Business Direction Online
Latest News
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.
Half of SMEs Using AI -With Limited Headcount Impact So Far
More than half of UK firms (54%) are now actively using AI, according to new research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), in partnership with Atos, showing a major jump in tech adoption. Previous BCC research found that 35% of firms were using AI in 2025, up...
Latest Article
Half of SMEs Using AI -With Limited Headcount Impact So Far
More than half of UK firms (54%) are now actively using AI, according to new research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), in partnership with Atos, showing a major jump in tech adoption. Previous BCC research found that 35% of firms were using AI in 2025, up...
Member News
Wackadoo! Visit Bluey at the Severn Valley Railway this March
The Severn Valley Railway is all set for family fun in March, with appearances from the energetic and much-loved TV character Bluey on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March. Families can take an exciting heritage train ride out to The Engine House, Highley, see Bluey and...
A Fresh Take on AI: A Practical Approach to Modern Marketing
AI is the business buzzword of 2026, but how do professionals feel about AI? There’s a growing sense of curiosity around what AI can do for us, but there’s also hesitation around its reliability and what happens when we become too dependent on the intelligence. As...
Patron & Strategic News
Young Artists Offered Chance to Shine at Worcester’s Art House
Talented young artists from schools across Worcestershire are being offered the chance to showcase their work in a professional gallery setting, with £2,500 of cash prizes up for grabs. A new collaboration between the University of Worcester and the Clothiers Company...
Autumn Budget tax hikes lead to warnings from legal expert
Businesses, landlords and savers set to be impacted by Labour’s Autumn Budget are being urged to seek expert legal advice following the Chancellor’s announcement of sweeping tax hikes. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed a raft of tax rises, worth around £26...
Chamber News
Three Key Fixes Needed For SME Finance
The BCC has called for action to improve the availability of finance for SMEs as accessibility, awareness and a lack of competition continue to hold firms back. In written evidence submitted to the Treasury Select Committee, the BCC said many smaller firms are no...
Welcome new Members!
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Members! Adder Bookkeeping Ltd – Adder Bookkeeping was established in December 2006. Their core purpose is to relieve business owners of the pain and stress of accounting and support clients to make better...
Our Latest Member
Welcome B Smith Packaging (Worcester) Ltd to the Chamber
B Smith Packaging has been a specialist in the packaging field for over 50 years. We pride ourselves on offering a bespoke, cost-effective, sustainable, and personalised service to our clients to enable them to promote their brand and business to their consumers in...
Welcome B Smith Packaging (Worcester) Ltd to the Chamber
B Smith Packaging has been a specialist in the packaging field for over 50 years. We pride ourselves on offering a bespoke, cost-effective, sustainable, and personalised service to our clients to enable them to promote their brand and business to their consumers in...
Policy News
How the Chancellors ‘mini-budget’ supports businesses
Businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire welcomed the emphasis on business growth in the Chancellors ‘mini-budget’ last Friday morning. The planned rise in corporation tax (19% to 25%) from next April has been scrapped to support business investment. At 19%,...
New Prime Minister Must Act Fast
Liz Truss has been announced as the UK’s new Prime Minister. It is vital that she takes immediate action in her role as Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. The vacuum in power that has been left during the process of electing a new leader has...
Skills News
College group selected to deliver three new T Level routes
A leading college group which operates across Warwickshire and Worcestershire has been selected to offer three new T Level routes. WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) will be delivering the Health and Science, Engineering and Manufacturing, and Construction...
Virtual open events and learning prove a hit for WCG
A leading college group based in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, which was among the first colleges in the country to run virtual open events during the Coronavirus lockdown, will continue using online platforms as a showcase for prospective students. WCG (formerly...
Charity News
St Michael’s Hospice Calls on Local Businesses and Volunteers to Help Transform New Shop
This year marks a significant milestone for St Michael’s Hospice as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, and we are thrilled to announce the opening of not one but two extraordinary new shops, including our largest site yet at Whitestone Business Park. The 50,000...
Funky hair fun
A Hereford charity has the perfect idea for any business looking to support a great cause in a fun and engaging way this year. The Little Princess Trust launched its Funky Hair Funday campaign to support its work for children with cancer. The simple event sees people...
UK Trade Stabilises After Tariff Hit
Responding to the latest ONS data on trade, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “UK trade showed signs of stabilising in May as the initial impact of higher US tariffs began to subside. “Services exports and imports showed steady month on month...
BCC News
UK Trade Stabilises After Tariff Hit
Responding to the latest ONS data on trade, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “UK trade showed signs of stabilising in May as the initial impact of higher US tariffs began to subside. “Services exports and imports showed steady month on month...
Worcestershire News
Big challenges ahead for former student to honour the memory of his daughters.
A former University of Worcester student has been back on campus as he gets ready for his last year of big fundraising challenges. 55-year-old Tony Frobisher has already run the London Marathon, cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, climbed Kilimanjaro and trekked...
Garland Surgical Limited Join the Chamber
Garland Surgical Ltd was founded in early 2022, a collaboration between British-Maltese Entrepreneur Simon Mifsud, Netherlands based Health-Tech Venture Builder NLC and the inventing team from the University of Malta. Garland is dedicated to pioneering innovation in...
Herefordshire News
#StrongerHereford is seeking new board members to help transform the city
Are you passionate about Hereford City’s future? Do you want your hometown to be one of the greenest and fairest cities in the country? #StrongerHereford is currently recruiting new board members and are looking for people who have significant commercial experience...
Indegu launch new collaborative eLearning space for SMEs at the Chamber’s Business EXPO
Local eLearning experts Indegu Ltd unveiled their latest online proposition at the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Exhibition. The new collaborative eLearning platform was launched by Indegu Ltd at the recent Business Exhibition hosted by the Herefordshire &...
All Latest News
Unlocking AI Potential: How the BCC AI Academy Is Helping Local Businesses Thrive
In an age where artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword, but a business imperative, the BCC AI Academy is proving to be a game-changer for regional organisations. This is not just theoretical training; it’s a practical, hands-on programme...
Worcester Awarded Maximum £2.5m Teaching Capital Grant to Expand and Enhance Healthcare Education
The University of Worcester has been awarded £2,493,703 from the Office for Students (OfS) to further enhance its very high-quality education of tomorrow’s nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, paramedics, occupational therapists, physician assistants, midwives and other...
Last Call for Santas! KEMP Hospice calling for participants for Annual Santa Fun Run on Sunday 7th December
KEMP Hospice is calling on the local community to lace up their running shoes, pull on a Santa suit, and join its 18th Santa Fun Run on Sunday 7th December 2025. The charity’s biggest fundraising event of the year and a vital lifeline for people across the Wyre Forest...
Hazelton Mountford expands Worcester office space to drive specialist Property Division growth
Independent chartered insurance broker Hazelton Mountford has expanded across an additional floor at its Worcester headquarters, marking a significant step in the growth of its property division and the company’s expansion plans. The new space, located directly above...
Hazelton Mountford Welcomes Two New Apprentices Amid Exciting Growth
Hazelton Mountford is pleased to welcome Jumeirah and Emma as the company’s newest apprentices. Based at the Worcester office, they will gain hands-on experience across key areas of insurance and client services. Hazelton Mountford’s apprenticeship programme offers a...
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Partners with Worcestershire’s 2026 TechFest
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce partners with Worcestershire’s 2026 TechFest. We are thrilled to announce our role as Official Partners for Worcestershire TechFest 2026. Following on from a successful launch in 2025, which saw 500+...
Want to submit a story?
If you would like to read our guide to submitting a story click here