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

Ed Balls speech: concrete measures required to maintain credibility with business.Commenting on the Labour Party Conference speech by the Shadow Chancellor, Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

• Retail sales volumes for August 2013: down 0.9% on the month; up 2.1% on the year
• The August fall comes after a strong increase in July, and the trend in sales remains clearly upward, with an increase of 1.7% in the three months to August, compared with the previous three months
• Annual inflation in the retail sector slowed from 1.8% in July 2013 to 1.6% in August 2013

Businesses based in the Luton area are set to benefit from a free* University of Bedfordshire five-day course leading to an internationally recognised project management qualification.

Starting Year 10 or post 16 next September?

Would you be interested in purchasing a small but successful forklift training company based in Bedfordshire?

According to the Met Office we are currently at a Level 2 Heatwave Alert, which means that a Heatwave is forecast. For the East of England there is an 80% of Heatwave temperatures being reached.

The Business Centre was originally built as the headquarters of the then Vauxhall Iron Works in 1907 to designs by H B Cresswell.   Many visitors have memories of the building when it was owned by Vauxhall  and it is agreed to be one of the finest buildings in Luton.

The second event for this important Bedfordshire sector group is being supported by Bedford Borough Council.   Speakers will include Briton EMS and Growth Accelerator.  Open to both members and non-members , you will have the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded businesses, sharing concerns and working together to boost the local and national economies.

Business doesn't recognise borders, which is why you should join us for a great event where you can promote your business to like-minded business people from neighbouring areas Milton Keynes, North Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

The e-FM Network of Finance Directors & Specialists have been shortlisted in the FSB Business Awards 2013. The company which provides flexible financial management resource to SMEs up to Finance Director/ Non Executive Director levels will be celebrating this achievement with stakeholders and other successful companies at a prestigious awards dinner on the 6th of June at the Luton Hoo Luxury Hotel.

Local fitness instructor Jackie Neufville and her fitness company Fittville UK Ltd are organising a charity Spin-a-thon consisting of 6 hours of spinning on bikes to raise money for Luton’s homelessness charity NOAH Enterprise. Participants will be spinning for between one hour and potentially the whole day!

The Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network are keen to hear views from employers across Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire about 16-24 Youth Unemployment and how you feel about Apprenticeships.

The University of Bedfordshire’s Knowledge Hub has teamed up with Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council to launch an innovative leadership and management training programme aimed at business professionals looking to develop their skills set.

UltraVision CLPL is taking the manufacture of contact lenses to the next level and in support of this has employed Clinical Director, Lynn White MSc FCOptom and Engineering Manager, Nick Stonehouse.  With a strong clinical and manufacturing team, UltraVision is poised for growth and ready to ensure the future development of the next generation of contact lens technology.

What does singer Adele have in common with Flitwick based fuel card business i-fuelcards Ltd? The answer is they’ve both trademarked their names. Nigel Webb, Business Development Manager at i-fuelcards Ltd, knew that in a competitive market it was essential to protect a brand that was establishing a great reputation. 

From October 2013 all newly built commercial property completed between 1st October 2013 and 30th September 2016 will be exempt from empty property rates for the first 18 months (up to the state aids limit).

This is an ideal opportunity for local football players to play at STADIUMMK (UEFA Elite Stadium) and for businesses to showcase their brand.

South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) has named Daniel Charles Mouawad its newly appointed Chief Executive.

Do you own your own company?   Do you need to attract more customers?  Would you benefit from some marketing advice?  A new documentary series about SMEs wants to hear from you.

Chamber member Luton Family Law has secured the national Law Society's law management quality mark, Lexcel.

There's still time to enter the East of England's Local Impact Awards with Business in the Community.  This year BITC have seven categories open to companies based or operating in the region.

The latest workplace absence figures published in 2012 show that musculoskeletal problems such as back, neck, shoulder and knee pain are still proving to be a huge issue for people across the UK, blighting the lives of millions.

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.

For the first time businesses are being offered interactive support with their tax affairs by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

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

Nine Lives Media is a multi-award winning independent television production  company making documentaries for all the major UK broadcasters.  They are currently on the hunt for bosses to take part in a new series for the BBC.

Once voted one of the ugliest buildings in Bedford, the Park Inn by
Radisson has undergone a refurbishment of the public areas which was
completed in December 2012.