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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.

Dec 01, 2022
Developing a coaching style to support hybrid leadership

By The Leadership Coaches | The Leadership Coaches

When working in a hybrid way, how do you get the best of your people? How do you encourage them to use their talent and expertise when they are working from different locations? For many of us, the Covid-19 pandemic has seen us required to consider how we can get our people working together strategically, bringing their individualism, and doing their jobs regardless of whether they are working from, the office, or elsewhere. Developing a coaching style to support hybrid leadership assists leaders in unlocking potential and asking questions as opposed to telling people what to do. Essentially, a coaching style is about getting your people to be their very best and tapping into their knowledge,...

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Nov 30, 2022
How can small businesses make the most out of Christmas?

By Adventure Graphics | Adventure Graphics

If you’ve been thinking about doing something for Christmas, it’s not too late! Here are 8 ways you can start to think about Christmas and give your Christmas marketing some focus:   1. Do some research Google your business in relation to Christmas and the kinds of questions that come up that people are looking for answers to. Think about how you can use it in your seasonal marketing strategy and really embrace the festive season. Every business can use Christmas to their advantage (it just might take more thinking about for some!).   2.Create a theme Branding is still important at Christmas. You want to keep your branding recognisable but also add some festive elements that create something...

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Nov 29, 2022
How IoT sensors can help protect against legionnaires’ disease

By Keith Elwell | Legionella Consultancy Services LTD

IoT sensors can help mitigate the risks posed by legionella by monitoring and maintaining safe water temperatures around the clock. Legionella bacteria thrives in stagnant freshwater environments within a temperature range of 25 to 45 degrees Celsius. If legionella has the chance to propagate, it increases the risk of residents contracting legionnaires’ disease. The disease has similar symptoms to pneumonia, and can lead to death, particularly among older people. Organisations and property owners across the UK are accountable to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to prevent the spread of legionella and other pathogens found in freshwater systems. This requires keeping freshwater outside...

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Nov 28, 2022
The impact of product packaging

By PHd Design | PHd Design

Within each industry, there is a great amount of competition. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of businesses each competing to hold and grow their market share. There are of course many, many factors that can influence each company’s success – but one factor that is often overlooked, and more importantly underestimated is product packaging. So, let’s take a closer look at the impact that product packaging can have on sales…   Information What better place to give potential customers all of the information they might need about your product, than on the product itself? When people are unsure whether or not to purchase a product, they will often pick it up to inspect the packaging and learn...

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Nov 25, 2022
Winners and Losers in The New Rating List

By John Webber | Colliers

With the publication of the draft list for the 2023 revaluation, John Webber of Colliers assesses who are the winners and losers and urges businesses to check their new RVs- as they still have it all to play for The Government’s draft rating list for the 2023 Revaluation, published hot on the heels of the Autumn budget reveals that UK retailers are the biggest winners from the new list, whereas operators of  large warehouses and logistic / distribution space will see the biggest jump in their rates bills when the new Revaluation comes into force next April. But according to John Webber, head of business rates at Colliers, there are still large discrepancies on the List, with the result many...

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Nov 24, 2022
How to deal with OCD in the workplace?

By Rowen Dales | AI Global Media

How to deal with OCD in the workplace? In honour of Mental Health Awareness Day and OCD Awareness Week held during October, AI Global Media are continuing to focus on the importance of mindfulness & wellbeing within the workplace. Last year, they organised a 10k night time walk in support of Mental Health. This has now been installed as a weekly feature in their work routine with Wednesday Walks to show support for staff wellbeing. In light of this, Rowen Dales, one of the trusted researchers reflects on how having OCD has impacted her time at AI Global Media.   Can you please explain to what OCD is like? Everyone can experience intrusive thoughts, and although they’re not very pleasant,...

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Nov 23, 2022
We need to talk about epilepsy

By Kasam Parkar | The Voice for Epilepsy

Epilepsy still carries stigma. It’s shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding; few people want to talk about it and worse, don’t know how to react when someone nearby has a seizure. When we consider that epilepsy affects people of all ages and races and more than 500,000 people in the UK currently have epilepsy, it’s shocking to know that people still have shared misperceptions and misinformation surrounding epilepsy, inviting prejudice and stigma. As the most common neurological disorder, seizures impact people in so many ways. Temporary behaviour, reduced mobility, movement abnormalities, heightened sensations or a loss of consciousness can induce workplace discrimination, depression, anxiety,...

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Nov 22, 2022
Cyber security vs incident response

By Commisum Cybersecurity | Commisum Cybersecurity

Your house is on fire… what do you do first? You wouldn’t call your insurance company to let them know your house was ablaze whilst watching the flames further engulf your property, would you? Of course not! You’d ring the emergency services to come out immediately and extinguish the fire, stopping the situation from getting any worse – and hopefully salvage some of what was your home. In that same vein, you wouldn’t wait until your house had totally burned down until you ring emergency services, either. Now, to put that in a cyber security context, your organisation is currently under attack, or you suspect you’ve just been breached. What do you do next? Presumably, panic. However, hopefully,...

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Nov 18, 2022
What if Married at First Sight doesn’t last?

By Stacey Collins | Clarke Willmott

Channel 4 and E4 are currently screening the seventh season of Married at First Sight (MAFS), in which couples meet for the first time when walking down the aisle, their future having been determined by a group of relationship experts.  For many couples the show signaled the start of a durable relationship - but what happens if the honeymoon period last only a few days, weeks, or months, and the parties then decide to divorce?  The ceremonies conducted in the UK version of MAFS are not technically legally binding but in the real world, once a valid marriage has taken place either party can only apply to the courts for a divorce after 12 months.   The new “no fault” divorce legislation, which...

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Nov 17, 2022
Investing in a Venture Capital Trust

By Close Brothers Asset Management | Close Brothers Asset Management

With limits in place on ISA contributions and an ever reducing ability to add to pensions, we examine Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs).   What is a Venture Capital Trust? VCTs are high risk investments and should only be considered by experienced investors. VCTs invest in small, entrepreneurial and private (not listed on a stock exchange) businesses across a variety of sectors ranging from tech companies, manufacturing, retail and clothing brands. Introduced in 1995 by the government to help companies grow, c.£10.5bn1 has since been invested (April 2022) in VCTs with the likes of Virgin Wines, Gusto, Zoopla, Graze and Cazoo becoming household names after starting life as VCT ventures. Indeed,...

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