Freebridge Community Housing employees helped to collect nearly 400 boxes of food donations for the King’s Lynn Foodbank last week.
Six people from across the organisation spent time at the Tesco stores at Hardwick and Gaywood as part of their charitable support leave, a day which all Freebridge employees can take to voluntarily support local charities within the community.
The team were handing out leaflets with shopping lists on to explain to shoppers exactly what the foodbank needs, with the list including items they are in urgent need of such as squash and long life juice in small containers, tinned rice pudding, sponge pudding, UHT and long life milk and tinned meat.
Helen Gilbert from King’s Lynn Foodbank said: “The volunteers from Freebridge made a massive difference – the more leaflets get handed out, the more food we get in, and without their support we’d have been without any help for large parts of the collection, so big thanks to them and to Freebridge for allowing them to come along.”
Birgit Lenton, Director of Corporate Service and Culture at Freebridge said: “Every year Freebridge’s employees choose a charity to support throughout the year, and this year they chose the King’s Lynn Foodbank. We are delighted that our colleagues have been able to help such an important charity at a time of year when they are more needed than ever.”
If you’d like to donate to the King’s Lynn Foodbank you can find details of what to give and where to take it at www.kingslynn.foodbank.org.uk
Be part of a growing network of businesses from West and North Norfolk, whilst indulging in delicious canapes and drinks supplied by Bank House Hotel.
Make those all-important connections and get your business products/services known more locally.
This event is for businesses located in West Norfolk and North Norfolk. If your business is located out of these areas, please contact the events team before booking.
How to Differentiate Your Business | Start With Why When you are running a small enterprise, differentiating your business from your competition is essential. Positioning yourself differently within a market can help you stand out from the competition and provide you with the opportunity to really inspire your customers. Cutting your prices is definitely not how to make your business stand out from the crowd. We all have bills to pay and there will always be someone that’s cheaper than you at some point anyway. And there’s nothing more depressing than spending an entire month working your socks off only to find your bank balance is still at 0. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s a downhill spiral once you’ve made that decision. So we need answers to the following questions: 1) How to differentiate your brand. 2) How to differentiate your business. The good news is, it is likely you already possess one of the key ingredients you need to make your business stand out. All we need to do is reveal it and articulate it. And to do that, all we need is Simon Sinek’s ‘Start With Why’. Watch the video to find how. ________ The Native Origin channel provides a small business toolbox – in other words, everything you could possibly need – to gain the essential DIY skills to maximise the success of your small business. The aim of this channel is to give you all of the things I wish I knew when I set up my small business. So SUBSCRIBE now to be notified the moment new videos go live.
Responding to today’s ONS trade statistics, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“The pandemic and the shift to new trading conditions in how UK companies sell services to the EU have led to a clear reduction in UK-EU services trade compared with 2019. Today’s ONS data release shows services trade with the EU fell at a brisker rate than trade with the rest of the world over the two years to the end of March 2021. Services exports to the EU fell by 14.7% in that period and imports by 38.8%.
“Today’s statistics indicate that the effects of the pandemic have masked the real long-term impact of the UK-EU TCA on trade in services, particularly in relation to business travel and supply of services. As economies reopen the effects of these issues will be slow burning, but nevertheless felt increasingly by companies operating both in the UK and Europe.
“The UK government should seek to be ambitious in a common agenda with the EU on mutual recognition of professional qualifications, building more flexibility around the TCA for business travel, and liberalising reservations on services access to help kickstart our economic recovery from Covid-19.”
Join our Delivering Greener Events workshop – part of our Clean Growth for Business programme.
Find out how to make your events more sustainable.
Hear from First Light Festival’s Genevieve Christie, Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival’s Jess Brown and Jenny Cousins, Director of the Museum of East Anglian Life, as we look at ways to deliver greener events – from reducing waste to cutting single use plastics.
Get practical advice and ideas for your next event, conference or workshop.
<a t want to consider changing anything, the plan was to build the profile of Lapland Mailroom and the positioning for keywords surrounding Letters From Santa within Google. Social media engagement with customers on social channels including FaceBook and Twitter was also highlighted as an incremental element of the campaign.
(Nicola says) After 2 months of the SEO campaign starting we noticed a positive shift in Google traffic. Daniel was on hand all he way offering explanations in a very easy to understand fashion. We have moved up from page 8 to page 1 and sales have started to increase week on week. We are delighted with Daniel and his team and would recommend them for everyone in Norfolk.
Brief Summary: Established business selling personalised letters from Santa. Targeting parents and grandparents in the UK. Price point of £8.95. The brief to build a brand online and increase awareness and visibility to increase seasonal sales.
Solution: Landing page design & development, PPC campaign via Google Adwords, National SEO campaign targeting 14 keywords, Social media awareness on Facebook and Twitter to increase customer interaction and after sales service.
Video is taking over, in fact by 2019 it is predicted 80% of all internet traffic will be video, so if you’re not already using it you’re in danger of getting left behind. In an age where everyone is capable of creating their own material, video content faces enormous competition to stand out from the crowd.
To shed some light on this powerful marketing tool, the Chamber is delighted to welcome Charlie Gauvain from Eye Film, to our Norwich Business Breakfast who will explain how to develop a bespoke and compelling video strategy that’s right for your business. Charlie will suggest how you can sharpen your own video production, or when the right time is to consult a professional, so that you can ensure your video content is engaging, exciting and generates a return on your investment.
More about Charlie:
Charlie is the MD at Eye Film, and has produced over 100 hours of television and online content. He was spotted by the founder of Eye film Frank Prendergast in 1998, having already established himself with production credentials on huge films such as Independence Day. Since then, Charlie has produced video content for C4, ITV, BBC and Animal Planet and has represented the East on The Producers Alliance of Cinema and Television’s Board (PACT). Since 2000, the company has been BAFTA nominated, won three creative industry awards and a Royal Television Society award and worked with the likes of David Attenborough.
Coming from the documentary industry, he knows how to produce the most beautifully shot, engaging content that can make the difference between having material that resonates with consumers and gets shared and talked about to being lost in the noisy world of digital media.
This breakfast event is perfect for businesses looking to broaden their network contacts. Come along to hear about how you can enhance your promotional video presence, whilst at the same time experience the ultimate networking experience at Caistor Hall. A full English breakfast will be provided (along with a continental option) and you can make those important connections with some of Norfolk’s biggest names in business.
Book a stand
Interested in taking an exhibition stand at a business breakfast? The stand package is £75+VAT and includes your event ticket. Email us
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Want more exposure for your business? Sponsoring an event puts your logo in front of our 900+ members and more! Sole sponsorship is £550+VAT. More information here or email us.
The Association for Family lawyers, Resolution, found that 46% of cohabiting couples wrongly believe “common-law marriage” laws exist for couples who choose not to marry. As part of their annual Awareness Week, Resolution is focusing on the need for legal reform, to provide at least basic rights for cohabiting couples who separate. Between 25 – 29 November 2019, they will be campaigning on, and raising awareness of, the issues facing our ‘cohabitation nation’.
The fastest growing family type
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the fastest growing family type in 2017 was cohabiting households, with 3.3 million cohabiting families compared to just 1.5 million in 1996. This equates to 1 in every 5 families in the UK.
Many couples starting a family together now choose to delay marriage or avoid it altogether.
Legal disadvantages
There are legal disadvantages, however, for unmarried couples. The law does not currently offer protection for cohabiting couples in the same way as for married couples.
Whilst particularly relevant in unfortunate cases where a relationship breaks down, there are also implications for couples who wish to stay together.
Rights upon the break down of an unmarried relationship
It is possible for a couple to live together for many years and bring up children together, but at the end of the relationship not to have any financial claim for income or assets built up during the relationship.
Other cohabitation issues
As opposed to rights after marriage, a cohabitee is not legally classed as the next of kin. If one partner were to die without making a Will, the surviving partner is not classed as next of kin, so they would not automatically have a right to a share of a property or possessions.
Financially speaking, in certain circumstances, there are some tax advantages to marriage that don’t apply in the same way for unmarried couples. This and further issues are explained in a good article on the Citizens Advice Bureau website, ‘Living together and marriage: Legal differences.’
Providing protection
Via Resolution and other lobby groups, there is a movement to persuade MPs to consider updating the law around cohabitation to catch up with the change in society.
There are also some steps individuals and cohabiting couples can take to protect themselves in advance of anything going wrong, including:
A Cohabitation or Living Together Agreement can detail issues including who pays the bills, the operation of bank accounts and how any property should be divided should the relationship end in the future.
Before any property is jointly purchased, a Declaration of Trust can set out how sale proceeds will be divided in the future if you split up, for example.
Making a Will, to detail your wishes regarding your dependants and property.
Richard Dilks is a specialist Norwich Family Law solicitor at Hatch Brenner on Theatre Street. He is a member of Resolution, and can provide advice to those who are planning on cohabiting or are in a cohabiting relationship. Call 01603 660 811, or email richarddilks@hatchbrenner.co.uk
Join our Transport and Travel workshop – part of our Clean Growth for Business programme.
Join us to learn about the simple changes you can make to move towards greener travel for your business.
Find out how and why you should map travel habits for your staff and suppliers and get simple tips to help people change the way they travel to and for work.
Armed with its enticing benefits, it is no wonder Contract Hire is fast becoming a hot topic within the automotive industry AND an increasingly popular finance option! Simon Meredith, Business Development Manager of Chatsbrook, states that “Contract Hire represents an agreement between two parties to lease a vehicle (car or van) for a set time period (and mileage) at a fixed monthly cost. To explain it simply, Contract Hire operates in the same vein as your mobile phone contract- you pay a fixed amount every month for a set amount of time and at the end of the agreement you can look for another arrangement to enjoy the latest release.”
“Contract Hire (CH) has many advantages, although we have completed many personal signups for CH, we often find that this long-term rental agreement is favoured by VAT registered businesses such as sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. The main appeal for these types of businesses is that CH reduces the financial risk of owning a vehicle. For example, VAT registered businesses can claim back 50% of VAT on cars and 100% on vans- if the vehicle is solely used within the business then the asset can appear off-balance sheet meaning that you can claim it as a business expense! Secondly, CH protects you from depreciation since you never own it or have the responsibility to sell- you just hand it back at the end. Finally, there is an option to upgrade to a package that includes maintenance and repairs. Upgrading to this option can help to reduce unexpected motoring costs- all you would need to do is insure the car and pay for petrol!”
“Personal Contract Hire (PCH) is definitely a growing segment of the industry as it is a risk-free way to enjoy brand new cars every three or so years. The flexible contract duration and mileage rates ensure that the agreement is perfectly suited to all your requirements. Another benefit is that there is no large initial outlay for the vehicle, highlighting how PCH helps to make new vehicles financially viable and obtainable to individuals.”
With Contract Hire, you can enjoy incredible cars such as these…
If you have your heart set on a new car and are still not sure which finance arrangement could benefit you most, our friendly team would be happy to help! Call the office on 01603 733500 today!
Building a green brand identity – part of our Clean Growth for Business programme.
Make sure your business’ green credentials shine through with this practical workshop on brand identity.
Delivered by Hethel Innovation, the workshop will help you understand how Net Zero actions can be positive for your brand. Get practical tips on developing your brand and using the unique ‘branding onion’ tool.
If you’re running a small business, I am sure you would like to be able to continuously inspire your customers, increase sales and ensure good cashflow in your business. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur – why wouldn’t you want those things?!
When I first set up my business, I was unaware of many of the points that are discussed in this video. At the time, I thought people would naturally want to buy from me – I was wrong.
So I wanted to share these points with you now so that you can enjoy greater success with your own small business today.
The 4 tips outlined in this video will give you 4 simple strategies for how you can speak to your potential customers in person and through your marketing. I want you to be able to gain skills you need to talk emotively about your business in a way that inspires your customers.