Got an innovative product? You could win £10,000 in cash, £4,000 worth of legal, business, accounting or design consultancy; support from some of the region’s leading business advisors; and publicity for the idea.

The awards are open to individuals or companies with less than 50 employees who are based within Merseyside. The Awards aim to recognise and reward the use of innovation as a means of boosting growth and profitability.

Chair of the judging panel, Brian McCann, of Vanguard said: “Over the last few years the number of applications has soared. Merseyside is a breeding ground for many world-class innovations and the next few months will be an exciting time as we examine all the entries and select the shortlist. I would urge anyone with a great idea or product to fill in an application form and see what happens.”

To enter and for further information visit www.merseysideinnovationawards.co.uk

The Chamber Professional Development Programme has just released their new brochure which has a wide range of seminars. If you did not receive one please email us, telling us your name and company.

First Aid and Health and Safety are important factors of your business. Here at the Chamber we have seminars which can cover the areas from First Aid Awareness to First Aid at Work Accredited and IOSH to NEBOSH. To see the courses in full visit our website.

We have all heard of the importance of making a good first impression and nowhere is this more important than in the business world.

A good first impression to your clients can mean a long lasting and profitable relationship whilst a bad one could mean the loss of clients and money.

For a great number of people the first contact they have with a business is by telephone and this call could get customers excited about the company or leave them cold. This is why it is very important to call handled in the correct manner. This may be difficult for a sole trader or for a business whose people are often out in the field. Therefore, it may be prudent for you to take advantage of the Clear Call answering and message services.

Clear Contact come with a wealth of call answering experience and have an extensive client range of trades people, local sole traders and SMEs who all depend of the professional and efficient manner our Clear Virtual team offer .

The Clear Team take the hassle out of dealing with your calls and messages, letting you to concentrate on the job at hand, the full services the Clear Virtual team offer are as follows:

· Provide a local or non geographical number as point of contact for potential or current clients

· Calls are answered in your company name and handled in a very professional manner

· Calls can be redirected to you as and when you wish

· Messages can be taken and a summary will be sent to you via email, fax or phone call at the end of each day or as and when you require.

· Company information for examples quote and call put emergency’s can be managed in house with the clear team to be then directed to yourselves at convenient time or patched straight through to yourself in a case of emergency

Clear Call Answering is easy, simple and takes care of you and your customers for as little as £75 per month with no long terms contracts.

Chamber members get this at £ 65 per month.

For further information call Clear Contact on 0151 703 2759 or visit www.clear-contact.com

America’s tip-top prestigious newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has recently run an article on Liverpool and its growing cultural status:

“Liverpool has long been known as an industrial city with blighted neighborhoods and violent crime. Rowdy fans descend for soccer games, spilling out of pubs after hours. Its biggest claim to fame: the birthplace of the Beatles.

Now, the 800-year-old port is trying to become Europe’s next hip destination. This year, the city has been designated Europe’s Capital of Culture, and it just launched its first fashion week…”

Read the full article on the Wall Street Journal website.

19 - 22 June 2008

Design Show Liverpool hits the city in June - and it’s is set to be the most exciting design event the north west has ever seen.

The atmospheric crypt of Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral will showcase the very best of product design, cutting-edge technology and stylish living.

Designed to excite, inform and entertain, it gives the public a fantastic opportunity to browse and buy from over 150 selected designers, who represent the very best in regional, national and international modern design and contemporary fashion.

Open to the public, trade buyers and collectors, the show will feature fashion shows, workshops and product presentations. And visitors will have the chance to get their hands on a huge range of unique items - from furniture, glass, ceramics, lighting and eco-design to garden products clothing, jewellery and fashion accessories.

Design Show Liverpool is at the Metropolitan Cathedral from 19 - 22 June. Please call 0151 280 8220 or visit www.designshowliverpool.com for more information.