Member Offers
50% off Book for CEOs – Beyond the Blind Spots
If you are a CEO or know a CEO who would like to take advantage of my 25 years in Business Strategy, my new book “Beyond the Blind Spots” launching on the 24th September is for you.
“Beyond the Blind Spots: 5 Steps for CEOs to Reveal What Others Miss, Strategically Align Your Business and Inspire Stakeholder Confidence”
Offering you my rigorous and robust framework, which is the most effective way to uncover unknowns in your business, identify your core focus and strategically align your whole organisation, so that you can push forward with ease and have more space and time to think, plan and breathe! There is plenty inside to take advantage of.
For 24 hours on 24th September, it’s 50% off – use this link to join the Priority List for early access, 50% off and a digital copy.
https://www.inspiredbypublishing.co.uk/beyond-the-blind-spots
Expires: 25/09/2026
50% off Documentation Fees for New Clients
Asset Advantage has been supporting SMEs with their funding needs for 20 years. Our core activity is lending money for investment in equipment, machinery and facilities, but we also offer funding to support with buying a business, or buying out a business partner, with our Business Acquisition Loan.
We work with SMEs in a wide range of sectors and at different stages of a company’s growth, from new-start businesses, through to well-established firms.
We are offering Hampshire Chamber of Commerce members a 50% discount off documentation fees on their first deal with us.
Call 01256 316201 or email SMEFinance@assetadvantage.co.uk to find out more.
Expires: 30/09/2026
Free 30-minute AI adoption conversation for Hampshire Chamber members
As a new member of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, I’m offering a limited number of free 30-minute one-to-one conversations for fellow Chamber members.
These are for business owners and leaders who are starting to think about AI, already using tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot, or wondering what a sensible next step might look like.
No jargon, no technical demo, and no hard sell. Just a practical conversation about where AI may help, what to avoid, and how to approach it in a way that makes sense for your business.
Expires: 18/12/2026
New celebratory packages for festive parties, galas and award ceremonies
Looking for a distinctive venue for your next special event? Southampton Solent University offers a range of versatile event spaces available to hire for festive parties, awards evenings, gala dinners, celebration dinners, and corporate events.
At the heart of our campus is the Spark Atrium – a contemporary venue that provides a memorable backdrop for any occasion. With its striking architecture, impressive open space, and vibrant atmosphere, the Atrium creates the perfect setting for guests to celebrate in style.
New for 2026 our Festive Celebration Nights promise an unforgettable night filled with sparkle, laughter, and exceptional hospitality. Enjoy a delicious two-course experience featuring vibrant pop-up food stations and an indulgent dessert station, all beautifully presented with a full event set up. Prices start from just £49.95 per person.
View full details on the Southampton Solent University website.
Expires: 18/12/2026
Introductory meeting offer for members for up to 10 guests
DAY DELEGATE PACKAGE FOR UP TO 10 GUESTS
****£35 per person****
This package includes:
- A main meeting room
- TV screen and flipchart
- FREE internet access for all delegates for the duration of their stay
- Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack
- Flexible lunch to choose from (your choice of dining venue)
- Dedicated Event Manager on the day
- Free Parking
£35.00 per person min 8 guests, subject to availability
For larger groups offer maybe valid on selected dates
Expires: 30/12/2026
Our brand-new Hambledon Suite has arrived!
Following a complete refurbishment, our largest meeting and event space is looking better than ever.
To celebrate the launch, we’re delighted to offer you one complimentary delegate add-on when you book your next meeting or event in the Hambledon Suite. 🍊
Expires: 30/12/2026
Discounted rates on AI Assistant
Turn more of your website visitors into booked enquiries, without increasing your ad spend.
One2create’s AI Website Assistant responds instantly, 24/7, helping capture, qualify and book enquiries while your team focuses on running the business.
From answering common questions to booking calls directly into your diary, it works around the clock, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Real result: one client booked 10 qualified appointments in their first 7 days from existing website traffic alone.
Expires: 31/12/2026
Meeting Room Offer
Whether you’re planning a meeting, conference or corporate gathering, the Hambledon Suite offers a versatile setting tailored to your needs.
To celebrate, enjoy our opening offer enjoy one of our delegate add ons with our compliments
Book a showround or enquire today to start planning your event.
Contact our events team on 01489 880000 or email events@solenthotel.co.uk
Expires: 31/03/2027
20% Saving on Day Delegate Rate – The Montagu Arms Hotel
- Main meeting room hire
- LCD projector and screen
- Flipchart and stationery box
- Complimentary Wi-Fi access
- Still and sparkling water, cordials and sweets in the main meeting room
- Unlimited tea and coffee
- Chef’s morning and afternoon treat
- Chef’s light buffet lunch
- Free car parking for all delegates
WAS from £78.00 Now From £62.40 per person
Expires: 31/03/2027
Exclusive Chamber Member Offer – 12 Hours for the Price of 10
As a new member of the Chamber of Commerce, we’re excited to introduce ourselves and offer fellow members an exclusive consultancy package designed to help your business get more from its technology.
Book 10 hours of consultancy and receive an additional 2 hours completely free. These consultancy hours can be tailored to your business needs and used for a wide range of services, including an IT infrastructure and security review, a Microsoft 365 utilisation assessment, a systems and process review, or general IT support and strategic advice.
Expires: 01/05/2027
Free Employee Mortgage Advice & Financial Wellbeing Benefit
Support your employees with expert mortgage advice at no cost to your business.
HTG Mortgages is offering Hampshire Chamber members a free employee benefit that gives staff access to professional, whole-of-market mortgage advice while saving them our standard £350 broker fee.
Whether they’re buying their first home, moving house, remortgaging or investing in a buy-to-let property, your employees will receive:
- Access to over 100 lenders and thousands of mortgage products
- A dedicated mortgage adviser from application to completion
- Phone, Google Meets or face-to-face appointments
- Mortgage review to discuss their current mortgage, future plans or any questions they may have
- Our £350 broker fee waived when they mention their employer
Expires: 01/06/2027
Charity Offer!
Charity Package – book your event at the Solent Hotel and we will make a 5% donation to your chosen charity from the total function bar spend!
Expires: 31/10/2027
10% off for Hampshire Chamber Members
We’re offering 10% off any project for chamber members. Whether you need a new website, better leads, stronger branding, or marketing that finally starts pulling its weight, it’s our way of helping local businesses grow without stretching budgets further than they need to.
Member Events
Burnout busters with Solent Mind
Date: 24/09/2026 09:30 – 10:00
Venue: Online
Ignoring the signs of burnout and stress can leave you feeling emotionally and mentally exhausted. But spotting the warning signs of burnout can help stop it in its tracks. In this free 30-minute session, Solent Mind’s training team will guide you through what burnout really is, why it happens, and how to manage it with practical, take-away techniques.
Book now: Solent Mind – Monthly Tasters Burnout busters – Open session – 24 September 2026
This session offers a taste of Solent Mind’s bitesize training course ‘Beat the Burnout’, designed to support healthier, happier workplaces.
Book Launch – Beyond the Blind Spots
Date: 24/09/2026 11.00am – 25/09/2026 11.00am
Venue: https://www.inspiredbypublishing.co.uk/beyond-the-blind-spots
If you are a CEO or know a CEO who would like to take advantage of my 25 years in Business Strategy, my new book “Beyond the Blind Spots” launching on the 24th September is for you.
“Beyond the Blind Spots: 5 Steps for CEOs to Reveal What Others Miss, Strategically Align Your Business and Inspire Stakeholder Confidence”
Offering you my rigorous and robust framework, which is the most effective way to uncover unknowns in your business, identify your core focus and strategically align your whole organisation, so that you can push forward with ease and have more space and time to think, plan and breathe! There is plenty inside to take advantage of.
For 24 hours on 24th September, it’s 50% off – use this link to join the Priority List for early access, 50% off and a digital copy.
https://www.inspiredbypublishing.co.uk/beyond-the-blind-spots
Walk on Lego for Cash for Kids South Coast, West Sussex & Salisbury
Date: 25/09/2026 17:00 – 19:00
Venue: Solent Hotel & Spa, Rookery Avenue, Whiteley, Fareham, PO15 7AJ
Take on a fun, colourful and unforgettable challenge by joining the Cash for Kids South Coast, West Sussex & Salisbury Lego Walk!
Participants will walk barefoot across thousands of Lego bricks in a safe, professionally managed environment, all while raising vital funds for the local children who need it most.
Shining Stars Walk
Dates: 26/09/2026 19:00 – 22:30
Venue: HMS Temeraire
Bigger. Brighter. Unmissable! Rowans Hospice’s Shining Stars Walk Returns for an Unforgettable Night of Remembrance, Community and Fundraising
Rowans Hospice is inviting people from across the local community to come together for the return of its much-loved Shining Stars Walk in 2026. Whether walking in memory of a loved one, supporting local hospice care, or simply enjoying a unique evening with family and friends, participants can look forward to a spectacular night of reflection, celebration and community spirit.
Walk the Test Way and support better mental health in Hampshire
Dates: 27/09/2026 09:00 – 17:00
Venue: Crossfield Hall, Romsey
Walk the Test Way for mental health this September
Walk along the beautiful Test Way with a group, with the dog, or on your own, to support better mental health services in Hampshire.
The walk is great fun and suitable for a mix of abilities.
Launched in 2023 by the Rotary Club of Romsey Test, Walk the Test Way sees crowds of walkers each year, proudly supporting their chosen charities. This joyful event centres around raising money, spreading awareness and celebrating community.
Be part of Walk the Test Way this September and do something positive for your own mental wellbeing, as well as raising money to help others.
Visit a Challenger boat and learn more about Tall Ships Youth Trust
Dates: 01/10/2026 13:00 – 15:00
Venue: Gunwharf Quay Marina
Come and tour a Challenger 72 boat and learn about Tall Ships Youth Trust, then join us for drinks and canapés in Apsex Gallery.
Perhaps you’ve read about our life-changing youth voyages and wondered what goes on behind the scenes, or maybe you’re keen to step aboard Challenger 5, an iconic 72ft yacht built to race twice around the world the “wrong way” against prevailing winds and currents?
Whether you represent a local Portsmouth organisation or have followed our work from afar, we’re opening our doors for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how Tall Ships Youth Trust empowers young people through transformational sailing voyages.
We have just five places available for this intimate tour of Challenger 5 – which carries an extraordinary ocean-racing heritage and was recently named by HRH The Princess Royal.
If you’d like to claim one of these final spots and see our mission in action, send us a direct message or drop us an email at events@tallships.org.
Trade & Finance: Is Your General Ledger a Hidden Customs Liability?
Dates: 07/10/2026 11:00
Venue: Online
As customs authorities continue to evolve their audit approaches, the focus is no longer limited to import declarations and customs entries. HMRC and EU auditors are increasingly examining General Ledger accounts, bank records, transfer pricing arrangements, and intercompany agreements to assess whether customs values have been declared correctly.
For many organisations, this represents a significant shift in customs compliance expectations and highlights the growing need for Finance and Trade teams to work together.
This practical, practitioner-led webinar with ITM Specialist Douglas Mackay will explore how financial records can create customs valuation risks, where businesses commonly encounter issues, and what steps can be taken to strengthen controls before an audit takes place.
Do You Need To “Switch On Your Strengths!” To Grow Your Business?
Dates: 07/10/2026 09:30 – 12:30
Venue: National Oceanography Centre Innovation Hub, Southampton
Do you need to speak at an industry conference, take part on a speaker panel, initiate conversation from behind an exhibition stand, or make small talk with others more confidently?
Do these activities energise you, they are something you love to do?
Or does your heart sink, and ideally, they are something you would prefer to avoid?
If representing your company is essential to promoting and growing your business, this workshop is for you!
Gill How, an international speaker and strengths expert, with the help of live demonstration and a series of practical exercises for you to participate in, will lead us through her Masterclass “Switch On Your Strengths!”.
US Substantial Transformation Rules for UK & EU Exporters
Dates: 13/10/2026 10:00 – 12:30
Venue: Online
Do your UK or EU origin assumptions stand up to US Customs scrutiny?
For UK and EU businesses exporting to the United States, understanding origin is becoming increasingly important — particularly where supply chains include Chinese-origin materials, components or sub-assemblies.
The US substantial transformation test is not the same as the origin rules that UK and EU businesses may already be familiar with.
A product can potentially satisfy a UK or EU origin test while failing to meet the US test.
With increased attention on transshipment and supply-chain routing, businesses need to understand how US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) assesses substantial transformation — and how to document and defend their position.
This specialist 90-minute briefing is designed to give you a practical understanding of the CBP test, using real CBP rulings and worked examples relevant to UK and EU supply chains.
Dealing with change – helping you to thrive in times of uncertainty? with Solent Mind
Dates: 14/10/2026 14:30 – 15:00
Venue: Online
Change is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy! In this session, Solent Mind’s training team will look at how we react to change and share practical tools to help you manage it positively.
Solent Mind’s experienced trainer will help you understand change, recognise your reactions, and apply techniques to navigate uncertainty successfully.
This session introduces our full training course: Dealing with Change – Helping You Thrive in Times of Uncertainty.
Member News
Ten years of Quarterly Planning: how Jeff Shrimpton got Hampshire business owners to actually stick to a plan
Ten years ago Jeff Shrimpton asked business owners to do something that sounds simple: write a 90-day plan. Almost none of them did it. There was always something more urgent to deal with first, and the plan kept getting pushed back another week, then another.
“So I decided to lock the whole lot of them in a room until it was done.”
Extension of our portfolio – Smart Cyber Services
We are pleased to announce that we have extended our consultancy portfolio to include Cyber Security consultancy.
As a natural extension to our ISO consultancy, we can now help companies to protect themselves against the increasing risk of cyber threats through the implementation of Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
Sarum Road Hospital achieves fourth consecutive Macmillan accreditation as £1.5m oncology investment gets underway
Sarum Road Hospital in Winchester has been awarded the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark (MQEM) for the fourth consecutive time, recognising its continued commitment to providing an outstanding environment and experience for patients receiving cancer care.
Awarded by Macmillan Cancer Support and assessed every three years, the MQEM recognises organisations that demonstrate excellence in the design, delivery and management of cancer care environments.
Tall Ships Youth Trusts Showcases a Transformative Year of Youth Development and Outdoor Learning on the Water
Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) has published its 2025/2026 Impact Report, Beyond the Horizon: Changing Young Lives at Sea, showcasing a transformative year of youth development and outdoor learning on the water.
Against a backdrop of increasing educational pressures and youth mental health strains, TSYT continues to demonstrate how the ocean acts as the ultimate equaliser. Over the past year, the charity reached 1,889 individuals – an 11% increase — with 1,224 being young people – delivering in total 4,716 nights at sea.
Solent relaunches fully funded Help to Grow: Management programme
Southampton Solent University has relaunched its Help to Grow: Management programme, a fully funded course for eligible participants designed to help small and medium sized business leaders increase productivity, seize investment opportunities and grow their organisations.
The relaunch supports the University’s wider mission to become the UK’s leading practice-led university, delivering real-world education and working closely with industry and the region it serves.
Employers urged to ‘look beyond salaries’ to meet staff retention challenge
A Hampshire accountancy and business advice firm is calling on employers to consider greater use of tax-efficient rewards and benefits to retain valued employees amid continuing pressure on business costs.
Experts at HWB Chartered Accountants say companies and organisations should look beyond simply increasing salaries and consider the wider range of incentives available to them.
Paris Smith celebrates “Corporate Law Firm of the Year” win at South Coast Deals Awards 2026
Paris Smith took home the coveted award at the South Coast Deals Awards 2026, an event which celebrates excellence across the region’s corporate finance and dealmaking community. The judges said Paris Smith stood out for “the many high-profile deals they completed across the South Coast”, recognising the quality, breadth and impact of the firm’s corporate work during the year.
The achievement reflects a real team effort across Paris Smith’s Corporate, Commercial & Finance Department, with colleagues working collaboratively to support businesses, entrepreneurs, lenders and investors on significant transactions across the South Coast. The Corporate team has representation across the firm’s Southampton, Winchester and Bournemouth offices, ensuring clients can access specialist corporate, commercial & finance expertise throughout the region.
Lakeside North Harbour gives surplus office furniture a new lease of life
Lakeside North Harbour (Lakeside) is supporting a Portsmouth City Council initiative to give surplus office furniture a second life, helping to provide valuable resources for education and youth facilities here in Portsmouth and Koutaya, Republic of Guinea.
As part of the initiative, 24 stackable chairs, a large boardroom table seating around 8–10 people and 50 matching desks from Lakeside have been donated through URBOND, with logistics support from Portico Logistics. The furniture will be used in the library and IT facilities of a brand-new school URBOND built in Koutaya, helping to create improved learning environments for students and educators.
The Border Keeps Moving: What Food Businesses Need to Know Now
I have first-hand experience of working inside the food and drink industry, so I don’t need a report to tell me what Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) requirements have cost this sector – I watched it happen on the ground.
UK food and drink exporters have spent over £200 million on export health certificates since Brexit controls began, with vet certificates running up to £200 each and over a million issued. The Common User Charge falls hardest on smaller operators moving mixed, less-than-truckload consignments, and some EU suppliers are already warning customers they’ll reconsider supplying Great Britain once current contracts expire. Add border delays of up to 24 hours to a sector built on just-in-time delivery of perishable goods, and it’s little wonder food businesses have carried a disproportionate share of the UK’s new border regime. Which is exactly why the developments below deserve your attention.