Aylsham Young Chamber student

Dominic Harvey, Aylsham Young Chamber student

What’s next?

Following on from the ‘Your Future’ careers events we will continue our engagement with schools by creating Young Chambers.

These groups of students will develop their business skills and help their peers by organising their own

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

networking events with businesses, all with the support and contacts of Norfolk Chamber behind them.

We are currently meeting with local schools to help shape the Young Chamber programme, and learn from the experience of Aylsham and Sprowston Young Chambers. In the future, we hope to have all our member schools on board with Young Chamber and enjoying the benefits for their students!

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How can your business get involved?

Register your business to showcase the innovative things you do with students at the careers events in 2016 at www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/bridging-the-gapnorfolk Become a business governor in a Norfolk school. Get in touch with us and we can recommend a local school to join.

Donate to the Chamber Community Fund to support projects for young people. See page 31 for more details.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

The Mobile Web: Is Your Website Ready?

Smartphones and the mobile web are now part of everyday life, but is your website making the most of this massive emerging marketplace? Is your website responsive?

Mobile searches on Google exceeded desktop searches for the first time in 2015 and a Tecmark survey found that average British smartphone users carry out an average of 221 tasks on their mobile device every day.

And Google is watching. In January 2015, notifications were sent to web developers to warn of the mobile capability errors in their websites. This was followed in April

by Google updating their ranking algorithms, effectively penalising non-responsive websites.

It’s not just big business that needs to take note, whatever you are selling, or promoting, your potential customers are going to be looking for you on mobile – and are getting less tolerant about getting to the information they need.

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Making Your Website Responsive Websites require different layouts for desktop, tablet and mobile.

Layouts that use two or three

Real-World Testing

columns on the desktop need to be rearranged into a single column for mobile, with the content reprioritised. Navigation will need to change, with top or side navigation replaced by slide-in or drop-down menu – and there is no ‘hover’ state on a touchscreen, so rollovers will need to change, as well as relative sizes of buttons and text. However, whilst the layout is different the design should follow through – same styling, same typefaces, same colour scheme, same feel.

If your website was built using a modern content management system, such as WordPress, it may already have a responsive theme, or you might be able to update the site with relative ease. If the site is older,

or bespoke, it maybe possible to update it, or it may be necessary to rebuild it from scratch.

Optimising for Mobile Google provides a comprehensive guide on creating mobile optimised websites (just Google ‘Mobile Friendly Websites‘). Google’s tools can check your website’s performance and provide detailed advice to help you or your web developers update the site.

How quickly does your website load? Checking your page speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool will provide a complete audit of your website’s mobile performance and will also show suggestions to improve the user’s experience.

Once you have got your site mobilefriendly in the eyes of Google, it’s worth using real people to review and to inform the optimisation of the user’s experience.

Navigation ranks as the most common complaint of mobile websites. Be mindful of the options available to touch enabled devices and ensure that users can tap, pinch and drag through your website.

Finally, all your hard work is wasted if you’re unable to convert visitors to clients. Focus on your website’s forms and key calls-to-action to ensure that users can effortlessly enter information and move through the site without frustration.

A well-established business cannot afford to fall behind the mobile trend as Google strives to reward mobile optimised websites. Success in 2016 will rely on a solid mobile website plan, to ensure you stay within arms reach 24/7.

David Fuller is Technical Director at Accent Design dave@accentdesign.co.uk 01603 766062 www.accentdesign.co.uk

Cyber, privacy or data breach: Are you prepared?

The growth of the internet has been one of the biggest technological developments in recent years. As a business tool it can be used to, communicate more efficiently with existing customers, generate new customers or clients as well as reduce business expense. But...

This new way of doing business comes with new and deadly risks that are hard to identify and defend against. Companies of all sizes face disruption to their operations from cyber attacks and the cost of such an attack goes far beyond financial losses, it can cause loss of reputation and customer trust.

Not only does the UK Government consider cyber-attacks to be a ‘Tier 1’threat but Inga Beale, Chief Executive of Lloyd’s of London, believes Cyber risk poses the most serious threat to businesses and national economies, and it’s an issue that is here to stay.

Amazingly, accordingly to a new study from identity protection experts CSID, more than 52% of the country’s smaller businesses

“are not taking any preventative measures to protect themselves against cyber-crime”.

6. Spend more time and money on preventing a cyber, privacy or data breach.

So with that in mind what can businesses do to protect themselves?

If you don’t know where to start why not give us a call. Our trusted multi disciplinary legal and cyber security specialists will provide you with the most innovative solutions to help you to identify compliance gaps, implement end to end legal and security solutions. These include:

1. Accept that cyber crime is not just an IT problem, it also involves Legal, HR, PR functions.

2. Know what data you have and where it is stored, then you can prioritise what needs protecting and what doesn’t.

3. Watch out for insider threats.

4. Monitor your systems.

5. Understand your legal obligations – regulatory and contractually.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

n Secure identity n Global data transfer management n Incident Response n Threat and Vulnerability management For more information contact Stuart on 0333 600 5151 or visit www.sgslegal.com

n Advice on new Data Protection Regulations n Anti malware software n Executive and Staff – Cyber and Data protection awareness training n Penetration testing n Vulnerability testing

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

TechnologyFeature

Your checklist for a mobile world.

We’ve all heard by now that consumers are rapidly moving away from desktops to mobiles, but as a business what does this mean for you and your customers?

4. If you use email marketing, make sure that your marketing emails are mobile friendly, as many people use their smartphone to read emails.

The new mobile world will impact every business so make sure your business has a strategy.

6. People switch between different devices e.g. tablet at home, desktop PC at work, phone when they’re out and about. Make sure your marketing is consistent and measurable across platforms and channels.

1. Find out how much of your website traffic is from mobile devices. If it’s high, then make sure your website is mobile friendly.

2. If mobile traffic isn’t high, don’t dismiss the need for a mobile friendly website. Mobile usage continues to grow and Google actively penalise non-friendly sites in mobile search.

3. Research your users’ behavior to see how and why they use mobile.

This will help you with your mobile strategy and identify if you are targeting them effectively with your marketing.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

5. Mobile has changed our behaviour. Many online searches now start on a mobile device, how does this impact on your marketing?

7. Check out your competition to see how their mobile offering compares to yours, perhaps they’re doing something that you’ve not thought of?

8. Finally, mobile transactions (e.g.

Barclays Pingit, Applepay etc.) are the next big thing for bricks and mortar businesses. Is your business ready to take advantage of this?

Written by Mark Ellaway, Director, Bigfork Ltd.

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NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

How strong is your security defence?

Do not be mistaken - you will be attacked; the only difference to success or failure of the attack is your security position and how good is your “defence-in-depth”.

Taking an entirely different approach – here are four things you can do immediately that could reduce your cyber risk exposure by 85% 1. Whitelist your applications – only those programs named in the whitelist would be able to run on the system (i.e. if the virus / malware / ransomware is not whitelisted – it cannot run)

People and companies are being breached by hackers every day; the types of attack have changed over the years and are becoming more difficult to defend due to the technology used by the hacker.

They’re automated and constantly probing websites for vulnerabilities and known weaknesses that are easily breached alongside massive phishing campaigns to spread malware, Trojans and ransomware.

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The financial costs of a successful attack, the interruption it causes to the business, the cost of investigation and incident management, the damage to your reputation, probably lost business and revenue can often take a business into insolvency.

It’s relatively easy to “buy” the services of hackers and now it’s easier than ever for cyber criminals

2. Ensure that all programs and applications are the latest (most secure versions available) as older versions have often been replaced due to security holes in the code.

3. Ensure that all device firmware and system operating systems have been updated and patched with the latest security updates.

4. Privilege management – by assigning permissions to applications you’re able to remove admin rights and protect the operating system. to get started with sophisticated tools that are provided by a fast growing cyber-underground economy.

Hacked SME’s may think they were a specific target but the automated

attack found that their security posture was found to be weak; the site is then “earmarked” for further investigation and more sustained attacks with the details of the “hole” often sold onto the open black market.

David Higgins, CISSP 4ITSec.com

Business is better with

and Use on 5 PCs and Macs Each user can use the Office desktop applications on 5 Windows PCs or Macintosh computers, at work or at home.

01603 673160

Always up to date With Office connected to the cloud, you always have the latest version of the Office desktop applications with unobtrusive updates.

info@cloudspark.co.uk

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Use Office on your smartphone and tablet Access your documents and make edits on the go with Office apps for iPad, Windows Phone, iPhone, and Android phones.

Access your documents anywhere Office saves to your online storage by default, so your files are automatically backed up and linked to you virtually anywhere you go.

cloudspark.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Is your business-critical information fully protected?

If you aren’t able to answer ‘yes’ instantly, you should take another look at your solution. When your business suffers downtime, you should feel secure in the knowledge that your data is safe – even if your physical hardware has been destroyed.

Datto is a business continuity solution that protects against the loss of data that can occur as a result of power failures, server outages or - the most likely form of loss – ‘users’. The threat from users is often inadvertent – a careless click on that suspicious link in an email, a power cable accidentally unplugged in the server room, or an arbitrary tap of the delete button - but leads to the loss of important data.

Accidents happen. There is a high probability that, at some point, your business will experience a malfunction that disables its system. Your IT infrastructure is vulnerable to mistakes.

Equipping your system with the capability to mitigate any threat that comes its way is fundamental to safeguarding your data, the foundation from which you operate. That’s why Breakwater IT recommends Datto.

Redefining disaster recovery Datto is not just a backup. It offers you complete business continuity and positions you amongst other companies with the confidence to say that they have completely eliminated downtime.

Consider this...

What is your RPO (Recovery Point Objective)?

This represents how frequently backups are taken Datto’s RPO can be as often as every 5 minutes What is your RTO (Recovery Time Objective)?

How long does it take to get data back after a disaster?

Datto’s RTO can be less than 10 seconds

T: 01603 709300

W: breakwaterit.co.uk

The technology that makes it happen Instant Virtualisation Unique Datto technology creates a ‘virtual’ version of either your server, storage device, network or application. This acts completely separately from the physical device. Should you experience a server failure, your system can be virtualised instantly to the Datto device or the secure Datto cloud. The beauty of this is your business can carry on operating as normal, and provide you with the time and resources to fix the issue without compromising any data or suffering downtime.

Inverse Chain Technology ™ Your business will never experience problems in the backup chain as, ingeniously, backups are not dependent on previous snapshots and are applied incrementally instead. This removes any potentially complex restore process and ensures that your data is always available immediately, both on-site and off-site.

If you’d like to have a chat about your existing business continuity solutions and how Datto might be able to provide increased protection within your company then give us a call today.

Accent Design - 25 years on and still looking to the future.

One of Norwich’s longest established design companies, the Accent Design Group, recently celebrated 25 years in business - but is still looking to the future.

Accent Graphic Art Production Services as it was at the time, was established in 1990 by UEA Computer Science graduate Geoff Somner as a computer-based artwork service to graphic designers – at a time when only a few of the larger agencies actually owned computers. The company has been at the forefront of design and media technology in Norwich ever since.

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Accent moved into the studio on St Benedicts in 1992 and continued to grow, adding training, graphic design and print management to its services.

Projects at that time included corporate branding, brochures and packaging projects for clients such as the Learning & Skills Council and new local crisp company, Kettle Foods – a relationship which remains today.

1994 saw further expansion with the addition of a NovaJet A0 colour printer to make Accent one of the first large format print bureaus in Norfolk.

In 1997, when it was finally accepted that the Internet could be used for commercial purposes, the Accent Design Group, as it had become, expanded into website design. Accent was one of the first companies in Norwich to offer web design and the service, along with the team, soon grew to include database driven and ecommerce websites, winning contracts with the likes of the Norfolk Constabulary, WEX Photographic and Signs Express.

The company expanded, developing bespoke software systems and also tracked the ever-changing

web technologies and the growth of mobile technology, producing its first fully mobile-responsive websites in 2011 and beginning development on its first mobile app soon after.

Recently, Accent has also been pushing forward in the areas of web security and cloud-based deployment. Having developed and hosted websites for Norfolk Constabulary, Chloe Smith MP, The Association of Police & Crime Commissioners and the Westminster-based Police ICT Company, Accent has become wellversed in online security and secure

online hosting. With many client websites now hosted ‘in the cloud’, Accent has also been focussing on dynamically scalable hosting, allowing sites to expand and contract as traffic and processing requirements dictate.

Accent’s original core values of high quality design and good customer service remain throughout their work and will undoubtedly be taken forward in 2016 with new projects in the pipeline, including further mobile app development and large offline software systems.

Always Moving Forward BRAND DEVELOPMENT

WEB DESIGN

PRINT DESIGN

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

accentdesign.co.uk | 01603 766062 Adam & Eve Yard, St Benedicts Street, Norwich NR2 4AB

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

TechnologyFeature

Are you Playing Russian Roulette with your Data Security?

Online security and data protection has become a massive issue, and with the new EU General Data Protection Regulations coming into force in the near future, it will continue to be a talking point.

Security breaches can happen and you’ll read a lot about providers monitoring and strengthening their framework as a preventative action.

But in today’s world the likelihood of a breach is high enough that businesses need to think about what they can do to minimise the impact of anyone infiltrating their systems.

Data Location and Security for All Systems One particularly hot topic at the moment is the issue of data location. At OpenCRM we’ve taken steps to ensure that all of our data centres (and those of all the systems we use) are based in the EU. And that includes the back-up data centres.

Even if the primary data centre is in the EU, if the back-up data centres are in the US, then so is all of your data.

And that’s just your primary data, what about those ‘low risk’ systems? When I talk about this issue, the surprise always comes when I mention about the difficulty we had in finding an

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

instant messaging system that was EU based. Or the time it took to establish that our email provider stored all our data in the EU. When you break it down, it’s easy to see how the ‘low risk’ systems can generate a slow leak of client data.

Passwords Another example, and one that I think everyone struggles with, is the issue of passwords.

My own team were having trouble coming up with enough passwords that were both strong and memorable. So we decided to use a password manager, which allows us to generate extra secure passwords that didn’t have to be memorable.

Encryption One relatively simply thing you can do to protect your data is to encrypt it. By encrypting your computers, phones, etc., you know that if anyone were to actually steal the device, they would be hard pressed to make any sense of your data.

Add to this your strong password control and cloud hosting of your data, any opportunistic thief isn’t going to walk away with a list of your customers.

Checking Out Your Providers It’s no longer enough to assume your providers will protect your data from viruses, malware, and cyber threats – companies need to be aware of the security of the actual data itself, including where it will be stored, how it is accessed, and the security of the device that is being used.

Customers need to be going into this level of detail with any cloud provider before signing on the dotted line. The ramifications, which could include hefty fines and worse, reputational damage, don’t bear thinking about.

Graham Anderson, is the CEO and founder of OpenCRM, one of the UK’s leading customer relationship management systems.

If you have any cloud-based security questions, concerns, or feedback, please get in touch. I would love to hear from you. Find us at www.opencrm.co.uk or drop us a line at security@opencrm.co.uk

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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International Trade Services.

Many of you who know the International Trade team at Norfolk Chamber will be fully aware of the range of services we offer. But for those of you who don’t know us too well, read on to find out more (hint…it’s more than just documentation!)

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Our services are not just available to members of Norfolk Chamber – any exporting company in Norfolk can obtain our help and guidance, however members receive up to 50% discount on the cost of the services.

Stationery We hold stocks of most of the blank forms that an exporter will need, such as Certificates of Origin, EUR1s, ATRs, Country specific Invoices like Caricoms and C16s, Shipping and Dangerous Goods notes, Incoterms Booklets and much more. No need to search the internet for suppliers, as we store them all here at our Norwich office, where you can either collect them, or we can send them out in the post to you the same day that you order.

Training We deliver a wide range of training courses relating to International Trade. Some of these courses are now accredited, so when a delegate sits on six of these sessions they receive a Foundation Certificate from The British Chambers of Commerce. Topics cover export documentation, letters of credit and other payment methods, customs procedures and much more. The courses are repeated twice a year, so if you can’t make one date, it won’t be long before we run it again.

Translations

ATA Carnets

We have a huge database of qualified, registered translators who are regulated by either the Institute of Linguists or the Institute of Translators and Interpreters. Our service is renowned for its speed, with 99% of the work being carried out by email within a day or so. We can also arrange for an interpreter to be available to you for meetings, conference calls or events. Our rates are very competitive, so why not give us a try?

A carnet is a customs document that acts as a ‘Passport for Goods’ which are exported temporarily. If you are taking part in an overseas Trade Fair or Exhibition, you may be able to use a carnet to simplify the procedure of taking the goods through customs, without having to lodge large deposits of money to cover the duty. A carnet could also be used if you are taking Commercial Samples overseas for demonstration purposes. When you pay duty for temporary exports, it can take several months after the goods have returned to claim this back from customs. The cost of the carnet is a one-off fee which is non-refundable, but it can be considerably less than the duty you would pay without it. A carnet eliminates a lot of the hassle of getting through customs.

Letter of Credit Service Are you losing out on potential business by avoiding the use of Letters of Credit? This could be because you don’t understand their use, have heard worrying stories about payment being delayed, or simply have no idea how to use them. With the exception of full payment in advance, Letters of Credit are one of the most guaranteed forms of payment. We provide a service that deals with everything on your behalf – you don’t have to worry about a thing. The service includes everything from arranging the shipment, preparing the documents and, where necessary, getting them certified and legalised, liaising with the bank all the way through to the final payment, which goes straight into your bank account.

Import Certificates If you are an importer of controlled goods, you are required to issue an Import Certificate. This is to make the UK Government aware that the item is coming into our country and track its whereabouts, so that it cannot get into the wrong hands and be used for something it shouldn’t.

Norfolk Chamber can provide you with the forms that are to be completed by yourselves, which we will then check and stamp before

sending copies to the relevant authorities here in the UK, as well as the country the goods are coming from.

International Trade Events We are working on another series of events covering high growth markets, where you can learn about the business opportunities available to you and how to access them. Specialists will come and explain how to enter these markets and give you tips on the cultural issues that you should be aware of when communicating with potential clients in these countries.

International Trade Update You can subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, which comes straight to your inbox. This is where we highlight news articles that may be of interest to you and your business, regulations that you should be aware of, trade missions that are taking place, plus details of our own upcoming events and training courses.

Further detailed information on any of the above services is available at www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/ export or contact the International Trade Team on 01603 729706 or export@norfolkchamber.co.uk

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

InternationalTrade

Opportunities in South East Asia.

International Trade Training Courses.

Norfolk Chamber know how difficult it can be to keepup-to-date with the world of International Trade and so to help you achieve success in this field we put on a variety of specialised training courses.

Whether you’re just getting started or feel you need a refresher, these sessions will help to boost your understanding of the subjects.

Forthcoming dates and topics: January 2016 28th

Letters of Credit / Methods of Payment*

February 2016

Norfolk Chamber have organised an event highlighting the Opportunities in South East Asia.

Focusing on the countries of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, David Priestley will highlight the Business Opportunities available and also some of the cultural issues to be aware of when visiting / working with these countries.

Sponsored by UKTI, this event will take place on Tuesday 26 January at Holiday Inn, Ipswich Road, Norwich from 1.45pm – 5.00pm and will include the opportunity to have 1-2-1 meetings with the speakers.

The event is designed for new exporters and those who wish to look at new markets and is free to attend although you must book your attendance in advance. For more information and to book please go to www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/events/ chamber-event/opportunitiessouth-east-asia

Quotes from our customers:

The course content, venue and presenter were over what I was expecting. The presenter’s knowledge was vast and helped with other aspects not only

International Trade. I would recommend this course and would have no hesitation enrolling in a relating course in the future.

Stacey Cranswick, Applied Satellite Technology Ltd

Want to explore new overseas markets? Contact Julie Austin on 01603 729706 or julie.austin@norfolkchamber.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

10th

Customs Procedures and Documentation*

10th

Preference Rules of Origin*

18th

Export Documentation*

March 2016 3rd

e-zCert Workshop

9th

Understanding Exporting*

10th

Incoterms® 2010*

Courses marked with * form part of the British Chambers of Commerce Accredited Courses, which can result in a Foundation Award Certificate.

If you would like further details such as the content of these courses or to book a place, please take a look at www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/ export

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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Looking ahead: key changes in 2016.

In addition to the reduction in the Annual Investment Allowance, 2016 sees numerous changes to employment and tax legislation, which may have a significant impact on your business and your personal finances. Here we look ahead to some of the key reforms planned for 2016/17.

The National Living Wage (NLW) The NLW is set to come into force on 1 April 2016, with the rate beginning at £7.20 an hour for employees aged 25 and above. Currently, the National Minimum Wage stands at £6.70 per hour for workers aged 21 and over.

Employer national insurance

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To help offset the cost of the NLW, small firms are set to benefit from

a 50% increase in the Employment Allowance from April 2016, which will rise to £3,000. Meanwhile, employer national insurance contributions up to the upper earnings limit will be abolished for apprentices aged under 25.

Tax and property In addition to the proposed 3% surcharge on second properties outlined above, a number of other changes to property tax are also planned for the new tax year, including the replacement of the Wear and Tear Allowance with a new

It won’t happen to SME...will it?

Many smaller businesses are gambling their future by having no insurance against sickness or death of key staff.

Looking at the evidence, you could be forgiven for assuming that business owners never fall seriously ill or die.

Most companies make sure they have public liability insurance and cover for contents, fire and theft.

And one would expect anyone running a small to medium sized enterprise (SME) to recognise that the serious illness or death of a key person would have a potentially devastating effect on the business, not least to its value and profitability.

Key Person Insurance Key Person Insurance, also known as Key Man Insurance, compensates

companies for losses incurred due to the extended absence of an important member of the workforce.

As well as covering the loss of profits suffered by the business until a replacement is found, Key Person Insurance can also pay for the costs of recruitment and training of a replacement.

Many adopting a high risk strategy Yet almost two thirds (65%) have no protection insurance for their owners and key employees according to Zurich’s SME Risk Index - a quarterly survey measuring the perceived level of business risk faced by SMEs. This is somewhat surprising when you consider 45% of those surveyed highlighted the death or critical illness of key employees as a major risk.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

relief that permits all residential landlords to deduct the actual costs of replacing furnishings. Meanwhile, the level of rent-a-room relief will rise from £4,250 to £7,500.

that for the 2016/17 tax year the first £5,000 of dividend income will be taxed at 0%, regardless of the level of non-dividend income.

Dividends are another area on the Chancellor’s radar, with significant changes due to come into effect in April. The Dividend Tax Credit is set to be replaced by a new tax-free Dividend Allowance. This means

Headline rates of dividend tax are also set to change. From April 2016 tax must be paid on dividends over the £5,000 threshold at the following rates: 7.5% on dividend income within the basic rate band; 32.5% on dividend income within the higher rate band; and 38.1% on dividend income within the additional rate band.

Clearly, when it comes to key people, many SMEs are adopting a high risk strategy by doing absolutely nothing about cover at all. Without question, the consequences of such inaction are potentially dire.

Martin Vincent

Dividend taxation

Serious illness not uncommon Given that serious illness, such as cancer or a heart attack, affects one in four women and one in five men before retirement age*, potential scenarios like these are not uncommon. Yet the problems facing SMEs can be mitigated if right safeguards such as key person insurance are in place.

Seek specialist help Having the correct protection and ensuring this is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect business

changes is a particularly onerous and daunting task for time-hungry entrepreneurs. It is one which is best left to a wealth management specialist to help protect the business from a wide range of risks and ensure business owners meet their aims while concentrating on managing their company.

To receive a complimentary guide covering wealth management, retirement planning or Inheritance Tax planning, contact Martin Vincent on 07725 971543 or email martin.vincent@sjpp.co.uk * Source: Criticalillness.org.uk, September 2014.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Focus onFinance

The real threat of cyber risk.

Despite a spate of high-profile attacks on company’s computer systems in recent years there remains a misguided perception that cyber insurance isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.

In fact a recent Government survey revealed half of all business owners don’t even realise cyber risk can be insured.

Of those businesses that do realise cyber risk can be insured, 52% believed they had some form of Cyber Cover in place. Worryingly, less than 10% actually do.

Cyber Cover can protect against common threats, including: n The cost of restoring data, software and programs n The negligent use of electronic media by employees, such as making libellous comments on social media n Passing on a virus to customers or suppliers n Loss of revenue resulting from a denial of service attack

n Damage to business reputation, resulting in legal actions and fines n Digital forensics, breach notification and legal advice costs The impact of a cyber attack on a business could be severe, to its finances, operations and reputation.

Cyber insurance can provide businesses with an affordable way to protect themselves as well as access to expert advice should they suffer a data loss or breach. For example, a virus that has resulted in the loss of customer data needs a quick response not only to remove the virus and protect the data but also to ensure that staff, suppliers and customers are kept informed of any risk and remedial measures.

For more information on anything raised above or to discuss your

business insurance arrangements please contact Hugh J Boswell Managing Director, Peter Foster, on 01603 723581.

BULLISS & RIDGEWELL LIMITED BOOKKEEPING & ACCOUNTING SERVICES

Call us now for a FREE consultation to discuss your business or personal accounting needs – we listen to what YOU are saying

• • • • • • •

Complete bookkeeping services Payroll VAT returns Management accounting Cash flow management Audit preparation Taxation and Self - Assessment (*via our Specialist Tax Agent)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

• Landlord accounts • Construction Industry Scheme • Business Start up • Company Secretarial • VAT registration • Competitive affordable rates • Fully accredited and insured

t: 01553 769687 e: bulliss.ridgewell@btinternet.com www.bullissandridgewell.co.uk 16 Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1JN Registered and Regulated by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

The small business and sole proprietor specialists

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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o o o o o o o o o

Outsourced Financial Directors HR & Training Business Development Marketing Communications Enterprise & Innovation in Education Banking Expertise & Access to Finance Financial Modelling & Strategic Planning Occupational Health & Wellbeing Virtual Assistance …plus a lot more!

01603 395 708 | office@dodifferent.solutions dodifferent.solutions

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Newman & Co Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors

2014-15 Tax Return Deadline For those that have missed the paper filing deadline of 31st October, there is still time to register online and file your tax return via the HMRC website. This will avoid any late filing penalties provided it is filed online by 31st January 2016.

Let Property Campaign The scheme aimed at landlords who may owe tax was launched in September 2013.

The campaign was originally expected to run for at least 18 months but HMRC have now extended the scheme indefinitely. HMRC will allow landlords to come forward voluntarily throughout the entire time period that the disclosure opportunity remains open.

HMRC have confirmed that taxpayers that do come forward voluntarily as part of the initiative will receive better terms and lower penalties in relation to tax due on their undeclared income than if targeted

by HMRC. Landlords that are contacted

by HMRC directly in relation to undeclared rental income will lose the opportunity to make a disclosure as part of the campaign.

Landlords can then face penalties of up to 100% of the tax due together with possible criminal prosecution if HMRC discover tax due on rental profits that has deliberately not been declared.

The campaign is open to all residential property landlords including those that

have multiple properties and single rentals as well as specialist landlords such as student or workforce rentals, and holiday lets owners.

Wayne Goddard FCCA ACA (Director of Newman & Co. Chartered Accountants)

4b, Church Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4DD T: 01379 640640 | E: diss@newmans-online.co.uk

W: www.newmans-online.co.uk

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Focus onFinance

Don’t get left behind.

The key to successfully auto enrolling your employees is a consultative approach whereby the scheme design and provider selection is based on the company and employee profile. Cost savings and simplification of the rules can be achieved with a bespoke project plan and implementation.

Employee Communication When communicating auto enrolment to staff, timing is key. Informing employees what is coming and what to expect is crucial for getting them to understand the impacts and importance of saving for retirement.

Communications can take the form of emails, letters, posters or staff presentations, and are best issued around 4-6 weeks before staging, any longer can leave staff failing to remember important details and too near the date can leave staff uninformed of the changes.

Capacity Crunch It is estimated that there are still over 1.8 million employers to be auto enrolled and, as the process moves towards small and micro employers, it will be a first for many who have not had experience of implementing a group pension scheme.

To help employers, the Department for Work and Pensions have recently introduced a new advertising campaign “Workie” to raise awareness, to get business owners to start planning early and seek guidance if needed. Many are now turning to financial advisers to provide that service.

Adviser packages range from simply setting up a scheme to complete project management and many are offered on fixed fee basis which can mean that the scheme design and pension provider is pre-selected to simplify the process. Deviation away from this basis can often mean the charges are higher to achieve the desired outcome.

Pension providers are starting to feel the strain, turning away business that they would deem unprofitable or adding additional employer charges. In the past month we have seen the Peoples Pension adding a one off employer fee of £300-500 to those staging in 2016 and beyond and we expect this trend to continue as the numbers increase.

Many employers are starting to act now, well in advance of their actual staging date to reserve provider resource and in many cases are bringing their staging date forward to avoid the surge.

Getting Help Alan Boswell Group can support you on all elements of pensions and auto enrolment. We have a dedicated team of experts on hand to help you design and implement a quality pension scheme to ensure you comply with your duties ahead of time. We can also offer bespoke packages to assist in communicating changes to your employees and deal with the ongoing compliance beyond staging.

New business brings relocation.

Alan Boswell & Company Ltd. (ABCO), part of the Alan Boswell Group, have relocated. The Financial Planners have moved into Cedar House on Carrow Road, Norwich, a building previously occupied by the entire Group fifteen years ago. The Group’s Head Office will remain at Harbour House on Thorpe Road in the City but this move has been designed to provide the company with additional space to provide excellent service to the increasing number of customers coming to the advisers.

ABCO Managing Director, John Whitehead, said, “Our growth comes as a result of an influx of new business clients choosing us to help with their Auto-enrolment requirements.

“We’ve built up a strong reputation for straightforward, expert advice and this is proving vital in this complex area.

We’re able to provide clients with a bespoke service from practical advice to full scheme implementation including all employee communications.”

For an informal chat about your auto enrolment and employee benefits packages please call 01603 218000

Our experts can help you avoid the various pitfalls; saving you time, and therefore cost, to ensure that auto enrolment is integrated within your business with the minimum of upheaval.

Alan Boswell & Company (London) Ltd is an appointed representative of Alan Boswell & Company Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Norfolk Voice Advert - Jan 2016.indd 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

02/12/2015 14:06:20 NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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New appointments within senior team to support growth of Delta-Simons.

Delta-Simons Environmental Consultants Limited has announced the appointment of Alex Ferguson as Managing Director.

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Paul Robinson Partnership welcomes new apprentices.

Paul Robinson Partnership (UK) LLP, the Norfolk based Architectural and Surveying Practice, have welcomed two new apprentices to their experienced team.

Simon Nicholas, Partner at Paul Robinson Partnership, described the apprenticeship scheme as

“a fantastic way to harness new talent” and said that it is “important to invest in young people and provide opportunities for those wanting to gain experience”.

In addition, Kori Moore has just completed his apprenticeship with the Practice and has been welcomed as a full time employee.

Centre to tackle skills shortage in East Anglia Construction sector opens.

The David Lawrence Construction Skills Centre, a £3.75m construction training centre designed by LSI Architects, at Easton and Otley College’s Easton campus has been officially opened.

The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has invested £2.5m in the new construction training centre which will enable the college to treble its number of construction students.

The Construction Skills Centre project is the first of the LEP’s Regional Growth Fund supported projects to be completed, with the deal for the region’s £221m signed

by Lord Heseltine at the turf-cutting ceremony for the centre in March.

Mark Pendlington, chairman of New Anglia LEP said: “This new construction training centre means the next generation of bricklayers, carpenters and electricians will be learning their skills in state-of-the-art facilities.

“And with three times as many apprentices and students coming into the construction sector over the

coming years, the college can make a very real change to the housing picture in Norfolk and Suffolk and nationally too.”

The new training centre will offer training in skills including bricklaying, joinery, site carpentry and electrical. The college’s Suffolk campus has been offering construction training for more than ten years, with the Norfolk site having launched its first courses for the sector in 2012.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Alex has been with Delta-Simons for 15 years, and has been instrumental in the ongoing development and growth of the company. Alex previously held the position of Operations Director within the business.

Other appointments include Damian Robinson, Divisional Director for Leeds and Manchester, who joins the Executive team. Paul Bennett has been appointed as Unit Director - Regions.

The new appointments reflect the enhancement of the senior management structure to support the continued success and growth of Delta-Simons. In 2015, the company opened offices in London, Manchester, Leeds and Dublin, and now operates from seven locations in the UK, with the HQ in Lincoln and offices in Norwich and Durham.

Delta-Simons provides support and advice within the property development, asset management, corporate and industrial markets.

As a founder member of the Inogen Environmental Alliance, Delta-Simons is also able to deliver environmental, H&S and sustainability projects worldwide.

FREE HR advice line and documents available to all Norfolk Chamber Members. Contact Jason Williams to find out more: jason.williams@ norfolkchamber.co.uk or 01603 729704

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

MembersNews

Flybe reveal summer sunshine schedule.

CIS recruits new apprentices.

Norwich International Airport has formally unveiled new Flybe routes to Alicante and Malaga, with tickets for the region’s first sunshine flights in almost a decade now on sale at www.flybe.com.

The new routes are made possible following a deal between Norwich Airport owners Rigby Group and Flybe. The Alicante and Malaga services will both operate twice a week and the return of Saturday flights to Jersey for peak summer, combined with the other holiday flights available at the airport, brings the total number of holiday flights out of Norwich up to 20 per week.

Andrew Bell, who heads up RCA (Regional and City Airports), the airport management division of Rigby Group PLC and owners of Norwich, said: “A lot of hard work has gone into securing these routes for the region, and we’re confident that the ability to fly direct from the East – avoiding the stress and travel involved in the major London airports – will once again prove to be a big hit with our customers.

“Combining these scheduled sunshine routes with our existing business routes and growing number of holiday flights means Norwich is getting ready for a very busy 2016.”

Tickets to Alicante and Malaga are available for booking at www.flybe. com and are currently available for travel from 27th March through to 30th September 2016.

Flybe’s 2016 Summer Schedule from Norwich (NWI) Alicante (ALC)- two flights a week (Tue/Fri) Dep NWI 1440 Arr ALC 1815 Dep ALC 1205 Arr NWI 1350 Malaga (AGP) – two flights a week (Mon/Thurs) Dep NWI 1445 Arr AGP 1845 Dep AGP 1215 Arr NWI 1405 Jersey (JER) – Saturdays 7th May – 17th Sep Dep JER 0905 Arr NWI 1020 Dep NWI 1105 Arr JER 1225

Rebecca Hart

Leading Norwich electrical retailer wins two prestigious national awards.

Leading independent electrical retailer Gerald Giles is celebrating after winning two prestigious national industry awards.

At an event in London in late October 2015, the business, based on Ber Street, Norwich, won Consumer Electronics Retailer of the Year and Independent Marketing Campaign of the Year at the ERT Awards. The store was also a finalist in the Consumer Electronics Showroom category.

Now in their eighth year, the ERT Awards are aimed at recognising excellence and outstanding

achievements in the electrical retailing sector.

Paul Giles, Managing Director of Gerald Giles, said: “The CE Retailer of the Year award is a great recognition of the fantastic achievements for everyone at Gerald Giles in 2015. To be honoured at a national level by receiving this prestigious ERT award makes it all worthwhile.”

The business supplies a wide variety of kitchen appliance and audio-visual products from leading brands such as Sony, Samsung, Miele, Bosch, Panasonic, Bose and Neff.

Andy Penman, the founder of Conductor Installation Services, has always had a passion for developing young talent within the industry and, as such, taking on apprentices was always a matter of when, not if.

CIS has two apprentices in the Accounts department and Administrations department.

Rebecca Hart, one of the apprentices, said: “I chose to take an apprenticeship as I had already decided not to go to university.

“I liked the idea of learning whilst training on the job, gaining a qualification in the process and earning money at the same time.

“Having previously achieved an A Level in Geology, amongst other exams, I was keen to find work in something related to it. CIS Ltd fit the bill in that they’re involved in the oil and gas sector.”

The World has gone DOOH!!

For a while it was an advertising sector in need of a name as it’s been developing rapidly and in so many ingenious ways. But what to call it? The consensus is ‘Digital Out Of Home’ (DOOH) – and the amount of productions we’re involved in has grown exponentially of late.

Evidence of our involvement can be found on vertical plasma screens in shopping malls, student unions, bus-shelters and in-stores. If you travel on the Stansted Express into London, you’ll even find our work on the ticket terminals! And also the animated messages coursing around the edges of football grounds or high above Piccadilly Circus. Plus videos projected across the tracks of the London Underground or sequentially screened up the escalators.

In fact DOOH is such a radical addition to the communications toolbox that it takes skilled and visionary agencies to fully embrace the exciting possibilities for their clients. We’re fortunate to work

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Conductor Installation Services (CIS) has taken on two apprentices.

with three of them – Accord, bigdog and BBA Digital – and we’re proud to display just a fraction of their output within our latest DOOH showreel.

So if you’re thinking of adding DOOH to your campaign, we’ll be happy to help you get on screen whatever the shape, size or location!

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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Bright fut

beckons for company with a proud history.

Today, when so many of the businesses in Norwich are engaged in professional and financial services, it can be easy to forget what a significant manufacturing city it has been throughout its history.

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One of the companies keeping that tradition alive through the decades has been Laurence, Scott & Electromotors, which was first established in 1883. The company is now part of the ATB Group UK, which includes ATB Morley in Leeds and ATB Special Products in Birmingham. ATB is actually an Austrian group, which is in turn owned by Wolong, in China, one of the biggest motor manufacturers in the world.

ATB Laurence Scott, which can trace its beginnings back to the 19th Century, is one of the world’s foremost suppliers of high and low voltage AC and DC electric motors as well as electro-mechanical power transmission products, including generators, gearboxes, drives, clutches and brakes for sectors including marine and oil and gas.

Having enjoyed a long and proud history, the firm embarked on the latest stage in its life in 2007 when, having entered administration, it was rescued by Leeds-based ATB Morley on behalf of the ATB group.

ATB Group UK Director and Chairman Ian Lomax said: “For us, it was an easy decision to take over a company that had such a proud history and a well-established name.

“Although decisions in business are always based on finance, we were also very proud to acquire this business with its reputation and history.”

That history has its origins at a time in the 19th Century when there was

business and the company grew rapidly with orders from France, South Africa and Russia.

Scott‘s technical brilliance kept the firm at the forefront of development and, as the century neared its end, the company moved to Hardy Road.

The firm expanded steadily and there were more than 500 people on the payroll in October, 1914. During World War One, the firm did much of its business with the Admiralty and in 1915, with the help of Boulton & Paul, built shops to help with the shell shortage.

Ian Lomax Director and Chairman ATB Group much interest in the new electric light following the invention of the filament bulb.

Alongside this came the discovery of the principles of electromagnetic induction and the experiments by the likes of Michael Faraday, who discovered induction, and Nickola Tesla, who patented the induction motor.

The City of Norwich was interested in taking advantage of the developments and in 1879 there was a demonstration in St. Andrew‘s Hall, by an American company for the Town Council. A generating station was set up close to the Blackfriars‘ Crypt, although it took thirty years for a reliable system to be installed.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

For all the faltering start, some local businessmen identified the potential and that included the Hammond Electric Light and Power Supply Company, whose engineer E.A. Paris, came into contact with Mr JJ Colman, who wanted electric light in his mill. Paris persuaded Hammonds expert William Harding Scott to design a dynamo for Colman.

The work was completed in 1884 and Scott and Paris left Hammonds and moved to Norwich to begin trading as Paris & Scott, Ltd with premises in King Street, with Paris looking after the finances and Scott the engineering.

Investment arrived in 1887 from Mr. R Laurence, who put £6,000 into the

After the War, expansion continued and the firm was by 1938 employing 3,000 people employed in three factories. The firm rose to the challenges of the Second World War, making switchgear for submarines, controllers for tanklanding craft, and for the leg-lifting motors of Mulberry Harbour pontoons.

Following the Second World War the company played a key part in the development of the emerging nuclear power and helped devise the standards used to qualify motors for these application, with the result that the company now has motors in all the UK nuclear power stations and further afield in China.

The company developed special motors for oil rig applications allowing motors to be started with a smaller installed power generation.

The company now has motors on most rigs in the North Sea as well as in many installations all around the world.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

ture The company also participated in defence projects continuing to supply generators, and other motors for the Astute submarines programme.

As well as supplying motors all over the world the company’s product can also be found locally at the Oulton Swing Bridge in Lowestoft, a motor that has been working since 1897.

In 2007 the company fell on hard times and was in administration.

Ian Lomax said: “When we were approached by the administrators and asked if we were interested in buying the company we headed down to Norwich.

“Everyone in this industry knows Laurence Scott, especially its reputation in the oil and gas market.

Many of the mining products made at Morley were previously made by Laurence Scott.”

“When the figures were reviewed it was very clear that this was a successful business simply starved of cash. Within the space of a couple of weeks an offer was made and accepted and the business was saved.”

“Morley provided the business with £1m of cash enabling materials to be purchased and restart the business. This was not a turnaround, it was just providing cash, the lifeblood of any organisation. The business immediately started to perform and very quickly became one of the stars of the ATB group.”

Since 2007 the company has continued to thrive. Investments have been made in the latest state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. The company also invested heavily in a new test bed,

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

BigInterview

such that ATB Laurence Scott can fully test motors up to 15MW, believed to be the largest capability in Europe, Today ATB Laurence Scott employs 180 and in 2014 the order book reached over £24m.

Ian said: “The main market for our products remains oil and gas.

This past year has proved very difficult because of the low price of oil. This has made oil exploration less attractive leading to a corresponding drop in investment, which means less sales.

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“The year has been spent selling replacement products but now the beginnings of increased interest in new investments are starting to be seen.”

Like most manufacturing businesses in the UK, Laurence Scott continues to operate in niche markets. This means relying upon specialist skills and the knowhow of its team in Norwich. The goal is that they will continue to develop solutions that are a celebration of UK engineering, emphasising that they have been electrical engineers since 1883.

The next chapter in the story of this proud old company is about to be written.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Chamber committed to “In 2016 the Norfolk Chamber celebrates its 120th anniversary. We are thrilled to have hit such a milestone and in order to gain a better understanding of the Chamber we have been exploring the history of the organisation. In doing so we have unearthed a greater knowledge and understanding of the Chamber and the people who have made us who we are and what we stand for now and in the future.”

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive

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The Norfolk Chamber has been serving the business community and the region since 1896, during the reign of Queen Victoria. As Victoria is the Great-Great-Grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, who herself surpassed Victoria as the UK’s longest-reigning monarch last September, this highlights what a very long time that is for an organisation, and something that shouldn’t pass by without celebration.

The research has uncovered the Chamber’s rich history reinforced by the invariable affiliation of the county’s distinguished business leaders and their work within the Chamber.

In order to commemorate this, Chamber tasked research assistant

Adam Dean, hired through the UEA’s Undergraduate and Graduate Internship Programme, with the vast assignment of unearthing highlights from 120 years of detailed history taken from a huge range of archives.

Starting his work in June, Adam spent nearly three months tirelessly reading through over a century’s worth of meeting notes, press cuttings and articles to discover the changing face of Norfolk business.

The central factor in this work has been exploring the ‘then and now’ aspect of the past 120 years and the legacy Chamber, and Norfolk business, have created and are moving forward with. The Norfolk Chamber is itself a comparatively recent conglomeration of the Norwich Chamber, Great Yarmouth Chamber and West Norfolk Chamber, in order to fully commit to and meet the evolving needs of the Norfolk business community.

The Chamber of Commerce was preceded by the formation of the Norwich Mutual Marine (Insurance) Association in 1843 and later the first Chamber of Commerce in 1847 with the objective to “always be ready to

suggest petitions and memorials, To commemorate our 120 years whenever needful: would ensure an we have launched a dedicated area effective representation of our local on www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/ necessities: and at all times secure 120th to share the months of the attention of the authorities to research undertaken. This is whom it might appeal”. However, its sectioned into key areas including; a lifespan was a brief circular page dedicated to our Presidents formed and dissolved from 1896 to present; an in crises surrounding area looking at the key Jeremiah the expansion of the industry sectors for our James Colman railway and of cheap region and the leading founded the food imports. What is businesses connected with Chamber notable in comparison Chamber; images relating in 1896 to the later Chamber is to Chamber Presidents and that the latter overcomes Norfolk business spanning a depression at a similar 120 years and a chance to find stage of development, highlighting a out more about the upcoming story of growth and improvement in events happening throughout the the Chamber’s history. celebratory anniversary year.

“My priorities are to ensure that there is a joined-up marketing message for all of Norfolk, which is important when we have joint interests like transport, broadband and skills.”

Jonathan Cage, Current President, Create Consulting Engineers

Norfolk Chamber are also keen to hear if your business is celebrating a long-standing anniversary, or if you have archives, images that could support the 120th anniversary research. To submit your story or any images, or if you have any questions, please email 120years@norfolkchamber.co.uk.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

CoverFeature

o business for 120 years.

First President: Jeremiah James Colman Chamber through World War I The cumulative effort of the Chamber, its members and its President, George Moore Chamberlin of the eponymous Chamberlin & Sons department store, supported the region’s industry throughout the difficulties faced in WWI.

Jeremiah James Colman, known as JJ, was widely renowned for his philanthropy towards his workers and the public, as well as for his civic duty. Although his period in office was marked by personal misfortune he is recorded as the driving force behind Chamber’s formation.

His father James had been a prominent figure in the first Chamber so it seems fitting that JJ Colman would reignite his work with the creation of a new Chamber half a century later.

By 1896 JJ Colman had transformed the company into a vast empire.

The manufacturer employed over 2,000 workers, boasted several Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria, the King of Italy and the Emperor of France, and it required nearly

Jeremiah James Colman c.1880 12,000 rail wagons to transport over 900,000 boxes of mustard.

JJ Colman is of course also remembered as a principal figure in the local and national business community at that time. He pioneered a revolutionary system by establishing schools, programmes of medical insurance, housing and entertainment for their employees.

An incredibly shrewd and successful business man, it is with great pride that Norfolk Chamber’s legacy begins with JJ Colman.

With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 the Chamber’s importance rose suddenly as businesses had to negotiate the requirements of wartime. The Chamber was the first in the country to call for conscription in 1915, while businesses looked for help in dealing with lighting restrictions against zeppelin attacks. The restricted opening hours put pressure on business and led to shortages of necessary resources.

Chamberlin & Sons itself aided the war effort as it produced vast quantities of waterproof material for use by the army, as well as suits for soldiers in service and after demobilisation. For some years the company had been the sole concessionaires for Great Britain and the Colonies for the manufacture of Pegamoid waterproof clothing. In pre-war days the authorities had subjected this material to a severe test in all climates, and it was held in such high esteem that the Admiralty claimed the bulk of Chamberlin’s output during the war.

The wartime work of Chamberlin & Sons totalled close on one million

George Moore Chamberlin c.1925 garments, and they received from the authorities’ official recognition of the value of their services to the State in the years of the nation’s peril.

The Chamber was responsible for issuing important Certificates of Origin for those trading with neutral nations so as to ensure British commerce did not indirectly aid the Central Powers.

“I always enjoyed ventures that linked education and business. It’s something I have always had a passion for and am pleased to see that lots of good work is continuing in this area.”

A snapshot of some of the Chamber archives

Visit www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/120th for more information.

Barry Dennis, President 2009-2011, Archant

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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Chamber through World War II

UEA and the Chamber The organisation has a longstanding relationship with the University of East Anglia (UEA), and several of Chamber’s Presidents were heavily involved in the founding of the institution in the 1960s.

Boulton & Paul factory on Mousehold Heath c.1900s

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The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 posed more trying times for Norfolk industry and commerce. Two Presidents presided over this period: Joseph Worssam of Eastern Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd; and Percy William Jewson of Jewson Ltd. This period may have seen hardship for some business but others, in particular manufacturing, thrived and gained more work from the pressures of war.

Buntings, now M&S, was severely damaged by German bomb raids in the Norwich Blitz of 1942. The nearby Curl Brother buildings were completely destroyed, however John Walter Bunting was able to rebuild from the rubble and was used as a NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) Service club. Due to the extensive damage to the Curls department store, Jarrold & Sons helped the company by offering an entire floor of their own premises on which to continue doing business.

Despite heavy bombing from the Luftwaffe, the various department stores in Norwich rallied together under the Chamber network to support each other and keep business alive.

Eric John Sidney Hinde, President of the Norwich Chamber 1955-7.

He was captured by the Japanese during WWII and imprisoned as a prisoner of war in Singapore from 1942 until the wars end. While captured, the Bond’s store on All Saint’s Green was heavily bombed and all buildings were badly affected, parts were completely burned to the ground. Unlike some of its competitors though, Bonds continued to trade by using empty properties elsewhere in Norwich.

On the other hand, manufacturing at Boulton & Paul’s flourished and The sector upon which the war their importance grew rapidly. wreaked the most havoc They had established a was retail. Despite heavy name for themselves in bombing from the WWI under Chamber Luftwaffe, the various 120 years President William department stores in spanning Henry Ffiske, when Norwich rallied together 6 monarchs they had built the UK’s under the Chamber first all-metal aircraft network to support each in 1917. However, like other and keep business alive. many companies they did not The Directors of leading stores escape the Norwich Blitz unscathed including Bunting’s, Bond’s and and were one of the firms directly Jarrold & Sons were all members of targeted by the German Luftwaffe.

Chamber and indeed had been, or were later, Presidents too.

Visit www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/120th for more information.

In 1958, prior to UEA’s establishment, Chamber President Andrew Ryrie, vice-Chairman of Reckitt & Colman Ltd, had called for a revival of previous movements for a regional University during a prize giving event at Lowestoft Technical College. His strong belief was that the region required an institution that could support and meet its needs for more industrial manpower.

Chamber President Eric Mackintosh, of the confectioners John Mackintosh and Sons, was the son of John Mackintosh ‘the toffee King’ and the brother of Harold, First Viscount Mackintosh, who was later to become the first Chancellor of the UEA. Eric and Harold Mackintosh both donated personally and as a company to the formation of the University, their donations topping the list of the initial investors.

Richard Quintin Gurney of Barclay’s was also heavily involved in its formation, both financially and in terms of business. He was Chamber President, 1959-61, in the years

leading up to its establishment and, furthermore, held the position of Lord Mayor 1961-2.

Raymond Frostick had also played a key role in the UEA since its inception, before later becoming a President of Chamber in the 1980s.

Norfolk Chamber has always maintained its values in helping young people into employment and in sustaining the excellence of the region’s educational institutions.

The Norwich Junior Chamber, of which he played a central part, had established previously in 1960 and took great interest in the University project from the start. Frostick sat on the UEA Committee holding numerous meetings in 1962-3 to raise necessary funds. This culminated in a grand ball with 400 attendees at Earlham Hall, the profits of which purchased the silver mace presented to the Chancellor and still used today at congregation.

“For me, being President was an extension of the work I had done, starting with Great Yarmouth Chamber in the 1990s. My motto was ‘business is for business’.”

John Murfitt, President 2005-2007, Norwich Capacitors Ltd

“Being President of Norfolk Chamber was a great honour. For me it was not about dictating my ideas but supporting and nurturing Caroline and the team to get the best results.”

Ian Hacon, President 2013-2015, Blue Sky Leisure

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

CoverFeature

Chamber Community Fund

Open Road Project

To celebrate 120 years of being committed to business, we will be hosting three events across the county in May. King’s Lynn – Town Hall Thursday 11 May Norwich – Castle Keep Thursday 19 May

Norfolk Chamber is passionate about supporting young people to help them to develop their talents and achieve their aspirations.

for the Norfolk Chamber as a legacy from our 120 year anniversary this year.

To tie in with the Norfolk Chamber’s ongoing campaign encouraging the growth and advancement of Norfolk’s young people, it has established a fund with the Norfolk Community Foundation to support young people locally.

The main goal of these grants will be to increase access to employment and training, and so improve the opportunities and career options open of young people across the county.

Accordingly, grants of up to £2,000 will be available to support projects focussed on championing young people by working with those who are facing particular challenges in accessing employment or training, or developing their skills.

The purpose of this fund is to create opportunities for the younger generation and help them flourish in employment. This is a key priority

Great Yarmouth – Town Hall Wednesday 25 May

The aim of the Chamber Community Fund is to provide grant awards to charitable organisations working within Norfolk with young people aged up to 25.

Eligible projects might include: • Providing training, leadership or volunteering opportunities for young people.

There will be more information on each event and how to apply for tickets later in January. In the meantime, if you are interested in sponsoring any of these events then please email Philippa Bindley on philippa.bindley@norfolkchamber.co.uk.

• Projects that support young people who are NEET or at risk of exclusion to access training and develop skills.

• Jobs clubs and careers support aimed at young people.

“It is important that local politics are working hand in hand with business to make sure start-ups or existing businesses have the facilities to exploit opportunities to grow and reinvest in our communities.”

Peter Barry, President 2007-2009, Pasta Foods Ltd

Visit www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/120th for more information.

Kickstart Project

For more details, or to make a contribution, please visit www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/ 120th

Images Courtesy of Norfolk County Council Library and Information Service - www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk

To donate, please visit: http:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ fund/NorfolkChamberFund

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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Image Display - 27 Years in Norwich.

Image Display & Graphics Ltd are an award winning exhibition, display and graphics company, chamber members since 1990.

Launching as Image Development in February 1989 and incorporating under their new name in 1996 they commenced trading from a small city centre studio and office in Cathedral Street with workshops at Hellesdon Park, on the Norwich north-west ring-road.

27 years on, Image continue to expand, invest in their business and indeed support the Chamber.

Having outgrown rented premises in Bowthorpe they relocated to an energy-efficient, modern, purpose designed headquarters in Fletcher Way Norwich in December 2012.

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MD Iain Cosham had this to say about their years in business and their recent major investment to remain in Norwich. “Over the years we’ve seen many changes and experienced many challenges.

We’ve seen our industry change beyond all recognition from the days of the trades union closed shop arrangement which declined in the early 90’s to the advent of digital technology and the birth of the internet back in 1995. Since then it’s been a matter of continued investment in new technologies, production processes and

materials to keep pace and remain competitive.

For example we outgrew conventional large format printing several years ago and expanded into “grand format”. This added new exciting eco solvent machines to our print plant increasing the range of media’s we can print on but then we also needed more space to house them. Although our core focus remains mainly on exhibitions and events, signage and graphics have again

become an increasing part of our day to day workload. So 27 years on our repertoire remains as comprehensive as ever and investment continues. The new building was a huge financial commitment to secure our future in Norwich but certainly the right move to make.”

For further information about Image Display visit www.image-display.co.uk

Company tackles the impact of massive change.

The world of insurance brokerage and financial advice has, like all sectors, undergone dramatic changes down the years, transforming many a business.

That is certainly the experience of Norwich-based insurance brokers and financial planners, Alan Boswell Group, which has seen staggering rates of change since it was established in 1982 in a small office above a chip shop in Wroxham, on the Norfolk Broads.

Founder Alan Boswell, now Executive Chairman of a company with 230 staff, has seen his business grow to become a Top 25 Independent Insurance Broker and one of the Eastern Region’s largest financial planners with seven offices in Norwich, elsewhere in Norfolk, Bury St Edmunds, Peterborough and London.

“Another of the big changes I have witnessed, since starting the business with just one part-time member of staff, has been the huge impact of technology.

“We did not get our first computer until 1987. I hesitate to say computer system, it was a seveninch green screen that was not linked to anything and if you wanted to check a car insurance quote you still needed to get out seven rate books.

Alan Boswell

Executive Chairman

Alan said: “One of the big changes has been the sheer scale of the business. In our first year, my general insurance premium income was £110,000 a year, now it is £60 million.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

“Technology has changed all that, you can do so much online, but it has not necessarily been a good thing because it can take away the personal touch, which is part of our philosophy.

“Spending time with a client, face to face or on the phone, means you can really understand their needs.

However, online is the way a lot of people, especially young people like to do things.”

Another massive change has been the dramatic rise in the rules and regulations governing the sector.

Alan said: “Compliance and Risk Management has also been transformed since the 80’s.

Everything we do is tied up with rules and regulations. We now have a dedicated Compliance Team and spend 100’s of thousands each year making sure our systems and controls provide the right level of protection for our clients. Our main aim is to treat customers fairly.

“You have to be prepared to adapt and never get complacent. Who knows what the future will hold but we’re dynamic and do our best to plan for it. The company is constantly evolving - our Financial Planners have recently moved to new premises providing them with more space and we’re launching a new website in the New Year which will demonstrate just how many products the Group now offer. It’s going to be busy!”

For more information on Alan Boswell Group visit alanboswell.com or call 01603 218000

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

BusinessSupport

Jarrold Training – our role in 120 years of the Chamber.

Jarrold Training is a division of Jarrold & Sons Ltd, which has interests in Property, Retail, Facilities Management and Training.

Jarrold & Sons can trace their heritage back to 1770 when John Jarrold started his Haberdashery shop. In 1823 the business moved to Norwich under the leadership of John Jarrold II and is now the oldest family owned business in the city and one of the oldest in East Anglia. Jarrold & Sons were one of the original businesses involved in establishing the Norfolk Chamber 120 years ago. It is pretty amazing to think that Jarrold & Sons were already 125 years old when they became a founding member and we still are members 120 years later.

The actual Training business began as an ad hoc service for the Jarrold Apple Mac dealership in the 1980’s and has since developed into one of the leading training providers in the region, working with hundreds of organisations throughout East Anglia.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

In 2000 we moved into a purpose built training centre in St James Mill near the centre of Norwich. We run courses at this training venue as well as at customer locations throughout the region. Being based in a grade one listed building, St James Mill, helps us to feel grounded in the city and the region.

The Mill was built between 1836 and 1839 by the Norwich Yarn Company to support the local textile trade.

The iconic building, pictured above, was already half a century old when the Chamber was formed. Today you can come for training there in a wide range of personal development and business related subjects.

With Jarrold Training historically being an IT course provider, software training still remains a core and vital part of our business.

We have regular courses running, ranging from Excel to Adobe to SQL server. However, alongside the IT training we have developed a significant Leadership & Management and Business Skills portfolio, with many of the courses accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Other areas of growth have been Prince2, APM Project Management and Health & Safety with accredited IOSH and NEBOSH courses proving popular. We deliver the training in small classes, with experienced tutors and are proud that our NEBOSH results, in particular, are above national average grades.

We have built up an outstanding team of trainers, coaches and consultants each with their own area of expertise and all committed to providing an excellent learning and development experience. We work with clients across all sectors and over the years have developed strong client relationships; with much of our business being repeat business.

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this sense of continuity and history plays a significant part in our brand and culture.

And for the future? The economic recovery has given us a strong platform to develop our business.

We are growing our team of coaches and trainers in Leadership & Management, Personal Development, Coaching and Health & Safety training. Norfolk and Norwich will always play a significant part of our plans however during 2016 we will be providing training from a new centre in King’s Lynn as well as delivering courses in other East Anglian cities and beyond.

While we are a wholly owned division of Jarrold & Sons, we operate independently, with our own MD, Susie Jarrold. Susie ensures that the heritage and family values are felt throughout the organisation and

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Is it time to make New Year’s resolutions for your business?

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The New Year is always a time where we make resolutions and promise to make positive changes to our lives. As a business owner, this is the perfect time to reflect on the health of your business, make any necessary adjustments or improvements and resolve to get 2016 off to a great start!

So, instead of agreeing to go to the gym more or drink less, here are some simple, meaningful resolutions you can make today.

1. Create or revisit your business plan I cannot stress enough the importance of having a live business plan in place. At Leading, we regularly work with business owners who started out with good intentions, wrote a business plan and then shoved it in the back of a cupboard somewhere when things started to get busy.

In many cases, we are told that there is a plan in place but it is stored in the owners head! A comprehensive business plan will ensure you have specific measurable objectives in place which will enable you to consistently monitor the progress of your business. Without this plan, it becomes very difficult to ensure you are undertaking the right activities at the right time which could mean you run into difficulties longer term. So, if you don’t have one – write one and if you do have one in place - dig it out, read it and check you are still on the right path.

2. Review the numbers It is very unlikely that as a business owner you are also a qualified accountant! However, even

if you do have a dedicated in-house finance function, it is essential that you, as the person in charge, are also paying close to attention to the numbers. Having a clear grasp of the financial elements of your business will not only ensure you can make effective decisions, it will help you manage your cash flow better. As the business owner, it is important you are: • Regularly reviewing your cashflow forecasts • Interrogating sales forecasts • Aware of your profit margins (Gross and Net) • Measuring your Profit and Loss reports • Keeping on track of your creditor and debtor days

3. Get your books in order And whilst we are on the subject of numbers – many of our clients will readily admit that completing their annual tax return is low on the list of priorities. So, this year, resolve to get your books in order from day one – keep your receipts, file relevant emails so they are easily accessible and avoid the annual last minute rush to get your taxes submitted on time – even if that means you make the decision to outsource your accounting.

4. Look at your website with fresh eyes All too often we work with business owners who undervalue the power of their website.

In many cases, it may have been set up at the inception of the company and has been neglected ever since. In this day and age, your potential customers expect to find out more about your products or services and the first place they will turn to is your website. Put simply, you cannot afford to neglect this area. Canny business owners will take advantage of free tools such as Google Analytics which will tell you where

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

your customers are coming from, what they are looking at and what the conversion level for visitors is. Once you are armed with this information, conduct a review of your site and decide what can be tailored to better serve the needs of your potential customers.

5. Stay ahead of the game All businesses will experience tough times but it is important that you don’t allow unforeseen circumstances to negatively impact your business. It is absolutely critical that you have a clear understanding of the risks to your business and that you have a plan in place to tackle those problems should they occur. So, start now – make a list of potential threats that could cause disruption and agree a plan to tackle each one. It is also worth reviewing any insurance policies that are designed to protect the business to ensure they are still valid and relevant, particularly if your business has grown, relocated or has started to offer alternative products or services.

Jamie Playford

Director, Business Advisor and Licensed Insolvency Practitioner

For more information get in touch with Jamie Playford on 01603 552 028 or email: jamie.playford@leading.uk.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

BusinessSupport

The new leading green business hub.

The Enterprise Centre (TEC) is the region’s new leading green business hub. Managed by the Adapt Low Carbon Group, this dynamic new building at the gateway to the University of East Anglia campus is built to both Passivhaus and BREEAM Outstanding specification.

Significant investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has meant that the original vision of an iconic and visually stunning environment, which actively encourages business interaction and idea generation through networking and collaborative working, was realised when the building was officially opened by Lord Karan Bilimoria on 8th October.

A dual purpose building, The Enterprise Centre is an exemplary

modern working and teaching environment. Characterised by plentiful natural light, excellent ventilation and indoor air quality, the parkland setting provides stunning views from the building.

Light airy spaces are complemented with a natural and low carbon material palette, low in toxicity, so excellent for health and wellbeing, but high in character, texture and local provenance. TEC is an iconic

building at the forefront of the low carbon revolution.

We have continually pushed the boundaries from collaborative project management to innovative construction methods and the development of new supply chains.

It’s been so satisfying to see our enterprise hub vision become a reality over the past few months.

The creative atmosphere and buzz has been further enhanced by the

student community joining the building and links are already being made with businesses for mutual benefit.

We invite you to come to find out for yourself: Whether we can work with you to provide desk or office space, or your needs are more focused on conference space or room hire, we believe we have a truly inspirational and unique environment which we defy anyone not to be impressed by.

The Enterprise Centre The regional green business hub offering: • Inspirational space for events, meetings, creativity workshops and exhibitions • CPD accredited seminars from leaders in their field • Innovative conference venue with the latest AV Technology • Flexible range of tenancy options and associated business support programme Be in touch to find out more about how The Enterprise Centre could work with your business –

theenterprisecentre. roombookings@uea.ac.uk 01603 591366

Managed by

theenterprisecentre.uea.ac.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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Focussing on targets.

No matter what business you’re in, you should know broadly what you want that business to look like – your vision.

To achieve that vision you’ll need to set some strategic objectives to get you there. You might, for example, need to drive more sales, improve customer service, or reduce lead time.

But what does ‘more’ or ‘better’ look like? And how do you know that you’re heading in the right direction?

You need targets to measure your performance against – key performance indicators, or KPIs, in “business speak”. Sounds simple, but getting targets right is quite a skill.

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You may have heard the acronym SMART. As acronyms go, it’s actually a really good one. It’s often applied to targets or objectives, and serves as a reminder that they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. If you

can cram all that into your target, you’ve got a good one that, if used correctly, will help drive your business in the right direction.

Jonathan Madden, Business Growth Consultant at Joules Resource Management, has first-hand experience of how using appropriate targets as part of a continuous business improvement plan actually works: “What gets measured gets done. To move your business forward, you need to define the key measures that will drive the right behaviours.

It’s a waste of time having aims for your business if you can’t measure actual performance delivery.”

Jonathan is often called in by businesses to help them identify where they need to focus their efforts to drive the growth they want. He helps them define their objectives and create the right targets to help them reap the rewards.

“There are three really important things to remember when setting targets.

Jonathan Madden Firstly, you need to know you’re measuring the right things, not just things that are easy to measure.

Secondly, you need to communicate those targets so the right people know what they need to achieve.

Finally, your targets need to include just the right amount of ambition.

Having something to aim for can be a real motivator. It’s OK to challenge staff with your targets, but ask too much of them and it’ll have the opposite effect.”

Written and implemented correctly, they’ll help you achieve your goals.

If you need advice on setting the right targets to grow your business, visit joulesresourcemanagement.co.uk to learn more about how Jonathan can help.

Well-defined targets should form a really key part of your business plan.

GET CREATIVE jazz up your office space

0333 3448 774

info@meridianofficefurniture.co.uk www.meridianofficefurniture.co.uk

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

BusinessSupport Inertia? Lack creativity?

Same problem, different day?

Your people are what makes your business – so why not invest in them to bring new life, new focus or a change of direction to where your business is heading?

Twice nominated by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council as European Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2015 and European Coaching Business of 2015 – our clients come back to us because investing in coaching and mentoring has brought focus, drive and new ways of thinking to their organisations.

Working with a coach or a mentor can harness the energy and the imagination that comes with new ways of thinking – contact us to find out how we can get alongside you and help you and your team be the change you want to see.

“Highly effective, creative, thorough. Creates change even where there is higher than average inertia” “Outstanding authority and expertise”

THE CHERRY ON TOP? IT COMES AS STANDARD.

“Exceptionally skilled” “If you need someone with drive, imagination, resourcefulness and the ability to get things done - look no further” The Rees Consultancy Ltd www.thereesconsultancy.co.uk 01953 789654

Dawn Rees

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Whatever the brief, we always give our clients that little bit extra.

To find out how we can add value to your business – whether that’s a new website, brand or marketing campaign – call in for a chat; we’ll supply the tea and cake!

01603 622766 creativesponge.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Invest in your company’s future with an Apprenticeship at Lowestoft College.

Working with industry has always been a key priority for Lowestoft College. In the last year alone the college worked with over 800 employers*, providing training opportunities, apprenticeships, CPD courses, degree-level programmes and specialist maritime, offshore and energy provision.

The college currently trains over 650 apprentices each year and success rates are 13% above the national average. During the last year, Lowestoft College has been working to develop new courses and apprenticeships to meet evident skills shortages and help establish Waveney as a digital hub.

Recognising the need to expand into the digital technologies, a partnership was formed with Hoseasons, another major employer in the area, and a Creative Media Apprenticeship was introduced. The apprenticeship programme launched in December and since then many other companies have jumped on board and hired apprentices in this emerging field.

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Alongside this, the college also introduced two Video Games Development courses, an extended diploma in Performing Arts (Musical Theatre)

and are currently supporting the North Suffolk Sports Academy to develop and deliver a sports qualification, which will be led by Gaven Tipple, former coach for Norwich City Academy.

Lowestoft College is widely recognised as one of the best providers of apprenticeships across East Anglia; with a wide choice of programmes available to suit all industries and sectors and a team of industry experts on hand to offer support, advice and guidance every step of the way.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

If you’re running a business and want to build on your workforce an apprentice is a great way to invest in your company’s future.

For more information contact our Employer Services Team on (01502) 525151 or email apprenticeships@lowestoft.ac.uk. *data from the last 12 months.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Work Experience

Top Tier Training

Higher Apprenticeships

Leadership & Management Training

Bespoke Workforce Development Programmes

Training Needs Analysis

Traineeships

Personal & Professional Development Mandatory Health & Safety Training

Apprenticeships

Your staff. Our solutions. Your success.

01493 657722 | employerservices@gyc.ac.uk | www.gyc.ac.uk

Membership Hear from some of our members what Chamber membership has meant to them!

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“The big advantage of becoming a member of the Chamber is that you are joining a community of likeminded people. They have gone through similar experiences to you, have the same aspirations and are prepared to share their knowledge. It is not just about selling; you are not just saying ‘buy, buy, buy.’ It is about helping each other and building lasting relationships.

“At JMS we aim to update our profile on the website every 1-2 weeks minimum – usually with a news story featuring our latest work or involvement with local clients/events.

This in turn often gets tweeted and mentioned in the Norfolk Voice magazine, expanding our audience and building our brand recall that much further with only one action from us which is great.

Social media fits in well because, between face-to-face meetings at Chamber networking events, you can connect with people online. This helps you keep those relationships alive. We use Twitter for a number of reasons, including the fact that it has a large number of users from the Chamber community. We use LinkedIn because it allows you to take part in more detailed conversations with specific sector groups.”

There is a good range of networking events to suit all types of businesses and all styles of networking.

Whether that’s making cocktails, fighting for a medal in the big annual quiz or listening to great speakers and local MPs over a sumptuous cooked breakfast – the Chamber has all the options. My personal favourite is probably the larger MP events which have a great turn-out with a wide range of businesses and rather nice cakes…”

Huw Sayer, Director, Business Writers Ltd

Francesca de Lacey, Managing Director JMS Group Limited

“Joining the Norfolk Chamber has been brilliant. I have been able to tell more people in the Norwich and Norfolk area exactly what type of marketing I do and this has led to new enquiries in my local area - a lot easier than constantly commuting to London. I am constantly uploading case studies and sharing my expertise on the Chamber website and am striking up good partnerships with like-minded people in similar industries. There are also great membership offers and discounts too including free legal advice which I have put to good use.”

“The attraction of the Chamber for us is the way it allows us to connect with local businesses.

We have developed a new mobile app, Loka, that promotes local businesses and being part of the Chamber allows us to reach those companies in Norfolk that may benefit.”

Dr Neil Garner, CEO Proxama

Daniel Tannenbaum, Digital Marketing Director Tudor Lodge Consultants

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

@norfolkchamber

O D S ’ T LE INESS S U B Join the Norfolk Chamber today.

We can help you:

Meet new customers

Tap into training

Find free legal advice

Make county wide connections.

We host over 70 networking events each year from business breakfasts to after-hours get-togethers for our 900+ business members.

Our members share knowledge and expertise with each other through regular free Chamber sessions. Topics cover: social media, marketing, sales, management, and much more.

Our unlimited 24/7 legal & tax advice lines are an invaluable service to help save you money in the long run. Plus, get free legal expenses insurance worth ÂŁ670,000.

Raise your profile with ours

Receive helpful HR Resources

Develop International Trade

Our website attracts over 8,000 visitors each month.

Find an immediate audience and promote your business for free on our website, social media channels and magazine.

No dedicated HR department?

ChamberHR includes a 24/7 advice line and a comprehensive database of documents, policies, and letter templates – free for members. Or attend our expert HR Forums.

Our dedicated international team offers advice on trade, logistics, and country documentation requirements.

And members enjoy 50% off export services.

To find out more and join online visit:

www.norfolkchamber.co.uk

Or contact us on 01603 729704 or membership@norfolkchamber.co.uk

Influence key policy makers As a member you have the opportunity to join with other like-minded businesses to influence policy makers and ensure that the business voice is heard loud and clear at a local, regional and national level.

Diary Dates.

Networking New Year Networking: A Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast Where: Great Yarmouth Race Course When: Thursday 21st January 2016, 07:30 – 09:30 What: Join us in Great Yarmouth for a morning of business networking over a delicious breakfast. Brush up on your networking techniques as we guide you through expert led tips and tricks. Make new contacts and catch up with existing ones after the busy Christmas period.

Members only event.

Super Bowl Challenge 2016

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Where: Hollywood Bowl, Norwich When: Thursday 28th January 2016, 18:00 – 20:00 What: Let loose your competitive side and join Norfolk Chamber for our annual Super Bowl Challenge.

We want to make 2016 Super Bowl Challenge bigger than ever before!

Round up into teams of (up to) 8 players or come as an individual to be allocated a team and compete with like-minded businesses to win our coveted Super Bowl Challenge trophy. Members only event.

Special Events

Cyber Smart: A Norwich Business Breakfast Where: Norwich When: Thursday 25th February 2016, 07:30 – 09:30 What: Our first Norwich Business Breakfast of the year covers the ever important topic of being cyber safe; both on your computer and online. We will have Stuart Sullivan, Managing Director of SGS Legal speaking on two recent and close to home case studies, including the recent Talk Talk scandal and Norwich Airport hacking. Our second guest speaker, Lynsey Sweales, Managing Director of SocialB Ltd will be talking about the importance of online social media safety for your business. Members only event.

Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast Where: Great Yarmouth When: Thursday 14th April 2016, 07:30 – 09:30 What: Join us in Great Yarmouth for a morning of business networking over a delicious breakfast. Make new contacts and catch up with existing contacts.

Members only event.

The MPs Event 2016 Where: Sprowston Manor, Norwich When: Friday 5th February 2016, 15:00 - 18:00 What: This year’s MPs Event will be bringing together Norfolk’s local MPs again to discuss key issues affecting the region. Members only event. See page 44 for more details.

After Hours: Quiz Night Where: Norwich When: Thursday 21st April 2016, 07:30 – 09:30 What: Join us for an evening of networking in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere as we challenge you in a test of your local and general knowledge in our Quiz Night! Members only event.

West Norfolk Business Breakfast Where: King’s Lynn When: Thursday 28th April 2016, 07:30 – 09:30 What: Join us in West Norfolk for a morning of business networking over a delicious breakfast. Make new contacts and catch up with existing contacts. Members only event.

HR Forums The Art of Alternative Dismissal Where: Holiday Inn Norwich, Ipswich Road When: Wednesday 2nd March 2016, 14:00 – 17:00 What: Join the Norfolk Chamber for an afternoon of accessing specialist knowledge essential for any HR professional or business owner. ‘Some Other Substantial Reason’ as a fair reason to dismiss is not as commonly used as other forms of dismissal and is often misapplied. This comprehensive and practical HR Forum, sponsored and delivered by Howes Percival, will explore this area of dismissal law in more detail and how best to handle SOSR dismissals. Open to all businesses.

For more information and to see a full list of events visit: www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/events

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

Plenty of energy at the Great Yarmouth Town Hall.

On Thursday 12th November, over 90 members joined us at the Great Yarmouth Town Hall to network over coffee and breakfast.

After a delicious buffet breakfast, Johnathan Reynolds, Nautilus Associates, offered a local energy industry update followed by Joanna Young, ScottishPower Renewables, who discussed regional opportunities created from the EA1 Offshore Wind Project.

The morning kicked off with a networking activity that was sure to test how awake the delegates were as we got them to solve the Missing Vowel Quiz.

We closed the event with a short Q&A, followed by some free networking to make those allimportant contacts.

Does this sound like something you’d like to attend? Our next Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast on Thursday 21st January. See above for more details.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

ChamberEvents Christmas at John Lewis.

Education and Business, how to bridge the gap.

Christmas came to John Lewis on Thursday 3rd December as 130 Norfolk Chamber members and guests joined us for an exclusive shopping evening.

Guests were greeted with a welcome reception in the Place to Eat Restaurant, complete with festive drinks and nibbles and plenty of networking opportunities.

The store remained open until 8pm, where John Lewis offered a host of special activities and promotions to get everyone into the festive spirit.

The ‘Gift Gurus’ were on hand to take the stress out of Christmas shopping by offering a personalised shopping experience to all.

The importance of work experience, relating the curriculum to industry and changing perceptions were just some of the suggestions local businesses came up with in order to bridge the gap between education and business.

On Friday 20th November over 120 local professionals joined the Norfolk Chamber for a morning of breaking down barriers with Norfolk Schools. Alongside breakfast, icebreakers and group discussion, the conference heard from seven different schools with the main presentations coming from Simon Fox, Principal at Flegg High School and the Young Chamber Executive Committee from Aylsham High School.

Simon from Flegg High spoke about challenges and opportunities within education and stressed the

importance of building trust and communication between schools and businesses. Whilst the members of Aylsham High School’s Young Chamber were able to provide a student’s point of view, giving examples of when they have previously worked with and been inspired by businesses. Delegates commented that it was great hearing directly from the principal and students as it helped them understand the challenges schools face.

Both the schools and businesses were offered the opportunity to vocalise their thoughts and provide feedback directly to each other in our group discussions. It was great to see so many delegates sharing their ideas and being passionate about the topic.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

For more information and to find out about upcoming events visit: www.norfolkchamber.co.uk

Committed to Business

Fun and festive breakfast at Sprowston Manor.

Over 80 members joined us armed with Christmas jumpers for a morning of festive fun at Sprowston Manor for our annual Norwich Christmas Breakfast.

We had a variety of Christmas themed networking activities, including a Two Truths, One Lie activity which involved delegates announcing the worst of their Christmas present history. Delegates also had the opportunity to draw and listen to their favourite Christmas songs in other ice breakers.

Featured charity Break were very grateful for the huge amount of donated gifts and food from delegates that they will include in their Christmas drop off to those in need of a little festive magic.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Transport for Norwich.

We welcomed over 70 delegates to the Transport for Norwich breakfast on Thursday 26th November 2015, held at Norwich City Football Club. The breakfast was help in partnership with Norfolk County Council.

Tom McCabe and David Allfrey from Norfolk County Council, delivered a joint presentation about their views on the transport issues, solutions and implementation plan.

They outlined that over the next 1015 years, the ‘Transport for Norwich’ programme will be delivering City Centre improvements, the Northern Distributor Road (NDR) and Postwick Hub junction, Bus Rapid Transit, Cycling and Walking improvements, Smarter Travel, and Park and Ride improvements.

Our next Norwich Business Breakfast is on Thursday 25 February, book your place at www.norfolkchamber. co.uk\events NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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Debate with your MPs.

Norfolk Chamber’s high profile policy event is back for 2016! This event brings together Norfolk’s MPs and business leaders in order to discuss key issues in our area.

Last year’s event proved to be both positive and constructive as MPs and local businesses committed to work together to raise Norfolk’s visibility.

Commenting on last year’s event, Rachele Kelsall from Hugh J Boswell stated it was:

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“A great event, highly informative with the opportunity to have your voice heard and question decision makers. If you are in business in Norfolk then you need to be here!”

This year we are looking at influencing change and we invite you to bring your views and opinions before our MPs in order to help them understand what they need to take to Westminster. The event features a packed programme of MPs, Q+A sessions, speakers, roundtable discussions and feedback sessions.

For a fully tailored sponsorship package, or to book a stand at a forthcoming event please contact Philippa Bindley, Events Manager on 01603 729703 or philippa.bindley@ norfolkchamber.co.uk

The MPs event takes place on Friday 5 February 2016, 3.00pm - 6.00pm at Sprowston Manor, Norwich.

To book your place visit www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/ events or call Bryony Smith on 01603 729705 Looking to get more exposure for your business? Why not book a stand space at this event? For further details please email us: events@norfolkchamber.co.uk

“This event is always positive and powerful.

I’m looking forward to seeing Norfolk business leaders to discuss this year’s key issues.”

Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North

Raise your business profile with event sponsorship.

Norfolk Chamber is renowned for organising high quality business events and caters for every person and business. Our 70 events are attended by over 3,000 delegates each year with all including the opportunity for networking.

Whether you are looking for training, networking, briefings on topical issues, or want to entertain clients, we have an event for you and your business.

Why sponsor a Norfolk Chamber event? n A cost effective way to gain valuable brand exposure for your company n Benefit from your company branding being on event publicity and PR produced by the Norfolk Chamber for a growing network of Norfolk businesses

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

n Take advantage of the exposure that the Norfolk Chamber media channels can reach n Let the experienced Norfolk Chamber events team organise an event for you whilst you reap the benefits of being an official event sponsor

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Event sponsorship varies according to the type, size and nature of the event.

HR Forum – held quarterly and are delivered by experts for HR professionals or SME business owners responsible for the legal & HR aspects of the business.

Business Breakfasts – held quarterly in Great Yarmouth and Norwich and twice a year in West Norfolk.

Featuring a keynote speaker of particular interest to the business community and plenty of networking opportunities and activities.

Large Scale Events – The Norfolk Chamber hold a number of large scale, high profile events throughout the year that feature national speakers and boast influential delegate lists. These range from half day conferences, to the largest business to business exhibition in Norfolk held annually at Norwich City Football Club.

Exhibit at a breakfast – There are exclusive opportunities for Chamber members to exhibit their business at Chamber events subject to availability.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

ChamberEvents

Grow through Chamber Sessions.

Covering a wide range of topics, our expert members are here to deliver you free, weekly training to help your business and yourself grow through their top tips.

Learn direct from those who live and breathe their topics daily through their work. Available at both breakfast and lunch to suit your diary, held in the Norfolk Chamber Norwich office, don’t miss out on these free opportunities to better your business.

Be Better at LinkedIn Where: Norfolk Chamber, Norwich When: Tuesday 26 January 2016, 08:30 – 10:00 What: Social media is expanding all the time and getting the message through the noise can be hard. That’s where LinkedIn can cut through and offer some real gains: learn how in this session delivered by John Davy of Dojo Media Consulting.

Be Better at TV Advertising Where: Norfolk Chamber, Norwich When: Tuesday 2 February 2016, 08:30 – 10:00 What: TV advertising is a powerful form of marketing that can dramatically increase your brand awareness and revenue, but can appear daunting and expensive. Francesca de Lacey, Managing Director of JMS Group, will de-bunk many of the myths

and take you step-by-step through the process of starting a TV advertising campaign using local examples to show you what you can get for your buck!

Be Better at Leadership Development Where: Norfolk Chamber, Norwich When: Tuesday 9 February 2016, 08:30 – 10:00 What: Understanding how leadership in an organisation is practiced today and how best to develop managers to be more agile, adaptable, aligned and engaging is critical. Steve Gilbert of Casuga Consulting will provide a comprehensive model that identifies how these skills need to be integrated across the strategic, operational and interpersonal domains of development leadership practice to be successful.

For more information and to see a full list of events visit: www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/events

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Be Better at Google Adwords Where: Norfolk Chamber, Norwich When: Tuesday 8 March 2016 08:30 – 10:00 What: A high Google ranking is essential for many businesses and Google AdWords Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is the closest thing to being able to guarantee a page 1 ranking on Google. Join Matt Brown, One Vision Ltd and discover the potential opportunity from advertising on Google and learn how an effective campaign is created and developed.

Be Better at Measuring the Success of Your Online Marketing Where: Norfolk Chamber, Norwich When: Tuesday 22 March 2016, 08:30 – 10:00

What: Online marketing is all about achieving a goal or conversion and with the wealth of data available to every business, big or small, means that every piece of online activity can be tracked. In this session, Michael Townsend of SocialB will focus on what key metrics you should be measuring to ensure your online marketing activities can be as successful as possible.

Be Better at Email Marketing Where: Norfolk Chamber, Norwich When: Thursday 24 March 2016, 12:30 – 14:00 What: You can improve your return from email marketing by understanding and acting upon client behaviour (user interaction). In this session Holly Stibbon of 101Smart Ltd will help you to learn about different targeted send techniques and how you could use these to get more from your campaigns.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

45

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NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

For more information please call Jill or Jenny on 01603 227966 / 7 www.nps.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

View from the Board

Jonathan Cage

speaking at the Transport for Norwich Breakfast

Busy time for Chamber President.

We ask Jonathan Cage, what he’s been up to in recent days as he fulfils his roles of President of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce as well as Managing Director of Create Consulting Engineers Ltd. And we discover that he’s been busy!

“Over and above - or perhaps I should say ‘in and amongst’ - my day job of running Create Consulting Engineers Ltd I’ve been busy in my role as President of the Norfolk Chamber. I’m still quite new to that as you know, so there’s been a learning curve to climb as well as actually getting on with the job.

Transport and infrastructure are always high on the agenda for us at The Chamber, and at the business, so it’s been good to be involved with several meetings in that area recently.

“I’ve been to a meeting of the Rail Task Force, with the New Anglia LEP and MP Chloe Smith. High on that agenda was the Norwich to London rail time of 90 minutes. I raised the question of “were we now

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

looking at Norwich to Ipswich in 30 minutes.” Apparently it’s not quite that straightforward! It’s a key point though as trade between Norwich and Ipswich is important.

“Also in the diary was a meeting of the Local Transport Board.

Two important issues here were a further confirmation of funds for the Northern Distributor Road around Norwich, and discussion following presentations for both Stansted and Norwich Airports.

Stansted are planning more long haul flights and I wanted to know what impact that would have on the use of Norwich Airport for getting to Schipol in Amsterdam as a link to further afield. It’s a vital connection for many of our businesses. I was assured that it will still be a popular and much used hub.

“The Norwich Chamber Council meeting was interesting this month.

It was an opportunity to ask Norfolk County Council about traffic and congestion in Norwich and the surrounding areas. It’s led to further meetings, so keeping that dialogue going has been an achievement.

“I was at the Norwich Strategic Services meeting which is always a useful forum as it covers a range of topics including fund raising, communications, health and things

like emergency response times. It’s a chance to discuss big issues with all the key agencies.

“I was especially pleased to be there because it really demonstrated a lot about my role, and The Chamber’s place in the local scene. I was probably the only representative of the private sector in the meeting, and to be able to use the opportunity to challenge, and influence, on behalf of The Chamber is very much what I’m about.

“I’ve also been to a seminar with Richard Bacon, the MP for South Norfolk. This was particularly interesting as it focused on how Norfolk will grow. That meant discussing issues such as expanded

settlements and the overall housing question, which threw up the theory that perhaps ‘self build’ will play a more important part in the future than maybe we’d all thought. Also for the first time for a number of years was the concept of a new garden village floated as a way of delivering the projected growth for the region.

“So, quite a busy week or so, and I’m happy that it’s given me the chance to express opinions, gain knowledge and keep up to speed with what’s going on in the region, feeding all of it back to both my commercial life and into The Chamber. As to how quickly I get to Ipswich next week …..well, we’ll see!”

“I’ve been to a meeting of the Rail Task Force, with the New Anglia LEP and MP Chloe Smith. High on that agenda was the Norwich to London rail time of 90 minutes. I raised the question of “were we now looking at Norwich to Ipswich in 30 minutes.” Apparently it’s not quite that straightforward!”

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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3 in One Services Ltd 01508 518267 www.angliapallets.co.uk Waste Management/Disposal

Brown & Co 01603 629871 www.brown-co.com Surveyors

GBC Construction Ltd 01366 384980 Construction (General)

Lotus Cars Ltd 01953 608000 www.grouplotus.com Manufacturing (General)

A Fine Studio 07833 153810 www.afinestudio.com Graphic Design

Carl Gamble Graphic Designer 07540815793 www.carlgamble.com Graphic Design

Green Solar Footprint 01603 700342 www.greensolarfootprint. co.uk Energy

Lowestoft and Waveney Education Services LTD (Lowestoft College) 01502 525018 www.lowestoft.ac.uk/ maritime-offshore.aspx Education

Ashman Web Analytics 01493700745 www.ashmanwebanalytics. com IT Services

Church Street Events 07887647760 www.churchstreetevents. co.uk Events Management

Interaction Recruitment 01603 728400 www.interactionrecruitment. co.uk Recruitment

Martin Vincent - St. James Place Group 07725971543 www1.sjp.co.uk Financial Planning

Beacon East Ltd 01603 673 340 www.beacon-east.co.uk Educational Service

CJP Accountants Ltd 01953 887042 www.cjpaccountants.co.uk Accountancy Services

Invoke Marketing 01603 217 595 www.invoke.marketing Marketing

Mary Pierson Business Psychologist 01953 688307 www.marypierson.co.uk Consultants (Business/ Management)

Blossom Zone 01603 554 029 www.blossomzone.co.uk Finance

Do Different 01603 395708 www.dodifferent.solutions Consultants (Business/ Management)

Joe Lenton (Commercial Photographer) 07813 148338 www.joelenton.com Photography

Meridian Office Furniture 0333 3448 774 www.meridianofficefurniture. co.uk Office Furniture

Bright Yellow Marketing 01953600534 www.brightyellowmarketing. com Marketing

Forethought Advisory Ltd 0843 886 1131 www.forethought.uk.com Consultants (Business/ Management)

Langley School (1960) Ltd 01508 520210 www.langleyschool.co.uk Education

NANSA 01603 414109 www.nansa.org.uk Charities

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NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NewMembers Pure North Norfolk Ltd 01328 862222 www.purenorthnorfolk.co.uk Letting Agents

TJR Business Consulting Ltd 07480 947922 Consultants (Business/ Management)

Ronaldo Ices Ltd 01603 633127 www.ronaldo-ices.co.uk Food/Soft Beverages (inc frozen food & meat)

Van - Elle Limited 01362 697097 www.van-elle.co.uk Construction (General)

Sparkle Cleaning Norwich Ltd 01603 460 421 www.sparklecleaningnorwich. co.uk Cleaning Services (Comm/ Indus/inc window cleaning)

Vertas Group Limited 01473 260370 www.vertas.co.uk Cleaning Services (Comm/ Indus/inc window cleaning)

“Being members of the Norfolk Chamber has been hugely beneficial for Bigfork.

We are very active attending networking events, exhibitions, speaking and posting articles on the Chamber website and more.

The result has been a higher profile, expanded network and many new clients. As with anything in business you get out what you put in.”

Splice Creative 01379 650550 www.splicecreative.co.uk Marketing Services

Whole House Energy LLP 01603 597716 www.wholehouseenergy.com Energy

Mark Ellaway, Director, Bigfork

Chamber Membership give you access to a number of great benefits such as: The Original Candy Co Ltd 01628 520927 www.originalcandyco.com Food Processing

Zone Power Ltd 01379 854196 www.zonepower.com Manufacturing (General)

n Free HR and Legal Advice n Networking events n Free Company promotion n Free training sessions n Free Legal Expenses Insurance n Free HR Templates and Documents

The Rees Consultancy 01953 789654 www.thereesconsultancy.co.uk Consultants (Business/ Management)

To find out more or to join please visit www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/membership

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Committed to Business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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LastWord Name: Susie Jarrold Position: Managing Director Company: Jarrold Training I am one of several 7th generation Jarrold family members working in the business. I was born in Norwich, went to school in Norwich and then university in Scotland.

My father ran Jarrold Printing and as children we were brought up with Printing & Publishing; spending time in the camera studios, reprographic departments and print works.

After studying French and Business Studies at university, publishing seemed a natural step.

I started in foreign rights sales in a young and rapidly growing publishing company in London.

I loved sales and the publishing world, working with people to develop bespoke publications for UK and US contract publishers.

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Then, a number of years in sales for Jarrold Printing, focussing on moving clients over from high

How has the Norfolk Chamber helped you over the last 120 years?

In 1823 The Jarrold Printing and Retail business moved to Norwich.

Since then, Jarrold has played a key role in the business community in Norwich and Norfolk. Jarrold was a founder member of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce in 1895 and has been a member and loyal supporter since; benefitting from the wide ranging business support, networking opportunities and the collective voice of the local business community.

What was your first job and what was the pay packet?

I was mad on skiing, so before university, I bussed out to a French ski resort, did several rounds of the hotels and restaurants and finally got a job as a chamber maid in, maybe the worst hotel in the resort, for the local construction workers.

It was an eye opening experience, but, I was paid the minimum wage of £70 / week. It felt like a fortune and I was very grateful to the French government.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

end colour repro technology, to the new Apple Mac software for Pre-press. A few years later, and a few children later, I returned to Norfolk and joined Jarrold Training; at that stage, a small Apple Mac training business.

The business has grown and developed into a full service provider of Management, IT and Health & Safety training throughout East Anglia.

I have loved my first 15 years with Jarrold Training. I work with charming and creative trainers, coaches and support staff to deliver a great training experience…. and our clients are great too!

From lightbulb moments with Excel formulas, to sometimes life changing inspiration on our Management programmes - the business of Education is a truly rewarding area to work in.

What do you always carry with you to work?

of calm tranquillity in the busy, often noisy world of training.

Well, I could say drive, energy and enthusiasm, but actually…cake seems to be a real winner round the office.

If you could do another job, what would it be?

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

The economic conditions. The training industry is highly sensitive to the economic climate and can be the first budget to be cut, when activity slows. When the local business economy is thriving and confidence high, as it is now, businesses will invest in developing their staff.

If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change to help business?

As much as possible, I would keep government out of business and leave as many decisions on business, to business people What can you see from your office window?

Willow trees, the River Wensum and Norwich Cathedral. Each a source

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

I may have read too many detective novels, but Detective Chief Superintendant CID would suit me down to the ground.

John Jarrold 1 kept a diary in 1770s and wrote “Rules to Make a Good Tradesman”, “Be not too talkative but speak as much as is necessary to recommend your goods and always observe within the Rule of Decency.”

As a business person, what are your three main qualities?

It still seems relevant today. I might add, be brave, go with your instinct, and keep stepping back to review.

Family Name. A sense of Heritage.

I care.

The Jarrold name is a vital part of our business and I feel a direct stewardship and care for the ‘brand’. It drives the qualities I have and believe in. It directly links to that sense of heritage, which is essential as we shape and grow our business.

What was your biggest mistake in business?

No one thing springs to mind, but probably not running with some of the opportunities that have presented themselves along the way. There would have been some winners amongst them.

Who do you admire most in business?

Anita Roddick would be high on my list. She was a true entrepreneur with ethics. She started from scratch, built a huge global brand and business, whose success was founded on strongly held values.

The Body shop helped shape ethical consumerism and using the power of the Brand, she was a great campaigner for human rights and environmental issues.

NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

NORWICH BUSINESS SCHOOL UK TOP 20 (20TH IN THE GUARDIAN UNIVERSITY GUIDE 2016; 18TH IN THE TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES GOOD UNIVERSITY GUIDE 2016)

WORLD TOP 1% (TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD RANKINGS 2014-15) WORLD TOP 100 (LEIDEN RANKING 2014) RANKED 17TH OVERALL OUT OF 101 INSTITUTIONS (REF2014 - HEFCE ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE)

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We match talented and enthusiastic graduates to your business needs. Graduates are placed on nine month contracts and can make an immediate impact on your business.

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