Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce

Issue: October 2009

Business Ratepayers Urged To Check Valuation Details
Chamber’s Letter of Credit Course
Enjoy Sunday Lunch At The Leicester Marriott Hotel
Sneak Preview of The Almanack
Debenhams & Crimestoppers Fashion Show & Networking Event
Discounts For Technologyworld09 Meet The Buyer
Free Event For Local Businesses
Special Offer From Curve
Leicester College Open Day
Office Space Available with the LEBC
Call For New Trustees
Get A New Look With Skin
Stress Date
Network With Creatives
Celebrating Food And Diversity
Cooper Parry Finance News
Philharmonia Update
Forthcoming Chamber Events

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 on 0116 204 6618 to discuss sponsorship opportunities, preferential rates are available for Chamber Members.

CHAMBER NEWS

Over the coming weeks, business owners will be receiving correspondence from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) advising them to check the details of their property valuation to ensure they are correct and directing them to a newly-created website. The website is designed to guide busy business owners through the process, giving them everything they need to check the details and feel confident that their valuation is fair and accurate. It is essential to check that the property valuation is correct, as business rates bills are calculated based on these figures.
The VOA's Revaluation Project Manager for the East Midlands, Chris Harrington, says: "It's very simple. Ratepayers should check the details of the new valuation immediately and get in touch if there are any errors. If it's wrong we want to put it right now. Businesses should look out for our clearly marked envelopes - they may be addressed to 'the occupier' but they're important."
This is the first year this information has been available to business owners online in this way and the website has been designed to make the process as quick and easy as possible. By logging on to the site ratepayers will be able to compare their details with other similar properties and, where necessary, contact VOA for assistance. The site offers lots of straightforward help and even short videos on key topics, designed to explain the valuation process.
Each valuation clearly shows the details of the business property, whether it is a shop, an office or a warehouse, including the number of rooms, their description and size, and the value applied to each area.
Ruth Ingman, President of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, commented: “It makes a refreshing change for business owners to be given information and an opportunity to correct mistakes in good time. I hope that this service will work in practice and I urge all business owners to take advantage of this web based facility as soon as possible.”
For more details visit:
http://www.newspr.coionline.tv/VOA/regional/eastmidlandsvox.mov

Has your company experienced problems getting letters of credit right and getting paid? Over 50% of all documents presented for L/C payment to the bank are rejected on the first presentation because they do not comply. Learn how to dramatically improve your company performance thereby retaining your hard won contracts and profits.

Book your place now on the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce Letter of Credit Course to be held on 17th November 2009 at the Chamber offices. Course Fee is £195 + VAT for Chamber members and £235 + VAT standard.

For further details contact:
Kam Atker on 0116 204 6614 or email: atker.k@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
Jo Christian on 0116 258 7322 or email: christian.j@chamberofcommerce.co.uk

OTHER NEWS

Enjoy a traditional 3 course Sunday lunch in Mixx Restaurant at the Leicester Marriott Hotel. Relax on Sundays and allow our Chef cook for you, whilst you enjoy the informal atmosphere of the Mixx Restaurant.
Choose from a selection of salads or soup for starter, a carvery main course (with a vegetarian option of course) and a range of delicious desserts.
Sample Sunday Lunch Menu:
The Starters
A selection of salads including Shrimp Cocktail, Beef Noodle Salad, Waldorf Salad, Char-grilled Vegetable Salad
Soup of the day
Served with a selection of bread rolls
The Main Courses
Grilled Atlantic Salmon Fillets served with Saffron Sauce
Roasted Turkey Breast served with Cranberry Sauce
Roast Beef served with Yorkshire Pudding and Horseradish Cream
Mushroom Stroganoff
Penne Primavera
Roasted and Mashed Potato
Steamed White Rice
Selection of Seasonal Vegetables
The Desserts
A variety of desserts including Vanilla Cream Brulee, Chocolate Mousse, Pecan and Toffee Cake, Exotic Fruit Salad, Bread and Butter Pudding
Adults - £13.50, Children - £6.75. Sunday Lunch is served from 12.30 - 3.00pm.
The restaurant is also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week.
For more information or to reserve a table please call 0116 282 0100.

The Almanack in Leicester opens on 27th November but Chamber members can get a special sneak preview between 17th and 26th November. You and a guest can enjoy a 2 course lunch or dinner from the full a la carte menu, courtesy of The Almanack - all you have to pay for is your drinks! To reserve your table call 0116 2160 705.

www.thealmanack-leicester.co.uk

Debenhams, in the Highcross Shopping Centre Leicester, is hosting a fashion show and networking event with the opportunity to do exclusive shopping at Mega Day prices. The event will take place between 6.30pm-10pm on Tuesday 17th November 2009. Tickets are available at £5 per person (redeemable as a voucher in store on the evening) and include refreshments on arrival. Please note the NCP car park above Debenhams will have an extended opening time to accommodate guests and will stay open until 10.30pm. This event is open to over 16’s only.
The programme for the evening includes:
* 6.30-6.35pm Crimestoppers welcome
* 6.35-7.10pm Crimestoppers networking
* 7.10- 7.45pm Fashion show
* 7.45- 8.00pm Auction in aid of Crimestoppers
* 8- 10pm Continued opportunity to network, plus the store is open for Crimestoppers guests.
To book your ticket call Debenhams on 0116 248 8932.

Now in its 5th year, TechnologyWorld09 is the UK’s biggest ‘meet the buyer’ event in the technology field. It showcases innovative UK companies to carefully selected buyers from across the globe and this year is bigger than ever.

As official supporters of the event we can offer our members a 20% discount off day delegate fees if you book by 31st October. Visit www.technologyworld09.com to find out more and key in the promotional code lcc20 when booking to get your discount. To enquire about discounts on exhibition space, subject to availability, email technologyworld09@rslive.co.uk quoting the same code.

North West Leicestershire District Council is teaming up with Stephenson College to host its first Business Advice Day on 22nd October at Stephenson College, Coalville from 12 noon to 8pm. The event will bring local businesses together to access free advice and support on almost every aspect of running and managing a business.

The event will help businesses in North West Leicestershire trade in a fair, safe, environmentally friendly, efficient and cost effective way, as well as encouraging good health and wellbeing in the workplace. It aims to encourage and nurture businesses to develop good practice, management and regulatory compliance to avoid enforcement action.

Who should attend? Business owners, managers, supervisors, the self-employed, sole traders and those offering a voluntary service are all welcome, those businesses part of a large chain or organisation are encouraged to send a manager, supervisor or person responsible for employees to come along to pick up tips and sound advice for them to put to good use in the day to day running of the business.

What is happening? On the day regulatory partners, partnering agencies and organisations (including the Leicestershire Chamber) and third party exhibitors will be joining the district council to make the event informative and enjoyable. There will be specific seminars scheduled throughout the afternoon, including:

• risk assessments, both generic and fire
• what to expect when an environmental health officer calls
• big returns from your marketing budget
• setting-up and doing business online
• trade waste disposal
The café at the college will host a networking area and will also be open for lunch and refreshments. For more information and a detailed plan of the day, visit: www.nwleics.gov.uk, or contact Jayne Black on: 01530 454568 or e-mail: jayne.black@nwleicestershire.gov.uk

Curve is celebrating its 1st birthday with a special offer for Chamber members:
ARTHUR MILLER’S ALL MY SONS
HALF PRICE TICKET OFFER: Wed 21 – Sat 31Oct
Curve, Leicester
You can save up to £11 each on tickets for All My Sons as part of Curve’s 1st birthday celebrations. To claim your discounted tickets simply call the ticket office on 0116 242 3595 or click online at www.curveonline.co.uk and quote the special promotional code MYSONSBIRTHDAY. Offer expires on Tuesday 20th October 2009 and is subject to availability. Tickets must be purchased in advance of the performance. Only one ticket deal applies.

ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller runs from 8th Oct to 14th Nov 09. Tickets are priced from £9 - £22. One of the great classic plays of the 20th Century, this dramatically intense play is a brilliant, spell-binding tale of love, betrayal and family drama in small-town America. It explores the chances a man will take for his family in pursuit of the American Dream when war, desperation and loss have driven the stakes impossibly high. The sterling cast includes Ian Redford, perhaps most recognisable from his time as Keith Appleyard on Coronation Street.

Leicester College Open Day is a chance for employers to find out how the College can benefit their company.

As the preferred training provider for the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce we welcome all the Chamber members to come and visit the College on Thursday 26 November 2009 between 1pm to 8pm to see for yourself what the College has to offer, including:
• talks, displays and demonstrations
• advice and guidance on courses and funding
• tour our departments and campuses.
The College has an excellent local and national reputation for excellence which includes being members of the National Skills Academies for Retail, Food and Drink Manufacturing and Cultural and Creative Skills. We have also recently won national awards for community and social cohesion and sustainability.

For more information please call 0116 224 2240 or visit
www.leicestercollege.ac.uk

Leicestershire Education Business Company currently have office space available from January 2010 for rent. The office is located at Ashcroft House, Meridian Business Park, Leicester. The details are as follows:

The office space is approximately 520 sq ft in size, which is fully carpeted and fitted with suspended ceilings, incorporating Category II lighting and fully raised access floors.
The office space is air conditioned and heating is provided by way of radiators fed from gas central heating boiler.
Reception area, male, female and disabled w.c. facilities are provided within the common parts.
Kitchen facilities are also provided.
Car parking is available.
Rent - £11-12,000pa. excluding business rates.

If you are interested in having a look at this office space, please contact Yvonne Chambers on 0116 2407000 to arrange an appointment.

The Spark Children’s Arts Festival, Leicester is seeking to appoint three new trustees to continue to steer the company successfully through the challenges of developing the artistic programme of the festival and growing the capacity of the organisation.

The Spark was founded in 2003 as a one-off project, and has since grown to be one of the largest children’s arts festivals in the UK. In 2009 it presented over 100 events, including theatre, dance, music, puppetry, storytelling and visual arts to more than 15,000 children and adults over 14 days. It has established strong collaborative partnerships across a range of public services, as well as with local businesses, and this year was made a Regularly Funded Organisation by Arts Council England. Festival Director and founder Ellen Bianchini was awarded the prestigious Woman of the Year award by Leicester Chamber of Commerce in March this year, in recognition of the achievements of the festival and the contribution it makes to the cultural life of the city.

The organisation is based at Leicester Creative Business Depot in the city’s cultural quarter and employs 1 full time director and 1 part time administrator, as well as freelance staff to assist with fundraising, marketing and press, and technical support.

The present board of five trustees are drawn from local authority arts development and education sectors, marketing and business development. The board meets every 2-3 months.

The board is seeking new trustees with experience in one or more of the following:
•     arts programming or producing
•     strategic development
•     business management

For further information please contact Ellen Bianchini at info@sparkfestival.co.uk or telephone 0116 261 6893

sk:n, the UK’s no 1 skin clinic, launched its new Leicester branch to coincide with the Festival of Light and is offering a 20 per cent discount on all treatments for the first two weeks.

The sk:n clinic in Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, opened on 12th October and will be offering the most technologically advanced laser treatments for hair and tattoo removal, acne and other skin conditions – all administered by a team of leading medical experts. It will also offer a full range of other non-surgical cosmetic treatments including Macrolane,™ non-surgical breast enhancement, and laser rejuvenation treatments such as anti-wrinkle injectables, micro-dermabrasion and glycolic peels.

sk:n has the widest range of modern dermatological equipment in the UK and has more experience in laser treatments than any other company. The Leicester clinic is the latest in a chain of centres of excellence that sk:n has established across the UK.

sk:n is offering a free skin consultation (normally priced at £25) using VISIA™ skin mapping, a revolutionary new skin analysis system which can reveal surface and sub-surface skin damage. This introductory offer is valid until 25 October; after that the £25 fee is redeemable against products.

Visit www.skinclinics.co.uk for more information or call 0800 028 72 22 to make an appointment and take advantage of introductory offers.

This year’s National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD), organised annually by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), will be held on Wednesday 4th November. NSAD, now in its 11th year, aims to help people by highlighting the many coping strategies and sources of help available to people who want to reduce the harmful effects of stress in their lives.
ISMA has created NSAD out of necessity rather than requirement. Stress accounts for over 105 million workdays being lost each year, making it the single biggest cause of sickness absence in the UK. The aim is to increase public awareness through a nationwide campaign about the effects of stress, the treatments available and most importantly to help individuals suffering from stress to seek help using a team of stress experts. NSAD will be providing free drop-in advice and access to stress advisors located nationwide in Boots.
For more information visit www.isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day

On Thursday 19th November LCB Depot is inviting Chamber members to a free networking event, during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Cafe Creatif is a regular monthly networking session held in the relaxed and informal surroundings of the LCB Depot and is normally open to people working in the creative industries. In November it’s opening its doors for a special event inviting business people from other networking groups and business associations to make new contacts with a range of local businesses.

The event usually welcomes around 25 attendees from the creative industries including graphic and web designers, illustrators, authors, photographers, journalists and many more. The event runs from 11am to 1pm in LCB Depot’s café and you don’t need to book.

For more information contact Kate Cowan on 0116 261 6800, email kate.cowan@lcbdepot.co.uk or find Café Creatif on Facebook.

Leicester City Council is proud to present Leicester’s first Food Festival which will be celebrating food and diversity in Leicester. The one-day spectacular, free to attend, will take place at the market on Sunday 22nd November and aims to bring together the unique qualities of Leicester’s food communities.

Local food producers are being urged to put the date in their diaries now, and to contact the council to book their place at this unique event.

Exciting, live cook offs will take place in Market Square between local celebrities and restaurant chefs, with all ingredients sourced from the wide range of food at the market. There will be 200 stalls, including the world famous fruit and veg stalls and a selection of fish, cheese and fine meats from the indoor market.

Shoppers can take their taste buds on a culinary world tour, sampling and buying food from all over the globe. A huge section will be dedicated to Asian cuisine as well as ingredients and recipes from other regions, particularly Afro-Caribbean and African cuisine.

For more information and updates on who will be appearing at the event, visit the Leicester Market website at www.leicestermarket.co.uk

Anyone interested in booking a stall should contact Joe Harkin, Event Organiser and Market Development Manager on 0116 223 2371 or e-mail Joseph.Harkin@leicester.gov.uk

Business 360° Leading The Way

Leicester business advisers Cooper Parry will be running their successful Business 360° Breakfast Club programme, starting in November, it will consist of six sessions to run until April 2010.

Now in its eighth year, participants benefit from short, sharp breakfast sessions starting at 8am and concluding by 10.30am. It is a practical forum for owners and directors to work together. Informative, challenging and confidential, the sessions deliver relevant and practical advice for businesses.

Jeremy Bowler, Chief Executive of Cooper Parry, said: “The sessions enable business owners and directors to share experiences and discuss and address challenges they face.”

For further details please email business360@cooperparry.com or call Melanie Campbell on 0116 223 0088.

Cooper Parry Offers Top Tips To Build A Healthy Business

Leicester business advisers Cooper Parry say that the one sure way to improve your cash position is to collect your debts. Maximising cash has rarely been more crucial as it may be difficult or too time consuming to secure extra funds if a temporary shortfall is identified. The quickest way to improve your cash position is to collect your debts.
Tyrone Courtman, Business Recovery and Insolvency Partner at the firm has helped businesses to ensure they have robust procedures in place and that they minimise exposure to bad debts. He suggests following these top tips to help minimise your exposure and to build relationships with customers that are healthy for your business:

•        Perform credit checks, set limits and adhere to them. Review and update them regularly.
•        Ensure terms are clear regarding payment dates and have clauses
entitling you to pursue interest and costs as legislation for late
payment allows.
•        Break down large deliveries or projects into smaller invoices so that any disputes do not prevent payment of the whole.

To see the rest of these top financial tips visit:
http://www.cooperparry.com/what-we-do/turnaround/news/latest-news/cooper-parry-offers-top-tips-to-build-a-healthy-business

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, one of his most joyous and popular symphonies, will be performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under conductor Philippe Jordan. Piotr Anderszewski will also be performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18, K451 at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester on Friday 30 October 2009, 7.30pm.

Click here for more information and booking details.

Click here for information on Corporate Partnerships with the Philharmonia.

The Philharmonia Orchestra is proud to be a member of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce.

CHAMBER EVENTS

Come and watch a great game of football with fellow footie fans from the world of local business, thanks to the Chamber’s Football Networking Club, in association with Leicester City Football Club. The Fusions Restaurant at LCFC is the perfect place to enjoy good food before watching the match from luxury padded seats. Why not entertain your valued or prospective clients and use this as a corporate hospitality opportunity? Tickets are priced at £35 per person, per game and include food, interval tea and coffee and complimentary parking dependent on the number of tickets purchased.

Football Networking Club events for the next few months include the following matches:

Sat 21 Nov       Plymouth Argyle
Tues 8 Dec      Bristol City
Sat 9 Jan         Ipswich Town
Tues 9 Feb      Doncaster Rovers

Date: 21 October
Venue: Express By Holiday Inn, Leicester
Time: 7:30am - 9:30am
Cost: Chamber Members £25 / Standard £35
Includes full English breakfast

With work progressing well on many regeneration sites around Leicester this is your chance to get up to date with what’s going on for 2009 and into 2010. David Hughes, CEO of Prospect Leicestershire, which has recently taken over from the Leicester Regeneration Company, is your speaker for this highly informative seminar.

Date: 28 October
Venue: Canas Y Tapas Bar, Leicester
Time: 6pm - 8.30pm
Cost: Chamber Members £25 / Standard £35. Includes tapas and glass of wine

A wonderful, and unusual, networking opportunity at which you can enjoy the Spanish tradition of Tapas at the popular Canas y Tapas Bar in Leicester's newly developed Highcross Centre. Network and exchange company literature over a glass of wine or Spanish beer and enjoy a selection of the 70 top quality Spanish dishes on offer!

Sponsored by The Phoenix Partners Limited
Date: 16 November
Venue: The Hilton Hotel, Junction 21 Approach, Leicester
Time: 12:30 – 2pm
Cost: £15 plus vat per person
Integra, officially launched in November 1995, is Leicestershire Chamber’s Association of Women in Business and invites you to a wonderful monthly networking opportunity with these lunch meetings, each sponsored by The Phoenix Partners Limited.

Sponsored by Charles Street Buildings (Leicester) Ltd and Freeth Cartwright Solicitors
Date: 4 December
Venue: Walkers Stadium, Leicester
Time: 11:30am AGM. Luncheon 12:15pm – 4pm.
Cost: Chamber Members £55 / Standard £65
Table of 10 Chamber Members £520 / Standard £570
The Christmas season begins with the Leicestershire Chamber's popular Annual Luncheon - a great meal, superb entertainment and the chance to network with up to 600 fellow guests at this wonderful event. The guest speaker this year will be the comedian, author and radio and TV presenter Sandi Toksvig.

Sponsored by The Phoenix Partners Limited
Date: 14 December
Venue: The Hilton Hotel, Junction 21 Approach, Leicester
Time: 12:30 – 2pm
Cost: £15 plus vat per person
Integra, officially launched in November 1995, is Leicestershire Chamber’s Association of Women in Business and invites you to a wonderful monthly networking opportunity with these lunch meetings, each sponsored by The Phoenix Partners Limited.

For more information on these Chamber events please call Kam Atker on Tel: 0116 204 6614, email: atker.k@chamberofcommerce.co.uk or alternatively you can visit the Chamber website at: www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk and select What’s On/events