News

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

Quarterly Recruitment Outlook – 70% Face Difficulty Finding Staff as Workforce Growth Expectations Surge


• 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 

Read More

BCC Issues Blueprint for Economic Recovery and says Global Trade can be a key driver

 

The new Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, Shevaun Haviland, will today set out the action needed to help firms and communities rebuild.

In her first speech at the BCC’s Global Annual Conference, Haviland will argue that key steps are needed to boost UK trade, unlock the blockages in the skills training system and build a greener and more sustainable economy that achieves the aim of net zero by 2050.

Read More

Small Business Confidence Rising But Fears Over Future Lockdowns Remain, Finds BCC/Funding Circle Survey

• Growth: 63% of firms surveyed confident in their growth prospects over next 12 months

• Restarting: 53% already operating at pre-pandemic capacity; 80% expect to be by October

• Barriers: 38% cited further lockdowns as a barrier to re-opening, while 37% cited ongoing social distancing measures

• Finance: 44% believe access to finance will help overcome the remaining barriers to fully restarting operations

Read More

Landmark skills training report calls for wide-ranging reboot of UK system

A major new report is calling for a root and branch reform of the UK’s training system to help businesses access the skills they need to boost productivity.

The final report from the Workplace Training and Development Commission (WTDC), set up by the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Indeed, follows an 18-month in-depth study of what businesses want from adult skills training provision in the UK.

Read More

BCC welcomes Ratification of UK-EU TCA but says work remains to be done

Speaking after news that the Trade and Co-operation Agreeement has been ratified, Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said:

“While there may be relief that the ratification of the TCA has gone smoothly, the reality is that the changes within the agreement have been operational now for almost four months.

Read More

BCC SAYS MODEST GROWTH IN GDP OFFERS SOME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Commenting on GDP figures for February 2021 published by the ONS, BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, said:

“The latest data confirms a modest return to growth in February. However, coming after a contraction in January, it does little to alter the prospect of a downbeat first quarter for the UK economy.

Read More

BCC signs Armed Forces Covenant

The British Chamber of Commerce has signed the Armed Forces Covenant in a virtual signing event attended by the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Simon Brooks-Ward CVO OBE TD VR.

Read More

BCC Chair calls on businesswomen across the world to celebrate their achievements for International Women’s Day

Sarah Howard MBE believes women in business have a lot to be proud of but more needs to be done to make sure their voices are heard, especially in company boardrooms.

Read More

British Chambers of Commerce appoints Shevaun Haviland as new Director General

The Board of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today announced the appointment of Shevaun Haviland as the new Director General of the organisation.

Read More

BCC provides its full response to March 2021 Budget

Giving his reaction to the Chancellor’s budget, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the BCC, said:

“There’s much to welcome in this Budget for business communities across the UK. The Chancellor has listened and acted on our calls for immediate support to help struggling businesses reach the finish line of this gruelling marathon and to begin their recovery.

Read More

BCC gives its initial response to March 2021 budget


Giving his reaction to the Chancellor’s budget, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the BCC, said:

“There’s much to welcome in this Budget for business communities across the UK. The Chancellor has listened and acted on our calls for immediate support to help struggling businesses reach the finish line of this gruelling marathon and to begin their recovery.

Read More

BCC welcomes new Brexit support fund for SMEs

Commenting on the announcement of the fund, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the BCC, said: 

“This is a welcome first step in dealing with some of the major issues that small businesses trading with the EU are facing.

Read More

BCC Brexit survey: Half  of  UK  exporters  report  difficulties  adapting to changes relating to EU-UK goods trade


Results from the first major business survey for 2021 by the British Chambers of Commerce on Brexit found that half (49%) of  exporters  are  facing difficulties in adapting to the changes in the trade of goods following the ratification of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on 1 January 2021. 

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BCC Quarterly Economic Survey Q4 2020: Business conditions remain weak and show no signs of improvement for vast majority of firms

The British Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) – the UK’s largest independent survey of business sentiment and a leading indicator of UK GDP growth – found that business conditions remained weak in the fourth quarter as the second lockdown squeezed activity.

Read More

BCC responds to announcement of new lockdown business support


Commenting on the support measures for business announced by the Chancellor, BCC Director General, Adam Marshall said:   

'While this immediate cash flow support for business is welcome, it is not going to be enough to save many firms.

Read More

BCC: Government must support businesses – not just to weather restrictions but to power our economic recovery

British Chambers of Commerce calls for the government to give businesses more evidence, support and clarity to weather Coronavirus restrictions and help power our economic recovery. 

Read More

How Businesses can Take Back Control of their Outgoings

National restrictions continue to significantly affect businesses across the country. While non-essential retail, hospitality and leisure businesses have had to temporarily close during lockdown, those businesses which are still operating will also have been heavily affected by the pandemic.

Read More

BCC responds to updated Border Operating Model

Commenting on the government’s updated Border Operating Model, published today, BCC Director of Trade Facilitation Liam Smyth said: 

Read More

BCC responds to Chancellor’s Winter Economic Plan

Responding to The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP’s announcement of a Winter Economic Plan, including a new raft of measures to support businesses and the economy as the pandemic continues, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:

Read More

BCC announces future change of Director General

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.

Read More

BCC President warns PM of “difficult winter ahead” without bolder action to restart UK economy

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

Read More

BCC responds to Prime Minister’s announcement on further easing of lockdown restrictions

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement of further easing of Coronavirus restrictions from July 4 in England, including the reopening of culture, tourism and leisure venues

Read More

Launch of New Chamber Finance Finder Platform, transforming members' access to business finance

An exciting new business funding matching tool looking to revolutionise access to finance for businesses in Bedfordshire is released today 

Read More

BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker: Firms begin to reopen but one in ten cannot implement government guidance safely

Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal that the majority of firms surveyed are in a position to partially restart

Read More

BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker: Firms ready to embrace ‘new normal’ but government support must adapt

Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal that firms are ready for a gradual reopening of the economy but

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BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker: most firms can be ready for ‘restart’ within three weeks

Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal the vast majority of firms surveyed say they will require three weeks or less 

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“This is a time to be bold”: BCC sets out principles for safe restart of UK economy

Open letter to Prime Minister published as government mulls plan to lift lockdown

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BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker:

 

Loan schemes still slow to help many cash-strapped firms – but furlough scheme preventing redundancies

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BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker: More than 70 per cent of firms surveyed have furloughed staff as scheme goes live

Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal that the vast majority of businesses surveyed have furloughed a proportion of their workforce, and are awaiting funds from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as payday approaches for many.

Read More

Quarterly Recruitment Outlook – 70% Face Difficulty Finding Staff as Workforce Growth Expectations Surge


• 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 

Read More

BCC Issues Blueprint for Economic Recovery and says Global Trade can be a key driver

 

The new Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, Shevaun Haviland, will today set out the action needed to help firms and communities rebuild.

In her first speech at the BCC’s Global Annual Conference, Haviland will argue that key steps are needed to boost UK trade, unlock the blockages in the skills training system and build a greener and more sustainable economy that achieves the aim of net zero by 2050.

Read More

Small Business Confidence Rising But Fears Over Future Lockdowns Remain, Finds BCC/Funding Circle Survey

• Growth: 63% of firms surveyed confident in their growth prospects over next 12 months

• Restarting: 53% already operating at pre-pandemic capacity; 80% expect to be by October

• Barriers: 38% cited further lockdowns as a barrier to re-opening, while 37% cited ongoing social distancing measures

• Finance: 44% believe access to finance will help overcome the remaining barriers to fully restarting operations

Read More

Landmark skills training report calls for wide-ranging reboot of UK system

A major new report is calling for a root and branch reform of the UK’s training system to help businesses access the skills they need to boost productivity.

The final report from the Workplace Training and Development Commission (WTDC), set up by the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Indeed, follows an 18-month in-depth study of what businesses want from adult skills training provision in the UK.

Read More

BCC welcomes Ratification of UK-EU TCA but says work remains to be done

Speaking after news that the Trade and Co-operation Agreeement has been ratified, Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said:

“While there may be relief that the ratification of the TCA has gone smoothly, the reality is that the changes within the agreement have been operational now for almost four months.

Read More

BCC SAYS MODEST GROWTH IN GDP OFFERS SOME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Commenting on GDP figures for February 2021 published by the ONS, BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, said:

“The latest data confirms a modest return to growth in February. However, coming after a contraction in January, it does little to alter the prospect of a downbeat first quarter for the UK economy.

Read More

BCC signs Armed Forces Covenant

The British Chamber of Commerce has signed the Armed Forces Covenant in a virtual signing event attended by the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Simon Brooks-Ward CVO OBE TD VR.

Read More

BCC Chair calls on businesswomen across the world to celebrate their achievements for International Women’s Day

Sarah Howard MBE believes women in business have a lot to be proud of but more needs to be done to make sure their voices are heard, especially in company boardrooms.

Read More

British Chambers of Commerce appoints Shevaun Haviland as new Director General

The Board of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today announced the appointment of Shevaun Haviland as the new Director General of the organisation.

Read More

BCC provides its full response to March 2021 Budget

Giving his reaction to the Chancellor’s budget, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the BCC, said:

“There’s much to welcome in this Budget for business communities across the UK. The Chancellor has listened and acted on our calls for immediate support to help struggling businesses reach the finish line of this gruelling marathon and to begin their recovery.

Read More

BCC Quarterly Economic Survey Q4 2020: Business conditions remain weak and show no signs of improvement for vast majority of firms

The British Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) – the UK’s largest independent survey of business sentiment and a leading indicator of UK GDP growth – found that business conditions remained weak in the fourth quarter as the second lockdown squeezed activity.

Read More

BCC responds to announcement of new lockdown business support


Commenting on the support measures for business announced by the Chancellor, BCC Director General, Adam Marshall said:   

'While this immediate cash flow support for business is welcome, it is not going to be enough to save many firms.

Read More

BCC: Government must support businesses – not just to weather restrictions but to power our economic recovery

British Chambers of Commerce calls for the government to give businesses more evidence, support and clarity to weather Coronavirus restrictions and help power our economic recovery. 

Read More

How Businesses can Take Back Control of their Outgoings

National restrictions continue to significantly affect businesses across the country. While non-essential retail, hospitality and leisure businesses have had to temporarily close during lockdown, those businesses which are still operating will also have been heavily affected by the pandemic.

Read More

BCC responds to updated Border Operating Model

Commenting on the government’s updated Border Operating Model, published today, BCC Director of Trade Facilitation Liam Smyth said: 

Read More

BCC responds to Chancellor’s Winter Economic Plan

Responding to The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP’s announcement of a Winter Economic Plan, including a new raft of measures to support businesses and the economy as the pandemic continues, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:

Read More

BCC announces future change of Director General

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.

Read More

BCC President warns PM of “difficult winter ahead” without bolder action to restart UK economy

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

Read More

BCC responds to Prime Minister’s announcement on further easing of lockdown restrictions

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement of further easing of Coronavirus restrictions from July 4 in England, including the reopening of culture, tourism and leisure venues

Read More

Launch of New Chamber Finance Finder Platform, transforming members' access to business finance

An exciting new business funding matching tool looking to revolutionise access to finance for businesses in Bedfordshire is released today 

Read More

BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker: Firms begin to reopen but one in ten cannot implement government guidance safely

Results from the latest BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker reveal that the majority of firms surveyed are in a position to partially restart

Read More

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