IN THE MAY GOOD MORNING LEICESTERSHIRE
- An eBook of Chamber Members
- Celebrate Your Success At The Chamber Awards
- Hot Off The Press – Randstad’s All-In-One Pocket Guide To HR Issues
- Connect – Leading The Way With CSR!
- Project ARGUS - Protecting Against Terrorist Attack
- DMU offers free Problem Structuring Methods workshops
- Leicestershire Gets ‘Smart’ With New Equity Fund
- Forthcoming Chamber Events
GET INVOLVED
If your company would like to help the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce continue to provide this informative e-newsletter Good Morning Leicestershire and raise the profile of your own business at the same time then please talk to Sharon Jeffrey on 0116 204 6618 to discuss sponsorship opportunities, preferential rates are available for Chamber Members.
AN EBOOK OF CHAMBER MEMBERS
The Chamber is pleased to announce that we will shortly be launching a members’ electronic directory online. This exciting venture will promote our services and you, our members, to an ever-widening audience, and E Book-Solutions will be working closely with us to put this publication together. All of our members will be contacted soon with more information on the possibilities available, giving your company the chance to promote your business to the Chamber of Commerce network and beyond.
Thousands of business people meet and do business with each other through Chamber of Commerce networking events each year, through our directories and our website. Advertising in the electronic directory is another important opportunity to raise awareness of your company amongst the business community in our region.
CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS AT THE CHAMBER AWARDS
Everybody knows how difficult it is to succeed in today's business world so what better way to celebrate your success than being named Business of the Year at the Chamber Awards 2007? Let everybody know about your business success by completing your entry for the Chamber Awards today. You could even win £25,000.
Business of the Year will be awarded to the company that can demonstrate all round business excellence. The judging will focus on financial performance and future objectives, the competitive advantage of the business, and will look at examples of specific strategies which are driving business growth.
Why not take a look at all eight Member categories in this years Chamber Awards by visiting the Chamber Awards website at www.chamberawards.co.uk
All entries received before the 31st May will be entered into a prize draw to win £150 worth of Marks and Spencer vouchers. What have you got to lose?
HOT OFF THE PRESS - RANDSTAD'S ALL-IN-ONE POCKET GUIDE TO HR ISSUES
The new edition of the Workpocket, the popular guide on everything you need to know about running a successful business and recruiting the right staff, is being launched by Randstad on May 28th.
Randstad produce the Workpocket as part of their commitment to working in partnership with their local clients in Leicestershire and across the UK, helping them keep up to date on the need-to-know legislation and HR issues in 2007.
The Workpocket is a pocket sized easy reference all-in-one guide to employment and human resource issues in the UK. This year's edition contains important information on the pending Family Friendly Legislation, the continuing impact of last year’s Age Discrimination Laws and topical issues such as the increasing importance of flexible working to employees.
The updated version is designed to aid businesses in understanding the issues that face them and their employees, and help de-mystify some of the new legislation, as well as prepare them for future legislative changes. With the raft of legislative changes that have taken place over the past year, the Workpocket is an essential guide to making sense of complicated legal requirements, provided free to all Randstad clients.
If you would like a Randstad Leicester consultant to present the Workpocket and its benefits to your business in 2007/8, you can request this simply by emailing:marketing@uk.randstad.com
CONNECT - LEADING THE WAY WITH CSR
Two Leicestershire women Jo Plant & Jane Holden have joined forces in a new partnership called Connect which is aimed at bringing the corporate and charity sector together - achieved by helping companies to develop and sustain meaningful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.
Leading Leicestershire independent financial advisors Willow Financial Management have invited Connect to review their support of the local community and assist with developing a CSR programme. Willow’s partners & staff have engaged with many charity initiatives during the past 25 years but now wish to consolidate their effectiveness.
Willow Financial Management will continue to be involved in community initiatives but are keen to ensure they engage & motivate staff as well as maximising development opportunities for its team. Philip Martin, Partner, says: "The team here are looking forward to working with Connect and its ongoing relationship will help us gain the community mark, which is a recognised accreditation."
The Connect partnership provides an additional service to charities that need help with their fundraising or have little fundraising expertise.
Jo Plant says: "We are very excited about the reception given to Connect. With many years expertise of working within the charity sector we can assist charity, community & business together."
Connect can be contacted on Tel: 0116 327 1681 or by emailing:info@connect2community.co.uk
PROJECT ARGUS - PROTECTING AGAINST TERRORIST ATTACK
Members are invited to register for local Project ARGUS events. Project ARGUS is a National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) initiative, exploring ways to aid you in preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack.
It achieves this by taking businesses through a simulated terrorist attack. The simulation identifies the measures to take for preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack.
Argus is a completely free event which takes you through a realistic terrorist attack using a multi-media simulation. A series of questions and challenges are put to you, both individually and as a group and will have to resolve them. You will work in small syndicate groups with other local business representatives. The whole event including a coffee break will last three hours.
When & Where ?
Wednesday 20th June 2007 - Enderby
Thursday 21st June 2007 – Enderby
How do I ensure I don’t miss out?
Invitations are going out to businesses in the Leicestershire area, demand for places will be high and numbers will be on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
To Reserve your place: This event is organised by the Local Resilience Forum, based at Leicestershire Constabulary HQ,St Johns, Enderby.
Event registration forms are also available by return of email from Max Boden –boden.m@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
This information is NOT organised by the Chamber Events Team
DMU OFFERS FREE PROBLEM STRUCTURING METHODS WORKSHOPS
The Business School at De Montfort University is offering a number of FREE workshops in Problem Structuring Methods.
This workshop, is free to a limited number of organisations or businesses on a first come, first served basis. We can also offer this opportunity free to organisations or businesses in the objective 2 areas of Leicester.
Problem Structuring Methods is a set of tools to help those who must take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions, to do so with confidence to make the necessary commitments. Problem structuring methods are used in a wide range of public and private sector organisations, for making progress with difficult and complex problem situations but have been successfully adapted for use in smaller organisations
We will require some initial dialogue to ascertain the issues specific to your organisation but the idea is that you will gain practical experience in applying this technique in the context of an issue which is relevant to YOUR organisation.
More information can be found at www.drawprojects.co.uk or call 0116 2577244
LEICESTERSHIRE GETS 'SMART' WITH NEW EQUITY FUND
The Leicestershire launch of a new £5m venture capital fund by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and fund manager E-Synergy Limited has taken place.
Designed to help start-up and early stage businesses in Leicestershire and the wider region, the East Midlands Early Growth Fund will address the 'equity gap' which restricts high growth businesses from raising venture capital. Specifically, it will concentrate on the lower levels of the equity gap for businesses seeking investment of between £20,000 and £200,000. To find out more about the East Midlands Early Growth Fund and how to apply visit www.earlygrowthfund-em.co.uk or contact Nick Wright at E-Synergy on Tel: 01327 856 032 or email: n.wright@e-synergy.com
LEICESTERSHIRE RURAL BUSINESS ADVICE FAIR
This free event gives advice, grants and guidance for rural businesses including agriculture, tourism, social enterprise, knowledge based industries.
Date: 5th June
Time: 3pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Walcote Memorial Hall, Walcote, Nr Lutterworth
For more information or to book on one of the seminars call 0116 2657986 or email regeneration@leics.gov.uk
REGENERATION UPDATE SEMINAR
The Leicester Regeneration Company (LRC), a public and private sector partnership currently tackling the physical regeneration of around 1000 acres of central Leicester, launched its Regeneration Masterplan back in November 2002. By June, LRC aims to be in a position to brief you on further progress on the Science Park, New Business Quarter and the Wolsey Island housing developments in particular, plus a full update on all of the other projects which are transforming central Leicester.
Date: 12 June
Venue: Leicester Tigers Ground, Aylestone Road, Leicester
Time: 7:30am - 9:30am
Cost: Chamber Members £25 / Standard £35
Includes full English breakfast
PRESIDENT'S GALA DINNER WITH GUEST SPEAKER ANDREW NEIL
Leicestershire Chamber is proud to present the 2007 President’s Gala Dinner; this year with guest speaker Andrew Neil, publisher, editor, writer, broadcaster, public speaker and business consultant on media matters working out of London, New York, Edinburgh and France.
Sponsored by IBM and Business Builder
Date:22 June
Venue: Leicester Marriott Hotel, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester
Time: 7pm – 11pm
Cost: Chamber Members £49.50 / Standard £59.50
Table of 10: Chamber Members £470 / Standard £570.
Includes four course dinner and four bottles of wine per table
BREAKFAST SPEED NETWORKING
Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce presents the first in a series of breakfast speed networking events sponsored by The Business Booster. If you're looking for new contacts or want to raise your business profile then bring along your business cards and join us for this fantastic speed-networking event.
Date:26 June 2007
Venue: Westfield House Hotel, Enderby Road, Blaby
Time: 7:30am - 9:15am
Cost: Chamber Members £25 / Standard £35
MAKING IT AND COMMUNICATIONS WORK FOR YOU
Cost effective IT and Communications can benefit your business. This essential free half day seminar, brought to you by Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce and BT will include:-
- Getting best value from your telephone calls and systems
- How broadband can transform your communications
- Integrating mobile solutions for people on the move
- Making your IT & Communications safe, secure and easy to manage
- Your network - fixed or wireless
- Convergence – bringing it all together
This informative seminar will also help you to understand the costs associated with implementing the technologies discussed, with expert advice on hand throughout the session to answer any further questions that you may have.
Don't miss this superb opportunity to improve your knowledge and understanding, it really will benefit your business.
Date: 4 July
Venue: The National Space Centre, Leicester
Time: 8:30-11:30
For more information on these events please call Kam Atker on Tel: 0116 204 6614 or alternatively you may visit the Chamber website at: www.chamberofcommmerce.co.uk and select What’s On/events