Brighton Summit: Embracing the unknown

Date: Friday 13th October

Time: 8:30am - 6:00pm

Venue: The Clarendon Centre, Brighton

So your business was ticking along nicely, you were making plans for the future, and then…2016 happened. The British people voted to quit Europe, America elected a reality TV host as President, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. The pound nose-dived, businesses worried about hanging on to their EU employees, and everyone thought….WTF? 

In this time of change and uncertainty, you can confidently stick one thing in your diary - the Brighton Summit. It’s a high energy conference bringing together the city’s distinctive business community and it’s the highlight of the Chamber’s year.

This year’s theme is ‘Embracing the unknown’. It will encourage you to think about how to deal with the unfamiliar, seize new opportunities and take advantage of the altering landscape.

Some things won’t change. You can rely on the usual great networking, brilliant keynote speakers and inspiring workshops. But there will be challenges and surprises to reflect the mood of the times. So come prepared to leave your comfort zone and expect the unexpected…

Earlybird tickets are on sale now https://brighton-summit-2017.eventbrite.co.uk

GOING FURTHER- A seminar with Brontie & Co. Raw Artisan Chocolate

National Careers week at Worthing High School

National Careers Week which also coincided with the National Apprenticeship Week was held at Worthing High School and students took part in this initiative to help, guide and support their Career choices, they also looked at employability skills essential to the World of Work. Students were given a Career booklet to complete throughout the week, helping them focus on gaining the information needed included. This included details of websites for their research, points about how to find career pathways and information about specific employability skills.

Assemblies were held throughout the week which were supported by local business representatives and industry professionals. Assemblies included a live mock interview involving Mr Dean the Careers Advisor. Two interviews were showcased back to back, one showing how a candidate can impress a panel and the other was a little less polished. The students watched as the business representatives put Mr Dean through some tough questioning resulting in a positive outcome. Also during the assembly the students were guided through Apprenticeships and alternative pathways that many had not thought about. . Joyanne Williamson from Worthing Speech Therapies said:  ‘It was an honour to engage with so many interesting and enquiring teenagers. Helping them to see their potential and start their ground work as soon as possible’

At lunch time more business leaders and professionals joined students to chat informally about choices they could make and provided information about their own career pathways. The Police, Armed Services, HMRC and local entrepreneurs were in attendance and really helped to inspire the students.

Rebecca Groome from Free Your Mind Therpies said ‘Thank you I think this is such a wonderful idea to get the students thinking about careers early on in high school. I never had the opportunity to meet any business leaders when I was at school, which I think is so beneficial in terms of motivation and 'making it real' for the students. I had the fortune to meet a student who wanted to follow a career in therapeutic work and it was lovely to see her enthusiasm and feel I could offer her some valuable insight and share my enthusiasm for the job I do.’ 

Sameer Miah a Student in Year 10 said 'I found out that entrepreneurs tend to need a well-rounded portfolio of skills as they frequently only have themselves to depend on'.

Pan Panayiotou  Head teacher at Worthing High School said, 'Worthing High School is very proud of its Careers and Employability provision and the National Careers Week has been a fantastic opportunity to increase our students aspirations for future employability.   Involving local, global business and industry professionals is essential to the support and encouragement of our students. It helps them understand the real world of work and puts into context so much of their academic and non-academic learning. Worthing High School is looking forward to continuing its' close links with the local and global business community’.

Acas 2017 Employment Law Update 

Keeping up-to-date with employment law changes is essential.

April 2017 changes include:

NMW/NLW rates - click to read more

Gender pay reporting - click to read more

It's also important that businesses and organisations check in on employment law updates throughout the year so they don't get caught out. 

Employment law updates timetable - click to read more

MHA Carpenter Box Shortlisted in Prestigious Regional Awards

Sussex-based chartered accountants, tax and business advisers, MHA Carpenter Box, have been named as one of just three finalists in the Business of the Year category of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2017.

MHA Carpenter Box Practice Director, Chris Coopey, is understandably thrilled with the news, commenting: “Being shortlisted for this prestigious award is very much a recognition of the way in which the team at MHA Carpenter Box is willing to go that extra mile - be that for our clients, for business in general and also in terms of the charitable work we do for the communities in which our offices are based.”

The Business of the Year category recognises companies that can demonstrate an exceptional track-record of achievement, particularly high performing organisations that do the right thing for their clients, staff and the Gatwick Diamond Community.

The Gatwick Diamond is a key economic area, not just for the South East, but for the whole of the UK and the business awards celebrate those who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, as well as real commitment to the region. The awards have become one of the regions premier business occasions recognising the ‘best of the best’.

MHA Carpenter Box now has to wait until 16 March to find out the results, which will be presented by comedian and actor Stephen Mangan at a glittering ceremony at the Effingham Park Hotel, Gatwick.

Coast to Capital Industrial Strategy Response 

The Government has recently consulted on its Industrial Strategy Green Paper, it invited feedback from every part of the country, every sector of industry, businesses of every size, and all types of local organisations.

Coast to Capital, in partnership with local businesses, organisations, and experts, has led a strategic response to Government for the region, setting out our vision of the region, how best growth can be supported locally by the policies set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, and how Coast to Capital and its partners are best positioned to support Government deliver local growth. 

This response is now available for download - please click here

Think like a shark at BITE

From Shark Tank to BITE…South Africa’s best known entrepreneur will be helping local business people think their way to success when he delivers a keynote address in Sussex later this month.

Marnus Broodryk is a shark in ‘Shark Tank’ - the South African equivalent of Dragon’s Den - and will talk about ‘The Mind of a Successful Entrepreneur’ at the BITE 2017 (Business, Innovation, Technology & Efficiency) event hosted by MHA Carpenter Box on Thursday 27 April at the Amex Stadium, Brighton.

He started his first business at the age of 14, which helped pay for his own school fees, and by the age of 24 had become became a self-made millionaire, building one of the most valued and successful accounting firms in South Africa – ‘The Beancounter’.

He’s also actively involved in many other business projects and dedicates much of his time to helping entrepreneurs reach their dreams by providing seed capital and mentoring.

Drawing on his own experience, Marnus’ presentation at BITE will focus in on three common characteristics of a successful entrepreneur: how to conquer the mind to conquer anything; embracing change whenever it’s needed and being happy in business – the last principle based on the fact that everyone dies in the end, so best enjoy life on the way!

Marnus commented: “To be successful, entrepreneurs need to have a positive outlook, plenty of get-up and go and be ready for a lot of hard work.

“BITE brings together all types of businesses run by like-minded people eager to learn. It’s also an event which looks ahead and responds to emerging trends in business – and one of the big requirements in the future will be the need for everyone to switch to an entrepreneurial mind-set to succeed.” 

Another theme of the free one-day conference is Alternative Funding and the afternoon keynote session will see a panel of industry experts taking questions from the audience around funding in general and alternative funding in particular.

In addition to the keynotes, there will be six breakout sessions covering key business themes, as well as an exhibition featuring companies offering services and advice to help businesses to become more productive and stand out from the crowd.

To register your interest or book a stand at the event, please visit www.bite2017.com.