SBC Magazine Summer 2023 Issue 9

A word from our Chief WELCOME TO SBC MAGAZINE! John Welcome to the latest edition of SBC magazine, we are really excited 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.

SBC Magazine has come a long way over the time it has been publishing content for the business sector and we are really pleased that we have reached a new milestone in that you might be reading this online as usual or you might be reading our first ever printed copy. Let us know what you think, if this edition is well received, we will look at future editions being printed as well.

We are also very excited to be working with Business Vision Live for the show on the 10th May, we are honoured to have stand 319 with some of our members and will be showcasing our businesses as well as hosting some speed networking throughout the day, if the show hasn't happened yet or if you are currently at the show, come over and say hi.

Over the coming months we are increasing our reach by working with many organisations to bring you latest news and updates from the business world including in this edition an update from Lombard (one of the largest finance companies in the UK specialising in asset based lending) all about five government schemes SMEs should be taking advantage of.

We also have some articles from members of Simply Business Club, take a look and let us know what you think.

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What’s inside

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6 8 9 10 12

Making sure your will is fit for purpose

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Simply Business Club - Marketing for your business - Networking & trade show special

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Simply Business Club Members profiles & Contact details

PUZZLE PAGE SUDOKU & CROSSWORD lombard reveals the five government schemes SMEs should be taking advantage of Benefits of keeping it local CSR: What it is and how you can make it part of your business

using linkedin in a digital world business advantages of your own book The importance of security at events 7 top tech tips - Passwords Simply Business Club membership benefits Magazine Rate Card

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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 in this edition we have 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.

Subscribe to our mailing list for future editions

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Making sure your Will is fit for purpose Written by Sara Sheppard What do we mean by this? It means that making sure your Will does exactly what you think it does. It is all very well thinking that your Estate is simple and that you can either write your Will yourself, or have a free Will written through one of the charity schemes (you have to be over 55 to do this, and they hope that you will leave them a big legacy – after all they are paying a solicitor to write the Will). Or you may decide to do one of the cheap Wills through an online service or buy a pack from WHSmiths and write it yourself.

However, none of these will take a good look at the size and structure of your Estate, or ask you about your family (not just your spouse and children) but also consider other relatives. None of these will necessarily consider whether additional clauses are needed to protect your business, nor will they consider Inheritance Tax implications.

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At SLS Wills and More Limited, our director, Sara Sheppard, has over 34 years experience, not only in writing Wills, but also dealing with Estate once someone has passed away, and as a result, she has dealt with many difficult situations where there was no Will, or the Will was no longer fit for purpose.

When considering your Will, think about: 1. Who should be your Executors and Trustees? These should be people that you can trust 100% - they must be financially aware and if at the time of dealing with your Estate, they are bankrupt, then they cannot act as your Executor. Are they likely to be in a position of a conflict of interest? Your beneficiaries can be your Executors, but they might just want to make sure that their interest as a beneficiary is protected rather than those of anyone else. It is for this reason that some people consider appointing professional Executors. Sara can help and guide you as to the options available to you.

2. Do you need guardians for young children? If your children are under 18 when you die, and you have not appointed guardians, then the Courts will decide who gets to look after them and who will have parental responsibility. There is no automatic solution for the care of your children. According to Child Bereavement UK (https://www. childbereavementuk.org/deathbereavement-statistics) 111 children lose a parent EVERY day.

3. Do you have a business? Is it a limited company, partnership or are you a sole trader? What will happen to it if you still owned the business when you die? We need to consider whether there are other shareholders and is there a shareholders agreement in place.

Will your business be entitled to

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Will because you are still paying maintenance to them.

We recommend that you review your will every 3-5 years or if you have a life changing event

SLS Wills and More 01304 577 998 www.slswillsandmore.co.uk

Business Property Relief (BPR) for Inheritance Tax purposes?

Not every business is, and only your Accountant will be able to tell you as it not certain if your business will have BPR. Should you appoint a separate Business Executor to deal with your business or are your main Executors capable and qualified to do so?

4. Do you want to protect your family home so that it can pass to your children, even if your spouse remarried? If your spouse remarries, then the Will they would have made with you is automatically revoked on their marriage, and your children could be disinherited very easily.

5. Are you currently separated from your spouse, but not yet divorced?

Did you know that your spouse is still entitled to your Estate under your Will or under the laws of intestacy if you died before the Decree Absolute is issued? We would recommend that a new Will is made upon separation, and then reconsidered on divorce. Are you doing the divorce yourself online?

Are you aware that unless you have a binding agreement stamped by the Courts, your ex spouse could still be entitled to some of your Estate.

An informal agreement between you does not necessarily mean that they will get nothing – particularly if they decided to challenge your www.simplybusinessmagazine.co.uk

6. Are any of your beneficiaries vulnerable, or do they lack the ability to manage their finances?

We do not recommend leaving them out of your Will on the basis that other family members will look after them – there is nothing to legally enforce your wishes unless there is something in your Will – we recommend considering a form of trust that will ensure that your vulnerable beneficiary will be protected.

7. Are there assets which should be placed in trust now to keep them out of your Estate for Inheritance Tax purposes? You would be surprised how many times we see clients who have not thought about making sure life policies and pensions are going to pass to their beneficiaries direct, rather than under a Will – this is quite important to consider, and as we work with a number of financial advisers we can recommend you to someone who will be able to advise on these aspects.

8. Making sure your funeral wishes are recorded is becoming more important. There are more reports of family disagreements arising due to the lack of recorded wishes, which can then cause rifts, and this is before they even start talking about money…. We can help with this, and would advise you to seriously consider a pre-paid funeral plan as well. Paying for your funeral now at today’s prices means that you have control over what

Having an estate planning consultant make your Will could save your estate £thousands

happens and your family will not have to struggle to find the money – there is no guarantee that there will be enough money in the bank, that they will even release it, and that over 50’s life policy may not be enough either. Prepaid Funeral plans are set to become regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as of July 2022, so we would advise that you should only consider plans from already regulated providers.

We at SLS Wills and More Limited can help guide you with some of the bigger providers who are already regulated.

9. If you have made your Will already, did you sign and date it in the presence of 2 witnesses? We have seen so many homemade Wills, where it has not been signed and witnessed properly, or amendments have been made which are not initialled properly. Do you even know where your Will is kept?

We also recommend that your Wills are reviewed every 3-5 years, or if you have a life-changing event (birth, marriage, inheritance, retiring), so for our existing clients we offer a short call just to check that nothing has changed. For others, we will review your existing Will and let you know if you should consider making a new one and will let you know how much our charges are.

Having your Will made by an Estate Planning Consultant may cost you a few hundred pounds, but you will have peace of mind that it will protect your family and your assets, and could save thousands of pounds when you die. Make sure your Consultant is either a member of Society of Will Writers, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners or Institute of Professional Will Writers, as they will be trained and regulated to high standards.

We are more than happy to help, so please visit our website www.slswillsandmore.co.uk for more information, or call us on 01304 577998 to make an appointment.

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GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE NEW NORMAL Written by Rob Smith

The events of the last couple of years has dramatically changed the way businesses work as well as the way people work within them.

For some they found a perfect opportunity to start-up on their own and realise their dream of running their own business. For others they had the opportunity to work from home for the first time in their careers. As time moved on these dreams began to look a little less appealing and the reality that the grass isn’t always greener started to kick in. Those that work from home are missing the daily connection with their work colleagues and it’s important to consider that human interaction and communication with others is an essential part to our wellbeing and contributes to our effectiveness in the workplace.

Those that started out on their very own business ventures are faced with challenges they’ve never come across before and many are finding it tougher than they imagined. As a consequence many are losing confidence and struggling to focus on what it takes to get them to where they want to be. Let’s face it, starting a business is hard, and scaling an existing business isn’t any easier. Understanding the next steps and taking them isn’t always obvious, especially when people get bogged down in the day-to-day minutiae of their business and lose focus on the bigger picture.

removing any obstacles in your way, by helping you get a bird’s eye view of every aspect of your business. They also act as an effective accountability partner, looking at strategy, planning and most importantly - taking action.

As a business coach, it is important for me to understand that every client I work with has different needs. Firstly, I need to establish what are the main aims and objectives of the business or individual, which isn’t always obvious. One of my favourite sayings as a coach is: “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there”.

As a qualified NLP practitioner, I can also call upon some very useful techniques to deal with a range

of issues – lack of confidence, anxiety, motivation and stress, which can often create a sense of paralysis within a business.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, there is nothing wrong with you – you just have to do things differently – it’s that simple!

If you’d like to find out more about having your own coach and make the changes you want call me on 07808 600895.

But it doesn’t have to be like that…

Having a professional coach working alongside you acts as an effective business satellite navigation system - someone who helps you get a clear picture of the path ahead, identifying and 8

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Shoppers rally around small businesses amid toughtimes American Express research reveals • Over half (52%) of small businesses say customers are choosing to shop small to support them during the challenging economic environment • Research comes as American Express’ Shop Small campaign returns this month, incentivising Cardmembers to spend at participating small businesses across the UK

The research, conducted by Opinium on behalf of American Express, found that over half (52%) of small businesses believe customers are choosing to shop with small businesses to support them during the current challenging trading environment, brought about by a range of cost and supply chain pressures.

This support is reflected in the number of new customers shopping with small independents; more than half (55%) of small businesses report seeing a rise in new customers purchasing from their business over the last six months.

London, UK, 15 June 2022 – Small businesses are receiving muchneeded support from their customer base according to new research from American Express, released to coincide with its summer Shop Small campaign that helps support the nation’s local and independent businesses.

When it comes to the future, two-thirds (66%) of small business respondents say they are expecting sales to grow over the next year, with over a third (35%) stating they are optimistic about prospects for their business.

Dan Edelman, Vice President and General Manager, UK Merchant Services at American Express said: “After the many challenges of the last few

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last few years, it’s heartening see that customer support for the nation’s valuable small businesses remains strong. We’re proud to champion these businesses, which is why we’re encouraging our Cardmembers to show their appreciation by shopping locally with the return of Shop Small this month, available at more locations than ever before.”

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Get in touch with us, send your articles to

First launched 10 years ago, Shop Small helps independent businesses attract customers through their doors and is just one of the ways American Express champions small businesses all year round. The company is founder and Principal Supporter of Small Business Saturday, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (3 December).

Michelle Ovens, Director of Small Business Saturday UK, added: “Such optimism shown towards small businesses is fantastic to see, especially as we navigate through a challenging time when they need our support more than ever.

Choosing to back campaigns such as Shop Small and Small Business Saturday is an excellent way to get behind our nation’s independents and give them the recognition they deserve.”

Between 20 - 26 June, American Express Cardmembers will receive a £5 statement credit when they spend £15 or more at participating small businesses across the UK. This Offer, funded by American Express, can be used up to 5 times, once per participating small business location, meaning that Cardmembers can earn up to £25 back in statement credits. The total number of participating locations this summer has risen by almost a fifth (19%) compared to the previous campaign in December 2021.

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WORKPLACE STRESS

TIME FOR NEW THINKING Written by Caroline Purvey I have this philosophy that if you are not happy in your job, change it. I would promise myself if I did not want to jump out of bed looking forward to my day at work – that would be the time to get out. Sadly, many go to work every day and are not at all happy.

I spent some years working in schools. What astounded me was that on return from the holidays, the first thing I would hear some teaching colleagues say is – ‘Only six more weeks to the next holiday!’ Others not just from the world of education have the mantra ‘Only five more years till the pension’! To wish your life away because you cannot wait to get out is a tragedy, yet it is more common than perhaps you might think.

How can one’s working life be so insufferable and yet trapped at the same time? I would argue it is fear, which can include lack of money, not being worthy, capable, or deserving of something better.

Dreams and aspirations are locked away in the belief that they are impossible.

Many limiting beliefs come from childhood. However, they can also come from the many pressures that manifest in the workplace, and that can include:

Work pressure:

tasks or projects with too many unrealistic deadlines leaving the most capable struggling to cope.

Work

Overload: having so much work to the point of feeling swamped, with neither the resources nor time, one is left overwhelmed. Overwhelm can lead to burnout.

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Bullying:

The bully can be overbearing angry or abusive, and undermining. Sexual harassment, racist comments or put-downs about work to personal insults.

Bullies spread lies, put you down in front of colleagues, or try to turn them against you. There are many traits and behaviours of a bully I have seen people destroyed by them. They are oblivious and certainly have no empathy for the distress they cause.

Add to the mix of long hours, traveling, juggling or struggling with finances, dealing with the public and tele-sales pressure, and meeting the expectations of relationships and family life, the outlook is not good. Physical, mental, and emotional health will suffer. Sometimes, the effects do not become apparent until someone else notices. If we imagine we are all stress buckets and fill them daily with negative experiences, can a business

deliver the best if staff are battling daily with such problems? Yet, most walk around with their painted smile, pretending to be OK! From offices to banking, hospitality to manufacturing, self-employed to the corporates or private and Public Service sectors, no one escapes work stress, which accumulates as tension in the body. The more tension stored, the more problems emerge, such as sleep difficulties, mood swings, headaches, lack of focus, energy, concentration, and memory.

Tension causes back, hip, neck, shoulder pain and gut problems, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) being the most common. All Simply Business Magazine

‘ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF AN APPROACHING NERVOUS BREAKDOWN IS THE BELIEF THAT ONE’S WORK IS TERRIBLY IMPORTANT’ - BERTRAND RUSSELL Some startling facts

Let me share some compelling results from a 2020 Labour Force Survey: • In 2019/20, 828,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety (new or longstanding).

• There were also 17.9 million working days lost due to workrelated stress, depression, or anxiety.

While other findings from this survey are well worth looking at, these figures alone are significant.

Data from our clients at TRE UK® show 89% are dealing with pressure at work. Nothing is changing – but it can!

clear-headed, focussed, creative, and productive? Imagine if all were free of their unnecessary suffering and with remarkable resilience!

Sound too good to be true?

Canterbury Christchurch University recently validated data from those who undertook the Total Release Experience® programme to shift deep-held tension from the Psoas muscle. Key findings were that it 99% improves physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing and not by chance. Data from a project with the Police showed they were working with higher-than-average anxiety and depression scales.

However, after the programme, they were down over 60%.

Time for new thinking If there is a magic wand that fixes all, why is work stress a continuously growing problem? Can you imagine how it would be if those in your organisation (including yourself) were happy, energetic, motivated, the systems of the body slowly start to malfunction. Breathing is a struggle exacerbated by panic attacks, anxiety, and depression.

Skin disorders such as psoriasis or eczema are not uncommon either.

Rising blood pressure increases the risk of stroke or heart attack.

If it proves to be fatal – one has to ask – is it/was it all worth it? No wonder stress in the workplace is a significant problem.

Pre Covid, mental health costs employers nationally over £45 million per year, contributing to poor performance and enforced early retirement. Mental health is a major driving force behind many physical illnesses. www.simplybusinessmagazine.co.uk

While it has been the norm to find someone else to fix our problems, the truth is no one can. As the world changes working practices, the mindset around health and wellbeing needs to change too.

Most problems are stress-related, and by taking back responsibility for our health, we can thrive in the workplace. If you are looking for an innovative, cost-effective, sustainable, self-help programme for all in your organisation, working together with TRE UK® will ensure that stress is not the biggest problem on the boardroom agenda.

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Working from Home:

The Pros and Cons of having flexible working whilst the children are at home

2, Flexibility for Childcare: Working from home provides the flexibility to manage childcare responsibilities more effectively. You can be present for your children’s needs while still fulfilling work obligations, making it easier to balance both roles.

3, Supervision and Safety:

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veryone is sold the dream of flexible working / working from home, right. Imagine how great it will be not to travel into the office or take a 3 hour lunch break because you can. Or even better pick up the children and return to work after they have gone to bed, all sound arguements about how amazing it would be. As someone who works from home and does so for the freedom it gives me I wanted to share both sides of the arguement as sometimes it is great and I love it but sometimes it can be hard.

Benefits of Working from Home During Summer Holidays with Children at Home: 1, Increased Family Bonding: Working from home allows you to spend more time with your children during their summer holidays. This can strengthen family bonds and create cherished memories through shared activities and experiences.

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Having children at home during the summer can be more manageable if you’re working from home.

You can ensure their safety, monitor their activities, and provide guidance without the need for external childcare.

4, Educational Opportunities: With more time together, you can engage in educational and creative activities with your children, helping them learn and explore new interests during their break from school.

5, Reduced Stress: Avoiding the stress of commuting and the logistics of arranging external childcare can lead to reduced stress levels. This can positively impact your overall well-being and work performance.

Cons of Working from Home During Summer Holidays with Children at Home:

gives you some human contact if you are working from home regularly.

Distractions and Productivity Challenges:

SBC Magazine is always looking for topics to discuss, firstly we would love to hear your opinion on this topic, are you a business owner or an employee, do you think working from home is good, bad or somewhere in between?

Balancing work tasks with supervising and engaging with children can be highly distracting, potentially impacting your productivity and ability to focus on work-related tasks.

Boundary Issues: Establishing clear boundaries between work and family time becomes more challenging when children are at home. It can be difficult to separate your roles and find dedicated time for both work and parental responsibilities.

We are always looking for new topics to discuss, have some ideas then please do get in touch and we can feature your opinion as well as our own. email us info@simplybusinessclub.co.uk with your ideas

Work Interruptions: Children may require your attention or assistance at any moment, leading to frequent work interruptions.

This can lead to frustration and hinder your ability to meet work deadlines.

Professional Image: Depending on your job, frequent interruptions from children during video calls or i m p o r t a n t meetings could impact your Joining Simply Business Club has given us a great opportunity p r o fe s s i o n a l to meet other business within Kent and hear about the various image and how you’re industries of other members. Its quite a relaxed atmosphere too so perceived by you feel like your making friends as well as business contacts and colleagues meetings are flexible to your work schedule. All in all its been a n d great for our business not only broaden our client base supervisors.

T i m e Management Struggles:

but also utilise services from others too.

We would highly recommend coming along and trying it out!

Juggling work David Meares and childcare Virtec IT Solutions responsibilities requires excellent time management skills. Failing to strike a balance could lead to burnout as you try to meet both work and family demands simultaneously.

The biggest con for me is not just over the summer but at all times Isolation: Working from home might lead to feelings of isolation, particularly during the summer when others are out and about. It could be challenging to miss out on social interactions and the energy of a traditional workplace.

Book a meeting now by scanning this QR code don't forget to use the promocode NEWVISITOR for your first 4 visits

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TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO NEW HEIGHTS SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

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Using Linkedin in a Digital World Let your business benefit from the power of Linkedin

Linkedin is one of the most powerful tools available to generate awareness of your business towards people you do not know (word of Mouth).

Simply Business Club has been a huge advocate for Mike Roberts and his Making Digital Real revolution. So I asked ChatGPT why should a business use Linkedin and this is what it said: LinkedIn is a powerful social networking platform that businesses can leverage to build their brand, connect with customers, and grow their business. Here are some reasons why businesses need to use LinkedIn: 1, Reach a Large Audience: LinkedIn is the world's largest professional networking platform with over 756 million members in more than 200 countries. By having a presence on LinkedIn, businesses can reach a large and diverse audience and connect with potential customers, partners, and employees.

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transform your business, if only you plug it in. Brand Awareness: LinkedIn 2, Build is an excellent platform for building There’s main By reasons that brand three awareness. creating compliance might feel like a tickbox a company page, businesses exercise, a thing for theproducts audit, a waste can showcase their or of time (and, in which case,insights, probably services, share industry is). and engage with their followers. A well-curated LinkedIn page can help First, because it duplicates real as life. businesses establish themselves Ifthought you have ISOin certifications leaders their industry. and schedule a so-called management review just Leads: in time for the auditor 3, Generate LinkedIn provides coming you can triumphantly a varietyso of tools and features to brandish the minutes in their face, help businesses generate leads. then can knockSales it on the head. You With youLinkedIn Navigator, know the weekly/biweekly/monthly businesses can target specific m a n a g e m eand n t / bidentify o a r d /dpotential irectors’ audiences meeting you alreadybusinesses have? That’scan your leads. Additionally, management use LinkedIn'sreview. advertising platform to create targeted campaigns that I’d confidently bet that you are reach their ideal audience. discussing these things all the time.

Because if you aren’tLinkedIn talking about how 4, Recruit Talent: is also effectively your recruitment business is running a powerful tool. more often than a week before the By posting job openings on the annual audit, you wouldn’t havea a platform, businesses can reach business forof very long. candidates. large pool qualified Additionally, businesses can use You don’t need to call itfor a management LinkedIn to search potential review for it based to qualify.

You skills don’tand need candidates on their to use the dry technical terms of the experience. 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 –

5, Stay Up-to-Date with Industry that’s ‘Context of the Organisation’ News: LinkedIn is an excellent and ‘Needs and Expectations of platform for staying up-to-date Interested Parties’ ticked off. Andwith so the latest industry news and trends. on.

By following relevant industry andthere’s thought If,groups by chance, a part leaders, of the businesses stay cover informed and standard youcan didn’t – you stay ahead of the competition. probably should add it somewhere.

Call it something in plain English, but In summary, LinkedIn a valuable don’t neglect it.

Not “foristhe audit”, tool for businesses of all sizes. By but because it’s all quite important leveraging the platform's stuff.

You don’t need to powerful discuss features, businesses can reach every item in every meeting either; a largesome and items diverse build have on audience, every agenda, brand awareness, generate and others can rotate so leads, that recruit talent, andthe stay up-to-date meetings don’t last whole day. with industry news and trends.

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

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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.

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.

Your processes, your procedure documentation, your policies, your quality checks, your risks, As discussed, Simply Business Club has worked with Mike at MDR for some time and • a really Elegant in application: maximum your KPIs – all of it should form onekindly cohesive he has come up with brilliant offer to help you with your Linkedin benefit, minimum fuss. powerhouse that does the hard work for you. approach so scan the QR code below and let Mike help you to conquer Linkedin and make Linkedin work for you and your business • Worthwhile: expect a return on your time You, as a business leader, should receive the investment with real-life results for your business. management information that you need to make decisions, prevent disasters, and power your We’ll start with an informal chat and get to understand you, business onwards towards the objectives you – then work with you through our respected client portal and everybody else – are striving for. It should be which keeps everything together. Our vision for you will the mushroom to your Super Mario. be a Wallace-and-Gromit breakfast machine that delivers what you need, how you need it, when you need it. And save And that’s not unachievable. The constraining you from Brian banging on while you’re drowning in forms factors are usually lack of confidence in your you’d cheerfully set on fire as Belinda’s over there getting freedom to change “compliance stuff” from the repeatedly blown up. templates Brian got from the auditor or Google; lack of understanding of how everything should Hop to our website – www.tesseract.consulting fit together; or lack of time to rewire the system because you’ve a bulging inbox and pile of work. or drop us a note at ask@tesseract.consulting.

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WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY

Written By John Turner - CEO - Simply Business Club

If the last few years has shown us anything, it must be the fact that our community matters, it is important, and we need to embrace it. Our outlook on life has changed and as a business I need to be aware of this shift.

Many studies have been carried out around this and it has been proven that consumers and other businesses are influenced by whether a company is philanthropic and are more likely to spend and work with these companies.

SUPPORTING BUSINESS IN SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE WAYS

SIMPLY BUSINESS CLUB

The most obvious benefit of working with a charity for me is the positive impact that makes to the charities cause. Supporting through help can be worth a lot more to them than a small donation, raising awareness of the cause is also invaluable to them. My personal involvement goes far beyond simply donating money, I offer my services and time, from offering my design services for FREE to helping out at events, you will often find me dressed up as a six-foot elephant!

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By supporting these charities, it positively impacts my reputation and increases my reach to a wider audience, but for me it is much more that that, it is easy for me to get caught up in the day-to-day business of the companies I run and so taking time to give something back to charity or good causes gives me a new perspective on work and life.

Simply Business Club has lots of love to give and we as a company support several good causes.

Our members are also very supportive and I am always really pleased to see the amount of support offered and given to others when raising money or looking for different types of support.

A great example of this is, come November Simply Business Club has partnered with The Business Show and will be exhibiting at the show on the 22nd / 23rd November and whilst there we will be promoting one of our members Stuart Wilson and his push with Movember, each year he grows a a Mo to save a Bro and we want to share his efforts whilst at the show and we will be including a double page feature article in the November edition of the magazine.

I believe that through Simply Business Club we have created a community and we always encourage our members and guests to support each other as much as possible, because as I always say, A rising tide lifts all boats, if we all help each other we will all win!

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THE BUSINESS SHOW 2023

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NOV 2023

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Thinking of visiting The Business Show?

Here’s how to make the most of your time there When attending The Business Show it would be beneficial to prepare a list of exhibitors you would like to visit, or seminars and panel debates that you’d like to attend. You can use the show guide to highlight stands, talks, or other places and utilise the notes section.

It’s good to think about your main reasons for attending the show and what you will feel most satisfied to come away having gained or learnt. For example, maybe you, as a business owner, want to pick up products and software to help your company run more efficiently. Maybe, as an entrepreneur, you want to have a play-by-play from industry experts on how to start your own business. Maybe even as an employee, you want to take a masterclass in digital marketing so you can find your feet in your new career; the possibilities are endless. Only you know what would be the most rewarding use of your time at The Business Show, so take advantage of this opportunity and plan your schedule accordingly.

One of the key areas that attract visitors each year is the expert-led, interactive masterclasses. They are a must-see feature for visitors that are looking to grow their skillset and improve their knowledge. Sessions which would ordinarily cost you thousands of pounds are completely free to attend. Some of the names hosting masterclasses include Premier Property, HSBC, IPO, Sleeping Giant Media, and Property CEO, amongst many others. You won’t get the opportunity anywhere else to have a hands-on experience like this; some of the sessions include guidance on digital marketing, others are about property investment, cybersecurity, or business growth.

With such a vast variety of options to explore, it’s imperative that you have a plan of action and a schedule to follow. It’s therefore also advised that to attend the sessions you want, you sign up for masterclasses along with your entry ticket as they are first come first serve. Sign up for masterclasses opens around 8 weeks prior to the show.

If you’re looking for inspirational talks from industry experts visit our keynote theatres to hear more from Marnie Swindells The Apprentice 2023 winner and business owner, Simon Squibb Investor, Entrepreneur and Founder/CEO at HelpBnk, Daniela Tabor from Spotify and Harmony Murphy from Google to name just a few. To ensure a seat make sure you get to the keynote theatres in advance to guarantee a seat!

Some good advice might also be to think about how you learn best. Will you learn more from listening to a keynote, taking advantage of the Q&A at a live panel debate, attending an interactive masterclass, or having a quick conversation with other business professionals at the speed networking area? The choice is yours, decide today and you will find the event to be incredibly beneficial to you.

So what are you waiting for?

Get your free ticket to The Business Show now.

FOLLOW US FOR UPDATES! www.simplybusinessmagazine.co.uk @The Business Show @Thebusinessshow

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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!

2. Trello 1. Frama-RMail – 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.

3. FlashBack 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.

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4. WeTransfer 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!

6. Canva 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!

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5. Clockify 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!

7. Microsoft Teams 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!

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