Prosper Autumn, Black Country Chamber of Commerce magazine
Business news and advice, Black Country Chamber of Commerce Business news and advice, Black Country Chamber of Commerce
BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER: CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP Maximise your membership: Save on business essentials As a member you have: Unlimited access to HR, Legal, Tax & VAT and Health & Safety advice lines. QUEST COVER provides HR, Legal, Tax and Health & Safety advice, and gives Black Country Chamber members access to an extensive document library with almost 800 downloadable documents that can be used in business. • CHAMBER HR: Vital support for recruitment, advice and a range of reading materials • CHAMBER LEGAL: Provides unlimited access to experienced legal advisors who can help with contract disputes, debt recovery, property issues, commercial problems and more. Includes 200 key legal document library • CHAMBER TAX: Access to tax and VAT advisors who can help with problems and answer any questions • CHAMBER HEALTH AND SAFETY: Access to advice on issues including, risk assessments, fire safety and more. Including a library of over a hundred documents An advice line, knowledge hub, newsroom and a legal expenses insurance cover are all included as part of the cover. All Black Country Chamber members are also entitled to a free one-to-one review of their business support requirements. Bring your energy costs down with Commercial Energy Business Breakdown Cover from the AA Running a company with vehicles at its heart means that staying still isn’t an option. The AA’s Business Breakdown Cover will make sure your drivers get back on the road quickly – and with minimum disruption – if the worst happens. All you need to do is choose the right level of cover for you. Which vehicles can be covered? The AA can cover your cars, vans, trucks and more from a single vehicle to a whole fleet – as long as they’re 3.5 tonnes or under. For details on eligibility, you can call the AA on 0800 55 11 88 to check. What does cover include? You can choose from the following options for your company’s vehicles: • Roadside (compulsory): Repair or recovery to the AA’s choice of appropriate local repairer. • Home Start (compulsory): For breakdowns at or within ¼ mile of your home address. • National Recovery: Transportation of vehicle, driver and up to seven passengers to a UK mainland if prompt local repair not possible. • Relay Plus: Extended Relay service to include one of three alternative arrangements for driver and passengers; car hire, accommodation or public transport. • Accident Management: Arrange repair, recovery and insurance claims after an accident or vandalism. • European: Breakdown and recovery options for drivers in Europe (territorial limits) Up to 67% off breakdown cover for Chamber members. Here’s a scheme that you might be keen to access: speak to an advisor about cutting your energy bills! Discover how to best manage your business’ energy costs, both in terms of negotiating ongoing supply contracts and exploring opportunities for retrospective refunds. Working with Control Energy Costs (CEC), as a Black Country Chamber member you can: • Discuss your energy requirements with a dedicated expert at CEC in order to assess potential savings to be made • Explore a range of new technology to enhance your business’ energy efficiency • Attend quarterly interactive seminars at company sites to learn more about efficient energy and utility management 18 PROSPER AUTUMN 2022
Looking to improve ISO certification? Are you a small business looking to grow and improve through ISO certification? Full certification may seem out of reach, but if you answered ‘yes’ to the above, ISO Lite is the perfect first step to take. The ISO Lite Toolkit is the first stage of becoming ISO certified and is specifically designed for smaller businesses. Being ISO certified for any standard is beneficial as it means widened market potential, tender requirements met, higher levels of customer satisfaction and staff engagement and motivation, and improved efficiency and cost savings. This DIY-style approach is flexible, non-obligatory and provides all the documentation you need. ISO Quality Services will take you through the full certification. They’ll give you advice and recommendations through consultancy and support visits and make sure your certificate remains valid through annual re-certification audits. If you’re part of Black Country Chamber of Commerce, you’ll have a community around you with your best interests at heart, and work alongside other like-minded business owners who want to succeed. Chamber Finance Finder The Chamber Finance Finder simplifies and speeds up the funding process, matching members’ businesses with the right funding opportunities across loans, equity investment, grants and commercial mortgages. Register an account for free and within minutes, you could be matched to all available finance opportunities on the market, including the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS). Check your eligibility and track your progress via the Chamber Finance Finder, with a team of experts readily available to support you throughout the process. Chamber members also have access to several exclusive benefits, including: • 5 days a week Chamber Finance Finder hotline • Free financial health check • Templates and tools to aid your application • Finance updates and alerts • Access to a finance newsroom PROSPER AUTUMN 2022 19
- Page 1: THE REGION’S LONGEST-RUNNING BUSI
- Page 4 and 5: CONTACTS Editor Sarah Thompson 0330
- Page 7: WELCOME We’ve living through unpr
- Page 10 and 11: NEWS IN BRIEF Doocey Group, a local
- Page 12 and 13: NEWS IN BRIEF Council sets out seve
- Page 14 and 15: BUSINESS VOICES: PERTEMPS ON HR THE
- Page 16 and 17: BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER: C
- Page 20 and 21: BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER: P
- Page 22 and 23: BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER: S
- Page 24: BUSINESS IS BETTER DONE TOGETHER Be
- Page 27 and 28: ADVERTORIAL SPOTLIGHT: THURSFIELDS
- Page 29 and 30: Standing, Richard Lane and Johnatha
- Page 31 and 32: What pitfalls are they likely to fi
- Page 33 and 34: significant movement in these areas
- Page 36 and 37: BUSINESS VOICE: SKILLS IN THE SPOTL
- Page 38 and 39: PROSPER SPOTLIGHT: KEVIN ROGERS, PA
- Page 40 and 41: PROSPER SPOTLIGHT: CARL RICHARDSON
- Page 42 and 43: LEGAL BRIEFING: WHAT’S MAKING THE
- Page 44 and 45: ADVERTORIAL SPOTLIGHT: MET RECRUITM
- Page 46 and 47: LEGAL BRIEFING: INDUSTRIAL ACTION A
- Page 48 and 49: PROSPER SPOTLIGHT: THE GENDER INDEX
- Page 50 and 51: EVENTS: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Exclus
- Page 52 and 53: EVENTS: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Creati
- Page 54 and 55: EVENTS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Tr
- Page 56 and 57: INTERNATIONAL TRADE WMCA Series - F
- Page 58 and 59: APPOINTMENT / PROSPER PEOPLE New ro
BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER: CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP<br />
Maximise your membership:<br />
Save on business essentials<br />
As a member you have:<br />
Unlimited access to HR, Legal, Tax & VAT<br />
and Health & Safety advice lines.<br />
QUEST COVER provides<br />
HR, Legal, Tax and Health<br />
& Safety advice, and gives<br />
<strong>Black</strong> <strong>Country</strong> <strong>Chamber</strong><br />
members access to an<br />
extensive document library<br />
with almost 800 downloadable documents<br />
that can be used in business.<br />
• CHAMBER HR: Vital support for<br />
recruitment, advice and a range <strong>of</strong> reading<br />
materials<br />
• CHAMBER LEGAL: Provides unlimited<br />
access to experienced legal advisors who<br />
can help with contract disputes, debt<br />
recovery, property issues, commercial<br />
problems and more. Includes 200 key legal<br />
document library<br />
• CHAMBER TAX: Access to tax and VAT<br />
advisors who can help with problems and<br />
answer any questions<br />
• CHAMBER HEALTH AND SAFETY:<br />
Access to advice on issues including, risk<br />
assessments, fire safety and more.<br />
Including a library <strong>of</strong> over a hundred<br />
documents<br />
An advice line, knowledge hub,<br />
newsroom and a legal expenses insurance<br />
cover are all included as part <strong>of</strong> the cover.<br />
All <strong>Black</strong> <strong>Country</strong> <strong>Chamber</strong> members are<br />
also entitled to a free one-to-one review <strong>of</strong><br />
their business support requirements.<br />
Bring your energy<br />
costs down with<br />
Commercial Energy<br />
Business Breakdown Cover from the AA<br />
Running a company with vehicles at its heart<br />
means that staying still isn’t an option. The<br />
AA’s Business Breakdown Cover will make<br />
sure your drivers get back on the road<br />
quickly – and with minimum disruption – if<br />
the worst happens. All you need to do is<br />
choose the right level <strong>of</strong> cover for you.<br />
Which vehicles can be covered?<br />
The AA can cover your cars, vans, trucks<br />
and more from a single vehicle to a whole<br />
fleet – as long as they’re 3.5 tonnes or<br />
under. For details on eligibility, you can call<br />
the AA on 0800 55 11 88 to check.<br />
What does cover include?<br />
You can choose from the following<br />
options for your company’s vehicles:<br />
• Roadside (compulsory): Repair or<br />
recovery to the AA’s choice <strong>of</strong> appropriate<br />
local repairer.<br />
• Home Start (compulsory): For<br />
breakdowns at or within ¼ mile <strong>of</strong> your<br />
home address.<br />
• National Recovery: Transportation <strong>of</strong><br />
vehicle, driver and up to seven passengers<br />
to a UK mainland if prompt local repair not<br />
possible.<br />
• Relay Plus: Extended Relay service to<br />
include one <strong>of</strong> three alternative<br />
arrangements for driver and passengers; car<br />
hire, accommodation or public transport.<br />
• Accident Management: Arrange repair,<br />
recovery and insurance claims after an<br />
accident or vandalism.<br />
• European: Breakdown and recovery<br />
options for drivers in Europe (territorial limits)<br />
Up to 67% <strong>of</strong>f breakdown cover for<br />
<strong>Chamber</strong> members.<br />
Here’s a scheme that you might be<br />
keen to access: speak to an advisor<br />
about cutting your energy bills!<br />
Discover how to best manage your<br />
business’ energy costs, both in terms<br />
<strong>of</strong> negotiating ongoing supply<br />
contracts and exploring opportunities<br />
for retrospective refunds.<br />
Working with Control Energy Costs<br />
(CEC), as a <strong>Black</strong> <strong>Country</strong> <strong>Chamber</strong><br />
member you can:<br />
• Discuss your energy requirements<br />
with a dedicated expert at CEC in<br />
order to assess potential savings to be<br />
made<br />
• Explore a range <strong>of</strong> new technology<br />
to enhance your business’ energy<br />
efficiency<br />
• Attend quarterly interactive<br />
seminars at company sites to learn<br />
more about efficient energy and utility<br />
management<br />
18 PROSPER AUTUMN 2022
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