The Chamber Insider

Business Survey Needs You

A plethora of economic data was released last week. Inflation rose by more than expected, unemployment figures did not rise by as much as expected, and retail sales were disappointing. The British Chambers of Commerce’s reaction to all of these statistics pointed to the underlying weaknesses within the economy, such as poor access to finance and an over-reliance on the public sector.
As ever, the BCC would like to contribute to the economic debate with real authority. To do this, they need Chamber members’ views. If you have a moment before you break for Christmas please complete the Monthly Business Survey. .

Veolia Water Southeast Wins Gold

Our congratulations go to local utilities company, Veolia Water Southeast who has carried off a top Gold Award in the Considerate Contractor Scheme run by Kent County Council and Medway Council. The Awards are given for high standards of workmanship on the roads and pavements to contractors who operate in a safe, consistent and considerate manner.

This is the third award with a safety theme that Veolia has won this year and follows on from top national awards made by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the British Safety Council.


Kent Excellence in Business Awards 2010

The KEIBA 2010 is now open for entries and this is a great opportunity to demonstrate how Chamber members have successfully overcome the challenges of the last 12 months. Awards are one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools.

Winning a prestigious KEiBA category will help your organisation to stand out from the crowd, send a positive message to your existing customers and attract new business. Full details on how to enter are available on www.keiba.co.uk

Workshop Programmes for 2010

Channel Chamber Training’s series of one-day workshops has been designed to give Chamber members’ and their staff a range of practical tools and techniques to increase business performance and help you survive.

A list of these Workshops is provided below. We do have a very flexible approach to training so if any of these dates don’t suit you, please contact us and lets see what we can sort out:

Guerrilla Marketing (25 Feb) Turbocharge your marketing, Learn how to increase market share on a limited budget.

Do Unto Others - Managing Customer Service (16 Mar) This is a great workshop for those working or managing a customer facing team and want to improve delivery standards.

Maximise & Nurture - Appraisals & Job Descriptions (31 Mar) This workshop will highlight a number of approaches and a wealth of techniques and tactics to ensure that the appraisal process becomes more structured, productive and positive.

Innovate to Survive- (15 April) Use innovation as a tool to grow your business. This workshop will help you discover that not only can you increase your creative options but also encourage truly innovative solutions to emerge, benefiting you, your team and your company.

The Workplace is Stressful - How to Manage It (29 April) How to enjoy a happier and healthier workforce. Manage stress in your workplace and comply with current legislation.

The cost per workshop is just £155 for chamber members and staff (non members cost £190.00). Workshops start at 09.15 and finish at 16.30, this includes tea/coffee and a buffet lunch.

The Workshop venue, Shearway Business Park in Folkestone is adjacent to Junction 13 on the M20 where free parking is available.

For further details please call Susan Filby on 01303 270022 or email: susan.filby@channelchambertraining.co.uk