BUSINESS
October / November 2014
CONNECTED SUFFOLK
THE LEADING COUNTYWIDE B2B MAGAZINE
Business Connected partners Ipswich Town for some quality networking
Also this month: • Networking Events • Local News Round Up • H&S Update • Making Video Work for Business • Telecoms - How to Manage Your Costs 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
www.businessconne cte
01702 513113
d.co.uk
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
October / November 2014
CONNECTED SUFFOLK
THE LEADING COUNTYWIDE B2B MAGAZINE
Business Connected partners Ipswich Town for some quality networking
Welcome to the October / November edition of Business Connected Suffolk. I hope you all enjoyed your summer. This edition is packed full of our regular features, news and events. Included this month is our popular centre spread that showcases a select few of the county’s top business networking events. Our own meetings are now in full effect. We offer a Business Connected meeting every Friday at venues across the South East full details are on page 4. Our Premier Partner scheme is well under way and we have been working with a number of businesses over the last six months to deliver a sales and marketing solution that works across the multitude of platforms that we operate in, for more details please take a look a page 5.
Also this month: • Networking Events • Local News Round Up • H&S Update • Making Video Work for Business • Telecoms - How to Manage Your Costs Leading B2B Magazine
Welcome...
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 Follow us on Twitter @Connected_Essex
For the latest news from around Suffolk then please turn to page 14 where you will find details on our round up page. Don’t forget to visit our website at www.businessconnected.co.uk for up to date business news from around Essex and Suffolk. To submit press releases please email pressreleases@businessconnected.co.uk. You may have first heard about Business Connected through the various social media channels that we operate on, social media is a big part of our business and we have enjoyed a summer of training our clients and running training courses, if you would like some bespoke training then please call us on 01702 513113. Thank you for reading and I look forward to meeting as many of our readers at our events and meetings soon.
Contents 06 Lead Feature 07 Business Connected Kicks Off at Ipswich Town FC 10 12
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any way without prior written permission of Business Connected Ltd. 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
14 15 16 17 18 20 22 26
H&S Update The Journey to a Safer Workplace
Business Advice Making Video Work For Business
Suffolk Round Up News From Around The County
Suffolk Networking Events Recommended by Business Connected
Charity News Prostate Cancer - What Every Man Needs to Know
Business Advice Telecoms - How to Manage Your Costs
Franchise News A Five Star Initiative
Business Coach Successful Juice Experience Leads to Top Coaching Results
www.businessconnected.co.uk
03
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
04
Business Connected
Business Connected
@Ipswich Town FC
@Essex Cricket Club
@Southend Airport
@Colchester United
Next event 17th October
Next event 3rd October
Next event 10th October
Next event 24th October
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
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.
Business Connected Kicks Off at Ipswich Town FC Business
06
Connected
and
have
have the formula right at our events; a great venue,
partnered up to bring the businesses of Suffolk some
quality businesses and a good breakfast. We have
premiership style networking every month. You don’t
been averaging 75 delegates to each meeting
need to be a member of this group and you don’t
where we send you the list of attendees the day
have to give any awkward speeches, just book your
before so you can plan who to speak to before you
tickets and turn up for some good quality networking.
arrive and our staff are on hand to introduce you
You may have been to a Business Connected event
to other delegates. Once you have booked on you
at Ipswich Town over the past 12 months and if you
get exclusive access to our Business Connected @
have you will be pleased to hear we are back every
Ipswich Town FC LinkedIn group, a closed group
3rd Friday each and every month. We believe we
designed to unite the businesses in attendance.
www.businessconnected.co.uk
Ipswich
Town
The format at every event is as follows: 7:30am – 8:15am open networking 8:15am – 9:00am Breakfast 9:00am – 9:30am Magazine launch, speakers & prize draws
For more information please check out our event videos on our website businessconnected. co.uk and click on the “our events” tab or give us a call today on 01702 513113 Happy Networking!
www.businessconnected.co.uk
07
fine-tuning for Sage Do you feel there is more that Sage can do for your business? Are you thinking “there must be an easier way to …..” in Sage? Just a little fine-tuning can make a huge difference. To find out how we can help Sage to work better for your business please call 01359 230647 or email colin@envisage-solutions.com Because when it comes to Sage we know our onions.
Accounts I Payroll I Financial Forecasting I ACT I Consultancy I Supply I Installation I Training & Support
David Lloyd Leisure The Havens, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 9SJ 01473 717600 | www.davidlloyd.co.uk
SPECIAL OFFER
Free
£50 Family Pass worth
Family time is precious, and here at David Lloyd
Rest assured, in our activities for kids they’ll be
Leisure we ensure that you can make the most
well entertained and safe. David Lloyd Leisure is
of every moment.
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.
H&S Update
The Journey to a Safer Workplace
I
n this edition we will look at some of the documentation in a bit more detail, as I wrote in a previous article, if you employ five or more people, then by law you are required to have a written health and safety policy, written risk assessments specific to your business. These documents should be used as a tool to communicate to staff what is required of them, and what your commitment is to ensure their health and safety. In addition, if you have a visit from the HSE they will expect to see these documents, and in the worst-case scenario, these documents will be used as evidence should an accident occur. So let’s look at some of these documents in a bit more detail.
Written health and safety policy Your policy should describe how you will manage the health and safety risks within your business, it should let your staff and relevant parties know about your commitment to health and safety. It should detail who has what responsibilities, what they do, when they do it and how they do it
Risk assessment A risk assessment should not be about creating lots of paperwork, it is about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace. The best way to start is to walk round your workplace looking for any hazards, think about what could cause harm and to who it could cause harm. Ask your employees what they think the hazards are. Once you have identified the hazards you need to evaluate the risk, what is the likelihood of someone being harmed? Now you ned to look at what you are already doing to control that risk, if it is not adequately controlled then you need to implement further control measures. Record your findings and communicate them to your employees. You should periodically review your findings, also, if anything changes, new equipment or processes for example then you will need to reassess the risk.
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COSHH assessments Suppliers of hazardous substance are required by law to supply a “Material Safety Data Sheet” this will give you information from the manufacturer about the substance but it is not a risk assessment, you need to consider the dangers present in how you are using the substance and carry out a risk assessment based on your finding and the information provided ibn the Material Safety Data Sheet.
Method statements Safety method statements are not required by law but are used to look at certain higher risk processes in more detail, most commonly used in the construction industry. They should include the logical sequence of how works will be carried out, they are particularly good for communicating to employees exactly how the work should be done and what precautions they should take. Principle contracts will require a method statement before work starts to ensure subcontractors have considered all hazards and taken appropriate action to control risks. There is much more to health and safety, depending on what industry you are in and what tasks you carry out as a business. Hopefully this article will get you started on your journey to a safer workplace. If you require any assistance with your health and safety please do not hesitate to contact our qualified consultants on 01206 262117. * 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
HEALTH & SAFETY AUDITS
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
and safety legislation?
MATERNITY RISK ASSESSMENTS
THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON WHAT
WE DO IN THE
PRESENT 01206 262117 | www.svcgroup.co.uk
Business Advice
Making Video Work For Business
ore and more companies are using online video as a way of communicating with both existing and potential customers. If your business is considering adding video to its marketing mix how can you ensure that you get the most out of your investment?
M
other key marketing values. Most businesses alongside selling a product or a service are also selling their knowledge or expertise. You should use video as a chance to showcase this and a video that has low production values is obviously not the best way of making the most of this opportunity.
Get the message right
Finding an audience
Anything that you are currently communicating could be made into a video. Whether it’s a press release or a tweet there is a story to be told and getting that communication filmed enhances the message.
Unlike print advertising, online video is not limited to the publication it resides in. Using social media to share your video offers great opportunities in getting your message to a targeted audience. Sites like Facebook and Twitter love video content and, with clever use of hashtags, will allow you to promote to targeted groups. Building your brand on social media depends on good content and a good video is something that will be noticed and just as importantly shared.
The benefit of video communication is that it allows you to add visual and audio layers to your basic message. An audience can see your products, get to know your staff and develop an emotional response to your business. Imagine having a customer testimonial filmed, viewers can see and hear your customer’s enthusiasm and passion for your products or services. You could also show the benefits of being your customer, lets say you produce bespoke kitchens, you could film the testimonial in their new kitchen, you could even show them cooking or socialising with friends. Essentially video adds life to your message and makes it more memorable.
Be prepared Planning and organisation are everything in video production. Whatever the message, it should be introduced, illustrated, developed and brought to a satisfactory conclusion that leaves the viewer with a positive impression of your business. Consider what you want viewers to think and feel after watching the video, then consider what you need to show and what your interviewees need to say to make this happen. Remember you are in control of your video and the message you wish to portray and as long as you keep bearing in mind the central themes and intended impact, these should shine through in the finished product.
A window to the world A video is as public facing as a website or printed materials. Whilst you don’t need to aim for Hollywood production values, DIY on your iPhone should not be an option. It will look amateurish and most importantly sound bad. Nothing distracts a viewer as much as bad sound and therefore the impact of your message is lost. Think of video as you would any other marketing material; it should not stand out from the rest of your marketing for the wrong reasons, so make sure it reaches the same high standards as your website, print materials etc. Good production standards allow you to add value to your video. As well as a central message you may wish to convey
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Stars of the small screen As more people watch TV at their convenience, a new opportunity has arisen in television advertising. Online channels such as 4oD and ITV Player can determine regional audiences and offer advertising slots in the breaks during their programmes. The channels will give you options to place your video in programmes categorised by audience demographics. Imagine the prestige of having your video playing in the break whilst a local online audience catches up with Downton Abbey!
Keep your brand intact Your video is likely to have a specific message, for example introducing a new product you are launching or documenting an event but it should also conform to your branding. This can be achieved in quite specific ways like using your brand colours in any graphics but also think about what your customers would expect your video to be like. What tone should it have, what pace should it have? Television viewers have different expectations from different channels. A documentary on entrepreneurs will have a very different style and approach if it is produced for BBC3 rather than BBC4. Imagine your business was a TV channel, which channel would your clients most compare it to? This will guide you on the style and approach of your video.
Tel: 01206 544773 Email: laura@neoncloud.tv Web: www.neoncloud.tv Laura Goodey Creative Director, NeonCloud
Show your business in the best light
printwize.co.uk Printers of Business Connected
Suffolk Round Up
News From Around The County
More than 50,000 homes now have access to superfast broadband as campaign hits landmark halfway stage The drive to improve internet access to businesses and communities across Suffolk has reached the halfway stage – with more than 50,000 properties connected six weeks ahead of schedule. Better Broadband for Suffolk is part of a multi-million pound partnership between the county council, Suffolk’s seven district and borough councils, BT and the Government to make high-speed fibre broadband more available, particularly to rural communities. The campaign is at the heart of Suffolk County Council’s economic growth strategy which was launched in spring 2013.
New educational facility will mean £365,000 investment More than £350,000 is earmarked for an innovative education centre in Bury St Edmunds to equip older pupils who have severe learning disabilities with key life skills. Suffolk County Council has just submitted plans for a standalone block for post-16 students from Riverwalk School to be built in the grounds of Hardwick Middle School. Hardwick Middle in Mayfield Road will close in summer 2016 as part of the reorganisation of schools in the Bury area and plans have been in the pipeline to relocate Riverwalk to the vacated site. The county council is looking to spend a government funding award of £365,000 on a new, permanent facility on the Hardwick Middle site now so that it can be incorporated into the new Riverwalk base when the rest of the school relocates there.
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Essex & Suffolk Water has officially opened a new £4million customer centre in Lowestoft The centre has been constructed by regional contractor R G Carter, a member of the EADT/EDP Top100 listing of the 100 largest companies in Suffolk and Norfolk, within the Riverside complex off Canning Road, part of the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone. Heidi Mottram, chief executive of Essex & Suffolk Water and parent group North-umbrian Water, preformed a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the new centre, which is the base for 190 employees previously located at the company’s old offices in Rectory Road, Lowestoft.
Barnes Construction secures £33m of work in leisure and retail sectors Ipswich-based Barnes Construction is continuing to expand its leisure and retail portfolio and is currently working on a number of contracts throughout the region with a total value of just under £33 million. Nick Fayers, managing director, Barnes Construction said: “Over the last 15 years we have completed in excess of 3,500 rooms for Travelodge Hotels alone, on both a local and national basis. In addition, we have built over 20 new pubs over the last four years under our Framework relationship with Marston’s Inns and Taverns.
Tuddenham Mill wins Editor’s Award in 2015 Good Food Guide A hotel and restaurant near Mildenhall is one of only eight eateries in the country to have been given a prestigious food award. Tuddenham Mill has been given an Editors’ Award as part of The Good Food Guide 2015. The award recognises excellence across the restaurant industry, with the Suffolk establishment receiving the “Best Set Lunch” prize. Lee Bye, head chef at Tuddenham Mill, said: “To be selected by The Good Food Guide’s editor Elizabeth Carter as the number one spot for lunch in the whole of the UK shows how far we have come in such a small amount of time.”
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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Suffolk Networking Events Recommended by Business Connected
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
06
07 & 21
08
9
14
Office Drinks Ipswich
4N Ipswich
Felixstowe
Office Drinks
Woodbridge
Mizu, 10 Cornhill,
The Oyster Reach,
Business Lunch
Bury St Edmunds
Business Club
Ipswich IP1 1DB
Ipswich IP2 8ND
The Brook Hotel,
The Abbeygate
Woodbridge Town FC,
6.30pm to 9.00pm
8.00am to 10.00am
Felixstowe IP11 7PF
Picture House,
Flynn Road, IP4 5RA
1.00pm to 2.00pm
IP33 1NU
7.00am to 9.00am
6.30pm to 9.00pm
Oct
Oct
14 & 28
14 & 28
Business Xchange
4N Bury St Edmunds
Oct
Oct
Oct
15 20 21 CoastalNet
Ipswich
WiRE - Women in Rural Enterprise
The Cameo Hotel,
Oakes Barn,
Ufford Park,
Entrepreneur’s Lunch
Copdock IP8 3JD
Bury St Edmunds
Melton IP12 1QW
Holiday Inn,
14-20 Fore Street,
7.00am start
IP33 3PH
9.30am to 11.30am
Copdock IP2 0UA
Ipswich IP4 1JU
11.45am to 2.00pm
7.00pm to 9.00pm
6.30pm to 9.30pm
Flexible, productive net You can network at any 4Networking breakfast. With over 5000 4Network Our meetings are relaxed, friendly and open to anyone, so pleas 16
www.businessconnected.co.uk
For more information on any of these events please call Richard on 01702 513113
Sponsored by
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
03
04 & 18
1 1 & 25
1 1 & 25
12
Office Drinks Ipswich
4N Ipswich
Business Xchange
4N Bury St Edmunds
Felixstowe
Mizu, 10 Cornhill,
The Oyster Reach,
The Cameo Hotel,
Oakes Barn,
Business Lunch
Ipswich IP1 1DB
Ipswich IP2 8ND
Copdock IP8 3JD
Bury St Edmunds
The Brook Hotel,
7.00am start
IP33 3PH
Felixstowe IP11 7PF
6.30pm to 9.30pm
1.00pm to 2.00pm
6.30pm to 9.00pm
8.00am to 10.00am
Nov
Nov
13
17
Nov
Nov
Nov
18 19 25
Office Drinks
Ipswich
WiRE - Women in
CoastalNet
Ipswich
Bury St Edmunds
Entrepreneur’s Lunch
Rural Enterprise
Ufford Park,
Professional’s Lunch
The Abbeygate
Holiday Inn,
14-20 Fore Street,
Melton IP12 1QW
K Bar & Grill,
Picture House,
Copdock IP2 0UA
Ipswich IP4 1JU
9.30am to 11.30am
Ipswich IP1 1TW
IP33 1NU
11.45am to 2.00pm
7.00pm to 9.00pm
12.30pm to 2.30pm
6.30pm to 9.00pm
tworking across Suffolk king meetings a year across the UK, you can network anywhere, anytime. se book into one today. For full details visit www.4networking.biz www.businessconnected.co.uk
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Charity News
Prostate Cancer – What Every Man Needs to Know
his third article for Business Connected now starts to tackle specific Men’s Health problems. Although heart disease remains the number one cause of premature death, Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the most emotive and controversial. It is the commonest men’s cancer causing nearly 42,000 new cases each year and nearly 11,000 deaths, often undignified, slow and painful. Even though PCa can be detected at an early and curable stage by a simple blood test, there is no national screening programme for a cancer that will affect 1 in 8 white men and 1 in 4 black men.
aggressive, insignificant cancers that would never do you any harm. We believe these reasons are now out of date because ma jor European trials are consistently showing that PSA screening leads to reduction of PCa death rates of up to 50%! Furthermore current UK specialist practice is now specifically designed to avoid the risk of over-treatment. Consequently we recommend:
The prostate gland is a sex gland about 3cm in diameter that lies immediately below the bladder and encircles the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the bladder into the penis. Over the age of 40 it usually grows and due to its bulk, may start to block the urethra, causing urinary symptoms predominated by a slackening stream and poor bladder control with an increasingly frequent and urgent need to pass urine, often worst at night. This process is usually due to relatively harmless, benign enlargement of the prostate known as BPH which is easily treated with drugs, especially if addressed early. Much less often is it due to cancer and PCa causing symptoms is usually advanced and incurable. So, if you do notice a change in your waterworks, don’t delay and get checked out.
3. Check your PSA from age 45.
T
Early, curable PCa doesn’t usually cause any symptoms and is detected by screening. “Screening” means looking for cancer before any symptoms arise and is done by a blood test called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and a simple digital examination of the prostate via the rectum – a “DRE”. If commenced in a man’s mid-forties, it is estimated that the UK’s PCa death rate could be halved. So why do we not have a national screening programme like that for breast cancer? The “official” reasons are that PSA is not accurate enough and early diagnosis leads to harmful over-treatment of non-
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now where your prostate is and what it does. 1. K 2. D on’t ignore new urinary symptoms - see your GP.
4. I f you are black African or African Caribbean or have a family history of PCa, you have a much higher risk and should definitely enter a screening programme from your early forties. If you would like a FREE health check including PSA, diabetes screening, skin cancer screening, heart and stroke risk assessment and aortic aneurysm screening, come to the CHAPS Men’s Health Days at Ipswich Town FC on 16/10/14 or Sam’s Hall, Clacton on 13/11/14. To support CHAPS Charity come to the Gala Dinner at ITFC on 16/10/14 starring top comic Ian Irving and brilliant magician Michael J. Fitch and hosted by ITFC legend Simon Milton. For tickets ( £55/head, £500/table for 10 ) or to book a health check, call 07734 747854 or email Trish.binks@chaps.uk.com.
Tel: 01206 321253 Email: chris.booth@chaps.uk.com Chris Booth, FRCS, CHAPS Clinical Director
Call 07876 688996 or email mark.reynolds@grouptrader.com to see how Grouptrader can deliver for you and your business.
Business Advice
Telecoms – How To Manage Your Costs
T
he cost of telecoms affects every organisation from the retail and leisure sector through to manufacturing and media businesses. Since the deregulation of the UK’s telecoms markets and the introduction of competition and new services in the early 1990’s the UK has become one of the most competitive communications markets in the world. The telecoms industry globally accounts for 5.8% of the planet’s entire GDP and it’s amazing how quickly things have changed: • 1 876 – the telephone is invented • 1 973 – Motorola produce the first mobile phone •2 001 – introduction of 3G services 007 – first iPhone is released •2 These ma jor advances in telephony and IT have led to an increasingly complex market of suppliers, tariffs and technologies. Every day a host of telecoms related businesses bombard organisations offering to slash their telecoms spend, install new cost saving technologies and improve their business performance. Understanding and keeping up with this ever changing landscape is becoming increasingly difficult. The latest statistics relating to the telecoms markets further shows how the market has changed over the years: •7 8% of mobile users access email on their smart phones •6 0% of employees now claim they can work remotely • 32% of employees rely on more than one mobile device during the day • 70% of companies using a PBX recognise the need to upgrade to VOIP Few organisations have the time or resources to understand the complexities and nuances that are required to keep up with this fast moving sector. It is little wonder, that 75% of UK businesses do not have a telecoms policy or cost management strategy. A lack of market knowledge and impartial advice has left many organisations unsure of which path to take or whether the guidance they have been given is the best solution to their requirements. Either way it is costing organisations time and money and compromising their efficiency. So the question your organisation should be asking when looking at its telecoms costs is not “What should I do” but “who can I turn to for impartial advice and help”. Auditel has been at the telecoms front line since the early days of
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deregulation. For the last 20-years it has helped literally thousands of organisations to navigate through the uncharted minefield of tariffs and emerging technologies and implement strategies that improve efficiencies and accelerate business performance. Since those pioneering days much has changed but here at Auditel we continue to provide organisations throughout the UK with independent, expert advice and telecoms solutions that match operational needs today and in the future. Although the market is complicated, there are obviously areas that you are able to look at yourself and I have detailed below my two top areas for review: • Wholesale Line Rental – BT have recently announced price increases and this provides an opportunity to cancel a contract with BT within 30 days of receiving your notification of this price increase. A standard BT line now costs from £15.00 per month while alternative suppliers can be as low as £10 or even less with shorter minimum contracts. The fact that people forget is that the line you rent whether from BT or Joe Bloggs Telecoms is the same copper in the ground with the same fault repair SLA’s in place. •M inimum Call/ set up charges – check your contract to see if you are charged a minimum call charge or indeed a set up charge for every call you make. It is a fact of life that over 90% of calls are less than 1 second long. So if you are being charged 1p a minute for calls to national and local numbers, a 1 second call will cost virtually nothing. However if you had a minimum call charge of say 4p per call together with a call set up charge of 4p a call, all of a sudden a 1 second call has cost you 8p, giving an effective rate for this call of £4.80!! Slightly different to your headline call rate of 1p a minute. As always the devil is in the detail though and it means you need to look at the charge for every call made to really understand the effective rates you are being charged. I am sure you may not have the spare time to do so, but Auditel’s tools enable us to analyse this data quickly and efficiently and provide you with the detail that you need to manage your Telecoms spend.
Tel: 01279 722167 Mobile: 07803 246737 Email: lee.freeman@auditel.co.uk Lee Freeman, Auditel
Do you have the time and resources to manage your telecoms costs effectively? If not, you may be paying for equipment and tariffs that don’t match your needs.
WHO MANAGES YOUR TELECOMS COSTS?
Auditel was set up in 1994 to help organisations in the UK find their way through the minefield of tariffs and service levels that had sprung up following deregulation. Since those early days, Auditel has become the country’s leading provider of telecoms cost management services, usually able to save clients at least 20% of their current expenditure and ensure that tariffs and services reflect their operational needs.
“I’ve been genuinely surprised and impressed by the savings Auditel has found as I really thought we were in a good position in terms of our existing contracts.”
Are your telecoms costs under control? It wouldn’t hurt to book an Auditel Telecoms Health Check today, to make sure.
Contact Lee Freeman today to book an Auditel Telecoms Health Check and find out how much better off you could be.
T: 01279 722167 M: 07803 246737 lee.freeman@auditel.co.uk www.auditel.co.uk/leefreeman
Fully equipped to manage all your business costs
Franchise News
A Five Star Initiative
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usiness research firm, Smith and Henderson, recently released the results of its innovative 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Programme. Its aim is to truly identify exceptional franchises from the point of view of an investor. We reviewed which franchises stood out and what this new transparent method of evaluation could potentially do for investors. I am sure you will agree, transparency in the franchise industry is crucial, it’s what everyone is looking for. One of the largest problems quality franchise operations have faced since the start of franchising has been putting clear distance between them and other poorly run operations posing as franchises in the eyes of an investor. Now, thanks to a ground-breaking idea from top franchising researchers, Smith and Henderson, franchising has entered a new age of ultra-transparency – allowing only the best businesses to come out on top. Smith and Henderson’s 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Programme identifies the best franchise operations in the UK, by talking to the people who know them best – existing Franchise Partners. In 2013, over 2,000 Franchise Partners were asked to confidentially provide information about their franchisor on a number of different areas to find out what the support is really like for those benefitting from it today and how it has compared with their expectations before going into the business. Steven Frost, Managing Director of Smith and Henderson explains: “5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction is based on this principle. Each year, we ask thousands of actual franchisees to rate their Franchise Partnership experiences. We guarantee that their answers are confidential so they give honest feedback. We then award 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction to franchisors that receive above average feedback in all five areas that we measure.” Analysis is thorough enough to ensure that only the best Franchisors receive the 5 Star Award. Once the businesses are registered, all Franchise Partners are invited to give 100 per cent anonymous feedback in an online survey. The anonymity ensures Franchise Partners can be honest without fear of repercussions. The online survey consists of 30 questions and covers five main areas, including training/ support, the franchise system, franchisor relationship, franchisor leadership and overall satisfaction. This year’s winners in order are ActionCOACH Business Coaching, Helen O’Grady, Home Instead Senior Care, Little Kickers, McDonald’s, Music Bugs, Platinum Property Partners, Puddle Ducks, Tatty Bumpkin and TaxAssist Accountants. All of these brands can now boast genuine franchise partner satisfaction in accordance with Smith and Henderson’s firm valuation.
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Ian Christelow, Managing Director of ActionCOACH UK said of the award: “I feel honoured to be part of a company with such an amazing team of Franchise Partners. To win the prestigious 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Award as a result of our team’s positive ratings and comments makes everything we strive to achieve thoroughly worthwhile. ActionCOACH is a referral-based business and building a team of delighted franchise partners is and needs to stay front and centre of everything we do.” The research process is arduous and obtaining the results of the 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction programme takes careful analysis. But for those qualifying brands, the label is a rubber stamp of approval for continued quality in the industry. Steven continues: “There are hundreds of franchise opportunities currently being advertised and it’s difficult to stand out from the crowd. Receiving the 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction award helps to differentiate your franchise from the competition, demonstrates the level of support you provide and helps build trust with prospective franchisees.” Franchise operations that achieve the sought-after award can provide additional evidence in the form of third party analysis, showing that everything they promise in the lead up is 100% accurate. More importantly, people looking for a franchise can be sure that a 5 Star business is one with many happy Franchise Partners already in existence, which is sometimes difficult to tell. “Franchisors that have recently been awarded 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction have on average, happier and more satisfied franchisees,” says Steven. “While nothing guarantees that a particular franchise is a good fit for you or that you will be successful, franchisors that have recently been awarded 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction are a great place to start. Knowing a franchise has 5 star satisfaction will of course give people confidence in what is perhaps a very new sector to them.” For franchisors and Franchise Partners alike, 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction is undoubtedly worth having. If you would like more information on the ActionCOACH, Business Coaching Franchise then please call Rainy or Sam on: 01284 701 648 Alternatively you can watch their 6 minute overview video at: www.actioncoach-franchise.co.uk/overview
* Written by Steph Jones, ActionCOACH
The UK’s No.1
Business Opportunity DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
What sets
apart?
has helped tens of thousands of businesses and their owners around the world and in every business sector imaginable. has grown to be the number one business coaching team in the world, with hundreds of proven systems and strategies guaranteed to get results for the Franchise Partner and their clients!
Here are just a few reasons why the best people are choosing to invest in the UK’s best: Client generation centre means you can focus more on the fun stuff Opportunity to make a meaningful and major difference CompareTheFinancialMarkets.com’s Best UK Business Opportunity Access to a great support team and over 3,500 strategies and tactics to assist in your day-to-day business coaching Guaranteed £8,500 to £14,000 monthly income by month 7 - ask us about the terms and conditions First to achieve 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Status
To find out more call us on
01284 701 648
www.actioncoach-franchise.co.uk/overview
ActionCOACH, Freedom House, 5 Abbeyfields, Bury St. Edmunds IP33 1AQ
Wine this Xmas? Why not! It’s that time of year again when we are wondering what to give for Christmas. So wine is a great choice for corporate gifts, family & friends alike. And here at Bill Warry’s World of Wine, there is a select range of choice. Whether you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, or a rare gem, find some really special wines people will find amazing. Give something you do not tend to experience in everyday life. And it need not break the bank either. Take for example our Anama Commandaria gift pack. This Cyprus dessert wine is made to age. Even back in the 16th century Italian writer Thomasso Parrocchi said of Commandaria:
Of all the island’s products, Commandaria is the best. It is an exceptional wine. I have drunk wine that is more than 30 years old here and it has a very pleasant taste, exquisite colour, and it was so thick that it stuck to the walls of the glass. Have a look at the website for more if you can. We are sure you will find it an Aladdin’s Cave of wine ideas, information and inspiration!
TODAY, ANAMA COMES NEATLY PACKAGED IN TWO BOTTLES: ONE LARGE FOR AGING, ONE SMALL TO DRINK NOW. COST IS £147 DELIVERED DIRECT TO THE DOOR.
Why not give some superior quality everyday wines? We have a few cases of 3 top French bottles including Gold & Silver medal winners: - Cotes de Bourg Chateau Relais de la Poste - Cotes de Blaye Chateau Vieux Valentin - Rosé de Bessan Wow! Just £48.49 for the set* Warry Warble: on the web site you can also write a message to accompany your gift.
Struggling for ideas? How about a gift voucher: £10, £25, £50 and £100 are all available.
* We charge a standard £6.00 per delivery, waived on orders of 24 bottles or more to one address.
www.billwarrywine.co.uk
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Business Coach
Successful Juice Experience Leads to Top Coaching Results
S
tephen Unwin has a great track record in growing successful companies. He currently heads up a juice business but increasingly he spends his time working as a Business Coach, using his knowledge and diverse experience to develop the skills of other owner managers in the SME sector – and seeing their businesses prosper as a result. Stephen’s early career was as a Chartered Surveyor working in London. In 1985 he moved to Suffolk to join Copella Fruit Juices and he was Managing Director of the company during the period of rapid brand growth in the 1990’s that led to the successful sale to Tropicana/Pepsico. After 2 years working with the new owners he established his own juice company following his purchase of the Cawston Press brand from Copella. Surprisingly this enterprise does not keep him fully occupied and hence his work as a Business Coach. “I have always found business fascinating in itself but it is the people and their leadership skills that make the businesses either succeed or fail. My experience of the coaching process goes back to a course at the Cranfield Business School and it brought immediate benefits to my business” says Stephen. “When I came across the Action approach to Business Coaching I found it really hit the mark in terms of its practical systems and business tools”. “My clients include both small and large companies but the common factor is that they are private or family owned and committed to business improvement and growth. Challenges with Time (not having enough hours in the day) and Money (generating sales and cash flow) are typical areas of focus. A third key challenge that I see repeatedly, and one that can be a real obstacle to progress, is the business owners ability to build a great team of people and to manage them effectively to grow the company. This requires the development of leadership and management skills, the ability to delegate effectively, and an effective recruitment process. These are not areas that can be learnt overnight; they require on-going attention and improvement so that over months and even years clients progressively develop their skills and can build the great team that they need. A key tool that I use as part of this process is the DISC profile. This is a long established means of providing clients with a much greater insight into their natural style of behaviour and communication, as well as that of their team members. Leaders, managers and team members within a company
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are different people who behave in different ways, and understanding this and their relative attributes and perhaps challenges enables the team to really move forward and work more effectively together. It is critical for the business or team leader to establish a ‘Common Goal’ that the team are seeking to achieve. As I often say “How can you and your team set off on a journey if you haven’t agreed where you are going?” It is usually the leader who will set the long term goal for the business but if you can then engage the team in discussing and agreeing how you are going to get there you immediately create participation and enthusiasm. I would also get the team to think about their ‘Rules of the Game’. How are they going to work together, how will they behave to one another, communicate and go about their day to day roles. This would invariably include the development of a ‘default diary’, with time protected for key meetings together, and perhaps ‘culture statement’, created and continually reviewed by the whole team. Overall if there is a lack of these leadership and team skills and engagement I invariably see frustration, time being wasted and real financial cost to the business. Conversely in businesses where these skills are developed and continually applied and improved the multiplier effect is enormous with the whole team working well together, feeling motivated and enjoying being part of a team that is achieving success and growth. I have found that coaching is a powerful way to develop these leadership and team skills and it is immensely rewarding for me when a client comments that they find new enjoyment from working ON their business rather than IN it, and that I am making both their business and their life more successful and enjoyable”. Stephen Unwin is an experienced Business Coach working with owner managed businesses in Suffolk and North Essex – stephenunwin@actioncoach.com Tel: 01206 263656 or 07775 537322.
Tel: 01206 263656 Mobile: 07775 537322 Email: stephenunwin@actioncoach.com Stephen Unwin, Business Coach
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DAA Tax Accountants Brightwell Barns Ipswich Road, Brightwell Ipswich, Suffolk, IP10 0BJ Tel: 01473 550055 www.daatax.com
Qualified accountants and tax advisers with over 30 years experience
ATT 25 Silver Anniversary Competition Earlier this year the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) launched the ‘att25att competition’ to celebrate the ATT turning 25 and to recognise the achievements of young tax professionals in the UK. Nominations were requested for those individuals working in tax aged 25 or under on the date of the ATT’s 25th anniversary who had an exceptional story to tell about their journey in the world of tax so far. I am delighted to announce that both Bridie Lachetta and Danielle Eley from DAA Tax Accountants have been selected as two of the 25 competition winners
The awards will be made at the national anniversary event at HM Tower of London on 25 September 2014 by the President of the ATT, Mrs Natalie Miller.
competing with those from the ‘Big 4’ accountancy
We are very proud of both of them and our
firms, Deloitte, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and
heartiest congratulations go to both of them on
Ernst & Young (E&Y) amongst others.
this glorious achievement.
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Ipswich Town Football Club Portman Road Suffolk’s Number One Venue
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.
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A
Avolution Features include: 16” Alloy Wheels ECO Start/Stop Air Conditioning Leather trim Gearshift & Steering Wheel Sports Seats 5.8 inch display with Bluetooth®
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*Business Users Only. Advance payment and fee applies. All payments subject to VAT: Finance based on Contract Hire agreement, 10,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charges may apply. Rental includes Road Fund License for duration. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. Orders/credit approved on selected new A-Class models between 1 July - 30 September 2014, registered by 30 September 2014. Subject to availability. Offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Credit approved subject to status by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK Limited, MK15 8BA. Correct at time of print 09/14 - subject to change at any time.