Business News

ERA, the UK’s leading home security specialist, has implemented a new helpdesk team offering end-user support for its fast-growing smartware security product portfolio.

The four-strong team offers expert help and guidance for home owners, trade and local authorities from ERA’s head office at the i54 Business Park in Wolverhampton.

Tania Tams, Head of Marketing, said: “Our smartware security range is developing a pace and due to the nature of the products the time has come to provide an on-site, dedicated aftercare team for customers. The new team provides an extension to our existing ERA Expert Helpdesk team who offer support on our more traditional product range.

“In addition to supporting customers, we hope that this latest move will also provide peace of mind for tradesmen too, giving them a clear point of contact to refer their customers to for aftercare if they have any questions post-fitting.”

The Helpdesk team, who are all from the Wolverhampton area,  is lead by Customer Support Manager, Liam Moses, who has a strong background in digital sales and customer service.

Liam said: “We offer a personal service where all our customers are guaranteed a ‘solve’ or ‘resolve’ outcome for their query. If we can’t solve their query on the spot, they can rest assured that we will go away and resolve it, usually, within 24hrs. We are currently running at a 98% solve rate at point of contact with the customer, with the remaining queries requiring additional input from other areas of our business. We also offer live chat web-support and deal with queries regarding ebay and Amazon purchases too.”

The Smartware Helpdesk Team receives a wide range of queries from customers who might not feel as comfortable with technology including; whether a product is suitable for use in different areas of the home, selecting the best product to suit customer needs, how to get a replacement remote or key and how to return or exchange an item.

Supporting the Customer Support Manager are three Customer Support Advisors. Phil Robinson is a self-professed tech geek who has 10 years’ experience in electrical retail customer service roles. For Phil, the most rewarding part of the role is dealing with flustered customers who are trying to explain a problem with an alarm sounding in the background. He said: “Our job is to take the pressure off the customer, calm the situation and provide the solution.”

Figuring out how things work, taking them apart and rebuilding them has always been of interest to Customer Support Advisor, Matthew Bird. With a retail background in gaming, computers and electronics, Matthew is enjoying his new challenge at ERA. He said: “As well as homeowners and trade customers, we offer support to local authorities that provide alarm schemes for the elderly and more vulnerable. We receive regular calls from these residents with a range of queries from simple questions to more complex issues. I’m enjoying the diversity of the role and it’s great to be working with Phil again who I worked alongside in a previous role at an electronics retailer.”

The third Customer Service Advisor is Kaush Patel who has an IT background and extensive experience in call centres. Kaushik said: “I love technology and I’m enjoying learning more about advances in smartware security products. Having worked in large call centres for 15 years it’s great to be part of a much smaller team that can provide a more personal approach to customers queries. We build a rapport with our customers and we genuinely want to help them. We provide help for the life of the product, way after the guarantee has expired, and it’s great to get calls from customers who are still using an alarm they bought 20 years ago that’s still going strong and simply want buy another one for a relative!”

Infrastructure development and the upskilling of workers must become a top priority for the Government after the UK suffered another sluggish period of GDP growth, business leaders said today.

According to figures released today, UK gross domestic product increased by 0.2 per cent in quarter two (March to May) – a slight increase of 0.1 per cent on the first quarter.

The Office for National Statistics said performance picked up slightly in May following a slowdown in the three months to April, caused by disappointing output levels in construction.

The production and construction sectors both made negative contributions to GDP, while 0.4 per cent growth in the services industries signalled the biggest upward contribution.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive Paul Faulkner (pictured) said: “It seems to have become the new norm to accept modest economic growth as a given in the current political climate.

“Whilst the service sector received a welcome boost from a bout of sunny weather and the royal wedding, we can’t ignore the continued disappointing levels of output we are witnessing in the construction and manufacturing industries.

“The likelihood of a summer rate rise remains unclear, particularly if the feel good factor from the World Cup translates into higher spending which could tip the balance amongst the MPC – especially if this outweighs Brexit related trading concerns.

“Nevertheless, relying on the success of the England football team to maintain demand remains a risky proposition and surely today’s results once again demonstrate the need for policy makers to deliver an effective plan which puts infrastructure development and upskilling the workforce as the number one priority for the country.

“Locally, the data from our latest Quarterly Business Report revealed similar trends with service sector demand remaining strong and we saw a recovery for manufacturers in the region from the worryingly low output we saw at the start of the year.

“I would urge local businesses to come along to our upcoming launch event in which we will discuss these results and the wider economic trends which are affecting businesses in the region.”

The Quarterly Business Report launch event will take place at Birmingham City University’s Curzon Building on 18 July.

Business property is seen as an easy tax target and an increasingly easy source of government revenue at ever growing levels according to a new report from ICAEW.  It has called for business rates to be urgently reviewed. The existence of UK high streets is in question from a tax that fails to scale with ability to pay.

John Boulton, ICAEW Manager of Technical Strategy, comments: “British businesses face the highest property taxes in the OECD, resulting in the last ten years showing receipts rise from £21bn to £29bn. This outstrips the growth of both the Retail Price Index and the GDP. Secondly, no consideration is currently given to profitability when calculating business rates. A drop in sales is not directly reflected in a company’s rates, leaving it vulnerable to failure in a downturn.”

The report looks at four options available to government:

·         to maintain business rates with piecemeal changes;

·         demolish them altogether, raising lost tax revenues via alternative methods such as increased corporation tax;

·         rebuild a new property tax with simplified assessments spreading the burden more equitably, such as basing levies on land rather than rateable value;

·         refurbish the tax, reforming particularly problematic elements such as the innovation-deterring rate rise brought about by investments in improved machinery incorporated into a property, or more frequent revaluations of rateable costs.

Many problems exist with the current system due to its complexity. Rates are hard to calculate as valuations must factor in many variables that complicate the system. That is another incremental cost on business. Businesses must also shoulder the costs of challenging and appealing rates bills.

Some changes have taken place, such as the 2016 Budget reforms which aimed to bring relief for small businesses. None of these measures however address the complexity or inequality of the burden, in particular when relating it to the challenge of bricks and mortar retailers viably competing with their online counterparts.

John Boulton concludes: “The digital economy has, more than any other aspect, highlighted the need for change, with the growing disparity of tax treatment between digital businesses and those providing employment in our high street stores. Governments are pushing for new ‘online taxes’ to try and balance the tax system but this will introduce further complexity and not much help to retailers in the short-term.”

There is a 1 in 350 chance of having identical twins, so the chances of two pairs of identical like-minded twenty-something twins setting up similar businesses are next to nothing. Well Joyce and Raissa from Double Dutch and Ben and Dan from Cranes have done just that.

Double Dutch have produced a delectable range of premium tonic which can be paired with a selection of spirits or enjoyed on their own. From their humble beginnings three years ago to now being featured in over 22 countries globally, listed in key off trade & on trade markets plus they recently took home both first & fourth place in the 2018 CLASS Bartenders awards.

Also having a Dutch background, the Cranes Drinks twins have produced a range of alcoholic drinks made uniquely from Cranberries. Derived from an understanding that many university students want to enjoy a drink, however, that they also wanted to be health-conscious with their choices. Dan stumbled across cranberries whilst at University of Leeds and Ben enjoyed the abundance of cider in the west country while being at Exeter University. Inspired by their surroundings, they created the first cranberry cider. The Cranes Drinks range is all cranberry based, including their versatile cranberry and blood orange liqueur, ideal for making cocktails.

Both being innovators in their fields, the two twins have collaborated to create the 'Twinning It' cocktail, the perfect cocktail to enjoy across the summer months.

• 25 ml Cranes Liqueur
• 5 ml Lime juice
• 25 ml Gin
• 150ml Double Dutch Cranberry tonic water

Ten engineering and automotive supply chain businesses from across the West Midlands region are on track to win tens of thousands of pounds of new business after taking part in a trade mission to Le Mans, France.

The companies visited the region two weeks ago ahead of the famous 24-hour endurance race to meet prospective customers.

Organised and funded by the SME International Growth Project, a business internationalisation programme co-finance by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by West Midlands Chambers of Commerce, the mission saw the business leaders spend two days in specially organised meetings.

They also met Matthew Lodge, the British Ambassador to UNESCO, regional and local authorities, and the Chamber of Commerce for the Pays de la Loire region.

Andy Smith, international relations manager for the project, said all the companies are now actively pursuing leads that were generated during the mission, with 70% hopeful of new business – two of which should be worth about £80,000.

“There are clear economic synergies between the West Midlands and Pays de la Loire,” he said.

“Both regions are strong in automotive, aerospace and transport technologies and the companies had the chance to meet some big players from the sector, such as the PSA Group and Renault as well as the local automotive innovation cluster lead.”

Steve Fox, business development manager of Premier Group – the Birmingham-based, world leader in bespoke, low volume manufacturing of assemblies, prototypes and panels, and the largest company on the mission – said he came away from the trade mission optimistic.

“By the end, we had gained very strong leads with several potential new customers, and a stronger understanding of manufacturing in the region,” he said.

Rollo Rigby, of the Severn Partnership, the Telford-based onsite digital survey company, added that he had made a number of good contacts and was to follow one very promising business opportunity.

All ten firms have already signalled their desire to meet Pays de la Loire firms and representatives when they make a return visit to the Midlands in November.

Businesses across Greater Birmingham have been “remarkably robust” to fight off the impact of global political and economic uncertainty, a new quarterly survey reveals.

The survey by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) for the second quarter of 2018 shows a welcome upturn across the board in the fortunes of businesses in the region.

This is coupled with a rise in recruitment levels for firms in both the manufacturing and service sectors and high profitability and turnover predictions marked confidence

at its highest level since the summer of 2016.

And despite businesses being under pressure to raise prices, optimism remains high especially for the next 12 months.

Paul Faulkner (pictured), chief executive of the GBCC, said: “The Q2 Quarterly Business Report reveals an underlying confidence among firms across the region.

“Not only did we see a rise in domestic and international output, but we also saw an increase in hiring along with greater levels of investment in machinery and training.

“This level of remarkably robust optimism was perhaps best reflected in highly encouraging profitability and turnover projections for this quarter.

“Nevertheless, it was noticeable that concerns over business rates had become more apparent for local companies in the last three months along with difficulties in accessing low skilled workers.”

Mr Faulkner added that heading into the second half of the year, “it is clear that geo-political uncertainty continues to cloud the economic landscape across the globe”.

He added: “The deterioration of trade relations between the USA and China coupled with the American imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the EU is undoubtedly creating challenging trading conditions for businesses across the country. In particular with Brexit  now less than 12 months away.”

On the domestic front a balance of 45 per cent recorded an increase in their domestic bookings, slightly down from the 46 per cent in the previous quarter.

However, the percentage of firms reporting a decrease in their UK output fell from 14 per cent in Q1 to 12 per cent in Q2, which lead to a minor uplift of the overall balance score.

The manufacturing balance score went up by 10 points to 58, having been anchored in negative territory at 48 in Q1. The key driver behind the uplift was that 38 per cent of manufacturers reported an increase in their advanced UK orders.

Mr Faulkner added: “It is hard to downplay the fact that the UK suffered its weakest period of GDP growth in five years in Q1 and clearly the Government needs to be bold in stimulating growth – notably by investing in first-class infrastructure projects and upskilling our workforce in a bid to unlock future prosperity across the region.”

The export demand balance went up by one point – ending a six-month period of stability despite a greater number of firms in both sectors revealing a drop in their export output over the past three months.

Export forecasts remain steady, with combined projections for advanced international orders in the two sectors staying at 63 for the second consecutive quarter.

Thirty-four per cent of businesses in both sectors added to their workforce, the largest percentage registered since the end of 2016.

Business confidence was encouragingly high with 30 per cent of companies increasing their investment plans for capital expenditure over the last three months (up from 22 per cent in Q1),

Julian Beer, deputy vice-chancellor at Birmingham City University, who sponsor the report, commented: “The survey indicated increased demand from both domestic and foreign markets in Q2 of 2018, feeding into stronger cash flow, more positive future sentiments and increased investment plans.

“Encouragingly, employment demand also remained robust, and firms experienced fewer difficulties with recruitment. There was a more mixed picture with inflation expectations, however, with services seeing a fall in expectations, but inflationary pressures remaining more elevated for manufacturers, stemming from the increase in raw material costs.

“The largest external factor of concern was competition, whilst business rates were also increasingly raised as a point of issue for responding businesses.”

An expanding Birmingham accountancy firm is strengthening its service with a prestigious new city centre office.

Makes Sense Accountants is currently based in Perry Barr and has added to its premises to welcome clients for meetings as well as offering a range of new benefits.

Managing partner Tim Hammond said: “Makes Sense is a growing accounting practice and with more clients in Birmingham city centre, it made real sense to open an office there.”

The five-strong company has opened its new branch in Grosvenor House, St Paul’s Square.

Tim added: “Grosvenor House is a lovely place where I have already welcomed an opportunity to have meetings as well as having marketing photo shoots with my team.

“I am always looking to expand the services we offer to my clients through strategic partnerships. The partnership with Grosvenor House means we can now offer our clients city centre address, serviced offices, telephone answering service, meeting room hire to name a few.”

Hannah Campbell, director of the Grosvenor House Business Centre, said: “We are delighted to have Makes Sense on board and this is an excellent collaboration for us.

“We absolutely pride ourselves on the convenience of our location and excellence of our service for professional support companies so it’s wonderful when clients such as Makes Sense put their faith in us.

”It’s great to see more and more local businesses using all of our offerings here at Grosvenor House.  Makes Sense has found our prime location address, office space and conference suites, an integral part of their expansion, and it’s so convenient to have all of these services under one roof‘.

Makes Sense Accountants is holding a monthly drop in Clinic on the last Friday in the month 11am – 3pm.

This will be an opportunity to meet the team to ask any questions, tour Grosvenor House and enjoy refreshments.  There will also be a chance to donate to the Buddy Bag Foundation, a charity which helps children fleeing domestic violence, and supported by Makes Sense Accountants.

A week of webinars and online export advice sessions are taking place next month (July) to help businesses across the Midlands that want to start or expand overseas trading.

Delivered by the Department for International Trade (DIT), the Midlands Engine and the West Midlands Chambers of Commerce’s ERDF SME International Growth Project, Export Web Week (July 16-20) offers busy companies the chance to learn about exporting for the first time, build on existing export successes and discover new growth opportunities.

Businesses will be able to take part in Twitter chats and webinars, as well as gain access to export experts from DIT’s global network of British Embassies and overseas delivery partners, with whom they can identify and discuss opportunities from a wide range of countries, from the comfort of their own desk.

Ian Harrison, head of exports in the Midlands at Department for International Trade, said with 25 separate events – most of which are just one hour long – taking place across the five days, there are many chances for ambitious companies to get involved.

“As an organisation dedicated to helping businesses export, we organise dozens of events every year that provide valuable information and support. Our role is about actively engaging businesses, talking to them and introducing them to their likeminded counterparts, but we are aware that it can be difficult to commit to half a day or a day out of the office,” he said.

“For that reason, we’ve organised a series of online events that people can take part in, which will allow them to gain maximum benefit while taking less than an hour out of their working day. We think that this is an innovative approach that will be welcomed by businesses.

“There are webinars on myriad topics – from finance to finding new markets – as well as the chance to speak to trade advisers about the international support we can offer. There’s something for everyone.”

A new campaign has been launched to challenge businesses to reduce their paper usage, following recent research which found that a third of workers in the West Midlands admit to printing out unnecessary paper documents every single day.

In a survey of 1,000 employees, conducted by award-winning mobile data capture solution WorkMobile, 39% of businesses have not yet implemented a paper-less policy to try and reduce paper usage. And such a heavy reliance is having a detrimental effect not only on business costs but also on the environment.

Responding to the findings of The Death of The Paper Trail report, WorkMobile is launching a Paperless Challenge campaign to invite businesses in the worst performing sectors – construction, utilities and education – to do away with day-to-day printing, and instead, turn to digital solutions.

The challenge asks participants to undertake a one-month stint of being completely paper-free, with the aim of illustrating just how many efficiencies can be made through replacing paper in the workplace with digital versions.

To aid the process, WorkMobile is offering £500 worth of digital data capture products, along with £500 of expert consultancy to the businesses that agree to take part.

Colin Yates, chief support officer of WorkMobile, said: “It’s shocking to see just how much paper waste some businesses in the West Midlands are producing on a daily basis. Although some may see the transition to becoming paper-free as a giant task, our aim is to take the stress out of the process, providing a solution that helps companies save money, safeguard their assets and communicate effectively – all while reducing their ecological impact.

“We believe our Paperless Challenge will illustrate the many benefits of a paper-free office to those that will see the greatest impact.”

Cologne Bonn Airport has today celebrated the arrival of easyJet’s inaugural flight to Germany’s capital city. Taking the number of operations from the North Rhine-Westphalia gateway to Berlin Tegel up to at least 15 daily services, the low-cost carrier (LCC) immediately becomes the 10^th largest carrier – in terms of seats – at Cologne Bonn this summer.

Commenting on the arrival of the airport’s 30^th airline partner, Johan Vanneste, CEO, Cologne Bonn Airport says: “The connection between Cologne Bonn and Berlin is one of our busiest routes. We are very pleased to be able to offer our passengers even more choice on this route thanks to easyJet’s commitment.”

Marking the return of easyJet to its carrier roll call after a two-year hiatus, Cologne Bonn welcomed the first flight with a traditional cake in celebration. Adding 33 weekly flights to Germany’s largest city, the LCC significantly boosts the airport’s domestic connections, resulting in Cologne Bonn offering close to 20,000 weekly seats to Berlin Tegel in S18 (according to OAG Schedules Analyser, week commencing 10 September).

Thomas Haagensen, Group Markets Director, easyJet comments: “We are delighted to include Cologne Bonn Airport in our route network. The new route to Berlin Tegel is an attractive connection for leisure and business travellers alike.” He added: “With our extensive European and domestic route network, all with attractive and frequent flights, we have increased our share of business travellers to 75% of the DAX30 companies in Germany, and this number continues to grow. Particularly on our German domestic routes, business travellers already account for 41% of our passengers."

easyJet will be operating the 463-kilometre sector using its fleet of A320s based at Berlin Tegel and joins Eurowings’ established link to the capital.

Bay Gardens Resorts has expanded its portfolio to four hotels on the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

Sanovnik Destang, Executive Director of Bay Gardens Resorts, announcing the acquisition of the 35-room Palm Haven Hotel, said it would be renamed Bay Gardens Marina Haven.

"The hotel is in an incredible location," Destang reported. "It's now our closest hotel to the Rodney Bay Marina, which is an exceptional facility for yachties as well as those looking to take advantage of numerous activities in the marina, from restaurants and bars to shopping."

The newest addition to the Bay Gardens family of hotels will re-open in mid-July after undergoing a soft renovation and staff training to align service delivery at the property with Bay Gardens' award-winning standards.

Located in St. Lucia's Rodney Bay area, Bay Gardens Resorts currently consists of three Green Globe-certified hotels: Bay Gardens Inn, Bay Gardens Hotel and Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa.

"There will be no reduction in staffing levels for Bay Gardens Marina Haven either during the period of renovation or upon its anticipated reopening in July," Destang assured.

The hotel is within a five-minute drive of Bay Gardens Inn and Bay Gardens Hotel and 10 minutes from the Beach Resort. Marina Haven guests will enjoy the full benefits of a Bay Gardens experience, including six complimentary one-hour passes to Splash Island Water Park, the use of beach chairs, the ability to charge consumption across properties to their rooms, and free non-motorized water sports. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided between all Bay Gardens Resorts facilities.

Business leaders in Greater Birmingham welcomed today’s announcement that the city is among the leading contenders to host Channel 4.

Seven cities and regions have been shortlisted to bid for the broadcasting giant’s second National HQ and/or a creative hub.

Birmingham will be competing against Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds. They will also be considered for the creative hubs. The West Midlands has been selected as a candidate for the headquarters or a creative hub, so Coventry will be included in the process.

Six smaller cities have also been shortlisted to battle to be the home of two new creative hubs. They are Belfast, Brighton, Newcastle-Gateshead, Nottingham, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent.

The winners will be announced on October 1.

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “It’s good that we have passed this first hurdle, although the strength of the region’s offering means that it should no longer be a surprise.

“The Chamber, our members and the whole business community is very excited by the opportunity and we all look forward to playing our part in the next stage of the process that we hope will ultimately see C4 HQ here in the region.”

A tough new zero tolerance policy is being launched by Sandwell Council and its waste partner Serco in a bid to reduce the increasing number of employees being verbally or physically assaulted by members of the public.

It follows news that there were 35 reported incidents in a 14-month period when binmen, street cleansing employees and operatives working at the tip were verbally or physically assaulted by members of the public.

Incidents range from verbal abuse when collection vehicles are temporarily blocking the road while employees empty bins to actual physical abuse with items being thrown at crew members and workers being knocked down by drivers while working on the footpath.

One incident resulted in a prosecution for dangerous driving after a motorist drove into an operative who was at the rear of a refuse vehicle emptying a bin.

Now the waste partnership and union representatives have warned that it will not hesitate to immediately report to the police any incidence of violence and aggression to employees.

The police are increasingly taking these sorts of cases seriously and will prosecute where there is the evidence and public interest to do so.

Due to the increasing number of incidents, partners have come together including Sandwell Council, Serco and the unions GMB, Unison and Unite to agree a charter that outlines what behaviours are unacceptable and all employees will be trained to manage violence and aggression they experience in the workplace.

Councillor David Hosell, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for highways and environment, said:  “The employees deliver a very valuable service to residents in the borough.

“The level of abuse they endure from members of the public is not acceptable and I urge the residents who do this to reconsider their behaviour.

“It is not easy to manoeuvre large vehicles on busy roads and although we try to avoid extremely busy areas at peak times it is not always possible."

John Mason, contract general manager for Serco, added: “We have a duty to ensure that we carry out our services for residents in a safe way for everybody and we also have a duty to protect our employees whilst they carry out their work."

Gill Ogilvie, GMB regional organiser, and Darren James, GMB branch secretary, said: "The GMB is very pleased to have worked closely with Serco Sandwell Environmental Services."

Tony Barnsley, branch secretary for Sandwell General UNISON Branch, added: “Staff do a brilliant job keeping Sandwell borough clear of rubbish. They deserve everyone’s thanks and praise, not abuse. UNISON welcomes the message from Serco that abuse of our hardworking members will not be tolerated.”

Brian Rickers, regional officer for Unite West Midlands, said: "Unite the Union are very pleased to have worked closely with Serco Sandwell Environmental Services. The implementation shows a real desire to protect our members from abuse whilst doing a very difficult job for the public of Sandwell.

"In implementing this policy, the employer and the union have proactively made a very clear statement to members of the public that any act of aggression towards our employees will not be tolerated.

“Our members deserve not to be abused for undertaking their day to day jobs serving the people of Sandwell.”

The Certificate of Excellence honours hospitality businesses that consistently deliver great service across the world. To achieve the accolade, restaurants must maintain an overall TripAdvisor rating of at least four out of five stars, and be listed on the website for at least twelve months.

Over the last two years, the restaurant and bar has held a five star rating on TripAdvisor, and is renowned for combining luxury and friendly service with a vibrant atmosphere.

Opened by Walsall College in 2015, the Littleton is part of its £11m business and sports hub. Headed up by AA rosette winning chefs, Steve Biggs and Paul Ingleby, the 40 seat restaurant offers a contemporary menu of British inspired cuisine, created using best-quality fresh food focusing on locally sourced ingredients.

During its first year, the Littleton was commended by ‘The Best of Walsall’ as being one of the best English restaurants in Walsall.

The restaurant has held a 5 star hygiene rating for the last two years, and has won two national Business of the Year awards.

The Littleton restaurant came second in the 'Restaurant of The Year' category and placed 51st in the whole of the UK.

Head Chef at The Littleton, Steve Biggs, said: "We are delighted to receive the Certificate of Excellence. Last year, we were ranked in the top ten of all restaurants in Walsall on the Trip Advisor website, and this year, we were named the best in the area. This is a testament to the hard work and efforts of all of our staff to ensure that we improve year on year, and give guests an outstanding dining experience.”

Littleton Supervisor, Emma Huckle, said: “We’ve received 5 star reviews since we opened in 2015. We’re delighted that diners are coming from all parts of the West Midlands and beyond. We see an eclectic mix of customers coming to the Littleton, from business people enjoying lunch and after-work drinks, to families and friends celebrating birthdays and evening meals.”

Trip Advisor commenters have described the food as ‘exquisite’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘well presented’. Staff could not be more helpful, and many say they have recommended the bistro to friends and family.

The Littleton, located in The Hub next to Walsall College’s Wisemore Campus, is also creating chefs of the future through its apprenticeship programme.

In addition, The Hub includes a 40-station gym, a multi-purpose sports hall, dance and fitness studios, spa, sports training and injury clinic, a business incubation centre for start-up businesses, as well as conference and event facilities.

Yesterday marked the official implementation day for GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which has been implemented to enhance privacy for all individuals across the European Union, including the EEA countries. Another primary motive of the implementation is to further the control that citizens have over their personal data and how it is used by data collectors.

The management and protection of sensitive data has been headline news in recent weeks, particularly with Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg facing questioning from the US Government and European Parliament on how Facebook harvest users data. Companies who are GDPR compliant must be able to prove that they only store data which is relevant and for a limited period.

Julie Cunningham, President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, commented: “GDPR can appear extremely complicated for businesses. As a Chamber, we have received a high volume of enquiries from organisations across the region with regards to both the implementation and interpretation of GDPR.

“The multi-faceted nature of the regulations and their implementation means that specific questions for some sectors may not be included in general overviews. Therefore, Black Country Chamber members with specific questions around GDPR should contact their Account Manager here at the Chamber.”

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) website has a practical section containing useful links and a rundown of changes for specific sectors, including expanded guidance on data protection. Please visit ico.org.uk for more information.