SOUTH CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS 12

South Cheshire Chamber Chair Diane Wright (centre) with staff from Reaseheath College and sponsors from Legat Owen, Rhino Safety Ltd and Afford Bond

“There’s tremendous enthusiasm for celebrating all that is great and good about the South Cheshire business community after an unprecedented 18 months.” All the award categories are sponsored by local Chamber members – and entries have come in thick and fast since the ceremony was announced back in June.

• Ambassador of the Year - Cheshire East Council, • Apprentice of the Year - Reaseheath College, • Business of the Year (under 25 employees) - Hibberts LLP, • Business of the Year (25 and more employees) - Cheshire College South & West, • Contribution to the Community - Bentley supported by Cheshire Connect, • Employer of the Year - Assurant, • Excellence in Customer Service - KPI Recruiting Ltd, • Excellence in Collaboration - Construction Linx Ltd, (new category for 2021) • Start Up Business of the Year - Right at Home supported by South Cheshire Development Agency Assurant, Bentley, Cheshire East Council, Cheshire College South & West, Hibberts LLP, KPI Recruiting Ltd and Reaseheath College have all been previous sponsors with considerable experience in judging and identifying winning entries. New sponsors Right at Home and Construction Linx Ltd have been previous award winners in their own right and bring their own insight into what it takes to submit an awardwinning entry and to enjoy the accolade and excitement of their names being called out on the night. Enterprising and inspirational businesses have been celebrated by the Chamber since 1986. There’s always great excitement on the night and nowadays guests set social media alight with their posts. The hashtag for 2021 is #SCCBA21 Chamber Chief Executive Paul Colman said:

_ For further information on the Chamber Business awards past and present go to www.southcheshirechamberbusinessawards.co.uk

The Export Academy is a free programme of support, where you’ll learn directly from experts in international trade who are on hand to provide support across a range of sectors and businesses, from selling children’s clothes to Spain, to providing PR services for clients in the US.

The programme is made up of a series of ten core interactive educational sessions with exclusive content based on feedback from our delegates and designed specifically to help small and micro businesses understand everything they need to know in order to sell internationally.

Please see dates below for the North West specific workshop sessions as part of The Export Academy Dates Core sessions to run: 7 September – 8 October 2021

Tuesdays and Thursdays 14:00 - 15:00 OR Wednesdays and Fridays 10:00 - 11:00

Registration Visit: www.events.great.gov.uk/ exportacademy

For more information please contact Chris Baxter, Export Academy Adviser E: exportacademy@tradenw.org

An overview of the risks and benefits of export; first steps to making informed decisions about internationalisation; laying the foundation for an achievable export plan.

An overview of export documentation, including customs declarations at home and abroad; as well as invoicing and evidence of export; and additional support.

Understanding what constitutes effective market research; which key markets to prioritise; when your business should consider it; and why it’s important to profitability.

“The Export Academy programme runs regularly and is open to businesses of all sizes and at differing stages of their export journey. It is ideal for those who are new to exporting or have staff who want to upskill their knowledge of exporting on certain topics. So, if you haven’t been in touch with your International Trade Adviser for a while, then please reach out and they can tell you more about it. If you are not working with us already and are interested in having a chat, then please contact me and I will be more than happy to talk you through our support and services.”