The Business Owners' Checklist published with The Sunday Telegraph

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Editor’s letter New normal?

Why wait that long? ow many times have you heard the phrase ‘new normal’ recently? Perhaps a better question would be: when was the last time you read an opinion piece or business article that didn’t mention it? Among the turbulence of 2020, one rare constant we have been able to rely on is being told our industries are undergoing a shift towards some kind of new normal.

Pubs, restaurants, cinemas and retail are navigating a new normal – we all know that. But there’s more; a quick search of the phrase sees it conjured up in relation to activities as widespread as babysitting, owning a pet, and mushroom foraging. I’m tempted to use an altered version of a common adage: “When everything’s new, nothing is”.

I can’t deny that change is happening everywhere, but using a stock phrase to describe it doesn’t help – especially when that phrase is a contradiction in itself.

Here’s my suggestion for a better way to describe doing business today: “Endless evolution”. The key is that change is a continuous process – things were changing before 2020, changes accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, and they will continue in 2021 and beyond. Successful business owners are constantly assessing how their customers’ needs have evolved rather than waiting for a single shift to the ‘new normal’.

Dispensing one-size-fits-all advice to businesses is rarely wise, but if I had to give one observation on our state of endless evolution, it would be this: it means there is no best or worst time to start. So you may as well start now. The relentless news coverage might tell us that this is a bad time to invest in a start-up, but the facts say otherwise. In July 2020, a record-breaking 81,000 new businesses were registered, according to the Centre For Entrepreneurs.

More businesses were created in

H

There is no best or worst time to start. So you may as well start now

the summer of 2020 than in the summer of 2019.

Established business owners, meanwhile, can identify opportunities that would never have been available before. The working-from-home revolution has opened up the hiring market; if you’re based in Reading and the most qualified candidate for your position is in Edinburgh, why not hire them? The distance no longer matters. For most markets, 2020 has emphasised the value of co-operation, which means more chances to get access to technologies, people and cross-market initiatives that benefit your business and the industry as a whole. And consumers’ growing desire for sustainability and corporate social responsibility creates opportunities for quick-thinking businesses who move to fulfil that demand.

Inside this issue you will find guides to the basics of business today, from budgeting and office management to digital networking and data security.

Whatever industry you are in and no matter your level of experience, these pages aim to give you support and insight that you can use to help your business not just survive, but grow.

These times are exciting and terrifying at once; an emotional state most business owners will have been familiar with for some time. So why wait for the new normal? Enterprise finds a way, and you are more prepared than you think.

Colin Fallon, editor

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Published by

Hurst Media Company United House, North Road, Islington, London, N7 9DP 020 3478 6017 hurstmediacompany.co.uk

Managing Director James Hurst Finance and Publishing Director Wes Stanton

Media Operations Manager James Taylor

Editor Colin Fallon

Business Development Maddie Black, Anthony Wynne, Joseph McLaven, Neil Bhullar, Daniel Barton, Richard Douglas

Editorial Team Laura Forsyth, Sarah Halford

Accounts and Administration Manager Onitha Antoine

Senior Designer and Production Manager Stefanie Ward

Accounts Team Samantha Coventry, David Church, Michael Yabbey, Keith Sedgwick

Design Team Sarah Somerton-Jones, Katherina Bradshaw, Liana Schultz

Executive Assistants Amie Thomas, Sasha Rapacchi

The Business Owners’ Checklist is published and wholly owned by Hurst Media Company Ltd. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the publications but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the publication. Hurst Media Company do not accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers.

All prices correct at time of going to press.

Contents 4 THE MONEY-SAVING CHECKLIST

31 THE PROBLEM WITH OFFICES

38 FAST FRANCHISING

Employees want their workspace to keep them present, focused and content

Joining an established brand creates a startup opportunity with minimised risk

32 THE INSIDE TRACK

43 COACHING THROUGH A CRISIS

Keep connected with your team and monitor productivity – wherever they are

Ensuring your employees feel valued and engaged in a time of change

25 BACK TO WORK, OR BACK HOME?

35 WORK FROM HOME ESSENTIALS

46 NEW NETWORKING

The most-asked questions about lockdown easing amid ever-changing advice

Positive additions to your home office that are guaranteed to boost productivity

14 BETTER CYBER-SAFE THAN SORRY

28 HIRING IN A PANDEMIC

37 MAKING IDEAS A REALITY

No one is immune from hackers or computer viruses – are you protected?

You need to fill a position – but should you change the recruitment process?

So you have the killer concept – now you need the funds to get things going

Inspire productivity, take care of costs and look ahead to the bigger business picture

8 EASY WAYS TO GET PAID – FAST! From single card readers to fully integrated solutions, which payment platform is best?

13 TECH BEHIND THE TIMES? There’s no need to break the bank to ensure your IT is up to speed

19 COVID CULTURE: MORE THAN SAFETY Well-functioning, thriving businesses revolve around a healthy, happy team

20 THE SAFETY SELECTION Covid-proof essentials for office distancing and hygiene without driving up costs

Build contacts and nurture existing relationships without leaving your home

LET’S GET SOCIAL FOLLOW CHECKLIST ON @checklistsocial

4 FINANCIAL & LEGAL

The money-saving checklist It’s no surprise that businesses are looking to control costs – but how can you do it without too much compromise? ne bit of business advice that never goes out of date is that you need to watch the cash. It’s still true that the number one reason SMEs fail is that they run out of cash. It’s no reflection on their business model or strategic direction, which may be completely sound – but even if that’s the case, it doesn’t change the fact that costs can easily get away from you and lead to your business running aground on cash flow issues.

Businesses are fighting harder than ever to stave off this possibility, and are rationalising every cost – even those that were once thought unavoidable, such as office space or travel. In the COVID economy, everything is fair game, and we can and should be more flexible than ever.

But it’s not just the big picture you need to look at. When it comes to the finances, the devil is in the detail: it’s as important as ever to maintain control of small costs, make sure you are always forecasting your requirements and act to avoid potential shortages.

That said, the task can feel daunting and unwanted. A common business owner’s lament is that they started their business so they could do what they love, but instead they seem to spend all their time looking at spreadsheets.

With that in mind, we’ve collected some effective – but not too onerous – ways you can stay on top of your business finances:

NOT GOT A BUDGET? You need one. You can start very simply by writing down all the costs you expect to accrue (salaries, rent, utilities, operating expenditures) in one column, and your revenues in another column. Subtract the first from the second; if the result is negative, you have a revenue shortfall you need to work out how to fill. The key is not to let a budget fester once you’ve made it. Keep reforecasting and looking ahead. It’s about refining your own perception of your business’s financial health as much as it is about the numbers on the sheet themselves.

O

It’s as important as ever to maintain control of small costs

GOT A BUDGET? Of course you do; the hard part is making sure you get it right. Look over last year’s budget; did you stick to it, and were all your forecasts matched by reality? If not, concentrate on the areas where expectations weren’t met. Did a particular cost centre break the budget? Did your revenues not hit target, or were they highly variable month-to-month? This can help you identify financial ‘pain points’ and give you a good idea of what to adjust.

INVOLVE YOUR STAFF Though you may see your budget as an essential tool for the health of the business, employees often see it as a straitjacket.

Address this by giving them a personal stake in setting and enforcing it. You can monitor progress towards the budget over time and identity over-expenditure, but perhaps a better idea is to delegate aspects of this monitoring to individual employees. If they have a sense of responsibility for the budget, they will buy into it and stick to it.

XX FEATURE

Don’t lose out on funding options

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Enterprise Investment Schemes. Ridgefield However, although first offered to Consulting is already helping clients prepare SMEs back in 2015 it remains relatively for the forthcoming change in R&D claim unknown and under-utilised. Ridgefield

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FINANCIAL & LEGAL 5

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6 FINANCIAL & LEGAL

The money saving checklist continued...

more they provide, the more leverage you have when it comes to negotiating the price.

CHECK YOUR DEBTS...

More or less every business has debt, but depending on the state of your current liabilities, they may be a place you can save. Following the advice of TV adverts and consolidating your debts, perhaps through a loan or credit card, can cut the monthly repayment cost.

Credit providers are always launching introductory rates – perhaps you can switch to a new provider.

Don’t feel the need to be ‘loyal’ – switch and save.

When it comes to these matters, good advice can pay for itself. If you’re new to business finance or taxes, talking to a professional about your obligations and opportunities could easily save more money than it costs. Plus, you get peace of mind in the bargain – and you’ll learn a lot more quickly.

Though you may see your budget as an essential tool for the health of the business, employees often see it as a straightjacket

... AND YOUR MONTHLY OUTGOINGS The same ‘no loyalty’ approach can apply to other monthly costs, such as bills. Have you been with the same bank, insurer, energy supplier and internet provider for years? Either you can switch and save, or your existing provider will offer you a better deal if you look into it. You may be tired of seeing endless adverts for price comparison sites, but they can actually be a godsend here.

While you’re at it, perhaps you are paying a subscription fee for software – check whether there is a free alternative that still meets your needs. In the era of open-source software, it is more than likely.

And give your daily operating expenses a review once in a while. No business owner wants to spend hours deliberating over whether their expenditure on biscuits is justified – perhaps get your staff to share the work by asking them to tell you what office facilities they really appreciate, and what they could do without.

Whatever the cost centre, it can pay to set aside a small amount of time, even as infrequently as once a year, to compare vendors and get a fresh set of quotes. Doing this in one go gives you the chance to switch multiple products or services to the same supplier – the

GO GREEN Once dismissed as a trend, reducing our use of resources is now commonplace, and with good reason. Limiting travel, encouraging a paperless office, investing in energy-saving lighting and appliances, and ensuring employees turn everything off (instead of just putting computers to sleep) are easy ways to contribute. If the environmental benefits don’t make you feel warm and fuzzy, the savings will.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS – AND COSTS Meetings proliferating and taking hours is a stereotypical complaint, but have you ever actually crunched the numbers? Next time you’re in a meeting, do a quick calculation of how many people are in the room, what their hourly wage averages out at, and how many hours it’s taking. Multiply the three together and the result could be terrifyingly high.

That’s an illustration of how your business is incurring costs in terms of time, not just cash. Start adding up all the costs and before long you’ll be changing your approach to meetings and any other time-consuming activity that’s common in your business. Often, all that takes to clamp down on opportunity costs is a strict attitude: if you limit all meetings to an hour, are they really going to be any less useful? If there’s a lot of information that needs sharing, ask employees to circulate it in advance so everyone can get up to speed in their own time.

TAKE A CONSULTATIVE APPROACH Simply talking to employees can generate cost-cutting opportunities that solve their frustrations at the same time – a double win. For example, are different teams repeating the same job? Is there a task that could be automated that everyone is still doing manually? Is the same software malfunction plaguing everyone’s computer, wasting time as they try to fix it?

Identify these hidden traps and free up your staff to focus on revenue-generating activities. Not only will you save money, they’ll thank you for it.

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FINANCIAL & LEGAL 7 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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Fractional IP is filling that gap by providing start-ups and small business access to high performing IP managers and tools but in a way that is fully tailored to meet their needs. The company has full control over the quality of its processes and nurtures all its IP managers by delivering world-class IP commercialisation training to its employees.

Fractional IP follows the highest industry standards of performance, ethics and client confidentiality.

The firm is on a mission to transform how intellectual property is managed and ensure key services are delivered to start-ups and SMEs by combining highly skilled intellectual property consultants with efficiency-driven software. As a force multiplier, it operates under a full plug and play arrangement by providing a dedicated IP manager to your organisation and will represent your company as your IP solution architect.

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THE GOVERNMENT’S CBILS and BBLS

initiatives are helping SMEs across the UK to access funding. On 24 September Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined support for over one million businesses through application extensions and revisions to repayment terms.

• For a lower file size, this is a low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press.

Applications for all government-backed • For a lower file size, this is a low-resolution proof. A high-qua loans schemes – including BBLS and CBILS This 2020. advertorial has been designed according to • Not necessarily indicative final positioning – will be extended until 30 • November • ofThis advertorial has been designed according to • N Companies will have the option to repay the house style pre-approved by the publisher within the publication. Your the advertorial will be house style pre-approved by the publisher w their loans over ten years via a ‘pay as you Minerva Crafts, Factory 45, (including typography, which can’t be changed). p (including typography, which can’t be changed). placed as per your booking. grow’ initiative. If a business finds itself in ‘real Funding Options customer Funding Options customer trouble’, six-month interest-only payments • Copy has beenwithin subedited by the editorial team as • P • Copy has been subedited by the editorial team as • Please return your feedback or approval and payment holidays are available. per the publisher’s house style (including copy in 4 for growth or assets, Funding Options can Funding48 Options works with hundreds of proof, unless additional funding through a CBILS loan – as per the publisher’s house style (including copy in hours of receiving this advised help. Winter is fast approaching and they lenders providing a vast selection of alternative WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY? long as the new funding settles the original. third person). o third person). by the production team. are there to support your business through financeotherwise products, including: For a BBLS loan the lender will ask you to spring – and beyond. � Unsecured Business Loans – finance of up submit a short online application form and WHAT ARE THE CBILS FEATURES AND to £250,000, no security. For businesses self-declare that you’re eligible. For CBILS BENEFITS? that don’t own many assets, don’t want to loans you could be asked for the following: � Loans from £50,000 to £5 million FIND OUT MORE offer security or need finance quickly. � Details – how much you want � Government-backed, partial guarantee � Revolving Credit – pre-approved to borrow, what it’s for and the � Government covers first 12 months of Call 020 3984 8571 to chat with one funds with a rolling agreement. A good repayment period interest payments of their business finance specialists or alternative to business overdrafts and � Documents – management and � No guarantee fees for SMEs visit fundingoptions.com often more accessible. accounts, business plan and assets � Loan term extended to 10 years � Asset Finance – finance for business information assets, such as equipment and vehicles.

COVID-19: FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE Also enables you to release cash from the CAN I CONVERT MY BBLS LOAN TO BUSINESS LOAN value in assets you already own.

A CBILS LOAN? There are plenty of other options available If you received a loan though the BBLS to for those who can’t access the governmentWhether you’re looking for cash-flow cover working capital needs but require backed schemes or need further funding. As headroom, working capital finance or funding over £50,000, you may be able to take out well as partnering with 50 CBILS loan providers,

PROOF INFORMATION

PROOF INFORM

8 FINANCIAL & LEGAL

Easy ways to get paid – fast!

Payment platforms for businesses, from single card readers to fully integrated solutions he methods in which we handle and transact money, both as consumers and as small businesses, have completely transformed – particularly so over the past decade.

Leanness and flexibility is the name of the game now. With the advent of contactless payments, followed swiftly by mobile phones adding ‘digital wallets’, payment is becoming more and more divorced from its traditional instruments. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that approximately 50 percent of the public hasn’t paid with cash even once since lockdown began in March. Few would say there’s any going back.

The upshot of all this is that ‘fintech’ isn’t just a word that city bankers or cryptocurrency boffins need to know. Financial technology, chosen and applied correctly to your business, can give you more mobile, flexible and faster ways of getting paid as well as putting money in your account – and who would say no to that?

It is important that you choose the best secure payment system that will suit your business’s needs.

Here are the platforms that will help you to efficiently keep up-todate with all of your company’s finances.

T

SQUARE

Launched by a co-founder of Twitter, Square is a ‘digital native’ platform that plugs into iOS and Android devices seamlessly. Priced competitively, charging 1.75% for a card transaction (2.5% for online, invoice or typedin payments). The Square app incorporates free point-of-sale software, giving business a quick and labour-light way to monitor sales and receipts. You can use QR codes to limit in-person contact, increase safety and improve order accuracy.

STRIPE Rather than a face-to-face payment solution, Stripe is an online-focused service for companies looking to add e-commerce functionality to their website. You’ll need some IT support to run it properly, but if you have that to hand, you get a universal software solution with excellent third-party integration.

It’s fast and full-service – tech-savvy startups need look no further.

iZettle makes card payment easy and safe

WORLDPAY ZINC Worldpay made its name in traditional card-payment technology; Zinc is its mobile equivalent. That said, it still offers a ‘proper’ chip-andpin keypad as opposed to the miniature device provided by most competitors. They don’t have the universal support or extra features of some other models, but for the price you do get unrivalled peace of mind that you’re buying from a global leader in payment processing.

iZETTLE One of the longer-standing names in the mobile chip-reader market. Active since 2011, and as a Swedish company, it meets all international security standards with its transactions. Readers are cheap at £19, but payment isn’t the quickest (money takes two to three days to arrive).

Universal card support and the reader’s long battery life makes iZettle a common sight in service industries. iZettle also offers ePOS software, small business loans and third-party software support.

FINANCIAL & LEGAL 9 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

White Oak are here to help businesses thrive Whether it is growth, expansion or cashflow management, it is important that business owners take time to consider what 2021 holds in store for them. The CBILS scheme is an attractive offering for businesses looking to support their Covid-19 recovery SEVERAL FINANCIAL CHALLENGES LIE ahead from multiple pinch points which could put a strain on cashflow. For example, in January there tends to be a hangover from reduced billings and a New Year which may see increased lockdown restrictions.

Businesses also have to look further at the long-tail financial risks that may appear depending on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

White Oak wants to help businesses face challenges both now and in the future and work hard to deliver no nonsense solutions for clients. They know that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to business finance, so it’s

prudent for businesses to work with lenders who understand their goals and can provide capital when and where it is needed. Some sectors will do better than others, but the more expansionist businesses will also still need support to see them through the months ahead. In addition the Government has acted decisively in extending the state-backed financial support on offer to businesses as this will be key for the continued success of British businesses.

With a loan book of over £250m, and a network of nearly 200 specialists based across the UK, White Oak has the local, regional and sectoral expertise to get to the heart of what businesses need, and can assess suitability

for credit through combining cutting edge technology with that vital human touch.

For example, they recently lent £180,000 to a three-partner law firm in the Midlands dedicated to all the major areas of law. The firm was able to use their CBILS loan to cover their working capital needs.

White Oak wants to help businesses like these achieve prosperity and make sure the funding continues to flow to those businesses who need it. The key to recovery is making sure that large and small alike are supported which is why independent lenders like White Oak play such a key role. White Oak has been lending

to UK businesses since 1986 through the former LDF Group which was acquired in 2018 by White Oak Global Advisors, LLC, on behalf of its institutional clients. They want to help businesses thrive and are committed to lending across the UK which is why they have partnered with local business organisations across the UK starting on Tuesday, 10 November with the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce followed by events in Scotland and the South East.

FIND OUT MORE To register for the events and find out more about how White Oak can help your business thrive visit whiteoakuk.com or call 0333 331 7565.

Andy Davies, Managing Director of Leases & Loans

Covid cash-flow chaos? Here’s a lifeline

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Has Covid-19 caused your company cash-flow chaos?

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BENEFITS R&D TAX CREDITS IS A GOVERNMENT � Successful claimants can receive a FUNDED INCENTIVE which rewards cash injection in as littleaccording as four weeksto businesses for innovation. Due the advertorial has • toThis been designed from HMRC current economic uncertainty, the incentive the house style�pre-approved by the publisher Strengthen company growth is providing a lifeline for thousands of UK (including typography, which can’t be changed). � Ready cash to invest companies. Businesses are rewarded for � Reduce corporation tax problem solving, overcoming technical Improvement cash-fl ow challenges, and streamlining As been �subedited • processes.

Copy has byofthe editorial team as � Claims can be backdated two financial well as improving existing products, methods per the publisher’s house style (including copy years and profitable and loss-making in and services or innovating new ones. companies are eligible third person). � Nothing to lose Despite these benefits, most business owners believe they are not eligible for the scheme because their R&D projects will not qualify. This has led to 75% of eligible SMEs missing out on their opportunity of a successful claim. If you are a UK limited company, you could be eligible for the scheme.

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Not necessarily indicative of final positioning within the publication. Your advertorial will be acclaimed for its first-class service. rate, anplaced average claim of £50K has as per yourand booking.

A 10-minute conversation with one of its experts can determine your eligibility for or approval within the scheme, which saves you time unlike 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised applying for loans and grants, which can be WHY RANDD UK? uncertain and lengthy processes. � Expert advice by the production team. otherwise � Maximisation of claim value � Support from specialists � Efficient and simplified service � Communication and guidance through every step of process � Flexible pricing � Strong relationship with HMRC awarded its clients with over £140 million from since 2008. your feedback • HMRC Please return

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XX 10 FINANCIAL FEATURE & LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Get legal advice straight from a barrister through a brilliant new digital platform Legalese is set to cause disruption in a sector that has historically been averse to change THE CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, MUHAMMAD MAHMOOD, used to work part-time in a legal advice centre in east London while studying. Upon finishing his studies and armed with a first class degree, he went to work for a Magic Circle firm – one of the five UK-based law firms considered to be amongst the most prestigious in the world.

When he started as a trainee solicitor some 10 years ago, he was surprised to find that he was charged out to clients at £300 per hour, with some of the partners being charged out at around £1,000 per hour. As he progressed in his career and changed firms, his hourly rate exceeded £500 per hour, which is typical for a mid-level lawyer at an international law firm.

THE BIRTH OF AN IDEA

What puzzled Muhammad was how barristers at elite Chambers would often cost less than half the hourly rate of solicitors at international law firms: “We could either prepare an advice for a client for £12,000 or have it prepared by a barrister at an elite Chambers, with quite frankly superior knowledge of the law, for £4,000. It just didn’t make sense for us, the law firm, to prepare the advice.”

While travelling in the summer of 2019, he had his eureka moment: “I drew inspiration from the format of the advice sessions at the legal advice centre. A client would receive advice in around 30 minutes and would go away happier and more informed. The legal advisers at the advice centre would then complete one follow-up task for the client, whether it was writing a letter or drafting a pleading. Because the advice centre was a charity and had limited resources, it was a system that was designed to be as efficient as possible.”

In the legal sector where lawyers generally charge for their time rather than their output, Muhammad realised that if he applied that efficiency to paid legal services, this would result in significant cost discounts to clients. If he could create an online legal advice centre with specialist barristers providing advice via a video or audio call,

clients would end up paying less than half of what they would pay law firms for the same advice.

On his return home, Muhammad spoke to one of his best friends, a fellow lawyer, and they started developing a website that would serve as an online legal advice centre. Barristers and their clerks loved the idea of Legalese. He said: “We would do demonstrations of the website to barristers and their clerks while it was still being developed and virtually every single barrister we spoke to saw the potential and wanted to sign up.”

HOW DOES IT WORK?

We’ve had to bring additional people onboard to man the telephones because of the sheer number of calls we receive from prospective clients.

Clients visiting the Legalese website choose from one of three fixed-price packages depending on the volume of documents they need the barrister to review and provide a brief description of their legal issue. An algorithm presents the client with three barristers to choose from, with relevant expertise and availability. The barrister’s available times are presented to the client in real-time so the client can select a mutually convenient time for the call. Once payment is made, the client receives an email with a ‘join’ button to join the call with their chosen barrister at the scheduled time. The whole process takes around five minutes from start to finish. Following the call, the barrister provides a written summary of his or her advice.

Muhammad says the response has been impressive: “We’ve had to bring additional people onboard to man the telephones because of the sheer number of calls we receive from prospective clients”.

FIND OUT MORE Legalese went live earlier this year and is currently specialising in employment law advice and representation for both businesses and individuals. It intends to roll out across virtually all areas of law in the coming months.

Call the 24/7 enquiry line on 0207 459 4484, or visit the website at legalese.co.uk to find out more about their services.

You’ve been charged too much, for too little, for too long

distributed with

FINANCIAL & LEGAL 11

Easy ways to get paid – fast! continued...

SHOPIFY

PAYPAL

Affordable and user-friendly, Shopify gives you a 14-day free trial of its e-commerce service – so you can try it without tying yourself into a commitment.

Once you take the plunge, you’ll pay £23 a month for the standard package and 2.2% transaction fees (though prices go up if you want to use an external payment gateway rather than Shopify Payments). For that relatively small price, you get full commerce functionality incorporating web, social and on-location sales.

The de facto standard for online payments for years, Paypal has brought its established name to business finance. A Paypal reader isn’t the cheapest (£45), and nor are transaction fees (2.75%), but its remittance speed is second to none (literally seconds) – as long as you’re happy having money sent directly to your Paypal account rather than your bank account. As part of a massive company, Paypal’s economies of scale allow it to offer a UK-based customer service hotline and a POS system.

If you have a bit more resource and want to design your own branded payment platform, you can pair with Cardstream, a whitelabel e-commerce provider. For an affordable monthly fee, you get all the selling power you need, accepting multiple currencies and recurring as well as one-off payments. It doesn’t take as much work away from you as some other options, since you need to design all the pages and receipts yourself – but if you can do it, the results will be something else.

There are few bigger names in the world of e-commerce than Amazon, and most of us know already how quickly you can sail through their checkout system. Using Amazon Pay plugs your business into that same system, and allows customers to use the details they’ve already provided in their Amazon account. As a huge company, Amazon also offers a high calibre of security and plugin integration. All that comes at a cost, though: processing fees are 3.4% by default, though they drop as your monthly payment volume increases.

OPAYO Previously known as Sage Pay, Opayo is the new name for one of the UK’s best known payment providers. Its powerful platform supports all payment methods – point-of-sale, mobile, online, even over the phone – in around 30 global currencies. It also provides analytics so you get a clear overview of how much you’re being paid and where the money is coming from. Face-to-face payment support starts at £13 a month, online at £20 a month.

We recommend Once you’ve narrowed down the list to those that fit your business, work to maximise your flexibility. Accepting as many different card types and payment protocols as possible is important; it’s also highly recommended to accept Apple Pay and Google Pay. The advantage is convenience for the customer; think of how many high street retail outlets have stickers in their windows advertising that they accept Apple and Google Pay. A faster, problem-free checkout means customers are more likely to go through with a purchase, and to come back for more.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Realising investment is a business disposal challenge

Previously, an owner disposing of their business could claim Entrepreneurs Relief, allowing gains on the first £10 million of disposals to be taxed at 10%.

However, in the 2020 Budget this was restricted to £1 million and any amount thereafter would be taxed at 20%, which may increase further in a spring 2021 Budget to pay for government borrowings.

Therefore, when an exit is on the horizon in the next few years, a business owner may have to rethink their business structure and consider alternative measures such as: � Large pension contributions to a personal pension fund – up to £40,000 per year with the availability to carry back up to three years � A holding company structure to benefit from Substantial Shareholding Exemption (disposals could be tax-free if they want to reinvest) for some or all of the shares � Sell their business to an employee share ownership trust (EOT) to potentially free them of Capital Gains Tax.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE Luke Prout, Tax Partner Streets Chartered Accountants

For a low price (1.69% transaction fee across all payment methods; no monthly fee), SumUp offers a lot of functionality – contactless, chip-and-pin, magnetic stripe and Apple Pay are all supported, and SumUp also offers a POS system as an optional upgrade. Where you compromise is speed – payments take three to five days to reach your account.

CARDSTREAM

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HOW TO REALISE THEIR INVESTMENT at the end of their working career or cash in on a business when it has reached maturity is a challenge for owner-managed businesses.

The business can be sold or existing management or staff can buy the owner out, usually with a mixture of cash and deferred payments out of future profits.

SUMUP

Visit streetsweb.co.uk or email Luke Prout at lprout@streetsweb.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Maximise the value of intangible assets IN A COMPETITIVE AND DIGITAL ECONOMY intangible assets, like intellectual property (IP), now play a much larger role in a company’s overall value. It is more important than ever that companies take a proactive approach to the identification and management of these assets.

Recognising, monitoring and valuing IP assets facilitates more informed decisions when it comes to: � Mergers and acquisitions � In- and out-licensing � Use of IP as collateral when raising funding � Preventing infringement � Enforcement � Cost reduction IP Pragmatics is a specialist IP and technology management consultancy with 20 years’ experience combining legal, technical and commercial expertise with a practical and pragmatic approach.

An IP audit can be a starting point for companies to understand the range of registered and unregistered IP assets they hold and how these can be best managed and protected, including as part of a commercial growth strategy.

As well as IP audits, IP Pragmatics undertakes financial valuations for all types of intellectual property (including patents,

design rights, trademarks, copyright, software, trade secrets and know-how), from early-stage ideas through to businesses with established income streams.

The firm also helps companies to minimise the ongoing management costs of registered IP rights, such as patents, through its partnership with global patent and trademark renewals provider IPRIS Global.

HOW CAN IP PRAGMATICS HELP YOUR BUSINESS? Visit ip-pragmatics.com to find out more about their services.

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XX FEATURE

Tech behind the times?

There are simple ways to ensure your business’s IT is doing what it should, without driving up costs eware false economy’ was first uttered long before the internet was invented, but it scarcely applies to anything more than business technology. Using old tech might be cheaper, but it can easily cost you more than it saves. If your employees are using out-of-date computers and software, their productivity will suffer as they wait for programs and webpages to load; not only that, your maintenance bill is likely to be higher (and more downtime for maintenance means another hit to productivity).

On top of that, state-of-the-art tech is more secure, looks better to prospective customers – and in the era of remote working, it’s more likely to actually be used and deliver value.

The catch is that new technology costs money, and especially given tech companies’ tendency to bring out an ever-so-slightly upgraded version of their flagship product once a year, the costs add up. With that in mind, it can pay to start with the basics, and consider methods to save as well as different ways to spend.

Firstly, ask yourself if you still need every software licence you’re paying for. Perhaps there’s software nobody uses any more, either because of a change in working situations or because another program is doing the same job. It also pays to ask employees about their experiences – not only will they gladly tell you what isn’t working, you may also realise that software is being used for a different purpose to the one you actually bought it for, and that

‘B

another solution would serve them better.

Free software is available for many purposes, and is certainly worth looking into. But for core business functions, it’s understandable that you’ll want industrystandard software that will always be stable and supported with regular updates – and that

Using old tech might be cheaper, but it can easily cost you more than it saves

means paying for it. The good news is that this isn’t necessarily in the form of a huge one-off outlay. It is worth pursuing a software rental rather than going for a purchase model.

How does this work? Through cloud providers.

Those who view ‘cloud computing’ as little more than a trendy term should think again – not least because they may already be using it without realising. If your business is using any major software on a monthly licence (such as Google Mail or Microsoft Teams’s business-level packages), that’s provided through the cloud. It’s available for popular desktop apps too, such as the Adobe suite.

It’s a model known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): you pay for as long as you need the software and get all updates thrown in. Of course, you don’t own anything and there’s no long-term commitment from the provider – which means your access goes away as soon as you stop paying. But think of acquiring a car: you’re happy to get one on business hire knowing you’ll be able to easily switch to a newer one in a couple of years, and why would you be bothered about ownership of a depreciating asset? The same principles apply to tech. Oh – and this makes your IT an ongoing expenditure, not a capital one, which will have a further benefit when tax time comes around.

It’s a simple truth that businesses can’t afford to labour with inadequate technology. But neither should they be paying through the nose for the right stuff.

Best practices to protect your business IT SaaS is the domain of some huge and experienced tech companies. Speak to a well-known provider like Salesforce or Concur for business-oriented solutions. For more general tasks, you can’t go wrong with major providers such as Google Apps, Amazon Web Services, Dropbox or Microsoft 365.

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Hosted Desktop can help your business cope with Covid THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT COVID-19 HAS had a massive impact on all our lives. With no vaccine in sight, it is not just our personal lives which are being affected. The ongoing pandemic has also made huge waves in the business world and companies have had to adapt and change how they work to survive.

Perhaps the major trend is the demand for remote working. It allows business owners to reduce the costs of renting office space and providing desk space for employees.

Remote working has meant staff can fulfil their roles if going into work is not an option and businesses can retain staff and carry on providing a high-level service to customers.

IT & TECH 13

To get the most from remote working, though, organisations need the right tools.

HOW CAN BUSINESS OWNERS ENSURE REMOTE WORKING SUCCEEDS?

One big question to consider is how do you give staff easy access to company IT systems, telephony and applications from home?

Some may think you can patch in ad-hoc workarounds or rely on home VPNs. These are not a feasible long-term solution. With no idea on when lockdown will end, that is a disaster for your business. It leaves you making do with compromised workflows and facing drop-offs in employee productivity.

HOSTED DESKTOP IS THE ANSWER

By far the best solution is Hosted Desktop, a managed IT service which is fully cloud based. Having been used within the corporate world for some time, it is a fully tested, mature service. Hosted Desktop is like a whole IT platform in one easy to use package. Not only does it give staff easy, central access to the files, networks and systems they need but it is very secure too.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Your applications and data are then migrated to the servers and your staff can access it all from home.

If your business is struggling to accommodate remote working, Host My Office is ready to help. Its secure data centres are based in the South of England and the team takes care of all security tasks such as backups or disaster recovery. The service also comes with complete IT support, so you can always get help when needed.

A service provider (like Host My Office) creates a set of servers for your company which are housed in four ultra-secure UK data centres.

FIND OUT MORE Call 01892 267200, email hello@hostmyoffice.co.uk or visit the website at hostmyoffice.co.uk

14 IT & TECH

Better cyber-safe than sorry Don’t think you are immune to a cyber attack.

Get your data security sorted

W

e all use remotely stored data every day – whether that’s accessing cloud-based emails or logging on to a work server from home.

These days, the requirements for remote data provision are greater than ever – not only does it have to be accessible, it has to be fast and flexible too.

Unfortunately, the faster and more accessible your data is, the easier it is for cyber attackers to get at it. The number of security breaches in 2020 is expected to break records, and Accenture found that 68 percent of business owners feel their cybersecurity risks are increasing.

They are right to feel that way. No one is immune. The Business Owners’ Checklist’s editor Colin Fallon, once worked for a multinational publishing company, who were targeted by attackers sending employees fake invoices containing a malicious program.

All it took was one person to open it, and the program spread itself around across the network. It didn’t freeze them out or steal data, though – all it did was slow machines down, wasting processor energy on a task that was designed to obfuscate and irritate.

Why did the attackers bother? It became clear a few days later, when Colin received a phone call out of the blue: “Hi – I’m from IT. I’ve been looking into that virus everybody got last week. I can erase it off your computer – I just need you to give me your username and password so I can remote-access…”

While Colin didn’t fall for it – he came close.

And he considered himself a computer-savvy

person. It made him realise that cyber attacks can come in many forms. Despite all his IT experience, he still pictured a ‘hack’ as your computer screen suddenly going black, then being filled with some scary-looking green code. But today it’s just as likely to be a friendly voice purporting to help you out, or a routine-looking email asking you to reset your login details.

Even social media memes can be hijacked for nefarious purposes. One Facebook post that did the rounds said (in paraphrased form), ‘your superhero alter-ego is your first pet’s name followed by your mother’s maiden name!’ Anyone answering had just publicly given away their answers to two of the most common password reset questions.

The upshot is that, with social engineering rife, your biggest weakness might not be a software vulnerability – it might be the mindset of your employees. Whatever the size of your business, you need to take time to instil vigilance against potential threats and suspicious-looking communications. Be clear with your employees that security is everyone’s

responsibility and that it is worth flagging up 19 ‘false positives’ if it means you uncover a single real attempt at a cyber attack.

With employees switching between office and home working, device management becomes important. Ensure everyone is sensible when taking devices out of the office, and only stores sensitive data on a secure drive.

Password standards are an old chestnut, and we may be tired of ridiculously complicated requirements that mean we are more likely to endanger security by forgetting our own passwords than by being hacked.

At the very least, prohibit anything on the Wikipedia list of most common passwords (‘123456’, ‘password’ and so on).

Additionally, make sure employees change passwords regularly and don’t use the same one they do for everything else in their life. If they do, your cybersecurity is only as strong as the weakest link, and if hackers break that link, they break them all.

Don’t believe us?

Head to haveibeenpwned.com and enter your own details. You may find that you aren’t as secure as you like to think.

IT & TECH 15 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The cyber security challenge for business owners CYBER SECURITY IMPACTS organisations of all sizes, although often seen as more of a challenge for smaller businesses that don’t have the same technical capability as larger enterprises do.Loss of data and resulting fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) or the impact of Ransomware can be considerable.

THERE IS HOPE

Cyber security breaches are all preventable and typically result from mistakes made by your IT team or from user error. Secondly, attack methods are well known and therefore prevention is within the capability of your organisation.

HELP IS AVAILABLE

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) gives sensible advice to businesses, based on actual breaches and not by promoting particular vendors.

Specialist providers, like ECSC Group plc, provide practical guidance to help organisations with every aspect of their cyber security. For many businesses cyber security remains complex and knowing where to start can be immensely challenging.

THE SPECIALISTS RECOMMEND: �

�

�

Regular penetration testing to uncover potential vulnerabilities, swiftly followed by targeted improvements.

Certification to industry standards to demonstrate commitment to security, to the ICO and potential customers Having an Incident Response retainer in place to ensure expert help when you need it most

ECSC provides fully managed 24/7/365 cyber security protection, detection and incident response, whilst also helping organisations test their cyber security, prevent breaches and achieve industry certifications.

One vital tool for hybrid working AS BUSINESSES ADAPT TO MORE flexible working patterns for their staff, it is imperative that remote workers have access to a reliable, secure and easy to use phone and communication system.

Wildix is a next generation cloud-based telephone system and, importantly, needs just a PC and browser, smartphone or tablet for your workers to easily connect, wherever they are – without complicated diverts!

As a Wildix Gold partner, IT managed service provider Globalnet IT Innovations Ltd is rolling out the new platform to businesses across the UK. Globalnet MD Robert Burdett said; “This is groundbreaking technology! With nothing more

FOR ADVICE

FIND OUT HOW THE WILDIX SYSTEM COULD WORK FOR YOU

Visit ecsc.co.uk or call 01274 736 223.

Visit gblnet.co.uk or call 020 3005 9650.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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Remote working, the new essential. Cyber security, more important than ever

A LOT HAS HAPPENED OVER THIS YEAR and the way we work may have been changed forever.

According to Office of National Statistics, 60% of the UK’s adult population were working from home during the height of the • sent Forto a lower high-quality version will be press. file size, this is a low-resolution proof. coronavirus lockdown. This creates the new challenge of enabling your staff to work •securely.

This of advertorial has been designed according to •fromNot necessarily indicative final positioning home seamlessly and Sense helps small businesses in the house style pre-approved by the publisher within the publication.the Your advertorial will be Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire That is one piece of the puzzle, with (including typography, which can’t be changed). placed as per your booking. areas to find the best options to empower one small business being hacked every your employees to work from anywhere 19 seconds (as reported by Hiscox), it is Copy has subedited by editorial team as •usingPlease your• feedback or been approval within the veryreturn latest technologies: important to stay onthe top of your cyber � 48 VPNhours which gives your teamsper secure security too. Sense offers a completecopy cyber in the publisher’s house style (including of receiving this proof, unless advised access to your corporate network. security overhaul and monitoring, using third person). the production team. products and services including: � otherwise VDI providingby a virtual desktop solution, where you can use any � Next generation Antivirus (EDR) device, anywhere to use a dedicated that monitors the behavior of your company desktop. machines using machine learning. � Cloud where you can move � Cloud based filtering of malicious your emails with a branded emails and websites before they reach domain name, files, telephony, your users. and device management for a � Automated Patching to keep your seamless user experience and systems up to date, reducing the improved company image. chance of an attack succeeding.

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than a PC or smartphone your team can run a switchboard and communicate between each other and your customers with voice and video. It can also integrate with your website for customer chat, direct calls and even presentations. With the right customer, this can increase web sales by up to 52 per cent, while saving up to 75 per cent compared to landline costs.

“We’ve all become used to video conferencing and remote working with other tools over lockdown and this system brings those separate methods and more together. Wildix is a truly affordable, fully integrated Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) suite to improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase sales.”

Turning due diligence into business winning insight KNOWING WHO YOU ARE DOING business with is more important than ever, but performing comprehensive checks slows down onboarding and drives up costs. Finding, analysing and summarising all publicly available data has been a time-consuming, complex task requiring a large budget and a well-trained team. Until now.

PROOF INFORMATION

FIND OUT MORE

Visit sense-solutions.com, email hello@sense-solutions.com or call 0118 206 6810 to book a free discovery call.

NEXT GENERATION A high-quality version will be sent to press.

TECHNOLOGY

Digital Insight changes all this.

•The Not necessarily indicative of final positioning AI-powered platform finds, within retrieves and the distilspublication. all background Your advertorial will be compliance checks information on individuals and placed as per your booking.

� Supply chain management companies in five minutes, and is “as easy � Asset tracing, litigation support to use as Google”. It has been designed •by aPlease returninyour feedback or approval within � Fraud investigations team of experts government-grade � Employee investigative systems and compliance 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advisedchecks � Reputation management. professionals. otherwise by the production team.

The machine learning technology Customers are saying that “in five minutes, exhaustively researches digital footprints Digital Insight provides more in-depth in real-time to provide rich insight well analysis than our internal teams produce beyond watchlist checks. It does this just in four days”. They are finding that by like a human – but at a far greater scale, making checks faster, easier and more speed and consistency. comprehensive, they can be run earlier in the process making this a true business enabler.

AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON Digital Insight is saving costs across industries delivering: � Customer onboarding, KYC and

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16 IT & TECH ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Harness the value of information INFORMATION IS A CRITICAL ASSET FOR any organisation and businesses face all kinds of challenges to fully exploit and harness its value. Information law is not a static and recently there have been dramatic changes in the use of data in business with the impact of GDPR, Brexit and even Covid-19.

If an organisation wants to innovate – Privacy by Design will prevent them from falling at the compliance hurdle – rules around use of AI, international transfers, transparency, obtaining lawful consent and direct marketing can create a bit of a minefield for any organisation, regardless of size. Getting it right at the design stage and building privacy into your product is key!

Kafico thinks it is important to work in ways that get its customers to a baseline of compliance and provides tools to support ongoing change management that means data protection is built into the fabric of the business.

It’s a complex area of law and can be fairly tricky to navigate – even obtaining lawful consent requires consideration of a number of factors and recently fines have been issued internationally where data protection consent was not obtained in a lawful way.

As a small team, Kafico enjoys focussing on building customer relationships and inspiring confidence so that its business customers can grow and innovate.

FIND OUT MORE Email info@kafico.co.uk for a compliance health check and visit kafico.co.uk for more information.

PROOF INFORMATION •

For a lower file size, this is a low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press.

•

This advertorial has been designed according to the house style pre-approved by the publisher (including typography, which can’t be changed).

•

Not necessarily indicative of final positioning within the publication. Your advertorial will be placed as per your booking.

•

Copy has been subedited by the editorial team as per the publisher’s house style (including copy in third person).

•

Please return your feedback or approval within 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised otherwise by the production team.

IT & TECH 17 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Is your business ready for the world of work post-Covid?

We live in extraordinary times, with an unheard-of level of change being forced upon us all. In less than six months Covid-19 has redefined how we travel, shop, socialise and just as dramatically how we communicate and interact in the world of work

WITH 300 MILLION VIRTUAL MEETINGS a day now and over 7.4m people having mental health issues due to being lonely, the remote working reality is here and will become a part of the new normal.

EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Recognition, the act of thanking or positively calling out something that happens, using digital technology is now an essential ingredient for employers to ensure their people stay connected with the business and have their emotional wellbeing protected in a time of huge uncertainty.

EachPerson.com gives employers of any size the digital solution to recognise and engage their employees easily. It comes with inbuilt reporting and centres around the values of the company.

Around 1 in 3 companies don’t currently have a scheme in place despite 64% of employees believing that recognition and appreciation was even more important while working from home, according to Psychology Today.

FINANCIAL WELLBEING

Covid is placing financial strain on many. Mass redundancies, totalling over a quarter of a million so far, means those still in work are becoming sole breadwinners in the family. This coupled with the fact that over 17 million working-aged Brits have less than £100 in savings is causing employees to turn to payday lenders that carry extortionate interest rates.

Each Person includes a solution to save employees 15% to 35% on their online shopping through Epoints. This is a points scheme that gives up to 10% cashback every time they shop online and helps them compare prices to get the biggest saving.

Employers who give Epoints to their employees as a reward are 10% better off. The system automatically gives the employee an extra 10% increase in points awarded. So if an employer gives £100 to their employee, they get an extra £10 at no cost meaning they end up with £110.

Epoints can be spent on the largest range of products and gift cards online, totalling half a million options. Soon Epoints will be available as

a loan to employees through their salary which (due to the savings) will make the loan net nil cost. This means turning to payday lenders becomes a thing of the past.

INDUSTRY ENDORSED

Around 1 in 3 companies don’t currently have a scheme in place despite 64% of employees believing that recognition and appreciation was even more important while working from home

GlobalData, a leading research company carries out studies on consumer attitudes and insight. Epoints was identified as one of the six new transformative technologies for consumers in their recent study.

Citing that 67% of UK shoppers will use Epoints to save money over the next five years.

DON’T FORGET CLIMATE CHANGE

Covid is front and centre but let’s not forget the imperative of doing more to protect our planet.

Each Person is the only recognition scheme aligned to combat climate change. To reflect this commitment, employees can easily give some extra Epoints they get to fund eco-projects such as planting trees. They also donate 5% of profits to the same climate change initiatives. This is a simple vehicle for employers to take real action.

48 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

Matt Norbury, CEO, says: “See Covid (in part) as an opportunity to do things better for your employees. Put measures in place to look after their financial needs through enhanced savings and their emotional needs through recognising their efforts using technology. Say thank you more. Start a monthly, or annual award ceremony with digital nominations. Make more of work anniversaries.

Say happy birthday. Make Christmas from work something to celebrate.”

HAPPY EMPLOYERS

“We have been really happy with the results so far and the way our teams across the UK have embraced the Each Person recognition and

rewards scheme,” says Will Guy, strategic HR business partner, Bupa.

“Our employees exceed expectations and work hard daily. We wanted a platform that makes recognition and reward easy. I can notice the positive impact each person and Epoints has had on the team,” says Gary Favell, CEO, American Golf.

“Each Person’s digital solution is simple to use for both managers and employees. It is a compelling benefit scheme, providing the widest choice of rewards and cost savings,” adds Denise Mackenzie, head of people operations, Casual Dining Group.

FIND OUT MORE Visit eachperson.com to find out more about the rewards scheme.

18 HEALTH & SAFETY ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Changing the world of cleaning in Covid times During this pandemic, many businesses wish to remain open whilst keeping their staff and customers safe. Fogging is a disinfecting solution that works by using a fine mist to eliminate bacteria and viruses on surfaces, without leaving any residue KM CLEANING & MAINTENANCE SERVICES LTD uses quality equipment and effective chemicals that are tested to comply with EN Standards to provide a successful disinfection service. Compared to traditional cleaning methods, fogging not only saves time but provides customers with peace of mind that their office, school or home is in professional hands. KM takes disinfection seriously.

This is why prices are flexibly tailored to each client, offering regular disinfection cleaning and fogging services at competitive prices without compromising standards.

KM Cleaning & Maintenance Services Ltd provides tailored services to all business sectors in the UK. � School cleaning and site managers service � Office cleaning on regular and one-off terms � Fogging and disinfection cleaning � Washroom and hygiene services � Builders clean and spot clean � Window cleaning � Carpet and hard floor cleaning � Exterior and landscape cleaning � Bulk rubbish removal � Consumables and janitorial supplies.

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FIND OUT MORE Finding your best office cleaning services in your area doesn’t have to be a chore. Contact to get a free quote with no obligation. Visit kmcms.co.uk for the online store and to find out more about all services. Alternatively call 01322 555520.

HEALTH & SAFETY 19

Covid culture – more than safety A healthy business starts with healthy, comfortable and confident staff

T

supersedes the last email will only erode trust. hose of us who have ventured to On the other hand, regular contact via other a pub or restaurant recently will means is encouraged. Consider setting up a be familiar with the Covid safety virtual ‘weekly meeting’ where you or another routine: scan the QR code, put on director gives a company update via video a mask, sanitise your hands, leave your details, chat. These don’t have to be like a government and so on. But don’t be fooled into thinking briefing. You don’t have to discuss the global that a Covid-secure workplace is a matter situation or the business’s bottom line. Instead, of filling in a checklist. To reliably ensure a call out some examples of the good work your healthy and productive workforce, you need team has done in the past week, maybe inviting to change not just facilities, but mindsets too. a team member to talk about their involvement After all, regulations are only effective as far in the project. This way, employees – even as they are followed. An integrated approach those the update doesn’t directly affect – feel includes working on employee understanding included in the company’s goings-on, rather and practices, creating an environment in than isolated or ‘dictated to’. which social distancing rules aren’t When reworking the workplace just a poster on the wall – they’re Imbuing a layout, start with capacity. Work something that actually works. sense of shared out what the smallest ‘limiting It starts with clarity. Though factor’ is: you may have a spacious many complaints about the responsibility office with room for everyone to government’s handling of the will increase distance, but what if the car park is pandemic have been unfounded, buy-in tiny? If everyone is parking in the one that sticks is that people aren’t nearest ‘free parking’ a mile away following regulations anymore from the office and walking through town, that because they don’t understand what they are. risks undermining your plan.

Amid ever-changing circumstances, they can’t Perhaps more likely is that ‘pinch points’ remember whether they can meet in groups of in your office space, such as stairways, six indoors or outdoors, how many households corridors or smaller rooms, are the limiting can form those groups, whether they need stay factor. These can be dealt with on a more one or two metres apart, whether they can individual basis. Even if it comes to locking travel to different parts of the country, which one room and moving its residents elsewhere, areas are locally locked down… that’s a surmountable issue and the affected Avoid this eventuality within your own employees likely won’t mind if they can see organisation by communicating guidelines in the reasoning behind it. If that leaves you simple, memorable instalments. If you’re in short on space, perhaps you can make up the habit of sending a group email about the for it elsewhere – are you really going to use safety measures you’ve put in place, try not to that massive meeting room for face-to-face do so too often – sending round new info that

meetings? Why not convert it to a hot-desking space? If you work in an office-based industry where employees are lucky enough to be able to do their jobs from home, you can limit numbers more closely. Discourage ‘presenteeism’ and ensure that you make it clear that your employees’ worth is not going to be judged by the number of hours that they are visible in the office.

Other industries, such as retail, transport, foodservice or construction, may not have this luxury – but perhaps you can take simple steps to reduce contact, such as staggering arrival

and departure times, or having fixed teams of shift workers, so an individual employee only comes into contact with those on their team.

Of course, you need to risk-assess activities and have regard to government guidance on workplace safety. But more than that, you should make clear to employees that, beyond the letter of the law, they will be trusted to follow their own judgement when it comes to returning to the workplace, and how to do so safely. Imbuing a sense of shared responsibility will increase buy-in and ultimately ensure the rules are followed.

20 HEALTH & SAFETY

The safety selection Here are the 10 essentials for office distancing and hygiene – that won’t break the bank

“

You could completely virusproof an office – but that office would look like the highest-level containment lab and everyone would be in a plastic jumpsuit.” That’s how one business owner expressed their situation when surveying the array of branded facemasks and shields that has sprung up on the market.

It is still essential to install Covid-proofing equipment and accessories – but you need to balance this with its effect on workplace appeal, as well as cost. This means you will need to spend some money – just having a clean-desk policy isn’t enough – but, as with any area of expenditure, you need to ensure

that for the cost you get an effective solution.

During the pandemic, several practices have been established and it’s important to remind ourselves, and others, of their importance.

These are some good places to start – each marked with an indicative price for a small office with 25 capacity: FACE MASKS

These are best offered as a bulk-buy, disposable option to avoid employees having to share equipment. Various online suppliers are offering volume discounts – shop around and you may be able to beat this indicative price (which is for 500 masks).

Cost: £110

SIGNAGE

Washing your hands doesn’t cost anything and is one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of coronavirus. Signage to reinforce this and other hygiene practices will go a long way. You can download templates and print them off for free – while a rigid plastic sign will cost around £7 online.

Cost: £140 FLOOR SIGNAGE

Marking out one-way traffic routes through corridors, designating entry and exit points, and delineating where customers should stand to ensure social distancing – it’s all a lot easier with adhesive floor markers rather than standup signage. A proper anti-slip decal will set you back around £36.

Cost: £180

NON-CONTACT SANITISATION

Rather than sticking a sanitising station on every spare bit of wall, go for a ‘quality over quantity’ approach. Keep them to the main entry and exit points – reinforcing them as part of the daily routine – and spend a little more on a premium, automatically dispensing model to reduce contact.

Cost: £100

We recommend Handstations.co.uk Convenience and reliability lie at the heart of this sanitiser dispenser product range.

Discover award-winning hand sanitisers along with the HandStation Elite and HandStation Eco machines which are completely automatic, touch-free, easy to assemble, and covered by a two-year guarantee. handstations.co.uk

XX FEATURE ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

A clean start – get your business back on track after Covid-19 JADE ADEN INTERIORS HAS OVER 30 years of experience in the office and workplace sector and is here to help you get your working environment ready for your staff ’s return. They can provide a range of products and services to safeguard your employees and ensure your duty of care as a responsible employer is being met.

30 DAY PROTECTION ELECTROSTATIC MISTING

Using a deep clean fogging treatment that coats every surface in your workplace with a fine layer of non-toxic formula can kill 99.99% of germs and bacteria, including Covid-19. What’s more, the clever longlasting formula uses an electrostatic technology to cling to the surface, meaning it will keep working for up to 30 days, providing you and your employees with protection against recontamination and therefore helping to stop the spread of viruses and bacteria.

ONCE-A-DAY HAND SANITISER

Benefit from 99.99% protection for 24 hours after just one application – even after washing. Compact 50ml bottles with pump dispensers offer more

than 150 applications. Provide your staff with their own bottle to defend against coronavirus and other illnesses and diseases, such as colds, flu and norovirus. Unlike other alcohol-based gel sanitisers which only last for just 30 to 40 seconds and offer no further defence from contamination once dry, Jade Aden Interior’s hand sanitiser, powered by Bio Armour 24, provides all-day protection with just a single application.

VENTILATION

Clean air circulating throughout your office environment is crucial, particularly when you may not have windows or be able to open them far enough. Ventilation and air conditioning experts can review your system and provide updated solutions where required.

specially toughened glass so you can be sure you are providing effective protection without detracting from the aesthetic appeal of your office or stopping employees interacting with each other. These simple factors will help you maintain a hygienic and safe space that boosts staff morale and, therefore, productivity.

All screens made to order by a UK manufacturer, with bespoke sizes available and realistic lead times.

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Office enclosures can be quickly installed and relocated based on your needs. It is an effective way to keep teams separate.

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DESK SEPARATORS

Benefit from an affordable solution for enforcing social distancing in the office. Easy to install glass desk separators significantly reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission between colleagues. However, the Jade Aden desk separators are specially designed using clear,

FIND OUT MORE To learn more about desk separators, deep clean fogging, once-a-day hand sanitiser and how they can help protect your employees and get your business back on track, call Jade Aden Interiors today on 01425 689199 or visit the website at jade-aden-interiors.co.uk

HEALTH & SAFETY 21

22 HEALTH & SAFETY

The safety selection continued...

WASTE DISPOSAL

OFFICE REARRANGE

CLEANERS

If there was ever a time for the ‘office declutter’, it’s now. Shared touchpoints are a hazard and untidy desks are harder to clean. Encourage staff to get rid of anything unnecessary, and offer extra storage options to get objects out of sight and out of exposure. Plastic boxes can be expensive, but paper archive boxes cost next to nothing.

Cost: Bins £25, boxes £40

Instead of spending money, invest some of your own time in reworking the office layout to promote distancing. The end result should be that there are fewer operational desks, spaced further apart. But you don’t just have to start with what you’ve got and take desks away – think about whether every team is in the right place, or whether a hot-desking model would work right now.

Cost: Free

A bit of a higher cost on an ongoing basis, getting a cleaner in even occasionally will be worth the cost. At the very least, invest in a deep clean before fully reopening the workplace – and don’t forget that after a period of disuse, water pipes need to be checked for legionella too.

Cost: £16 per hour

DIVIDING SCREENS

Perspex screens have proliferated in recent months and can now be found between tables at cafés, chairs at the hairdresser and even urinals in public toilets. Rather than install them permanently everywhere, go for the portable ‘roll-up’ version, giving you flexibility while controlling the overall number you need to buy.

Cost: £300

SOFTWARE

Support your social-distancing efforts with business software – even something as simple as a company spreadsheet that tracks who’s in the office when. The last thing you want is that all your effort and expenditure falls down in the admin, so don’t skip this step.

Cost: Free options available

DISINFECTANT

You don’t need to buy industrial-strength stuff – supermarket disinfectant, coupled with paper towels from any bulk-buy office supplier, is cheap and a good thing to install office-wide so it’s within reach of every workstation. It will get employees into the habit of disinfecting their own desks, which will save on the cleaning bill.

Cost: Disinfectant £24, towels £10

Protect employees & customers during lockdown Available Personal Protective Equipment: • Disposable Face Shields • Premium Reusable Face Shields (CE Level 2 Certified)

We recommend ICE Cleaning The dedicated team tailors their cleaning services around the customers’ needs.

Offering thorough disinfection and decontamination, ICE Cleaning works closely with local authorities, places of work, schools and offices to ensure a safe and sanitised environment for everyone. ice-cleaning.co.uk

UK SUP PLIER OF PPE DURING COVID19

Companies have responsibilities concerning the provision and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure a safe environment for their employees, customers and visitors.

• Premium Reusable Face Shield Kits (CE Level 2 Certified)

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We’re working with businesses to assist them in following Government guidelines, helping

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of organisations across the UK, from the NHS to small independent businesses.

HEALTH & SAFETY 23 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

It’s time to make wellbeing centre stage In the business setting, wellbeing has not always been treated as a focus in its own right HOWEVER, DEMANDS ARE CHANGING, more than ever. The effects of Covid-19 have escalated the topic of employee wellbeing, especially as working from home is becoming the new norm. Wellbeing needs to take centre stage; be given time to raise understanding of the benefits of discussing this important topic and shaped into something that is holistic, sustainable and deliverable in the working environment.

AND THIS IS WHERE MINDFIT BODYFIT CAN HELP

As a concept, MFBF provides a structured, building block approach to bringing wellbeing to life in your business, and gives the subject a firm foundation with support for subsequent, ongoing development. The training delivers practical self-management tools to assist the employee with growing their potential and minimising their stress levels.

A wellbeing strategy is provided for the employer to ensure their business grows in the right way too.

In this respect, MindFit BodyFit has three programme levels: BASIC TRAINING PACKAGE

Training for all employees to think, speak and act with their own wellbeing in mind, using: � Life coaching tools which produces positive thinking and actions that build mental resilience and healthy lifestyles. � Yoga for movement, mindfulness and meditation to help deal with bodily felt stress. � Pilates for good back care, strong core and a focus on general health and wellbeing.

BASIC TRAINING PLUS PACKAGE

Basic Training Package as well as support in building a Wellbeing Policy structure for setting out the value and importance your business places on health and wellbeing.

ADVANCED PACKAGE

Basic Training Plus Package and a suite of leadership training interventions that will enable you, as business leaders, to have successful wellbeing conversations.

The official launch date of MFBF will be at The Business Show on 9 and 10 June 2021.

However, MFBF would like to work with you, prospective customers, now, as it builds its portfolio of packages. Your input and feedback will enable MFBF to tailor its programmes

to suit your business needs. Contact the team for an informal chat and a chance to be included in its list of trial participants, allowing you to test its products and services at a muchreduced rate. The trial is scheduled to start in January 2021 on a first come/first served basis.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PART IN THE TRIAL Email karen@mindfitbodyfit.com and visit mindfitbodyfit.com to find out more.

PROOF INFORMATION •

For a lower file size, this is a low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press.

•

This advertorial has been designed according to the house style pre-approved by the publisher (including typography, which can’t be changed).

•

Not necessarily indicative of final positioning within the publication. Your advertorial will be placed as per your booking.

•

Copy has been subedited by the editorial team as per the publisher’s house style (including copy in third person).

•

Please return your feedback or approval within 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised otherwise by the production team.

HR & HIRING 25

Back to work, or back home?

Amid ever-changing advice, here’s the answers to the most common questions employers have about lockdown easing DOES THE GOVERNMENT’S LATEST ADVICE MEAN WE NEED TO CLOSE THE OFFICE AGAIN? The latest guidance ‘encourages’ working from home where you can, but is not a hard-and-fast rule. Decisions are devolved to employers and employees; they should consult to determine the best way forward. Employers are expected to be supportive and respect the wishes of any employee who feels uncomfortable returning to the workplace. But the adverse also applies: if working from home permanently is bad for an employee’s mental health, the government says they should feel free to go to the office.

CAN I RETURN EMPLOYEES FROM FURLOUGH GRADUALLY, PERHAPS BRINGING THEM BACK PART-TIME? A flexible return to work is possible – but it’s a bit more complicated than the furlough scheme.

Under its successor, the Job Support Scheme, an employee must work at least 20% of their normal hours, and you pay them for the time

worked. You must also pay 5% of the reference salary for the time not worked. The government then pays another 61.67% of the reference salary, meaning the employee gets two-thirds of the shortfall made up. The government contribution is capped at £1,541.75 a month.

HOW MUCH TIME CAN MY EMPLOYEES TAKE OFF SICK? HOW MUCH SICK PAY CAN I CLAIM BACK? On top of the usual regulations for claiming Statutory Sick Pay, there is a special coronavirus allowance: an employee is eligible is they have been self-isolating or shielding, or if they tested positive after 5 August. The maximum amount (28 weeks) remains the same. You can claim back coronavirus-related sick pay; you can claim for multiple employees, or the same employee having multiple periods of sickness.

WHAT IF AN EMPLOYEE HAS A VULNERABLE FAMILY MEMBER AND NEEDS TIME OFF TO LOOK AFTER THEM? Employees are entitled to time off to look after dependants in an emergency situation.

The amount of time off must be reasonable – however defining what constitutes as ‘reasonable’ can be rather tricky. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) gives an example that someone might take two days off to start with, and if they need more, they are able to book it as holiday. There’s no statutory right to pay for this time off – it all depends on the contract or workplace policy.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The award-winning vehicle leasing company powered by people DISCOVER FIRST-CLASS FLEET MANAGEMENT solutions from Activa. The dedicated team offers businesses throughout the UK a range of funding options and management solutions for car and light van fleets, always with best practice in mind.

Activa provides a free fleet policy audit on company vehicles and uses a range of whole life cost calculators which focus on the total value of company cars rather than just a driver’s Benefit in Kind.

Its sophisticated Whole Life Cost (WLC) model assesses the impact on all of the relevant costs and business factors involved in the running of a vehicle fleet, from irrecoverable VAT to fuel reimbursement.

This allows Activa to present fleets with an accurate picture of the whole life cost to operate each leased vehicle in accordance with their specific terms and conditions.

Electric cars are incurring 0% Benefit in Kind taxation currently and Activa has spent a great deal of time looking at where electric and hybrid cars or vans can be

Lisa Temperton, director of Activa Contracts

added to fleets to deliver the best outcome for drivers and employers.

For those non-EV drivers where personal tax has increased dramatically, Activa is launching a Salary Sacrifice Scheme where the employee forgoes part of their pre-tax salary to make repayments on the car and cover running costs. The employer handles the administration of the scheme with Activa and makes sure the driver stays mobile but does not include high benefit in kind tax.

FIND OUT MORE Visit activacontracts.co.uk or call 01908 288400.

WHAT IS THE TAX POSITION FOR BUYING EMPLOYEES EQUIPMENT TO ALLOW THEM TO WORK FROM HOME? When employees buy equipment and the employer reimburses them, this will be taxexempt if it is obtained for the sole purpose of enabling the employee to work from home as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. ‘Sole purpose’ is the kicker here: for example, a printer might not be exempted since the employee could easily use it for personal printing too. Consumables, such as paper and printer ink, will be easier to justify.

We recommend Legalese Currently specialising in employment law, Legalese allows businesses and individuals to obtain the highest quality advice and representation at a fraction of the cost charged by law firms. Simply choose a fixed price package, submit your legal query and receive advice via a video or audio call from a specialist barrister. legalese.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

MIND your employees IN CHALLENGING TIMES EMPLOYEE wellbeing is arguably one of the most crucial factors in the future success of your business. No business can afford to be complacent around supporting employees in coping with additional strains.

Getting this right now will strengthen your business and pay dividends for the future. But what will have an impact in a such a sensitive area?

TAKE EXPERT GUIDANCE

Mental health charity MIND has published a simple framework to help employers meet the challenges Coronavirus is raising for employee mental wellbeing. This provides an excellent starting point and focuses on: � Taking a structured approach to mental health � Putting tools and support in place for mental health issues � Checking that the culture of your business contributes positively to mental health � Making sure you proactively check in with staff regularly, in a supportive way � Increasing confidence and skills in having effective conversations about mental wellbeing

Nicola Perkins

Plan an approach that is right for your business using these principles to help keep your employees in a good mental space.

KEY TIPS: � � � �

Be realistic about what you can do, but ensure you are doing something Prioritise and focus on areas you think will have the biggest impact Be prepared to invest some time and money Keep pushing forward, this isn’t an issue that is going away

Remember, looking after the mental health of your people is essential to looking after your bottom line – which is important for all of us in business.

FIND OUT MORE If you’d like a trusted, experienced partner to assist you in developing and implementing an approach that’s right for your business contact NSP HR Solutions at: info@nsphr.com; call 07771 650328; visit nsphr.com

26 HR & HIRING

OUTSOURCE YOUR PAYROLL Why give yourself unnecessary worry and stress when you can offload your payroll obligations to our UK Payroll Bureau?

The team at Sussex Payroll Services have worked together for more than 20 years and look after 750 company payrolls. We provide a comprehensive yet flexible outsourced payroll service tailored to each of our client’s specific requirements.

As an accredited BACS bureau, we can make salary, HMRC and pension payments. We provide electronic payslips, P60s and P45s for your staff and can assist with furlough claims, the new job support scheme, pension administration and speak to HMRC on your behalf.

As a small UK payroll bureau, Sussex Payroll Services become an integral part of your business by moulding your payroll to suit your requirements, so you can free up your valuable time to concentrate on running your company.

www.sussexpayrollservices.co.uk | 01273 069899 | payrollteam@sussexpayrollservices.co.uk

HR & HIRING 27 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

It’s time to rethink your office Considering an office disposal? Need to sublet? Not sure how to redesign your space to accommodate social distancing?

Introducing Making Moves Exit

CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS ARE At no initial cost, Making Moves provides a encouraging occupiers to rethink the way free desktop redesign and space plan of your they utilise their office. Making Moves office. The team will review your current lease Exit provides advice and assistance to and financial commitments and then issue you companies on the most suitable strategy with a market overview and summary strategy for them. report, as well as a detailed stay versus leave Forstill a lower file size, this a low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press.

There are a variety of•options cash-fl ow is analysis, so that you can decide available for businesses to adjust or the best option for your business. Should you • ifThis has been according • Not necessarily indicative of final positioning downsize their spaces, even they advertorial are decide to godesigned ahead, Making Moves willto facilitate tied into a lease. Some of these options your desired outcome smoothly, efficiently the house style pre-approved by the publisher within the publication. Your advertorial will be include a Covid-19 redesign of the existing and, more importantly, stress free. typography, which bethan changed). placed as per your booking. layout to accommodate safe (including working Making Moves can’t has more 50 years practices; a subletting of whole or part of of combined experience in the commercial the office, or disposing of space entirely, property world been providing • theCopy has been subedited by and thehas editorial team as • Please return your feedback or approval within with a relocation to a new, more costcompanies with a five-star service since per the publisher’s house style (including copy in 48launch hoursofof receiving thismeans proof, Making Moves is not tied to any landlords, The Making Moves Exit it unless advised effective option. launching in 2015. which means freedom to search the entire can provide expert advice on the easiest and third person). otherwise by the production team. office market and achieve the best deal fastest disposal route for you, along with the possible for your business. ability to market your space discreetly to more than 3,000 active companies within Making Moves’ existing database. And its low marketing costs and competitive fees are an added bonus.

The Making Moves team works on behalf of clients to source, negotiate and manage their entire office move. Their advice is always independent, unbiased, completely transparent and solely focused on you and your needs.

PROOF INFORMATION

FIND OUT MORE If you would like to discuss your options with one of the Making Moves team, contact them on 020 3595 3121 or at info@makingmoves.london for your free strategy report.

Visit makingmoves.london for more information.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Uncertain times, certainly bad driving weather It’s better to be on the safe side with WHILE WE ARE LIVING IN UNCERTAIN tyres to protect yourself and others in the times, there are still certainties we can plan colder months. To ensure you’re prepared, for to ensure we retain control of our lives. make sure your car tyres have a tread depth From this point onwards the British weather, of at least 3mm to help prevent aquaplaning while being unpredictable, will no doubt and help you keep control of your car. If any be various forms of cold and wet. The last of your this then upgrading thing you need is to be caught in a road • For a lower file tyres size, are thisbelow is a low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press. to new and improved tyres to cope with the accident due to your braking distance not changeable could saveaccording you time, to being short enough, constantly topping • up This advertorial hasweather been designed • Not necessarily indicative of final positioning money possibly yourby life.the publisher the air in your tyres to compensate for a the house styleand pre-approved within the publication. Your advertorial will be If it’s time to change tyres, it’s vital that slow puncture or even skidding in the snow.

PROOF INFORMATION

(including typography, which can’t be changed).

•

Copy has been subedited by the editorial team as per the publisher’s house style (including copy in third person).

placed as per your booking.

•

Please return your feedback or approval within 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised otherwise by the production team.

you take your vehicle to an approved fitter – etyres has a nationwide fitting network you can choose online so a garage you can trust is never far away. Choose your replacement tyres online from etyres including premium brands such as Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental. Filter wet grip rated ‘A’ tyres which are great in the rain and all season tyres for any weather condition (even snow and ice). Stay safe on the roads and save money with etyres.

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28 HR & HIRING

Hiring while in a pandemic Sooner or later, you’ll need to advertise and interview for a position. Should you change your recruitment process? ow do you hire someone you’ve never actually met? A year ago that might have been the start of a joke, but today it is the norm. And while ‘pandemic recruitment’ might not be anyone’s first choice, it’s a simple case of facts: sooner or later, you’re going to be hiring, either due to expansion or a vacant position. At that point, you have no choice but to adapt.

In truth, whether you end up interviewing candidates in person or via a screen, the basic principles remain the same: Craft a job description that attracts the candidate you want, rather than repeating the same one you’ve had for years; look for a cultural fit not just an on-paper one; focus on the clear ‘yes’ candidates and don’t try to talk yourself into the maybes.

And yet, things are changing. Recruitment website CV Library found that 83% of companies have changed their recruitment process in 2020.

Perhaps what’s changing is not who you look for, but where you look. If you can’t get a personal connection with prospective employees, an agency recruitment model may help fill that gap; by recommending candidates from their own established networks, they can vouch for someone’s integrity and profile fit. Plus, they provide an extra layer of screening – a welcome timesaver given how many jobseekers there currently are.

Taking a more literal interpretation of ‘where you look’, it is important to decide up-front whether you are happy to hire entirely remote employees and whether you will conduct the screening process virtually, and to state this up-front in any job adverts.

Should you be happy to hold video interviews, treat these with the same seriousness and structure as an in-person interview, doing your

H

Perhaps what’s changing is not who you look for, but where you look

prep work and setting exercises for the candidate.

Consider adding an extra screening stage, such as a quiz asking open questions about what kinds of work candidates enjoy. If you are getting masses of applicants, a labour-light way to learn more about them, or even allow some to opt out themselves, will be useful.

Nobody wants an inefficient recruitment process but it is better to get it right than to do it fast. Make every stage count and know what you are looking for; the right employee will make an immeasurable difference to your business.

We recommend Robert Half Hire faster and better with a personalised service from expert consultants. Get full-service staffing, from finding the right fit to making an offer.

Whether it is for accounting and finance, risk and compliance, technology, marketing, legal or HR and administrative jobs, secure the perfect candidate for your team with roberthalf.co.uk

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HR & HIRING 29 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

What does it take to find hard working, creative and productive new staff?

“Why the Covid-19 pandemic was the perfect time to start my HR consultancy” THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS IS UNLIKE A crisis we have ever experienced before.

It has forced businesses to focus upon diversifying their offering whether it be a product or service and likewise HR has had to adapt and become more reactive in order to support those businesses and step up to those challenges.

Natalie Ellis left the comfort of full-time employment to launch her own Rebox HR in February. It is a tailored HR service supporting businesses of all industries and sizes. At the time coronavirus was in the news but life carried on as normal and the business began with a handful of clients. Once in lockdown, businesses then went into panic mode and realised they needed HR to support the ongoing situation and put employees at ease.

Since then, HR has become more of a vital role on a strategic business level. It helps Natalie Ellis to drive business

GET THE INTERVIEW RIGHT FOR SURE, but onboarding and great feedback in the first few weeks is crucial. Tim English, founder of GBB Coaching & Consultancy, shares his advice after more than 10 years of professional experience in the retail and service sector. “Use a competency model to recruit – it doesn’t have to be too formal but you must think about what you really need in the role,” he says.

List out the skills that are needed to be successful in the role – think about your current and previous employees, what made someone successful. These are the gateway competencies. At interview, once you’ve established credible examples of these qualities in action, then you can move to getting to know the individual and thinking about how well they would fit your team and represent your business.

But if they don’t have those gateway competencies – don’t think you’ll be able to train them once they start.

“Be careful of buddying-up new or temporary people with your existing longterm people,” says Tim. This can seem like a good way of getting new staff up to speed, but what really happens is you buddy them up with your poorer performers rather than your top performers. You look across your team and think: “Okay, who’s got time to train the new person up?”

It’s not going to be the best performers, they’re busy working with customers. You choose the person who looks like they’ve got time. Unfortunately, your eager new

transformation, facing challenges as they arise, removing obstacles such as racism and bias and working towards future company stability. This is where clients have found the most value in Natalie’s services.

Now is about opportunity and it must be embraced to create sustainable businesses to support the economy long-term.

The success of Rebox HR could not have been anticipated and has its own substantial growth plans. The business will continue to support its clients through personalised and tailored solutions as off the shelf solutions are not viable in today’s climate. It is all about humanising HR processes and supporting businesses where they need it most.

FIND OUT MORE If you are looking for a virtual HR consultant to support your business, visit reboxhr.co.uk

F INFORMATION

Tim English

employee just learns bad habits from your least productive people. It’s an easy trap to fall into that we see time and again.

Second, you’re also asking your longterm staff to do an extra job by training the new person. Unless this is something an individual has an absolute passion for, and you are going to give it to them as a reward, I would avoid doing it. Make sure you have a proper plan in place as to how you will get new people up to speed, how you will support them and share that plan with your whole team so they feel valued and can see how you are supporting their new colleague.

FIND OUT MORE For more blogs, insight and training resources visit gbbcoaching.co.uk

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when you have to make redundancies

• sent Forto a lower on proof. A high-quality version will be press. file size, this is a low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press.

ding to lisher anged). team as copy in

•

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• This of advertorial has been designed according to Not necessarily indicative final positioning house style pre-approved by the publisher within the publication.the Your advertorial will be (including typography, which can’t be changed). placed as per your booking.

•

Copy has subedited Please return your• feedback or been approval within by the editorial team as publisher’s house style (including copy in 48 hours of receiving per thisthe proof, unless advised third person). otherwise by the production team.

•

Not necessarily indicative of final positioning Redundancies are hard for everyone within the publication.

Your advertorial will be concerned No matter if you are a small business, medium or large placed as per your booking. organisation, if you are having to make redundancies, Another Door can support you and your employees.

Please return your feedback or approval within 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised When one door closes, team. We’ve brought our face to otherwise by the production

we support people to move through the next The Another Door experience is not like anything else on the market. Our redundancy support experience can help all employees feel differently about losing their job, and support them to find their next venture.

face workshops online People need support now more than ever, and just because we can’t come to your business doesn’t mean we can’t help.

Drop us a note at anotherdoor.co.uk/business to see how we can help

30 ADMIN, FACILITIES & WORKING FROM HOME

FEATURE XX ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Committed to making your workplace a safer space PRECISION FACILITIES MANAGEMENT pride themselves on being a fast-growing, dynamic business, with the aim of providing comprehensive solutions tailored to your needs. The multidisciplinary team of professionals have experience in delivering Facilities Management (FM) services to many different sectors. Whether you require commercial maintenance, defence facilities, public sector services or anything else, they have you covered.

Working with Precision Facilities Management allows you to focus on the core of your business, without having to worry about building compliance, cleanliness of the workplace, keeping your assets secure and ensuring your workplace is a safe environment. They can offer support in so many ways:

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With increasing pressure on distribution teams to meet higher demands, Precision will work with you so that you can focus on making your customers happy.

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Whether you work in finance or insurance, legal or public relations, you have an image and reputation to uphold, the team will create the right environment for your business.

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The team are experts in tailoring facilities management solutions to suit your requirements and your budget, whilst maintaining the highest standards of service.

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Recognising the critical nature of the work undertaken by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the importance of maintaining a safe working environment.

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Your facilities are designed for guests to have a relaxing, exciting and memorable experience. In turn they are more likely to return and recommend your facility to their friends.

PETROL STATIONS Brij Thankey CEO of Precision Facilities Management

Ensuring that these remain open and are safe to use for staff members and customers at all times.

IT’S ALL ABOUT PRECISION

CEO Brij Thankey says: “We’ve got guys who we’ve given the opportunity to flourish, and they do. It’s amazing what they have achieved.”

He says: “That’s how were going to grow this business, through giving people a chance.

We’ve always had the door open – that togetherness is powerful, and it transcends into our clients and people we come into contact with. We’re building this business with a great foundation of loyalty and long may that continue.”

FIND OUT MORE If you have any further queries, please visit the website at precisionfm.co.uk, or get in touch at 0843 289 9085 or helpdesk@precisionfm.co.uk

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Please return your feedback or approval within 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised otherwise by the production team.

ADMIN, FACILITIES & WORKING FROM HOME 31

The problem with offices What’s the one thing about the workplace that 50% of workers say makes them less productive? hen it comes to the ideal workspace, Silicon Valley sold the dream. You know the one: converted warehouse space with exposed brickwork, the company name in six-foot-high lettering on the wall, brightly coloured desks in an open-plan layout, a ping-pong table in the corner, bearded creative types sipping macchiatos and thoughtshowering their latest project at a breakfast bar.

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Meanwhile in the real world, employees want something quite different from their workspace.

They want basic necessities, comfort and lack of distractions. Providing these isn’t about feeling like a new-age boss who is imitating the Google headquarters – it’s about keeping everyone present, focused and content.

A Harvard study found that the three things most people say they want in a workspace are: good air quality, access to natural light, and the

ability to personalise their space.

Half of respondents said poor air quality makes them sleepier during the day, and more than a third reported up to an hour in lost productivity as a result. There are a variety of remedies, from ventilation systems through to HEPA filters, air quality monitors and even building redesigns. Some are pricier than others, but any of them has the potential to pay for itself.

A view of the outdoors is not just a perk – the access to natural light has a positive impact on productivity. Rethinking office space to locate staff close to a window, or an open space of some kind, will be welcome.

When it comes to personalisation, don’t think about putting a pencil pot on the desk – think about being able to control the temperature, heat and noise level where you work. Everyone has witnessed the wars over the office thermostat, or the frustrations concerning ringing mobiles or loud typing. Anything you can do to give employees individual control over these factors will be worth it.

The upshot is this: workplace wellness may be a buzzword as employers encourage their staff to come back to the office. When you invest in it, keep it simple, keep employees’ needs at heart, and if you don’t know what they want, ask them. Just don’t mistake the term for a niche perk like yoga classes or meditation rooms, or you could end up wasting a lot of money.

We recommend KM Cleaning and Maintenance Ltd KM takes disinfection seriously and offers regular disinfection cleaning and fogging services at competitive prices without compromising standards. They provide tailored services to all business sectors in the UK. Visit their online store at kmcmsstore.co.uk for a variety of cleaning and consumable products.

32 ADMIN, FACILITIES & WORKING FROM HOME

The inside track How to stay in touch with employees and track their productivity – wherever in the world they are hether your business has a headcount of two or two hundred, you’re going to struggle managing projects the old way. With staff decentralised from the office, the days of ‘wander around the room to see what the others are doing’ are over.

What hasn’t changed is that we need ways to update each other on progress and priorities. ‘Going digital’ is the oft-discussed solution – but that phrase encompasses a lot of methods, and some of them can be downright detrimental. Put succinctly, if everyone switches to email for discussions that were once conducted face-to-face, they can end up taking three times as long and achieving less, frustrating everyone involved at the same time.

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DON’T BE TEMPTED TO MICROMANAGE

Monday has an accessible interface that supports list, dashboard, Kanban and other views; Asana integrates with Google Mail and is good for breaking down complex projects into discrete tasks and assigning these to team members; Jira supports a ticketing system, ideal for those who are working in IT or other technical industries; Freshservice offers a flowchart-based layout for roadmapping projects; and so on.

In reality, picking what to use isn’t the biggest challenge – it’s making sure you use it right. If you’re using a file-sharing service like Dropbox, Google Drive or Microsoft Teams,

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The VA Team’s award-winning virtual reception and call answering services, in the UK, can help your business with: � Taking payments or orders from your customers � Booking appointments directly into your calendar or diary � Taking all your calls, or just ones you can’t get to in time � Helping to ensure you never lose business � Guaranteeing your callers always speak to a real person The VA Team is a group of experienced and professional experts in various fields, from business administration to customer service – and beyond.

Founded in 2014, The VA Team has gone from strength to strength, providing a wide range of services to suit the evolving needs of its clients.

Its mission is to provide tailor-made virtual business management and support services to business owners.

We recommend Fruitful From online interactive celebrity cookery courses through to magic-filled bespoke Christmas events, creative content specialists Fruitful reveal how they are successfully helping businesses to build team morale online while employees continue to ‘WFH’. fruitfulteam.com

BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL TO FIND OUT MORE Simply visit thevateam.london/contact/discovery-call to find out how The VA Team can help you to business freedom.

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Back to business on the move UNITE TELECOMS IS PIONEERING THE WAY forward for business communications in the UK and across the globe. They can offer you and your business outstanding customer service and five-star-rated 24/7 support whenever you need it.

Benefit from over 30 years’ experience from the industry and the best telecoms for your business needs. With no hidden costs, Unite Telecoms prides itself on being honest and trustworthy. Ensuring that the team delivers the right telecoms solutions to customers at a price and time to suit them.

Acting as if they’re part of their team, The VA Team’s experts provide the tools, structure and support to allow their customers to take the time they need to focus on growing their business.

Monitoring computer activity or prying into browser histories will only result in lowering morale and productivity. Keep everything transparent. Employees who feel trusted will go further for you.

For more management-intensive departments such as sales teams, it’s fine to request daily status updates, but consider making them more nuanced than a list of achievements – consider setting up a 5pm wrap-up call every day instead.

If problems arise, discuss them openly with those concerned, but don’t jump to conclusions. One problem in isolation is not evidence that your plan isn’t working. Look for patterns in the information you get. If the same problem occurs across multiple employees, the problem probably doesn’t lie with them, but with tools or processes.

Everyone reacts differently, and people will miss different elements of the office – even down to the the casual conversations with people you bump into by the kettle. Some may have extensive experience working from home already, while others will be completely new to it. Leadership and direction will help calm any anxieties and focus their energies on working intelligently. Remember, people generally want to do well at work and help their company achieve its goals.

VoIP technology enables you to never miss a chance to stay in touch with your business whilst saving on overheads. Unite Telecoms offers you leading VoIP software with these benefits: � 14-day free trial* � 30-day rolling subscription � Instant mobile access � User friendly software � Virtual landline � Multiple functions You can be on the move, in the shop or office, anywhere in the world and still be able to run your business efficiently and oversee what is happening with your business communications.

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Unite Telecoms’ VoIP communications allow you to use multiple devices to keep your business running from your Mac or Windows desktop, mobile phone or mobile device with ease. Advanced functionality provides phone, video conference, messaging and voicemail functionality, all in one piece of software that seamlessly integrates with your existing CRM. Unite Telecoms is so confident that you will love its VoIP offering that you really can try before you buy, with its 14-day trial and 30-day rolling subscription – so much so that if you don’t like it, you can leave.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE TRIAL Join the revolution and enquire about the fantastic 30-day subscription on offer today.

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SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS Thankfully, it’s easy to stay on track in a less disruptive manner than bombarding people with emails every two minutes. You’re likely already using remote file management and video calling software, but consider supplementing with group chat through Slack, Discord, Google Chat or even WhatsApp for the daily need-to-knows.

For a more granular view, workflow software platforms such as Monday, Trello or Asana are worth looking into. Unsurprisingly, these kinds of platform have proliferated during lockdown, each offering a slightly different approach and set of features.

ensure there’s a standard file structure for all projects and everyone gets out of the habit of saving files to their desktops – so you can always find ‘the important stuff ’ when you need it. If you’re using workflow software, be rigorous in giving every task a deadline and an expected number of hours to complete. In the short term, it keeps projects on track; but on the wider scale, you get insight into how different tasks measure up to expectations. You may discover some things take twice as long as you thought.

ADMIN, FACILITIES & WORKING FROM HOME 33 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Employee engagement – rewarding when you get it right Employee engagement is not a matter of POST-COVID, IT MAY BE CHALLENGING coercing employees to work harder but about for business leaders to engage with a developing productive working relationships. remote workforce. Gartner research Successful engagement requires shows only six per cent of a clear psychological contract executives feel confident in between employee and employer. managing declining levels A transformation Employees must believe they are of employee engagement. in how businesses valued and actively engaged in For those who get it right, the decision making. it can be rewarding. engage employees Many employers have Research shows that is long overdue recognised the importance of the productivity growth this contract and begun seeking slowdown since the 2008 feedback from their employees financial crisis is almost via Pulse Surveys and Employee Net Promoter twice as bad as the previous worst decade Score (eNPS) questions. for efficiency gains, 1971-1981, and is The first stage of any employee survey is to unprecedented in more than two centuries. work out what you want to know. Categories for evaluation could include manager, teamwork, growth, work-life balance, values and communication. Initial questions could be: � Does your manager recognise your efforts when you perform well? � Is there is a strong feeling of teamwork and participation in the organisation? � Do you see positive career growth in this organisation?

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Do you feel your work causes unwanted tensions in your personal life?

Do you feel leadership in the organisation treats all employees equally?

Do you feel communication is a two-way process in this organisation?

CREATE A DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LEADERS AND EMPLOYEES

As more companies opt to decentralise their workforce, smarter ways of speaking with employees are critical. finfo’s engagement solutions keep employees informed, engaged and safe, and keeps management up to speed on employee costs and overheads in an ever-changing business landscape. finfo Engage supports businesses by providing a smart platform to send critical messages to your employees via text and email.

It includes three powerful features to enable and empower employees: � Send bulk text messages and emails to employees to ensure higher engagement � Build an eNPS campaign as part of your people strategy to identify areas to improve employee experience and satisfaction � In emergencies, communicate quickly by texting your trigger word to send your predefined message.

FIND OUT MORE

Quote CHECKLIST20 to get six months’ free access to finfo Engage.

Visit finfo.io/engage, call 0800 689 1019, or email engage@finfo.io

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•

This advertorial has been designed according to the house style pre-approved by the publisher (including typography, which can’t be changed).

•

Not necessarily indicative of final positioning within the publication. Your advertorial will be placed as per your booking.

•

Copy has been subedited by the editorial team as per the publisher’s house style (including copy in third person).

•

Please return your feedback or approval within 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised otherwise by the production team.

34 ADMIN, FACILITIES & WORKING FROM HOME

Home is where the office is www.homeandofficefurniture.co.uk Tips for the office 1.

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Chairs are important, invest in quality Use bench desks so you can expand Use cable management to hide cables and plugs Use colour storage to enhance the environment Check access as some products are large Keep desks clean and tidy Don't forget that you spend a lot of time in your office Home and Office Furniture can assist with your business or home working requirements. With our range of desks, chairs and storage we can help design the perfect workspace.

Designing the right space is important and with our two man delivery service, you know you and your staff are being supported.

Whether you need one desk, a chair and cabinet, or setting up the office for all of your staff, we have a solution for everyone.

01276 536255 | sales@ebonium.com | www.homeandofficefurniture.co.uk Visit our website and use the code HOME to get 10% off your order.

Transform your workspace Design your home office

ADMIN, FACILITIES & WORKING FROM HOME 35

Work from home essentials Spruce up the home office and boost your productivity

LENOVO THINKCENTER TINY-IN-ONE MONITOR The productivity benefits of a second screen are evident as soon as you start to use one – having your ‘work’ on one screen and ‘admin’ on the other eliminates time spent flicking between windows and forgetting what you were doing.

You may as well treat yourself to the best, such as this 27-inch monitor with facial recognition and coverable webcam. lenovo.com/gb/en

cross 2020, employees across the UK have been adjusting to working from home; while they may be doing it for the first time, SME owners may have years under the belt already from starting the business on their kitchen tables. Regardless of your level of experience, it’s hard to forget that working from home is almost completely different to attending a regular workplace.

But there are plenty of additions to the ‘home office’ to make it a productive and pleasant place to spend half your waking life in.

From the essential to the nice-to-have, here are nine that particularly catch the eye:

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BELKIN WIRELESS CHARGING DOCK OK, so any charger cable will do for your smartphone – but this wireless dock will charge any compatible device. Wireless charging technology has come on, and Belkin supplies affordable chargers with 10W power, which will speedily get a device to 100% battery. Higher-end models have a safe charging light, additional smart watch charger, or even a built-in speaker. belkin.com/uk SENNHEISER HD280 HEADPHONES Given how often you’ll be wearing headphones for the likes of video calling, you may as well upgrade your set of ‘cans’, and this pair is among the biggest upgrades you’ll get – it’s even used by some audio professionals. The around-the-ear style may not be the most svelte but it attenuates background noise, while sound quality is excellent. Best of all, the whole package costs just £87. en-uk.sennheiser.com

FLEXISPOT STANDING DESK A regular change in working position can have a range of health benefits compared to a permanently sedentary posture. Flexispot will provide a height-adjustable frame for £180 – or you can shell out more for an electric version.

There are also converter kits for your existing ‘regular’ desk, and adjustable-height laptop stands. flexispot.co.uk SIXBROS ERGONOMIC OFFICE CHAIR A high-end office chair can feel like a bit of a luxury but the right one can significantly reduce back pain – and given that you’re going to spend innumerable hours in it, you owe it to yourself to get a good one. For around £55, a swivel chair from German firm SixBros will fulfil every need – or if you prefer a fixed model, a conference chair will set you back £70. sixbros.de/en

YAMAZAKI DESKBAR STORAGE Keep everything neat with this deskbar’s combination of rails, a bar and a tray. Use it for stationery essentials or simply collecting up loose bits and pieces, tall or short. Get it online for £30. amazon.co.uk

We recommend Boss Design The way we live and work has changed.

We have distilled all that we have learnt about design, style, comfort and ergonomics in the workplace, to create Boss at Home, a collection of design-led furniture for the home, sustainably made in the UK. bossathome.com

TP-LINK POWERLINE WI-FI EXTENDER There’s nothing worse than constantly dropping out of calls because of poor wi-fi signal. Solve the problem for good with a wi-fi extender – and for an interference-free signal, buy a ‘powerline’ extender rather than a traditional over-the-airwaves one. These use your house’s power grid to distribute the signal to key locations, and you can get one from around £35. tp-link.com TFA DOSTMANN PRODUCTIVITY TIMER ‘Tomato timers’ may be all the rage but there are plenty of ways to set productive time intervals and encourage focus. If an app on your phone isn’t doing the trick, try this ‘cube timer’ that offers several simple timing options and tactile feedback. tfa-dostmann.de/en HIHI2 DESK PHONE In today’s world of video calls, a device resembling an actual deskphone is a rarity – but this device does both. Incorporating smart tech into an office phone, it integrates video calling and app support – and at a business level, it can direct calls to any networked device, even if you’re at home. hihi.co.uk

Getting the team together whilst working from home WORKING FROM HOME HAS QUICKLY become the new normal. The office buzz that helped build team spirit has been replaced by the humming of the fridge as kitchen tables up and down the country are commandeered each morning and made into makeshift workstations.

Gone are those friendship-making watercooler moments and with them, the opportunities to build team morale and camaraderie as well as the face-toface time to look after the wellbeing of employees.

Fruitful has spent over a decade creating interactive and engaging team activities for clients including Google, EDF and Salesforce. Now they are gearing up to providing fantastic Christmas experiences for businesses across the globe.

But like many experience-led content specialists, life in lockdown left them with the challenging conundrum; how do they provide the same enriching content for companies while their teams are now based miles and sometimes even countries apart?

The answer was simple; they have to package up team spirit boosting experiences so they can be enjoyed by employees in the comfort of their own home.

From virtual reality murder mystery events with live actors that allow wannabe Poirots and Jessica Fletchers to collaborate in teams to work out whodunnit, through to having a box of ingredients delivered to

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the front door of a company’s staff so they can together take part in a virtual cookery class with a celebrity chef, Fruitful is creating experiences that are helping businesses to lift team spirit and to reward their employees from afar.

While there is fun to be had in live virtual terrarium making courses and art classes as well as drinks to be swilled, sniffed and sipped in online wine tasting sessions, Fruitful is proud to have had the opportunity to provide a range of wellbeing workshop activities for teams and individuals too.

As we move towards the home stretch of a year none of us will be able to forget in a hurry, the team at Fruitful have been busy working on fun and engaging ways for

companies around the world to bring their team together to celebrate Christmas with their colleagues.

WFH is undoubtedly the most over-used abbreviation of 2020. But while this new normal continues to keep workforces apart, Fruitful will be there to ensure that employees of businesses big and small remain inspired, engaged and better connected than ever before.

Testimonial: “The team loved their interactive Fruitful experience – especially when the ‘big box’ arrived – it was like Christmas morning!” – Kimberley Binns, senior event manager, Salesforce.

FIND OUT MORE

To see how Fruitful can help keep your team engaged, visit fruitfulteam.com

36 START-UPS & FRANCHISES ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Unlocking the potential of energy for your business Businesses are critical in helping the UK reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. From renewable supply, to local energy and industry-specific tariffs, Octopus Energy for Business is helping organisations across the country lower their carbon footprint IN THE UK, THE BUSINESS SECTOR ALONE IS responsible for 18% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why Octopus Energy for Business is focused on transforming the commercial energy market, building a future where the cheapest electrons are also the greenest electrons, travelling down the shortest possible wire to reach customers.

By adopting a technology-based approach, their vision of delivering clean, green energy at highly competitive prices to businesses across the UK is being achieved today. What’s more, if your business has the ability to shift energy-intensive operations outside of peak hours you can realise significant savings whilst simultaneously reducing carbon emissions.

Octopus is supporting local businesses, setting up community-based tariffs and creating regional energy products. With over 20,000 businesses large and small now on supply, Octopus is kickstarting a green revolution.

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Octopus has created local business tariffs in two of the cities it calls home: Brighton Business Power and Leicester Business Power. These tariffs contract with local renewable projects and a network of businesses in the area, helping to achieve low-carbon cities.

Blackened Sun Microbrewery is a family-run business on the Leicester Business Power tariff.

The brewery was set up by Gary and Sharon, a husband and wife team passionate about brewing high quality craft beers without any additives or preservatives.

As a business, Blackened Sun places a lot of emphasis on community engagement and sustainability. The couple strive to reduce the environmental impact of their operations as much as possible whilst also keeping their overheads low.

Gary, Chief Brewer at Blackened Sun, says: “We know we are a small business in a niche sector so we aren’t going to have a big impact on global emissions, but it’s for our own integrity that we want to work as sustainably as possible. Octopus Energy for Business helps us to achieve this by connecting

Inside LettUs Grow’s aeroponic research centre, where crops are grown using artificial light and heat

If your business has the ability to shift energyintensive operations outside of peak hours you can realise significant savings whilst reducing carbon emissions

Gary at Blackened Sun Microbrewery, powered by 100% renewable energy

with solar energy generated not just in the UK, but from within Leicestershire.”

Leicester Business Power supplies the brewery with REGO-backed local energy generated at the Seaton Road solar farm in Leicestershire. For each business that signs up to Leicester Business Power, Octopus plants trees in partnership with the National Forest and donates £25 to Leicester’s Charity Link.

By supplying 100% renewable energy to a network of local businesses around Leicester and Brighton, Octopus is pushing for cleaner, greener and more connected cities.

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Octopus loves working with emerging business sectors that are driving forward the sustainability agenda but need help reducing their energy bills.

Vertical Farming is one such energy-intensive industry. Tackling food security and increasing access to fresh produce, vertical farms create a controlled environment for vegetables and fruits to grow indoors. By creating bespoke Time-ofUse tariffs through Octopus’s Kraken technology platform, vertical farms can access real-time electricity prices and take control of when and how they operate. Because the circadian rhythm of plants can be manipulated, the lights can be switched on to let them grow overnight when electricity prices are cheapest and typically greener, then turn the lights off during the evening peak, reducing electricity usage when prices jump up due to higher demand.

LettUs Grow, a Bristol-based vertical farming technology provider, has used Vertical Power in its aeroponic research centre and this has saved the company 15% off its energy bills over the last few months. This is currently the most advanced renewable energy offering for vertical farms in the UK. Together, this is sowing the seeds for a greener future.

The energy industry is about more than just electrons and what comes through the wires. Whether it is switching to electric vehicles, installing your own solar panels or simply making the decision to run your business on 100% renewable energy, there is immense potential to alter the way your business consumes energy and make changes for the better – both financially and environmentally.

IT’S TIME TO CONSIDER HOW GREEN CAN YOUR BUSINESS GO Business owners and decision-makers have a huge part to play in entering a new era of technology-aided energy consumption. Visit octopus.energy/business for more information.

Making ideas a reality How can you source funding for a startup? Today, there are more ways than ever… o you’ve got the killer idea that’s going to make your fortune. In a just world, that would be the hardest part taken care of.

But in reality, you need to fund your new business and it’s unlikely you have the necessary capital yourself. Your savings will only take you so far - you need a source of funding.

Once upon a time, that most likely meant going to a bank to get a business loan. And, of course, it still can – but banks are showing less enthusiasm to lend than ever before. You can’t afford for your idea to run aground already. What do you do?

Thankfully, there are more alternative sources of funding than ever – some traditional, some following a completely different model.

Only you can work out what is right for your business, but at the very least you need to be informed so you don’t miss an opportunity.

Even if banks don’t want to give you a business loan, they could still lend to you, via an overdraft or via credit cards. Credit in particular can

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Only you can work out what is right for your business

be a vital source of cashflow, and you can often pick up perks or cashback for spending on a card.

Sourcing investment from a business partner or family member can be an ideal solution – if you’re lucky enough to know a suitably cash-rich person. If you aren’t, there are other ways to find them. Have a look at peer-to-peer lending services, such as Zopa or Funding Circle, which can put you in touch with potential investors.

If your business has good optics with the general public, you can approach everyone at once through crowdfunding. Some now well-known products were first brought to market via a Kickstarter campaign. If your business would be most suited to a subscription model, try setting up a Patreon – not only can it give you revenue, but it will also give you direct access to your most dedicated customers.

Elsewhere, scout around for business grant opportunities. Finding grants for your company can be a constant challenge – but there is help available.

Organisations that offer them include the EU, the government, city councils and The Prince’s Trust.

These can sometimes be combined with other forms of funding, such as banks, crowdfunding platforms and other lenders.

If you just want to get going straight away, payment providers can make ‘business cash advance’ arrangements, whereby you get cash immediately, before invoices are actually paid.

This is a type of business financing in which a lumpsum payment is provided to a business in exchange for an agreed-upon percentage of future revenues.

Of course, you could take this principle further and ‘bootstrap’ your business, running it entirely on cashflow and organic growth. It may not be the quickest way to get it off the ground, however this method can make it more satisfying if it works out for you.

START-UPS & FRANCHISES 37

38 START-UPS & FRANCHISES

Fast franchising

Linking up with an established high-street brand can give you a start-up opportunity without the risk n the current business climate, there is a certain resonance to one of Warren Buffett’s best-known phrases: “When people are greedy, be fearful, and when people are fearful, be greedy.” Not that greed in itself is advisable, but it does shed light on the current atmosphere, which could easily lead one to be fearful of starting a new business. Look at the decision objectively, though, and the same two things matter that always have: risk and reward.

Is it possible to tip the balance in your favour: to minimise the risks while retaining or even maximising the rewards? There is never a ‘magic bullet’ solution when it comes to business, but one way to mitigate risk is to go into franchising: taking on an established brand and running a branch as your own business.

The very nature of franchising is that the operating risk is reduced for the franchisee. You inherit an established brand, business model and standard operating procedures; set-up costs are reduced as you are far closer to a ‘turnkey’ business that can get going quickly. Many franchisors will also support you with training and marketing materials. If you need a barometer

I

CARE FACILITIES

WORKSPACE RENTAL

of the health of franchising, consider that during lockdown, almost no franchisors stopped their new business development activities.

That said, you still need to do your research before taking on any franchise. Scope out the market, competitors, and try to talk to some existing franchisees to find out their experience with the brand. Think about your own personality and strengths, and whether the brand fits those. And don’t skip the paperwork – you need to know all the royalties, remuneration timetables and tricky clauses.

However, it’s more than likely that there is a franchise out there to suit you. They exist in a wider variety of industries than most realise.

Here are five potential franchise ideas to get you thinking: CLEANING

As companies reconsider the need to have their own office space, ‘Workplace-as-a-Service’ is only going to grow. Shared workspaces can cater for everyone, from one-person bands looking for a quiet place to high-end, tailored co-working spaces. You can add hospitality and events to the main revenue stream.

ESTATE AGENCY

ONLINE LEARNING

We recommend Schmidt Open your own showroom to offer beautiful bespoke, yet affordable kitchens, bedrooms and home interiors. Schmidt franchisees can enjoy lucrative profit margins with no kitchen design or sales experience required. Become part of this leading global brand at schmidtfranchise.co.uk

Home care and senior care are always in demand, and anyone who’s willing to travel and offer a range of care services could be suitable for a franchise. Many franchisors don’t look for medical experience, since there are a range of non-medical services you can provide, including housework and companionship.

The most advanced options are ‘live-in carer’ service, for which you are likely to receive dedicated training and a higher compensation.

Cleaning has scarcely been in more demand than it is now, and it’s a job that can only be done locally and can’t be outsourced. This means franchisors are always looking for regional and local partners to work with. Household cleaning, carpet cleaning, office cleaning, refurbishment and maintenance all fall under this category, so there are plenty of options.

Learning franchises can range from private tuition to corporate-level learning schemes for software or business practices. If you have a specialised knowledge base – be it in music, coding, pre-school education or anything else – you can monetise it through developing and implementing e-learning services as a franchisee.

Many of the lettings agents you see putting signs outside properties operate on the franchise model. Property is an excellent market to invest in and an established sales-and-lettings franchise can generate significant revenues. The agency is likely to give you a demarcated territory, tailored training, policies and procedures, access to the head office support team and all the legal documents you need.

Desperate Times call for Smarter Measures Powered by

New products and services It’s never been more important to manage your businesses’ operating costs and ensure your utilities are under control.

With Yourtilities you can manage your utility contracts for one location or multiple sites around the country all in one place; taking back control of your utility bills and accounts with our industry-leading dashboard. Yourtilities was designed and developed in conjunction with In Studio (www.wearein.studio).

The platform can: • Provide real-time change of tenancy notifications to your suppliers via our online dashboard. This prevents overbilling and minimises excessive out of contract rates • Submit meter readings in real-time (from any location) via our online portal direct to your suppliers. This eradicates estimated billing (only receive accurate billing) to help with business cash flow • Log all of your renewal dates and receive annual reminders across your portfolio for each individual supply (regardless of supplier) to ensure you stay in control of your utility contract charges and terms • Request an online energy audit at the time of your renewal to identify where your business could save money • Store all your utility requirements such as metering and site works projects under one roof and view all of your business utilities in real-time, hassle free and 24/7 Let Yourtilities allow you to get on with what you do best, running your business.

Start your 90 day free trial today - www.yourtilities.com

Energy Direct Group have developed and produced one of the first online platforms to allow Business Owners to obtain Business Energy Quotations without the hassle of receiving cold calls, chasing suppliers for prices or the stress of not understanding quotes in what can be a confusing and misleading marketplace.

Simply: 1. Obtain your most recent utility bills (Gas, Electricity, Water, Telecoms, Broadband and/or Waste Management) and scan the QR Code below with your smartphone camera app 2. Take and upload a photo of your utility bills in less than a minute 3. Receive the most competitive deals in the marketplace via email 4. Complete your chosen contracts online in your own time

To learn how can support your business with all aspects of its utilities, simply visit our website or speak to a dedicated member of our team on 0330 124 9322. 

START-UPS & FRANCHISES 39 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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The only business partner you need...

NEW BUSINESSES NEED CASH AND A business plan. This plan is a complex combination of affordability, projected growth and cash-flow management to mitigate risk in the first few years. The Covid crisis means detailed business planning has never been so important.

Who better to guide you on this journey than a chartered accountancy practice, experienced in breaking numbers down into minute detail to support you in that process? A firm with a vested interest in your success as an ongoing partner, beyond completing that initial business plan and funding structure?

As well as accountancy services d&t is a completely independent funding broker, connecting businesses to much-needed finance to start or grow their brand, underpinned by tailor-made business plans. d&t works with more than 2,500 businesses, including 100 different franchise brands.

d&t’s strong relationships with large high street banks and satellite lenders support stronger financial solutions for franchisees, franchisors and independent SMEs. Acquiring funding for new businesses is challenging in the current climate. Yet d&t has written business plans and supported funding applications worth over £3 million of investment recently. The good news is that the industry is still moving forwards; applications from good candidates, with well-researched business plans, are getting the funding they need.

Hit the coffee ground running CAFE2U IS THE UK’S NUMBER ONE mobile coffee franchise, leading the way not just in terms of the award-winning coffee it sells each day but also with its proven and successful business model.

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INTERESTED? Book a virtual Discovery Session at cafe2u.co.uk/become-a-mobile-coffee-van-franchisee and you can be on the road to becoming the next Cafe2u franchise partner.

Call 0113 232 0118 or 07710 737049 for further information.

WHY STRUGGLE WITH THREE SUPPLIERS WHEN ALL YOU NEED IS D&T? Email hello@team-dt.com, visit team-dt.com or call 01793 741600.

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Make the magic happen with your own business

GLOW BAMBINO IS OFFERING SIX NEW franchise opportunities in the UK. Its awardwinning, theatrical, rainbow-lit, sensory baby classes run weekly across the UK. It also offers Glow Bambino birthday party adventures, specifically designed for babies and toddlers; nursery visits; beautiful Rainbow Relax massage courses for parent and baby and, new for 2021, • For a lower file size, this is a low-resolution proof.

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Using theatrical techniques; unique items, developmental • activities, This advertorial has been designed according to ording to • glowing Not necessarily indicative of final positioning puppets, music and movement, parents and theadvertorial house style by the publisher ublisher within the publication. Your will pre-approved be babies make magical memories together hanged). placed as per your booking. (including typography, which can’t be changed). while learning through play. Flying to the moon and back, visiting rainbows, dancing al team as • Please return your feedback or approval within • enchanted Copy has been subedited by the editorial team as through a dragon’s cave in the ng copy in 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised forest or riding a tractor over glowing per the publisher’s house style (including copy in otherwise the production team. muddy puddlesby – every week is a third person). new magical adventure that you can make happen through your own Glow Glow Bambino will work with you every step Bambino business! of the way, because it is together that we All your dreams are possible with Glow become a success! The Rugby franchise has Bambino. Run your own businesses that just won Franchisee is fulfilling, fun and fits around your other of The Year in commitments. It’s why Glow Bambino the national featured in 2020’s #smallbiz100. With TFN business flexible franchise contracts and packages, Recognition Awards.

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It’s the perfect opportunity for those looking to take control of their own business, with accelerated training programmes available and income guarantee on launch.

There’s no prior experience needed, the team will quickly bring you up to speed and you will be supported in every step of the journey. Cafe2U takes pride in delivering consistent high quality, be it coffee, food or customer experience. They recruit, train and support the best franchisees to the utmost of their ability.

STARTING A NEW BUSINESS IS DAUNTING at the best of times, let alone against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic. But many people are doing just that: they’re taking redundancy, and looking at using their skills to become entrepreneurs.

A new, comprehensive guide, created by The Business Support Hub, is the ideal tool to help you get started.

With the Ultimate Business Start-Up Guide, youversion not only get complete high-quality willa be sent start-up to press. manual, but handy downloads including accounting spreadsheets (if you’re not yet • ready Not necessarily indicative of final positioning Lisa Grove to invest in accountancy software), an easy to complete business planYour and advertorial will be within the publication. a daily planner. placed as per your booking.

The entrepreneur behind the Ultimate Business Start-Up Guide is Lisa Grove, who • founded Please feedback The return Businessyour Support Hub to runor approval within alongside her virtual assistant organisation, 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised “So I created the Ultimate Business Above & Beyond Admin Services. otherwise by the production team. Start-Up Guide to help other people “When I started my business, so much whose shoes I’ve been in, by putting of my time was spent researching things together this comprehensive package, like how to write a business plan, or what you can get your business up and running insurance I needed. It was really timecorrectly, quickly and with confidence. consuming, just when I should have been I wish I’d had a tool like this at the start of going out and getting in new business,” my journey”. said Lisa.

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SEE FOR YOURSELF Visit glowbambino.co.uk and follow @glowbambino. To find out more or to book parties or weekly sessions, email glowbambino@outlook.com or call Sara on 07771 746094.

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40 START-UPS & FRANCHISES

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START-UPS & FRANCHISES 41 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Actions your company can take in the fight against the climate crisis Consumers are increasingly demanding that the businesses they buy from have an ethical and sustainable business model. A recent Forbes article found that 87% of consumers have a more positive image of a company that supports social and environmental issues, and 88% of consumers are more loyal to companies that support these issues IT’S NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR businesses to take action to fight the climate crisis. Reducing your business’s carbon footprint may seem daunting but over the past 25 years, Ecotricity have learnt a thing or two about what it means to be green.

An in-depth Guide to Going Green can help you to reduce your carbon footprint across your business’s entire operation and is available from Ecotricity, but here are just a few top tips.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Moving to a more sustainable business model requires a change in mind-set and approach, embedding better business practices making your business more resilient and better prepared for the future ahead.

Start by conducting a complete operational review of your business’s environmental impact.

By doing this you can build a reporting framework to benchmark and monitor your successes by identifying the areas of your business that have the largest carbon emissions; prioritising the things you’re going to tackle first with benchmarks and targets; then actively addressing these aspects and monitoring the results.

HOW CAN YOU SAVE ENERGY IN YOUR BUSINESS? (AND REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT TOO!)

For many businesses, it’s simple – switching to 100% green electricity and carbon neutralised is the biggest and easiest thing you can do to reduce your business’ carbon footprint. But there are a number of other actions you can take to lower your energy impact further… � Heating and cooling – Ensure you have a maintenance schedule for your heating, venting and air conditioning systems. Consult with an air-conditioning installer to check that you have the most cost- and energyefficient systems in place. Set temperatures centrally and make sure that individual room thermostats cannot be adjusted. For heating in winter, set thermostats between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius during business hours, and 16 to 18 degrees during unoccupied hours. For cooling in summer, set thermostats between 25 and 27 degrees during business hours, and above 27 degrees during unoccupied hours. � Lighting – One of the easiest ways to save energy (and costs) is to replace halogen bulbs and spotlights with LEDs. You can also use light movement sensors for corridors, communal areas and car parks so that lights aren’t left on unnecessarily. � Office equipment – Turn off computers, monitors, printers and copiers at the end of each day. To save energy during periods of inactivity, make sure that any built-in power management system works and powers down equipment. Switch from desktops to laptops (on average, they use half the energy) and donate old IT equipment to charities instead of sending them to landfill.

You can use real-time Energy Management Systems (EMS) to get detailed insights into where energy losses occur and find opportunities to make environmental and financial savings; as well as forecasting utility costs and potential savings for any energy or water saving initiatives.

CAN YOU CUT YOUR TRAVEL EMISSIONS?

It’s never been more important for businesses to take action to fight the climate crisis

Transport is now the largest polluting single sector in Britain – figures from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy show that 28 per cent of all carbon emissions come from transport.

Here’s how to make an impact… � Travelling for work – The recent Covid-19 crisis has shown us that most travel for business meetings is no longer necessary.

Where you can, meet online. If your staff need to travel for work, switch your company pool cars to electric vehicles. Stop all but absolutely necessary air travel. � Travelling to work – Encourage your staff to travel by public transport with interestfree loans for season tickets. Other good options include car sharing, using park and ride schemes, or travelling by bicycle (provide washroom facilities and secure bike storage if you can).

DOWNLOAD THE IN-DEPTH GUIDE TO GOING GREEN Visit ecotricity.co.uk/green-guide to download the guide – it’s packed with useful, practical advice. Alternatively, call on 0345 600 1994 or email business@ecotricity.co.uk

XX 42 FEATURE COACHING & TRAINING ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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The number one essential in any business owner’s checklist

No-one ever wrote a business plan to be fat, lazy, alone and broke YET MANY ENTREPRENEURS, COACHES, consultants and freelancers end up in the “sales cycle of doom” servicing needy clients for little reward, day-in and day-out.

Take Your Shot is the antidote to that – a short read at only 100 pages, it packs a punch. It tells a story about struggling business owner, Russ, who turns his business and fortunes around after meeting a business coach while at work one day. The business coach teaches Russ how to slow down, create some space for himself and his family and confidently charge more.

Take Your Shot will show you how to articulate your value by packaging up your services into remarkable products. Without this one simple skill, as taught in Take Your Shot, you will never get clients to understand the remarkable results you produce.

Luan Wise

“Storytelling at its finest!

An inspiring transformational story, that every business owner should read” – Daniel Priestley, author of Entrepreneur Revolution.

DID YOU KNOW that 71% of all decision makers say social media is influential when they’re researching or considering a new product or service for their company*?

Which is why a credible social media presence is a must for any business owner – for both the brand and for individuals associated with the business.

It’s even more critical in the new Covid world of increased remote working.

“Robin has smashed it out of the park.

Fantastic!” – Carl Reader, author of The Startup Coach.

WIN ONE OF TEN SIGNED COPIES OF TAKE YOUR SHOT

If you’re looking to make a great first impression online, replace your face-toface networking with online networking and use social media to help your business succeed, get in touch with leading marketing and social media for business expert, Luan Wise.

She’s author of the award-winning book, Relax! It’s Only Social Media and combines her 20 years’ marketing experience working in agency, client-side and consultancy roles with practical teaching and training.

Luan is trusted to deliver advice and training by LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, plus a number of UK professional bodies and university business schools.

She can help you review your business social media profiles, build your networks and give you the know-how to post content that creates conversations and drive new opportunities.

FIND OUT MORE

Download a free social media profile checklist and LinkedIn ‘All Star’ profile guide at luanwise.co.uk/checklist

Visit the website at fearless.biz/TYS for your chance to win.

*Source: GlobalWebIndex, November 2019.

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A friendly, flexible and bespoke approach to training design When face-to-face meetings are no longer an easy viable option, how do you still provide effective and engaging training?

TO YOUR STAFF, YOUR CLIENTS, OR EVEN learning experience from start to finish. students from all over the world, creating Does this sound interesting to you? Get in online and easily accessible training, is touch to see how Carla’s Captivating Content just one of the many services that Ltd can help you. Whether it’s the coronavirus Carla’s Captivating Content Ltd can that’s put a stop to your usual face-to-face provide for you. of classroom teaching, or an emerged • For a lower filestyle size, this is a low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press.

They live, breathe, eat and sleep training need get ahead game and simply • For a lower filetosize, this isofathe low-resolution proof. A high-quality version will be sent to press. design. Building entirely bespoke materials upgrade your materials across the board.

• work This has been designed Notnecessarily necessarily indicative of positioning final positioning for each and every client they Bespoke their belief.

Theaccording wordsmiths • advertorial This advertorial hasisbeen designed accordingto to •• Not indicative of final with, the team ensures to embody your behind Carla’s Captivating Content create all the house style style pre-approved byby the publisher within the publication. advertorial the house pre-approved the publisher within the publication.

YourYour advertorial will bewill be organisation or project’s key values and of their training materials from scratch to suit (including typography, which can’t be changed). placed as per your booking. (including typography, which can’t be changed). placed as per your booking. brand style throughout. All while promising the needs of each and every client individually. to give your trainees the best possible Which means that all copy can be branded

PROOF INFORMATION PROOF INFORMATION

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• has Copybeen has been subedited editorialteam teamas as Copy subedited by by thethe editorial per the publisher’s house style (including copy in per the publisher’s house style (including copy in third person). third person).

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Please return your feedback or approval within within Please return your feedback or approval 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised 48 hours of receiving this proof, unless advised otherwise by the production team.

otherwise by the production team.

throughout and really embody your businesses values as well as personality. In turn, this allows your staff and trainees to engage and relate more with the content and for you to really take ownership of the materials.

Be assured that the team are flexible to you and your needs only. Carla’s Captivating Content understands that no two businesses are the same and therefore, they believe that their approaches to training should be custom to them also. Which means that none of their content is ever repeated.

So, now that you know what they are all about, why wait any longer? Have a look on the website, fill in a contact form on any page, and

let them take on all the leg work so that you don’t have to. Whether you are going small or big, they are here to ‘meet the brief’.

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Visit carlas-captivatingcontent.com, call 01452 929160 or email info@carlas-captivatingcontent.com

COACHING & TRAINING 43

Coaching through a crisis Keeping employees happy and engaged doesn’t have to be a thankless task hatever ‘CEO’ might have stood for, today it may well be Chief Emotional Officer. Taking a personal stake in the emotional wellbeing of employees, hearing their concerns and making them feel valued, is a part of any senior manager’s role.

During a crisis, that role is heightened.

Lockdown is the obvious example, but it could really be any crisis – negative publicity, financial cutbacks, a massive project that’s right up against deadline… individual communication between manager and employee is never more important than in these cases. That’s the case for the team member, but also for you: the more conversations you have, the better a ‘mood barometer’ you get. Today, you can’t get that by walking around the office any more, which makes it even more valuable.

W

The challenge is to maintain regular, structured contact without seeming formal or overbearing. Scheduled one-to-ones with employees are vital – even if there is nothing that urgently needs talking about – but as a less formal alternative, consider setting up an always-on ‘hangout’ video chat where employees can come and go as they are able. “Show your intent around informal communication – an important element that occurs spontaneously in an office and needs an immediate replacement in a remote setting,” Darren Murph from GitLab – which has 1,100 remote employees – said in a LinkedIn interview this year.

Employees will appreciate regular updates from you on how the business is doing – but you should also encourage them to reflect on their own performance. As always, frame this in

an open way. What’s working? Where are they getting stuck? What could they do differently?

This is, inevitably, a time of cultural change.

But that change could be viewed as a positive if employees see it as an opportunity to reframe their jobs: focus on their strengths and how they can contribute as the company meets new challenges. Encourage them to shape their own ‘new reality’ rather than being a passive subject.

“Managing a remote company is much like managing any company,” Darren Murph adds.

“It comes down to trust, communication, and company-wide support of shared goals.”

We recommend Strada Innovation Maria Banks created Strada Innovation with her mantra that individuals hold the answers within themselves.

She has decades of success enabling and inspiring clients to maximise their potential in business and in life. Get your very own certified business guide and life mentoring specialist by visiting stradainnovation.co.uk today.

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Get coached, focus and flourish

Pictures taken by John Ferguson Photography

Business owners may know their subject inside out and spend much of their time running things, but this often leaves little time to grow the company

MARIA BANKS, FOUNDER OF STRADA clarity to make the important decisions and INNOVATION, helps leaders break through help you focus on maintaining organisation challenging barriers, allowing business performance, business continuity and the owners to focus on safety, well-being and actions needed to achieve financial security of their vision. Maria has your employees.

Maria specialises worked with leaders on With over two decades of in business growth, all levels, developing their success in delivering effective leadership skills and long/short-term goals and development programmes, mindset mastery strategies, improving their Strada Innovation specialises business’ in areas they in driving transformation may have overlooked. As a through coaching, mentoring, result, leaders have seen vast improvements training and consulting. in all aspects of their professional lives.

“What’s been really useful for my clients A coach can help move you from feeling recently is connecting virtually through Zoom threatened to inspired. Challenging your or Skype. We still get all the benefits of faceperspective in new ways can provide the to-face interaction, albeit virtually, and we can share documents and use whiteboards during our coaching sessions, which has really taken their coaching up a level” says Maria.

Guiding business owners in this way helps them clarify the vision of their business and how it fits with their personal goals, taking the business from where it is now, to where they want it to be.

Maria specialises in business growth, leadership skills and mindset mastery.

Whether you’ve been running your own business for years or are a professional looking to take your career to the next level, discover a clear path to creating the business, career or lifestyle you want.

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients

in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Maria’s coaching mantra holds that message at its core; she believes people are “naturally creative, resourceful and whole” and that the individual holds the answers within them.

This year, Maria is delighted to have been nominated for The British Chamber of Commerce UK Business Hero Award.

Testimonial: “Always honest, supportive and encouraging, Maria helps bring out the leader in you, in fact, she helps bring out the real you. If you need challenging and want to

clarify your purpose, values and direction in both life and work, then look no further than Maria (Strada Innovation)” – Vernon Blackmore, East Suffolk Restaurateur.

FIND OUT MORE Visit stradainnovation.co.uk or to make an appointment with Maria call 07775 508999.

44 COACHING & TRAINING ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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The right training at the right time

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING AT work continues to be one of the most challenging issues employers face. The financial cost to organisations of poor mental health is estimated to be £42bn a year.

WHY SHOULD ORGANISATIONS CARE ABOUT THIS?

Now more than ever, employers need to ensure they promote healthy workplaces where people feel comfortable speaking to someone if they are struggling.

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act, employers “must protect the health, safety and welfare at work of employees”, which includes mental health. It is also the right thing to do to look after people’s wellbeing so they can perform at their best.

WELCOME TWO LEARNING LIMITED is a dynamic digital learning and development consultancy saving businesses time and money through: � Two-minute videos � Webinars � Interactive and engaging virtual classrooms � Blended learning and development expertise.

They partner with clients to bespoke and tailor online learning solutions and enable digital transformation of Learning and Development, HR and training functions.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? � Mental Health Policy – is this

�

�

�

�

accessible to staff and managers? Does it clearly signpost people to internal and external resources available?

Training – are leaders aware of their responsibilities and able to have conversations about wellbeing?

Culture of openness – how often are people asked how they are feeling, not just an update on what they are doing?

Clear objectives and guidance – when people know what’s expected of them, they can better perform to their full potential Coaching/mentoring – reflecting on progress and sharing insights

EXPERT DELIVERY

The company is recognised and accredited, so you can be confident you are working with the best in the industry.

The sooner people can talk about any struggles they are experiencing, the quicker they will bounce back. Anna Golawski at Stratus Coaching provides free webinars on mental health, stress and resilience.

MAXIMISE YOUR INVESTMENT

Workforce requirements are changing and we need to recognise and respond to this.

Welcome Two ensures you meet your goals through learning and development which is provided in the most effective way.

TESTIMONIALS:

“Many thanks, your webinar was the best one I have attended in a long time.”

INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND FUN

Welcome Two is continually networking and learning, which enables them to bring you the most innovative training methods.

The Welcome Two team must be creative

“Wonderful session once again. Thank you!”

Anna Golawski

FIND OUT MORE

Erica Farmer, Founder and Director Welcome Two

and innovative with delivery to ensure they are the right fit for your unique business – creativity and innovation is nothing if it is not delivered in the right way.

FIND OUT MORE

Email anna@stratuscoaching.co.uk or call 07799 334594 for future dates or information on in-house training. Visit stratuscoaching.com to find out more.

Visit welcometwo.co.uk and linktr.ee/WelcomeTwo

PROOF INFORMATION

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COACHING & TRAINING 45 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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Business continuity is key in this uncertain Covid-19 world

Have you got the attraction factor?

YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS THE ATTRACTION FACTOR, now more than ever. Many business leaders have had to pivot or transform their company to stay in business and stay relevant in the new environment.

However, many have not had the time or resources, due to furloughing some of their team, to adapt their marketing to match.

When trying to reach a new audience – or their usual audience in a new way – those who don’t have their marketing aligned are finding themselves overlooked by savvier or more established competitors.

Every aspect of your business has to appeal to your new target market. It needs to have ‘the attraction factor’. Ask yourself, how good is your business at:

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SO, YOU HAVE BEEN ASKED TO sort out your organisation’s business continuity and don’t know where to start or don’t have the time. What now? Whilst most large organisations have full-time business continuity professionals, in most others it falls to people that have been told to deal with it as part of their day job.

ADT Business Continuity Consultants is here to fill that gap making the process straightforward and enabling your organisation to meet all the requirements from auditors, third parties and internal governance.

Customer attraction – finding and retaining the right customers Talent attraction – finding and retaining the right team Partner attraction – joining forces with strategic partners Investor attraction – raising funding Buyer attraction – getting on the radar of buyers, if you’re looking to sell your business

THEY CAN PROVIDE: �

To be successful, particularly in these challenging times, a business needs to do more than just “do some marketing”; it needs to have the right marketing strategy for the circumstances and execute it appropriately.

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FIND OUT MORE YUnique Marketing invites CEOs to apply for a space in one of its Attraction Factor boardroom strategy sessions at yuniquemarketing.com/boardroom-session

Business Impact Analysis (BIA) Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Business continuity exercises or tests A fix for the issues following a failed business continuity or disaster recovery audit An interim or part-time business continuity manager.

Download the free guide Business Continuity In a Nutshell written by ADT Business Continuity Consultants’ managing director Alan Trup. He boasts over 20 years’ experience helping organisations from multinationals to small businesses worldwide.

FIND OUT MORE Get a free initial no obligation phone call with a business continuity expert by calling 0800 999 3374 or visit adtbusinesscontinuity.com

YUnique Marketing’s complimentary marketing assessment also offers a professional overview of your current marketing effectiveness, visit yuniquemarketing.com/scorecard

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third person).

46 COACHING & TRAINING

New networking How do you network and make contacts without leaving home? t was once a business truism that, stakeholder who you haven’t talked to in a when you travel to a conference while, and message them on LinkedIn or or event, the real networking takes WhatsApp asking how they are doing. If they place not on the show floor, but respond, you can arrange a virtual coffee. in the bar afterwards. In 2020, It may not directly generate a business seemingly every part of that phrase fails to opportunity there-and-then, but being hold together. Events and conferences have remembered as the person who made been postponed or gone virtual; the effort to reach out can benefit meeting contacts in the pub or you in the long run. restaurant is difficult or inadvisable; Check what has happened to the This could even something as simple as regular shows and events in your be the time shaking hands is impossible now. sector. Are they taking place in to reactivate But we still have a need for digital form? If you ‘attend’ a virtual networking; both adding new event, you might not be able bump dormant contacts and nurturing the into people into the corridor – but contacts rather relationships we already have. at the very least, you get a list of than fostering Enterprise always finds a way – speakers and panel representatives, new ones but when most contact is done who often actively invite you through a computer screen, how to contact them afterwards. do you maintain the genuine, Furthermore, you can take the personal aspect? ‘going virtual’ principle into your own hands: if Start by giving your online presence a any events or social engagements in your own once-over – it’s always working to put your life are simply cancelled, try to convert them to personal brand out there, even when you aren’t. Make sure there is nothing missing on We recommend UpSkill Digital your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Xing and In our technologically advanced world, Instagram profiles – that you are using the where workplace demands are constantly same profile photo, that they communicate evolving, UpSkill Digital provides worldyour career strengths and passions. Following class training in the skills needed for the ‘first impressions count’ mantra, what do success in the digital age. From you want potential contacts to find about you instructor-led workshops and LMS in the first few seconds? That’s what should be solutions to immersive transformation in your profile. programmes, they Consider that this could be the time to deliver impact at reactivate dormant contacts rather than every level. fostering new ones. Right now, most people upskilldigital.com/virtual will welcome the contact. Find a relevant

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a video call instead of letting them slide.

If you want to make a new contact through digital means and are worried about contacting them ‘out of the blue’ through LinkedIn or another platform, consider the old mantra of Ben Franklin: “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.”

Translated into today’s context, business leaders get bombarded with messages from people offering them all kinds of services, but comparatively few asking them for something.

If you’ve identified a potential new contact, try messaging them asking for a small piece of

advice on a situation relevant to their area of expertise. They may be happy to help and you will stick in their mind.

You couldn’t say it’s anywhere close to the same as before. But this is a time where taking the lead in making connections is appreciated rather than an intrusion. Take any opportunity you can and try to turn the difficulties into an advantage: talk to people about your experiences getting video software to work, trying to breathe through a facemask, or baking banana bread. ‘Lockdown life’ has given us countless challenges but at least it’s also given us a guaranteed icebreaker.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Protect and develop your people to grow your business Business owners and executives are working hard to keep their people safe and to survive and grow in a post-Covid world. With local lockdowns likely to be a continuing feature for the next few months, we need to train our people to cope MOST OF US HAVE BEEN POSITIVELY surprised so far at how well our people have coped with the change. Productivity for those able to work from home has usually been good and some of us are even considering whether we really need office locations in future.

Many of us are working hard to reinvent jobs, such as sales, and whole business models that used to rely on face-to-face contact. As we face what looks like a tough winter, continuing to succeed remotely means giving managers and individuals the confidence, skills and tools to find a sustainable pattern of working.

Points to consider include: Individuals are struggling to maintain relationships, build trust and stay visible.

They need to build sustainable routines and habits for balancing productivity and well-being when working from home. � Salespeople and consultants need to develop the skills to engage with customers and partners virtually, to build trust, make sales and deliver services. � Managers need to learn new skills to lead people remotely, run more effective virtual meetings, stimulate innovation and find the right balance of control and empowerment for this new environment. �

Global Integration developed the world’s first remote and virtual working training programme over 25 years ago and has trained more than 100,000 people in these skills for many of the world’s leading organisations.

This year the company has been working with tens of thousands of people new to working from home, helping them cope with the change and improve their productivity, resilience and engagement.

Global Integration has a ready-to-run series of bite-sized, 90-minute webinars around

the most common issues of working remotely and in hybrid teams. It can also create tailored programmes specific to the challenges you are facing.

FIND OUT MORE If you need to give your people a boost and equip them to survive and thrive in this new reality, then visit global-integration.com or email rachel@global-integration.com – quote code REMOTEOCT to receive a 10% discount on your first engagement with Global Integration.