Monday April 20, 2009
In This Issue
EGBA Business Exhibition
Don’t miss this important event being held at Chequer Mead Community Arts Centre on 24th June.
A few places are left - make sure you book now to ensure you get your stand and avoid disappointment. We will also have a number of seminars running throughout the day and have a selection of speakers lined up to add interest to the event.
The exhibition is to showcase the wealth of local business skills and resources available. It will be open to other businesses in the area, as well as the general public and local schools.
It will be a unique opportunity to market your goods and services and also be a superb occasion for those companies who as part of their corporate social responsibility wish to support the community. In addition, those companies who are active in attracting and encouraging work experience, may wish to show their support to the next generation - with a view to keeping job opportunities available to local talent.
The exhibition is primarily a business-to-business event, designed to show local firms. To book your space, contact caroll.everest@egba.co.uk. Tel:
01342 324353.
back to top  Membership Drive
We are pleased to announce that we have had over 22 new members this year.
We would like to welcome some of the newer members, who are:
Penny Farthing Jewelers
Goughs Pet Store
Herbert Sports
Insulated Tools Ltd
The Computer Studio
W Major & Sons Ltd
Amadeus
Dynamic Webs Ltd
Florabundance
We are delighted with the number of new members – BUT WE NEED MORE. We need to be fully representative of all businesses in town and so we are having a membership drive and need your help to enroll one new member. If everyone can recruit one new member in the next month, we will double our numbers.
A membership form can be found on the website www.egba.co.uk
back to top EGBA programme of Events
We have now produced our first leaflet showing the programme of events for the next 6 months.
This has been mailed out to all our members – if for any reason you have not received a copy – please let me know.
We are also distributing throughout various outlets intown that are accessible to businesses, ie Library, Accountants, Solicitors etc. If you are able to have a few leaflets for display/distribution please let me know.
We hope that you will be able to attend and support some of the events planned.
back to top Members Meetings for May – Note in your Diary
6th May – Meet & Eat at Portofino, Italilan Restaurant – 6pm.
19th May – Breakfast Meeting at the Copthorne Gatwick 7.00am.
Speaker: Jeremy Taylor of Cadia, The Gatwick Diamond Initative.
back to top Employment Law Change
2 important changes take effect from April 2009.
• More flexible rules to help you deal with disciplinary, dismissal and grievance issues at work earlier and in a way to suit you best
• The right to ask for flexible working is being extended to all parents of children aged 16 yrs or under.
For more information and to see if or how you might be affected by these changes go to:
www.businesslink.gov.uk/employingpeople
back to top IT Staff Available
A Software House based nr Surrey is about to make 26 good IT professionals redundant.
They employed two good development teams: The Microsoft team - C#, ASP.NET, VB.NET, SQL Server etc and the Open Systems team: Java, J2EE, C++ etc who have both been made redundant through no fault of their own.
The Project Manager and Technical Support team are also still available who had a mixture of experience in Windows 2003/XP/MS Exchange and Unix.
If you have any suitable opportunities for them, either now or in the future contact:
Victoria Valentine, Evolution Recruitment Solutions Ltd, Tel:
0207 248 9596
victoria.valentine@evolution-jobs.co.uk www.evolution-jobs.co.uk
back to top Joint Chamber of Commerce - Luncheon invitation
The Crawley and Gatwick Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the first ever "Joint Chamber Lunch Networking Event".
This event will be held on 1st May, at the Arora International Hotel, Southgate, Crawley, at a cost of £20.00 per a head. Guest speakers are from Lloyds's to discuss 2012 and Crawley Borough Councils newly appointed CEO, Lee Harris.
The invite has been forwarded out to all local chambers and we are looking forward to hosting an exciting lunch, and would love to have all our members there to help celebrate and enjoy this event.
You are more than welcome to bring a guest or two. This event is an excellent opportunity for members to get together, network and learn from excellent speakers. Potentially, there will be a lot of business in the room.
To book a place contact: Jose Evans, Administrator, Crawley & Gatwick Chamber of Commerce, c/o Richard Place Dobson
29 High Street, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1BQ, Tel:
07813 885529
Email: jose@crawleychamber.co.uk Website: www.crawleychamber.co.uk
back to top Breakfast Seminar – Tuesday 28th April
7.45am – 9.30 at East Sussex National Golf Course (Nr Uckfield)
Topic: Intellectual Property – Creating & Protecting Value in Your Business
FREE ENTRY
But pre-registration is required as it is expected to be very popular.
For further details contact: Katie Stone at Adams & Remers em: Katie.stone@adams-remers.co.uk
Programme includes:
• Copyright in Practice: A Guide to Securing Value in Your Business
• Trade Mark or Trade Loss: Why protecting your trade mark is important
Speakers: Adams & Remers and Frank B Dehn & Co.
back to top ‘Open 4 Business’ – a FREE event aimed at Mid Sussex businesses held at the Norfolk Pavilion, South of England Showground on Thursday May 14th 2009, 5.30pm for a 6pm start.
Mid Sussex District Council and Business Link have teamed up t to deliver a 2nd edition of this event to bring together a collection of business support organisations, to offer delegates an opportunity to access quality advice and information on running a successful business. It will take the form of a comprehensive exhibition of business support organisations operating in Mid Sussex and an opportunity to listen to some keynote speakers who focus on helping businesses to overcome barriers during this current economic climate.
It will be held in the Norfolk Pavilion at the South of England Showground at Ardingly on Thursday 14th May and entry is free. Doors open at 5 pm and the event will comprise an exhibition by business support organisations offering a unique opportunity to obtain quality advice and information about running a successful business. There will also be a series of short presentations from Thornfield Properties on the latest plans to redevelop the three town centres in Mid Sussex; CADIA on business opportunities in the Gatwick Diamond; and Business Link on being positive in the recession. There will also be plenty of time for networking and full refreshments will be provided. The first event held in December 2007 was a great success with over 170 businesses attending, and we are sure this time it will be just as successful.
Any business wishing to attend should register beforehand using the following link at Mid Sussex District Council's website
http://www.midsussex.gov.uk/page.cfm?pageID=8397
back to top East Grinstead in Bloom
GOING FOR GOLD!! East Grinstead in Bloom is comprised of a group of volunteers - who simply want to make our town a more pleasant place to live by improving the environment.
In 2007 and 2008, the town was awarded a Silver Medal for its excellence in the South/Southeast section of Britain in Bloom. In both years the judges noted a lack of commercial involvement in environmental enhancement. Many of our businesses could be providing landscaping and planting of both perennial and annual floral displays to improve the area.
This year we really want to show the judges this has improved and go for GOLD. The support of local businesses to support this initiative is sought so they can improve the landscaping and help the town. How can you help? To see what you can do to assist, contact: Sheila Gellatly on em: sheila@pro-survival.com
back to top SME’s £500 Energy Efficiency Grant
Funding is available to any business based in premises, either rented or owned, with a current energy spend of between £3,000 and £20,000pa. Home based businesses are not eligible.
For full details contact: Maddy Flynn at Business Link on
0845 600 9 006
madeline.flynn@businesslinksussex.co.uk
back to top Independent Retailer master class programme
Free place available.
The programme has been developed by the National Skills Academy for Retail in association with Mary Portas incorporating her knowledge and expertise offered through a network of accessible bespoke retail training centres. The Master Classes will give independent business leaders the opportunity to develop their own management and leadership skills. Prior to the official launch we are offering an exclusive opportunity to an EGBA member to attend the first two of these innovative master classes to test the content and format of the training.
When: 21st and 22nd May
Where: The Retail Exchange, Central Sussex College, Crawley
Who: Independent owner / managers
Cost: None other than own time to attend both days and the promise to give constructive feedback on the training received.
For more information or to apply to attend please contact Lynn Patry Retail Training Manager Central Sussex College lpatry@centralsussex.ac.uk or
01293 442 292.
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