Chamber News

Your Views Are Needed

Businesses attending last Friday’s Property & Construction lunch took part in an Action For Business Forum focused on the sector. The session, designed to help plan action on core issues for 2013, highlighted a couple of areas that work can start on immediately, around the impact of empty property rates and the increasing problems associated with low/no margin bids on tenders. We need your evidence on both these issues to take this work forward. The lunch also saw Mike Gibson take over as Chairman of the Property & Construction committee from Phil Cusack after several years of service to the sector. 

Making a Statement

On 5 December the Chancellor of the Exchequer will give his Autumn Statement – outlining the current state of the nation’s financial performance and trailing policy ideas that will form the basis of the next Budget. Our Action For Business Forum in Oldham on the 5th will have the Chancellor's speech live, with instant comment and reaction from our Chief Economist, Dr Brian Sloan, and a chance for you to have your say on what you thought about it and whether it tackled the issues that matter. The event is free to Chamber members. Earlier this month, the Chamber wrote a letter to the Chancellor, outlining what we wanted to see in the Autumn Statement. 

Keeping You up to Speed

Last week the Chamber hosted an event with HS2 about the release of plans for the network running north of Birmingham, via two separate arms to Manchester and Leeds. An announcement from the Transport Secretary is expected sometime in the next two weeks on what the preferred options are for the line, including possible locations for new stations. We will keep you informed of all the developments of this important infrastructure project as they happen.

Chamber Digs Deep for Charity

Chamber staff have done their bit to help the Manchester homeless charity Lifeshare by collecting donations of cash and clothing. The money raised was used to buy a variety of food, 24 pairs of gloves and 20 pairs of socks.

Unlock Your Potential

Applications are now open for the next 10,000 Small Businesses programme. This is an innovative, fully funded programme designed to unlock the economic and job creation potential of small businesses and social enterprises from across the North West. The core of the programme is a high quality, practically-focused business and management education, delivered over 12 sessions lasting approximately 100 hours. It is supported by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation. The next programme commences February 2013 and the deadline for applications is 18 December 2012. 

On Your Bike!

A new Cycle Commuter project has been launched by Transport for Greater Manchester. As part of the project, advisors can visit your business to discuss creating a scheme to make cycling to work an attractive option for your employees. Qualified instructors can provide 1-2-1 training to build cycling confidence and a number of bikes can be loaned to employees, so they can have a go at cycling to work.