Liverpool Chamber’s new e-newsletter service is sponsored by Custom House. Sign up (via the above link) to up to get all the business news that matters as well as what’s happening at the Chamber.

Custom House are a leading global provider of foreign exchange services and payment solutions to businesses and individuals. Whether you’re making payments, receiving funds, or working to establishing a stable payment relationship with foreign businesses partners, they can provide custom solutions for your business needs.

Contact Ian Meyer on 07932 024 893 to find out more.

Read the Custom House weekly money market update by clicking on ‘more’.

Read the rest of this entry »

Working Links has been named as one of the best companies to work for in The Sunday Times Top 100. The company helps people in some of Britain’s most disadvantaged communities to get back to work. Since 2000 it has helped more than 76,000 people to find a job.

They are specialists in meeting the needs of today’s employers, providing them with the high quality recruits they need, free of charge.

Working Links Consultant, Dominic Stockton said: “We’re keen to work with Chamber members, as we are working more and more closely with employers to develop vacancies and to ensure that our clients have real jobs with good employers to aim for. We’d like to be able to let as many employers know about the services and support we offer to them as well as to our clients.”

Dominic continued: “I’d like to invite Chamber members to come along to our celebration event and find out more about who we are and what we do. We have now operated for three years in Merseyside and have helped 700 disabled people into employment or to start their own businesses.”

The event on 23 March at Bootle Town Hall at 1pm and will include a buffet, presentation, prize giving and networking. If you would like to attend, call 0151 922 5974or email Dominic.stockton@workinglinks.co.uk.

Please note numbers are limited so will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

For further information visit the Working Links website.

Staff training and development are a crucial investment for any business.  Here’s ten reasons why well trained staff can save you money and grow your business

1. Increase Productivity and Efficiency - By training staff to do their jobs, less wastage occurs due to errors and lost time.

2. Increase staff morale - Investing in your staff helps them realise their potential and feel valued by the organisation, creating a happier working environment.

3. Foster Innovation - Staff feel more confident and valued by the organisation and are motivated to make suggestions for improvement, development new ideas or apply theory learnt via training.

4. Decrease staff turnover - investing in your staff’s potential increases their loyalty to the business.

5. Staff are more motivated to do their jobs - Increased confidence in their ability to do the job.

6. Less absence due to stress and illness - because staff are more motivated to do their job, the knock-on effect is that they are less likely to take time away from the office through stress and illness.

7. Technical Skills and specialist knowledge is kept up-to-date and new techniques are learnt.

8. Training helps improve the competitive edge a business has by encouraging the development of new techniques and fostering an innovative environment.

9. Training is essential to ensure legal compliance as legislation is updated and new legislation is introduced.

10. All of the above 9 reasons add up to result in INCREASED PROFITS.

Liverpool Chamber offers a range of training opportunities for local businesses to develop the skills of their staff through gaining relevant qualifications or through one day business skills seminars. Find out more here.

The following companies joined the Chamber last month. They’ll be networking at the new members’ meeting on 21 March 2007 and also at some of our forthcoming events. We’ve included their phone numbers and websites so you can find out more about them and get in touch if there’s anyone you’d like to meet.

Linwood International Ltd
Freight Forwarding - Import / Export - Land/Sea/Air Transport - Worldwide
Tel: 01942 714008

Robins & Day Peugeot
Peugeot Motor Dealer. Cars & Light Commercial Vehicles. Fleets all sizes. Contract Hire, Leasing, Hire Purchase.
Tel: 0151 254 1010

Liquid Solution Ltd
Creative Marketing Communications Agency with expertise in graphic design and a wide range of experience particularly in retail.
Tel: 0151 709 8276

McDermott Developments
House Building
Tel:01282 411432

Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ)
Banking Corporate and Personal
Tel: 0151 236 9657

Bon Voyage Executive Travel
Luxury Chauffeur Service using high class vehicles
Tel: 0151 222 6466

Training Options UK Limited
Training Provider for the sport & leisure, security, health & social care industries.
Tel: 0151 649 8688

Largeportion Ltd
Marketing, Marketing Consultancy, Promotions, Events Organising, Production, PR, New Media including SMS Marketing, Design and Print, Advertising.
Tel: 0870 063 2000

Greenlake Business & Management Solutions Ltd
Business & Management Consultancy. Accredited to the Institute for Independent Business
Tel: 01257 260711

Dowsec Security Consultants Ltd
Electronic Security - CCTV, Access, Fire, Electrical, Intruder
Tel: 0151 708 8099

O’Briens Sandwich Bars
Sandwich Bar & major outside catering & event supplier
Tel: 0151 236 4001

MCJA - Merseycare Julie Ann Ltd
Home care provider / support work in Liverpool & Knowsley
Tel: 0151 726 8060

Venture Liverpool
Lifestyle family photographic portrait studio
Tel: 0151 703 9003

Studio 7 Design
0151 707 1700

Bluechip Corporate Solutions Ltd
CCTV Installation, CCTV Trainin, Security Staff Training.
Tel: 0151 708 2626

In recent months, Liverpool North Police have identified a significant increase in offences of theft from vehicles, targeting Satellite Navigation Systems. If you own one of these systems there are a number of steps that you can take to greatly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of this type of vehicle crime:

. Always remove your satellite navigation system, the cradle and associated wiring when leaving your vehicle.

. Take the system with you and place the cradle and wiring in the boot.

. Do not to leave the cradle and wiring, on display on the dashboard. This will alert thieves that you own a system and encourage them to break into your vehicle and search the glove compartment.

. If it uses a suction cup to fix to windscreen, remove it and clean off the mark as that is also a give-away.

. Never place the system in the glove compartment - it is the first place thieves will look. If you are unable to take it with you, make sure it is kept out of sight, in the boot of the vehicle.

. You should also register your Sat Nav on the www.immobilise.com website. This will enable the Police to identify the rightful owner of a system if it is recovered.

It is also a good idea to have your satellite navigation system security marked with your post code and house number, using an ultra violet marker pen. This will enable the Police to return it to you if it comes into their possession. You can call into any police station in Liverpool North to have this done.

If you require any further information on vehicle crime, you can visit the Home Office crime prevention website or call 0151 777 4671 and ask to speak to your Crime Prevention Officer.