Business Times Northamptonshire Feb 23

Expansion of manufacturing facility creates 300 new jobs

More than 1,000 vehicles a year are to be converted from diesel power to electric at the newly completed upcycling facility for Lunaz Applied Technologies at Silverstone.

The facility, the first of its kind in the world, is now fully operational and occupies a total 200,000 sq ft - almost four times its original size when it opened in 2018. The business has also created 300 new jobs.

The expansion means LAT can significantly increase production of its upcycled electric vehicles, with capacity to produce 1,100 vehicles per year.

World-first plant pioneers new upcycling technique for vehicles

Upcycling involves taking conventional diesel-powered refuse trucks and other commercial vehicles and converting them to fully electric power when they reach the end of their normal working lives. UEVs are proved to be cleaner, cheaper and better equipped than all-new equivalents, saving money for taxpayers and helping local authorities to achieve their net-zero goals, Lunaz said.

The additional space allows LAT to bring the majority of the upcycling in-house, giving it total quality control throughout the production process.

Lunaz’s founder and chief executive David Lorenz said: “The expansion of the Lunaz Silverstone campus is a clear demonstration of our commitment to breaking the replace-with-new cycle. Lunaz now has the largest manufacturing

footprint of any company within the Silverstone Technology Cluster.”

LAT is developing new technology to further improve the upcycling process’ efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The company has already completely designed its own battery packs, fully assembled, tested and fitted on site at Silverstone. It has also developed a unique electric power take-off to drive the rear bin-lifting apparatus for its upcycled refuse trucks.

“Our new and fully operational facilities, which gives us four times as much space as we had before, enables us to continue scaling up

Just diamond: Engineering firm collects its Queen’s Award

Chris Walker, director and chief executive of niche engineering company Diamond Hard Surfaces, is pictured after receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade from James Saunders Watson, HM LordLieutenant for Northamptonshire.

The company, based near Towcester, was one of only two companies in the county to receive the award when the winners were announced last year.

The ceremony was attended by invited guests including customers, suppliers, and support partners.

“We are delighted that our small, energetic, customer focused team has been recognised with the highest award in the UK,” said Mr Walker.

“We would like to thank everyone who as supported our growth.”

Diamond Hard Surfaces produces high-performance, diamond-based engineering materials and coatings for advanced engineering markets

such as aerospace, electronics and the oil and gas sector. It supplies customers all over the world and has enjoyed consistent growth over the past three years.

Mr Walker intends to use the Queen’s Award to expand the company’s overseas activity even further.

Diamond Hard Surfaces has focused on its international trade since the business began in 2005 with the backing of Oxford

Technology 4 VCT, a quoted venture fund specialising in the start-up and early stage technology sector. Development of a unique process for the deposition of the extreme diamond-like carbon-based material was completed in 2009 and patented globally.

“It is an important message to any start-up business, to look at developing international sales as well as those in the domestic market,” said Mr Walker.

James Brodie of networking group Business Buzz. P21

Expo preview: Exhibitors sign up for showcase. P15-27

Diversity and inclusion takes centre stage in Northamptonshire at the This Is Us Awards ceremony

Everyone has a role to play, says champion

Progress is being made but there is still a long way to go in the drive to make workplaces more diverse and inclusive, a major national awards ceremony has heard.

Diversity and inclusion are issues that are rising up the corporate agenda. An increasing number of organisations are making strides in developing business practices that are conducive to supporting equality across the workplace.

And now is the time for organisations to develop joined-up strategies that link individual departments to drive the culture change to a new level, says diversity champion Gamiel Yafei.

Mr Yafei, pictured below, was speaking at the This is Us awards ceremony celebrating the UK’s champions of diversity and inclusion. “The last three to five years have seen massive change,” he said. “We are filling in those historic gaps in our policies and practices that exclude certain individuals. Now we are making decisions that enable us to tap into that talent.”

First Brexit then the pandemic have

changed the working environment, changing the way the nation and the world works, Mr Yafei said. “It has had a massive impact and we will never work in the same way again. It will keep evolving and government thinking is about getting the equality, diversity and inclusion policies right. It is just good business practice.”

The Black Lives Matter campaign, launched in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the USA in 2020, led to a focus on systemic change as a whole rather than in parts, Mr Yafei added.

“Everyone has a role to play,” he said. “Each department within a business should have an inclusive strategy that links with other departments’ inclusive strategies. We have made huge progress in terms of visibility but it is still not as fast and as significant as we need it to be.”

The This Is Us awards brought together leaders and changemakers in business across the UK to celebrate their achievements and progress to date, highlighting those leading the way in

MEET THE WINNERS

Changemaker Award

Nav Ahmed (Arden University)

Community Upliftment

Thomas Cliffe (Café Track)

D E & I Company

REAS Group & Konnek-App

Employee Resource Group

Idrees Mohammed (Milton Keynes University Hospital)

Lifetime Achievement

Sabrina Shadie (D’Rose Development Consultancy)

Organisational Champion Nav Ahmed (Arden University)

Tomorrow’s Leader

Aaliyah Aries (Ebony Lashes Crafts)

Training and Development

Katie Neeves (Cool2BTrans)

Women’s Empowerment

Samantha Poole (Incubation Nation CIC)

Apprenticeship Award

Esthetique Dental Care

This is Us Overall Champion

Nav Ahmed (Arden University)

This is Us Heartfelt Award

Jacqui Gavin

championing the campaign in their sector. The ceremony, held at the Kettering Conference Centre in Northamptonshire, celebrated the winners in a total 12 categories. “The judging panellists were seriously impressed with the quality of the entries, remarking them as inspirational, outstanding, and phenomenal,” said Meena Chander, founder and chief executive of ceremony organiser Events Together. “The night was a fantastic celebration of D&I, and it was great to see new faces and learn and share in the experiences, initiatives and leadership of businesses and people that are actioning real change.”

The awards attracted sponsorship from leading organisations including North Northamptonshire Council, Milton Keynes Ethnic Business Community, Compass Group UK & Ireland, Change the Balance CIC and VTCT.

Landmark survey will steer future of economy

Organisations from across Northamptonshire are to have their say on the condition of and prospects for the county’s economy via a landmark new survey.

The Wellingborough & East Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with Northamptonshire’s dedicated business newspaper Business Times to create the survey that will deliver a comprehensive analysis of the mood of businesses and their views on the future for the local, regional and national economy.

Business Times and Wellingborough & East Northants Chamber will launch the survey at Your Business Expo on February 8, taking place at Sywell Aerodrome. Employers will be able to complete the survey at the free to attend Your

Business Expo 2023 or online by scanning the QR code.

Chamber president Pritesh Ganatra will be on hand at the event to speak to business owners. He said: “We are excited to attend Your Business Expo for the launch of the survey. I look forward to networking with and meeting attendees who also have a passion for helping and encouraging local business to succeed.”

The date: February 8 2023.

The venue: Hangar One at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire. The countdown to a superb event for businesses across the county to reach, engage and connect is nearing its end.

The occasion is the first Your Business Expo of 2023, brought to Northamptonshire’s business community by Business Times - the county’s leading business newspaper - and full service marketing agency Qoob Group as the Expo’s headline sponsor.

Your Business Expo aims to create opportunities for quality sales leads, to meet with the county’s key decision-makers and to increase awareness of your business brand.

More than 100 exhibitors, including many of Northamptonshire’s leading, brightest and fastest-growing organisations, are ready to welcome the anticipated numbers of visitors.

And they will also have the opportunity to learn from the experts at insightful workshops delivered by industry experts

on key business topics. These will include the latest expert advice on marketing, delivered by Qoob Group, and on HR matters in a discussion led by Your Business Expo fellow sponsor HR Solutions.

Other sponsors of the expo include Northampton-based oil and lubricants specialist Mannol UK, Mainland Heating Solutions and training and development consultancy Competitive Edge.

Your Business Expo will begin with a networking breakfast led by the regional team at networking group Business Buzz ahead of the main exhibition itself, giving participating businesses and others the opportunity to enjoy some extra networking.

Afterwards, delegates will take a tour around the 100+ stands at the sold-out event, stopping off to gain valuable business insights into a variety of topical themes at seminars delivered by some of Northamptonshire’s leading experts in their field.

Your Business Expo 2023 is the first since the Your

Business Expo brand became part of Pulse Group Media, publisher of Business Times and its sister title Business MK, covering Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire.

Plans are under way to stage a Your Business Expo in Milton Keynes later in 2023.

“Already the buzz is starting,” said Pulse Group Media director Kerry LewisStevenson. “The reaction to our announcing the date has been overwhelming, frankly, and we are delighted with the response in terms of enquiries, the enthusiasm of the sponsors we have already secured and the quality of exhibitors.

“Sywell will be a wonderful venue befitting an event of the quality we are aiming to stage and we know that businesses around the county will benefit by coming along to join us.”

Business owners taking part in the survey will be asked to provide insight into topics such as margins and profits, digital transformation, hybrid working and sustainability.

“The survey will paint us an image of the state of businesses in Northamptonshire and the outcomes will help guide the future of business in our area towards success,” Mr Ganatra said.

Northamptonshire aims to bring the Northamptonshire business community together to reach, engage and connect, giving delegates the opportunities to generate leads, strengthen relations, raise their profile and network. Anyone involved in the world of business is invited to attend the event which will also offer seminars with guest speakers and workshops with industry professionals.

“Our events are for the entire business community from charities, local councils, educational institutions and membership organisations to start-ups, sole traders, SMEs and the county’s larger businesses,” said Martin Lewis-Stevenson, director of Business Times publisher Lunar Publishing.

“Everyone is welcome to exhibit or visit Your Business Expo.”

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Your Business Expo

Wellingborough & East Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce president Pritesh Ganatra is backing the landmark survey.

Below: Scan the QR code to take part in the survey and have your say on the health of Northamptonshire business

‘The outcomes will help guide the future of business in our area towards success’

Teams rise to law firm’s cost of living charity challenge

Law firm Franklins Solicitors is giving local businesses the chance to join an Apprenticestyle challenge to raise as much money as possible for three local charities tackling the cost of living crisis and improving wellbeing.

The #Franklins50 Challenge will see teams test their business acumen to turn £50 seed funding into as much money as possible for their chosen charity over three months. Six Northamptonshire businesses have already signed up for the challenge, including Barclays, Travis Perkins and Syncro.

Teams can choose to support Northampton Hope Centre and Cynthia Spencer Hospice in Northampton, as well as MK Act, Willen Hospice and MK Food Bank in Milton Keynes.

“The #Franklins50 Challenge is a great way to support a range of local charities and also to work together as a team to show off your entrepreneurial skills,” said Nina Gandy, corporate partnerships fundraising lead at Cynthia Spencer Hospice. “Are you the top salesperson in your team? Or maybe your strengths lie in marketing or building relationships? Just like on The Apprentice, your team can shine and even discover new skills that you did not know you had.”

The teams will be working between February 12 and May 12 to set their creative ideas to work and generate much-needed funds.

Denise Watson, associate partner at Franklins in Northampton, said: “Local businesses have the chance to show what they are made of and take part in our Apprentice-style challenge to help tackle the local cost of living crisis and improve wellbeing.

“It is a brilliant team-building opportunity and we cannot wait to see what imaginative ways teams come up with to make some money.”

n Join the fundraising challenge. Find out more and register at www. franklins-sols.co.uk/50-challenge/

Chamber welcomes new gold partner

Savings and loans provider CommSave Credit Union has become a gold partner of Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce.

The company operates a payroll deduction service that enables members to save direct from their salary as soon as they are paid each month. CommSave, which is based in Northampton, works with clients including Royal Mail, North and West Northamptonshire Councils and Kettering General Hospital.

Business development manager James Richards, above, said: “We are keen to continue growing our relationship with the Chamber, supporting our brilliant business community.”

Sunny Singh, Chamber director of business development, said: “These partnerships offer the chance for greater opportunities and more collaborative working.”

Market moves as work starts on town centre improvements

Work is under way on the transformation of Market Square in Northampton after planners approved the market’s temporary relocation to the Commercial Street car park.

The plans by West Northamptonshire Council to redevelop the historic Market Square include 18 larger and fixed stalls alongside space for temporary stalls, tiered seating, tree planting, new paving, lighting and cobbles and a central water feature.

“This work will create a revitalised square for all to enjoy and is the start of a major transformation of Northampton town centre,” said Cllr Daniel Lister, cabinet member for economic development, town centre regeneration and growth.

“Market Square has been Northampton’s centre for trade and a place for the community to gather for hundreds of years and we want to

make sure that remains the case for the future.”

The current market no longer meets the town’s needs, he added. “It is vital that this area is vastly improved to offer an attractive and accessible space for visitors to the town, while putting in measures to address some of the current concerns, such as antisocial behaviour.”

The council is working with Northamptonshire Police on measures including increased lighting, improved access and wayfinding.

It has also pledged to promote the market’s new location while the Market Square improvements are completed. Traders will not be charged stall rental during that time, Cllr Lister said.

“The redevelopment will ensure future generations continue to see Market Square as the beating heart of the town.”

Nina Gandy

An artist’s impression of the revitalised square

>>From page 1

production of our UEVs, meet the demands of more fleet operators and government bodies who want to benefit from our technology,” Mr Lorenz said.

“We will also continue to grow this critical sector through the research and development of our proprietary EV technologies. Above all, it is a huge vote of confidence in our own technology and upcycling model and in Silverstone as a location.”

Research shows upcycling carries over more than 80 per cent of originally embedded carbon from the initial vehicle production when compared to buying new.

Lunaz works closely with facilities such as Millbrook Proving Ground near Ampthill in Bedfordshire to conduct its R&D to the same standards as original equipment manufacturers.

Charity calls on firms to help food appeal

Larder campaign is struggling to meet demand

Business has been urged to play its part in a new campaign to help families struggling with hardship during the winter months.

Northampton Hope Centre has seen an unprecedented increase in demand for its services since summer last year and a reduction in donations.

“Membership to our community food larders has skyrocketed over the last three months as individuals and families struggle with the cost of living and energy crisis,” said a spokesman.

Companies are already rallying to the cause.

Packaging company VPK UK & Ireland, based in Desborough, has provided the centre with 400 branded food

‘donation stations’. Each filled box provides staples for up to 250 meals and the charity is challenging businesses to fill the box twice.

The campaign aims to bring in food staples for around 200,000 meals.

Brackmills Industrial Estate in Northampton has distributed around 100 boxes to businesses based on the estate and filled donation boxes are already arriving at the charity’s warehouse.

“We are appealing to businesses large and small to support our campaign by having a donation box in reception or place of work,” said the spokesman. “This is traditionally a time when donations are down and this year we are appealing to businesses to help us to

step up to the challenges our communities are facing.”

Northampton Hope Centre is currently providing food through seven larders across the district, with up to 50 people attending each larder each week.

“Volunteers are hearing stories of parents without food for their children and elderly members sharing tins of soup to make money stretch further,” said the Northampton Hope Centre spokesman. “We currently distribute food staples for a staggering 72,000 meals a month, and these figures increase weekly.”

n To find out how your business may be able to help, email kyra@ northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

Operator celebrates quality award success

Frozen food supplier

Central Foods has been awarded the BRC Agents and Brokers certificate for the sixth time. The company received Double AA accreditation.

Managing director Gordon Lauder said: “Confidence in supply chain procedures and processes is so very important, and we are proud that Central Foods is operating at the very highest levels in this area.

“As one of the UK’s leading frozen food operators, Central Foods prides itself on a strong commitment to quality assurance.”

Central Foods, which was founded 25 years ago, supplies a range of products to the food service sector.

It sells to over 180 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers.

The company was also listed among the top 100 businesses in Northamptonshire in a report by professional services firm Grant Thornton.

‘We will grow this critical sector through R&D of our proprietary EV technologies’

Above: Lunaz founder and chief executive David Lorenz

Left: Lunaz’s newly expanded facility at Silverstone where the diesel-powered refuse trucks and other commercial vehicles are being upcycled

Tollers are delighted to announce the expansion of its Elderly & Vulnerable Client business unit following the arrival of Suzanne Evans.

The Elderly and Vulnerable Client unit has been established for ten years. It was set up to tackle the legal issues surrounding vulnerability through incapacity and provides expert advice on the growing problems faced by our aging population.

Ms Evans has more than 16 years’ experience in Court of Protection matters and for the last five years has been the head of Court of Protection at a thriving regional practice based in Peterborough.

While experienced in all aspects of private client work, Ms Evans is a specialist in Court of Protection matters, including Deputyship and Statutory Will applications where she acts as deputy and attorney in managing the financial affairs on behalf of vulnerable clients.

Ms Evans is equally experienced when it comes to seeking Health and Welfare Deputyship Orders. In addition to looking after financial affairs, Ms Evans has wide-ranging experience in managing welfare decisions for the most vulnerable of clients.

A member of CoPPA - whose aims are to consolidate and develop good

Manager wins advisory role to meetings group’s board

Naveen Leer, commercial manager business to business and head of business performance reporting at Whittlebury Park near Towcester, has joined meetings industry body IACC as a new board associate for 2023/24.

“This will be an exciting new challenge for me, which will further my knowledge of the meetings and events industry, expand my network, and allow me to learn from some of the most talented and passionate people in our industry.”

He will be in post as board associate until the end of November 2024.

“This is an important role for both the organisation and the leadership development of the board associate,” said IACC chief executive Mark Cooper.

Law

its Court of

practice in the Court of ProtectionSuzanne is a Dementia Champion, assisting and enabling the development of Dementia Friends.

Tollers chief executive Duncan Nicholson said: “Our EVCU team is already one of the largest and most respected in the region. The firm is delighted to welcome Suzanne who adds gravitas and expertise to

a highly skilled team dealing with the affairs of the most vulnerable. This appointment is yet another example of Tollers’ commitment to Exceptional People, Exceptional Service and Exceptional Delivery.”

n To discuss your personal and business legal requirements, talk to Tollers on 01604 258558.

Mr Leer, who has worked in conference and events at Whittlebury Park for five years, will focus on identifying and advising the IACC board on emerging trends, particularly around the millennial market, and contribute to the annual conference planning group.

“IACC is a prestigious organisation dedicated to representing the best meeting venues globally,” said Mr Leer.

“IACC is a European community of industry trendsetters and bringing the views of the incoming generation into IACC initiatives is incredibly important.”

Suzanne Evans

Naveen Leer

Helping staff through cost of living crisis

Employers have a role to play in helping staff to manage the cost of living crisis… and it need not cost as much as some might fear.

Action need not mean an increase in remuneration, says Northamptonshire-based human resources consultancy HR Solutions. There are alternatives, such as shares or employee ownership schemes to keep employees motivated.

“The cost of living crisis is currently affecting everyone across the UK,” said HR Solutions chief executive Greg Guilford. “Wages have gone up dramatically but for some struggling workers it is still not enough to meet rising costs. While individuals are battling to make their wages stretch, business owners are also struggling as they face the same increased cost challenges.”

Mr Guilford suggests encouraging staff to claim all the relevant government incentives and reassess

their pensions to potentially free up a little more money each month.

Businesses should also consider setting up employee engagement groups or sending out an employee survey to find out what their workforce needs.

Employers who struggle to match offers or compete with impressive remuneration packages may instead consider offering shares or employee ownership schemes to help retain staff who would then also have a vested interest in the company’s financial performance.

HR Solutions pays a monthly subscription so its staff can access a discount website, helping their money to stretch further. “We also use the site as a reward platform where we load credits on to

employee accounts as a thank you or bonus scheme,” said Mr Guilford.

“These employers, particularly small business owners, might not be able to afford to offer excessive salary increases or bonus schemes. It is not an endless pot of money for SMEs who are doing what they can to be competitive.”

HR Solutions offers a service advising business owners who need practical, specific employment advice. Customers have access to an advisor, as well as case management, a handbook, news bulletins, legal updates and access to relevant webinars. “In an age where time is money, this service allows business owners to spend less time on HR and payroll and instead focus on growing their business,” said Mr Guilford.

Minister faces firms at group’s Q&A forum

Small Businesses Minister Kevin Hollinrake is to answer questions from Northamptonshire companies at a business brunch event in March.

Mr Hollinrake, inset, who has been MP for Thirsk and Malton since 2015 was appointed the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business in October.

He has accepted an invitation from Northamptonshire business membership organisation NNBN to meet business representatives at Kettering Park Hotel on March 10.

Businesses will be invited to pose questions to the minister in advance, with tickets allocated on a strictly first come first served basis.

NNBN director Simon Cox said: “This is a huge coup for Northamptonshire, with our local businesses set to meet the minister, ask questions, raise concerns

and hear about the UK business economy and how this might directly affect individual businesses.”

NNBN was launched just over a year ago to support businesses, charities and organisations in North Northamptonshire and plans to expand into West Northamptonshire this year. Cllr David Brackenbury, North Northamptonshire Council’s executive member for growth and regeneration, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming the minister to Northamptonshire. This visit will show that Northamptonshire is a fantastic place to do business with its excellent connectivity to all parts of the UK and overseas markets.”

n Tickets are £15 for NNBN members and £22.50 for non-members, including a brunch and refreshments.

To book, visit https://nnbn. co.uk/events

business bites

IP licence protects your greatest asset

or many businesses their greatest assets are not ‘things’ like bricks and mortar, machinery, vehicles and other tangible assets but the knowledge, creativity and expertise that lie behind their offerings. This is known as Intellectual Property and protecting it is important.

There are four main types of IP: copyright, patents, designs and trade marks. The government description is: “Intellectual property is something that you create using your mindfor example, a story, an invention, an artistic work or a symbol” and protecting it is important to protect the names of your products or brands, your inventions, the design or look of your products, or things you write, make or produce.

Sometimes it is necessary to licence or obtain a licence to use IP. A licence agreement for IP is a contract between an IP owner - the licensor - and a third party - the licensee - which grants permission to use or market the IP owned by the licensor. This could be a registered or unregistered trademark, a registered or unregistered design, or computer software, for example.

The licensor typically receives payment by the licensee, which could be a single lump sum, instalments or a royalty percentage basis.

Under a licence agreement, the relevant intellectual property rights are retained by the licensor. Therefore, a licence agreement allows a licensor to retain ownership of their IP, while generating additional revenue via a licence fee or royalties for example. In turn, the licensee benefits from being able to market and use the IP which without a suitable licence agreement would amount an infringement of the licensor’s IP rights.

A licence agreement can take various forms and is typically subject to negotiation between the parties. However, common considerations may include the following:

n The commercial terms.

n The territory covered by the licence.

n Whether the licence is exclusive or non-exclusive.

n Controls over the licensee’s use of the IP.

n The consequences of a breach of the licence terms.

n The termination and renewal provisions of the licence.

n Whether the licence is permitted to be assigned or transferred.

n To find out more, contact the company and commercial team at Wilson Browne Solicitors on 0800 088 6004.

Employment team responds to sharp rise in instructions

An increase in new instructions has led regional law firm Howes Percival to expand its employment team in Northampton and Milton Keynes.

James Pitts joins the team as a newly qualified associate, having completed his training contract with Howes Percival, while Lydia Mills has been recruited from law firm Spratt Endicott as an associate.

The employment department has seen an increase in employment work as a result of Howes Percival’s expansion of its corporate commercial and banking division, which has tackled a growing amount of merger and acquisition work and employment enquiries.

The increase is a result of the economic instability, creating enquiries in relation to restructuring, changing terms and conditions, trade union negotiations and redundancy. Howes Percival has also welcomed

several new clients in the automotive, healthcare, food and beverage and transport & logistics sectors.

“We are delighted for James,” said employment partner Simon deMaid. “Training and retaining ‘home grown’ talent in this way has always been hugely important to us. Equally, we continue to attract the best talent at every level and Lydia is a fantastic addition to the team.We have seen an increased number of new matters for quite some time now and it is not showing any sign of slowing down.”

Howes Percival has grown its offices across all divisions over the past year. The employment department has seen particular growth in employment tribunal cases and in complex disability discrimination and mental health cases due to the ongoing aftereffects of lockdown and the pandemic.

“We expect this to continue throughout 2023,” said Mr deMaid.

Licence agreement allows a licensor to retain ownership while generating additional revenue

The employment team at Howes Percival led by Simon deMaid (second from left)

Choose the right structure to sell your business

Selling a business can be daunting. Being prepared can help you maximise your sale value and reduce stress by ensuring that you are fully appraised and confident in the decisions you make. Every transaction is unique. However, there are two key ‘sale structures’ commonly adopted: Share Sales and Business Sales. Here we explain the pros and cons of each method.

Share Sales

This is where you personally sell the shares that you own in your company to your buyer.

The business itself remains ‘intact’ and therefore no property transfers, TUPE transfers or contract assignments are required which can help preserve the continuity of business and cause less disruption to the day to day running of the business.

Business Sale

A ‘Business Sale’ or ‘Asset Sale’ is where an individual or a company

sells the components or specific assets which together make up a business.

While this can be a lower risk from a buyer perspective, it can cause more disruption to the business as you have to transfer each asset and obligation to the buyer for them to continue the business and may involve TUPE transfers, property transfers and contract assignments. So which is best?

There are pros and cons to both structuring the deal as a Share Transaction or a Business/Asset Transaction.

Structuring the deal as a share transaction may:

n Be more tax-efficient for a seller;

n Involve a higher level of due diligence and disclosures;

n Involve a substantial number of documents to affect the share transfer and change of ownership itself;

n Increase the risk to a buyer as they inherit both liabilities and assets;

n Cause less disruption to the operation of business itself.

Structuring the deal as a business transaction may:

n Enable the buyer to ‘cherry pick’ assets and ‘leave behind’ certain liabilities;

n Involve more documentation to physically transfer the assets to the buyer;

n Cause more disruption to the business, especially if there are employees who need to be consulted on the pending transfer of the business;

n Involve more costs for the buyer, especially if property needs to be

transferred which could incur Stamp Duty Land Tax;

n Reduce the direct liabilities of the individuals involved in the deal if they operate through a selling company.

Ultimately, every transaction will be different and it is about balancing the risks and benefits to the parties in each deal to agree a structure which both are happy to proceed on.

n To find out more, please contact the business services team at Franklins Solicitors. email info@ franklins-sols.co.uk

Students relish careers talk

Arecruitment firm has teamed up with a local college to help students to better prepare for the world of work.

Kettering-based Wills Consultants have held two sessions with T Level students at Tresham College, giving advice and tips on preparing for interviews, networking and using social media for business and recruitment.

T Levels are technical-based qualifications for which employers work with educators to ensure the course content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study.

Wills Consultants director Nikki Wills said: “The sessions are about imparting wisdom and life skills to help students to better understand the local economy, personal finance, managing their expectations and preparing them for the wider world of work. It is tremendously beneficial for the students to understand how salaries are calculated and how to navigate securing your first job.”

Tresham College is part of The Bedford College Group. T Levels are a new and valuable route for young people, said a spokesman. “They gain academic qualifications combined with reallife work experience so help from employment professionals such as Wills Consultants is critical.”

Andrea Smith, partner and head of business services at Franklins Solicitors, assesses the different types of sales structures to consider when selling a business and their pros and cons.

Andrea Smith

Housebuilding: A critical sector that needs rebalancing

Housebuilding in the UK faces a number of deep and problematic challenges as it enters 2023. Some of these are relatively recent, such as global supply chain issues following the various Covid lockdowns, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and of course the return of international inflationary pressures.

Others are more established and entrenched, causing very worrying trends. Supply is woefully not keeping up with demand and it is having devastating consequences.

House price growth has skyrocketed and has outstripped the growth in wages. In 2019, the median house price in England was around 7.8 times higher than the median annual earnings of a fulltime worker.

The ratio has increased from around 5.1 in 2002. In London,

the ratio in 2019 was considerably higher at 12.8.

Homeownership has become increasingly out of reach for younger people. In 2003/04, 59 per cent of 25to 34-year-olds were homeowners. By 2020/21, this figure had dropped to 47pc. We are also seeing an overall general decline of homeownership.

Rental demand is up by 142pc when compared to the five-year average while supply is down by 46pc over the same period. Rents are soaring as a result and I imagine this will most certainly further increase homelessness numbers.

In short, we need to radically increase the supply of all types of housing to meet demand and put home ownership back into the hands of younger citizens and their families by making it affordable again and in plentiful supply.

The housing market is essentially

broken and overdominated by a few major housing construction companies operating in a disproportionate and complex planning system which limits and distorts outputs. It is in this context that I vocally opposed the government dropping its critical housing targets commitment when the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill was passing the report stage in Parliament in December.

This will only increase the sludge on the supply path, making it much harder to get housebuilding through planning and further fuelling house prices to even more unreachable levels.

Another dangerous trend emanating from the housing market is the near extinction of the SME housebuilding

sector. A good marketplace has a healthy and diverse number of suppliers offering a wide range of products.

SME housebuilders are an essential component of the nation’s construction industry. As smaller operators they tend to take more risks and be more competitive. They are more likely to be using and developing innovative technologies such as modern methods of construction as a means of attaining competitiveness in the marketplace.

Thirty five years ago, they were responsible for almost 40pc of all housebuilding. That has shrunk to about 10pc and the number of SME housebuilders declined by a whopping 80pc over the same time period.

This is why I tabled an amendment to the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill to introduce a Small Sites Planning Policy offering a more permissive approach to planning for those developing small sites which offer the majority of homes as affordable housing.

Sites still need to conform to more general development policies and must be designed in a manner that observes and adds to the existing character of the area but this would be a critical path to opening new opportunities to this declining but vital construction group and it would also help contribute to regeneration in urban neighbourhoods.

Housebuilding is a critical part of our national economic and social ecosystem. It is imperative we rebalance the sector, make it easier to build lots more homes and end the scandal of millions having their noses pressed up against the glass wall of the permanent, expensive world of renting.

n Andrew Lewer is MP for Northampton South. He is a member of the Levelling Up, Housing and Committees Select committee in Parliament and chairs the All Party Parliamentary Groups for the Private Rented Sector and for SME Housebuilders.

The government’s Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill needs to focus on making housing more abundant and more affordable, argues Northampton MP Andrew Lewer, and home ownership should be put back in the hands of younger citizens and their families.

Andrew Lewer (centre) says housing supply is failing to keep up with soaring demand

New support hub is backing rural business

Anew scheme is under way to support rural businesses. Rural Ngage replaces the successful LEADER Programme, which has been backing countryside businesses for the past 30 years.

The new scheme aims to help rural businesses to access funding and to support their growth, innovation and diversification plans. Rural Ngage has set up a dedicated business hub at bbf. uk.com/rural-ngage which has details of support on offer from rural capital grant schemes, including the Rural England Prosperity Fund, which replaces the LEADER Programme and RDPE Growth Programme.

The LEADER scheme had been running in Northamptonshire since 2015. It had been launched in Buckinghamshire by Ngage Solutions in 2008.

Former LEADER programme manager Will Dallimore has become rural business development manager at Ngage Solutions and is leading the new scheme. He said: “It has been an absolute pleasure working with so many of our dedicated, innovative and supportive rural businesses over the course of my time on LEADER, and especially to see them develop and grow. I now look forward to continuing to provide rural business support, creating collaborations and maintaining the relationships we have developed in my new role.”

The LEADER programme closed at the end of last year. It had helped to create jobs, drive investment and support business growth in the local rural economy. It directly supported 253 rural organisations with

grant funding, helping to create at least 400 new jobs in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

The programme supported the creation of more than 50 new businesses and generated more than £23 million investment in rural areas, with £8.8 million in grants awarded.

Ngage Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Buckinghamshire Business First group.

Mr Dallimore said: “Supporting businesses with LEADER grants throughout

the programme has been hugely rewarding and has benefited the lives of many. It has been a privilege to see new businesses started, jobs created, and skills developed.

“LEADER funding has been game-changing in how businesses operate, improving productivity, enhancing animal health and welfare, and providing huge environmental gains in the process.

“And that is not to mention all the local products that have gone on to be stocked on shelves, not just locally but around the world.”

IT’S NOT JUST A JOB.

0800 088 6004 enquiries@wilsonbrowne.co.uk wilsonbrowne.co.uk

Jennie Jahina is a specialist employment lawyer, helping all sizes and types of private sector business, and public sector organisations. Jennie deals with strategic projects (restructuring, compliance, business relocations and outsourcing/insourcing exercises), day-to-day operational and people management matters, and employment tribunal representation.

If you need help with employment issues, call Jennie on 0800 088 6004.

“I pride myself on providing practical and clear advice, striving for outcomes that save businesses time, money, stress and reputation… It’s what I do.”

Jennie Jahina Head of Employment

The Rural Ngage scheme aims to continue the work of the LEADER programme in delivering advice and support to rural businesses in Northamptonshire

It’s here... and business aims to put on a show

The date: February 8 2023. The venue: Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire. The countdown to a superb event for businesses across the county to reach, engage and connect is nearing its end.

The occasion is the first Your Business Expo of 2023, brought to Northamptonshire’s business community by Business Times - the county’s leading business newspaper - and full service marketing agency qoob.

Your Business Expo aims to create opportunities for quality sales leads, to meet with key decision-makers and to increase awareness of your business brand. More than 100 exhibitors, including many of Northamptonshire’s leading, brightest and fastestgrowing organisations, are taking part.

And visitors will have the opportunity to learn from the experts at insightful workshops delivered by industry experts on key business topics. These will include the latest advice on marketing, delivered by qoob, and on HR matters in a discussion led by Your Business Expo fellow sponsor HR Solutions. Other Your

Business Expo sponsors include Northampton-based oil and lubricants specialist Mannol UK, Mainland Heating Solutions and Competitive Edge Training & Consultancy.

Your Business Expo will begin with a networking breakfast ahead of the main exhibition - a superb opportunity to enjoy some extra networking.

Northamptonshire Health Charity is Your Busines Expo’s charity partner for the event, with a raffle on the day raising valuable funds for its work. Your Business Expo will also host the launch of the SME Northamptonshire Business Awards 2023, an awards ceremony attended last year by more than 200 businesspeople.

Your Business Expo 2023 is the first since the Your Business Expo brand - run since 2020 by former owner Sheila Smith - became part of Pulse Group Media. The group also publishes Business MK, covering Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire and plans are under way to stage a Your Business Expo in Milton Keynes later in 2023.

Pulse Group Media director Kerry Lewis-Stevenson said: “We are delighted with the

Joining

Your Business Expo 2023 is the first since

Pulse Group Media, publisher of leading business

response in terms of enquiries, the enthusiasm of the sponsors and the quality of exhibitors. Sywell Aerodrome will be a wonderful venue befitting an event of the quality we are aiming to stage and we know that businesses around the county will benefit by coming along to join us.”

email hello@yourbusinessexpo.co.uk

Networking: It is all about building a community of customers and support

It requires commitment and an ability to recognise the groups that work best for your business. But networking is the most affordable form of business marketing for any business of any size, says networking champion James Brodie.

It is easy to fall into the trap of trying to sell your expertise, your products or your services. But that is not the way effective networking works.

“Networking is building a business community to find customers and support,” says James inset. “The best way to maximise the effectiveness is to do less but do it thoroughly.

Become the face of your sector in your business community, make sure you are talking to as many in the room as possible but not selling to them - no one likes to be sold to at a networking event.”

James is the regional host of networking group Business Buzz’s monthly meetings in Northampton, Wellingborough, Brackley and 11 other venues across the Midlands. He is also looking to open new groups in Daventry, Towcester and Corby.

n Business Buzz is hosting the networking breakfast event that will kick off Your Business Expo at Sywell Aerodrome on February 8, 8.30am-10am. To book, visit www.yourbusinessexpo.co.uk

Networking is as much about sourcing advice from business colleagues with whom to discuss your thoughts and challenges. It is also significant for a business owner’s mental health, particularly if they are working from home on their own. “Going out networking can make such a difference,” says James.

His advice: whatever the pressure on your business, make time to network. “Time is money and networking can be quite a social event but it is part of a working day and all networking is a cost so you want to see a return on your time. It is important to be consistent. Keep networking and the returns will come.”

n Find out more about James Brodie in this month’s Q&A feature. Page 21.

newspapers Business Times and Business MK and lifestyle magazines NN Pulse and MK Pulse, joined

forces last summer with Your Business Expo founder Sheila Smith. “It is a logical bolt-on

to our current publishing business in print and online,” says Pulse Group Media director Kerry Lewis-Stevenson pictured above left with Ms Smith

“There is so much synergy with what we are already expert in and, in the current climate, diversification into a complementary sector makes an awful lot of sense.”

Sheila Smith launched a networking group back in 2010, from which evolved the Northamptonshire Business Expo. She will continue to contribute to the expos as a consultant. “I am delighted that Pulse Group Media have come on board,” she said. “They are hugely respected regionally for the quality of their publications and online offer and I have no doubt they will bring the same level of quality, positivity and innovation to the expos.”

n u f a c t u r i n g e n t e r p r i s e s

H i g h s p e e d b r o a d b a n d A i r c o n d i t i o n i n g L o w e n e r g y s e r v i c e s

S o f t l a n d s c a p i n g L o w c a r b o n f o o t p r i n t H i g h s e c u r i t y s i t e

B u s i n e s s U n i t s f r o m 4 , 0 0 0 s q f t t o 8 , 0 0 0 s q f t

L o c a t e d b e t w e e n N o r t h a m p t o n a n d W e l l i n g b o r o u g h w i t h e a s y a c c e s s t o a l l m a j o r m o t o r w a y n e t w o r k s

C o m p l e t i o n D u e : D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2

HR

HR Solutions is an award-winning HR, payroll and health and safety consultancy, delivering expert support to SMEs across Northamptonshire.

We have been supporting SMEs for more than 21 years by providing commercially astute, expert advice on how to effectively manage your teams.

We recognise the challenges facing small businesses, especially in the midst of the cost of living crisis.

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Ensuring you have the right people in the right roles is integral to business growth and profitability. We can help you to establish a clear strategy for your people which aligns with your business plan and will enable you to identify the areas of your business which are performing well - and areas that may require more or less investment.

Inflation-beating pay rises and oneoff payments are becoming more and

more common to support employees. However, employers must strike a careful balance between retaining top talent and maintaining and growing profit. Our expert team can work through different options with you to ensure that your employees are paid and rewarded fairly, which in turn will increase productivity and engagement. Employers who struggle to match offers or compete with impressive remuneration packages brecause of rising costs, may instead consider offering shares or employee ownership schemes to incentivise employees.

In addition to employee retention and reward strategies, employers must consider staff performance and

its impact on the business. Developing and upskilling team members to move into senior roles not only helps businesses to retain top talent but also saves costs on recruitment and other fees.

On the other hand, employees who are not performing as expected do so at the cost to the business. Our HR consultants work with you to identify the root cause of performance challenges and provide guidance to you and your people leaders on establishing clear strategies and communication channels to help resolve these issues.

n Visit the HR Solutions stand at Your Business Expo and speak to one of our HR consultants on how to

approach any people challenges you may have while improving employee retention and increasing performance.

At Your Business Expo, HR Solutions chief executive Greg Guilford above and Victoria Templeton, HR knowledge manager, will present a seminar on HR Support in the Cost of Living Crisis, providing delegates with tips and tools to navigate these challenging times.

A business for your heating solutions now and for your renewable energy future

The aim at Mainland Heating Solutions, a branch of Mainland Plumbing and Heating Est. 2015, is to provide the best possible heating solutions for both domestic and commercial properties.

A team of fully qualified gas engineers offer advice, excellent workmanship and work with all major brands to supply a reliable, cost-effective service.

The business offers free technical surveys to those who are looking to replace their boiler, along with a range of options to suit your preferred budget, the needs of your home and a choice of warranties.

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Highly competitive service plans for the maintenance of the boiler, heating and controls are also available.

At Mainland Heating Solutions the goal is to ensure that every customer

has a personalised experience with a team that you can trust. Customers will never be just a number. The team of engineers are backed up by an amazing admin team on hand to answer questions and book appointments around busy schedules.

Mainland Heating Solutions works

across all types of residential and commercial properties, offering repairs, maintenance and urgent callouts. The aim, as a sponsor of Your Business Expo 2023, is to connect with both businesses and individuals to discuss how to solve heating problems and ensure that systems run smoothly Mainland Heating Solutions is always looking for new opportunities and is currently venturing into more renewable energy solutions. Mainland Heating Solutions is a business for now and a business to carry you into the future as we all focus on greener heating solutions.

The experienced Mainland Heating Solutions team will be at Your Business Expo 2023 to offer free advice as well as amazing discounts on our services, from installations to boiler servicing. Pay us a visit to see how we can improve your current system or help you to design a system that works around what you need.

From simple fixes to complex installations, Mainland Heating Solutions is the go-to company for all things heating. We are also offering all new customers the chance to win their next service free of charge… be sure to visit our stand and say “Hello”.

Supporting your business, and your employees...

Our expert HR team can help with:

Defining your people strategy, and aligning it with your business goals

Performance management and increasing engagement

Upskilling and developing your team for senior roles

Setting budgets and managing your workforce

Supporting employees with mental health and wellbeing

Scan the code to access free resources and find out how our team of HR experts can help: www.hrsolutions-uk.com

Feature: Your Business Expo

Engage and connect... ‘The more that businesses can get out of the event, the better’

Mannol UK, a market leader in the supply of high-quality engine oils, lubricants, will be showcasing their range of products that have the approval of leading car manufacturers. Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Renault and other key players in the industry all confirm the high quality of Mannol’s products. These include more than 100 synthetic and semisynthetic engine oils and fluids for cars, transporters, motorcycles, trucks and buses as well as gear oils and fluids, fuel additives, brake fluids, cooling fluids and industrial oils.

Since Mannol UK launched in 2019, it has attracted a growing number of clients and has become a driving force in the UK’s and Ireland’s automotive industry. The Northampton base opened in 2021, two years after setting up in Milton Keynes.

The business is a partner to Mannol Global partners which manufactures the in-demand products which Mannol UK imports. This successful partnership has seen Mannol UK double its revenue year on year - now Mannol is looking at massive expansion plans in the coming year. Itsgrowth has already been recognised with Mannol UK being nominated for an award to recognise the fastest growing business.

Your Business Expo is a great way for the team to meet more local businesses to see how they can work together. Expansion plans promise more work opportunities so the

team is also hoping to talk to individuals looking to join a fast-growing business.

“We are very proud of what we can offer and take pride in knowing that clients feel confident in our products,” says Mannol UK’s chief executive Jevgenij Lyzko.

“We are looking forward to talking to businesses at Your Business Expo about what products are available and to see if there are ways we can create yet more longlasting partnerships with clients looking for high quality products.”

Insightful workshops at the Expo will include one headed up by headline sponsor and leading local digital marketing specialist Qoob Group. What the best digital marketers do differently is the topic of the two free seminars run by Qoob Group’s managing director Alan Perkins and chief executive Matthew Rigby-White. They will be sharing their 40-plus years of digital marketing knowledge and experience to help attendees see where their digital marketing efforts have been going wrong and what they could be doing to improve matters.

The seminars are just one of the ways Qoob Group has been sharing its expertise to ensure exhibitors and visitors make the most of the Your Business Expo 2023.

Qoob Group, which has been working with Business Times since 2021, has put together a range of free resources, including graphics for

use on social media to press release templates for the exclusive use of exhibitors.

“The aim of the exhibition is to reach, engage and connect,” says Matthew Rigby-White.

“It makes sense for Qoob Group to support exhibitors, which will increase awareness and visitors to the exhibition.”

“The more that businesses can get out of the event, the better. They want to see a return on their investment but if they don’t tell their network they are going to be exhibiting, it is a missed opportunity. If exhibitors work together then it will make a real difference.”

Your Business Expo will create opportunities for visitors and exhibitors to find high-quality, local suppliers and customers. Insightful workshops delivered by industry experts on key business topics will be run throughout the day.

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HEADLINE SPONSOR

Matthew Rigby-White (front centre) and Alan Perkins (front right) with qoob’s digital marketeers

Believe that your people are your competitive edge... and watch your business thrive

In business, whatever you want to achieve will only be delivered through people.

It is a fact, that business success is entirely dependent on the quality of its people and the extent to which they are engaged and motivated to change.

Today, more than ever before, businesses face huge challenges, however we know that the single biggest challenge is an organisation’s ability to attract, develop, and retain the right talent. In fact, it’s never been harder, and the relentless churn of people through organisations

is costing UK businesses billions of pounds in direct and indirect costs associated to this problem.

This raises important questions. For example, why do some businesses choose not to adopt known, effective approaches that do attract, develop, and retain the most appropriate talent?

And, against this backdrop, how will businesses thrive, not just survive, throughout 2023 within a tough market economy?

Thriving will be dependent on developing a culture of high-performance, and that

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will be determined by the business decisions you make.

At ‘Your Business Expo2023’, our seminar will focus on 4 interconnected elements of business growth, including how your business can create a virtuous cycle of success,

which creates value for your customers, your business, and your people. We’ll also be offering you a chance to join our complementary follow-up workshops, which are fabulous opportunities to learn more about these critical business approaches.

If you are passionate about

Proactive advice to help businesses hit their goals

Since the practice opened its Northampton and Kettering office just over two years ago, the Streets Chartered Accountants team, led by tax partners Luke Prout and Jennie Brown with audit partner Alan Endersby, has gone from strength to strength.

based at the Enterprise Centre in East Northants, reflect the vibrancy of the local business community and include third sector organisations, owner-managed and family businesses, UK subsidiaries of overseas parent companies, directors, entrepreneurs and private clients.

your people and want to create your Competitive Edge in 2023, come and meet the Competitive Edge Team on stand 109 and join our seminar at 11:45am.

Competitive Edge is an award-winning provider of differentiated learning & development experiences. We

passionately believe that your people are your competitive edge. We help organisations improve business performance through behaviour and culture change. We do this by creating optimal learning environments, especially through challenging and fun experiential learning. We are trusted by some of the world’s leading brands. We are experts in, n Sales Team Effectiveness

n Leadership & Management Development

n Team Dynamics

n Coaching for Executives n Early Career Development

n Consultancy

Switch off... and switch on to a bright telecoms future

PSTN analogue and ISDN phone lines are the standards for the majority of the UK’s small and medium-sized businesses. However, by 2025 all PSTN analogue and ISDN phone lines are being switched over to VOIP or SIP lines.

Welcome to what is being branded the ‘ISDN Switch Off’ and is mainly being carried out due to the legacy Openreach equipment being retired.

If your business does not migrate, you will experience a number of difficulties such as not being able to take payments, security alarms and phone lines not working. You may even lose company phone numbers.

What are the benefits of switching to fibre?

n Faster Fibre is made of glass, meaning it uses light signals unlike copper cables which use electric currents.

By using light to transmit data, fibre has an increased capacity, meaning it can send more at once.

n Greener Fibre is made from glass so the process of making it is much more sustainable than mining for copper. It is also much more durable than copper, which means it will not have to be replaced as often. Fibre also requires less energy than

copper as it uses light instead of electrical currents.

n Cheaper There are many factors that go into fibre being cheaper for businesses - for example, its durability or the fact it requires less energy - but it is also cheaper for Openreach to keep only fibre running which is why copper services are being turned off.

n Copper is old technology

The other big reason for Openreach to switch off copper lines is that it is an outdated technology. Fibre is the future.

There are five main alternative options:

n SIP The best alternative because of flexibility, resilience, and cost per line.

n Hybrid Phone System

Uses existing infrastructure, gains the benefits of IP.

n A Hosted Phone system The most affordable alternative as it is cloudbased. You are effectively renting the phone system for your use.

n IP Phone system Uses IP technology but you purchase your own dedicated phone system which you have to choose where to host.

Contact BTT and we will help your business choose the right phone system for the new digital age.

In particular, Streets has seen a great deal of interest from new clients across the county seeking not only support in terms of dealing with the myriad of issues around the current economic climate but also from scaleups, growing businesses and individuals looking for proactive financial and tax advice to help them to realise their goals.

Streets are looking forward to attenbding and exhibiting at its first Northamptonshire business exhibition. Streets is well placed to look after the needs of businesses across the region and has an expanding local team of specialists and the ability to access other services including payroll, banking and finance, personal financial planning and legal services from the firm’s offices across the East of England and South East Midlands, including its offices in Luton, Wyboston Lakes near Bedford, Stevenage and Peterborough, Certainly, clients of Streets’ Northamptonshire office,

Looking at the year ahead, tax partners Luke Prout and Jennie Brown expect to be busy supporting clients impacted by the changes and increase in tax rates and thresholds announced in the government’s Autumn Statement. This is along with providing specialist tax planning advice around business structures and business mergers and acquisitions.

Jennie and Luke also envisage demand for their expertise on the tax treatment of investment property and Research and Development Tax reliefs, as well as tax reliefs and schemes in relation to employee shares or enterprise investment schemes.

Streets’ tax and accountancy specialists will be at the firm’s stand at Your Business Expo, along with members of Streets’ business development team. They will be only too pleased to talk more with those attending the exhibition about how Streets can help their business.

Down to earth in pursuit of a landscaping dream

George Davies, driven by his own self-belief, has gone from being a struggling student to a university graduate to a successful business owner, sharing his flawless work ethic and inspiring passion for helping others while he set out to achieve his long-standing dream to become the UK’s largest independent supplier of turf.

George pictured applied his forward-thinking approach and experience as a farm business consultant to his father’s family-run farm in Olney where his company is still based. When he realised the farm’s soil was not suitable for growing additional crops, he identified the lucrative potential to sell landscaping products.

His first venture, in 2001, was Blue Scenic Turf. By 2003, he felt he had enough business acumen to begin his own company, George Davies Turf. George worked solo to sell, load and deliver rolls of turf across the Midlands and London, while an honesty box took payment for those who preferred to collect. The box alone took around £1 million over the first ten years.

In 2010, George invested in state-of-the-art machinery, new premises in St Albans and in drivers and support staff. He did this with a strong

approach to recruitment, seeking people who would encompass the same values as his: honesty, reliability and quality.

From a one man band, the business today is a multimillion pound operation.

George and his team of 19 now proudly refer to themselves as ‘The Landscaper’s Choice’, providing high-quality turf, landscaping products and impeccable customer service.

The striking fleet of seven red 32-tonne lorries with forklift trucks are used to transport 1.4 million rolls of turf to 35,000 gardens a year within a 40mile radius of the two bases. And the company makes good on its identifiable two-hour delivery slots; a timeframe critical to maintaining the short shelf life of fresh turf. With a reliable team in place, George now focuses on developing the business for staff and customers, providing helpful information via blogs, social media, newsletters and events. The new George Davies Turf app is the first of its kind in the industry aimed at speeding up the buying process for busy landscapers.

George is an advocate for supporting others. He continues to be involved with the local business community, as well as funding new business owners on their journey.

The Streets team outside its Northamptonshire office, with partners Jennie Brown (front left) and Luke Prout (front right)

Making your workspace work for you

Paradigm Commercial Furniture and Interior Solutions are suppliers of innovative, highquality commercial furniture to four main sectors: hospitality, healthcare, education and the office sector.

With 23 years of industry experience, we have a wealth of knowledge and long-established relationships with UK-based manufacturers enabling us to provide an exceptional experience for our clients, giving them peace of mind knowing that we work only with the best.

While our journey began supplying commercial furniture, the company has organically grown and offers a substantial range of refurbishment services to optimise your workspace and reduce the need for multiple contractors during any works. Our project management expertise ensures that the works run smoothly, efficiently and on time. Paradigm’s mission is to create efficient, collaborative and creative workspaces that fit

your budget and brief, helping you make the most of your workspace to benefit everyone in the organisation. We thrive on refurbishment works and space planning. Talk to us if your workspace needs a new kitchen or a toilet refurbishment, partitioned walls, ceilings or flooring works, all of which form part of our turnkey solutions offering.

Paradigm offers free site surveys where we will measure your space and discuss the best options with you to create a productive working environment that precisely suits your needs.

No project is too big or too small for Paradigm Commercial Furniture and Interior Solutions. Our philosophy is that a happy workforce is a productive one and if we can play a part in achieving this for you, we have achieved our goal. If you are looking at refurbishing, relocating or rejuvenating your workplace in 2023, do not hesitate to contact us. We make your workspace work for you.

The power of video is now in your hands

Our businesses are competing in a noisy and cluttered attention economy. To make a meaningful connection with our target audiences, we must stand out from the noise. Video is the most powerful form of communication today and is the next best thing to being face to face with our customers.

Robin Kirkley, founder and managing director at Vizeo Media, is urging businesses to ‘Think Video’ in 2023. This is the year that video is going mainstream. 86 per cent of UK businesses now use video in their marketing mix. 92pc of marketers value video as an “important marketing tool”, according to a Wyzowl/

HubSpot Survey published in November, 2022.

Vizeo Media will be exhibiting at Your Business Expo on February 8. Please feel free to stop by our stand to chat about your ideas for building your video strategy.

Some businesses feel that video is too expensive for their marketing budgets. We are here to tell you that it does not have to be.

Robin will be presenting a mini-version of his popular workshop How to Tell Stories in Business with Your Smartphone. As long as you have a smartphone with a decent camera, you can produce videos for your company at minimal cost. But you need to know how to make your video

watchable and engaging. A badly produced video will make you look unprofessional.

The secret is actually in the name of the workshop.

Robin has been creating video and written content in business for more than 40 years. He has worked for the most iconic agencies and with clients large and small in the UK, USA and the Caribbean.

The power to produce a good video is now in everyone’s hands, Robin says, and he is on a mission to show how to tell a great story in a business context with a smartphone.

Let’s talk at the Vizeo Media stand at Your Business Expo.

Q&A

Feature: Your Business Expo

Where business people discuss their motivation, ambition, experience - and themselves. In the spotlight this month is James Brodie, networking champion and regional lead for the Business Buzz networking group in Northamptonshire. James is the host of the networking breakfast event ahead of Your Business Expo at Sywell Aerodrome on February 8.

Owning a small business can be lonely... I need to interact

What was your first job?

My first job was with British Telecom, where I spent six years in the customer accounts department in the 1980s. BT allowed me to hone my customer service skills and there are elements of that job that I carry with me today, such as Total Quality Management - in other words, get it right first time every time.

This make the next person’s job easier.

Why did you choose your particular career?

I cannot say that I have had a career path. I have a career portfolio. I have had jobs that I have loved and a few I have absolutely hated.

Being a professional networker was not a career option at school or even five years ago - if you had told me that I would be making a living from being a super connector I would have laughed at you.

I have always looked for an opportunity. One never knows where that is going to take one. What’s the best job you’ve had and why?

Good question. I really do love being a professional networker as part of Business Buzz. Other than that, my best job was spending ten years with All Global, a healthcare data collection agency. As their operations manager, I was able to turn my hand to so many things.

As a lean operation, each of the management team needed to be able to apply ourselves to a variety of tasks. I like being challenged and spinning lots of plates.

…and the worst and why?

That is easy. I spent six weeks working for a glasses frame manufacturer as their head of customer service. I never fitted in because they had a close and cliquey culture.

Although I had been hired to improve processes and reduce financial waste, there was no appetite from management to support any change.

What’s the best advice you’ve received in business?

‘If you don’t ask you don’t get’ Whether that is asking for a pay rise as an employee or now talking

about how Business Buzz can support business owners to be successful, one cannot assume that the next person knows what is in your head.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Being able to satisfy my thirst for travel. I was lucky enough to be able to move to Hong Kong in the 1990s and lived there for five years.

From here I was able to travel with ease and regularly throughout South East Asia.

…and the low point?

Funnily enough, this is probably connected with Hong Kong. I ended up being terribly homesick and so when it was time to head back to the UK, even though it was a tough decision to make, it was definitely the right one.

Who in business do you respect the most?

For me, there are two people.

Kerensa Bindoff was my manager at All Global. She encouraged me to tread my own path. As the operations manager, there was little supervision but she was always available to support me when I needed it. Often, I was just told to make something happen and to get on with it. Kerensa trusted in me and my abilities. She saw the potential in me long before I realised it myself.

The other person has to be Katrina Sargent, from Buzz HQ. We have known each other for over five years and she has helped me grow in my own confidence in what I am doing.

There are still days that I surprise myself in what I achieve. Katrina is another person who saw my potential but she has allowed me to explore where this can take me as a small business owner.

What annoys you the most in business?

That’s easy to answer - ‘kicking the can down the road’.

Business owners should be able to say ‘No’. When you delay saying ‘No’, by ‘kicking the can’ everyone’s time is wasted. By saying ‘No’ today you can say ‘Yes’ tomorrow when the right opportunity comes long.

… and in life?

‘We’re very busy, but your call is important to us’. This has become the norm for being inefficient and for not employing enough people.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about where you work?

I am a small business owner and my business is spread across the Midlands but I also work from home. I am a self-starter, selfreliant, self-motivated and a creative individual but being so independent means that being a small business owner can be lonely and isolating.

I am very conscious that I need to interact with other people to manage my anxiety about being on my own in business. To counter this, I have a diverse team to run Business Buzz in each of our 14 Midlands locations, so I get a real buzz (pun intended) in supporting them to make their networking events successful and to see my hosts grow in confidence and emotionally with the power of Buzz behind them.

What’s your career ambition? I never know where I am going to be in the next five years - hence the

career portfolio.

However, as a small business owner, I am probably more satisfied than I have ever been.

Business Buzz allows me to build a robust business. The next few years are about maximising the opportunity Buzz presents.

…and your life ambition?

Just to be happy, which I am as a whole.

What has been the best moment of your life?

‘I don’t know’ is the honest answer. There have been highlights but all the good and the bad have led to me being the rounded, caring person that I am.

Meeting my current partner when I came back from Hong Kong is a pivotal moment in my life. We have been together for 25 years and we balance one another.

…and the worst?

My lowest ebb was in the 1990s before heading to Hong Kong when I was in a physically abusive and coercive relationship where I was the victim. It was a time when domestic abuse in gay relationships

MY FAVOURITE

FOOD Cake.

MUSIC/SONG This is rather an eclectic mix... Hey Eugene by Pink Martini or Anne Murray’s Another Sleepless Night. And Rainbow Chaser by Nirvana.

BOOK Touched, by Carolyn Haines. I tend to read books that have been set in the medieval or Tudor period. But I enjoy all kinds of genres.

FILM / TV PROGRAMME I don’t really have one.

RESTAURANT Paris House, at Woburn

DESTINATION Italy

would have been dismissed so there was no support.

How do you relax?

I like to cook and watch sci-fi TV and Marvel films but I’m not really a geek in that respect. You’ll never find me on Mastermind with a sci-fi specialist subject.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Without a question of a doubt, rich fruit cake.

What’s your worst fault?

Have I got any faults? LOL... I have never been very good at switching off and taking down time.

What’s your most treasured possession?

I have a Chinese tea mug that a dear friend brought for me for a birthday when I was in Hong Kong.

What are you afraid of?

I don’t think I am afraid of anything. That has never been my nature. There are things I choose not to do but I am not afraid of them.

Tell us something you regret.

I tend not to focus on regret. There are loads of things in my life that might have gone differently but, as I have said already, all the good and the bad have made me who I am today.

There can’t really be any regrets as I am just fine with who I am. Tell us a secret about yourself. I don’t really have secrets. There will always be something interesting to discover about me. It depends on where someone sits in my circle of friends or as part of my business connections.

What are the first three things on your bucket list?

My bucket list tends to be travel orientated.

Italy is always on the list; South India will probably be our next adventure holiday; Going on a Caribbean cruise. What music/song would you like played at your funeral?

Van Morrison Bright Side of the Road.

James Brodie

‘The next few years are about maximising the opportunity that Business Buzz presents’

Your finances. Our focus.

Financial planning: Expect the unexpected

Perspective (South) Ltd have been advising both corporate and personal clients on financial planning matters in the Northamptonshire area since 1995 and are firmly positioned as one of the leading professional firms in this sector.

Whatever the size of your business, its future may depend on how well prepared you are for unexpected events. Our specialist, expert financial planners can help you with: Protecting your business

If you think about your staff, shareholders, the skills and knowledge of your business and its inner workings that your key individuals have, what would you do if you unexpectedly lost them to illness or death?

Are they replaceable and at what cost to your business? Would you want your next business partner to be your current business partner’s widow, widower or their children?

If remaining shareholders in a business cannot afford to buy out the deceased’s share of the business, they will have less control over it or potentially their shares could go to a competitor or outsider. Shareholder Protection Policies can assist in these situations but must be set up correctly. Enhancing recruitment and retention through attractive employee benefits A suite of good employee benefits is essential for employers striving to attract and retain talented employees in an increasingly tight labour market.

Our experts can help you to maximise their appeal and effectiveness to drive better employee engagement and show your staff how they are valued. Review whether the benefits you have in place continue to be fit for purpose and are delivering value for money.

Managing workplace pensions efficiently When did you last review your retirement provision for your staff? Has your business significantly changed in size or direction recently? Is it still appropriate? Does it help attract the employees you want?

We can help to answer these questions to make sure you are making maximum use of legitimate ways to enhance your employees’ retirement provision at no extra cost to you.

Personal financial planning You and your family can benefit from our expert, specialist, holistic financial planning advice. Our purpose is to enable you to make full

Durable, reliable... quality at a competitive price

Ace Furniture have been an established business in Corby for over 30 years manufacturing quality contract furniture which has durability and reliability at a competitive price.

The business, which has notched up more than 45 years’ experience in the manufacturing and supply of contract furniture for the hospitality and public sectors, has expanded its production facility over the past 25 years to meet ongoing demand. The main focus is to produce furniture for both national and private healthcare clients across the UK.

Graeme Miller, who heads the company, says: “Our expert knowledge and skilled workforce have helped us to become the number one choice for furniture in many establishments and organisations nationwide.”

Furniture is upholstered to meet individual customer requirements from a vast selection of fabrics, vinyls and faux leathers which help to make each product aesthetically pleasing as well as being practical. All furniture has been tested for strength and stability and fabrics and fillings conform to BS5852 Crib 5 Fire Regulations.

The company offers a free, no obligation site visit within the UK, with expert advice and recommendations suitable for each individual project.

and effective use of your financial resources so you can plan for and achieve the future you desire.

This can range from investments and tax-efficient savings to intergenerational estate and inheritance tax planning, protecting you and your family’s future and

retirement planning.

We are pleased to offer you a free, no obligation initial meeting with one of our experts to explore how we can help you, your family and your business.

JOE REID Technical Director

Joe Reid

Our expertise is all the help you need

Book a Will appointment on the day at Your Business Expo and we will give you 20 per cent discount off the cost of your Will.

Our legal services for business are extensive but at the exhibition we want to ask you to stop and think what would happen if the unexpected happened.

31 million UK adults do not have a Will in place. That is a lot of people whose property, financial, business and other assets could be left to someone they have not chosen when they die. Are you one of those people?

Take advantage of our expert advice at a reduced rate. Book a Will appointment at Your Business Expo for the month of February and we will extend our Purple Monday offer of 20 per cent

discount off the cost of your Will.

Our private client professionals are experts in their field, recognised by the Law Society, The Legal 500 - a ‘Who’s Who’ of the legal world - and other professional bodies. We have a friendly, down to earth approach so there is no need to be apprehensive; we will happily chat through the issues and see if it is something we can help with.

By listening carefully we will gain a proper understanding of your circumstances, views and personal wishes at a step by step, face to face meeting where we can identify additional issues that might also need resolving.

For instance, in addition to a Will, it could be that some form of Trust is to your

advantage. If so, we can set it up for you, advise on taxation (different trusts get taxed in different ways), even run it for you as trustees.

When necessary, we will work with accountants and independent financial advisers we trust, based in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, to help us put everything perfectly in place to safeguard your future.

If you have a business query, we will be happy to help with that too. An initial enquiry costs nothing and the firm is transparent on fees. We offer fixed pricing, menu pricing and no win, no fee (all subject to agreement).

Drop by the Wilson Browne stand at your Business Expo to see how Wilson Browne Solicitors really are ‘all the help you need’.

Helping business to evolve with technology

The latest cybersecurity and office-based printer technology will be showcased at Your Business Expo by Dufeu IT Solutions, who deliver specialist IT and managed print solutions.

The Finedon-based business has a team of specialists who work with businesses not only in Northamptonshire but across the UK to provide fully managed IT, print and cyber security solutions.

At the Expo there is an opportunity for visitors to see at first hand how innovative printer technology can help clients not only to significantly drive down the cost of internally printing but also to reduce the amount of printed paper.

In addition, Dufeu delivers a number of business process automation solutions including electronic document management, accounts payable and purchasing solutions for document dependent organisations or where compliance is important.

The business, which has been trading for 13 years, has found success through offering a

wide range of services, from managed onsite and remote IT support packages, back-up and disaster recovery solutions to VoIP telephony systems.

Fully certified technicians deliver the services, with the business having a proven track record as a certified IT solutions provider in the ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials certifications.

“We develop great working relationships with our clients and their team and help them evolve with innovating technology,” says managing director Greg Du-feu. “We believe the reason our clients come to us and stay with us is for our prompt response, our great communication, patience and a proactive approach to maintaining their business IT infrastructure.

“Dufeu are delighted to be exhibiting at Your Business Expo and look forward to welcoming visitors to our stand where we will be on hand to discuss all things IT and cyber security and to showcase the latest office-based printer technology.”

Northamptonshire Health Charity is really excited to be the Charity Partner for Your Business Expo. We are very proud to have been recognised for our commitment to raising funds to support our local NHS and we thank Business Times for selecting us as their Charity Partner.

You may not have heard of Northamptonshire Health Charity but we are sure that either you, a relative or a friend, will have used one of the services we support. We fund the ‘extras’ which really make a difference at Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals as well as all the community and mental health hospitals and services under Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust.

Thanks to fundraising and donations from our local communities and businesses, our charity can provide the funding for initiatives above and beyond what is provided by the government. This includes equipment, training, enhancements to spaces for patients and staff and, importantly, the smaller things that go a long way to making a difference to the NHS teams

Business generosity helps us to care for the community

across the county and their patients. The donations we receive help us to support services from prebirth to end of life care.

Visit our stand to find out more or visit northamptonshirehealthcharity. co.uk.

n Our charity team are here to help you give back to your local community. We can show you how your donation will make a difference at your local hospital.

Your donation could fund anything from a book explaining bereavement to a child who has lost a family member to transforming an outside space into a welcoming setting in the middle of a hospital.

Ask us about our fundraising appeals and events. Everyone has used their local NHS at some point - sometimes it is nice to give back and get involved.

Thanks to the generosity of businesses, Your Business Expo will include a raffle to raise funds for Northamptonshire Health Charity. The charity’s team will be selling tickets at the Expo on the day or buy your tickets in advance at northamptonshirehealthcharity.co.uk/events/your-business-expo-raffle/

Connect teams and technology and you have a happy workforce

The team at Paradise Computing take pride in creating and delivering innovative IT solutions which help clients work smarter. The message is clear: Let us know what is slowing you down and see how we can help.

The business, which was set up in 1987 in the heart of Northamptonshire, offers services to support the accounting software, operational systems and IT infrastructure of SMEs. Clients in sectors including manufacturing,

distribution, engineering and hospitality can expect industryspecific solutions.

These are carefully curated from a mix of Sage 200 ERP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Software Development, Microsoft 365, Azure Cloud Hosting and IT Support services. Each package can be tailored to solve a number of common pressure points and help clients build a smarter business.

Paradise Computing is a certified

Commercial furniture that suits your people and the environment

Innovative 100 per cent recycled circular furniture is catching the attention of businesses looking for a eco-friendly option to update the workplace.

The furniture is just one of the products available from Northampton-based iOTA Interiors which has long-standing partnerships with the world’s leading commercial

furniture manufacturers. This gives the team access to an extensive range of products, giving clients an independent solution, whatever the budget.

Many ranges are on display at the showroom on Quinton Green Business Park near Northampton where customers have the opportunity to try the furniture out

Sage Partner, Microsoft Gold Partner and is ISO27001 Information Security Management System accredited. The knowledgeable and friendly IT support team ensures each customer has the best solutions and technical support for their specific business and for their people.

Business outcomes are important

to the team at Paradise Computing. This means that as well as delivering technical functionality, configuring integrations, migrating data, and installing new systems, the specialists design end-to-end system solutions. These alleviate operational bottlenecks and facilitate business goals, whether that is to

solve a specific problem, speed up decision-making, lower costs or simplify processes.

Paradise Computing practise what they preach. By transforming how the business works, the team has revolutionised their own workplace environment, creating a resilient business model that can be replicated and delivered to benefit other companies, enabling clients to meet future challenges and create a business without boundaries.

Working as part of an extended team, Paradise Computing’s approach is centred around connecting people with technology, helping to streamline working practices, boost efficiency and increase security. This in turn inspires business growth and enables a happier workforce ecosystem.

upcycled into a new product.

for comfort and style. Bespoke furniture is also available to meet the specific needs of a company’s most important asset: its workforce.

The high-end circular furniture from Vepa, which has teamed up with Plastic Whale, is manufactured from PET bottles retrieved from the

canals in Amsterdam. So far, more than 150.000 PET bottles, made of polyethylene terephthalate - a type of resin and a form of polyester - have been retrieved and recycled into new products. And, once the furniture comes to the end of its useful life, it can be broken down for reuse or

“There is growing awareness of the importance of protecting our environment,” says iOTA Interiors director Emma Walker. “We are looking forward to showing visitors to Your Business Expo what is now available. Maybe you are looking to reconfigure your current workspace, refresh your furniture or just purchase some additional pieces. Our workplace consultants will work with you to invest in the right furniture for your employees.”

n To find out more, visit iOTA Interiors’ showroom and office, open weekdays 8.30am-5:30pm. email hello@iotainteriors.co.uk or call 01604 289630.

We have long standing partnerships with the worlds leading commercial furniture manufacturers and have access to a huge catalogue of products, giving you unlimited options to choose the very best furniture for your most important asset, your workforce.

We specialise

flexible and productive working environments by delivering a full interior design and furniture solution for all commercial workspaces.

in creating engaging,

Lighting a fire under your business growth ambitions

Successful business owners often have a common complaint: they are time poor and do not have the chance to enjoy the fruits of their labours. They have not got a minute.

Unfortunately, too many successful business owners operate businesses that are largely - if not totally - dependent upon them for their future success. In most cases business owners started the business and are therefore familiar with every aspect of it and feel strongly that they know the recipe that has generated the success so far and will bring future success.

They end up trapping themselves with timehonoured messages that they and only they, know how to ‘make things happen around here.’ Typically, they surround themselves with very good doers, busy bees who get things done effectively and efficiently under the direction and ewatchful eye of the business owner.

It is their business so they make all the decisions, with little getting done without their approval.

The business is thereby constrained and by definition cannot grow beyond a size that is directly manageable by the owner.

In the end, it is a challenge to exit the business because it has become overreliant upon the owner.

Tinderbox assists these business owners to be more successful. By undertaking a thorough analysis of the business and its people, we develop an implementable action plan that enables the owner to delegate to those willing to take more responsibility and take the business forward, freeing the owner from some of the day-to-day burdens.

I’d love to tell you more about how Tinderbox can help your business.

Come and see us at Your Business Expo.

IAN TAYLOR Managing director, Tinderbox

The right investment to stand out from the competition

A company’s image can make a real difference. So it is crucial to make sure any investment of time and money is well spent.

The creative teams at Kanda Print Midlands and Brunel Signs & Displays have the experience to offer clients a wide range of options, ranging from a large signage project to a business card or leaflet.

Other options include merchandise and giveaways for companies looking to treat customers and colleagues with increasing demand for goodies such as confectionery, reusable water bottles, lanyards and ‘Welcome’ boxes with a choice of branded items.

A no-obligation review enables clients to consider just what can make their own message stand out from the crowd. Like all the orders, the Corby-based businesses offer an expansive range of print and print finishing services to meet the needs of commercial clients and private customers, from an eye-catching logo to a poster, packaging, exhibition

stand or weather-sturdy sign. The in-house graphics team, based at Wood Street and just minutes from Corby’s town centre, have the creativity and the technical know-how to create products that not only look good but will meet all expectations.

Health and safety regulations mean growing demand for signs from site safety to waste segregation and booklets which meet specific needs of each client’s business.

Bespoke dry wipe boards, magnetic or non-magnetic and custom-made to a client’s size and design requirements are another item currently in big demand.

Other products include a wealth of corporate material, general stationery, signage, large format items, promotional merchandise, exhibition items, direct mail, food and general packaging, self-adhesive labels, bespoke school printing and NCR pads.

Both digital and litho print options are available offering the choice of small

n Find out more about Kanda Print. Call 01536 266164, email heretohelp@kandaprint.co.uk or visit www.kandaprint.co.uk.

n To contact Brunel Signs, call 01536 266164, email info@brunelsigns.com or visit www.brunelsigns.com. Or come and see us at Leisure House, Wood Street, Corby.

or large quantities. Lee Rockingham, who heads up the businesses, says: “We are one of the leading business to business print, signage and merchandise solution providers in the East Midlands and have a proven wealth of experience built up over 30 years.

“Our comprehensive range of services cover all aspects of design and print, from a creative idea right through to the final printed product. Budgets and timelines are always taken into consideration to ensure each client gets what they want for the right price.”

It’s time for a health and safety rebrand

“Health and Safety gone mad”... a phrase that every business owner has said at least once in their life. And, frankly, it has. Yep, we agree, safety needs a rebrand.

Risk Fluent started as a podcast when our founder James MacPherson was at the end of his fuse with his chosen career. He was fed up with the perception of safety and thought it needed a rebrand.

Rebranding Safety was born out of this frustration; safety should work for a business, not against it. And so, four years on, the podcast and YouTube channel continues, exploring thoughts and opinions from the field of safety and business, even interviewing a Premiershipwinning rugby player.

Demand for services via the podcast led to Risk Fluent being formed, a consultancy supporting industries such as renewable wind energy, wireless telecoms, fire and security, waste and recycling and facilities management.

In its first year, James above won the Northamptonshire Business Awards Young Business Person of the Year 2022. Risk Fluent’s refreshing business-focused and riskbased approach to safety and the personalities of the team is a refreshing break from the stale, boring and over the top approach to safety.

Risk Fluent bases everything it does on two simple philosophies; being risk-based and being peoplecentred. If you can take a risk-based approach to your business and put your people at the centre of everything

you do, not only will you nail safety but you will also have an awesome business.

Come and meet the team at Your Business Expo in February and see James MacPherson give advice and guidance in a seminar How to Rebrand Safety. It is a ‘must attend’ if:

n You roll your eyes when people mention safety;

n Your safety systems are not working for your team or business;

n You want to talk to a safety team and not fall asleep.

Smart businesses are not safe... they are Risk Fluent.

Help your staff to improve their financial wellbeing

The right employee benefits package is vital - making your company the one people want to work for. For more than 30 years, Commsave’s payroll savings facility has helped businesses enhance their offer to staff.

We offer safe savings and affordable loans services to more than 35,000 members all over the UK, and our specialism is in working with businesses large and small to improve the financial wellbeing of their employees. This is achieved through a simple payroll deduction service - enabling employees to save direct from pay - and making saving the first thing they do each month, not the last. The facility is simple to set up and provided free of charge.

We support national companies like Royal Mail and the Department for Work & Pensions, as well as locally based employers such as North and West Northamptonshire Councils, Kettering General Hospital, and Northampton Partnership Homes. Research has demonstrated

the value of providing such a facility in helping employees to achieve their financial wellbeing:

n Helping non-savers to build a regular savings habit;

n Increasing the amount that more regular savers put away;

n Enabling employees to better cope with the financial shocks that life can throw at us.

Our vision is to see a world where everyone is financially included, with access to responsible credit, a safe method of saving, with

financial skills to manage their money wisely, and achieve long-term wellbeing.

Working with Commsave will provide your team with a convenient way to save, access to affordable credit, and resources to help them make the best possible financial decisions, boosting the financial wellbeing of your people.

See how we can help your team with the cost-of-living crisis. Visit our stand at Your Business Expo or call James Richards on 0303 0402 660.

Heat pumps: The energy-efficient home alternative

Burton Latimer-based Griffiths, one of Northamptonshire’s premier installers of renewable technologies, continues to promote government help to encourage end users to consider these energy saving alternatives to more traditional forms of heat production, especially those currently using a fossil fuel such as oil or gas, when their current boilers are reaching the end of their life.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme that started last year provides grants of £5,000 for an air source heat pump and £6,000 for a ground source heat pump, providing they are replacing existing gas boilers, oil boilers or night storage heaters. The BUS grant can also be claimed for heat pumps in new self-build homes. The grant application and administration is carried out by the installer. As always with government schemes, certain criteria must be met. The heat pump has to be Microgeneration Certification Schemeapproved, as does the installer. Griffiths were

the first installers in Northamptonshire to be MCS registered for heat pumps back in 2008.

The installation property must meet minimum energy efficiency requirements of loft and cavity wall insulation, where possible. In addition, homeowners will need a domestic Energy Performance Certificate for the property.

Heat pumps use electricity that is increasingly generated from a renewable source such as wind or solar and operate is a similar way to the fridge in your kitchen, moving heat from one place to another.

The Daikin Altherma range of air source heat

Practice is celebrating team promotions

National architects

GSSArchitecture are delighted to announce the recent promotions of a number of staff members. Chris Cheuk, based at the GSS Midlands head office, and Evie Parker-Rowles at the Milton Keynes studio, have both been promoted to Associate.

Chris, who joined GSS in 2016, gained his Part III qualification from the University of Westminster while being supported through his studies by GSS. He has worked on several significant projects throughout his career at the practice, including the Dame Margaret Barbour Building for Newcastle University and, more recently, the three South Central Institute of Technology buildings for Milton Keynes College.

Evie joined the practice in 2014 on a year-out placement as a postgraduate architectural assistant, having gained her honours degree in architecture from De Montfort University in Leicester. Recently, Evie was the lead architect on the newly completed Walnut

Tree Housing Development in Milton Keynes, together with the first industrial building that forms part of the wider GSS commercial masterplan at Olney Park in Buckinghamshire.

As holder of the Investors in People Gold standard, GSS has supported both Chris and Evie throughout their studies and is proud to see how they have progressed throughout their time with the practice so far and are looking forward to seeing how they succeed in the future.

Across the practice, there have been other celebrations with Derrick Osafo in the Gloucester studio, Phil Hunt at the Midlands head office, and Alex Proctor in the Harrogate office all promoted to senior associates.

Tom Lyons, senior partner at GSSArchitecture, says: “We are thrilled to announce these welldeserved promotions as part of our continued growth nationally and thank Chris, Evie, Derrick, Phil, and Alex for all of their hard work and dedication to the practice. GSS are proud to

pumps was launched in 2006 and Griffiths have been working closely with Daikin since then to provide local homeowners with these energy-efficient alternatives to oil or gas boilers. Heat pumps are now the number one choice for new self-build homes as they provide over 4kW of heat for every 1kW of electricity needed to run them. They can be used to feed water-based underfloor heating or conventional radiator central heating systems. Running them at a low temperature for longer periods is very energy efficient. Griffiths also installs the Kensa range of ground source heat pumps which are particularly suited to new build properties with plenty of land in which to bury the heat collectors.

n Contact Griffiths on 01536 420666, at www.griffithsaircon.co.uk or call into their Energy Efficiency Centre showroom at 111 High Street in Burton Latimer, open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

Make health and wellbeing of staff a priority

Illness caused by work is leading to increased absence rates for businesses in Northamptonshire – and it is hitting them in the pocket... hard.

The leading cause of employee absence is stress, depression and anxiety, much of which is being caused by the workplace.

Between 2019 and 2020 this cost UK businesses £11.2 billion. And that figure is likely to rise, thanks to the 30.8 million working days that were lost in 2021.

Rachel Collar owns and runs Haus of HR in Towcester. “These figures are shocking and it is a big worry for business owners - especially in today’s economy,” she said. “The good news is that there is something that businesses can do to reduce absence in their workplace while making their employees’ health and wellbeing a priority.”

Rachel suggests that business owners need to take a good look at their working practices to identify areas that could be placing additional pressures on staff.

“Look at how much work your people are taking on. Is it more than they have time for? Do they have the right skills for what they are being asked to do? Realistically, is it more than one person’s job?

“You also need to look at how much rest your employees are getting. Make sure they are taking adequate breaks, that they are using their annual leave. A rested employee is a calmer, more productive employee, after all.”

continue to offer various career paths for our people to progress as we have done for all of our 144-

year history and will continue to do so for the next generations to come at the practice.”

Podcast discusses highs and lows of experts’ careers

The launch of a new revealing podcast has already seen a trio of Northamptonshire’s well-known business leaders share their career highs and lows.

Unrelenting Drive, which is produced by N-Accounting in conjunction with Revolution Radio, has featured insights from recruitment and training expert Katie Goodall, contract and legal services specialist Hazel Napier

and car sales guru Dipesh Patel.

On the new show, hosted by N-Accounting managing director Nishi Patel, successful entrepreneurs discuss how they achieved their business dreams and the adversity they had to overcome along the way.

“This is essential listening if you are running a business and need the motivation to scale it,” says Mr Patel, pictured right

“You will learn about what drives business owners forward when most people give up, how they made it through their darkest days and the advice they would give to someone following in their footsteps.

“The three guests we have had so far have given great insight into their business journeys.” n Listen to Unrelenting Drive at www.n-accounting.co.uk/podcast

Haus of HR also recommends a look at the ways employers encourage good physical and mental health within the workplace, such as healthier eating and more exercise.

“It is important that you create an environment where communication is safe and easy so that employees feel comfortable coming to you with a problem, too,” says Rachel.

“Creating the right company culture can be the key to making sure your workforce is happy, healthy, and engaged, while reducing absence and poor health.

“This is something I work on often with my clients and it really does make a big difference.”

Haus of HR was formed in 2021 and outsources a full range of HR services to local businesses.

Evie Parker-Rowles with GSSArchitecture partner Chris Chapman

Chris Cheuk (centre) with GSSArchitecture partners Tom Lyons and Ian Bray

Rachel Collar, founder of Haus of HR

The business networking events this month across Northamptonshire

A group for networkers looking for referrals, introductions, opportunities and sales. A tried and tested model offering dynamic weekly online meetings and an experienced management team: Northants and surrounding areas

Every Tuesday at noon.

National networking

Every Wednesday at noon. Contact Gary Thorpe for all events. Email:gary.thorpe@debt-doctors.co.uk Tel: 07963 766052 or 01536 333425

If you are serious about growing your business, BNI works. Last year BNI members in the UK generated more than £482 million worth of business for each other. To find out how, visit a local chapter meeting and see for yourself. Each chapter has a personality of its own and finding where you fit best helps you get connected.

Elite BNI (Kettering)

Tuesday 6.45am-8.30am: Online Ignite BNI (Daventry)

Tuesday 6.45am-8.30am: The Turnpike, Harpole Northampton Pioneer BNI (Northamptonshire)

Wednesday 9.30am-11am: Online Pavilion BNI (Northampton) Thursday 6.45am-8.30am: The Old Northamptonians RFC, Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion, Billing Road, Northampton Prosperity BNI (Kettering)

Thursday 6.45am-8.30am:

The Kettering Golf Club, Headlands, Kettering Sterling BNI (Northampton) Thursday 11.45am-1.30pm: The Old Northamptonians RFC, Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion, Billing Road, Northampton Lighthouse BNI (Northampton) Friday 6.45am-8.30am

Franklin’s Gardens, Weedon Road, Northampton

Contact: Duncan Webster. e: duncan@ bnibreakfast.co.uk or call 07977 422220

With the right support at the right price it is possible for any small business to succeed. Members believe there is so much to gain with a positive attitude of mutual face-to-face. All monthly breakfast meetings, 7.30am9.30am.

WELLINGBOROUGH

1st Thursday:

Great Doddington Club, Lower Street, Great Doddington Price: £16.

NORTHAMPTON

3rd Wednesday: The Turnpike, Harpole. Price: £16.

VIRTUAL MEETINGS

Price: £6 Brunch

2nd Tuesday 9.30am-11am: Online Breakfast

4th Wednesday 7.30am-9am: Online 3rd Thursday 7.30am-9am: Online 2nd Friday 7.30am-9am: Online Afternoon Fridays 3pm-4pm: Online

Money back guarantee if you do not find a meeting of value. Visitors welcome.

THE ACCOUNTABILITY CIRCLE Monday 10am-11am: Online A regular virtual meeting helping small businesses get tasks from ‘to do’ to ‘done’. Advice and tips on time management and productivity.

Price: £6 per session or £12 per month. Find out more at buscomm.co.uk/ourevents

government contracts, you will be asked how you are working towards Net Zero Carbon at some point. Energise gives an outline of the process involving supply chains. Free event for GBN members. Non-members £35.

To book, email info@greenbusinessnetwork. co.uk or visit www.greenbusinessnetwork. co.uk

NNBN is a business membership for North Northamptonshire which aims to help businesses in the North Northants area recover, build and grow for a brighter future.

EXPLORE YOUR BRAND AND YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

February 1 noon-2pm:

NNBN HQ, Poppy Design Studio & Marketing, Elgee Works, Victoria Street, Desborough Free event for NNBN members; non-members welcome, ticket £10.

EVENING BUSINESS NETWORKING February 9 7pm-8.30pm: The Threshing Barn, Chester House Estate, Irchester An evening of open networking, member presentation, testimonials, 60-second business intro and more. Free event for NNBN members; visitors £10.

NNBN ONLINE February 16 9.30am-10.30am Informal networking. Free event for NNBN members; non-members £4.99.

Contact: Visit www.northants-chamber.co.uk/ events

UK BUSINESS FORUM NORTHAMPTON

2nd Wednesday 5.30pm-9pm: Delapre Abbey, London

Road

A friendly, informal and relaxed networking event for small business owners in the area to come together, make connections and build relationships.

Each event features a short educational presentation on topics to support business owners followed by casual socialising. First drink of the evening is on us (or our drinks sponsor).

UK Business Forums has been the home of small business community support and advice for nearly 20 years. Membership is not necessary but join for free and maintain the business relationship you make at our networking evenings through our free online business support forums.

Free event. To book, visit www.ukbfevents.co.uk

Practical support to help businesses grow their business. The Business Room is a one business area group for business owners, those in employed positions, MLMs and franchised businesses.

BUSINESS ROOM

NETWORKING BREAKFAST

March 15 7am-9am:

Daventry Town FC

Hosted by Rollasons Solicitors, a platform where mutually beneficial business relationships can be cultivated , enabling businesses to build strong networks in Daventry and the wider area.

Price: £12.

To find out more, call Rollasons Solicitors on 01327 301771 or email info@dmb.co.uk

No fuss, no membership, pay as you go... The Business Buzz format is relaxed, informal, conversational B2B networking. Our town focused events meet face-to-face, allowing visitors to build better and more robust relationships. These are complemented by regional virtual events.

All Business Buzz events run 10am-noon Brackley Buzz

February 2:

Paisley Pear, Northampton Road. Price: £8.

Northampton Buzz

February 15:

Fox & Hounds, Harborough Road. Price: £8.

Wellingborough Buzz

February 14:

Castello Lounge, Market Street Price: £8.

For more details, download the Buzz App or visit www.business-buzz.org/about/locations/. Book and pay for your favourite Buzz at https://app. business-buzz.org/app or at the event.

The FSB has 2,000 members across Northamptonshire. These include a monthly FSB Northampton virtual networking at which everyone is welcome - you do not have to be a FSB member to join in.

Northamptonshire

February 14 10am-11am: Online

Hosted by Sally Wood, director of Sally Wood Consultancy Limited and FSB area leader for Northants, Leics & Rutland.

To book and for details of other networking, support and webinar events online, visit www. fsb.org.uk/events.

COPING STRATEGIES FOR NET ZERO CARBON SCOPE 3

February 22 2.30pm-4pm: Venue tbc

Speaker: Sustainability consultancy Energise. If you supply a larger company or tender for

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP February 23 9.30am-11am: NNBN HQ, Poppy Design Studio & Marketing, Elgee Works, Victoria Street, Desborough Find out more about the benefits of NNBN membership. Free event, NNBN members only. For more information and to book, visit https:// nnbn.co.uk/events/

SPEED NETWORKING

February 9 11.30am-1.30pm: Sedgebrook Hall, Chapel Brampton

Prepare your networking pitch ready for fast paced networking around tables of up to ten businesses.

This event includes a maximum of threetable changes enabling you to meet as many businesses as possible, followed by a buffet lunch.

Price: £15 + VAT. Chamber members only.

MAXIMISE YOUR MEMBERSHIP

February 22 8.30am-10.30am: Northampton Active, Northampton Informal networking with other Chamber members and an opportunity to find out how to make the most of your membership benefits. Meet the Chamber’s third party suppliers icludingQuest, AXA and Westfield Health.. Free event. Chamber members only.

LOCAL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT PLAN

February 28 8.30am-10.30am: Milton Keynes College

Networking + information event, funded by the Department for Education. Come along to our Local Skills and Improvment Plan event to have your voice heard about the skill gaps within your employment.

Free event, Chamber members and nonmembers welcome. This event will include a light breakfast and refreshments.

Attendees maximise their time out of the office and in the room by ensuring all the attendee information is shared in advance.

This gives attendees time to plan their networking session so they can get more out of each meeting, therefore making it as profitable as possible. Each meeting involves structured networking, a session where a member will share their knowledge, business story or insight and a Business Exchange, where members respond to the requests for help and contacts.

These are lock out groups so only one business area is represented.

KETTERING

February 6 12 noon-2pm: Kettering Park Hotel

NORTHAMPTON

February 9 12 noon-2pm: Old White Hart, Far Cotton

WELLINGBOROUGH

February 15 12 noon-2pm: The Stanwick Hotel, Stanwick

SOUTH NORTHANTS

February 21 12 noon-2pm: The White Horse, Silverstone

THE CONNECTIONS CLUB - NORTHANTS

Only open to business owners, influencers and decision-makers, this is a structured and professional group, which gives people the opportunity to connect with other business owners who are serious about growth.

It allows you to take away a valuable skill, learning or insight from every meeting and meet valuable contacts. It is not lock-out but each session is limited to a maximum of three business areas.

NORTHAMPTON

February 7 11.45am-2pm: Delapre Abbey, London Road, Northampton.

Contact: Barbara Hodgson 07504 946 585 / 01933 652884, email barbara@yourbusinessmatters.co or visit www.yourbusinessmatters.co

Do you struggle to find suiting that fits you correctly? Suiting has become more difficult to find as more retailers have cut their options down or decided not to carry stock in stores. Getting the right fit and cut can be a complete nightmare if your body shape, height or proportions don’t fit the usual off the peg styles. If you are looking for something no one else is likely to be wearing, having something made for you is the answer. With 100’s of fabrics, weights of cloth, weaves and textures not to mention colours and specific finishes to suit your requirements and themes for all occasions, the list is endless.

It isn’t until you have had a garment tailored to your body shape that you can truly appreciate the difference both in fit and quality of fabric. In Deans 35 experience very few customers are the perfect mannequin size or shape. Many people only discover this when they go looking for that “special occasion suiting” only to discover it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.

If an ‘off the peg outfit’ is found, many assume a few inexpensive alterations will do the job to make it look like it was made for you. The reality is alterations are a skilled job with suiting, added to the fact there may not be enough seam allowance, if any to play around with. Jacket construction is far more technical than the unskilled eye would appreciate. Often it means taking the whole garment apart in order to get the correct contouring around the body. Shortening the sleeves for example means taking the whole sleeve out not just shortening next to the button holes.

Selecting the right cut of suit for your shape is the biggest challenge buying off the peg. Often in men, the shoulders can be far wider than the hips which means it is impossible with structured jackets to hang correctly, as the waist will cut far wider than is required. These men end up with jackets that sort of fit on the shoulders but always leave them looking like a sack of potatoes around the waist because the cut is designed for a far less angular body shape. If you work

out or are involved in sport often trousers can be incredibly difficult to find the right fit for the thighs.

Often men who are not feeling confident about their shape don’t want to invest money until they have “lost weight.” This is precisely the time to look at investing in a suit which will make you look and feel a million dollars (remember those photos and video clips hang around for a very long time you only have one chance to get it right!) should you reduce inches, at least this type of quality garment will withstand some alterations. Let Dean help you look and feel your very best.

‘It opens everyone’s minds to make sure people are OK’

Players and staff from Northampton Town FC have taken time away from the pitch to learn about suicide prevention and how to spot the signs of those at risk.

Lisa Pearson and Andy Willis, from Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training, led the session at the Cobblers’ training ground.

The workshop kicked off with discussions about the importance of good conversations around suicide and where people can go to get help if they need it. It also looked at some of the myths surrounding suicide, as well as who might be at risk and how best to intervene.

“It has been an excellent session,” says Lisa. “They have been really engaged. We are really pleased with the opportunity and are keen to start engaging with as many community and sports clubs as we can. We know that you are more at risk of suicide if you are male so we just want people to reach out and access our free training.”

Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men, with males making

up around 78 per cent of suicide deaths.

A similar session took place last year with the Cobblers’ Academy players. Now the League Two club is encouraging other sports clubs to take part in Suicide Awareness Training.

Many of Northampton Town’s first team players took part in the training. “I thought the session was good,” says winger Mitch Pinnock. “It opens everyone’s mind up really just to make sure people are OK. Even if you are worried about asking them the question because it might be a bit personal, it is going to benefit them

and benefit you as well.”

Andy Willis, former service user and trained peer supporter worker, shared some of his personal experiences with the players. “It has been a really positive session,” he says. “The attention of the players and the staff was magnificent and the contributions were really appreciated.

“It is such an important topic, mental health, and openly sharing

and giving support particularly in the area of self-harm and suicide, while a complex topic, is one that has to be embraced.”

n To find out more about the suicide prevention and awareness training, contact Lisa Pearson at NHFT at lisa.pearson3@nhft.nhs. uk or on 07500 067861. For more about suicide prevention visit www. nhft.nhs.uk/suicide-prevention

Awards aim to honour women who inspire

Women who are the cornerstone of businesses and communities across West Northamptonshire are to be recognised in the 11th Inspirational Women Awards.

Organised by the West Northamptonshire Council Women’s Forum, the awards aim to recognise and promote women who inspire and have an impact on the lives of others in the workplace or community The winners will be decided from public nominations in two categories:

n Business Award

n Community Award

Potential nominees for the Business Award could include someone who has inspired through their paid employment, an inspirational business owner or someone who has inspired a career.

Nominations close on February 6, with the finalists being announced on February 20. The awards will be presented at the International Women’s Day event at the Guildhall in Northampton on March 4, four days ahead of International Women’s Day itself.

Cllr David Smith, the council’s cabinet member for community safety and engagement, and regulatory services, said: “Here in West Northants, we are very fortunate in having so many women playing hugely important roles across our communities and workplaces and we look to this special day to appreciate their achievements and say ‘Thank you’.

Jobs programme boosts prospects for Ukrainian refugees

Refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine are a step closer to securing employment in the UK thanks to the work of a Northamptonshire charity.

Cohesive Society CIC is helping Ukrainian migrants via its new Jobs Skills programme. The training is free of charge, with participants invited to attend either in person or remotely.

Each course is ten hours long, with a certificate for participants on completion, and the scheme is now running all year round following a successful pilot scheme last year.

“This heinous war has displaced the Ukrainian community,” says Cohesive Society founder Imran Chowdhury. “So many highly educated professionals, teachers, economists and social workers with university degrees have had to flee their country and are now living in the UK without a job and this is at a time when we in

the UK are facing a skills shortage.”

Cohesive Society runs community activities for marginal communities across Northamptonshire. “This programme is such a huge help for our community,” says Ukrainian Valentian Bukovska, who took part

in the pilot programme.

“We all are in a stage of building our lives, which is very challenging as we find ourselves in a new country. This information and training is incredible. We are being taught about the UK system and are gaining

confidence in professional fields and job searching.”

n To find out more visit https:// www.cohesivesociety.org/home, call 01604 312140 or email info@ cohesivesociety.org

“We are looking for nominations for women from all walks of life who have been inspirational in the broadest sense and would like to know how they have inspired you or others, what they have achieved, or what they have done to help your community.”

n Find out more at www. westnorthants.gov.uk

Support worker Andy Willis shares his experiences with the Northampton Town players

Cohesive Society volunteers pictured with some of the Ukrainians who took part in the Job Skills programme