NetWorks 'Rebuilding Communities'

PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE THAT HELP PEOPLE

www.bita.ie • Edition 8 • 2020

REBUILDING COMMUNITIES

Leadership in a Crisis

#PoweringtheNHS

Chapter Updates

Effective tactics for success

Powerday’s community program

Talking business with our members PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE THAT HELP PEOPLE

SECTION

Helping you build a successful business Evans Mockler are a long established and dynamic firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Registered Auditors.

We specialise in both the construction industry and the property sector.

We are business and tax advisors and recognise that our clients require more than just annual compliance.

We understand the many challenges that businesses face, particularly within the construction industry. We work closely with our clients to ensure that they overcome these challenges and achieve their goals.

Kindly contact us on 020 8449 9632 if you would like to discuss our range of services and to find out how Evans Mockler can help you build your business.

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Editor: Diane Birch, BITA Executive Director Sub Editor: Laura Watkins

WELCOME

Features Editor: John Reynolds BITA Contributors: Arnold Kaloki, BrightTeach; Brendon Kenny, Ellanstone; Oliver Hazley, Simplyworkflow; Will Polston, Make it Happen Design and Production E jules@stimula.co.uk Online version: issuu.com

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W

elcome everyone to the latest issue of NetWorks! This is a special edition as it is the first (and probably only) issue we’ve done that’s solely being published online. It’s also special as I’m writing this from my home in Kent where I’ve been, like the rest of you, keeping put for the last three months.

We’ve heard a lot about ‘changing landscapes’ and ‘unprecedented times’, and this is certainly nothing I want to add to. We all know what the situation is, and we’ve all had our own struggles over the past few months.

What I would like to talk about is resilience, adaptability, and the future. We have been providing online events for all our members since the 19th March, when we kicked off with financial and legal expertise on the implications of what was happening. We have stepped this up since, gathering experts from our membership so they can share with you their knowledge and help you and your business pull through.

We have also been doing lots of planning behind the scenes! We are a community that thrives off networking and introductions, and we have a strategy in place to help us serve you in the coming months and help you come out of the gates running. More frequent, smaller meetings; online events that offer more; growth plans and facilitated introductions for our members are all in the pipeline. We are here to support you in your endeavours.

I would like to say a special thank you to our sponsors, speakers, supporters, and all new and renewing members from the past few months. We truly appreciate your support of our organisation. If anyone hasn’t yet renewed their membership and would like to, or would like to join as a new member, please go to https://www.cognitoforms.com/BITA1/MembershipForm2020.

We are here to help you.

BITA Ltd. All rights reserved

Terms and conditions NetWorks is published by BITA Ltd. Its entire content is protected by copyright 2020 and all its rights reserved.

Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care has been taken in compiling the content of the magazine, but the publisher assumes no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither BITA Ltd or NetWorks accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims used by advertisers.

PAUL WHITNELL President

@BITAIntl @BITAIntl @BITA @BITA_Intl

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CONTENTS 8

13

PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE THAT HELP PEOPLE

www.bita.ie

07

Awareness: Key to a Successful Life?

08

Effective Leadership in a Crisis

11

The Shape of Things to Come

12

Frustration and Force Majeure

13

The Virtues of Virtual

14

Coming Together

15

Managing the Return

17

Rebuilding Britain

18

Is Trying to be Perfect Insane?

21

Back to School

22

#PoweringtheNHS

24

What do you Bid?

26

The World of Zoom

15

Sponsored by Speedy Services

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PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE THAT HELP PEOPLE # 8 I July 2020 I the Rebuilding Communities issue

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

28 28

Better than Banana Bread!

31

Living with Lung Cancer

32

Made in Manchester

34

Measuring the Impact

35

Supporting the Community

36

Causeway and BITA

37

Kombucha: What’s it all About?

38

Challenges and Opportunities for Irish SME’s

40

Game Changing Technology

43

Embracing the Change

44

BITA Referrals

45

Sharing Expertise

46

Join BITA’s Community

32

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WELLBEING

D

espite what circumstances swirl around me, I have always found myself drawn to the ideals of mindfulness. This has served me very well, not only for the last three months of isolation, but for my journey as a whole.

Mindfulness now almost seems like a marketing ploy, bestseller lists are filled with ‘mindful colouring in’, and candles

through the motions’, mindfulness trains our brains to be truly present in each moment, and to experience it fully.

People who enjoy a meal at a table, being aware of what they are eating, eat less food than those that robotically eat in front of a TV; something that we’re all guilty of from time to time! Being present when spending time with family

AWARENESS KEY TO A

SUCCESSFUL LIFE? Diane Birch, Executive Director of BITA, talks about how awareness of the world around you can have a lasting effect

that purportedly help with mindfulness seem to be more expensive than those that don’t! True mindfulness shouldn’t cost anything except time, and the gains won’t be in things cluttering up your home, but a greater understanding of yourself, and an appreciation of what you have.

What does it really mean?

When I talk about mindfulness, what I really mean is awareness. Awareness of the world around you, of your body and its needs, of those you share your life with, and what you need to feed your mind.

Mindfulness can help with every facet of your life, from curbing over-eating, to appreciating time with the family and to learning new skills. Instead of ‘going

and friends, means paying attention, not looking at a phone or daydreaming. ‘Active listening’ is a skill that can be learned by anyone, and it basically means paying attention to the person you are with - just politeness really!

Mindfulness is about helping you, for you – not for others. While some people might be talking about ‘learning to be the best boss’ or influencing people, mindfulness is for its own sake – not profit or power. Its purpose is to make people more content, and to battle the rising tides of cortisol levels across the nation.

It’s also about encouraging the same compassion that we feel for others, for yourself. There are many times that I have felt empathy and

given time to help someone in difficult or challenging situations, even though if I was in the same position, I would push myself beyond reason to deal with it unsympathetically.

The compassion that I feel when looking at another is of course the right reaction. Learning to be forgiving and understanding to myself was a challenge, and one I still struggle with sometimes, however ‘do unto others’ cuts both ways.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that there is nothing wrong with avoiding stressful situations, we don’t need to tackle everything that makes us feel anxious and stressed because we’re told that it’s the ‘adult’ thing to do.

I have a friend that gets so anxious and stressed looking at social media, that she deleted all her apps. Another went through and vigorously checked who she was following so she only saw good news stories. Why put yourself in a constant stressful situation, just because it’s habit to do so? We need to be present, aware of what makes us uncomfortable, as well as what we enjoy, and actively curate our lives to provide the best environment to be happy.

For those of you who manage staff, it may be interesting to note that aside from personal gains, mindfulness does have a multitude of benefits for organisations as well! It can increase teamwork, help people focus, help manage interpersonal relationships, and fewer sick days. It can also increase your team’s creativity!

For those stuck-on autopilot, breaking out of this routine and truly being present in the moment can lead to many exciting ‘ah-ha!’ moments.

www.bita.ie

7

Laura Watkins

W

e have been speaking to business leaders in BITA to see how they have been handling the crisis, what they have learned, and how they are emerging successfully.

The last few months have been challenging for businesses, and staff have been struggling with drastic changes to their lives. Home-schooling, being stuck at home for days, uncomfortable working conditions and mental health issues have all had an unknown impact.

In times of crisis, people look to their leaders to be a fixed point that will help them get through the worst. Politicians, community representatives and employers are relied upon to provide leadership and inspiration to those that depend on them.

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN A

CRISIS How leadership and trust can lead to success in hard times

Although they will be struggling with the same problems, a good leader knows that no matter the crisis, we all have control over how we act in response.

Uncertainty has been one of the defining features of 2020 so far, but uncertainly doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to prepare. The business leaders we’ve spoken to have all said how important is it to be prepared for the unexpected, and equally important, to be heavily involved in strategy and decision making. As Stephen R. Covey once said; “no involvement, no commitment”.

Jacqueline O’Donovan, of O’Donovan Waste Disposal agrees; ‘We’ve been keeping in regular contact with the staff through WhatsApp groups, which is very important.

‘We’ve been present, passing on health and safety guidance and reassuring staff that we’ll be back to normal ASAP. I think we have been bought closer as we’ve had to work together and had more interaction than usual.’

In times of crisis it can be easy to start making short-cuts, but this may lead to disaster in the long run. In response to COVID, Lyndsey Gallagher of Gallagher Group set up a task force to help anticipate the worst-case scenarios, but right from the outset she was clear that the business must stick to its organisational values. “Before the furlough we were sending people home with pay, as their health was more important to us,” says Lyndsey; “and they were saying ‘we want to stay; we want to work’ so we were ending up kicking people out the door!” Continuing to embody your values in the face of a crisis, be it with customers, suppliers, or staff, shows the true colours of your business.

Many businesses that have acted, in the eyes of the public, as disreputable, may find their previously good reputations difficult to un-tarnish in the coming months.

When the prospect of a lockdown started to seem increasingly likely in February and March, one of the most urgent things that businesses had to do was re-examine their mission, be very clear

BUSINESS

about what needed to change and fix issues straight away. As Paul Whitnell said; “Examine, question, and discover the new us”.

When businesses make this questioning behaviour an intrinsic part of their environment and values, it means that they don’t get stuck doing ‘business as usual’ when it no longer works. When a business promotes an environment of questioning, it also enables staff to offer ideas and solutions to problems that board members may not have seen.

Laing O’Rourke offers one of the highest profile examples of this culture of involvement, questioning and adaptability. The day after lockdown it was decided to prepare for a full year on lockdown, and staff wages were all cut by 20%. Today they are back at full wages, but the quick-thinking, adaptability and leadership shown will have made a lasting impression and placed them well for the year ahead.

Frequency of meetings have also been crucial for our business leaders to not only retain control and involvement, but to be seen to do so by staff and others in the industry. Many say that they have increased consultations with staff as well as strategy meetings. Justin McInerney from Smartzone increased his board and non-executive meetings dramatically to make sure that all business needs are anticipated and the correct systems in place, but also to make sure that they are taking full advantage of opportunities.

Many leaders have taken free time to reconsider their options and consider new activities and revenue streams, nothing drives innovation like an inhospitable environment. “Considering Zoom and other green ways to do business now, I think that the green economy will come at us like a steam train” says Justin who is now viewing their business strategy through a greener lens.

The qualities of adaptability, questioning and involvement, all combine to make an excellent leader, but the most effective employer fosters these qualities in their employees. This needs to be modelled in a top down approach that has been intrinsically linked with the company ethos.

Staff empowerment will lead to better decision making and critical thinking skills. As Eddie McGillycuddy of Glencar says; ‘Trust and empowerment of employees starts right at the beginning of the interview process, and means delegating tasks to the right people, trusting them to do it right and helping them if they get it wrong.’

Having a culture that has staff empowerment as its core will lead to engaged staff and is an effective way of folding in empathy to your business.

As Jacqueline says; ‘When you invest in staff, they’ll invest in you and your business – you can see the change in how they act. You can see in their body language that they walk taller, are more confident, feel more productive; they’ll go the extra mile for you.’ This more engaged workforce will be able to function efficiently and continue to innovate even in the face of a crisis.

There seems to be a consensus developing in business, and echoed by our leaders, that with increased green technology, less time traveling, and more flexible home working on the horizon, we could all end up happier and with more balance with our work and home lives. “Although the mental health toll is yet to be determined,” says BITA Executive Director Diane Birch; “I think that after an event like this where no-one was spared anxiety and stress, we will all hopefully be more generous with our compassion and understanding as employers moving forward.” Many of the world’s most recognisable brands, including Barclays, Facebook and Twitter have implemented new working policies allowing extended working from home and flexibility in returning to work. Many smaller businesses are following suit.

How we treat people now will serve us for the future, and those that treat us badly will find we won’t want to work with them. This is where we can lay the foundations of loyalty.

GENEROSITY AND COMPASSION WILL BE THE BEST THINGS TO COME OUT OF THIS CRISIS.

9

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PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE THAT HELP PEOPLE

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THE SHAPE OF

THINGS TO COME Martin Mockler of Evans Mockler, Accountants, Auditors, Business and Tax Advisors

T

he words unprecedented and unparalleled have appeared in media commentary on a regular basis since our world was first locked down in March, with plenty of justification for these descriptions. For the vast majority of people living on the planet, our assumptions of what normal life looks like have been turned upside down.

Of course we had all learned about the great pandemics and plagues of centuries past including the Spanish and Asian Flus of the 20th Century. However for most of us, the social restrictions that have recently been imposed together with the economic devastation that has occurred, have been truly shocking.

“May you live in interesting times” is a saying similar to the coronavirus in so far as it apparently originated in China.

There is no doubt that 2020 is at the very least interesting, albeit in a tragic way for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. In fact the Chinese expression is a curse as it is used ironically – uninteresting times are those of peace and tranquillity whereas interesting times are usually those of trouble and conflict.

In addition to the human tragedy, much has also been written about how business leaders steer their way out of the suspension and resume economic activity. A lot of commentators have focused on the shape of graphs of forecast gross domestic product (GDP) for various countries when projecting the economic recovery. Much has been written about either the V, U or L shape of these forecasts assuming various scenarios and timeframes for the return to our previous normal. The optimists are squarely in the V shape camp, whereas the pessimists are convinced that we are facing an L shape recession and that we will experience a new normal with lower levels of trade.

It is often said that if you place 10 economists in a room they will emerge with 11 opinions and indeed predicting

the next couple of years is going to be more of an art than a science. Other than the Great Depression, we don’t have a comparative economic event, particularly when we look at US unemployment numbers which are heading towards an additional 45 million Americans out of work since the pandemic enforced lockdown.

Personally, I think that the shape of the world recovery will be a combination of the U and L shapes and much like the shape of the Nike ‘swoosh’ logo. We have all felt a sense of our own mortality during the past few months and there is no doubt that people have been scared and will also be somewhat scarred. It is inevitable that for a while our spending patterns will reduce and we will save more. Although this is a sensible approach for us as individuals, it will have a negative impact on the broader economy; particularly in the US where 65% of GDP is related to consumer spending being the ultimate consumer society.

However in the medium term we have a very strong and unbroken track record of recovering from whatever is thrown at us. These historic obstacles range from the Black Death in the 14th Century to the Great Depression and both World Wars in the 20th Century. Although world population growth presents a long term threat to the environment, it also presents an opportunity for sustained increases in economic development. There are just under 8 billion people inhabiting this world which reflects a staggering increase

during the 1800s and 1900s. In fact it took 200,000 years for the population of the world to reach 1 billion, yet it only took 200 years to jump by a further 7 billion to the current 8 billion today.

The undoubted takeaway from our history of natural, man-made and financial disasters is that human endeavour, resilience and adaptability will overcome whatever we have to deal with. Although a coronavirus vaccine will almost certainly not be available until 2021 at the earliest, this would still mean that an inoculation against Covid-19 would be delivered in record time. This forecast timeframe for an available vaccine further reflects the dramatic advances in biomedical science in the past couple of decades. There is a developing convergence of medicine and computing which is creating deep pools of knowledge – a large element of this new scientific field emerged from the final mapping of the genome on 14 April 2003.

These advances will undoubtedly continue. The only certainty is that the future is uncertain. However we can also be absolutely sure that hope springs eternal and as a species we will overcome all of the obstacles that will appear in our path. www.bita.ie

11

Henry Hathaway, Consultant Silver Shemmings Ash LLP

FRUSTRATION AND

FORCE MAJEURE T he uncertainty relating to Brexit is proving to be minor in comparison to what occurred when the word Coronavirus became part of daily vocabulary. At the time of writing, arguably the Construction Industry faces the largest challenge possible, with numerous interconnected factors. As an industry where cashflow and disputes were already common issues, we are now in a situation where construction companies now face hard decisions to secure their futures.

In addition to coronavirus, force majeure and frustration have also emerged into our daily lexicon, with hope they can be used as a talisman against issues caused by the pandemic. However, they may not offer the relief that the users would like or want.

Frustration of a contract is a term that is widely misunderstood; to be ‘frustrated’ the subject matter of the contract must be destroyed or consist of an action no longer capable of being performed. Added difficulties, including cost and delays in performing contracts, do not lead to a legal description of frustration. It is therefore unlikely that any construction contract will be able to use this as a get-out clause.

The French term “force majeure” does not have any meaning under the English Law; unless the terminology and meaning are included as a provision in the contract, it will not be relevant. So, the first step of deciding if force majeure is applicable

is to check whether force majeure is an operable term of the contract itself.

If a contract expressly sets out what constitutes a force majeure event, for example stating that a pandemic or an epidemic will be such an event, then one would expect a straightforward application.

Looking at the JCT suite of contracts, an extension of time under clause 2.26.14 of the JCT Design and Build Contract 2016 can be granted in the event of a force majeure event. Unfortunately, this is as far as the JCT terms go to explain the term; no further assistance is provided.

It is important to note that under JCT time and money are split, the effect of this is that even if force majeure is an arguable position to pursue in respect of time, there are no provisions under the contract for a force majeure event to assist in the recovery of losses of money.

In cases of ambiguity, we always check case law precedents, which are not in abundance in this case. However, the ones that are existent suggest that it is entirely plausible and arguable to say that the current circumstances would constitute an Act of God. What is very important is the foreseeability of an event at the time of entering into the contract; contractors entering into a contract now could not use the pandemic as a force majeure event, as it is patently not ‘unforeseen’. Where parties are currently negotiating terms of contracts, they must take steps to integrate the new reality of

the pandemic and social distancing within their tendering.

If a Contractor does meet the definition of a force majeure, it faces more issues and far greater tests. If a party’s wording does fall within the terminology, there remains the test of causation. The alleged event must be the sole cause of the failure to perform, which is not always clear cut in construction.

The issue that the construction industry faces is the concept of social distancing or disruption relating to the performance of the remaining parts of the contract.

Just because a contract has become more difficult or expensive to perform, does not mean frustration or force majeure can be claimed. It is these circumstances that will likely prove to be financially most difficult in the industry.

Government advice and the interrelationship between the Coronavirus Act 2020, various regulations and political statements are also proving difficult to align and are incredibly at odds to cross reference and rely upon. Where parties consider there is an entitlement to redress of all the effects of Coronavirus on account of there being a change in the law, then the immediate question will be to ask what provisions specifically apply?

Contractors face an uncertain time ahead in respect of how the current circumstances will evolve, however; the primary key to discharging current contracts is to understand and create certainty in respect of what is known and what is capable of resolution.

Author Henry Hathaway is a Consultant Solicitor with Silver Shemmings Ash and is a qualified Civil Engineer from Trinity College Dublin.

Tel: 00 44 207 167 6602 - Email: henryhathaway@silverllp.com At Silver Shemmings Ash, we provide seminars and training alongside our core activities in contentious and non-contentious matters to facilitate a greater knowledge and understanding of construction and property law.

Virtual

BUSINESS

THE VIRTUES OF

Busy lives mean we need more help, but in what form?

T

he use of virtual assistants is increasing as technology and communications improve. Ease of access, 24/7 emails, and shared cloud spaces like OneDrive are making it increasingly easy to benefit from the services and expertise of your very own VA. As we emerge, blinking, from lockdown, it remains to be seen if the recent boost caused by COVID-19 will last into 2021.

A virtual assistant is someone that provides services and support for another business or businesses from a remote location, and there have been VAs pretty much since the internet really got going in the 1990s.

The traditional market for a virtual assistant is with small business owners and entrepreneurs. When working in a small or solo business, the owner has to wear a multitude of hats and eventually this can become untenable.

Niche tasks that require a greater amount of skill, training and experience are when virtual private PA’s shine. Many small businesses may decide to invest more in social media and marketing materials, but don’t have the budget for a marketing expert. Someone who has expertise, who can work long or short term on a particular project as a self-employed worker, can be a godsend to anyone trying to juggle multiple work streams.

One of the huge benefits of having a virtual assistant is that they can be 75% cheaper than hiring a full-time employee, and there are the additional perks of not having to worry about HR, pension, and paid absences.

New BITA member Poppins PAi works with busy executives that are balancing demands of career, family and social life. They offer the breath-taking possibility of more time. Personal shopping and diary management, as well as services as a confidante, are a few of their services.

Speaking to Abigail Langridge, founder of Poppins PA, it is clear that she is passionate about what she does; “I have been working with Lyndsey [Gallagher] for a little over a year and I love working with someone that is so passionate about what they do, it’s inspiring. Being able to lighten her load and making sure that she has enough time to relax and connect with her family is incredibly rewarding.”

What does it take to be a virtual PA? Although virtual assistant (VA) and personal assistant (PA) are the commonly used titles, there are many different specialities.

Many VAs will specialise in data entry, some may run errands; whatever the job that needs doing, you will be able to find someone that specialises in that area.

Abigail says, “My clients expect me to be hyper organised and not only to be prepared, but to make sure they are as well.

Board meetings, client meetings, holidays, diary management

i ii

– these are just a few of the things that we cover and dropping any of those spinning plates would be disastrous for both us and our clients.

One of my favourite aspects of the role is when I become fully immersed in a client’s life, enabling me to better anticipate eventualities and future requirements and truly become their right-hand woman!”

According to startupsii, it’s estimated that the number of people using a VA will increase to 1.8 billion globally in 2021, so whether you are thinking of hiring one, or perhaps taking the leap into working virtually yourself, now could be the time.

Although there is no substitute for face to face meetings, we have heard from our members saying they are going to replace some of their regular face to face meetings with Zoom calls. In the coming months of belt-tightening, rising green awareness, and with even our most troglodyte staff members becoming au fait with technology, now could be the perfect time to make a foray into the world of the virtual assistant, should you, your business or staff need extra help.

GIVING CLIENTS BACK THE CLARITY AND SPACE IN THEIR LIVES IS CRUCIAL.

https://www.poppins-pa.com/ https://startups.co.uk/how-to-become-a-virtual-assistant/ www.bita.ie

13

Laura Watkins

COMMUNITY

C

ompanies across the UK have been going above and beyond for their communities; the money raised, items donated, and time spent helping others has been incredible. BITA members Paul Sanger from Traffic Management London Ltd and Michael Barratt MBE told us about this amazing story at Manorfield School in Tower Hamlets.

The school is in one of the most deprived areas in the UK, nationally, 13.6% of school children are eligiblefor free school dinners, but in Tower Hamlets that figure is 33%. For Manorfield School in particular, 65%+ of the students are aligible for free school meals.

There were many families from the area that would be struggling with access to nutrition during the school closures, and headteacher Paul Jackson realised that there were opportunities through businesses for innovative thinking and exciting projects.

Three years ago, Manorfield School managed an event with the Dorchester Hotel to raise funds for a new school nursery. One half marathon later and they had enough money for construction of the new facilities. The relationship with the hotel has remained, with the student choir singing at the Dorchester over Christmas, so Paul felt it was time to take things further.

“I realised that there were all these opportunities available, but I needed to be proactive and make things happen” says headteacher Paul Jackson. “I’m not afraid to approach people for help. As a result, the school has ended up working with a host of incredible people that are really positive and have the children’s interests at heart. So much so that we have managed to achieve in 24 hours things that would have normally taken years.”

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NETWORKS

COMING TOGETHER TURNING A COMMERCIAL STRUGGLE INTO A COMMUNITY SUCCESS!

WE MANAGED TO DO IN 24 HOURS THINGS THAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TAKEN YEARS!

This is no exaggeration. The week before lockdown the regular catering company only supplied one member of staff because of sickness absence. The school had to remain open for some of the most vulnerable students and children of key workers, so this was a serious issue.

After a phone call to the Dorchester, the hotel sent the head chef from the staff canteen and the canteen manager to prepare food for the students. These were swiftly followed by staff from the

Sponsored by www.speedyservices.com

restaurant chain Ottolenghi, who in the face of closures first sent excess food, and then staff, to the school to cover shortfall.

Having capacity to help more people, Paul then decided that they should start helping the wider community. “We started off making food parcels for 200 people a week, and we are now up to 1,300. This is all with donated produce, food purchased through an emergency fundraising appeal and hard-working staff and community members volunteering their skills.”

Charmingly, the chefs have been working with the students attending the school, now up to 126 per day (the school has 736 pupils in total), to teach them cooking skills, and incorporating food grown in the school’s edible playground by the children, in the meals they prepare.

“The support from the community has been incredible,” says Paul; “Hovis are donating 900 loaves of bread a week, Original Marquees have donated a marquee to increase capacity for a socially distanced classroom and dining room, and other companies have donated signage, fencing and plants. The property development company Regal London raised £26,000 for our food parcel program.”

We are so pleased to hear how, across the UK and Ireland, businesses have been stepping up to help some of our most vulnerable communities. The innovative projects and ground-breaking new ways of thinking that have been deployed, are truly inspiring.

You can donate to Manorfield Primary School here!

MANAGING THE RETURN Talking to the developers of a new system, V-Health Passport about the journey of development and how businesses can benefit

2020

will go down in history as a time when digital transformation was forced upon sectors which, in the past, may have been slow to adopt new technologies. Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become standard communication tools not just in business but also in how we engage with our family and friends during the enforced lockdown.

In the run up to Covid-19, Ellanstone and Infinite Possibilities had been working closely together on a number of awardwinning digital technologies around engagement, compliance and incident management. It became clear that if these technologies worked in ‘concert’ they could form a very powerful solution.

James Screen of Infinite Possibilities commented, “With many projects running behind schedule and a lot of the population at home not able to earn, the technologies which we have been working with over the years, with a few tweaks, could be adapted to help solve the problems of getting people back to work safely”. The team, through their new scheduled daily Zoom calls, set about trying to put the jigsaw together to come up with a technology solution to support the predicted need for mass testing in the construction sector.

Brendon Kenny of Ellanstone and chair of BITA IOM commented “It became very apparent that with the combined skill sets

THE TEAM SET ABOUT TRYING TO COME UP WITH A TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE PREDICTED NEED FOR MASS TESTING IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR.

and connections of Ellanstone and Infinite Possibilities that we should form a new company to take these solutions to market. This was always on the cards, but the Covid-19 crisis was the catalyst to accelerating this coming together and the new company was formed. We set about thinking of a company name which linked everything we were doing together and after settling on ‘safe’ as the common thread, looked into its meaning in other languages and came up with Tutum, Latin for safe”.

The cornerstone to the solution is a V-Health Passport which

Brendon Kenny

TECHNOLOGY

manages the policies set by the CDM coordinator on site. Scanned at a safety compliant distance it can verify if the person is safe to go on site or not. The other technologies used alongside the V-Health Passport help with engagement and incident control to help protect employees on site.

The Tutum team had the technology in hand and sought to look for a reliable testing partner which they found with the help of Paul Whitnell, President of BITA. BITA had re-evaluated its relevance as an organisation and did what it does best, i.e. connect ‘people who know people that help people’. Paul was instrumental in introducing Tutum Technologies to David Perrotton from Emico and Sam Poots from SOS Group who had been working on a testing solution for the construction industry.

Peter Wright from Ellanstone commented “The technologies are not just for the current Covid-19 situation but are a long-term solution for organisations to embrace more efficient ways of working.

Maintaining and managing compliance will lead to a more robust business in what is predicted to be challenging markets post Covid-19. We believe that collaboration is going to be vitally important for all industries to get through this, and the BITA Community is playing its part”.

Tutum Technologies would welcome the opportunity to discuss and demonstrate these award-winning solutions to the BITA Community.

E: info@tutumtech.com T: 020 3925 4617

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Laura Watkins

BUSINESS

REBUILDING BRITAIN HAPPILY, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, IT LOOKS LIKE THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO GET THE INDUSTRY BACK ON TRACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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he past few months have not been a busy time for recruitment. Unemployment figures are rising and expecting to increase when the furlough support is scaled back and eventually stopped, and there have been significant reductions in working hours. Both factors that are not a cause for growth in the recruitment sector.

But are green shoots already appearing?

Recruitment businesses that specialise in healthcare have found a demand that outstrips their supply, but for those that work with retail, hospitality, manufacturing and others that have been adversely affected by the pandemic, the first quarters of 2020 have been lean indeed.

In a difference to previous economic downturns; we have seen that employers have the money to hire new staff, but they are being cautious and holding onto their reserves. There has also been difficulty with the mechanics of the hiring processes.

Many applicants have been worried about starting a new job over fears of catching COVID and passing it onto loved ones.

Others have struggled with a new virtual interview process; both employers and candidates.

To track the economic recovery and spot potential issues, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation launched a jobs Recovery Tracker in May which uses job adverts to track data across industries and areas. The demand for both architects and construction project managers has fallen by 6.5 and 6.2%, which

GOVERNMENT STRATEGY FOR RECOVERY IS KIND TO CONSTRUCTION

is unsurprising while new building projects are delayed.

Happily, for the construction sector, it looks like the government plans to get the industry back on track as soon as possible.

In early June, it was announced that Boris Johnson was preparing to set out a blueprint for ‘Rebuilding Britain’, and he has told ministers to speed up the construction of schools and hospitals.

At the time of writing, it was expected that the Prime Minister will set out his party’s plans for a major new infrastructure including his manifesto pledges of building 40 new hospitals by 2030 and greatly improving the country’s roads.

Thankfully, it appears that the government doesn’t want to follow the 2008 road of austerity out of recession. In addition to the above, they are also planning massive investment in research and development and other schemes to help us all part with the money we’ve saved over the past three months!

Although construction work slowed, it never really stopped, as responsible contractors have worked to provide social distancing measures to make their sites as safe as possible. With lockdown easing, whether endorsed by the government or not, we are already finding businesses hungry for growth and looking to hire new staff.

That’s not to say that things will stay the same. It’s likely that some of the changes wrought by the virus will be long-lasting, if not permanent. Despite the initial unease, many have taken to virtual interviews like a duck to water; they cut down on time and money. There will also probably be a much greater reliance on recruitment technology and tech that helps manage staff on-site.

Lastly, it’s likely that contracts will change. If nothing else we now know that it’s very possible to be productive from home and people that can do so, may demand some of that flexibility going forward.

The construction industry always bounces back. It’s often the case that the first murmurs of economic downturn will be felt by the contractors and construction staff, but they are also one of the fastest industries out of the gates when the money is there. www.bita.ie

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Will Polston

SECTION

IS TRYING TO BE

PERFECT INSANE? Will Polston from Make it Happen talks about coping in an imperfect world

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n my work, I frequently see people paralysed by fear or lack of certainty when it comes to decision making, and in times of high stress, people can simply get overwhelmed and not know where to start. Often, failure to make any decision can end up being worse than making the wrong decision.

A few years ago, I interviewed General Schwartzkopf, who told me a story that really affected my outlook on decision making, and how waiting for perfect can be never-ending. He told me that he was in a meeting with his general at the time, and the general was asked his thoughts about a decision that had been lying stagnant for almost 10 years. The general looked at his superiors and said that the answer was obvious, you need to do ‘X’, followed by; “that’s our decision. Move on it.”

After they left, Schwartzkopf said that he went up to his general and asked how the general was able to make a decision given that he didn’t know what the decision was really about, or even much about the topic in general.

It was the answer he received that made me (and obviously General Schwartzkopf) think about how much we can miss or delay if we wait for perfect. The general said that Schwartzkopf was right, and that he didn’t understand all of it, however; ‘this has been a decision that no one’s been willing to make for 10 years. For 10 years they’ve talked about it, going back and forth. The best minds have been on it, and they can’t decide one way or the other, so you know what? We need to pick one and do it. So I just did. Because I believe that now all the best people are going to go to work on it, and they’ll either make it work or

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they won’t. They’ll see it’s not working, and we’ll change directions, and we’ll do what’s right, but what’s happened right now is a logjam of nothingness. Decisions are power, and I’m here to make them. That’s what I’m in position for. That’s what I’m a leader for.’

Trying to be perfect when it comes to decision-making is an exercise in futility; no one will ever have every single piece of information needed and if you are waiting for the final pieces you could be waiting for 10 years. Fear of failure is something that holds so many people back, but in instances like this, it is failure to decide that will cause problems on the long run. Make a decision with as much information as you can reasonably get hold of. If it doesn’t work, go back and try option B! Leaders must make the decisions that no one else can or wants to, and many of the best use a system to ensure they are choosing the best possible option and reducing any potential downside. I myself, use a system that I learnt from Tony Robbins. It’s a six-step process that not only helps me make the best possible decision, but also reduces the downside of a wrong decision.

The system is called OOC/EMR (Outcomes, Options, Consequences/ Evaluate, Mitigate, Resolve). I should mention that all of this should be done on paper so you don’t get stuck “looping” through potential scenarios.

BUSINESS

HERE’S HOW TO USE IT: Get clear on your outcomes What is the result you are after and why do you want to achieve it? You must be clear about your outcome(s) and its (their) order of importance to you. Remember, reasons come first, answers come second.

Know your options Write down all of your options, including those that initially may sound farfetched. Remember this principle: • One option is no choice.

• Two options are a dilemma.

• Three+ options present a choice.

Write down ALL options whether you like them or not.

What are the consequences?

What are the upsides and downsides of each option?

What do you gain by each option and what would it cost you?

Evaluate your options Review each of their upsides and downsides (consequences).

Ask yourself: 1. What outcomes are affected?

2. How important (on a scale of 0-10) is each upside/ downside in terms of meeting your outcomes?

3. What is the probability (0-100%) that the upside/ downside will occur?

4. What is the emotional benefit or consequence if this option were to actually happen?

After completing this stage, you will be able to eliminate some options from your list.

Mitigate the damage Review the downside consequences for each of your remaining options. Then, brainstorm alternative ways to eliminate or reduce those downsides.

Resolve Based on the most probable consequences, select the option that provides the greatest certainty that you will meet your desired outcomes and needs.

1. Select your best option and strengthen your resolve to make it work.

2. Resolve that, no matter what happens, this option will give you a win.

3. Design your plan for implementation and then take massive action.

Remember, it’s better to make a decision and monitor to see if you need to shift your approach than to remain paralysed in indecision.

So now you have the method you can stop procrastination and make the decisions on all those things you have been putting off for so long.

www.bita.ie

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ADVERTORIAL

DURING THE LOCKDOWN WE’VE GAINED SOME INVALUABLE INSIGHT INTO ARRANGING BONDS IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE FOR OUR EXISTING CLIENTS.

What type of extra information are the bond providers looking for?

DESPITE THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC PERFORMANCE BONDS REMAIN AVAILABLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION MARKET

By Giles Ham, Head of Surety, Kerry London

I

t’s fair to say that the Coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the construction market. One specific area we have received a large proportion of interest in at Kerry London is the ongoing ability to source performance bonds. We’ve been fielding numerous enquiries from our existing clients, as well as helping new ones with potential placements. In light of this, I thought it would be helpful to provide a general overview of the market appetite right now.

Thankfully for the construction sector, a good number of the bond providers we use at Kerry London are still very much open for business. That said, as you would no doubt expect, they have unquestionably adopted a far more cautious and considered approach.

As is the case with many businesses, they have adapted their processes, as well as adding a number of more detailed levels of checking to their evaluation and ultimate decision-making.

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NETWORKS

Specifically, providers are looking at businesses’ short-term resilience to the current situation. This will include any actions that they have taken in the last few months, as well as an overall ability to maintain that resilience in the immediate future.

During the lockdown we’ve gained some invaluable insight into arranging bonds in the current climate for our existing clients. This has allowed me to put together a list of the key additional points bond providers are looking for. I thought it would be helpful to share this with you so that you can be as prepared as possible should you be looking to arrange a bond now, or in the near future. I should state that by no means is this list exhaustive, and other bond providers may well ask or different points, but it should provide you with some good guidance.

•

An up to date Cashflow Forecast (for at least the next 12 weeks) – to include expected income for current work in progress and projected company (group) bank balances.

•

Evidence of actions that have been taken to reduce costs. Such things include details of ‘payment holidays’ or reductions in amounts payable to HP/finance providers.

•

Details of precautions / processes that have been implemented on site.

•

Percentage of workforce on each of your sites currently and whether any have been, or remain, furloughed.

•

Any recent discussion with your bank[s] and detail on the outcome.

•

Whether you have applied for Government Aid.

•

Latest management information (consolidated if appropriate).

•

Whether employers are currently paying you promptly, as per the contract terms.

•

Whether or not the company has issued an ‘extension of time’ notice to the employer for any of the sites.

As well as this, in general, the terms being offered are on a stricter level of wording, specifically on the release event.

If you already have a bond, or bonds in place my advice is to keep a good flow of communication with your insurer, providing regular updates. This is particularly key for those that are close to the release event, or even overdue. Like so much of life right now, a good deal of openness and a shared sense of pragmatism are the best ways to approach things.

You can find out more at our website www.kerrylondon.co.uk or drop the team an email using bonds@kerrylondon.co.uk and we’ll get back to you straight away.

Sponsored by www.speedyservices.com

EDUCATION

T

he 15th June was the first day that year 10s and 12s returned to school to prepare for their GCSE and A-level exams, but there are a lot of roadblocks for students trying to get back to learning.

Some schools are only supporting students who are struggling, while others have limited their attendance numbers to 10 classrooms of 10. Some are providing only

at university. According to The Telegraph, the number of student entries for STEM subjects has increased by 6% but the number of students getting A/A* in the subjects has been decreasing each year for the past 3 years.

One theory for this is that there is a lack of knowledge about the time and effort required to achieve a top

BACK TO SCHOOL Arnold Kaloki from BrightTeach talks solutions to stressed parents, absent students, and declining grades

one day of teaching on core subjects, while the other subjects will be taught remotely from home. We are yet to be given a date for when schools reopen properly.

Polls show parents spend an average of 15 hours a weeki educating their children and fitting their jobs around these hours, working longer and later than usual as a result. We have also seen that a third of pupils are not engaging with schoolwork at allii, which will have an immeasurable impact on the student’s knowledge and work ethic.

Making the Jump Years 11 to 12, 9 to 10 and 6 to 7 are the years which have the most significant impact on students. This is when they move onto a new key stage and a new qualification (A-levels, GCSEs and Secondary Education), and the demands put on them are considerably more than they experienced previously.

The biggest jump is from GCSE to A-level (Year 11 to 12). As the world evolves to a more technological era, students are more interested in STEM (Computer Studies, Science and Maths) subjects and want to study them further

i ii

www.peoplemanagement.co.uk www.schoolsweek.co.uk

grade at A-Level, vs a top grade at GCSE. This is something we constantly see at BrightTeach. The problem isn’t that the students lack the knowledge of the subject or that the subject content has become increasingly more difficult, but that students are using the same revision strategies that they were using during their GCSEs, with the assumption that it will produce the same results. Students have not been prepared for their A-level exams and one can only think that it will be significantly worse this coming academic year.

Feeling the stress 41% of working parents have expressed that balancing work and schooling has become increasingly difficult (according to pupil management).

Many of us are starting to see emails from people coming in over the weekend and during the evening, where usually we would not, and this seems to be, in some

WE’VE SEEN THAT A THIRD OF PUPILS ARE NOT ENGAGING WITH SCHOOLWORK AT ALL.

cases, a direct result to home schooling pressures. These working hours have negatively affected staff mental health leading to experts calling for more flexibility from employers.

There is a solution - tutoring A tutor can offer an affordable solution.

They are experts in their subject with experience in teaching, and their passion for the subject will rub off onto the student. Diane Birch from BITA said “After being with Rosie (the tutor) I see my granddaughter doing her English homework on her own where she never used to do it before.” When your child is more engaged with a teacher who is completely focused on them, they are more likely to enjoy what they are learning. Another benefit is that there is no set speed at which the student needs to learn; they can go at their own pace and at a time where they are able to concentrate.

Ultimately, a tutor provides quality one-to-one teaching and can prepare your child for upcoming exams. They also free up time for parents to get work done at reasonable hours! From your child’s perspective, they will engage with the work more, understand the content better and feel prepared for whatever the school has to offer in the new year.

An investment in a tutor today can be a great support.

Find out more at

BrightTeach.com

#PoweringTheNHS POWERDAY AND LONDON IRISH PROVIDE INCREDIBLE SUPPORT TO THE NHS

I

n an effort to support the vital work the NHS is doing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Powerday teamed up with London Irish Rugby Club at the end of March to make and deliver thousands of meals to hospitals and care homes across the capital.

The concept was created by Edward Crossan, Vice Chairman of Powerday, and was funded by Powerday, with generous contributions from Barratt London, Novitas Partners, Undercover Events, Kylemore, Eamon Lynam, British and Irish Trading Alliance (BITA) and the London Irish Playing squad.

London was at the epicentre of the UK’s Coronavirus outbreak, with the

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NETWORKS

most recorded cases and deaths. NHS staff, including those not working on the frontline, were heroically working around the clock to ensure patients received the very best care. But, as the numbers increased, the strain grew; compounded by the fact these key workers were struggling to purchase food items from shops and supermarkets. #PoweringTheNHS To make sure those working on the frontline were cared for, Powerday and London Irish launched #PoweringTheNHS – a campaign which donated more than 50,000 meals to hospitals, care homes and hospices in London and the home counties.

Sponsored by www.speedyservices.com

THE KITCHENS MADE UP TO 1,000 MEALS EVERY DAY, ALL GOING TO FEED HUNGRY NHS WORKERS.

BITA President Paul Whitnell spoke to Mick and Ed Crossan from Powerday about this initiative, and it was decided that BITA would help get the word out about the amazing work the campaign was doing. To do this, they created a #PoweringTheNHS video and ran a JustGiving campaign where their members raised £620, which has been passed on to the London Irish team.

The nourishing meals were all cooked at London Irish’s Hazelwood training ground in Sunbury, West London, where chefs from the Hazelwood kitchen team have been kind enough to volunteer to cook a range of healthy dishes. These were then transported to various hospitals by Powerday and London Irish staff, including Harry Elrington, Motu Matu’u, TJ Ioane, Blair Cowan, Conor Gilsenan, Theo Brophy Clews, Tom Parton, Matt Williams, Jacob Atkins, Terrence Hepetema, Izaiha MooreAiono, together with First Team Head Coach, Les Kiss, Assistant Coach Declan Danaher and Academy Coach James Lightfoot-Brown.

Throughout the campaign, strict rules were enforced regarding social distancing as per the government’s instructions, with the welfare of the staff at the top of the organisations’ minds. The kitchens made up to 500 meals every day, all going to feed hungry NHS workers. By early June, the campaign had delivered 50,000 free meals to these amazing workers, with the final meals being delivered by

COMMUNITY

HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

The response has been incredible with one nurse saying “Thank you so much for all the food being delivered, it means so much that we have the ability to sit down and have lunch with the busy times that are ahead.”

Edward Crossan, Vice Chairman of Powerday, commented: “Those working on the frontline during this pandemic are true heroes. The number of lives they have saved has been in the thousands and it’s likely we all know someone affected by this disease. It goes without saying that we owe them a great debt of gratitude.

“I would especially like to thank our chef Bogdan Konecki, our General Manager Fiona McHugh, Alex James, James Molyneux, John Lynch, Sonia Bosher and Sam Cox for their tireless and invaluable efforts; they have been the backbone of the #PoweringTheNHS campaign.”

We are proud of all the work that Powerday, London Irish and many of our other members have done during this crisis. We always like to think of ourselves as a community of businesses, and this story and others like it cement that fact.

Mick Crossan, Chairman of Powerday & London Irish, meeting Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

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COMMUNITY

WHAT DO YOU BID? Emico have generously donated a stunning painting to BITA, to be auctioned off to raise money for the Lighthouse Club Charity.

As many of you know, we have been working with the Lighthouse Charity through fundraising and promotion for many years, as they continue to provide much needed support to people in the construction industry.

They are the only charity that provides physical, mental, and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families in the UK and Ireland. They provide a confidential 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline and supporting app which provides information, advice, and guidance on a huge variety of wellbeing issues.

Whether you’re an employer or an employee, the helpline provides the first point of contact for those who need to access a range of completely confidential support services.

Contact them today: +44 (0) 345 609 1956 info@lighthouseclub.org

Raising Money for

This beautiful painting has been donated by David Perrotton, Group Commercial Director at Emico, and is an A3 painting on artist’s quality acrylics paper.

The bidding starts at £50 and if you would like to make a bid in this silent auction, please use our bidding form.

Please note that all bids are binding, and the winner will be told when the auction closes on the 7th August.

Please see the bidding form for conditions

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ADVERTORIAL

20 YEARS AND

COUNTING David Perrotton talks to us about the conception and life of Emico

WE BOTH DID WHATEVER IT TOOK; SUPPORTED ONE ANOTHER AND PUSHED EACH OTHER ON.

I

n May 2000, Emico Limited, formally known as BFP Electrical Limited, received its first ever payment from ABB Stewart Ltd. The payment was for high bay lighting and busbar installation works at the Excel Exhibition Centre and represented the start of Emico’s 20-year trading history.

Three years prior to this, on a rainy day in mid-June 1997, three “young” men (Jason Flannery, John Barry and myself) sat in an Asda supermarket café on the Isle of Dogs having breakfast. During that breakfast, discussions were had to buy an “off the shelf” company from the Exchange & Mart and go into business together. If I remember rightly, it cost us about £120 plus VAT, or should I say it cost John £120 plus VAT, as we used his credit card!! We did nothing with the company until early 2000, mainly because we were hesitant about leaving stable employment and all of us had young families at home.

In the interim years, Jason resigned from the business and went back to Ireland, which left John and I to push it on. To get us going, we decided that John would go

full time into the business, and I would freelance as a QS with Meica Services Ltd (a company formally owned by our current Finance Director, Kieran Hynes) & also MJN Limited. Each month, we both pooled the money we earned and managed to scramble enough money together to pay ourselves a salary from the company.

VAT returns, accounts, payments to agencies & suppliers and estimating were always done at the weekend and variations were priced in the evenings. We both did whatever it took; supported one another and pushed each other on.

Starting off, we probably had the worst office ever. It was in an attic above a Carpenter’s workshop, located just off the North Circular in East Finchley.

I remember big gaps in the floorboards and each time the bench saw was used, the sawdust would come up and we’d be covered, plus the noise was horrendous.

I am surprised we didn’t suffer long term health issues as a result, although we always had a good laugh.

John and I have always had a “yin and yang” relationship and a strong friendship that allowed the company to flourish. We

also had commonality in key principles such as loyalty, family, freedom to do the right thing for the business and each other and to work hard. On occasions, I miss those early days, but then I think of the Emico we have today, and the people we work with, and it soon passes.

Today we are a £40m plus business with a wealth of quality people who underpin a top-class Infrastructure MEP Design & Build Contractor. With every year that passes our brand gets stronger and our desire to strive further forward remains unabated.

John and I are both very much aware that Our People remain our most important asset and are the key to Emico’s ongoing success.

On behalf of the Group Directors, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people of Emico for their hard work and commitment. Here’s to the next twenty years and Emico’s continued success!

LEFT: David Perrotton, Group Commercial Director at Emico Ltd. RIGHT: John Barry, Director at Emico Ltd. www.bita.ie

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COMMUNITY

THE WORLD OF ZOOM CAME TO LIVERPOOL NETWORKING Sarah-Louise McCartney Chairperson BITA Liverpool – Owner of SLMC-Consulting As the world changed in March and we were not able to do our regular monthly networking in The Restaurant Bar and Grill, we decided to put on our first social networking on zoom. Who knew that 13 weeks later we would still be running them? Every Thursday at 11am our ever expanding group of existing and new members, along with some new faces, have been coming together to catch up and chat about business and personal experiences of the week; how we are feeling and how we can support each other. We’ve had guest speakers imparting learnings of lockdown, financial tips to make sense of the support available, health and safety guidance to name but a few. As you would expect from a BITA event, we have learnt, shared and laughed; one week we even ended with a sing a long! We’ve been described as a lovely welcoming group of people and as we come to the end of lockdown, this regular networking event is planned to continue, a fact which myself and the Liverpool board are really proud of. We really are people that know people that help people, and being able to reach connections, support and provide a platform for people to come together is truly at the heart of what we do.

Pam Moore of APT Consultancy Limited – R and D Tax Experts and our Executive Board Pam has worked tirelessly throughout lockdown as businesses came to understand that lockdown was providing time to sort through information but also that in this time of increased

Sarah McCartney and Pam Moore financial uncertainty applying for an R & D claim was a great way to bring some much needed cash in to the business.

Throughout the weekly calls we have heard from Pam about the values some people have gained by processing the claims and the speed at which cash was being generated – some within 4 weeks... We have also come up with a new tagline for Pam as she also works to support people to improve their health & nutrition and also lose weight through her work with the brand Isagenix and so each week we understand more about how we can ‘Gain Pounds and Loose Pounds’ with Pam.

BITA LIVERPOOL MEMBERS CONTINUE TO THRIVE LCS Health and Safety Solutions Ltd One of the guest speakers at our weekly event was Alexandra Warner of LCS Health and Safety Solutions Ltd, a new member to BITA that also went on to do one of our online sessions, part of the extended support BITA has given to members throughout lockdown.

Alex says, “What a scary, unknowing rollercoaster ride we have been on. On the first day of lockdown I will admit I cried, not for me, but for our clients, their people, business owners and all the people in our business network…

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“As we knew from the initial trauma Covid-19 presented, additional new safety demands would further leave many businesses on the backfoot, asking can we ever recover?

“What has been truly wonderful is seeing people help each other, not just in business recovery, but on a personal level which has deepened relationships. I would like to thank the BITA community for the support I have received, which has helped me understand what options we could take internally at LCS, and given us a voice to share our expertise with others, to help them keep people safe and their businesses compliant.

Nationwide Management Services The lockdown period saw Nationwide Management Services and James Battle, one of our newest board members for BITA Liverpool, go from strength to strength with their works in both site security and cleaning. As James says, “Covid19 has brought its challenges, but our business has provided an essential frontline keywork service to our clients in the construction industry. We have also been honoured to secure some of the nightingale emergency hospitals. Our NHS have been put to the test, so as a business we have been doing what we can to help by dropping off PPE supplies to NHS centres around Liverpool and visiting NHS sites unannounced with doughnuts and cakes for a small token of support (every little helps).

“We also have found time to add a training section to our website and hired new staff to improve the overall client journey.

Chapter Update

COMMUNITY

We have lofty goals for the back end of the year and if we take a leaf out of the NHS playbook nothing will stop us from achieving these goals in supporting our clients.”

Nettl Liverpool Waters Whilst some have been busy throughout this period, Emma Sandison board member of BITA Liverpool and Studio Manager of Nettl Liverpool Waters, specialising in creating wonderful websites, print, signage and displays, found herself furloughed like many people. Emma, now glad to be back at work albeit from home says, “Although I have personally been away from work, the whole Nettl team have worked so hard to help our clients as much as possible.

We developed essential products designed to help support businesses that continue to operate during this crisis from pdf info guides to face masks & social distancing markers and displays. We understood that this experience was one of a kind and we had to do our best to make sure we all got through it together. I am so pleased to be back in the fold and assisting my colleagues and clients as we start to open the world back up.”

Go Green Office Solutions

JA Flooring

Shane Hanley from Go Green Office Solutions, an office furniture and fit out business based in Liverpool, has embraced the true values of both his own business and BITA. Go Green provided 100 free office chairs to workers that found themselves having to work from home, an offer particularly appreciated by those who had been working from a sofa or dining chair! Throughout lockdown they continued supporting home workers, delivering not just chairs but providing home office fit outs. They then moved on to support businesses in all sectors with their expanding range of PPE, some of which was provided for free to charities, including Marie Curie. Keeping busy throughout lockdown, the team have worked tirelessly to support other businesses whilst maintaining strict social distancing measures.

In light of the enquiries for home office fitouts, and the more flexible working expected in the future, Go Green is preparing for growth, having added a new 3000 sq ft mezzanine floor, bought in new warehouse pallet racking and expanded their team.

A welcome source of support and information throughout this period has been from Jim Forshaw, board member of BITA Liverpool and owner of JA Flooring. Whilst the flooring business was a little quiet, Jim drew on his broad finance background as a freelance FD and has been on hand to support members with advice and support, sorting through the information about furloughing staff, sorting business rates, grants, funds and payment holidays available to businesses and personally.

A welcome voice of sense and calm is what initially was a confusing time of who, what, how and can I? As Jim says, once you’ve worked through the support available, the biggest thing to highlight was how important it was and is for all to have their finance records and information in good order. Thankfully, for some businesses Jim was able to step in and organise so that applications could be submitted, and those critical holidays and grants received.

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COMMUNITY

BETTER THAN BANANA BREAD! Big wins for small businesses

At Portman Scott, as in many small companies, we wish we could devote more of our time to pro bono work. But although both founders sit on not-forprofit boards, the truth is that we are not yet at that stage in our recruitment business.

Lockdown, whilst uninvited, brought us abruptly to a place where although we were not providing our services totally pro bono, did give us a chance to rethink how we were approaching the market. The whole world in complete economic shutdown meant a wealth of senior candidates who, irrespective of their quality and circumstances, found themselves without a role. Short-term futures were suddenly transformed into home-schooling, Netflix and baking banana bread! Keeping busy yes, but also for many, a time of reflection. What was important to them? Perhaps that their

next role would be more fulfilling, more of a challenge and more of a change than they had previously contemplated.

Fast forward six weeks and we are delighted to be in a position where we have contributed in a small way to a company (c. £1m turnover) having the best month in its nine-year history.

An entrepreneurial CEO had just acquired a new business, knew he had a great product and had several glowing testimonials. He found it difficult, however, to capitalise on its success; a Marketing Director was needed, but a six figure salary wasn’t feasible. Frustratingly, this was also the dream role for a creative, commercial Marketing Director who wanted to make a real impact in an ethical company. At the same time there were investors interested, but they had concerns about the lack of senior experience in the existing team.

An interesting three months or so at Ardent Tide. While we were able to carry on business as normal for our clients and subcontractors we were all working from home. The biggest challenge was getting information to self-employed ops regarding the Govt income support scheme; ‘being made up as you along’ so getting facts was always going to be tricky. We also organised a loan facility for the ops so between the two nobody suffered any hardship. As of early June were are back to 80% trading which is great.

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Happily, we were able, in these unique times, to act as the catalyst for a deal that worked for all parties. The candidate agreed to work for a significantly reduced salary, initially for three months to help scale the company. With the date of review and market salary agreed up front, it’s everyone’s intention that the candidate continue in the role, reverting to market salary at the end of the three months.

And the part that we played as the search/recruitment company? It follows the “thrive rather than just survive” model we developed in week one of Lockdown. We meet many owners who have potentially great companies, but lack budget for senior hires. To support them we decided to provide this complete Search Service solution – but to only invoice our full fee when the candidate reverts to the permanent role. That way we share the risk with all parties involved and our clients get to try our services and the candidate “before they buy” too.

It’s not a totally pro bono model, but it is our way of adapting to the times and, hopefully, can lead to a positive outcome that works for all.

We have chosen not to name the company concerned, but if you’d like further details, please do get in touch. We have permission from both to discuss their experience. b.cunningham@portmanscott.com.

STRANGE TIMES

BITA member Gerry Keany of Cara Stationery shares his experience of the last 3 months and explains how his firm is now helping other businesses get ready to reopen after lockdown Normally around this time of the year Gerry Keany and members of his team at Cara Stationery are dealing with enquiries from clients about branded Golf balls and Golf merchandise for charity & corporate events as well as promotional products.

This year however Gerry himself has only played twice (badly!) and his team are dealing with queries for hand sanitisers, masks, thermometers, and anti-virus desk shields. Cara has had to pivot its focus with clients seeking these products to get their businesses up and going again.

Over 75% of the Cara Stationery client base is in the Construction industry and a lot of these firms continued working during the lockdown albeit with reduced activity. Cara remained open during the period in order to provide a service to these businesses many of which were essential services in the water, rail and waste management sector. A lot of the

Seamus Keenan shows that a good CEO can still be “on the tools” as he builds a tree house for the family during Lockdown.

A little different from Keenwood Joinery’s normal projects but a great job, I think you would all agree!

Chapter Update

COMMUNITY

non-construction clients continued in operation with staff working from home.

Again, Cara Stationery adopted a flexible approach and were able to provide essential deliveries to home addresses.

‘We supplied quite a few ergonomic chairs to private addresses during the early part of lockdown and this kept us very busy then’ explains Gerry.

Desk Shields for Social Distancing With businesses now starting to reopen and government regulations and employee welfare so important, the construction sector now ensures that in addition to PPE, which has become the norm for operatives, firms are providing hand sanitisers, masks and face shields for their workforce. This is mirrored in all other areas of business.

Away from the actual building sites, offices are altering layouts, so movement

is in one direction only where possible.

Signage highlighting the two-metre ruling and direction of movement are now in evidence in most offices. ‘We have been extremely busy supplying and installing virus desk shields (sometimes called sneeze guards) made of Perspex to businesses where it is difficult to ensure strict social distancing’ Keany adds. This is in addition to providing cleaning products – surface wipes, sanitisers as well as masks and face shields. Strange times indeed, but Gerry can see a resilience in his clients who are anxious to get their businesses reopened while ensuring their employees can work in a safe environment. He is optimistic for the future and feels that once we get over this year things will begin to look up again. He misses the BITA lunches and looks forward to the day that they start up again! Anyone looking to get in touch with Cara Stationary can visit www.carastationery.co.uk.

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ADVERTORIAL

KITE FLOORING Exceptional Products, Excellent Service

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The business operates across the UK but is based in the Brecon Beacons. This gives us access to an array of talented Welsh carpenters and floor fitters, at more affordable rates than metropolitan areas.

Kite’s core fitting team has over 100 years of flooring experience.

Our curated product range includes wood, both engineered, reclaimed, and

solid, more affordable product lines, such as Laminate and LVT, and carpet, from entry-level through to prime. Many of the product lines are unique to Kite, as the company develops these, both at its base in Wales and also in Europe, enabling it to achieve competitive price points. All Kite’s products are available to view at their showroom in Shoreditch, East London.

From a clients’ perspective 1. They don’t have to visit the property to get a quote.

2. They don’t have to worry about getting measurements wrong.

3. They won’t need to over-order, just in case.

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5. They have peace of mind that the project has been completed without needing to attend the property.

ADVERTORIAL

This is the Kite Flooring Nationwide Local Service, a service specifically designed for nationwide property professionals.

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OBICA

CONSULTING

Raising Finance to Grow your Business

Talking to Steve Cockell from Obica Consulting about how you can benefit from his expertise

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NETWORKS

At Kite, we also focus on using technology to help deliver a better customer experience. This means our clients can receive a bespoke quote within 72 hours, having never left their desks. We can usually fit within two weeks, and can provide a video walkthrough of the property, providing clients with a before and after record.

Steve Cockell is the money man. During his banking career he helped businesses of differing size and many sectors across the UK at all stages of the economic cycle.

He is now primarily focused on helping businesses grow and invest for the future.

The banking market has changed rapidly over recent years. Steve’s intimate knowledge of this area – and the players within it – mean that he can quickly identify funding options for you, target suitable providers and help negotiate terms.

Operating with FCA authorisation ensuring the highest standards, he often works alongside ex-colleagues, so that his debt advisory practice brings the right resources to the table. This means that you have first hand lending knowledge and senior banking manpower at your disposal to maximise the opportunity to secure the best result.

You will receive prompt attention and reliable assessment of your options, and confidence that your requirements will be presented to lenders in a highly professional manner. You will have control over the process and selection of lender

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to support your business, and any lender commission is rebated to you, so there is no conflict of interest.

Steve’s specialism includes property finance, mergers and acquisitions, management buy out or buy in, business loans, and working capital support. Negotiating new debt facilities, refinancing, bolt-on acquisitions, facility extensions, and covenant resets are a core skill.

Successful fund-raising means more than maximising debt quantum or minimising margins. It is about sourcing the right debt product from the right provider at the right price with the right terms.

Steve has total integrity, bags of direct experience and a huge number of contacts at banks, enabling him to provide informed guidance and access the funding you need. His personal access to senior individuals at every SME lender gives you a hotline to decision makers.

Contact Steve today: obicaconsulting@icloud.com

COMMUNITY

LIVING WITH LUNG CANCER

IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC Living with lung cancer is difficult enough - then COVID-19 came along

E

very year, each chapter of BITA chooses a charity they would like to support for the coming year, and in 2019 the London Chapter chose the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. We asked them to catch us up on how their clients are coping.

People with lung cancer are amongst the most vulnerable to serious illness, even death, if they contract coronavirus.

Many are also having potential life saving and life lengthening treatments delayed.

It has been a very testing time for the charity too, in what is actually our 30th anniversary year. Instead of celebrations, our shops closed, major events have been postponed or cancelled and social distancing has put a stop to traditional fundraising. Yet, our focus remains clear – supporting those living with lung cancer in the most unprecedented of times.

Calls to our helpline have increased by 56% with patients and loved ones full of questions about

HEARING FROM ROY CASTLE LUNG CANCER FOUNDATION EVERY WEEK IS A GREAT RELIEF FOR ME. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT AND IT KEEPS ME IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLD. IT’S AS HELPFUL AS ANY PART OF THE NHS.

the pandemic and its impact on their treatment. People like Vicky.

Vicky has been receiving treatment for incurable lung cancer for the last three years. She recently found out her disease had spread, but she couldn’t access the only remaining treatment that might help.

Her sister, Alison, called our nurseled helpline for advice. Armed with the necessary information, Vicky has now been given access to a new treatment, which could give her more time with her three children.

In addition to our helpline, we have launched a new Keep in Touch support service, reaching out to the most vulnerable patients. This not only ensures they have the provisions they need; it also makes them feel

a little less isolated. Brian is one of the many patients the team speaks to on a weekly basis: “Hearing from Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation every week is a great relief for me. I look forward to it and it keeps me in touch with the world. It’s as helpful as any part of the NHS.” It is for people like Vicky and Brian that we must continue to do everything we can to help those living with lung cancer.

Living with lung cancer means constantly living in fear of the unknown.

You are in constant fear that it might spread, your treatment has stopped working or the disease may come back.

Covid-19 has magnified this fear but we’re here to help mitigate these anxieties as much as we can – emotionally, financially and practically.

We have been overwhelmed by the support and creativity of our fundraisers.

In 1977, Roy Castle joined 500 other participants to perform the then largest tap dance at the BBC TV Centre. Every year we host a National Tapathon to honour the legacy of this remarkable man, and we managed to raise thousands this year with people taking part in over Zoom! We’ve also had support from those heading out on virtual runs and even one of our own staff raffling off a 2x2inch of his skin for a tattoo of the highest bidder’s choosing!

We have a long road ahead and we fear there are harder situations to come.

We continue to need the help of our supporters to ensure we can continue to be there for Vicky, Brian and the 46,000 other people who are diagnosed with lung cancer every single year.

For ways you can get involved or to make a donation, please visit www.roycastle.org

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COMMUNITY

MADE IN

MANCHESTER Talking to Christiane Hutchinson and Mike Calvert about the strength of Manchester businesses As we’re sure many businesses did, the teams at Reward Finance Group and Biramis Management Partners Limited team watched the Government’s Coronavirus press conference at 5pm in silence. When it finished, the teams all said that it hit them right there and then that this was serious – that things were going to change very dramatically, very quickly.

Both businesses have grown and prospered in Manchester and very much feel they are ‘made in Manchester’ and they credit the city they work in as a reason for their success.

Mike, who is a Manchester Board member and the Business Development Director of Reward, a business that provides asset-backed short to medium term lending solutions to SME’s, said: “We as a business quickly decided to support all of our existing customers

MANCHESTER IS THE GATEWAY TO THE NORTHWEST. IT HAS A DIVERSE ECONOMY AND WORLD CLASS LEADING BUSINESSES.

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and continued this throughout the pandemic - it’s been business as usual. We have provided new funding for businesses that have seen unprecedented demand for their products and services. It’s been exceptionally rewarding to support companies who have diversified their business to produce PPE, such as Zero Point 8. Care at Home Group who, as well as becoming our 100th North West customer, recruited 80 carers to cater for the increased number of patients being discharged from hospitals. These are just a few of the many businesses we have created bespoke financial solutions for, bringing our total lending in the region to £30m.”

Mike continued: “Manchester is the gateway to the Northwest. It has a diverse economy and world class leading businesses.

Manchester attracts talent and new companies ahead of most cities in the UK and

due to the vibrant financial services and professional marketplace it was a natural choice to make for Reward.”

Christiane is the CEO of Biramis Management Partners and a Chair of the BITA Manchester Board. Biramis Management Partners was set up in 2018 following a partnership between Christiane and Bernard Kelly.

The business, which is based on King Street in the heart of the city centre, has just been presented with the prestigious UK SME Business Award – Best Strategic Management Consultancy 2020.

Christiane said: “With such a heritage for ground-breaking technologies and engineering over the past centuries, it feels like there is a local holistic “consciousness” in Manchester, that is all about innovation, doing and making things happen.

“We have ideas, we have funding, we have networks all around Manchester.

It makes me feel free to explore and innovate. Manchester is fertile terrain to make things happen and I feel this has continued throughout this very difficult time.”

“I have gained some great personal friends working in Manchester. Mancunian people are very hospitable, open, and friendly. Manchester is a city of innovation, ideas, and a feeling that the sky is the limit.”

Manchester is the latest chapter of BITA, and it continues to grow month on month as it has moved all of its networking online. To keep up to date with BITA Manchester events, please make sure to check our regular newsletters, and our events page on the BITA website!

EVEN A

WORLD-CRISIS WOULDN’T STOP US

Hearing from Becki Rogerson of Pretzel Group from the board of BITA Manchester

AS THE COUNTRY STARTED TO PULL DOWN SHUTTERS, WE DECIDED TO USE THE TIME TO BE PROACTIVE.

2020 has so far been very unpredictable, however it has presented itself with an opportunity to bring forward a planned merger and start this “new world” under a new name. Hop PR and Immense Digital, both well-known and respected Cheshirebased PR and Digital organisations have now become Pretzel Group, a fully integrated marketing agency.

Here, co-founders Becki Rogerson and John Butcher share how a world-crisis wouldn’t stop their ambitious business plans and how it actually spurred them on.

As a duo John and Becki have nearly thirty years’ experience within the marketing sector and having worked with UK and international businesses from bread to banking, the pair realised that more and more clients were asking for both their specialities and it left no doubt that by combining experience,

skills and personalities that success would prevail.

“I’ve known John for over six years with our paths crossing many times on various projects, however in the latter years we have gone from sharing one to five long standing clients,” said Becki.

“On both sides it became increasingly clear that new business leads were requiring services that fell into both our areas of specialism and by combining our knowledge and skills we were achieving very impressive tangible results time and time again.”

Both marketeers agreed that it was time to

launch an agency that would offer a fully integrated service.

John said: “I started off my career in the web industry before even the first iPhone was available, so when it comes to digital marketing, I have seen it all.

The boom of digital PR and its value for businesses continues and many of my clients were wanting to bolster their online activity with this – and as it stood, I currently didn’t offer this service, but I knew someone that did.”

Becki continued: “As the country started to pull down shutters and close their doors for what was set to be a very difficult time for many, we decided to use the time to be proactive and launch Pretzel that bit earlier.

“We were also very lucky to find ourselves with clients that were able to diversify their operations to retain income and a handful became more profitable than ever. As a team we feel we have lived and breathed these last few weeks with our clients, and we all emerge stronger and more forceful than ever.”

Pretzel, who are based in Adlington, Cheshire now stands as a team of PR professionals, brand marketers, content creators, social media experts, designers and digital marketers.

Headed up by John and Becki, the evergrowing team is united by its love of PR and digital.

Chapter Update

COMMUNITY

Pretzel can be found at www.pretzelgroup.co.uk or @pretzel_group for all socials.

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Chapter Update

COMMUNITY

MEASURING THE IMPACT BITA Isle of Man Board Member Daryl Callister breaks down the impact of COVID-19 on their unique environment The island is a special place in the middle of the Irish Sea with a unique local yet international ecosystem. Lockdown has had some very far reaching effects – both for the community and economy. The island’s strategies have proven effective.

MEDICAL: The IOM Government took what some would view as strict lockdown measures fairly early to protect Manx residents, locking down the borders at the end of March with basically no exemptions. This has proved to be the star move which has really protected the IOM from the spread of the infection. As I write this at the end of May, the active cases are less than 20 on the Island and eradication of Covid-19 is within touching distance. The only failing has been one isolated nursing home which has accounted for over 60% of deaths on the island (18 against a total of 24).

The health service can cope, and the on-island testing centre has given the residents a strong testing regime keeping the figures up to date and accurate, as well as available to all.

The “baby steps” approach by the government on the exit strategy has also been very promising. Lifting restrictions one at a time has given the public a chance to grasp the “new normal” step by step.

SOCIAL: The Island has a strong community spirit and it is what I am most proud of during the pandemic. This crisis has amplified that spirit with the community pulling together to defeat this invisible enemy. Fundraising activities and looking after the vulnerable has left many of the residents, including myself, with a feeling of solidarity and well-being. Local Christian Varley ran 19 marathons in 19 days to raise thousands of pounds for the Manx Solidarity Fund and he should be applauded. The Manx public have really got behind him cheering him from their gardens as he trotted round the Island.

ECONOMIC: The effects of this are yet to be fully evident. Working in business banking for the Isle of Man bank, I have taken some very harrowing calls with customers, but I am left feeling positive that business is

adapting and changing fast. It’s wonderful to prove the naysayers wrong – our island isn’t particularly known for agile manoeuvring and adaptation!

The challenges seen by business who require transport of goods to and from the UK and Ireland are vast. Car sales, agriculture to name but a view are finding it difficult to transport stock to and from the Island without great expense due to the boarder lockdown.

The loss of income from tourism being cancelled for what appears to be the whole of 2020 is going to be felt particularly hard in the hospitality sector.

Although, my personal view is that the island will survive and thrive. The borders are anticipated to be locked for some time and this will push the residents to be creative. When the time comes, I believe the residents will decide to holiday on our beautiful island. This will retain some of the money that would have been spent in far flung reaches of the world and see it pour back into the local economy. This might just be the thing that gives the Island the boost it needs to shine when we enter the “new normal”, whatever that may be.

I end with the Manx meaning for the three legs of man “Quocunque Jeceris Stabit” whithersoever you throw it, it will stand.

LOCAL CHRISTIAN VARLEY RAN 19 MARATHONS IN 19 DAYS TO RAISE THOUSANDS OF POUNDS, WITH RESIDENTS CHEERING HIM FROM THEIR GARDENS AS HE’S TROTTED BY.

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COMMUNITY

SUPPORTING THE

COMMUNITY

W

e are always proud to hear about new projects and community initiatives that our members are doing. This has never been more apparent than now, with businesses really getting involved in helping those around them.

We were blown away when we heard about the work that Premier Contract Supplies (PCS) has been doing, both for their local community in Brighton, and a community further afield, in Bangladesh.

As anyone who attended our Gala Ball in 2018 will know, Vince and PCS have been managing a house run to help homeless men and ex-offenders off the streets and into housing and employment, teaching new vocational and life skills.

The house currently has four residents, and a total of

15 men have passed through and are now living independently with jobs.

This year, we also found out about the work they are doing with World Vision, a charity that works to protect the future of children. They are part of an incredible scheme that comprises EU countries and philanthropists. For PCS, not only do they donate money from their profits, they also have a salary sacrifice scheme. 10% of their staff are currently enrolled, and PCS matches whatever someone donates.

In addition, whatever a business donates is matched 33 times over by the EU! This means that if PCS donated £20,000, it becomes £660,000 that goes to support some of the most vulnerable children on the planet.

The people being supported by this scheme face low nutrition and food scarcity, low and erratic income and natural disasters including flooding, which damages crops.

In the initial 18 months of this project, among other incredible results, training was provided to 650 frontline health workers, 15,000 farmers and 120 teachers.

Well done to PCS, and all our other members making a difference!

he original Spring Oven is an award-winning terracotta pot designed in Britain with a unique water channel for a good crust.

Handmade in Portugal using slip-casting, each Spring Oven is made to a very high standard using high-fired, locally sourced terracotta and is suitable for a 500g round boule.

When developing the Spring Oven, the designer, Patrick Kendal realised that after lovingly creating the best bread dough, people were being let down by the limitations of home ovens. They were losing the unique characteristics and flavours of a perfect crust created in a traditional bread oven with steam.

Steaming in a normal home oven is difficult. Many recipe books suggest adding pots of water to create steam while baking, however this means you can’t cover the bread, which leads to other difficulties.

So Patrick developed the Spring Oven in response – an enclosed cooking vessel that has an inbuilt channel for water! Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the product was bought to the attention of Vince Caldicott who invested and helped bring it to market.

Simply fill the water channel, put in your dough, add the lid and put in the oven for a perfect loaf!

£25 OFF

FOR BITA MEMBERS! Just go to the Spring Oven website – www.thespringoven.com and enter promo code

BITA-MEMBER-20

ADVERTORIAL

USE YOUR LOAF T

Chapter Update

COMMUNITY

CAUSEWAY & BITA WELCOME INVEST NORTHERN IRELAND Talking with Barry Clarke, Invest Northern Ireland As the regional business development agency, Invest Northern Ireland’s role is to grow the local economy, by helping new and existing businesses to compete internationally, and by attracting new investment to Northern Ireland. They work with local companies and investors offering business advice and financial assistance to develop and expand the business and to improve capability and international competitiveness.

Barry Clarke is Head of International Business for Europe and Russia at Invest Northern Ireland. Originally from Newtownards, Northern Ireland, he has spent his entire working career in economic development and has headed teams for Invest NI in Mumbai, Dubai, Shanghai and now London, seeking investment and assisting Northern Ireland businesses to grow sales, as well as promoting Northern Ireland’s universities and colleges.

His current role in London involves one of Invest NI’s largest investments in recent years, the development of Hubs - similar to Scotland House and Ireland House - in London, Dublin and Brussels – its primary aim is to make people and businesses more aware that Invest NI is market present and can help them with business solutions for supply chain or a location for international growth. The Hubs will also provide hot desking and meeting/event spaces for Northern Ireland business and Invest Ni economic partners and stakeholders.

Explaining more on the benefits of Northern Ireland for trade and investment, Barry says: “Northern Ireland’s choice as a growth location for Great Britain and Irish businesses to support their international expansion plans is linked to the availability and competitiveness of talent; low operating costs, excellent communications infrastructure, and government support for the ongoing growth and development

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COMPETITIVENESS OF TALENT; LOW OPERATING COSTS, EXCELLENT COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE ONGOING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS – NORTHERN IRELAND IS A

potential shared opportunities for the two nations, Barry says: “There’s a massive cultural alignment between Northern Ireland and Scotland and we have common economic histories, especially in manufacturing and engineering and for new and emerging industries.

“Scotland also attracts thousands of Northern Ireland students annually and many of them, like my own son, have stayed there to work. There are many connections, but perhaps not enough pro-activity when it comes to linking businesses. The strings are there, we just need to work harder to draw them together!”

GREAT CHOICE.

of skills. That is why over 70% of new investors reinvest there.

“Northern Ireland also has two world class universities and a network of further education colleges producing highly skilled graduates which along with a range of tailored and flexible governmentfunded support measures ensure that local and international businesses can access and develop the skills they need, both at set up and for future expansion.

We’re passionate about celebrating and showcasing what makes Northern Ireland a great place to live, work, study, visit, invest and do business.”

Strengths of the Northern Ireland and Scotland relationship In addition to having their own NI Connections network, which connects the Northern Irish diaspora around the world, Invest NI joined the Causeway: Scotland Ireland Business Exchange network as corporate members a few years ago, and very recently upgraded their membership to dual BITA (British and Irish Trading Alliance) corporate membership.

Commenting on the commonalities and

For more information about Invest Northern Ireland, visit InvestNI.com Interested in finding out more about dual Causeway and BITA corporate membership? Join us today!

The value in dual corporate membership of Causeway and BITA With Barry’s team based in London, in addition to having their GB Trade Director for Construction, Nick Turberville also based in the London office, they decided it was logical to upgrade their membership and become dual BITA members too to improve their intra-business linkages within the wider UK and Ireland to help businesses with access new opportunities.

Explaining more about the benefits for Invest NI, Barry said: “London and the wider UK is an important market for Northern Ireland contractors and the supply chain. From both Causeway and BITA memberships, we hope to find mutually beneficial relationships that profit the members and provide new business growth and some marketing to boost our profile and presence.

“I only joined the London team last November, but I did get along to a BITA event and the members were very welcoming and one of the reasons we upgraded our membership was that we need to be in networks like this in London and across the UK and Ireland to create opportunities for members to work together and improve the profile of Northern Ireland businesses.”

WELLBEING

KOMBUCHA

WHATS IT ALL ABOUT?

Kombucha has almost cult following in the USA, Australia and New Zealand and is currently growing in popularity in the UK but what is it and why is it becoming so popular?

Kombucha is not new, in fact it was originally brewed back in 221BC by a Korean doctor called Kombu.

Dr. Kombu was asked to treat the Japanese Emperor Inyoko who was suffering from a severe stomach complaint. Dr. Kombu brewed up a fermented green tea drink to treat the Emperor with and the Japanese word for tea is Cha, hence the name Kombu’s Cha or Kombucha.

Dr. Kombu successfully treated the Emperor with his ‘Kombucha’ and he made a rapid recovery. The

beverage became so popular afterwards that Samurai warriors carried it with them in hip flasks and drank it before going into battle, as they believed it gave them lots of energy.

Known by the Chinese and Russians as ‘The Elixir of Life’ there have been many anecdotal stories of how people have felt the benefits of Kombucha but there are no secrets about why this is the case. Most people will know the benefits of Green Tea and this is the base for Kombucha, however the fermentation process steps it up a gear and takes it to the next level!

If you are looking for an alternative to sugary drinks that are not full of preservatives, e-numbers, additives and emulsifiers and you want to improve your gut health, then Kombucha ticks every single box. Kombucha is thought to be beneficial for people who are suffering from inflammatory problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, arthritis, gout and may help the fight against cancer.

Kombucha compliments any diet and it is great for kids. It is low in sugar, 100% natural and is only on average around 45 calories per bottle.

www.bita.ie

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COMMUNITY

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IRISH SME’S Hearing from Áine Collin of Blueprint Consulting, from the board of BITA Dublin board Covid-19 has had an enormous impact on our businesses, especially SME’s which are the life blood of the economy and account for 99.8% of total business in Ireland employing 1.06 million people.

As an accountant and business advisor to SME’s for over 20 years, I am always impressed by their resilience and again in this time of a global pandemic l see this resilience presenting across all sectors and business sizes.

While there was initially shock, financial and operational worries, thanks to government support and SMEs embracing technology even more, businesses have survived, many have thrived and adjusted quickly.

In particular over the last month l have observed a change in mindset to looking at this time as an opportunity to create and innovate and evaluate how business is done – from the hotel or restaurant who is looking at different scenarios - open in September 2020 (at a cost of €1 million)

or stay closed till March 2021 (at a cost of €250k) to a training consultancy who has to digitalise overnight, or the small independent retailer who now sells online; to the construction company who now has to manage onsite social distancing (with a possibility of more construction moving to more off-site fabrication).

Every business has had to really look at their strategy and the impact on finances, with liquidity being the number one short-term focus and the mediumterm strategy is around innovation and creating new ways of doing business.

Somebody famous – and wise - once said you should never waste a good crisis – and for many businesses, this is an ideal opportunity to really look under the bonnet of their business and “recalibrate”

the “engine”. Businesses of the future will require to be more agile which means finding the right balance between operations and innovation.

The mindset of the SME CEO can sometimes be the biggest challenge in trying to balance operations and innovation, this mindset is being tested in the current climate and those who will succeed will embrace agility with resilience and a more open mindset.

One of the opportunities for Irish SME’s will be the ability to do business globally, especially with the UK. As Brexit continues many UK SME’s will look to Ireland for opportunities to collaborate.

Key to these opportunities is developing new relationships and being part the BITA is a great place to start.

The pandemic has been a great leveller, with all businesses facing challenges and this brings the opportunity to work together more, adapt and innovate together. Networks like BITA can help us connect and work with likeminded businesspeople.

Another wise saying is “In times of a storm, there are two types of people – those who hide behind walls and those who build windmills”. So, my last piece of advice would be to engage with your fellow BITA members and let’s build some “windmills” together!

momentumsupport

Chapter Update

COMMUNITY

CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY We are so proud that Suzanne Hales was invited to represent Momentum Support at the International Workers’ Memorial Day on the 28th April 2020. Suzanne is a cleaning operative at St. James’s Hospital Dublin, and we spoke to her about how she felt to be involved in this amazing event.

How did you feel when you were invited by SIPTU to represent Momentum Support at the International Workers’ Memorial Day in Áras an Uachtaráin?

I felt privileged that I was invited to not only represent Momentum Support but also every frontline worker.

What was the highlight of the day?

I felt privileged to meet President Michael D Higgins and Mrs. Higgins. Especially as the location included the Plough and the Stars. This had been unveiled by President Michael D Higgins on Tuesday 1st May 2018 where he had given a speech “In remembering the 1913 Lockout, we recall the endurance, and historical human rights significance that lay at its vey heart.

The event we honour and commemorate today was about struggle for the right to join a trade union”

What emotions were you experiencing in the lead up to and during the International Workers’ Memorial Day in Áras an Uachtaráin?

I was excited to attend but also very sad to be remembering people who had lost their life during the pandemic to COVID 19.

I felt emotional from my own personal experience working daily in St James’s Hospital on the frontline. That many people have passed without having a family member at their bedside.

What are you most proud of?

I was one of four people chosen out of thousands of workers to attend the Memorial Day. I stood on my star point respecting social distancing of two meters apart from my four frontline colleagues. They represented the Post Office, Supervalu, Fire Services Paramedic and a Nurse. It was both a reflective and sombre occasion and one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

IN TIMES OF A STORM, THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE – THOSE WHO HIDE BEHIND WALLS AND THOSE WHO BUILD WINDMILLS.

www.bita.ie

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COMMUNITY

GAME CHANGING

TECHNOLOGY BITA cork board supports urgent fundraising for cancer technology at CUH

Cork University Hospital (CUH) Charity’s Ambassador, Peter O’Mahony recently launched an urgent fundraising campaign to secure ground-breaking technology which will significantly advance cancer testing and improve cancer patients quality of life and survival.

“The campaign is supported by the Fenton family in memory of their beautiful daughter and sister Karen who died of ovarian cancer, and they have raised €75,000 to date for the critical technology”, said O’Mahony, the Ireland and Munster rugby player, who is fronting this fundraising initiative.

“We still need to raise €275,000 needed to purchase this life-changing technology for cancer patients through our idonate page”, he added. “We want to save as many lives as we can, not to mention the improved quality of life offered by this ultra-modern diagnostic technology.”

BITA Cork Chair, Judy Hopkins ran the launch public relations, photography and videography campaign which so far has

WITH THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, CLINICIANS CAN GET SAME DAY RESULTS INSTEAD OF WAITING TWO WEEKS.

raised over €100,000. She even challenged the Munster/Irish rugby star (O’Mahony) to a tug of war aboard the Irish Naval Ship, the L.E. Eithne for her own challenge. She let him win of course; “we wouldn’t want to injure one of our stars now, would we?”

Finance Director at BITA Cork and recently appointed BITA Cork Global representative, Rachel O’Leary and over 50 of her colleagues across the O’Leary Insurances offices nationwide, also took part in a Lockdown Fitness Challenge involving walking, running or cycling over 7,500km over the first four weeks of the challenge, raising €4,500 in the process.

According to Clinical Director for Cancer Services, Dr. Richard Bambury, growth in cancer rates will continue to rise as the population lives longer, and as new cancers continue to emerge.

“CUH has seen 200 new patients in radiotherapy and 50 patients in chemotherapy in the last six weeks alone, demonstrating the seriousness of the situation and the necessity to provide a quick turnaround and halt progression of cancers. This is where this vital piece of equipment, the Ion Torrent Genexus Integrated Sequencer technology will be invaluable. With this new technology, clinicians can get same day results instead of waiting two weeks, quickly select the treatments most likely to

benefit individual patients, uncover novel treatment options and identify clinical trial possibilities. Saving lives is at the core of what we do, and the added advantage of valuable research will undoubtedly be hugely significant for future generations.”

Dr. Bambury said.

Peter O’Mahony is asking people to come up with creative fundraising ideas for their social media fundraising campaign, have a bit of fun with it, and when they donate, they set themselves a challenge enabling friends, families, communities and companies to pull together to improve cancer services for future generations. It could be a sporting, art or household challenge (anything at all - run around your garden, a Zoom party, a 5k walk, shave your head, a virtual tractor run!) to raise awareness and fundraising for this worthy initiative.

“Donate on idonate, do your challenge and tag as many friends as you would like to challenge using #PullTogetherCUHC and tagging @CUH.Charity on Instagram, ‘Cork University Hospital Charity’ on Facebook and @CUHCharity on Twitter, and let’s all pull together against cancer!”

O’Mahony concludes.

To donate to this urgent fundraising campaign, follow the idonate link at: www.idonate.ie/CUHCCancerCampaign Alternatively, if you have a fundraising idea or wish to make a private donation, call: 021 4234529 or email info@cuhcharity.ie

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Chapter Update

COMMUNITY

MARKETING IN

‘THE NEW NOW’

Talking with Judy Hopkins, Chair of BITA Cork and Partner at Integrated Marketing Communications Agency, Hopkins Communications How should businesses handle marketing spend?

When crisis hits, it is natural for companies to shift to survival mode and cut costs, and a common response is to cut the marketing budget. Despite this, we know brands that maintain marketing spend during a crisis not only increase sales and market share, but this impact lasts for several years.

During the economic recession of the 1990s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell took advantage of McDonald’s decision to cut advertising spend. They increased sales by 61 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, while McDonald’s sales declined by 28 per cent.

As the adage goes, “when times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise.”

What strategy should businesses be taking?

Whether maintaining or reducing your budget, you still need to revisit your messaging to reflect the shared challenges.

With Covid-19, consumer behaviour and attitudes have changed, effective communications underpinned by a robust strategy has never been more important.

Remember, everything is developing so quickly on the daily – you may need to change communications you had and have already planned.

KFC were quick to pull an ad in the UK which focused on “finger-licking” amid complaints that it was inappropriate at a time when good hand hygiene is critical.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS UNDERPINNED BY A ROBUST STRATEGY HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT.

We recommend the following steps: • Scenario Planning - Have your statements on each stage, for example returning to work, ready for your internal and external stakeholders.

• Start planning your Q4 campaigns - it’s the busiest time of year for marketers so plan now!

• Focus on long-term brand building because that investment will ultimately support recovery.

• Prepare a robust Business Continuity Plan that will take you from now, to business as usual.

• Review your plan and messaging and assign teams for communicating internal and external communications.

• Identify a leader who coordinates the company’s response incorporating all areas.

• Look at having two teams – one focusing on the now and one on the post Covid-19 phase.

What media are audiences consuming right now?

Statistics show that digital media usage is significantly up since the crisis began so my advice would be to look at your online presence first and then work your way through your traditional marketing collateral after.

Review your Website • Update and refresh your content • Create a web banner that informs visitors about the changes to your business.

• Update opening hours on your website and search engines • Can you rebrand your messaging to make it warmer and more welcoming?

• Do you welcome new visitors to the site?

• Setup or Review your Google Analytics • Monitor and analyse the visitor journey and user behaviour • Are your users interacting as expected?

If not, adjust your content accordingly, and test!

• Use Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner to identify the high intent searches of your target audiences What advise do you have to businesses as a whole when it comes to marketing?

Have empathy, be human, be calm, reflect – find the right ways to behave when communicating – be balanced.

Forget about Returning Back, it’s time to Bounce Forward!

You can reach Judy through her company, Hopkins Communications, at www.h-c.ie

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ADVERTORIAL

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR COVID-19 In these troubling times, managing your finances is critical to all businesses large and small. Juggling cashflow, sourcing funding and managing costs are challenges for all business owners.

Are you in financial difficulty, or concerned that problems might occur • soon and need to talk to someone in confidence? you just want to talk to an experienced finance professional about • Do your options? you need help with applying for CBILS, Bounce Back loans or other • Do government support packages you agreed you VAT and other special tax arrangements or deferrals • Have Do you want to explore Grants, Business Rates relief and the Future Fund • Are • you in need of any business financial support or advice Whatever challenges you are currently facing in your business, our Covid-19 Call Back Service is designed to give you quick and practical guidance so that you are better informed and make the right choices for your business.

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TO HELP SUPPORT BITA MEMBERS, EFM HAS LAUNCHED A NEW SUPPORT SERVICE: COVID-19 CALL BACK

To access this free support contact: EFM at clientcare@efm.uk.com or call on 01582 516300 We will aim to call you back within 24 hours

UCL Student Centre

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NETWORKS

Sponsored by www.speedyservices.com

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THE CHANGE SIMPLY WORKFLOW ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND INNOVATION

O

ne of the positive outcomes from this pandemic is the rapid adoption and utilisation of digital technologies, Zoom and Team video calls, remote working and online collaboration tools are now the norm. These technologies have been available for years, so why did it take a pandemic to get companies to start using them?

Covid-19 was a compelling reason to change our learned behaviours. Forced to work from home, many of our work practices have changed with the stark realisation that we can do things differently. Embracing these new technologies will drive significant operational efficiencies while delivering a good quality service and experience to our customers.

Field Service Management (FSM) SaaS technologies is an example of how some of the most traditional industries are being revolutionised by digitalisation. There are many businesses in the utility sector that continue to use excel spread sheets, paper and manual processes, to manage people, jobs, stock and assets in the field. But the strategic use of technology is a significant competitive advantage in delivering a better service, with a higher margin in a very competitive market.

We have all seen and heard of new technologies and new business models such as IOT, Augmented Reality, drones and the gig economy. By leveraging FSM and connecting to existent technologies, companies can reap some big rewards.

Drones: An electricity supply network will send an engineer to the field to discover why a fault is appearing on the network, such as a fallen line in a storm. Using drones, the company can conduct a remote diagnostic of the network to find the fault. An engineer can then be dispatched to the exact location, with a good understanding of the problem, meaning it is resolved faster and ensuring the correct stock, skills, tools are available for the job.

ADVERTORIAL

EMBRACING

IOT: The internet of things allows machines to be connected to the internet.

Most machines today are smart, which means we can take information from a machine and create warning systems to set up jobs, schedule services or attend to issues (such as refuelling a cell tower).

Predictive Analytics: As we gather more data from machines, we can learn how they will behave and predict their performance. So, a company can anticipate when a machine needs servicing or new parts and schedule these jobs as a preventative maintenance to optimise operations.

Augmented Reality: How often does an engineer go to the field to discover that they don’t have the right parts or skills to fix an issue? Using Augmented Reality and video calling, an engineer can call up digital manuals and video instructions to walk them through a fix while on site.

Gig Economy: For utility companies there is still a large workforce required to do many manual jobs such as meter readings, remote fault repairs and customer support call outs. It is very costly or inefficient to keep an employee working full time, especially in remote areas. FSM can help structure a new business model around a gig economy, where workers are only paid for jobs that they do. Using the FSM app, companies can still train workers and ensure that health and safety regulations are followed.

THE STRATEGIC USE OF TECHNOLOGY IS A SIGNIFICANT COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

What challenges does your business face, and how you could address them with innovative use of technologies that you already know about? There are so many opportunities for companies to embrace this new world of digital technology connected to FSM, it’s impossible to mention them all here.

Simply Workflow are leaders in the FSM market and innovation is at the heart of what we do for our customers. We have helped our businesses drive significant operational efficiencies while improving customer service, adding millions to the bottom line.

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SPECIAL OFFER

EXPAND YOUR

COMMUNITY REFER A NEW BUSINESS TO BITA AND YOU BOTH GET £50 OFF THE COST OF MEMBERSHIP!

H

elp us help more businesses by introducing us to your contacts - no hard sell just a friendly hello and an invitation to connect.

We will contact your referral to tell them about BITA and if at any point they decide to join us as a member, they will get a discount of £50 and so will you.

Simply fill in the introduction form, and for every referral that joins BITA, you will get £50 credit added to your account against your next membership

payment. Better yet, once you’ve successfully referred four businesses, your next membership renewal is free!

You can use this form as many times as you like.

The people you are referring also benefit; not only will they be joining a friendly community of businesses with chapters across the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA, but they will also get £50 off their membership!

If you have any questions about this promotion, please contact laura@bita.ie.

All referrals will be contacted within the week that they are referred, and we will contact you to confirm your £50 credit once your referral(s) has joined BITA. Please note, you can only refer businesses that aren’t, or haven’t been, members of BITA in the last two years.

BITA reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time, but any referrals already made will be honoured and the credit note(s) will remain on your account.

ADVERTISE IN

Published by the British and Irish Trading Alliance (BITA), this is the eighth edition of our magazine NetWorks and our readership is growing as our members and events increase.

We have covered topics as diverse as nanotechnology, Crossrail and sport, but every article is written with our members in mind – what will be of interest and useful to them? Often with articles written by them for you!

NetWorks is distributed through our contacts, online through email and social media, and print copies are posted to all our members and distributed at BITA events in all chapters – London, Liverpool, Manchester, Dublin, Isle of Man, Scotland and Cork.

We have featured adverts from Gallagher Group, Sicuro, Enterprise and many more who have found NetWorks the ideal place to reach new customers and engage with their current ones. Featuring articles written by Irish Times Journalist John Reynolds, and others who are experts in their fields. Each edition has a general theme, and issue nine will be around the theme of ‘Unpopular Opinions’.

We always want to hear from members that can contribute to future editions, so if you would like to take a space for advertising or write an article, please get in touch with the sub-editor, Laura Watkins.

OUR ADVERTISERS HAVE FOUND NETWORKS THE IDEAL PLACE TO REACH NEW CUSTOMERS

Advertising space is available from as little as £350 and sponsorship of the magazine is £1,500 +44 (0) 1702 417132 / laura@bita.ie / www.bita.ie

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NETWORKS

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COMMUNITY

Arnold Kaloki

BITA

has always worked to be a leader in our field, running fun yet carefully managed events, seminars and making face to face introductions.

As we are growing, we are making sure that we offer members more; not just in advertising when we started publishing our magazine and invested more in social media, but in projects like the procurement hub that will have a real and significant impact on businesses’ growth.

In early March it became clear that we were heading for a lock-down like most of Europe, and after speaking with our members, we knew that what they needed was reliable information.

We immediately started building our temporary community hub as a place to store this information, and to encourage a sense of community in these incredibly tough times.

We also started scheduling online events in which experts in different fields share their knowledge freely with our members, and answer pressing questions from the audience.

The first events we held were on the 19th March, and featured our London board members Martin Mockler and Henry Hathaway, who discussed COVID impact on areas of finance and law.

Since then, we have hosted webinars and seminars covering a wide range of topics chosen specifically to help our members come to grips with the recent changes, and to help them adapt and survive. Our very popular leadership panels have featured leaders from the

Jackie O’Donovan

Portia Kenny

Paul Whitnell

Lyndsey Gallagher

Martin Mockler

Diane Birch

SHARING EXPERTISE IF YOU HAVE MISSED ANY OF THESE EVENTS, WE STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU CHECK OUT THE VIDEO PAGE ON THE COMMUNITY HUB FOR THE RECORDINGS AND A LIST OF THE TOPICS COVERED.

construction industry, including Jacqueline O’Donovan, Lyndsey Gallagher, and James Connell. Martin Mockler has continued his regular financial update reviews, and we have heard from experts on such diverse topics as increasing your revenue from online business, to health and safety. If you have missed any of these events, we strongly suggest that you check out the video page on the community hub for the recordings and a list of the topics covered.

Our speakers have given up their time and shared their insights and expertise in the spirit of community and in recognition of what BITA stands for, and we would like to sincerely thank everyone who has taken part.

These online events have proven so popular, that we are making them part of the standard BITA events calendar. We encourage our members to get involved with this, either by getting in touch to suggest a new topic, offering to present an event, or just tuning in!

In addition to our standard seminars, we have hosted regular networking events and the odd social evening to try and enliven the days for our members. Few in the audience will forget the car-crash TV joy when watching BITA’s Blankety Blank, or the hilarious accents on our Mr. & Mrs night.

We have to thank the inimitable Noel Byrne and Dermot O’Grady for being the hosts with the most at these events, as well as our sporting contestants.

Change can be difficult, but at BITA we have always tried to ensure that our members are prepared and have access to the correct information they need to make the best decisions. In the past that may have been regarding new rules on CIS compliance or how a business can best open an office in Ireland. Now it is around managing cashflow, budgeting, furloughing staff and force majeure when dealing with contracts.

Whatever the future holds, we will be at the front and ready to pass on information to help our members’ businesses flourish. www.bita.ie

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SECTION

JOIN

BITA’S

COMMUNITY WE ARE ‘THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE THAT HELP PEOPLE’, A MOTTO THAT ENCAPSULATES OUR ETHOS, AND ONE THAT MAKES OUR ORGANISATION TRULY UNIQUE

BITA

promotes and grows our member businesses; successfully increasing trade, creating opportunities for business, and improving the relationship between the UK and Ireland. We want to help our members achieve their goals and work to create pipelines and opportunities for SMEs to work with our supporters and patrons who often head large multi-nationals, offering the right providers of labour, contractors and supplies.

We are a non-profit organisation run by head office which takes direction from our Executive and Non-Executive Directors, and Chapter board members. Our chapters are currently based in Dublin, London, Liverpool, Isle of Man, Manchester, Cork and Scotland, offering strategic coverage for our members.

Last, but by no means least, we are a friendly organisation made up with members that share our ethos. Attend a BITA event and you will find a welcoming and interested group of people that want to get to know more about you and your business – with no hard selling.

In response to recent events, we have done our best to host online events of real benefit to our members, providing expert advice on everything from health and safety to furlough. To be there for our community is central to who we are;

MEMBERSHIP OF BITA HAS BENEFITED LAING O’ROURKE BY OPENING UP NEW MARKETS AND GIVING US ACCESS TO A BIGGER NETWORK OF PEOPLE. BITA IS GREAT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND HAS BEEN VERY USEFUL TO US. Declan McGeeney, Laing O’Rourke

adapting to change and working hard to provide the best advice and opportunities.

In addition, we have spent 2020 working on a host of exciting new projects, from our new website (see pages 26 – 29), our Procurement Hub, Training Division and more.

BITA membership is only £300 (+ VAT) a year, click here to join and to take advantage of the £50 discount to those that join by Direct Debit.

HOW TO USE YOUR MEMBERSHIP Promotion is a great way to use your membership – engage with us on social media, send us your good news so we can share it, and get involved with this magazine. The articles don’t write themselves and we need advertising to keep printing, so get in touch and share your expertise with you community or promote your business for more recognition!

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NETWORKS

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WHAT’S INCLUDED IN BASIC MEMBERSHIP

• Membership that covers all • • • • • • • • • •

company employees Access to all other BITA chapters and events Your business profile on our website Direct access to key decision makers Exclusive member only discounts Free access to educational workshops Eligibility to enter the BITA awards, an award ceremony held at our annual Gala Ball Free posted copy and opportunity to publish or advertise in our magazine, NetWorks Free promotion of your events/ products/services on social media and other media channels, such as the Irish Post Entry in our Procurement Hub Access to our Training Program

BITA IS OXYGEN FOR BUSINESS.

Dermot O’Grady, Chief Executive Ardent Tide

For full details of what membership can offer, take a look at our Guide to BITA now.

With BITA, as with life, the more you put in, the more you get out! Members who regularly attend events and get involved will naturally make more connections and create better business opportunities. We’re a friendly bunch, so if you aren’t sure, contact office@bita.ie and ask about events nearby for you to attend and see if we are right for you!

THROUGH TEAMWORK WE ACHIEVE THE EXTRAORDINARY

KNOWLEDGE IS VALUABLE. EXPERIENCE IS PRICELESS. The Danny Sullivan Group provides a wide spectrum of trades and labour to the UK construction and civil engineering industry.

Email | enquiries@dannysullivan.co.uk Website | www.dannysullivan.co.uk Telephone | 0208 961 1900

ADVERTORIAL

MARKET IMPACT

Richard Morrissey considers how COVID-19 has impacted the markets, and the ramifications for business

A

s we ease out of lockdown, it feels like there might be light at the end of the tunnel. However, Richard Morrissey, Head of Corporate Sales at moneycorp, now looks at the new challenge for businesses, having to adapt to working in the ‘new normal’.

Looking at the euro, it remained strong against sterling in the first few weeks of lockdown, but as the UK created a number of schemes to aid businesses and the Bank of England cut its interest rates, the pound pulled back. The US also saw huge quantitative easing, cutting interest rates by a full percentage point to zero.

The euro was initially hampered by the EU struggling to get its QE off the ground. A number of members, including Ireland, showed support early on for joint fiscal stimulus, but many were left to be convinced, including the ‘frugal four.’ The European Commission came back with a €750bn plan, and investors saw the

scheme as positive, boosting the euro against other majors. The euro also climbed against the US dollar after the European Central Bank announced a €600bn extension to its Pandemic Purchase Programme. With liquidity very much in demand, markets are whippy, so currencies can quickly bounce up and down.

Why is this important to your business?

If you buy or sell goods and services from abroad, then your cash flow and revenue may be impacted by Covid-19 as it causes market volatility. Fluctuating currency values means costs from overseas don’t remain static, making it difficult to generate accurate forecasts and puts pressure on the bottom line.

By having moneycorp on hand when it comes to currency risk strategy and

management, businesses can focus on their pressing day-to-day priorities right now, such as protecting their workforces.

Because of our collective experience and network, we’re in a position to not only help companies navigate global trade, but also go the extra mile for our clients. In these uncertain times, it is compassion, collaboration and knowledge-sharing that will be remembered.

Contact Richard and the moneycorp team to discuss your international payment requirements today: Email: cfxdublin@moneycorp.com - Telephone: +353 (0) 1 901 5252

www.bita.ie

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