BUSINESS REPORT


CHAMBER BOOSTS GLOBAL NETWORK


Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce has shared its expertise with British Chambers of Commerce overseas to boost the strength of our global network. We took part in a video conference with the British Chamber of


The first meeting of the Business Forum


FORUM OUTLINES ITS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE


Our new Business Forum, in conjunction with previous policy focus groups and findings from the Chamber’s survey work, has identified six areas which we will focus on during 2017 and beyond. The Business Forum provides members with a platform to voice their


concerns and opinions on a range of issues, from skills and infrastructure to business taxation and Brexit. Based on this we have identified six areas to focus on:


1. National Infrastructure Commission - Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Growth Corridor


2. HMRC - Making Tax Digital 3. Business Rates 4. Apprenticeship Levy and the wider skills agenda 5. The Government Industrial Strategy 6. Brexit


The valuable feedback provided by our members will culminate in the launch of a Business Manifesto. This document will act as the flagship policy and lobbying document for The


Chamber Group by representing members’ interests to key decision makers and influencers at local authority level through to Whitehall and Westminster.


Commerce Kenya in February to help it reach the standards needed to become accredited by the BCC and we will help six other overseas Chambers in the near future. We were invited by the BCC to take part in the initiative because we


have won its national Excellence in Membership Services award for the past three years. Northamptonshire Chamber chief executive Paul Griffiths said: “The


BCC wants to accredit more overseas Chambers so we are not just a national body but an international body of Chambers which would be quite unique. “We took part in a Membership Workshop with the British Chamber


of Commerce Kenya to help them with their strategy. “We looked at what they are currently doing, their marketing


strategy, their social media presence and helped them to identify their target market and their value proposition.” More than 30 overseas Chambers are currently accredited by the


BCC. BCC director general Adam Marshall said: “Northamptonshire is a


terrific example of a Chamber sharing its best practise and expertise with the wider network. As the BCC continues to build links in markets across the world, it’s great to see our members imparting their experience for others to learn from. “The Chamber’s impressive record of winning Excellence in


Membership Services, is a testament to their dedication to continually provide a valuable service and offering to its members, which is at the heart of what Chambers are there to do.”


6 inbusiness APRIL/MAY 2017


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