Being a CBC member sets your company apart more and more as being competent and professionally managed.

•  The terms "Chartered Building Company" and "Chartered Building Consultancy" are starting to be rightly acknowledged. Use of this along with the respected Logo next to your Company name cannot just be bought .

•  Members are strongly encouraged to put the logo on their sites and stationary and to take every opportunity to promote themselves in correspondence and marketing material by stating: -

“We are a Chartered Building Company/Consultancy, which means that: -

1. We are controlled by professionally qualified directors who are committed to high standards of quality and customer service.
2. We operate to a strict Code of Conduct governed by CIOB.
3. All of our staff have been trained to recognised industry standards.
4. All staff and operatives hold Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) accreditation appropriate to their role.

Which means that you, our customer, have peace of mind and can be sure of a first class service every time.”

•  We are marketing the Schemes to construction client organisations at all levels and awareness of the Schemes will be continually widened.

•  The CBC Schemes' chairman and manager have an ongoing, rolling programme of meetings with relevant and influential industry figures, including senior DTI people and client organisation heads.

•  A powerful CBC Board meets three times a year to decide ongoing policy. This Board is currently chaired by Richard Sapcote (William Sapcote and Sons Ltd, Birmingham ). It includes Paul Everall (Chief Exec, Local Authority Building Control), and Ian Eggers, Director, Mace). Please visit the CIOB/CBC website for the full Board.

•  A programme of free regional CBC events continues. As well as an opportunity to speak to the CBC team and have your say on the future of the Schemes, there are relevant presentations on marketing, business management, current issues in the industry, and how to use CBC membership to the full. In 2006, there were events in Cardiff , Northern Ireland , and Haydock. This last in association with the CIOB's Faculty of Architecture and Surveying. Contact the CBC office for latest details of upcoming events. Dates and venues so far in 2007 were York on February 6 th , and Newbury on February 22 nd . Awaiting confirmation of date and venue are Birmingham and Gloucester . We invite all CBC members, wherever they are geographically around the country, to all relevant meetings as they perhaps work country wide, or have regional offices, or perhaps want to network with CBC contractors or consultants in other areas. A buffet meal and tea and coffee are provided at all meetings.

•  With membership of both Schemes growing, we are promoting networking between the Schemes. If, for instance, you are a contractor somewhere looking for a consultant, what could be more suitable than an association with a business that signs up to the same code of conduct?

•  Members have their own page on the CBC web site, www.cbcscheme.org.uk Your company's or consultancy's details will be added to our database of Scheme members for site users to search. You can include your company logo, profile and three examples of work done. A link can be created to your in-house web site.

•  The CIOB Training Partnership Scheme is free of charge to CBCs. By entering a Training Partnership your firm can have the training needs of all management and technical staff assessed. Individual and company aspirations are examined and appropriate training recommended and even, in some cases, arranged.

•  Hays Recruitment. An individual consultancy service is available to CBCs wherever they are in the U.K. This exclusive new priority service will seek to understand your organisation's requirements. Call Hays' CBC Liaison Director Bill Chitty direct on 020 7259 8780, or visit www.hays.com/construction

•  Members have access to a formal conciliation procedure conducted by an experienced professional.

•  There is a discount (usually 10%) on Constructionline membership. Contact the CBC office for full details.

•  An arrangement with Yellow Pages in all UK areas means that you can, for example, put your basic Company or Consultancy details into a CBC (there are both) ‘box' for approximately £145.00, whereas your own Yellow Pages ‘box' would cost at least £700.00. A further arrangement with Yell.com allows for ads on that website.

•  The CBC magazine Update (sent free to members on a regular basis) will include relevant, informative articles for Members and the industry, and carry Members' news and activities.

•  The CIOB's Library and Information Service is extended to CBC Members to enable their whole staff or a whole team to use.

•  The CBC office, staffed by Jess Deacon and Clare Donnelly , is always available in office hours (or leave a message and we'll get straight back to you). We can provide information on any of the above, and are also happy to help with other related issues.

•  There is a wide range of quality CBC merchandise in stock. Members can purchase this material and use it to market and promote themselves and their Scheme involvement. Details in Update or contact the CBC office.

•  The first items of a new range of free to members, self-promotional brochure material are now available for both companies and consultancies. Quality CBC items that you can give out with, for instance, your estimates to your clients, to tell them clearly what CBC membership means, and that you are a member.

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