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The British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium is preparing for this years Golden Bridge Export Awards and are looking for new applicants.

This is the second edition of the annual awards presented to the most successful UK companies exporting to or doing business in Belgium.

The Awards encourage export from the UK to Belgium and give British products and services a higher profile at the heart of the EU.

The BCC in Belgium work closely with their partners at the British Embassy in Belgium, UK Trade & Investment and the Belgian Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain on this initiative.

It is free to participate in the competition and the deadline for applications is 15 September 2013.

For further information on the awards process and who to contact, please click here.

Please also take a look at the BCC in Belgium flyer relating to their services.

Hallo. I’m Robert Walster of KDM Video Ltd

I’m pleased to be able to communicate with the Chamber members and others via this press release.

So, what do we do? We are a B2B company and our service is to boost your lead generation for your website. We do this by very special video marketing. This is not the place for detail and you should look at our website kdmvideo.com which explains in detail. Why should you take our services? You want more customers don’t you? – A steady stream month after month?

Your company has a website to generate interest and connect to potential customers. How many leads do you get from it? Are they up to expectations and up to original predictions or estimates?

The superior communications present in our video will open up the funnel to gather qualified leads to your website.

Is this expensive? Like any good business service the potential benefit to your company far outweighs our costs.

Study our website kdmvideo.com where all is explained and call me; Robert Walster on 07787604933 to take it further.

Take on an 18 to 24 year-old who has been claiming benefits for at least six months through Jobcentre Plus and employers can get financial help of up to £2,275, which covers the cost of a year’s national insurance contributions.

How does the wage incentive scheme work?

The wage incentive is available if you employ someone for 16 hours or more each week in a job lasting more than 26 weeks. There are two rates:

• for part-time work between 16 and 29 hours a week – £1,137.50
• for full-time work of 30 hours or more a week – £2,275.

This will be paid 26 weeks after the employee starts work. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees can claim a part payment eight weeks after the employee starts work.

Who can claim a wage incentive?

Wage incentives are primarily available to private, voluntary and community sectors and social enterprise employers. Central government departments, their executive agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) will be excluded from claiming them, however the wider public sector such as NHS trusts, will not.

I’m interested in employing a young person using the wage incentive, what do I do next?

Contact Jobcentre Plus or one of your local Work Programme providers, they will give you further information, advice on the eligibility conditions and support to identify the right person.

Employing a young person using a wage incentive through the Work ProgrammeLocal Work Programme providers contact details

Employing a young person using a wage incentive through Jobcentre Plus

• Phone: 0845 601 2001 (option 2)
• Text phone: 0845 601 2002 for people with speech or hearing impairments

How can I claim the wage incentive?

When the young person starts with you, the Work Programme provider or Jobcentre Plus, will issue a wage incentive claim form and give you more details on how and when to make the claim. You will claim the payment from Jobcentre Plus who will validate the claim and make the payment directly into the employer’s bank account.

This guide explains how employers can make a claim for a wage incentive, once they have been issued with a claim form.

• How to claim: Youth Contract wage incentives

For full details go to the Department for Work & Pentions website: https://www.dwp.gov.uk/youth-contract/key-initiatives/wage-incentives/

The UK is one of Europe’s largest investors in China, and among the largest destinations in Europe for China’s outward investment. As of 2014, China is the world’s second-largest economy. Between 2007 and 2011, China’s economic growth rate was equivalent to all of the G7 countries’ growth combined. China’s success has been primarily due to manufacturing as a low-cost producer. This is attributed to a combination of cheap labour, good infrastructure, relatively high productivity, favourable government policy, and a possibly undervalued exchange rate.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK China’s annual growth rate fell for seven straight quarters through to the third quarter of 2012; however a pick up is forecasted in October-December. With the euro area still in recession and US demand sluggish, the economy faces considerable headwinds. Furthermore, the new leader Xi Jinping and other policy makers are likely to unveil aggressive stimulus this year when they hope to revive an economy seen growing at its weakest pace since 1999.

TRADE OUTLOOK Growth in Chinese exports is expected to be most rapid to other economies in Asia (excluding Japan) over the medium term. Chinese exporters will begin to target new markets for their products in other emerging economies. Export prospects amongst the developed economies appear far more restrained, with the share of exports to Europe expected to decline. The US economy continues to represent the most important market for Chinese exporters in terms of its absolute size. In terms of imports, rest of Asia (excluding Japan) remains the largest with a quarter of total Chinese imports.

OPPORTUNITIES The Chinese Government’s 5-Year Plan, vows to continue reforming the economy. The governmenthas recently focused on financial-sector reform. The modest economic growth will help economicrestructuring as Chinese firms are increasingly under pressure to move up the value chain, creatingdemand for imported manufactured goods in the long term. China will remain an important andviable market for a wide range of products and services. As a result China offers huge opportunitiesfor British companies, particularly in sectors such as food and drink, renewable energy andfinancial services.

SWOT ANALYSIS

• GDP growth in Q1 2013: +0.3% on the quarter, +0.7% year on year
• Services growth: +0.6% on the quarter, +1.5% on the year
• Manufacturing growth: -0.3% on the quarter, -2.1% on the year

Commenting on the preliminary GDP figures for Q1 2013, published today by the ONS, Caroline Williams, CEO, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The fact that the UK economy avoided negative growth is encouraging and will boost confidence here in Norfolk. As the BCC latest economic survey shows, it is the services sector that is the main component of recent growth. More must be done to support the construction sector and housing growth in general, these areas would benefit from clear guidelines in terms of planning regulations.

Improved infrastructure is also needed and Norfolk businesses need to continue lobby for improvements to the NDR, the A47 and also rail improvements from both Norwich and King’s Lynn to London, as well as continued pressure to ensure broadband improvements are delivered on time. Despite Norfolk businesses ‘holding their nerve’ and continuing to strive for growth, the Norfolk economy is still unacceptably weak, and will remain so without radical measures to get the economy moving.”

Commenting on the preliminary GDP figures for Q1 2013, published today by the ONS, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“While we still believe that the government should stick to its current fiscal reduction plan, there is a need for a more promising growth strategy. We know that businesses are determined and ambitious, and want to drive growth in the face of significant economic headwinds, but they can’t do this alone. The government must consider a significant shift in priorities to boost growth within the existing spending envelope, by allocating more current spending towards capital investment over the next few years.”

David Kern, Chief Economist at the BCC, added:

“The economy returning to positive growth is not surprising, but welcome nonetheless. We have repeatedly said that talk of a new recession is unwarranted, and our recent quarterly survey also signalled that the economy was in positive territory in the first quarter of this year. The figures also highlight the disparity between growth in the service sector and continued falls in manufacturing and construction in particular, which remain under pressure. While services output is now above its pre-recession levels from 2008, both construction and manufacturing are still lower.

“Economic growth however remains too weak and the economy as a whole is still below its pre-recession levels. But the avoidance of recession will underpin confidence and will make it easier for the government, and for the MPC, to consider future policy moves in a calmer atmosphere. The main priority remains combining a realistic deficit cutting programme with policies that make it possible for the economy to achieve sustainable growth.”

• Exports index rises 0.95% in Q1 2013 – but falls 1.5% on Q1 2012
• Confidence among exporters remains high, but is slightly down on the previous quarter
• SMEs experience uplift in their export orders, compared to businesses of other sizes
• Businesses more likely to take on new staff than in Q4 2012

The latest DHL/BCC Trade Confidence Index report – which measures UK exporting activity (Export Index) and business confidence (Confidence Index) – shows that confidence levels in future turnover and profitability remain high, but there was a slight fall from Q4 2012.

Overall, the index number used to calculate the volume of trade documents required of all businesses exporting outside the EU, now stands at 114.84; this represents an increase of 0.95% on Q4 2012 and is now the second highest since records began three years ago, although if compared to the same quarter in 2012 the figure is 1.49% down.

Responses from more than 1,800 firms reveal that export orders and sales fell when compared to Q4 2012, however when broken down the services sector fall was marginal compared to the manufacturing sector. There was also a small increase in the number of businesses planning to take on new staff, particularly within medium and larger firms.

The key findings from the report are:

• Over one-third of exporters (41%) said their export sales increased in Q1 2013, compared to 14% of respondents, who said that they decreased;
• In the services sector, export sales increased for 44% of firms, down from 46% in Q4 2012. In manufacturing, export sales increased for only 36% of firms, down from 45% in the previous quarter;
• Small firms’ order balances increased by 2% and medium firms’ order balances increased by 11%. Larger firms however reported a fall of 10% and micro firms a fall of 3%;
• 59% of exporters feel that their turnover will increase throughout 2013. 50% believe that their profitability will improve in 2013;
• More than a quarter of firms (28%) said that they expected to increase staff this year, up from 27% in Q4 2012.

Tracey Howard, International Trade Director, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: Norfolk exporters are demonstrating a high level of confidence and Norfolk Chamber has seen increased numbers attending export training courses, as local exporters try to ensure that their staff a fully conversant with the latest rules and regulations.

Our recent ‘Global Market Place’ series of events highlighted that Norfolk exporters continue to look for ever expanding new markets in a bid to increase their export capacity. The success of Norfolk exporters has been shown when it was announced that two Norfolk-based companies: Omex Agrifluid Ltd, based in King’s Lynn; and Structure-Flex Ltd in Melton Constable; had both won a Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Commenting, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “Although the manufacturing sector recorded a sharp fall in exports, the UK’s larger services sector continues to drive overseas trade. Optimism remains high amongst the UK businesses I visit week in, week out, who are determined to grow, create wealth, and break into new and fast-growing markets abroad, in spite of the continued risks facing UK exporters.

“These results are a mixed bag, and reflect the challenges still being faced by those trading internationally. We need more companies to take the plunge and start exporting and to do this they need support from government, particularly through investment in trade promotion. If we are to win the ‘economic war’ that the Prime Minister has described on numerous occasions, we need both a more enterprise-friendly environment and a large-scale increase in the resources and attention dedicated to supporting international trade.”

Commenting on the report’s results, Phil Couchman, CEO of DHL Express UK and Ireland, said: “It’s really encouraging to see SMEs forging the way for British businesses overseas, particularly in this time of economic uncertainty.

“The Export Index shows there are clearly still opportunities for British businesses to expand into overseas markets, as it remains at historically high standards, a fundamentally positive indicator.

“As the eurozone crisis continues to erode both business and consumer confidence, those businesses that are looking to trade internationally should be taking advantage of the potential of Asia and emerging territories. The government has estimated that by 2030, Asian consumers’ spending is expected to be around 32 trillion dollars annually or about 43% of worldwide consumption – a major opportunity for businesses of any size.”