2014 NDBA Online Awards winners Promoting North Devon tourism Broadband: superfast or snail’s pace?
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NDBA
Challenges for 2015 We came out of 2013 feeling that we were finally shaking off the recession and 2014 has certainly proved to be the best year for some time for many sectors. Yet as we approach 2015, new challenges are appearing.
Promoting the destination Tourism businesses in North Devon face the end of subsidised promotion and on page 9 Trevor Stanbury of the Milky Way outlines how his initiative is enabling the sector to take control of its destiny. Getting connected Broadband is another major issue in North Devon. Some communities are lucky to have access to superfast broadband already or be on the upgrade schedule for the near future. Others have little prospect of access or even a reliable slow service. David Thorne outlines the @businessactionm | Winter 2014
situation on page 6 and what you can do about it. All change? Then we have a general election to look forward to. More than anything else businesses need continuity, especially when initiatives such as apprenticeships are just starting to work well. We need politicians to forget factional fighting and do what is needed by businesses to make the economy stronger and not change everything on a political whim. We need to tell the politicians. Winning businesses Last issue we announced the NDBA Online Awards 2014. After attracting 60+ entries, we announce the winners on page 17. Congratulations to all who won and thank you to all who entered. Those business entering the awards demonstrated how they are using the latest tools to compete not only locally, but nationally and globally too. Stay ahead in 2015 With concerns about the global economy growing once more, being ahead of the crowd has never been more important and gives the best chance of business success in 2015.
3
FROM YOUR EDITOR
From your editor
Interest in Business Action is growing as the magazine becomes well known across the area. This is reflected in the range of articles featured in this edition where contributors have Take Business Action! asked or taken ➤➤ Network with NDBA the opportunity ➤➤ New customers to discuss some ➤➤ New suppliers of the burning ➤➤ Build an efficient, issues affecting strong and resilient businesses in the business area. We’re happy to offer space for such discussions, especially if they can benefit businesses and help to build a stronger economy. We chose the name Business Action precisely because we realise this is what we all need to take to maintain and grow our businesses
and to make sure North Devon has all that is necessary for businesses to thrive. I hope you find the articles in this issue useful and wish all readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2015.
Robert Zarywacz
Action is edited, designed and produced by Zarywacz editor: Robert Zarywacz tel: 07971 176044 email: robertz@business-action.co.uk online: business-action.co.uk Twitter: @businessactionm follow: Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook ■■ Business
Views expressed by contributors to this magazine are not necessarily those of the North Devon Business Action or Zarywacz. Readers are strongly recommended to seek advice from an appropriate professional before taking any action on any topic discussed in the magazine and to check full terms and conditions of any products or services promoted in advertisements. © 2014 North Devon Business Action and Zarywacz.
4
Business Action | business-action.co.uk
CONTENTS
3 Business Challenges
Looking ahead to 2015
4 From your editor Robert Zarywacz
6 Speeding up North Devon broadband David Thorne
9 Together we can
achieve so much more Trevor Stanbury
14 London, New York, Paris
. . . Ilfracombe
Studio 5D Print & Design 16 Lost in the cloud? Robert Zarywacz 17 NDBA Online Awards 2014 18 Twitter Award winner 20 Google+ Award winner 22 LinkedIn Award winner 24 Facebook Award winner 26 Online Media Award winner 28 Blogging Award winner 30 Online Networker 32 Winner of winners
@businessactionm | Winter 2014
33 Seeing red Mark Bendell 34 Training employees is
worth the investment Rozz Algar
36 Grievances: getting the
investigation right
Pippa Bucknell
40 Unsocial media Duncan Casburn 44 NDBA member Q&A: Trina Curtis
5
Speeding up North Devon’s broadband
Fast, reliable broadband is an essential business tool for businesses. David Thorne of Simpkins Edwards is campaigning for universal access to the service
Large parts of North Devon are finding broadband running super slow compared with the rest of the UK. Superfast fibre broadband was only installed by BT as part of its commercial activities. As a result, BT did not want to invest in fibre broadband for most of South West England. 6
Superfast broadband would save business time on processing VAT returns, PAYE, single farm payment applications and more. Many businesses are dependent on a fast, reliable broadband connection for their day-to-day activities. This is an issue that needs to be solved now! Business Action | business-action.co.uk
BROADBAND
Help from the Government The Government eventually agreed to aid the South West with central funding. This led to the formation of the Connecting Devon and Somerset programme (CDS). This is an alliance of several councils and technology providers (mainly BT) who are tasked with providing Devon and Somerset with superfast fibre broadband. Some of you will have already benefited from this programme. Many others are still waiting. This has been an agonisingly slow process cloaked in secrecy. BT’s initial contract aimed to provide 90% of premises in Devon and Somerset with superfast broadband by late 2016, but now has been delayed to late 2017. This has not been helped by CDS’ reluctance to provide detailed progress information. Due to national pressure CDS has published new maps which can be found at connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk. You can enter your postcode to view the latest news for your property. Be warned: it comes with a full page of caveats from CDS. The next stage Further funding has been made available to increase coverage from 90% to 95% of premises @businessactionm | Winter 2014
in Devon and Somerset. The funding has to be matched by contributions from local councils. To date, CDS has not been able to Things you can do fully achieve this, ➤➤ Lobby local MPs leaving a shortfall ➤➤ Check minimum contract terms of around £5-6 ➤➤ Research other million. options thoroughly The Superfast ➤ ➤ Check for updates on Extension the CDS website Programme ➤➤ Join the Facebook (SEP) was put group ‘Fast Broadband out to tender in for Devon & Somerset’ October 2014. Once again, the details of who will benefit from this are being kept confidential. The programme itself should commence sometime in 2015. Where does this leave us? Well, if you are covered under the original BT contract, you should be getting superfast broadband by the end of 2017. If you are in the next 5% covered by the SEP, you should get superfast broadband in a similar timescale. The final 5% The only commitment from CDS is that everyone will have access to a minimum 2 Mbps connection speed by the end of 2017. A speed of 2 Mbps is
7
BROADBAND
probably best described as better than nothing, but will do little to help many. Beyond that, CDS has an ‘ambition’ to cover all of Devon and Somerset by the end of 2020. It is likely that a mix of technologies will be used to reach the final 5%. Exactly what these will be is yet to be established. There is currently no set plan or funding in place to achieve this. It goes without saying that 2020 will be far too late for local business. Indeed, I am aware of businesses that have already relocated from our area due to this issue. What are the alternatives? A satellite connection is an option but has several limitations and is not suitable for all types of use. In particular, anything that needs to be carried out in ‘real time’ generally does not work well with satellite. Bandwidth also tends to be limited unless you are prepared to pay substantial monthly fees. There are wireless broadband solutions available that offer up to 20 Mbps speeds without the
limitations of satellite technology. There are several such providers in the South West. New technologies are being trialled by BT but may take a while to be rolled out nationally. This will hopefully help reach the more remote areas. Things you can do ➤➤ Lobby
local MPs
➤➤ Check
minimum contract
terms
➤➤ Research
other options thoroughly
➤➤ Check
for updates on the CDS website
➤➤ Join
the Facebook group ‘Fast Broadband for Devon & Somerset’
■■ David Thorne is a certified accountant with Simpkins Edwards LLP chartered accountants in Barnstaple and has been campaigning for better broadband in North Devon for many years. tel: 01271 347097 email: David.thorne@yahoo.co.uk web: simpkinsedwards.co.uk
Slow or no broadband? What are your experiences of broadband, good or bad? Are slow speeds or lack of a reliable connection damaging your business? Are you taking any 8
action or hoping it will improve? Do you have any suggestions or experiences of alternatives?
■■ Tell Business Action by emailing robertz@business-action.co.uk
Business Action | business-action.co.uk
NORTH DEVON TOURISM
Together we can achieve so much more Trevor Stanbury of the Milky Way discusses his initiative to ensure North Devon continues to be promoted as a tourism destination
By this time I suspect that most of you will have heard the disturbing news that our two district councils have withdrawn all their money from tourism marketing. If we do nothing, there will be no North Devon web site and no marketing for our region after Christmas. Potentially a major disaster for us. We all know what happened to M&S when they stopped marketing: they very quickly lost market share and have yet to recover from it. It is a fact of life that will quickly overtake us to if we do nothing. Staying number one destination Those of you who have been in the industry as long as me will remember that we used to be second to Torbay, but that with the North Devon Marketing Bureau, which I instigated in 1996, we quickly moved to the top. It is interesting to note that even with the changes which occurred about six years ago when the marketing came under the umbrella of North Devon+, research shows @businessactionm | Winter 2014
us that we have still maintained our position as the number one destination in Devon. How much is tourism worth? It also shows that the tourism industry is worth more than ÂŁ550 million to our economy and that it supports approximately one in four jobs. Another interesting statistic is that over ÂŁ330 million of this goes to the supply chain, such as cafĂŠs, restaurants, high street shops, wholesale suppliers of food and drink, builders, carpet layers and a host of others. There is no question that tourism is the very lifeblood of North Devon. It strikes me that given the above statistics it is grossly unfair to expect us in the tourism industry to sort things out on our own. There is an urgent need for us all to work together for a common goal, ie the marketing of our region. Together we can achieve so much more.
9
NORTH DEVON TOURISM
Those of you who attended the conference may remember my opening words: “Aren’t we lucky that we actually have such a marvellous product to sell?” ➤➤ For updates on the We have it all North Devon Tourism here in North Marketing group Devon and initiative see the North Exmoor: a rich Devon Journal diversity of ➤➤ Call Trevor Stanbury natural and manon 07977 509053 to made attractions get involved enough to satisfy the most discerning holidaymakers. It begs the question: “What are we going to do about the situation that we find ourselves in?” What we are doing A group of us have come together to form a cooperative marketing group encompassing all the industries that take money from tourism. Its aim will be to market North Devon and Exmoor nationally and internationally. To make us the top holiday destination in the South West. To achieve this we already have a number of like-minded business people from a broad cross section of businesses who have formed a steering group. It has already been agreed that the main aim and objective is destination
10
marketing. After discussion, it becomes clearly apparent that for our businesses to prosper we need to fill the beds and to encourage more day visitors to the area. We are unlikely to have enough money at our disposal to be able to afford to take up a tourism management role. At this point in time these things will be better done by the local tourism associations. First steps The first steps are under way, prompted by the Evans family, who have volunteered the use of some of their national fleet of lorries to carry our message across Britain and the continent. Three local advertising agencies have given the time and expertise in designing and creating the images and words for free. (One of the first tangible examples of the benefits of working together.) Hopefully, the first new lorry will be up and running very soon after Christmas. Secondly, it is our aim to create a new and imaginative web site to replace the current one. The process has now begun. The North Devon and Exmoor guide has been completed and distribution is taking place. It is important to note that none of this work could be taking place Business Action | business-action.co.uk
at this time if it wasn’t for the goodwill of the directors of North Devon+, who fully appreciated the position that the industry is in. They are either paying for or underwriting the above. Finally, the new organisation will be completely transparent in all it does; it will hold AGMs in the Queen’s Theatre, compliments of North Devon Theatres. Each investor / member will have one vote, regardless of its size. It will be independent of councils or government, completely owned by the private sector and set up to ensure it stands the test of time. The team At this point, the team consists of Trevor Stanbury MBE, partner
12
in The Milky Way; Peter Brend, director of The Brend Hotel Group; Rudi Lancaster, owner of Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks; Stephen Carr, managing director, Phillip Dennis Foodservices; Lisa Templeton, editor of the North Devon Journal; Jane Mcleod, centre manager of Atlantic Village; Val Wood from the North Devon Farm Holidays Group; Harry Roberts, director of My Holiday Marketing; Jo Lock, marketing manager of North Devon Theatres.
■■ For updates on the North Devon Tourism Marketing group initiative see the North Devon Journal. ■■ Call Trevor Stanbury on 07977 509053 to get involved.
Business Action | business-action.co.uk
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DESIGN & FASHION
London, New York, Paris . . . Ilfracombe
It’s easy to think that you need to move to big cities to succeed in some sectors, but North Devon is host to some remarkable specialist businesses
Think fashion and you’ll probably think London, New York or Paris. On our travels around North Devon business estates, Business Action met Jade Dyer Spicer who runs Studio 5D Print and Design on Mullacott Business Park, Ilfracombe. After graduating with a BA Fashion Design degree in London, Jade returned to North
14
Devon, armed with contacts in the fashion industry, to start her own business. Now she produces design and prints for top London fashion designers. Top London clients Jade’s impressive client list includes design agency Broken Logo, designer Liam Hodges, London concept store Machine-A, Marks and Spencer, fashion
Business Action | business-action.co.uk
designer for London Fashion Week Nasir Mazhar and music publication Trap Magazine. She is also working for North Devon clients including Marisco Club and Woolacombe Sands. Equipped with a state-of-the-art printer that prints photographs and complex logos with half tones and fading not possible with traditional screen printing, Jade produces work of the highest quality, including decals and stickers, garments, sportswear and sports kit, workwear and corporate wear as well as vehicle and window graphics.
web: studio5dprint.com
@businessactionm | Winter 2014
15
HEADER
Lost in the cloud? Businesses are continually being urged to go online, but as the internet changes so fast Robert Zarywacz asks if anyone really knows how to use it?
The internet is a fantastic tool. I first started using it to work with clients and launched our first web site way back in the 1990s. Since then the pace of change has increased so much that it’s difficult to keep up. Social media continues to have a massive impact on our lives. When I occasionally watch a terrestrial television programme, there’s a Twitter hashtag shown at the start so that viewers can Tweet while they watch. Not that I do. When catching an afternoon commuter train from Waterloo recently, nearly everyone’s nose was pointing at their phone or tablet device. Years ago, when I commuted by Tube, noses were in the latest paperback blockbuster or in the Evening Standard to do the Quick Crossword. From speaking to people, it seems that while most now have web sites, blogs and social media accounts, many are overwhelmed 16
by developments and some find their businesses invisible online. While at one time, search engine optimisation meant it was quite straightforward to get to the top of Google, now it is trickier. With Facebook and Twitter focusing on selling adverts, billions of social media posts disappear without being seen. Then there’s new social networks. Do I need to join Ello or tsu? And what about all these new devices? While the ‘Cloud’ delivers undoubted advantages for business – how else would I sync my diary, contacts and emails? – the online view is getting cloudier and more businesses appear lost. More and more people are asking me about face-to-face networking. I don’t think we’ll stop using the internet, but I do think we’re entering another period where everything will be turned on its head. And I’m not sure we will ever understand it all. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
NDBA AWARDS 2014
NDBA Online Awards 2014: THE WINNERS Things change fast online and social media accounts come and go, so we had no idea who or how many businesses would enter the NDBA Online Awards in 2014. We saw entries from previous entrants as well as from businesses who hadn’t entered before. In all, there were more than 60 entries. What worked online yesterday doesn’t always work today, while suddenly one social network will add features only previously available on another one. You certainly have to keep on your toes. Keeping it social When monitoring the networks, it’s clear that the social element, which creates communities, struggles to compete with the tidal wave of selling messages swamping timelines and inboxes. @businessactionm | Winter 2014
Those businesses successfully maintaining their individuality, offering advice, helping others and entertaining us are more valued than those only selling.
Learning from experience The numbers of entrants in each category confirmed that Twitter and Facebook remain the networks of choice. Google+ remains a mystery to many, while LinkedIn remains the chosen network for professionals serious about business. Blogging and video are yet to be exploited by many businesses and there is plenty of potential waiting to be tapped. But who knows what we will be doing next year? Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to our winners – see our winners from pages 18 to 32.
17
TWITTER AWARD
Twitter Award winner: APPLEDORE BOOK FESTIVAL Twitter: @APPLEBOOKFEST
@APPLEBOOKFEST stood out from a
very strong crowd of entrants in this year’s Twitter Award. The account promotes the nineday Appledore Book Festival held every autumn. The judges felt the account demonstrated real community interaction and even though the event takes place in a short period each year, it remained active
18
before, during and after the event. The judges noted the good use of photographs, images and videos and were impressed with the large number of replies, showing engagement with followers. Overall, the judges felt the @APPLEBOOKFEST account to be a credit to the North Devon online community and a worthy winner. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
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GOOGLE+ HEADER AWARD
Google+ Award winner: JOURNEYMAN CHIMNEY Google+: Journeyman Chimney Services
Google+ can be a tough nut to crack for many businesses. Seen by some as a direct competitor to Facebook, it has some way to go to be accepted by business users. However, some businesses are using Google+ very effectively. The judges unanimously selected Journeyman Chimney Services as their Google+ winner 20
because of the varied content posted, which covers the practical side of sweeping and maintaining chimneys as well as photos of Exmoor scenery and wildlife, and a good sprinkling of humour. Anyone looking for ideas on how to improve their use of Google+ can learn a lot from following the Journeyman Chimney Services page. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
LINKEDIN AWARD
LinkedIn Award winner: SUSIE KEVERN LinkedIn: Susie Kevern
LinkedIn has always been one of the more serious, business-like social networks, having started as an online repository for CVs. Although it has expanded the range of features available to users, it remains a more professional environment, free of much of the triviality of some of the other networks. LinkedIn is a place where you can discuss business seriously online and the judges were 22
impressed with Susie Kevern’s approach to networking here. Susie contributes regularly in the North Devon group, not only posting content but also asking questions, replying to other users and commenting on other threads. This has established Susie’s reputation as a trusted individual who is knowledgeable on her profession of chartered management accountacy. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
Providing Practical Business Solutions A consulting business with a difference – we also breed llamas – we also believe in helping others less fortunate than ourselves! Providing 1-2-1 business support based around networking, self-help, mentoring as well as just plain hard work! With a management accounting background – one earned working in business – we can provide in-house consulting solutions in most areas of finance & administration. From board level to number crunching level, we can assist you and your businesses (and business systems) get to the next level. We operate on an informal level providing support both with you in person as well as ongoing away from your office. We also provide marketing support for companies – updating websites, organising mail shots as well as running Twitter accounts and Facebook pages – we don’t sell ourselves as being gurus but we are successful at it.
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FACEBOOK AWARD
Facebook Award winner: RASPBERRY RINGS Facebook: RaspberryRings
Facebook pages can be a powerful way to promote you and your business, especially locally, although changes to the network have made it more difficult to attract people to visit and like pages than previously. After looking at all the entrants in this category, the judges independently voted Raspberry Rings as the winner for the third year running. 24
It’s not just the number of likes – 3,000+ – that is impressive, but also the imaginative use of images, the frequency and regularity of posts plus the volume of comments from Facebook users and the replies by the page owner. Few other pages achieve such interaction. Raspberry Rings is a great example of how to use a Facebook page effectively. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
ONLINE MEDIA AWARD
Online Media winner: HIGHER HACKNELL FARM video: higherhacknell.co.uk
Video is such a powerful tool that it’s surprising more businesses don’t use it. The Higher Hacknell Farm video is an excellent example of how to showcase a business. It is presented professionally while 26
enabling the character of the business to shine through. Footage of the business owners, stock grazing, meat preparation plus a music soundtrack give a rich visual and audio ‘taste’ of its organic farm produce. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
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BLOGGING AWARD
Blogging Award winner: FLINT HOSTS blog: flinthosts.co.uk
Blogging is an excellent way to showcase expertise, yet few businesses blog regularly or without overtly selling. Flint Hosts’ blog post on personal information and privacy tackled the important issue of how new technologies encourage us to 28
record and store personal data on devices that could be hacked. It also highlighted how Flint Hosts looked at its own security processes to achieve ISO27001 accreditation. While showcasing its own experience, it gave the reader food for thought. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
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There are now so many social networks that establishing an online presence everywhere is beyond the capabilities of many businesses. How can we keep up? There are some businesses that broadcast their sales messages everywhere, all the time with no interaction and individuals who maintain a broad presence while 30
keeping it personal are rare. Duncan Casburn of Flint Hosts looks after the company’s social media presence and also regularly blogs, tweets, comments and networks with humour regarding his ongoing battle with diabetes. The judges are delighted to name Duncan NDBA Online Networker 2015. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
WINNER OF WINNERS
Winner of Winners FLINT HOSTS web: flinthosts.co.uk
Choosing the Winner of Winners can be a difficult task, but this year one entrant stood out in more than one category. As well as winning the Blogging category and head of business development and marketing Duncan Casburn winning the Online Networker award, Flint Hosts’ strong online presence was 32
noticeable across other categories, including LinkedIn. Many businesses go online to sell, but there are many ways of selling from foot-in-thedoor aggression to the subtle establishment of good reputation. Flint Hosts has established itself not only as a reputable business but as a generous online player. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
SEEING SEEING RED RED
Why Mark Bendell gets wound up about design I’ve been a freelance designer / artworker for the past two years. I recently took on a design job for a client in London and even before I’d started, I knew it was a bad idea . . . “Mark, did you know I can design as well? I want my brochure to look like this,” holding everything that was wrong with design. The worst layout I had ever seen in my entire life, the colour was as if Willy Wonka had vomited on the page. Fonts that dated back to the 1980s and images looking like they had been taken on a 10-year-old mobile phone. “I want a lot of copy on every page with lots of colourful clipart. What do you think?” I have @businessactionm | Winter 2014
always been taught to say the customer is always right, but in this instance I said, “Well that’s nice, but what if you did it this way?” “I’m not paying you to tell me what to do. I want it to look like this,” he said. To say he was paying me was an understatement. After my expenses, I’d be lucky to afford a Pot Noodle and a Kit-Kat. After I’d tried to fix his mess, he came back and said I don’t like any of it NOW, so go away and rethink it.” Aaarrrrgh! But after all this, the majority of people I work with are lovely and I wouldn’t change them for the world. ■■ What makes you see red? Email your rant to robertz@business-action.co.uk
33
TRAINING
Training employees is worth the investment Rozz Algar, from Herne, examines the value that training employees provides to forward-looking businesses
For SMEs, the challenge of recruiting and retaining good staff is a key one, so every penny you spend on this endeavour needs to be money well spent. The truth is that poorly trained staff cost significantly more to support than well-trained ones. Untrained or poorly trained workers are much more likely to be demotivated, less able to carry out the tasks set for them, are less productive and more likely to make mistakes. So when put like that, why wouldn’t a business do what it can to train them? Well, frequently the simple answer is that training costs time and money and it can be hard for a small business to set aside the resources to do this. But let us look at all the positive benefits there are for the individuals as well as the business and then ask ourselves the question again – can we really afford not to train our staff? 34
Training helps staff feel valued For staff the simple fact that their employer is investing in them will make them feel valued. Feeling valued is much more likely to mean that they will be motivated, they will go the extra mile and contribute to a much higher level. With training and development comes a personal sense of satisfaction and this will help to make them feel more confident in what they do. With confidence will come a willingness to take on more responsibility and to innovate. And the benefits to companies of training and developing their staff is even greater. While it is lovely to offer staff training and watch them gain in confidence and ability, if it just ended there, it wouldn’t be commercially viable. But the great news is that the benefits to businesses is probably even greater than those felt by the individuals. Business Action | business-action.co.uk
TRAINING ➤➤ Training
your staff helps your business run better – staff are better equipped to handle customer enquiries, make sales and use systems effectively.
➤➤ Training
ensures that things are done consistently – and consistency of your product and service delivery will ensure that customer satisfaction remains high.
➤➤ Training
is a positive recruiting tool – staff these days are looking for so much more than just a pay cheque and therefore offering them the opportunity to gain new skills will make your business much more appealing to them.
➤➤ Training
is a retention tool – as we have seen, training and development encourages staff to stay and what company wouldn’t want to avoid unnecessary recruitment and induction training costs?
➤➤ Training
your staff ensures you have a flexible and efficient team. Cross training your team can make them capable of doing more than just one task, ensuring you can adapt your business to meet your needs.
So, all in all, training your staff offers significant benefits and should be seen as money well @businessactionm | Winter 2014
spent and the right thing to do for you and your business. A word of caution Seeing a return on your investment may take some time and while training will take from the bottom line in the short term, having faith and holding firm to reap the rewards long term means you need to hold your nerve!
■■ Rozz Algar is a highly successful and energetic executive with expertise in people management, organisational development and communications. Herne provides training and development packages and 121 coaching. ■■ See the special promotion advert on page 13 for reduced price training packages or email Rozz. tel: 01837 83111 email: rozz@herne.org.uk web: herne.org.uk Twitter: @HerneRozz
35
Grievances: getting the investigation right In an exclusive series of HR articles, Pippa Bucknell, senior HR consultant at FitzgeraldHR, focuses on grievances
Case study: A member of staff has raised a grievance. What do we do? The first question is: do you have a written grievance procedure? Within the written statement of terms and conditions that an employer is required to give to an employee, it needs to be made clear how an employee can raise a grievance, should he or she 36
wish to do so. By having a written procedure this makes it much easier to get the principles of good grievance management right. It also helps employees by making it clear what a grievance is and what will happen if a grievance is raised. It should be possible for most grievances to be dealt with informally by a line manager. However, for occasions where this is not possible, your grievance Business Action | business-action.co.uk
HUMAN RESOURCES
procedure should explain how an employee can raise a grievance formally. Grievances can be very damaging, particularly if they’re handled badly. If everyone involved in the grievance is committed to achieving a solution, that is a huge advantage. Occasionally, however, an employee may raise a grievance against another employee and this type of situation can become emotional for both of them. A focused but understanding approach is best when dealing with these situations. If one of your managers has excellent interpersonal skills, consider using him / her to investigate the grievance. Next steps In terms of process, the first thing to do is arrange a meeting with the employee who has raised a grievance. The purpose of the meeting is to establish exactly what the problems are and how they have disadvantaged the employee. It’s often important to get exact details of incidents and their impact on the employee. When you write to the employee, use neutral language, providing details of the manager who will be investigating the grievance and the date and time @businessactionm | Winter 2014
of the investigation meeting. If it’s more practical, you may ask the employee to suggest a few suitable dates before you send the letter. How do we ensure we get the investigation right? One thing that managers often forget to ask the employee who raised the grievance is what they believe the solution is or what they expect the outcome will be. While a good investigation is about establishing the facts around a particular issue, it can be useful to know what the employee wants in terms of a resolution. You may find that the right solution is easily achievable – for example, changing a policy to reflect better practice. If, after investigation, your employee’s expectations are unrealistic or their perceptions mistaken, you will need to bear this in mind in considering any outcome later. Some employees use the grievance procedure to raise complaints of bullying behaviour or other types of misconduct. In this case, you will need to establish initially (a) whether the situation merits suspension or removal in some other way of the employee who is accused of the behaviour, and (b) whether you have an alternative policy that’s more appropriate to follow
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HUMAN RESOURCES
(bullying and harassment, discipline etc). Here are our pointers on conducting a fair and thorough investigation: ➤➤ Make
sure that written records are taken of the investigative meeting and all further interviews that you need to undertake. You Handling grievances: should allow ➤➤ Keep written records each individual of meetings employee to ➤➤ Prepare questions in check the content advance of the record ➤➤ Verify details against relevant to them records and ask them to ➤➤ Don’t let investigations state that they drag out believe the record is correct and sign it. ➤➤ Prepare
your questions in advance. Ensure that they are not leading or suggestive in any way. It’s important that you don’t form a view until you’ve gathered all of the evidence that you need, particularly if a complaint of bullying or harassment is raised.
➤➤ Verify
details against records or other information. If an employee says they have been denied training opportunities, check their training records and the relevance of the courses to their role.
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➤➤ Employees
who are upset or angry may not always give an accurate account of what happened. Find ways to ensure you feel satisfied that you know, as far as is possible, what actually did happen.
➤➤ Time
is often a problem in terms of investigating grievances. The manager who is undertaking the task is often required to fit this in alongside all of their other responsibilities and can often find that the process takes longer than anticipated. In those circumstances, a phone call to the employee who raised the grievance will go a long way. However, don’t allow grievance investigations to drag out as this is likely to make matters worse. If you don’t have the time or experience internally to conduct a thorough investigation, we recommend you outsource it.
How do we know when an investigation is complete? This has to be a matter of judgement. However, a good rule of thumb is: if the investigating manager is still unclear on certain aspects of the grievance, the investigation isn’t complete. The manager should be confident that everyone who was involved has Business Action | business-action.co.uk
HUMAN RESOURCES
been interviewed and that each aspect of the grievance can be addressed fully. Once the grievance investigation is complete, the next stage is to hold a grievance hearing. At any formal grievance hearing the employee has a statutory right to be accompanied, either by a work colleague or a trade union official. Following the grievance hearing, the manager hearing it should inform the employee of the outcome, put this in writing and include the right of appeal in the letter. As mentioned above, grievances can be very damaging and it’s important that all companies
give a written commitment to investigating grievances and improving practices where needed. As well as dealing with issues informally where possible, other positive initiatives can include three-way meetings to resolve differences and considering mediation. ■■ Pippa Bucknell is an FCIPD
qualified HR professional with FitzgeraldHR and has more than 10 years’ experience providing HR advice and support to a variety of organisations. tel: 01237 239 028 email: pippa@fitzgeraldHR.co.uk web: fitzgeraldhr.co.uk Twitter: @FitzgeraldHR
North Devon networking To network with businesses from across North Devon face-to-face and online, join the NDBA: ➤➤ Friday
end-of-month lunches
➤➤ Business
Action magazine
➤➤ Online
forums and groups on LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook
Our lunches create a friendly and informal atmosphere where we discuss business issues and build relationships with professionals and business owners keen to develop their networks. @businessactionm | Winter 2014
There is no hard sell or obligation to attend and the emphasis is on connecting businesses so that relationships develop organically. Join at ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk 39
Unsocial media Duncan Casburn of Flint Hosts asks how social is social media?
Is the term ‘social media’ the ultimate oxymoron? Have we become victims of Orwellian doublespeak by delving into the depths of social media addiction, in doing so becoming ironic social hermits, all hidden away behind iPads and smartphones with no interest in the outside reality? I am reminded of the scene in Ocean’s Eleven where Basher (played by Don Cheadle) is 40
watching the demolition of a building on TV oblivious to the fact it’s taking place in the real world right outside his window. Online I have been guilty of the same crime: I have found myself admiring pictures of landscapes and other equally beautiful images, whilst the amazing views right on my doorstep go unnoticed . . . and I live on the coast in Devon. Maybe they don’t look as good Business Action | business-action.co.uk
SOCIAL HEADER MEDIA
without an Instagram filter to enhance them? Social media has permeated every facet of our lives. No one just enjoys a concert any more, they have to film it. Likewise no one eats a meal without instagramming it first. It seems we can’t even make a decision without tweeting about it. But still I love social media, and as a result I have lately found myself pondering these things through the lens of the office. Allow me to explain: I am the head of marketing and business development for Flint Hosts, and we provide managed cloud hosting for businesses of all sizes. I have been in this role for around 16 months, having come from a background in business conferences . . . and you could not find two more diverse products. I can hear your collective yawns from here, so I’ll cut a long story short. In making the transition between the two roles, I found that, while a show can be introduced and sold very quickly, hosting goes to the heart of a business’s infrastructure and so decisions are (rightly so) made a lot more cautiously. This means that, from a marketing perspective, you need to let people know that you’re there when they’re looking for @businessactionm | Winter 2014
hosting. So social media has become an integral part of our marketing strategy. (You may well be reading this article simply because you saw it via social media.) And isn’t the world of social media a wonderful place to be? On Facebook I’m a James Bondlike character. I’m debonair, I’m witty, attractive, popular (I have so many friends). I’m windswept, interesting, father of the year and husband of the millennium. On LinkedIn, though, I’m all business: the consummate professional with business connections that span the globe. Still witty and popular, but kept within the confines of appropriate business behaviour. No one cares who I am on Twitter, as long as I’ve followed them back. And social media has been important for our branding. People know about Flint Hosts because we have spent time getting our name out there and building up a following. But here’s the killer question: when it comes to business, do you buy from social media or do you buy from real people? For social media to be its most effective, it needs to be a bridge. It brings people to you, but you need to be waiting on the other 41
SOCIAL MEDIA
side to greet them in person. There will never be a social media substitute for palm to palm and face to face. Social media is also a black hole. You can find yourself more and more immersed in a virtual world until it seems the real you has vanished. The TV show Red Dwarf has an episode called ‘Better Than Life’. In this episode the team become ensnared in a game called Better Than Life (BTL). In the game every desire is fulfilled. You are completely immersed in abject bliss. But in the real world you’re wasting away. A zombie-like wraith unable to feed or clothe yourself. We need to unplug every now and then and connect with the
real world. Pick up the phone and talk to clients, or even (and now we’re getting scary) make some cold calls. Let’s not allow social media to make us anti-social. It’s important for business, but, as they say, it should form part of a balanced diet. I wonder how many likes this will get?
■■ Duncan Casburn is head of business development and marketing at Flint Hosts, which provides awardwinning, premium quality, enterprise level, fully-managed cloud hosting combined with unparalleled service levels from its 100% UK-based team. tel: 08000 274362 email: duncan@flintmedia.co.uk web: flinthosts.co.uk Twitter: @flinthosts
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MEMBER Q&A
Ask Trina Curtis
NDBA members share their experience by answering 10 questions. This issue Trina Curtis of CoDEStorm is in the hot seat
1. What was your first job? I was a waitress in Westward Ho! I enjoyed getting to know the holiday makers and regulars and can still balance several plates up my arm. 2. What is the best business advice you’ve ever received? You’re only as good as your last job. I can’t remember who I heard it from, but it does ring true. 3. What do you enjoy most about business? Where do I start? I love connecting with clients and, most of all, saving them money. It’s a win-win relationship. Positive feedback is always such a buzz. Many people are surprised that I can offer better franking machine prices when they send bulk mailings (500+ items) and I enjoy spreading the word. 4. What technology could your business never be without? Personally, I would say a calculator and spell check. 5. Describe your management / business style I’m pro-active and like to be as helpful as I possibly can; I find it’s
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the most rewarding way to be. 6. How do you go about personal development? I interact with clients regularly asking for feedback. It’s the best way to improve on the service we provide. 7. Is there anything about yourself that you want to change? I do find it hard to switch off, but that’s not always a bad thing. 8. Social media: yes or no? Which network do you prefer? It’s got to be a yes, although I’m not as up to date as I’d like to be. I’m not on Twitter yet, partly because I think I will be an addict, 9. How do you wind down when not working? I’ve recently started going to yoga. I’m loving it, I completely zone out for the whole hour. 10. Do you have a motto or favourite quotation? I must confess I don’t really do mottos but one good one is ‘small details create the big picture’.
Business Action | business-action.co.uk
■■ CoDEStorm has over 18 years’ experience providing comprehensive fulfillment services to support and develop businesses. With full e-commerce solutions utilising the latest technology to build clients’ web-shops as well as source and supply promotional products, merchandise and clothing both branded and unbranded. We provide an efficient service for order pick, pack and despatch and Direct Mail, with significant postage savings. We also have secure
warehousing and distribute UK and worldwide at extremely competitive prices. Our experience through working across a wide range of clients means we’re familiar with developing each of our services to suit your exact requirements; we thrive on working together to provide solutions to produce quality end results. email: enquiries@codestorm.co.uk web: codestorm.co.uk tel: 02392 383 999 and ask for Trina, based in North Devon
Who’s our next Q&A member?
If you’re an NDBA member, you can be featured in a future Business Action Q&A, along with a summary of your business. Email the answers to our 10 @businessactionm | Winter 2014
questions with a high quality photo of yourself and a 100-word business description and your contact details to robertz@business-action.co.uk
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