Norfolk Voice 44

voice

norfolk

New Year New Vision New Voice

Plus... Member News / International / Policy / Events THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

JANUARYFEBRUARY 2018

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CONTENTS

CHAMBER NEWS

MEMBER NEWS

OK 2018 lets do this!

Welcome to the New Year everyone and in time honoured tradition let’s start with a New Year resolution: This year the Chamber will work even harder to support you, your business and the Norfolk business community.

Outlined in this issue of Norfolk Voice are the ways we will adapt, change and focus on delivering this promise. A new vision and stronger voice for business in Norfolk which I’m positive will be in line with your expectations and what you would wish to receive from your Chamber membership.

We are restructuring to become more available and supportive. We have also significantly strengthened our governing board (along with you, they are my bosses) to ensure we have the right access to some of the most experienced and dedicated local business people who can hold, quite rightly, your local Chamber to task, ensuring we always deliver outstanding, relevant support!

CHAMBER POLICY

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

MEMBER NEWS

MEMBER STORIES & GOLD PATRONS

MEMBER NEWS

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

FOCUS ON APPRENTICESHIPS

NEW MEMBERS

MEET THE TEAM

COVER FEATURE

BUSINESS SUPPORT

DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION

HOSPITALITY AND EVENTS

CHAMBER EVENTS AND TRAINING

LAST WORD

CHAMBER’S GOLD PATRONS

There is of course lots of member news; interesting and brilliant success stories, signpost to support services and heaps of useful business information.

So, that just leaves me to raise up my mug of detox dandelion tea and wish you all an incredible year and no matter what, remember your Chamber is here, focused, raring and ready to support you!

Chris Sargisson CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Norfolk Voice is a Norfolk Chamber of Commerce publication.

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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

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An unpredictable start to 2018.

The New Year is now well underway and I hope you all had a relaxing Christmas and a Merry New Year. Whilst we are still in the middle of winter, after Christmas it is almost impossible not to start looking forward to spring, the time of year to hatch out new projects and to start implementing all the new plans which you were developing on the run up to the festivities. Most companies have their end of financial year either at the end of the calendar year or the tax year, meaning there is always a lot of activity getting paperwork together and trying to find the receipt for the Christmas Party.

Last year was very unpredictable in terms of business performance and confidence. For a large part of the year most businesses just got on with things, almost choosing to ignore the political turmoil which was going on around them. This year looks at least for the first 6 months a similar picture, with downgraded growth predictions, and claims of low productivity. As the Brexit negotiations start to work through this year, hopefully the picture will become clearer and business confidence will strengthen, enabling us to address the productivity issues with vigour and determination.

It is with this in mind I am looking forward to Norfolk Chambers annual MPs event. In previous years our MPs have done the region proud, with a large number of them holding ministerial positions, the annual event allows Chamber members direct access to our MPs across all parties in an informal surrounding. This is always an excellent opportunity to ask questions and hear the views of the people who represent the region, in what is clearly going to be one of the most important political 12 months.

This year’s event is to be on the 2nd February and I do hope as many of you can come along as possible, to what is always one of the highlights of the Chamber events calendar.

I am also pleased to see in this copy of the Norfolk Voice, Chris Sargisson our CEO outlining his plans for the future direction of the Norfolk Chamber. Chris has the full backing of the new Board, which is also featured within this copy, providing a wide range of business experience across all of the key sectors.

The year is already looking like an exciting one for the Chamber and I do hope that you will all join with us to make 2018 a year to remember for Norfolk business success!

Jonathan Cage

President, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Christmas Breakfasts 2017.

In December, the Chamber delivered three Christmas breakfasts across Norfolk, offering members a chance to attend a festive networking event at a venue nearest to them. We hosted the business breakfasts with a festive spin at luxurious venues in Great Yarmouth, Norwich and West Norfolk.

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A47 Alliance update breakfast.

On Thursday 9th November, over 60 delegates joined us for a business breakfast at the Great Yarmouth Racecourse. The morning was started off by Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce.

He highlighted that the Norfolk Chamber are fully supporting the dualling of the A47.

Once breakfast was served David Powles, Editor for the EDP, facilitated the presentations and discussions from the A47 Alliance campaign.

Outlining the A47 Alliance’s plans for the future, Cllr Martin Wilby, Chair of the A47 Alliance and David Cumming, Principal

Infrastructure Growth Planner for Norfolk County Council, highlighted how improvements to the A47 would impact Norfolk businesses in the years to come.

The morning was concluded with Q&A session with a panel including Cllr Martin Wilby, David Cumming and Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager at Norfolk Chamber of Commerce.

Questions included: ‘How can businesses support the campaign to dual the A47?’

First up we had the Great Yarmouth breakfast which took place at the Town Hall where a wide range of members came to meet new businesses. The morning was hosted by East Coast Hospice, who guided guests through a morning of breakfast and festive networking activities, including a ‘guess the intro’ Christmas music game.

Next up, was the Norwich edition.

Over 140 guests came to The Holiday Inn for a morning hosted

by The Big C who encouraged the room full of Chamber members,

dressed up in their finest festive attire, to take part in activities such as Christmas Pictionary!

To round up the Christmas breakfasts, members from the West Norfolk area came to network at Knight’s Hill hotel in King’s Lynn. The morning was hosted by East Anglia Children’s Hospice, who managed to make everyone feel festive enough for a game of charades – a real ice-breaker!

Across all three breakfasts, guests were extremely generous and brought along gift donations for each of the charities involved with the breakfasts in order to support their causes.

If you are interested in attending one of our business breakfasts in the new year, please visit our website: norfolkchamber.co.uk/events or email events@norfolkchamber. co.uk.

The next Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast is Thursday 18th January. Find out more at norfolkchamber.co.uk/events

Contact Nova Fairbank about how you can help support future A47 improvements: nova.fairbank@norfolkchamber.co.uk

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

ChamberNews

HM Treasury Minister hears from Norfolk businesses.

Chamber members had the opportunity to highlight and discuss the challenges facing the local business community with Andrew Jones MP, Exchequer Secretary to HM Treasury at a recent meeting. The meeting was hosted at the premises of Norfolk Chamber’s Gold Patron, MIGSOLV. Amongst the topics discussed were business rates; the need for better broadband and mobile coverage; road and rail improvements; and the skills and enterprise agenda.

On skills, the business community highlighted the challenge in recruiting and retaining skilled staff, particularly in the construction and hi-tech sectors.

The businesses also outlined the need to improve the profile of Norfolk to help attract skills from outside of the county.

Mobile and broadband coverage was again raised as a considerable challenge to those businesses wanting to be able to take advantage of new technology developments and compete with the rest of the UK. They noted that unreliable connections act as barriers to growth, which put those companies most in need of support at a competitive disadvantage.

Road and rail infrastructure was debated.

Businesses highlighted the need to see improvements happen as quickly as possible and the capacity on the rail lines, including freight, were discussed.

Commenting on the meeting, Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said: “We are really pleased to welcome Andrew Jones MP to the Norfolk and give him the opportunity to hear from the local business community. It is important that Government Ministers understand the needs of Norfolk businesses and the Chamber will continue to ensure our members views are heard loud and clear.”

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Jones MP said: “Thank you to the Chamber for arranging and to MigSolv for hosting this event, and to all those who participated. It’s important to hear first hand the views of local businesses. We discussed infrastructure and skills and the top message is Norfolk is open for business and has a positive vision.”

International Trade Administrator passes BCC Certification Training.

Congratulations to Tracy Hawes who has successfully completed her BCC Certification Training and Assessment. Tracy is now able to stamp Certificates of Origins, EUR1s and ATRs on behalf of Norfolk Chamber.

Tracy said “I am over the moon to have completed and passed the exams needed to do my job. I am now really looking forward to helping our customers with their international export requirements.”

Julie Austin, International Trade Manager commented “Tracy has done very well and will be an asset to the team.”

Birketts deliver thought provoking HR Forum to Chamber members.

Over 40 Chamber members attended the latest HR Forum delivered by expert speakers, Tom Sharpe and Lorna Townsend from Birketts. The afternoon session sparked interesting debates around the right way to carry out effective employee investigations.

Tackling this sensitive area of HR management, delegates reviewed a case study, investigating an incident of harassment in the workplace. There was also an opportunity for delegates to hone their skills in carrying out their own investigations through practicing questioning techniques.

Norfolk Chamber’s HR Forums cover a range of core areas of interest to HR professionals, business owners and managers.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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

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Welcome – to a New Year, a N CEO Chris Sargisson explains how he is reshaping the Norfolk Chamber to meet your needs.

You will know, from running your own business, there are many routes to success. In my experience, they include: n relentless focus on customer service, n culture of continuous improvement, n strong team able to translate strategy into action.

This is what I want you to expect – and to receive – from your Chamber.

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We can only do that by ensuring our services and behaviours remain relevant to your needs. That means listening to your concerns, understanding your challenges and helping you succeed.

We need to be mobile – getting out of our office and into your area of the county to understand your real issues. We need to be tech enabled – so our services fit seamlessly into your busy lives. We need to work in partnership with our members and other business organisations in the East.

I am determined that we will be singleminded in our pursuit of these goals.

“We can’t just claim to be the Voice of Norfolk’s business community. Instead, we have to re-earn this title from you every day.”

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

CoverFeature

New Vision, and a New Voice.

A Chamber for all Norfolk businesses

The changes you can expect to see

We are already one of the largest business networks in Norfolk. Yet we only represent 900 corporate members out of 33,000 possible businesses. My aim is to increase our membership by over 50% in the next three years. This ambitious but achievable target is vital to the Chamber’s longevity.

The first change – which we explain in more detail on the next two pages – is to restructure our internal team. Our aim is to create a customer centric workforce with a clear sense of purpose. This isn’t about where people sit (although that will change) – but about how we all behave.

The strength and value of our network comes from the diversity of its members.

We want to help you make the most of these cross-sector connections. By helping you build sustainable business relationships, we’ll help you innovate and grow.

We will focus on how to better understand and help you achieve your aims. That includes signposting only those services most relevant to you. We will also invest in our team to ensure they have the relevant skills.

To expand our network, we must revitalise our relationship with members, past and present. We also need to attract and support the many fast growing young businesses in our region. My ambition is to build a healthy business eco-system that represents the best of the old and new.

I want our community to demonstrate that Norfolk is a great place to succeed in business.

Your Chamber on your desktop We have much to learn from the thriving digital creative sector in Norfolk. Above all, we need to embrace technology that supports our new customer focus. That includes investing in a new CRM system that provides insights into our customer relationships. Only by understanding you, can we support you.

I look forward to working with you in the coming year and seeing us grow together. Please read on, to see how our new structure and board of directors will support you. Do get in touch if you want to discuss any of these changes.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Strengthening Governance There are many other superb business organisations and communities in our region. They range from the New Anglia LEP and local councils, to skills providers, growth hubs and support agencies. We will strengthen our existing relationships and build new partnerships with them.

That includes joining other networks where appropriate.

In the past, we have tended to treat partnership organisations as business members. Yet much of our business support services are not relevant to these groups. Our Governance team will now focus on ensuring such partnerships are mutually beneficial. Together, we need to amplify Norfolk’s business voice in areas of public policy

Removing internal barriers will enable our team to provide a unified customer experience. More of them will be mobile rather than desk-bound – in the field helping new and existing customers. We intend to re-establish our presence in key business communities: including King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Diss, Thetford, and North Walsham.

Our new business team will focus exclusively on engaging with the 32,000 businesses we don’t know. There will be a new emphasis on high growth sectors, such as bioscience, technology and advanced manufacturing. We will work to understand where we can add value and support their ambitions. We will also develop a coherent marketing plan to communicate the relevance of what we can do for them.

To ensure we deliver on what matters to you, I am setting new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the team. These will focus on the results of our actions, rather than the administrative functions we perform. I want our behaviours to clearly add value to you. These KPIs will help ensure our compliance with this new single-minded focus.

For example, we will measure membership loyalty - how likely you are to recommend us – rather than simply the number of new members we sign up.

We will seek feedback on how successful you were at our networking events, rather than simply whether you enjoyed them or not. As well as providing valuable business support packages, we want to help you promote your services to the widest possible market.

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

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Putting you at the he Our new customer centric team makes it easier for you to get the services and support you want.

You an busin “How we hel toda

As our CEO Chris Sargisson said on the previous pages, we are determined to create a customer centric culture that works for you. That means focusing on you as an individual, listening to your particular issues and responding appropriately. You should be able to rely on us to help you reach new customers and grow your business. When you call us, we will connect you with the right person who can help you first time.

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Customer Experience Team Philippa Bindley Manager Maximising customer satisfaction and retention. Helping you get the most from our services.

Understanding your needs and challenges. Using customer insights to create relevant offers and organise useful events and training.

New Business Development Jason Williams Manager Attracting new business customers from across Norfolk. Understanding nonmembers’ needs. Identifying opportunities to provide added valued services.

Introducing new members to our Customer Experience Team.

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

Chris Sargisson, CEO

Driving strategic direction.

Promoting the Chamber brand.

Championing our members.

Customer Relationship Management platform Jack Edwards IT Development Enabling customer insights and supporting mobile working.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

CoverFeature

eart of our business.

Governance and Partnerships Team

nd your ness. w can lp you ay?”

Marketing Communications PR and Social Media Engagement Recruiting now.

Nova Fairbank Company Secretary Developing public policy and building partnerships with other networks, business support organisations and public bodies. Supporting the Chamber Board and Area Councils.

International Trade Julie Austin Manager Helping members and non-members grow their export business. Building relationships with trade advisory bodies and export specialists.

The Norfolk Chamber Board of Non-Executive Directors Representing the interests of our members and their industry sectors. Providing CEO with support and advice, shaping strategy and policy.

Promoting the benefits of Chamber membership and supporting the Chamber Area Councils.

Please see the directors’ profiles on pages 10-11

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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

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Meet the Norfolk Chamber Board – working for you.

The primary role of the board is to represent your interests. However, with this voluntary role, the directors also bring considerable sector experience to the table. Together, they are helping our CEO Chris Sargisson to shape the new strategy and champion the Norfolk business community.

Here’s a quick introduction to the team.

Engineering and Construction Jonathan Cage – President of Norfolk Chamber and Managing Director of Create Consulting Engineers Ltd

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“I’m keen to encourage more people in Norfolk to pursue a rewarding career in our thriving engineering sector.”

Business Development Simon Watson – Chamber Honorary Treasurer and Partner at Lovewell Blake LLP

“I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Norfolk businesses and understand the challenges they face.”

Digital Creative

Retail Management

Fiona Ryder – Vice President of Norfolk Chamber and Creative Director of Tin Can Digital

Paul McCarthy – Vice President of Norfolk Chamber and General Manager at Intu Chapelfield

“I’m particularly interested in supporting the development of early stage businesses and championing the burgeoning digital creative sector in our region.”

“I’m determined to encourage commercial investment that supports Norwich as a retail destination.”

Manufacturing and Distribution

Food Production

Esther Evans – Managing Director (and majority owner) STM Packaging Group Ltd

“I’m passionate about manufacturing and tackling the logistics challenges faced by our region’s businesses.”

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

Andrew Sherwood – HR Director at Bernard Matthews

“I’m committed to giving young people in our community the skills they need to be ready for work.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

CoverFeature Digital Marketing Lynsey Sweales – CEO of SocialB Ltd

“I’m keen to encourage companies to embrace digital innovation and grow their business online.”

Hospitality and Tourism Michael Baldwin – General Manager at the Bank House Hotel

“I’m committed to championing Norfolk’s tourism industry and promoting high standards of customer service.”

Housing and House Building

Education and Innovation

David Armstrong – Chief Financial Officer of the Flagship Group

“I’m committed to the development of sustainable communities with affordable homes.”

Financial Services and Local Businesses Glen Webster – Area Business Manager (East Anglia) for Barclays Plc

“I feel uniquely placed to assist education providers and businesses to work together, ultimately for the benefit of the local economy.”

Governance and Public Policy

Huw Sayer – Owner manager at Business Writers Ltd

Nova Fairbank – Company Secretary and Head of Corporate, Policy & Governance for the Norfolk Chamber

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

“My focus is on ensuring the Chamber represents the interests of all its members, both locally and nationally.”

“There are many fantastic businesses in Norfolk and I want to help the Chamber confidently project the strengths of Norfolk nationally and globally.”

Business Development Neil Orford – Partner at Lovewell Blake LLP

“I’m keen to help businesses build relationships with private investors who can help them accelerate growth.”

Marketing Communications

“I want to encourage cross-sector collaborations that drive innovation and economic growth in Norfolk.”

Helen Lewis – Director of Research & Innovation at the University of East Anglia

To find out more about the wealth of experience within the Norfolk Chamber Board, please visit our website: norfolkchamber.co.uk/ corporate/norfolkchamber-board

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

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

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MemberNews

Helen Tavner

SG Wealth Management appoints new Marketing Manager.

(From left to right): Helen Hamilton-Shaw (LawNet), Alisdair Liddle (Spire Solicitors), Jane Liddle (Spire Solicitors), Siân Carrel (Spire Solicitors), Kristian Tangen-Sorgendal (Spire Solicitors), Barry Wilkinson (Wilkinson Read & Partners – sponsor) & Chris Marston (LawNet). Photo © Steve Pope Photography

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Spire Solicitors wins Law Firm of the Year 2017.

Spire Solicitors has scooped the coveted Law Firm of the Year Award at the 2017 LawNet Awards, held at the Crowne Plaza, Heythrop Park Resort, Oxfordshire in front of 210 employees from some of the nations most recognised firms under LawNet. The Law Firm of the Year award, sponsored by Wilkinson Read & Partners recognises firms who provide a clear, strategic business growth plan and provide proof of sustainable improvements in financial performance, as well as above all, dedication to their market.

Other aspirants for the award included, Biscoes Law Limited, and last year’s winners, Gardner Leader LLP.

James Knight, CEO, said: “Spire is thrilled to have been recognised as leaders in the LawNet market, continuing our strategic and clear growth since our initial merger in 2013. The past four years since Spire was born have now shown award recognised progression, as well as market success, entirely down to the level of service our firm and all within offer.”

Spire Solicitors held yet another fantastic year with the recent additions to the team, including Corporate Finance Expert, Matthew Downing, who joined the firm as Partner, previously Head of Corporate & Commercial at Ashtons Legal, who were shortlisted for two awards at this year’s ceremony.

Tudor Lodge Consultants working with James Howard Education.

The Search Engine Optimisation team at Tudor Lodge Consultants has announced the commencement of work with James Howard Education.

Based in North West London, James Howard Education caters to students from all backgrounds.

Offering a novel approach to private tutors and tuition for studies at all levels from primary school through to university level, James Howard Education are an Ofsted-accredited agency who are revolutionising the way people are looking at the private tuition industry.

Tudor Lodge are working towards strengthening the domain of James Howard and also helping them to be found by increased numbers of users via referral traffic on strong and reputable third-party websites.

The organisation approached the team at Tudor Lodge Consultants with the concern that they were not receiving much attention or traffic online.

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

SG Wealth Management have appointed Helen Tavner as their new Marketing Manager. With almost 30 years’ experience in a variety of roles including PR, advertising, marketing, design and event management, her remit will ensure SG Wealth Management have consistency across all of their marketing platforms.

Most recently employed at Virgin Money, where she worked in the main marketing department as a Communications Manager.

Helen has also worked for Aviva, Orbit Housing and Which?, plus commercial radio and a local design agency.

Helen said: “I am delighted to be joining SG Wealth Management.

The company have a strong client-centric ethos and is built on their core values of impartiality, accountability and trust, all of which are demonstrated through their high quality service. I am looking forward to being integral to their ambitious growth plans and in making sure our marketing strategy delivers a joined-up approach and accountable results.”

Have you got a news story to tell? Publish on the Chamber website and share with 1000’s of monthly visitors. Call Jake Burns on 01603 729707 for help and info.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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Apply now for a Young Chamber Enterprise Recognition Award.

One of Norfolk Chamber’s key priorities is helping to bridge the gap between business and education.

Our Young Chamber programme is designed to help create stronger business engagement with schools and support the raising of young people’s aspirations and soft skills.

There are many schools across Norfolk, who already do some great work achieving these goals, but how do you find them and what recognition do those schools receive for their hard work?

The Young Chamber Enterprise Recognition Award recognises and celebrates education establishments that are committed to improving the employability skills of young people in our region.

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Bearers of this award will have evidenced a clear understanding of the local business needs and will be working to equip students with the necessary skills as well as creating opportunities for students to engage with local organisations.

The awards are free to enter and aim to provide a platform to not only to recognise the work already happening within education, but to create a springboard for new relationships between businesses and education.

is embedded into the education establishment through at least 4 of the below 7: n Teacher CPD n Linked curriculum to industry n Functional skill development n Student mentorship opportunities n Ongoing relationship with 3 local businesses Kieran Miles

Chair of YC Board

The 3 tiers of the Enterprise Recognition Award: 1. Recognised School can evidence a 75% commitment to creating 4 businesses interactions with each student across the student’s lifetime in their establishment.

2. Endorsed Schools can apply for Stage 2 (Endorsed) however they must have met the requirements for Stage 1 before being able to achieve Stage 2.

Can evidence through 5 business endorsements, 2 student endorsements and 1 parent endorsement, the commitment to

n Member of the business community on the governing board

delivering a minimum of 3 of the 6 below:

n Strategic plan developed with the support of an enterprise advisor

n Careers fair

Commenting on the initiative, Kieran Miles, Founder of KakeCo and Chair of the Young Chamber Board said: “The Young Chamber is a fantastic opportunity to begin the breakdown of barriers between business and education.

n CV & interview workshop n Work experience undertaken n Business talk in assembly n Enterprise activity day n Enterprise Advisor in place 3. Commended Schools can apply for Stage 3 (Commended) however they must have met the requirements for Stages 1 & 2 before being able to achieve Stage 3.

Can provide evidence that a culture of employability and enterprise

A lot of great work is being done on both sides, but we must bring these together for the success of our future workforce. By recognising the work already being done by education leaders in the county and local businesses rolling up their sleeves, we hope that the Enterprise Recognition Award will act as an invaluable tool in the region to celebrate, reward and support the development of these successes.”

Turning strategy into action.

What does your business need to grow?

There are three opportunities to get involved and have your say:

Following the events held in the summer of 2017 to develop the new Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk. Norfolk Chamber is once again teaming up with New Anglia LEP to capture the views and activities of businesses in Norfolk.

n 25 January 2018 King’s Lynn - 3pm to 5pm

Join us to help shape the delivery plans for the new Economic Strategy. The strategy

identifies the key themes and opportunities for the region’s businesses and now we need you to help us create the delivery plans. You’ll have a chance to tell us what activity is already under way in your business and what you have planned for the coming years.

For more details, please visit the Norfolk Chamber website.

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

n 19 February 2018 Great Yarmouth - 3pm to 5pm n 29 January 2017 Norwich - 3pm to 5pm

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

ChamberPolicy

Chamber welcomes funding for Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing.

The Autumn Budget (22 November 2017) contained some great news for Norfolk as Chancellor Philip Hammond announced approval of the Outline Business Case for the £120m third river crossing in Great Yarmouth.

The much-anticipated announcement means the project has been awarded ‘programme entry status’ by the Department for Transport and Norfolk County Council has the government’s financial backing to develop the project further, including developing the details ahead of progressing through the statutory processes to enable construction to start. It also keeps the County Council’s ambition of starting construction on the new bridge in 2020 a possibility.

Norfolk County Council’s plan for a third river crossing would see a lifting bridge constructed linking the A47 (formerly A12) at the Harfreys roundabout in the Southtown area of Yarmouth to the port and the enterprise zone on the other side of the river. The new bridge would help to reduce traffic build-up on the town’s roads, particularly on its existing Haven and Breydon bridges over the River Yare which often become congested during ‘rush hour’ times and peak tourist seasons.

Commenting on the announcement, Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: “Norfolk Chamber is delighted with the awarding of this much needed funding to Great Yarmouth. This shows the strength of the joint partnership working in our region, which has been able to effectively communicate the benefits that the third river crossing will help deliver. The funding shows the Government’s commitment to supporting greater economic growth and jobs in Great Yarmouth.”

Cllr Graham Plant, the leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: “This fantastic news from the Government reflects huge confidence in the local and regional economies, the strength of the business case for the crossing, and the sterling lobbying work of many partners.

“As England’s energy sector capital and a top UK coastal resort, Great Yarmouth has huge opportunities on the horizon. The benefits of the crossing for our residents, businesses and visitors are significant, improving traffic connections, creating thousands of jobs and unlocking further business, regeneration and economic growth opportunities.

“This announcement is a vital step forward, and the borough council is absolutely committed to continuing to work with the county council and other partners to ensure this important piece of infrastructure does become a reality.”

For more information on the third river crossing, visit norfolk.gov.uk/3RC.

“Norfolk Chamber is delighted with the awarding of this much needed funding to Great Yarmouth. This shows the strength of the joint partnership working in our region, which has been able to effectively communicate the benefits that the third river crossing will help deliver.”

Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager from Norfolk Chamber

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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

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Advertising

Need some easy GDPR wins?

The preparation for GDPR is going to be time consuming and potentially costly for many businesses, but are there some easy wins for you and your company?

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GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation, a collection of stringent new data protection laws that are going to fundamentally change the way companies do business.

Helping companies prepare their data and their data processing procedures is a big money maker at the minute as there are just so many things that businesses need to consider.

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Merging Duplicates One of the key parts of GDPR is making sure you are holding the correct data on a given person. If you have two or more instances relating to a single person there is a much higher chance that one or more of these will be out of date.

So do what you can to combine all these duplicates into a single record for that person. It will be easier to keep everything up to date and you’ll be able to fulfil you’re other GDPR obligations much more easily.

Checking for Outdated Data Speaking of keeping data tidy and up-to-date, one of the other big

ticket items in GDPR is not holding onto data you don’t need any more.

because of GDPR, but just because it makes your life easier in the end.

Go through your old spreadsheets and systems, look for data that you a) don’t need and b) aren’t even sure it is correct anymore (that’s a really big one). Provided you really really really REALLY don’t need this information for your financial and/or legal requirements, get rid of it.

Get Consent

Once GDPR comes into effect, you really don’t want to be holding onto old personal data.

Standardising your Data This is a bit of an odd one, but is equally useful in reporting on the data you hold and making sure you are GDPR compliant.

If you use a particular field or column to categorise your data, saying whether someone is a customer or not for example, take the time to go through and make sure you are using the same wording for this information.

So using the example of a list of your customers, if you refer to them as “customers”, “customees” (because typos happen to everyone), “clients, “current customer”, and “current clients”, finding the information you need is quite a challenge.

I always advise people to standardise their data, not just

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

Here’s one that’s been making the news whenever people talk about the changes GDPR is going to be bringing in. Going forward, you must have explicit consent for data processing, including sending out any marketing emails or other communications.

This could take a while for a lot of businesses. So my advice: get started. Now! Contact your customers and ask them if they would like to receive marketing emails. Take notes and make a record of their agreement, disagreement, and the date.

sensitive information you can get the access and protection of this data ironed out to meet your requirements.

There are a lot of moving parts, as they say, when it comes to GDPR compliance. But there are some smaller things you can do right now to get a jump start on the whole process, it’s certainly worth getting started.

To talk to a member of OpenCRM team about how CRM software can benefit your brand, just call 01748 473000 or visit the website: www.opencrm.co.uk

But get started on it now because it will take time, maybe start on a short list or the simplest type of consent you require.

And then there’s the big stuff…

Once you’ve sorted out the smaller tasks and made a start on the medium tasks, you can get into the bigger work you’re going to need to do to prepare for GDPR. You’ll be able to start documenting your data processes (if you haven’t already) and sort out your data retention tools. If you’re holding

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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Heatlink Services Ltd have very quickly established themselves as a well respected, reliable and dynamic family run plumbing and heating business. The business was formed in July 2016 and in the space of just over 12 months has this year been short-listed for the best small business of the year in this years EDP Business Awards. In addition to this the business has been selected as one of Fifty companies who have become members of the 2018 Norfolk and Suffolk future50 programme and was recently selected to take part in the recent BBC DIY SOS Big Build project in Mildenhall for Simon Dobson.

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HUGH’S THE OLDEST INDEPENDENT BROKER IN TOWN?

IN PICTURES

INSURANCE. A word that excites so few, yet residing on unassuming street in the centre of Norwich sits a team of nearly 70 insurance professionals, all passionate about their industry. This is a business that has existed in the city since 1906, when a young entrepreneur named Hugh Boswell began trading from a small office in London Street. Over a century later, the business remains independently owned, and thanks to decades of organic growth, one of the top 100 brokers in the UK. “The years have been kind to us,” states Hugh J Boswell Managing Director Peter Foster. “When the existing board bought the business through a management buyout in 2013, it was in a great place. The Directors are dedicated to the idea of creating something special, whilst upholding the foundations on which the business was founded.”

Hugh J Boswell founded the business back in 1906.

So, what has helped make Hugh J Boswell?

THE CULTURE One of the factors Peter attributes to the business’ success is the united culture. A quick glimpse at the website, or walk around the office shows how important values are to the people at Hugh J Boswell.

“We identified very early on the importance of culture within a growing organisation. We have taken the philosophies that made our business successful, and placed them into a dynamic framework, to help us develop as a unified team. We now have a mission, and set of values that run through the veins of the entire company”

TRAINING It sounds like a service sector cliché to say ‘the people are the business’, but within Hugh J Boswell, there’s a feeling this is exactly the case.

The commitment to training and development was acknowledged in 2015, when Hugh J Boswell were awarded Chartered Insurance Broker status; an accolade only a handful of brokers in the region can boast.

“Investing in training has meant our clients receive quality service and our people are given career opportunities. Last year, we proudly launched the ‘Hugh J Boswell Academy. Our Academy encompasses everything development-based,

including an apprenticeship programme, sponsored professional qualifications and regular soft skills training for all staff”.

CLIENTS Hugh J Boswell has a vast number of long-standing clients but none that can match RH Matthews. The Holtbased family-run firm have placed their insurance programme with Hugh J Boswell for over 60 years.

“I believe it’s a testament to how we conduct business that a client that has trusted us to protect their business for so long. Our independence and emphasis on ‘people’ ensures we really do place our clients’ needs first.”

An advert from 1930 promoting motor insurance, when it was first made compulsory in the UK.

An entry from the Directors meeting book, from 1945.

FORWARD VISION Whilst the company is rightly proud of its history and heritage Hugh J Boswell has a clear vision and solid plans for continued growth. Peter says “We are never ones for standing still and believe that our future is bright indeed. Through commitment to our clients and investment in staff we are delighted that we continue to grow and have confidence in the years ahead.”

Mark Bennet in The Hugh J Boswell office, 1992. Mark still works for the business today.

Hugh J Boswell’s main premises, on Carrow Hill, is a converted Victorian School. www.hughjboswell.co.uk

MemberNews Pure Executive brings region’s Finance Directors together.

Greydient launches new programme.

Greydient Jobs, Norwich’s recruitment platform for older workers, has found that some of their business ideas can come from the strangest places.

In fact, their new ‘Upternship’ programme has been inspired by Hollywood film The Intern, starring Robert de Niro.

Greydient founder Rob Howgate felt there was a real opportunity to replicate the film’s later life internship programme by offering their own candidates the opportunity to step back into work with a temporary three-month programme of their own.

The programme utilises and develops skill sets alongside re-establishing work place confidence, vitally important if a candidate is unemployed and has been unemployed for some time.

According to the company, an older intern can bring experience and expertise, providing significantly

20

more upturn and value to the business via a richer, more impactful collaboration.

If you would like to find out more about hiring an Uptern please contact Greydient at greydientjobs. co.uk/contact or call Rob on 07850 341900

New hire helps agency with designs on growth.

Full Mix Marketing have strengthened their expanding team with a new marketing and design specialist, as they continue to provide all the marketing businesses need to grow.

Charlotte Baxter has joined the Norfolk based marketing agency as they celebrate winning a number of significant new clients. With experience gained in a leading digital marketing agency and delivering social media for a UK brand, she becomes the latest addition to their talented team.

Sarah West, Full Mix Marketing’s Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted to have someone with Charlotte’s skills and drive on board. She already demonstrated the creativity and professionalism we need to deliver the results our customers expect.”

The new Marketing & Design Executive joins Full Mix Marketing during a period of sustained growth which has already seen them move to larger offices.

Charlotte Baxter joins Full Mix Marketing

She said: “I’m excited about being a part of Full Mix Marketing and their clients’ success. I’ve seen how important it is for businesses to get their marketing strategy right. It’s great to be in an environment where the customer comes first and everything is carefully delivered to get results.”

Have you got a news story to tell? Publish on the Chamber website and share with 1000’s of monthly visitors.

Call Jake Burns on 01603 729707 for help and info.

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

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Senior finance professionals from across the East of England have come together to discuss topical regulation updates including gender pay reporting and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) at the Autumn series of Finance Director (FD) Breakfast Clubs.

The quarterly FD Breakfast Clubs are organised by accountancy firm Grant Thornton in association with executive recruitment consultants Pure Executive to provide forums for the region’s finance leaders to come together and discuss topical issues likely to impact on businesses and the local economy.

Five Autumn breakfast sessions were held in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough, Ipswich and Norwich between 16 October and 2 November and were attended by more than 130 finance professionals.

Tom Earl, Director at Pure Executive, said: “The continued introduction of new reporting requirements such as gender pay and GDPR brings an element of both internal and external financial and reputational risk to all organisations. Our latest FD breakfast clubs focused on managing this risk by providing practical support and information to help ensure organisations are compliant and that they understand how some of these requirements will impact businesses on a practical level.”

The FD Breakfast Clubs were first launched in 2014 by Pure Executive and Grant Thornton to help support the local business community and to grow the regional economy.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

InternationalTrade

Export Services.

Many of you who know the International Trade Team at Norfolk Chamber will be fully aware of the documentation service that we provide, especially our online service ‘e-zCert’ where you can apply for EU Certificates of Origin, Arab Certificates of Origin, EUR1s and ATRs. But for those of you who don’t know us too well – we offer a lot more than just documentation assistance.

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.

Here are the highlights about some of our other 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, 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 attends 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 run twice a year, so if you can’t make one date, it won’t be long before we run it again.

ATA Carnets A carnet is a customs document that acts as a ‘Passport for Goods’ which are exported temporarily. If you are taking part in a Trade Fair or Exhibition or taking commercial samples for demonstration purpose overseas, 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.

The carnet cost can be considerably less than the duty you would normally pay. It eliminates the hassle of getting through customs in the first place.

Translations 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. We can also arrange for an interpreter to be available to you for meetings, conference calls or events.

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 takes your L/C and 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.

The International Trade Team here at Norfolk Chamber of Commerce are always happy to assist you with any export query you may have. Please call us on 01603 729715 or e-mail export@norfolkchamber.co.uk.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

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

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

Advertising

Autumn Budget – were any questions answered?

There was very little in the autumn Budget about tax, and almost nothing about raising it. Philip Hammond listed spending promises and tax giveaways, such as the headline relief from Stamp Duty Land Tax for first-time buyers and, perhaps more importantly for larger businesses, an increase in the Research and Development Expenditure Credit, but it was hard to detect anything that would pay for these.

That, of course, was hidden in the mass of documentation that is released on the Government’s website the moment the Chancellor sits down. Probably Mr Hammond’s most pressing need was to avoid a repeat

of the climbdown forced upon him after the March 2017 Budget, when he tried to introduce an increase in National Insurance Contributions (NIC) and so far, nothing seems to be as controversial as that.

The measures that will raise tax are either hard to argue with (cracking down on avoidance and evasion) or relatively obscure (changing the way companies calculate capital gains).

There were also a number of consultations announced, such as those relating to a possible extension of the IR35 reforms to the private sector and employment status.

Workers operate through personal service companies for a variety

of reasons, however, because tax and NIC could be avoided through this structure, the rules known as IR35 came into effect in April 2000.

Had changes been made to these in this Budget, as rumoured, they most certainly would have been as controversial as the NIC changes.

The consultations are always an interesting read and can give good insight into what we may see in following Budgets so perhaps next year there may be more tax changes to talk about.

Tessa Brown, Tax Senior

You can find a detailed Budget summary and webinar covering the key points on our website: www.larking-gowen.co.uk/insights

If you have any queries, please contact me at tessa.brown@larking-gowen. co.uk or call 0330 024 0888

This article is designed for the information of readers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, information contained in this article may not be comprehensive and recipients should not act upon it without seeking professional advice. Larking Gowen is registered to carry on audit work in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. ©Larking Gowen.

24

GDPR the clock is ticking!

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James Tarling

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

01603 703233 or 07483 925825 or james.tarling@ashtonslegal.co.uk

here to help JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Intellectual Property News Update: Green Light for new London Black Cabs and Woof-Tang Clan sued for infringement.

Black Cab manufacturer fails to prevent ecofriendly competitor entering the market The London Taxi Company has just lost its case at the Court of Appeals in which it was attempting to claim exclusive trade mark rights to the ‘classic black cab’ shape in order to prevent electric hybrid vehicles being manufactured to a similar shape by a competitor. The original case was heard in January 2016 when Mr Justice Arnold ruled that the shape was not a “valid registered trade mark” at the High Court; a ruling which was recently upheld by Court of Appeal judges.

Ecotive, one of the co-developers of the Metrocab has welcomed the decision and said it is now in a position to go into full-scale production. The concept of the Metrocab is to produce an electric hybrid vehicle capable of being zero-emission and reducing environmental impact without being limited by the single-charge range of already available fully electric vehicles.

In a recent press release a Metrocab spokesperson said, “It is a great pity that unnecessary time has been wasted, especially when we could have been contributing to the improvement of air quality for Londoners with our innovative and game-changing technology.

We are looking forward to getting production up and running in Coventry following the court’s decision.”

This case again highlights the difficulties companies can encounter when trying to register and enforce shapes as registered trade marks. Only earlier this year Nestle also lost a similar case trying

to claim exclusive rights over the shape of its KitKat chocolate bar.

Conversely however, Toblerone manufacturer Mondelez was able to successfully defend its rights to the shape of its bar, by forcing Poundland to redesign its Twin Peaks bar after settling a three-month dispute with the UK discount retailer. So-called ‘shape’ trade marks can be registered and enforced, but their validity usually depends on several case-specific factors.

Brooklyn dogfight between Woof-Tang Clan and producer-rapper RZA Woof-Tang Clan, a Brooklynbased dog walking and dog sitting company has been sued by RZA, producer and rapper for the music group Wu-Tang Clan, founded in 1993. RZA, born Robert Diggs, claims there has been breach of copyright and trade mark infringement from the dog company which he claims has not only taken their name from the group, but also sold T-shirts that depict dogs on classic hip-hop album covers including albums by the Wu-Tang Clan as well as groups such as De La Soul.

Court papers state that Wu-Tang Clan’s name and logo were, “unmistakably associated” with the group, and that Woof-Tang Clan’s trade mark application infringes the group’s trade mark rights. The Wu-Tang clan released their latest album, ‘The Saga Continues’ in 2017 and have been recording and releasing music for over 20 years.

Marty Cuatchon, owner of WoofTang Clan and self-proclaimed fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, said he is aware of the claim and is seeking

“It is a great pity that unnecessary time has been wasted, especially when we could have been contributing to the improvement of air quality for Londoners with our innovative and gamechanging technology. We are looking forward to getting production up and running in Coventry following the court’s decision.”

Metrocab spokesperson

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

advice. He has claimed that his company walks, “the illest group of dogs in New York City,” and that his staff are, “courteous and responsible, as long as we’re in agreement that Nas’ Illmatic is the greatest album of all time.”

Cuatchon is not the first however to use this particular name. An Alaskan dog sled team is also called the Woof-Tang Clan.

then specialist advice should be sought to consider the risks.

For any aspect of Intellectual Property advice and overall strategy, please get in touch with the ip21 team.

Whilst the use of parody titles is commonplace in amateur sports teams, when used to brand a commercial business the legal consequences are often not worth the hassle. UK Fish and Chip shop Frying Nemo encountered the same problems from Disney’s legal team and eventually changed its name, as did Jedi Mind Technology who was sued by LucasFilm, owner of the famous Star Wars franchise.

It is paramount to think carefully about how to brand your business, and if you decide to name yourself (even in jest!) after a famous brand

Richard Jones MBA DipPC CMgr MCMI Business Relationship Manager for ip21 Ltd

25

A specialist Intellectual Property company that moves with the times At ip21 we pride ourselves on offering a full range of IP services, as well as IP advice and support tailored to the commercial benefit of our clients.

• Patents • Trademarks • Licensing • Design Rights • Litigation • IP Strategy • IP Valuation • IP Budgeting

Intellectual Property Specialists Offices in Norwich, London, Chelmsford and Bury St Edmunds Tel: +44 (0) 1603 457008 Email: info@ip21.co.uk www.ip21.co.uk

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

MemberNews

New playground thanks to Flagship and council partnership working.

Residents in Stalham now have a new playground on Allen Meale Way thanks to partnership working between Flagship Group and North Norfolk District Council.

Local Housing Officer for Flagship, Christine Fox, and North Norfolk District Council submitted an application to the Tesco Bags of Help appeal to improve the old play equipment, promote physical activity, and increase social interaction among the local community.

After an overwhelming response to the petition which formed part of the submission to Tesco, the cause for a new playground received the greatest number of coin votes from the three potential appeals in the Stalham store.

Mum Abbie Cooper, who lives on Allen Meale Way, said: “It’s great that the children now have somewhere safe to play and be together.

Children of all ages from lots of families

26

now use the new play equipment and look after each other. There’s a real sense of community.”

The improved play provision appeal received £10,000 from Tesco, Flagship contributed

£260 raised by their customers at a local fun day and NNDC paid for the installation of the equipment and will pick up the ongoing maintenance.

New appointment as Fabcon Food Systems bolsters engineering team.

Chamber member Fabcon Food Systems has strengthened its engineering team with the appointment of a respected project manager.

Engineering projects expert Michael Pye has joined Fabcon’s 24-strong team - taking on the management of a variety of projects in the company’s UK, European, African and Middle Eastern markets.

A key specialist in the development and installation of the firm’s snack production systems, Pye, 52, will work closely with third-party contractors, equipment suppliers and designers - also supporting customers with production scheduling and capacity planning.

Trevor Howard, Managing Director of the Norwich-headquartered company, said: “To have someone with Michael’s credentials here at Fabcon is tremendous for us and he will play an important role in our expansion. His knowledge and experience is already benefiting our

Have you got a good news story to share?

Chamber members can publish on our website for free!

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

customers as we work with them to design and install a variety of new systems and machinery which meet their needs.”

Michael Pye said: “Fabcon is establishing itself as an innovative manufacturer and supplier of production machinery to the food industry. I am delighted to be part of the team and to have the opportunity to play a role in the company’s ongoing success.”

Formed in 2015, Fabcon Food Systems manufacture, supply and install handling and processing equipment for the food industry.

Designed and built at the company’s Norwich factory, Fabcon systems and machinery goes to customers in the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Africa.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

News

Company views 2018 with confidence.

Running a business can bring many complex challenges, so having access to a company that can offer peace of mind is well worth considering, especially when it comes to financial planning.

27 John Whitehead Managing Director

Having provided expert advice to the region’s businesses for the best part of the past four decades, it’s little wonder that Norfolk-based Alan Boswell Financial Planning, which is part of Alan Boswell Group, has seen so much success in recent years.

The company has experienced rapid expansion following the introduction of pension autoenrolment and demand for a wider range of employee benefits, such as group death-inservice and private medical insurance.

The company now employs more than 40 staff and has an annual turnover in excess of £3 million with further growth envisaged.

Overseeing this growth is Managing Director John Whitehead. He comments: “The success of the company is based on our people, our values and a high level of expertise, which means we have a reputation as being a leading financial planning business. We have three clear areas of expertise. One is the way that we help businesses offer protection to their staff through the likes of healthcare programmes and income protection.

“The second area in which we have been successful is helping company owners and their staff with their wealth management. The third area is to help them with their pensions.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

“We are also finding ourselves in demand, partly because the market has been conducive to independent advisers like ourselves, which means that companies are increasingly turning to us for help.

“The Stock Market has experienced steady, almost uninterrupted, growth over the last eight years, which has helped. We are also benefiting from the excellent reputation of the Alan Boswell Group as whole. The group has a high customer satisfaction rating and that helps us because we get a lot of referrals from within the business.

“I think the increasing complexity of life for businesses has also contributed to our growth.

The Government’s introduction of pensions auto-enrolment is a great example. A lot of big companies had people in-house to deal with auto-enrolment, but smaller and mediumsized companies did not have those resources, so they looked to us for help.”

of acquisitions, which means that we can expand our services into areas like Cambridge and up as far as Grimsby.”

John is referring to the acquisitions of S-Tech in Cambridge and Sutcliffe Insurance in Lincolnshire, which sees the overall group staff count rise above 340 and premiums handled increase to £90m. For all his confidence, however, John is concerned that the sector has been hit by a shortage of skilled people, something that the company is working to address.

He said: “We have based our success, in part, on developing specialists who are experts in their areas, but we have noticed a shortage of skilled people out there.

“We are addressing that by bringing on the next generation of new talent, both through our graduate programmes and by taking on apprentices.

He is confident about the year ahead. John adds: “I think we can look forward to a period of further growth.

“It will not be a quick solution, but it will allow us to address the skills shortage that is affecting the industry at the moment.”

“There is no sign of a downturn in the economy, which should help us, and the Alan Boswell Group recently embarked on a series

You can find out more about the company’s services for businesses at www.alanboswell.com.

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

to develop.

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BUSINESS & SUPPORT GENIX ARE HERE TO SUPPORT NORFOLK BUSINESSES WITH TRAINING, CONFERENCES AND NETWORKING EVENTS. See what’s coming up to help your business grow.

THE BUSINESS MARKETING CONFERENCE Thursday 22 February 9.30am-12.30pm Cromer £10

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. WHAT DO YOU OWN? CONFERENCE Wednesday 28 February 9.30am-12.30pm Norwich £12

COFFEE MEANS BUSINESS NETWORKING Tuesday 16 January 9.30am-11.30am Cromer £5

HOW TO SELL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MASTERCLASS Thursday 25 January 1pm-5pm Norwich £30

COFFEE MEANS BUSINESS NETWORKING Tuesday 20 February 9.30am-11.30am Fakenham £5

ADVANCED SELLING SKILLS MASTERCLASS Monday 26 February 1pm-5pm Norwich £30

For full details and to book tickets go to www.genix.org.uk or call 0800 096 3013 GENIX Business Support, Holkham Studios, Longlands, Holkham Park, Wells-next-the Sea NR23 1RU

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Apply today for September 2018 entry www.eastnorfolk.ac.uk

Prize winning chemists

Cambridge Chemistry Challenge 2017

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Come to EN and find out more…

UKMT Senior Maths Challenge

diff

In addition to the structured two year Extend Programme, we offer activities and support for students across all curriculum areas to ensure that everyone has the chance to stand out from the crowd.

Top mathematicians

Ex

Every year, over 50% of our students go on to higher education including Oxford, Cambridge and the top Russell Group Universities.

We stretch and challenge our students. The range of opportunities at EN are unrivalled.

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At East Norfolk, we are proud of seeing our students progress to some of the best universities in the country.

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MemberNews

Showcasing the best of North Norfolk Business.

There are seven categories: Agricultural, Business Growth, Business Development & Innovation, Environmental, New Businesses, Tourism & Hospitality, and Young People & Skills.

Entries can be submitted until January 15, with the shortlisted businesses invited to an awards ceremony at Gresham’s School on February 15.

The categories are being sponsored by Anglian Water, Archant, Eastlaw, New Anglia LEP and Norfolk Hideaways.

The awards night will be hosted by Chris Sargisson, chief executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce.

The inaugural North Norfolk District Council Business Awards has been launched – and businesses across the district are being encouraged to put themselves forward to win one of the prestigious titles.

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The awards (#NNBA18) are open to businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. The aim is to promote and celebrate the vibrant business community across North Norfolk, and to unearth some hidden gems during the process.

He said: “ Norfolk businesses are in great shape and many lead the world within their chosen field by demonstrating the key attributes needed for success: dynamism, creativity and resilience, to name just a few.

“The future and growth of the economy across the county – including in North Norfolk – is centred on recognising brilliance, supporting the region as a place where success thrives and, most importantly, celebrating the best.”

To enter the North Norfolk District Council Business Awards, visit: north-norfolk.gov.uk/businessawards/index.html

University of Suffolk unmasked in new TV commercial.

This is a useful resource for HR managers and senior managers who may know someone in their team currently affected by their own cancer diagnosis, or that of a relative, or colleague.

Anyone calling the Telephone Support Line will be able to speak to a Big C nurse or member of the support team, who have the local knowledge and expertise to help answer any questions they may have.

To speak to a Big C Nurse, call: Wednesdays & Fridays 6.00pm – 7.30pm

In September, the crew travelled to Ipswich to film the University of Suffolk’s (IOS) new TV and cinema campaign.

To speak to the Big C centres during the day: Monday – Friday 9.30am – 4.30pm

They were collaborating with the University and their Ipswich neighbours Firebrand Creative to spread the university’s message: Be fearless, not faceless – at the UOS you can be yourself, not an anonymous cog in the machine of a giant university.

The team gave the University of Sheep a dystopian feel by shooting at a suburban bus stop and washing out the colours.

As part of their wideranging support and information services for those affected by cancer in Norfolk and Waveney, Big C has launched a new free telephone support line.

For free information and support, contact the Big C telephone support line on 0800 092 7640.

Whilst shooting on location, the team from JMS Group received many perplexed looks from folks passing by.

The campaign began with a 10-second teaser to advertise the UOS’ fictional nemesis. At the large and impersonal ‘University of Sheep’, individuality is discouraged - the students wear identical sheep masks and are referred to only by number. The idea was inspired by hacktivist network Anonymous and the cult TV series Mr Robot.

New Free Cancer Telephone Support Line.

Calls are free of charge from all consumer landlines and mobile phones.

Several days after the release of the 10-second teaser, a 30-second ‘reveal’ commercial joined the campaign.

One of the ‘sheep’ waiting at the bus stop removes their mask. They break free from the bland anonymity of the University of Sheep, and stride towards the bright and lively UOS campus.

The campaign aired on Sky AdSmart and was also shown in Odeon cinemas across East Anglia.

Have you got a good news story to tell? Chamber members can publish on our website for free!

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

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

If you are calling from a business phone, please check with your provider whether there will be a charge for calling 0800 or 0808.

For more information visit: ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecomsand-internet/advice-forconsumers/costs-and-billing/ how-much-does-a-phone-callreally-cost To learn more about the work Big C does to improve the lives of those affected by cancer in Norfolk and Waveney, please visit big-c.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

MemberNews

New grant funding for the local rural economy.

Businesses collaborate to create distruptive digital business platform.

In 2016, there were 5.5 million businesses in the UK – 99% of these were small or medium sized and had a combined annual turnover of £1.8 trillion. According to the Office of National Statistics a staggering 56% of businesses fail on average in the first five years, often through lack of knowledge and support.

Enterprise Agency, Nwes commissioned three Norfolk businesses to create a ground-breaking national digital learning platform, that would deliver this much needed knowledge and support to prestart and early stage, growing businesses.

Fiona Ryder from Tin Can Digital, Shaun Lowthorpe from Content Connective, and Shane Morgan from CD2 Solutions, devised, developed and delivered the Start&GrowUK platform for Nwes.

From their initial in-depth project scoping and research, the team found that while a series of online business resources existed, a single online solution that brought everything together in one place was missing. The combination of the three businesses and their specialist fields, coupled with Nwes knowledge of business support, created a compelling project delivery team.

Now eighteen months later, the finished platform, Startandgrow.uk, has been launched to a national audience taking Nwes’ face-to-face training and advice into the digital age and widening its business support to a national proposition. High end video production with tightly scripted course content is delivered on a bespoke business grade digital platform, accessible online and on smart phones.

This one stop digital platform is potentially game changing in the business support market.

Fiona Ryder said: “As a project team we’ve put a lot of work into this - weeks of research, followed by months of planning, filming, scripting, writing,

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

editing and developing - and it’s been a real team effort.”

At the heart of the platform is a ‘business plan builder’ which offers a series of prompts to help businesses build their own plans and financial forecasts. This allows them to create some of the most essential documents every business needs to support them in their development. Businesses can access online help from trained business advisors and find funding. They can connect with other entrepreneurs through the business forum, download free templates, and learn from leading business experts and trainers.

Shane Morgan said: “Norfolk has a burgeoning tech sector and our business is going from strength to strength building and developing innovative platforms. This has been a great project to work on with the team, to deliver a world class product.”

Shaun Lowthorpe, who quit his job as business publishing editor at Archant to work on the project, said: “Developing the platform has been a really collaborative effort, with each of us bringing our collective skills, knowledge, and knowhow to turn it from an aspiration into a reality.”

Launched at the Business Show Olympia in November 2017, the platform offers a radical departure from traditional support currently offered, providing high-quality online guidance to start ups and SME owners at a time they need it.

The same Norfolk Local Action Groups that were set up to deliver LEADER business growth funding now also distribute the new LIFT funding for the benefit of small and medium sized SME rural businesses and the local, rural economy generally.

LIFT stands for Local Investment in Future Talent and can offer 50% funding to projects that will enable people living in rural areas to find paid employment or to start their own businesses. LIFT can also contribute up to 50% of staff training costs for those currently employed in rural businesses.

The funding comes from the European Social Fund and grants in the region of £5k -£50k are available for approved projects.

Applications can be from individual businesses but they are particularly keen to hear from business networks or groups of businesses working in partnership. Also training providers that could offer staff training to a number of business customers that is subsidised by LIFT. More information can be found at liftprogramme.co.uk or by contacting the LIFT team directly on 01603 222771 or by email to lift@norfolk.gov.uk

Have you got a news story to tell? Publish on the Chamber website and share with 1000’s of monthly visitors. Call Jake Burns on 01603 729707 for help and info.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

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

31

World Class Accreditations in the Heart of Norfolk

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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

MemberStories Chamber members were recently invited to share the story of their business and explain why they became a member of the Norfolk Chamber. Below you’ll hear from two well established businesses.

You can learn more about membership on our website: norfolkchamber.co.uk/membership

Norse Commercial Services.

Started in 1988, today Norse Commercial Services is a £200 million company employing over 9,000 people across England and Wales, and enjoying the long-term financial security of a £2billion forward order book, making it a real Norfolk success story and one of the largest businesses in the county.

With its head office in Norwich, an independent report by SQW estimates that each £m of turnover Norse adds represents a Gross Added Value impact of around £500,000 to the county’s economy.

In addition to its partnerships, Norse also provides contract services direct to a wide range of public and private sector clients.

Through its unique and powerful combination of public sector ethos and commercial flair, Norse has built a reputation for cost efficiency, quality and innovation in service delivery.

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The company is now the one of the UK’s leading local authority partnership providers, currently operating 15 such subsidiaries under its unique joint-venture business model. In the last five years alone, Norse has contributed over £90million to the public purse, whilst helping to protect front line services, provide job security and generate much needed income for financially stretched local authority partners.

The company is committed to a social responsibility strategy shaped around what matters most to its staff, its business, and the wider society. The strategy’s principles include strengthening communities, improving skills, being dementia friendly and kind to the environment, buying locally and sustainably and shaping everything it does according to its four values – Quality, Innovation, Respect and Trust.

Norse provides services including Facilities Management, Cleaning, Catering, Environmental Services, Waste Collection, Transport, Building Maintenance, Care Equipment, Engineering, Printing, Grounds Maintenance and Security.

Sales Director Geoff Tucker cites a number of benefits in being an active Gold Patron of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce.

“Membership of the Chamber has helped Norse’s commitment to support local SMEs,” he says, “an ethos that we strongly believe helps stimulate the economic vitality that will benefit us all.

“The Chamber also helps place local business issues on the national radar, bring together the area’s commercial entrepreneurs and encourage development of the local skills pool, factors that are key to our own commercial success,” he adds.

JMS Group.

JMS Group specialises in producing TV and Radio Commercials and online videos regionally, nationally and internationally.

Whether in our sound and vision studios in Hethersett or on location JMS Group shoots and edits commercials and short films for some of the best-known brands and advertising agencies in Europe and beyond. Supplying skills at every stage of the production process from concepts and casting, to CGI and contract negotiations, to soundtracks and digital delivery to broadcasters.

And our studios have hosted many famous names, as you’ll see from our ‘wall of fame’.

Over the course of almost 35 years the company has continuously implemented, or even led, radical changes in every aspect of broadcasting. So our work can be seen on terrestrial and satellite TV, online, in cinemas, or on digital billboards, in many different versions and languages, and heard on almost every independent radio station in the UK. And as all the key talents are inhouse, from writers to designers, camera-people to editors, vision and sound producers to production managers, JMS Group offers its entire package of services efficiently and cost-effectively to any size of advertiser.

JMS Group first joined the Chamber almost 3 years ago. In recent years the Chamber’s increased

Be part of Norfolk’s premier business network - join today norfolkchamber.co.uk

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

commercial profile in the region and its expanding networking opportunities have made continuing membership essential.

The company is now run by Managing Director Francesca de Lacey, who started at the company in their most junior position 13

years ago and has worked her way up to Board level. She is a regular attendee of a wide range of Chamber events and shares JMS news frequently via the Chamber’s social media and magazine outlets in order to increase exposure of the brand further.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

GoldPatrons

Data Centre signs off successful 2017.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Gold Patrons MIGSOLV have finished 2017 in a strong position as they begin delivering plans for an even more positive 2018.

In a year that began with a change of managing director, the providers of the East of England’s only world-class commercial data centre have gone on to gain unprecedented publicity and new customers.

“It’s been a very exciting period” says David Manning, who moved from Operations to Managing Director in early 2017. “We’ve invested significantly in our workforce, marketing and focusing our efforts on supporting more businesses here in the East. It’s paid dividends.”

MIGSOLV’s £12 million data centre houses business’s computer servers and IT in an ultrasecure environment, protecting them from threats including theft, terrorism and power cuts.

Often seen as a service for larger companies, MIGSOLV have actively targeted the needs of small and medium enterprises.

“We’re now storing IT for businesses in industries as diverse as manufacturing, recruitment, financial services and energy” adds David. “We have customers ranging from well-established brands to small innovative businesses, all needing somewhere safe and accessible to house their data.”

MIGSOLV have worked with fellow Chamber members Full Mix Marketing to increase their visibility and target potential customers throughout the region. As Gold Patrons of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, MIGSOLV hosted the Chamber’s Summer BBQ and a recent roundtable discussion between local business leaders and Andrew Jones MP, Treasury Secretary to the Exchequer.

Despite the successful year, the data centre specialists aren’t resting on their laurels, with ambitious 2018 plans to make MIGSOLV the natural choice for data centre services for businesses throughout the East. These include new pay-as-you-go cloud and managed services aimed at helping the growing Norfolk tech sector and other small and medium businesses to house their data without the need for costly hardware.

“GDPR is going to grab many headlines in 2018” concludes David. “Companies are concerned by the implications. It’s an opportunity for us to help more businesses of all sizes to reduce the threat to their data, customers and reputation and allow them to get on with what they do best.”

More details of MIGSOLV can be found at migsolv.com or by contacting 01603 510323.

Norse appoints Business Development Manager for Catering Division.

Norse Commercial Services has appointed Victoria Williams as Business Development Manager for the company’s Catering Division.

Victoria will be responsible for securing new business opportunities for the catering division, primarily building on the Norse’s long-established portfolio within the education sector.

Victoria Williams

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Prior to joining Norse, Victoria worked for the National Lottery as a Business Development Manager, developing strong relationships with existing customers and identifying further opportunities to grow sales, both through existing channel and new product development and distribution.

Victoria has a foundation qualification in nutrition and weight management, a subject which she is very passionate about and one that is high on the school meals standards agenda.

Norse Sales Development Director Chris Smith said; “Having worked within sales for over 13 years Victoria has developed strong sales and negotiation skills, which have helped her to secure and retain business. Along with her ability to communicate effectively, this has enabled her to build strong relationships, both internally and externally; skills which are critical for this position within one of the company’s key divisions.”

Commenting on her new role, Victoria said that she is looking forward to securing new opportunities within catering which support Norse’s growth plans.

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

35

Advertising

Think business events are a waste of resources? You’re doing it wrong, Barbara Reed from breed events gives her advice on how to create an event that delivers.

Events form an integral part of your marketing, if you approach them properly. Be clear on what a return on investment means to you, and work with an events professional who can deliver your vision on time and on budget. Here are my tips to make your event pay off.

Identify business goals It’s easy to hit upon an idea you love and get carried away. Ask yourself, how does this event fit into our wider marketing activities? What value will it create for my target audience? Any events professional should help you to define what a return on investment means for you and how to achieve it.

Be realistic I’ve spoken to businesses who have amazing events ideas but don’t have the budgets to make them happen. However, any event professional worth their salt will help you find innovative ways to solve gaps in funding. They’ll also be able to give you advice on timelines and event preparation.

Mitigate risk

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Every decision you take in your events planning will have consequences. An event manager will help you avoid making costly mistakes, or taking a decision that could backfire on another part of the planning. Minimising risk and fighting fires are badges of honour for seasoned events pros.

Stunning views, stylish venue for inspirational meetings

Call Gina on 01603 759393 www.barnham-broom.co.uk | Honingham Road, Barnham Broom, Norwich, Norfolk NR9 4DD

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

HospitalityandEvents

Hold your event at the Green Britain Centre.

The Green Britain Centre is a venue unlike any other.

We host a wide range of meetings, events and conferences at our spacious eco-building – so whether you’re looking for a meeting room for two or a venue for two hundred, we have it covered.

At the Green Britain Centre, our mission is to educate and empower people to help create a Green Britain. We’re based in a landmark timber-framed building in the heart of Norfolk, conveniently located on the outskirts of Swaffham – you can’t miss us, there’s a 100m windmill in our back garden!

– so whatever your event, we have something that’ll suit your requirements.

We have free parking at the Centre, or for those who don’t drive, it’s easy to get here on the X1 bus. close. Last year, it generated around 3.1 million units of electricity – enough to power around a quarter of the homes in Swaffham. In 2017, around 8,000 people made the 300 step journey to the viewing platform at the top, designed by famous architect Sir Norman Foster, to see the fantastic views.

The Green Britain Centre is ideal for hosting a variety of events, including meetings and conferences, training and team building days, product launches, AGMs – we can even arrange film screenings for you in our cinema.

We have a number of spacious, fresh rooms in a range of sizes The Centre is fully accessible, with disabled facilities and lifts to all floors.

We have several rooms which lead to a large balcony area, and overlook the gardens and windmill. Our windmill was the first in the world open to the public to climb, allowing you to experience wind energy up

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

37

Before your event, we’ll get your room set up and ready. Our rooms contain all the equipment you need to ensure your day goes smoothly – projection screens, AV equipment and stationery. Free Wi-Fi is also available for all organisers and delegates.

We offer full catering, including a hot seasonal buffet. Our café has recently switched from vegetarian to completely plant-based, and is more popular than ever. We serve a range of dishes made using local ingredients, often grown on site in our organic vegetable garden.

And of course, our friendly staff will be on hand throughout your event to assist with any requirements and make sure the day goes smoothly.

2017 was our most successful year on record – we welcomed more visitors, hosted more events and served more food than ever before.

We held over 600 fantastic events and conferences, which were attended by 13,000 delegates.

To find out more or to book your event, give us a call on 01760 726 100 or visit www. greenbritaincentre.co.uk.

If you’d rather have something lighter, we also have a full refreshment menu with plenty of light bites and sweet snacks. And we can arrange to serve your food whenever you like during the day.

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

A warm welcome, comfortable rooms and open lobby spaces in prime locations

Holiday Inn - Norwich Located less than 10 minutes drive from Norwich city centre.

• • • • • •

119 bedrooms 4 Meeting rooms Car parking available Free Wi-Fi Extensive fitness centre On-site business centre

www.hinorwichhotel.co.uk

Holiday Inn - Norwich North A modern hotel next to Norwich International Airport.

• • • • • •

121 bedrooms 7 Meeting rooms Car parking available Free Wi-Fi Extensive fitness centre Cocktail lounge

www.hinorwich.com

Holiday Inn - Norwich City Adjacent to Carrow Road Stadium, home of Norwich City Football Club • • • • • •

150 bedrooms 1 Meeting room Free Wi-Fi Mini gym On-site business centre Cocktail lounge

www.hinorwichcity.co.uk

Please visit www.kewgreen.co.uk to find out about other great hotels in the UK

HospitalityandEvents

The perfect solution for your business needs and corporate events From private meetings of 2 people to 120 capacity seminars, we have conference suites to suit all needs and requirements.

Hot and cold refreshments, be it a platter of sandwiches to a three course gourmet dinner can be requested for your attendees.

Here at Park Farm Hotel we can provide the facilities and service specific to your needs as a large scale company or a private business.

Equipment is available to meet your requirements, such as projectors and large wall mounted screens, as well as photocopying and faxing services. You can be assured of an efficient, friendly team on hand to assist you at any time.

Quote “Chamber of Commerce” to receive a free gift when booking your event.

Terms and Conditions apply Telephone: +44 (0)1603 810264

Email: enq@parkfarm-hotel.co.uk

web: www.parkfarm-hotel.co.uk

39 FLEXIBLE & COMPETITIVE BUSINESS SPACES

Breed Events are a full-service event management company based in Norwich.

Let us help you to showcase your company and products in a memorable, engaging way by designing and delivering great events, enabling you to create strong customer connections. From the East of England to Europe; we create and deliver well-organised event campaigns to be proud of.

Convenient location • Meeting facilities for 2 to 200 • Free internet, Comfortable restaurants • Spacious well equipped bedrooms Leisure club • Our own traditional pub • Ample free parking

Contact us today on 01603 381 971 info@breedevents.co.uk or visit our website www.breedevents.co.uk We are ready to make your business stand out.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Knights Hill Hotel & Spa, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 3HQ Telephone: 01553 675 566 Email: conference@knightshill.co.uk Sister Hotels: Le Strange Arms Hotel, Old Hunstanton, Norfolk PE36 6JJ Orton Hall Hotel & Spa, Peterborough, Cambs PE2 7DN

www.knightshill.co.uk

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

Advertising

There’s always something on at The Forum.

MAKE THE FORUM YOUR VENUE

The Forum offers a unique and inspiring location for exhibitions, performances, conferences, business events, promotions and effective public engagement.

A unique and inspiring location in the centre of Norwich. Perfect for business events, conferences, promotions and more.

Built to celebrate the Millennium and located in the centre of Norwich thousands of people pass through every day offering a unique and varied audience for events.

The Forum is open seven days a week and is run by an independent, self-financing charity, The Forum Trust, which is committed to maintaining The Forum as a vibrant place to work, learn and visit.

It offers a year-round programme of free events and projects for the benefit of the whole community, including Norwich Gaming Festival, Norwich Science festival and also co-ordinates Norfolk Heritage Open Days.

120 SEATER AUDITORIUM | 40sq metre ATRIUM | OUTSIDE AMPHITHEATRE SPACE

POPULAR VENUE Around 5,000 visitors a day

CAR PARKING 7am – midnight

CONTACT OUR VENUE HIRE TEAM TODAY ON 01603 727950 theforumnorwich.co.uk | The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich, NR2 1TF

The building has a spacious Atrium, Gallery, Auditorium and Amphitheatre that can be hired at affordable rates. Our friendly team will work with you to make your event perfect. We will also help you market your event, via our website, social media and quarterly event guide. This is included in the venue hire price.

The Forum has its own car park, located beneath the building, and both are open from 7am until midnight every day.

Book The Forum today, call 01603 727950 or visit theforumnorwich.co.uk/venue-hire

40 89x126mm_NorfolkVoices_Art.indd 1

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Conference & Dining at

Ideal for awards nights, conferences and meetings.

A stunning setting for Private Dining providing an exclusive place to entertain guests or clients. Our Fine Dining menus offer the very best cuisine using Norfolk produce and prepared by our in-house chef.

OPEN is one of the largest, most exciting and versatile function venues in the region.

Located in the heart of Norwich the OPEN Conference facilities are ideal for any event up to 500 attendees.

Offering flexible layouts for a diverse range of events.

Run by the OPEN Youth Trust, the venue gives businesses, organisations and individuals a unique opportunity to hold their meetings, conferences and events whilst helping to fund positive activities for young people in Norfolk.

Flexible spaces located in the heart of Norwich.

Including a stand-alone conference suite.

OPEN | 20 Bank Plain Norfolk NR2 4SF | T 01603 252117 | E conference@opennorwich.org.uk | W www.opennorwich.org.uk Follow us on twitter.com/@OPENNorwich | facebook.com/OPENNorwich Reg Charity No: 1108712 Company Reg No: 5320333 Images:

@Jordon Hudson Photography – Private Dining|Conference Room

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

@Steve Adams – Banking Hall

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

HospitalityandEvents North Norfolk Railway Inspection Saloon.

The North Norfolk Railway operates Steam and Heritage Diesel services between Sheringham and Holt on the North Norfolk coast. The Railway carries around 160,000 passengers per annum across a wide range of products including high class dining services which now include running to Cromer on a selection of the services.

Among the many additional offerings, the Railway has secured, for 2018, is a new vehicle which will be available for hire for corporate functions. This vehicle can be can hired for use through the day attached to the main service train providing unrivalled views as the train progresses on its journey. Seating in the vehicle is split with a toilet and

kitchen area between the two ends. With its large picture windows, it is ideal for meetings/ Blue Sky days or as a unique venue for Businesses to host important visitors. Dining and refreshment service can be provided as required.

The vehicle was built at Swindon carriage works in 1948 by the Western Region of British Railways and finished in Great Western Region Chocolate & Cream livery. It operated initially in South Wales ending its service life in Scotland in 1984 when it was acquired by the National Railway Museum. In 2000 it was sold to a private buyer. Having been restored to its original condition it is now available for Railway hires at the North Norfolk Railway for 2018.

Call the Commercial Department on 01263 820800 to discuss your requirements.

Email: dining@nnrailway.co.uk.

41 The Green Room at Cranmer is part of a versatile venue that can meet many different needs and is ideal for bespoke corporate seminars, confidential client meetings and residential training events.

SIMPLE

REL AXING

The venue spaces include the Green Room meeting room, The Norfolk Breakout Room, 8 luxury self-catering cottages, indoor heated swimming pool, 2 tennis courts & extensive grounds, surrounded by privately owned farmland.

The converted farm buildings are arranged in a traditional Victorian Dairy farm layout with communal courtyards, and outdoor seating areas.

INSPIRING

The Green Room is available for meetings of 12-36 delegates depending upon required seating layout. The self-catering properties can accommodate from 12-36 guests for corporate home stays. The Green Room is available for daily hire for away days or as part of a residential package for a private corporate retreat. The self-contained meeting room is wheelchair accessible, has 2 w.c’s and a small galley kitchen.

Catering can be arranged and there is also a self-catered option. The meeting room is supplied with flexible modular furniture, 60” wall mounted tv screen, AV system, flip chart a free WIFI and LAN internet connection.

There is plenty of free off road parking.

Cranmer is located within 30 miles of Norwich and King’s Lynn, and just a stone’s throw from Holkham and the fabulous North Norfolk Heritage coast. The privately owned Norfolk retreat has great eco-credentials and a Green Business Scheme Gold award.

For details please contact Lynne Johnson on: 01328 823135 / E. info@cranmer-green-room.co.uk or visit www.norfolk-luxury-cottages.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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

SocialEnterprise Free impartial advice available to businesses.

The New Anglia Growth Hub provides free, impartial advice and access to a range of services including finance, start-up support, international trade support and specialist advice to businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Also available are funding programmes, such as:

Small Grant Scheme n Are you expanding your business? n Do you have plans to improve productivity or efficiency? n Are you launching new products or services?

42

If yes, you could benefit from a grant of between £1,000 and £25,000.

The grant can pay up to 20% of the total costs of your plans. Some areas may be eligible for up to a 30% contribution.

Growing Business Fund n Are you an established and growing business? n Are you looking to invest, expand and recruit new staff? n Are you seeking capital funding to make this happen?

If yes, you could benefit from a grant of between £25,000 and £500,000.

The grant can pay up to 20% of the total costs of your plans. Some areas may be eligible for up to a 30% contribution.

Other funding options i.e. Leader, Agri-Tech, Manufacturing Growth Programme are also available.

Call the Growth Hub on 0300 333 6536 or email growthhub@newanglia.co.uk to discuss your plans with a Business Growth Adviser.

The New Anglia Growth Hub is part of the Business Growth Programme delivered by New Anglia LEP in partnership with Menta, Nwes, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and Suffolk County Council and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Lola Stafford Consulting Ltd. Lola Stafford Consulting Ltd is a Social Enterprise that was created in April 2013 to focus on developing and sustaining activities that help people develop skills and make successful transitions.

Jacqui Starling, founder and Director of the Norwich based organisation, believes their relationships with both client organisations and their project participants are so successful because they are built on transparency and trust.

“We only work with organisations that have a demonstrated integrity and work to the same ethics and standards as we do. We also look for complementary skills to strengthen rather than duplicate delivery to ensure efficient and effective response to need and best use of funding. At Lola Stafford we both demand and offer high standards and feel we have particular strengths in collaboration, planning, engagement and achieving outcomes in a creative and mutually beneficial way.

As an independent social enterprise, we are also able to flex and remodel our delivery to suit the demand, ensuring the best possible service.

“Delivery is people-centred and we offer it in innovative ways that bring fresh ideas but involves our beneficiaries in the journey – this helps us shape projects that people want and need and actually achieve something because they have told us what works and why.

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

“Our niche social enterprise start-up training programmes support people who want to develop their passion in to a business but have encountered hurdles that they can’t jump alone. We cover everything from business planning to overcoming the fear of failure and preparing for success. Our clients include Broadland District Council and the Missing Kind charity. The workshops are free of charge to participants. New workshop programmes commence in February so keep and eye on our website and social media for dates!

“Our projects for young people target barriers to engagement and participation. This includes R2R funded by the Broadland Youth Advisory Board to address the issues that result in low self-esteem like bullying and helps to build resilience and positive friendships, intergenerational activities in the community and our county-wide work with the Norfolk PCC Youth Commissioners.

“In addition, we have just been granted funding for 3 years by BBC Children In Need for Social FIELD which is a weekly club for young people with social inclusion difficulties such as Asperger’s and ADHD. “Whilst our projects are diverse our focus in wholly centred on helping young people and adults reach their full potential and feel proud of themselves.”

Jacqui can be contacted on 07806 392254 or Jacqui@lolastaffordconsulting.co.uk Twitter @thelolastafford, lolastaffordcosnulting.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

In association with

National Apprenticeship Week March 5-9 2018

DEVELOP YOUR EMPLOYEES AND IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY WITH A DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA (UEA) Apprenticeships are a tried and tested route for developing staff, but Degree Apprenticeships are much newer. They provide an opportunity for employers to attract, retain and upskill new and existing staff, with learning designed to fit around work commitments, and ultimately to support employees to better meet the needs of their job role.

UEA has fully engaged with this new opportunity to develop Degree Apprenticeships in sectors such as Finance, Digital, Energy, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, Education, and Healthcare, building on our existing collaborations with employers.

UEA is proud to announce the launch of our first Degree Apprenticeship programme – the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship – which builds on and complements the University’s existing AMBA-accredited Executive MBA. The Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship includes many

of the same components, combining the latest academic thinking with the practical application of knowledge, to ensure success beyond the classroom.

As an added bonus, participants who successfully complete the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship are eligible for professional registration with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

UEA’s first Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship cohort commencing in February (the next cohort begins in September), is drawn exclusively from the healthcare sector, and the University has worked closely with employers from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) to create sector-specific content. “The NNUH have taken a leadership role here within the local healthcare sector and worked with UEA to identify the critical strategic management issues within the NHS,” said Julian Campbell.

Jeremy Over, Director of Workforce at NNUH said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with UEA to support our staff achieve their leadership potential, and thus contribute to our mission to provide the best care for all of our patients.”

Many healthcare managers have progressed from clinical specialisms to managerial roles without formally developing the necessary skills, and UEA has designed a programme to meet the needs of existing managers, as well as those with the ambition to increase their skillset and progress their career. This challenge may also apply to other sectors.

Alongside traditional business disciplines, UEA is also in talks to provide Degree Apprenticeships in digital technology and engineering, amongst other subjects. The University plays a strong role in the Norwich digital tech community, with the city being recognised as a member of the Tech City UK Cluster Alliance for several years now.

Julian Campbell, Lecturer at UEA’s Norwich Business school, said: “We are thrilled to be launching our Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship, linked to our well-established Executive MBA Course, and excited to take on our first cohort in February.

“We have been working with local businesses to develop courses that will allow their participating employees to gain necessary skills, and to develop and deliver solutions to strategic challenges that their organisations have identified.

“The degree course will give participants strategic leadership skills that can be used to enhance the quality of their businesses, meaning that the companies will see employees come back into the organisation with greater knowledge, a greater skillset and a broader perspective on strategic business challenges. In effect, companies will get better managers by putting them through our Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship programme.” Julian Campbell

Whilst UEA’s Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship is open to participants from all professional backgrounds, the University is also able to tailor the programme to meet the specific needs of particular sectors, crafting bespoke modules to complement our general programme.

We would be delighted to speak to you about the particular requirements of your business to see how we might customise our programme accordingly. To find out more about how we can create a bespoke offering for you, or about registering your staff for the September 2018 cohort, contact UEA’s dedicated Degree Apprenticeship Manager, Sharon Davies, at apprenticeships@uea.ac.uk.

Why choose UEA? n UEA has a dedicated Degree Apprenticeship Manager, Sharon Davies, who has a wealth of knowledge about the apprenticeship landscape and how UEA can help make it work for you. n UEA is renowned for the quality of our teaching, receiving a Gold rating in the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework – the highest possible accolade. n The University has extensive experience in delivering flexible learning both online and face-to-face, using innovative and engaging tools and technology. n UEA is ranked in the Top 200 of the world’s universities (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2017) and 82% of the University’s research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2014). With our researchled teaching, Degree Apprenticeship participants have the opportunity to learn from academics who are truly world-leading in their field.

Fast facts about Degree Apprenticeships n The number of approved Degree Apprenticeship standards developed by employers is increasing all the time, and business areas that are currently in development or approved include chartered management, project management, and supply chain leadership. n Participants in Degree Apprenticeship programmes will spend about 80% of their time in the workplace and about 20% off the job in training, working towards their degree. n For employers who are eligible for the apprenticeship levy, there is no additional cost, as they are able to use their levy to fund Degree Apprenticeships. n Degree Apprenticeships were first introduced by the Government in March 2015, and since then the number of higher level apprenticeships (including Degree Apprenticeships) has risen from 19,200 in 2015/16 to 31,600 in 2016/17.

Working together for a stronger future Whilst Degree Apprenticeships go some way to meeting the UK skills gap and the need to improve productivity (as set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy), there are a number of other ways in which working with UEA can help you to meet your organisation’s strategic goals.

UEA has recently been awarded additional Government funding to build on our success and increase our collaborations with business.

We want to work with you, so why not talk to us about: n Commissioning a UEA academic to undertake a consultancy project n Collaborating on a project that meets one of the Industrial Strategy’s Four Grand Challenges n Hosting a member of UEA staff at your organisation n Your own suggestion on how we could join forces To find out more, and share your ideas about how we could collaborate: Email business@uea.ac.uk or visit www.uea.ac.uk/business

If you are an employee interested in undertaking a degree apprenticeship please approach your employer first or visit www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Why not join us for breakfast?

Tuesday 30th January 2018

7:30am - 9:30am EAST Restaurant, East Coast College, St. Peter's Street, Lowestoft, NR32 2NB

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! e c r o f k r o w r u o y f o o r p e Contact us to futur

0800 085 8860

apprenticeships@ea

astcoast.ac.uk

at East Coast College www.eastcoast.ac.uk

We can provide: 

Apprenticeships (new recruits or existing staff)



Advertisement of your vacancies to our students



Short courses



Diplomas



Management qualifications



Sport and conference facilities



Staff training & development

FocusonApprenticeships

Find your FUTURE. Train with the EXPERTS.

Why Skills Edge Training? »

Apprenticeships tailored to your business needs

»

Work with industry experts

»

State of the art e-portfolio software

»

Long standing reputation across the country

03333 583559 info@skillsedge.co.uk

finance digital business beauty property

www.skillsedge.co.uk 49

Turn to our apprenticeships to build your team Could you recruit an apprentice and build the skilled workforce your business needs?

For more information about our tailored on and off the job training programmes email: ncls.apprenticeships@norfolk.gov.uk or call: Hannah 01603 306529 or Susan 01603 306528 0344 800 8020 www.norfolk.gov.uk/adultlearning @NorfolkCLS

f

Norfolk Community Learning Services

Apprentice advert Norfolk Voice.indd 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

20/07/2017 10:43:12 NORFOLK VOICE • THE MAGAZINE OF NORFOLK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Advertising

Top 5 reasons to choose City College Norwich as your Apprenticeship partner Apprenticeships offer businesses of all types and sizes an effective way to expand and develop your workforce. There are many reasons for taking on Apprentices – from needing additional staff because your business is growing, to increasing productivity, wanting to tap into a different pool of talent when recruiting, or as part of longer term succession planning, or all the above.

One of the key benefits are that Apprenticeship training is tailored to exactly the job role you require - an important consideration for roles where recruitment or retention of staff has been a challenge.

Finding the right training provider is critical to the success of any Apprenticeship. Here are 5 reasons why around 700 employers choose City College Norwich:

Having an Apprentice to undertake more routine and intermediate tasks can free up valuable staff time for those tasks that add most value to your business. Successful Apprentices typically become a real asset, paying back your commitment to their development with loyalty to the company, and ambition to progress and develop further.

1. We offer a huge range of Apprenticeships – around 50, in fact, from engineering to health and social care, and everything in-between!

2. We offer Degree Apprenticeships, in areas such as Leadership and Management, thanks to our established partnership with UEA. 3. Our Apprentices benefit from City College Norwich’s industrystandard facilities, from professional kitchens to advanced engineering equipment, and state-of-the-art digital technology.

4. Our Apprenticeship assessors have a wealth of industry experience, ensuring the best training and support for Apprentices and a real understanding of your business needs.

5. High quality training – the College as a whole is rated ‘Good’

by Ofsted and our Apprenticeship success rates are well above the sector average.

To find out how City College Norwich can support your business, visit ccn.ac.uk/employers

50

or contact us at 0800 328 3616 or employerpartnerships@ccn.ac.uk

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

BRIGHT

IDEAS HELP BUSINESSES GROW

BRIGHT THINKING HELPS BUSINESSES GROW

UEA HAS BEEN PIONEERING INNOVATION FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

We produce world-leading research and cultivate a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

Contact us to find out how UEA can help you access: • World-leading research expertise to help grow your business • Funding from UEA and partners to support a business project • Student and graduate talent via recruitment and internship programmes

01603 591574 | business@uea.ac.uk www.uea.ac.uk/business

Diary Dates.

Networking Events Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast Where: The Royal Assembly Rooms, Great Yarmouth When: Thursday, 18 January, 2018 - 07:30 to 09:30 Join us for a morning of business networking over a delicious breakfast. Make new contacts and catch up with existing ones. Our guest speaker for the morning is Michelle Gant from the Engaging People Company speaking on the subject of wellbeing for the New Year.

Super-bowl Challenge 2018

52

Where: Namco Funscape, Norwich When: Friday, 26 January, 2018 -17:30 to 20:00 Super Bowl Challenge year on year continues to be a success, taking up all the lanes at Namco Norwich for our annual bowl-off.

Whether you want to strengthen the connections in your team, or make new ones, this evening event offers a fun, relaxed environment to get your business name out there and show off your skills on the lanes.

Norwich Business Breakfast Where: Top of the Terrace, Norwich City Football Club, When: Thursday, 22 February, 2018 - 07:30 to 09:30 Join Norfolk Chamber for our business breakfast in Norwich.

Make new contacts and catch up with existing ones as you network over a delicious breakfast. The morning event will include popular networking activities aimed at helping you meet new businesses.

South Norfolk Business Breakfast Where: Park Farm Hotel When: Wednesday, 21 March, 2018 - 08:00 to 10:00 Join Norfolk Chamber for our business breakfast in South Norfolk. Make new contacts and catch up with existing ones as you network over a delicious breakfast.

The morning event will include popular networking activities aimed at helping you meet new businesses.

West Norfolk Business Breakfast Where: King’s Lynn When: Thursday, 26 April, 2018 - 08.00 to 10.00

Join us for a morning of business networking over a delicious breakfast. Make new contacts and catch up with existing ones.

This breakfast event is perfect for businesses looking to broaden their network contacts. Members only event.

Special Events Business Ratepayers Consultation event Where: Top of the City, Norwich City Football Club When: Tuesday, 23 January, 2018 -17:30 to 19:30 This event provides local business ratepayers with the opportunity to learn more about the County Council’s budget planning and prospects for 2018/19 - and to discuss the impact of this on the County’s delivery of key services as well as the impact on the economy. Come and join this forum for business and Council leaders to contribute to and shape the debate around the benefits and impact of these issues.

businesses the opportunity to engage with local MPs and discuss issues affecting businesses in Norfolk. See more on page 57.

GDPR Conference Where: The Space, Norwich When: Tuesday, 13 March, 2018 - 09:00 to 12:30 This March Norfolk Chamber are set to deliver a new event for Norfolk businesses based around GDPR. European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), will come into force on May 25 2018.

It will change how businesses and public sector organisations can handle the information of customers. See more on page 57.

For more information, to see a full list of upcoming events, or to book visit: norfolkchamber. co.uk/events

MPs Event 2018 Where: Holiday Inn Norwich North, Cromer Road When: Friday, 2 February, 2018 -13:00 to 15:30 Norfolk Chamber’s high profile policy event is a key date in the commercial calendar for the start of 2018. Returning for its eighth year, the MPs Event gives local

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

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

MemberNews ChamberEvents

MPs Event to focus on inward investment in Norfolk.

The MPs event will bring together over 150 local businesses and Norfolk MPs to discuss inward investment and opportunities for growth in Norfolk.

Returning for its eighth year, the MPs Event gives local businesses the opportunity to engage with Norfolk MPs to discuss key issues that impact on businesses in the region.

A key date in the region’s business calendar, The MPs Event gives Norfolk Chamber members the chance to help shape local policy and regional developments. Join the debate, put your questions to your local MPs and be part of this year’s influential delegate list.

53 Date: Friday 2 February Time: 1:00-3:30pm Venue: Holiday Inn Norwich – North, Cromer Road Book your place today at norfolkchamber.co.uk/events

GDPR conference.

Date & Time: Tuesday 13 March 2018, 09:00-12:30

This March Norfolk Chamber are set to deliver a special, topical event for Norfolk businesses based around GDPR. As the new regulations will be taking effect in May 2018, we are inviting Norfolk businesses to The Space, Norwich to hear from a variety of GDPR expert speakers from legal, marketing, IT and Data Protection perspectives.

Venue: The Space, Roundtree Way, Norwich Price: Members £25 Non-members £30 For more information on the event, visit norfolkchamber.co.uk/ events.

The aim of the morning is to equip businesses with an understanding of what the new regulations entail and what they could mean for the way businesses operate and communicate with their customers.

As the regulations will affect any business holding personal data on customers or employees, it is important Norfolk business members have the opportunity to not let all the information overwhelm them and this event should encapsulate what it all means, and the impact it will have. The expert speakers will outline the key changes the act will have, including the types of data that will need protecting and share insight into ways to ensure compliance and build a strong data protection culture, both externally and internally.

compliance. Instead the speakers will show how it could mean positive cultural change, offering an opportunity for creativity in communicating with existing and potential customers. fecting businesses in Norfolk.

The morning will shed light on the regulations, which may seem vague or sensationalised, and alleviate any concerns surrounding the financial consequences of

If you are interested in attending the conference or if you would like to discuss sponsorship or exhibition opportunities, email events@norfolkchamber.co.uk.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

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

Expert, affordable courses and free training.

Business Training.

Chamber Training offers a wide range of training solutions to help you unlock the potential of your workforce and boost your business performance.

Search Engine Optimisation 30/01/2018 -13:00 to 16:30 Sean Clark, Clark St James

54

This course is aimed at any business owner or marketer seeking to understand how to plan and work with this essential channel in the digital world. Whether you’re planning to implement SEO in-house or to enable you to confidently outsource your SEO.

Time Management 01/02/2018 - 09:00 to 12:30

Create Profitable Google Adwords Campaigns

Finance for Non-Financial Managers

Ian Hacon, Yellow Brick Road

27/02/2018 - 09:00 to 12:30

15/03/2018 - 09:00 to 12:30

This course aims to offer strategies to be more effective and to improve by giving delegates at least eight tools and techniques they could implement straight away to improve their effectiveness.

Michael Townsend, Wolf Digital Marketing

Julian Hammond, TIPS for Good Management

LinkedIn for Business

Essentials of Email Marketing

The Art of Networking

15/02/2018 - 09:00 to 12:30

06/03/2018 - 13:00 to 16:30

27/03/2018 - 09:00 to 12:30

Sara Greenfield, Bright Yellow Marketing

Holly Stibbon, 101 Ltd

Ian Hacon, Yellow Brick Road

Are you making the right impression with your LinkedIn profile? This course will teach you how to make the most out of your LinkedIn profile by learning simple tips and tools to use for your personal company profiles.

This course will arm you with the knowledge you need to create email campaigns that deliver measureable results. Learn how to plan, develop and refine your email marketing strategy and evaluate your return on investment.

This half day course will give you some fantastic tips and techniques to get the best from networking events and help you overcome any fear and anxiety they may have about them.

Get more visitors to your website and more value from your pay-per-click spend with Google Adwords. This course will teach you how to maximise your advertising spend on Google Adwords and how to stop a wasted budget.

To book your place on a training course visit norfolkchamber.co.uk/training

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

This course aims to give you the basic knowledge about how financial controls work in a UK organisation, including how to understand basic reporting such as Profit & Loss statements, balance sheets and cash flow.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

MemberNews ChamberEvents Chamber Sessions.

These free bitesize one hour workshops are delivered by our expert chamber members for our members at our Norwich office.

Prospecting on the Phone aka the Cold Calling Boot Camp

International Export Training.

Export Documentation

Delivered by experienced trainers, these courses are specifically designed for staff involved in exporting and/or importing goods to and from the UK. Most International Trade courses are BCC Accredited.

Your company’s success in the field of exporting hinges upon the practical knowledge and expertise of the staff involved.

This accredited course creates confidence and proficiency through clarifying and educating on any export documentation and teaches you how to produce documentation.

06/02/2018 - 08:30 to 10:00 Ermine Amies, Sandler Training

22/02/18 - 09:30 to 16:00

Proven Techniques to Grow Your Business

Understanding Exporting

E-zCert Workshop

24/01/2018 - 09:30 to 16:00

07/03/18 - 09:30 to 12:30

This full day course looks at the whole export function from what an export is to the processing and selling of products overseas.

Perfect for a new member of staff and experienced staff who want to keep up to date.

This half day workshop will show you how to apply for your documents online taking you through every step of the application. We will also show you tips and tricks to save you time and money.

Customs Procedures and Documentation

Import Procedures

07/02/2018 - 09:30 to 12:30

This full day course will explain import documentation and giving knowledge of the key elements of important procedures, including where to go for sources of information and assistance. It will also cover how to comply with customs procedures.

The course highlights the company’s and the individual’s legal responsibilities when declaring cargo to HM Revenue and customs.

By the end of the course you will have a working knowledge on the UK trade tariff, the different duties payable and how to calculate them.

08/02/2018 - 08:30 to 10:00 Neil Foley, Business Growth Club The Three Business Multipliers every business needs to develop to increase the number of enquiries, convert a higher percentage into paying customers and ethically maximise their returns from existing customers too. The session will explore all of these areas in detail and you will be able to take away an action plan to implement.

08/03/2018 - 09:30 to 16:00

Incoterms 2010

07/02/2018 - 13:00 to 16:00

29/03/2018 - 09:30 to 16:00

This course will benefit exporters/importers with accurate documentation and greater understanding of the rules of origin. By the end of this course you will understand the determining preference rules of origin and the percentage rule and how to apply it.

As international trade becomes increasingly more complex, universally used rules are essential to avoid misunderstandings and costly disputes. This course looks at the rules from a practical point of view and explains all the costs, delivery and risk implications and where to go for more help and information.

To book any of the training courses please visit norfolkchamber.co.uk/training

Be Better at Project Management 16/02/2018 - 08:30 to 10:00 Martin Peckitt, Plumstudy Education This session aims to give you the basic knowledge of how to manage your business using project management.

You will learn some useful tools and techniques that you can adopt in your workplace.

Preference Rules of Origin

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

This boot camp will give you and your team the confidence to succeed! You will learn some of the most successful telephone sales techniques available today - techniques you can implement immediately and start seeing results.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Event Management 02/03/2018 - 08:30 to 10:00 Philippa Bindley, Norfolk Chamber Whether it is a national conference, a training workshop, a public meeting, or a local fundraiser, events are a representation of your organisation. In this session you will look into the background work that goes into planning an event and how to make it successful and memorable.

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

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NewMembers A House Called Alice Ltd 07834 349615 ahousecalledalice.com Communications

Abate Pest Management Services 01953 603390 abateltd.co.uk Pest Control

BaseServ Limited 03302 207048 billingserv.com Technology

CaptureLight Limited 01493 441066 capturelight.co.uk Photography

CWYOGA 07710 680518 cwyoga.co.uk Health & Wellbeing

Dabbrook Engineering Ltd 1493 809122 dabbrook.com Engineering

Douglas Weston Tradehouse 07854 679234 Technology

Ebrex UK Limited 01493 849236 ebrexlogistics.com Logistics

FastFlag UK Ltd 07872 055621

GLX Limited 01603 950300 glxltd.com Accountancy Services

I Roll Up My Sleeves Ltd 07534 354739 irums.org Networking

J Medler Ltd 01603 260252 jmedler.co.uk Building Material Suppliers

MCB Financial Services Ltd 01603 864760 mcbfinancialservices.co.uk Finance

Musical Keys 01603 766690 musicalkeys.co.uk Charities

On Track - The Matthew Project 01603 723845 Charities

OpenTrial 07886 603532 opentrial.net Legal Services

Salescadence 07557 580223 salescadence.co.uk Training Providers/Services

Sondela Consulting Limited 07887 998167 Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Spring Design & Advertising 01502 726161 springadvertising.co.uk Advertising

Sticky Words 01603 343838 sticky-words.com Marketing

The Image Worx 01263 834188 theimageworx.co.uk Printing

Tin Can Digital Ltd 01603 776900 tincandigital.co.uk Video/Television Production

Unified Comms Ltd 01603 789898 btlocalbusiness.co.uk Telecommunications

Wrightway Health Ltd 01603 274460 wrightwayhealth.co.uk Health & Safety Consultants

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Meettheteam COS Solutions Ltd 07771 882064 cos-solutions.co.uk Consultants (Business/ Management)

Ensure Fire Safety Ltd 01493 857775 ensurefiresafety.com Fire Safety

Matrix Telecoms Limited 01603 964288 link-solutions.co.uk Computer Consultancy/ Services

Naomi Holmes

Events Co-ordinator

57 Rem 67 Medex / A.D.E. 07590 88996 Consultants

STX 00 33 0664 030 801 stxeurope-offshore-energy. com Offshore Services

What is your role at the Chamber?

I am an Events Co-ordinator and, along with the rest of the events team, I help co-ordinate a variety of different events aimed at putting our members in the best environments to create networks with each other and in doing so, support the business growth of Norfolk. We have the freedom to create a wide variety of events tailored to suit different business needs – from after-hours cocktail events to our popular business breakfasts.

What are your favourite events in the Chamber calendar to organise?

For me, our business breakfasts are my favourite to put together because… Well there’s a fry up included! But that aside, it’s always fun selecting someone to speak at our breakfasts, to showcase something new and interesting they are doing. They usually tend to attract a lot of our members, so it’s always nice to catch up with them in Norwich, West Norfolk, South Norfolk and Great Yarmouth.

What is your highlight of 2017?

The event highlight of 2017 for me was the Talking Technology conference in September. The day was the culmination of months of organising speakers, content, publicising the event etc, so seeing it all come to life on the day was really exciting. The day had a really good buzz about it, with some

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

really interesting speakers and an engaged and enthusiastic audience! To top it all off, the team had a celebratory Zak’s afterwards, what could be better!?

Super power?

If I could have any superpower it would be have to be classic teleportation! There would be no more waiting in traffic or travelling in general – I could go wherever I wanted in the world and get on with the fun bits - it would also mean a little extra time in bed in the morning, perfect!

Hobbies?

When I’m not at the Chamber, you will probably find me chilling with friends, cooking - and more importantly, eating – new recipes, watching films or off exploring somewhere. If I’m at home you might find me trying to make something (to varying success!) to decorate my new flat with or watching a series on Netflix – the most recent being finishing ‘Stranger Things’ which has to be my favourite series to date!

What I really should be doing in my spare time is trying to run further than the 5k mark in preparation for the half marathon I have signed up for, along with some of my Chamber colleagues! What was I thinking?!

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

LastWord Name: Francesca de Lacey Position: Managing Director Company: JMS Group Ltd Francesca de Lacey has worked in advertising for 15 years, initially at a London media buying agency, relocating to Norwich in 2004 to join JMS Group Ltd as an Administration Assistant on the radio team overseeing accounts for advertisers such as Volkswagen, Vauxhall, Dreams and Vision Express.

In 2015 Francesca became Managing Director, a promotion which recognised her many skills as a manager, strategist, marketer, and all-round good egg. She enjoys spending her free time with her two little girls and is passionate about developing the role of women, especially new mums, in the workplace.

58 Briefly tell us about your business: JMS Group is a Regional Top 30 agency (Neilsen figures - the only one in Norfolk) and produces around 300 TV commercials and videos and 1,500 radio commercials each year. Its production centre in Hethersett houses 3 vision edit suites, 2 sound suites and a 1,200sq ft TV studio. Clients range from local SME’s needing a website video right through to multinationals running pan-European TV and radio advertising campaigns. After almost 35 years in the broadcasting industry, the company has expertise in almost every aspect of TV and Radio advertising and its in-house specialists can handle the entire production process all the way from concept and shooting, to post-production and delivery.

How many employees do you have?

Currently we employ 13 full time staff but as ours is very much a project-based industry we regularly employ additional crew from a talented network of freelancers.

commercial for a business in Liverpool and discussed a campaign with a company Convincing national clients that Norfolk in Exeter, someone at a has a TV production company to rival networking lunch in Norwich the best in London, said to me “What? You make Manchester or Birmingham. When my career with JMS began corporate videos here... in we were producing Hethersett? I had no idea”, only a handful of TV which was like being hit by commercials each year plus a few dozen corporate an ice-bucket. So this year I videos. Back then, radio commercials were our biggest vow to meet as many people source of revenue. But from 2000 as possible in this region and onwards, JMS Group has enhanced its skills and reputation to the point where beyond to ensure we’re top of we regularly pitch against huge names in the advertising industry, winning production work for mind when it comes to quality brands like Disney, ROL Cruises, Medical Travel TV and video production.

Compared, TrustATrader.com and Crisp ‘n Dry. What is the next challenge for After 13 years with JMS Group I’m continually your business and how will astounded by the creative you achieve it? talent in my team, I just need Bizarrely, our challenge is to to let everyone else into the increase our profile locally. secret!

In a week when we shot a

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