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

The Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Sue Lousada, is a seasoned businesswoman with a scientific background and a hands-on approach to getting things done. She’s also a true ambassador for business in the county, determined to use her post to “shine a light on the good that is in Bedfordshire.”

Whatever the size of your business, it is likely that at some stage you will face multiple challenges that can feel impossible to overcome. In fact, you will typically experience these at every stage of the business’s growth.

In this piece, we take a look at what we, as a member of the British Chambers of Commerce, offer to make it easier for business owners in our region to get advice and support when they need it most.

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?

We have built Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce on five pillars: growth, grants and funding, export, referrals and introductions, networking and connections, and voice. We believe in giving businesses the support they need, whether that’s through introductions or funding, to grow and expand.

In one of our recent webinars, Chris Davies at Sandler Training gave a powerful and motivating talk about how businesses can increase their prospect pipeline. Coronavirus has of course shaken businesses to their core, but as Chris argues, now is not the time to sit back and wait for people to be ready to start buying again.

As an entrepreneur or small business, you’re always on the hunt for new business opportunities. Being able to spot these opportunities is essential for growth, especially in today’s business environment.

Referrals can be incredibly powerful for your small business - they are the simplest and most consistent way to grow your customer base.

Why do some businesses struggle so much to get off the ground? Or, when they eventually gain some momentum, they plateau and fail to sustain any growth?

Businesses who want to test their ability to survive a crisis like a major fire, power cut or a flu epidemic can make use of free resources from the Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum (BLLRF) during Business Continuity Awareness Week (16-20 March).

Commenting on the publication of the report, ‘Cut EU red tape’, which has been published by the Business Taskforce today (Tuesday), Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

Commenting on Business Secretary Vince Cable’s speech at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

The Local Enterprise Agency SEMLEP is recruiting for two posts:  Business and Economic Analyst and Head of Business Development.

Chamber member Acuigen,  a specialist customer feedback service company, is recruiting for a Business Development Executive. The key purpose of the role is to initiate and build business relationships that secure business.

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 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. 

Leaders from diverse walks of life will be sharing their personal and professional tales en-route to success, in a series of lectures as part of an initiative to get practice-led learning into the University of Bedfordshire.

Bedfordshire Chamber member Hayward Tyler is featured on the front page of a new website set up by the British Chambers of Commerce.  The website is part of the BCC's Business is Good for Britain campaign.

Innovative use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and entrepreneurship are a “matter of survival” for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) who want to succeed online.