Bedfordshire Chamber Of Commerce
Acting as the voice of the business community
Across Britain, Chambers of Commerce provide a valuable support services to businesses, from networking and advice to practical assis- tance with complicated issues, and providing a platform from which the voice of business is heard in the halls of power. Justin Richardson is CEO of Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and spoke to All T ings Business about the role of the organisation in providing security and peace of mind to local fi rms.
What does the current membership of Bedfordshire Chamber look like? We provide membership and support for more than 700 organisations, employing around 60,000 peo- ple. T at ranges from small and micro-businesses right up to some of the area’s large employers such as Vauxhall and CentreParks.
What services does the Chamber provide to businesses on a daily basis? Firstly, we provide a platform through which mem- bers can meet and collaborate and build long-term relationships. T at could be through events and networking meetings, although that’s not the case at the current time, or it could be through direct referrals. What that means is a member comes to us with a specifi c need or query and we put them in touch with another member who can help. We also provide signposting to funding that is available and help those eligible to take the correct steps to access it.
Another important role is to give a voice to local
businesses, to make sure their message reaches the decision makers at the heart of Westminster.
You also provide expert support for international trade, which is going to become even more important over the coming months? T at’s correct, we can take care of documentation for those who trade overseas, currently with coun- tries outside of the EU, and ensure that their goods get through customs, while at the same time making
10 ALL THINGS BUSINESS
Justin Richardson CEO of Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
sure that they get paid promptly. For smaller busi- nesses, international trade can be a time-consum- ing and complicated process and our aim is to take on that burden, helping them to avoid any pitfalls. Obviously, that is going to change when we
leave the EU. T ere are currently some 55 million customs declarations from the UK each year. From January next year, even if a deal is reached, that is estimated to rise to around 300 million and there simply isn’t the capacity to deal with that as things stand.
What can the Chamber do to help members prepare for that scenario? T e team at the Chamber have been through in- ternal training to be able to off er support as things change. We are less than 100 days from leaving the EU now and our focus is on giving members as much advice and guidance as possible, running we- binars and trying to stay abreast of the announce- ments. It’s almost impossible for someone who is running a small business to fi nd the time to keep pace with all the changes as they happen, so our role is to do that for them, to make sure they know where they are with everything and are prepared for new procedures.
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