Commenting on the news that the UK and US are to open formal negotiations on a future free trade agreement, BCC Director General Adam Marshall, said:
“While most UK businesses will be focusing on the immediate challenge posed by Coronavirus, strong trading arrangements with both the European Union and USA will support recovery and future growth.
“The government has set a high ambition for UK-US talks, and it will be particularly important to get the details right over the coming months to ensure that any prospective agreement delivers tangible benefits to businesses and communities across the UK.
“Companies will welcome the focus on helping more UK SMEs grow their trade with partners in the US, and on finding ways to move goods, people and data across borders between the two countries more smoothly.
“We will be working constructively with the Government to ensure the needs of UK business communities are considered in negotiations with the USA and with other key trading partners.”
As the government mulls plans to lift lockdown,British Chambers of Commerce President, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, has written an open letter to the Prime Minister setting out principles for a phased restart of the UK economy.
The leading business group set out its integrated approach, the first step in a three-stage process, as the government prepares to ease initial lockdown restrictions.
The letter reads: “The fight against the virus must remain the top priority, but the planning and communication of a carefully phased approach to lifting lockdown must begin immediately if we are to harness the public health and economic benefits, both now and in the future.”
Praising the work of Chambers of Commerce across the UK as the “first responders” of the business world, the letter is accompanied by detailed policy proposals for safely reopening the economy, comprising steps to:
Safely reopen public spaces and restore services (including schools and public transport)
Safely reopen workplaces and commercial spaces
Minimise job losses and business failures
Rebuild supply chains and customer bases; and
Put the UK economy on a high-growth, high-wage and low unemployment trajectory as soon as possible
The letter continues: “This is a time to be bold. Government should not shy away from sustaining high levels of public spending in order to restart and renew our communities and the economy in the short and medium-term, while not tying the hands of future generations.
“An expansionary fiscal policy, including a commitment to transformative infrastructure investment, will be needed in order to generate the returns that will help to pay down the national debt in the longer-term.
“We see the journey ahead as having three phases:
Restart: a phased reopening of the economy
Rebuild: building resilience for firms and households
Renew: returning to prosperity and growth
“We plan to share some principles for each of these three phases over the coming weeks, beginning today with ‘Restart’.
“Fundamental prerequisites to beginning this journey include mass testing and contact tracing; clear decisions and guidance on what PPE is needed in workplaces; and proactive steps to ensure adequate supply of PPE to both the health service and to businesses where necessary.”
The letter welcomes the “speed and scale’ of existing government support schemes and indicates that they will need to “continue to evolve to support a phased restart of the economy, enabling businesses to survive through this crisis and thrive in the future.”
The letter concludes: “We commit to working with you and your colleagues across Government on exploring these phases in detail as we plan our path forward. We owe nothing less to our businesses, and the communities and people they support, who have been battered by this storm.”
The coronavirus pandemic has been a seismic shock to the Norfolk economy. It is an unprecedented situation in both scale and impact. What we now understand is that we will not be going back to “business as usual” any time soon. There will be a ‘new normal’ and as a business community we must find ways to adapt and thrive in a very different economic landscape.
Norfolk Chambers would like to understand what challenges your business has faced and is still facing as a result of the impact of Covid-19. We want to ensure that we support the business community in the most effective and useful ways and have designed the Norfolk’s Business Pulse to help us to understand how best to help.
Ensure your voice is heard and listened to by helping us to take the Business Pulse – take part now.
Pockets of rural Norfolk that struggle to get a mobile phone signal or use mobile broadband are being given the chance to get better connected through a national programme. If you are a business who would benefit from a better mobile signal you need to let your parish council know.
Only 100 parishes across the UK will be selected to take part in Vodafone’s Open Sure Signal Programme, which will benefit those with a Vodafone contract. With competition likely to be fierce, Norfolk County Council is helping parishes to determine whether they will be in a strong position to be accepted onto the programme by creating a simple checklist which they can complete before deciding whether to go through the more lengthy formal application with Vodafone.
Those rural communities that are successful in being included onto the programme by Vodafone would have Open Sure Signal units installed in locations in and around the village which would provide an open 3G network. Any device in range that uses 3G – including mobile phones and tablets – would then automatically connect to it, meaning people would be able to make calls and get online where they couldn’t previously.
The deadline for applications to the Open Sure Signal Programme is 14 October and there can be only one application per community. Anyone interested in finding out more about the programme can visit www.vodafone.co.uk/rural or should speak to their parish council if you want to see your parish being put forward as part of this programme.
You’ve got a list of emails… but when’s the last time you actually used it?
Your past clients, enquiries, and subscribers are warm leads, people who already know your brand.
Yet for most businesses, that list just collects dust while competitors show up in inboxes weekly, building trust and making sales.
Every week you don’t send an email is a missed opportunity.
We had to pleasure of attending FWD: London this month, Mailchimp’s biggest conference, and one thing’s clear: email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to grow your business without spending a penny on ads.
We create email campaigns that:
– Build relationships and drive repeat sales
– Speak to the right people at the right time
(segmented and personalised)
– Look slick and on-brand
– Include welcome and sales sequences that run while you sleep
– Actually get opened (and clicked)
Ready to stop ghosting your audience and start seeing results?
The Bounce Back Loans scheme will offer loans from £2,000 up to 25% of a business’ turnover or £50,000, whichever is lower. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee for the loan and pay any fees and interest for the first 12 months. The government has then set the interest rate for this facility at 2.5% per annum for subsequent years. No repayments will be due during the first 12 months. Length of the loan is for six years. There will be a short, standardised online application to apply for a loan. The scheme is now open for applications and firms will be able to access these loans through a network of accredited lenders.
Am I eligible?
Your business must be able to self‑declare to the lender that it:
has been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
was not a business in difficulty at 31 December 2019 (if it was, you must confirm your business complies with additional state aid restrictions under de minimis state aid rules).
is engaged in trading or commercial activity in the UK and was established by 1 March 2020.
is not currently using a government-backed Coronavirus loan scheme, unless the Bounce Back Loan will refinance the whole of the CBILS, CLBILS or CCFF facility.
is not in bankruptcy or liquidation or undergoing debt restructuring at the time it submits its application for finance.
derives more than 50% of its income from its trading activity (this requirement does not apply to charities or further-education colleges).
Bounce Back Loans are available to businesses in all sectors, except the following:
Credit institutions (falling within the remit of the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive)
Insurance companies
Public-sector organisations
State-funded primary and secondary schools
The borrower remains fully liable for the debt.
What do I need to do to access it?
You will need to fill in a short application form online, which self-certifies that your business is eligible for a loan under BBLS. If your business is eligible, it will be subject to appropriate customer fraud, Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer checks. Some state aid restrictions may apply to your application.
You should speak to your business banking provider or one of the accredited lenders. With high demand for BBLS facilities, finance providers recommend that you approach a lender via their website. Phone lines are likely to be busy and branches may not be able to handle enquiries in person.
Commenting on the latest UK Finance figures (7 May) on the number of firms successfully accessing CBILS, the BCC’s Head of Economics Suren Thiru said:
“Although the steady improvement in the number of firms accessing CBILS is welcome, with many firms only having a few months’ cash in reserve the pace of delivery remains disappointingly slow.
“The strong start made by the Bounce Back loan scheme is encouraging for the smallest businesses that are struggling to stay afloat. However, more needs to be done to ensure that all businesses get access to the finance they need.
“The current template for Bounce Back loans could be used the improve the provision of the CBIL scheme, including adopting an easier and more consistent application process.
“Government must also be ready to further expand the existing grant schemes to ensure that as many businesses as possible get access to the support they need.”
Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal the vast majority of firms surveyed say they will require three weeks or less to prepare to restart operations alongside any loosening of the UK lockdown. Smaller businesses may be able to restart operations more quickly. Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of respondents employing fewer than 10 people say they would need less than one week, compared to half (50 per cent) of respondents with more than 50 employees. For firms of all sizes: • 25 per cent said they would not need any notice • 35 per cent said they would need less than a week’s notice • 29 per cent said they would need one to three weeks’ notice • 7 per cent said they would need three to six weeks’ notice • 3 per cent said they would need more than 3 weeks’ notice By sector Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of business-to-business service firms said that they would need less than one week or no notice to restart operations, compared to 50 per cent of business-to-consumer service firms. 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 540 responses. The sixth tranche of polling was conducted April 29 – May 1. The Tracker will continue to monitor business attitudes toward the restart of the economy – and the gradual release of the UK lockdown – over the coming weeks. Businesses furloughing employees The number of firms accessing the government’s Job Retention Scheme remains consistent with previous weeks, with around 74 per cent of respondents furloughing a portion of their staff. The scheme remains a crucial support for businesses to preserve jobs and livelihoods. Encouragingly, since the scheme’s online application portal opened on 20 April, the vast majority of respondents (59 per cent) have submitted a claim and received payment from HMRC. This week’s results do not report any firms being rejected. At the time of fieldwork: • 12 per cent of firms submitted a claim more than six working days ago and said they were yet to receive payment • 17 per cent of firms submitted a claim less than six working days ago and said they were yet to receive payment • 11 per cent have not yet made a claim, but plan to Commenting on the results, BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall said: “Over the coming days, business communities will require clear forward guidance from government on plans to re-open parts of the economy, transport networks, schools and local services. “Our results show that businesses’ ability to restart quickly varies by company size, and by sector. “For these reasons and more, it will be crucial for the government to maintain and evolve support for businesses, to give as many firms as possible the chance to navigate a phased return to work. “While the fight against Coronavirus must remain the top priority, the communication of plans for the easing of restrictions must also begin immediately. The Chamber Network will continue to work constructively with governments across the UK to plan a coherent path forward.”
Annual CPI inflation in July 2014 was 1.6%, down from 1.9% in June
The largest contribution to the fall in inflation was clothing prices
The largest offsetting factor came from transport
Goods price inflation in July 2014 was 0.8%, while services inflation was 2.5%
Commenting on the CPI inflation figures for July 2014, published today by the ONS, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“The welcome fall in inflation confirms that the increase in June was temporary and doesn’t signal a new upward trend. While wage increases remain very low and the pound is still relatively strong, we expect inflation to remain below the 2% target for the foreseeable future.
“Although the recovery remains on track, it is still fragile and now is not the time to put it at risk with premature interest rate rises. We must nurture the business confidence we are seeing at present by giving businesses the security of working in a low interest rate environment. The government should reinforce this stable backdrop by introducing measures to help firms access the finance they need to grow, and by enhancing support for our exporters.”
At a recent meeting of Norwich Chamber Council, members received an infrastructure update from Tom McCabe, Interim Director for Environment, Transport and Development for Norfolk County Council. He outlined the progress on the NDR, the A47 improvement campaign, Better Broadband for Norfolk’s improvement project and the Norwich in Ninety campaign.
Council members also provided an overview of how the economy was starting to improve in Norwich. RG Carters advised that they were seeing an upturn in construction with a mix of residential and public spending. Arnold Keys said that the commercial property market was performing well and they were seeing investors starting to review their property investment portfolios. The residential market was also picking up.
Hugh J Boswell were cautiously optimistic, trading well, and seeing growth of 6%. Similarly, Naked Marketing were also doing well, their turnover for the year was up and they had a long order book. They also advised that they would be looking to recruit another member of staff as well as an apprentice this year.
Birketts provided an update on employment regulations. Since new regulations came into effect in November 2013, introducing fees for bringing an employment tribunal, there has been a significant drop in employment tribunal cases of between 60% – 70%. They also noted that as of 1 April 2014 there would be mandatory ACAS conciliation requirements for employment disputes.
John Lewis, Norwich advised that they had not seen the traditional drop in sales in January. As a result, they had retained six of the temporary Christmas staff on permanent contracts. Their online sales were also up by 20% and their fashion sales were also picking up.
Caroline Williams, CEO of Norfolk Chamber confirmed that Chamber members’ overall feedback was that they were beginning to feel more optimistic, although still cautious. Businesses were still not investing heavily, but there were signs of more confidence in recruiting staff.
Yesterday, the UK government published their Coronavirus recovery strategy. This document describes the progress the UK has made to date in tackling the Coronavirus outbreak and sets out the government’s plans for the next phases of its response. The government has also updated its guidance for businesses on working safely during Coronavirus.
The UK Government timetable has published a three-step plan for lifting restrictions. If the Government sees a rise in the infection rate, they may seek to re-impose restrictions in some form. A link to the full document can be found here.
Timescales
Step One – Wednesday 13 May
Step Two – No earlier than Monday 1 June
Step Three – No earlier than 4 July
Commenting on the publication of the UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery plan and associated workplace guidance, Nova Fairbank, Head of Policy for Norfolk Chambers of Commerce said:
“This is a significant step forward in terms of the information available for businesses, who will now need to digest the detail. The guidance signals big changes for the way that many businesses operate, and some firms will now need time to plan and speak to their employees so that they can return to work safely.
“Alongside this guidance, businesses urgently need clarity on the future of government support schemes, which must be adapted to help those firms who need to remain closed for an extended period or face reduced capacity or demand.”
Step One (Comes into effect on Wednesday 13 May2020):
1. Work
For the foreseeable future, workers should continue to work from home rather than their normal physical workplace, wherever possible.
People who are able to work at home make it possible for people who have to attend workplaces in person to do so while minimising the risk of overcrowding on transport and in public places.
All workers who cannot work from home should travel to work if their workplace is open. Sectors of the economy that are allowed to be open should be open, for example this includes food production, construction, manufacturing, logistics, distribution and scientific research in laboratories. Workplaces that the government is requiring to remain closed include:
restaurants and cafes, other than for takeaway
pubs, cinemas, theatres and nightclubs
clothing and electronics stores; hair, beauty and nail salons; and outdoor and indoor markets (not selling food)
libraries, community centres, and youth centres indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, gyms, arcades and soft play facilities
some communal places within parks, such as playgrounds and outdoor gyms places of worship (except for funerals)
hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use, excluding use by those who live in them permanently, those who are unable to return home and critical workers where they need to for work
Food retailers and food markets, hardware stores, garden centres (from Wednesday 13 May) and certain other retailers can remain open. Other businesses can remain open and their employees can travel to work, where they cannot work from home.
The Government is amending its guidance to clarify that paid childcare, can take place subject to being able to meet the public health principles.
Workplaces should follow the new “COVID-19 Secure” guidelines, as set out in the previous chapter, which will be published this week
2. Face coverings
Government is now advising that people should aim to wear a face-covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible and they come into contact with others that they do not normally meet, for example on public transport or in some shops.
Homemade cloth face-coverings can help reduce the risk of transmission in some circumstances. Face-coverings should not be used by children under the age of two, or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly, for example primary age children unassisted, or those with respiratory conditions.
3. International travel
All international arrivals will be required to supply their contact and accommodation information. They will also be strongly advised to download and use the NHS contact tracing app.
All international arrivals not on a short list of exemptions to self-isolate in their accommodation for fourteen days on arrival into the UK.
Small exemptions to these measures will be in place to provide for continued security of supply into the UK. All journeys within the Common Travel Area (between UK and Ireland) will also be exempt from these measures.
These international travel measures will not come into force on 13 May but will be introduced as soon as possible. Further details, and guidance, will be set out shortly, and the measures and list of exemptions will be kept under regular review.
4. Business support
As the UK adjusts the current restrictions, the Government will also need to wind down the economic support measures while people are eased back to work
The Government will also need to ensure the UK’s supply chains are resilient, ensuring the UK has sufficient access to the essential medicines, PPE, testing equipment, vaccines and treatments it needs, even during times of global shortage.(Will come into effect no earlier than Monday 1 June 2020)
Step Two (Will come into effect no earlier than Monday 1 June 2020)
A phased return for early years settings and schools. The Government expects children to be able to return to early years settings, and for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 to be back in school in smaller sizes, from this point. Secondary schools and further education colleges should also prepare to begin some face to face contact with Year 10 and 12 pupils.
Opening non-essential retail. Further guidance on the approach expected shortly on the approach taken to phasing, including which businesses will be covered in each phase and timeframes involved. All other sectors that are currently closed, including hospitality and personal care, are not able to re-open at this point because of the higher risk of transmission.
Re-opening more local public transport in urban areas, subject to strict measures.
Step Three (Will come into effect no earlier than 4 Jul 2020)
Open at least some of the remaining businesses and premises that have been required to close, including personal care (such as hairdressers and beauty salons), hospitality (such as food service providers, pubs and accommodation), public places (such as places of worship) and leisure facilities (like cinemas).These businesses must meet the COVID-19 Secure guidelines
Some venues which are, by design, crowded and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may still not be able to re-open safely at this point, or may be able to open safely only in part. Nevertheless the Government will wish to open as many businesses and public places as the data and information at the time allows.
In order to facilitate the fastest possible re-opening of these types of higher-risk businesses and public places, the Government will carefully phase and pilot re-openings to test their ability to adopt the new COVID-19Secure guidelines.
Guidance for specific types of work.
The government have produced eight guides to cover a range of different types of work. The guidance also includes links to other materials-such as risk assessments and a COVID secure declaration that you may wish to display in your workplace. You may need to use more than one of these guides as you think through what you need to do to keep people safe:
Shops and branches: for people who work in or run shops, branches, stores or similar environments.
Vehicles: for people who work in or from vehicles, including couriers, mobile workers, lorry drivers, on-site transit and work vehicles, field forces and similar