With a vibrant PowerPoint, Rachael Shakespeare of Jungle PR gave delegates an enthusiastic presentation on public relations. She taught the delegates what PR is, along with what it isn’t: giving them information such as how any PR, whether good or bad, is better than none, as well as how to utilise bad PR. Rachael also spoke on press releases, coverage and most importantly; what PR can do for a business. Emma Raines of Example Marketing said: “it was good to have the opportunity to ask questions of an expert. I was able to get practical tips by asking questions throughout and at the end of the session.” Rachael’s 3 top tips for great PR would be to “be organised and strategic with a PR plan”, to “not be afraid of bad PR and use it as an opportunity”, and also to “give journalists everything on a plate”.
For more information on the work Jungle PR do, visit www.junglepr.com Series 4 of the Chamber Sessions is available to book with new and returning speakers ready to share their knowledge with you. For more information, please click here.
What is GrowthAccelerator? GrowthAccelerator is a unique service led by some of the country’s most successful growth specialists where you’ll find new connections, new routes to investment and the new ideas and strategy you’ll need for your business to achieve its full potential. A partnership between leading private sector business growth experts, Grant Thornton, Pera, Oxford Innovation and Winning Pitch and backed by Government, GrowthAccelerator will get your business to where you want it to be – faster. GrowthAccelerator will get to the heart of the barriers that are holding your business back and help you identify the critical steps you need to take to achieve your next phase of growth – rapidly and sustainably.
How does GrowthAccelerator work? Identifying your priorities for growth. They will work with you to explore your ambition and capacity to grow, give you new insights into the barriers holding your business back and consider potential opportunities for your business.
Developing your growth plan Your growth plan will be completely bespoke to meet the individual needs of your business. It will concentrate on the areas that you and your Growth Manager expect to be most influential on your drive for greater growth.
Beginning your drive for rapid growth In collaboration with you we will select and appoint a Growth Coach matched to your business against attributes including experience, skills and personality. Your Growth Coach will work closely with your business implementing your growth plan.
Where driven businesses go to realise their ambitions GrowthAccelerator exclusively targets high growth businesses who want to enter their next growth phase and have the potential and determination to get there.
Is my business eligible?
Are you determined to grow?
Is your business registered in the UK & based in England?
Feeling overwhelmed by marketing? You’re not alone. Most small business owners in the UK wear multiple hats, and while you know marketing is absolutely crucial for growth, figuring out where to start, what to do, and how to do it effectively can feel like navigating a dense fog.
You’ve heard the buzzwords – SEO, social media, content marketing, lead generation – but turning those concepts into tangible results for your business can seem daunting.
The truth is, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” marketing solution. What works for one business might not be right for another, and what you need right now might be different from what you need next year. The key isn’t to do all the marketing, but to find the right level of marketing support that fits your current needs, budget, and bandwidth.
That’s where I come in. I’m Rechenda, and at Rechenda Does Marketing, I’m here to guide you through that fog. I believe in empowering business owners, not overwhelming them. That’s why I offer a tiered approach to marketing support, designed to meet you exactly where you are – whether you want to learn to do it yourself, collaborate closely, or simply hand it over to an expert.
DIY Marketing: Master Your Skills, Your Way
Are you a goal-getter? Someone who thrives on learning new skills and loves the satisfaction of achieving things independently? Do you have the time and enthusiasm to immerse yourself in marketing, but just need the right roadmap and tools? Then the DIY Marketing approach is perfect for you.
This option is specifically designed for small business owners, solopreneurs, small family business owners and start-ups who are working with a tighter budget but have an abundance of drive.
You want to understand the mechanics of marketing, create your own strategies, and execute them with confidence. My DIY resources are built to empower you to do just that.
What you gain:
Flexibility & Affordability: Learn at your own pace, on your own schedule, without the higher investment of one-on-one or outsourced services.
Foundational Knowledge: My off-the-shelf courses and digital resources are packed with practical, actionable strategies and templates. From understanding your ideal customer to crafting compelling social media posts, you’ll gain the foundational knowledge you need to build a robust marketing presence.
Empowerment: The satisfaction of building your marketing engine from the ground up, with the confidence that you’re using proven techniques.
You bring the dedication, and I provide the expert guidance and resources to help you master your marketing skills, your way. It’s about giving you the power to succeed independently, equipped with the best advice and materials.
Do-It-Together: Guided Expertise for a Bespoke Strategy
Perhaps you’ve dipped your toe into DIY marketing, or you have a good grasp of the basics, but you’re hitting a wall.
You know what you should be doing, but you’re struggling with the how for your unique business. Or maybe you need a fresh perspective and a strategic mind to help refine your plans. This is where my Do-It-Together service shines.
This collaborative approach is ideal for business owners who are hands-on and want to be deeply involved in their marketing strategy, but need expert guidance to ensure they’re on the right track.
You’re ready to dedicate time to your marketing but want to fast-track your results with bespoke training and direct input from an experienced professional.
How it works:
Half-Day or Full-Day Intensive Sessions: We’ll book a dedicated block of time where we work together, side-by-side. These aren’t just generic lectures; they’re dynamic, interactive sessions tailored specifically to your business and your marketing challenges.
Bespoke Strategy & Training: We’ll dive deep into your goals, target audience, and current efforts. I’ll train you on specific techniques, help you design compelling campaigns, and collaboratively strategise your next moves. Whether it’s optimising your content calendar, crafting a killer email sequence, or refining your social media voice, we’ll tackle it together.
Accelerated Progress: By having an expert guiding your efforts in real-time, you’ll gain clarity and confidence, enabling you to implement effective strategies much faster than if you were working alone.
This is about turning your marketing intentions into actionable, results-driven plans. It’s a strategic partnership designed to empower you with custom knowledge and a clear path forward, leveraging my expertise directly for your unique business needs.
Do-It-For-You: Your Marketing, Managed by a Professional
For many business owners, time is the ultimate luxury. You’re busy running your company, serving clients, and managing your team.
You know marketing needs to happen, and it needs to be effective, but you simply don’t have the time or the in-house expertise to do it justice. This is where the Do-It-For-You service becomes invaluable.
This option is perfect for established businesses, busy founders, or growing companies who need a comprehensive, hands-off marketing solution.
You want results, and you want to delegate the complex, time-consuming marketing tasks to a trusted professional so you can focus on what you do best.
What I take off your plate:
Website in a Week & Smart Strategy: Need a professional, lead-generating website quickly? I can design and launch a focused site for you, integrated with a smart, tailored marketing strategy to ensure it works hard for your business from day one.
Comprehensive Content Packs:
Social Media Management: From crafting engaging posts to scheduling and community management, I can create and manage your social presence, ensuring consistency and growth.
Blogging: High-quality, SEO-friendly blog posts that position you as an industry expert and drive organic traffic to your website.
E-Newsletter Campaigns: Engage your audience and nurture leads with expertly written and designed email newsletters.
Professional Design Packs:
Email Templates: Custom-designed, branded templates for newsletters, event invitations, or one-off promotions that make your emails stand out.
Social Media Templates: Consistent, on-brand templates that make creating visually appealing social content a breeze (or I can do it for you!).
LinkedIn Profile Optimisation & Running: Your LinkedIn profile is your professional shop window. I can optimise it for maximum impact and even manage your activity to grow your network and enhance your professional presence.
With the Do-It-For-You service, you gain a dedicated marketing department without the overheads. It’s about peace of mind, knowing your marketing is being handled strategically and professionally, freeing you up to focus on core business operations.
Find Your Perfect Fit
No matter where you are on your marketing journey, or what your current business needs and budget dictate, there’s a solution that fits.
From empowering you with the knowledge to do it yourself, to collaborating closely to craft a bespoke strategy, or taking the entire marketing burden off your shoulders, my goal is always the same: to help your business thrive.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Whether you’re eager to learn, keen to collaborate, or simply want to hand it over to an expert, I’m here to help.
Let’s chat about which marketing support option is the right fit for your business.
Yesterday Lotus announced a significant number of redundancies.Responding to confirmation that 550 jobs are to go at the company’s iconic Hethel HQ, Cllr Fabian Eagle said that Norfolk County Council, working with South Norfolk Council, would do everything it could to help those affected by the news and ensure their valuable skills remain in the county.
They will be creating a taskforce offering a comprehensive support package to redundant Lotus Cars employees and connecting them directly with vacancies in the manufacturing and engineering sectors.The taskforce will be chaired by Cllr Eagle and South Norfolk Council Leader, Daniel Elmer.
Cllr Eagle said: “These job losses are a huge blow, but rest assured we will do absolutely everything we can to ensure as many people as possible are supported into new employment and their skills are not lost to Norfolk’s economy.
“A taskforce will lead the work on this and organisations like NAAME and the Growth Hub that are hosted by the council will be able to help connect those affected with vacancies or training opportunities.”
Cllr Elmer added: “This is a very difficult time, and our priority must be the people who are losing their jobs. Working together, we will do everything we can to provide the support they need.”
Support that will be offered to Lotus employees and their supply chains through teams at both Norfolk County Council and South Norfolk Council and their networks will include:
•A joint package of job search and CV support with Working Well Norfolk and DWP colleagues for all employees as required, including benefit advice and support from DWP • Tailored support from Apprenticeships Norfolk for apprentices being made redundant • A brokerage service delivered with partners to connect those being made redundant with vacancies at Norfolk engineering firms through our advanced manufacturing sector group NAAME (New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering), and New Anglia Growth Hub • Support for Lotus staff wanting to set up businesses through our start-up programme run by Norfolk Libraries service, the Growth Hub, MENTA and Hethel Innovation. • Provide opportunities for start-up businesses at Hethel Innovation Centre and Scottow Enterprise Park. • Hardship support offered by South Norfolk Council’s multi-service Help Hub.
Welcoming the Chancellor’s announcement of a Future Fund, supporting start-ups by delivering an initial commitment of £250m of new government funding which will be unlocked by private investment on a match funded basis, BCC Head of Economics Suren Thiru said:
“The Future Fund will help provide urgently needed support for many of our most innovative and fast-growing businesses around the UK, as we have urged.
“The fund fills an important gap in existing government support and could make a real difference to entrepreneurial firms navigating challenging circumstances. It’s crucial that this enhanced support reaches companies in difficulty as quickly as possible.”
HMRC have now published guidance to help employers make a claim when the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme claim portal goes live today Monday 20 April 2020 at 8am.
HMRC have produced this step by step guidance on how to make a claim. There is also a calculator to help you work out your claim. The system can process up to 450,000 applications per hour and employers should receive the money within 6 working days of making an application. To receive payment by 30 April, you will need to complete an application by 22 April. Please keep a note or print-out of your claim reference number as you won’t receive a confirmation SMS or email.
Commenting on news that applications are now open for the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy for Norfolk Chambers said:
“The opening of the Job Retention scheme is an important milestone for Norfolk businesses, who can now begin to access the cash they need to pay their staff and protect livelihoods. We are recommending that employers take the time to read the guidance in advance and ensure their claim is as accurate as possible to ensure that their claim is processed quickly. Any errors in submission are likely to result in significant delays in payment.
“The government deserves credit for the speed, scale and flexibility of its response to the challenges facing our business communities. The focus should now be on delivering this support to firms on the ground.
“The British Chambers network research indicates that two-thirds of firms have furloughed some portion of their workforce. With April’s payday approaching, it is essential that the application process is smooth and that payments are made as soon as possible. Any delay would exacerbate the cash crisis many companies are facing and could threaten jobs and businesses.”
City of Norwich School are looking for businesses to get involved in their Careers Day on Wednesday 4th March.
During their whole school Careers Day CNS have various employability and careers workshops going on and they need employers to get involved to talk to students and offer real world experience.
If you’d like to be involved please contact s.lester@cns-school.org
Does your business have production capability and capacity to produce PPE during COVID-19?
Do you have existing PPE stock which could be used by frontline staff?
Please complete New Anglia LEP’s simple contact form with details of your stock / production capability. For any more information, please email supply.chain@newanglia.co.uk.
Many of you will be applying to the government’s Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme online portal. Make sure you are prepared in advance with the required information:
We are a family run business, providing the best quality decor to hire for all occasions, including weddings, birthdays, christenings & corporate events.
We are based in Norwich and cover East Anglia, providing first class service to each and every client. We pride ourselves in paying particular attention to the detail of our set ups and love working with our clients to help them create their own vision, or indeed helping them create their vision.
Norfolk Chamber members are part of the fantastic response to pledge support for the Great Eastern Rail campaign. Over 500 pledges have been received since its launch on 25th July, representing an important milestone.
Norfolk business have joined with rail passengers and businesses across the region, calling on Government for greater investment in the Norwich to London rail line. In addition to pledging their support Norfolk Chamber members have also been making their reasons heard loud and clear
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: ” Improved rail infrastructure is key to enable Norfolk’s businesses to continue to drive the local economy forward. Norfolk Chamber members are passionate about their businesses and are joining the campaign to show how much they care. We would encourage all Norfolk businesses and their staff to click on the link and pledge their support. We are calling for a faster more reliable train service Norwich to London in 90 minutes, more seats and carriages and significant investment to upgrade the track.”
Mark Pendlington, chairman of New Anglia LEP and co-chairman of the Great Eastern Main Line Rail Taskforce, said: “500 pledges of support is a significant milestone in the campaign. This figure continues to rise and we’re delighted that so many people have signed up for the campaign in such a short space of time. However, we urge as many people as possible – rail users, business people and all those who want a better rail service across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk to join the campaign now, by signing up on through the New Anglia website. The Great Eastern Main Line is fundamental to the region’s future growth. Let’s make our voice heard loud and clear to influence Government and get the rail service the three counties need and deserve.
It will take only a few seconds, so the Norfolk Chamber encourages all its members and the wider business community to click on the link and pledge their support. It is all about timing and the time is NOW for this final push to show Government our passion and get the service we need and deserve. www.newanglia.co.uk/gerailcampaign
Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal that the vast majority of businesses surveyed have furloughed a proportion of their workforce, and are awaiting funds from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as payday approaches for many.
71% of survey respondents have furloughed staff, up from 66% last week
Cash flow remains a significant concern for many businesses – 6 in 10 have less than three months’ cash in reserve
The leading business organisation’s weekly tracker poll, which serves as a barometer of the pandemic’s impact on businesses and the effectiveness of government support measures, received 678 responses and is the largest independent survey of its kind in the UK. The fourth tranche of polling was conducted from 15-17 April.
Businesses furloughing employees
Results from the fourth weekly tracker show a steady increase in the proportion of respondents furloughing staff in anticipation of the Job Retention Scheme going live on Monday 20 April. This week, the tracker indicates that 71% of firms have furloughed a proportion of their staff, up from 66% last week.
30% said they have furloughed between 75% – 100% of their workforce.
28% have furloughed no staff.
Business continue to face a cash crisis, with 59% of firms reporting that they have three months cash in reserve or less. With payday approaching for many firms, the government’s Job Retention Scheme, which began accepting applications this week, has only a short time to get much-needed cash to firms facing urgent financial difficulties.
Initial reports suggest that the online application portal is meeting business demand, and attention will now shift to whether payments reach businesses as planned within 6 working days of making an application.
Commenting on the results, BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall said:
“With around 140,000 claims made on the very first day, this is a crunch week for businesses relying on the Job Retention Scheme to pay their staff. Our research suggests that over 70% of businesses will be using the furlough scheme in some form, so it’s absolutely crucial that it delivers.
“HMRC’s capacity to deal with the demand from business has been encouraging so far – and their staff working under immense pressure to get it up and running deserve our recognition and thanks.
“It is now critical that payments from the furlough scheme reach businesses as smoothly and as quickly as possible in order to protect jobs and livelihoods.
“Ministers will also need to consider keeping the scheme in place for longer, to help businesses transition as the lockdown is eased and the economy moves gradually toward a new normal.”