I start with a welcome note of optimism this week with a survey of UK small businesses illustrating that are increasingly confident in their ability to grow and power the economic recovery, although many still have fears about the ongoing impact of Covid restrictions. This welcome news comes according to new data published today by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) in partnership with Funding Circle, the UK’s largest small business loan platform.

The survey of more than 1,000 firms, almost all SMEs, reveals the majority (63 percent) are emerging from lockdown with either concrete plans or intentions to grow their business over the next 12 months. The manufacturing sector (68 percent) is particularly optimistic, while 58 percent of the hardest hit business-to-consumer (B2C) firms such as hospitality, catering and retail still anticipate growth. By the end of the year, 91 percent of businesses expect to have fully restarted, with only 1 percent not expecting to restart for the foreseeable future.

For many, the biggest barriers to reopening are Covid-related, such as the risk of further lockdowns (cited by 38 percent of respondents) or social distancing requirements (cited by 37 percent). Concerns, inflation pressure and recruitment difficulties are topics that we are hearing about more and more as we talk to Members and the business community, and there are still issues about getting investment and loans.

While the road to recovery will not be straightforward, it is great to see SMEs are looking towards the future with such optimism.

We are always interested in what our Members are thinking – and we are picking up some great conversations on issues from our new Members’ platform, the Virtual Members’ Lounge, so log on and catch up through our new website www.staffordshirechambers.co.uk!

Another great way to share experiences and meet like-minded business colleagues is through our Peer Networks programme, in partnership with the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub.

Participants meet up in cohorts, of between eight and 11, with a fully trained facilitator. Together, participants discuss strategic and operational challenges and work together to find practical solutions – it’s your issues that are discussed and solutions found by sharing experiences and ideas. The programme is fully funded with a commitment of 21.5 hours from participants, including three and a half hours of one-to-one coaching.

This is our second Peer network and we have had great feedback on the quality of the sessions and the value of connections made.  I am confident that this latest programme will prove to be just as engaging and beneficial.

If you are interested in attending the next Peer Networks programme, please contact Richard Brace richard.brace@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

If you want to talk to us about any 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

We have seen unprecedented demand for our start-up advice as more people are taking the leap to self-employment, mainly due the economic effect of the pandemic.

In addition to our normal face-to-face start up advice, the Chamber is launching a brand-new innovative platform to equip would-be entrepreneurs with the knowledge to run their own business.

The Ignite portal will operate in tandem with the Chamber’s more traditional start-up programme that offers an identical package of learning in a workshop based or online format.

The interest in being your own boss has grown as many people have lost their jobs over the past year or have had time to rethink their work-life balance and opt for a change of course.

We already have four start-up advisers based at the Chamber who cover the whole of the county. The Ignite portal is a response to the demand for a totally flexible knowledge resource catering for people who may be still in employment or education and who may find it difficult to attend start-up workshops during normal office hours.

Ignite has a library of videos and templates along with activities which test learning. It has modules covering all the business basics such as business planning, bookkeeping, market research, accounting and cashflow.

Ignite was developed in conjunction with a local software company and it has been tested with partners and students who gave positive critical feedback.

It offers total flexibility and users can take as long as they like to work through the modules. They can also opt to join a traditional start-up course at any stage if they wish.

Anyone wishing to access Ignite can do so from 7th June 2021. Clients need to contact the Chamber’s start-up team on 01782 202222 or start@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

US tariff suspension is great news for the ceramics industry

This week we heard that the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has recommended and immediately suspended tariff action following their investigation into the UK’s Digital Services Tax (DST). The tariffs will be suspended for up to 180 days to provide additional time for parties to reach agreement on a multilateral solution at the OECD.

The Chamber’s International Trade Team supported the British Ceramic Confederation in their successful campaign to ensure that the US Government’s proposed 25% ‘retaliatory tax’, in response to the UK’s Digital Services Tax, has been suspended. This would have had a huge impact on ceramic exports to the US, so we are delighted at this positive result. For all international trade information and enquiries visit: International Trade – Staffordshire Chambers

Our new website and Virtual Members’ Lounge are now live.

We have spent the past few months updating our website. It is now faster, simpler to navigate, more informative and contains extra interactive features to help you get even more from your membership.

Previously, members had a single login, however, to open membership up to all we are moving to am individual login so that all staff members can have their own account. This will allow everyone to access our new Virtual Members’ Lounge area and book events individually.

The Virtual Member’s Lounge gives you all the facilities of our actual Members’ Lounge at our Festival Park HQ, but from your own screen. You can start a discussion, ask a question and network with fellow members to build your business contact base. If you are a member, you can click here to set up your individual login: https://bit.ly/3yXhT8j

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, 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 was a welcome news last week when Home Secretary, Rt. Hon Priti Patel MP revealed plans to create more than 500 government jobs in Stoke-on-Trent over the next five years.

The Home Office is set to open an Immigration Caseworking Innovation Centre in the city, which will see the department dramatically increase its local footprint.

Initially there will be 50 caseworker roles, with a further 200 jobs within an asylum co-ordination hub.

Great news indeed for local employment as the Innovation Centre will expand to around 560 jobs by around 2025. The Home Office currently employs just 10 people in Stoke-on-Trent, out of a total UK workforce of 35,000.

In addition to the caseworker roles, the centre will include operational, IT, policy, and corporate functions, with the intention of offering ‘exciting career paths’ to local people, including apprenticeships.

And there are also plans to move several senior Civil Service roles to Stoke-on-Trent as part of the government’s Places for Growth programme.

The announcement follows lobbying of the Home Office on the jobs issue by the Chambers, Stoke-on-Trent’s MPs, and civic leaders.

As Priti Patel said, “This isn’t just about reallocating existing civil service jobs from London. It is about creating opportunities for young people in Stoke-on-Trent, with an apprentice first policy and a career ladder to support social mobility.

“There will be jobs in cutting edge technology, the sort of technology which will ensure we can deliver the big reforms which are needed.”

Home Office officials are in the process of securing funding for the Innovation Centre, and further details are expected soon about where the facility will be located, and when it will open.

Small and medium-sized businesses across Stoke-on-Trent can still apply for grant funding to help them get the most from digital technology.

The council has already paid out £11.5 million in Additional Restrictions Grant funding to businesses across the city to help them recover from the pandemic and is now making up to an additional £700,000 available using the remaining allocation of national Additional Restriction Grant funding.

The aim of the grant is to help businesses use digital technology to grow as they emerge from the pandemic. Grants of up to £10,000 are available and support could include digital marketing, website design, the use of digital platforms and the purchase of digital equipment.

The council are particularly interested in hearing from new businesses which have been trading for fewer than five years and may be struggling to establish themselves and grow. For such businesses, this is a great opportunity to adopt digital technologies and improve their digital capacity. The fund is being offered across all sectors and they are asking businesses to respond quickly as grants need to be claimed by 30 June 2021.

Successful applicants will have three weeks to purchase services to claim the grant. Businesses must provide receipts and proof of payments to access the funds. To find out more, visit www.stoke.gov.uk/businessgrants, where the latest information on support grants and the eligibility criteria is available. Grants need to be claimed by 30 June 2021.

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, 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

The biggest shake-up to planning rules in more than 70 years was revealed in the Queen’s Speech on Tuesday. And, at the same time, there is chance for businesses to influence what gets built where – and particularly where you might want to build new premises – in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle.

The current planning system has hardly been touched since 1947, but the Government, after many false attempts, now plans to replace it through the Planning Bill with reforms that have been brought forward.

The aim is to simplify planning for housing, making sure that homes and infrastructure can be delivered more quickly across England. It comes as the government aims to create 300,000 new homes annually – an increase of over 100,000 new homes per annum. What businesses also need to know is whether there will be enough “employment land” for their growth and development.

The key planning system changes are:

Cutting Red tape: The Planning Bill aims to cut the time it takes for developments to go through the planning system. Under the current rules, it takes an average of five years for a “standard housing development” to go through. And businesses who are engaged with the system for their own developments know that it is a tortuous and complex system – and seems to be quite opaque.

Move to a digital service: The changes also include a move from a document-based planning system to a digital and map-based service. The hope is that this will allow residents to be more engaged in the development of their local area. Presently only percent of locals engage with planning applications, according to the government. However, residents often oppose business development and so this could be difficult for companies seeking to build or expand.

Change local plans: The government also aims to change local plans, so they provide more certainty over the type and design of development permitted. This would include reforms for locally led development corporations to ensure local areas have access to support for growth and generation.

However, the current Local Plans need to have businesses input. Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Local Plan went out for consultation this week until 21st June.

We are running a Local Plan Consultation Webinar with Stoke-on-Trent City Council on 18th May. It will be introduced by chair of the Chambers Planning and Infrastructure Forum, Carl Copestake, and presented by Thomas Lewis and Harmesh Jassal from Stoke City Council. It is a chance to find out about the plan and how it will affect you and your business, allowing you to raise any issues before the 21st June deadline. You can book your place here: https://bit.ly/2RL4jnz

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that the planning system should be genuinely plan-led with succinct and up-to-date plans providing a positive vision for the future of an area and a framework for addressing housing needs and other economic social and environmental priorities including sustainability.

New frameworks for funding infrastructure: The Bill is set to create new frameworks for funding infrastructure, while at the same time assessing environmental impacts, made easier after the UK left the EU.

The details of this planning legislation will be critically important if it is to support communities in meeting the major challenges facing society. We need more homes. But the Bill must set out a framework that will deliver much more than that. It must transform housing standards and give local people true democratic control over their future AND provide for businesses and companies to provide more opportunities for work in up-to-date factories and offices.

Finally, Businesses across the country will be relieved to hear that they will be able to re-open or restart more of their operations on May 17th. The last few months have seen many firms either severely restricted in their activities, or unable to trade at all, and this announcement will come as a huge boost to them.

Questions remain over what kind of restrictions businesses will be expected to operate under in the medium to long-term, and government must move to answer these as soon as possible. In addition, government must continue to do everything it can to support businesses in the transition back to full trading, giving them every chance to recover and thrive in a post-pandemic world.

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, 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

The latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) shows that growth is expected but some sectors are yet to see signs of revival.

No big surprises there as we emerge from a third lockdown and our exporting sector comes to terms with the UK – EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement which was ratified last week but has been in place since January.

The survey of over 5,900 UK businesses, including Staffordshire businesses, shows an increase in the percentage of firms expecting workforce growth but also continued weakness and volatility in retail and hospitality sectors.

The percentage of firms attempting to recruit in Q1 remains low at 40 percent in comparison to a 55 percent pre-pandemic 2019 average. Increases in attempted recruitment in the construction and manufacturing sectors are offset by a decline in recruitment in other sectors. There was also an increase in the number of firms attempting to recruit who reported difficulty in finding staff.

These figures serve as a sharp reminder of how unevenly the jobs impact from Covid-19 has been distributed across different sectors, and the consequences this could have for different generations in the workforce.

The labour market is particularly difficult and competitive for young people entering the workforce, as it is for those who have lost jobs during lockdown and may need re-training as well as suffering a drop in confidence.

While the furlough scheme has helped to protect many jobs, the severe restrictions on retail, leisure and hospitality businesses have reduced entry-level employment opportunities. At the same time difficult conditions have led to less apprenticeship opportunities.

Through the BCC we are lobbying the Government to extend the Kickstart initiative well beyond the current December deadline. In addition, extending employer incentives will support businesses in creating more apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities for young people. These measures together with a temporary cut in employer NIC contributions, will support job retention and recruitment for young people and others in the labour market.

Government must also ensure skills are a priority and we have a flexible system, responsive to the needs of employers, to deliver high quality training when and where needed.

If you have any issues around employment and skills, please contact: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

The pandemic has certainly brought employee health and wellbeing into sharp focus whilst highlighting that proactive health planning is vital.

Our partner provider, Westfield Health, have commissioned research which shows that in 2020 there was a 10 percent increase in days off due to mental health issues, with 30 percent of

employees saying that mental health had affected productivity with more employees looking for extra wellbeing support.

The Chamber Health Plan, provided by Westfield health, offers an effective employee healthcare solution. It provides money back towards everyday health costs, supporting early diagnosis as well as access to health-related services, including 24/7 telephone support and counselling sessions.

As well as cash-back for treatment such as dental, optical and chiropody there is support for health and wellbeing through counselling and a 24-hour helpline where you will always speak directly with a doctor. Cover starts at £6.13 per employee per month and you can find out more here: https://bit.ly/3elx3Mg

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, 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

This Saturday, 1^st May is Staffordshire Day, a celebration of our wonderful county, its people, places, its creativity, and the business community.

As someone who has lived and worked in the county for a mere 10 years, I never cease to be amazed just what the county has to offer.

With unrivalled countryside, a creative and an industrial heritage that has reached all corners of the world, two excellent universities and of course a diverse and brilliant array of businesses from micro to blue chip global leaders, Staffordshire truly is an incredible place to live, work and play.

It is also a very special day as May 1^st is the anniversary of our most famous son, Josiah Wedgwood, setting up his pottery company in 1759 and helping to transform Staffordshire into the centre of the world’s ceramics industry, a crown it still wears proudly 262 years later.

There are lots of virtual events planned on the day and throughout May. You can find out more here: https://bit.ly/3nvhi8B

And don’t forget to use #StaffordshireDay on all social media posts.

I have been fascinated to read the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Barclays LifeSkills report, The next normal: Futureproofing the post-pandemic workforce.

The findings are from discussions during a series of roundtables with members of the UK Chambers of Commerce between November 2020 and February 2021.

The report finds that new ways of working introduced during the pandemic offer opportunities for employers and staff and highlights how supporting employees’ mental wellbeing and digital skills will become increasingly important.

It also shows that equipping school-leavers with key skills to deal with new working arrangements will be vital.

The report contains some crucial insights into the way employers have managed their workforces during the testing circumstances of last year and how they view the route forward post-pandemic.

It tells us that companies are now looking to the future of the workforce and are keen to grasp opportunities for both greater productivity and improved wellbeing of their employees.

However, businesses will need the necessary support to achieve these goals and the capability to adapt to shifting training priorities and new ways of working from top to bottom will be a key strength for any organisation.

Chambers of Commerce have a key role to play in helping firms recover from the effects of the pandemic and, in equipping employees and especially the next generation of employees coming into the workforce.

You can read the full report here: https://bit.ly/3elT8cB

We are incredibly fortunate to have the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub based at the Chambers. They offer complete bespoke training packages for business with funding of 48 percent up to £5000.

To access the fund all businesses just need to undertake a skills review with a member of the Skills Hub team.

The Skills Hub has just passed a milestone in delivering funded training to their 300^th client company in Staffordshire.  There are no limits to the type of business training on offer and there is also currently top-up funding available to cover the remaining 52 percent cost for eligible companies.

Also, we have Growth Hub HR advisor, Amanda Swann based at the Chambers. Amanda can help with any people and HR issues and signpost you to relevant support. Email Amanda: amanda.swann@staffordshirchambers.co.uk

For more information and to find out how you can benefit from the funded training on offer call the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub on 0300 600 1066 or visit https://bit.ly/3xo5f1s

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, 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

My blog this week is all about hard-earned awards for businesses who have gone above and beyond the norm in an exceptional year.

On Thursday night this week, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce were privileged to sponsor the ‘Business of the Year Award’ at the Stoke-on-Trent Live Business Awards 2021.

The Business Awards seem even more poignant this year coming at the end of the toughest year for business in living memory.

The Stoke-on-Trent Live Business Awards were an opportunity to reflect the positives of the past year and recognise that for some, 2020 has been a year of opportunity. Whether taking their business online, entering new markets or using their expertise to develop new products and services, many businesses were not only surviving, but thriving.

There were also countless examples of businesses supporting our key workers and the more vulnerable in society. Providing meals to those hit hardest by the pandemic, distributing food to food banks, manufacturing PPE and equipment and raising money for the NHS are just some of the ways in which business saw their role in the collective effort to get through this as one community.

And so, we celebrated the best of the business community with award entrants, fellow sponsors, guests, and everyone from the Sentinel at the online award ceremony. It may be a cliché, but everyone was a winner at the ceremony. Congratulations go to all the winners especially our ‘Business of the Year’ category winner TMT First. The Newcastle based Samsung authorised repair partner have had a great year, winning more repair contracts, and creating jobs in the most difficult of years. Well done to CEO Adam Whitehouse and the team at TMT First.

For a full list of award winners click here: https://bit.ly/32CL2qg

There is another opportunity for Staffordshire businesses to showcase their excellence as we launch the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards 2021. The competition will open for entry on 19^th July and the winners and runners up will be celebrated at a special gala celebration evening on 15^th November. We are hopeful that this will be a hybrid event with attendees and a live streaming.

Entry criteria is very similar to the Stoke-on-Trent Live Business Awards, so if you entered that competition, you have already done the hard work.

We will shortly be sending out full details of the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards and publicising them across social media.

Finally, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise launch on 1^st May.

These awards are widely considered the highest accolade to be bestowed upon a UK business, celebrating the British companies that have showed outstanding achievement in trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

In 2020 two Staffordshire businesses won Queens Awards for Enterprise, Addmaster (UK)Ltd (Innovation) and Churchill China (International Trade).

I know that there are many more Staffordshire businesses out there deserving of a Queens Award for Enterprise and I hope that you will take time to consider entry. Alternatively, perhaps you work with or know of a business that should enter.

To find out more, check eligibility criteria and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/3gob4WC

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, 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 was fantastic to see people flocking back to the high street and into pubs, restaurants and cafes on Monday, as the long winter lockdown gave way to the long awaited second phase of the Government’s roadmap to recovery.

People just wanted to be with other people, to smell the coffee, see and feel the goods and take in the experience of real everyday life. We all know only too well that you do not get any of this staring at and talking to a screen.

I was heartened by the optimism of both business owners and customers as both sets talked not only of what they had missed but looked forward to a new beginning.

The start of a renaissance for our high streets? – let us hope so.

Back to reality with the other news on Monday that the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Trade Confidence Outlook for Q1 revealed the stark issues facing UK exporters in the first months of 2021.

Data from the survey of more than 2,900 exporting businesses revealed that 41 percent reported decreased export sales on the previous quarter. 20 percent did however, report increased export sales with 40 percent revealing no change.

Historically the proportion of firms reporting an increase in sales is at an all-time low and it is this figure which we need to keep an eye on in subsequent surveys.

Respondents cited Brexit and the impact of Covid-19 as the biggest causes of problems in trade with shipping delays, increased cost of transporting goods and extensive paperwork requirements. Worryingly, many saw the problems as structural rather than short-term issues likely to alleviate as companies adjusted to changes in the new EU-UK trading relationship.

In response, the government has set up the £20 million SME Brexit fund, but it will take much more than this to fix the current problems.

The message from Staffordshire Chambers and the BCC is that the difficulties exporters are facing are not ‘teething problems’. They are structural issues that, if not addressed now could lead to long term and potentially irreversible weakness to our export sector.

We are calling ion the UK and EU to get back around the table and produce solutions to reduce trade barriers and give exporters a fighting chance.

Finally, this week also saw the start of Ramadan, the holy month of the Islamic calendar in which Muslims commit to a period of fasting during daylight hours.

Given the physical demands of daytime fasting, staff observing Ramadan may require some adjustments to their working routine, even if they are working from home. This could include altering shift patterns, allowing staff to start and finish earlier in the day to aid with daytime fasting, or amending workplace duties to reduce the chance of fatigue impacting performance or increasing the risk of injury.

It is important to remember that the requirements may affect each person differently, and organisations should refrain from taking a ‘one size fits all’ approach to flexible working arrangements.

Here at the Chambers, we are committed to accommodating people from all backgrounds and we have for a long time had policies in place to ensure respect and equal treatment of all our staff.

If you would like any advice on how to accommodate staff during Ramadan please get in touch via the contact details below.

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, 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