"What a great resource the Hounslow Chamber is!" - Tony Ryan, Branduin Business Support
"It was a great webinar." - KB Rafique, ALBAL Limited
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Hounslow Chamber in conjunction with Chiswickbuzz webinars
All are free, run for 60 minutes and start at 10:00 am:
Managing Debt - 6th August
Open for business – With lockdown lifting, what’s next for business finance?
With SMEs taking on debt at record levels, the need for trusted advice is increasing. Over the coming months, businesses may need help and advice on how to manage their working capital, what the best options are for cash deposits, where to turn to get more funding, etc.
Panellists include:
- Marcus Gruenwald, Finpoint
- Tony Ryan, Branduin Business Support
- Nick Woolf, Nicholas Woolf Solicitors
- Mukesh Malhotra, Thamesbank Credit Union
- Alan Rides, Hounslow Chamber
Re-boot, Recover & Grow – with an Ealing bias - 27th August
Panellists to be announced.
New Date
Re-boot Business Breakfast - 19th August at 9:30am - 11:00am
Venture X, Building 7, Chiswick Park,566 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5YG
Owing to new government guidelines we have had to push back the date.
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Three boroughs with two teams in one Wembley playoff. Winner takes all to win promotion to the premiership
Brentford v Fulham – playoff tonight!
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Brentford players celebrating during win over Swansea. Picture: Brentford FC
On Tuesday night the Bees face Fulham in a Championship playoff final at Wembley. This fixture is often described as the richest game in world football because the difference between victory and defeat is so wide. The winner will gain access to the vast TV revenues that accrue to Premier League clubs and a boost to income of around £170 million.
For Brentford the timing would be perfect as it would mean the last game played at their Griffin Park ground was the one that clinched the playoff spot and, were they to beat their west London rivals this week, the first competitive game at the Lionel Road stadium would be their first ever in the Premier League. The club did play in the old first division during the thirties and briefly after the Second World War in the 1946/47 season. (courtesy of Chiswick W4 Newsletter)
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BUSINESS BRIEFING FROM GOVERNMENT COVID-19 PRESS CONFERENCE (courtesy of White Label)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has postponed tomorrow’s (1st August) opening of further leisure businesses by at least two weeks.
Casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks and other remaining close contact services, along with indoor performances, were due to begin opening tomorrow, however due to rising coronavirus infections across England, this will no longer happen until 15 August at the earliest.
Wedding receptions of up to 30 people will also no longer be permitted and pilots of larger crowds in sports venues and conference centres have been paused.
Wedding ceremonies will however be allowed to take place, in accordance with COVID-secure guidelines.
The announcements were made today after Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed restrictions on gatherings across the north west of England, with data from the Office for National Statistics estimating there were now 4,900 new infections every day, up from around 3,000 per day on 14 July and 2,000 per day at the end of June.
New measures on the wearing of face coverings were also being introduced.
Mr Johnson said: “We will also extend the requirement to wear a face covering to other indoor settings where you are likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet, such as museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship. We now recommend face coverings are worn in these settings, and this will become enforceable in law from 8 August.”
For the full transcript of Mr Johnson's announcement, go here.
£20 million in new grants to boost recovery of small businesses
Thousands of smaller businesses in England are set to benefit from £20million of new government funding to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government has announced.
Small and medium sized businesses will have access to grants of between £1,000 - £5,000 to help them access new technology and other equipment as well as professional, legal, financial or other advice to help them get back on track.
“Businesses will be able to use these new grants to pay for the expertise, equipment and technology they need to adapt, recover and rebuild.
Today’s announcement builds on a £10m package announced by the Minister earlier this month to help to kickstart the tourism industry and support the visitor economy.
The support will be fully funded by the government from the England European Regional Development Fund and distributed through Growth Hubs, embedded in local areas across England.
More information is available here.
ADDITIONAL UPDATES AND GUIDANCE
Further details of the Job Retention Bonus announced
Further details of how jobs will be protected through the government’s new Job Retention Bonus were unveiled by HMRC today.
New law to ensure furloughed employees receive full redundancy payments
Government brings in law to ensure furloughed employees receive statutory redundancy pay based on their normal wages, rather than a reduced furlough rate.
Extra university places for vital courses announced
More than 9,000 additional places approved at UK universities for courses to deliver vital services and support the economy.
More businesses set to benefit from government loan scheme
Previously businesses which were classed as ‘undertakings in difficulty’ were unable to access CBILS because of EU rules. From today, businesses in this category and which have fewer than 50 employees and a turnover of less than £9m can apply to CBILS. More here.
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Test & Trace campaign launch (courtesy of Cabinet Office)
NHS Test & Trace has today launched a new campaign to encourage everyone to get a free test as soon as they get symptoms, alongside a new business plan to expand testing capacity and prepare the nation for winter.
Restaurants, pubs, salons and gyms are among the businesses who are being supported by NHS Test & Trace to log their customers to prevent transmission and help contain the virus.
Extended self-isolation
The UK's Chief Medical Officers have extended the self-isolation period to 10 days for those in the community who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or a positive test result.
In symptomatic people COVID-19 is most infectious just before, and for the first few days after symptoms begin. It is very important people with symptoms self-isolate and get a test, which will allow contact tracing.
CJRS update
From 1 August 2020, the level of CJRS grant will be reduced each month. In August, the government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 for the hours an employee is on furlough and employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions for the hours the employee is on furlough.
Employers will continue to be able to choose to top up employee wages above the 80% total and £2,500 cap for the hours not worked at their own expense if they wish. Employers will have to pay their employees for the hours worked.
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Council encourages local businesses to register for building contracts
To support the recovery of construction services, Hounslow Council is encouraging local businesses to sign up to the London Tenders Portal.
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The portal provides opportunities for businesses to bid for local building contracts from the Council. This includes all types of construction work such as carpentry, electrical, refurbishment work, plastering, scaffolding, supply of skips and professional services, including architectural, surveying, ecological, security, and catering.
Registering on the London Tenders Portal is free for all traders. Once registered, you will receive email updates on new contract opportunities issued by Hounslow Council, other London boroughs and various other bodies. These are matched to the suppliers’ capabilities and trades. After signing up, the Council will provide advice, support and training on making the best use of the portal. Read more here.
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It’s time to fast-track Brexit planning. With less than six months to go until the end of the transition period, and even though it has never been completely off the agenda, businesses have no time to waste in completing their Brexit preparations.
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Employee Guide to Settlement Agreements – A get out of jail free card for employers?
If you have been offered a settlement agreement or even possible risk of future redundancy read our guide or speak to me about this.
Making a Claim for Reasonable Financial Provision on death – Being left out of a will
If you have been left out of a Will, or you are not sufficiently provided for under the intestacy rules, you could be entitled to make a claim for reasonable financial provision.
Don’t ever be in a position, as in this case, which we fought and appeared in the Daily Mail.
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The summer holidays are on us and whilst demand has not dropped off, donations of food and other essentials have. We are also in need of drivers and potential volunteers for packing.
We welcome donations during office hours Tuesday-Friday 10:00am - 1:00pm and Saturday 10:00am - 12 noon at the Rose Community Centre, Hawthorn Road, Brentford TW8 8NT
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2020 continues to be a challenging year and some may question Business Awards going ahead. After much reflection we feel there are reasons to be optimistic. Please enter the Awards, based on your activity in 2019, using it as a means to celebrate the past, to mark the end of 2020, and to give you and your team a wonderful night out on 15th October 2020, to move into the Christmas season and to start 2021 in an upbeat frame of mind.
Please be assured that we will be adhering to Government guidelines to ensure we are all safe.
Click here to see the safety measures now in place at Clayton Hotel Chiswick.
The Business Awards are open to ALL businesses in the London Boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow and ALL our Chamber members, wherever you are based.
There are 19 award categories which you can enter now, just click the link to enter, fill out the form and submit. The deadline date for entries is 22nd August 2020.
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West London Local Chambers & Hounslow Chamber of Commerce are the primary support, networking, and representation organisation in west London for SMEs.
We support the interests, the commercial aspirations and the investment from businesses in Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham - the Chamber is the voice for all businesses located in the borough
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