connected September 2018

INSPIRING BUSINESS SUCCESS

ISSUE 70/SEPTEMBER 2018

The official monthly magazine for Chamber members

ROBOTICS

Obviously the future is extremely hard to predict, but will AI and robotics be beneficial or harmful for society.

PLUS. . . all the news from the Chamber Network Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

this issue

33

CONTENTS

25

30

21

29 5

Chief Executive’s highlights

6-7

Connections

8-9

Influence

10-11

Global reach

12-13

Knowledge

8

22-23

Cambs & South Cambs Chamber news

24-25

Out & about

27

Cambridgeshire Chamber news

29

Huntingdonshire Chamber news

30-31

Peterborough Chamber news

14

Protection

15

Ask the expert

33

16-17

New members

34-35

18-19

Charity

39

Signpost 2 Grow

20

Matthew Gooding column

41

Insight from Alex Spencer

21

Ely Chamber news

45-47

Stamford Chamber news Tim Pike

Events

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

connected September 2018 3

welcome from the

EDITOR

Welcome....

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

Chief Executive John Bridge OBE DL Editor Sadie Parr Published by

Preparations are underway for our 2019 desk diary. If the details we hold have changed please let us know by Thursday 23 August. Log-in to the member area on the Chamber website to make amendments or give Hilary Pawley a call on 01223 209807 or email h.pawley@cambscci.co.uk.

This month we bring you further details of our B2B Exhibitions taking place in Cambridge and Peterborough. Turn to page 46 and make a note of the seminars taking place on the day and the timings for speed networking. There are still limited stands available; visit www.cambridgeb2b.co.uk and www.peterboroughb2b.co.uk to book your stand today.

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

Print xlpress Design Richard Thomas Clare Turner Advertising Caroline Baker caroline.baker@trinitymirror.com 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 Email enquiries@cambscci.co.uk Visit cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk @CambsChamber Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

DIARY DATES Sept 2018

3

Informal Networking Evening, St Ives

5

Amazing Benefits of Chamber membership, Peterborough

5

Informal Networking Evening, Stamford

6

Amazing Benefits of Chamber membership, Cambridge

10 11 14 19 19 Informal Networking Evening, Ely

Quiz and Thai Buffet, Peterborough

20

20 25 25 26

Authentic Leadership Conference, Cambridge

Informal Networking Evening, Peterborough

Storm in a Teacup, Peterborough

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.

4 September 2018 connected

Cambridge B2B Exhibition

Informal Networking Evening, Cambridge

Safari Networking Breakfast, Peterborough

Global Business Network, Cambridge

Informal Networking Evening, Wisbech

view from the

BRIDGE

I was delighted and honoured to welcome Velusamy Radhakrishnan (MP), State Minister of Education in Sri Lanka to our July Global Business Network event.

Attending as part of a delegation to the UK, he spoke about education and business in Sri Lanka displaying a real passion and commitment to the development of young people.

The Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka for which Velusamy is responsible directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to primary and secondary education. One of his objectives is to promote political participation of the disadvantaged plantation community and to ensure their social, economic, education, culture and political rights.

The Global Business Network offers a unique informal environment to share experience and expertise. Our event in September looks at business in ASEAN with guest speakers from The Asia Task Force and I encourage you to attend.

At the latest meeting of the A14 Strategic Advisory Board, of which I am a member, we were informed of the progress of the work being undertaken which I’m pleased to confirm is currently on plan from both a time and budget perspective.

It was really great to be updated on all aspects of this significant upgrade including being able to identify some additional opportunities for the legacy fund.

I was also able to catch up with Mike Evans, Stakeholder Manager for Highways England and a key member of the Strategic Advisory Board and discuss the very positive way that the scheme is being developed. We both recognised there are some short term challenges which can be expected in a construction scheme of this size however we agreed the significant long term benefits will far outweigh any short term inconvenience.

At a recent Chamber B2B exhibition I met Lizzie Duckworth from Cambridge Plants who manages their Marketing and PR activities. Cambridge Plants provide spectacular plants to offices and events across Cambridgeshire and are a keen supporter of our exhibitions and the benefits you derive from them and will be at the Cambridge B2B exhibition arranging plant and floral displays on the day.

I encourage you to come along to our B2B on Thursday 20 September at Quy Mill Hotel and Spa, Cambridge and experience for yourself the real benefits you can also derive from attending these exhibitions. Please remember as well as our Cambridge event we have the Peterborough B2B taking place on Wednesday 31 October at KingsGate Conference Centre in Peterborough.

Further details can be found on the event pages or by visiting www.cambridgeb2b.co.uk or www.peterboroughb2b.co.uk.

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

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.

FUN, LAUGHTER AND GREAT DONATION FOR CHARITY The Construction Sector had a busy and fun June whilst raising funds for our charity of the year, Romsey Mill.

Over 120 guests from the business community had a ball at the recent Comedy Night and Black Tie Dinner which was held at Orton Hall Hotel. Another brilliant evening of great food, excellent company and a room filled with laughter with comedy entertainment from guest comedian Austin Knight.

Great news also that we just pipped last year’s raffle donations in raising just over £1,200! Thank you to everyone who donated a raffle prize and all who donated to the cause on the evening. Lucky winners on each table took gnome their

table centre piece!

Feedback from the evening included: “Thanks for hosting such a good event - we’ve received numerous compliments from each of our guests. Good to hear lots of money raised. Looking forward to next year!”

“I enjoyed being with you at the event; the food and company were great. I had lovely opportunities to speak with other people on our table and I also bumped into a couple of people on other tables who I knew from Romsey Mill work connections.”

“Much appreciated, everyone enjoyed the evening and thank you for all your efforts.”

HUNT AND CLUELESS TAKE HOME THE TROPHY

6 September 2018 connected

10 teams battled it out over seven rounds of 10 questions at St John’s College, Cambridge in July for our Big Brain Quiz.

Huge thanks to Neil Whiteside from Cambridge 105 Radio who was our quiz master for the evening, and Mary CurrieSmith, Chair of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, who presented the trophies and prizes at the end of the evening.

Bringing up the rear was Kinnaird Hill ‘Z Team’ who scored 31 points. After a tie break between Price Bailey ‘PB Blinders’ and Hunt and Coombs ‘Hunt and Clueless’ we were delighted to award the trophies and title of Big Brain Winners to Hunt and Clueless.

widen your

DON’T MISS ANY OF OUR CHAMBER EVENTS

The Chamber has an event reminder functionality on its website, allowing businesses to register for reminder alerts nearer the time for events they’re interested in attending but don’t want to book until nearer the date.

There’s no obligation to book for the event once the reminder has been requested, and it is hoped that this functionality will help companies to balance busy workloads with the desire to seek new opportunities at the many events and seminars the

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE

#CHAMBERNETWORK connected is a key communication channel for Chamber members who use this monthly publication not only to promote their own news and special offers but also keep in touch with what’s going on within the local business community across the county.

Including an advert in connected will see your company branding, products and services reach over 1,200 companies across Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire.

Advertising rates Quarter page - £125.00 (plus VAT)* Half page - £250.00 (plus VAT)* Full page - £500.00 (plus VAT)* *Non-Chamber members pay double the rate MEMBER EXCLUSIVE! Additional 10 per cent discount when you book three editions or more at the same time.

To book an advert please contact Caroline Baker at Cambridge News on 01223 632234 or caroline. baker@trinitymirror.com.

CONNECTIONS

Chamber holds.

To register for an event reminder, simply visit the event listing on the Chamber website and click on the ‘Event Reminder’ box at the bottom of the screen. You will then be asked to provide your contact details including the email address you would like the reminder to be sent to.

To see our forthcoming events visit pages 45-47 of connected or the event pages of the Chamber website.

Member benefit sessions Do you want to make financial savings?

Are you looking to increase revenue?

Do you want to improve profitability?

By attending our free Amazing Benefits of Chamber Membership sessions you learn the real, tangible benefits of membership in terms of financial savings and increasing revenue and profitability.

We explain how to generate interest in your services and increase sales, develop your professional skillset, explore new opportunities to do business overseas and take advantage of the cost-savings and protection available.

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

This is what one of our new members had to say when they attended a recent session in Peterborough: “I enjoyed a very informative morning soaking up the fantastic benefits of a Chamber membership.

“As a new member to the Chamber, I took the opportunity to learn all the benefits this marvellous membership has to offer, by attending their free workshop and I would like to thank Bren for delivering this so clearly.

“Walking through all the benefits the Chamber has to offer was a breeze thanks to Bren’s pleasant and welcoming nature. I already felt like I was getting my money worth from the membership, but now I see there is so much more. And as a by-product, I met two new connections, Steve and Kate; I hope to meet up with them again soon.”

Paul Glenn, Change Agent for Sliding Paradigms Ltd connected September 2018 7

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.

BCC appoints Claire Walker and Hannah Essex as Co-Executive Directors of Policy and Campaigns

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), the leading UK business organisation, is delighted to announce the appointment of Claire Walker and Hannah Essex as Co-Executive Directors of Policy and Campaigns.

Claire and Hannah arrive from leading education organisation Teach First, where they have been Co-Directors of Communications since 2015, with both having held that position individually. At BCC they will be responsible for leading the BCC’s policy positioning and lobbying efforts, including campaigns around eradicating mobile not-spots, fixing the fundamentals of the UK’s domestic infrastructure, and Brexit. They take over from Ian Hagg, who has held the role on an interim basis since January 2018.

They assume their role in mid-September.

Adam Marshall, BCC Director General, said: “I am delighted to have appointed Claire and Hannah to the leadership team at the British Chambers of Commerce.

This is a critical time for the UK business community, and in Claire and Hannah we have found two dynamic individuals who together will be able to campaign for Chamber business communities, and take our agenda to an even-higher level.”

Claire Walker and Hannah Essex added: “We are thrilled to be joining the British Chambers of Commerce as such a crucial time for British business. We want to ensure the UK thrives - now and post-Brexit.

“We know that when business succeed, communities and families succeed too.

We are excited at the opportunity to represent Chambers’ diverse membership to ensure they have the conditions they need to achieve.”

8 September 2018 connected

Recruitment difficulties and tougher trading conditions face firms amid sluggish UK growth The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has published its Quarterly Economic Survey. Based on the responses of over 6,000 businesses, the survey suggests that UK economic conditions remain sluggish, despite a modest improvement in activity in the second quarter of 2018.

In the dominant service sector, consumer-facing industries, such as hospitality and retail, continue to report tougher trading conditions.

Cashflow and investment intentions are falling significantly for retailers in particular as consumer spending, a key driver of UK growth, continues to remain subdued.

In the manufacturing sector, the balance of firms reporting improved domestic sales rose in the quarter, and the balance of firms reporting improved orders increased to the highest level since Q1 2015.

However, the size of the sector means that its contribution to UK growth remains limited.

The balance of manufacturers reporting improved export sales and orders eased in the second quarter, suggesting that slowing global economic growth is forcing firms to look domestically for sales.

A number of the key forward looking indicators, if sustained, point to a subdued outlook. The number of businesses reporting that they are intending to invest fell in the quarter, and business confidence for both sectors also fell. The biggest concern for businesses, however, continues to be the difficulties they face when trying to access skills, with the percentage of firms reporting problems rising again.

All this shows the economy is in a holding pattern, with annual economic growth this year set to be the lowest since the financial crisis. Much more needs to be done to put the UK economy on a surer footing. The BCC calls for a push to fix the fundamentals for business – fixing the crisishit training system, improving connectivity, delivering infrastructure improvements, and incentivizing investment – to create a ‘Brexit hedge’ for the economy. At the same time, the government urgently needs to provide clarity on the real-world questions that businesses are asking on the UK’s status after leaving the European Union, to give firms a clear path that would enable them to invest and grow.

the power to

TRAINING AND FLEXIBLE WORKING KEY TO STAFF RETENTION

INFLUENCE

and firms are doing everything they can to recruit, retain and upskill their workforce.

“Increasingly, employers are embracing flexible working practices as a sensible way to retain staff who need to balance work with family and other commitments.

Amid rising upfront costs for businesses, it is crucial that innovative ways are found to motivate staff.

“Flexible access to the Apprenticeship Levy funds would enable more firms to boost productivity by training and developing their teams, and we urge the government to consider this as soon as possible.”

Tara Sinclair, senior fellow and economist at job site Indeed, added: “Attitudes to work are changing and salary is no longer the only way employers compete to attract and retain workers. Workers today seek work-life balance – searches for ‘flexible’ jobs on Indeed are at a three-year high, suggesting a growing number of jobseekers start their application with job satisfaction in mind.

“A tight labour market – where employer demand for staff is outstripping the supply of workers – places greater emphasis on staff retention, but investing in training should not be viewed as a short-term fix to keep hold of the best talent. Rather, it should be seen as an opportunity for employers of all sizes to unlock the long-term potential in their staff.”

Aside from staff pay, firms are more likely to increase their investment in training, and introduce more flexible working practices, in order to retain staff, according to a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and recruitment company Indeed.

The survey, of over 1,000 business people across all sizes and sectors, shows that just under half (42%) of businesses would invest in training and developing their staff in order to increase staff retention, while 38 per cent would look to introduce flexible working practices, from flexible hours and remote working to job-sharing.

Skills shortages are at near record levels, and this survey reveals that the most likely approach that firms will take to address gaps they have are to use self-employed workers, or contractors (30%), followed by investment in recruitment and training (both 25%). Developing a relationship with the local school comes next, at 22 per cent. B2C firms are more likely to build that relationship, while B2B businesses are more likely to use contractors and retain older workers.

At the interview stage, the businesses surveyed are overwhelmingly likely to decide between two equally qualified candidates based on their performance in interview (70%), followed by quality of job application (50%). Skills gained in extra-curricular activities are important for a quarter of employers surveyed (24%).

Amid a chronic skills shortage, these findings suggest that civic-minded businesses are doing everything they can to ensure that staff morale remains high. However, businesses can also do more in terms of providing a flexible working environment.

Jane Gratton, Head of Business Environment and Skills Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “Access to people and skills is a top priority for employers

connected September 2018 9

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 nationallyrecognised Foundation Award in International Trade.

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

Export Procedures and Documentation Wednesday 19 September, 9.15am-5.00pm Incoterms and Export Licence Controls Tuesday 9 October, 9.15am-5.00pm Finance Options: Focusing on Letters of Credit Tuesday 17 October, 9.15am-5.00pm Import: Customs Compliance and Savings Tuesday 13 November, 9.15am-5.00pm Customs Special Procedures: Focusing on Inward Processing and Outward Processing Tuesday 27 November, 9.15am-5.00pm Rules of Origin: Preference and Non-preference Tuesday 11 December, 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

10 September 2018 connected

Promote your Global Chamber membership Why not promote that you belong to Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce by displaying our logo on your letterhead, email templates and even adverts?

You will be able to display the logo to show that you belong to Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, a membership organisation committed to Inspiring Business Success.

To receive a copy of our ‘Global member of’ Chamber logo please email s.parr@ cambscci.co.uk.

Grow your business overseas International Trade Summit 2018 DATE: Thursday 18 October TIME: 9.00am-5.00pm LOCATION: etc venues, London This event will give delegates practical advice, invaluable resources and the contacts needed to grow their business and begin the next step of their export journey.

Whatever stage of the export

journey you are at, the BCC’s International Trade Summit is the event that will help you take your business to the next level.

There will be a choice of informative workshops, lively panel discussions with businesses with export experience from a range of sectors, stimulating speeches from policy makers, successful exporters and household names and, of course, plenty of time for networking.

Further details can be found on the Chamber website.

extend your

GLOBAL REACH

WHAT IS ASEAN? The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation among its 10 members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

At Global Business Network in September The Asia Task Force will offer a reality check on opportunities to develop business in ASEAN using case studies to look at what works.

There will be discussion on: • What products can be sourced effectively and profitably (What and where is the place to source products) • What sells well into the region (how to benefit from being British) • How it is possible to sell services from UK into ASEAN (the story

of a story teller selling well across ASEAN).

The focus is on small or medium sized businesses looking for new markets for products or services or to diversify their suppliers to improve security and profitability.

The countries covered have 650 million people and use English as a key language.

Sponsored by The Asia Task Force is a network advisory group formed by business creators with their own businesses in countries across Asia. They offer market understanding combined with expertise in finance, legal and regulatory matters and logistics gained from doing business.

BCC: business alarm on potential Brexit VAT bombshell Commenting on the passage of amendments to the Customs Bill, which commit the government to fully separating the UK from the EU VAT regime, Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is the first view businesses have on what the VAT regime could be like after Brexit – and it doesn’t look pretty.

“A separate UK VAT system will create significant on-going costs for businesses trading across borders, unless special work-arounds are put in place.

This change will pile pressure on Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, which is already contending with other facets of Brexit, plus the delivery of a new customs

system and Making Tax Digital.

“Firms need to know – now, not in a year’s time – whether and how the government intends to address the potential VAT bombshell facing businesses trading with the EU27 in future. Without a more generous deferment account scheme or postponed accounting, many companies face severe cash flow issues, big new administrative headaches, and a serious loss of competitiveness.”

Under the current system, firms trading with the EU report every quarter on what they have imported and exported, with a VAT bill calculated after. Without clear facilitations, the risk facing business is the need to pay VAT at the point of each

cross-border transaction, creating a significant cash flow and competitiveness problem for many.

In the BCC’s Risk Register, questions around Import VAT and Services VAT remain at a red rating.

Adam Marshall added: “Businesses are hugely frustrated that politics and ideology – rather than real-world economic considerations – seem to be driving every twist and turn in the Brexit saga.

For businesses, VAT isn’t some obscure technicality. A clear, easy-to-use VAT system is crucial for businesses to trade successfully with partners in Europe – and around the world.”

connected September 2018 11

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.

HR goes interactive Mental health in the workplace, ageing workforce and shared parental leave were the main topics of discuss at the recent Interactive HR session.

Organised by the Chamber’s HR and Recruitment Sector, the event provided lots of useful information, guidance and support to members who deal with HR within their workplace.

The session enabled some good round table discussions focusing on the subject matters making it very relevant to those who attended.

Nicky Cockerill, Chair of the HR and Recruitment sector, commented: “It is our intention as a sector to provide support and guidance on HR and recruitment matters to our members as well as offering the chance to network with like-minded people and learn from presentations.”

The next Interactive HR session will be in October. If there is any issues you’d like us to consider addressing, or interested in sharing your knowledge from an HR perspective please contact Helen Bosett, Sector Co-ordinator, h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk

12 September 2018 connected

What do you want to achieve from LinkedIn? An informative and interactive session led by Caroline Robinson of Sandler Training, asked what you use LinkedIn for and what do you want to achieve.

Key points for your consideration: • Senior business people are more likely to be on LinkedIn than using any other social media so choose the messages you use for each platform carefully • Include ‘call to action’ in your posts to generate engagement • Measure what works for your organisation – time of day that you post, the type of posts you use – visual, words etc. There is no specific answer, different things work for different organisations • Ensure your company posts are in line with your brand personality • If you link current trends / current affairs into your posts, ensure that it is appropriate to your line of business • Ask questions in your posts – hopefully people will respond making that post visible to their contacts as well as your own • Find out what your competitors are doing • A company page gives credibility to individual pages – staff should like and share company pages • On your individuals page don’t just put your job title, use keywords to describe what you do as these are searchable.

Job titles may not be engaging!

• It can take time to nurture a relationship on LinkedIn. You need to build trust and credibility before you move onto engagement and sales.

Markets and subsidy assurances for farmers results in positive outlook Britain’s farmers are generally still feeling optimistic about the future, according to a survey conducted

by Peterborough accountancy firm MHA MacIntyre Hudson and MHA, the UK-wide group of accountancy and business advisory firms.

The survey, undertaken at Cereals 2018, is based on interviews with over 100 farmers from across the country. Almost 60 per cent of those interviewed indicated that there would be a moderate to high growth in their business over the next 12 months – similar to the findings from Cereals 2017. Other key findings were that pricing continues to be an issue, succession planning remains of concern to 50 per cent of all those interviewed and, worryingly, 46 per cent of those interviewed knew nothing about the Government’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ initiative.

Sarah Dodds, Head of Agriculture at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, commented: “Even though there is some growth optimism, it still looks very much as if uncertainties over Brexit and the economic position generally are starting to have an impact on farmers’ outlook for the future, despite the fact that commodity prices are higher than they were a year ago.

The next few years could see some seismic changes in the industry as the whole future of support mechanisms is reviewed.

Every business should be looking at succession, cash flow and efficiency to try and future proof their business.”

For a full copy of the report please email tammy.tushingham@ mhllp.co.uk or call 01733 568491.

grow your

EML Electrical help you save money on fuel Mark Brear and EML Electrical are proud to be one of the few approved Electric Vehicle Charging Point Installers in Cambridgeshire.

This enables them to offer huge savings on fuel for business owners and their employees.

Depending on your tariff, charger type and time of charge, it is possible to travel 100 miles in an electric car for less than £2; less than the price of a posh coffee!

You can see how impressive this saving is when compared to the same journey in a petrol-powered vehicle which would cost you six times the amount, coming in at £12

Ever wondered what happens when you’re not at work?

As a business owner in the catering and hospitality industry, you can’t be in the office all the time. You will have meetings with clients and suppliers, networking events, days off and holidays – but what happens when the boss is away... could the mice play?

Guy and his team at Sterling Stock Auditors offer a Mystery Customer service that means they will come in at a time known to none of your staff and act as normal guests to your

– also known as a week of posh coffees!

If you are a business looking to the future, wanting to stand out from the crowd and be known as a company that cares about the environment then electric vehicles could be ideal for you – and having an electric vehicle charging point at your business just makes sense.

There are lots of government grants, subsidies and schemes out there to help you with the cost of electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging points. If you’d like to find out more please contact Mark Brear of EML Electrical directly on 01733 598024.

catering or hospitality business.

They will check the level of service, cleanliness, quality of food and presentation – along with any other areas you have concerns about.

They will then report their findings back to you and give recommendations of where improvements can be made.

We can’t be in our business all the time, but with the help of Sterling Stock Auditors we can make sure the business is always being run to the standards that you expect.

If you’d like to know more about our Mystery Customer service then please contact Guy at Sterling Stock Auditors directly; he’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

KNOWLEDGE

What steps can you take to ensure compliance with automatic enrolment?

1. Pay and maintain regular contributions into the pension Employers need to calculate and pay the employer contributions to their staff’s pension scheme on an ongoing basis. In addition, they’ll need to calculate staff contributions, make the necessary deductions from payroll and transfer their contributions to the pension scheme.

They’ll have agreed what these rates are and when to pay them with their chosen pension scheme. By law, you and your staff have to make minimum contributions into the scheme, and you should be aware that these minimum contribution levels increased in April 2018 and are due to increase again in April 2019.

2. Monitor the age and earnings of all staff Employers will need to monitor any changes in age and earnings of their staff to identify if they become eligible for automatic enrolment. They’ll also need to check eligibility of any new members of staff on the day they start work.

Should staff members become eligible (for example by turning 22, or by meeting the earnings thresholds), then they’ll need to be put into a pension scheme and contributions paid to it. Payroll software should be able to support employers with this.

3. Process requests to opt in, join or leave the scheme, and keep and maintain accurate records.

Opt in/join: If any staff write to their employer asking to join their workplace pension scheme, they must be put into it within a month of the request being received.

Employers will have to pay into the pension scheme unless they are aged 16-74 and earn less than £503 a month or £116 per week.

Opt out: If any staff choose to leave the pension scheme within one month of being put into it, employers need to stop taking money out of their pay and arrange a full refund of what has been paid to date. This must happen within one month of their request.

Keeping records: Staff records need to be kept up-to-date, including who’s been enrolled and when, information about the pension scheme, and the contributions being paid. These records must be kept for six years, except for requests to leave the pension scheme which must be kept for four years.

4. Re-enrolment Every three years, all staff who either opted out of their workplace pension scheme or have ceased to become members need to be re-assessed and re-enrolled if they meet certain criteria. Employers will need to write to them to tell them what they’ve done – and then they’ll need to re-declare their compliance to The Pensions Regulator. www.tpr.gov.uk/ongoing-duties

connected September 2018 13

enhance your

PROTECTION

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

Protecting your business with Chamber membership ChamberLegal Through your membership you are protected by a comprehensive legal expenses insurance policy covering business and employee cover across 11 sections, with up to £100,000.00 per claim and £1,000,000.00 in the annual aggregate, plus there is no excess to pay.

• Employment disputes • Health and Safety prosecutions • Tax protection – HMRC enquiry, aspect enquiries, PAYE disputes and VAT disputes • Criminal prosecution defence • Statutory licence protection • Property disputes • Data protection • Personal injury • Motor disputes

• Wrongful arrest defence • Jury service allowance (£100.00 per day / £1,000 per claim).

This service offers advice on any legal matter affecting your business including contract disputes, licence protection, company law, debt recovery and commercial law.

ChamberTax This service offers advice on any tax related issue including benefits in kind, corporation tax, capital gains, advice on any VAT matter including registration, exemptions, VAT on land and property – all of which helps to ensure that you are compliant and will help you deal with any HMRC enquiries.

14 September 2018 connected

These services are underpinned by: • One advice line which gives you unlimited access to experienced, specialist advisors covering HR, employment law, legal, health & safety, tax and VAT. Call the office on 01223 237414 to get the advice line number and your Chamber ID • One website that offers a comprehensive library of over 750 documents that are free to download and can be customised to suit the needs of your business These cover everything from employee recruitment to exit, legal documents and health & safety documents.

• Comprehensive legal expenses insurance which covers you for employment disputes, tax investigations, property disputes, data protection and more.

The Chamber is working in partnership with Qdos Consulting to provide these essential services to our members.

ask the

How Knowledge Transfer Partnerships help businesses benefit from education expertise Insights from Robert Carpenter, Chairman at FlexiSolar, the integrated solar car port specialists in Cambridge; currently constructing the UK’s largest solar carport project for Bentley Motors.

What is the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme?

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Commercial Property Darren Hill, Commercial Property Manager at Cheffins, talks about employing a commercial property manager.

What are the benefits of having commercial property assets managed?

In short, employing a commercial property manager makes owning a portfolio significantly less stressful and

EXPERT

(KTP) scheme helps UK businesses to innovate and grow. It does this by linking them with an academic or research organisation and a graduate.

Over the past 40 years, this UK wide programme has helped a huge number of businesses improve competitiveness and productivity thanks to these funded partnerships – including FlexiSolar!

What are the benefits of participating in a Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme?

Through the programme, commercial businesses and social enterprises can make better use of the knowledge, technology and skills that reside within what is known as the UK Knowledge Base. This knowledge based partnership is designed to meet a core strategic need in the business and to identify innovative solutions to help the business grow.

FlexiSolar and our sister company i2o Limited have participated in KTP programmes for three years – and have just finished recruiting for two graduates for our next two programmes.

How does the KTP process work and how long does it take?

The company and academic partner submit a joint application for funding, and if successful, employ a suitable

graduate (known as the Associate) to spearhead the project. The graduate works directly at the company for the duration of the partnership; with schemes lasting between 12 and 36 months, depending on the project and the needs of the business.

What has FlexiSolar gained from participating in the programme?

The FlexiSolar partnership with Newcastle and Nottingham universities have enabled us to bring in new skills and the latest academic thinking to deliver our new range of integrated solar car parking structures, EV charging and energy storage systems together into SmartHubs. The innovation specifically assisted by the KTP is the management of the energy within its own micro ’dc – dc’ grid; which enables clean green power to go directly from the sun into electric vehicles, without the (usually quite large) energy losses involved converting from dc current to ac and back again.

We have then been able to design systems to be affordable for use.

FlexiSolar now has a product that allows electric vehicles to be charged from renewable sources, affordably, when and where the EV drivers want the cars to be.

more profitable for landowners. Property managers take away the day-to-day maintenance and stresses and strains of owning a portfolio, leaving clients and property owners to focus on what they do best. Should issues arise, commercial property managers act as an interface between landlord and tenant. This means that any challenging or confusing discussions and exchanges are handled by the agent, with disputes resolved quickly and efficiently. Managing a portfolio can be a full time job for landlords, especially due to the raft of stringent legislation involved. Property managers ensure every property is up to date with any health and safety checks, asbestos or fire risk assessments as well as ensuring that properties are maintained to a high standard. Should construction work need to be undertaken, a local property manager can employ vetted local contractors which have public liability insurance, ensuring that clients meet their obligations when work is undertaken.

Often having a commercial portfolio managed can actually help increase profits. By strategically managing and

forward planning portfolios, management agents can ensure that rent reviews, breaks and lease renewals are handling efficiently, limiting void periods. Similarly, agents will effectively collect rental and service charge incomes on due dates and take away the administrative and time burden of having to chase rent collection and unpaid debts. In order to maximise income, property managers ensure that all portfolios perform in line with market analysis and expectations. This can include working with landlords to identify and explore site and building redevelopment opportunities in conjunction with market changes and investment returns.

At Cheffins we have a strong emphasis on maximising value and return on investment for our clients. The firm has specialist planning and development teams and commercial agency teams which sit alongside the management arm of the business, enabling us to provide support along every step of the property journey.”

For more information on having your property managed, contact Darren Hill, 01223 271969, www.cheffins.co.uk

connected September 2018 15

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

NEW MEMBERS this month ACTIVE8 MANAGED TECHNOLOGIES LTD

BLUE NUGGET

A4

Plus

Established in 1990, A4 Plus Limited is a design consultancy with prototyping facilities, serving many industries; food, water, gas, pharmaceutical, construction, security and more.

They’re able to complete

design work for parts, products or equipment and then manufacture, build and develop prototypes.

Their recruitment team supply design engineers on a temporary or permanent basis. www.a4plus.co.uk

CONSULTING LTD

CONSULERE INTERNATIONAL

CROSLAND COMMUNICATIONS LTD

CROSS KEYS HOTEL

EXPEDEON LTD @EXPEDEON1

FALCON IMAGING

GEEBOMBAA LTD

LIZ HOBBS GROUP LTD

OLIVE PRINT & GRAPHICS

RELAX AND REVIVE @RELAXREVMASSAGE

RYGAN TRANSPORT

SLIDING PARADIGMS LTD @SLIDINGPARADIGM

SWITCH NOW CIC @SWITCHNOWCIC

16 September 2018 connected

Olive Print & Graphics Olive Print & Graphics are a Peterborough based company with over 35 years of experience within the print industry.

They infuse their printing ‘know-how’ with design creativity to produce exceptional printed material to promote your company and grab the attention of your customers. www.olivepg.co.uk

Ian Wicks, Owner

news from

NEW MEMBERS

Meet Cambridge Meet Cambridge, the conference and events bureau for Cambridge and the region, has more than 70 venues in its prestigious portfolio providing unique spaces for meetings, conferences and events. These include Cambridge

Colleges, hotels, museums, country houses and conference centres.

Event organisers can use Meet Cambridge’s ‘one stop shop’ to find suitable and available venues. www.meet-cambridge.com

Sliding Paradigms Paul Glenn is a change agent and founder of the company Sliding Paradigms, focused on helping SME’s improve what they do by engaging their people in team-based change activities, tapping into your people’s experience and knowledge, to solve current problems. He is very excited to be part of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce. www.slidingparadigms.com

CBM UK Too many people face poverty, stigma and isolation, denied the chance to go to school or earn a living, just because they have a disability. And every day people lose the ability to see, hear or walk because of conditions that could easily be treated or prevented.

Driven by Christian values, CBM works in the world’s poorest places to reach those whom others leave behind.

Working in partnership with Governments and local partners, they create long-term positive change; treating and preventing conditions that lead to disability and enable people with disabilities to go to school, access healthcare, earn a living and be active in their community. www.cbmuk.org.uk connected September 2018 17

Bike ride raises funds for Chamber Charity of the Year Keen cyclists took part in our second annual charity cycle ride which also raised funds for our charity Romsey Mill.

Starting and finishing at our host venue Fenland Roaster, they took to the roads on a 50km mapped out route.

First back for the second year running was Colin Brackley of Agile

OVER 400 PEOPLE ATTEND SUMMER FETE Over 400 visitors enjoyed all the fun of a traditional summer fete in Arthur Rank Hospice’s grounds and gardens in July where £4,275 was raised!

The Charity was delighted by the turn out, and - as Donna Talbot, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Arthur Rank Hospice explains - the day illustrated just how much the

18 September 2018 connected

Engineering who partnered around the route with Steve Ellis of Probus Construction – well done!

Once finished everyone was able to wind down and tuck into some fabulous BBQ food served by our Fenland Roaster Richard.

We hope to see more taking part in 2019 as we do it all again!

Hospice is becoming a hub of the local community: “We were thrilled that 436 people came along to our first ever Fete at the Hospice. There was a fabulous atmosphere around our building and gardens, and such a lovely mix of people: patients and families, trustees, supporters, volunteers, staff and members of the local community who may not have visited us before, all enjoying the sunshine and summer fun together.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended, supported and volunteered, to help make the day go so superbly.”

CHARITY ABSEIL RAISES THOUSANDS FOR GOOD CAUSES Peterborough Cathedral and Shine, the charity which supports people affected by spina bifida and hydrocephalus, announced that their charity abseil in May has raised a total of over £37,600.

“We are absolutely thrilled with this total,” said the Very Revd Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part and to all the people who sponsored them.”

The funds will be shared equally between the two organisations and help both to maintain the 900 year old Cathedral for future generations and to provide specialist help to those affected by spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

Over 100 people took part in the sponsored abseil down the north-west tower of Peterborough Cathedral.

chamber supports

CHARITY

CELEBRATING YOUNG PEOPLE’S ACHIEVEMENTS Romsey Mill has worked in Cambridgeshire for more than 38 years, creating opportunities with disadvantaged young people and families, including those who may be struggling at school, feeling isolated, or experiencing difficulty at home or within their own community.

Each year, Romsey Mill’s Youth Development Team works with over 750 ‘hard to reach’ young people and the achievements of more than 40 of these young people were celebrated at a special event held in July.

Romsey Mill’s Annual Presentation Evening acknowledged the successes, achievements and development shown by the young people who were part of the charity’s Youth Development Programme over the academic year.

Mike Farrington, Romsey Mill’s Youth Development Coordinator, said: “At Romsey Mill, we strongly believe that every single young person is of immeasurable worth and has tremendous potential – and therefore it is really important that we are able to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the young people with whom we work. We think that they are amazing, capable people, who can be positive influences to those around them.”

Recent research revealed that Cambridge is the most unequal city in the country, for the second year running, and Mike Farrington said that events like this were really important in helping to raise aspirations and selfesteem for local young people.

Mike said: “For many of these young people, this is the only time that their successes will be formally

acknowledged. If the event provides the young people with something to make them feel proud of what they have been able to achieve – beyond what they thought possible – then that has to be a good thing.”

Awards presented to the young people included Jamie Oliver cooking awards, Uniformed Services course awards and certificates of achievement given to members of Romsey Mill’s own leadership programme – which enables young people with leadership potential to play a positive and active role within their own community and support the next generation of young people.

One of the award recipients, Amaaliah Donovan, also helped to prepare the buffet meal for the Awards Presentation Evening.

Mike said: “Amaaliah has shown great skill and selflessness by hosting a weekly ‘family’ meal for a group of her peers, who attend a Romsey Mill Youth group.

She has shown great leadership skills as well as a commitment to helping create a positive environment where young people can come together, have fun and build community.”

There was also a special award to three boys from north Cambridge who produced their own film, which was shown at a Film Festival in Cambridge during the summer. Irfaan Rahman, Michael Reed, and Marley Wallace produced a short film called ‘Gang Life’ which warned of the dangers of getting involved in dealing drugs.

Twenty volunteers who gave up their time to support Romsey Mill’s youth activities were also presented with awards to thank them for their vital contribution.

Dates for the diary:

Amaaliah Donovan, preparing Presentation Evening buffet with Leon Williams, Romsey Mill Sessional Youth Worker

Bridge the Gap charity walk – Sunday 9 September A walk through the grounds of six Cambridge Colleges and the newly renovated Museum of Zoology. All proceeds are shared between Romsey Mill and Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

To book, go to www.arhc.org.uk/btg or for group bookings (10 or more) telephone 01223 675888.

Award recipients and Romsey Mill Youth Workers

Young film-makers Michael Reed, Marley Wallace and Irfaan Rahman

Romsey Mill Black Tie Dinner & Dance – Saturday 10 November An evening of fun and surprises with a superb three course meal and live music, at Hallmark Hotel, Bar Hill, CB23 8EU. Tickets £55 per person.

Contact: Georgina Forbes, Romsey Mill Community Fundraiser on 01223 566492, or email Georgina.forbes@ romseymill.org

connected September 2018 19

business talk with

MATTHEW GOODING LOOKING FOR WIFI As someone who works remotely quite a lot, finding a venue with decent quality internet connection is a constant and often fruitless task.

Sadly I’ve been forced to abandon several of my favourite haunts because, though the coffee and/or bacon sandwiches are exceptional, my attempts to plough through my email backlog or post a quick breaking news story on our website are thwarted by a slow or unreliable network.

So I was pleased to see the Institute of Directors calling for the Government to get a move on with its plans to roll out superfast fibre optic

broadband across the country.

Current plans would see fibre connections replacing the current copper network, with the roll-out starting in 2030, but the IoD wants this to happen a lot sooner, by 2025 at the latest.

“With the uncertainties of Brexit ahead of us and a need to remain flexible and dynamic in the face of increasing competition, business’s need the certainty of high speed, adaptable connectivity which can only be provided by a modern, next generation, fibre infrastructure,” said the IoD’s Richard McBarnet.

“The current copper network is not just slow and unpredictable but suffers from regular degradation from adverse weather conditions and extended outages from cable theft. Until we see the Government stepping up to incentivise the infrastructure providers, as well as landlords and councils, to facilitate the roll out of high speed

fibre, businesses and consumers risk being consigned to the slow lane and falling ever further behind our global partners and competitors,” We’re in a period of massive change when it comes to the way people work, with lots of companies allowing employees to work flexibly to fit around family situations and other commitments. This potentially has great productivity benefits to staff, employers and the economy, but can only work if backed by adequate infrastructure.

Alongside the Chamber’s excellent campaign to eradicate mobile ‘not spots’, it’s great to see business groups coming together to tackle the connectivity issue which could pose a real threat to our economy if it isn’t sorted quickly. Now I must go and find a working WiFi connection so I can submit this column before deadline, wish me luck.

Matthew Gooding is Business Correspondent of Cambridge Business Magazine, produced by Cambridge News & Media.

Helping you thrive in a changing world Accountancy, audit and tax advice. Bookkeeping, payroll and tax returns.

A complete solution for businesses and individuals.

T +44 (0)1733 379 300 E east.midlands@moorestephens.com

www.moorestephens.co.uk/eastmidlands

PRECISE. PROVEN. PERFORMANCE.

Moore Stephens East Midlands is an independent member firm of Moore Stephens International Limited. Registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. DPS40252 April 2018

20 September 2018 connected

news from

Lucy Frazer MP visits Cheffins Lucy Frazer, Member of Parliament for South East Cambridgeshire visited property and professional services company Cheffins to discuss regeneration throughout the constituency.

With a focus on Ely, Lucy Frazer discussed the importance of infrastructure improvements and housing with the Cheffins commercial property team including Philip Woolner, Joint Managing Partner, Michael Jones, Director of Commercial Agency, and Darren Hill, Commercial Property Manager. The group considered the importance of work to the Ely Bypass, dualling of the A10 and the improvements to the Ely North rail junction.

Ms Frazer has campaigned on the dualling of the A10, working closely with the Mayor James Palmer, the Combined Authority, the County Council, the District Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the Department of Transport, helping to ensure that the £16m provided by the Government remained committed.

Lucy Frazer said: “All of these schemes are high on the current agenda as the importance of South East Cambridgeshire

is very much recognised by central Government. There has been a significant level of investment, both from domestic sources and overseas coming into East Cambs and we are keen to provide the level of infrastructure needed to support this.”

On the much-anticipated CambridgeMilton Keynes-Oxford corridor, Cheffins and Ms Frazer discussed the progression of this ambitious project and the significant support it has within Government. As science and innovation has continued to be a key priority within successive Budgets, the importance of linking these

ELY CHAMBER

two university cities will help to provide the centres needed for the UK to be one of the leading forces within this field. The group discussed that housing will be an essential part of the bringing this project to fruition.

Cheffins also brought to Ms Frazer’s attention the current conditions for retailing in the region, including Ely and the issues which are facing the retail market and High Streets in general. The team discussed the importance of place-making for regional towns and how to make smaller town centres an appealing destination throughout South East Cambridgeshire.

King’s Ely students placed joint first at Mathematical Enrichment Conference Eight mathematicians from Year 9 and 10 travelled to Oundle School, near Peterborough, for the conference. Students in attendance took part in three fascinating activities, including an interactive lecture exploring complex numbers, a show inside the Planetarium currently on loan to Oundle School, and an ICT activity involving Excel and Google Earth. The Planetarium was a particular highlight, projecting incredible images of star constellations, galaxies and planets onto the interior of an inflated dome.

After lunch, the King’s Ely group were split into two teams of four to participate in a challenging mathematical competition, which involved 23 teams in total. The students were first put in an escape room scenario and each

team had three problems to solve before they were allowed outside.

King’s Ely A Team escaped very quickly, allowing them to start the outdoor problems early.

The students then had a ‘treasure hunt’ with 16 problems pinned to the walls of the buildings.

Teams had a set amount of time to solve all of these problems.

King’s Ely A Team placed joint first in the competition with a perfect score. King’s Ely B Team was placed ninth.

Ellgia win national award Ellgia was awarded Independent Operator of the Year at the MRW National Recycling Awards and were up against a tough category with 11 other nominations. The award recognises exceptional customer service, market innovation, growth and high performance. Ellgia was able to demonstrate improvement of resource management and show practical awareness of its role in driving resource management up the waste hierarchy.

Jack Lavington, Operations Director, said: “We have enjoyed remarkable growth at Ellgia since our establishment in 2012. That growth has bought opportunities to develop our business and allowed us to evolve our processing capabilities, infrastructure

and the services we provide to our customers. This also bring its own challenges and throughout we have maintained commitment to our core values by providing differentiated customer service excellence.

The independent operator of the year award is a wonderful achievement and recognises that we have continued to drive value, invest in our business, develop new ideas and above all keep, customers at the front of all our decisions. I am proud to be part of this team and look forward to what we can achieve in the future.”

The MRW National Recycling Awards 2018 brings together over 500 recycling and waste management professionals to recognise and celebrate best practice and innovation in recycling and waste management. connected September 2018 21

Domino celebrates 40 years

CRC student performs to millions at Britain’s Got Talent Live Finals David Hollands, a Cambridge Regional College Music Production student, played bass guitar as part of Calum Courtney’s performance at the Britain’s Got Talent Live Final, broadcast to over 10 million viewers.

David is 18 years old and has been playing bass guitar for the past three years after branching out from learning to play the acoustic guitar. He is currently studying Level 3 Music Performance and Production at Cambridge Regional College and is now on the Year 2 production pathway of his course.

The opportunity to perform on the Britain’s Got Talent Live Final came after David received a phone call from a friend who regularly takes part in TV sessions. He put David in touch with his agent who was after a young band to support the final performance of Calum Courtney.

Ashley Hardy, Curriculum Team Leader for Department of Creative Industries & Lecturer in Music Production at Cambridge Regional College, says: “David is a fantastic producer who has an excellent career ahead of him within the music industry. To see David gaining commercial level experience within the music sector is not surprising based on his pedigree and aptitude for the subject. He works hard, is mature and everybody at Cambridge Regional College was extremely proud to see him succeed in a professional session musician opportunity. It was amazing to see him playing live on prime-time television.”

22 September 2018 connected

Founded in June 1978 with just a small team, Domino Printing Sciences is today a world leader in printing and coding solutions, utilising ink jet, laser, print and apply and thermal technologies which are used by customers in a wide range of sectors.

To mark the 40th anniversary and recognise the role employees have played in enabling Domino to be a leading player in the printing industry, staff at its Bar Hill headquarters enjoyed a Summer Barbecue and live music.

They were joined by Founder Graeme Minto as VIP Guest. Forty years ago as project leader and responsible for researching multijet printing at Cambridge Consultants Ltd, Graeme Minto recognised the potential of a single continuous ink jet application and developed a prototype which was shown at the international packaging show, Interpack in 1978.

Throughout its 40 years, Domino has always celebrated continuous service from staff, through a ‘Double Five Club’ which marks 10 years and with further awards for completing 20 and 30 years.

Today, 67 members of staff have completed more than 25 years’ service, four over 35 years, 19 over 30 years and 44 over 25 years.

Nigel Bond, Domino CEO said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 40th Anniversary with a special event for staff who have all made a valuable contribution to our success and enabled us to reach this important milestone.”

Official office opening Clegg Construction has officially opened its new Cambridge office as the company expands to cover the East of England.

A drinks reception for fellow construction professionals was held at Downing College, Cambridge.

Guests were welcomed by the Clegg Construction senior management team to hear about the company’s extensive experience.

The Eastern office will be led by Rachel Johns MCIOB, who will be leading on the delivery of the Scape Regional Construction Framework.

Rachel said: “The launch event gave a fantastic opportunity for construction professionals to become familiar with Clegg Construction’s experience and abilities.”

Eye opening experience for students Cllr Aidan Van der Weyer, member of the Greater Cambridge Partnership Executive Board, opened Opportunities Ahead 2018, Form the Future’s annual careers fair for students from local schools in July.

The event gives students the chance to learn about the diverse range of careers in companies across Greater Cambridge. Form the Future delivers the event as part of the skills service they provide with funding from the Greater Cambridge Partnership. They also raised over £4,000 of funding from individuals and companies as part of their Global Giving crowdfunding campaign to support student transport.

Over 600 young people attended.

The exhibitors had a chance to connect

with young people, attracting future talent into their sector and build their profiles with a younger audience. With recruiting skilled staff one of the biggest challenges facing local employers, events like these are essential to develop a supply of future talent to local companies.

Organiser Catherine Hay of Form the Future said: “We were really pleased that so many companies wanted to take part and share what they do with young people. It was wonderful to have the different schools bringing their students.

It was also great how many parents took the time to attend with their children as well, which meant students from other schools and home educating parents were able to join in.”

news from

CAMBRIDGE & SOUTH CAMBS CHAMBER

Meet Cambridge scores award hat-trick

Celebrating green accolades: left Kelly Vickers and Leah Gibson from Meet Cambridge.

Greater Anglia invests in reliability improvements Greater Anglia is investing in work to improve train reliability for commuters between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street.

The train operator is investing in an engineering overhaul for its entire Class 317 train fleet to make them more reliable, preventing cancellations due to train faults.

The work is focused on fixing faulty doors and sealing air leaks – which are the main causes for trains being cancelled on this line.

42 out of 58 trains have now been overhauled for Greater Anglia at Arriva Train Care’s depot in Cambridge, where four additional engineers have been recruited especially for the project.

So far the work has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of door and air-related train cancellations.

Greater Anglia’s Engineering Director, Colin Dobson, said: “We are investing £5 million overall in improving the reliability of our existing train fleet, to keep on improving train performance for our passengers in advance of the arrival of our brand new trains next year.”

A Class 317 train at Arriva TrainCare’s depot, Cambridge

The conference and events bureau for Cambridge and the region is celebrating being given three separate awards in recognition of its environmental achievements – which have included sponsoring a toilet in Myanmar.

Meet Cambridge has achieved a Bronze Award from Green Tourism, a Bronze from Cambridge University’s Green Impact Awards and one of its team, Leah Gibson who has championed the campaign, was given a Highly Commended Environmental

Hero Award.

In October 2017, the team started working towards its green objectives, setting a series of achievable objectives that would make a difference, with help from the team at Green Tourism.

These included a major focus on recycling and communication, together with raising awareness of reducing paper usage, saving electricity and re-using items that would previously have been discarded.

Gold award for Pure Pure has been presented with a global award in recognition of its effort and commitment to create an extraordinary workplace by connecting people through its staff intranet.

The professional recruitment specialists were crowned the All Star winners in the Intranet Strategy category at the annual Jostle Awards. The awards are open to organisations across 159 countries which use Jostle’s People Engagement intranet as a platform to share communications with employees across the business.

The Intranet Strategy award is presented to the organisation which is considered to be an outstanding example of how the Jostle intranet platform can be used help create a connected and vibrant workplace.

Pure has offices in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich. Its intranet provides a platform for all colleagues to access the same information and updates at the same time. It has become the ‘go to’ place for all companywide information as well as increasing communication between offices with ‘shout outs’ to team members and sharing fun photos of team activities including charity fundraising.

Gill Buchanan, Chief Operating Officer at Pure, said: “Jostle underpins our employee engagement strategy and is integral to all elements of our company culture. It has increased awareness of company updates and changes and has become a great platform for sharing and recognising good ideas and celebrating successes across all four of our offices. It is key to supporting our company values of team work, quality, innovation, reward, support and delivering of best results.

As a result, it has reinforced the continued growth and success of our organisation.”

Expansion for websters Websters, the tax, finance, legal and accountancy specialists announce the expansion of their business with the opening of a new office in Snettisham, near to King’s Lynn, and by welcoming four new members of staff to their offices the UK and Australia.

Colin Anderson joined the Histon office as a general practice accountant and will be responsible for looking after a wide variety of clients, but predominately will be working with individuals and owner/family managed businesses.

Richard Ling joined the team of account managers in the accounts department in the Wellington Street office, central Cambridge. He is a qualified accountant with 10 years’ experience in accountancy and tax.

Mandy Bunce joins the personal tax team, also based in Cambridge. She is a qualified tax technician and will be continuing her studies towards becoming a chartered tax adviser.

Liz Copeland has joined our overseas office in Sydney, Australia, which is headed by Jo Lamberth. She will be assisting with preparation of UK and Australian Tax returns, as well assisting with various advice to clients including UK and Australian residence positions.

The new office in Snettisham, Norfolk has been opened as part of websters’ expansion plans and increase in clients. The office will be run by Gary Eves, who is a senior manager at websters and is part of the accounts and business tax team. connected September 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

INFORMAL NETWORKING Local businesses got together to network for free at Poets House in Ely and The Broadway Theatre in Peterborough during July to form new connections.

AGENCY PRAISED FOR ETHICAL APPROACH Representatives of the UK’s leading recruitment body, Recruitment and Employment Confederation, visited Anne Corder Recruitment on 19 June, highlighting the agency’s dedication to ethical recruitment.

Energy, courage and integrity in abundance King’s Ely students displayed true grit and determination when competing in the school’s annual Martin-Doyle Endurance Challenge.

The gruelling and fiercely-contested timed event pits teams of two King’s Ely Senior students against each other in a physically challenging combination of running, swimming, canoeing, climbing, archery and an assault course.

The annual competition was spearheaded in memory of Kit Martin-Doyle, one of the founders of the Ely Scheme.

Domino opens new state-ofthe-art facility

Cross County Networking A global developer and manufacturer of coding and marking products, headquartered at Bar Hill, is celebrating the official opening of its new fluids facility in Liverpool.

24 September 2018 connected

Paul Gibbons attended the recent Norfolk Chamber of Commerce breakfast event in Kings Lynn, part of our ‘meet the neighbours’ events offering members the opportunity to network across the county borders.

it’s happening

Residents entertained with Hunts Campus Community Fun Day Cambridge Regional College’s Huntingdon Campus Open Day was held at the end of June and attracted interest not only from budding students but local residents of all ages, with over 100 members of the public attending to enjoy the festivities.

OUT & ABOUT

The Moët & Chandon July Festival visits Cambridge A horse-drawn carriage from Newmarket Racecourses arrived at Market Square in Cambridge, bringing with it a taste of The Moët & Chandon July Festival, offering food, drinks, carriage rides and hundreds of pounds worth of prizes to passing members of the public as part of a three-day roadshow across East Anglia.

Golf Day secures hole in one for Air Ambulance East of England based Streets Chartered Accountants, a top 40 accountancy practice, hosted their seventh annual Charity Golf Day last month raising £5,813 for the Air Ambulance.

Rawlinsons team support Volunteering Week for local charities Over 270 volunteering hours have been donated by the team from accountancy firm Rawlinsons, who were given the opportunity to take a paid day out of the office to help local charities as part of the company’s commitment to community volunteering.

WizPar launch B2B competition At the Cambridge Informal Networking Evening in July, WizPar launched a competition to encourage people to use their app to find out about the Cambridge B2B in September. A two-course lunch at Quy Mill Hotel and Spa Cambridge can be won in the prize draw for those people that tweet “I’m using #WizPar to keep up to date with @CamB2B”. connected September 2018 25

LANO SCHEMA Dining the modern way 4 STATION ROAD, HISTON, CAMBRIDGE CB24 9LQ T. 01223 236 456

info@kitchensmiths.co.uk www.kitchensmiths.co.uk

facebook.com/ kitchensmithsltd

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

news from

100 YEARS inspiring business success

CAMBRIDGESHIRE CHAMBER

Police stars recognised at annual award ceremony The Police Community Support Officer of the Year Award was presented by Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce at Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s second annual awards ceremony which took place on Friday 29 June.

The evening acknowledged those who have truly gone above and beyond their role to help ‘Create a Safer Cambridgeshire’ through a number of award categories.

The ceremony, held at Burgess Hall in St Ives, included food, drinks, music and presentations of awards by Chief Constable Alec Wood and Penny Lancaster, along with Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce representative, Paul Gibbons.

The winner of the Police Community Support Officer of the Year Award was Rachel Martin.

Her nomination read: “Rachel has been tireless in her work to deal with child safety and youth related anti-social behaviour.

“She has provided innovative interventions for those at risk of being drawn into drug use and offending, and overall has made a huge difference to the lives of young people in Cambridgeshire.”

Chief Constable Alec Wood said: “It was an honour to congratulate this year’s award winners and runners up.

“Every day our officers make a genuine difference to the lives of people in this county. Where most people run from danger, they are there running towards it, protecting the public and apprehending our most dangerous offenders.

“Congratulations to everyone who received an award and thank you for all your hard work and dedication. Your achievements are truly humbling and make a huge difference to our communities.

“I’m also grateful to our sponsors whose generous contributions helped us fund the evening and hold such a special ceremony to recognise all our stars.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite added: “I am delighted we are celebrating the success of our officers, staff and volunteers. There’s a real sense of duty to constantly support the public often in very dangerous circumstances.

“The award ceremony highlights the tremendous achievements of an exceptional few, but also shows the unconditional duty of all officers and staff who serve our community.”

The event also raised £984 for the charity Mind, as chosen by staff, through a raffle of prizes donated by the award sponsors and companies the force has worked with over the past 12 months, as well as a special prize donated by Rod Stewart.

Attendees heard stories of exceptional performance, professionalism and commitment and rewarded those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help protect the people of Cambridgeshire.

Innovative partnership created to deliver thousands of new homes Four housing associations have created a ground-breaking joint venture to deliver new homes at greater pace and scale in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority area.

‘Evera Homes’ is a LLP created and capitalised by Flagship Group, Hyde Group, Longhurst Group and Cross Keys Homes, hearing the Homes England call for ‘enterprising delivery partners’. The primary aim is to stretch our resources to tackle the acute shortage of quality, affordable homes of all tenures across the area.

Together, Evera’s members already deliver homes for one in three of all housing association tenants in the area.

The new development partnership brings

together the members’ skills, expertise and local knowledge; it also offers a platform for investment in partnerships with others in the public and private sector.

The plan is to deliver the start on site of an additional 2,000 new homes by 2023. The ambition is to work with partners to double this number of homes.

Evera Homes will focus on larger, phased projects to accelerate housing supply with a drive to maximise the delivery of affordable housing.

Chair of Evera Homes, Claire Higgins, said: “We know there is strong economic growth in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority area and are committed to helping accelerate housing supply of much needed homes.

We will work creatively with the combined authority and others to provide quality homes and support thriving communities, delivering on local aspiration. The four associations have significant resources, expertise and most importantly a huge commitment to the area and believe that together we can deliver much more at pace than we could individually.”

Evera Homes will be officially launched at a local event on 12 September and you can find out more now at www.everahomes.co.uk.

Katrina Laud, Strategic Director, said: “We believe this is the right time to focus on building the future and doing things differently. Working in this way will put us at the forefront to respond to the chronic housing need in the CPCA area. We will innovate; embracing a role for SME builders helping to boost skills in the area, explore Modern Methods of Construction and the Community Land Trust model to achieve our ambitious goals.”

connected September 2018 27

news from

Deadline date for entries: Friday 7 September

HUNTINGDONSHIRE CHAMBER

Latest acquisition sees further growth of specialist arm for accountancy practice Streets Chartered Accountants, a leading Top 40 accountancy practice, is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of London and Brighton based entertainment specialist accountancy firm Mark Carr & Co, which will become part of the Streets Media Group.

The acquisition follows the successful development of Streets dedicated media and entertainment offering over recent years which has seen the firm become a leading and widely acclaimed provider of tax and financial advisory services to all those in the sector, from freelancers and agents to film producers and production houses.

Paul Tutin, Chairman and Managing Partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, said: “We have been very keen to develop our media and entertainment specialism and to build on the opportunities offered by a vibrant and dynamic sector of the economy.

“It has been important to ensure growth to maintain and build on our expertise in the sector. We have also been keen to expand our provision in London and the surrounding area.

The opportunity for Mark Carr & Co to become part of our media offering was and is particularly fortuitous.

“The UK’s media and entertainment industry continues to play an important part in the economy both at home and abroad. We are pleased to be able to support those who are working and engaged in the sector and to play our part in its continued success. We are now even better placed to do this following the acquisition of Mark Carr & Co.” Mark Carr, along with his team based in London and Brighton will continue to look after their entertainment sector clients, building on their reputation for acting for entertainers.

Junior Ideas Factory Winners

Blue Spider secure superfast internet and telephony for tenants Recognising that great internet services which can be included in the rent helps to attract and retain tenants, the Landlord at Skyline 2 in Manchester have partnered with Blue Spider to provide secure WiFi Internet access up to 150Mb/s into each of the 129 apartments and the 18th floor fitness centre. The project also includes upgrading the intercom system and providing an optional direct-dial telephony service for tenants.

Blue Spider is a specialist provider of managed Internet and telephony services into multi-tenancy residential accommodation.

For the Internet services, Blue Spider have deployed a Ubiquiti-based solution that includes a security gateway (firewall), a controller, Power-overEthernet (PoE) edge switches and in-wall access points in each apartment. Each apartment, and the leisure centre, gets its own secure wireless network, with an admin network and visitor’s network throughout the entire building. The Internet services are delivered to the site on a dedicated 1Gb/s fibre circuit.

The intercom and telephony services are based on an Avaya telephony platform with a wall-mounted Avaya SIP telephone in each apartment.

Mick Everett, Director at Blue Spider, said that they welcome the opportunity to provide a high-quality service at Skyline 2: “There are many aspects to consider when designing an Internet solution for this type of environment – things such as WiFi channel management, signal overlap both horizontally and vertically, contention ratios, future bandwidth demands and, of course, affordability. We believe that the solution we have deployed at Skyline 2 will provide the tenants with a cost-effective, reliable Internet service for many years to come.”

Students in Year 8 at Longsands Academy in St Neots have been taking part in an enterprise initiative sponsored by local construction company Mick George Ltd. Students were propelled into a simulated working environment during their curricular ‘Enterprise’ lessons and were set the challenge to develop a functional business concept.

Working in teams, the groups set about working collaboratively as an operating business to hopefully make a profit and overcome their peers.

The initiative came to a magnificent climax with each form given the opportunity to make their final presentations to a panel of business professionals from Mick George Ltd, in a Dragon’s Den style setting.

During the presentations, students were asked to explain their product and talk judges through their business idea, including sales and marketing strategies, profit and loss data, as well as how well the pupils worked together in a real-life business situation. On reflection, the students were able to distinguish how their roles within the project would help them relate to real-life jobs in the workplace, and ultimately help them develop their entrepreneurial skills.

Jon Stump, Finance Director at Mick George Ltd, commented: “The Junior Ideas Factory was an extension to a service that our business operates seeking to support general business ideas offered by inspiring entrepreneurs.

“Although we have engaged with schools frequently in the past, it has not been in this capacity and tremendous credit should go to both the staff, pupils and parents at Longsands for the encouragement that they have displayed in embracing this competition. For a group at such a young age to exhibit the business acumen that they have, is incredible.

It will certainly stand them in goodstead with their career aspirations in the future.”

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 September 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

NEW CATHEDRAL GUIDE BOOK PUBLISHED ON ST PETER’S FESTIVAL WEEKEND Jason Lunn appointed to the board

23rd year of international accreditation for city recruiter For the 23rd year running, Anne Corder Recruitment is celebrating passing its acclaimed annual audit.

The Lynch Wood-based recruitment agency has passed its quality review, with the inspector praising the team of experienced recruitment professionals and their ‘comprehensive knowledge of current markets and business sectors’.

Recognised as the only international indicator of quality, the ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 9001:2015 accreditation demonstrates ACR’s commitment to running an efficient and cost effective business.

Inspectors spend a day reviewing a company’s methods and systems, with an evaluation being made through employee interviews, record verification and sampling methodologies.

The final report made special mention of the company’s dedication to its ‘robust processes’, customer satisfaction and the offices’ relaxed atmosphere to help candidates ‘calm any nerves’.

Anne Corder said: “ISO accreditation shows our commitment to always meeting the very highest business standards.

The positive impact this approach has upon candidates and clients is clear in our exceptional satisfaction ratings.”

30 September 2018 connected

As Peterborough Cathedral marked the festival of St Peter in its 900th anniversary year it also took delivery of a new souvenir guide book.

The richly illustrated 48-page guide describes the history of the Cathedral site from Roman times to the present day. It brings the story up to date with references to the archaeology dig in the Precincts in 2016, and the new Cathedral Visitor Centre which opened in the same year.

The book has been in preparation for some time and the text has been compiled by historians, clergy and other members of the Cathedral team. The production of the guide was supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and it is one of the final elements of the major project the Fund has supported at the Cathedral, to enhance the experience of visitors.

The book includes new photographs by Peter Smith and was produced by Jigsaw Design and Publishing. It includes a timeline, a plan of the Cathedral and a feature on each area of the building.

Canon Ian Black, who wrote and edited parts of the guide book, said: “We are very pleased with the way the souvenir guide has turned out. It has been a truly collaborative effort.”

Copies are available from the Cathedral shop at £6.00, or may be bought online via the Cathedral website.

Jason Lunn has been appointed venue director at the East of England Arena and Events Centers, and joined the Showground Services Board (SGS), the business that manages the venue on behalf of its charitable owner.

Jason has been general manager of the venue for the past two and a half years which have been transformative in taking the venue from a traditional showground to a multi-functional venue for conferences, exhibitions, festivals and live events.

The SGS chair, Richard Tate, commented: “I am pleased to welcome Jason to the board of East of England Showground Services Ltd as venue director. Jason has been instrumental in establishing the East of England Arena and Events Centre as the gateway to the successful and growing East of England economy; he has considerable experience both as an organiser and venue general manager and a ‘can do’ attitude that provides a unique level of support to our existing clients and those choosing to move their event here.

“We are in a fast-moving and challenging industry so we want our clients to breathe a sigh of relief as they enter the gate and rely on our team, Jason is the person who makes that happen.”

Jason added: “I am delighted with the opportunity presented to me with this appointment. It is my intention that the venue continues to be run in the organiser friendly manner for which it has become known. We will remain a down to earth and practical venue and continue to work closely with our organiser customers across the full spectrum of events that they choose to bring here.”

news from

Senior promotions at Roythornes

We’re not mugs, we’re employee-owned!

Lindum Group has given all its 640 employees reusable mugs, supporting the global effort to reduce the number of disposable plastic cups being used.

The gesture was made to mark Employee Ownership day, which is held to celebrate the business and personal benefits of being employee-owned.

Lindum, a large local construction company based in Lincoln, Peterborough and York, has followed this business model since it launched its company share scheme in 1994. It was brought in as the business looked to foster a deeper level of ownership and interest among employees.

Chairman David Chambers said: “We are pleased to be an employeeowned business. By allowing people to buy into the company, it was felt employees would be more involved and, in the main, this has been a positive move.

“Of our 640 employees, 420 are currently shareholders. I believe that allowing people to become part of the business in this way has helped to keep us competitive and keeps

us interested in what we all do.”

The Environmental Audit Committee estimates that the UK throws away 2.5 billion coffee cups every year but less than one in 400 are actually recycled. Some national chains are offering discounts or reward points to customers who bring their own cups into their stores.

Mr Chambers added: “The gift that has been given out today is a small gesture, but it’s one that reflects our Group value of reducing the amount of waste which goes to landfill. It’s also a useful, reusable product too.

“As it happens, the idea of handing out mugs came from a member of the team - which is a good sign in itself.”

Music industry competitors’ team up to help stop modern slavery After meeting together at the Summer NAMM trade show, 2018 in Music City Nashville, Kyser Musical Products Inc. of Texas and local Peterborough company G7th: The Capo Company - direct competitors in the guitar accessory market - have made the unprecedented decision to team up in support of the charity, Hope for Justice.

Hope for Justice, established in 2008 in Manchester, is a charity that is working around the world to bring an end to modern slavery by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives, and reforming society.

“People trafficking and modern slavery have become second only to drugs for criminal profits. It is seen as low risk and high reward” said Nick Campling, G7th Chairman.

“The devastation it brings to vulnerable

PETERBOROUGH CHAMBER

people is appalling and what people often don’t realise is that it is happening in their own neighbourhood. Recent reports estimate that there are around 40 million slaves in the world today. To put that in context: it’s about the same as the population of California!”

Initially, both companies are putting leaflets in with their products which raise awareness of the issue. As G7th and Kyser both sell capos all over the world, it’s a simple and effective way to bring Hope for Justice and their mission to the attention of guitar players everywhere.

“Our hope is that other MI companies will join us in this easy and cost-effective project to help in the fight to free people, just like us, caught up in modern slavery.” said Meredith Hamlin, CEO Kyser Musical Products, Inc.

Leading law firm, Roythornes Solicitors, has announced four internal senior promotions to support its ambitious plans for growth.

Alice Lees, Emma Hill and Iain Hibbert have each been promoted to partner with Kelly Eagers also making the step up to associate.

Roythornes is a top 150 national law firm with strategically located offices across the Midlands and East Anglia, and 2018 has already proved to be a successful year for the firm.

Highlights include the appointment of 24 new members of staff - taking the total number of employees to 192 - several internal promotions and industry recognition including a listing on the London Stock Exchange Group’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’.

Alice said: “Emma and I both joined Roythornes almost 10 years ago as paralegals so it’s really great that we are taking this career step together. I think we are both ready to take on the additional responsibility and challenges that come with being a partner at the firm and look forward to managing our own teams.”

Vember Mortlock, Managing Director at Roythornes Solicitors, said: “Alice, Emma, Iain and Kelly’s work ethics and commitment to the firm has been exemplary and I am delighted to announce their new positions in the firm. Their knowledge and talent has been invaluable when managing client activity and I have no doubt they will each fully utilise their outstanding skillsets in their new roles.

“These promotions mark a genuine milestone in the careers of each of those promoted and I join the team in wishing them well in the next stage in their respective careers.”

connected September 2018 31

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR

TRANQUILITY AND RELAXATION Take a Cambridge Bentley Tour, experience fine dining in Cambridge’s renowned Restaurant Cotto or book yourself a luxury treatment in one of the Gresham House Wellness Rooms.

BOOK YOUR VISIT TODAY Gresham House Wellness 01223 221117 wellness@gonvillehotel.co.uk

Gonville Hotel 01223 366611 www.gonvillehotel.co.uk

news from

UPP Property sell lettings division to focus on property sales David Crooke, owner of Stamford and Rutland based estate agents UPP Property, has sold the lettings division of the business to Leaders Romans Group, one of the UK’s (and Stamford’s) leading lettings and property management specialists.

Moving forward, David and his wife Lottie will continue to be proud local business owners but will now focus all of their attention in the development and growth of their sales offering to their clients.

David Crooke said: “It’s a very exciting and positive time for us. The Stamford and Rutland property market continues to expand as a result of our micro-property markets, local area regeneration, government ‘help to buy’ incentives, superb local education authority schools and a wealth of outstanding private day and boarding school alternatives that all contribute to energising property sales and boosting relocation figures.

“However, we sincerely believe that a buoyant property market shouldn’t make for marketing complacency. In fact, with a strong market comes the need to offer homeowners more creative marketing solutions as they plan to sell their home or investments.

“My team and I know there is a better way to sell property and we want to offer our clients something different to what’s currently available, such as advising our clients on how to make their house stand out from its competition and suggesting practical ways to help them maximise on their home’s value.”

As UPP continue to strive forward, David and Lottie are well supported by a strong sales team with shared values, with Janet Cottis - sales manager, Lorna Bright - sales negotiator and welcome a newcomer to the team with local Rutland resident Ben Schofield as sales valuer.

We look forward in continuing to see their distinctive bright pink branding and fresh creativity.

Indeed, with their passion for the local area along with their innovative marketing ideas, UPP Property should perhaps be considered as property marketing consultants rather than traditional estate agents. Moving on and moving UPP!

STAMFORD CHAMBER

Championing your identity with Strawman Nobody wants to be just a faceless body in the crowd.

Identity is everything, which is why Strawman was especially excited about their latest project with digital security start-up, Shayype.

Approached to help spread awareness of their new security technology, Strawman set out to address a growing concern for millions of people.

As the world moves forward, online privacy and password protection becomes increasingly vital.

So, channelling their inner fears about a faceless dystopian future, the team crafted a series of ads for print and online, to show how identity theft could mean so much more in a world without effective security.

While Strawman are frequently tasked with crafting new identities for brands, this particular kind of facelift is one the team are keen to avoid.

If you’re considering a change of character for your company, pop by the Strawman offices in Stamford for a friendly face-to-face.

Anniversary celebrations for Stamford Telephone Company The Stamford Telephone Company have celebrated their fifth anniversary. From a start-up in 2013 with no customers they have just signed their 100th.

Mike Adams, Founding Director, said: “A total focus on customer service has meant a 100 per cent retention rate of clients which is unheard of in our sector.”

Chris Smith, Technical Director,

added: “We focus on quality business grade products and services allowing us to offer a Right First Time installation and ongoing customer satisfaction.

“The business continues to grow and has just recently moved into new premises. We look forward to serving our customers and thank them for their support with a 5* satisfaction rating on Google.”

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 September 2018 33

WILL A ROBOT TAKE YOUR JOB?

34 September 2018 connected

report from

ntil I retired recently, my work at the Bank of England brought me into contact with a wide range of Cambridgeshire businesses at the forefront of the technological revolution.

Last year I wrote an article for the Bank’s website ‘Bank Underground’, concerning the risks AI technologies pose for jobs (“Should economists be more concerned about Artificial Intelligence?”). Since then, my interest in this subject has only intensified. Obviously the future is extremely hard to predict. And there is certainly no consensus amongst economists and technologists as to whether AI and robotics will be beneficial or harmful for society.

But here are some personal views.

Change is coming faster than you think Did you know that since 2 April, licensed

driverless cars have had complete freedom to drive on the roads of California? It can only be a matter of time before Californians are comfortable sharing the roads with autonomous vehicles (AVs), and that uptake of these vehicles mushrooms. And where the United States leads, Europe is sure to follow. The commercial advantages of AVs are particularly great in the haulage and freight-forwarding industries. Autonomous trucks and vans can drive 24/7, especially overnight when roads are relatively empty.

And controlled speeds without lane-jumping results in less congestion and quicker, safer journeys. It’s hard to say when AVs will become the norm: first we need to sort out some insurance issues such as who is liable when accidents arise involving AVs. But I predict that AVs will be common within the next 20 years. Once everyone uses AVs, car ownership will be a thing of the past.

We will all just hire an AV when we wish to travel. Car parks (and driving tests!) will become redundant. And will you wish to travel in a high-performance car that travels at a steady speed and can’t overtake? Or will cars become commoditised, just like white goods?

The other industry I predict that is about to change fundamentally is retail.

Already, over 25 per cent of all non-food retail goods are ordered online, and the percentage is rising steadily. Pure internet retailers and logistics companies in the retail supply chain are increasingly automating their warehouses to be much less dependent on human labour.

Are these changes good or bad for society? That’s a matter of opinion.

There are certainly advantages for the consumer. But high streets and shopping malls may be much less common, city centres could become business districts that empty at night and weekends, and hundreds of thousands of jobs in retail and distribution may suddenly disappear.

Will all those people losing jobs to robots quickly find other work? Probably not; many simply will be

too old to retrain.

Inequality in society might increase substantially.

What other industries are at risk?

In time, nearly all industries could be significantly affected by robotics and AI. At the heart of this revolution is the rapidlygrowing efficiency of computers to analyse massive datasets, with computers and information-generating devices such as smartphones all being inter-connected: the so-called ‘Internet of Things’. In the not-toodistant future we might all wear biometric devices connected by the internet to computers, which predict traumatic events such as heart attacks and automatically send an AV to take us to hospital. Indeed any job that involves data collection and processing will be at risk of automation.

I doubt whether the jobs market in 40 years will look anything like todays.

My own guess is that if millions of knowledge-based jobs disappear, many of us will be forced into lower-

TIM PIKE

paying service employment, such as gardening, cooking and mentoring. Even school and university teaching might be commoditised and delivered over the internet by experts (MOOCs already do this). There is also a concern that these new technologies might be owned by just a small number of corporations.

At the time of writing, the combined market capitalisation of Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Facebook was £2.9 trillion, which is more than that of the entire FTSE 350!

Conclusion Technological change over the past 300 years has been truly beneficial to all of us.

But the nature of changes about to hit us could be fundamentally different. Whole sectors of the economy employing millions of people might become almost jobless within a decade or so. In the past, revolutionary new technologies such as electricity took a long time to roll out, partly because of their cost and the need to install associated infrastructure such as power grids.

But knowledge-based technologies are cheap and can be implemented much more quickly, while affecting a wide range of industries and occupations almost simultaneously. It is hard to believe that when these changes arise, there will be no unwelcome effects on society. Planning for our future would seem a sensible precaution.

connected September 2018 35

Strengthen your business and leadership with our

Intercultural Communications 1 to 3-day course

Our internationally-leading tutors, previously working with UK Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, Barclays and Tesco, can help your team to strengthen their understanding and communication skills to effectively work in an increasingly global community.

Understand and appreciate cross-cultural complexities in an increasingly global and connected environment

Enhance awareness and sensitivity to their own and other’s cultural identities

Understand how cultural differences can affect typical communication practice and behaviour

Book your course Based in Cambridge, this flexible course can be delivered stand-alone or as part of your development programme. It can also be tailored to your needs as an organisation, including regional or country-specific focus.

Arrange an appointment to discuss your preferences with our team.

Gain useful insight into cases of intercultural misunderstanding and avoid potential issues of discrimination

01223 698091 intercomms@anglia.ac.uk

W H I C H B U S I N E S S E S H AV E B E E N T H E

REGION’S MOST

INFLUENTIAL ORGANISATIONS I N T H E PAST 1 3 0 Y E A R S ?

This year the Cambridge News is 130 years old and as part of our celebrations we want to recognise 130 local businesses that have had a positive impact on the region over that period – whether through their contribution to the local economy,

their outstanding customer service or because they are just representative of the area. The 130 businesses will be profiled in the Cambridge News later this year, so be sure to take part in this portrait of a local economy that has impact on a global scale.

Nominate your business at

www.cambridgeshirelive.co.uk/cambridge130

connect with

Gamification With the pace of new technology, Gamification could help support innovation in your SME business, to enable your company to grow and stay ahead of your competitors.

The pace of technology in recent years has increased significantly. Whilst large brands and big businesses have lapped up every advancement to aid their growth, many SME businesses have been left wondering how they can compete.

Dwindling budgets, openness to change, as well having people with the right creative skill set, can all act as barriers to innovation and the application of new technology for businesses.

As a business owner you may feel constrained or afraid to commit the technological or staffing resources needed to innovate when you are not clear on the most valuable or economic way forward.

You may have many questions in your mind: • How can I afford to keep up with all the advancements in technology?

• How can technology help my business innovate more successfully and what should I choose?

• Are my current innovation ideas too ‘out there’, or is there technology that can help me realistically achieve these goals?

• What do my customers really want?

• Are there any grants or funding opportunities available to help with tech adoption?

One emerging approach that is easily accessible and translatable to SMEs is the concept of ‘Gamification’ as a tech vehicle to enable your business to innovate more affordably and successfully.

In many instances this means still using the products and services you have

already but bringing them to life in new and interesting ways that offer lifestyle benefits for your target audience.

What is Gamification?

It’s about harnessing the power of gaming technology that currently sits at the forefront of a $120bn global industry, and applying the mechanics to real-world business, societal or cultural problems to create improvements, where the end function isn’t necessarily related to entertainment.

Gamification takes the positive elements of games to create focus, reward and flow when people engage with products and services unrelated to the entertainment industry.

It may sound like a bit daunting, but the best place to start is always from within your own business. Think about the following to come up with a viable plan: • What do you want your business to achieve?

• What business areas could you improve?

• What elements of the products and service you offer could be made better using ‘Gamification’?

• How can you get ahead of what your customers ‘want’ to be bold and progressive?

• How can you get ahead of your competitors, or do something differently from them?

Understanding what your customers need is of course vital, but in a progressive area like Cambridgeshire, it’s also key to consider how you can respond to those needs innovatively, pushing beyond how your competitors perceive the solutions to those

SIGNPOST 2 GROW

needs, as well as engaging your customers on another level. Remember, a small business can still pack a big punch with the right attitude and confidence to develop in a new space. It’s important in such a vibrant marketplace you avoid the risk of becoming boring and remain creative.

Where can I get help to Gamify my business?

If Gamification sounds like it could work for your business, but you are not sure how to take the idea forward, why not get in touch with REACTOR. What is REACTOR? REACTOR is a project led by Anglia Ruskin University and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The project helps to support SMEs to innovate and grow their businesses through the use of applied games in the Cambridgeshire and Greater Peterborough area.

The project provides monetary support with grants, access to gaming software and high spec technology to build products in their dedicated Incubator Space, and access to expertise through their unique network of businesses, games developers and designers.

REACTOR offer non-intrusive support that doesn’t disturb your business strategy, but rather tailors the help you need to your idea.

Our team of friendly Navigators at Signpost 2 Grow are also here to offer FREE business advice and support to get you on the right path. You can contact them now on 01480 277180 or hello@ signpost2grow.co.uk

connected September 2018 39

Cambridge design studio

Contemporary, traditional & truly bespoke living spaces Contact us to discuss how we can design your perfect room.

01953 601567 enquiries@bryanturnerkitchens.com www.bryanturnerkitchens.com

COMING SOON

insight from

How to cope in a PR crisis

When a crisis happens in your organisation – and at some point it will – there are three strict rules you should always follow if you want to salvage your reputation: 1. Tell it all 2. Tell it first 3. And tell the truth.

Whether it’s food poisoning caused by your organic chutneys or an accident at your factory or a scathing Ofsted report, these rules will steer you to safety.

The reason why you should tell it first is that it puts you in charge of the story – you get your version out there before anyone else and readers or viewers will see events from your point of view.

The ‘Tell it all’ rule means that when you tell your story you should try hard to get all the bad news out in one go. If you hold anything back, this creates more and more mini crises as each of the bits of new information leak out. This drip feed of damaging information can make a story last much longer in the public’s eyes than it needs to.

And finally, always tell the truth even if makes you look bad: you will look a lot worse when found guilty of the original crisis and lying as well. Never try to lie, deny or hide your involvement. If you ignore the situation it will only get worse. There are larger concerns at stake than minimising the potential legal cost to the company. The loss of reputation caused by being exposed for lying could cost you much more than a legal bill in the long term.

It’s surprising just how forgiving the public can be if you offer a sincere expression of regret, explain that the incident will be fully investigated and outline a plan for what you intend to do differently as a result of the findings. Everyone makes mistakes – own up to them and show how you will make amends.

Most importantly of all, you should make a crisis communications plan before

ALEX SPENCER

anything goes wrong. It’s best to plan for the worst because the chances are there will be a genuine crisis at some point. And you don’t want to wait for the journalist to ask the questions while you hope for the best.

The plan should include a list of people to contact in an emergency, so that if a security guard witnesses an explosion at your plant at 2.00am he knows who to call. You also need a Crisis Communication Team, which should consist of the CEO, the head of Public Relations, the senior manager from the division in charge of the area that was involved in the incident, your health and safety officer and a lawyer. This team must decide on your spokesperson.

Be ready to issue a prepared statement as quickly as possible, outlining these details: the type of incident (such as an explosion) the location (your plant) involving these people (injured people or those affected and witnesses) and the time it happened. State that the incident is being investigated and say when more information will be available.

Then you have to be prepared to release new information as soon as it is available. If you act quickly and appear completely transparent then public opinion will be less negative.

connected September 2018 41

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

WINDOWS

• Conservatories / Porches • Shop Front Replacement

ow TradiN ng in our

35th YE

• Glass Roofs

AR

• Solar Controlled Double Glazed Units • Domestic & Commercial Repair/Replacement • Energy Efficient Double Glazed Sealed Units and much more!

www.nandcglass.co.uk

Visit our showroom at: Unit 103, Lancaster Way Business Park, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3NX Or for a FREE quote call: 01353 667964 or email: info@nandcglass.co.uk Opening Times: Monday to Friday: 7am-5pm Saturday: 7am-12pm

Authentic Leadership Conference

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

Join us for a lively morning of guest speakers, debate and networking, finishing with a buffet lunch!

The international spotlight is on men and women to work together to champion change. Gender inequality in the workplace is a challenge in many organisations. The facts are daunting and it is tempting to think that the gender divide is too deeply rooted to make any difference.

Join other local progressive leaders to hear the findings and key recommendations from the research led by Murray Edwards College on how men and women in your organisation can proactively work together to change workplace culture to be more inclusive for everyone.

The focus of the morning will highlight the benefits of more inclusive cultures and how through: • Seeking to understand some of the issues relating to workplace culture • Individual interventions to tackle gender bias behaviour • Building closer relations between men and women • Action for leaders to model gender inclusive behaviour and communicate the benefits.

Friday 14 September 2018, 10.00am-1.30pm Murray Edwards College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DF Cost: £25.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £32.00 (plus VAT) Non-Chamber members

Register to attend online or please telephone 01733 370809

www.bit.ly/AuthenticLeadershipConf Event host

Event sponsor

@CCWomensSector

Talent spotters We know where to look for the right people.

chamber

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

EVENTS

100 YEARS inspiring business success

AMAZING BENEFITS OF

CHAMBER

MEMBERSHIP DATE: Wednesday 5 September TIME: 9.30-11.30am LOCATION: Peterborough Chamber, 6 The Forum, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT DATE: Thursday 6 September TIME: 9.30-11.30am LOCATION: Milton Hall, Ely Road, Milton, Cambridge, CB24 6WZ PRICE: Free to attend, please register in advance CONTACT: Bren Coleman on 01223 209811 or email b.coleman@cambscci.co.uk Come and learn the real, tangible benefits of membership

in terms of financial savings and increasing revenue and profitability.

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

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

INFORMAL RUM O’CLOCK NETWORKING DATE: Thursday 16 August TIME: 5.00-7.00pm LOCATION: Quy Mill Hotel and Spa, Cambridge, CB25 9AF COST: Free to attend but bookable in advance CONTACT: Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk We’re hosting an informal networking evening with a difference this month, as well as networking with local companies we’re welcoming a qualified rum expert as our guest speaker.

On arrival pick up your rum cocktail, or a drink from the bar. Each cocktail will identify all ingredients included and will be a great talking point for personal preferences!

From 6.30pm our qualified rum expert will be on hand to share some background information and answer your rum related questions.

Rum cocktails and soft drinks are complimentary.

PETERBOROUGH QUIZ & THAI BUFFET DATE: Tuesday 11 September TIME: 6.00-9.00pm LOCATION: The Brewery Tap, Westgate, Peterborough, PE1 2AA PRICE: £60.00 (plus VAT) per team of four CONTACT: Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk Over seven quizzical rounds that are guaranteed to bring out your competitive streak, this year’s Peterborough quiz will be a totally mixed bag of questions - something for everyone!

We’ll be offering a spot prizes along the way and whilst the scores are being tallied up you will be able to tuck into a Thai buffet before the winners are announced and the coveted Hegarty Shield presented.

Sponsored by

Moore Stephens 2017 winners

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

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce 100 YEARS inspiring business success

Your essential business calendar for the next months.

INFORMAL NETWORKING EVENINGS

September 2018

3

St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club, St Ives 5.00-7.00pm

5

The Crown Hotel, Stamford 5.00-7.00pm

10

Poets House & Restaurant, Ely 5.00-7.00pm

19 20 26

Metro Bank, Peterborough 5.00-7.00pm

Allia Future Business Centre, Cambridge 5.00-7.00pm

Elgood & Sons Ltd, Wisbech 5.00-7.00pm

Cambridge B2B Exhibition DATE: Thursday 20 September TIME: 10.00am-4.00pm LOCATION: Quy Mill Hotel and Spa, Cambridge STAND PRICES: starting from £270.00 (plus VAT) for Chamber members CONTACT: Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk Seminars 10.00am - Opening 10.30am - Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership 11.15am - Speed Networking 12.20pm - Caroline Robinson, Director – Sandler Training Just do it……doing what needs to be done Both professionally and personally there are things that we know we should do but might be harder or make us uncomfortable so we make excuses or talk ourselves out of doing it. In sales that might be prospecting or personally that might be going to the gym. However if we want a different result (e.g. win more clients/get fitter) we need to do things differently. In this session we will look at the psychology of why this happens and share practical strategies you can use to change your behaviour to do more of the things that intellectually you know would make a real difference.

1.30pm - How to use video to recruit the right people Paul Gibson 2.30pm - Speed Networking Please note timings are subject to change.

Visit www.cambridgeb2b.co.uk for further details

Authentic Leadership Conference DATE: Friday 14 September TIME: 10.00am-1.30pm LOCATION: Murray Edwards College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DF PRICE: £25.00 (plus VAT) Chamber member, £32.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber member CONTACT: Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk Organised by the Business Women’s Sector, this event is open to everyone Join us for a lively morning of guest speakers, debate and networking and buffet lunch!

Speakers include: • Fiona Duffy, Director of Development, Murray Edwards College • Anne Bailey, Co-founder, Form the Future • Qun Yang, Co-founder of Biorbyt Ltd, and Executive Director of Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School.

More details of the conference can be found on page 43 or refer to the event page on the Chamber website.

Event host

46 September 2018 connected

Organised in partnership with

Sponsored by

STORM IN A TEACUP DATE: Wednesday 19 September TIME: 9.30-11.30am LOCATION: Elton Furze Golf Club, Haddon, Peterborough, PE7 3TT PRICE: £12.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £17.00 (plus VAT) non-Chamber members CONTACT: Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk Organised by the Business Women’s Sector Storm in a Teacup is a supportive network offering the unique opportunity to glean feedback and ideas from others. If you want to sound out a new initiative outside your office or are looking to explore a new business idea, this event offers you the ideal platform.

chamber

EVENTS

PETERBOROUGH SAFARI NETWORKING BREAKFAST DATE: Tuesday 25 September TIME: 7.45-10.00am LOCATION: The Marriott Hotel, Peterborough, PE2 6GB PRICE: £17.00 (plus VAT) Chamber members, £24.00 (plus VAT) nonChamber members CONTACT: Jenni Misseldine on 01223 209810 or email j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk Network with some very wellconnected local businesses and pick

2

up a range of practical networking tips. After breakfast, Mike Stokes of Positive Networking will present the ‘Networking Jungle’. This interactive presentation helps us to recognise various ‘beasts’ of the networking jungle from their behaviour, how to manage them, and how to help them. There will be lots of advice and tips on how to network effectively, including how to deal with that most dangerous of networking ‘beasts’ – the deadly Boa Constrictor!

Peterborough B2B Exhibition

Peterborough B2B Exhibition DATE: Wednesday 31 October TIME: 9.00am-3.30pm LOCATION: KingsGate Conference Centre, Peterborough STAND PRICES: starting from £229.00 (plus VAT) for Chamber members and Bondholder members CONTACT: Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk The Peterborough B2B is Peterborough’s longest established business to business exhibition and networking event which is organised by the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and Opportunity Peterborough.

This event brings together more than 500 people for fantastic networking, great business insight and a showcase of some of the city’s thriving and diverse companies.

Starting with an Opportunity Peterborough Bondholder Breakfast at 7.30am the day will include a hall full of exhibitors alongside a programme of workshops, talks and activities aimed to benefit small and medium size businesses to help develop their business growth and knowledge.

We’re delighted that this year that Digital People in Peterborough group will be a partner at this event bringing valuable expertise and knowledge of the digital world!

Further information can be found at www.peterboroughb2b. co.uk and follow us on twitter @PboroB2B 10% discount when you book your stand before 1 September

Global Business Network: Growing Your Business in Asia DATE: Tuesday 25 September TIME: 5.00-7.00pm LOCATION: The Moller Centre, Storey’s Way, Cambridge, CB3 0DE PRICE: Free to attend CONTACT: Helen Bosett on 01733 370809 or email h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk 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.

This month The Asia Task Force will offer a reality check on opportunities to develop business in ASEAN using case studies to look at what works.

There will be a discussion on: • What products can be sourced effectively and profitably (What and where is the place to source product) • What sells well into the region (how to benefit from being British) • How it is possible to sell services from UK into ASEAN (the story of a story teller selling well across ASEAN).

Organised in partnership with

Sponsored by

Event partner

connected September 2018 47

Conferences & Events at Jesus College Hold your next meeting or conference in the heart of Cambridge at Jesus College’s award-winning West Court.

Offering a historical setting with modern AV facilities and a variety of flexible spaces with the option to add private dining or luxury overnight accommodation West Court is your ideal venue.

West Court accommodation Our city centre rooms are available year-round and can be booked as part of a conference or event, or simply for bed and breakfast stays.

Contact conference@jesus.cam.ac.uk or call 01223 760524 to discuss your requirements and arrange a viewing.

More at www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/conferences