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This week I had the pleasure of welcoming the Staffordshire Business Innovation Centre team to their new permanent home in our Festival Park HQ, Commerce House.

Many of our members will be familiar with the Staffordshire Business Innovation Centre, better known as Staffs BIC or just the BIC, as they have helped countless Staffordshire businesses to grow since their formation in 1995.

They were originally established as part of a European network of innovation centres with the aim of encouraging and promoting innovation through advice, workshops, seminars and funding.

I have been speaking with my opposite number, Geoff Riley at the BIC for several months and we both agreed that the move would benefit all businesses in Staffordshire – not only because we have always worked closely together, but also because we share connections with thousands of local businesses.

Now BIC clients like our members will benefit from our central location right in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent. We already have superb facilities such as state-of-the-art members’ lounge and a suite of modern meeting rooms with the latest hybrid meeting technologies.

Our two organisations share the same commitment to building prosperity in our local economy by helping our businesses to be innovative, inventive, and forward-thinking.

BIC CEO Geoff Riley has served for several years on our board and council, and our history of working together will be further cemented by being co-located. For more information about Staffs BIC visit: www.thebic.co.uk

Leek & District Show returns

This Saturday sees a welcome return of the Leek & District Show after an absence of two years due to the pandemic.

The show has been a focal point for the agricultural and rural economy of the Staffordshire Moorlands for over 60 years and the emphasis is very much on the businesses and farms that contribute so much to the livelihoods of thousands of people in the Moorlands.

The show is a great family day out with livestock, horticulture, show jumping, a farrier competition, crafts, and a food and produce show among the numerous attractions and events.

Staffordshire Chambers are proud to showcase a business stand – and visitors can sample cupcakes, try their hand at ‘beating our goalie’, or even get a glitter tattoo! And, or course, we can talk about how we support business if you wish!

This year the show is located at a new site off the A53 in Longsden, and I am delighted that the Chambers will be there to show our support to the people and businesses of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

There will be over 150 businesses both large and small flocking to the new site off the A53 in Longsden, which I’m sure will demonstrate the strength and diversity of the local economy.

If you plans allow, we’d love to see you at the Leek Show on Saturday. Full information and a list of events and exhibitors are on the website: Leek Show

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

As part of our focus throughout July on SDG 7, affordable and clean energy, we’ve teamed up with Stoke-on-Trent-based firm, OMNI Heat & Power, who’ve written a guest blog on how their air-to-water heat pumps are helping to cut carbon emissions.

“SDG 7 is all about affordable and clean energy, and due to the rising cost of energy there has been an increase in the number of businesses who are looking for new ways of both producing and saving energy to save money as well as to reduce their carbon footprint.

In order to minimise energy costs and carbon emissions, more than 180 Carrier AquaSnap™ 61AF air-to-water heat pumps are being installed by OMNI Heat & Power in 60 schools around the West Midlands, Southwark Diocese, Barnet, and Dudley.

“Heat pumps are becoming more and more popular in domestic, commercial and industrial applications. As they provide significantly higher efficiencies as well as carbon savings against traditional oil or gas boilers. This not only helps to save money but also improves air quality.” explained Bradley Martin, Director of OMNI Heat & Power.

OMNI Heat & Power are a mechanical and electrical contracting company which specialises in renewable technologies and offers bespoke renewable energy solutions for businesses and individuals, particularly in the domestic, agricultural, commercial, and industrial sectors who are keen to become green and reduce their costs in the process.

Established in Newcastle-under-Lyme, OMNI Heat & Power has grown its business and opened two further offices in both London and Stoke-on-Trent. The multi-million-pound project to decarbonize heating in schools and other public buildings is funded by the UK’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

OMNI Heat & Power is helping to support the decarbonisation of the UK by providing a wide range of technologies including air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, EV chargers and solar panels.

OMNI Heat & Power is keen to support the government’s public sector decarbonisation initiative and is able to provide a bespoke service to any individual or business who wants to transform their company or home and take the lead in the race to becoming net zero.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vULG0Nl6gs

This week’s record temperatures and heat-related fires in the UK were a stark reminder that global warming is detrimental to us all as the planet warms.

There is no getting away from the fact that unless global greenhouse gases peak by 2025 the world is unlikely to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

This is the message from the April report produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the United Nations’ body for assessing the science related to climate change.

However, the UN’s climate scientists also sent an inspiring message to cities: “If they want to, mayors and other city leaders can play a huge part in turning things around. That’s because cities increasingly concentrate most of the world’s population, making them places that ‘provide key opportunities for climate mitigation and cutting emissions’.

The IPCC report is that cities need to be redesigned to favour more ‘compact’ layouts — like the 15-minute city concept (more of that in one of my other blogs). U.N. scientists are also urging cities to get moving on decarbonising buildings, which in Europe are responsible for roughly 40 percent of energy consumption and 36 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions.

So, what role cities can play in the fight against climate change? — particularly when it comes to keeping down emissions and improving air quality.

Locally we have a gargantuan task ahead of us in tackling the transport issue. Stoke-on-Trent being a linear city served by the arterial A500 dual carriageway suffers from the rest of the road network being a Victorian system unable to cope with traffic volumes. An underfunded bus network and no local rail or tram services as in larger cities means the population is still overly reliant on the car for short journeys.

Stoke-on-Trent is set to benefit from £29 million from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, as part of their Levelling Up agenda, helping to revolutionise the city’s transport network and how residents get around.

Plans for the funding include a dramatic revamp of the area around Stoke-on-Trent train station, where a brand-new transport hub is to be created that will offer local commuters and visitors to the city better access to taxis, buses, and cycling, while also improving walking routes to and from the station.

Further works are planned at Longton train station, with the installation of lifts, facilities to support cyclists and new passenger-waiting shelters. The improvements will improve accessibility to the station, encouraging more people to make use of the station and its links to the city.

Bus passengers should also benefit from priority routes across the city for the first time as part of plans to cut congestion and bus journey times on the city’s roads.

In Rugeley, regeneration services provider and Staffordshire Chambers patron, Equans, are undertaking one of the largest brownfield projects in the UK transforming the site of the former coal-fired power station into a sustainable low carbon community with its own town-wide Smart Local Energy System. This is one of just a dozen such pioneering programmes in the UK and will demonstrate how carbon emissions and energy costs can be reduced whilst also providing a boost for local regeneration.

The much-heralded district heat network will provide a welcome reduction in energy costs for thousands of Stoke-on-Trent householders but is still years of readiness for the domestic energy market.

Whilst all the above is a welcome shot in the arm, it is not the total solution. There is progress but current measures will not see carbon emissions peak in 2025 and start a steady decline thereafter. Decades of under-investment and neglect and a rising dependency on the car mean we must act to build on this pump-priming initiative with a structured well thought out programme of continued investment from public and private sector partnerships.

You can read the full IPCC report here: AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2022 — IPCC

If you want to talk to us about business issues highlighted above, or any other 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

Crewe has been shortlisted as one of six locations bidding to become the home of Great British Railways.

In March, Cheshire East Council and its partners submitted a strong and ambitious expression of interest for Crewe to become the headquarters for the new public body, which will be in charge of railways across the country.

The government has now announced that Crewe has been shortlisted, out of 42 possible locations, alongside Birmingham, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle and York. Bringing GBR to Crewe will offer a range of levelling up opportunities to the town and help its rail sector to further thrive.

Declan Riddell, Stafford Chamber Manager, said: “As a Chamber, we have lent our full support to the Crewe bid.

“This is a great opportunity for new procurement opportunities to be unlocked across Staffordshire, creating jobs for our skilled workforce, ensuring that higher value jobs are created as well as boosting plans for inclusive growth and levelling up the region.

“Crewe has 360-degree rail connectivity across the country and is arguably the most important interchange of the network. I would encourage all of our members and local businesses to lend their full support to the bid.”

Vote for Crewe, here.

We’re all now familiar with the cost of living crisis – how households are struggling to keep up with bills and afford the rapidly rising cost of food, fuel and other essentials.

But there’s another crisis, similar to the struggle households are going through, which is dramatically hitting businesses, and that’s the ‘cost of doing business’ crisis.  Firms across the country are being confronted by rapidly rising costs of vital raw materials, fuel, wages and, of course, energy.

Many businesses simply don’t have either the spare income, or the spare savings, to manage such instant and dramatic increases.

What’s caused this?

The current price inflation is one of many impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which interrupted supply chains, clogged manufacturing, and created the global delays that are being seen years later.

This has been worsened by worldwide issues such as the conflict in Ukraine, and the continuing Covid-19 lockdowns in China, which have also increased prices.

Battered businesses now face a stark choice – whether to pass on the increases to their customers, or to try and absorb these new expenses to keep prices down.

A positive step for businesses

In order to cope with these dramatic cost increases, firms need to get a grip on their expenditure.  Unexpected bills are the last thing they need in this current climate – and in particular energy bills are a significant worry for a lot of bosses.

There’s some good news though – installing a smart meter is a positive step in taking control of business outgoings.  Once installed, energy readings will be sent directly to the supplier, bringing an end to estimated bills.

That means that businesses will only pay for what they use – and some energy suppliers may also offer an in-home display screen, to show exactly how much energy is being used.  A handy way to bring an end to shocks at the end of the month!

Firms with 10 employees or less could be eligible for a smart meter.  To find out more please click here. You can also contact your energy supplier or broker.

Hundreds of local business owners and leaders joined us at the DoubleTree by Hilton last night for our 2022 Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards.

 

The achievements of businesses in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire during the last 12 months were celebrated with no fewer than 15 category awards, as well as the coveted Business of the Year award, won by Cosy Direct.

 

Sara Williams, Staffordshire Chambers CEO, said: “Our Chamber Awards night is my favourite event in the Chambers’ calendar and last night certainly didn’t disappoint.

 

“We received a record number of entries – all of which demonstrated positivity and a sense of looking forward and building toward a bright future for the county’s businesses.

 

“As we all face uncertainty it is fantastic to see businesses as beacons of hope representing the great entrepreneurial spirit of Staffordshire. A huge congratulations to all our winners!”

 

Staffordshire Chambers would like to thank our headline sponsors HSBC, as well as our category sponsors and partners. Without them, the awards could not go ahead.

 

Congratulations to all of our winners

 

Sustainability and Environment Award

Cosy Direct

 

International Trade Award

NRwell

 

Small Business of the Year

Therser UK

 

Employee/Charity Employee of the Year

Katie Stone (Moddershall Oaks)

 

Manufacturer of the Year

Lesters Packaging

 

Student of the Year

Veruschka Mbai

 

Most Promising New Start-up

Rokholt Acquisitions

 

Professional Services of the Year

DJH Mitten Clarke

 

Entrepreneur of the Year

David Pierpoint of The Retrofit Academy

 

Employer of the Year

BEAR

 

Young Employee/Apprentice of the Year

Isaac Nixon (Ornua)

 

Medium/Large Business of the Year

Altecnic

 

Online Business of the Year

Ashes Memorial Jewellery

 

Science, Technology and Innovation Award

Aeon Engineering

 

Digital Award

Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent

 

Business of the Year

Cosy Direct

Being denied company credit can be bad news for your business, especially if you need finance in order to grow. If your small business has been refused credit or struggled to secure new finance, you’ll know how that can impact your credit rating.

Experian have shared seven regular habits that form good business practice and can help towards a higher business credit score.

1. View your business credit report to understand the positive and negative factors in your history and plan the best path for progress.
2. Make a note of suppliers’ payment terms and plan payments, so they are on time. Poor payment performance can indicate a business struggling to service its debts.
3. File annual returns and financial accounts on time. Making more information on your business available helps suppliers, utility providers and lenders to understand it and make appropriate decisions.
4. Avoid County Court Judgments. Should one occur, settle it promptly.
5. Keep an eye on your personal finances. Directors’ personal credit score can be considered for new businesses when little information is available.
6. Appoint a director with a strong history of running companies and a good credit score to help boost your company’s standing.
7. Check and monitor the credit status of the companies you work with, so you can anticipate any supply chain problems before it affects your business.

With Experian My Business Profile, you get full visibility of your Experian credit scoring, enabling you to understand what’s affecting your company credit score. Find out more about the Chambers’ Experian benefits for members, here.