Member News

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce launches important consultation for developing its South Asian Business Engagement Strategy

Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is conducting a six‑month consultation with its members and local stakeholders to foster stronger relations and business links with the region’s growing South Asian business community.

As an influential and independent membership organisation, owned and managed by local businesses, the Chamber plays an important role in promoting business links and collaborations through its impactful programme of networking events, activities and portfolio of products and services. The purpose of formulating a refreshed strategy and action plan is to connect, engage and support the broad range of South Asian businesses and entrepreneurs operating in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight. From retail and pharmaceuticals to real estate and manufacturing businesses, the region has many successful businesses of all sizes, which are making a positive contribution to the Solent region.

Led by Lakbir Singh and Peter Taylor, this timely consultation will comprise a series of meetings, roundtable discussions and electronic questionnaires with stakeholders to identify any barriers that may prevent these communities in fully engaging with other peer businesses and organisations.

To address these challenges, we will be engaging with local businesses and will devise a well-informed action plan. The plan will be developed through analysis and wide-ranging consultations over the next six months, to ensure that we create value-added propositions and service offerings in collaboration with the community.

The aims of the new strategy will be to: ¾ Enhance collaborative opportunities for South Asian businesses to engage better with other like-minded organisations within the region. ¾ Strengthen cross-community engagement with our local diverse communities and support Southampton’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025. ¾ Foster new partnerships between Hampshire Chamber members, non-members and other public sector organisations within the region, including research and knowledge-exchange collaborations with our local universities. ¾ Support businesses in key areas such as maintaining safer communities, deepening community cohesion, and addressing emerging security concerns. ¾ Utilise the Chamber’s programme of business activities and outreach work to make a positive difference and help create inclusive and sustainable development. The strategy will involve a mix of short, mid and long-term objectives and actions to ensure that we are fully supporting and engaging with South Asian businesses and communities in Hampshire in a way which is relevant, reliable and responsive to their needs and aspirations. It will evolve in close collaboration with the communities we support and will be delivered in conjunction with our key partners and supporters.

While this strategy focuses on South Asian Businesses communities, we believe our action plan will impact the entire region, and all who are involved in it.

Lakbir said: “I am delighted to be supporting strategic engagement and collaboration with the region’s thriving South Asian business community, to help foster dialogue for businesses and communities within the region. The purpose of formulating a refreshed strategy and action plan is to connect, engage and support the broad range of South Asian businesses and entrepreneurs operating in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight.”

He added: “We know that working closely with key partners will play a vital part in making this consultation a success for unlocking new business, innovation and knowledge transfer opportunities.”

For further information please contact: Lakbir Singh –

Lakbir.singh@hampshirechamber.co.uk

Peter Taylor, Senior Partner at Paris Smith LLP, Commercial Mediator, and President for Hampshire Chamber of Commerce.

Lakbir Singh, Head of Group Operations at Planet Education/ UKESG and Head of Special Projects at the India Business Group (IBG), and Ambassador for Hampshire Chamber of Commerce South Asian Community Engagement.

Make new connections at Hampshire’s largest business expos

Business owners are invited to attend a series of free events being organised across Hampshire this year.

Basingstoke-based organisers of the UK’s largest business expo roadshow, B2B Expos, have announced their most ambitious calendar of events since it launched in 2011.

Business expos are being planned across Hampshire including events in Farnborough, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and Southampton.

Each event attracts over 250 businesses and local professionals from a range of sectors, making it a great place to promote, network and do business.

This year’s events aim to help businesses not just survive, but to thrive in a post-Covid world. Each event will have speakers, seminars and exhibitors showcasing the very latest in sales, marketing, innovation and growth.

Managing Director and founder of B2B Expos, Matthew Larcome, told us, “For almost two years everyone has been forced online due to the pandemic. But now it’s time for people to meet again and do business face to face.

“For too long people have been clicking profiles,” continues Matthew. “It’s now time to start clicking with people again.”

Matthew runs the annual events to help businesses network, connect and grow. He’s organised over 100 business shows across the UK and recently won Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Hampshire-based Inspire Business Awards.

The first event of 2022 is the Farnborough Business Expo which returns to The Village Hotel on 10 March, followed by the Portsmouth Business Expo which runs on 24 March at the The Village Hotel in Portsmouth, near Lakeside Business Park.

Businesses looking to boost brand awareness, generate leads and meet customers face to face are encouraged to book stands early.

Stands are available for local businesses that want to showcase at the business shows. Stand prices start from £295 and include plenty of pre-event promotion to help you drum up business.

As well as the events in Hampshire, the organisers are also hosting business shows in West Sussex, Brighton, Bournemouth, Guildford, Reading, Oxford and Birmingham.

If anyone is interested in getting involved with the business expos this year, either as an exhibitor, sponsor, speaker or attendee, please contact Gemma Brett at B2B Expos.

You can call Gemma on 01256 838386 or email gemma@ b2bexpos.co.uk.

Alternatively you can find all the details of the upcoming events on the B2B Expos website: www.b2bexpos.co.uk.

Dates for your Diary 2022

March

10th Farnborough Business Expo, The Village Hotel, Farnborough 24th Portsmouth Business Expo, The Village Hotel, Portsmouth

April

7th Basingstoke Business Expo, The Apollo Hotel, Basingstoke 28th West Sussex Business Expo, Fontwell Park Racecourse

May

12th Southampton Business Expo, St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton

Get FREE tickets to attend the business shows online or call 01256 838386 to get details on exhibiting! www.b2bexpos.co.uk.

Attracting and upskilling talent in hospitality

By Michael Clitheroe, General Manager at Balmer Lawn Hotel Over the past 15 to 20 years, we’ve seen the restoration of credibility in the hospitality sector. This has been achieved through taking the time to invest in our people and their education throughout the industry.

In fact, the sector is going full circle with a meticulous focus on its people. A voice has manifested throughout the industry, providing education on the importance of diversity, mental health, work/life balance, and generally speaking up for what we believe in.

As a result, there is an exceptional wave of professionalism coming into the industry, leading to fairer pay, incredible job opportunities, and long-term career prospects.

At Balmer Lawn, we’re extremely fortunate to be surrounded by award-winning colleges on the south coast, such as Bournemouth and Poole College and Brockenhurst College. We work with such institutions and affiliations to offer a range of skills through championing entry-level roles with a high degree of influence and authority over the customer experience and business reputation.

By taking this approach, we’ve successfully kept complaints down, improved staff retention and increased motivation, which has, in turn, enabled us to be able to pay higher wages and continue to invest in courses and employee development.

Michael Clitheroe is the General Manager at Balmer Lawn Hotel, a luxury hotel and spa nestled in the heart of the ancient New Forest, close to Lyndhurst, the National Park’s natural capital.

Ridge warns businesses on rapidly changing carbon regulations

Businesses need to adapt to a rapidly evolving regulatory environment regarding their carbon impact as the United Kingdom moves towards a target of net zero by 2050, according to multidiscipline property and construction consultants Ridge and Partners.

The national target of 2050 will have major implications across all sectors. Many local authorities have committed to even more ambitious timeframes. Ridge also anticipates that the embodied carbon impact of businesses will soon be included in government regulations.

Many businesses are already considering this to avoid fines, asset waste or expensive remedial action and mitigate the risk of carbon price rises.

Ridge has the rare capability to provide a one-stop multidisciplinary service, guiding clients through the process while ensuring seamlessly integrated, full-service solutions which offer value for money.

Ridge works collaboratively and proactively with businesses to help them meet their carbon reduction requirements and achieve the optimum payback on investment.

For further information, please contact Sustainability Lead Abby Bartlett: abartlett@ridge.co.uk | www.ridge.co.uk.

The inside view on building Earth’s digital twin to tackle climate change

The concept of digital twins has been around for years, and many industries use virtual replicas of items or systems to realistically simulate the outcomes of different scenarios.

An example being using the digital twin of a wind turbine to explore its likely performance in different weather conditions.

What we’re working on is a giant step forward, scaling up that principle to create a digital twin of our entire planet, to help better understand and predict the impacts of changing conditions.

Digital Twin Earths have immense potential when it comes to monitoring and forecasting the effects of human activity on our planet. Because they can help predict the impact we’re having on the environment, they are a critical sustainability tool. The power of being able to try things out and see their likely effect will be transformative.

Full blog https://www.cgi.com/uk/en-gb/blog/space/

inside-view-building-earths-digital-twin-to-tackle-

climate-change.

Frost Creative delivers the latest United Nations Free & Equal campaign

The Frost team have delivered the creative for the latest campaign for The United Nations Free and Equal initiative, a global movement against homophobia and transphobia.

Rachel Bartlett, Studio Manager said: “The majority of our work for the past two years has been working with a variety of big corporates and SMEs, so when the brief came in from the UN it was great to see the studio involved in something helping to deliver positive change around the world.”

This campaign delivers a really powerful message helping to raise awareness of global inequality. Sadly more than a third of the world’s countries still criminalise consensual, loving samesex relationships, entrenching prejudice and putting millions of people at risk of blackmail, arrest and imprisonment. Frost is really proud to have supported the UN in helping change people’s mindsets with our work.

To see the work visit: https://www.frostcreative.co.uk/our-

work/helping-raise-awareness-for-transgender-equality/

www.frostcreative.co.uk | 01489 892602.

Ten2Two: Part-time professionals – great talent, affordable cost

Are you planning for recovery and growth? How can you achieve growth whilst protecting the business and minimising risk?

Growth often relies on expanding your team, but when is the right time to invest in more staff? How do you identify where more staff are needed? How does recruitment work post-Covid?

Many local businesses have been coming to us asking for advice, having identified gaps in their growth plans. We help them find experienced individuals, from a range of professional skills, to join their teams, all on a part-time basis, mostly on PAYE.

If you have a skills gap, or you don’t think you can afford the experience you really need, consider employing part-time professionals. You gain a highly talented, motivated individual to work with you – at an affordable cost – and get time back to reset your work-life balance.

www.ten2two.org/location/hampshire-berkshire-surrey/ Louise Boardman-Rule

Tel: 1252 856862 | Email: louise@ten2two.org.

Would you like your Payroll to be Perfect?

Payroll Perfection Ltd is a Payroll Bureau located in Ringwood.

We offer an outsourced payroll solution to all types of business including a professional white label service for accountants.

We are highly experienced and also qualified in payroll.

Legislation is constantly changing in the payroll world and we pride ourselves on being up to date at all times.

We use an amazing HMRC accredited payroll software which provides an accurate and detailed payroll solution with crystal clear payslips and reports.

We can offer employee payments and/or an employee selfservice portal.

We are an environmentally driven company and we encourage digital payslips and reports which are fully password protected.

We are passionate about our Customer Service and fully support all of our employers on their payroll journeys.

We would love to hear from anyone regarding their payroll requirements.