12 minute read
ANNIVERSARY marks period of great change
Just over two years ago, Briege Leahy stepped into her current role as the CEO of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Little did she know then that she’d be helping the local business community get through the worst crisis since World War II.
“When COVID-19 first hit our shores, I did my best to ensure that the Chamber remained visible to local businesses,” she says. “At the beginning I was working 24/7 to offer businesses practical support, such as information on how to apply for government grants. There was a lot of confusion because things were evolving so rapidly.
“Other businesses just wanted some reassurance. I had some people crying down the phone because they were so worried that they were going to lose their livelihoods – businesses that they had built up over several years of hard work. The scary thing for all of us was the unknown. Nobody knew how long this was going to last.”
The vaccine programme offers a clear route out of the pandemic, with more than half of the UK adult population having received at least one dose. Now Briege is helping businesses prepare to reopen again or refocus their original offering so they can prosper in a post-COVID world.
“A lot of businesses are having to adapt quickly to new trends,” she says. “Retailers, for example, want to make sure that their e-commerce offering is as slick as possible to cater for increased demand for online shopping.
We’re talking to a lot of companies about the importance of mental health and supporting staff who are working remotely. Productivity has probably increased in the pandemic as technology allows people to work longer hours. The trade-off is that people are feeling burnt out, with many citing Zoom fatigue and greater pressure to be present online. They feel they’re constantly on a treadmill and that’s not sustainable; it will inevitably lead to a dip in productivity in the medium to long term.
Other companies need support to adjust their IT provision so that it’s better equipped to allow their staff to work from home.”
The Chamber, too, continues to adapt its support, hosting online events for businesses, recognising their achievements in the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards and vigorously promoting Let’s Keep the Heart in Hertfordshire – a campaign that encourages people and businesses to “buy local”, network with each other and promote job opportunities and apprenticeships in the area.
Other forms of Chamber support are more subtle.
Briege says: “We’re talking to a lot of companies about the importance of mental health and supporting staff who are working remotely. Productivity has probably increased in the pandemic as technology allows people to work longer hours. The trade-off is that people are feeling burnt out, with many citing Zoom fatigue and greater pressure to be present online. They feel they’re constantly on a treadmill and that’s not sustainable; it will inevitably lead to a dip in productivity in the medium to long term.” In the short term, the priority is to get all businesses open and trading again by the summer. Looking further afield, Briege is optimistic that Hertfordshire’s diverse array of businesses can collectively kick-start an economic revival.
“We have traditional strengths in life sciences, construction, property and the digital and creative industries,” she says. “These sectors will underpin our economic recovery. Our retail and hospitality sectors have been hit hard but demand for their products and services is still there. If anything, this demand will have increased markedly during the pandemic; I know dozens of people who can’t wait to get back to the shops or meet friends for drinks and a meal once restrictions have been eased.
“I’m under no illusions that we still have a few difficult months to come. Government support measures have generally been very good but some companies may have to make staff cut-backs once the furlough scheme is wound down. Then there’ll be the challenge of getting them back into work. There’s also a need to create job opportunities for our young, talented graduates, and to work with education providers to ensure companies have access to the skills they need, both now and in the future.
“Many companies are embracing the digital revolution, using technology to improve their operations or expand into new markets. This will be vital to our fortunes as we look to finally put this difficult period behind us.
“Here at the Chamber, we will do our utmost to be there for all types of businesses, regardless of whether they’re members or not. Since I started here two years ago, I’ve been determined to promote our services more widely and adapt our support to meet the changing needs of our businesses. I just didn’t think that things would change so quickly! If the first year was busy, the second year brought change on an unprecedented scale. Hopefully years three and four will be a bit quieter but nonetheless we’ll be here to guide, support and encourage businesses whatever the economic circumstances.”
Entrepreneurial excellence
An initiative launched by Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce to support the next generation of entrepreneurs in the county is rapidly gaining pace.
Launched in 2020, the Entrepreneur Foundation provided training, advice and mentoring to more than 30 talented individuals last year, and more will be supported in 2021.
The idea behind the foundation is to connect budding entrepreneurs with experienced mentors who’ve been there and done it – successful individuals who’ve overcome adversity, adapted to new challenges and found innovative ways to sustain and grow their ventures.
That’s why the Chamber teamed up with several Founders to launch the initiative. These people are business owners and influential decision-makers with philanthropic desires to give back to the local economy by passing on their wealth of knowledge and experience.
One of the Founders is Len Simmons, who’s latest venture is Highway Cycles in Hertford. A specialist provider of all things bike. Len is a highly suitable mentor for any budding entrepreneur, having built up a strong track record of creating successful businesses by leading, motivating and managing talented teams of employees. He’s also highly adept at spotting a gap in the market. In 2019 he invested a small amount of money in Highway Cycles and immediately identified a few flaws that were stopping the business from reaching its full potential. He bought it outright last year and set about implementing a strategy that has led to a dramatic rise in sales and improvements in operational efficiency.
Len also identified a need to invest in training to help employees become more knowledgeable about the bikes they were selling,
He says: “Once you get the business fundamentals right, the sales and profits will follow. We’ve traded profitably throughout the pandemic and, such is the demand for our products, we’ve currently got orders in for around 2,500 bikes. We’re even placing orders now for 2023! “I’ve run six or seven businesses from scratch and built them up to be successful. That’s why, when the Chamber got in touch about the Entrepreneur Foundation, I was only too happy to help. It’s vital that we develop the next generation of entrepreneurs and it makes sense to put them in front of people who’ve been successful and made mistakes along the way.
“The foundation is a fantastic concept. A lot of business owner-managers who are just starting out don’t have a grasp of the basics. For example, they don’t know how much margin they’re making on the products they’re selling. If they can get to grips with these fundamentals, they can pass that knowledge on to other members of the team to improve their business acumen.”
Andrew Bennett & Marketing Manager Nick Fox
The foundation has also built a network of Supporters, one of which is Andrew Bennett, who runs Cuffley-based creative agency Barley. The company works with organisations of all shapes and sizes, delivering a wide range of marketing solutions across multiple print and digital platforms.
Andrew says: “We were approached by the Chamber to get involved at an early stage and were happy to do so. In our day jobs we promote young businesses and help them to build their brands, so we thought we could add value to this project.
“We’ve already delivered four online sessions on various aspects of marketing and branding, including website design and development, search engine optimisation (SEO) and the power of social media. We’ve managed to pass on a few tips to budding entrepreneurs, such as the importance of understanding your audience and the value of selling the benefits of a product or service rather than just the main features of it.
“The other thing I try to impress upon entrepreneurs is the need to consider the full armoury of marketing tools at their disposal. Many people just focus on digital communications and forget that print still has a role to play. Think how many people have a pizza menu in the kitchen drawer, for example. They don’t throw it away even though they know they can order online.”
Andrew speaks with 35 years’ experience in the industry behind him. He launched Barley with a landline phone and fax machine and has adapted the business to changing customer trends, which
For more information visit https://www.hertschamber.com/entrepreneur-foundation https://www.highwaycycles.co.uk https://www.barley.agency
have altered dramatically in the digital revolution.
“Nowadays a lot of companies push their brands onto social media but don’t get much engagement,” he says. “It’s so important that they find ways of making potential customers engage with their posts.
“Speaking of engagement, Hertfordshire Chamber is great at communicating with and developing local businesses. The Entrepreneur Foundation is a fantastic example of this.”
As businesses prepare to return to the workplace, Herts Chamber Patron Ashbourne Insurance highlight some important items for business owners to consider to help avoid potential claims upon returning to work, post lockdown.
• Start with your existing risk assessments and update them accordingly • Think about items removed or misplaced during lockdown and give some thought to machinery start-up where lain dormant for an extended period of time • Check on the structure and integrity of the premises before you return to work • Don’t assume statutory controls are to be relaxed and does the changing environment aff ect the integrity or security of staff and the premises? • Think about your supply chain, are there any hidden suppliers and what impact does their inactivity have on your business • Most importantly think about the health and well-being of all stakeholders; your customers, suppliers and staff
Ashbourne are celebrating their 40th year in business in 2021 and take the health and wellbeing of their team members as a top priority. Here they share a selection of their own guidelines for coming to work, leaving work and managing Covid 19 risk in the workplace.
1. Arrival and departure to the offi ce
• Stagger arrival and leaving times • Storage for clothes and bags; limited to unique workspace • Individual hand sanitizer for each workspace
2. Maintain social distancing wherever possible while people travel through the workplace.
• Reducing movement by discouraging non-essential trips within buildings and sites • Discouraging visitors to the offi ce unless necessary and deemed safe
3. Individuals at their workstations.
• Review layouts and processes to allow people to work further apart from each other • Using fl oor tape or paint to mark areas to help workers keep to a 2m distance • Using screen to separate counter visitors and staff from each other • Avoiding use of hot desks and ensure regular cleaning and sanitising workstations including shared equipment
4. Reduce transmission due to face-to-face meetings and maintain social distancing in meetings.
• Using remote working tools/ technology to avoid in-person meetings • Only necessary participants should attend meetings and should maintain 2m separation throughout • Avoiding sharing pens and other objects • Providing hand sanitiser in meeting rooms
5. Maintain social distancing while using common areas.
• Staggering break times to reduce pressure on break rooms or canteens • Using safe outside areas for breaks. • Installing screens to protect staff in receptions or similar areas • Encouraging staff to bring their own food • Regulating use of shared facilities to reduce concurrent usage • Encouraging storage of personal items at your workstation
6. Minimise the number of unnecessary visits to offi ces.
• Encouraging visits via remote connection/working • Where site visits are required, site guidance on social distancing and hygiene should be before arrival • Limiting the number of visitors at any one time • Determining if schedules for essential services and contractor visits can be revised to reduce interaction, for example, carrying out services at night • Maintaining a record of all visitors
7. Keeping the workplace clean
• Frequent cleaning of: work areas, equipment, door handles and keyboards, and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements • Clearing workspaces and removing waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift • Limiting or restricting use of high-touch items and equipment, for example, printers or whiteboards
8. Help everyone keep good hygiene through the working day.
• Using signs and posters to build awareness of good handwashing technique • Reminders and signage to maintain personal hygiene standards • Providing hand sanitiser in multiple locations in addition to washrooms • Setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets to ensure they are kept clean and social distancing is achieved • Providing more waste facilities and more frequent rubbish collection • Provide paper towels as an alternative to hand dryers
And remember the government guidelines of: Hands, Face & Space. Always take a common-sense approach and do ask your insurance provider for risk management tools to help you. Finally, think people, premises, activities, IT, machinery and supply chain.
More information can be found on
www.ashbourneinsurance.co.uk
or call 01992 471001 for help and advice.
Celebrating 40 years of supporting the local community Talk to a person, not a computer – we make sure we fi nd you the right insurance every time
50 Amwell Street, Hoddesdon EN11 8UA 01992 471001 • www.ashbourneinsurance.co.uk
