SBC Magazine March 2023 Issue 7

A word from our Chief WELCOME TO SIMPLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE!

Welcome to the latest edition of SBC magazine, we are really pleased to bring you the latest offering including articles from some of our members and also from some large organisations offering their view on some hop topics.

Simply Business Club Magazine was set up during lockdown as a platform to share best practice, tips and advice and offer support to business professionals. We have recently taken a break to tweak a few things and make sure that our vision is still being adhered to and that we still offer the above to business professionals from all walks of life and all sectors.

Would you be interested in sharing your opinion on a current topic or share your knowledge to help and support our readers? We are always looking for contributors

As we are starting to exit the cold weather (hopefully) how will this change your working habits, does the longer daylight hours mean you have more energy to work longer?

Is lockdown finally behind us and can we start to plan with confidence for the future? Businesses have struggled with the cost of living crisis, do you have any advice or life hacks to help bring costs down during this time?

Have you recently started using a product or service that you want to shout about? Get in touch with us on social media and tell us about it, what problem was resolved,

01843 627 001

info@simplybusinessmagazine.co.uk

www.simplybusinessmagazine.co.uk @SimplyBusinessMagazine

What’s inside

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Owning and Maintaining a Lazer printer

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS FOUNDED OVER 150,000 BUSINESSES IN 2022

16 tips to run your business sustainably

Maintaining a healthy and safe environment

Simply Business Club - Be successful in business by making the most of networking

Simply Business Club Members profiles & Contact details

More is possible without spending a penny

NostalGia marketing relating your company to the past

Creating a committed workforce six ways to boost employee motivation

7 top tech tips

Best business & productivity Apps & software

Simply Business Club membership benefits and Magazine Rate Card

Simply Business club Magazine

Within this magazine we feature businesses and business professionals from start ups all the way up to global brands, each voice just as important. We really like sharing positive news, updates and advice & tips from around the world, Do you fall within the above, do you have some information or advice to share with our readers?

Would you like us to cover a certain topic or perhaps add a regular section with updates, perhaps from a certain business sector like Human Resources.

Recently we listened to some of our readers and so from the next edition we will be including business related film and book reviews and also some brain training such as suduko. Is there anything else you would like to see us include in future editions, please feel free to get in touch with us via the methods detailed below.

Owning and Maintaining a Lazer printer

If you have recently acquired a laser printer or are considering buying one, here are some top tips to help you get the most out of your device:

Choose the right paper: Laser printers work best with high-quality, smooth, and uncoated paper. Using paper that is too thin, too rough, or coated with a glossy finish can result in poor print quality and jams.

Keep it clean: Dust and debris can accumulate inside the printer and cause problems with the print quality. Regularly clean the printer using a soft, lint-free cloth, and avoid using harsh cleaning chemicals.

Use high-quality toner: The quality of the toner you use can have a significant impact on the print quality and longevity of your printer. Always use high-quality, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) toner cartridges or trusted third-party alternatives.

Print regularly: Ink Jet printers are designed to handle high volumes of printing. Regular use can help keep the printer in good working order and prevent issues with the toner cartridge.

Avoid overheating: Laser printers generate heat during the printing process. To avoid overheating, avoid placing the printer in direct sunlight or near heat sources, and make sure it has adequate ventilation.

Use the right settings: Adjust the printer settings to suit your needs. For example, if you're printing documents with text and graphics, use the "best" or "high-quality" setting to ensure sharp and clear prints.

Replace consumables on time: Toner cartridges and other consumables have a limited lifespan. Replace them promptly when the printer notifies you that they are low to avoid print quality issues and damage to the printer.

Do you want the details listed below, digitally, if yes scan the QR code on the left

07557 029 115 or 07525 259 746

WBS Copier and Printers

Kent Innovation Centre, Millenium Way, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2QQ

Keep spare toner: It's always a good idea to keep a spare toner cartridge on hand. That way, you can replace it quickly when the current cartridge runs out, minimizing downtime and disruptions to your workflow.

Does the thought of making sure all of the above tips are kept up to date feel a bit time consuming or even daunting? Then what about if it goes wrong, who will fix it, engineers are expensive! Not in the case of taking out a maintenance contract

A maintenance contract can be a great investment for laser printer users, as it provides a range of benefits to ensure that your printer operates smoothly and reliably. Here are some reasons why you should consider having a maintenance contract for your laser printer:

Regular maintenance and servicing: A maintenance contract typically includes regular maintenance and servicing of your printer, which helps to prevent issues before they arise. This can include cleaning the printer, replacing worn-out parts, and checking for any potential problems.

Minimises downtime: If your printer experiences a fault, a maintenance contract can provide rapid response times and on-site repairs. This means that any downtime is kept to a minimum, and you can continue to work without interruption.

Cost savings: By having a maintenance contract, you can avoid unexpected repair costs and save money in the long run. This is because regular maintenance can help to identify and fix issues before they become more serious and expensive to repair.

WBS is proud to maintain printers mainly across East Kent and also some other machines further afield, in East Kent their call out time is around 34 minute and their engineers have parts to fix almost all problems meaning that most callouts result in a same day fix.

Priority support: With a maintenance contract, you can benefit from priority support from the manufacturer or maintenance provider. This means that you can get help quickly and efficiently, reducing any frustration or downtime.

Extended lifespan: Regular maintenance and servicing can help to extend the lifespan of your printer, ensuring that you get the most value out of your investment.

Improved print quality: By keeping your printer well-maintained, you can enjoy consistently high print quality, with sharp and clear prints every time.

Save your time and get a first class service. With WBS you can take out an agreement that means you just have to buy and load the paper, WBS will track and monitor your toners and machine so that you are always stocked up and running smoothly.

Overall, having a maintenance contract for your laser printer provides peace of mind and helps to keep your printer running smoothly and reliably. It can also save you time and money in the long run, making it a worthwhile investment for businesses and individuals alike.

A record 151,603 businesses were founded by female entrepreneurs in 2022, according to the latest review by Alison Rose, NatWest Group Chief Executive.

Despite economic uncertainty, the number of women founding businesses jumped up from 145,271 in 2021, and was over double the number of female-led start-ups in 2018, setting a new high for female entrepreneurs.

The review also found growth in the number of female-led businesses during 2022, rising 16 per cent.

Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer for FDM Group, commented:

“It is brilliant to see the increasing number of female entrepreneurs launching businesses in the UK and this continued rise will be at the centre of growing the business economy. The increase over the past year serves as a clear example for how further investment into female leaders can empower a more inclusive scope of businesses.”

In response to the first review in 2019, the government holds the aim of increasing the number of women launching companies by half by 2030, rising to nearly 600,000 female entrepreneurs.

“The gender gap in business won’t be solved instantly, but continued progress is essential to creating a diverse and equal workplace. It is in

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS FOUNDED OVER 150,000 BUSINESSES IN 2022

the best interested of the UK to invest in female-led start-ups to boost the economy, tapping into female entrepreneurship which provides inspirational leaders for underrepresented groups and future generations. The hope is that these numbers continue to rise significantly for 2023’s review.”

The Rose Review provides an annual barometer of the disparity between female and male entrepreneurs, first commissioned in 2019 by HM Treasury based on a survey of business leaders, investors and academics.

In response to the first review in 2019, the government holds the aim of increasing the number of women launching companies by half by 2030, rising to nearly 600,000 female entrepreneurs.

TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS SUSTAINABLY

Written by Simon Taylor from Tesseract Management Consulting Limited

We all know that it’s never been more important to run your business in an environmentally-responsible way. But, chances are, that’s not your area of expertise.

Fire up the Google machine, and you’ll find an array of ‘scope 1/2/3 emissions’, ‘GHG’s, ‘CO2e’s, and the quiet dread that if you put a foot wrong, social media will rain righteous green anger down on you faster than you can say “Ozone layer”.

It’s true that there’s some jargon, but speaking a common language is important to make sure we don’t conflate similar concepts, and it’s easily demystified. For example, when you measure your carbon footprint, this means calculating the greenhouse gasses (GHG) you produce, directly and indirectly, to run your business. The unit of measure used is carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Different modes of transport, for example, produce different levels of CO2e per mile.

The good news is that the principles to run a sustainable business are pretty straightforward. Follow these tips, and you’re already a significant way towards operating in an environmentally friendly way:

1. Don’t do it alone. Saving the planet is a race we all win or lose together, and the internet is simply teeming with knowledgeable people giving away good advice for free. Follow people like Jan Rosenow, Laura Gelder-Robertson, Sarah Blanchard and Sophia Kianni on LinkedIn.

2. Get your team behind you. If your team are passionate about doing the right thing, then you’re already off to a flying start. Inspiring change without buy-in is a much harder task.

3. Focus on the benefits. Nobody likes making their own life harder. Reducing your carbon often involves reducing waste – which means saving yourself cash and working more efficiently. This is a win-win project, not a list of sacrifices.

4. Measure what you do. To get started, simply take stock of the facts. What does your business buy? What does it does it do? How much energy and water does it consume? Take into account this might peak during your busier seasons.

5. Make educated guesses. If you can’t be accurate about it, then make an educated guess. Your printer doesn’t report how much you’ve printed? Calculate how much paper you buy. Your office doesn’t have its own electricity meter? Ask your facilities manager for the meter reading for your floor or building, and calculate your proportion based on the square footage you occupy. It’s okay if you simply don’t have access to

the specific data, so long as you make reasonable assumptions based on what you can get your hands on.

6. Calculate your footprint. For everything you listed, calculate the cost in carbon. Normative.io and CarbonFootprint.com have produced free online calculators.

7. Set a target. Once you know where you’re starting from, set yourself a target for how much to reduce your emissions by, and by when. ISO encourages the bare minimum to be a 50% reduction by 2030 (based on your 2018 levels) and net zero by 2050. If you can do more, faster, then you should. Countries and industries which have historically produced more carbon should also expect go further, faster to lessen the load on smaller contributors.

8. Ditch what you don’t need. The best way to reduce your carbon footprint is not to produce carbon in the first place. Do you leave anything switched on when it’s not in use, or overnight? Do you overbuy fruit or milk that always gets thrown away? Are your lights on in areas of the building that aren’t in use? Get rid of what you don’t need. Side benefit: you saved yourself money!

9. Get what you need sustainably. Make sustainable buying choices wherever you can. Using recycled paper in your printer is less harmful than fresh virgin paper; buying local produce is less harmful than produce shipped from abroad. Organisations like Small99 are a great way of identifying sustainable suppliers for just about anything you need, which makes research a piece of (locally sourced, sustainably produced) cake.

10. Set out policies for sustainable operations. Document how you could operate in a more sustainable way: choosing sustainable suppliers, using video conferencing to reduce travel, buying refurbished IT equipment instead of brand new. Side benefit: you saved even more money!

11. Help your team. If your team commute to work, can you offer subsidised public transport tickets? If they work from home, could you offer a cash incentive to anyone who switches to a renewable energy provider?

12. Improve your processes. Every email carries a carbon cost. Is every automated email necessary? Every attachment? Every recipient? Repeating processes because of mistakes often increases the carbon cost of the processes, whether through computerised processing or physical material. Streamline your processes and reduce the most common mistakes. Side benefit: you saved even more money by increasing productivity.

13. Review your website. Discover, and improve, the carbon footprint associated with loading your website. You can use WebsiteCarbon.com or GreenPixie.com to do this for free.

14. Dispose of waste responsibly. After cutting what you don’t need, then sourcing and using what you do need responsibly, you should have less waste. Repurposing your waste instead of throwing it away is what makes up the ‘circular economy’ where, as society, we produce little to no waste at all. Organisations like WRAP help repurpose waste food, drink, textiles and plastic packaging to avoid it going to landfill.

15. Remove what’s left. Once you’ve done everything possible to make your footprint the smallest it can be, remove the residual carbon with reputable organisations like Ecologi. They will plant trees and remove carbon on your behalf – and you can reduce your footprint to being a negative number!

16. Inspire. ‘Greenhushing’ is as dangerous as ‘greenwashing’. Talk about what you’re doing. Your actions may inspire someone else to do the same. If others share their stories, you can learn from them too. It’s not boasting to play your part in saving the planet.

Pest control is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy and safe environment in commercial businesses. Whether it's a restaurant, hotel, or office building, pests can wreak havoc on the infrastructure, damage equipment, and pose health hazards to employees and customers alike. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of using pest control for commercial businesses.

Protect Your Reputation

Commercial businesses rely heavily on their reputation to attract and retain customers. Pests can damage your reputation quickly, especially if a customer spots a rodent or insect in your establishment. Word of mouth spreads quickly, and negative reviews online can be detrimental to your business. Hiring a pest control company can help prevent pest infestations from occurring in the first place, ensuring your customers have a positive experience and maintain a good impression of your business.

Health and Safety

Pests pose a significant health and safety risk to employees and customers. Rodents and insects can carry harmful diseases and bacteria that can cause illnesses such as salmonella, E. coli, and leptospirosis. Additionally, pests can trigger allergies and asthma, particularly in sensitive individuals. There is also the risk of slips, trips and falls due to guano otherwise known as bird poop on the floor. There is also the transmission of avian flu which is a concern within the industry right now. A professional pest control company can identify potential risks and implement preventative measures to ensure your business remains safe and healthy for everyone.

Protect Your Property

Pests can cause significant damage to your property, including structural damage, electrical damage, and damage to equipment. Rodents can chew through electrical wiring, creating a fire hazard. Additionally, Bedbugs are

Maintaining a healthy and safe environment

small, flat, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are found worldwide, but are most commonly found in crowded living quarters such as apartments, hotels, and dormitories. Bedbugs are not known to spread disease, but they can cause a number of problems, including property issues such as:

Property damage: Bedbugs can infest furniture, bedding, and clothing, which can be costly to replace. Infested items may need to be discarded, and the cost of treatment can be expensive.

Spread to other locations: Bedbugs can easily hitch a ride on clothing or luggage and spread to other locations. This can lead to infestations in other homes, hotels, or other locations, making it difficult to eradicate the problem.

Maintain Compliance with Regulations

Commercial businesses are subject to a variety of regulations and standards to ensure the safety and health of their customers and employees. Many of these regulations require businesses to maintain a pest-free environment. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in significant fines and penalties. Hiring a pest control company can ensure that your business remains compliant with regulations and avoids costly penalties.

Cost Savings

While it may seem counterintuitive, investing in regular pest control services can actually save your business money in the long run. As mentioned earlier, pests can cause significant damage to your property and equipment, resulting in costly repairs. Additionally, if your business is shut down due to a pest infestation, you will lose revenue, and the cost of cleaning and disinfecting your establishment can be significant.

By investing in regular pest control services, you can prevent pest infestations from occurring in the first place, saving you money on repairs and lost revenue. It is also important to consider, regular contracted inspections are often cheaper than ad hoc treatments, allowing for peace of mind because prevention is far better and cheaper than the cure, it also allows business owners to concentrate on their business.

Peace of Mind

Knowing that your business is pest-free can provide peace of mind to both you and your customers. Customers want to know that they are safe and healthy when they visit your establishment, and employees want to feel safe and secure while they work. By investing in regular pest control services, you can ensure that your business remains pest-free and provide peace of mind to everyone who enters your establishment which is a huge positive for everyone's mental health as pests or the thought that pests could occur can cause stress and anxiety.

In conclusion, pest control is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy and safe environment in commercial businesses. Regular pest control services can protect your reputation, maintain compliance with regulations, save you money, and provide peace of mind. If you're a commercial business owner, consider hiring a professional pest control company to ensure that your business remains pestfree and safe for everyone who enters your establishment.

MP Environmental Pest Control was created by Michelle Pope who has over 15 years experience and is one of very few women technicians in the industry. MP Environmental Pest Control are members of the British Pest Control Association and are RSPH Level 2 certified in pest management. MP Environmental Pest Control are also Audited to EN16636 standards meaning you will always recieve support and guidance that meets the highest standard in British Pest Control

If you are looking for advice or want help dealing with unwanted pests then please do give Michelle and her team a call and they will be happy to help you reach the desired outcome

When you started in your business did you think about what you do and how frickin awesome you are?? Of course you did, why wouldn't you. But, did you think about all of the other stuff needed to help run a successful business? The admin, the bookkeeping, the emails, the website, the business cards, the marketing, following up on leads and quotes, chasing payments, problems with your vehicle, PC and other machines your business needs to be able to function, what about subscribing to a CRM system or Microsoft 365 or keeping on top of stock levels of paper or toners for the printer.

Unless you are in one of the industries from the above list then you likely didn't give much of it a second thought, why would you?

The problem is that all of the above is really importantbut the one saving grace is that almost all successful people do not become successful on their own, they have

a team of contacts that they can turn to in order to make something happen.

This team can also be known as business networking, attending business networking events can be beneficial for your business in several ways, including:

Expanding your network: Business networking events provide an opportunity to meet new people and make new connections. These connections can lead to new clients, suppliers, partners, or even employees.

Building relationships: Networking is about building relationships and trust over time. Attending events regularly can help you establish and strengthen relationships with other business professionals.

Increasing visibility: Networking events can help increase your visibility in the community and industry. This can help your business gain more exposure, generate leads, and build brand awareness.

Learning from others: Networking events often feature guest speakers or presentations on topics relevant to your business. This can provide valuable insights and help you stay upto-date on industry trends and best practices.

Be successful in business by making the most of the opportunities offered by networking

Getting feedback: Networking events can provide an opportunity to get feedback on your business, products, or services from other professionals. This can help you identify areas for improvement and make strategic decisions.

Overall, attending business networking events can help you establish new connections, build relationships, increase visibility, learn from others, and get feedback on your business.

Have you attended any business networking events?

Do you prefer online or face-to-face?

How many meetings do you attend on a regular basis?

My opinion is that you should attend groups that are going to help and support you, not just with leads and referrals because in the long run for a lot of businesses that is not sustainable, but by way of the 5 points mentioned earlier, all together to help your business as a whole.

There is also no right or wrong group to go to, every one of us will like some meetings and dislike others, this is all down to personal preference, having attended a lot of different type of meetings over the years, many have some similarities but also some clearly defined differences.

One big difference since Covid is the introduction of online networking, this was not as popular before lockdown but offers some really big pros when weighing up the differences between online and face-to-face networking such as;

No geographic location: You can network with people from around the world, in the Simply Business Club we currently have members from all parts of England, some from Scotland and even a member in Sweden and Israel.

Time and cost saving: Online meetings are generally cheaper as there is no need to hire a hall put on food etc, the cost of travel is not an issue and the amount of time it takes to attend a

meeting that is 30-40 minutes away, 35 minutes to get there, 2 hours for the meeting, 30 minutes talking afterwards, 35 minutes to get back means

one networking meeting can take almost 4 hours.

However on the flip side, there is nothing like meeting people in the flesh, where possible, the opportunity to have a quiet chat or the chance to have a hug is really good for your mental wellbeing. This is why my suggestion is to take part in both online and face to face networking where possible and embrace the communities, be supportive and helpful and you will reap the rewards, not only will people use your services but you will become the go to person in your industry within that community.

More is possible –without spending a penny

Written by Simon Taylor from Tesseract Management Consulting Limited

Fact: size doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it. Slightly provocative, got your attention, but true.

And if I said the C word, I’d get your attention, right?

Shall I try it?

Okay, I’m going to try it. Don’t get angry with me. Here goes…

‘Compliance’.

Ah, see, now you’re angry. I’ve tricked you into becoming bored. I can see it in your eyes; your lids are drooping; you’re wondering if you should shove the pen on your desk through one just to feel alive again.

Here’s the thing: if it’s boring, it’s because you’re doing it wrong. (Yes, still compliance, not that other thing you think I might be talking about.) And size really doesn’t matter. Honestly. I know there’s someone pecking your head – an auditor, the finance director, Brian (it’s always a Brian) – but truly, you could have the biggest compliance system in the world and it could be utterly, stonkingly useless if it just exists for the sake of existing.

And most of all – it’s an untapped goldmine. It’s an engine that can

transform your business, if only you plug it in.

There’s three main reasons that compliance might feel like a tickbox exercise, a thing for the audit, a waste of time (and, in which case, probably is).

First, because it duplicates real life. If you have ISO certifications and schedule a so-called management review just in time for the auditor coming so you can triumphantly brandish the minutes in their face, then you can knock it on the head. You know the weekly/biweekly/monthly management/board/directors’ meeting you already have? That’s your management review.

I’d confidently bet that you are discussing these things all the time. Because if you aren’t talking about how effectively your business is running more often than a week before the annual audit, you wouldn’t have a business for very long.

You don’t need to call it a management review for it to qualify. You don’t need to use the dry technical terms of the standard on your agenda, either. But chances are, you did indeed discuss your clients, staff, shareholders. And the cost of living crisis, the effects of the latest political drama afflicting whichever Prime Minister is in power by the time this goes to print. Bingo –

that’s ‘Context of the Organisation’ and ‘Needs and Expectations of Interested Parties’ ticked off. And so on.

If, by chance, there’s a part of the standard you didn’t cover – you probably should add it somewhere. Call it something in plain English, but don’t neglect it. Not “for the audit”, but because it’s all quite important stuff. You don’t need to discuss every item in every meeting either; have some items on every agenda, and others can rotate so that meetings don’t last the whole day.

The second reason is that the purpose might not be clear. If you’re doing something “for compliance reasons” and don’t really see the point of it, then it’s all but certainly not fulfilling its purpose. Never should something be done for the sake of it. Take the humble PAT test: nobody would dispute the sanity of having your plugs

checked periodically to ensure you don’t electrocute Belinda in the procurement department (however tempting Belinda may make that prospect, from time to time). As with Belinda, so with life. Everything you do in compliance is looking for that electric shock.

Take every compliance process you have, and interrogate it with one question: ‘So what?’. Demand an answer.

Third, and this is a biggie: it’s not fit for purpose.

Compliance should be time-saving engine, not a time-draining vampire. It shouldn’t run separately to your business, or even in parallel to your business. It should run your business.

Your processes, your procedure documentation, your policies, your quality checks, your risks, your KPIs – all of it should form one cohesive powerhouse that does the hard work for you.

You, as a business leader, should receive the management information that you need to make decisions, prevent disasters, and power your business onwards towards the objectives you –and everybody else – are striving for. It should be the mushroom to your Super Mario.

And that’s not unachievable. The constraining factors are usually lack of confidence in your freedom to change “compliance stuff” from the templates Brian got from the auditor or Google; lack of understanding of how everything should fit together; or lack of time to rewire the system because you’ve a bulging inbox and pile of work. You’re not alone. Not even close.

But that’s what Tesseract helps with. We have a deep understanding of how everything is intended to fit together. Instead of ramming the wrong bits of the jigsaw together to produce a gargoyle, let us rearrange the pieces to make something better. Not just replacing your templates with ours, or giving Brian a biscuit while we give you a list of things to do instead. But actually crafting a system that works for you, for your business and in your context. You will have unique advantages, challenges and requirements and working with Tesseract means you get something that factors all of that in.

Our solutions are always:

• Relevant to your business, meaning you can actually use it.

• Elegant in application: maximum benefit, minimum fuss.

• Worthwhile: expect a return on your time investment with real-life results for your business.

We’ll start with an informal chat and get to understand you, then work with you through our respected client portal which keeps everything together. Our vision for you will be a Wallace-and-Gromit breakfast machine that delivers what you need, how you need it, when you need it. And save you from Brian banging on while you’re drowning in forms you’d cheerfully set on fire as Belinda’s over there getting repeatedly blown up.

Hop to our website – www.tesseract.consulting or drop us a note at ask@tesseract.consulting.

More is possible.

NOSTALGIA MARKETING:

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RELATING YOUR COMPANY TO THE PAST

Marketing is at its most effective when a brand can make an emotional connection with its audience – and what better way than to connect through the memories of our childhoods. From the slushy machine at the cinema to retro music and our favourite childhood sweets, we all love talking about the past – and brands have found a way to do this effectively. Here, with the help of Peter Campbell of Snowshock, a UK based slushy machine business, we’ll explore what nostalgia marketing why it works so well, and how you can start implementing it into your marketing strategy.

What is nostalgia marketing?

Nostalgia triggers emotional responses to familiar sounds, sights, and smells from our childhoods. It reminds us of a simpler, less stressful time. Whether it is school discos or our favourite cartoons, our long-forgotten favourites can be brought back to us.

Marketing in this way bring back themes and styles from people’s childhoods to provoke an emotional reaction. Companies such as McDonalds, Coca Cola, and Nintendo have all used nostalgia marketing within their strategies to great effect.

Whether it be reminders of a moment in history linked to a certain TV show or childhood food, these cultural memories trigger the emotions of your customers by reminding them of a past, whether lived or not.

How to implement nostalgia marketing into your strategy

Audience and era

When attempting nostalgia marketing, you will want to find the right audience for you. Whether your audience is mostly Gen Z, millennials, or older, you will want to appeal to their childhood memories. As this will differ between generations, it is important to note down the age range of your clientele.

However, a safe bet for bringing nostalgia into your marketing is to target the 1990s, with the popular slogan “Only ‘90s kids would understand”. This time hints at comfort shows such as Friends and the Rugrats, as well as foods such as fish fingers and eggs and soldiers.

And for some, anything “retro” is a go. Gen Z jump in on the ‘90s trends, even though they didn’t experience the decade. They

bring back ‘90s fashion and music idols. And with TV shows such as Stranger Things resurging the love for cassette players, music and the ‘80s, nostalgia and finding a history is an effective tool for grabbing an audience.

Use fonts, colours, and themes to your advantage

While you might not want to reference specific pop culture from the era, as this might be copyrighted, you can approach nostalgic marketing through colour, fonts, and themes. Think bold black outlines, jagged shapes, and bright, contrasting colours.

The ‘90s were bright and bold with colours which contrasted, inspired heavily by comic books and pop art. Using these colours and contrasts within your own marketing material can bring about this feeling of nostalgia for a past before the millennium.

Company history can help

And why not bring in your own story as nostalgic- where did your company start, why, and how far has it come? Other brands have used this to their advantage by exploring their past and bringing back old logos, such as Coca Cola and more.

This dive into the past of your company can be advantageous for your brand authenticity – letting your customers know the true business, your purpose, and the journey your company has been

on so far. Gen Z and millennial customers prefer brands who share their values, and by exploring the story of your company customers can identify closer with your brand.

Nostalgia works by reminding us of ourselves at a different time and letting us reflect on this past – or even for many in generation Z, it tells them of how the world, and their parents, were before this moment. Being able to relate your company to this past can draw on the emotions of your customers and it is these emotions which makes the marketing so effective.

Creating a Committed Workforce: Six Ways to Boost Employee Motivation

Keeping employees motivated can be tricky for leaders and managers, especially when there are challenging times. Motivated employees are more productive as well as happier, so it is an essential thing for businesses to consider.

Now, remote or hybrid working has become the norm in many businesses, and it is vital to ensure you are offering remote employees just as much support and help as office-based staff.

Motivated staff leads to a more productive and enthusiastic working environment for everyone. It helps create a more committed and passionate workforce and results in a more energetic atmosphere – in short, it makes a workplace a better place. Ensuring employees feel motivated and fulfilled at all times will have many business benefits, including a lower staff turnover rate, a higher quality of work and generally better staff performance - resulting in better company performance and a more profitable business.

Here, with some insights from Dominic Fitch, Head of Creative Change at executive coaching specialist, Impact International, we explore some different ways to motivate staff.

1. Provide Praise and Offer Regular Feedback to Employees

It is no secret that employees like hearing when they are doing well, and as a manager, it is important to give feedback to your staff. Being told they are doing a good job is morale boosting for staff, making them feel valued and appreciated by the organisation. Remote working should be no barrier to praising an employee for a job well done. Regular catch-ups, either in person or virtually if remote working is permanent, are a good way for a manager to check in with staff members, offer praise and constructive feedback and generally see how they are doing on a personal level. A quick Teams message, a video call or an email circulated are all easy, low-cost options that make an employee feel good about themselves. Feedback of all types is essential, however, as helping an employee improve and learn from any mistakes or setbacks can also improve their motivation.

2. Ensure a Work-Life Balance

This is something critical and must be in place if you want a truly motivated, passionate, and dedicated workforce. No matter how much an individual loves their job, it is vital to ensure that they are getting enough of a balance between working and having time away from the job. There are a few ways managers can help with the work-life balance of staff, and they are simpler than you may think. Simply encouraging people to take breaks away from their computers, desks, or whatever it is they may do more than a good start. The work-life balance for remote workers can seem trickier to implement. Often, the difference between ‘work’ and ‘home’ is the closing of a laptop or the hanging up of a phone. Try and encourage these staff members to take walks, get fresh air at lunch break, and if possible, to set aside an area of the home for working that is away from the areas where they mainly chill out and relax. Inversely, managers should consider offering flexible working and remote working to office-based staff if this is something that will work for the business. Even just a couple of days of this can help balance work and life – cutting down on commuting time, saving money on travel, and just allowing the person to spend more time at home.

3. Provide Opportunities for Career Progression

An employee that can see a clear route to progressing their career within an organisation is likely to be a motivated employee. Like offering regular feedback, this is something managers can implement into their management style. Looking at options such as recruiting for senior positions from within the company is noticed by staff and gives them something to aim for moving forwards.

4. Ensure Clear Communication with Employees

Communication in many aspects of business is critical, and this is no different when it comes to motivating a workforce. Regularly informing your workforce of any updates or changes to the business is vital, and it is important to let staff know how about overall performance. Ultimately, they are coming to work each

day to make the company a success so they should be kept up to date with happenings in the wider business and any external issues. This creates a more invested workforce who can see the overall picture and see how they play a part as a member of one big team.

5. Make Roles Purposeful and Assign Meaningful Tasks

An employee wants to really feel part of an organisation and that they are really playing a vital role in the success of a business. Employers should, where possible, ensure that tasks are interesting and engaging. This, coupled with feedback and regular communication, can help staff members feel connected to the company and that they are making a valuable contribution to the overall business success. This can boost morale around the work place make everyone feel like one big team and that they have something to strive towards.

Also relating to this, is the issue of job roles. Naturally, different people in the organisation carry out different roles – but everyone’s overall role is the same, to contribute to the overall success of the business. Ensure this is clear to the employee so that they know how their role, regardless of the pay grade level, is contributing to the wider business. As mentioned, regular company updates, business-wide meetings

and team days to update everyone of company plans and performance can also help with this and ultimately create a happier and more passionate workforce.

6. Offer Employee Incentives and Bonuses

An employee incentive programme is something that will directly reward employees for their accomplishments. It is a good way to keep employees focused on achieving goals and gives them something to strive for, whether it be a financial reward or otherwise. Bonuses, team days out, vouchers and extra time off are all great ways to keep people engaged and motivated, particularly in more challenging times.

Motivating employees is something we have seen can be achieved by taking some simple steps and focusing on your staff. Incentivising and rewarding staff go a long way to making them feel appreciated within the organisation. Benefits are also felt by the business, with staff less likely to leave, feeling part of the company and as if they are working towards an overall goal. Staff retention reduces costs, as well as potential downtime with staff numbers being down, and having a motivated, invested workforce generally will benefit a company in the long term.

7 Top Tech Tips - Best Business & Productivity Apps and Software

Provided By David Meares - Virtec

IT Solutions

Each month we ask the guys at Virtec for some IT tips and advice, this month we asked if they could tell us their best business and productivity apps and software to help businesses.

We all need to focus on our business first and foremost, but sometimes organising or structuring what we are doing to achieve our goals can be slow and cumbersome. Thankfully, there are some fantastic

applications and software on the market that can assist us with this! This month we will look at some of these products, with an aim to increase our productivity and in turn our profitability!

Do you need to need to get documents signed electronically? Do you need to send encrypted/secure emails? If you answered yes to any of these questions you need the little red button in your email platform that can do all of these things!

Think of Trello like a bunch of sticky notes, all organised into categories of your own creation, with handy tick boxes to mark when done or mark off list items. You can also collaborate with other staff or groups.

A great piece of software for recording your screen. This can be used to show staff or clients how to do something, create guides or to simply share something you have found.

2. Trello

1. Frama-RMail –

3. FlashBack

Need to keep track of time? This will let you track your working time to ensure your billing clients correctly, keep track of your own time and even schedule your time depending on your diary. It’s time to start tracking your time!

Require sending large documents or files over the internet? Look no further than WeTransfer! With the free version allowing up to 2gb of files transfers and the paid version offering 1tb, this should be plenty for anyone’s requirements!

The key to any business is communication! Microsoft Teams is one of the best team communications software out there. If you just need to send a message, create a collaborative group, share files, or quickly create a video chat can all be done on the platform! Your Teams await!

Need to create or design a presentation, social media post or video in a flash? This is the platform for you! Quick and easy to navigate and use, you’ll be designing things in a flash!

4. WeTransfer

5. Clockify

6. Canva

7. Microsoft Teams