News

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 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

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

Research shows that entrepreneurship offers refugees economic independence; boosts self-confidence; and brings communities together. Refugees tend to be young adults who are less reliant on state benefits. As their businesses grow it brings more jobs, and generates more taxes, with economic activity far outweighing governmental costs. They have also been found to display key traits for business success, from high confidence to strong risk-awareness, and they have gone on to start countless businesses which enrich their host countries.

I am therefore extremely proud that Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is one of four organisations across the UK to have received funding for a pilot scheme to support refugees starting a business. The UK Refugee Entrepreneurship Pilot Scheme commissioned four organisations to design and run tailored business support programmes for refugees over a one-year period. The aim of the pilot project was to prove the efficacy of refugee entrepreneurship programmes and to experiment with different models of delivery. It was designed and run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs and funded by the Home Office and The National Lottery Community Fund.

A report just published is the culmination of the year-long pilot scheme illustrates how Staffordshire Chambers and projects in Bristol, the East of England and Belfast provided direct support to 112 refugee participants. The evaluation looked behind the hard outcomes (numbers engaged, businesses launched) to identify the important role that refugee entrepreneurship programmes play in helping refugees acquire the skills, industry experience and finance needed to start and grow a business.

The Chamber’s pilot scheme was titled Positive Pathways and was coordinated by our entrepreneur advisor, Polly Hargreaves. The aims and objectives of our pilot were to highlight self-employment as an opportunity for refugees and help overcome initial barriers such as understanding the UK business culture. It was open to any refugee, with a leave to remain status, interested in exploring starting their own business. We had 52 refugees access our ‘Exploring self-employment’ sessions with an entrepreneurship advisor and we went on to recruit 18 participants, 12 men and six women. Over 12 months participants attended ten ‘Exploring self-employment sessions’ and underwent a 10-week enterprise workshop programme. They had further support for start-up grant funding, and post-start mentoring.

This complements our excellent existing business start-up programmes for adults and students in further education. So many refugees just want to make a positive start in their adopted country and by providing the opportunity, inspiration and support we can help them to get their lives back on track and help them integrate and make a positive contribution to the local economy.

The detailed evaluation report now presents a vision for refugee entrepreneurship programmes to be available nationwide and it can now be used by programme funders, delivery organisations, and wider stakeholders seeking to expand refugee entrepreneurship support across the UK. You can view the report UK refugee entrepreneurship pilot scheme – Independent Evaluation at www.centreforentrepreneurs.org

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

Sara’s blog – 2 April 2021

Visit of Government Minister to Staffordshire Chambers – and the next stage of recovery.

Earlier this week I had the pleasure to welcome Rt. Hon. Mims Davies, MP, Secretary of State for Employment to a round table discussion on Kickstart and helping young people into employment. Mims’ family comes from Stoke-on-Trent, so she has a real affinity with the city.

The meeting was arranged because the Kickstart programme, and building this into our businesses, is so important to the future of young people. It is an ambitious programme, aiming for 250,000 young people to be in six months employment via placements, available until December 2021, with the Government paying the wages.

Employers raised questions around making sure that the young people were getting the right training, both from the employers and training providers, to help with their employability skills. We talked about how businesses may be able to start advertising these jobs themselves and how they could work with the excellent youth charities we have across the city who can support young people in applying.

We also discussed how these businesses can be supported to amend their employment systems and contracts to take on a young person and how to develop links with colleges and training providers to offer a route into apprenticeships and full employment. Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire have an excellent partnership on skills through the Skills Advisory Panel and through the Staffordshire Partnership for Employability and Skill (SPES) and because of this, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is keen to maximise the impact that Kickstart will have in the area and ensure young people have better opportunities for long-term employment.

The Minister paid tribute to the excellent work that the Chambers’ network across England are doing on Kickstart as they have already generated over 10 percent of the placements’ target.The Minister was extremely open and honest and welcomed questions. It was encouraging to see so many of the local DWP and JCP staff, with whom we work so well, on the call too. I think she came away with positive news of the strong partnerships that exist across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is passionate about helping young people into employment post-pandemic and see Kickstart and other schemes to bring new enthusiasm into our brilliant businesses and organisations and support the growth of the economy and prosperity for all. We are proud to be a Gateway and have already but over 1200 job opportunities from businesses across the area for young people. The scheme lasts until December and we are sure that we can generate even more. Thanks to Jack Brereton, MP for facilitating this meeting in the first place, and for chairing on the day, and we hope Mims Davies will be able to visit in person to meet with many local businesspeople soon.

This week has also seen another key milestone step in the government’s Roadmap to Recovery with people able to meet again in an outdoor setting. The Easter break now gives us all an opportunity to take some time to relax with family and friends, reflect and look toward the next phase of recovery. It has been a tough start to 2021, and I do not need to remind you why. However, there is so much to look forward to, and we like every business have lots of exciting things planned for 2021 including our new peer to peer member platform, a brand-new website, the 2021 Business Awards and Business Festival and much more.

More of all this later, but for now have a happy Easter and continue to stay safe.

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