Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

‘Very motivated ‘can-do’ presentation’

‘Energy, content and pitch were really engaging and informative’

‘Positive tips for difficult conversations’

‘Fun and full of energy – made quite a serious subject engaging and interesting’

‘Very practical advice, lots I will be trying to bear in mind in my work’

US2U Consulting's IT Consultant and Microsoft expert Michael Holness once again spoke at Norfolk Chamber's Chamber Sessions on Tuesday 20 September, on how to 'Be Better at Excel for Business'.

Both Michael and his content were regarded as very good or excellent by all attendees, as he offered insights into how to get more out of Excel to maximise your organisation's productivity and make a positive difference to your company's bottom line.

• "The shortcuts handout was extremely helpful."

• "It was great to brush up on formulas and macros."

• "I learnt some valuable Excel tips. The session was very 'punchy' and delivered everything in a short time frame."

• "It was great to learn about the advanced uses for Excel - I will go back to the office and investigate further!"

• "Being so new to Excel I really benefitted from this session."

For more information on how Michael and US2U Consulting can help your organisation reach its IT potential, click here.

Also, take advantage of our 'Back to School' promotion by securing an Excel group session for up to 5 people (to be delivered by the end of January 2017) for the discounted price of £675.00 when you book by the end of November!

Michael Holness once again spoke at The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce as part of their Chamber Sessions, delivering Be Better at Excel for Business.

The session was aimed at providing secrets and shortcuts to improve efficiency when using Microsoft Excel, and received positive feedback from all of the delegates.

For more information about our range of IT Training services, watch our video: http://www.us2uconsulting.com/it-training.

Both Kerwin Blackburn and new recruit Lee Casey attended the Norfolk Chamber's Roundtable Discussion on Tuesday 11 July in Hethersett.

This discussion allowed businesses throughout Norfolk to have their say and pitch key ways in which they feel the region can increase business productivity and ensure growth across a range of sectors. The feedback will inform the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership's upcoming Economic Strategy for Norfolk - the first update since 2014.

Following initial group talks and collective discussions amongst 51 members of the Norfolk Chamber, many tables seemed to cover the prominent issue of broadband speed and connectivity in the region. Alongside this, many delved into deeper issues such as the need to improve physical and digital infrastructure, rebrand Norfolk as a hub for young professionals and fill a skills gap in the region.

These findings reflect the need for the People Development and Training services that US2U Consulting offers to clients, tailored to meet the requirements of both the individuals and the organisation.

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information on how we can help you bridge your skills gap and improve productivity!

At the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce event involving all the Norfolk MPs back in February 2014, Rachel Blackburn, Director of US2U Consulting, raised the issue that it was taking over 3 months for a new taxi driver to get their licence from Norwich City Council, on behalf of her client ABC Taxis Ltd. As ABC Taxis planned to recruit 20 new drivers this year to meet customer demand, this clearly was a concern to them and also to the individuals concerned who are keen to start their new career.

Chloe Smith MP and Simon Wright MP agreed to help to solve the problem. Working with Rachel Blackburn who met with Norwich City Council to profile the process in more detail, it has been a team effort to resolve the issue. Norwich City Council have agreed that the process should take around 5 weeks and currently the experience when hiring the new drivers recently has been that it has been taking around 8 weeks - a significant difference.

US2U Consulting and ABC Taxis have also produced a film to make the recruitment and licencing process easier to understand from the new recruits point of view. This can be seen on the ABC Taxis website at http://www.abctaxisnorwich.co.uk/Recruitment.aspx. Chloe Smith also visited the ABC Taxis team as part of the process.

Rachel Blackburn organised for a number of our Norfolk clients to attend an open morning to view the facilities of the new School of Engineering at the University of East Anglia on Friday 25 March. This was a joint initiative between the UEA, Productivity East and The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce to promote good collaborative relationships with Norfolk-based engineering businesses to strengthen the learning, innovation and economic impact of world class engineering in the area.

Rachel is pictured with David Morgan, CEO of Hethel Engineering-based ETA Green Power. David said "at ETA Green Power we develop game-changing high density Electric Drive Systems to support the Off Highway sector in accelerating electrification and support emission reductions. We are passionate about enabling our clients to improve electification productivity whilst reducing costs and maximising performance for a sustainable future. We are expanding rapidly so are keen to develop collaborative partnerships."

Celebrate our 10th Birthday by taking advantage of our special promotional price of £675.00 plus VAT and travel expenses for an Excel group session when you book during March 2016.

US2U Consulting provide a range of IT courses covering Excel, Word and PowerPoint, individually tailored to meet the needs and current capabilities of the trainees. Training is delivered by world-class Microsoft certified expert and consultant Michael Holness and will free up your workforce and improve return on your investment in technology.

Michael has also delivered a series of Be Better at Excel for Business seminars as part of the Norfolk Chamber's Chamber Sessions - with the latest on the 1 March - and in conjunction with these we have this special offer on the table for a limited time only.

The session is for up to 5 people, to take place by the end of 2016. Find out more about our Excel training here.

To take advantage of this unique offer, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone 01603 716852.

Rachel Blackburn is to be featured in an Open University Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) about the benefits of networking after an intensive day of filming on Tuesday 10th May.

After welcoming a film crew from Evans Woolfe Media in London to the US2U Consulting head office for one-to-one filming, we then went on location to the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce's Doing Business in Dubai conference on the outskirts of Norwich to witness networking in practice.

The day finished at the University of East Anglia's Enterprise Centre where Rachel was a Young Enterprise judge to determine which of their companies would progress to the national finals in London. Filming was concluded with the importance of an elevator pitch - shot in an actual Enterprise Centre elevator!

The MOOC is titled Business Fundamentals: Effective Networking and can be accessed through the Open University's Future Learn platform.

US2U IT expert and consultant Michael Holness delivered a 'Be Better at Excel for Business' seminar as part of the Norfolk Chamber Sessions on Tuesday 16 June.

The talk, aimed at providing secrets and shortcuts to enhance business productivity, was well received by the attendees. Some of the feedback is detailed below.

"I learned loads of great tips"

"I learnt so many time-saving Excel functions. It will aid our work hugely."

"Very good presenter going out to all levels"

"Lots of tips from an enthuasiastic tutor"

"Lots of shortcuts which will help in my day-to-day work"

Find out more about our range of IT Training services: http://www.us2uconsulting.com/it-training

Developing the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs is important to us. As part of our sustainability strategy, US2U Consulting has become the main sponsor of the Norwich School Young Chamber initiative for 2022/23. Developed by Norwich School with the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, the initiative sees students establish and operate their own commercial business ventures in small teams - providing them with valuable experience and learning opportunities at this early stage in their careers.

In addition to providing some funding for senior school pupils to start their own small businesses, we also plan to assist with developing an entrepreneurial toolkit that the pupils can use to develop their skills. 

"We're very grateful for your support in terms of enthusiasm and in this case, financial support" said Tom White, Head of Economics and Business Enterprise and Young Chamber Coordinator, Norwich School.

As a former Norwich School student that has gone on to establish his own business venture - online art shop By Kerwin, there are also plans for US2U Consulting team member Kerwin Blackburn to provide entrepreneurial advice to those participating in the initiative - particularly around the topics of e-commerce and the start-up business journey.

We look forward to getting started and learning more about the companies being set up at Norwich School, based in Norwich's Cathedral Close.

Rachel Blackburn provided a talk, Be Better at Time Management, at the Norfolk Chamber on Thursday 18 December. Delegates really enjoyed the session and gained a lot from it, providing the following comments:

"The energy and content really added value."

"Rachel is a really good presenter."

"I took away great content to 1) learn to say no and 2) set some work/home goals."

US2U Consulting Director Rachel Blackburn and her son, US2U team member Kerwin Blackburn visited Norwich School on Wednesday, 28th September to speak to around 50 sixth form business students enrolled on Norwich School's Young Chamber programme for 2022-23 - the entrepreneurial initiative that we are sponsoring for this academic year.

Norwich School's Young Chamber programme is the year-long scheme that allows students to set up their own businesses and gain valuable real-world entrepreneurial experience alongside their school studies. The programme has been established by Norwich School alongside the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. We are pleased to be the primary sponsors of the programme for the year, and to support the development of the next generation of entrepreneurial talent.

With the session aimed at providing the students with advice for starting their businesses as they kick off the initiative for the year, Rachel spoke about the importance and practicalities of developing a solid business plan.

Kerwin then spoke about his own entrepreneurial experience of growing his e-commerce art business, By Kerwin (www.bykerwin.com), sharing with the students the key tips that he has learnt.

Norwich School Development Director, Jonathan Pearson, reflected, "It was a pleasure hearing you share with our young people your extensive experience and top tips. Your enthusiasm came through so clearly and through such 'gold dust' advice. The kids do not know how lucky they are to have received such a masterclass. They would do well to take such counsel with them into Young Chamber but also into the real world beyond Norwich School."

We look forward to seeing the progress of these student-run businesses in the coming months! Read Norwich School's write-up of this event on their website here.

Pictured is Rachel Blackburn alongside Tom White, Norwich School's Head of Economics & Business Enterprise, and Young Chamber Coordinator.

US2U Consulting attended the Norfolk Chamber's Chamber Session talk on Behavioural Economics on Thursday 15 June, delivered by Richard Ross.

Introducing an up-and-coming topic that is gaining increasing importance as we enter a new information era, the talk covered some of the fundamental theories and principles that are said to be key to unearthing insights about the subconscious motivations that drive consumer behaviour.

The topic is gaining importance as its application allows organisations to more efficiently target their consumers and help them make better decisions.

A key principle underlying behavioural economics, as opposed to classical economics, is the assumption that we as consumers are largely irrational, unpredictable and somewhat lazy!

We are intrigued to learn more about the ways in which US2U Consulting can apply behavioural economics to provide greater insights and a positive difference to our clients. Watch this space...