• Proportion of UK exporters reporting increased export sales (30%) rose slightly from Q2 (27%)

• However, proportion reporting decreased sales remained stubbornly and historically high at 26%, while 45% report no change

• Recovery in manufacturing exports began to fall back slightly from previous quarter

Boosting your sales performance is a main objective for any business, regardless of size.  But how do you increase sales effectively?  The customer should always be your main focus, as opposed to just focusing on profit, but there are some other key ways to enable you to take your sales to the next level.  Here are eight ways to enable you to do just that.

Deemed the ‘One to Watch’ by the Judges at the Woman Who Achieves & Solopreneur Awards 2021, Esther Roche received a Commendation award for her natural plant-based skincare range DeRoiste Natural Beauty.

Bookings for conferences, meetings and training events at Wyboston Lakes Resort for 2022 are currently over 140% ahead of 2019, alongside a record number of large events from leading pharmaceutical companies taking place this Autumn.

Are you seeking smart solutions for your business? A smart meter could be just the ticket for you.

Smart meters are the new generation of gas and electricity meters which can be an invaluable asset for firms in Legal services, Accounting and bookkeeping, Marketing consultancy, Architecture, IT services, and more.

New website further unifies the brand and streamlines customer experience

Peli BioThermal, the global name in temperature controlled packaging solutions, announces the launch of its newly designed website. Located at www.pelibiothermal.com, the new site offers a wide variety of resources to support the worldwide business of its life sciences customers.

It was all smiles at a charity golf day supported by family business Essential Workwear – even the weather was above par! The well-supported event at Dunstable Downs Golf Club on Thursday September 16, 2021, was the Dunstable town mayor’s annual charity golf day, and the sun was out and truly shining.

What Does the ‘New Normal’ Mean for Our Wellbeing?

Children have returned to school, many people are returning to the office and we’re living the ‘new normal’ – but what impact have recent events really had on our community?

The pandemic has caused considerable changes in our lives, especially for children and young people. While some have adjusted easily, others have struggled with the challenges, and experienced unwanted feelings, low mood, and anxiety.

Streets Chartered Accountants are delighted to announce the founding of the new Luton firm, Streets S J Males.

Helapet Limited, local manufacturer and distributor of high quality medical and cleanroom consumables based in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, are delighted to be recently awarded the coveted Investors in People ‘We invest in people, gold accreditation’.

The 2019 Climate Change Act commits the UK to ‘net zero’ by 2050, increasing the UK’s duty to a 100% cutback in emissions by 2050.

But what does it mean for businesses? What can SMEs do to ensure they are meeting targets?

UK business investment is expected to decline this year despite the prospect of record economic growth, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) economic forecast.

The leading business group predicts UK GDP growth for 2021 of 7.1%, which, if realised, would be the strongest outturn since official records began in 1949.1

Central Bedfordshire College is delighted to be celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2021.

Founded as the College of Further Education Kingsway in 1961, the local institution has seen many changes over the years, being known as Dunstable College for many years before finally becoming Central Bedfordshire College in 2010. Current Principal and CEO, Dr Ali Hadawi CBE, has been at the helm of the college for over 10 years.

Jo Archer (UKEF) and Mathilde Murphy (DIT) talk about some positive stories behind exporting in Bedfordshire and some of the support the government can offer to companies looking to explore new markets.

Running your very own restaurant, coffee shop or bar might be a dream, but you are up against huge competition, and it can be tough out there. For survival and success, you may want to consider the following:

With the UK’s exit from the EU now officially achieved, (ongoing wrinkles and wrangles notwithstanding!), many businesses are revisiting the prospects for international trade both within and outside the EU.

For us at the Chamber, international trade is now scheduled to become a year-long focus, and we have added extensive content to our website to give your business access to the international trade resources and services it needs now more than ever, as we explore briefly below.

Robinson & Hall, Land and Property Professionals have a few points they want to share with you on the ever changing world of planning.

If you own a business in Bedfordshire or are looking for customers in Beds, you should certainly consider joining the Chamber.

Why? Because there’s a whole raft of benefits, explained below, from company promotion, to online networking and face-to-face events, to support and training, to global services – and much more besides.

(And if you’re an existing member, make sure you read this to ensure you are using your membership to its full advantage and not missing out!)

Streets Chartered Accountants and marketing experts Distract are celebrating after bursting into the top ten UK accountancy firms for marketing, brand and digital intelligence.

Essential Workwear has launched a brand-new garment recycling initiative to help clients become more sustainable and support the target of achieving the government’s net-zero emissions by 2050.

• National business survey finds vast majority of small businesses have yet to put targets in place to reduce their emissions – with the pandemic pushing climate action down the agenda

• Just 11% of respondents measure their carbon footprint, although half of respondents acknowledge their customers are worried about the environment

• Larger firms are far more likely to be taking environmental action than microbusinesses

Hairdressers, beauty salons and other close contact services have made a welcome return in recent months, bringing much-needed services back to towns and cities across the UK. 

While the impact of the pandemic is still being felt, business owners and managers have embraced the changes and adapted to new ways of working to protect their clients, their staff, their business and their bottom line.

The Government has launched a consultation on the Oxford to Cambridge Arc which is aimed to inform their approach and vision to the future of the Arc. The consultation will run for 12 weeks from 20th July to 12th October 2021.
Land and Property Professionals, Robinson & Hall, explain further…

Three in four employers are experiencing recruitment difficulties, changes to immigration policies following Brexit have presented further barriers, and the evident skills shortage seen across sectors is forcing companies to look at different ways to fill the skills gap. Whilst training and up-skilling existing employees is an obvious and effective solution, it can only go some of the way, and more practical solutions need to be identified and implemented.

As construction activity has surged in 2021, the availability of some materials has become extremely difficult. Many contractors are reporting issues regarding purchasing critical materials such as steel, cement, timber, roof tiles and plasterboard.

Robert Franklin, Head of Architecture & Building Surveying at Robinson & Hall provides an update…

International Women in Engineering Day was celebrated across the globe on 23^rd June. Launched by the Women's Engineering Society, who have been supporting women in engineering for 102 years, this day aims to raise the profile of women engineers and encourage more people to consider engineering as a profession for all.

Imagefix is delighted to have been the recipient of two awards at the recent SME Luton and Bedfordshire Business Awards. Our wonderful apprentice, Reece Hornblower, won the Gold Winner Award for ‘Apprentice of the Year’, and Imagefix won the Silver Winner Award for Bedford Business of the Year. It means a good deal to us to be honoured in this way by the place we live and work in.

The Forest of Marston Vale Trust has secured unprecedented levels of funding from the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to accelerate tree planting activity within the Marston Vale area of Bedfordshire over the next four years. Under this new “Trees for Climate” scheme, up to £8 million is available to support new tree planting projects up until April 2025. It presents an excellent opportunity for landowners looking at options for their land going forwards, and a chance to explore how trees can be part of their plans.

• Over half (52%) of firms say they attempted to recruit in Q2, highest since last pre-pandemic quarter

• Nearly two fifths (38%) expect to grow their workforce in next quarter, higher than pre-pandemic 2018-19 average of 29%

• 70% of those who attempted to recruit now report difficulty finding staff, a 7-point rise from the previous quarter