Cumbria Growth Hub Podcast

How businesses can deal with sexual harassment in the workplace and avoid harassment claims from employees. In this podcast Michael Bauer, of Cumbria Employment Solicitors, explains the legal definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities that employers have, then sets out measures businesses can take to eliminate harassment and reduce the likelihood of claims from employees.  

We've relaunched Made in Cumbria, the Chamber's initiative to help the county's food, drink and craft businesses find new routes to market. In this podcast, Chamber Chief Executive Rob Johnston talks about the new Made in Cumbria website , featuring stunning photography and telling the stories behind member businesses. He also outlines big plans for the Made in Cumbria retail outlet in Kendal, our...

Find out how Oxley Developments of Ulverston became one of Cumbria's most successful exporters. Oxley's Marketing Manager Jayne Moorby talks about trade missions, using overseas agents, how the company overcomes language and cultural barriers, and the help it receives from the Department for International Trade. Oxley began exporting in the 1970s and now sells its LED lighting and high-specificati...

Amy Johnston of accountant David Allen explains how Making Tax Digital works and what businesses should do to comply. The new system launches on April 1st, 2019, initially for VAT. But according to recent research by the British Chambers of Commerce, thousands of businesses aren't ready. Those that fall foul of the new rules will face penalties. David Allen has produced a handy guide to Making Tax...

Steve Wilkinson, of Cumbria Manufacturing Service, sets out the help and advice available to SME manufacturers including grants of up to £5,400. Steve has recently been appointed as an adviser with Cumbria Manufacturing Service. In this podcast, he explains his how he can help qualifying manufacturer SMEs to streamline their processes, drive up production capacity, innovate, improve business syste...

This is the Brexit podcast businesses have been waiting for. Luke Donockley, a solicitor and Brexit expert with law firm Muckle LLP, explores what businesses can do to prepare for Brexit and what the ramifications are likely to be. He covers how to go about a Brexit risk assessment, imports and exports, tariffs, obstacles for hauliers, excise duty and VAT, business travel in the EU, trademarks, IP...

When the Lib Dem leader addressed a Chamber event in Kendal, we asked him about Brexit and other hot topics affecting business. In this podcast, Sir Vince looks at where Brexit is going, including the prospects for 'no deal' and a second referendum. He predicts that some Labour and Conservative MPs will quit their parties this year to sit as independents. And we hear his take on energy policy, inc...

Find out how food and drink businesses can get their products onto the shelves of regional supermarket chain Booths. Cumbria Business Growth Hub's Supply Chain Opportunity Club recently hosted an event with Booths where food and drink businesses were able to meet the supermarket's buying team. In this podcast, recorded at the event, Matt Bruno, Innovation Manager at Booths, explains Booths' procur...

John Scott, of Cumbria Trading Standards, looks at sensible measures businesses can take to be ready for Brexit. Click here to complete our Brexit preparedness survey. Here  to access the Government's 'Prepare for EU Exit' website. Here  for a tool to help you prepare for EU Exit.  Here  for official advice on 'no deal' planning. Here  for the British Chambers of Commerce's Brexit Hub. And here fo...

We explore how businesses can cater for the 13m people in the UK who have a disability. They represent a market worth £249bn a year. In this podcast Julia Walker, of Lake District Mobility, talks about practical steps that businesses can take to make themselves more attractive to disabled customers and their families. Chamber Business Solutions is running a training day, 'Collecting the Purple Pou...

Tiffany Solender is a successful entrepreneur who uses her knowledge and expertise to help other Cumbrian businesses sell overseas. Her company, Pogu, based at Staveley near Kendal, supplies road safety products for children to customers all over the world. In this podcast, she talks about her new role as an International Trade Adviser with the Department for International Trade and outlines the r...

Detective Superintendent Vicki Ellis of Cumbria Police explains how businesses can help to stamp out the scourge of domestic violence. Domestic abuse is endemic. Cumbria Police respond to 7,500 incidents every year, of which 4,500 are logged as crimes. In this podcast, Detective Superintendent Vicki Ellis sets out how employers spot warning signs, which may indicate that an employee is suffering d...

David Leadbetter of Inspira explains how employers can get involved in a programme to raise the aspirations of young Cumbrians. Inspira's Employer Mentoring Programme is designed to raise the aspirations of young people at secondary school. It is currently running in North and West Cumbria. In this podcast David Leadbetter, Contract Manager with Inspira, explains why the programme was set up, the...

700,000 people in the UK have autism. Sheila Gregory of Carlisle Mencap sets out how and why businesses should cater for them. Approximately 1% of the UK population have autism, around 700,000 people. That's a large potential market for businesses to target as customers and a big pool of labour from which to recruit. Indeed, people with autism can sometimes have exceptional skills that make them v...

The man driving plans for a nuclear power station in West Cumbria explains his strategy to save the project.  NuGen's £15bn plan for a nuclear power station at Moorside, next to Sellafield, would be the biggest private-sector investment Cumbria has ever seen. But the project is in trouble. NuGen's owner Toshiba wants out while the Korean company that had been poised to replace Toshiba is having se...

A third of SME owners face difficulties in growing their businesses. Growth Hub adviser Adrian Luckham offers practical help. Polling commissioned by the British Business Bank suggests that one-in-three business owners want to grow their businesses but are unsure how to do it. In this podcast, Adrian Luckham, one of the most experienced advisers with Cumbria Business Growth Hub, identifies the bar...

Many businesses use WordPress to create and manage their websites. But big changes are coming. Our digital expert Paul Teague explains. More than a quarter of all websites are created by and managed using WordPress, the most popular online publishing platform on the web. But big changes are coming. The entire interface that's used to create posts and pages is getting an overhaul. It could mean tha...

Lawyer Michael Bauer explains how businesses should respond to employment tribunal claims, or better still avoid them altogether. The number of employment tribunal claims has doubled since fees for bringing claims were abolished last year. In this podcast employment lawyer Michael Bauer, of Cumbria Employment Solicitors , explains how businesses should deal with claims, how they can minimise costs...

Plans to develop the former armaments depot at Broughton Moor are taking off. We meet the man behind it all, Nigel Catterson. Derwent Forest is set to become a model for sustainable living. The Derwent Forest Development Consortium has unveiled a masterplan to make the former RN armaments depot at Broughton Moor into a national exemplar for sustainable living with up to 2,000 new homes, a hotel, t...

Playdale Playgrounds only began exporting in 2009 and now sells to 49 countries. MD Barry Leahey explains how they did it. The company manufactures outdoor playground equipment at Haverthwaite, near Ulverston, and sells its products across the globe. It has been so successful at exporting that it was selected as one of the Department for International Trade's 'Export Champions' while Managing Dire...

City Council leader Colin Glover on plans for 10,000 new homes, Borderlands, Carlisle Airport, the Enterprise Zone and boosting the city centre. Carlisle stands on the cusp of unprecedented growth. The proposed St Cuthbert's Garden Village would add up to 10,000 homes, potentially increasing the population of urban Carlisle by a third. In this podcast Colin Glover, leader of Carlisle City Council,...

Maria Ramsdale of FW Capital explains how the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund helps SMEs in Cumbria. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund provides loan and equity finance to SMEs that have been turned down by the banks. In this podcast, Maria Ramsdale of FW Capital, who is responsible for delivering the debt finance element in Cumbria, explains how the scheme works, who is eligible, what th...

Chamber Chief Executive Rob Johnston explains how businesses can hang on to older workers and bring the best out of them. By 2030, half of all adults in the UK will be aged over 50. In parts of Cumbria the proportion will be higher still. Our 'super-ageing' population means that the working-age population is projected to shrink by 20,000 over the next two decades, making it progressively harder fo...

Chartered financial planner David Finan looks at strategies to achieve a comfortable retirement if you're self-employed. There are 4.8m self-employed people in the UK but fewer than a third of them are actively paying into a pension scheme. Some have other strategies to provide retirement income – perhaps selling their business to live off the proceeds or building up a portfolio of buy-to-let prop...

Allerdale is a great place to start a business. Some 71% of new businesses in Allerdale are still trading three years after launch, well above the national average of 61%. The high survival rate is in part explained by the pro-business stance of Allerdale Borough Council, which actively funds business support initiatives. In this podcast, Council Leader Alan Smith talks about plans for new starter...