Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce

Issue: January 2007

CHAMBER NEWS

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As a member of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce don't forget that you can access the members' only section of the chamber website, with its memorable address of www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk , by using your membership number. This privileged area allows access to:

Contact numbers for the members' only advice lines for legal issues and the HR Helpline
The Chamber HR website including information booklets and standard templates on human resource, tax & legal issues including a Health Check to allow you to see if you comply with current HR legislation.
A list of over 50 fellow Chamber members in the Member-to-Member Services section, each of whom offer a discount or special offer to other Chamber members including discounts at several health & leisure clubs
Chamber Fleet Assist with large discounts for AA membership
An archive of Chamber News magazines and press releases
More in-depth detail on many of the services which the Chamber offers including access to an online energy audit, discounted business and personal travel, discounted access to financial services and healthcare schemes, discounts and help with telecommunications.

Remember that most of the benefits of membership listed on our website are available to all members of staff in any company who is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. If you want any other people in your company to receive the monthly Good Morning Leicestershire email then let us know their details and we will keep them informed as to how they can best access all of the benefits of membership of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce.

If you are unsure of your Chamber of Commerce membership number then this can normally be found on your annual membership certificate which is sent out to you upon payment of your annual subscription. Alternatively you can call the Chamber on 0116 247 1800 and any of our team will be happy to let you know your membership number.

S4B, the commercial training arm of Leicester College and the training partner of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, is seeking opinions from Leicestershire businesses on what types of courses and training they would be interested in. Both S4B and the Leicestershire Chamber are continually looking to ensure that the courses on offer are relevant to business needs.

If you would like to offer your constructive comments on this matter then please click here and complete the short survey. Completed forms should be faxed or emailed to S4B, details can be found on the form.

To find out about existing training opportunities please call S4B on Tel: 0116 229 5555 or email: s4b@leicestercollege.ac.uk

Leicestershire companies could be in with the chance to win up to £15,000 in a competition designed to discover the top IT performers in the region.

The East Midlands eBusiness Awards are part of a region-wide initiative aimed at helping companies improve their performance through the innovative use of information communications technology and eBusiness techniques.

Open to small and medium-sized business, firms will compete for five separate categories with each winner receiving a £5,000 cash prize, plus a trophy and lots of free publicity when the Ebusiness Awards presentation evening and gala dinner takes place on February 22nd at the East Midlands Conference Centre.

Funded by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and supported by Business Link, the awards are being organised and managed by the East Midlands Chambers of Commerce through their eBusiness club programme.

For more details visit www.ebusinessclub.biz/awards

The closing date for entries is January 19th 2007.

The vast majority of organisations are working in the dark when it comes to gathering accurate management information on their electricity consumption – wreaking havoc with forecasting, budgeting, bill payment and the identification of waste.

But new Smart Metering technology available from Chamber Utilities™ is now offering these organisations a low cost solution – giving them access to consumption readings taken every 30 minutes, 24/7. This information is downloaded via mobile technology to provide actual consumption information for the supplier to accurately invoice against. The data can also be accessed in user friendly graphical and tabular formats by the company to show half hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual patterns of usage.

Says Jeff Wealands, Technical Director for Utility Auditing Ltd (UAL), which supplies the Chamber Utilities™ service: "Electricity is now one of the most costly business overheads and it is vital that businesses have access to detailed and timely management information to help profile consumption. This can be used for a variety of purposes, including cost control and forecasting, waste minimisation and bill validation.

"This level of detailed information has previously only been available to half-hourly metered customers. Smart meters open up this resource to smaller businesses, who often work on estimated bills and infrequent meter readings. Using this sophisticated software we are helping companies to monitor and reduce their energy consumption – usually resulting in double digit savings."

Smart metering is an essential tool in improving energy efficiency. Monitoring consumption in minute detail businesses can identify precisely when and where the waste is occurring and put measures in place to address the problems. In addition, an alert function is available to advise the company of any significant increase in consumption so that waste can be tackled instantly.

The meters can be installed at low cost in various parts of a building, enabling zonal monitoring. This can help with energy efficiency monitoring, but is also useful in apportioning costs to various departments.

By using accurate data, companies can also make significant energy procurement savings as electricity suppliers don’t need to guard against estimated consumption or load factors and can provide a more competitive price.

To find out more about Smart Meters, contact Chamber Utilities™ on 0845 120 2423, www.chamberutilities.co.uk

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Membership of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce entitles you to access the website and helplines of QDOS Consulting where you can get accurate, up to date information on all employment law and legislation matters – completely free of charge.

For more information visit www.chamberhr.co.uk

Members who wish to download Word or PDF templates from this website will need their username and password to access this resource. You can obtain this by calling Leicestershire Chamber on Tel: 0116 247 1800.

Manufacturers and importers of electrical and electronic products in the East Midlands have just six months to prepare for 'full producer responsibility' under the terms of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. The Directive will be implemented in January 2007, with "producers" required to register with a compliance scheme before producer responsibility becomes fully effective on 1st July 2007.

Most electrical and electronic products - even those as simple as a lamp, alarm clock, video game or toaster - will need to meet the requirements of the Directive, including those which are re-branded in the UK.

From July, producers will be responsible for financing the collection and treatment and recycling and recovery to meet the prescribed targets of their products at the end of their useful life, says resource efficiency programme Envirowise. This applies across ten main product categories including IT and telecoms, household appliances, medical electrical devices and selected sports and leisure equipment.

However, companies must first join an approved producer compliance scheme by 15th March, says Wendy Mannix, Envirowise Regional Manager for theEast Midlands. This includes paying a registration fee and detailing how much electrical and electronic equipment they place onthe market each year.

"The objective is to reduce a reliance on landfill sites by providing an impetus to boost recycling of WEEE. However, it is estimated that up to 100,000 businesses will be affected by the legislation – meaning detailed support and information will be required over the next six months and beyond, to help people fully understand and adapt to these new regulations."

Businesses selling products for consumer use will need to offer financed collection and recycling of household WEEE deposited at local collection facilities e.g. civic amenity centres and high street retailers. Producers of equipment used commercially, on the other hand, will need to offer collection direct from the business premises – using a licensed waste carrier.

"It is also important to note that all new products placed on the market from 1st April 2007 will need to show a crossed out wheelie bin symbol and your producer identification mark," adds Wendy.

Manufacturers and retailers can access free advice and information from Envirowise at www.envirowise.gov.uk/weee or by calling the confidential helpline on 0800 585 794.

A useful fact sheet is also available from the Environment Agency at http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO1006BLNZ-e-e.pdf

CHAMBER EVENTS

Date: 23 January
Venue: Selfridges Store, Birmingham
Time: 2pm - 8pm
Cost: £25 includes buffet lunch and wine but not travel
Integra, the Chamber’s association of women in business, is hosting this excellent networking opportunity along with a behind-the-scenes tour of the impressive recently-built Selfridges store.

Date: 21 February
Venue: Leicester Tigers Ground, Aylestone Road, Leicester
Time: 7.30am – 9am
Cost: £25.00 Chamber Members / £35.00 Standard.
Includes full English breakfast.

This seminar will look at changes in legislation coming into force in April including:

Flexible Working
Information & Consultation Regulations
Equality Act & Sexual Orientation Regulations
Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures

Date: 2 March
Venue: Leicester City Football Club, Leicester
Time: 7pm – midnight
Cost: £50 per person / £470 per table of ten
Discounted rates for community & women's groups

Celebrate the success of women in Leicestershire at this gala award evening with guest speakers Suzi Quatro and Kay Alexander.

Date: 20 March
Venue: The Curry Pot, Belgrave Road, Leicester
Time: 18.00 - 20.30
Cost: £25.00 Members; £35.00 Standard

Leicestershire Chamber invites you to join us for a networking evening with an Indian touch at one of Leicestershire's well-known Indian restaurants.The Curry Pot will be providing a delicious buffet banquet.

Later in the evening, business cards will be put into a hat and taken out at random, giving at least six guests a chance to give a short presentation on their business.

For more information on these events please call Kam Atker on Tel: 0116 204 6614 or alternatively visit the Chamber website for details of other forthcoming events at: www.chamberofcommmerce.co.uk and select What’s On/events

OTHER NEWS

Leicester Shire Economic Partnership (LSEP) has begun the process of recruiting a new Chair to succeed Nick Townsend who retired last year. The independent Chair of LSEP has to be from the Private Sector and be committed to helping improve the economic prosperity of Leicester and Leicestershire. He/she will lead a board of sixteen key people from the private, public and voluntary/community sectors. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic individual who will spearhead, challenge and help shape the future economic growth of the sub-region.

LSEP is one of East Midland Development Agency's (emda) seven sub-regional strategic partnerships and is at the forefront of making Leicester Shire a successful and competitive sub-region in Europe. A commitment to this vision is essential.

The LSEP Board:

Has a strategic leadership role in driving forward the sub-regional economic agenda, taking a lead where it believes it is necessary or where it has been invited to do so by it's key partners.
Acts as a catalyst in bringing together and influencing other organisations in their investment decisions to deliver local economic priorities
Invests resources provided to it by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) either directly or in partnership with others to bring about change.

Martin Traynor, Interim Chair of LSEP, says: "This is a unique opportunity for someone to lead the partnership in driving forward the economic growth of Leicester and Leicestershire. This is an interesting opportunity to be at the forefront of existing economic regeneration."

Further information is available from Kishor Tailor: kishort@lsep.co.uk or 0116 257 567. Closing date for applications 31st January 2007.

Invest Leicestershire are delighted to announce the launch of the new Invest Leicestershire website www.investleicestershire.com . The new site features information that businesses need in order to make an informed decision about expanding or relocating to Leicester and Leicestershire. With information on Leicestershire's workforce, skills availability, commercial property and business parks, regeneration and investment updates, transport networks, world class universities and much more, it really does show why Leicestershire is surprisingly good for business.

The new site also features an interactive map of Leicestershire which features communications links, local universities, business parks etc and also a document library for people looking for more information on the city and county.

Invest Leicestershire.com also features the Leicestershire Property Directory, the online commercial property search engine, with over 800 properties including offices, industrial and warehouse properties.

AshbySchoolis a specialist technology college which caters for 14 -19 year olds in North West Leicestershire. On the 7th February 2007 they are organising a workshop for year 11 students, 15-16 year olds. The aim of the workshop is to cover work related topics such as interview techniques, personal communication, body language and completing application forms. The knowledge and experience that employers bring to these sessions enables students to confidently take their first steps into the world of work.

The school is appealing for speakers to help with these sessions. The workshop is scheduled from 1.05pm to 3.05pm with an invitation to a buffet lunch at 12.15pm. The presentation will be to a group of 20 students and speakers will be accompanied by a tutor. If you can help please contact Marnie Bennett on Tel: 01530 413748

Resurfacing works at M1 junction 24 near Kegworth and on the carriageway going south to Junction 23A are due to start on 15th January and will take 9 weeks to complete.

To avoid delays and disruption for drivers at this very busy junction the work will be carried out overnight from 9pm to 6am the following morning.

The roads which connect to the roundabout will be closed for safety reasons. The closures will take place one at a time, working around the roundabout for a maximum of 2-3 overnight periods for each closure. During road closures, traffic approaching the roundabout on that road will be diverted. Drivers will have to follow the diversion routes which will be signed using either local roads or the M1 between junctions 23 and 25. During the daytime, the junction will be fully reopened.

When resurfacing on the M1 from Junctions 24 to 23a, only one lane going south will be in use.

Samaritans is looking for people to get involved with its Stress Down Day, a national awareness and fundraising event taking place on 1st February 2007 in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill and Samaritans is launching an annual Stress Down Day to raise awareness of the effects of stress in the workplace and encourage people to take better care of their emotional health.

Stress in the workplace is frequently cited as the number one issue affecting employee productivity with the cost to the British economy being estimated at £3.7 billion per year, but added to this figure is the immeasurable amount of personal cost that stress and economic inactivity brings.

Get involved in Stress Down Day and you’ll help to increase awareness of the detrimental effects of stress in the workplace, improve the emotional well-being of employees and help Samaritans raise vital funds so it can continue to provide round-the-clock emotional support to anyone experiencing feelings of distress or despair.

The ways to support Stress Down Day include:

Stress free zone: Dedicate one suitably-furnished room in the office to chilling out for the day and charge £2 for 20mins.
Email chill-out: Sponsor people to turn their email off for a few blissful, email-free hours.
Encourage everyone to wear their slippers at work or run a range of other 'stress down' activities and donate £2 to Samaritans for taking part.
Confess the stress: Set up a postbox where people can drop off their secret stress confessions at £2 per confession.
Run a stress auction: Stress-busting activities like a massage or even a free day off!
Soothing smoothies: The new coffee morning! Sell smoothies for £2 a glass!

To find out more about Stress Down Day and apply for a supporter pack log on to www.stressdownday.org.

With warmer than average temperatures experienced in November and fairly mild weather in December, businesses may be lured into a false sense of security this winter. However the Met Office is predicting a late cold snap that could cause problems for owners and managers of small businesses. Additionally, AXA is advising that businesses check their insurance policies to ensure they cover adverse weather phenomena. With the UK experiencing an upsurge in unpredictable extreme weather, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, it is vital businesses have adequate financial protection.

During cold weather, burst pipes and the breakdown of heating systems present the biggest problems to businesses. Such events can cause water damage to property and key equipment, which can leave businesses with significant repair bills, damaged stock as well as loss of business - the financial cost can run into thousands of pounds.

"Because of the recent mild weather business owners may not be prepared for a sharp drop in temperature. A few commonsense precautions can be taken to reduce the risks cold weather can pose," explains Doug Barnett, Risk Control Strategy Manager for AXA Insurance. "For example, making sure the heating is left on at a low temperature in unoccupied premises will prevent pipes from freezing and bursting."

Other tips for protecting premises, stock and equipment against cold weather include:

Identify the location of stop cocks/valves inside the premises as well as the main incoming valve in the street. Be sure to advise staff of their location.
Businesses that share their premises should discuss contingencies for common/shared areas with their landlord.
Avoid storing computer and electronic equipment on the floor.
Ensure stock and packaging materials are a minimum of 150mm off the floor in racking or on pallets.
Ensure heating systems are given regular maintenance checks and frost stats are operational.
Review and update emergency contact lists.
Retain insurance company/intermediary details and ensure emergency contact staff have copies.

Businesses occupying shared premises should also discuss the following with their landlords:

Find out whether there are water tanks in building roof space, where they are and whether associated pipe work is lagged or trace heated.
Discuss whether areas occupied by other tenants are protected against frost damage and burst pipes.
Ascertain whether there is a central emergency contact register. If there is, ensure the business has a copy.
If there are unoccupied areas in the building, find out who is in charge of inspecting them.

The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Paul Westley invites you and your friends and colleagues to the Valentine Ball which is to be held in support of the 'Caring for People' Appeal, in aid of LOROS and Heart Link, on Saturday 17th February 2007 at 6.45 for 7.30 pm in the Grove Suite, Leicester Marriott, Smith Way, Grove Park, Leicester.

The evening, sponsored by Fenwick of Leicester, will comprise of a four-course meal followed by dancing to a live band. Dress for the evening will be dinner jacket for gentlemen and evening dress for ladies.

Tickets are available from the Lord Mayor's Secretariat priced at £450 for a table seating ten. Alternatively, you may wish to purchase individual tickets at the cost of £45 per head.

If you would like to book a table for this prestigious event please click here. Places are limited, and to avoid disappointment, it is recommended that you reply as soon as possible. In any event, all replies should be received by Friday 19th January 2007.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce has announced that it will be running the following one-day export courses in early 2007:

14th February / 7th March Export Foundation Course

19th February / 14th March Export Documentation Course

28th February / 21st March Export Letter of Credit Course

8th February / 28th March Import Foundation Course

For more details or to make a booking contact Kam Atker, Events Liaison Officer at Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, on Tel: 0116 204 6614 or email: atker.k@chamberofcommerce.co.uk Alternatively you can visit our website at www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk and select What’s On /Events.

Saturday 3rd February and /or Saturday 28th April

Business language sessions in Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Russian & Spanish will be held at Welland Park College in Market Harborough on 3rd February and 28th April 2007 from 10 am – 1 pm. Sessions are free-standing, cost £10.50 each and will be delivered by native speakers to give an insight into the business culture and language of choice.

Sessions in German, Italian & Spanish are aimed at people with no or very little knowledge of the language chosen for study and cover the practicalities of meeting and greeting clients and making phone calls. Chinese and Russian sessions are also for beginners but offer more of an insight into the different business cultures as well as language content. French language tuition is aimed at people with post-beginner/ intermediate knowledge and covers speaking skills for making a phone call and extending/accepting /declining a business invitation on the first day and writing business letter /emails on the second. For more information contact Ceri Marriott on Tel: 01858 433984.

Researching Export Markets, Your Export Strategy & the Internet,Successful Exhibitions, Export Pricing, Winning Orders Overseas, Language & Culture.

East Midlands Chambers of Commerce has introduced a menu of workshops to help small to medium sized companies. The workshops are practical, linking theory to experience, with seasoned exporters and trade professionals as trainers. For further details please contact Julie Whiting or Gillian Porter on Tel: 01246 207207.

23rd January 2007

Discover how you can introduce your company through private face-to-face sales appointments, with up to 25 international and UK buyers from ladies fashion retailers and wholesalers who are actively looking to source new suppliers within the UK. This event will provide you with key details about Meet the Fashion Buyers on 21stMarch and how your company can benefit from getting involved. For further information please contact: Dean Brotherton on Tel: 02476 236290 or email: dean@business-business.co.uk

26th January 2007

If you are interested in exploring the China and India markets then come along to the EU-Asia Cooperation workshop and take the opportunity to focus on the EU funding opportunities available. Discover business opportunities in China and India and the support on offer. This event will be hosting senior representatives from the European Commission, UK Permanent Representation, the Chinese and Indian Embassies and East Midlands business support organisations who will be there to share their knowledge and experiences with you. For enquiries and registration please contact: Cheryl Cranness on Tel: 0116 257 5611 or email: CherylCranness@emd.org.uk

7th February 2007

UK Trade & Investment in partnership with HM Revenue & Customs have developed a series of one-day seminars in the East Midlands to help you understand the revenue & customs requirements for international trade. The first seminar is being held in Leicestershire and will cover issues such as VAT, documentation, customs relief, tariff codes and classification and duty rates. To book online go to: www.eventsforce.net/importexport or to register your interest please contact Caroline Everitt on Tel:0115 947 1792 or email: uktradeinvest@emd.org.uk

12th –15th February 2007

Hungary is one of the most logical target markets for UK companies interested in establishing business partnerships in Central and Eastern Europe. UK Trade & Investment, in cooperation with the British Embassy in Budapest, invites East Midlands companies to spend 3 days in Budapest getting to know the market, networking with key contacts and meeting potential partners. Those companies who meet the eligibility criteria wil also receive a travel grant of up to £500 on a match funding basis. For further details please contact Elaine Aylen on Tel: 01332 548049 or email: elaine.aylen.ukti@derbyshire.org

21st February 2007

East Midlands International Trade Association (EMITA) is holding an event designed specifically to help business explore issues around web marketing, planning for e-Business and developing web strategies. The speaker Susan Hallam is Managing Director of Hallam Communications and a leading provider of internet marketing consultancy and training. This event will be held at the Stage Hotel in Leicester. Free to EMITA members or £25 per delegate. We are expecting a good response to for this event, so if you would like to attend please send an e-mail to Costa Philippou on email: costaphilippou.emita@emd.org.uk or phone on 0115 988 8516 to book your place.

26th -28th February 2007

Fashionwear companies are invited to spend three days getting to know the market, networking with key contacts and meeting potential buyers. For further details please contact Suzy Bolton, UK Trade & Investment, on Tel: 0116 258 7314 or email: sbolton.ukti@blleics.co.uk

6th– 8th March 2007

A mini exhibition with over 100 buyers expected to attend. East Midlands food & drink companies will get the opportunity to meet with Norwegian buyers. This event is suitable for both retail and food service products. Sectors likely to be of interest to Norwegian buyers are convenience foods, ethnic foods, cheese, bakery, health products and confectionary, including sugar-free sweets. Participation fee is £50.00 plus your travel expenses. For further details please contact Jane Johansen, UK Trade & Investment on Tel: 01572 574043 or email: jane.johansen.ukti@bllr.co.uk

12th-16th March 2007

Shanghai offers very good opportunities for companies in IT, automotive, chemicals and biopharmaceuticals. Rapidly growing sectors also include finance, insurance, transportation, telecommunications, retailing and wholesale. Ningbo is a manufacturing base for automotive, papermaking and textile goods. Companies can spend a week exploring the market and meeting new business contacts. There is also a grant available for eligible companies. For further information on the visit please contact Min He on Tel: 0116 258 7312 or email: MinHe@emd.org.uk.

21st March 2007

An event especially aimed at ladies fashionwear companies to enable them to meet a range of overseas retail buyers. Each company will have a mini exhibition stand and a series of short appointments with buyers. This one day event will take place on Wednesday 21 March at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester For further details please contact Suzy Bolton, UK Trade & Investment, on Tel: 0116 258 7314.