On Thursday 25th February 80 Norfolk Chamber Members joined us at Holiday Inn Norwich North for an extremely eye opening morning on the topic of Cyber Security.
Host Rachele Kelsall of Hugh J Boswell kicked off the morning, introducing featured charity The History of Advertising Trust and our networking ice breaker. Delegates enjoyed some relaxed networking on their tables before our first speaker took the floor.
Stuart Sullivan of SGS Legal first shocked delegates with some figures on the increase of cyber-attacks, stating 90% of large business and 75% of small businesses have suffered a security breach. He highlighted some recent case studies and common issues made by businesses and stressed the importance of businesses asking themselves questions on how they’re preventing these attacks.
Following the talk, delegates tucked into a full breakfast, with most tables continuing to discuss Stuart’s presentation. We then proceeded to mix our delegates up in our Safari Move, swapping them to different tables to make even more connections.
Lynsey Sweales of SocialB Ltd took to the stage next, asking delegates ‘If your business isn’t using social media you are safe from a social media disaster?’ She covered case studies on social media disasters from employees to businesses and demonstrated the damage that could be done to the business. Lynsey highlighted most importantly that social media is here to stay, we live in a digital age and tightening your restrictions on social media is key to avoid disasters.
With a quick Q&A, Rachele closed the event with thanks to all our attendees, leaving time for more in depth one on one discussions between delegates and our speakers.
Free informal networking, what more could you want as a business in West or North Norfolk?
Whether established or growing from scratch, we invite all businesses based in West Norfolk, North Norfolk and as far East as Fakenham to join us for an evening of what we do best, networking!
Hosted at The Wenns Chop & Ale House the event opens at 5.30pm.
Who is it for?
Business owners, managers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, young businesses and anyone who wants to connect and engage with other businesses in the Norfolk area.
Make sure you book your place now to make those all-important connections local to you.
Be the first to hear updates about our upcoming events by signing up to our monthly events newsletter here.
COVD-19 Safe; we know the current importance of social distancing. In response, we have created a new structure for this Food Safety qualification. We use a mixture of structured, self-directed learning, interactive webinars with the RedCat team and a formal computer-based test, invigilated by the Awarding Body, Highfield ABC. WHO’S SUITBALE? Supervisory staff in any catering or manufacturing business, who are involved in the implementation of food safety management systems, and the direct supervision of staff. Owners and managers of smaller businesses would also benefit from the course. If you’re unsure, contact us. HOW WILL THE COURSE BE DELIVERED? We send all the relevant materials prior to the first session, including the traditional coursebook. Learning is spread over four, 2- hour live webinars, delivered from our No.8 training facilities. Delegates must attend all the live sessions and complete the work assigned to qualify for the assessment at the end of the course. WHY REDCAT? Tutors Sarah, Danielle and Richard, as chartered Environmental Health Officers have extensive knowledge attained 80+ years of experience. We deliver the knowledge, retention, understanding and behaviour change that supervisors require, something traditional e-learning can’t guarantee. HOW DO I BOOK? We’ve uploaded a booking form here, but you can also contact us directly on 01603 473732 or enquiries@redcatpartnership.co.uk and we’ll send you the relevant booking information
After Christmas, your employees will be more likely to be prioritising their health. You can help them achieve their goals and improve wellbeing and productivity by booking Norfolk Health Checks to visit your workplace in January 2023!
The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of overall health for people aged 40-74 and takes 20-30 minutes to complete. Specially trained Health Check Practitioners will do some basic tests and complete a questionnaire with participants, before giving tailored advice and signposting to help them reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. The service is fully funded by Norfolk County Council, meaning that we can deliver health checks to your employees, at their place of work, free of charge. We will also provide any employees that are not eligible for a health check with access to a wide range of resources to help understand and improve their health.
Interested in health checks at your workplace? Visit the new Employer Page on our website, give us a call on 0808 175 0413 to find out more
“I work for DWP and as a decision maker I can say that the service that you delivered was exemplary. A comment has been made that it was lovely – that it didn’t feel like a tick box exercise but an empathetic and informative experience that they would recommend to others. The practitioners were both very knowledgeable and friendly, so they easily put you at ease. As a site wishing to promote personal wellbeing, the sessions have been very helpful in helping others to think of their own help first.” – Heidi Mann, Department for Work and Pensions
“Overall it was a hugely positive experience and I know that many (staff) have already started to make small changes to their lifestyles to improve their health.” – Simon Hobbs – Managing Director of Electrical Testing Ltd
Step into a world of festive enchantment at The Priory 1101, where history and elegance combine to create the perfect setting for your private corporate Christmas party.
Our dedicated event coordinator’s will ensure every detail is perfect, from gourmet catering to top tier entertainment, creating a magical evening where your team can celebrate the years achievements in style!
This event is now full, please email hello@norfolkchambers.co.uk to sign up to the waiting list and register your interest for this event.
We are working closely with VolkerFitzpatrick to hold a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event on Friday 4 November 2022 at Norwich City Football Club and we would like to invite local businesses to explore potential opportunities.
VolkerFitzpatrick has been appointed by Ørsted, the world’s most sustainable energy company, to deliver the installation of onshore cables for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm.
With a capacity of 2,852 MW, Hornsea 3 will produce enough low-cost, clean, renewable electricity to power around 3.2 million UK homes, making a significant contribution to the UK Government’s ambition of having 50 GW offshore wind in operation by 2030 as part of the British Energy Security Strategy.
The project (subject to Ørsted taking a Final Investment Decision on Hornsea 3) will see the installation of 240 km of onshore cables that will connect the offshore wind farm from the landfall at Weybourne in Norfolk to the Norwich Main National Grid Substation. Works are scheduled to commence in March 2023 with an anticipated completion in 2027.
Both VolkerFitzpatrick and Ørsted are committed to engaging with the local community and supply chain to maximise the benefits and opportunities for individuals and the local economy.
VolkerFitzpatrick have proactively identified a number of the relevant trades, services, commodities and skills required and are working closely with Norfolk Chambers to co-ordinate and facilitate as many opportunities as possible for local, and particularly, for small businesses and individuals to get involved and benefit from this exciting project.
This event is a key chance for businesses that fit into the following sectors, to meet and discuss the opportunities to work on the Hornsea 3 project supporting VolkerfitzPatrick. Register your business on the specific Meet The Buyer portal, then select your time slot to meet with the VolkerfitzPatrick team. All tables are open for all sectors, and slots are 15 mins each. (10mins for discussion then 5mins changeover). Please book 1x slot per sector.
Join us at the The George Hotel in Dereham for the next West Norfolk Focus Event. As well as having the opportunity to discuss key topics, you’ll also be able to network with fellow businesses.
Our aim is to have groups in many cities, towns, market towns, and villages across Norfolk, to connect, support, and give voice to every business in Norfolk. These groups are accessible to all businesses, whether you are a Chambers member or a non-member.
These groups will provide you with a platform to debate issues that are most important to you, and your business and the Chamber network will lobby and influence on your behalf, using our dedicated team, our website, social media channels, and our digital platform.
Your feedback will be used by our team and the Chamber’s Board to help shape the strategic direction of Norfolk Chambers to ensure we can truly be the voice of Norfolk businesses.
Whether the local challenge is skills, road, rail, digital infrastructure, recruitment, or the rising costs of doing business, we want to hear from you.
The Egyptian-British Chamber of Commerce has issued a summary of the latest changes taking place in Egypt regarding new regulations to export goods.
In December 2015, the Customs Law has been amended by the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the following are now mandatory:
All shipments should be presented with a legalised Certificate of Origin and a certified commercial Invoice (we do recommend full legalisation by the Egyptian Consulate in London) ;
The invoice should comply with Article 8 of the Customs Law – name, address and phone of the producer are required.
This was followed by the Decrees No. 991 & 992/2015 where registration of 24 products that are exported to Egypt for the retail market only have to be registered at the General Organisation for Export & Import Control. Full list of products and necessary documents is attached. The application can be submitted online MailGate warning: numerical links are often malicious: https://41.128.145.154/
Central Bank of Egypt issued instructions to regulate the handling of export documentation in an attempt to reduce fraudulent valuation of invoices. Therefore the importation process whereby payment is via cash against documents can only be conducted by delivering the documents directly to the foreign bank (UK based), then the foreign bank delivers it directly to the local Egyptian bank. It is prohibited for any customer to him/herself directly receive delivered documents.
Also, Central Bank of Egypt issued instructions that banks shall obtain a security deposit at the rate of 100% instead of 50% under the documentary credits opened for financing the import of commodities for account of the trading companies or governmental bodies. All exemptions from this practice can be found in the full version attached.
On the 22nd of February Central Bank of Egypt amended the initial instructions (paragraphs C&D) to further exempt some companies and items related to Bank-to-Bank documents handling.
CBE’s instructions are not interfering in any way with the Ministry of Trade’s requirements of documents legalisation. Export documentation should still be submitted for certification and legalisation as in paragraph A.
For more information please see attached documents and hope these and the above clarify the current situation.
Designed for business professionals who are expected to perform effectively in a time poor environment, this one-day workshop will help delegates improve their productivity and performance by changing their understanding of and approach to time management.
Benefits of attending this workshop
Understand the benefits of planning and managing time
Recognise your barriers and challenges to effectively managing your time
How you currently use your time and planning to improve
Understand when you are at your most effective and how to make use of this
Understand your workload and how to prioritise effectively
Know how to use a variety of time management techniques to improve efficiency, reduce stress and improve performance
Use techniques to ‘create time’
Manage technology better so it works for us
Workshop Content
Welcome, introduction & review personal objectives
Key benefits and reasons for planning and managing time
Does your time control you? To recognise the key barriers and how to overcome these to improve your own self-management
‘Time Efficiency’. Recognise when you are at your most productive and how to make best use especially with complex tasks
Analysing our Time Log. Recognise prime areas of efficiency and inefficiency in your day to day and actions to improve
Understanding our Priorities. To understand the methodology and practice for prioritising work
Creating Time. To recognise how you can influence and gain time in your working week and create actions to achieve this
Time Management Tools and Techniques. Key techniques of:
Diary planning
Lists
80/20 rule
Clustering
Delegation
Action planning
Making email and social work for you To recognise the major impact that technology has on our lives and what we need to do to make it work for us
Key Tips of Self-Management. To enable you to consider a series of small techniques which have been proven by others to improve the management of their time
Summary, review objectives and close
IMPORTANT NOTE ON PRE-COURSE WORK: You will be asked to complete a time log in preparation for the training. A template will be provided upon booking.
This course is a one day open programme, running 9:30am – 4:30pm on February 27th 2020 and 9:30am – 4:30pm on March 16th 2020
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Friday) downgraded its UK GDP growth forecast, from 2.5% to 2.2% in 2016, and from 2.5% to 2.3% in 2017; for 2018, included for the first time in the forecast, GDP growth of 2.4% is predicted.
The downgrade is due to weaker than expected growth across most areas of the economy, reflecting a general global slowdown. Despite these issues, UK GDP is expected to expand at a moderate and relatively steady pace over the next three years.
Key points in the forecast:
UK GDP growth forecasts downgraded: to 2.2% for 2016 and to 2.3% for 2017
For 2018 – included for the first time – GDP growth of 2.4% is forecast
Downgrade due to weaker than expected growth across most areas of the economy, mainly reflecting a general global slowdown.
Lower than predicted actual growth in Q4 2015, and downward revisions of earlier ONS figures for the first three quarters of 2015, also contributed to the downgrade
Services and consumer spending will remain the key growth drivers of the UK economy
Quarterly UK GDP expected to grow by 0.5% in Q1 2016; thereafter, quarterly GDP growth is forecast to average slightly less than 0.6% per quarter from Q2 2016 onwards
First expected increase in official interest rates, to 0.75% in Q4 2016 – one quarter later than predicted in the previous quarter
Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“In the face of a slowing economy which can be seen in both Norfolk and nationally, and with further potential risks on the horizon, there is a case for sustained Government action to improve prospects for Norfolk business.
“Wherever possible, given very real fiscal constraints, the Chancellor must use his forthcoming Budget to bring forward road, rail, and digital infrastructure projects that would help Norfolk companies do more business. He must also avoid adding further to the long list of new business costs and taxes introduced over recent months, which impact on firms before they turn over a single pound and undermine investment.”
Dr Adam Marshall, Acting Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Our forecast should stand as a wake-up call. The UK’s economic performance is reasonably good when measured against our main competitors, but it’s only mediocre when compared against long-term trends. Our trade deficit remains too high, and is not forecast to improve substantially over the next three years. In turbulent times, a consistent focus on improving infrastructure, sweeping away barriers to business investment, and supporting exporters would be a real recipe for success.”
David Kern, Chief Economist at the BCC, said: “Though we have downgraded our growth forecast, UK GDP is expected to expand at a stronger pace than in most other G7 economies, and broadly in line with our long term trend. Growth will benefit from higher disposable incomes, low inflation and a strong labour market. Though services and consumer spending will remain the key growth drivers of the UK economy, our forecast envisages slower growth in these areas than we predicted previously.
“Weaker growth than previously expected in most UK sectors reflects a general global slowdown, which is due to lower productivity, adverse demographic trends and geo-political uncertainties. The worse net UK trade position that we are now predicting is mostly due to weaker global growth, but we do need to do more to boost exports.
“Worsening global trends will present the main dangers for the UK economy over the next few years. Given the unacceptable size of the current account deficit, failure to achieve a meaningful improvement in net exports will make the UK vulnerable to speculative attacks, and our credit rating could be at risk.”
Other elements from within the forecast:
Main components of demand
Annual average growth in household consumption is forecast to slow: from 3.0% in 2015 to 2.7% in 2016, 2.5% in 2017 and 2.4% in 2018.
In calendar-year terms, UK business investment growth of 4.5% is predicted in 2016, 7.4% in 2017, and 7.4% in 2018
In full-year terms, growth in real exports accelerated to 5.0% in 2015, but real exports fell in Q3 & Q4 2015. The new forecast is that real exports, in full-year terms, will grow by 2.3% in 2016, 3.0% in 2017, and 3.0% in 2018.
The real net trade deficit, having risen to 3.3% of GDP in 2015, is forecast to rise further to 3.7% of GDP in 2016; it will then edge down marginally to 3.6% of GDP in both 2017 & 2018.
Main sectors of the economy
Service sector output is forecast to grow by 2.6% in 2016, 2.7% in 2017 and 2.7% in 2018. The share of services in UK output is likely to rise further in the next few years and the sector will remain the biggest contributor to GDP growth.
Manufacturing output is expected to grow more slowly than services, by 0.5% in 2016, 1.4% in 2017 and 1.4% in 2018.
Total industrial output growth is forecast at 0.5% in 2016, 1.0% in 2017 and 1.0% in 2018.
Construction output growth is forecast at 0.5% in 2016, 2.6% in 2016 & 2.6% in 2018.
Official interest rates
The first increase in UK official interest rates to 0.75% is expected to occur in Q4 2016, one quarter later than previously predicted
Further modest increases in official interest rates can then be expected, in small 0.25% steps, with official interest rates reaching 1.50% in Q4 2017
Unemployment and productivity
The UK unemployment rate is forecast to fall from 5.1% in Q4 2015, to 4.9% in Q4 2016, 4.8% in Q4 2017 and 4.7% in Q7 2018.
Net fall in total unemployment of 101,000 forecast over the next 3 years.
Total youth unemployment (people aged 16 to 24) is expected to fall from 622,000 (a jobless rate of 13.6%) in Q4 2015, to 564,000 (a jobless rate of 12.1%) in Q4 2018, a net fall of 58,000.
Public finances
UK public sector net borrowing is forecast to fall steadily over the next few years.
But the official timetable for moving into budgetary surplus in 2019/20, outlined in the November 2015 Autumn Statement, is slightly too ambitious.
The UK is likely to return to balance in 2019/20, but a move into surplus is only likely in 2020/21.
Inflation and earnings
In annual average terms, annual CPI inflation is forecast at 0.9% in 2016, 1.8% in 2017 and 2.2% in 2018. In Q4 we predicted 1.1% in 2016 and 2.0% in 2017.
Total earnings growth (total pay including bonuses) is predicted to average 2.6% in 2016, 3.5% in 2017 and 4.0% in 2018.
The new forecasts for earnings growth are lower than those we made in Q4.
Book your free ticket to our latest Focus Engagement Group at Broadland Business Park here.
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Our aim is to have groups in many cities, towns, market towns, and villages across Norfolk, to connect, support, and give voice to every business in Norfolk. These groups are accessible to all businesses, whether you are a Chambers member or a non-member.
These groups will provide you with a platform to debate issues that are most important to you, and your business and the Chamber network will lobby and influence on your behalf, using our dedicated team, our website, social media channels, and our digital platform.
Your feedback will be used by our team and the Chamber’s Board to help shape the strategic direction of Norfolk Chambers to ensure we can truly be the voice of Norfolk businesses.
Whether the local challenge is skills, road, rail, digital infrastructure, recruitment, or the rising costs of doing business, we want to hear from you.