PIF members are invited to a webinar on Tuesday March 21st promoting the launch of the UK Business Centre Lille, a new initiative supporting UK companies seeking to expand their business and sales in France.

This 30 minute webinar will feature a presentation from the team behind the UK Business Centre explaining its benefits and purpose, as well as a short introduction to the Pet Sector in France and the Export Support Service from the Department for Business and Trade team based in Paris.

Members are also invited to the launch event itself, being held in Lille on April 19th which will include free consulting sessions with service providers, a networking lunch and visits to business parks and clusters the next day, based on members’ specific needs.

The UK Business Centre in Lille is an initiative designed to offer a soft-landing and accelerated growth to UK businesses who are looking to grow in France and Europe.

The Business Centre offers:

• A free desk, meeting rooms, internet connectivity in the centre of Lille (thanks to partner Talent Garden Lille)
• An English speaking helpline (both phone and email) to facilitate visits, answer questions etc.
• Access to a broad network of English speaking service providers and subject-matter experts across all aspects of French business and commerce (legal, fiscal, logistical, operational, commercial)
• Visits to key locations, business parks, innovation clusters

Register here for the webinar on March 21st.

Register here to attend the launch event in Lille on April 19th.

The online directory of PIF members has now been launched, enabling the public to find pet services located near them, simply by entering their postcode.

Accessed via the home page of this website, the Find A Pet Business directory links directly to PIF’s own database, giving the public peace of mind that the businesses shown in the search results have signed up to the PIF Charter which prioritises customer service and animal welfare. With automated links between the directory and PIF database, businesses appear in the listing as soon as they become a member.

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF explained: “We are delighted to have launched the Find A Pet Business directory to enable the public to find PIF members operating near them. We wanted to give those businesses that have signed up to the PIF Charter more exposure to the public and the Directory couldn’t be easier to use, with results showing the distance from the search postcode both by map and in text. The public can then contact the business easily through links to its website or email address which are supplied by the PIF member.”

To access the Find A Pet Business directory, click here.

To be listed in the Directory, join PIF and take advantage of all the other great business benefits that are available to PIF members, including a legal helpline, fuel card, payment processing rates from Lopay, IT discounts from Dell and local authority help and advice. Click here to join today.

Entries for the inaugural Innovation of the Year Award close in one month’s time (April 7th). This new award is open to all businesses in the pet sector, including product, service or tech and a judging panel will select ten finalists to present their innovation at the Business of Pets conference, giving them unprecedented access to potential investors. The winner will be chosen on the final day of the conference (June 8^th).

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF commented: “We’ve had fantastic feedback for the Business of Pets two day conference which we launched recently and the Innovation of the Year award will be an integral part of that new event. I would encourage all pet innovators to enter the Innovation of the Year Award; all ten finalists will get a fantastic opportunity to pitch their innovation during the conference.”

For details of entry criteria and how to enter, click here. Entries close on April 7^th.

Tickets to The Business of Pets conference will go on sale from March 20^th. For full details, click here.

To join PIF and take advantage of all the great business benefits that are available to PIF members, including a legal helpline, fuel card, payment processing rates from Lopay, IT discounts from Dell and local authority help and advice, click here

PIF has announced a new partnership with Lopay, the UK based payment solution that helps businesses keep more of the money they earn. With a free card reader, flexible pay-outs, and transaction fees less than half those charged by its competitors, Lopay is the most cost-effective payment solution on the market.

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF commented: “We are delighted to add Lopay to the wide range of benefits that are available to PIF members. We are always on the lookout for products that help members become more profitable and were particularly impressed with the fact that Lopay gives businesses more control over the money they earn at less than 50% of the fees.”
When taking advantage of this new benefit, PIF members will automatically receive an introductory £1,500 of fee-free transactions and will also be able to decide when they get paid; weekly, the next day or instantly, even on weekends and bank holidays.

Easy to follow instructions on how to start using Lopay are available in the Members’ Area of this website.

To join PIF and take advantage of Lopay, plus all the other great business benefits that are available to PIF members, including a legal helpline, fuel card, IT discounts from Dell and local authority help and advice, click here.

Entries are now open for the Innovation of the Year Award, a completely new award to be showcased at PIF’s Business of Pets Conference in June. Entry is open to all businesses in the pet sector, including product, service or tech and a judging panel will select ten finalists who will then have the opportunity to present their innovation at the Business of Pets Conference, giving them unprecedented access to potential investors. The winner will be chosen on the final day of the event.

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF commented: “I would encourage all pet business innovators to enter the Innovation of the Year Award; the ten finalists will have a unique opportunity to pitch to potential investors during the two day Business of Pets conference.”

For full details of entry criteria and how to submit an entry, click here. Entries must be submitted by April 7th 2023.

PIF has today launched a completely new event, The Business of Pets, designed to help pet businesses take that vital step to the next level. A two day conference, this new event will take place on Wednesday 7^th-Thursday 8^th June at the purpose built Cranfield Management Development Centre near Milton Keynes and will have a full itinerary of inspirational and insightful speakers; from angel investors to key distributors, from IP experts to legal advisors and mentors who have been there, done it and are happy to share the lessons learned on the way.

Another key element of this new conference is the Innovation of the Year Award; entry is open to all businesses in the pet sector, including product, service or tech. A judging panel will select ten finalists who will then have the opportunity to present their innovation at the event, giving them unprecedented access to potential investors. The winner will be chosen on the final day of the event.

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF commented: “We often hear from our members that they want to take their business to the next level but don’t have either the time, finance or support structure to enable them to do so. We have created The Business of Pets conference to help solve this problem and have curated a fantastic roster of speakers who will be able to inspire attendees to move forward profitably. I’m sure that these two days of learning and networking will prove invaluable for the business owners, directors and decision makers who attend.
“I would also encourage all pet business innovators to enter the Innovation of the Year Award; the ten finalists will have a unique opportunity to pitch to potential investors during the two day Business of Pets conference.”

Tickets to The Business of Pets conference will go on sale from March 20^th. Entries for the Innovation of the Year Award will open at the end of February.

Following several months of development the new directory of PIF members, Find A Pet Service, is due to launch here on this website very soon. This exciting new feature will enable members of the public to search for PIF members by sector and location, simply by entering their own postcode.

In order to make sure that the data displayed to the public is correct, we need all PIF members to check that their data is up to date. Simply follow the instructions below:

1. Login to the Members’ Area of this website
2. Select Profile on the Dashboard
3. Scroll past the Business and Administrator sections until you get to the Find A Pet Service Directory section
4. Click on the green Edit button
5.  Amend any details you would like to change so that they are appropriate for the public to see (for example you may wish to change the contact email address from a personal email to a business email address)
6. Add a website address to your profile if you have one
7. Click on the blue Save button
8. If you wish to opt out of being in the Directory, simply uncheck the Opt In box.

If you have any problems or questions about editing your Directory details, please don’t hesitate to email us at info@petfederation.co.uk

PIF members can now enjoy up to 20% discount on laptops, desktops, monitors, and accessories as part of a new partnership between PIF and leading technology provider, Dell Technologies. PIF members will also have access to Dell’s highly trained Small Business Technology Advisors for free advice to help grow their businesses. In addition, further discounts will be available during promotional periods.

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF commented: “We are delighted to be launching yet another benefit that will save PIF members money with immediate effect. We are all extremely aware of the current difficult economic climate that businesses are facing and the team here at PIF is always on the lookout for cost saving collaborations. Partnering with Dell Technologies will ensure that PIF members can invest in great quality tech at an affordable price.”

PIF members will be able to take advantage of this new benefit for both personal and business use, providing all-year-round value whether it be resolving a business need or a lifestyle purchase. To start using this benefit, go to the Members’ Area of this website and click on the Dell folder where you will find easy to follow instructions on how to generate PIF vouchers.

To join PIF and take advantage of all the other great business benefits that are available to PIF members, including a legal helpline, fuel card discounts and local authority help and advice, click here.

Enquiries and bookings are now being taken for the January consignment of the PIF Export Scheme.

To take part in January’s consignment, bookings need to be confirmed by Friday January 13th. Pallets will then be despatched to the EU w/c Monday January 23rd (subject to EU BCP authorisation).

The PIF Export Scheme enables manufacturers and suppliers to export products to the EU containing animal protein in a cost effective and efficient way.

To book pallets onto the January consignment or to find out more about the PIF Export Scheme, please email export@petfederation.co.uk

Despite the tough economic conditions we’re all facing, let’s reflect positively on the successes the Pet Industry Federation has seen this year as we lay the foundations for a really exciting 2023.
This year, we have:

Launched the new PIF website

Installed a new membership database to automate membership processes.

Taken on a Customer Experience Manager (Rosie Coleman), to ensure the membership experience is as positive for members as possible.

Hosted our biggest ever Pet Industry Awards event.

Launched a range of new benefits for members, including a mental health app and a fuel card discount scheme.

Represented members’ views at a number of meetings with DEFRA and CFSG on the Animal Activities Licensing Regulations 2018.

Launched an Export Scheme to open up EU markets again to UK companies.

Launched an appeal for help with abandoned pets in Ukraine through U-Hearts Foundation and Greater Good Charities with more products promised for 2023.

These achievements lay a fantastic foundation for the team to build on next year. Plans for the first few weeks of 2023 include the launch of a new “Find A Pet Service” PIF member directory here on this website and computer hardware discounts from a leading technology provider. Make sure you keep reading the weekly enewsletter, PIF MattersXtra for more details in the New Year.
We sincerely thank you all for your continued support of the Federation. Next year will be PIF’s 75^th anniversary and we are planning a number of events to mark the milestone. We look forward to celebrating this with you and continuing to support your businesses to grow and thrive in 2023.
  
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas!