If you are interested in receiving your money earlier our Xero experts can show you some tools to chase and collect sales invoices sooner and easier. Timings: 7.45 am Registration 8.00 am Presentations 9.00 am Xero surgery Between 9.00 am and 9.30 am our Xero experts will be on hand to offer you one to one advice on your existing Xero set up, so if you have any specific questions please bring along your own device and we will be able to help. We look forward to seeing you there.
As we head into the final month of 2020, the time until the transition date decreases, and the probability of a no-deal increases. Whilst this hangs in the balance, some businesses may feel inclined to wait until the last minute to see what deal comes through. However, this strategy can be incredibly damaging to your organisation and the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce recommends preparing for any scenario, deal or no-deal. No matter the outcome, significant changes to your organisation will be required. To help you prepare, we are offering businesses free support through our online Brexit Hub and if you haven’t capitalised on this opportunity, then we urge you to do so at your earliest convenience – our business advice lines are becoming busier as we hurtle towards the deadline.
We are all hoping for a deal to come to the table, but what is the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit on your business?
Limited access to European markets – It’s possible that without a deal, there may be restrictions when bidding for contracts in the EU. This could also apply to delivering contracts that are already in place.
Disruption to supply chains – One of the big concerns is the potential disruption to supply chains through changes in tariffs, other costs and changes with import and export controls.
Higher tariffs – A result of a no-deal Brexit is the increase of tariffs on products imported from and through the European Union. Depending on the product, costs could rise drastically, and this may impact on your customers.
Tax changes – If your business uses European Union tax structures, then this will most likely be affected. It could take time to implement and develop alternative UK tax structures, slowing down business operations.
Changes to data protection – At present, the UK adheres to the EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) when processing data. If this changes, then existing databases may need to be reviewed and adjusted to fit with new regulations.
Although this may all seem daunting, you’re not up the creek without a paddle. the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce are to help, no matter what happens on January 1st. You can access our comprehensive and easy-to-use Brexit Hub full of free resources by clicking here. You can also phone our expert trade advisors on 01603 625977.
At the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce event involving all the Norfolk MPs back in February 2014, Chamber member Rachel Blackburn, Director of US2U Consulting raised the issue that it was taking over 3 months for a new taxi driver to get their licence from Norwich City Council, on behalf of her client ABC Taxis Ltd. As ABC Taxis planned to recruit 20 new drivers this year to meet customer demand, this clearly was a concern to them and also to the individuals concerned who are keen to start their new career.
Chloe Smith MP and Simon Wright MP agreed to help to solve the problem. Working with Rachel Blackburn, who met with Norwich City Council to profile the process in more detail, it has been a team effort to resolve the issue. Norwich City Council has agreed that the process should take around 8 weeks and currently the experience when hiring the new drivers recently has been that it has been taking around 5 weeks. A significant difference.
US2U Consulting and ABC Taxis have also produced a film to make the recruitment and licencing process easier to understand from the new recruits point of view. This can be seen on the ABC Taxis website at https://www.abctaxisnorwich.co.uk/Recruitment.aspx . Chloe Smith also visited the ABC Taxis team as part of the process.”
Legendary 2-Tone Punk Ska Reggae Group led by vocalist Dave Wakeling celebrate their 40th Anniversary.
The Beat formed in 1979 and released their debut single, an infectious cover of the Smokey Robinson classic ‘Tears of A Clown’ on 2-Tone Records which went straight into the UK national charts at #6. Along with their contemporaries The Specials, Madness and The Selecter, The Beat became an overnight sensation.
Over the course of the next five years The Beat released three studio albums ‘I Just Can’t Sop It’, ‘Wha’appen’ and ‘Special Beat Service’. The Beat toured the world alongside artists such as The Clash, The Police, The Specials, The Pretenders, REM, Talking Heads, and David Bowie.
The Beat enjoyed a series of classic hit singles between 1979-1983 such as ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’, ‘Best Friend’, ‘Can’t Get Used to Losing You’, ‘Hands Off…She’s Mine’, ‘Too Nice To Talk To’, ‘Drowning’, ‘Doors of your Heart’, ‘Save it for Later’, ‘I Confess’, ‘Stand Down Margaret’ and ‘Twist and Crawl’.
Get tickets for the 40th anniversary tour for one of the most popular and influential bands of the 2-Tone Ska movement.
Road to Contenders is the undercard to Contenders MMA – the largest Combat Sports Promotion in the East Anglian region of the UK. Contenders have held events in the prestigious Open venue in central Norwich and then moved onto the award winning Royal Norfolk Showground Arena and now mixing it up again from Epic Studios, back in central Norwich.
With the most up to date technology and high quality equipment this will not just a spectacular event, but a programme in the making. We will have a vast array of screens around the studio, incorporating a large and very impressive LCD screen on the fighters wall.
We have Gold VIP cageside tables of 10 and Silver VIP tables of 10, along with ample standing tickets. We also have hot food, courtesy of The Star Cafe downstairs in Epic’s foyer – this can be ordered and delivered to your table along with your drinks, from the fully stocked bar.
Just the same as Contenders, the Road to Contenders will be a high quality combat sports event, with exceptional match ups, a great atmosphere and is always a brilliant night out
FAQs
What is the dress code for your event
Our dress code is ‘very smart’ – this means no ripped jeans, shorts, tracksuits, trainers. Our events are a classy dress up affair – come dressed to impress!
Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?
We have a minimum age of 12 to enter our event. All guests between the age of 12-18 should be accompanied by an adult.
What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?
Epic Studios is less than a 20 minute walk from the train station.
If you’re on foot, head north from the station and over the bridge on Prince of Wales Road. Follow this road for approximately 550 yards, then turn right at Upper King Street. Keep right, until you reach Tombland (about another 150 yards), then continue straight over the roundabout at The Maids Head (1st exit) onto Wensum St. Walk approximately another 165 yards, before heading straight over the bridge at Fye Bridge St. then continue to Magdalen St., crossing Edward St at around 100 yards. You will see Epic Studios signed on your left.
If you prefer to travel by bus, you can take a No. 7 or a No. 25 from the station (they leave approximately every 8 minutes) to take you up to Castle Meadow (approx. 17 minute journey). Once at Castle Meadow, take a No. 11/13/36/37/38/39 to Anglia Square (approx. 19 minutes). There should be one leaving around every 8 minutes. Ext the bus at the Anglia Square stop and head North for 3 minutes, crossing Edward St. You will see Epic Studios signed on your left. The postcode is NR3 1JD. Parking can be found nearby on Edward Street (NR3 1PX) and Botolph Street (NR3 1DU).
What can I bring into the event?
No food or drink should be brought into the venue. There is a full bar and cafe at the venue.
How can I contact the organiser with any questions?
Please email Steve on steve@contendersea.com or call him on 07983 334 603
What’s the refund policy?
All tickets are non refundable
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
Yes, whether you have an Eventbrite ticket, or a hard copy ticket, you will need to bring this with you to the event.
What time does the show start and finish?
Our doors will open at 5.30pm, the bar and restaurant will be open at this time. The show will start at around 6:30pm and finish around 11pm
The March edition of the Norwich Economic Barometer has now been published. It highlighted that Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed that over 2014 industrial productions and manufacturing rose by 1.3% and 1.9% respectively. This was helped by the oil and gas production in the North Sea, which showed a rise of 2.4% in January 2015.
The Pound climbed against the Euro by 2.7% and 6.1% against the US Dollar – this has weakened overseas sales for some companies. UK consumer confidence in their spending power had grown to its highest point in the last four years, as the living costs continue to fall and the mood around employment is more upbeat.
Locally, Norwich Castle have secured £1m of government funding to redesign the Keep. It is hoped this will attract an extra 100,000 visitors per year once completed. The Norfolk Car Club will add a further 6 locations across the city in the next 2 months; and the Government also approved the £2bn East Anglia ONE Offshore Wind Farm, which is expected to create up to 3,000 new jobs. The contract winners, Scottish Power plan to start construction in 2017 and are holding a Supply Chain Presentation at Norfolk Chamber’s offices on Wednesday 25 March 2015. On Wednesday 01 April, a grant scheme of up to £3,000 will be available to businesses in Norwich to boost their broadband connection.
To find out more about the grant and to read the full economic report click here.
The East of Englands only Manufacturing & Engineering Conference:
Ingenuity 2020 – Putting People at the Forefront of Manufacturing.
February 19th | Energy Skills Centre | East Coast College
Prepare to be inspired at this day-long event focused on driving the productivity, wellbeing and upskilling of your workforce. You will be guided through a series of inspiring talks, panel sessions, and workshops from industry leaders and local champions to ensure you create a culture of diversity within your workforce.
From identifying talent, to encouraging diversity within the company culture, and understanding the importance of mental health and wellbeing, the day explores a number of key themes which seeks to empower the worker; the heart and voice of every business. Whilst the day focuses on championing the worker within an engineering and manufacturing environment, many of the concepts and theories are transferable across many other industries. Talks will be followed by panel discussions with contributions from national industry bodies to local SMEs, providing real insight into the implementation of worker empowerment. Expect to put your knowledge into practice with a series of exciting workshops throughout the day.
Key Themes of the Day are:
Putting People at the Centre
Encourage Productivity in the Workforce
Identify and Nurture Talent
Create a Culture of Diversity
Encourage Employee Voices
Agenda for the Day:
Morning Talks:
Chris Starkie – New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
Attracting Talent to the Region – Linn Clabburn – Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor
Creating Future Leaders – Fiona Lettice – University of East Anglia
Late Morning Workshops
Birketts – Moving towards a high-performance work culture
Turning Factor – Are you on it or in it? – The Leadership and Management Dichotomy
Afternoon Talks:
Industry 4.0, digitalisation and employee wellbeing – Paul Maskall – Dardan Security
Putting People First: The importance of nurturing talent – Will Bridgman – Warren Services
Investing In Creativity – Sarah Steed – Norwich University of the Arts
TBA
Culture Panel – How to foster a culture of creativity, productivity and engagement in your business
Emily West – flocc
Joe Rahman – M&H Plastics
Charlotte Horobin – MakeUK
TBA
TBA
Collaborative opportunities are available. Please get in touch with James at jwilliamson@hethelinnovation.com for more information.
Commenting on the Liberal Democrat Party manifesto and the policies proposed, Dr Adam Marshall, Executive Director of the British Chambers of Commerce said:
“It is good to see that the Liberal Democrats’ policy proposals include a commitment to investing in infrastructure, improving access to finance by expanding the Business Bank, and greater support for firms to grow apprenticeship numbers.Companies also badly want to see the promised ‘broad and well considered business rates review’ materialise.
“Continued Liberal Democrat opposition to expansion of airport capacity is short-sighted when the need is so critical.
“Businesses will also be concerned by a number of Lib Dem tax proposals. Restricting entrepreneurs’ relief, hiking dividend taxes and slashing annual allowances for Capital Gains Tax, could have a chilling effect on growth. The last thing the UK needs is tax changes that discourage entrepreneurial risk-taking by startup and growth companies.”
Awarding Body; Chartered Institute for Environment Health (CIEH)
Tutor; Richard Mills and Sarah Daniels
Differentiation; Recommended understanding and knowledge of basic food hygiene – ideally the CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety taken within the last three years.
Audience; Managers and supervisors in small, medium or large catering, manufacturing or retail businesses
For more information on this course please contact us on 01603 473732 or visit our website
Great Yarmouth’s Third River Crossing is one of Norfolk County Council’s most significant infrastructure development projects in recent years and will integrate with several other local development projects set to transform the town of Great Yarmouth.
The Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing will link the A47 at Harfrey’s roundabout to the port and the enterprise zone on the other side of the river. The bridge will ease traffic congestion on the town’s roads, shortening journey times and improving journey reliability, as well as supporting wider plans and work to maximise investment, regeneration and economic growth opportunities in the town and wider borough.
Construction work is set to begin on the Third River Crossing early in January 2021, with more than 50 local employment and training opportunities being created by the main contractor BAM Farrans and the wider supply chain during the delivery of the project, leaving a lasting legacy for the local area and its people.
BAM Farrans Joint Venture Project Director Tony Mulholland said “We’re thrilled to be involved with the construction of Great Yarmouth’s Third River Crossing, which will offer in excess of 50 employment and training opportunities for job seekers, students, graduates and apprentices through ourselves and our supply chain within Norfolk.
“Whilst constructing the new lifting bridge, our positive presence in Great Yarmouth will be felt through our community engagement, local recruitment and local spend. We will be working with local schools to involve children in the project and will be encouraging local businesses to become part of the supply chain, playing an important role in the construction of this iconic bridge. We will be working with Norfolk County Council and Norfolk Chamber to provide more details on these opportunities in the coming weeks.”
Councillor Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport said: “I’m delighted to see work on the long awaited Third River Crossing get underway and the commitment BAM Farrans have made to supporting the local economy.
“As well as providing jobs, it will make it much easier for people living and working in the borough to get around and provide crucial support to the town’s key industries, including those linked to the offshore energy and maritime sectors, tourism and manufacturing. This is more important than ever now as we seek to help Norfolk’s economy recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy for Norfolk Chambers said: “A third river crossing in Great Yarmouth will help to improve that connectivity and create new jobs, of which 30% will be jobs for a local workforce. It will improve links across the town and to the rest of the region and reduce congestion. All of which will save local businesses time and money, whilst allowing them to increase economic growth.”
The welcome news of works beginning in January 2021, follows an official letter from the Department for Transport, received by Norfolk County Council on Wednesday 25 November 2020, which confirmed the approval of the government contribution of £98 million, coinciding with the Chancellor’s Spending Review, enabling the construction of the new bridge following the conclusion of a year-long development consent order process.
The project is expected to cost £121 million overall, with the remainder of funding coming from local sources.
With the busy festive season approaching, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is calling on East of England’s 1,154,200 Self Assessment customers not to miss the 31 January deadline.
The 2019-20 tax return can be finalised at any time up to the deadline but HMRC is encouraging customers to complete it early to allow for more time to pay their tax bill or set up a payment plan.
Customers must complete a Self Assessment return if:
they’ve earned more than £2,500 from renting out property
they’ve received, or their partner has received, Child Benefit and either of them had an annual income of more than £50,000
they’ve received more than £2,500 in other untaxed income, for example from tips or commission
they are a self-employed sole trader whose annual turnover is over £1,000
they are an employee claiming expenses in excess of £2,500
they have an annual income of over £100,000
they have earned income from abroad that they need to pay tax on
HMRC’s Interim Director General of Customer Services, Karl Khan, said:
“The 31st January deadline for tax returns is still a few weeks away, but customers don’t have to wait until then. We’re encouraging them to beat the busy January rush and get their tax returns in now.
“We know that many people are affected by the coronavirus pandemic this year and we’re here to help if they need to spread the cost of their tax bill. It’s quick and easy to set up a payment plan online and there’s no need to call us to set it up.”
Once Self Assessment customers have completed their 2019-20 tax return, and know how much tax is owed, they can set up their own payment plan to help spread the cost of their tax liabilities, up to the value of £30,000. They can use the self-serve Time to Pay facility to set up monthly direct debits and this can all be done online. Interest will be applied to any outstanding balance from 1 February 2021.
To find out if they’re eligible, customers can visit GOV.UK to learn more about the service.
Customers can also now check on GOV.UK whether they need to declare, or possibly pay tax, on any ‘casual’ income they receive. The new interactive guidance is quick and easy to use and explains what individuals need to do if they receive non-PAYE income from:
• selling things, for example at car boot sales or auctions, or online
• doing casual jobs such as gardening, food delivery or babysitting
• charging other people for using your equipment or tools
• renting out property or part of their home, including for holidays (for example, through an agency or online).
Be aware of copycat HMRC websites and phishing scams. Customers should always type in the full online address www.gov.uk/hmrc to get the correct link for filing their Self Assessment return online securely and free of charge. They also need to be alert if someone calls, emails or texts claiming to be from HMRC, saying that they can claim financial help, are due a tax refund or owe tax. It might be a scam. Check GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact.
BAM Farrans Joint Venture (BFJV) are undertaking the main works contract for Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing on behalf of Norfolk County Council. BFJV is committed to a local supply chain and working with local companies. Over 80% of our sub‐contractors are Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) and will be key to the successful delivery of Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing.
If you are a SME, local subcontractor or specialist supplier interested in working on the project please email gy3rc@bamfarrans.com with contact details and type of works you are interested in.
