Business Connected Suffolk Edition 4 by Business Connected

BUSINESS

August / September 2014

CONNECTED SUFFOLK

THE LEADING COUNTYWIDE B2B MAGAZINE T H I S M O N T H F E AT U R I N G :

Qualified accountants and tax advisers with over 30 years experience Also this month: • Work Life Balance • An Overview of Risk Assessment • Developing a Winning Team • Local News Round Up Leading B2B Magazine

Business Networking

Featured Local News

Does your business have a Twitter account? There is now over 500 million registered accounts worldwide!

Can you believe over 65% of UK businesses now have a Twitter account?

We here at Business Connected understand your time is valuable and we are here to help. LinkedIn, Facebook and now Twitter! Twitter is growing so rapidly.

We can set up, manage and run your account. We can set up, manage and run your complete twitter campaign.

Our Twitter service includes: Page branding 3 month Twitter strategy 4 tweets per day Replies to all incoming messages Attracting new followers (Average 1000 new folllowers in 90 days) Links to your website and other social media

BUSINESS

C ON N E C T E D Follow us on Twitte r @Connected_Essex

Here is an outline of our great value Twitter service. Not only will it help with your companies marketing but will also open you up to a whole other world of social media.

BUSINESS

August / September 2014

CONNECTED SUFFOLK

THE LEADING COUNTYWIDE B2B MAGAZINE T H I S M O N T H F E AT U R I N G :

Business Networking

Featured Local News

Get In Touch Tel: 01702 513113

Email: info@businessconnected.co.uk

Or Visit: www.businessconnected.co.uk Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ BusinessConnected

Welcome... Welcome to the latest edition of Business Connected Suffolk magazine. We are delighted to welcome our new Business Connected Premier Partners and we very much look forward to working with you. We still have Premier Partner categories available and on page 5 you will find further information on the scheme. In this issue, we cover the latest H & S updates from SVC, a Team Development article from Kevin Clark of ActionCOACH and the local news round-up. Please turn to page 19, where you will find details of our brand new social media one day course. The course is designed to be approached from a business point of view and is taught by qualified Business Connected Staff at our offices. We know what works and are here to pass that real life social media experience on to you. Also, don’t forget to visit our news based website: www.businessconnected.co.uk which is updated several times a day with local business news stories. Please feel free to send us your press releases; we are usually able to upload those that are relevant within 24 hours. Our email address for press releases is: pressreleases@businessconnected.co.uk. Our ever popular networking events have now moved from bi-monthly to monthly and in order to help you plan your diary, each event falls on the same Friday every month, please see full details on page 4. I hope you enjoy reading Business Connected and look forward to seeing you soon.

Contents 06 Lead Feature 07 DAA Tax Accountants

Workplace Feature Work Life Balance

10 11

Suffolk Round Up -

16 17

Suffolk Networking Events -

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions.

Printed in the UK by Printwize www.printwize.co.uk

Richard Pond Managing Director

22 26

News From Around The County

Recommended by Business Connected

Charity News CHAPS - The Men’s Health Charity

H&S Update Risk Assessment in More Detail

Business Coach Developing a Winning Team www.businessconnected.co.uk

BUSINESS

CONNECTED SUFFOLK

To book tickets for any Business Connected event please visit: www.businessconnected.co.uk/our-events or call 01702 513113

About us Business Connected helps businesses across Suffolk and Essex to be seen on a variety of platforms. Our aim is to bring local businesses together via our unique countywide b2b magazine which is printed and distributed to over 6000 businesses in each county as well as our online version which can be found on our website and is emailed to over 50,000 businesses. Our website www.businessconnected.co.uk gets 1000s of visits daily from companies and individuals who want to stay abreast of all the business news from around the county. Our news stories are updated daily and sit comfortably next to our business directory, our events page and our online magazine. If you are like us and still like to see potential customers regularly face to face then our networking events might be just the answer. We hold four quality business networking events. Details of our upcoming events below.

the social media platforms but couldn’t find a company that could cater for everything. That’s until they came across Business Connected. Why not give us a call today and maybe we can help you too. Call us today for a chat on 01702 513113.

As social media becomes more popular Business Connected leads the way with our social media service, we can set up, run and plan your social media campaign, so if you haven’t got that Twitter account set up yet or your LinkedIn company page isn’t showing the sorts of returns you had hoped for, then why not let Business Connected take a look. We will even throw in a free review. We handle many email campaigns and our technical guys love nothing more than playing with data and arranging amazing looking monthly newsletters. Many of our loyal customers came to us in the first place as they wanted to be seen in print, online, at events and across Business Connected

Business Connected

@Ipswich Town FC

@Essex Cricket Club

@Southend Airport

@Colchester United

Next event 19th September

Next event 5th September

Next event 12th September

Next event 26th September

and then the 3rd Friday

and then the 1st Friday of

and then the 2nd Friday of

and then the 4th Friday of

of every month

every month

www.businessconnected.co.uk

The Business Connected

Premier Partner Scheme Exclusivity – We only work with one company of any type within the county.

Business Connected Magazine – A full page advertisement in every edition of this magazine, we print and distribute 6000 copies, email 50,000 copies as well as uploading to the Business Connected website and social media sites.

Social Media – Yes you may have a Twitter / LinkedIn / Facebook account but how about a helping hand, we can set up and run your account, interact as a “raving fan” or simply come over and give you regular training to all your staff.

Email Campaigns – Need to get the message out to the masses? we have a number of options which we can tailor to suit the needs of your business. From monthly newsletters, your logos and links on our email campaigns or simply a help with data.

Networking Events – Many people know Business Connected from our countywide events and we want you to be part of them, fancy being a speaker or displaying your banner at all our events? Being a Premier Partner of Business Connected gives you tickets and access to all of our events from Ipswich to Southend and everywhere in between.

Website – Our Business Connected website gets thousands of visitors a day, being a countywide news based website we are the number one place to find business news. We are offering our premier partners prime advertising space throughout the site.

Account Manager – Probably the most important feature of the partnership scheme. Our account managers are working around the clock to find our partners leads, from the many networking events we attend and run to the list of leads. Our staff are introducing and passing referrals on a daily basis.

To find out how to become a Premier Partner and to see if your business category is still available then give us a call today and we can pop in for a chat and run you through the many features of becoming a Business Connected Premier Partner. 01702 513113.

DAA Tax Accountants Brightwell Barns Ipswich Road, Brightwell Ipswich, Suffolk, IP10 0BJ Tel: 01473 550055 www.daatax.com

We also specialise in expatriate taxation, offering regular assistance to clients living or working overseas with the preparation of UK Tax Returns, as well as advice regarding the tax implications of any subsequent return to the UK. Our expert knowledge and personal experience of working abroad means that we manage expatriate tax matters effectively and have an understanding of the situation from a client perspective. We are happy to speak at various events wherever there is a need. Last year, Sue delivered a presentation DAA Tax Accountants is a friendly, professional

at a seminar in Lagos, Nigeria on the new Statutory

practice of qualified and experienced accountants and

Residence Test, which was introduced from April 2013.

tax advisers with over 30 years’ experience in helping individuals and all sizes of businesses to grow. Here are just some of our services: • Accountancy and all services relating to reporting requirements • Business and tax planning that is testimony to our

We make sure that clients are kept up-to-date with any changes that might affect them via social media, client newsletters, presentations and our website. Our primary office is based at the attractive Brightwell Barns complex in Martlesham, Ipswich, with easy access via A12/A14. According to client demand, we

dedication to minimising your tax liabilities and

also hold tax surgeries all over the UK and overseas

proficiency with the management of your affairs

and have even been known to hold meetings in

• Tax services and advice including VAT Return preparation • Payroll (HMRC RTI Compliant) • Bookkeeping • Off-shore companies and reporting requirements such as ATED Returns • HMRC investigations and enquiries.

airport lounges for clients with busy work schedules. As part of our overall services, DAA Company Secretarial was set up to assist with company formations, secretarial work and other legal matters relating to administration at Companies House. We ensure that regular reporting requirements are met and also act as Company Secretary and provide registered office facilities for a number of our clients.

About Sue Davies For 11 years, I worked in the tax department

Qualified and experienced accountants and tax advisers with over 30 years experience

for a multinational oil company as Tax Assistant and finally Tax Accountant, where I travelled to the Middle East and other locations. I then worked as an associate for a brief period at Ernst & Young in London. In 1986, my husband, Peter, and I decided to start working in partnership and formed Davies & Associates in Surrey, which lasted for 26 years, until his early death in November 2012. I have since moved lock, stock and barrel to this lovely part of the world to live, although I still enjoy the variation of working all over the UK. It felt like a new lease of life with the help of a lot of old friends, and new friends and colleagues made through networking and other groups. I love my diverse role within the company and enjoy working with my staff in our new offices on all aspects of accountancy and tax work on behalf of clients, both old and new.

There are many benefits of working with us: • We optimise your tax services with our extensive knowledge and experience as accountants • We provide complete confidence that your affairs will be dealt with on time • We monitor your files on a constant basis in order to provide you with the best possible service e inspire confidence in our complete responsibility •W

After representing my professional institute on the HMRC Working Together Group in South London, I was transferred to the Suffolk Group on relocation. I had previously been Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Taxation/Association of Taxation Technicians Branch Committee for South London & Surrey. I am pleased to say that I have now been made Chair of the Institute’s committee in Suffolk. I am a member

to you, evidenced by our longstanding relationships

of ICPA and a Fellow of both ATT and the

with our clients

Federation of Tax Advisers. I am also very proud

• We have a proven success record in liaising with HMRC in the event of client investigations and enquiries • We represent our professional institutes at

to be one of the very few women who are a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Tax advisers and a Freeman of the City of London. In 2010, I was honoured to be invited to a

HMRC Working Together groups, influencing

roundtable discussion for tax agents at 11

decisions regarding tax at regional, and, ultimately,

Downing Street by Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP,

national level.

HM Treasury.

Workplace Feature

Work Life Balance

ow good is your work-life balance? The idea of worklife balance will mean different things to different people but it is generally agreed that it is important to keep a good balance between work, rest and play.

but ask yourself; is it better to spend 15 minutes away from your work resting and 45 minutes working with full focus or to spend a full hour in the office struggling for inspiration and drinking coffee? Working long hours may seem like the only solution but it may lead to problems in other areas of your life and you may find yourself spending a long time being inefficient rather than a short time being efficient.

Are you taking enough rest? As a business owner it is likely that the demands of your business mean you will work long hours and dedicate the ma jority of your time, even away “I have so much to do today, from the office, to working. Our Ensuring we have a good workI had better meditate tw ice as long” businesses are tremendously life balance starts with us taking important to us, they are our responsibility for it and does The Dalai Lama passion as well as our livelihood not mean we cannot work hard. and in many cases form part of our identity too, but are we It involves us working smarter, prioritising our work and doing enough to switch off from work and ensure we take giving ourselves tight timescales in order to ensure we do proper rest? not waste work time. We have all been in a 2 hour meeting that could have taken 30 A survey from the Mental minutes and this is the Health Foundation found type of scenario we must that more than 40% of us avoid if we are trying are neglecting other areas to address our work-life of our lives in favour of balance. work. Social Media plays an increasingly important Similarly we must not part of our day to day lives waste recreation time; we and while it is undoubtedly need to trust our teams essential for business to take responsibility in purposes many of us have our absence and spend allowed it to pervade our our holidays and days rest and family time. How off taking genuine rest. many times a day do you It is easy to be tempted find yourself checking to ‘check-in’ but if we emails, Twitter or Linked-in are doing this we are not when you are at home? resting and instead are allowing our work to encroach on our rest or family time. Spending a disproportionate time working in itself is not necessarily a problem as many of us love what we do Short breaks are considered a very efficient use of time as and get genuine satisfaction from driving our businesses they allow our minds to recharge and we can come back forward. However, our concentration spans are not limitless re-focused on the task at hand. The importance of good and there is always a point when a lack of rest and recreation rest cannot be understated; it helps us concentrate, keeps affects our health and ability to function fully. us healthy, allows us to spend time with our families and keeps our mood even, just don’t neglect your work! When our minds are not fully rested we will find it difficult to concentrate for long periods of time and are more likely If your business needs any staff to help you maintain or to make mistakes, which in turn leads to us having to work improve your own work-life balance Success Recruit would longer hours to achieve the same goals. This leads to a be delighted to help with any temporary or permanent negative spiral in which we work harder and harder until positions you are recruiting for. our bodies tell us that enough is enough and shut down. The same Mental Health Foundation survey estimates that nearly two thirds of us have experienced a negative effect on family life or health as a result of us having a poor worklife balance. When we spend too much time working it can place stress on many other aspects of our lives and in extreme cases increases the risk of developing depression. When you are very busy a rest may seem counter-productive

www.businessconnected.co.uk

Tel: 01245 409839 Email: vicki.edwards@successrecruitltd.co.uk Vicki Edwards, Success Recruit

David Lloyd Leisure The Havens, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 9SJ 01473 717600 | www.davidlloyd.co.uk

SPECIAL OFFER

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your family’s home from home.

David Lloyd Leisure clubs are fantastic, friendly places for all the family. Your family might come to relax and chat together in DL Cafébar at the end of the work day and school day, or better still, to join in our great range of family activities.

Activities for kids are supervised by our qualified and well-trained staff. So at David Lloyd Leisure, activities for children mean your family can learn and have fun in a safe environment.

You may prefer to workout while your kids have

And as a club that really cares for your family,

fun in one of our many activities for children.

most of our clubs have crèche facilities.

With that in mind we want to give all readers of Business Connected Suffolk a free Family pass worth £50. One pass per family. Please call us to book your pass in advance on 01473 325971.

Suffolk Round Up

News From Around The County Greene King resumes sponsorship role at Ipswich Town FC Ipswich Town Football Club has resumed links with pubs and brewing group Greene King following a fiveyear association with Southwold-based Adnams. Bury St Edmunds-based Greene King is to pump “a substantial six figure sum” into the club under a five-year sponsorship deal which will see Greene King IPA become Town’s official beer. Greene King will also resume sponsorship of the Sir Alf Ramsey stand, which carried its name under a previous sponsorship deal from 2001 until 2009.

Charcoal entrepreneur Amy Hardingham of Alder Carr Farm strikes gold A farm diversification entrepreneur has scooped an award for enterprise. Amy Hardingham, of Alder Carr Farm, Needham Market, the creator and owner of charcoal product Barbecube, took the Enterprise of the Year and Gold for Innovation title at the Ixion Enterprise Awards 2014. “It’s fantastic news and great to see people really getting behind the idea of using British charcoal. It was inspiring to meet so many other new entrepreneurs,” said Amy. Amy established the business in September last year, developing the product, a British-grown instant-lighting charcoal and taking it to market. It is made at Alder Carr Farm.

Movers & Shakers: Michelle Stevens appointed Head of Mortgages at Ipswich Building Society Ipswich Building Society has bolstered its mortgage team with the appointment of Michelle Stevens as new Head of Mortgages. Michelle has 10 years’ experience working with the mutual sector, and was company director of Stevens Financial Services from 20032011. She joins from another regional building society where she was Business Development Manager, mortgages. In her new role, Michelle will take on a number of key functions designed to ensure the society, which is based in Ipswich, continues to offer competitive products targeted at a diverse range of individuals. Michelle will take responsibility for its mortgage offering in intermediary and direct markets, relationships management with key intermediaries and training for the mortgage sales team.

www.businessconnected.co.uk

Firms apply for £1.6 million funding through Business Roadshows More than 270 companies have attended the New Anglia Business Roadshows held across Norfolk and Suffolk and so far £1.6million of grants have been applied for. The Roadshows have been held in 23 towns from Holt to Haverhill, and Felixstowe to Fakenham. Companies are applying for a range of grants from £2,000 up to £500,000. The boiler installation and servicing company, Gasway Services, recently secured a grant for £112,170 from the New Anglia Growing Business Fund, which is supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund. The grant, which provides up to 20% of the project costs to help businesses grow and create new jobs, has helped the company invest in new software, IT equipment, service engineers’ vans, equipment and training.

Huge rise in county’s green energy sector A huge growth in Suffolk’s independent renewables projects has been recorded as farmers, businesses and public sector organisations seek ways of tackling soaring energy prices. New research has revealed a 48% year-on-year increase in funding for schemes such as wind turbines and solar installations in the county – on top of projects from the “Big Six” power companies. The Energy Entrepreneurs report states that nearly £50million has been invested in commercial-scale renewables schemes over recent years, with £2.3m spent on new projects during the last 12 months alone.

Anglian Water among the national winners in the BITC Responsible Business Awards Anglian Water has achieved national recognition alongside companies such as National Grid and Morrisons at the annual Business in the Community, Responsible Business Awards 2014 ceremony in London. The company’s Keep It Clear campaign was announced as the winner of the Engaging Customers on Sustainability Award category, beating stiff competition from Waitrose and Thames Water. The award looked for businesses that use their marketing activity to inspire and enable people to live more sustainable lifestyles.

BUSINESS

CONNECTED SUFFOLK

For more from around the county and to find the sources to all of these and many more Suffolk news stories please visit www.businessconnected.co.uk Business news stories are updated every day.

www.businessconnected.co.uk

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Meet At The Number One Venue! Are you planning an event, conference or meeting? If so, then why not hold it at ITFC? Ipswich Town Football Club is a unique venue, with excellent facilities and an award winning hospitality and catering team. The venue provides an inspirational backdrop for any meeting or occasion With easy access and on-site parking facilities, our venue is in a prime location for your next meeting, evening event or exhibition.

Contact our experienced Conference & Events team on 01473 400580 to find out more or visit: www.numberonevenue.co.uk

Matchday Hospitality 2014/15 Seasonal Hospitality and Advertising now available. Contact the sales team on 01473 400594 or email sales@itfc.co.uk

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Ipswich Town Football Club, Portman Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2DA Tel: (01473) 400594

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Suppliers of Professional Workplace Solutions

We’re built around servicing your business with the very best and the best prices Chevington Services specialises in making your workplace better. Not just with great products, but with great services delivered by great people ! Friendly, well trained, knowledgable personnel delivering efficient, reliable services are the reasons why our customers choose Chevington. We now operate in three main areas which each have their own appeal and use to business:

Waste Processing • Chevington Services can supply equipment that you can use to make money from your waste, waste compaction is an easy way to turn your waste paper and cardboard into £££’s, so you benefit and not the refuse company.

Vending • Modern and stylish vending machines now available, which can supply freshly ground coffee, snacks and cold drinks.

Water • Water dispensers available in a variety of styles and capabilities. • Bottled water in branded glasses. A business chooses from a selection of bottle style which is branded in their way to provide freshly filtered water to its customers, as an alternative to the more expensive ‘branded’ water. Very popular to offer this to customers, and is a cheaper alternative for business, but also more environmentally friendly as it does not require lorries travelling up and down the country refilling and collecting.

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Suffolk Networking Events Recommended by Business Connected

August

05 & 19

12 & 26

Ipswich

TLGC

4N Bury St Edmunds

4N Ipswich

Felixstowe

Business Xchange

The Oyster Reach,

Bury St Edmunds

The Oyster Reach,

Business Lunch

The Cameo Hotel,

Ipswich IP2 8ND

Golf Club, Tut Hill,

Ipswich IP2 8ND

The Brook Hotel,

7.00am to 9.00am

IP28 6LG

8.00am to 10.00am

Felixstowe IP11 7PF

Copdock IP8 3JD 7.00am

6.30pm to 9.30pm

For more information on these or any Suffolk based networking groups please call Business Connected 01702 513113

August

1.00pm to 2.00pm

September

18 01 15 Ipswich

Office Drinks Ipswich

Ipswich

Entrepreneurs’ Lunch

Mizu, 10 Cornhill,

Entrepreneurs’ Lunch

Holiday Inn,

Ipswich IP1 1DB

Holiday Inn,

Copdock IP2 0UA

6.30pm to 9.00pm

Copdock IP2 0UA

11.45am to 2.00pm

Explore the diversity of Su

If you are new to networking, you will fin 16

www.businessconnected.co.uk

BUSINESS

CONNECTED SUFFOLK

September

02, 16 & 30

02 & 19

02, 19 & 30

09 & 13

Ipswich

TLGC

4N Bury St Edmunds

4N Ipswich

Felixstowe

Business Xchange

The Oyster Reach,

Bury St Edmunds

The Oyster Reach,

Business Lunch

The Cameo Hotel,

Ipswich IP2 8ND

Golf Club, Tut Hill,

Ipswich IP2 8ND

The Brook Hotel,

7.00am to 9.00am

IP28 6LG

8.00am to 10.00am

Felixstowe IP11 7PF

Copdock IP8 3JD

6.30pm to 9.30pm

7.00am

September

16 17 WiRE - Women in

September

1.00pm to 2.00pm

September

17 19 30

CoastalNet

Office Drinks

Business Connected

Ipswich

Rural Enterprise

Ufford Park,

Bury St Edmunds

@Ipswich Town FC

Professionals Lunch

14-20 Fore Street,

Melton IP12 1QW

Oakes Barn,

Ipswich IP1 2DA

K Bar & Grill,

9.30am to 11.30am

Bury St Edmunds

7.30am to 9.30am

Ipswich IP1 1TW

Ipswich IP4 1JU 7.00pm to 9.00pm

IP33 3PH

12.30pm to 2.00pm

6.30pm to 9.00pm

uffolk Networking Events.

nd these events friendly and welcoming. www.businessconnected.co.uk

Charity News

CHAPS – The Men’s Health Charity

n the June/July issue of Business Connected I introduced CHAPS Men’s Health Charity’s aims and future events. This article starts to deal specifically with the causes of men’s ill health, the size of the problem we face and how CHAPS is making a difference.

atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. About 12% of men with impotence who have no symptoms of heart disease have severe coronary artery disease and a high proportion of men having a first heart attack have been impotent for 2 to 3 years before.

In the UK men of working age, 15-64, die prematurely at one and a half times the rate of women. As our population ages, an increasingly smaller proportion of fit men will have to provide for a growing number of the unfit and elderly. CHAPS is leading a fundamentally different approach to men’s health based on prevention and early diagnosis.

Impotence & Benign Prostatic Disease - By age 60 half of all men have one or more urinary symptoms due to benign, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate. This is not related to prostate cancer, but it is linked to a higher risk of impotence.

When the causes of premature death are analysed, men are more at risk than women across the whole disease spectrum – mental problems and suicide, cancers, heart attacks, strokes, obesity and diabetes. Further analysis suggests many of these problems are due to social attitudes and social deprivation and are not a genetic consequence of being male. Fortunately now public health in England has received a mandate from the government to increase efforts in prevention and early diagnosis to rectify this. Hopefully consideration of men’s health will be at the forefront but we must help ourselves. For instance, only half of the NHS health checks offered by GPs to men aged 4075 are taken up resulting, it is estimated, in thousands of missed opportunities to prevent heart attacks and strokes and detect diabetes at an early, correctable stage. Because so many common problems are linked, we will show how awareness coupled to early detection can really make a difference and has already saved many lives:

Diabetes & Testosterone Testosterone is essential for good health in males. It is commonly low in diabetics but is often not measured. Low testosterone may cause impotence, loss of libido, loss of muscle bulk and strength, tiredness, depression, weak bones and obesity. Cardiovascular Disease & Blood Pressure - Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the number one cause of death in British males through strokes and heart attacks. These are commonly linked to high blood pressure so it is vital for men to check their blood pressure regularly. High blood pressure causes hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) which is often associated with high cholesterol levels, poor diet, diabetes and obesity. We have now come full circle and future articles will deal with these problems in detail. Although a healthy lifestyle should start in and be maintained from childhood, it is never too late to stop smoking and excessive drinking, start to eat better and exercise more. So, get “connected” and get checked!

Obesity & Diabetes - Lack of exercise plus too much food cause adult Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes is related to impotence. Impotence & Depression - This is a common association but depression is often not addressed during treatment of impotence. Impotence & Heart Disease - Impotence may be a warning sign of severe underlying heart disease due to

www.businessconnected.co.uk

Tel: 01206 321253 Email: chris.booth@chaps.uk.com Chris Booth, FRCS, CHAPS Clinical Director

The Business Connected

£175

SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING DAY 14th October 2014

per day or £45 per section To book please log on to www.businessconnected.co.uk/our-events or call us today on 01702 513113

This is a hands on full day course but can be split into sections if desired.

TWITTER

HOOTSUITE

Twitter is a fantastic business tool and we will show you how to setup and brand your profile, how to engage with others and how to build up your followers. We will also run through all of the Twitter terminology including what hashtags are used for and the correct time to use them. Business Connected will give you some great tips to help you build a perfect Twitter page and strategy.

Hootsuite is a great time saving and strategy piece of software that can help you be more productive by enabling you to schedule and manage all of your social media from one platform. On the day we will set up and load your social media accounts onto Hootsuite. We will show you some quick and easy ways how you can schedule your Facebook and LinkedIn posts as well as tweets and much more. You can add your favourite LinkedIn groups and schedule posts so you are always on your clients’ minds. We will explore Hootsuite Pro and show you the advantages and disadvantages of upgrading.

MAILCHIMP Mailchimp is a smart way of sending emails to the masses or targeted audience. In this part of the course we will be setting up your account and demonstrating how to design, send and monitor an email campaign. We will run through how to import connections, importing and exporting templates and discuss in detail the terminology and show you how you can measure and test your campaigns including click throughs, bounce rates and A / B testing.

LINKEDIN LinkedIn has been a massive force in the business world for the last decade. If you haven’t embraced this business giant now is the time. In this section of the course we will run through all the basics and some hidden gems including: building your profile, adding connections, downloading your contacts to Excel including their email addresses. We will also explore what groups to join and the benefits of having a company page and how you can showcase your products and services.

The course is designed to be approached from a business point of view but is taught by qualified Business Connected Staff at our offices. We know what works and are here to pass that real life social media experience on to you.

The course will give you the confidence to run all the above accounts yourself once set up on the day. We also offer telephone support afterwards if you missed something or want extra help*.

We advise you to bring a laptop with you if possible so we can work on your account so it's a real hands on approach. We can supply computers if you don't have one to bring.

*telephone support is limited to three calls per customer after the course.

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H&S Update

Risk Assessment in More Detail

n the last edition we covered the basics of Health and Safety, this time I will go into more detail about assessing risk.

When should you do a risk assessment? You should carry out a risk assessment before you do any work which presents a risk of injury or ill health; you only need to do a risk assessment if you are an employer or a self-employed person.

Voluntary organisations Health and safety legislation does not, in general, impose duties upon someone who is not an employer, self-employed or an employee.

As a reminder, here again are the 5 steps to risk assessment: 1. Identify the Hazards – “A hazard is something (e.g. an object, a property of a substance, a phenomenon or an activity) that can cause adverse effects.” - HSE. Document any hazards that you identify. 2. Decide who and what can get harmed and how. Employees, members of the public, customers etc. and how could they get hurt? Could something fall on them? Could they trip over something?

3. Evaluate the risk and decide on precautions. What is the likelihood of the hazardous event occurring? What is the possible severity of the hazardous event? Then decide To record or not to record? what you can do that is reasonably practicable to reduce If you have 5 or more employees then you must document the likelihood of the hazardous event happening, these your risk assessment, your risk assessment should include are called control measures. To give you some idea on consideration of what control measure here is RISK ASSESSMENT – General Risk Assessment for Slips, Trips and Falls. in your business might the hierarchy of what you Locations include: Risk Assessor: cause harm and how and, Date: Date of Review: should be looking for. PERSON AT RISK  Employees Temp Workers  General public Visitors Disabled workers the people who might be Contractors Pregnant Women  Lone Workers Young workers Night workers a. Elimination – Do you New Starters/ inexperienced workers  Other……………….. affected. It should take really need to do the RESIDUAL RISK ACTIVITY SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS RISK CONTROL MEASURES Additional Control Measures into account any controls L C DR task at all? • H & S policy with information on housekeeping given which are already in • Continue to raise awareness of to all employees good housekeeping – pointing out • Cleaners remove waste on a regular basis risks/hazards in workplace and Tripping over obstacles, items b. Substitution – Can • Cables are tied or covered to reduce trip hazard Slips, trips place and identify what, ensuring they are resolved by an left in walkways/unsafe places • Floors are kept in good condition and falls within 2 2 4 employer or by changing a work Slipping on wet, uneven floors the workplace • Floors cleaned at off peak times (i.e. weekends or end practice Falling from slip/trip you achieve the same of day) if any, further controls are • Monitoring any information in the • Signage is put up if floors are wet accident book • First Aid kit/book in place outcome by doing it required. more safely? You should be able to show c. Engineering controls from your assessment – Can you add that: ASSESSORS NAME: SIGNATURE: guards, local exhaust MANAGERS NAME: SIGNATURE: • a proper check was ventilation, physical made; barriers to protect 1|Page An example of a Risk Assessment people. • all people who might be affected were considered; d. Administrative controls – Carry out a risk assessment, write safe systems of work, increase signage etc. • all significant risks have been assessed; e. Personal Protective Equipment – This is always the last • the precautions are reasonable, and option, the trouble with PPE is that you have to rely on your staff wearing it, also, the hazardous event will still • the remaining risk is low. happen, but the injury should be less severe. Your risk assessment should detail: 4. Record your findings and implement them – There are • Who carried out the risk assessment many templates you could use, you need to find one that works for you, the most important thing is to actually do • The date the risk assessment was carried out what your risk assessment says you do! • The review date of the risk assessment • Location of the risk assessment You do not need to include insignificant risks. You do not need to include risks from everyday life unless your work activities increase the risk. Any paperwork that is produced should help with communicating and managing the risks in your business.

22 10

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5. Review your assessment and update if necessary – you should review your risk assessment periodically, with higher risk tasks and fast changing industries this should be very often, regardless of the task you should review your risk assessments at least annually. Also, if there is a change in process, manning or equipment used then you will need to review the risk assessment. * Written by Mal Greenleaf, SVC Group

Health & Safety The SVC Group provide health and safety support, in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and across the UK.

Fully Qualified Practitioners Our SVC health and safety team are fully qualified, experienced

Health & Safety Support Services

H&S professionals, with qualifications from the National Examination

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Board Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) and also membership

HEALTH & SAFETY MANUAL

to the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

STRONG AND UP TO DATE H&S POLICY

Peace of Mind

GENERAL RISK ASSESSMENTS

We provide our clients with the assurance that we have knowledge of, and adhere to, the most up to date health & safety legislation.

SPECIFIC SITE/BUSINESS RISK ASSESSMENTS

We provide advice and support based on good business ethics and

MANUAL HANDING RISK ASSESSMENTS

sound business reasoning.

COSHH ASSESSMENTS

If you had a visit from the health & safety executive would you feel

VDU ASSESSMENTS

confident that you are doing everything in line with current health

DRIVING POLICY

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MATERNITY RISK ASSESSMENTS

THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON WHAT

WE DO IN THE

PRESENT 01206 262117 | www.svcgroup.co.uk

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Business Coach

Developing a Winning Team

ave you ever thought to yourself “I’ve got good people in my team, how do I keep them and how do I find more like them?”

You have? You know it’s a good team yet have a nagging feeling it’s not quite at the level it could be? If so, then now is the time to develop the greatest asset in your business, your Team. Developing a great Team and terrific asset sounds disarmingly simple. You recruit the right people into your team You retain, develop, motivate and grow an even better team You get everyone working towards a common goal as a committed team and they look after the clients and the business You then live your dream of taking timeout from running your business without jeopardising your profitability

Remember when you skimped on being really clear about the role and the type of person you actually needed? When you compromised just a little on their attitude because their qualifications looked great and you needed someone quick? The time and effort it took you to calm ruffled feathers! Oh, and don’t mention regular reviews! Tom Peters, author & speaker had a great comment on teams “Most employees are motivated, energetic, committed, enthusiastic and loyal… Except for the 8 hours they work for you!” The good news is that there are ways to build the same level of commitment in your teams and take the performance of a good team to the next level. Building a great team comes from working on and implementing the 6 Keys to a winning team. Strong Leadership Common Goal Rules of the Game

Straightforward, isn’t it?

Action Plan

Yet things go wrong because although it is easy to do the right things, it’s also just as easy not to do them.

Support Risk taking 100% Involvement/Inclusion What sometimes happens, although not in your business I’m sure, is that owners forget to make sure everybody knows what they are playing for. People are so keen to build the winning team that they forget how important it is to make sure that the culture, vision, mission & attitude of the business is clear. Without that clarity and a consistency of purpose that’s a living breathing part of the business it’s difficult to keep teams performing at their best. So to discuss how to develop the greatest asset in your business get in touch with Kevin at Actioncoach and talk about: The 6 Keys to a winning team How to build a supportive, respectful and productive culture The various working styles of your team How to effectively communicate with each other How to deal with internal conflict

Tel: 01799 513264 Mobile: 07435 964224 Email: kevinclark@actioncoach.com Kevin Clark, Business Coach

www.businessconnected.co.uk

Personal Biography

“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken”

Kevin Clark Kevin runs the Business Coaching firm that helps you grow the business and profits you’ve always wanted so that you can have the lifestyle you’ve often dreamed of and most importantly the time to enjoy it. Based just South of Cambridge, serving clients in Cambridge, Essex and Suffolk, Kevin helps you plan the outcomes you want and mentors you through the process to achieve them. You’ll choose to work with Kevin because you want to increase your profits, develop your team or prioritise your time by working on your business rather than just in it. Kevin holds you accountable to your goals so that you can focus on the vital activities that make the difference for you. To explore what’s important for you, contact Kevin directly today for a confidential discussion at kevinclark@actioncoach.com. Whether you’re a well-established, successful business or starting a new enterprise, relevant input is essential from someone you can trust.

What people have said about Kevin: “Kevin Clark added great value to our strategic planning and by helping us to step away from operational matters we were able to plan with greater focus. With good humour and subtle persuasion Kevin challenged our thinking and introduced us to new tools and methods that helped steer our own way. We arrived at important decisions ourselves but Kevin certainly improved the navigation.” DM, Director, Third Sector Organisation “By changing our attitude to the traditional ‘slow’ period in our

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Part of the great value Kevin’s coaching provides is he tells it how it is, not necessarily how you would like it to be. It’s critical to know the reality of your situation and to check that your decisions and direction are based on facts not feelings. People have achieved terrific growth with less stress and real enjoyment by combining his experience with startups and international corporations with the focused resources available through ActionCOACH. This means that you develop your business in the way you want with a proven, scalable framework to grow a commercial profitable enterprise that works without you. Kevin has achieved success in many organisations from Professional services to trades, from IT, financial services and retail, to medical supplies and manufacturing. In a career spanning over 33 years Kevin has started businesses, developed and overseen sales & marketing and product development teams in established organisations in 3 different economic cycles. During those 33 years he’s combined a successful career with being a single parent and simultaneously continuing to learn by studying for a degree. So if you want to maximise your use of that rare commodity, time, you know who to speak to!

industry and being pro-active we had more scheduled projects through the winter months than previous years. I am currently on target to grow my business by 42% during this 12 month period” TE, Owner, Services “My brief to Kevin was that I wanted to step back from the business. This was to increase my free time and concentrate more on the development and future of the business. Kevin has made me look at the business from a different perspective.” BP, MD, Manufacturing

Kevin Clark ActionCOACH Business Coach T 01799 513264 M 07435 964224 E kevinclark@actioncoach.com W www.actioncoach.com/kevinclark A PO Box 226, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 9BS

CHEVINGTON

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Securing funding takes time and effort no matter how experienced you are. The good news is we’re here to get the finance you need, and to make the process as straightforward and stress free as possible. Chevington Finance and Leasing is a family run business that specialises in bespoke finance and leasing packages to companies within the UK. We pride ourselves on outstanding customer service and can tailor a package to your business needs.

Show your business in the best light

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Fleximize is a UK-based direct funding company and web platform launched in January 2014. Our mission is to help small and medium British businesses grow by providing them with flexible financing solutions tailored to their unique needs and preferences. We are striving to provide our clients with experience and service traditionally available only to larger corporates. Your dedicated relationship manager will guide and support you from the moment you apply - no bouncing from person to person or waiting for hours on hold.

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