CALL FOR FEEDBACK ON SURPRISE PROPOSALS
You may have heard recently of proposed changes to employment laws which could make a substantial change to your employees terms and conditions, notably the inclusion of bank holidays in the minimum annual leave entitlement and increased rights for temporary agency workers. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) are currently undertaking an online employment survey and we would ask all Chamber members to visit the link below to complete this simple nine question, tick box survey which will only take a couple of minutes of your time. All responses are in strictest confidence and the survey will help BCC make the strongest possible statement to the Chancellor about what businesses think on these important issues. Please support this survey and visit: www.chamberonline.co.uk/policy/issues/employment/survey29072004.html
A TAXING SITUATION
The British Chambers of Commerce has advised that the European Commission is undertaking a project looking at the affect of tax systems on the retention and reinvestment of profits of small businesses. As part of this work the commission is very keen to hear from actual businesses themselves, rather than simply from tax consultants and other officials.
In order to collect the views of businesses on this issue, Smallbusiness Europe has developed a brief online questionnaire. The results will feed into a commission report looking at best practice across the member states, with suggestions for fiscal measures that could encourage small business growth. The link is: http://www.smallbusinesseurope.org/fiscal_measures_survey
PREMIUM RATE NUMBERS: DON'T BE CAUGHT OUT
Following increasing concerns about the bogus use of premium rate numbers ICSTIS, the voluntary regulator, have a new service where you can check suspect numbers on your phone bill.
ICSTIS can help you with the following types of numbers:
• Premium rate numbers prefixed 09 that are 11 digits in length.
• International numbers prefixed with 00 that provide a product or service.
• Directory Enquiry services prefixed with 118 that are 6 digits in length.
• Mobile phone text shortcodes prefixed with 8 or 2 that are 4 or 5 digits in length.
All other prefixes such as 087, 07 and regular local numbers (01 and 02) do not fall within the ICSTIS remit and cannot be checked via their website.
http://www.icstis.org.uk/icstis2002/PhoneNumberLookup/AskPhoneNumber.asp
RUTLAND MELTON AREA LUNCHEON WITH ALAN DUNCAN MP
Date: 10th September
Time:12 noon-2pm
Venue: Scalford Hall, Melton Mowbray
Cost: £25.00 one price only
Continuing the Chamber’s popular series of Area Luncheons, we are pleased to welcome Rutland & Melton MP Alan Duncan.
EMPLOYMENT LAW SEMINAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH FREETHCARTWRIGHT LLP
Date: 15th September
Time: 7.30am-9am
Venue: Holiday Inn Leicester
Cost: £25.00 Members/ £35.00 Standard
This seminar will look at when the proposed anti-discrimination laws will become effective and what they are likely to mean to employers. Topics to be covered include discrimination in relation to religion or belief and sexual orientation.
INTEGRA PRESENTATION WITH LIBBY PURVES
Date: 22nd September
Time: 6pm-8.45pm
Venue: Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Leicester
Cost: £34.50 Chamber Members / £44.50 Standard
Writer and broadcaster Libby Purves is the author of several novels as well as non-fiction books on childcare and travel. She is a columnist for The Times newspaper and was awarded an OBE for Services To Journalism in 1999. Libby is also a former presenter of Radio 4’s The Today programme and has been the presenter of the popular talk programme Midweek since 1984.
NETWORKING EVENING-SPONSORED BY WILSON BROWNE SOLICITORS
Date: 23rd September
Time: 6pm-8.30pm
Venue: Hosted by Astra Zeneca, Loughborough
Cost: £20.00 Chamber Members only
Leicestershire Chamber is keen to encourage members to network, linking businesses of all sizes and sectors together to enable them to meet, exchange views and identify potential new business. Astra Zeneca will be hosting this event which will include a delicious buffet and a tour of the company’s impressive site.
Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce networking events are
sponsored by Wilson Browne Solicitors
For more details or to book onto Chamber Events please contact the Events Team on Tel: 0116 247 1800. You can also visit www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk and click on What's On/Events.
CALLING ALL LEICESTERSHIRE SHOPS AND BUSINESSES...
Do you have you a small amount of floor space that can be used for 3 weeks to collect and store gift-filled shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas Child project?
Operation Christmas Child, the Christian relief project which delivered over 1.3 million gift filled shoeboxes to needy children in 14 Eastern European countries last Christmas, is calling on shops and businesses in Leicester to help in the 2004 campaign.
The organisation needs retail outlets and other premises open to the public to act as collection points from 5th to 21st November. Members of the public will be asked to drop off their gift-filled shoeboxes at these collection points, from where they will be collected by Operation Christmas Child
representatives. The range of collection points around the UK already registered includes shopping centers, supermarkets, chemists, shoe shops, clothes shops, newspaper offices, libraries, churches, community centers, post offices, council offices and car showrooms.
Any shop or business which has some storage space available and wishes to register as a drop off point should call Ruth Jones on 01978 36 77 22, or write to Samaritan's Purse/Operation Christmas Child, FREEPOST, PO Box 732, Wrexham LL13 9ZA for an application form.
OUTSOURCING 2004
This one-day event on September 9th at LCFC, supported by East Midlands Development Agency and the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership, will explore issues behind outsourcing functions such as:
• Financial administration
• Payroll
• Employment benefits
• Customer services
• Software development
For more information visit www.techlocate.com or call the event organisers Out There Events on Tel: 0161 244 5825
BEWARE MAILINGS FROM ECG- ARE THEY BACK IN BUSINESS?
In 2003, after the Office of Fair Trading received more than 280 complaints and the Catalan authorities tracked down the company, the Barcelona-based European City Guide (ECG) was shut down and fined £200,000 for giving the impression that inclusion in its directory was free. In reality a catch was buried in the small print of the paperwork it sent out to thousands of businesses and those that signed and returned the form requesting inclusion in the directory found themselves committed to paying thousands of pounds. There are now reports from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) that ECG is back in business and is once more targeting small business with misleading mail shots. The company has apparently relocated to Valencia and is again mailing out forms telling unwary businesses that ECG is compiling information for a CD-Rom. Businesses are asked to confirm their details and simply return the form. "The updating is cost free," it says at the top of the forms, however the small print at the bottom of the same form commits the unwary company to having their details inserted in the next three editions of the guide - at a cost of £611 per edition.
The summer holiday period has long been a popular period for sending misleading and fraudulent mailings (and increasingly e-mails) in the hope of catching out junior and temporary staff whilst covering for colleagues. Businesses must make sure to always read the small print before they sign anything and if in doubt they should contact their local trading standards office.
Leicester City Trading Standards: 0116 299 5600 and for the county: 0116 265 7979
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EXPORT/IMPORT COURSES
EXPORT FOUNDATION COURSE- 25th August
Beginners course to give overview of export documentation procedures and practices.
EXPORT DOCUMENTATION COURSE- 1st September
Covers the preparation of export paperwork, including transport documents, methods of payment and banking.
EXPORT LETTER OF CREDIT- 8th September
Intended for delegates with working knowledge of export documentation involved in processing letters of credit.
IMPORT FOUNDATION WORKSHOP-15th September
Beginners course setting out to give a clear overview of the procedures and documentation involved in importing.
Venue: Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, Charnwood Court, New Walk, Leicester
To find out more or to make a booking for one of these courses please contact Sharon Jeffrey on Tel: 0116 204 6618 or email: Jeffrey.s@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
EAST MIDLANDS MINI MISSION TO NEW EU MEMBER STATES
HUNGARY AND SLOVAKIA
16– 21 October 2004
Hungary and Slovakia, both new EU Member States, are developing quickly and export opportunities have been identified for clothing and textiles companies with the countries having a growing consumer demand for UK-designed fashion wear.
This trade mission will enable you to meet and network with retail buyers, wholesalers and agents exploring potential markets and develop business opportunities with retail buyers, wholesalers, manufacturers, agents and importers.
If you would like further details of this trade mission please contact:
Suzy Bolton / Louise Remfry
UK Trade & Investment / Business Link Leicestershire
Tel. 0116 2559944
Fax. 0116 2855 951
E mail : suzy.bolton@blleics.co.uk / louise.remfry@blleics.co.uk