At a time when the news comprises, Covid, shortage of goods and international tensions it is a welcome diversion to take a step back and focus on two uplifting local events that not only celebrate our culture, inventiveness, and foresight, but also offer a vision of rebirth and regeneration, especially to our young people.

Last week saw the unveiling of Stoke-on-Trent’s iconic Spitfire housed in its stunning new glass fronted gallery.

It was particularly poignant that the £5.4M gallery was unveiled on the day which marks the RAF’s victory against all odds in the Battle of Britain. And on Saturday we were treated to a flypast of one of the last of the flying Spitfires.

What a fantastic and fitting memorial to its inventor, Reginald J Mitchell, born in Butt Lane in 1895.

This shy man with little formal training in aerodynamics created many revolutionary aircraft in the Twenties, breaking several speed records along the way.

Mitchell sadly died in 1937, never knowing how famous and iconic his greatest plane, the Spitfire, would become and how it would play such a pivotal role in changing the fortunes of the nation in 1940.

Now thousands of people will be able to see our fully restored Spitfire, sitting proudly in its brand-new glass walled gallery which looks even more stunning when it is lit up at night.

We have yet another world-class attraction in Stoke-on-Trent which is an example of the regeneration happening across the city. It is not just a celebration of our past but a beacon to the future as we rebuild a city fit for the 21st century. We need to encourage our young people to appreciate rewards of following a career in science and engineering, starting with STEM subjects at school.

I wonder what the modest Mitchell would have thought to see his creation, for the second time, as a symbol of hope and triumph over adversity? Hopefully with a sense of real pride and a wry smile.

The seventh British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) is currently taking place, centred at the Goods Yard in Stoke with exhibitions at Air Space Gallery, The Spode Museum and Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

The five-week festival of ceramic art was initiated in 2009 and has grown to be the single largest ceramics event in the UK, a flagship cultural project for Stoke-on-Trent and a catalyst for regeneration. It showcases artworks from the UK’s leading ceramicists alongside work by international artists, in exhibitions and special events held across the city. BCB is underpinned by an exciting year-round programme of artists’ commissions, education, and community engagement projects.

For me, and countless visitors, what makes the BCB special is the opportunity for close contact with thought-provoking work with many artists taking inspiration from Stoke-on-Trent’s extraordinary industrial heritage. It is also closely linked to our ceramic future as we enter a new age of exciting opportunities with the development of the £18M plus global centre for advanced ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent.

Showcasing at the BCB is AWARD 21, is a prestigious exhibition and platform for UK contemporary ceramic art. It presents 10 of the UK’s most innovative ceramic artists who are competing for the £5000 prize.

Other highlights include ‘Fresh’ – a platform for new artists, ‘Stoke Makes Plates’ – with over 250 plates designed by local residents and ‘Generation’ – a project engaging young people with the area’s ceramic heritage.

Of course, there is much more and the BCB is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Entry is free and there is no need to book. More information from: www.britishceramicsbiennial.com

If you want to talk to us about any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Businesses will be encouraged by this week’s announcements around measures being taken to protect people from Covid and reduce its spread as we move into the winter season.

But they will be frustrated by the inability of the Government to give them any detail around what circumstances could lead to new restrictions and what support firms could get.

Many businesses have adapted and adjusted to keep our economy moving forward, getting on with the job, despite a lack of clarity around guidance which means they are still negotiating a legal minefield.

Furlough

Businesses want to know what support they will be offered if the worst happens. We would also like to see furlough – and other support measures – put permanently on the shelf so they can be activated if there is a further lockdown. It’s a system that is proven to work in Germany and ensures business has the confidence to keep investing.

We are not expecting the government to have a crystal ball and predict the future in minute detail. We are simply asking that they give businesses the assurance as to what will happen if the pandemic spikes again and that they will not be left behind.

International Travel

It is also vital that any changes to the traffic light system for international travel are communicated to the aviation industry as soon as possible, and well before 1^st October. It remains one of the few sectors unable to fully reopen and government must find additional ways to support it.

The British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) latest economic forecast suggests business investment is falling, and with the new national insurance levy introduced last week, firms need to know there aren’t going to be any more surprises.

A proper contingency plan should give businesses the confidence they need to move on from just surviving to growing, thriving, and leading the way out of the coronavirus crisis.

If you have any concerns around these measures, contact us: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

The UK’s exit from the European Union has thrown up a range of challenges for companies which trade internationally but the approach of Staffordshire Chambers has been to work around barriers to trade ensuring businesses are still able to sell and send goods to EU based customers.

Firms have been able to continue trading overseas through the process of customs declarations, however they may now require further paperwork in the form of a transit declaration to certify that duties need only be paid in the destination country, and not in countries through which goods pass.

We were the first chamber in the UK to offer a transit declaration service, due to us taking the lead in the national training for the service through the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

Our customs team leader, Allison Tomlinson is part of the BCC team delivering the transit documentation training which has led to 40 UK chambers now being able to offer the service.

We were the first chamber in the UK to go live with a transit declaration service on 1^st June and we have been extremely busy issuing certificates, known as T1’s, since then.

Prior to the issue of the T1’s drivers were being help up at ports for up to 24 hours, increasing costs and in some cases, causing delivery deadlines to be missed.

Firms are also benefitting from a guarantee to cover unpaid duties and can benefit from becoming an ‘authorised consignor’.

Authorised consignors can print their own T1 declarations and drivers can head straight to the port and avoid costly hold-ups on arrival. To date a quarter of all the UK’s authorised consignors are based in Staffordshire.

Anyone wanting more information on transit declarations can contact the international trade team on 01782 202222 or visit www.staffordshirechambers.co.uk/internationaltrade

If you want to talk to us about any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Whilst we at the Chambers fully understand the need to tackle the problems facing the country’s social care system, raising national insurance, and increasing the surcharge on dividend income seems ill thought out given the challenges businesses are already facing. Many firms have been seriously affected by 18 months of Covid related restrictions on trading and changes in the patterns of orders, some have built up huge debt burdens (and most have been worried at some time about cash flow) and many are now affected by labour shortages, distribution issues and rising energy costs. Not a good time, I suspect, to add to the burden of tax on businesses and individuals.

Businesses generate prosperity, create jobs and support communities. The focus should be on creating the best possible environment for them to grow and thrive so they can sustainably deliver the tax revenue needed to support our public services and the wider economy. The proposed tax rises will take much-needed funds away from Staffordshire businesses who are already facing rising costs and so many other pressures.

The top line information has been told widely – it’s a 1.25 per cent health and social care levy introduced from April 2022, based on national insurance (NI) contributions to generate £36bn towards social care reforms over the next three years. Although first it will be used to fund “the biggest catch-up programme in the NHS’ history”  but I am not quite sure what it will be paying for as we haven’t got enough nurses, doctors are facing burnout and we aren’t training enough, we can’t build many more hospitals in this time surely? Could this be an opportunity for new entrants from the private sector to fill the gaps and be part of the new trade negotiations?

I would value your thoughts on these changes – and the tax on dividends – and how these changes are going to affect your business. This helps formulate our response to Government and feeds into our national lobbying via the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), so please get in touch via the various methods of contact below.

Finally, a reminder that you have two weeks to enter the 2021 Staffordshire Business Awards which close for entries on 24^th September.

The quality of entries last year was extremely high, and I am expecting the same again, if not even higher this year.

Award categories cover every size and sector of businesses – from brand new start-ups to large, established companies – and there are also awards for individuals who have excelled.

The overall winner from the 15 categories will take home the coveted Business of The Year Award, sponsored, for the seventh year running, by HSBC.

Shortlisted entrants will be notified following the judging and a special gala award event – live and virtual,at Uttoxeter Racecourse, and streamed online – will take place in November.

More information on the awards and entry details: www.staffordshirechambers.co.uk/awards

If you want to talk to us about any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Businesses have seen their working practices change dramatically since the start of the pandemic and the shift in working practices has thrown up many challenges and opportunities.

Many employees are now facing a future of working some, or all the time from home with firms adapting to hybrid working – a mix of home working and time in at the office.

This has certainly been our experience at the Chambers, and we will be retaining a blend of home and office-based working as it has proven to be good for the environment, for wellbeing and for productivity.

All of this has led us to launch a brand-new suite of services, Virtual Office Services in response to members’ demands. Whilst businesses are adapting their strategies, diversifying their product offering and changing their working processes, the need for excellent customer service remains constant, and maintaining high levels of consistency is a necessity.

Through Virtual Office Services, firms can subscribe to a range of services such as a virtual receptionist, physical mailbox, virtual inbox, video conferencing and can utilise the Chambers Members’ Lounge for workspace and meetings in a Covid secure environment.

The virtual receptionist service will enable members to run their business at home and to ensure they never miss an important phone call. The service offers a professional call answering service, taking calls and messages using the business name, which can then be relayed to appropriate staff members.

Members can also rent a secure physical mailbox at our Festival Park headquarters, Commerce House. Useful for businesses working remotely or with no fixed address who want to continue using a professional business address.”

A virtual inbox will forward emails to any address in the world whilst the Scan 2 email service scans important letters and emails and forwards them directly to the business owner.

Any business interested in Virtual Office Services can contact Vicky Frost – vicky.frost@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

 

Also, just a reminder that there is still chance to book on to events at the Staffordshire Business Festival, a week of themed webinars and talks which starts on Monday 6^th September, delivered by a talented pool of local specialists, all experts in their field, and ready to impart their knowledge and wisdom via 13 FREE one-hour webinars which will focus on leadership, people & culture, the future of the office, digital transformation, and customer expectations.

On Monday, Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) will be interviewing Nick Beighton, CEO of ASOS who will be talking about ASOS’s meteoric rise since their launch in 2000, their new Lichfield distribution centre and their reaction to pandemic market conditions and buying behaviour.

And on Friday 10^th September we will be hosting a special live event at Uttoxeter Racecourse with businessman and motivational speaker Gerald Ratner who famously denigrated the products of former high street jewellery chain – Ratners, leading to its subsequent collapse. He now runs the successful online jewellery business, Gerald Online.

To view the full Business festival programme and book your places visit: Business Festival 2021 – Staffordshire Chambers

If you want to talk to us about any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Running your very own restaurant, coffee shop or bar might be a dream, but you are up against huge competition, and it can be tough out there.  For survival and success, you may want to consider the following:

• Find your niche: small independents can compete with the big chains – but you need to find your USP. How are you different?
• Location is key: aim for areas of high footfall with few competing businesses nearby
• Build the right team: you need to find great staff who can deliver outstanding customer service – you can’t do it on your own
• Pick your suppliers carefully: your customers will only turn into regulars if you’re offering quality food and drink
• And finally, don’t forget your bottom line: you also need keep an eye on regular outgoings such as your energy bills

Energy is a key expense for small catering businesses which makes it a crucial area for these businesses to save money and take control of their finances.  Smart meters could give businesses additional visibility over energy use and costs to make it easier to identify where changes and savings can be made.

In addition, sustainability is a key focus for many businesses across Great Britain – the smart meter rollout is predicted to reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 34.4m tonnes – so by getting smart meters installed in your business you’re helping achieve this, making your business that bit more sustainable.

Your smart meter works as hard as you do

Running an independent coffee shop, bar or restaurant is a round-the-clock job and supplying your energy readings is often not a top priority.  Smart meters send your gas and electricity readings directly to your energy supplier, saving you time to focus on other jobs.

Firms with 10 employees or less could be eligible and installations can be arranged at a convenient time to ensure minimal interruption to your business and your clients.

To find out more please click here Smart Meters for Small Businesses | Smart Energy GB

Contact your energy supplier or broker today and see if you are eligible.

The Staffordshire Chambers Business Festival 2021 is taking place over five days from Monday 6th to Friday 10th September.

We will be hosting five days of themed webinars to help your business shake off the pandemic hangover, capitalise on new opportunities and power ahead.

The festival comprises a programme of short, engaging, and informative online events delivered by a talented pool of local specialists, all experts in their field, and ready to impart their knowledge and wisdom via 13 FREE one-hour webinars which will focus on leadership, people & culture, the future of the office, digital transformation, and customer expectations.

On Monday 6^th November  Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) will be interviewing Nick Beighton, CEO of ASOS who will be talking about ASOS’s meteoric rise since their launch in 2000, their new Lichfield distribution centre and their reaction to pandemic market conditions and buying behaviour.

And on Friday 10^th September we will be hosting a special live event at Uttoxeter Racecourse with businessman and motivational speaker Gerald Ratner who famously denigrated the products of former high street jewellery chain – Ratners, leading to its subsequent collapse. He later went on to he set up a health club which was sold for £3.9m in 2001. He now runs, in collaboration with SB&T International Ltd, an export manufacturing company based in India and the online jewellery business Gerald Online.

The festival is supported by partners and sponsors Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub, Keele University, Insight 6, and Synectics Solutions.

To view the full Business festival programme and book your places visit: Business Festival 2021 – Staffordshire Chambers

There are many things which are important to consider for owners of independent catering businesses: you need to find their niche, consider their location, build a great team and pick their suppliers carefully; however, you also need keep a close eye on regular outgoings such as energy bills.  Energy is a key expense for small catering businesses which makes it a crucial area for these businesses to save money and take control of their finances.

Running an independent restaurant, coffee shop or bar is a round-the-clock job and for business owners, supplying energy readings is often not a top priority.  Smart meters can help! Smart meters send your gas and electricity readings directly to your energy supplier, saving you time to focus on other jobs.

A smart meter could also give your businesses additional visibility over energy use and costs to make it easier to identify where changes and savings can be made.

If your firm has 10 employees or less, your business could be eligible.  To see whether smart metering can work for your business, contact your energy supplier. To find out more please email the Chambers: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk or call 01782 202222.

If you want to talk to us about any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

It is well documented that Staffordshire lags other counties in academic achievements and career aspirations.  Many local employers struggle to fill roles and the situation has been made worse by the pandemic.  Every young person deserves the best possible start, and this should not be determined by background or geography.

And as the economy is set to boom, post-pandemic, it is not a shortage of vacancies that is the problem, but a shortage of applicants with the requisite skills and work ethic.

As a Chamber we are fully behind our young people and believe that by acting now, we can all help inspire the future Staffordshire workforce.

Several local businesspeople are already giving their time as an enterprise advisor with the national Careers & Enterprise Company.

The Careers & Enterprise Company exists to facilitate a world-class careers education, inspiring and preparing young people for the world of work.  They support schools and colleges across England to deliver excellent careers education, responsive to individual pupil needs and underpinned by the internationally recognised Gatsby Career Benchmarks.

One of the enterprise advisors in Staffordshire is Julie Mirowski. Many of you will be familiar with Julie as she is also a director of the family business, Newcastle-under-Lyme based, Rydale Roofing and a member of the board of directors of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce.

Julie says of being an enterprise advisor at Chesterton High School: “It’s so important that we get as many advisors into our schools as we can.  Schools are often dealing with children whose parents don’t work so they have no role model to inspire them to achieve.  As a woman working in the construction industry, I have had a rewarding career and I therefore feel a duty to inspire school children to consider opportunities they would not otherwise have thought of.

“I have worked with Year 10 students at Chesterton high School on the Career Ready Programme which has modules such as behaviour at work and mock interviews.  You can really see a marked change in the students’ behaviour and motivation as sessions progress.  It’s often as if a light has been switched on as they go from not making eye contact, to seeing that they have the potential to achieve a fulfilling life”

Julie has also joined the recently formed Young People’s Working Group established by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce to explore ways in which we can support young people into work.

I know there are potentially many more businesspeople like Julie who can invest time in working with and inspiring young people to aim high in their work lives and appreciate the rewards that come with this.

 We need more enterprise advisors in Staffordshire, with a genuine interest in the best future for our young people and for our economy to consider giving a few hours a month to become a Careers & Enterprise Company enterprise advisor.

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming an enterprise advisor, or joining the Young Peoples Working Group please contact Vicki Hardie vicki.hardie@staffordshirechambers.co.uk or visit The Careers & Enterprise Company (careersandenterprise.co.uk)

 Also, a quick reminder that there is just over a month to get your entries in for the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards 2021.

Entries close on 24^th September and are open to any business based in Staffordshire. Shortlisted entrants will be notified following the judging and a special gala award event – both live and streamed – will take place in November.

More information on the awards and entry details: www.staffordshirechambers.co.uk/awards

If you want to talk to us about any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

With COP26 in Glasgow only three months away and after this week’s announcement from the UN with their climate change report warning of ‘unprecedented and ‘extreme’ consequences – and seeing the flames around Athens and other parts of the world – climate change is here, and we need to act to stop it getting worse.

But there are number of issues – the terminology is confusing; understanding the first step is mind-boggling; there is uncertainty about the costs of changes needed; and, although we are seeing our favourite holiday destinations being affected, there is still little information about how it will affect your business, your family, in Staffordshire and how you can protect them.

Findings show that one in five businesses don’t fully understand the term ‘net zero,’ and almost a third have yet to seek advice or information to help them develop a net zero roadmap or improve their environmental sustainability. And with the impacts of the pandemic and other priorities weigh heavily on small and medium sized businesses, and so research shows that smaller firms are far more likely to be behind on climate action.

As with any good business decision, is to find out what you are doing now. Research published this week by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), in partnership with O2, has found that only 11 percent of more than 1,000 surveyed in the UK, are measuring their carbon footprint. Micro businesses and surprisingly, only 26 percent of larger firms, with more than 50 employees, are measuring their footprint. So, until we know what we are doing, it is hard to know how to stop it.

Staffordshire Business Environment Network, in association with the Chambers and the Growth Hub, are developing a carbon tracker tool for businesses here and an environmental sustainability mapper. There will soon be an offer for carbon literacy training too.

As a business, the Chambers are acting as guinea pigs for this, and I’ll let you know how we get on. But please sign up for this free service to help you start the journey.

In response to the findings, the Chambers’ Network through the BCC and O2 have launched a free online hub to provide somewhere for businesses to find out what they need to know about Net Zero. It has information on how to apply for grants, where to seek specialist advice and practical tips from firms that have already acted, as well as a signposting service to other ideas and support available.

SO some ideas come from the survey – for example, over the next 12 months, over half of businesses surveyed are planning to reduce their consumption (e.g., of paper, food, and plastics), with reduction in travel, energy and consumption also prioritised. Of those looking to act, eight in ten cite concern about the environment as the motivating factor, followed by efficiency gains or cost savings.

Whether you have just started your journey or are well underway, the hub offers practical guides, real-life insights, and useful tools to help small businesses reap the benefits of reaching net zero. Small businesses make up 99 percent of the UK’s business landscape, and this commitment from O2 and the BCC will help greatly in cutting the collective carbon footprint and playing a part in building a cleaner, greener future for the UK.

To find out more about how the new Net Zero Hub from the BCC and O2 visit: https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/page/net-zero-hub-2

Locally, Staffordshire Business and Environment Network (SBEN) are working with small and micro businesses to encourage them to commit to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030. So please get in touch with them via their website to book appointments to see how you can start to track your environmental impact and see where you can make a change.

https://www.sben.co.uk

If you want to talk to us about climate change or any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

As we move into a new era of post-pandemic work life, the issue of hybrid working has thrown up some interesting questions for managers to address.

Companies are having to consider three choices. Do they bring everyone back to the workplace; introduce a flexible working regime; or allow people to work from home permanently?

Many people may well be making their first trips into the office, some possibly for the first time in over a year, others possibly for the first time in their career. And they are now with colleagues who may have been working throughout the pandemic – which can result in cliques of people who have been working very closely together for the last 18 months.

Most large corporates are currently saying that the future is hybrid. Some of the UK’s largest office occupiers, from the big four accountancy firms to major tech firms, all intend to allow more flexible working after the pandemic, with staff splitting their time between their desk and a remote location.

However, it’s not so easy for manufacturing or transport or construction or those businesses that work directly with the public. The tensions that can develop in a business as some people want to continue to work from home whilst others, in the same business but with different functions, can’t, is something we will have to manage.

There are enormous benefits of bringing teams together in a communal workplace. It fosters collaboration and culture, whilst also helping to train younger employees and new starters, who may not have the luxury of a dedicated workspace at home.

I suppose the coming months and years will answer the question as to what the role of the office is and how often do we need to go there –some businesses may not feel they even need one anymore. Similarly, how do we manage, motivate, and develop teams in a hybrid age? And how do we ensure our people feel looked after?

As with all business models there is no one-size-fits-all. We need to understand not only the organisation but the workforce and the personas inside the workforce.

However, nothing will be set in stone, and I am sure we will see a lot of testing to see what works best with companies being flexible and offering a fair package which suits the organisations and the individual. And the Chambers are offering a new way of using our premises to support the new ways of working (virtual office, hot desk spaces and meeting rooms).

The true test will be productivity. During lockdown, we were all in the same boat and there wasn’t anything else to do, or places to go so productivity gains were great –  we will have to see if this lasts and if we can make hybrid working a good deal for our staff and our clients.

It is all about keeping the dialogue open and consulting with your workforce to monitor what works best in each organisation. And no doubt the debate will continue, and it will certainly feature as a hot topic with our HR, Employment and Skills Forum.

If you would like to put a question or opinion to the HR, Employment and Skills Forum, please email Suzanne Quinn: suzanne.quinn@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

 

The UK is facing a huge literacy challenge, and this is especially pressing in Stoke-on-Trent, where a quarter of all children come from low-income families.

Each child deserves the best possible start in life, and language, communication and literacy are vital in boosting children’s life chances and unlocking their full potential in education and employment.

The Stoke-on-Trent Literacy Business Pledge provides a framework for businesses to tackle the literacy challenges by working with the Chambers and National Literacy Trust. You can help by being a business that supports the drive to raise literacy levels in the local community and engages employees in tackling the literacy challenge.

As an active supporter your logo will be used in a pledge document to celebrate businesses who have committed to support the challenge. You’ll receive a guidance document highlighting additional areas of support you can get involved in and be invited to events to raise awareness and tackle the barriers to improved literacy levels in our community.

If you would like to be a part of this great initiative Click here to sign up for the Pledge!

If you want to talk to us about any other business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk