Diary Dates Leader’s Business Network Events Thursdays at 5.30pm, venues to be confirmed: 3 March 9 June 15 September 8 December 2 March 2017 Book your place at the next events.

Women in Business

Wednesdays from 5.30pm at Havering College, Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11 2LL, on:

• 27 January
  
• 20 April
  
• 19 October
  
• 25 January 2017

On Wednesday 13 July, from 7.30am at Natwest, Blackburn House, 22 - 26 Eastern Road, Romford, RM1 3PJ.

Book your ticket for the next event.

Networking in Havering

Networking is a proven way to build good relations with other businesses, which can lead to referrals and new business. There are a number of networking groups in Havering including those listed below.

BNI Valour chapter meets each Tuesday morning at David Lloyd Centre, Squirrels Heath Lane, Romford, RM11 2DY from 7am - 8.30am.

The 4N networking group meets every fortnight at Liberty Bell, Mercury Gardens, Romford, RM1 3EN on Thursdays from 8am - 10am.

The ebn Upminster and Hornchurch group meets at Manor Hotel, Berwick Pond Road, Rainham, RM13 9EL from 8am - 10am on alternate Tuesdays.

The Forum of Private Business meets on the second Friday of each month at YMCA, Roneo Corner, Rush Green Road, Romford, RM7 OPH, from 7.30am. More information: Gerry Goldner

Havering Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with the Federation of Small Businesses, hold networking events at The Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1QT on the first Friday of each month from 7.30am until 9am.

NELE (Networking in East London and Essex) meets at the CEME Conference Centre in Rainham from 12.30pm - 2.30pm on Tuesdays.

Please check group websites for latest information. 

Could you be the 2016 Low Carbon Entrepreneur?

The Low Carbon Entrepreneur is a competition run by the Mayor of London and sponsored by Citi Foundation to find fresh new ideas to cut carbon emissions and give students employability skills.

It’s open to current students and recent graduates (2015) from London universities and colleges. To enter, you must be over 18 on Wednesday 30 March 2016. You can enter as an individual or as a team. Applications must be submitted by midnight on Sunday 14 February 2016. Enter now.

Combatting under-age sales

The Chartered Institute of Trading Standards offers an online course for staff to make sure they are informed of current legislation.

Find out more here.

London Growth Hub

The London Growth Hub provides a one-stop-shop for London’s businesses to access a range of public and private sector support. More information is available here.

Business Support

Havering Council offers a range of advice and help to support your business.

More details are on the website which is regularly updated.

Get full details here.

Keep customers safe Safety First is the Havering Council email update which contains information on Food Safety Alerts and Product Recalls. Click the relevant link to receive your copy each month.

Overseas opportunities

If your business is looking to trade overseas sign up here to get the UK Trade and Investment email update giving details of available opportunities.

Book site visits 24/7 If you are a builder or developer who needs a site visit from a Havering Council Building Control officer you can now book that visit at any time 24/7 using our online booking service. Book online before 10am and your site can be visited the same day. There are also many Building Control forms you can complete online here. Havering Council also issues a Building Control Briefing email update, which you can get free of charge here.

Got something to say?

If you have a news item for a future edition of Business Briefing, please send it to Jolly Choudhury.

You can see previous editions of Business Briefing here.

Havering businesses are encouraged to get involved in Clean for the Queen, which takes place from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 March and is a campaign to clear up Britain in time for Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday, which will be officially celebrated in June 2016.

When she came to the throne litter was not the problem it is today so during that weekend the aim is for community groups, businesses, schools and individuals to spend an hour or two clearing litter from part of their neighbourhood. We all know an area near our business where litter gathers so register your interest in a Havering Clean for the Queen event here and let’s get it cleared up.

Tesco first to sign up The first Havering business to register interest to take part in the Clean for the Queen is the community champion team at Tesco Roneo Corner.

Exciting sponsorship opportunities Each year Havering Council is proud to deliver a range of popular events within the borough, including the Havering Show which attracts crowds of up to 45,000 visitors over the August Bank Holiday weekend, and offers exciting sponsorship opportunities. If you would like further details of how you can promote your business and engage with the local community, please contact Joanne Yeomans.

Food courses to boost business The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Level 2 Award in Food Hygiene and Catering courses are run at myplace, Dagnam Park Drive, Harold Hill, RM3 9EN, All the courses are on Tuesdays, starting at 9.15am and ending at 4.30pm. Book your place here.

Opportunities

1. Sustainable Care Havering Project

Havering Council’s Economic Development Team is inviting all Adult Social Care Providers, which are either based or deliver services within Havering, to join the Sustainable Care Havering Project.

The sector is going through significant changes and this is an exciting opportunity for Adult Social Care Providers in Havering to join a two-year business support programme aimed at increasing business productivity and efficiency through expert business advice and workforce planning support. The project will support fifteen small and medium sized businesses working with experienced consultants who have sector specific knowledge.

There are only 15 places available so please submit your application as soon as possible. Deadline Monday 8 February.

2. Generic Outreach Support Service

Project: prj_LBNew_4540.  OJEU Ref: 2015/S 209-370564.

Havering Council is seeking a service provider (consortium, sole provider or other formal partnership) to deliver a generic outreach support service to a range of vulnerable people to develop and maintain independence skills and strategies that build upon their own coping mechanisms and increase their personal resilience. The overall aim being to provide brief interventions and / or short term targeted support to prevent people from requiring reliance on statutory care and support services.

Interested organisations will need to register online to view and complete the tender documentation. Deadline Monday 22 February.

3. Help Not Hospital Service

Project: prj_LBNew_4580. OJEU Ref: 2015/S 209-379685.

Havering Council is seeking organisations who wish to tender for the provision of the Help Not Hospital Service.

Interested organisations will need to register online to view and complete the tender documentation. Deadline: Noon, Friday 12 February.

4. Skills Funding Agency launches ESF tendering round

The following invitations to tender (ITT) have been published:

·         Young BAME

·         16-18 Targeted NEET

·         16-24 Targeted NEET LDD

·         18-24 Targeted NEET Mental health

·         18-24 Targeted NEET Migrant Groups and Others

·         15-18 Preventative NEET

·         16-24 NEET Outreach

·         Careers Guidance

See the document outlining the linkages between the ESF youth programme strands.

Tender applications should be made online here before the deadline of 5pm on Friday 5 February.

Local Business Accelerators competition

The hunt is on to find the best local businesses. Are you a successful local business owner in need of a boost? Fancy some business mentoring from Deborah Meaden? Want some free advertising in your local paper? Then Local Business Accelerators is for you! 

Businesses wishing to take part need to contact their local paper, which will put them forward for the award. The deadline for nominations is Friday 29 January 2016. The winner will be announced at the end of March 2016.

Full entry details available here.

Free CPC driver training for Havering businesses Havering businesses can register their HGV/LGV drivers for free Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) accredited safer urban driver training. Funded by Transport for London, the one-day course focuses on safe driving around vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists, to increase safety on London’s roads. There are several dates until Wednesday 17 February, but places are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.

Now open in town Havering is proving an attractive place for new businesses, which bring with them jobs for local people. Among those firms which have recently invested in Havering are: Chigwell Window Centre, 9-11 Chase Cross Road, Collier Row, RM5 3PJ Monkey Mayhem, 39 Collier Row Road, Collier Row, RM5 3NR INET Group Ltd, Unit C8, Star Business Centre, Fairview Industrial Park, Marsh Way, Rainham, RM13 9UP Imperial Motorworks Ltd, Unit C5, Star Business Centre,  Fairview Industrial Park, Marsh Way, Rainham, RM13 9UP.

Shops to let Romford Shopping Hall currently has two units for rent on seven day rolling contracts, which includes business rates, service charges and free marketing support. Email Michelle Fitzgibbons for more details.

The Retailery In March 2016 The Retailery, a creative business hub on South Street, Romford, will be launched. The organiser, Made Public, is currently on the look out for creative businesses/entrepreneurs to become part of the community.  We have office space, retail units and other opportunities all on offer, at incredibly competitive rates.  Basic memberships start from £10 a month. The fixed desk (2.35m x 2.35m) and retail space (3m x1.5m) memberships are priced at £150 p/m.  Included in the price are Internet access, phone connection, business support, meeting room access, communal kitchen, refuse collection, postal delivery and workshop and events programme. Find out more here.

Collect your Amazon parcel at The Mercury Amazon customers can now collect and return items, seven days a week 7am – 11.30pm via an Amazon locker at The Mercury Mall, Mercury Gardens, Romford, RM1 3EE.

Knockout visitor for Romford Shopping Hall The current WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders will be at Romford Shopping Hall, Market Place, Romford, RM1 3AB, on Saturday 30 January, noon – 2pm, to sign autographs.

Keeping trade local We provide a free online Havering business directory. You can use the directory to promote your business. Add your business to the directory here.

Businesses should speak out on Rainham river crossing consultation The Mayor of London has published details of 13 new river crossings for London between Fulham and Dartford. Full details are available in Connecting the Capital. Consultation on a new bridge linking the A13 at Rainham to Belvedere is taking please until Friday 12 February 2016. Make your views known here.

New rules for private hire firms Following a review of private hire regulations in London Transport for London (TfL) has set out proposals to modernise the capital’s private hire industry. The measures, which will be put to the TfL Board for approval in March, will improve standards of safety and customer service in light of the impact of new technology and the rising numbers of private hire vehicles in London. Key proposals include: A formal English language requirement for drivers. Guaranteed fare estimates for customers in advance of their journey. The provision of driver and vehicle details to customers, including a photo of the driver, before the start of each journey. Private hire operators to ensure that customers can speak to someone in the event of a problem with their journey. Even more robust ‘hire and reward’ insurance requirements. Improved record keeping and real-time provision of driver and vehicle information to TfL to make enforcement more effective.