The British Chambers of Commerce

A mammoth site, cataloguing all that membership of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) can offer, plus free access to BCC press releases and survey results. If you weren’t already aware, the BCC is a national network of independent, non-profit making organisations whose role is to support local business and to lobby government on small business issues.


The homepage offers something of a mish-mash of items from news releases and topical special features, to invitations to join surveys and the highlights of the site.


SPECIAL FEATURES


Find Your Chamber is accessible via the drop down menu listing towns, or by clicking on a slow loading UK map. Once you have selected your town or area, there are links to your local BCC website.


News is a well laid-out listing of press releases and survey results (including the influential BCC Quarterly Survey), identifiable by good, clear icons. Subjects covered include economy and tax, small firms and employment issues, Europe and International trade, education and training, company and financial affairs, transport, IT and legal and regional affairs.


Export Zone is a spectacularly good area of the site, aimed at potential and expanding exporters. Items covered with the same, clear icons include market research and excellent country profiles. Click on the world map under the continent of interest, then on the particular country for a full page feature on the population and economic activity. Each country page includes local advertisers, and the index has useful information including weather, world news and phone codes. Other items covered include useful contacts for further information on organisation and specific markets not covered by the BCC, export procedures, business matchmaking worldwide and a link to Trade Partners UK.


Business Services lists the privileges BCC members are entitled to. These are pretty comprehensive with savings on telecoms, fleet management systems, utilities discounts, healthcare policy offers, a translation service and employees
counselling service. The stakeholder pensions page has comprehensive information about the whys and wherefores of the new scheme and a link to www.chamberspensions.com,
the exclusive BCC online pension buying facility.


OTHER FEATURES


The Bookshop offers 10 BCC publications and reports to purchase online. Also, Key Links is excellent, though lists just useful business contacts with no explanations about who or what they are. Partners gives information about BCC partners such as Cisco, Mondus.co.uk and the Royal Mail’s online e-commerce facility ViaCode. Here and elsewhere in the site there is access to information about ChamberSign, set up in association with ViaCode, an application form in PDF format.