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

• Percentage of UK businesses reporting increased export sales remains flat for the 5th quarter in a row at 29%
• A quarter (25%) of exporters saw decreased sales, while 46% report no change
• Concerns over manufacturing recovery as exporters report unprecedented cost pressures and inflation worries

We’re all now familiar with the cost of living crisis - how households are struggling to keep up with bills and afford the rapidly rising cost of food, fuel and other essentials.

But there’s another crisis, similar to the struggle households are going through, which is dramatically hitting businesses, and that’s the ‘cost of doing business’ crisis. Firms across the country are being confronted by rapidly rising costs of vital raw materials, fuel, wages and, of course, energy.

Inclusion 365 owner and Chamber member Victoria Dale helps businesses champion Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), to improve employee wellbeing and business performance, and to help them become an employer of choice.

Read any report or study into how businesses can remain competitive today and you will come across the recommendation of ‘digital transformation’. Technology is now a growing part of our economy, attracting worldwide investment. According to the government, the UK tech sector attracted £6.3 billion in venture capital investment in 2018. It is therefore no surprise that they are keen for businesses to undergo digital transformation.

Director General of the BCC, Shevaun Haviland, is to urge the Government to take action to save the economy as the cost of doing business crisis continues to worsen.

Jaltek has increased its manufacturing space by 50 percent and is recruiting Production, Engineering, and Account Management, to meet increased demand for electronic assembly.

Commenting on the Office for National Statistics inflation figures for May 2022, Head of Research at the BCC, David Bharier, said:  
“The further increase in Consumer Prices Index inflation to 9.1% underscores the severe pressure that businesses and households are under.

On 6^th February 1952, Queen Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne when the UK was exhausted from war and rationing. But on her watch, the economy soon began to boom. New shopping centres and housing were built, followed by the first motorway.

HM The Queen has been pleased to appoint Mrs Susan Lousada DL as Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Bedfordshire on the retirement of Mrs Helen Nellis on Tuesday 06 September 2022.

The John Bunyan Community Boat, a completely volunteer based group in Bedford have just been awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.

Best practice focused webinars remain available on demand

Peli BioThermal, the life science industry’s partner from discovery to distribution, recently concluded its InnovationShare webinar series.

Companies that import and export are having a tough time recently with the disruption of Brexit, spiralling prices, and the war in Ukraine, so some positive news would be welcome. And on the surface, the recent reversal of planned import controls delivers this.

Following an annual agency review process by DrumRecommends, 21 year old Chamber member Bonfire Creative Intelligence has been listed in their Top 40 UK recommended agencies for building brilliant brands, and their Top 50 recommended agencies for Digital Marketing. DrumRecommends is an agency rating platform and is part of thedrum.com, a global media platform and the biggest marketing website in Europe.

Warden Plastics Ltd. have over 60 years of experience in plastic injection moulding and extrusion. With the in-house capabilities to manufacture a vast array of recycled plastic components to customer specifications, Warden Plastics serves customers in diverse industrial sectors, from automotive, medical, DIY, furniture and wastewater.

If you’ve been struggling to recruit the right people into your business recently, then you’re not alone. There is a ‘skills shortage’ in the UK, and between January and March 2022, vacancies rose to a record 1,288,000. This also comes against a backdrop of Brexit and a pandemic, both of which have been blamed for labour shortages. Some sectors have received particular attention, for example, the shortage of HGV drivers following the UK’s exit from the EU, and the difficulties in finding hospitality staff since the pandemic.

Did you know that:

• One in 10 firms have been the victim of a cyber-attack in the last year
• More than 50% of businesses believe their exposure to a cyber-attack had increased due to staff working from home
• 80% of companies do not have cyber-security accreditations in place

Beds Chamber members, THSP are delighted to announce that they won the Supplier of the Year award at the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) AGM and Awards on Friday 25th March 2022. This is a wonderful accolade for THSP in an industry that they have worked with for the past 30 years.  

Wyboston Lakes Resort is now accredited as a Real Living Wage Employer.

The Resort’s Living Wage commitment will confirm that everyone working there receives a minimum hourly wage

• Proportion of UK exporters reporting increased export sales (29%) was largely unchanged for the 4th quarter running

• Proportion reporting decreased sales historically high at 25%, also little changed since 1 year ago in Q1 2021

• Exporters more likely that non-exporters to expect increases to their prices in coming months

Every business owner will need to deliver a short pitch at some point, which sums up the basics of your business in under a minute. It is a powerful tool and here are our top 5 tips to make sure your pitch hits the right note.

A Bedfordshire PR company has launched a package aimed at helping contractors pitching for work on the Sizewell C project in Suffolk.

April draws near which signals the start of the John Bunyan Community Boat’s cruising season. This year we have a number of new cruises which encompass the delight of cruising with another activity be it dining, learning of the History of Bedford or even Gin.

Wyboston Lakes Resort has promoted Simon McMahon to the position of Director of Operations. He will oversee all the assets at the 400-bedroom Resort, including the recently refurbished Waterfront Hotel, Y Spa, 18-hole golf course and 60,000 sq ft of serviced offices.

Streets Chartered Accountants, a top 40 UK accountancy and advisory practice, are delighted to announce the appointment of experienced banking and advisory specialist, Martyn Shakespear, as its new Head of Banking & Finance.

There are a wide range of benefits when using a commercial property agent, such as Robinson & Hall, to assist you with the disposal of a property, by lease or sale, or when acquiring a property, either as a purchaser or a tenant. We have detailed a number of these key advantages below.

Patrick McGrath brings more than 20 years of cold chain industry experience to the role

Peli BioThermal, the life science industry’s cold chain partner from discovery to distribution, announces Patrick McGrath as its new Director of Sales, Americas.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging the Chancellor to take bold and decisive action in his Spring Statement to tackle the escalating cost of doing business crisis.

The benefits of networking are well established. When businesses come together, they can share knowledge, build connections, discover new opportunities and raise their profile. However, this only happens if you approach networking in the right way. Networking is like much else in life: you get out what you put in. But how can you make the most of networking events?

Over the last few months, there has been much talk about rising costs and these are now filtering through to consumers with the UK’s annual inflation rate hitting 5.5% in January. However, this hides the truth of what is happening in some sectors. For example, the wholesale price of gas in January 2022 was almost four times higher than it was in early 2021. Plus, the current horrific situation in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions against Russia are adding more pressure. Yet it’s not only consumers that are feeling the pinch. Rising costs are also affecting many businesses, with numerous factors contributing to the problem.