News

As the economy gathers pace following the effects of the pandemic and lockdown it is more important than ever that businesses are ready to grasp all the opportunities to capitalise on the upturn.

This means that firms will need to be geared up in all areas including finance, innovation, skills, new markets, product development, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy and research to name but a few.

I am delighted that we now have a specialist Business Growth Advisor, Richard Brace, based at the Chamber as part of the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub team.

Richard will be helping businesses to define their growth strategy by offering advice and free business growth diagnostic support. Richard has over 30 years’ experience of business consultancy in the UK and overseas covering most business sectors and has 20 years’ experience as director of a market research company.

If you are looking to grow your business, or re-establish your position after the Covid-19 lockdown, Richard can meet with you and offer advice and an objective diagnostic of your business to help your company on the road to growth and success. To speak to Richard call 01782 202222 or email: richard.brace@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

As a governor of Staffordshire University, I want to help to reassure prospective students that September 2020 is still a great time to start their higher education journey with Staffordshire University.

Due to the uncertainty surrounding 2020 results, this has been an incredibly challenging few weeks – not only for Staffordshire University but, most importantly, for their prospective students. They are in the process of making one of the most important decisions of their lives – one that will impact their future careers and long-term prospects. The added complications surrounding grade assessments and results have only served to exacerbate their feelings of confusion and uncertainty.

I know as well as our wonderful business community do, that Staffordshire is a great place to study, live and work. Additionally, there is fantastic assistance and encouragement available to any graduates setting up a business.

Staffordshire University sees potential, not just grades. For all courses still available through clearing, they will consider experience and passion – as well as results.

There are limited places for September 2020 still available and if you know of anyone still looking for a place they can do so at: www.staffs.ac.uk/clearing or by calling the 2020 clearing hotline on 0800 590 830.

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.

It’s not really a great surprise that the latest figures from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Coronavirus Impact Tracker show that firms are still vulnerable as government support schemes approach their end and illustrate that business conditions improved only moderately since the historic contraction of the economy in Q2 2020.

Firms are still reporting high levels of reliance on government support schemes to help cashflow issues with more than one in three businesses saying they have three months or less cash in reserve.

Slightly mixed news in that the number of firms reporting a rise in revenue from UK customers rose slightly from 34 to 38 per cent, from a low of three per cent in Q2 was perfectly balanced by the 38 percent of respondents reporting a decrease in revenues.

Business to consumer (B2C) firms were more likely to report improvements in revenue compared to other sectors, largely because of pent-up consumer demand.

With government schemes set to wind down in coming weeks and the threat of the reintroduction of localised or national lockdowns, we are still unclear what, if any, support firms will receive when schemes end.

Chambers across the UK are calling for the government to reduce employers National Insurance Contributions and for targeted support for businesses placed under local lockdown. Ministers need to be proactive and not wait until we are in the grips of another lockdown until they act. To add your input to the BCC Coronavirus Impact Tracker visit: https://bit.ly/3gbugmz

Finally, a quick reminder that we are still seeking nominations for our council and our local area boards in Stafford and the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Being a member of council or a local area board is a great way to have a say in shaping business support in the area as well as being kept right up to date with the latest business developments.

It is also great for continuous professional development and introduces you to a new network of likeminded business professionals. To find out more you can contact Vicki Hardie – vicki.hardie@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

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.

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is celebrating this week after winning the Investors in People Award.

During a comprehensive assessment period which concluded in March, Investors in People judged Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce to have achieved the Gold standard, an accolade awarded to only 16% of businesses.

The local business support service received the accolade after the global watchdog recognised that staff members were positive about people, business and process and that the company had strong leadership and open communication. It was also praised for having strong ambition with clear vision, mission and values.

Sara Williams, Chief Executive at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “This award is a testament to the passion, expertise and commitment of our staff who continue to excel, even during the challenges of COVID-19.

“Our goal is to help all the people of Staffordshire be more prosperous and have more opportunities, by helping business to belong to the Chamber and do things better. To achieve this we operate as one team and strive to achieve the best for our member businesses.”

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published labour market figures for August 2020 on Tuesday.

While the headline data continues to lag behind the reality, the decline in number of employees on payrolls and hours worked is further evidence of the damage being done to the UK labour market by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The job retention scheme has been successful in preserving millions of jobs through furlough. However, with firms continuing to face a perfect storm of increased costs, reduced demand, and diminished cash reserves, unemployment is likely to surge as government support schemes wind down in the next two months.

We are already seeing a steady stream of redundancy announcements in Staffordshire across all sectors from retail to manufacturing and hospitality to services.

If job losses continue to accelerate, we can expect to see a further drop in consumer spending which will in turn lead to a downturn in production – a vicious cycle.

We are lobbying the government via the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), to reduce the cost of employment and prevent more redundancies through actions like an expansion of the Employment Allowance and a cut in employer NIC contributions.

If there are other issues you would like us to make representations on then please let us know by emailing: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

I was heartened to read an open letter to all businesses in the county, from Cllr Alan White, the new leader of Staffordshire County Council who replaces Cllr Philip Atkins.

Cllr White says: “ Our role as a county council is to create the right conditions for our economy to grow, for businesses to invest and create more jobs for our people which is the foundation of living a healthy, happy and productive life. Reigniting and renewing the economy, through investment in skills and training, and supporting businesses to adjust to a post Covid-19 world, is central. But we must also inspire and equip current and future generations to learn new skills and increase their potential throughout their lives.

So, whilst my attention is on long-term stability, it is also on continuing to support everyone through the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the virus has not gone away, and we must all continue to follow the rules to avoid any future lockdowns. To this end I’m urging all business leaders to help protect their livelihood by knowing what to do if an outbreak happens at their business. For some of you this will be defined when just one confirmed case is reported to you by employees, visitors or NHS Test and Trace. The government has developed a number of ‘action cards’ or quick-reference guides outlining the key steps to help you quickly identify, report and respond to any potential Covid-19 outbreak.”

Staffordshire County Council have always been supportive of business and especially the Chamber and it is extremely good news that we have such a proactive and pragmatic new leader giving his full attention to the recovery of the Staffordshire economy.

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.

By the time schools return in September it will be six months since most children have had regular education and schooling.

We already know that many primary school children in our area fall behind in their literacy by comparison to other areas of the UK and that for many there is limited or no access to books.

Stoke Reads is an organisation that works incredibly hard to inspire families across the city to read together and helps parents to support their children’s literacy skills. They also work with schools to support the teaching of literacy, and partner with local businesses who support them in their mission to raise literacy levels in the city.

Importantly, Stoke Reads also gives positive support for working parents, particularly over the summer through initiatives such as Story Quest or the Book Bench Trail, which features eight trails based throughout the parks of Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke Reads relies on the support of many partner organisations such as YMCA, HUBB Foundation, Port Vale Foundation, Stoke City, Santus, the BID, VAST, Stoke Speaks Out and Middleport Matters as well as many local businesses.

They have already worked with 53 primary schools and 14 local organisations to provide nearly 3000 activity packs and over 5000 books to children across the city. Five external organisations have provided donations to the city including Harper Collins, Bloomsbury publishers, KMPG and REY Paper. These donations have included Harry Potter books, activity packs and paper, children’s magazine, and instant libraries for primary schools.

However, they are still only scratching the surface and need continued support from our business community to reach even more children. Any help is appreciated no matter how small – and it is a great way to fulfil your corporate social responsibility requirements.

We are looking at our future workforce here and we all know that grasping the skill of reading and a love of books at primary school age sets you on course for academic achievement and a fulfilling career.

I would urge all employers to take a look at the Stoke Reads and the support on offer to employees and their families. To find out more about how you can help Stoke Reads you can visit www.stokereads.org.uk or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StokeReads/

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.

I have seen a few economic downturns over the years, and if there is a silver lining, it is that we get some fantastic new businesses emerging from the aftermath.

Necessity being the mother of invention creates new entrepreneurs, with an idea to launch a new business that could be one of the employers and innovators of tomorrow.

I have been there myself and I know what an exciting and daunting time it is. You have got it all in your head, but you need someone to help you rationalise your ideas into a working plan with structure, a clear vision and a sound financial base.

Thanks to our fantastic new business start-up service we can now give even greater support to anyone thinking of starting or already engaged in starting, their own business.

The service is totally free, and working with our start-up advisers Peter Ball, Andy Riley, or Aly Davidson, you can take advantage of our 4-step business start-up programme to help with business planning, cashflow forecasting and marketing planning.

We are delighted to have Aly join the Chambers team of start-up advisers. She has a wealth of experience in commerce and education and has set up and run two successful businesses.

Aly says of her new role: “My observations so far are that many employees are starting to think more seriously about setting up on their own, some offering a mini version of whatever their employer does.

“The effects of the pandemic on employees has given them the time and courage to think about how they want to spend the rest of their working lives. Many are being driven by emotion rather than financial need. We have had a surgeon developing a new medical app, a trauma survivor becoming a life coach, and several people commercialising their hobbies and passions.

“There are, and will be, the inevitable redundancies but it is exciting to see that people seem to be taking control of their future and making their dreams a reality.”

So, if you are needing someone to share your ideas with or you are an employer making redundancies and wanting to signpost employees to new opportunities, you can contact Aly: aly.davidsion@staffordshirechambrs.co.uk or call 01782 202222

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.

A bit of a mixed bag to end the week!

I’d like to start the blog by saying that I could not be prouder at this moment of Staffordshire Chambers, of being an accredited  British Chamber of Commerce and all the incredible businesses who support us to carry out our work, and more importantly support each other and the local community.

On that note, the highest possible praise for Chambers of Commerce comes this morning in a letter from Her Majesty The Queen.

Queen Elizabeth, who is Patron of the British Chambers of Commerce, praises Chambers’ contribution to business communities during the Coronavirus pandemic and the work we are doing as more businesses across the UK are reopening and adjusting to a new normal.

The letter says: “ At a time of great difficulty for many, it is heart-warming to see civic response and generosity of so many businesses, small and large, to the challenges posed, whether supporting the health sector or vulnerable communities.”