Business Direction Online
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Introducing Business Direction Online, your one stop shop for all local and industry news.
Business Direction Online is updated daily, bringing you news from across Herefordshire & Worcestershire. Explore our Members exciting and important updates and keep up to date with any Chamber news.
If you’re a Chamber Member, you can submit your latest news stories free of charge and promote updates to local business professionals. Contact our Marketing team for more information.
Skills shortages and burnout pose challenges for the financial sector
The commercial finance and accountancy sector is facing a deepening talent problem that could threaten growth and long-term business resilience unless employers rethink their recruitment and retention strategies, says an industry specialist. The warning has come from...
Latest Article
Skills shortages and burnout pose challenges for the financial sector
The commercial finance and accountancy sector is facing a deepening talent problem that could threaten growth and long-term business resilience unless employers rethink their recruitment and retention strategies, says an industry specialist. The warning has come from...
Member News
John Truslove finds bigger new home for BeanPrint
A thriving web-based printing business has more than doubled its footprint after moving to a new home in Redditch after calling in commercial property agents John Truslove. The move to the Washford Industrial Estate will enable BeanPrint.co.uk to expand, acquiring new...
Is your website losing mobile enquiries?
Pick up your phone and look at your own website. Not the desktop version you checked when it launched, the version most of your customers actually see. More than half of all web traffic in the UK now happens on mobile. If your site was built for a desktop screen and...
Patron & Strategic News
Walking, Air, and Creative Thought to be Explored in Engine Room Talk at The Hive
A free talk at The Hive will invite audiences to think about one of the most ordinary aspects of everyday life; walking, and the invisible medium that surrounds us; air. In the latest instalment of the Engine Room lecture series by the University of Worcester, Dr Will...
Local Business Backs Young Footballers and KEMP Hospice with New Team Sponsorship.
Young footballers in the Wyre Forest are set to take to the pitch in brand-new kits this season thanks to the support of local business R Albert Accountancy Ltd – with KEMP Hospice proudly featured on the front of the shirts. The new kits will feature the KEMP...
Chamber News
New Skills Boost Funding Offers Up to £6,000 for Chamber Training
Businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire can now access up to £6,000 in grant funding to support staff training, thanks to the return of the Skills Boost 2025–26 programme. Delivered in partnership with Worcestershire Growth Hub, the initiative aims to help...
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Release the Quarterly Economic Survey Report for Q2 2025
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce has released the Quarterly Economic Survey Report for Q2 2025, supported by Worcestershire County Council. The Quarterly Economic Survey is a comprehensive analysis of economic data collected from a diverse range...
Our Latest Member
Cloud Voice Solutions and Connectivity
LOQEX is a leading provider of unified communications solutions. Our extensive expertise in the telecommunications industry enables us to streamline the operations and enhance the customer service experience of businesses across the UK. We integrate our unified...
Cloud Voice Solutions and Connectivity
LOQEX is a leading provider of unified communications solutions. Our extensive expertise in the telecommunications industry enables us to streamline the operations and enhance the customer service experience of businesses across the UK. We integrate our unified...
Policy News
Small Business Plan ‘Important Step Forward’
Responding to the launch of the Government’s Small Business Plan, Alex Veitch, Director of Policy at the BCC, said: “This is a much-needed step forward in recognition and support for SMEs, which are the backbone of the UK economy. Late payments, access to finance and...
Government Must Harness Retail Investor Optimism
Over half of retail investors (53%) are optimistic about their investments over the next twelve months (compared to 42% in May) 40% of investors expect to increase the amount of money they invest over the next twelve months Younger investors are most confident, with...
Skills News
BetaDen North Cleantech Programme Extension
Applications are now open for this popular Cleantech Bootcamp opportunity. This is an extension of their current programme that is already supporting six exciting cleantech founders. BetaDen North is looking for up to four more innovators who have a new product or...
First ever T-level students are a success!
A-level results day on 18th August 2022 is arguably much more anticipated than the previous two years, as exams were cancelled due to the pandemic and students were awarded grades based on teacher’s assessments. Therefore, this year’s results day marks a return to...
Charity News
Fully Funded Suicide Prevention Training for Those Supporting Veterans
PAPYRUS has been awarded funding by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund to provide fully funded suicide prevention training for those working with or supporting veterans. The aim is to equip participants with skills to identify warning signs, intervene effectively, and...
Empowering Practitioners to Better Support Care Leavers
We have one more Training for Practitioners working with Care Leavers and their families in the community or at work! Wed 17th Dec – Caring for Care Leavers Training – 09.30-2.30pm – see enclosed leaflet for more...
Recruitment Challenging As New Employment Law Lands
Nearly three quarters of firms (71%) say they experienced hiring difficulties in Q1 of 2026, according to the latest data from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The research, published as the first elements of the Employment Rights Act come into effect,...
BCC News
Recruitment Challenging As New Employment Law Lands
Nearly three quarters of firms (71%) say they experienced hiring difficulties in Q1 of 2026, according to the latest data from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The research, published as the first elements of the Employment Rights Act come into effect,...
Worcestershire News
Severn Valley Railway is now part of a Local Geology App
The Severn Valley Railway is now part of a free-to-download smartphone app that aims to open up the hidden world that lies within the geology of the landscape. The Geopark Way app covers a walking trail that stretches 109 miles, from Shropshire to Gloucestershire,...
Severn Valley Railway ‘leading the way’ as an Inclusive Organisation
The Severn Valley Railway has been awarded the status of INclusive Worcestershire Leader as part of a county-wide initiative. The railway received the award at the inaugural INclusive Worcestershire Forum. The Forum aims to help organisations promote and enhance...
Herefordshire News
Herefordshire Businesses Urged to Move Fast to Access £630,000 Funding
Businesses across Herefordshire should apply now to a £630,000 funding pot to help them grow and boost their productivity – before it’s too late. Capital grants of up to £35,000 are available to help businesses invest in new equipment, processes or technology to help...
JUNE CHARITY EVENT WILL BRING HAWAIIAN COLOUR TO ‘LEOMINSTER-by-the-SEA’.
Ledbury-based high tech coatings application company Cleftbridge Limited is sponsoring the third annual Colour Run around Leominster, with a theme for 2024 of ‘Hawaiian Beach’. The event is organised by ECHO, an independent Herefordshire-based charity that organizes...
All Latest News
Business Groups Unite In Stand Against Antisemitism
The UK’s leading business organisations have signed a joint letter pledging to take a stand against antisemitism, committing to concrete action to support Jewish employees and foster inclusive workplaces. The initiative, co-ordinated by the British Chambers of...
EchoGuide Theatre: A Herefordshire Tool Ready for Rehearsal Rooms Anywhere
In a decade of teaching, I supported students preparing for speaking assessments. Most clung to the wall. Heads down, sleeves pulled over their hands to shrink away. Their voices came out tiny and inconsistent, stuttering and stammering. Only one student years seemed...
Steel Tariffs Risk Serious Damage To UK Manufacturers
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned that changes to UK steel quotas and tariffs could add millions of pounds to manufacturers’ costs. In a letter to the Business Secretary, Peter Kyle, the BCC said the proposed regime risks creating ‘real financial and...
Kaleidoscope Plus Group Launches Free Ebook to Help Young People Cope with Exam Stress
Mental health and wellbeing charity Kaleidoscope Plus Group has launched a new free digital resource designed to help young people manage stress and anxiety during exam season. The ebook Dealing with Exam Stress has been created to support teenagers and young adults...
Turning health & safety into everyday conversations: why it matters more than you might think
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time working with health and safety teams. I’ve sat through briefings, workshops and leadership sessions, listening to experts discuss risk, compliance and prevention. And I’ve sometimes come away thinking: “We’re focusing on what...
University Wins National EDI Award at Better Society Awards 2026
The University of Worcester has won a major national award recognising its approach to building a community where everyone can succeed. The University was the winner of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion award at last night’s 2026 Better Society Awards. The Awards...
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