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Check out our blogs section where Chamber representatives, members and high-profile business figures write about a range of topics. If you are a member and want to submit a blog, please click here.

May 20, 2022
Does BEMER Therapy help those with Long-COVID?

By Stacey Clen | Rolling With The Glen

More than two years on from the first diagnosis of COVID-19 in the UK there are new findings on an almost daily basis. From the effects during the active virus to the longer-term consequences which have come to be known as ‘Long-COVID-19/post-COVID-19 Syndrome/Prolonged COVID-19’, and how to manage them.  According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) 2.8 per cent (1.8m) of the UK population is effected beyond the acute COVID-19 infection stage as of 3 April 2022.  A rapidly increasing number of 500,000 people in just 54 days (more than 9,000 people a day). Of those 1.8m people they report ongoing difficulties such as fatigue, shortness of breath, lack of taste/smell, cough, muscle aches...

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May 19, 2022
Developing talent in your teams for future success

By Jessica McCann | Discovery ADR

The current skills shortage is affecting all sectors. PWC quote that the need to upskill and reskill the workforce has never been more urgent. As the demand for new capabilities grows, organisations need to equip their people with the knowledge and skills to be agile and adapt to changes in their existing roles. Coinciding with this challenge is fierce competition to attract talent. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has reported that 45 per cent of employers have hard to fill vacancies; resulting in businesses increasing salaries, offering more flexible working styles, and looking to upskill their existing workforce. Rather than struggling to find fresh faces, some...

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May 18, 2022
Sleepless nights

By Julie Mole | Crowew UK LLP

Post pandemic, the big thing keeping many business owners awake at night is likely to be cash flow. During the pandemic the government supported businesses through many initiatives. These included the Bounce Back Loan, the Furlough Scheme, VAT/PAYE deferment and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, more commonly known as CBILS. Many family and owner-managed businesses often had little choice but to make use of these schemes, giving little thought to future cash flow and repayment when the pandemic restrictions came to an end. We are now seeing numerous businesses with serious cash-flow pressure as the repayment of these initiatives fall due. CBILS were often agreed over a five...

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May 17, 2022
How to protect your business against zero-day attacks

By Faisal Iqbal | EBC Group

Did you know that worldwide 92 malware attacks happen every minute and out of these, 69 per cent of them are zero-day? Worryingly, this is significantly higher in the UK where a huge 96 per cent of malware attacks are zero-day. Let’s take a deeper look into zero day threats and attacks and the steps you can take to help protect your business. What is a zero-day threat? A zero-day threat is a malware threat that hasn’t been seen before and doesn’t match any known malware signatures which means that it can’t be detected by signature-matching software. This threat might exploit an unknown software vulnerability, referred to as a zero-day vulnerability, or it might be a new type of malware delivered...

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May 16, 2022
Six tips for managing your drawdown pension during a cost-of-living crisis

By Ian Browne | Quilter

Inflation and the cost of living is on the minds of everyone these days, so it is understandable those who have reached retirement may be feeling additionally nervous. The inflation risk and the response by central banks has spooked markets so far this year and will have left many people who are either in drawdown or approaching retirement fretting about the impact on their retirement plans. There are plenty of options for protecting the longevity of your pension pot even when prices are rising. While this will be more difficult in today’s environment, proactive and prudent financial planning, including these tips, can allow people to stabilise their retirement income plan. Nobody can predict...

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May 13, 2022
How are YOU?

By Keith Rozelle | Sales Marvel

“How are you?" It’s an innocuous enough question to ask for many people. Too innocuous apparently. In many people's minds, it’s a wasted question with little if anything to be gained by asking it. For me, however, it is a genuine, heartfelt question that is all the more important to ask of others after the last few years. In fact, even before the pandemic, I advised my clients interested in progressing to consultative sales to ask their clients “How are you?” more often, not less often. I believe the question is that important. After all, everyone is so busy talking about B2B or B2C these days but, when it all comes down to it, business is actually P2P – People to People. In sales, it’s...

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May 13, 2022
Spotlight on articles of association

By Julian Milan | Sydney Mitchell

In this spotlight we focus on company articles of association and highlights matters covered in or related to articles that can give rise to problems or issues. Background The articles of association of a Company (together with the memorandum of association) form the constitution of a Company and set out rules for how the Company is to be operated. Key areas covered by the articles include matters relating to the directors and decision making, the share capital, issues and transfers of shares, dividends and shareholder meetings. Following the coming into force of the Companies Act 2006, the default articles of association are the “Model Articles”. There are different forms of Model Articles...

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May 12, 2022
The ins and outs of ear wax

By Steven Hale | Steven Hale Hearing

Ear wax is not a subject that we generally like to talk about – in fact, unless you are blighted by it, it very rarely comes up in conversation – and then only in hushed tones. Further, if you do find yourself suffering because of ear wax build up, it is very likely that you won’t even want to tell anyone – it’s not nice to admit or discuss, but can be even less pleasant to endure. It takes a while for someone to admit to the fact that ear wax is causing them a problem, and, when they do, they need to know that they are in safe hands. This article is designed to provide information on the subject, as well as to encourage you to reach out for help. What is the purpose of ear wax? Did you know...

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May 11, 2022
The best leadership tool you have is you

By Kate Stranks | BeanStalk Learning Ltd

There are many ways to communicate your message as a leader - conferences, team meetings, focus groups, 1-2-1s etc - but what about the messages you send with your actions or your behaviour? We can often send mixed messages to our teams. For example: - Telling your team their wellbeing is important and you don't want them working outside of hours but then sending emails late at night. Even if you have said you don't expect a response, their brain will start whirring and they will be thinking about whatever it is you sent. - Setting everything up before you go away on holiday, making the team feel trusted and then checking in every few days "just to make sure everything is alright". - Advocating...

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May 11, 2022
The Queen's Speech: How will the Bills impact the business community?

By Policy | Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

What is the Queen’s Speech? The Queen’s Speech marks the official State Opening of Parliament, where Her Majesty delivers a speech to begin the new session of Parliament and enable the Government to highlight its priorities for the coming months. Many of the priorities announced in the Queen’s Speech – which was delivered by the Prince of Wales this year – will have a direct impact on the business community: Levelling Up The Government reaffirmed their commitment to spreading opportunity across the United Kingdom and level up all corners of the country. The Government has promised to improve economic dynamism and innovation beyond the progress already made, which include a transport settlement...

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