connected issue 81

INSPIRING SUCCESS

ISSUE 81

The official magazine for Chamber members

CYBER CRIME Could you be a victim of online fraud or a cyber security breach?

We look at the action you can take to protect your business

PLUS. . . ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE CHAMBER NETWORK

this issue

6

10

18

16

27 5

Chief Executive’s highlights

CONTENTS

33 24-25

Out & About

6-7

Connect

27

Fenland Chamber news

8-9

Transform

29

Huntingdonshire area news

10-11

Export

12-13

Inform

14

Protect

15

Ask the Expert

16-17

New members

18-19

Charity

20-21

Ely & East Cambs area news

22-23

Cambridge & South Cambs area news

30-31 33 34-35

Peterborough area news Stamford area news Cambridgeshire Police

39

Signpost 2 Grow

41

Marketing Insight

43

East Cambs Business Boost

45-47

Events

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welcome from the

EDITOR

Welcome....

ISSUE 81 SUCCEED INSPIRING BUSINESS TO

Chamber members The official magazine for

This month our guest article is provided by Nigel Sutton, Fraud and Cyber Security Advisor for Cambridgeshire Police. Nigel offers advice on how to protect your company from cyber crime.

Businesses in Peterborough are aiming to form a Business Improvement District. Turn to page 31 to find out more.

Our Peterborough B2B takes place on 30 October at the KingsGate Conference Centre. Turn to the event pages to find out what’s happening during the day.

CYBER CRIME

SADIE PARR

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security breach? of online fraud or a cyber business Could you be a victim can take to protect your We look at the action you

R NETWORK NEWS FROM THE CHAMBE PLUS. . . ALL THE LATEST

Chief Executive John Bridge OBE DL Editor Sadie Parr Published by

Print xlpress

• DIARY DATES •

Design Jill Rowbotham Advertising Caroline Baker caroline.baker@trinitymirror.com Membership team Bren Coleman 01223 209811 Cambridge Enterprise House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9ZR. Tel 01223 237414 Email enquiries@cambscci.co.uk Visit cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk @CambsChamber Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce @CambsChamber

Views expressed in connected are not necessarily these of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply official endorsement of the products or services concerned. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of editorial content, no responsibility can be taken for any errors and/or omissions. The editor reserves the right to make amendments without notification.

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NOV 2019

11

Informal Networking Evening, Ely

4

Informal Networking Evening, Huntingdon

6

Informal Networking Evening, Stamford

12 12

Retaining Talent, Huntingdon

Go Networking, Go Racing, Huntingdon

7

Safari Networking Breakfast, Peterborough

14

East Cambs Business Boost, Littleport

20 20 21 21

Amazing Benefits of Chamber Membership, Peterborough

27 Informal Networking Evening, Chatteris

Informal Networking Evening, Peterborough

Amazing Benefits of Chamber Membership, Cambridge

Informal Networking Evening, Cambridge

view from the

BRIDGE

I very much appreciated the opportunity to catch-up with Graham Butland recently after the announcement of his retirement as Chief Executive at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), to reflect on his period with them of which he can be extremely proud.

Graham joined EACH in 2003, and under his leadership it has become one of the leading children’s hospice organisations in the UK. EACH are currently the Chamber Charity of the Year, and the Milton hospice has recently celebrated their 30th anniversary.

They offer care and support for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and support families across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Following the most regretful announcement that Thomas Cook had ceased trading, I was asked to speak on Radio Cambridgeshire and then in the evening interviewed live on BBC Look East. I reflected how positively so many local businesses had responded to help the employees who have lost their job through no fault of their own. I also challenged the financial sector to also ensure full support.

Barclays Bank in Peterborough responded very positively, and I met with Branch Manager Paula Morrice who explained that after seeing the interview they have invited their customers to get in touch to see what help and support the bank can offer them at this time. The branch are also offering sessions to help the employees, regardless of whether they bank with Barclays, to update their CV, gain some interview skills and practice and prepare cover letters.

This is a true example of the business community coming together.

In order to ensure businesses are prepared as well as is possible, the Chamber is providing as much information as it can on Brexit including a dedicated page on our new website.

We recently held an event at Cambridge Regional College where we were delighted to welcome our guest speakers from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), HMRC and Department for International Trade (DIT).

Mike Spicer, Director of Research and Economics at the BCC, provided the current status of where we are at and talked through the Brexit Hub that is available from our website.

Ogechi Nnamani, International Trade Development Liaison Officer at HMRC, explained the international trade support they are offering. We also welcomed Derek Noakes, Export Growth Manager at Department for International Trade, who promoted the support for export that they offer.

Please keep an eye on our website and social media channels where we will share ongoing updated Brexit information, as well as promote and run additional events once the relevant information is available.

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We provide Chamber members with many opportunities to widen their network of business contacts – building connections, creating opportunities and maximising the benefits of being part of Cambridgeshire’s most vibrant business network.

AGM NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the sixteenth Annual General Meeting of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be held at the Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon PE29 3TQ on Thursday 28th November 2019 at 9.30am for transaction of the following business: • Approval of the report of the Directors and the financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2019.

• Election of Directors; • In accordance with Article 54 of the Articles of Association of the Company, Martin Curtis who was appointed as a Director on 26 September 2019 offers himself for election by members, Joseph Edward

Helmsley-Rudd who was appointed as a Director on 23 July 2019 offers himself for election by members, and Stuart Searle who was appointed as a Director on 27 September 2018 offers himself for election by members.

• Martin Rayner who was elected as a Director by members at the 2016 Annual General Meeting offers himself for re-election by members for a second three-year period until the 2022 Annual General Meeting.

• Re-appointment of Baldwins Audit Services Limited as auditors of the company.

• Authorising the Directors to determine the auditors’ remuneration.

The Directors Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2019 are available on the members’ section of the Chamber website.

A proxy form can be downloaded from the members’ section of the website; this must be returned to the registered office 48 hours before the meeting.

By order of the Board Michael Tolond Company Secretary September 2019 Registered office: Enterprise House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge CB24 9ZR

Making the most of the member area on the Chamber website The member area of our new website offers some new features to help you promote your organisation: • Upload your news articles • Add your events • Promote member 2 member offers

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• Edit your member profile and upload your logo • View the member directory • NEW add your job vacancies.

Your existing user details should

work to access the member area. If you encounter any problems, please click on forgotten password to have this re-sent to you or give Hilary a call on 01223 209807.

network and

CONNECT

GET CONNECTED Networking is key to individual and company development. Businesses network to develop relationships with people and companies they may do business with now, and in the future.

These connections help to establish rapport and trust among the business community.

The Chamber provides many opportunities for members to widen their network of business contacts through building opportunities and maximising the benefits of being part of Cambridgeshire’s most vibrant business network.

• Opportunity to attend over 200 events a year • Join our social media groups • Links with national companies providing business services at exclusive rates to Chamber members • Enhance your credibility by displaying our ‘member of’ logo

on your website and business stationery.

PARTNER OFFERS Chamber Foreign Exchange Moneycorp can save your business money by creating a foreign exchange strategy tailored to your business needs. Highly competitive exchange rates, low or no fees, free online currency accounts plus access to Moneycorp online, a web-based portal for making payments and trading foreign exchange.

Chamber Primary Health Plan This low-cost employee reward helps recruit and retain staff, manage risk and reduce absenteeism. Provided

by Westfield Health, packages include cash benefits towards routine treatments such as dental and optical, diagnostic scanning facilities, a 24/7 advice line operated by GPs, Employee Assistance Programme and subsidised

gym membership. Cover starts from as little as £1.10 per employee, per week, with additional upgrades and partner cover available.

AXA PPP Healthcare Why choose business healthcare cover?

Building a business takes hard work, dedication and focus. But without a healthy and productive team to support you, success can begin to feel unstable. Healthcare cover can help you and your employees get the care you need quickly, with less impact on your business. And you’ll show your employees that you really value what they do – and you’re ready to invest in their health and wellbeing.

We’re pleased to introduce AXA PPP healthcare to provide flexible, affordable business healthcare cover.

Visit the member benefits page on our website for further details of these, and other, member offers.

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As a Chamber member you have the power to influence key decision makers and play a leading role in tackling the issues that are preventing your business from reaching its potential, while an experienced team of lobbyists represents your interests in Whitehall.

Mentoring Programme at ARU Anglia Ruskin University will shortly launch a new Mentoring Programme and are currently looking for volunteers who would be willing to act as mentor to one of their students, meeting them five times over the course of a five month period.

The aim of the programme is to help students: • Raise their awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses

• Boost their knowledge of current recruitment practices and workplace culture • Increase their confidence in applying for work experience and graduate level roles.

The role would be ideal for someone who wants to: • Give back by passing on their knowledge and experience to the next

generation • Increase skills around communication/ coaching/leadership/management • Expand their network • Expose themselves to new ideas/ways of thinking.

For more information please visit www.aru.ac.uk/mentoring where you can put your name forward to be a mentor.

TRANSFORM As a Chamber member you have the power to influence key decision makers and play a leading role in tackling the issues that are preventing your business from reaching its potential, while an experienced team of lobbyists represents your interests in Whitehall.

• Raise local issues affecting your business through your local Chamber committee • Complete our quarterly economic survey to ensure your views are represented in the results each quarter • Contribute to national debates • Lobby local MPs on matters of local, regional and national economic interest.

To find out more please visit our website at www. cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk or call the membership team on 01223 237414.

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the power to

TRANSFORM

Employee wellbeing critical to business success as firms face staff absences due to ill health Over two-fifths (43%) of businesses have had employees absent from work for more than four weeks due to ill health in the last two years, according to new research by the British Chambers of Commerce and Unum.

The overriding impacts of staff absences are operational (88%) and on staff morale (76%) according to the results of the survey of over 1,000 businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. The business-to-consumer sector, which includes retail, catering, and hotels, was more likely to report impacts with 93 per cent of firms reporting operational impacts and 85 per cent affecting staff morale.

Respondents also reported financial (44%) and reputational (36%) impacts from staff absences.

Most businesses recognise the importance of supporting employee health and wellbeing, with 62 per cent offering benefits such as access to wellbeing support, private medical insurance, occupational support services and healthy lifestyle benefits such as gym membership and cycle to work schemes.

The survey found that 41 per cent of businesses believe that providing financial protection benefits, such as income protection insurance and critical illness cover, could or does help them to attract and retain employees. This rises to 52 per cent for larger companies with more than 50 employees.

The results reflect the economic impacts of ill health in the workplace and the actions businesses are taking to promote and maximise staff wellbeing. The government is currently consulting on proposals to prevent health-related job loss, which will require businesses to take a more proactive role.

Businesses want staff to maintain good health and help them to return to work after a period of sickness. However, the process can be difficult and expensive for employers to manage. Employers would benefit from financial support and clearer guidance to help them invest in services that can support them to prevent and manage sickness absence.

Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “People are the most important asset of any business and a healthy and happy workforce lends itself to increased morale and productivity.

Many firms already take proactive steps to support the physical and mental wellbeing of staff and, when they have the capacity and resources, will offer a range of information, services and benefits.

“Maintaining employees’ health and resilience is always the best option, but when people are absent though ill health it is in everyone’s best interests that they are supported back into work as quickly as possible. But managing sickness absenteeism can be difficult and expensive for businesses, especially smaller firms who don’t have access to specialist in-house HR services.

“Employers need access to good quality, affordable services to help them understand how to support their people in the best way, together with clear, up-to-date information and guidance on everyone’s rights and responsibilities. The BCC is calling for any additional statutory payment to be reimbursed or off-set in some way, to reflect the extent to which firms are already struggling with the cumulative cost of employment.”

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We’re your gateway to international trade, providing a unique combination of expert knowledge, essential documentation and the business connections needed to capitalise on new market opportunities overseas and succeed in a global marketplace.

Get ready for when the UK leaves the EU If you buy any items for your business from EU countries, or sell products to customers in EU countries, even if it’s only once a year, you will be affected by new import and export arrangements after 31 October.

Start by following the steps below to prepare your business for Brexit. We’ll let you know about the next steps you need to take in the run-up to 31 October.

Get ready Use this checklist to understand what you need to do You will need a UK EORI number starting with GB. You will not be able to move goods into and out of the UK without one and it takes less than ten minutes to apply Customs forms will be needed. If you want to move items into the UK or move items out of the UK you will need specialist skills and software. Work out whether you can do this yourself, or get a customs expert to do this for you Visit gov.uk/Brexit to find Brexit guidance and help for importing and help for exporting

Get set If you buy items from EU countries to bring into the UK: Apply for simplified import procedures known as Transitional Simplified Procedures to get extra time to send in your customs documentation Check the duty you’ll have to pay on items you’re bringing in Apply for an online account to make paying any taxes easier And if you sell products to the EU, you need to: Check with the people or company that moves your products – for example, your postal service, courier or haulier – to find out if they need extra information from you in order to carry on doing this Check that the people you are selling to are ready to bring your goods into their country, are following that country’s customs processes, and are ready to send you the relevant paperwork (for example, the import declaration)

Get going You’ve now made the first steps to prepare your business for Brexit Sign up for regular Brexit updates from HMRC so we can tell you about the next steps you need to take

Further information can be found on GOV.UK about Northern Ireland and Ireland

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Go

EXPORT

Documentation updates CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN/LETTER OF AUTHORITY UPDATE

ACCREDITED TRAINING IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE The Chamber runs a rolling programme of training courses that culminate in the nationally-recognised Foundation Award in International Trade.

The courses provide the knowledge to assist with your international trade activities and you will receive detailed notes to take away to build up a toolkit of reference information.

Import: Customs Compliance and Savings Tuesday 29 October, 9.15am-5.00pm Understand the rules and intricacies of goods crossing borders. We’ll look at when import duties and taxes are applicable and ways to reduce, or event abolish, the charges.

Customs Special Procedures: Focusing on IP and OP Tuesday 19 November, 9.15am5.00pm Learn how to complete the application forms for customs special procedures, including the CCG1 Customs Comprehensive Guarantee Form and questionnaire, as well as calculating

your potential debt guarantee amounts.

Rules of Origin: Preference and Non-preference Tuesday 10 December. 9.15am5.00pm Let us explain the complex subject of Origin, which is essential to understand, as the country in which a product is made can affect the import duty that is applicable. We will examine the non-preferential rules for determining the country of origin of goods.

Cost per course: £300.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £450.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members.

Venue: Cambridgeshire FA or Holiday Inn Cambridge, Bridge Road, Impington, Cambridge, CB24 9PH Full course outlines can be found at www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk/ training To book, please call Rose Griffiths on 01223 209817 or email r.griffiths@cambscci.co.uk

PREPARING YOUR BUSINESS FOR BREXIT As the UK prepares to leave the EU, the Chamber is working with the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) to help members consider how they can plan for the future.

While the final outcome of the Brexit process remains unclear, we are encouraging companies of all sizes and sectors to consider how they may be affected.

In order to help companies think about how their operations could be impacted, the BCC have created a Business Brexit Checklist, outlining key areas of operations where firms should assess what could change after the UK’s departure from the

EU. There is also a Risk Register and FAQs. Visit the Chamber website for more details: www.cambridgeshirechamber. co.uk/brexit

Further to our notification earlier in the year that any Certificate of Origin being raised for a non-UK entity should have a Letter of Authority provided, please be aware that the commercial invoice for the non-UK entity must also show the UK entities name and address, either printed or with a company stamp added.

Going forward, any application that does not have this included within the invoice supplied will be subject to rejection by the Chamber.

ORIGIN EVIDENCE

From 1 October, we no longer accept ‘Supplied by XXX, manufacturer unknown’ on certificate of origin applications. We must be able to verify the manufacturer or we are unable to approve the document. We will shortly be releasing a checklist to confirm acceptable evidence for declaring the origin of goods.

We will work with you on this over the next few months to ensure that you are submitting the correct evidence with your applications.

NEW DOCUMENTATION CHARGE APPLICABLE TO ARAB-BRITISH CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN APPLICATIONS

We now have a processing fee for all Arab-British Certificates of Origin applications that require legalisation.

The charge will be £12.50 (plus VAT) for corporate Chamber members and £25.00 (plus VAT) for non-members.

Global members are exempt from this charge.

If you have any documentation queries, please contact the International Trade team on 01223 237414.

HMRC Helpline and Guidance On Monday 16 September, HMRC launched the EU Exit Import and Export Trader Helpline for traders and hauliers importing from / exporting to the EU after 31 October.

The helpline number is 0300 3301 331. Lines will be open from 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

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Chamber membership provides access to key information, expert advice and legal protection, enabling you to stay informed, legally compliant and free to focus on what you do best – building your business.

Content strategy’s eureka moment There is a certain type of eureka moment that content marketers will instantly recognise.

In that moment, a solution presents itself to a problem, but to share it won’t just mean rocking the boat – it will also mean asking why you were in a boat in the first place.

There is a legacy in how we approach content in a strategic sense. Too often marketers still plan content in rather oldworld ways, spacing it around a calendar, for example But is that actually best for the organisation? We know the world is complex and uneven, but too often our plans don’t reflect it. And this is where the eureka moment comes in.

For content marketers, it’s when they realise they’re not doing content strategy.

Yes, they’re planning, creating and measuring work across different channels – but that is really just tactical marketing, aimed at delivering short to mid-term results.

The greater challenge is to understand why you are creating it in the first place.

Content strategy doesn’t begin with a channel or a calendar. It begins with understanding the needs of a business and its audience. Free your mind to understand this, and the rest will follow.

If you want to talk more about your content strategy, get in touch www.cpl. co.uk.

Martin Bewick, content strategist, CPL

HOW OFFICE WORKERS CAN FOCUS ON KEEPING THEIR EYES HEALTHY According to research, the average office worker will spend almost 1,700 hours a year in front of a computer screen – that’s around six and a half hours a day!

National Eye Health Week (23-29 September) put the focus on the importance of healthy eyes to maintain healthy vision at all ages and at home, school and in the workplace – promoting the needs for regular sight tests for all.

With more and more jobs involving looking at screens for most of the working day, there is plenty of advice for office workers using laptops or computers.

Karen Dykes, partner at Peterboroughbased Anne Corder Recruitment, said: “There aren’t many jobs nowadays that don’t require computers, laptops and tablets for some or all elements of the role.

“For millions of people, staring at a screen all day is the norm – and add mobile phones into the mix, and it is little wonder that we are putting our eyes through a lot every day.

“There are a number of easy checks and tips for staff when taking care of their eyes and ensuring their well being in the work place.”

If you spend much of your working day at a computer screen: • Check the screen is well positioned and properly adjusted – a survey revealed one in four users moved the screen closer to focus on their work. Locate the computer screen four or five inches below your eye level • Make sure lighting conditions are suitable and try and get as much natural light into your work area as possible. Adjust your screen lighting/brightness if possible • Take regular breaks from screen work

• Blink! We naturally blink about 20 times every minute, but when focusing on a screen this can drop by as much as half.

This means your eyes are at much greater risk of drying out when working on the computer • Make sure your screen is clean to help reduce glare.

More than half (53 per cent) of people responding to a survey said they aimed to take regular time away from their screen to make sure they don’t suffer eye strain or tiredness.

Thirty-one per cent of those who take a break from their screen do so specifically in order to give their eyes a rest from looking at screens.

But of those who don’t take regular screen breaks, 48 per cent believe they suffer from symptoms of eye dryness or tired eyes as a result.

And there are also official guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for employers who must take steps to reduce any health risks. Employers are required to fund eye tests, and to provide glasses only if an employee is shown to require special glasses for the distance the screen is viewed at.

How do you successfully manage workplace stress?

In May 2019 the World Health Organisation recognised burnout as a syndrome caused by “…workplace stress that isn’t successfully managed”. A preventable mental health issue.

In this seven-part series, Vikki of Skylark is running through her Top Tips to Successfully Manage Workplace Stress, continuing with: TOP TIP 3: MOVE MORE In recent years there has been growing awareness about the connection and parity of physical and mental health. We have embraced campaigns such as the ‘10,000 steps a day’ and ‘Couch-to-5k’. Both of which has got lots of us moving in ways 12 connected

we’ve not done before, which is great.

But there is also power in smaller movements; ones that we can do in the office that do not require us to change into our ‘activewear’ at lunch time. These smaller movements can still help to keep our minds and bodies connected and prompt us to check-in on our stress levels and mental fitness.

Here are my favourites: • Set a (quiet) timer for every 25 mins and stretch, roll your shoulders and ensure you drink some of that water on your desk!

• If there are toilets on different floors in your office, have a rule to always go up or

down a floor to one of them (I like to run up and down the stairs to get my heart pumping but let’s beware of health and safety!)

• Stand up when you are chatting to a colleague or on the phone (whilst being considerate of others!)

Which of these can you adopt tomorrow, and why don’t you introduce it to your team too?

learn and

INFORM

New rules will have a big impact for property owners Anyone generating rental income from a property that was once their main residence, needs to be aware of how major amendments to HMRC’s Capital Gains Tax (CGT) regime might affect them from April 2020.

Accountancy firm Mapus-Smith & Lemmon advises those thinking of selling such a property to do so before the next tax year in order to make the most of the current Principal Private Residence (PPR) relief and lettings relief schemes.

As an example, Helen Peak, chartered certified accountant at the Wisbech office, says: “We have completed a tax return for a client who sold their property during the 2018/19 tax year. With PPR and lettings relief there has been no CGT to pay but if they had sold it after 6 April 2020, the tax bill would have been about £12,000.”

Currently PPR allows for CGT relief for the last 18 months of ownership. This is

being reduced to nine months. However, the existing relief for those with a disability or moving into social care will remain at the original level of 36 months.

Lettings relief gives an individual a CGT-free allowance up to a maximum of £40,000 or £80,000 for a couple – on the basis that the property was their main residence before letting it out.

However, from 6 April 2020 this will be abolished unless the owners are in shared occupation with their tenants. This reflects on the original incentive of the scheme which was initiated to encourage homeowners to rent rooms out in their main residence.

Once the liability is calculated, CGT is charged at 18 per cent or 28 per cent depending on whether the property seller is a basic or higher rate tax paper.

HMRC has announced also the possibility that from 6 April 2020, where

the gain on a second home or rental property has not been covered by PPR, then CGT will be payable within 30 days from completing the sale of the property.

B2B APPOINTMENT SETTING PERSUASION TECHNIQUES

By Blue Donkey Intelligent Telemarketing

Appointment setting is a key task for the telemarketing company, but it’s also important for all sales professionals. If you use the telephone to develop your brand, persuasion is one of the most powerful tools you have.

At Blue Donkey we’ve gathered together a few of our favourite gentle, but powerful, persuasion techniques.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE Potential customers are much more likely to take your call seriously if you demonstrate in-depth knowledge of your offering. The better you know your business, the easier it will be to answer questions and counter objections. As well as enabling you to present an informed argument, knowing your product insideand-out will give the impression you’re an expert in your field.

PREPARE A LIST OF POSITIVES Positivity can be a compelling and magnetic quality. If you’re passionate about the products or services you represent, this will come across in your conversation and will help to gently persuade them you’re worth meeting with. To ensure you come across as well as possible, mentally prepare a list of positives before you pick up the phone.

Think about your brand’s special attributes.

LISTEN Though persuasion technique relies on your arguments, there is a lot to be said

for playing a more passive role. Decision makers often listen to pitches all day long. Making your call different will help it to stand out and get noticed. Instead of barrelling straight in with your offering, try asking the person you’re speaking to about their needs and requirements.

Once you know a little more about their circumstances, it will be easier to tailor your offering to suit them.

HONESTY IS DEFINITELY THE BEST POLICY A lot of prospects will expect you to gloss over negatives and relentlessly pursue the positives. If something you’re offering isn’t the right fit, be honest and match them to another service that is better suited; even if it’s not so commercially appealing to you as the seller.

SUMMARISE WHEN APPOINTMENT SETTING Summarising the benefits and features of your offering at the end of your call can help to tempt the decision maker into accepting a meeting. In your summary, go over the details of the meeting including where, when, and parking arrangements. connected 13

how to

PROTECT

To access these services please visit the protection page on the Chamber website or call our membership team on 01223 237414.

Can social media damage an organisation’s reputation?

Advice from Quest; provider of Four Services included for free as part of your membership Social media plays a significant role when it comes to making or breaking your organisations reputation.

With the increasing use of social media in both our business and personal lives, it is more important than ever for companies to protect their reputation. By an employee making an offensive comment, it could do harm to the company’s reputation.

Employees misusing social media can be defined as posting inappropriate comment on social media about the organisation they are employed by, disrespecting their managers, colleagues or employer online or posting spiteful and offensive posts about members of staff which is known as cyber bullying.

All of these factors have legal risks for a business.

CAN AN EMPLOYER BE HELD LIABLE FOR AN OFFENCE POST BY AN EMPLOYEE? If an employee has posted offensive

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content on their social media page and it’s been seen by others, there is a chance that an employer could be liable if it was done ‘in the course of employment’.

SO, SHOULD YOUR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY? The answer is yes, and here is why: • Protect the organisations reputation • Provides clear guidance to the employee about what is and what is not acceptable so there should be no confusion. If legal issues arise, the company will be able to enforce the penalty which is stated in the handbook • Social media can be used positively with employees sharing company posts and creating better brand awareness and promoting the company. The policy would help to get this right.

As it is clear, protecting your reputation is most important. Having a robust social media strategy in place provides a clear framework and gives employees guidance

on what they can and cannot post. If the content online is offensive or discriminatory on any sort of social media account whether it be public or private and is seen by an employee, it must be reported. When a complaint is made about an employee’s social media post it must be taken seriously by an employer.

Access Quest today and view template policies online.

For more information on the Quest benefit, please contact Bren Coleman on 01223 209811 or email b.coleman@ cambscci.co.uk.

ask the

Payroll & Pensions Samantha Bassett, Payroll Administrator at George Hay Chartered Accountants’ Payroll Bureau, GH Payscheme, helps us to navigate some common payroll and pensions conundrums; from re-enrolment responsibilities, to real-time information reporting (RTI).

DO ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BE ENROLLED INTO A PENSION SCHEME FOR AUTO-ENROLMENT? You must assess your workers to determine who is eligible and

automatically enrol them into a pension scheme. To be eligible, a worker must be between 22 years old and state pension age and earn above £10,000 per year (£833.33 per month or £192.37 per week). Any other workers have the right to opt into the scheme.

WE HAVE A PENSION SCHEME AND ALL OUR EMPLOYEES ARE IN IT. WHAT IS RE-ENROLMENT, AND DO WE HAVE TO COMPLY? Every employer will have re-enrolment duties in the same way that they would have had duties on their original enrolment date. Re-enrolment happens three years after your original staging/ duties start date and every three years thereafter. On this date you must assess all workers and enrol eligible employees who are not already a member of a scheme, providing statutory communications letters to anyone you have re-enrolled.

If you do not have anyone to re-enrol you must still submit a Re-Declaration of Compliance to The Pensions Regulator (TPR). TPR can issue penalties if this is not done by the deadline, which is five months after the third anniversary of your original enrolment date.

WE ARE TAKING ON AN APPRENTICE BUT ARE UNSURE ABOUT THE RULES REGARDING MINIMUM WAGE. IS THERE A MINIMUM RATE WE MUST PAY THEM? If an apprentice is in the first year of

EXPERT

their apprenticeship or is under 19 years of age, they can be paid at the apprentice minimum rate which is £3.90 per hour (as of April 2019). If they do not meet this criteria the National Minimum Wage for their age group will apply: 16-17 = £4.35 18-20 = £6.15 21-24 = £7.70 25 + = £8.21 AN EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN SIGNED OFF WORK BY THEIR DOCTOR. WHAT ARE THE CURRENT RULES GOVERNING STATUTORY SICK PAY (SSP)?

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is payable for 28 weeks, assuming the employee meets earnings criteria and continues to produce sick notes. The 2019/20 rate is £94.25 per week. If the employee is still signed off after 28 weeks, you must complete an SSP1 form for them so that they can claim benefits such as Employment Support Allowance.

Since 6 April 2014 the SSP Reclaim scheme, which helped small employers with associated costs, was abolished; this means it can no longer be reclaimed from HMRC. WHAT IS RTI? RTI (Real Time Information) is the electronic submission that HMRC require each time you pay employees.

Submissions must be made on or before every payday.

Human resources expert, Sue Isaacson of The HR Dept.

Cambridgeshire and North Herts answers your queries

I have an employee who has been a valued member of staff for almost six years. Recently she has started to underperform taking odd days off sick. She has now been signed off with stress by her doctor, with no specific date for her return. What can

we do? We are a small business and the situation is stressing us out!

We have seen a significant rise in stress at work issues over the past few years, so it is vital employers learn how to deal with this. As you are discovering, the cost to a business can be high both emotionally and financially.

Our advice would be to tread carefully. Pay attention to any medical advice given to you and try to make any reasonable adjustments that will help your employee back to work. This might include training, to help build her confidence, or looking at her workload.

Both of these could help improve her performance. An employee off sick with stress - particularly stress that has emerged from the workplace - will be anxious about coming back, so it is essential to try and have good lines of communication and understanding.

Remember, you want to get your

employee back to work.

If, despite these efforts, your employee remains signed off sick, employers are not expected to keep their job open indefinitely. However, it is necessary to follow a fair procedure managing a long-term sickness absence situation. If you proceed towards a dismissal you will potentially have to show that the dismissal is justified and fair, after properly exploring all the options open to you. This in itself is stressful, but we can help!

Going forward, encourage employees to contact their line managers or HR with any problems before they escalate into a situation where they are signed off sick with stress. Keep records of any employees’ concerns, including emails; they will be invaluable to refer back to if need be.

Do you have any HR questions?

Email sue.isaacson@hrdept.co.uk

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Would you like to become a Chamber member?

Get in touch today to find out the many benefits.

Tel: 01223 237414 Email: enquiries@cambscci.co.uk

• THIS MONTH’S NEW MEMBERS • C4 Carbides Ltd Regency Cakes

Compandben International Ltd @COMPANDBEN

@RegencyCakes

DBC Group AS

Revolution

Donvitantonio Wines Glebe Farm Foods Ltd @glebefarmfoods

RHR Foundations Rowan @rowancambridge

Mimeo Ltd Photography by Rob Morris @robwmorris

United Electronic Industries Ltd WJM International (UK) Ltd

Radical Sportscars

REGENCY CAKES Regency Cakes is owned by cake makers Rachel and Graham who between them share a wealth of experience spanning over 30 years.

Together they deliver delicious cakes of exceptional quality with a friendly, informative but professional service all over Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and beyond.

If you need a cake to celebrate a product launch, service awards or your company’s anniversary then give them a call. Remember an event without a cake is just a meeting! www.regencycakes.com

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Glebe Farm Foods Ltd Glebe Farm Foods is the largest grower, miller and manufacturer of gluten free oats in Europe. All the oats in Glebe Farm products are grown exclusively in the UK and Glebe Farm oversees the entire process, from seed to shelf, to ensure the finest quality porridge oats, flours, cereals and granola are available to the UK market and oversees. Owned and run by the Rayner Family in Kings Ripton near Huntingdon for over 50 years, Glebe Farm has positioned itself as the specialist in gluten free oat products, and in 2019 it demonstrated its ongoing commitment to innovation through the launch of its Oat Drink, catering to the growing market for dairy alternatives. www.glebefarmfoods.co.uk

news from

Edmundson Electrical Servicing locally and nationally on a daily basis from the eastern industry area of Peterborough.

They strive to provide an unrivalled service to meet individual customer needs supplying products that include lighting, cables, switchgear, cable management, renewables, wiring accessories, heating, ventilation, fire detection and emergency lighting. www.edmundson-electrical.co.uk

NEW MEMBERS

RandDTax Incentivising innovation and entrepreneurialism through R&D Tax Credits is just one way HMRC and ‘UK Plc’ are supporting growth within our economy.

Cambridge-based entrepreneur Alan Crouch has been appointed to support businesses to recognise, scope and claim their R&D Tax Credits.

“With RandDtax having secured a 100 per cent claim success of in excess of £115m for more than 1,150 companies since September 2012, I welcome the opportunity to bring my commercial experience to work with Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce member businesses and accountants to demystify the process and directly support innovative business growth in the region.” www.randdtax.co.uk

Regus PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB MORRIS Clients have become much more discerning in their decision making.

Today those people want to feel a connection with the businesses they use and relate to that businesses.

Rob Morris tailored photography helps businesses of all sizes obtain those connections and take their business to the next level. www.photography byrobmorris.com

Regus is one of the original pioneers of flexible workspace, helping businesses choose a way of working that’s best for their people.

Now spanning the world with over 3,000 locations, Regus’ global network of bright, inspiring workspaces allows modern businesses to work where, when and how they want, in a more agile way. Regus provides businesses with the flexibility to grow without risk or commitment, and attracts a diverse network of 2.5 million people, from entrepreneurs and SMEs to multi-national blue-chip companies. Regus is an operating brand of IWG plc. www.regus.co.uk

The Peterborough Telegraph The Peterborough Telegraph is the primary media brand in North Cambridgeshire/South Lincs with a total monthly audience approaching 250,000 people in print and online and more than four million page impressions a month at www.Peterboroughtoday. co.uk. Commercial editor Paul Richardson will be your main contact on 01733 588731 or paul.richardson@jpimedia.co.uk

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2100 walkers explore Cambridge’s Colleges and Cambridge University Library 2100 walkers took part in ‘Bridge the Gap Walk’ sponsored by The Cambridge Building Society on Sunday 15 September!

The family-friendly walk directed participants through the stunning grounds of Christ’s College, Cambridge University Library, Queens’ College, Corpus Christi College, Pembroke College and Downing College.

The Bridge the Gap Committee are delighted to announce that this year’s

event has already raised over £35,000.

Funds will be evenly split between two local charities: Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Romsey Mill.

Impressively, more than £535,000 has now been raised by the walk since it started.

Each year Bridge the Gap Walk meanders around a newly created route, designed to include favourite Cambridge locations and exclusive areas of College grounds not usually accessible by the public.

As well as being given the rare opportunity to walk over the iconic Mathematical Bridge and walking amongst the 17th and 18th century book cases of Cambridge University

Library, other notable highlights included: being welcomed into the beautiful grounds of Queens’ College (oldest building on the Backs); The Old Library of Corpus Christi College, named after its main benefactor Master Matthew Parker whose inquisitive nature into church matters is said to have led to the phrase ‘nosey parker’; and the Barbara Hepworth statue outside The Heong Gallery.

‘LOVELY DAY’ INTRODUCES YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES TO ADULT SERVICES East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice hosted a special afternoon for young people, at Arthur Rank Hospice in Shelford Bottom.

The collaborative event was the second in a series of three, designed to introduce young people approaching the age of 18, and their families, to the care and services available to them.

Nine families, who either currently or have previously accessed the care and services of EACH, visited the Hospice. They were welcomed by familiar faces from EACH and were introduced to staff and volunteers from Arthur Rank Hospice and Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, as they made their way around the afternoon’s activities.

Highlights of the afternoon included accessible sports such as sitting volley ball, boccia and

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new age kurling organised by Power2Inspire in the garden, virtual reality headsets provided

by Lifelites in The Sanctuary and Qigong sessions led by Diego from Cloudhands in the gym. There was also a duck money-box painting station, complementary therapies in Arthur’s Shed with staff and volunteers offering head, foot and hand massage and a sensory space in one of the Day Therapy rooms with space blankets, soothing music and light therapy.

The Hospice’s Bistro laid on one of its famous barbeques, which was enjoyed by the visitors, staff and guests alike.

Following this event and the one held in May at the EACH Hospice at Milton, there will be third open day for young people in transition, taking place at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough during the October half term hosted collaboratively by the three hospices.

chamber supports

CHARITY

Support for Young People at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices DID YOU KNOW THAT AT EACH WE CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM AS YOUNG AS NEWBORNS UP TO THE AGE OF 18?

We recognise at EACH that the experiences of lifethreatened teenagers and young adults are often very different to those of younger children, so each of our three hospices has a young people’s team. These teams work with young people from ages 13 to 18, focusing on transition to adult services and how families and young people can take control over the transition process.

The teams also enable young people to socialise with peers from all three hospice sites, delivering events throughout the year, with themes such as sports, a beach party and our very own music festival ‘EACHfest’. Some of our most recent events have included…

VIRTUAL REALITY AND PHOTOGRAPHY EVENT This summer, young people came together at our hospice in Milton to enjoy a day using specialist virtual reality and photography equipment provided by Lifelites. VR headsets allowed those involved to have amazing experiences from the comfort of the hospice whilst specialist photography iPads allowed them to take part in a photography ‘treasure hunt’.

There was also the opportunity for some relaxed gaming, including table tennis, Connect Four and various Xbox games.

Lifelites attended and helped our team make the experience accessible and inclusive to young people of all abilities.

Staff from Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice and Arthur Rank Hospice Charity were also part of

the day, allowing the young people to become acquainted with staff from their nearby adult hospices.

EACHFEST EACHFest is a highlight of the EACH calendar every year - an amazing mini music festival, with loads of activities! This year the care team at EACH Milton organised a silent disco, singing class, storytelling and juggling.

Lunch consisted of barbecue-style food and an ice cream factory, as well as mocktails. The day ended with a session decorating old records whilst singersongwriter Boo Hewerdine played music.

Karen Trickey, Senior Care Assistant and YP Coordinator, said: “EACHfest is one of multiple activities we put on for young people to have an experience they might not otherwise be able to.”

YOUNG PERSON’S EVENT AT ARTHUR RANK HOSPICE CHARITY Most recently, our care team once again worked in collaboration with Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice to put on a young person’s event at the Arthur Rank hospice.

Highlights of the afternoon included accessible sports such as sitting volleyball, boccia and new age kurling, organised in the garden by Power2Inspire, virtual reality headsets, again provided by Lifelites, and qigong sessions in the gym, led by Diego from Cloud Hands. There was also a duck money box painting station, complementary head, foot and hand massages, and a sensory space in one of the day therapy rooms, with space blankets, soothing music and light therapy.

Feedback from the families attending was really positive, with one family member saying: “We weren’t really all that sure about what to expect from the day, but the activities have been brilliant. It’s been lovely, really, really nice. We’ve had a tour round, so we’ve seen quite a bit more of the facilities and met lots of the staff, and they’re all fantastic.”

If you would like to find out more about how you can help EACH support young people and their families please contact Corporate Fundraiser Lottie Driver using: Tel: 01223 800765 • email: cambs@each.org.uk • www.each.org.uk • Twitter: EACH_hospices • Facebook: EACHhospices Registered Charity Number: 1069284

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ELY BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS Representatives from the Chamber were delighted to attend the awards dinner at Ely Cathedral on Friday 20 September.

Two Chamber members were crowned winners on the evening.

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE AWARD Sponsored by King’s Ely

WINNER: DYNAMIC CREATIVE

Sponsored by Fraser Dawbarns

WINNER: KAYLEIGH BYSOUTH, BUSY BEE RECRUITMENT LTD Individuals were able to nominate themselves, or be nominated by their employer or colleagues.

The judges were looking for a business owner / manager who has made an outstanding contribution to the success or survival of the company.

Busy Bee Recruitment specialise in the delivery of bespoke permanent, contract and temporary recruitment solutions throughout East Anglia. Providing a unique recruitment service to jobseekers, enterprises, small and medium sized businesses.

This award recognised the commitment given to helping young people through education and into employment.

Dynamic Creative are the award-winning graphic, web, digital, advertising and packaging design company in Ely. They deliver success; clients tell them it’s their personal relationships, creativity and understanding their brand that keep them coming back. They’ve built long term relationships with clients of all shapes and sizes for over 19 years producing exciting, engaging creativity.

Get in early to secure sponsorship for the 2020 Ely Standard East Cambridgeshire Business Awards. Contact Joe Quinn joe.quinn@archant.co.uk or call 01438 866023 for more information.

PUPILS HAVE THEIR VOICES WELL AND TRULY HEARD AT KING’S ELY CHORAL DAY More than 180 children sang to their heart’s content at King’s Ely’s annual Choral Day. The event, now in its twelfth year, saw music-loving pupils from nine different preparatory and primary schools coming together to sing at King’s Ely and Ely Cathedral on 17 September.

Activities for the day were led by renowned conductor and music educator, Lucy Joy Morris, and organised by Director of Music Performance at King’s Ely, Neil PorterThaw.

The programme included warm ups and rehearsals in King’s Ely’s Hayward Theatre, tours of the cathedral, rehearsals in the cathedral Nave and a performance by some of

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King’s Ely’s Year 7 and 8 cathedral choristers.

The highlight of the day was when all of the young singers came together in the cathedral to perform to their families, teachers, friends and members of the public.

Schools which participated in this year’s Choral Day were Glebe House School, Histon and Impington Junior School, Moreton Hall Preparatory School, St Cedd’s School, St Faith’s

School, Ely St Mary’s CofE Junior School, Stretham Primary School, Fairstead House School, Lantern Community Primary School in Ely and King’s Ely.

news from

ELY & EAST CAMBS AREA

Ellgia Recycling strengthens its team with strategic appointments Ellgia have recently recruited Adrian Smith for Head of Operations at Scunthorpe, and David Chamberlain as Head of Marketing & New Business Development.

Adrian joins with a wealth of experience in senior management, operational delivery, waste processing and fuel production. He has spent a number of years within Suez in the

role of Production Manager delivering 120k tpa of SRF per annum and has spent time running the PFI contract for Biffa in Leicester incorporating both the collection and waste processing businesses.

Of late Adrian was the Operations Director for the significant processing and production of SRF at Mid UK. David joins Ellgia having worked on a consultative

basis for the past 12 months.

Through his hard work, passion for the business and perseverance he has made a significant contribution not only on the business brand recognition and marketing position, but also on the development of new working relationships between key regional partners along with forging strong partnerships with new customers across the entire Ellgia Business.

ELY HERO AWARDS It was Red Carpet Treatment all the way for over 150 excited guests as they gathered to The Maltings in Ely for the third Ely Hero Awards Ceremony organised by Metro Rod Cambridge and co-organisers Infiniti Graphics. Ely Hero Awards is a community event designed to reward and celebrate inspiring individuals in the City and surrounding villages. Individuals are invited to nominate their hero in one of the 10 Categories through the website www.elyheroawards.org.uk, a panel of judges whittle all the nominations down to three finalists in each Category.

The event has grown in strength over the last three years and is supported by over 20 local businesses who provide sponsorship of the event, this support is a huge credit to the business community. This year BBC Radio Cambridgeshire became Media Partners and the evening was hosted by BBC Radio Presenter, Chris Mann. Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Mrs Julie Spence is a very valued supporter of the awards and was a special guest for the evening.

The calibre of nominations was very high, making a tough job with

difficult decisions by the judging panel set up to shortlist and finalise the nominees. Everyone nominated was a winner in the eyes of not only their nominator but by the panel.

The judging panel said of the ‘Most Amazing Professional’ category: “The superb quality of the nominations demonstrates the hard work put in by local professionals going beyond the call of duty in their roles and we have been most impressed by the humility shown by those we have met.”

Fen House Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit, part of the DT Group based in Ely were the chosen Charity of the Year. Over £1,300 was raised via a raffle for the unit.

Logistics company win multiple Palletline awards For the second year running, Masters Logistical Services has won two awards at the prestigious 2019 Palletline awards held in the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.

Masters won the Palletline UK Service award, as well as the Topliner award, for meeting and surpassing targets over a six month period.

Masters have consistently topped the Palletline KPI table and have gained seven Topliner certificates in recognition of their consistent commitment to service excellence. Masters were also runner up for the Depot of the Year award, which is voted for by fellow members of the network.

Paul Upton, Managing Director at Masters, added: “We are extremely proud of these award wins. We are passionate about our business and delivering service excellence to our customers. When you have a team who are committed to success without compromise, you truly see the value of having the right people in your business.”

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cofinitive wins ‘best use of content’ in the CIPR Pride awards cofinitive win ‘Best use of Content’ Gold award in the CIPR Anglia, Thames and Chiltern PRide Awards, for a stakeholder engagement campaign for key client SmithsonHill. In a glittering awards ceremony at the Guildhall in Cambridge, the cofinitive team were also finalists in two further categories, ‘Best Regional Campaign’ for #OnetoWatch, and ‘Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy’, quite a feat for a company only in their fifth year.

The judging panel, made up of PR Industry experts, said of cofinitive’s work: “This was a well-thought-through campaign with good execution to the target audience. cofinitive delivered very positive results which have clearly built a positive reputation for their client and a greater understanding of the AgriTech sector.”

On accepting the award, Nicky Shepard, Account Manager said: “Working with SmithsonHill is a gamechanger in so many ways. They are very receptive to innovative and creative thinking, and being able to push the normal boundaries with our approach is very exciting. And being rewarded for it, from the industry is really encouraging.” cofinitive Founder and Director, Faye Holland was over-the-moon about the award, saying: “We create content for a purpose, delivered to the right people, at the right time. With every client we lead by strategy and execute expertly, so being recognised for something that we do each and every day, by a panel of industry peers is especially rewarding for my hard-working team.”

Students rally for Climate Change and urge people to make small changes to see a big difference Young people at Cambridge Regional College (CRC) held a rally in September during their lunch break at their Cambridge and Huntingdon campuses to encourage staff and students to consider making small changes to help reduce climate change.

The campaign was organised by the Student Union at CRC and was part of a day of action by young people in Cambridgeshire and all over the world.

Staff and students were encouraged to power-down from 12.00-1.00pm and at around 12.30pm groups of college students and staff gathered at the front of the college to show their support for the campaign.

Sophie Day, Cambridge Regional College Student Union President, said: “We want people to consider their carbon footprint, and the impact that their day to day activities can have on the planet. We encouraged students and staff to walk or bike to work or consider car sharing.

“Instead of driving to the local shops, why not walk, do not use plastic disposable water bottles and instead use a refillable one, remember to turn lights off after yourself. These are all small changes that can make a big

L’ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE CAMBRIDGE GOES THE EXTRA MILE FOR MALALA FUND They’ve shaved their heads, jumped from parachutes and this year the Alliance Française Cambridge staff rose boldly once again to their traditional charity challenge. It took two months of training and a lot of laughs for the irrepressible team to be ready to set off for the London to Cambridge bike ride. In July, our Cycling Frenchies mixed sweat, grit and solidarity for the big fundraise.

Peddling the 60 mile (95km) route linking Cambridge to London pulled in £640! This year’s intrepid mission was in aide of Malala Fund and its fight for an accessible, safe and highquality education for all girls across the world.

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difference,” she said.

“Students and staff at the College decided not to strike but we did want to show our solidarity for those who did, and to use this opportunity to encourage our communities to do more to protect our planet.

“We are really pleased that our campaign was supported by the management, staff and students at the college where we are being taught to be life and work ready.

“Being life-ready includes taking a stand on critical matters such as climate change and educating people on how we can all make a difference.”

The rally was part of an international day of climate strikes by young people, including an event involving school children in Cambridge city centre on the same day.

The Alliance Française Cambridge is proud to support local and global charities and will update you soon on the next challenge. A big bravo to Patricia, Virginie, Amélie, Mathilde and their partners for going the distance!

news from

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS AREA

HotelRes and TR Global Events announce official partnership to provide a complete global event delivery service for corporate clients Established venue sourcing and accommodation management specialist partners with highly experienced event management team to create formidable new player in global corporate events.

COMPLETE SERVICE OFFERING Both companies already work with leading global organisations as

independent businesses, and their respective teams know each other well through decades of experience in the industry. By partnering, the two businesses can now offer their clients an end-to-end corporate events service, with each company’s skillsets perfectly complementing the others.

EXPERIENCE PORTFOLIO The TR Global Events team comes with a wealth of experience delivering large scale corporate events for many leading global organisations. From their offices in UK and US TR Global Events offer a full event management service to all clients. Their team are hospitality, events, customer service and

design specialists.

Tony Murdock, TR Global Events Managing Director, commented: “Our partnership with HotelRes is a perfect fit, together we will offer, both new and existing clients a fully comprehensive events service.”

The core HotelRes management team have all been with the company for over 10 years and are recognised as one of the UK’s foremost specialists in global venue sourcing and group accommodation management.

Commenting on this, HotelRes Director of Sales, Fergus Wilson said: “We are very excited to be announcing our partnership with TR Global Events.

This is a great opportunity to help our clients deliver outstanding events globally. With joint projects already underway, we look forward to continuing mutual success.”

Charity Treasure Hunt increases knowledge of Cambridge The official conference and events bureau for Cambridge recently invited staff from its member venues to take part in a networking treasure hunt to brush up on their local knowledge – and raise funds for its designated charity at the same time.

Meet Cambridge welcomed 30 participants to trial a new team-building product from Visit Cambridge & Beyond which comprises a walking tour led by Blue Badge Guides followed by a treasure hunt where teams are given clues to crack and challenges to overcome.

Funds raised were donated to Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind which focuses on support for those with mental health issues.

Teams raced against the clock to get answers before meeting up at Browns Bar & Brasserie for a complimentary drinks reception where the winners were named Enigma: Judith Sloane from announced.

Meet Cambridge, Rachel Samuels from The winning team was the selfNewmarket Racecourses, Lizzie Weitzel

and Joe Sloan from the Hallmark Hotel and Louise Higgins from The Education & Conference Centre, Arthur Rank Hospice.

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Send us your photos each month and we’ll include the best of the bunch!

Email images direct to s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

NEW BRANDING SHOWCASED

Meet the Neighbours

We were delighted when our new branded banners arrived and had them on display in our Histon office.

Members linked up with companies from Stansted Airport Chambers of Commerce at our Meet the Neighbours event with guest speaker from Stansted Airport.

Informal Networking in Ely and Peterborough Connections were made at our informal networking evenings at Poets House in Ely and Metro Bank Peterborough in September.

Ely attendees heard about cyber security without the technical jargon and Peterborough attendees heard about the planned Peterborough BID.

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ATTRACTING TALENT At the first of our War for Talent events, speakers from Scrutton Bland, Anne Corder Recruitment, Keeping HR Simple and Leeds Day Solicitors advised delegates how to Attract Talent.

it’s happening

OUT & ABOUT

Full house for Customs training

NETWALKING AT BOURN GOLF CLUB Our Cambridge informal networking evening was out first Netwalking event with Living Sport and was a great success.

As well as a walk around the glorious grounds, attendees were able to take part in pitch and putt.

Our first Customs Declaration training course took place at Holiday Inn Cambridge with trainer Paul Wrighting from the British Chambers of Commerce. We took the opportunity to showcase our new branding.

NEW RULES EXPLAINED George Hay were guest speakers at our recent Hunts Property and Construction Network to explain the new CIS and VAT rules.

Digital Transformation City Fibre updated the audience at our Peterborough Construction Network on Peterborough’s digital transformation into a gigabit city.

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news from

FENLAND AREA

CHORUS HOMES’ FERRY PROJECT IS SHORTLISTED FOR TWO WOMEN IN HOUSING AWARDS The project is up for two awards in the ‘Woman of the Year: Homelessness/Care and support’ and ‘Improving the Lives of Women or Communities Award (large)’ categories, beating off competition from throughout the UK. Chorus Homes Ferry Project, which is part of Places for People, is an award-winning social enterprise and registered charity

that helps homeless people in Fenland.

The aim of the Ferry Project is to provide accommodation and give people the skills they need to enable independence. These include life skills such as cooking and cleaning, education courses and vocational training to volunteering and employment opportunities.

Emma Webb, Support Team Leader at the Ferry Project has been shortlisted for the ‘Woman of the Year, Homelessness/ Care and support’ award for her inspiring work with others, despite facing many personal challenges.

Emma’s team supports over 1,000 people a year who are either homeless or unemployed. To meet the needs of her role she has proactively developed her own

skillset, including Mental Health First Aider training, drug and alcohol training as well as obtaining a PTLLS qualification so that she could train clients in work related skills and learning management skills.

The second award recognises the outstanding work that the women at the Queen Mary Centre (QMC) are undertaking to help local groups. As a finalist in the ‘Improving the Lives of Women or Communities Award (large)’, activities at the Centre include the Rima’s Ladies group, All Sorts Together and TOAST which all demonstrate Ferry Project’s role in creating a welcoming space for the culturally diverse community.

Keith Smith, Ferry Project Director, said: “We are delighted that the amazing work which is being undertaken by individuals here at Ferry Project has been recognised

by The Women in Housing Awards. Emma, Rima and many others have gone above and beyond to make a real difference and the awards are a great celebration of the fantastic work which women are doing across the housing sector.”

EAST ANGLIAN EMPLOYERS RECEIVE GOLD! The Ministry of Defence announced the winners of the Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award; the highest accolade an employer can receive for actively supporting the Armed Forces community in the workplace and also for encouraging other employers to follow their lead.

These employers have been recognised for the meaningful steps they have taken since signing the Armed Forces Covenant, to ensure veterans, reservists, cadet instructors and military spouses are not disadvantaged in the workplace.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said: “These awards recognise the outstanding support for our armed forces from employers across Britain and I would like to thank and congratulate each and every one.

“Regardless of size, location or sector, employing ex-forces personnel is good for business and this year we have doubled the number of awards in recognition of the fantastic support they give.”

ANGLIAN WATER As one of the biggest employers in the East of England, Anglian Water have a long standing relationship with the military community.

Anglian Water lead by example having actively encouraged other companies to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and created a Defence community within their workforce via internal publications, intranet and social media groups.

THE COLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA The College of West Anglia (CWA) have a longstanding relationship with the Armed Forces which was recently enhanced by the launch of the Air & Defence Career College Programme. Employing more than 20 Veterans and several Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, the college have an internal military network and supportive HR policies in place. Recently they have worked very closely with RAF Marham to support two serving personnel find employment for their partners at the college.

The college works with the Navy, Army and RAF Families Federations to understand areas of need. CWA’s Employer Engagement team attend RAF Marham to hold monthly CWA Course Advice Clinics.

This is resulted in CWA delivering, at RAF Marham, bespoke courses such as Beginners Polish and GCSE Maths. connected 27

Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

news from

HUNTINGDONSHIRE AREA

George Hay Chartered Accountants strengthen Probate team George Hay have strengthened their Probate and Estates team with the addition of a fourth qualified probate practitioner, Carol George.

Carol is a Chartered Tax Adviser who works at both the Huntingdon and Letchworth offices On passing her Probate exams, Carol said: “I’m really pleased to have passed and to be working alongside the other qualified practitioners in the firm.

“As a team, our aim is to deliver a comprehensive probate service, with sensitivity and discretion, relieving our clients of the administrative burden and other anxieties and ultimately, making a challenging time that little bit easier.”

In November 2014, George Hay became one of the first firms in the country to be authorised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) to offer non-contentious probate services.

Since then, GH Probate have acted for a number of clients but also for client’s relatives, business contacts, will writers and families with no previous

New Regus flexible workspaces opening soon in Huntingdon Regus will be opening its first UK franchise centre at Ermine Business Park this October in partnership with ACCA Office Ltd. The new centre will offer state-ofthe-art office space for businesses in the local area, and for those travelling to Cambridgeshire from further afield.

The newly refurbished two-storey space will host modern, private offices and co-working spaces alongside a number of expertly styled meeting and interview rooms.

Located just five minutes drive away from the train station, with easy access to local transport links and the A1 and A14 connecting to both Peterborough and Cambridge, the new centre is set to act as a base for the area’s growing number of technology and manufacturing businesses.

connection to the firm.

Barry Jefferd, Head of GH Probate, said: “I am delighted that Carol has passed her exams. By ensuring that we have qualified probate practitioners

in each of our offices, we make our expertise easily accessible to bereaved individuals and families across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.”

WEBTEC ANNOUNCES STAUFF AUSTRALIA AS A NEW AUTHORISED SERVICE CENTRE To strengthen its’ technical service to customers in the Australasian region, Webtec has appointed fluid power specialist STAUFF Australia as a Webtec Authorised Service centre.

The agreement is part of Webtec’s global strategy to offer the same high level of service and support to customers through specially selected partners who have the same business and technical values in areas where there is no Webtec owned facility.

Wealth agreement, said: “This is an exciting The Service centre will Beacon be based Management highlighted a Small Advice We Firm of opportunity for as both companies. at STAUFF’s New South Wales facilityLtd were the same Year in the Money Marketing Awards 2019. have worked together for over 30 years and will be kitted with the and held, this formal testing equipment, both hardware The award ceremony in Cityagreement Central at appointing the HAC in STAUFF as our authorised and software, and an identical data June, was recognised and attended by the bestservice financial takes our throughout relationshipthe to the acquisition system as used

by Webtec. planning companiescentre and individuals UK. next This level and ourreceived customers will benefi t A full training programme has been accolade sought-after was well amongst industry from the high level of service that will implemented by Steve Thorpe, leaders and fellow peers. be available locally.”

Webtec’s International Sales Manager The selection process was in-depth and they were judged to ensure that STAUFF’s team are fully Branno Tesanovic, Generalfor Manager on factors that included continual enhancement clients, experienced and qualified. Software Business Development at STAUFF professional qualifications and the overall efficiency of their updates will be carried out via the Corporation Pty, added: “We are very business model. cloud system which will ensure that excited about our Webtec Service Tony Larkins, Managing at Beacon this new Service Centre will mirror Centre Director investment and lookWealth forward to Management, commented: "I feel very proud that Beacon Webtec’s own testing centres. taking our customer service capabilities have been highlighted as anext Small Advice Firm of the Year Steve Thorpe, commenting on the to the level.” at the Money Marketing Awards. There are exciting times ahead for Beacon.” connected 29

Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page?

Get in touch. Tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

NEW CAFÉ OPENED AT KING’S The King’s (Cathedral) School held a Grand Opening for their new Café facility, named ‘Boizot’s at King’s’ in honour of the contribution that Peter Boizot made to the School throughout his lifetime.

The Café’ is operated by Delichef and will offer a wonderful all day facility for the Sixth Formers at King’s. Sixth Formers were heavily involved in the design of the Café, and in putting the menus together.

Darren Ayling, Headteacher, was delighted to announce the opening, as this will offer a new resource to the Sixth Form students. During the summer months, the existing dining facilities were also upgraded, offering a fabulous, fresh, food facility for the others pupils at King’s.

MOORE: The new name for Moore Stephens Local accountancy and business consultancy firm, Moore Stephens has relaunched their brand to become ‘Moore’. The change is part of a wider rebrand of the Moore Stephens global network, of which Moore Stephens in the East Midlands is a member.

The unveiling of a new logo and visual identity marks the evolution of an international network of more than 260 independent firms in 112 countries worldwide.

Speaking on the launch of the new

brand, Managing Partner of the firm’s Peterborough office, Andy Hancock said: “I believe that this brand relaunch positions our firm perfectly for our existing and potential clients. ‘Helping you thrive in a changing world’ is the new brand position, and this is the mindset we bring every day to what we do for our clients, as we help them to succeed today and tomorrow.

“In the East Midlands we remain an independent firm - we’re not being acquired or merging with any of the

other member firms that share our name. This won’t change anything regarding how we do business with our clients - they will still deal with the same team of people and we will continue to provide the same first class service they expect from us.”

Law firm celebrates tie to Jane Austen’s summer smash The commercial property team of top 200 law firm Roythornes Solicitors has joined the millions watching the exciting new period drama Sanditon in recognition of its longstanding relationship with production company Red Planet Pictures.

Roythornes has worked with Londonbased Red Planet Pictures on a range of legal matters since 2016. Previously, the commercial property team completed the legal work required to lease a production studio on the complex set of popular television series, Dickensian.

Sanditon is a sumptuous ITV period drama that’s been adapted by Emmy® and BAFTA- winning screenwriter Andrew Davies based on Jane Austen’s unfinished

30 connected

final novel.

Kirsten Rimmer, senior associate at Roythornes, commented: “I’m delighted that the positive relationship between Roythornes and Red Planet Pictures has continued and been marked by the exciting start of Sanditon. This perfectly illustrates the breadth and scope of our services; not only in terms of client location but also the team’s skillset and experience.

“It’s always exciting to work alongside the Red Planet team during the creation of such a significant series; following the success of Dickensian and Sanditon, I can’t wait to see how our relationship develops for future productions.”

news from

PETERBOROUGH AREA

Peterborough businesses lead on improvement bid Businesses in Peterborough are aiming to form a Business Improvement District (BID) which represents their interests and gives them a budget to influence the way the city centre looks and feels to residents and visitors.

There are more than 300 BIDs in the country in places as diverse as the West End of London, to smaller cities including Lincoln and Cambridge and towns such as Bedford and Northampton.

A BID is a defined area where rate-paying businesses decide on improvements to their area and vote on a plan and agree to invest in the delivery of activities that directly impact upon their business turnover and profit. This money is then ring-fenced to provide improvements agreed through the plan and can be used to generate other revenue match-funding to boost the pot of money available to deliver the plan.

A Peterborough steering group, made up of representatives from business sectors across the city centre, is leading on developing a city BID. It’s started speaking to businesses and organisations within the BID area and a questionnaire will give businesses the opportunity to have their say, followed by a vote in early 2020.

Mark Broadhead, Centre Director at Queensgate Shopping Centre, is chair of the steering group. He has worked in other locations that have either had BIDs in place or developed them and understands how a BID will be a positive step for the city centre.

He said: “The steering group recognise that Peterborough is a great place with some excellent shops, commercial businesses and creative talent. Recent improvements to the city centre have started to enhance the way Peterborough looks and feels as a place to visit, shop, have fun and do business - but we don’t shout about the positives enough.

“For instance, we’re investing £60m in the cinema development, which

will help bring more people back to the city centre in the evening. There are more than 300 locations across England which have a BID and the businesses in Peterborough are missing out by not having one here.

“Over the term of the BID (if voted for), the five-year period will see many improvements, changes and exciting activity. But the businesses in the location will be the key influencers on the objectives by developing a robust and forward-thinking business plan.”

Steve Stafford is a Chamber member and Local Director of Metro Bank on Long Causeway. He said: “Places with BIDs tend to see more investment, better footfall and more reasons to visit than they did before they had a BID. For example, following a successful BID in Luton, they saw the businesses filling vacant shop units, more events and

better marketing of the town centre to attract people.

“Our store is in the heart of the city and a hub for the local community.

We’re about to celebrate our second anniversary in Peterborough and from day one we’ve worked closely with the Chamber. We want to support local businesses and be a bank for the whole community.

“We regularly welcome the Chamber into our store to host informal networking events and being part of a BID gives me an opportunity to connect with other local businesses and help make our city so much more inviting and welcoming. The British high street has suffered over the years but by working together, the BID can provide an environment to attract visitors back into the city centre, stay longer and enjoy everything Peterborough has to offer.”

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news from

STAMFORD AREA

Championing the community for 94 years Supporting charities and groups that are meaningful to our team members, clients and the wider community has never been more important. From raising money for vital community causes to sponsoring dragon boat races, Duncan & Toplis regularly come together to raise money and support vital charities and organisations in Lincolnshire and beyond.

In April 2018, the International Bomber Command Centre opened after nine years of fundraising. The £13m centre includes the UK’s tallest war memorial and an interpretation centre to remember the one million men and women from 62 countries who came together in Bomber Command during World War Two. From day one of fundraising, Duncan & Toplis helped the organisation make the most of every donation by minimising costs and wastage while making sure the centre’s finance function was fit for purpose and conformed to complex financial regulations and VAT rules.

As members of the community themselves, the team was proud to be working on the project. The International Bomber Command Centre is now successfully operating commercially to share stories of Britain’s past with generations of people.

We had some fun and did some fundraising last summer with dozens of businesspeople

from across Lincolnshire at our annual Charity Golf Day, raising thousands for local charities.

The event has been a company tradition for almost 30 years.

The whole company also raised thousands of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support by hosting a series of community Coffee Mornings last year, and over the festive period, we celebrated the season of giving with a Christmas present appeal.

Each of our 11 offices accepted new and unused toys and gifts for children who are supported by Lincolnshire County Councils

social care teams.

2019 sees us carrying on with our efforts to support our local community. We’re once again continuing to support our favourite good causes and local groups: We’ll be baking, running, rowing, shaving our heads and playing Monopoly for charities and deserving causes.

We’re proud to have supported our community over the years, and we’ll continue to dedicate our time and efforts to help make an even bigger difference for many years to come.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SALE AND LEASEBACK Sale and leaseback is on the increase in the commercial property market offering opportunities for businesses and property investors alike.

The commercial property market has thrived despite Brexit uncertainty with the industrial/warehouse market showing the greatest rental and capital growth within the commercial sector.

New bespoke/speculative development continues to be strong particularly for institutional buyers but the investment market is seeing a levelling of yields for second hand stock.

The weakened export and trade market, especially in manufacturing, caused by Brexit and reduced business investment has enabled the Bank of England base rates to remain steady at 0.75 per cent.

But this could change according to Simon Parsons, head of Commercial agency at Berrys.

“Slow manufacturing output and trading has resulted in business supply excess,

which once Brexit is understood, should result in increased trade and take up,” said Simon.

“The Bank of England believes that this extra activity will require increased interest rates to control inflation. The speed of these increases will depend on the type of Brexit, more gradual if smooth Brexit, or quicker if a no deal Brexit.”

Weak business investment is backing up due to Brexit and the global trade conditions but the labour market is still tight, suggesting lack of labour supply and little movement of labour.

“Predicted business growth coupled with price peaks in the industrial property sector offers owner occupiers opportunity to release capital by way of sale and leaseback,” said Simon.

He says two approaches are available: • Longer term investment lock in where the owner occupier sells subject to a longer-term lease, say 15 years certain.

This will be attractive for institutional

buyers and buildings need to be modern.

• Shorter term development route. The owner occupier locks in for three to five years with the view they are going to relocate. The Investor offers flexible occupation and retains the ability to carry out alterations without consent.

Do you have some exciting news to shout about that could be featured on this page? Get in touch.

Tel: 01223 237414 email: s.parr@cambscci.co.uk connected 33

Protecting your business from cyber crime

I

f you are a small or medium-sized enterprise then there is around a one in two chance that you’ll experience a cyber security breach. For micro/small businesses, that could result in costs of around £1,400.

Between April 2018 and March 2019, 8,333 crimes of fraud and cyber crime were reported to Action Fraud by businesses and individuals across Cambridgeshire. (58% being from business) The total cost across the 8,333 crimes was just over ÂŁ15m.

Another startling fact is that fraud and cyber crime now accounts nationally, to nearly 50 per cent of all recorded crime.

One of the consistent and significant threats to the SME, is the phishing email.

The email that on face value appears to come from someone within your supply chain, a director, or a customer, the list can go on as to who the sender purports to be. The email will attempt to lure the receiver to open an attachment or click on a link. The opening of the attachment could result in a cybercriminal gaining remote access to the computer and network without the receiver knowing

34 connected

which may result in a data breach, a financial loss or the encryption of all your data using ransomware and the only way you will access the data again is by paying the criminal. The clicking on the link could well be a shortcut to a webpage that may look genuine but in fact is a clone controlled by the sender. The result is that the criminal will observe all that you type, email address, password and other personal sensitive data.

Another crime of note is the email that again appears to have been sent by a genuine sender similar to the phishing email, but on this occasion it may appear to be a senior director/ manager asking for a payment to be made to a

specific bank account and sort code.

Or, the email may appear to be from an employee requesting their salary be paid into a new bank account. The mail may appear to have come from a customer or someone in the supply chain, asking that a payment owed is sent to a different bank account and sort code. Any request for a change in the way any payment is made or received, should be treated with caution and that the person making the request should be asked in person or using a trusted contact telephone number.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) based in London, is tasked with not only protecting government assets online, but also provides highly respected advice to the SME on how they can protect their business from a host of hostile actors operating from inside and outside of the United Kingdom. The NCSC have stated that the majority of cyber crime could be mitigated if a set of minimum standards are implemented, these standards are detailed in the NCSC Cyber Security: Small Business Guide, a copy of which can be downloaded from the website: www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/smallbusiness-guide

report from

THE GUIDANCE DETAILS FIVE CRUCIAL TOPICS: 1. Backing up your data 2. Protecting your organisation from malware 3. Keeping your smartphones (and tablets) safe 4. Using passwords to protect your data 5. Avoiding phishing attacks.

In conjunction with this, is another guide titled ‘Cyber Security: Small Business Guide Actions’. Implementing these actions will significantly reduce the chance of you becoming a victim of cyber crime, for more information please visit: www.ncsc.gov.uk/smallbusiness For those of you who are responsible for the defence and administration of your business network, you may be eligible to join the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CiSP). This is a joint industry and government initiative set up to exchange cyber threat information in real time, members make use of a wide range of products and services in addition to the sharing of information. www.ncsc.gov.uk/cisp Cyber Essentials is government backed scheme which provides a set of basic

NCSC

technical controls to help the SME protect themselves against common online security threats. Businesses can receive a cyber essentials certificate showing customers your commitment to securing your IT against cyber crime and a Cyber Essentials plus certificate in which your security will be independently verified by an accredited expert. www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov.uk At a local level, Mr Nigel Sutton is the Fraud and Cyber Security Advisor for Cambridgeshire Police, he is part of a national police network of officers and staff who represent the NCSC with the objective of helping to protect SME’s from fraud and cyber crime. Nigel can provide presentations at mixed business events, he can visit your business on a one to one basis, provide a table top cyber exercise called Decisions and Disruptions for directors and senior managers and also provide a briefing about cyber crime to employees. Nigel also acts as a sponsor for those wishing to join CiSP, he can be contacted at: CyberProtectCambs@cambs.pnn.police.uk For further information please visit: www.ncsc.gov.uk www.actionfraud.police.uk https://ersou.police.uk/cyber-crime.html

The NCSC have stated that the majority of cyber crime could be mitigated if a set of minimum standards are implemented connected 35

A KILLER SPEAKS Get inside the t wisted mind of America's most notorious serial killer.

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SIGNPOST 2 GROW

Do you know an SME that would benefit from being mentored by a leading business?

Mentoring for Growth is Be the Business’s flagship programme designed to connect business leaders from large, multi-national companies with key decision makers and owners from SME organisations.

This connection facilitates knowledge transfer, exchange of ideas, expertise and experience to shape the future direction of an SME and deliver a step-change in business productivity.

The programme matches ambitious small and medium-sized businesses with experienced mentors from some of the UK’s leading businesses including GSK, Amazon and The John Lewis Partnership. Some 180 successful matches have already been made across Greater Manchester, Birmingham, the North East of England and London. This figure is set to increase to 1,000 by March 2020.

The Growth Company is responsible for identifying SMEs which could benefit from the programme and then matching them with mentors – selected by Be the Business – from some of England’s leading and most productive companies.

Be the Business is the businessled organisation created to close the UK’s productivity gap. Led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, Be the Business is spearheading a businessled drive to help companies across the UK improve their performance.

If you feel that you know a business that would benefit from Be the Business’s Mentoring for Growth programme, or would like

further information to send out to your networks/clients, please email btbmentoring@growthco.uk.

The Cambridge & Peterborough Combined Authority’s Growth Hub have been instrumental in setting this programme up within our catchment area, and are delighted to have appointed Iain Crighton MBE as our local area manager.

Iain said: “After numerous years as Chairman of the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and a business owner in Peterborough, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to be in touch with our local business community again. This new role is a wonderful way of supporting our local businesses with the provision of a free mentor who can certainly assist with the growth of a business moving up to the next level. I’m delighted to see that the IOD

are clearly recognising the value of mentors and from a personal perspective I would fully endorse the value a mentor can bring.”

For further details, please contact Iain on 07407 425315 or email iain.crighton@ cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov. uk The eligibility criteria for SMEs across England is a minimum of 10+ employees in any sector, £2m turnover and a key decision maker within the business.

To find out more about the programme, please visit www. bethebusiness.com/mentoring

connected 39

insight from

Import changes to Google Ads PPC Google has changed some of the information available when managing Google Ads campaigns (also known as PPC). Sarah West of Full Mix Marketing explains the implications.

WHAT’S CHANGED? Among other changes, on 30 September Google removed the ‘Average Position’ statistic.

Where your ad appears in search results is dependent on your Ad Rank. Ad Rank is determined by your ad’s Quality Score and how much you bid per click. Your Quality Score depends on how well your advert and landing page relate to the search term entered.

Until now, Google Ads (formally AdWords) has shown the Average Position

your ad appears, relative to others. An Average Position of one indicated your ad was always the first paid search ad shown.

An Average Position of three indicated there were typically two ads above it.

As the way Google search results are displayed varies, Average Position did not indicate your ad’s actual position. Though positions one to three are often at the top of the page, they can be at the bottom or even on the second page.

Google believe Average Position is unreliable. However, some say their change is to encourage more campaign automation which can raise costs.

Average Position has been replaced by four new metrics: 1. ‘Top Impression Rate’ details the percentage of impressions that appear above organic results at the top of the page 2. ‘Absolute Top Impression’ details the percentage of impressions that appear at the very top of the page 3. ‘Top Impression Share’ details the

SARAH WEST

frequency an ad appears at the top of the page relative to the number of times it could 4. ‘Absolute Top Impression Share’ details the frequency an ad appears at the very top of search results compared with the total opportunities to do so.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS? Many PPC managers rely on Average Position. For example, though position one is typically at the top of the page, many target position three as it is more frequently clicked and requires a lower bid.

This strategy is no longer possible and a new approach is needed to avoid poor results.

At Full Mix Marketing, we transitioned to the new metrics some months ago.

Though complex, they provide more accurate information which can boost results and reduce costs. Make sure your campaign manager is aware and has a new strategy. For help with your PPC visit www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk

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A personal journey through the heart of rural England

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MOORE THE NEW NAME FOR MOORE STEPHENS At Moore, our purpose is to help people thrive.

Whether you’re a business, a not for profit organisation or a private individual we can help. As well as audit, accounts and tax compliance we also offer a complete payroll service, accounting software training, bookkeeping, tax returns and much more. www.moore.co.uk

Get in touch today T 01733 397300 east.midlands@moore.co.uk

chamber

EVENTS

AMAZING BENEFITS OF INFORMAL NETWORKING EVENINGS

November 2019

4

George Hotel, Huntingdon 5.00-7.00pm

6

The Tobie Norris, Stamford 5.00-7.00pm

11

Poets House, Ely 5.00-7.00pm

20 21 27

Peterborough Greyhound Stadium 5.00-7.00pm

Metro Bank, Cambridge 5.00-7.00pm

Coach House Hub, Chatteris 5.00-7.00pm

Bank of England

CHAMBER

MEMBERSHIP DATE Wednesday 20 November TIME 9.30-11.30am LOCATION Chamber Office, 6 The Forum, Minerva Business Park, Peterborough, PE2 6FT DATE Thursday 21 November TIME 9.30-11.30am LOCATION Milton Hall, Ely Road, Milton, Cambridge, CB24 6WZ PRICE Free to attend, please register in advance CONTACT Bren Coleman on 01223 209811 or email b.coleman@cambscci.co.uk Come and learn the real, tangible benefits of membership in terms of financial savings and increasing revenue and profitability.

Whether you’re looking to generate interest in your services and increase sales, develop your professional skillset, explore new opportunities to do business overseas, or take advantage of the cost-savings and protection available, our extensive membership package offers it all.

You will also discover our latest promotional opportunities and get connected with our benefit service providers. We will also explain how we can help you engage with others in the Chamber network and across the wider business community.

DATE Wednesday 23 October TIME 6.00-8.00pm LOCATION The George Hotel, 71 St Martins, Stamford, PE9 2LB PRICE £10.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £15.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk We’re returning to The George Hotel for our annual evening with the Bank of England. It’s a chance to influence monetary policy-makers and hear an expert’s view on current economic challenges and opportunities. Our guest speaker Patrick Campbell, Deputy Agent for the Bank of England, will talk about the economy and the current economic outlook as well as offering the opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

Sponsored by

Chamber members can book events online at www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk connected 45

Peterborough B2B Exhibition Fantastic promotional opportunity for your organisation within the local Peterborough business community.

DATE Wednesday 30 October TIME 9.00am-3.00pm LOCATION KingsGate Conference Centre, Staplee Way, Parnwell, Peterborough, PE1 4YT PRICE Free to attend as a visitor, stands start from £229.00 (plus VAT) for Chamber members and Opportunity Peterborough Bondholder members CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk

HEADLINE SEMINAR FROM GOOGLE DIGITAL GARAGE Build Your Personal Brand Online 1. Define your personal brand 2. Build your brand online 3. Increase your online visibility For people who want to start building a brand online - discover ways to think about personal branding, which platforms are available, plus tools and tips to monitor and grow your following.

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FREE SEMINAR PROGRAMME Opportunity Peterborough Bondholder Breakfast Hear the latest city news – exclusive to Bondholder members Top Tips to Avoid Late Payments Office of the Small Business Commissioner Grow Your Business Using Facebook Ads Kristian Downer, Dow Social Effective Use of Custom Software Constance Vanderputt, Ebase Technology Meet the Regulators Signpost 2 Grow Selling Matters, Sales Matters Trevor Burfield, Training and Consulting for Business Speed Networking Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Visit www.peterboroughb2b.co.uk to find out more.

PETERBOROUGH SAFARI NETWORKING BREAKFAST DATE Thursday 7 November TIME 7.45-10.00am LOCATION Orton Hall Hotel, Peterborough, PE2 7DN PRICE £17.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £24.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members CONTACT Hannah Shaw on 01223 209803 or email h.shaw@cambscci.co.uk You’ll have two minutes at three different tables to make those initial introductions and explain what sets your business apart from its competitors, with additional networking over a full English breakfast for the tables you don’t meet the first time around.

We also welcome Robert Hay, Director of H2 Information Risk Management Consultants who will offer advice on Cyber Security.

46 connected

chamber

East Cambs Business Boost DATE Thursday 14 November TIME 9.15am-2.00pm LOCATION Littleport Leisure Centre, Camel Road, Littleport, CB6 1EW PRICE free to attend as a visitor, pre-registration required This event will bring together 300 SMEs through networking, business exhibition and seminars.

More details on page 43.

EVENTS

RETAINING TALENT War for Talent part 3

DATE Tuesday 12 November TIME 9.30am-12.00pm LOCATION Huntingdon Racecourse, Brampton, Huntingdon, PE28 4NL PRICE £30.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £40.00 (plus VAT) nonChamber members CONTACT Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@ cambscci.co.uk Organised by the HR & Recruitment Sector Retaining key employees is critical to the long-term health and success of your business. Our experts share their strategies for inspiring employees to give their best performance.

GO NETWORKING GO RACING DATE Tuesday 12 November TIME 12.00-3.00pm LOCATION Huntingdon Racecourse, Brampton, Huntingdon, PE28 4NL PRICE £25.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £35.00 (plus VAT) nonChamber members CONTACT Hannah Shaw on 01223 209803 or email h.shaw@cambscci.co.uk This event, in association with Huntingdon Racecourse, offers you the opportunity to enjoy some racing and connect with local businesses in a fun and relaxed sporting environment.

A guest speaker, plus tipster session, are included and you will receive a race day programme and have access to a tote betting facility and private bar.

Included in the ticket price is a light lunch, exclusive networking with panoramic views of the track and admission to the main enclosure.

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