connected January 2018 small

INSPIRING BUSINESS SUCCESS

ISSUE 62/JANUARY 2018

The official monthly magazine for Chamber members

UPGRADE

Ian MacKellar - The brand-new A14 in Cambridgeshire was due to open in 2010, by 2010 not a sod had been turned PLUS. . . all the news from the Chamber Network Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

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this issue

13

CONTENTS

25

43

29

8 5

Chief Executive’s highlights

6-7

Ian MacKellar

8-9

Charity

10-11

Connections

12-13

Influence

14-15

Global reach

16-17

Knowledge

21 22-23

Cambs & South Cambs Chamber news

24-25

Out & about

27

Fenland Chamber news

29

Huntingdonshire Chamber news

30-31 33 34-35

Peterborough Chamber news Stamford Chamber news New members

18

Protection

39

LEP

19

Ask the expert

41

Insight from Alex Spencer

20

Matthew Gooding column

43

Insight from Jamie Burles

21

Ely Chamber news

45-47

Events

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

connected January 2018 3

welcome from the

EDITOR

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

Chief Executive John Bridge OBE DL Editor Sadie Parr Published by

Print xlpress Design Richard Thomas Clare Turner

Welcome to our first edition of connected for 2018!

Our Centenary comes to an end during January and we are delighted with the support from our members throughout the year to mark this special milestone. We will bring you a recap next month of how we celebrated, the special events that took place, our charitable hours and whether we made that 100 hour target!

Please note that the Chamber will close on Friday 22 December and re-open at 9.00am on Tuesday 2 January. During this time export documents submitted electronically will be processed from 10.00am-1.00pm on Friday 29 December. If you have any queries relating to export documentation, please contact the export team on 01223 237414.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members a very happy New Year and we look forward to working with you all during 2018.

Sadie Parr Editor, connected s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

Advertising Iain Robinson iain.robinson@cambridge-news.co.uk Membership team Bren Coleman 01223 209811 Paul Gibbons 07759 934111 Cambridge Enterprise House, Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9ZR. Tel 01223 237414 Peterborough 6 The Forum, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT. Tel 01733 370809

DIARY DATES January 2018

Email enquiries@cambscci.co.uk Visit cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk

8

@CambsChamber

Informal Networking Evening, Ely

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

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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4 January 2018 connected

17 17 18

Amazing benefits of Chamber membership, Peterborough

Informal Networking Evening, Peterborough

18 23 24 30 Informal Networking Evening, Cambridge

Safari Networking Breakfast, Cambridge

Informal Networking Evening, Fenland

Global Business Network, Cambridge

Amazing benefits of Chamber membership, Cambridge

view from the

BRIDGE

It was a pleasure to visit FlexiSolar at their premises in Fenstanton to learn about their exciting future plans and present Tim Evans, Chief Executive, Adam Goves and Guy Morrison with their membership certificate and welcome them to the Chamber. Flexisolar Ltd is an innovator in solar technology working on breakthrough innovation, backed by Innovate UK. They’re set to work in partnership with hundreds of businesses across the UK to develop fully integrated carport solutions and have an expert team with over 60 years’ experience working in the solar industry and the wider renewable energy sector.

I was delighted to speak at the recent A14 improvement scheme – one year on event where I had the opportunity to catch up with David Bray, A14 Project Director at Highways England, and Jonathan Djanolgy, MP for Huntingdon.

The biggest barrier to growth and economic success, is well on the road to being dealt with. The business community is really delighted to see progress at last on the A14 and in particular, the very positive way that the scheme is being developed. Whilst there are some short term challenges which can be expected in a construction scheme of this size, the significant long term benefits will far outweigh any short term inconvenience.

In this edition of connected Ian MacKellar reports on the progress, and the cost, of the A14 upgrade.

Our guest speaker at a recent business networking and race day event held with Huntingdon Racecourse was John Hammond, an advisor from the Met Office. The Met Office is the UK’s national weather service. It provides weather and climate-related services to the Armed Forces, government departments, the public, civil aviation, shipping, industry, agriculture and commerce.

John inspired us all with his presentation on the effect that the weather has on racing or sporting events and the running of your businesses. He considers a four day forecast today is an accurate as a one day forecast used to be. You can all be the judge of this!

John Bridge OBE DL Chief Executive, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce connected January 2018 5

6 January 2018 connected

report from

IAN MACKELLAR

New motorway improvement scheme could cost £1.5billion hen the current upgrade of the A14 in Cambridgeshire was first announced on All Fools’ Day 2003, the estimated cost was less than £500million – and the road was due to have opened to traffic in 2010.

By October 2010, not a sod had been turned and the cost had risen to £1.2billion, so it was an easy target for then Chancellor George Osborne’s axe in his ‘comprehensive spending review’ aimed at balancing the national current account in the wake of the global economic collapse of 2007 that has bequeathed us near-zero interest rates for a decade.

Even Mr Osborne came to recognise the error of shooting at easy targets, when it was pointed out to him that an economic recovery relying on the ‘golden triangle’ of London, Cambridge and Oxford was not well served when the engine of growth was idling in a traffic jam at Bar Hill.

So eventually the 21-mile improvement scheme, most of which is a brand-new six-lane southern bypass of Huntingdon and Godmanchester, was kick-started at a Treasury-limited cost of £1.5billion (at 2014 prices) – three times the 2003 estimate (give or take a GDP deflator or two).

What will it actually cost when it opens, as planned, in 2020?

Well, it should cost £1.5bn plus an allowance for inflation since 2014 – at a punt, less than £1.6bn.

It is worth looking at these cost estimates briefly. In the early 1990s, a Transport Select Committee report calculated that the average trunk road investment scheme was actually costing 104 per cent more than the cost estimate on which approval was given, often turning the benefit-to-cost ratio on its head.

By the time then Chancellor Gordon Brown asked Mike Nichols, head of the eponymous civil engineering group, to look in 2006 at what was going wrong, the average outturn cost for a major UK road scheme was three times the original estimate.

Given the Nichols recommendation that cost estimates should henceforth cease to be based on a best-case scenario combined with a win on the Spanish lottery and a collapse in civil engineering costs, and set alongside what happened to the global economy in and after 2007, it was hardly surprising that infrastructure investment all but dried up for several years.

So much for the cost. What will we get for our £1.6bn or whatever it turns out to be? An awful lot more than that, if the A14’s greatest supporter, your very own Chamber Chief Executive John Bridge, is to be believed. And he clearly is now believed by the Government – much to his constant surprise after so many knock-backs.

It is an astonishing thing to say about a comparatively straightforward road improvement scheme, but it will unstopper the huge potential for economic growth – nationally as well as locally – that lies in that golden triangle at the top of the ‘trickle-down’ pyramid of prosperity.

But what of the scheme itself, now a year into its four years of construction? Those who travel all or part of the route between Ellington and Fen Ditton will have seen the landscape of the corridor transformed almost daily. First there was barrenness where previously there had been trees, mud where there had

been crops. Now there are hills in terrain that had been flat for millions of years, surrounding instant villages of portable buildings housing the 2,200-strong construction team.

It may in theory be a trunk road widening scheme that incorporates a greenfield urban bypass, but be in no doubt that this looks like a monumental feat of civil engineering that could cut journey times by up to 20 minutes across Cambridgeshire.

But it does carry more heavy traffic than any other nonmotorway trunk road in the UK. In the 1980s, when the original M1-A1 link road, which was what the now-A14 was then called, the typical cost of a new six-lane motorway built on greenfield land was £5million a mile. This project will cost more than 15 times that – and it is not even to be built to motorway standard, even if far superior to anything built then. But it does give a feel for the way the world has moved on.

That said, the average new motorway 30 years ago did not include a 750-metre-long six-lane viaduct over the Great Ouse or 33 other bridges over roads, railways and watercourses, as this one does. The numbers are impressive, but I shall not list them here, save to mention that they already include recruitment of 22 apprentices and 44 graduates, not to mention 30 school visits by the project team to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Great credit to Highways England for that.

The weather can play havoc with such predictions, of course, but it seems to me that we shall be using this brand-new road long before the official opening date of ‘by December 2020’.

When I put that thought to Mike Evans, Highways England Strategic Stakeholder Manager for the scheme, he laughed – confirming that he, too, was confident of an early completion.

But he added: “The new A1 [bypassing Brampton to the west of the existing road] will be open long before then, so that we can convert the current road to A14. It will reopen with concrete barriers and better noise attenuation.”

Apart from the noise, that should deal with the air quality problem. Brampton is one of four places on the current A14 where NOx emissions wildly exceed international standards.

The other three, Huntingdon, Godmanchester and Fenstanton, will be bypassed.

In the next year, the second of the four-year project, you should see work starting in earnest on the Bar Hill junction – before the road is widened to four lanes in each direction to the new full Girton interchange – widening of the Cambridge northern bypass, opening of the Grafham Road bridge across the A1, and opening to traffic of the new A1 between Alconbury and Brampton before the current alignment is completely rebuilt later as A14.

When the whole thing is finished, the current viaduct over the railway line in Huntingdon will be demolished, with the existing road de-trunked and joining the urban network at Huntingdon railway station. By then, of course, you will be able to get a train from there to Brighton!

Next question: how long will all this new capacity take to fill up with ‘generated traffic’? Or will technology make that question irrelevant? connected January 2018 7

CHARITY SUPPORT CONTINUES Sadie Parr, Communications Co-ordinator, and Karen Cash, Membership and Export Administrator, supported East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) at the Cambridge Fireworks on Midsummer Common by bucket collecting.

Grace from the EACH Fundraising Team, commented: “We wouldn’t have been able to do the collection without you, and I’m pleased to say it raised an amazing £1,300 for EACH, and there are still donations

coming in through the text number. Not only did it raise a great amount of money, but it also gave us much needed exposure in central Cambridge and was the beginning of a fruitful relationship with Cambridge Live. All of this was possible because of you all, and so I would like thank you again on behalf of everyone here at EACH.” EACH is a children’s hospice charity, providing care and support to local families.

Little Miracles Disney Trip In October 53 excited children made their way to Disney Paris thanks to local charity Little Miracles.

This wonderful cause supports families that have children with additional needs, disabilities and life limiting conditions. They offer everything from fun free play sessions at their centre (The Spinney – based at Hartwell Way, Peterborough), home education, outdoor days and activities (such as their recent trip to Disney), counselling services, OT therapy and behavioural therapy for families in need.

The list goes on! Just like everyone else, the children of Little Miracles need a place to play, laugh and create friendships. The charity provides this whilst the families are able to access the advice, support and care that they deserve.

Those that attended the trip to Disney had an amazing time, as highlighted by numerous parents. Eloise Veale mentioned: “My daughter Eloise told me ‘It was the best day ever. Everyone at the park made all the children with disabilities feel welcome and accepted. I can hand-on-heart say that we wouldn’t have experienced such a magical trip without Little Miracles.”

Lou Merritt added: “My son, Charlie, very rarely shows his emotions. Even he said that it was the best day of his life. Little Miracles made everything so stress-free with the hours spent on making sure everyone’s individual needs were seen to.”

The event organiser, Emily Sibthorpe, said: “Highlights included the Parade and Fireworks, but to be honest it was all so amazing and magical.

Everyone had a great time and we’ve already decided to go again next year. We hope to make this an annual event.”

Fundraising is vital to the charity’s survival and to continue the great level of support that it provides to the families. Therefore, they need support themselves to continue doing what they do.

8 January 2018 connected

Charity member event Can you spare a couple of hours to help support charity members?

Ja nu ary 2018 Saturday 27 January lton Collection at Tesco Mi hur in support of Art Rank Hospice Charity www.arhc.org.uk ail To get involved please em uk rg. c.o arh Catherine.fox@

chamber supports

Solicitor Rachael completes half marathon in father -in-law’s memory Rachael Bridges has raised almost £2,000 for Sue Ryder after successfully completing her first half marathon.

Although marking a personal achievement for Rachael, who works as part of the private client team for Buckles Solicitors LLP – taking part in the Great Eastern Run has also honoured the memory of her late father-in-law, David.

She said: “I decided to raise money for Sue Ryder as my father in law passed away in March this year and was in Thorpe Hall for the last six weeks of his life.

“He was only 59 and it was a very difficult time. I had just had my second daughter, and in fact she was only six days old when David went into Thorpe Hall. The staff were amazing, not just with David, but with the whole family.

“I wanted to do something to raise money for Thorpe Hall as we could not have got through those last few weeks without them. David ran the GER when he was younger and last year, we watched it together and he said when he was better he would like to train and do it again.

As he was unable to do it I decided to do it for him.”

Rachael started training when her newborn daughter Marley was just three months old, and admits that while having done a little running a few years ago, could barely manage a single mile at that time.

CHARITY

“It took me nearly 20 minutes and I thought I was going to be ill,” she said, “But I trained three to four times a week whenever I could fit it around the children as I was still on maternity leave. I managed to get to the point where I could run 11 miles and decided the last two could be done on adrenalin. I did not expect to run it all and was happy to jog/walk the last couple of miles but somehow, I managed to run it all.”

Rachael was invited to hand over a cheque to member of the Sue Ryder team.

Thorpe Hall community fundraiser Nilesh Patel said: “We are hugely grateful to Rachael and her family for this fantastic donation and we can assure them that the money will be put to excellent use within the hospice.”

Buckles’ Rachael Bridges (right) hands over her cheque to nurse Emily Huckle.

Village Hall trustees from across the county celebrate the hard work of all local volunteers Cambridgeshire ACRE, the County’s rural development charity, helped local volunteers celebrate National Trustees’ Week, which ran from 13-17 November, recognising the hard work and commitment put in by volunteers throughout the UK. Trustees from all over the county came together at one of the organisation’s regular village hall trustee coffee mornings. These events are a great opportunity for trustees to network and share their knowledge.

The event’s topics of discussion this time included the challenges of running small village halls and recruiting and retaining volunteers.

Lisa Chambers, Community Facilities Development Officer at Cambridgeshire ACRE said: “Trustees work so hard for their charities and it is really important that we celebrate and recognise their achievements.

So many of Cambridgeshire’s village halls rely on dedicated volunteers who put in many unpaid hours, being there every day to open up, ensure the bills are paid and that the public are safe using their local facilities. We believe they deserve special thanks.” connected January 2018 9

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.

Prize Draw Winners October The October prize draw was made by Richard Olsen and John Bridge OBE DL at the Stamford Chamber committee meeting. Richard is Chair of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director at OlsenMetrix Marketing.

Our new member winner is AVC Training and our member winner is Neil Aylin from Halo Project Management Services. Both members will receive £100.00 off their next membership renewal.

John Bridge OBE DL, Liz Makin from Makin It Happen, Richard Olsen, Will Phelan from Stamford Endowed Schools, Janet Meenaghan from New College Stamford, Paul Rose and John Dawson from Dawson of Stamford

10 January 2018 connected

Business Women get social on Twitter The Chambers’ Business Women’s Sector recently attended a training session on Twitter led by Stuart Waldron of Waldron Media. This has allowed the sector to set up and manage their own twitter account to promote the work of the sector group, share their experiences and engage with more women in business.

You can connect and engage with the Business Women’s sector by following @CCWomensSector

MEMBER BENEFIT As a Chamber member you have access to many exclusive and discounted offers from our national partners and local Chamber members, helping to drive your business costs down. One of these offers is Health At Hand, the free service from AXA PPP healthcare.

What is Health At Hand?

Health At Hand is a health information helpline, providing confidential support and information on a range of issues including: • Family health – from childhood infections to teenage troubles • General health issues • Pill and prescription information • Travel health information.

There are nurses and counsellors on hand 24 hours a day, so whenever you have a health concern or worry there’s always someone to talk it through with.

Pharmacists and midwives are available from 8.00am-8.00pm Monday to Friday, 8.00am-4.00pm on Saturday and 8.00am-12.00pm on Sunday.

How to access the service Chamber members can do this by registering online at: online.axappphealthcare.co.uk/PPPForms/Form.mvc/ chambers-member-offer Following registration, you will receive the Health At Hand leaflet containing all the information you need to start using the service.

widen your

CONNECTIONS

East Cambs Business Boost 2017 gets companies connected Lucy Frazer MP and Mayor James Palmer joined global giants, Microsoft and Google to meet and talk to 227 local businesses for the first East Cambs Business Boost event held at The Maltings in Ely. East Cambs Business Boost 2017 consisted of an exhibition and networking coupled with business support and funding clinics held by local financial experts. Microsoft and Google also delivered keynote sales and marketing seminars.

The Chamber organised a speed networking showcase prior to the start of the official Business Boost opening.

Lis Every, Vice Chair of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “The first East Cambs Business Boost event has been a huge success with a wealth of advice and networking opportunities for local business owners to help them take their businesses to the next level for the benefit of the growing East Cambs economy. The support of Lucy Frazer MP and Mayor James Palmer for the event, alongside highly engaging and informative sales and marketing

masterclasses from world-leaders, Microsoft and Google, is of great advantage to East Cambridgeshire’s business community.”

Laura Welham-Halstead, Head of Communications and Connectivity at Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted Microsoft and Google took part in our first East Cambs Business Boost event and took the time to engage with local businesses and show them how to accelerate their sales and marketing functionality.

The ‘Launch Zone’, where businesses, from start-ups and entrepreneurs through to more established small and mediumsized businesses gained financial advice, was also a big hit as experts shared their knowledge and support.”

This event was organised by the Chamber in conjunction with with East Cambridgeshire District Council’s Enterprise East Cambridgeshire team, The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP, the Federation of Small Businesses and Emerald Frog Marketing.

James joins Chamber Committee James McHugh is the latest member to join the Cambridge & South Cambs committee.

James started his career with Flight Centre Travel group in Perth, Australia, where he worked as an international travel consultant. After becoming a finalist at the 2016 National Travel Industry Awards, James decided to head up a new challenge, and was recently appointed as the Business Development Manager for Flight Centre Business Travel in Cambridge. He looks forward to working with Cambridge’s local businesses.

Flight Centre Business Travel (FCBT) helps companies that spend up to £1.2m per annum on their travel to reduce their costs and manage their travel more efficiently. FCBT take care of every travel need with tailored solutions, a local service and 24/7 support from our worldwide team.

FCM Travel Solutions is the sophisticated global travel management division of the Flight Centre Travel Group and spans more than 90 countries. FCM deal with travel above £2m. connected January 2018 11

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.

KEY MILESTONE FOR NEW SKILLS CENTRE

Booking now open for the BCC Annual Conference 2018 This year’s Annual Conference will bring together senior decisionmakers, business leaders and opinion formers, to discuss a number of key themes, including the Future of the Workforce, The Future of UK Trade, Managing Business Risk in Uncertain Times, and Diversity in the Workforce.

The event also falls on International Women’s Day

12 January 2018 connected

and this will form a theme throughout the day.

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to network with businesses across the UK and hear from expert speakers on a wide variety of current topics.

Visit the events section of the Chamber website for further details.

Book before 31 December to secure the early bird member rate of £119 per person.

A new £10.5 million skills centre at Alconbury Weald marked a key milestone when it was officially topped out by Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly.

Leaders from business, local government and funding organisations joined the MP to celebrate the landmark event for iMET, an Innovation, Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology centre which will provide essential skills training for the region. iMET will deliver technical, advanced and higher vocational training to key growth sectors - Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, IT and Digital and Life Sciences and will be led by Cambridge Regional College and Peterborough Regional College in a joint partnership.

Mark Robertson, Principal and CEO of Cambridge Regional College – one of the top performing further education colleges in the country - said the topping out was a major landmark for iMET. “This is a very exciting development for skills in the region and we are already working with employers to ensure that iMET provides the high-level training they need for business success,” he said.

“Cambridgeshire is the fastest growing economic region outside London, but skills shortages are reported as a major barrier to sustaining that growth. iMET will play a key role in ensuring the provision of those world-class skills, and we are very proud to be part of the essential partnership that is making that happen.”

Paul Sayles, Executive Director: Finance & Operations at Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership (LEP), commented: “We are very proud to see this exceptional training facility reach such an exciting milestone. Having provided £10.5m to fund the work, it’s fantastic to see it finally taking shaping and to hear so many inspired statements from local colleges and businesses on how it will not only support vital technical skills education, but also become an enabler for future economic growth.”

In building construction, topping out is a builders’ rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction.

the power to

INFLUENCE

Peterborough makes Heathrow expansion longlist

A bid by Opportunity Peterborough has secured Peterborough a place on the longlist of 65 potential locations that could support £16 billion expansion plans for Heathrow airport.

The plans will create four Logistics Hubs across the country that will participate in offsite construction of Heathrow’s third runway.

“Peterborough has made a very compelling case to become one of Heathrow’s four Logistics Hubs.” explains Steve Bowyer, Chief Executive of Opportunity Peterborough.

“It’s affordable, we’ve got excellent transport links,

gigabit connectivity, and the city has a huge amount of expertise when it comes to manufacturing and engineering.

“As fellow members of the Major Infrastructure Resource Optimisation Group, we know that Heathrow Airport shares Peterborough’s ambition for creating a circular economy. As the Future Peterborough programme is seen as a global leader in this area we know the city can offer real insight to ensure that the runway is sustainably and efficiently produced with minimal waste.

Number of companies in Cambridgeshire passes 45,000 milestone for first time

“Securing a Logistics Hub for Heathrow would be a tremendous boost to an already impressive and resilient track records; we’ve seen higher than average growth in terms of GVA and jobs creation in Peterborough at the moment.”

By opening up the supply chain, Heathrow aims to support economic growth across Britain, drawing upon skills and expertise already in place to build a legacy of construction excellence across the country. Once finalised, the final four selected locations will pre-assemble components of the expanded airport before transporting them in consolidated loads to Heathrow. Construction of the main components of the runway are expected to start in 2021.

The longlisting of Peterborough as a potential site has been supported

by Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, James Palmer. He commented: “I’m delighted that Opportunity Peterborough’s bid for Peterborough to be one of the new Heathrow Airport logistics hubs has been long listed.

“If the bid is successful, it will enable Peterborough to share in the economic and employment benefits associated with the construction of the third runway.”

Latest figures show that Cambridgeshire now has more than 45,000 companies located in the county for the first time.

At the end of September 2017, 45,063 businesses were registered according to company secretarial software specialist Inform Direct, based on statistics from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.

Leading the way were South Cambridgeshire with 10,832, Huntingdonshire with 9,667 and Peterborough with 9,189.

The city of Cambridge has 7,731 registered businesses.

These positive figures follow on from Cambridgeshire enjoying a successful year during 2016 when the total number of companies grew by 4.9 per cent – 43,412 companies based in the county at the end of the year compared to 41,403 at the start.

connected January 2018 13

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.

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 dates have been set for the next round of courses and will be held at the Chamber office in Peterborough.

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

Export Procedures and Documentation Tuesday 9 January, 9.15am-5.00pm Incoterms and Export Licence Controls Wednesday 24 January, 9.15am-5.00pm Finance Options: Focusing on Letters of Credit Tuesday 27 February, 9.15am-5.00pm Import: Customs Compliance and Savings Tuesday 20 March, 9.15am-5.00pm Customs Special Procedures: Focusing on Inward Processing and Outward Processing Tuesday 27 March, 9.15am-5.00pm Rules of Origin: Preference and Non-preference Tuesday 10 April, 9.15am-5.00pm Cost per course: £250.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £300.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members.

Venue: Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, 6 The Forum, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT Full course outlines can be found at www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk To book, please call Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk

Pass six courses and achieve the Founation Award in Interational Trade

14 January 2018 connected

CHRISTMAS CLOSURE The Chamber will close for Christmas on Friday 22 December and re-open on Tuesday 2 January.

Export documents that require processing on 22 December can only be guaranteed if they are received by 2.00pm. Electronic documents received after this time will be processed from 10.00am-1.00pm on Friday 29 December.

The deadline for consular documents, documents that need to be submitted to an embassy for legalisation, to be processed by us before the Christmas break is 11.00am on Tuesday 19 December.

After this date they will not be submitted to the relevant embassy until Tuesday 2 January.

If you have any queries, please contact a member of staff in the International Trade team on 01223 237414.

Global Member Benefits

extend your

GLOBAL REACH

News from the EgyptianBritish Chamber of Commerce Egypt’s Minister of Supply has issued a decree obliging all food companies to print a clear price label on all their products.

Highlights in brief: • The decision, which was published in the state’s official gazette on Tuesday 24 October 2017, includes companies that produce food products locally as well as those that package imported products • The decree also prohibits dealing with un-priced products anywhere down the line; whether in retail, packing or distribution • The supply ministry has given a deadline of 31 December 2017 for dealers to sell any unlabelled products, which should also have set prices prior to the end of the deadline • The decree also imposes penalties on those who violate the law with one to five years in prison and a fine between EGP 300 and EGP 1,000, in accordance with Article 9 of the compulsory pricing and profit regulation law.

Tate’s Export Guide

Global member will receive the online edition of Tate’s Export Guide as part of their annual membership worth over £415.

Tate’s Export Guide is the leading international trade reference publication covering the essential requirements for documentation and procedures involved in exporting to over 240 countries and has been supplied to the UK and Overseas International Trade community for over 25 years. Recommended by the British Chambers of Commerce, the Guide is accessed in over 36 countries around the world.

To upgrade your membership to receive this guide please contact the International Trade team on 01223 237414.

Protect your business at home and internationally

Whether you’re trading in the UK, established internationally or expanding into new markets, we know your cash flow is a critical element of your commercial well-being. We also know that issuing an invoice to your business customers doesn’t guarantee payment on time.

Chamber Credit Insurance helps protect your business from bad debts and late payments, and supports you when invoices are not paid. You’ll also minimise the risk when exploring new markets and gain access to market expertise from Euler Hermes, the world’s largest credit insurer.

Take up your exclusive Chamber offer of 10 free credit limit opinions and learn more about your next new customer.

Further information is available online at www.chambercreditinsurance.co.uk

connected January 2018 15

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.

Why it pays for employers to understand mental health at work In an increasingly competitive 24/7 economy, companies are facing unprecedented pressure to perform.

Longer hours and heavier workloads are having a significant impact on employee health. And poor management could be to blame.

A study by CV Library shows that workplace stress is on the rise with over half of employees saying they were dealing with stress at work on a daily basis. Worse still, almost two thirds of the people questioned believed that they received little or no support from their managers. Stress and anxiety in the workplace are not just bad news for your workforce; they can also have a negative impact on performance, productivity, recruitment and your ability to retain staff.

So it makes sense to spot the signs, establish a healthy work/life balance and introduce measures that effectively manage work-related stress.

Five common signs of workplace stress Employees who are suffering from stress may exhibit unusual behaviours, or sudden mood changes. Knowing what to look for may help employers to tackle the problem at an early stage.

1. An increase in unexplained absence or sick leave 2. Poor performance or time-keeping

Has your business made a Will?

16 January 2018 connected

3. Poor decision-making 4. A lack of energy 5. Uncommunicative or moody behaviour.

Stress at work: an employer’s checklist Stress can hit employees at any level and in any role. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has identified six common causes of stress at work. These provide a clear check-list for employers.

• Unreasonable demands - heavy workloads can place heavy demands on staff. It is also important to consider the working environment • A lack of control - employees may feel that they have little or no say over their schedules • A lack of support - staff may believe that that they are left to tackle problems without the support of line managers or other colleagues • Poor working relationships - a lack of trust, or the wrong culture, can cause stress and anxiety • Uncertain roles - unclear or ill-defined roles can lead to conflict and leave employees feeling confused • Unexpected change - sudden organisational changes can make employees feel isolated and uncertain.

By Marina Glasgow, Deputy Director, Acas East of England

The consequences of not having a Will in place for your personal assets can lead to stress, delays and unnecessary expense, not to mention the family disputes.

The problems can be magnified if you are involved in a business and have not put any suitable provisions in place.

A business will typically be a sole trader, a partnership or a limited company.

A sole trader may be involved in a large or important contract – if they die without having made a Will everything stops until their overall estate is sorted out and this could drag on for months or even longer. Having a Will in place with a clause that their executors can continue running the business could mean that the value of the contract could be saved.

A partnership will consist of two or more people. Ideally the partners should have Wills in place and also a Partnership Agreement which determines, amongst other thing, what happens to the partnership assets on the death of one of the partners. Typically

the deceased partner would want to leave the value of their partnership assets to their family but this could cause problems for the remaining partners if they are unable to purchase the assets.

They may not want the spouse of the deceased partner suddenly involved in running the business if it is to continue.

Putting in place an arrangement with life cover for each partner could overcome these issues.

A limited company could have one shareholder or a number. Where there are more than two shareholders then the issues will be similar to those of the partnership on the death of one of the shareholders. Ideally each shareholder should have a Will in place with a company Shareholder Agreement in place. Again shareholder protection could be put in place which would mean that the value of the company shares could be passed to the family of the deceased shareholder and their shares could then pass to the other shareholders. rodney@cambridgewillwriting.co.uk

grow your

Act now: New gender pay gap reporting regulations have come into force

There are now less than six months to go to report your gender pay gap data.

If you are an employer with 250 employees or more, new legislation introduced this year means you will need to publish your gender pay gap data annually.

The deadline to report is 4 April 2018 (or 30 March 2018 for public sector employers).

What do I need to do?

• Register your organisation on the government’s online reporting service: https://www.gov.uk/reportgender-pay-gap-data • Start preparing your organisation’s gender pay gap reporting using the Government Equalities Office/Acas guidance: http://www.acas.org. uk/index.aspx?articleid=5768

KNOWLEDGE

Advice from Blue Donkey Intelligent Telemarketing Ltd How would Donald Trump do telemarketing – what style do we want to adopt?

Like him or loathe him, there’s no denying that Donald Trump has been successful in business. And although not all of these ventures have been profitable, Trump has built up a recognisable brand that’s present in many countries around the world.

As such, business people around the world take cues from his business style.

So, thinking about how Donald Trump would run a telemarketing campaign could help you to decide how you do – and don’t – want to run a campaign of your own.

Language One of the most notable things about Donald Trump is the way he speaks.

He uses very simple language, with The Washington Post assessing his average vocabulary at the level of an 11–year old. If he were to run a telemarketing campaign, it’s likely the language he’d use would be equally basic. Although this can be useful for getting your message across, overusing words like ‘great’, ‘good’ and ‘best’ can make your claims

sound unrealistic and less than reliable.

Communication Trump’s regular Tweets have often inflamed delicate situations and the President has repeatedly failed to check facts before posting to social media. This is one aspect of Trump’s personality that shouldn’t be allowed in any telemarketing campaign. In order for a campaign to be professional and successful, facts need to be checked, statements need to be honest and telemarketers need to be diplomatic and tactful where necessary.

Forthright If there’s one thing we can learn from Trump’s approach, it’s not to give up.

Being confident in your own abilities, your product and your brand can help to achieve a lot in a telemarketing campaign.

Taking a close look at Donald Trump’s business approach could help to inform your own ideas about communication, marketing and image.

connected January 2018 17

enhance your

PROTECTION

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

FOUR SERVICES FOR YOUR PROTECTION AND PEACE OF MIND Members have access to four key services as part of their membership provided by Qdos Consulting.

Here are 10 elements of these services that could be very relevant for a small business and 10 good reasons why you should use them to help manage your business.

Contracts and handbooks Access to free documents that you can use to create your own contracts of employment and employee handbook.

Employment law / HR advice Advice to help with a wide range of subjects including absenteeism, disputes, recruitment, annual leave, legislation plus a HR health check.

Health & safety documents Access to over 250 free documents covering risk assessments, policies, regulations plus a H&S gap analysis.

Legal advice Advice on any business legal matter including contracts, company law, property, directors or client disputes.

Debt recovery Advice on your rights and what you can do to help get money from customers who fail to pay your invoices on time.

Health & Safety Access to advice on any health & 18 January 2018 connected

safety matter including risk assessments, first aid, fire safety, policies and documents.

Tax and VAT Advice on tax or VAT matters including HMRC investigations, property income, VAT registration, exemptions and more.

Employment documents A bank of hundreds of free employment documents covering everything from recruitment to employee exit.

Legal documents Access to almost 200 free business legal documents such as checklists, documents covering online trading, intellectual property and partnerships.

Insurance Comprehensive legal expenses insurance cover for employment disputes, tax investigations, property disputes, data protection and more.

ask the

EXPERT

Professional indemnity insurance Martin Taylor, Account Executive at S-Tech Insurance Services in Cambridge, explains what professional indemnity insurance is and who needs it most.

What is professional indemnity insurance?

In the simplest terms, professional indemnity insurance (also known as errors and omissions insurance) is a policy that provides protection in the event that your business makes a mistake when providing advice or professional services.

What does it cover?

The main things are any legal costs or compensation awarded as a result of your error or omission. It also covers defamation, breach of confidentiality, employee dishonesty and formal investigation. We can also arrange other specialist cover for risks associated with particular industries, such as estate agents, construction and environmental

consultants, as well as for consultants while working for your business.

Who needs PI? Even the most renowned experts in their field sometimes make mistakes – we’re only human after all. Therefore I would recommend that any business providing professional advice or services take out cover.

If your business has unlimited liability, for instance if you’re a sole trader or a partnership, your personal assets may be at risk if a claim is brought against you.

Professional indemnity insurance can help protect you by covering these risks.

Is it a legal requirement?

It’s not, but some sectors are required to have minimum levels of cover according to their trade bodies and associations. Many contracts also stipulate a certain amount of cover is required.

How much PI should I get?

The minimum required levels of PI vary according to your business and your industry. For example, chartered accountants are required to have

a multiple of their turnover, subject to a maximum limit. An experienced broker can help you to calculate the right levels for your business.

The minimum level we can arrange is £50,000 and have arranged more than £25 million in the past. Prices start from around £100 per year, so it’s an affordable policy.

How does the claims process work?

If you’re aware of a potential claim, for instance if a client is unhappy with your work, you should make your broker aware immediately. Of course, if you don’t use a broker, contact your insurer.

They can provide guidance on what to do next. In fact, if you attempt to resolve the issue without speaking to them, it could prejudice the insurer’s position and there’s a chance that the claim will not be paid.

It’s also important that you don’t tell your client if you’re insured and who with in the event of a claim. Unfortunately, it may tempt clients to increase their compensation claim.

Charles Whattoff, Executive Coach and founder of New Behaviours Ltd, offers some tinsle-topped tips on how to succeed with your business New Year resolutions.

The festive period allows time to relax and renew and as the year closes out, thoughts turn to setting resolutions for the New Year.

However, whilst these are made with the best intentions, statistically only eight per cent of people actually achieve them. This is because resoultions require a change of habits and behaviours which is inheriently difficult. So, if you are looking to Leap like a Lord into 2018 and join the elite eight per cent, here are three ways to help maximise your success.

1. Establish your motivation Consider why you want to make that particular resolution. Maybe your reasons are obvious but actually, take time to reflect and think deeply on exactly what it will do for you. For example, thinking about a resolution for improving business decision making, might lead you to focus on more effective meetings with greater accountability.

Define it and quantify it. There has to be an ultimate goal worth achieving otherwise your resolution will remain elusive.

2. Do not fantasise about your resolution, plan and be practical Whilst there are plenty of self-help books recommending that imagining successful completion of your goal is beneficial, it can also be a distraction as it may trick the

mind in to bringing success in to the here and now. Instead, visualise the process of achieving your goal, think about the journey and capture the steps. A useful technique is the WOOP exercise; Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, Plan. First write down your Wish you want to achieve and then the best Outcome possible (think big), the Obstacles you are likely to face and finally your Plan in small, practical steps.

3. Change your language The regular type of language used in planning, often does not make the connection between the required behavioural change and the situation. By setting an implementation intention, you are linking the situation with a response and an action.

So instead of saying ‘I intend to hold more effective meetings’, rephrase and say ‘If I delegate an activity in a meeting, then I will set a SMART goal’. This ‘if and then’ link connects you with your motivation, use it at every step in you plan and it will be a roadmap to achieving your goal.

Be motivated, be methodical and act with intent and every action will take you one step closer to realising your resolution.

Then you can reap the reward and be part of the elite eight per cent. connected January 2018 19

business talk with

MATTHEW GOODING

Coining it in?

Dubious-sounding surveys land on my desk every day, but one I recently this week will take some beating.

“Forget savings accounts − millennials are storing their wealth in Bitcoin,” announced the email. Except, they might not be. I won’t embarrass the sender by naming them, but they claim to have polled 10,000 young people, with 70 per cent saying they were unhappy with the interest rates offered on their savings accounts, and nearly 65 per cent adding that they felt their money was safer in Bitcoin, which they controlled, rather than it being controlled by a bank.

For those not in the know, Bitcoin is a crypto, or virtual, currency, which functions outside the banking system and allows people to trade directly with each other. Crypto-currency transfers are said to be highly secure, and are certainly growing

in popularity, with research from the Cambridge Judge Business School released earlier this year estimating that between 2.9 and 5.8 million people have virtual ‘wallets’, where Bitcoins and other crypto-currencies are stored.

So far, so appealing, except that the survey I received doesn’t actually state how many of these people who like the idea of Bitcoin have actually bitten the bullet and transferred their cash into virtual currency. If anyone is considering an investment they might be advised to think again, as crypto-currencies are prone to massive fluctuations in value, with their worth often dropping by hundreds, or thousands of pounds in the space of a day or two. While the reward can be high, the risk is also pretty massive. As far as I’m concerned my meagre savings are better off in my account where I can keep an eye on them.

In any case, I’m not convinced young people are abandoning banks in their droves. A quick straw poll of millennials in our office found that no-one has any Bitcoin, with most not even knowing what they are.

How’s that for scientific research?

Matthew Gooding is Business Correspondent of Cambridge Business magazine, produced by Cambridge News & Media, which this year scooped the Santander SME/Enterprise Title of the Year for an unprecedented third consecutive year.

20 January 2018 connected

news from

ELY CHAMBER

Welcoming Group Marketing Specialist Emily White Ellgia is delighted to welcome Emily White to the company as our Group Marketing Specialist.

Emily will be responsible for managing all of Ellgia’s marketing activity across our sites at Ely, Scunthorpe, Prickwillow and Boston. Emily has particular passion for digital marketing, data analytics and events as well as branding and campaign management.

Emily commented: “I have arrived at Ellgia at a very exciting time when the company is in a state of rapid growth and ambition for continued success. I am looking forward to working closely with the leadership team to support Ellgia’s

Ely welcomes the addition of 128 new parking spaces A brand-new car park called ‘The Dock’, which is next to the old Strikes Bowling Alley in Ely, was opened in November. The development was given unanimous approval by the East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) planning committee earlier in the year.

Cllr Bill Hunt, Chair of the ECDC Asset Development committee, commented: “This addition will very positively impact on the lives of commuters; not only because they will have a better chance of getting a space, but also because this car park.”

Cllr Hunt was assisted by local District Councillors Richard Hobbs and Lis Every to cut the ribbon and officially open the new facility. They presented the first customer, Mrs Sepi Modgham, with a bottle of champagne to mark the occasion.

Left to right: Cllr Richard Hobbs, Mrs Sepi Modgham, Cllr Bill Hunt, Cllr Lis Every.

strategic goals, furthering my understanding of business operations and collaborating with the people here who contribute to Ellgia’s success.

“I am excited to be part of this next chapter and seeing the progression of the company over the coming months and years.”

Sales and Marketing Director, Joe HemsleyRudd, said: “We are thrilled to have Emily on board, bringing her high-calibre professionalism and enthusiasm that will help drive the business to new horizons. We already see the value of working with Emily to bring continued success to the Ellgia brand.”

King’s Ely wins sustainable travel award

King’s Ely has become the first independent school in Cambridgeshire to win a Modeshift STARS Bronze award.

Modeshift STARS is the national awards scheme established to recognise schools and workplaces that demonstrate excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel.

All schools and companies taking part in Modeshift STARS are members of the organisation and obtain recognition of their work on sustainable travel through three levels of accreditation; Bronze, Silver and Gold.

King’s Ely is the only independent school in Cambridgeshire to have successfully completed the Bronze level – and the school’s sights are now set on achieving Silver.

Chief Operating Officer at King’s Ely, Mark Hart, said: “We are delighted to have received this Modeshift STARS Bronze Award. It really is testament to what our families and staff are doing in order to travel more sustainably to and from school.”

Joyner Bolt receives national recognition from the Timber Industry Joyner Bolt were delighted to win the Structural Timber Association’s 2017 Product Innovation award during the recent Construction Week exhibition at the Birmingham NEC. As one of many submissions for this category, and facing strong competition at the shortlist stage from both UK and International Brand names, Managing Director Dan Hardingham was thrilled to hear the Joyner Bolt name announced at the annual dinner.

Dan commented: “The main benefit for us is the external validation of Joyner Bolt from the industry The judging panel recognised the knowledge and expertise that went into designing a product that is quick and simple to use and addresses all of the problems experienced with coach bolts or threaded rod when joining timber to timber or metal on site - yet guarantees a quality joint every time.”

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 January 2018 21

Conscious Communications crowned a ‘Force for Good’ at national industry awards Public relations and marketing agency, Conscious Communications, has been crowned a ‘Force for Good’ at the 2017 PR Week UK Awards.

Winning the Force for Good category, against stiff competition from large international agencies, the Conscious Communications team claimed its award for its community project, FXP, designed to drive aspiration and opportunity in deprived communities.

Commenting on the FXP project, judges of the Award, all esteemed public relations industry professionals, said that it is: “A shining example of selfless work from a PR agency for the local community, addressing a real need in the broader community.”

Alison Taylor, Managing Director of Conscious Communications, said: “This accolade confirms our place as one of the

UK’s top agencies, making a genuine and positive difference to the world around us.

“We believe it’s not just what we do that’s important; it’s how we do it. We operate to a set of values that reflect our sense of social responsibility and drive everything from our pledge to go above and beyond for our clients, to our leadership in creating social change; from our commitment to developing ourselves professionally and personally, to our voluntary work.

“Our focus on helping clients in the education and technology sectors is no accident. Those sectors are characterised by a desire to help people achieve their potential, live more rewarding lives, tackle inequalities and resolve problems. We identify with their aspirations. As a business, we can’t claim to have created lifechanging innovations, but we provide vital

communications support for the work of our clients, which in turn changes the lives of children, teachers, families.”

The Conscious Communications team at FXP 2017

Sweet success for Kershaw Contracting Services

New European Director at Domino Digital Printing Solutions Domino Digital Printing Solutions, based at Bar Hill, is strengthening its senior team with the appointment of Shane Dewar as European Director Europe with responsibility for driving sales of the company’s ink jet printing equipment and managing support services across the EMEA region.

He moves into the role after spending two years as the UK Business Manager for the Digital Printing Solutions division.

Shane said: “I am honoured to be taking on the role of European Director after spending over two decades undertaking a variety of different roles within Domino. I am looking forward to this new

22 January 2018 connected

challenge of promoting our complete range of digital ink jet colour label printing and our comprehensive variable data printing solutions across Europe.”

Philip Easton, Director, Domino Digital Printing Solutions, added: “We are delighted to see Shane move into his new role. He has built up an enormous amount of experience within the various management positions he has held at Domino over the years, so we are confident he will prove to be key to continuing our rapid business growth in Europe.”

Shane has been with Domino for 22 years, initially employed in the logistics area of the business before moving into UK coding and marking sales, national accounts and OEM management. In 2012, he transferred over to Domino’s Digital Printing Solutions division.

Kershaw Contracting Services are delighted to have been chosen to undertake the asbestos removal for the £3m refurbishment of the Chocolate Factory in North London.

Originally built in the 1880’s the Chocolate factory was the birthplace of many of today’s popular penny sweets, including Milk Bottles, Black Jacks and Dip Dabs to name but a few.

Awarded the project by lead contractor Pexhurst, Kershaw Contracting Services have been on-hand to manage and safely remove any contaminated materials.

Like many constructions of its age, the chocolate factory was built using materials including asbestos. At the time of build the dangers associated with asbestos were unknown and it was used extensively because of its strength and insulating properties.

Dean Cater, Kershaw Contracting Services, said: “We are really pleased to be working with Pexhurst to ensure the safe removal and management of the asbestos during this refurbishment.

“When left untouched and undamaged asbestos is generally safe; significant health risks arise when the material the asbestos is contained within is cut, broken or allowed to deteriorate in some way - obviously this could happen during a refurbishment so we were happy to use our 30 plus years’ experience to ensure it was safely managed.”

The Chocolate factory is based in Wood Greens thriving cultural quarter and is home to a variety of industries from fashion to travel.

news from

Darktrace Industrial uses machine learning to identify critical infrastructure cyber threats Darktrace has announced the creation of Darktrace Industrial, a new business unit dedicated to identifying emerging and existing compromises on industrial systems and critical infrastructure networks.

“Cyber-threats to critical infrastructure are evolving at a pace that is nearly impossible to keep up with, and coupled with the escalated international attention to ICS threats, the security of our systems is our utmost business priority,” commented Michael Sherwood, Director of Technology and Innovation, City of Las Vegas.

“Darktrace Industrial is fundamentally changing the game of ICS cyber defence – armed with its machine learning technology, we feel confident in our ability to identify the subtle and increasingly sophisticated attacks threatening our infrastructure. The Industrial Immune System’s combination of genuine AI and unprecedented visibility heralds a new future for proactively defending OT environments.”

Threats to critical infrastructure are garnering worldwide attention. Recently, the US government issued a rare public warning that sophisticated threat-actors are targeting energy and industrial firms. In addition, the European Union Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive introduced security requirements as legal obligations for operators providing essential services including industrial automation control systems and connected devices.

A product update, Darktrace Industrial Immune System version 3, can detect silent and subtle attacks on control systems with new capabilities.

Industrial environments, reliant on legacy bespoke systems, face new security challenges such as connected industrial devices, sensors, remote maintenance repair operations, and increasing connectivity to IT environments. Darktrace’s self-learning approach understands the normal ‘pattern of life’ for every operator and device automatically without requiring agents, or knowledge of operating systems.

“As ‘smart’ technologies become more integral to physical controls, their wide accessibility and connections to public networks are only likely to grow. This is an increasingly serious concern, considering the public and personal safety dependent on ICS, and the potential for disruption and catastrophic damage.”

“With increased digitisation and the rise of the Industrial Internet of Things, the need for cyber security within operational environments has never been higher,” commented Andrew Tsonchev, Director of Technology at Darktrace Industrial.

“Darktrace has a four-year investment in the Industrial Immune System, the world’s first and only proven machine learning technology capable of detecting emerging attacks on OT environments, including ‘low and slow’ attacks, and ‘unknown unknowns’. Darktrace Industrial will enable the accelerated adoption of this pioneering technology, which already defends some of the world’s most complex industrial control environments from nuclear plants to power grids.”

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

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS CHAMBER

PURE’S charity quiz raises £1,925

Pure hosted its annual Cambridge charity quiz night in November, bringing local businesses and clients together for a fun evening which raised £1,925 for Cambridgeshire charity STARS. The battle of the brains, organised by professional recruitment specialists Pure, saw 28 teams from organisations across the county pitting their wits against each other. The teams included people from Domino, Cosworth, PEM and PWC, and there was plenty of friendly rivalry on the night. The overall winners were a team from Arthur Rank Hospice with each team member being presented with a bottle of champagne for their efforts.

The event, held at The Granta Centre, also included a raffle to help raise further funds with prizes all kindly donated by local businesses.

David Culley, Director at Pure, said: “Our annual charity quiz nights have always been extremely well supported.

It’s a fantastic way for local businesses to come together, support good causes and to have fun at the same time.

I would like to thank everyone who attended, donated and contributed so generously to the event. We hope to see you all again next year.”

STARS provides support and counselling for any child or young person in Cambridgeshire who has, or is expecting to, lose a parent or someone close to them. Its services are provided free of charge and as an independent charity it relies on charitable donations to continue its work.

Winners of the Pure charity quiz – the team from Arthur Rank Hospice

connected January 2018 23

Send us your photos each month and we’ll include the best of the bunch! Email images direct to s.parr@cambscci.co.uk

OVER £470,000 RAISED BY BRIDGE THE GAP CHARITY WALK, OVER 16 YEARS Beacon ride cancer into the ground Beacon Wealth Management Ltd and Jeffrey Mills Solicitors smashed their goal of riding 55 miles in a virtual bike ride, from London to Brighton on St Neots Market Square in October and actually cycled 155 miles in five hours, doing their bit for Stand Up To Cancer and raising money for Cancer Research UK.

A special ‘Thank You’ get together was held in November, to celebrate everything that has been achieved with the city’s annual Bridge the Gap Charity Walk - sponsored by Cambridge Building Society - since it first began in 2001.

A cheque for £33,338.63 was presented to the benefitting charities, Romsey Mill and Arthur Rank Hospice – which will be split evenly between the two - taking the impressive grand total over the last 16 years to over £473,000.

Members get connected at Race Day In association with Huntingdon Racecourse, this event offered the opportunity to enjoy some racing and connect with local businesses in a fun and relaxed environment.

“Overall I think the day worked very well, it was a wonderful way of meeting new people in a different environment and I found the more relaxed approach to networking extremely successful.

Thank you for another enjoyable and successful event.”

Natasha Oliver, Business Development Manager, Beacon Wealth Management “I attended the Huntingdon Race day so that I can meet Chamber members from across the Cambridge borders that I wouldn’t usually meet in Cambridge, due to our location this works well for me. It’s a great way to meet new contacts in a relaxed and exciting atmosphere, a perfect blend of networking, great relationships are formed over ‘what horse your backing’, or in my case ‘what tip’s do you have’ and ‘how can we work together in the future’?“ Gayle Martin, Director of Sales, Holiday Inn Cambridge

Dairy Farm demolition works 24 January 2018 connected

Construction company Mick George Ltd has begun demolition works on the former Dairy Crest site at Fenstanton, which lies adjacent to the A14carriageway. The project will be subject to a housing redevelopment

by Morris Homes.

it’s happening

OUT & ABOUT

Seafood Week 2017 Michelle Caspersz and Paul Gibbons attended the special event at Hilton Cambridge City Centre to celebrate Seafood Week.

“Every year the Seafish Organisation hosts the National Week of Seafood in the UK. As Hilton is one of the first Hotel chains to be completely Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, we participate by hosting the National Seafood Month in October.

This week is represented by a Media event ‘For the Love of Seafood’ and took place at the Hilton Cambridge City Centre hotel. This campaign is designed to get more people eating more fish more often. Hilton is getting involved in this campaign to showcase the very best of our seafood offer, to attract more of our guests to eat more sustainable fish and by showing our long term commitment to sustainable fish sourcing.”

Richard Finn, General Manager, Hilton Cambridge City Centre

KING’S ELY COMMUNITY REMEMBERS THE FALLEN King’s Ely students, staff, families and Old Eleans came together for one of the most poignant events of the school calendar – the annual Service of Remembrance.

Hundreds of people gathered inside Ely Cathedral on 10 November for the moving service of silence, hymns, prayers and readings. The Chapel Choir sang the anthem at the service, in which the school remembered 98 Old Eleans (former King’s Ely students) and former choristers who died in 20th Century conflicts. Their names were read out by the Heads of School, Oliver Hutchinson and Paige Grey.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS

Delegates came together for a networking breakfast at Quy Mill Hotel & Spa Cambridge where guest speaker Katy Klingopulos, a Senior Associate at Bircham Dyson Bell solicitors, explained the challenges of moving business premises and gave top tips on what to look out for and the pitfalls to avoid.

connected January 2018 25

We’re Auto Enrolment ready.

Are you?  Auto Enrolment reporting as standard  Enhanced services for all main pension suppliers  Complete solution enabling full AE compliance Hassle free payroll and HR data management GET IN TOUCH

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news from

FENLAND CHAMBER

Hair and beauty students team up with charity college… again!

Students from charity college FACET have been learning some hair and beauty tips and tricks at the Wisbech campus.

Based in March, FACET provides training and day care for adults with disabilities. Hair and beauty students from CWA provided FACET students with complementary services for their summer ball. At the time, Natazha Green, Teaching Support Officer for Creative Arts Hair and Beauty Wisbech, had hoped that it would be the start of a strong relationship between the colleges, and this certainly seems to be the case.

Natazha organised for FACET students

QUALITETCH INCREASE SALES TEAM Due to continued unprecedented levels of enquiries from both new and existing customers, Qualitetch Components, based in March, have recently employed two new sales engineers to help deliver their world class customer service and technical assistance for the manufacture of bespoke thin gauge metal components.

Qualitetch supply metal component parts to various growing industries including aerospace, medical devices, automotive, instrumentation, scientific devices and electronics providing a total metal component solution.

Qualitetch have also recently purchased and installed further capacity for EDM wire erosion as they continue to invest in process equipment to support customer demand.

Ashley Drew, Commercial Manager at Qualitetch, stated: “We have seen over a 30 per cent turnover increase this year based on the same period last year and we continue to see a strong marketplace both in our UK, Europe and rest of world business.”

to attend a ‘pamper’ workshop about hair, skin and makeup which would benefit the learners from both colleges.

Kris Harrold, FACET General Manger, said: “Developing confidence was the biggest factor here. It was great for them to experience a new and unfamiliar environment, and see where the CWA students work.”

Natazha is pleased to have been able to work with FACET again, and believes it has been of huge benefit: “This was an opportunity for CWA students to work with clients who have lower-level learning disabilities, which is great equality and diversity training for them. In addition, they have had an opportunity to be the teachers, and not the students, which has provided them with a sense of professionalism and independence. It has also been a chance for them to showcase the skills they have learned to date.”

Product trial secures further business The Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge has been a customer of Artificial Turf Care for three years. They recently encountered a health and safety issue and approached the specialist synthetic sports surface maintenance and artificial grass installer for assistance.

The hockey goals have weights to anchor them, however these are heavy and staff and pupils were not always moving the six weights required for each goal. To solve the issue, on the sand dressed hockey pitch, two sunken anchor points were installed for one of the goals as a trial to see if it would resolve the problems encountered.

Martin Hardy, Owner of Artificial Turf Care, commented: “Trialling a product or a service to an existing or potential customer is a great way to gauge its viability.

“This trial was a great success and back in October we installed six more sunken anchor points for the rest of the goals so that there were no more trip hazards for pupils or anymore heavy weights to move that could cause potential injuries.”

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 January 2018 27

news from

HUNTINGDONSHIRE CHAMBER

Webtec’s new video shows how to install and set-up hydraulic attachments for optimum performance and efficiency Webtec’s latest ‘how to’ video guides users through the correct installation and set-up of hydraulic attachments such as breakers, hammers and crushers, using the company’s innovative DHM Series hydraulic tester.

Intended to help construction machinery technicians, from inexperienced operators to skilled personal, the video shows how to test the operating flow and back pressure provided by the excavator to ensure the attachment functions at optimum efficiency.

The new video is being hailed as an important industry guide as incorrectly set hydraulic flow can lead to wear or damage to the attachment. In turn, these undesirable effects can shorten the life of attachments, while safety and efficiency are likely to be compromised. Instead, using Webtec’s DHM Series will confirm hydraulic flow and return line pressure on the excavator.

Webtec’s informative video shows how to connect the hydraulic tester and start the process, including any necessary adjustments.

The video also depicts what operators might expect to see on the tester’s digital display with regard to parameters such as flow, pressure (including peak pressure) and temperature.

Users are guided through the various checks that need to be completed, including instructions on where to find the relevant valves. Details are also provided on where to connect the auxiliary return line pressure gauge. If the gauge reading is unusually high, the video even outlines possible causes that can be checked to

Promotion to Director Hannah Byatt, Head of the Family Law Department at Jeffrey Mills Solicitors has been promoted to Director.

Hannah qualified from De Montfort University specialising in Family Law and joined Jeffrey Mills Solicitors as the Head of Family Department in 2011.

Tony Larkins, Managing Director, commented: “Hannah is a hard working devoted individual, she advises in all aspects of Family Law and is an asset to the company.

I’m very honoured to award her the promotion.”

In Hannah’s spare time she plays an active part raising money for charities, taking part in different activities including running marathons.

rectify the situation accordingly. Importantly, safety is prioritised throughout the video in line with Webtec’s industry position as the leader in best practice and safe operation.

Operators will find the video extremely useful in comparison to using printed manuals or simply fitting an attachment and assuming it will work first time, subsequently adjusting relief valves in an unsuitable and potentially unsafe way.

View the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzqEOoNvDfY

Beacon highly rated for fifth consecutive year Beacon Wealth Management Ltd has once again been named in Citywire Magazine’s Top 100 IFA’s in the UK 2017.

The Top 100 list recognises some of the most prestigious firms on their overall performance and commitment to clients within the financial industry.

Having previously been awarded the New Model Adviser Top 100 award 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, Beacon Wealth Management Ltd are proud to be included in the prestigious list along with some of the biggest IFAs in

London as well as the rest of the country. This is the fifth consecutive year they have been named within the top 100.

Tony Larkins, Beacon Wealth Management Ltd’s Managing Director, was described as a chartered champion, a shining light on good financial planning practice.

Since starting his firmin 2010 Beacon Wealth Management Ltd has won many awards including New Model Adviser East of England Award in 2013 and 2015.

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 January 2018 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

Solicitors feel the pinch to donate to wear it pink appeal!

While baking cakes and wearing fancy dress to work are popular fundraising activities, staff at Buckles Solicitors LLP have adopted the ‘no pain, no gain’ approach!

As part of their charity efforts to boost funds for wear it pink day – as part of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month – brave volunteers from across the business endured the pain of leg waxing, all for a good cause.

In conjunction with a Dress Down Day, the hair-raising stunt resulted in a £240 donation to the good cause, with team assistant Debbie Carnell taking on the role of waxer to a number of game staff including trainee Amir Choudhary, solicitor Matthew Porter and Buckles Partner and head of company commercial, Nigel Moore.

Haines Watts Peterborough City supports Apprentices Haines Watts Peterborough City Ltd has welcomed two new apprentices, Jack Pacey and Francesca Mattock.

Jack, who joined Haines Watts in August as a Trainee Accountant, straight after completing his A Levels, is studying for his AAT Apprenticeship with support from Anglia Professional Training Ltd. Francesca has just completed her GCSE’s, and joined the team in September. She is studying her Business Administration Level 2 Apprenticeship with the help of Peterborough Regional College.

Mohammad Yousaf, the Managing Partner, said: “I am delighted that Haines Watts can support Jack and Francesca in their first roles since leaving school.”

Event success The Sodexo Employer Engagement Day was a great success with 25 visitors representing a range of industries including hospitality, construction and training organisations.

The main objectives of the event were to: - Showcase the work HMP Peterborough does to improve employment prospects for those in their care - Widen opportunities for a developed and skilled workforce to positively engage in society - Develop collaborative partnership with employers to enable rehabilitation and restoration.

Through collaborative engagement with employers, residents are able to take up opportunities for employment, voluntary work or develop their skills through training.

ABAX HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR STAFF ENGAGEMENT ABAX was recognised for putting employees at the heart of the company by being highly commended in the Staff Engagement category at the 2017 Peterborough Telegraph Business Awards.

The awards honour the brightest and best of Peterborough’s business community, and celebrate the companies and people that are driving the local economy forward.

Around 300 people came together at the Peterborough Arena in November for the ceremony hosted by Jo Fairley, the co-founder of Green & Black’s Chocolates.

ABAX UK Chief Executive Chris Miller said: “People are key to ABAX’s success and we dedicate significant time and resource into supporting our staff so they are engaged, happy and motivated.

“We aim to be seen as a recognised name and prominent employer of people from the Peterborough area, in particular giving people their first avenue into full time employment as the company values a person’s personality and desire to succeed as much as it does academic credentials.

“This accolade demonstrates we are on the right path and we are all very proud to have been highly commended. We will now build on this, continue to listen and learn, so we have an even more engaged team.”

30 January 2018 connected

As a technology company, ABAX mainly develops and supplies software to businesses operating vehicle fleets all over the UK. Recent recruitment took the number of ABAX employees at the Allia Future Business Centre in London Road to 70. This expansion has been triggered by growth on both a global and UK scale.

In the most recent employee satisfaction survey, almost nine in 10 of employees said they feel proud to work for ABAX and more than four in five said they would highly recommend ABAX as an employer.

The ABAX team at the Peterborough Telegraph Business Awards 2017

news from

Women Leaders recognised The Arena at the East of England Showground, was the venue on Friday 10 November for the inaugural Women Leader’s event, sponsored by local accountants MHA MacIntyre Hudson.

The brainchild of Jan Flawn from PJ Care in Bretton, Women Leaders celebrates the hard work and achievements of women living and working in the Peterborough area. The event replicates the success of the event in Milton Keynes.

Sarah Dodds, partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, commented: “It was a fabulous evening with a tremendous atmosphere.

I was delighted to be able to present two awards to such deserving and inspirational women and as a firm we were thrilled to be associated with this event.”

Chamber member winners: Community Impact – Charity Carole Hughes, Founder of Anna’s Hope Supply Chain Anna Lee, Perkins Engines / Caterpillar Engineering and Environment Melissa Hipwell, Royal HaskoningDHV

Public Service Gillian Beasley OBE, Peterborough City Council Professional Services Janette Nicholls, Perkins Engines / Caterpillar Outstanding Contribution Eve Taylor OBE and Gillian Beasley OBE

Gillian receiving her award from Steve Walls and Sarah Dodds

Let them eat cake!

Princebuild staff raised funds for Macmillan Cancer Support by taking part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

Staff pulled together to support the annual event and raised almost £160 for the charity.

The amount was made by staff

donating cakes to be sold on the day and by running a raffle and other games.

It’s fair to say the level of baking on display was excellent and all staff enjoyed a piece of cake or two to see them through the day, even the company mascot Peeby couldn’t resist trying a slice!

PETERBOROUGH CHAMBER

Exciting move for new-look pfk It’s all change at pfkcreative as the company reveals a new name, pfk the communications agency, new brand identity and move to new premises at the Allia Future Business Centre in Peterborough. pfk has been delivering results-driven internal communication since 1999.

The new name and refreshed brand identity have been designed to better reflect the wide range of services available.

Founder and director, Pauline Foster, explains: “pfk has a strong reputation for providing creative solutions for internal communications programmes, but we offer so much more. We work closely with people managing internal communications to help them meet their business objectives.

This could be a thorough audit of internal communication activities, setting up a communication function from scratch, or developing creative campaigns and production of internal newsletters and magazines. “pfk’s new office is at the heart of Peterborough’s business community, five minutes from the city centre and an hour from London and Cambridge. We’re surrounded by like-minded businesses who want to make a difference. We have superfast broadband and access to a range of services through the on-site Innovation Centre, such as 3D printing, CAD design and a green screen. We also have excellent meeting and catering facilities to welcome visitors.”

connected January 2018 31

news from

SKDC

announces £40m boost for the economy at business summit South Kesteven District Council’s Leader, Councillor Matthew Lee, announced an investment package of £40 million at a major economic ‘summit’ at Stoke Rochford Hall.

In a passionate speech to an audience of more than 180 guests from the private and public sectors, Cllr Lee outlined the council’s ambitions, how they will be delivered and his determination that the economic benefit be felt by all.

Cllr Lee outlined a series of investments for each of the district’s four market towns, as well as its 80-plus rural villages, all of which will either be completed or underway by 2020.

The Council calculates that its £40 million investment programme could attract as much as £400 million of private money in the next three years and as much as £1.2 billion in 20 years’ time. That’s an increase of more than 40 per cent. And that’s on top of the impressive growth already forecast for the period.

Initiatives include a new digital ‘hub’ in Stamford and a new, 10,000 square metre facility in The Deepings, as well as ‘micro-hubs’ in rural areas.

Richard Olsen, Managing Director at OlsenMetrix and Chair of the Stamford

Chamber of Commerce, said: “Stamford has needed a business hub for a long time. As highlighted by our work on the Local Plan, there is a real need for office accommodation that can support growing service businesses in Stamford, as well as the other market towns, rather than lose them from the area. We wait to see how the proposed 300 seat project develops in Stamford and how it fits in with the Local Plan.

“It was also great to hear the commitment to a new leisure complex in Stamford as well as revitalising the markets in all the market towns.

Two areas that require attention are affordable housing in Stamford to businesses, including retail, restaurants and hotels, in their quest to employ great people, and road infrastructure to support further growth in both business and population.

“And, of course, all of this needs to be underpinned by continued communication and consultation with businesses and business leaders within key sectors and industries to ensure that we maintain an air of positivity and confidence around business opportunities and growth that can be felt by all.”

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

STAMFORD CHAMBER

BRICKLAYER JACK IS CITB’S INSPIRATIONAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR! Inspirational Bricklaying Apprentice, Jack Hutchinson from New College Stamford has been labelled CiTB’s Inspirational Apprentice of the Year 2017 in their annual Apprenticeship Awards at the prestigious Thread Needle Street in Central London on Saturday 9 November.

The CiTB (Construction Industry Training Board) Apprenticeship Awards celebrate the employers who make a significant contribution within the UK’s construction industry, to deliver high quality construction apprenticeships across the country.

Head of Construction at New College Stamford, Gary McPartand, says: “This is absolutely fantastic news and really goes to show that our students do go from strength to strength. It also goes to show that our working relationship with CiTB is as strong as ever!

“With Construction, apprenticeship starts are at a record high and with almost 25,000 people started a construction apprenticeship in 2015/16 across England, Scotland and Wales. This is a real winner for New College Stamford.”

The Apprentice Bricklayer, Jack was also awarded runner up in the Persimmon Homes Young Achievers of the Year Awards, which labelled him as Persimmon’s best Bricklaying Apprentice in the UK back in December 2016.

connected January 2018 33

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

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

AVC TRAINING

NEW MEMBERS this month 360 FREEDOM LTD @GETARKFLUX ADOCK REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING LTD @ADCOCKUK AGILE ENGINEERING

AVC Training provides its learners the opportunity to train in peaceful, natural surroundings. Their custom built training facility is located in the heart of the Fenland countryside within easy reach of Peterborough, Huntingdon, Wisbech and Ely. They provide nationally recognised and regulated qualifications in a wide range of subjects. www.askhamvillage community.com/training

AVC TRAINING BRITISH SUGAR @BRITISHSUGAR BROADWAY GLASS & LOCKS LTD BROWN SUGA CAMBRIDGE MARKETING COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE PAYROLL LTD @CAMPAYROLL CAMBRIDGE WORKPLACE CHAPLAINCY @CAMBSCHAPLAINS

EVERYDAY INSURANCE SERVICES LTD

DOWSOCIAL LTD @DOWSOCIAL EVERYDAY INSURANCE SERVICES LTD @EVERYDAYINSURE FLEXISOLAR LTD @FLEXISOLARUK INSTANT HOME LTD @INSTANTHOME KIRKPATRICK CONSULT LTD LITTLE MIRACLES @LITTLEMIRACLESP OSBOURNE APPOINTMENTS @OSBORNEAPPTS QUEST LEADERSHIP LTD @QUESTLD SKAT LTD @SKAT_LIMITED STEVEN EAGELL TOYOTA @STEVENEAGELL TAYLOR KEEBLE @TAYLORKEEBLEUK THE 360 VIEW SERVICE @THE360VIEW TO THE MOON AND BACK FOSTER CARE LTD @MANDBFOSTERING UNLOC 34 January 2018 connected

CAMBRIDGE MARKETING COLLEGE For more than 25 years, Cambridge Marketing College has worked with students across all sectors including private, public and not-for-profit organisations to develop their PR and marketing skills and capabilities. Founded in 1991, they are the leading specialist professional marketing college in Europe. Their faculty of 49 tutors has helped over 8,000 people gain a qualification and enhance their careers.

Their students and tutors have consistently achieved outstanding results for their CIM, CAM and CIPR qualifications. www.marketingcollege.com

Ever lost staff to a bigger company with a benefit scheme that is impossible to match? With Everyday Insurance Services you can offer your staff a life assurance scheme that, with engagement, offers a weekly Starbucks coffee and a weekly Vue cinema ticket.

Sound interesting? Call Stephen on 01480 583000. www.everyday-insurance.co.uk

MyLife Living Assistance MyLife are a unique home care provider focused solely on private customers. Created to enhance the lives of those at the beginning of their care journey, they offer innovative packages enabling clients to remain independent in their homes for longer.

They have a branch in Cambourne covering the Cambridge area. www.mylifelivingassistance.co.uk

news from

NEW MEMBERS

SKAT LTD

Transparent, honest and accessible, SKAT are a small recruitment company who are helping people get their dream jobs in Early Years, and help clients find the very best talent, every day! Desi and Sohini started the business in 2014 and this year they expanded into Essex and Milton Keynes. www.skat.uk.com

THE CAMBRIDGE WILL WRITING COMPANY LTD Rodney Wright formed the company in 2014, having been involved in Will Writing for some 10 years, with a previous background in the Financial Services Industry. The company is a member of The Institute of Professional Willwriters.

The company specialises in providing a prompt personal service and are happy to visit clients at their home or place of business which can be during the day or evening.

Most people appreciate that they should have a Will in place for their personal assets but if you are running or involved in a business then it is also important that provisions are put in place to deal with the business assets because without these provisions the consequences for the remaining partners or shareholders can be serious and even threaten the continuation of the business. www.cambridgewillwriting.co.uk

Steven eagell toyota Steven Eagell Toyota is a privately owned, family run Toyota dealer in Peterborough with a number of branches across the East of England. Toyota for Business!

Get the latest Toyota contract hire, leasing and fleet offers for your business, whether you are self-employed, a sole trader, a limited company or SME. If its fuel and tax saving Hybrid cars, tough 4x4 Hilux pickups to the award winning Proace Van, Business Centre Manager Chris Longden is on hand for your business needs, providing swift competitive quotes, flexible deliveries and handle orders of any size.

Chris’s background was 12 years army service before joining Toyota in March 2015 and taking over the Business Centre June 2016. www.steveneagell toyota.co.uk connected January 2018 35

PERFECT FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT THIS CHRISTMAS

COME AND ASK ABOUT OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OFFER

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connect with

LEP

Is Business Planning top of your resolutions list?

If you’re a business owner what is top of your New Year’s resolutions list? Securing investment funding, starting to export, increasing your sales or getting a better work/ life balance?

There is one activity that can help you to achieve any of these aims - creating a business plan.

Underestimating the value of a solid business plan is a common mistake and is often the biggest stumbling block when it comes to securing both investment or loan funding.

Yet it’s easy to put in place a robust plan with some advice from Signpost 2 Grow, Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP’s free business support service. Finding the right organisations to connect with, and following some simple steps can be enough to set your plan in motion and mark a new phase of focus and success for your business.

Why is a Business Plan so important?

A well thought out business plan will clearly articulate your primary objectives, plans, budget predictions, and sales and marketing strategies. This will help you identify what success looks like and will give you a one-stop document to present to potential investors, banks, suppliers and even potential employees.

A good business plan can also: • Give you the ability to spot potential problems and determine solutions • Allow you to set out your business goals in full

• Enable you to review and measure your progress against your goals.

Here’s how Signpost 2 Grow can help…

A clear and concise business plan is essential if you want to be taken seriously and succeed. It gives you a clear focus and confident approach that allows you to present your product or service, along with all its benefits, in a simple and digestible manner. However, getting to grips with where to start in developing that plan can be difficult, and often requires a bit of help with direction and the ability to understand everything you need to help take your business further.

The Signpost 2 Grow team are on hand to help put you in touch with the most effective resources for your business needs – including free one-to-one support for eligible businesses. You can contact the Signpost 2 Grow team at www.signpost2grow.co.uk/support/signpost-2-grants/ or give the Signpost 2 Grow team a call on 01223 967676 or 01733 602060.

What should a Business plan include?

Your plan should set out: • The nature of your business • The products and services offered • Demonstrate your understanding of your target customer needs • Your chosen method of interacting with customers • Details of your integrated marketing communications plans and strategies • How you arrived at your pricing strategy.

Fundamentally a business plan builds confidence and trust in your business capabilities. Don’t risk your investment potential by producing a weak one, or nothing at all.

connected January 2018 39

Don’t move, IMPROVE! with windows, doors & conservatories from N&C Glasss BI-FOLD DOORS

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insight from

ALEX SPENCER

SIX STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING PLAN

Create a brilliant marketing plan for 2018 and you’ll start the year focused on your goals. You will have the confidence that every marketing campaign you carry out is helping you to build your business, ensuring that marketing opportunities and budgets are maximised.

Set your goals What do you want to accomplish in the next year? This needs to be a measurable result,

for example: increase sales by 10 per cent, gain 20 new B2B customers or sustain the opening of two new restaurants and make a profit. At the end of the next 12 months your success must be easy to quantify.

Work out your budget Decide how much you can put aside for promoting your business this year – and stick to it! This will influence all your other marketing decisions.

Decide on your marketing strategies How do you plan to achieve your measurable goals? This decision will take into account everything you know about your business, such as seasonal highs and lows, annual opportunities, sporting or cultural events that impact on your business (a brewery will sell more beer during the World Cup, for example), information on rival companies and major trade shows or networking events that are taking place.

Choose your marketing tactics Choose the three or four things you need

to do to implement each strategy. This could include print or online advertising, attending a trade show, sending a press release, lead generation calls, email and direct mail marketing, social media campaigns, competitions, brochures, photography, video, building a new website and much more. This will depend on the market you want to reach and where they get their information.

Create a spreadsheet to-do list Write a list of everything you need to do to implement your tactics, with deadlines.

Organise it in a spreadsheet with monthby-month headings. Now it is clear when you will need to do the work to achieve your goals.

Evaluate the results At the end of every quarter you will need to decide whether your marketing activity has worked and amend your plans accordingly. You will measure this against your original goals.

Alex Spencer, Spirus Marketing

connected January 2018 41

CARPET MILL

TRUST QUALITY BRANDS FIRST LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESS

ESTABLISHED 35 YEARS GUARANTEED QUALITY FITTING

COME SEE US AT: 24 Chesterton Road | Cambridge | CB4 3AX Tel: 01223 316866 Monday to Saturday 10am – 5.30pm www.thecarpetmill.co.uk Closed Sunday and Thursday

insight from

JAMIE BURLES

Greater Anglia Managing Director reflects on first year of franchise

“We’ve got off to a flying start, but there’s still lots to do.” Greater Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles is reflecting on the first year of the company’s franchise to run the railway in East Anglia.

Greater Anglia was awarded a nine-year franchise on the promise of new trains, more seats and faster journey times.

The company is replacing every single train on the network with brand new modern stateof-the-art trains. One year on, after consulting customers, these trains are now in production in factories in Derby and Switzerland and will come into service from 2019.

“We’re the first train operating company in the country to replace all of our trains in one go and it’s a very exciting proposition,” said Jamie.

“We’ve set up a team whose sole focus is to work on bringing in our new trains. It’s a complex job. We want to get the design of the new trains absolutely right for our customers. More than 1,000 customers took the time to take part in our consultation and I want to say a big thank you to them.

Also thank you to the stakeholder and user groups, including disability groups, who have visited our mock-ups and given us direct feedback – which we are acting on.

“But it’s not just about the trains, we need to make sure platforms are long enough as our new trains will be longer, we’re building a new depot at Brantham and extending depots at Norwich and Ilford to cope with the new trains.

“We’ll also need to train our teams

of colleagues so that they can drive, maintain, clean and work on our new trains. We’re even designing a new uniform for when we get the new trains.

“Just as important as the new trains, our train planners are working on a new timetable which should be as transformational as the trains themselves.

The new trains should be faster and bigger, allowing us to put on extra services, which all need to be timetabled.”

When Jamie launched the new franchise, he promised that it wasn’t just a case of jam tomorrow. Greater Anglia planned to make improvements in the short term, as well as the longer term, from leasing extra trains to provide more seats on commuter trains to making it easier and cheaper to buy tickets.

“We’ve been very busy this year making the service better for customers now. We’ve hired 20 extra trains so that we have been able to create an extra 100,000 seats a week on commuter services into London.

We’ve also been busy refurbishing some of our commuter trains – to the extent that sometimes they’re confused for our new trains. Our engineers have won awards for their progress in making our old trains more reliable.

“We’ve opened a brand new station, Cambridge North, as well as upgrading four of our major stations - Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich, where we’ve created ticket halls and waiting rooms of airport-style quality. Cambridge Station has now won several awards including National Transport Awards Station of the Year.

“I was really proud of my colleagues when we got the results of the latest National Rail Passenger Survey which gave us our

highest satisfaction rating of 83 per cent.

This is a credit to the hard work everyone has put in to make our service to customers better from people fixing toilets quicker to train drivers making clear and informative announcements.”

When Jamie meets customers, he is frequently taken to task over the cost of rail travel. Although some prices such as season tickets, are regulated by the Government, Greater Anglia has a range of special offers and great value fares.

“We launched our price promise with the new franchise, where we guarantee the lowest fare if you buy it via our website or we’ll refund the difference. We’re also about to launch a Club 50 card for discounted travel for those aged 50 or above and look out for other similar initiatives to come.”

Of course, the first year has also had some challenges. RMT union industrial action, which has been spreading around the country, has also affected Greater Anglia.

“I can’t emphasise enough how much we value our conductors. They do a great job.

I spent a day shadowing a conductor at his request on the Norwich to Cambridge train last year. We get a lot of great feedback on Twitter for our conductors.

“We’re keeping conductors on our trains.

They will be safety trained, but they will be concentrating on customer service rather than opening and closing doors.

“I remain hopeful that we can resolve this dispute so that we can all concentrate on serving our customers.”

“It’s been a fantastic first year. There’s been some high points and there’s been some challenges. I remain excited and upbeat about the future as we’re working hard to transform the railway in East Anglia.” connected January 2018 43

Y DA TO E AT IN NOM for the following award categories Barclays Award for Large Business of the Year Hewitsons Award for Business Innovation Price Bailey Award for Business of the Year MedImmune Award for Outstanding Contribution BioMed Realty Trust Award for Business Person of the Year Pure Award for Employer of the Year Allia Award for Social Entrepreneurship Cambridge BID Award for Independent Retailer of the Year Cambridge Judge High Growth Award Small Business of the Year Thanks to our sponsors

Nominate online now www.cambridge-news.co.uk/business/business-awards Deadline for entries 5.30pm Monday 22nd January 2018 For more information contact Karen Ball | 01223 632233 | karen.ball@cambridge-news.co.uk

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

chamber

EVENTS

100 YEARS inspiring business success

TWO COUNTIES

BUSINESS EXHIBITION DATE: Wednesday 14 March TIME: 11.00am-3.30pm LOCATION: Millennium Grandstand, Rowley Mile Racecourse, Newmarket • Exhibition space from £100.00 (plus VAT) • Free speed networking • Free business seminars Your business can be part of this fantastic event with a stand to promote your own business available from just £100.00 (plus VAT) plus you will have the chance to meet and network with other businesses and gain some excellent brand awareness. Visitors and exhibitors can also take advantage of free seminars and speed networking sessions.

Organised in partnership with Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, West Suffolk Councils and Cambridge Independent.

Chamber members can book events online at www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk connected January 2018 45

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

Your essential business calendar for the next months.

INFORMAL NETWORKING EVENINGS

January 2018

8

Poets House & Restaurant, Ely 5.00-7.00pm

17

Peterborough Greyhound Stadium 5.00-7.00pm

18 24

Holiday Inn, Cambridge 5.00-7.00pm

Octavia View, Wisbech 5.00-7.00pm

GLOBAL Business Network DATE: Tuesday 30 January TIME: 5.00-7.00pm LOCATION: The Moller Centre, Storey’s Way, Cambridge, CB3 0DE PRICE: Free to attend CONTACT: Helen Bosett on 01223 209815 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk Organised by the International Sector Whether you are already involved in international trade or considering expanding into new markets, Global Business Network offers a unique informal

environment to share experience and expertise.

• Learn more about markets and successful strategies by talking to other exporters • Form relevant connections across the globe • Hear the latest initiatives and meet those that can help to support your international trade activities • Obtain export documentation advice from the Chambers’ inhouse international trade team.

SPONSORED BY

THE PETERBOROUGH BISCUIT BUSINESS EVENT DATE: Wednesday 7 February TIME: 9.00am-5.00pm LOCATION: East of England Arena and Events Centre www.peterboroughbiscuit.co.uk This event includes three speed networking sessions organised by the Chamber, taking place from 10.30-11.30am, 12.30-1.30pm and 2.30-3.30pm.

• 370 business in attendance • 3,000+ visitors expected.

NEW FOR 2018 - The Biscuit Marketplace which features independent retailers from the Peterborough and Stamford area.

46 January 2018 connected

chamber

DATE: Wednesday 25 April TIME: 10.00am-4.00pm LOCATION: Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester • Huntingdon’s biggest business to business networking event

AMAZING BENEFITS OF

CHAMBER

MEMBERSHIP DATE: Wednesday 17 January TIME: 9.30-11.30am LOCATION: Chamber office, 6 The Forum, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT

EVENTS

• Over 100 exhibitors • Free speed networking sessions • Expert seminars • Stands available from £95.00 (plus VAT) Organised in association with the Federation of Small Business.

CAMBRIDGE

SAFARI

NETWORKING

BREAKFAST DATE: Tuesday 23 January TIME: 7.45-10.00am

DATE: Thursday 18 January TIME: 9.30-11.30am

LOCATION: Fitzwilliam College, Storey’s Way, Cambridge, CB3 0DG

LOCATION: Milton Hall, Ely Road, Milton, Cambridge, CB24 6WZ

PRICE: £17.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £24.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members

PRICE: Free to attend, please register in advance

CONTACT: Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk

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.

Take advantage of our safari’s group format and get connected with other Chamber members table by table, plus the opportunity for a little extra networking over a full English breakfast before you head back to work.

Please visit the Chamber website for full details of Chamber events. www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk connected January 2018 47

The perfect place for your life sciences business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A truly networked location, Norwich Research Park is home to 80 businesses and brings together 4 world-renowned institutes alongside the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with clinical trials facilities.

The Park offers world-class research facilities, a thriving life sciences community, cost-effective rent and it’s just an hour from Cambridge.

•

Shared laboratory with access to shared equipment lab from £695 per month

•

Shared office from £210 per month

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Office & laboratory units from 13 sq m (140 sq ft)

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Serviced plots for development

Free business coaching & mentoring

Angel network & grant signposting

On-site services & equipment

Home to life sciences

01603 673673 www.norwichresearchpark.com