January 2014
South Cambridgeshire
OPEN FOR BUSINESS Issue 1
Local businesses have until 31 January to submit their entries for the Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards. Put yourself on the map. See page 2.
In this Register now for grants and free support to go digital edition P2 P3 P4 Business confidence hits 20 year high
New series of business workshops launched
£250m fund for businesses affected by storms
Join our business register to access even more support and information. www.scambs.gov.uk/ businessregister To unsubscribe from this mailing, email ‘unsubscribe’ to openforbusiness@ scambs.gov.uk
Businesses in South Cambridgeshire are being urged to register early to benefit from a new countywide scheme to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) afford faster broadband connections and make the most of digital technologies.
Destination Digital will be officially launched in February as part of the Connecting Cambridgeshire programme, which has won £4.5 million extra Government and European funding to help businesses get better connected, increase productivity and create jobs. The scheme will offer grants in the form of vouchers to help SMEs in South Cambridgeshire pay for high speed broadband connections, as well as funding and support to encourage companies to go digital. Destination Digital runs until March 2015 with funding and support available on a first-come, first-served basis. Local suppliers of broadband enabled technologies, digital products and services can also register for opportunities to secure new business through the scheme. Businesses can find out more and register early for the scheme at www.destinationdigital.info or by calling 01223 706123. The scheme is being funded with £3.4million from the Government’s Urban Broadband Fund and a further £1.1million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It complements the roll-out of high-speed fibre broadband to 98% of homes and businesses across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough by the end of 2015.
Find out about the broadband roll-out at www.connectingcambridgeshire.co.uk
South Cambridgeshire - OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Are you in pursuit of excellence?
Welcome
Cllr Nick Wright Economic development portfolio holder South Cambridgeshire District Council
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Business Innovation
Small Business of the Year
Barclays Award
Employer of the Year
TWI Award for Technology Export
Business Person of the Year
Business of the Year
Outstanding Contribution
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This publication forms part of a bigger programme of business support that South Cambridgeshire District Council is offering in its commitment to ensure local businesses can thrive. In this edition we’re pleased to announce a new series of business workshops. This builds on the success of last year’s programme, which saw an extremely strong take up, and addresses a variety of topics from raising finance and recruitment to planning a website and improving profit. We share the details of a new scheme that helps businesses afford faster broadband connections and make the most of digital technologies. And we highlight the looming deadline for the Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards that celebrate the range of local enterprises, from high tech global giants to sole traders. Please share this publication with colleagues and let us know what you think. Your feedback will help shape future editions as well as our services to you. Email our team at openforbusiness@scambs.gov.uk Why not join our business register to access even more support and information across a range of services, receive email updates on financing, tendering and funding opportunities and notification of free events? Visit: www.scambs.gov.uk/businessregister
Most business owners are stretched to do the essentials at the moment, let alone enter business awards. But putting yourself forward for accolades can reap rewards, from improving brand awareness and winning new contracts to boosting staff morale and attracting new talent. A business award can be a powerful way of differentiating you from your competitors and is a sign of quality for potential customers. There are eight accolades up for grabs at this year’s Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards:
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Welcome to the first edition of Open For Business - a new publication offering practical ideas, tailored advice, news and information to help start, grow, manage and run your business in South Cambridgeshire.
ad ca ste r, J ustin Webb
Entering the awards is quick and simple. Entries can be submitted online and the full category criteria can be downloaded from www.cambridge-news.co.uk Winners will be announced during an award ceremony at The Great Hall, King’s College on 20 March. If you think your business has achieved a level of success worthy of an award at the Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards, what are you waiting for? This year’s sponsors are: Barclays Pure Resourcing Solutions
Hewistons MedImmune
Price Bailey TWI BioMed Realty
Business confidence hits 20 year high The latest Business in Britain report from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking shows companies are the most optimistic about the economy since 2007, with business confidence at its strongest level since January 1994. With rising expectations for orders, sales, and profits in the next six months, businesses have indicated that they intend to increase staff numbers. This suggests employment could also rise this year. For more information visit: www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/media1/press_ releases/2014_press_releases/lloyds/0601_ Business.asp
South Cambridgeshire - OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Workshops for local firms Continuing the success of the South Cambridgeshire Business Support Service, the latest programme of business workshops will be launching on 19 March. Delivered by Exemplas on behalf of South Cambridgeshire District Council, the 12 half-day workshops have been specifically designed to meet the needs of small businesses in the local area and cover a range of topics including improving profit, finding and winning new contracts and maximising market awareness. The subsidised workshops will cost ÂŁ10 (+VAT) to attend and are available to anyone running or thinking of starting a business in a South Cambridgeshire postcode area. After each workshop attendees will be able to access business support provided by experienced Business Advisers by telephone, email or online via Skype at no additional cost. Workshop programme The following workshops are now available to book: How to plan for success - business planning Preparing and reviewing a business plan to help your business succeed Wed 30 April
Fulbourn Centre
Thu 12 June
Cambourne Council Offices
How to manage money and make a profit Take control of your business by increasing your financial awareness Mon 7 April
Cambourne Council Offices
How to improve your profit
How to find and keep customers
Take a refreshed look at your business and make positive changes to your profits
Explore how to find new customers and keep them coming back
Tues 3 June
Wed 19 March
Fulbourn Centre
Wed 7 May
Over Community Centre
All Saints Community Hall, Melbourn
How to recruit and employ people - the basics An overview of the basics of finding and employing staff for the first time
How to maximise market awareness – via websites and social media
Fri 28 March
Understand what type of web presence is right for your business and how to use it for maximum impact
How to find and win new contracts
Thu 3 April
Cambourne Council Offices
Identify new opportunities and improve your chances of winning contracts
Thu 22 May
Over Community Centre
Wed 14 May
Administrations down by 11% in 2013 Research from Deloitte has shown that 1,629 businesses went into administration in 2013, compared with 1,833 in 2012. Almost all of sectors tracked in the analysis saw a decline in the number of business failures, including some of those most affected by the economic difficulties of the past five years. Reflecting the re-balancing of the high street, retail administrations dropped by 6% and as a strong sign of improvement of the sector, there has been a significant 24% decrease of administrations in property and construction. This, in turn, has had a knock-on effect for the hospitality and leisure sector, which has seen a 17.5% decrease in administrations.
Cambourne Council Offices
Fulbourn Centre
Two further specialist workshops focusing on the needs of small businesses based in rural areas are also being developed and will be available to book soon. To ensure that all delegates receive the maximum benefit from our workshops, spaces are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. For more information on the workshop programme please visit: www.exemplas.com/southcambs To book your place, please call 0844 346 0755 or email: southcambsbusinesssupport@exemplas.com
For more information visit: www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/news/ a996605e2c743410VgnVCM2000003356f70aRCRD.htm
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South Cambridgeshire - OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Tackling the tax return The deadline for filing tax returns is rapidly approaching, yet many of those in HM Revenue & Customs’ sights have yet to do it. If you haven’t filled in your tax form and returned it, together with payment for any tax you owe for the 2012-13 financial year, by midnight on 31 January you could face a fine. For help and advice on self-assessment, visit: www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa With the deadline looming, HM Revenues & Customs has revealed some of the strangest excuses it has received for late submissions:
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My pet goldfish died (self-employed builder)
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I had a run-in with a cow (Midlands farmer)
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After seeing a volcanic eruption on the news, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else (London woman)
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My wife won’t give me my mail (self-employed trader)
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My husband told me the deadline was 31 March, and I believed him (Leicester hairdresser)
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I’ve been far too busy touring the country with my one-man play (Coventry writer)
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My bad back means I can’t go upstairs. That’s where my tax return is (a working taxi driver)
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I’ve been cruising round the world in my yacht, and only picking up post when I’m on dry land (South East man)
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Our business doesn’t really do anything (Kent financial services firm) I’ve been too busy submitting my clients’ tax returns (London accountant)
Small business: GREAT ambition
£250m fund to support businesses affected by floods
The Government has published its commitment to helping the UK's small businesses to grow in Small Business: Great Ambition.
Natwest and RBS have announced the launch of a £250 million interest free fund to speed up the recovery of businesses affected by the recent floods and gales.
The publication, from the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills, is part of the Government's commitment to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). With 5 million small businesses making up 99% of the UK private sector and generating a third of the sector's turnover, SMEs employ 47% of people in the private sector. Over half a million start-ups were created in 2013, up 4% from 2012, and the economy is looking to grow at better rates than over the last few years so 2014 is looking like a good year to do business. The range of new measures introduced by the government will make it easier for SMEs to finance business growth, hire people, develop new ideas and break into new markets. For more information visit: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266212/bis-13-1313small-business-great-ambition-FINAL.pdf
The UK Storm Business Fund will provide short term interest free loans to cover the cost of repairs and replacement stock, and is available to all viable businesses. Understanding that cashflow is critical for businesses, this additional support is being made available because it is important for the local economy and communities to get the businesses that have been hit, operational again. For more information visit: www.rbs.com/news/2014/01/natwestand-rbs-launch-250m-interest-free-loan-fund-to-supportbusinesses-affected-by-storms.html
UK economy growing at solid pace The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey the first major economic indicator of the year and closely watched by the Bank of England and the Treasury - has revealed the UK economy is growing at a solid pace, and key indicators for the economy are higher than before the 2007 recession. For more information visit: www.britishchambers.org.uk/pressoffice/press-releases/bcc-quarterly-economic-survey-businessesready-to-push-on-but-more-finance-needed.html
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Editorial information This newsletter is produced for local businesses by South Cambridgeshire District Council. Editorial enquiries should be emailed to openforbusiness@scambs.gov.uk The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of South Cambridgeshire District Council. All data is accepted in good faith at the time of going to press.