Latest updates and stories from Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and its Members

This month the UK Government launched a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme to create thousands of jobs for young people.

London Luton Airport based training specialist, the British School of Aviation (BSA), has secured approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to deliver face to face and online synchronous engineer type rating training for the Boeing 737 Classic, NG and MAX aircraft.

The Board of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today announced that Director General Dr Adam Marshall will leave the organisation in the Spring of 2021.

Bedfordshire Chamber , in collaboration with Hertfordshire Chamber and Wenta, will break down barriers for small businesses to access the Kickstart scheme.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, BCC President Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith has said businesses face “the most difficult trading conditions in post-war history” and set out a series of measures

As Government guidance means that face coverings will be part of the ‘new normal’ for the foreseeable future, a 19-year-old British entrepreneur is doing what he can to make everyday activities as cost-effective and easy

LinkedIn is a valuable business tool for connecting with like-minded business owners, clients and suppliers.

Leigh Frost, Managing Director of Truesilver Marketing & Web Design, describes LinkedIn as “the most accurate business to business database there is” and “a really powerful way to connect with people”.

The Willows Training Centre at Wyboston Lakes Resort has been refurbished to meet the current and future needs of learning & development professionals and those being trained with a comprehensive restyling of its interiors.

Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, schools across the UK have been unable to meet the requirement to provide students with at least one meaningful encounter with an employer per year,

Now is a strange time to be starting a new job. Any new hire about to start in your company will most likely have never stepped foot in your office. Nor will they have had the opportunity to meet their manager or co-workers in person.

Research by the AA has revealed the five most common causes of callouts for their patrols.

Templers Safety and Security Ltd provide advice and guidance to SMEs to help them meet their health and safety responsibilities. The company was co-founded by Adam Schwalm, who has over fourteen years’ experience in the health and safety industry within a wide range of working environments, from government departments and local authorities to construction, excavation and utilities.

Returning from furlough to the “new normal” raises the question of how buildings can stay secure while people remain safe in an attempt to mitigate the threat of Covid-19?

Figures from the DfT show that between 2013 and 2018, illegal, defective or underinflated tyres contributed to nearly 3,500 accidents nationwide, while in mid-February a vehicle was seized by Lothian Police with tyres so worn down, the inside wires were showing through.

Bedford/UK based data protection experts Privacy Helper have secured an exclusive contract to supply the UK with Spy-Fy privacy products.

If you're still considering taking out a bounce back loan, it's not too late.

Far more affordable and flexible than any loan you normally get from a private sector lender, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) is a great option for many SMEs who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Issues with batteries are consistently in the top five causes of vehicle breakdowns in the UK and, with electric vehicle 

Working from home has become the new normal for many businesses across the country. But although much of our daily lives have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, cyber threats and phishing scams haven’t. They remain as much of a threat to businesses as ever. In fact, there is some evidence of an increase in phishing and other cybercrime activity now people are working at home.

Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Tracker reveal that businesses are still facing significant cashflow challenges

By Liam Smyth, ChamberCustoms
@chambercustoms www.chambercustoms.co.uk

The UK left the European Union on 31st January 2020, and the transition period comes to an end in December this year. It is vital that businesses take action now to get ready for a new border operating environment from 1st January 2021.

Many drivers have been off the roads for several weeks or more, it’s important they take it carefully when they return to more regular driving.

Wyboston Lakes Resort has been recognised by three prestigious organisations for its first-class event facilities and commitment to health, hygiene and safety standards, which have become paramount following Covid-19. 

Sustainability is moving from a nice-to-have to a must-have, putting sustainable temperature-controlled shippers in high demand

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is due to end on October 31, and is already being tapered out to help get the economy back on track. So for many businesses, if they haven’t already, now is the time to start considering if, when and how they can bring back their furloughed employees.

Rob White is a Senior Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at Groom Wilkes & Wright. Based in Hitchin, GWW was established fifteen years ago to provide businesses in the local area with trade mark services at competitive, non-London prices.

The coronavirus pandemic flipped the business world on its head. As the nation was forced into lockdown, businesses had to think on their feet to find ways to continue to meet the needs of their customers. We saw restaurants transform into takeaways, bricks and mortar stores move to online, and events businesses turn to webinars.

The UK government are encouraging people to get back to the office in a bid to spur economic recovery. This comes as shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants have successfully re-opened and this weekend we’ll see gyms, swimming pools and beauty salons also opening their doors once more.

Signature Flatbreads has sent a message of optimism amidst the economic uncertainty resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic, by committing significant investment to increase production capacity at its Dunstable factory, creating 75-100 new jobs. 

Bina Briggs is Director of Plain Talking HR, a Luton-based company that provides human resources services to small and medium-sized business owners in a variety of sectors. Bina has built her success on delivering simple and straightforward HR advice to support busy business owners with people-related matters.

Few businesses were prepared for what 2020 would bring. A global pandemic? It certainly wasn’t what anyone expected as we approached the turn of the new decade. But the COVID-19 crisis has wreaked financial havoc, leaving many small business owners struggling to stay afloat.