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

If you've ever complained about conditions for business and felt no one's listening, now is your opportunity to be heard.  The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey is a highly respected snapshot of conditions for business but the BCC don't do it alone.  They need your input to help them present the most accurate picture in a survey which is taken very seriously by central government and the Bank of England and is reported widely in the press.

Two thirds of Bedfordshire businesses have no plan in place should they suffer a major catastrophe like fire, flooding or severe weather, research released by the Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum (BLLRF) has found. This means their competitors could profit from their problems if disaster struck. However help is at hand during Business Continuity Awareness Week (18-22 March 2013) and creating a plan is simple and quick and would help local companies to keep in business and protect jobs.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has been officially named as a Business Superbrand in an influential annual survey that identifies the UK’s strongest business-to-business brands. Independently co-ordinated by The Centre for Brand Analysis, the annual Business Superbrands survey considers thousands of brands that are judged by both an Expert Council and over 1,900 individual business professionals from across the UK. 

Chamber members Peninsula Business Services Ltd. has issued some timely advice for employers during periods of bad weather.

Commenting on the speech on banking delivered  by Business Secretary Vince Cable, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

Commenting on today's speech on the Banking Reform Bill by Chancellor George Osborne, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

2012 was an eventful year in the energy industry and 2013 is set to be no different!

Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce has expressed concern at opposition to plans to develop London Luton Airport by local interest groups in Hertfordshire saying they ignore the importance of the airport to the local and sub-regional economy.

Manufacturing and engineering are recognised as being vital to the health of our local and national economies.  It's important that Bedfordshire's prominence in these sectors is fostered and developed.

• Business lending fell by £2.1bn in December 2012
• Net lending to business contracted by £18.7bn for the year 2012

Commenting on today’s announcement by the Department for Transport on High Speed 2, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

• GDP in Q4 2012: -0.3% on the quarter; flat on the year
• Manufacturing output: -1.5% on the quarter; -2% on the year
• Services output: flat on the quarter; +1.4% on the year

If you still haven’t sent in your 2011-12 Self Assessment tax return, you’ve got just a few days left to do so and avoid a penalty.

Business lending fell by £2.8bn in November 2012. Net lending to small business contracted by £6.4bn over the past year. Commenting on the Trends in Lending report, published today by the Bank of England, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

Commenting on the Sickness Absence Review, published today by the Department for Work and Pensions, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

Commenting on today’s announcements on the Employment Law Review, published today by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

Ahead of the Prime Minister's long-awaited policy speech on Europe later this month the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), has today called for a pragmatic re-negotiation of Britain's relationship with the rest of the EU, reflecting the interests of businesses across the economy.

Weather forecasters are predicting snow in the next few weeks with temperatures dropping in some parts of the country to as low as -15 degrees.  If previous experience is anything to go by, the adverse weather conditions are likely to cause massive problems for  businesses and their ability to function, especially those in rural areas and trading estates.

Are you the owner of a small or medium sized enterprise? Are you facing challenges in today's turbulent and competitive market? Would you like to improve your business and revenue?

Reacting to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

Around 300 people from various voluntary agencies together with staff and the general public attended a stunning fundraising ball for The Mary Seacole Housing Association Limited.

This week has been a busy one at Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce with the business support organisation hosting three events at their Kimpton Road offices.

The Chamber was used for training by Peter East Associates and for IT and Export courses.

The Basepoint Innovation and Business Centre in Luton has donated £1,744 to its chosen charity, ReachOut Plus, and also £346 to St. Vincent de Paul, an international Christian voluntary organisation that tackles poverty.

Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce is asking businesses across Bedfordshire to make their voices heard and take part in the Quarterly Economic Survey. The Chamber conducts a quarterly survey to allow businesses in Bedfordshire to express their views on a number of issues affecting their day-to-day business, particularly in the current economic climate.

The Premier Newspaper Group commends Zest Solutions on making the finals of the Annual Bedfordshire & Luton Rising Stars Business Excellence Awards 2012.

The Bedfordshire based company were finalists in the New Business of the Year category; Zest Solutions received their commendation for all the hard work and dedication they put in to each day to grow and develop their business solutions and IT company.

Wyboston Lakes, the leading conference, training and leisure venue, has won the accolade for customer service in the annual Bedfordshire & Luton ‘Rising Stars’ Business Excellence awards. The achievement underlines the company’s comprehensive commitment to the training of all employees to provide exemplary standards of service not only to external customers, but also to working colleagues.

The National Health Service spends billions of pounds each year on products and services. The University’s Knowledge Network takes a look at the NHS’s procurement process, on 29 November, to find out how local small businesses can compete to become NHS suppliers.

The Barnfield Federation is planning to put together an employer focus group for their Academy and Free schools. They are inviting expressions of interest from larger employers, particularly in the following sectors. Barnfield Federation see this as an opportunity to use their experience and put something back into the community through the education of young people.