"Compliments for a well run show. I watched the Webinar this morning, and I was impressed with the smoothness of your operation. I watch other such meetings and I think you could teach them a thing or two !" - Peter Buckley, ITSL Consultancy
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Brexit transition: time is running out
Webinar - 25th November, 10:00 am for 60 minutes
We are very pleased that our panellists will be:
- Alan Rides MD Hounslow Chamber of Commerce - Former DIT Trade Officer
- Gary Hayes - International Trade Manager, Surrey Chambers
- Nauzar Manekshaw - Director – Branduin Busines Support
There are new rules for businesses and citizens from 1 January 2021.
- Exporting to the EU
- Importing from the EU
- International Trade paperwork for the EU
- International Trade – Costs / Tariff implications
Followed by Q&As
Sponsored by
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Information for Hounslow Businesses
The guidance and application process for the Discretionary Business Support Grant will be available from next week.
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The new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
(CJRS) guidance is now available on GOV.UK. (courtesy of HMRC)
To check if you’re eligible and to get ready to claim from this week, go to GOV.UK and search 'Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme'.
You’ll be able to apply for CJRS online from tomorrow – Wednesday 11 November – for periods from 1 November. You will need to submit any claims for November by 14 December.
What’s new in the support available
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CJRS has been extended to 31 March 2021 for all parts of the UK. From 1 November, the UK Government will pay 80% of employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. This will be reviewed in January.
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You and your employees do not need to have benefited from the scheme before to claim for periods from 1 November. Go to GOV.UK for the full eligibility criteria.
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HMRC intends to publish details of employers who use the scheme for claim periods from December, and employees will be able to find out if their employer has claimed for them under the scheme.
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There are now monthly deadlines for claims. Claims for periods starting on/after 1 November must be submitted within 14 calendar days after the month they relate to, unless this falls on a weekend in which case the deadline is the next weekday. For further details go to GOV.UK and search 'Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme'.
- The Job Retention Bonus will no longer be paid in February 2021 and an alternative retention incentive will be put in place at the appropriate time.
- The launch of the Job Support Scheme has also been postponed.
What you need to do now
Submit any claims for periods up to 31 October on or before 30 November. Claims for periods up to 31 October will not be accepted after 30 November. Claims are subject to eligibility and the rules in force at the time. Search 'Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme' on GOV.UK for full eligibility criteria.
What you need to do for your claims – for periods from 1 November
- Read the new guidance – go to GOV.UK and search 'Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme' – to check if you and your employees are eligible.
- Agree working hours with any employees you wish to furlough for November and agree any changes to their employment contract.
- Work out how much you can claim for your employees using our CJRS calculator and examples. Search for 'Calculate how much you can claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme' on GOV.UK.
- Submit any claims for periods from 1 November no later than 14 December.
You will need to keep any records that support the amount of CJRS grant you claim, in case HMRC needs to check them. You can view, print or download copies of your previously submitted claims by logging onto your CJRS service on GOV.UK.
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Jobs & Training update from Hounslow Council |
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Targeted support for residents who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19
More than £12 million has been made available through the Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) programme to help people to find work and to develop new skills and retrain to improve their chances of securing alternative employment. The scheme is designed to help people who have been unemployed and in receipt of benefits for at least 13 weeks. Employment advisers will support individuals for up to six months and candidates will have access to online courses, training and information on suitable vacancies. Find out more here.
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£2,000 worth of construction training for free!
MIT Skills in partnership with Ecoworld London are offering a 4-6 week construction training programme with a guaranteed 2-week work experience placement and a job interview. Applicants must be Hounslow residents and over 18. The training will take place in Brentford and recruitment is underway now for the next course which will start soon. For more information please email here and put "Referred from Work Hounslow" in the subject box.
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The National Careers Service continues to bring jobseekers closer to local job, apprenticeship and volunteering opportunities with the return of the Virtual Jobs Fair on 13-20 November 2020. The Virtual Jobs Fair campaign will virtually visit nine different regions of England throughout the week and give employers in those regions a chance to post current opportunities. The National Careers Service will then promote these opportunities through its national and regional social media channels during the relevant slots for people to view vacancies in their area.
The current scheduled timings for London are Monday 16th November from 9am – 12pm. Click here to register.
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Skills Escalator Business Mentoring Programme
This programme is for residents of Hounslow, in receipt of means tested welfare benefits, in work (self-employed/sole trading) or recently made unemployed and either running or hoping to start a successful business
If this is you, we can help with free business mentoring from entrepreneurs who have run their own businesses.
- Offering up to 6 hours of 1 to 1 mentoring,
- Focusing on how to make money doing something you love,
- Work flexibly,
- Be your own boss and reduce your dependency on means tested benefits
- Reduce your dependency on benefits
Sign up to the next Work Hounslow event called ‘How to start a business without any money here
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Want to Improve your Virtual Impact? Discover how at an Uspire Discovery Day.
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As we enter a second lockdown, with the potential for this situation to last for some time, Garner & Hancock hope to provide some form of distraction from the world around you. In any form of confinement, you must find light in between the prison bars. This light comes from taking the time to appreciate what is around us.
As many of us also have time to consolidate our lives during more time spent at home, I wanted to let you know of some articles about recent developments which might be of interest:-
Pre-nuptial agreements – Useful for Parents protecting their Assets
Pre-nuptial agreements are not just for happy couples to consider, but also for parents who have put their hard-earned income into their children’s properties which need protecting. Pre-nuptial agreements are a good wealth protection strategy for family assets.
Commercial Leases - Tips and Traps
With an increase in ‘flexi' working, home offices and reduced use of public transport, is the office commercial lease dead?
Property - Let’s Talk about Your Most Important Asset
Garner & Hancock's Head of Residential Property, Gurdev Mann, is featured in last month’s issue of Let’s Talk Business. Gurdev discusses the purchase of your most important and expensive asset, your home. If you want more information on stamp duty changes, property markets under Covid and continued challenges in the market, this is the article for you.
Redundancy - Are you being made redundant during the Covid-19 crisis?
In this month’s issue of Let’s Talk Business, I have produced an article about redundancy. If you, or someone you know, has been made redundant, this may be the article for you.
Keep safe and healthy.
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Osterley Park 10k for Ealing Foodbank Challenge |
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We are very excited to announce that we have a new challenge for you to take part in this December. This one is all about community and giving back as we are joining forces to support Ealing Foodbank. The foodbank is a project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the London Borough of Ealing. For more information about the amazing work that Ealing Foodbank does, click here.
The 10k in 10 days Challenge can be done anywhere in the world. If you run, jog or walk 10k between Tuesday, December 1st to Thursday, December 10th, you will receive your Osterley Park Winter 10k medal.
The challenge costs £20.52*. This cost includes £10 race entry, a minimum donation of £10** to Ealing Foodbank (please feel free to give more if you are able to) and 52p processing fee.
This event has limited places so grab your spot now to avoid missing out.
When? Starting on Tuesday, 1st December 2020 and finishing on Thursday 10th December. To complete this event you can run, jog or walk the distance in one go or in several segments up to the event closing on Thursday, 10th December at 23:59pm and after verification you’ll receive your Osterley Park medal.
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We have made the sad but inevitable decision to hold the Awards on-line, rather than a live event. They will now take place online on Wednesday, 9th December at 6.00 pm. We are proud to announce Mark Ramprakash, the cricketer and "Strictly" winner, will be our guest speaker.
Mark Ramprakash, former England, Middlesex and Surrey batsman; a prolific run scorer and one of the best at County Level. Over the past 5 and a half years, Mark was the batting coach for the England cricket team. However, he is now currently Head of Cricket at Harrow School, London. Other than his impact on the cricketing industry, Mark was also the winner of BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" in 2006 and is now an ambassador for the British Asian Trust.
The cost is £29 plus VAT and booking fee per person for a Standard Ticket, this ticket is just for the Ceremony.
I do hope you decide to enter into the spirit of the evening, to mark the end of 2020, with an enjoyable evening, albeit remotely, to boost the morale of our companies in this challenging current climate.
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November issue of Let's Talk Business out now
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West London Local Chambers & Hounslow Chamber of Commerce are the primary support, networking, and representation organisation in west London for SMEs.
We support the interests, the commercial aspirations and the investment from businesses in Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham - the Chamber is the voice for all businesses located in the borough
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