unLTD. Connecting business across Sheffield City Region #24

APRIL 2020 | ISSUE 24 | FREE | WWW.UNLTDBUSINESS.COM

We are

Now, more than ever, businesses across the Sheffield City Region need to unite and support each other We can do this!

IF YOU ASK ME: COVID-19 ● WORKING FROM HOME TIPS ● MANAGING CHANGE unLTDBUSINESS.COM

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CONTENTS

INSIDE...

8: News National recognition for local company, over 50s fitness class success and free new business support during COVID-19.

13: The Diary Our editor Richard Fidler gives his view on the COVID-19 crisis.

14: If you ask me...

We speak to business experts as they give their advice on different subjects related to COVID-19.

24: Working from home tips unLTD readers give their hints and tips for home-working.

27: Business support Hart Shaw talks businesses through the support available during the COVID-19.

30: Business roundtable Experts from Ameresco, Sheffield Forgemasters, SCX, Gripple, Sheffield United and Whyy? Change chatted about managing change in businesses as part our roundtable.

48: Business start-ups Wanting to start out on your own?

We got the lowdown from Taylor Bracewell’s team of experts to find out more about the key areas all wannabe-bosses need to consider.

57: Product guide Steel City's James Biggins keeps you hydrated with a choice of water bottles.

59: Commercial finance J&J Commercial Finance director Jamie Baggaley explains how Asset Finance can help businesses.

60: Profile Rochelle Gilburn tells her story of how she has bounced back after family tragedy to start a new property investment company.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 10: Appointments 37: Entrepreneur support 39: Evolving technology 41: Legal matters 43: Securing your assets 45: Sales strategy 66: Charities

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@UNLTDBUSINESS UNLTD BUSINESS UNLTDBUSINESS

STRONGER TOGETHER! From the unLTD team to everyone who reads this, we hope you’re all safe and well and getting through this situation as best you can.

It really is unprecedented times with a series of shocks to personal, public and business life making it difficult for any of us to know what will happen next. The day by day developments are testing every firm to its maximum but in adversity there has been in incredible strength shown.

This issue we have pretty much ripped up and started again to try and reflect what is going on out there in the Sheffield City Region. Every effort has been made to make it as accurate as possible, but government guidance is changing day-to-day so remember to keep checking online.

Nothing is more important than the health of our family and friends – indeed, the wellbeing of the nation makes business decisions pale into insignificance at times.

Having said that, a strong national economy is vital for our public services to withstand what is going on.

The debate of whether they are resourced enough (let’s be clear, we’re not talking about being ready for pandemic levels of care at all times) is one to be had on another day, but we can safely say that by the end of this we’ll owe a few drinks to our friends in the NHS and many other sectors.

Many thanks to our columnists for changing tack on what they were going to write. There’s expert financial advice from accountants Hart Shaw and Jillian Thomas, owner of Future Life Wealth Management.

IT specialists CT give some practical advice about securing your systems and networks while your workforce is scattered across the city region.

Staff, and HR departments, will be anxious at this time so Jay Bhayani of Bhayani Law sets out the best practice for dealing with employment issues.

Finally, we really want to support as many businesses as possible through this, whether that’s in the magazine, online or via social media. Just get in touch with us and we will do our very best.

EDITORIAL Richard Fidler richard@unltdbusiness.com Jill Theobald editorial@unltdbusiness.com General hello@unltdbusiness.com 0114 252 7781 ADVERTISING Dan Laver dan@unltdbusiness.com 07867 313995 Phil Turner phil@unltdbusiness.com 07979 498034 General advertising@unltdbusiness.com FINANCE Sarah Koriba and Michael Johnson accounts@exposedmagazine.co.uk DESIGN Simon Waller and Simon Garlick CONTRIBUTORS Patrick Abel Jamie Baggaley Joe Bamford James Biggins Charlotte Higgins Steve Knapp Sam Leeder Jade March

Anna McGuire Sasha Mossman Bronte Saulle Ian Snow Jill Thomas Helen Williams Ash Young

unLTD is published monthly by Blind Mice Media Ltd Unit 1B Rialto, 2 Kelham Island Square, Kelham Riverside Sheffield S3 8SD and HRM Unit 1a Speedwell Works, Sidney Street, Sheffield S1 4RG The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and HRM and while every effort is made to ensure information throughout unLTD is correct, changes prior to distribution may take place which can affect the accuracy of copy, therefore Blind Mice Media Ltd and HRM cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific listings.

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AGENDA NEWS Fitness classes for the over-fifties a sell-out success Age Active, which provides health and fitness activities for the over fifties, have announced they’ve helped over two hundred thousand people to get active since 1992.

With over five hundred members, the varied programme of classes to suit different age groups has been a roaring success for fitness instructors, Suzanne Duraid and David Schofield, and Dennis Dryden.

Suzanne Duraid, Founder of Age Active, said: “We get lots of newcomers who struggle to pluck up the courage to attend their first fitness class, but we’re so supportive and inclusive. Our classes offer a community-feeling, which you can't get in a gym!"

Member Kath Watson said: “Taking part in group classes every week helps me to keep fit. Without Age Active, I wouldn’t get out of the house.”

The organisation is entirely self-funded, and classes take place at Victoria Hall in Sheffield City Centre, located on Chapel Walk.

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FURTHER NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR UTILITY ALLIANCE Utility Alliance has earned national recognition by being named as one of the Top 100 Companies to Work for in the UK for the second year.

The honour comes after a long-running campaign which saw staff randomly surveyed by the Best Companies organisation, with all levels of the business coming under the spotlight.

All of the responses were analysed, with businesses given a total score at the end of the process.

The company, which operates from a base in Bold Street and also has branches

in Hartlepool and Newcastle, was thrilled to be named in 40th position in a competition which is backed by The Sunday Times.

Daniel Potter, Managing Director at the Sheffield base of Utility Alliance, commented: “Last year we were over the moon to be ranked in 55th place, so it goes without saying there is a sense of pride at having bettered that.

“We have made rapid progress considering we have only been operating for five years.

“Achievements like this would not be possible without

the hard work and dedication shown by staff at all levels throughout the business.”

Jonathan Austin, Founder and CEO of Best Companies, said: “I would like to congratulate Utility Alliance on their achievement of a Three-Star Accreditation status and being named as one of the best UK Companies to Work For. “We are proud that organisations like Utility Alliance focus on their employees and have been rewarded with an engaged workforce who tell us they are the best company to work for.”

SCR businesses scoop hospitality awards From ‘Unsung Heroes’ to ‘Mentors’ – businesses are celebrating after winning at the SCR Hospitality Awards.

Nicola Dudziak of the Mercure Sheffield Parkway Hotel was the winner of Unsung Hero Award and the hotel also won the Top Team award.

Ruslana Yarmolyuk, general manager, said: “The words that come to mind when you think of Nic are warm, friendly,

dedicated and reliable. Our guests and visitors have lovely memories of fabulous customer service due to her commitment to making them happy.

“As a team we manage to hold a top place for customer satisfaction within Mercure brand in UK.” Parag Tawade, business development manager at the Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria Sheffield, said: “I am very

pleased to be bestowed with the honour of Mentor of the Year. This award is dedicated to all my mentors from previous workplaces, Helen & Hermann at the Crowne Plaza, and my beloved sales team who make everyday fun to work.”

After a full bedroom refurbishment following a rebrand, the Crowne Plaza has also completed refurbishment work in the Grade II listed Ballroom – see page 51.

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AGENDA CityGrab app drives food and drink delivery service during COVID-19 Self-isolating and social distancing has led to the creation of a Sheffield food and drink delivery service to support the city’s hospitality industry during COVID-19.

Brought to you by City Taxis, CityGrab is an independent multi-delivery app platform, enabling you to have your favourite local food and drink products delivered to your door.

With a driver community of more than 1500 in Sheffield,

the CityGrab team are able to deliver faster and further.

Scores of local businesses have signed up to the service and are currently offering home delivery – visit the website for a complete and updated list of vendors and to register www. citygrab.co.uk.

Download the CityGrab app from the Apple store or Google Play store. Follow on social – Twitter @citygrab_ Instagram @citygrab_

Working together through uncertain times Wildfire Experience Agency has announced some ‘outside the box’, new activities to keep employees motivated and working together from home.

Working remotely can be difficult, staying in contact with colleagues and remaining motivated are amongst two of the main challenges. So, Wildfire have invented team building activities that can be done from anywhere there is internet connection.

“We have plenty of opportunities to get you having fun and putting a smile on faces when times are tough.

From our remote team building quiz to online escape rooms, we have the perfect event to get your team fired up,” MD Nathan Angus said.

The remote based quiz involves companies being split into groups who will have their own chatroom where they can interact with teammates, plus a separate chat channel for all participants for quick-fire rounds.

The event is run by a fun quizmaster, streamed through a live video link, and includes interactive elements to keep people engaged.

Wildfire has also created a unique take on the popular escape rooms that groups can view through a live video feed, with teams informing their individual escapee what to do in order to get out in a set amount of time.

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ROB TAYLOR AND STEVE KNAPP

KEEP YOUR BUSINESS BUSY THROUGHOUT CRISIS unLTD columnist Steve Knapp of The Sales Mindset Coach and fellow friend of the mag Rob Taylor of 0114 Marketing - Sheffield City Region Marketing have teamed up with an offer of support to help SCR region’s businesses with their sales and marketing during the COVID-19 crisis.

Sales coach and author Steve Knapp said: “Community is everything and be it our Sheffield, Facebook or LinkedIn

communities you are important to us.

“You’ve made our businesses what they are and, like you, we are feeling uncertain as to what the next days, weeks and months will look like.

“Without doubt they is a period of uncertainty ahead and we are doing what we can to help.”

0114 Marketing are making the entire digital premium platform available free of charge.

To access this resource set up an account using promo code 0114VIP to access the free marketing support via LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g7z3Z_w Steve is making available free of charge the Sales in Your Business Strategy Course available from the premium digital The Accelerator Programme.

To access the course visit https://bit.ly/2U0XZH4 and you will be emailed your discount coupon code.

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AGENDA APPOINTMENTS

HOSPICES ARE MY VOCATION, SAYS NEW FUNDRAISING HEAD Gripple director to drive the people agenda Katrina Ritchie (pictured), who has spent most of her 20 years with Gripple, embedding the ‘Gripple Spirit’ in staff at the Sheffieldbased employee-owned manufacturer of the worldbeating wire joiner, has been appointed the company’s first female director.

She has been invited to join a wide-ranging government commission and also a nationwide manufacturing judging panel.

As Gripple’s people and culture director with a team of 11 - seven in the UK and four others in Europe and the USA, Katrina is now a commissioner of the Workplace Training and Development Commission, set up recently by British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Last year the BCC voted Gripple as the UK’s best employer.

Katrina said: “Becoming a director is undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity for me personally, but what excites me most is the central role the People and Culture team has and will play in Gripple’s future. My focus will be to drive the people agenda globally, to embed the ‘Gripple Spirit’ and to develop our leaders to lead the Gripple way.

“Within the commission I will aim to help to develop UK policies which will drive performance and success through employee engagement.”

Bluebell Wood’s new head of fundraising Samantha Wood brings a wealth of experience to her role at the North Anston children’s hospice.

She joins Bluebell Wood from Lindsey Lodge Hospice in North Lincolnshire and is a former head of fundraising and communications at Rotherham Hospice.

She said: “After discovering what an important role these organisations play, and how important fundraising was to them, I knew where my career path would take me.

“It genuinely means the world to me to be able to do my job in the knowledge that it is helping families to cope with very difficult life situations.

BLUEBELL WOOD’S NEW HEAD OF FUNDRAISING SAMANTHA WOOD

“Bluebell Wood is loved and respected for the unique care and support it provides to children and their families.

“I am proud and excited to

be in a position to promote its work, strengthen long-term relationships, develop new ones and grow our fundraising income.”

‘Exciting addition’ for Helping Entrepreneurs Win

City Taxis hail new appointment

Helping Entrepreneurs Win (HEW) has appointed Lauren Brady as a business coach.

Helen Williams, founder of the business and entrepreneur coaching firm, and unLTD columnist, called the appointment ‘an exciting addition to the HEW Team as the business and brand goes from strength to strength’.

Lauren has entrepreneurial experience from the age of 19, then after five years moved into the corporate world working across several countries in Europe and has more recently project managed and coached digital and sales teams.

Helen said: “Perfectly aligned with the core values, ethos and vision of the business, extremely

Kate Beswick has joined City Taxis as a client relationship manager.

Kate will be responsible for changing the way they approach retaining and growing their business accounts, putting customer experience at the heart of what City Taxis does as a business.

City Taxis MD Arnie Singh said: “We are so pleased to have Kate join our dedicated client management team.

We work with some fantastic clients and we want to make sure that our customers get the best reliable, safe, friendly service and we know Kate is just the person to deliver our ambitious plans ahead.”

LAUREN BRADY

personable and with a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience, Lauren is a pivotal recruit.”

CHANGE YOUR JOB, CHANGE YOUR COMMUTE. 10

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AGENDA SPONSORED BY CODA welcomes new technical director CODA Architecture, part of award-winning Sheffield based multi-disciplinary practice CODA Studios, has appointed a new technical director.

Andrew Chetwynd (pictured below) has been with the Kelham Island based company for four years, originally as an architectural assistant and more recently as an architect and associate, leading the CODA Architecture postplanning team, tasked with the delivery of mixed use and residential projects across the UK. MD Matt Bowker said: “Andrew has very much transformed the way we deliver projects and is responsible for more than £100 million worth of work.

“He has become a vital member of the CODA team, improving and enhancing our processes and as such we felt that this was absolutely the right time to bring him to director level.”

Andrew said: “This promotion comes off the back of years of hard work not just by myself but by the team I lead.

“Without them we would not be able to deliver the variety and number of projects that we are working on at the moment.

“Given the skillset, ambition and enthusiasm we have at CODA Architecture, I believe the best is yet to come and we can achieve even more in the future.”

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Six new appointments for creative agency HRM, the full-service PR and creative agency, has welcomed three new starters in 2020 due to recent client wins and projected business growth.

They join an additional three new recruits, hired by the Sheffield-based company, over the last ten months.

With over 15 years’ working in the PR industry, Kim D’Arcy started the new year as key client manager. Bronte Saulle joins as account manager, after over two years working in the fast-paced communications industry in Dubai.

HRM has added a new arm of digital services to its existing portfolio with the appointment of Cruize Delaney as digital executive who has over

ANNA MCGUIRE, JADE MARCH. CRUIZE DELANEY, BRONTE SAULLE, SASHA MOSSMAN, KIM D'ARCY AND RICHARD FIDLER

five years’ experience in website development, digital consulting and SEO & app creation.

Account manager Jade March and account executives Anna McGuire and Sasha Mossman, who joined over the last ten months, already have a host of successes under their

belt including new client wins and additional services.

Richard Fidler, chief executive, said: “Kim, Jade, Bronte, Cruize, Anna and Sasha bring an array of skills, experience and expertise to HRM as we continue to develop new business avenues.”

BHP CORPORATE FINANCE BOOSTS TRANSACTION SERVICES TEAM

Sheffcare welcomes new Keebles trustee

MARTIN ATHEY AND CHARLOTTE ELLERBY BHP Corporate Finance has strengthened its due diligence offering further with the appointment of Charlotte Ellerby as assistant director.

Charlotte joins from EY’s Transaction Services team in Leeds, where she gained seven years’ transactional experience after joining them as a graduate Charlotte said: “As an openminded independent firm with a strong presence in the local market, the offering at BHP really attracted me to taking the next step in my career.”

Martin Athey, transaction services partner, said: “We are continuing to build the due diligence offering at BHP, bringing strength in depth and experience as well as flexibility and adaptability.

Having expanded quicker than expected in the last six months we are thrilled to have taken on Charlotte.

“Attracting someone with Charlotte’s experience and background is testament to the culture of the firm, its client base and our reputation in the market.”

Sheffcare, the Sheffield charity that operates a chain of ten care homes across the city, has welcomed a new face to its board of trustees.

Michele Wightman is an equity partner at leading Yorkshire Law firm Keebles LLP, where she leads on the firm’s Private Client department and heads up the company’s charity sector team.

She is also currently Under Sheriff of South Yorkshire and a trustee of South Yorkshire Community Foundation.

Sheffcare chief executive Belinda Black said: “Michele has exactly the breadth of experience and enthusiasm in so many different areas that will help our organisation as we move forward.”

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COVID-19

THE DIARY

BY RICHARD FIDLER

Our editor says during these challenging times more than ever we need to work together

WORKING TOGETHER TO BEAT THIS VIRUS Deep down we probably always wondered how we’d react when a test really came.

Not the bit of business bad news that affects your short-term position or even something more serious such as problems in your private life or worries about a family member.

No, a major life-changing event that alters not only your position on the planet but also that of every single other person.

The past month has been singularly the biggest thing to happen to any of us lucky enough not to live through a World War or to have been on military service. Our lives have been turned upside down, put through the mill and every other analogy available.

It’s serious stuff and my heart goes out to everyone who has seen a loved one suffer with this wretched virus. There is no hyperbole when I say we’ll never be the same.

So where to begin a business column in a magazine that

prides itself on looking at the positives from across the Sheffield City Region?

Well, yes, there are still many good things going on.

The business world hasn’t totally ground to a halt and there are many firms that are potentially busier than ever providing vital services to get us through the next few months.

For the vast majority of people, though, there is uncertainty about what the future will bring.

The leisure industry has been effectively closed down as the public are discouraged from leaving their homes.

Agencies, whether they be creative, digital, communications or many other different services will have received calls and emails from clients putting their contracts on pause.

The vast majority of people are good people and business decisions are taken after much agonising about their consequences. Sadly, some of

For businesses there is no one size fits all piece of advice to get through this. Hopefully government measures will help firms who need it. the less scrupulous among us will use the pandemic as an opportunity to treat others without thought or gratitude.

You would imagine that these same people would be too busy panic buying and stripping the shops of goods, but there we go…

So, how have we handled it so far?

Writing this at the end of the first week of the crisis (March 20) then I’d say in the most part pretty well. Communities, whether real or virtual, have come together to try and get each other through it.

There is no easy way, no simple path to success with this virus. We are very much in the hands of the medical and scientific experts.

For those of us with an aversion to the state or being told what to do by someone with a proverbial clipboard it can be quite difficult. However, now is the time to do as you’re told. If they’re wrong, well, the reckoning can take place when we’re all fit and healthy again.

For businesses there is no one size fits all piece of advice to get through this. Hopefully government measures will help firms who need it.

My closing thoughts are just be good people. Be kind to those around you. And together we can see this through.

Got views of your own? Let me know: richard@unltdbusiness.com LinkedIn: Richard Fidler

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COVID-19

IF YOU ASK ME...

COVID-19 With the impact of pandemic COVID-19 affecting companies around the globe we asked some of the Sheffield City Region business community for their views on how to manage cyber-safe remote working practices, maintain business operations and also look after mental health in these troubling times

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unLTDBUSINESS.COM

COVID-19 In the wake of Covid-19 forcing people to work from home, CT is urging customers to ensure remote access is secure and to be aware of our timescales to support your business continuity plans A challenge that employers now face is maintaining security whilst their teams are working remotely. People accessing work files from home or on a mobile device can present risks which threaten your business. At a time when potentially all staff will be working from home for a period of time, it is more important than ever that your network is not inadvertently opened up to any security risks.

If you have a cloud or remote desktop solution in place, we are encouraging all customers to ensure they retain the basic IT principles, in particular ‘access control’ and ‘data back-up’.

We are seeing a lot of social media activity stating that for remote access you can simply enable VPN. If you do this without the correct planning, there is a critical risk of leaving your network open to external attack and failing to provide the necessary functionality your end which users need to work effectively.

It is important to consider: • Two-Factor Authentication • VPN Encryption • Is your connectivity capable of handling all or a large proportion of your staff connecting remotely?

• Are your staff going to be using a personal device to access your network via the VPN? If that device isn’t correctly protected and it is given access into your network, you could be creating further security issues • VPN access mean that end users can potentially drag and drop files onto the device, which could be a personal device, thus comprising data control • We are also seeing the use of shelf solution to access PCs remotely. If you have chosen this route, be aware that your network may also be opened to security risks.

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IAN SNOW - MANAGING DIRECTOR - CENTRAL TECHNOLOGY

If it is simple for your end users to gain access it may be simple for unwanted third parties to also access your network and we are expecting an increase in cyber-crime.

Cloud solutions such as Microsoft 365 are built to reduce the chance of sensitive data leaks occurring, but we highly recommend the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA), Microsoft’s single-sign on (SSO). We recommend that you have automatic encryption of data to ensure access is controlled.

You must also ensure that your cloud solution, such as Office 365, is backed-up.

Most cloud providers work on a shared responsibility model, meaning they take responsibility for the infrastructure. However, the responsibility for the data

Sheffield City Region businesses are being proactive and forwardthinking... supporting staff People accessing in a number of work files from ways... home or on a mobile device can present risks which threaten your business.

remains with YOU. Most will have a data retention policy but will not backup your data.

We can provide you with a fully managed service immediately, with comprehensive back-up for your entire Office 365 suite.

In conclusion, there are a number of different options available for remote working, but they need to be right for your business and it is vital that your fundamental IT principles are retained. Key considerations are: • Security • The devices being used • Connectivity capabilities • The functionality your end users require • Data Backup If you need help or guidance on the most suitable option for you, please contact CT on 01246 266130 and we will have a team available to assist.

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COVID-19 On Saturday March 21, the Government made announcements relating to supporting businesses seeing a downturn in work due to COVID-19.

While we are working in uncertain and ever-changing times, Bhayani Law have done our best to give you our interpretation below.

Keep a watchful eye on the Gov.Uk website where much of the information is www.gov. uk/government/publications/ guidance-to-employers-andbusinesses-about-covid-19/ covid-19-support-forbusinesses The aim is to reimburse employers up to 80 per cent of the wages paid to employees if they are not able to work due to there be being no work available. There is a cap of £2,500 per employee and we don’t at this point know whether the £2,500 will be net of tax or gross, or whether it will include all costs associated with employment i.e. pension contributions.

HMRC has not yet set up the portal and mechanism for reimbursement so the business must make the payment and seek reimbursement when it’s up and running.

The concern for many is whether the business has enough cash flow to allow for salary payments to be made. You can make use of the grants and loans, VAT and business rate holidays to provide immediate relief on cashflow.

Steps to take 1. Identify who in your workforce will be

Working from home is commonplace amongst many businesses these days, and many businesses will use industry standard tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams for communication between each other as part of their standard practice.

But keeping in contact with your customers is often a different matter. Offices and Call Centres around the country will be used to inbound calls coming directly to their deskphones or “softphones” installed directly on their workplace PCs. If you’re new to home working and worried about how you are going to keep in touch with your customers then here are a few tips: 1. Take your phone home!

You might not realise it, but your office phone extension

might be portable. If it’s connected to a deskphone, then the chances are that this phone can be taken home with you where it will just work as though you are still at the office.

2. Divert calls to your mobile: If your office phone isn’t as portable as you would like, you can simply divert any inbound calls to your mobile phone.

3. Set up an app on your iPhone or Android Phone: Many office phone systems will use a common protocol known as VoIP, downloading an app such as Bria or Zoiper will let you connect to your office extension from wherever your mobile phone is located. Not ideal in normal times, but when working from home it can be very useful. You need to

unLTDBUSINESS.COM

JAY BHAYANI, BHAYANI LAW

“furloughed”. This is the term used by the Chancellor, but it has no defined meaning in terms of UK employment law. Essentially, you need to agree with those employees who do not have work to do, and who you wish to keep on your payroll, that they will for a period of time not be expected to work and will receive 80 per cent of their

PETER KELLY, CALLWISE

check with your Office IT Manager before trying this though, as you may need some configuration details.

It might take a bit of working out to get to best solution for your own situation but once you have something in place it will make working from home a much smoother experience.

If you’re new to home

wages with a cap of £2,500 per month.

2. Be aware that if you are not topping up the 20 per cent (there is no obligation on the employer to do so) this is technically a deduction of wages. To protect the business, its best to get written consent from the employee.

3. There are unlikely to be many employees who do not agree. The alternatives are less attractive.

4. Submit information about these employees to HMRC when their system becomes live. We assume that there will then be a payment to the employer, but we don’t know how this will work, what checks HMRC will carry out to protect against abuse and what the tax implications will be.

Alternative measures These might be more appropriate in your circumstances so don’t dismiss these in favour of the furlough.

See our previous FAQS www. bhayanilaw.co.uk/coronaviruslatest-update-for-employers The above information was correct at time of going to print – please visit our website for updates www.bhayanilaw.co.uk.

working, here are a few useful tips for keeping in touch with your customers and colleagues: 1. If your company uses Slack or Microsoft Teams internally, these often come with built in abilities to make calls and run meetings.

2. Office desk phones can often be configured to work from different locations, or even mirrored with an app on your phone – check with your IT Manager to see if this is the case for you.

3. If you are at home “in isolation” it’s a good idea to have regular video contact with your colleagues (even if you’re not used to doing this!). Products such as Google Hangouts and Skype let you video conference for free and give a much needed social aspect to home working.

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For centuries, this house has been an integral part of the Sheffield landscape. Tapton Hall’s distinguished history has seen it serve as a home to great names and a witness to great events.

The Hall currently hosts 9 rooms which can be used for weddings, meetings, conferencing and parties. With a team that provide first class service and delicious food, Tapton Hall is a delightful place to come, relax and enjoy your time here.

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n s.

COVID-19

LOUISA HARRISON-WALKER, BENCHMARK MD

The unprecedented events of recent weeks have shown us that, for some industries and some job roles, you can definitely work from home (for how long remains to be seen!)

As we go to print we are in unfamiliar territory – workers have been told wherever possible to work from home, who knows when we will be back in our offices working 9-5, or for how long we will be working from home, and some of us are also juggling homeschooling children!

Now we have tasted freedom from the office will we ever return to the same hours by default again?

Many companies already champion flexible working and remote working, knowing that benefits include better

work/life balance, increased productivity and staff retention rates.

The companies embracing remote working know that to make it work you need to have the technology in place to ensure an employee can be fully operational out of the office.

Considerations include a strong Wi-Fi connection, laptop, desktop and smart phone. You will need to ensure there are shared tools to allow for home working – great platforms include Google Docs for shared files, Slack for a virtual shared workspace and Dropbox for storage, as well as video and teleconferencing for meetings.

Without these being in place remote working is destined to fail and will limit future opportunities,

Many companies already champion flexible working and remote working, knowing that benefits include better work/life balance, increased productivity and staff retention rates.

so if you're going to have to embrace it – do it properly.

Set the ground rules so there is a clear understanding of expectations. Routinely hold check-ins with individuals in person or remotely via Facetime, Skype or Zoom as a team to make sure employees are staying positive and engaged – human interaction keeps spirits high amongst your team, and your employees will thank you for the trust you place in them.

As a big advocate for flexible working, remote working, and home working, I hope one legacy of this health scare and self-distancing is that we all get chance to see if it works for us and our organisations – and if it does, we get to keep doing it.

t

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If you’re currently working from home and would like to receive a copy of unLTD, we can get a copy sent out to you.

Simply fill in your details at the link below:

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UNLTDBUSINESS.COM/ALTERNATIVEMAGAZINE-DELIVERY-ADDRESS unLTDBUSINESS.COM

-

COVID-19 Coronavirus is the double whammy of anxiety for business owners. It has come out of nowhere and it now can give us anxiety both in terms of our own health and that of wider family but also it can impact directly on the health of our businesses.

Knowing how to manage these effects is going to make your summer much more manageable and you better placed to move on as a business owner.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is just your body signalling that you need to do something. Anxiety is just an old bit of prehistoric biological infrastructure that is telling us to act as a matter of urgency in order to survive Keeping your anxiety in check Recognise that it is anxiety. Be thankful that you have it – it gives you energy and focus to act effectively to keep you and your priorities safe.

Remember to breathe Uncertainty breeds uncertainty. Taking the time Responding to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge on Sunday March 22 that the government will be “standing behind” the UK’s five million self-employed as the coronavirus crisis intensifies, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the government to set out and implement new support measures as rapidly as possible.

Over the weekend we have heard from thousands of self-employed people – including hairdressers, bakers, childcare providers, taxi drivers and café owners – many frightened and in despair at seeing their business fall away, and staring at the prospect of little or no financial support.

While it is welcome that the government has pledged to cover 80 per cent of the wages of impacted employees, five million selfemployed strivers have until

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DAVE KNEESHAW, MD OF BETTERMINDS TRAINING CONSULTANCY

to breathe in deeply, feeling yourself connected to the world and your place in it, reminds you that you are grounded.

Break a sweat before you break a sweat Exercise – it will help you get in the best space to make tough choices. It will help you feel calm and this will help

Plan for the worst and hope for the best You may need to put extreme Look at your options contingencies in place to deal Health options include following with this anxiety. Coronavirus all advice. Your business will be a moment in history, may need to change how it it does not have to define conducts itself, reduce costs you or your business. Just like and staffing or even mothball the fire storms in Australia, itself until the world has new shoots will emerge, new moved forwards. If necessary opportunities will present, you may need to cease trading. and we need to plan for this. you to reconnect with your rational part of your brain.

CLAIRE READING, DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, SOUTH YORKSHIRE, EAST YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES

now only been offered access to £94 a week. In desperation, many have attempted to apply for Universal Credit

after Friday and have been turned down.

These are people who have worked hard to build up their

businesses, paid their taxes and helped the economy to grow.

They now face a crunch point, with many unable to operate – leaving them without money, but with bills still stacking up.

We have been strongly urging the government not to allow the self-employed to be left high and dry, and it is welcome to hear the that the Prime Minister is listening and offering new hope. This must now be turned urgently into practical and easily accessible support. Time is now running out.

While the government has a big role to play, it is also vital that the banks play their part as well. Billions of pounds of loan guarantees were due to come into effect on Monday March 23, and the banks must pass on without delay this access to finance for the struggling selfemployed.

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Supporting businesses across the Sheffield City Region with high quality insurance and risk management solutions including Property & Liability Motor Fleet Cyber / Crime Directors Liability Credit Insurance Private Client

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COVID-19

IN STORMY WEATHER, STAND UNDER THE SCR UMBRELLA With the COVID-19 pandemic, and following the Chancellor’s £350bn post-Budget ‘lifeline for the economy’, Future Life Wealth Management MD Jillian Thomas says now is the time for the Sheffield City Region business community to act like one – keep cashflow going, increase marketing spend and provide shelter to each other The first 35 minutes of March’s Budget was taken up by COVID-19.

But while a week is a long time in politics, we are swiftly learning that is also true when it comes to dealing with the impact of a global pandemic.

Things are changing on a daily, if not hourly, basis in respect of COVID-19.

The Budget was reported by many as a 'spend, spend, spend’ speech and viewed as particularly welcome for SMEs – good news for the Sheffield City Region (SCR) and Sheffield in particular where the majority of our business are indeed small and medium enterprises.

But less than seven days after that Budget, the COVID-19 situation in the UK had escalated to a point where Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out the latest economic response, a £330bn package of financial measures to shore up the economy against the impact.

The Chancellor said at the time if this package was not

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enough, he would go further – and he did on March 21 announcing "unprecedented measures for unprecedented times” including the Government paying 80 per cent of wages of those unable to work during the crisis.

This is all part of a coordinated economic and political strategy though, because ahead of the Budget, the Bank of England took interest rates down to unprecedented levels of 0.25% earlier in the day, to help bolster cash flow for households and small businesses affected

by COVID-19. This was then dropped again to 0.1% just over a week later.

The most fundamentally important thing when markets are acting like this, and if we could be heading into a recession, is for businesses NOT to curtail their marketing budget – they must keep it going, if not INCREASE it.

Companies must be high profile and visible during this

difficult time – the message has to be: ‘Sheffield City Region is open for business’.

When it comes to manufacturing, there are other countries that can’t currently create goods – we have China where the ports are open but they can’t deliver on all orders and that leaves a gaping hole for our region to fill. But we can only do that if we are high profile and visible, and do not let the negative and corrosive noise from the media and elsewhere evaporate our enthusiasm.

I received a lovely email from a CEO recently who I had

helped with a vulnerable client who had got quite emotional.

My point to that CEO was simple – professionals at this time are here to be more visible. We take our money looking after clients on sunny days, but we make our money as professionals by putting umbrellas up over clients during stormy days.

We as a locality must fundamentally take that view – as businesses all of us need to get our umbrellas up and make sure we get each other out of the storm. It’s about pulling together as a SCR business community in the fullest sense of the word – we must all treat each business as we would like ours to be treated.

If you’ve got the cash as a business – pay it. We’ve got to keep cash flow going over the next three to four months to keep these businesses running all of us together. Any of us who step out of line are the weak link in keeping our locality, our jobs and our businesses going.

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COVID-19

WORKING FROM HOME TIPS With the majority of the City Region now working from home where possible, we thought we’d ask our readers what tips they had to best maximise productivity, maintain good physical and mental health and not spend all day in their pyjamas Always get dressed, do hair / makeup etc. as you normally would if you were leaving the house.

Establish a working space that is away from your chill out spaces. When working from home you have to establish clear boundaries between your spaces so you remain productive but also to ensure the lines aren’t blurred between when you are and aren’t working.

Music! Working from home can be lonely. Background music can help you to stay in the zone and fill those silent times that we just aren’t used to these days!

Rachel Hobson, freelance marketing and social media consultant

If your partner is also working from home, work in a different room. Give yourself a proper lunch break of something nonscreen related (walk around your garden if you need to).

Work in a different room to where you ‘relax’ so you can separate work from 'after work'.

Brandon Egley, SEO account manager at The SEO Works

If you have an office at home shut the door to it when you log off. If you have a space you’re using in the house, tidy your things away when work is over for the day. It will help you to switch off from work.

Holly Crosby, Simply You Coaching

Have regular coffee breaks and check in with colleagues.

Madame Zucchini, Marvellous Vegetable Entertainment & Creativity

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COVID-19 Get your team on a zoom conference call. I’ve been having quite a few of these lately. It’s much better than a phone call and will hopefully help to prevent people getting too lonely.

Rochelle Gilburn, property investment strategist

Start a new photography habit on your mobile every day to inspire you. I have been looking at how spring is progressing. Don't miss all the beauty out there!

The cherry blossom is on its way.

Karen Perkins, life coach and career coach

Face a window. It gives your eyes a regular break from screen time and reminds you that there is life outside your four walls.

Schedule in a morning and afternoon break, not just lunch.

Find a physical activity to wind down the working day and mark ‘home time’ - a brisk walk, ironing, maybe even a few downward dogs.

Fix a place to do work. A laptop makes it easy to move around to different parts of the house to work but try to keep it fixed.

It keeps you from being distracted and it also allows you to ‘step away’ from work when you need to.

Keep the telly off. As tempting as it may be to sit in the lounge, don’t allow yourself to get tempted by the newest series on Netflix. It is a slippery slope!

Create a routine. If your partner is also in the house working, then he/she is going to be your work colleague for a while. Make tea for each other. Agree on lunch times. Share jokes.

Have a bit of a banter. Remember to reach out to your colleagues.

Escape. Find a spot in your house where you can escape from work (mobile included). It may be a favourite chair or in the kitchen. Grab a book and read. Give yourself a break.

Kiley Tan, founder and director of Mosaic Intenational

Rebecca Erskine, Yellow Bird Marketing & Communications

I make sure that I stretch my body before I sit down to work, and I take regular breaks to rehydrate and exercise.

There is Sheffield Digital Slack with lots of people talking about interesting topics. I also check in with my family, partner and friends.

Sarah Lister, career coach, mentor, creative freelancer

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Change the scenery – if possible. Not everyone has the luxury of a home office, however I think it is important to try and find a space, reserved purely for work.

For me working from the sofa all day, (aside from a bad back) I become far less productive and then as a result restless in the evening, if I have spent all day working in the place I hope to relax and switch off in later.

Steve Pownall, group sales and marketing manager, Deeper Than Blue

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COVID-19

TROUBLESHOOTING

BY PAT ABEL, CORPORATE FINANCE PARTNER AT HART SHAW

Hart Shaw’s Pat talks businesses through the support available during the coronavirus

COVID-19 – BUSINESS SUPPORT TIPS Whilst the recent Coronavirus outbreak is worrying – it’s also causing concern for business owners.

The Government has announced various measures to assist those affected. This is available in several forms: • Business rates reductions, and grants for businesses who have low rate bills • Extending Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and allowing employers to reclaim it.

• Time to Pay being extended • Help with business loans.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) Businesses can apply for a loan of up to £5m, 80 per cent of which is backed by a government guarantee to the lender with no interest for 12 months. However, capital repayments will be made.

Currently, full eligibility criteria haven’t yet been published, but the main ones will be: • Must be UK based, with an annual turnover of no more than £45m

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• Operate within an eligible industrial sector. (A small number of industrial sectors are not eligible for support) • The borrower has not received de minimis State Aid beyond €200,000 equivalent over the current and previous two fiscal years.

• Have a sound borrowing proposal, but insufficient security to meet the lender’s requirements.

Paying sick pay to employees New legislation allows SMEs to reclaim SSP paid for up to 2 weeks’ sickness absence due to COVID-19 or self-isolation, as long as the company has less than 250 employees.

Records must be kept but there is no need for a GP fit note.

The government has promised to work with employers to set up the repayment mechanism as soon as possible. SSP is currently £94.25 per week.

Business rates The government has introduced a business rates holiday for leisure and tourism

businesses in England for the 2020-21 tax year. Businesses who received the retail discount in the 2019-20 tax year will be rebilled by their local authority as soon as possible.

On application, grants of £10,000-£25,000 will be provided to these businesses operating from smaller premises with a rateable value between £15,000-£51,000.

Support for businesses paying little or no business rates The government will provide additional funding for local authorities to support small businesses who already pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief (SBRR). This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to businesses currently eligible to help meet their ongoing costs.

If your business is eligible for SBRR or rural rate relief, you will be contacted by your local authority.

Funding for the scheme will be provided by early April.

Businesses are eligible for SBRR if their property’s rateable value is less than

£15,000 and the business only uses one property.

Support for businesses paying tax All businesses in financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities may be eligible to receive support with their tax affairs through HMRC’s Time to Pay service. These arrangements are agreed on a case-by-case basis.

Insurance The advice on this is to check your insurance policy to see if it includes cover for both pandemics and governmentordered closure. If your policy does cover these events, you can make a claim.

At the time of writing, these measures had just been announced and the situation is evolving rapidly.

If you would like advice on any of the above, or help applying for finance or cashflow advice please get in touch at Patrick.abel@hartshaw.co.uk or on 0114 251 8850.

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work, rest and stay A typical office worker spends more time sitting than a typical person aged over 75 years old.

Let’s make a change.

Find out how you can get more active in and around your workplace at

travelsouthyorkshire.com/business 28

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ADVERTORIAL

EXPERT GUIDE TO RECRUITMENT

DURING COVID-19

Prior to the pandemic, many businesses in the Sheffield City Region will have been part way through a recruitment drive. So, how can you continue with your recruitment plans during this period? Glu Recruit's MD Rob Shaw gives his top five tips

1. Your recruitment plans don’t have to stop Many local businesses are still proceeding with their recruitment plans as some industries are less affected than others. There are still plenty of job seekers who are actively seeking a new role, so rest assured large parts of the candidate pool are still active.

Like many other businesses, Glu Recruit will remain fully operational and we are here to help take the recruitment burden away so you can concentrate on what you need to do right now – running your business.

2. Consider temporary staff With staff having to selfisolate and be unexpectedly absent on sick leave, this could leave gaping holes in your business that you need to fill.

Hiring a temporary member of staff is an ideal solution, as they will be able to come into your business in a pre-defined role to provide cover during this time to ensure business continuity. To help ease the burden currently placed on employers, we have a large pool of immediately available candidates to help with any short term cover that is required.

3. Try before you buy If you are currently in the process of recruiting for a permanent position, you may be concerned about the timing of making an offer.

Hiring on a temporary basis once again is a logical

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ROB SHAW

solution to this problem. It will ensure you have someone in place to undertake the urgent requirements of the role, but it is also an opportunity to put a temporary member of staff on trial with one eye on them becoming a permanent employee when the timing is right.

4. Consider different interview techniques The traditional way of interviewing is likely to be different for most businesses for the next few months.

At Glu Recruit, we already

hold virtual interviews with our candidates as part of our registration process. It can be difficult for candidates to attend interviews if they are working full time, and as recruiters we have adapted our approach to ensure we can offer more flexibility to our candidates.

Video interviewing is now more popular than ever and some of our clients have already started to adopt this process. There are a variety of ways a business can do this using different technologies without any associated costs.

5. Be conscious of offering a permanent role without a start date Under the current circumstances, offering a definite start date for a permanent position could prove tricky. With key members of staff likely to be working remotely during an induction period for a new recruit and the length of time the economy could take to recover, it can be difficult to confirm a start date.

The risk associated with this tactic is if the candidate receives a job offer with a definite start date elsewhere, this gives them more security during this challenging time, and you run the risk of them accepting another offer.

Good candidates can be hard to find, so you need to make your recruitment process as accommodating as possible if the right one comes around for you.

We advise working closely with your recruiter so you can understand your candidates position and any associated risks to them accepting your offer.

If you need more strategic advice on recruitment and retention during this difficult time please get in touch with our team on 0114 321 1873 or hello@glurecruit.co.uk www.glurecruit.co.uk

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ROUNDTABLE

MANAGING

CHANGE

Change comes rapidly to businesses, industries and people – and it seems to be accelerating as we accept that new technologies are here to help and refine what we do. But how do we manage that change? unLTD editor Richard Fidler hosted a roundtable, led by UK sustainability partner Ameresco, to discuss how six leading businesses are going about it...

In association with

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Your trusted sustainability partner

unLTDBUSINESS.COM

ROUNDTABLE Speakers Karthik Suresh (Ameresco) Ray Byrne (Whyy Change?)

Paul Reeves (Sheffield United) Gemma Allchin (Forgemasters) Gordon McCrae (Gripple) Andy Whitworth (SCX) Tell me about the changes in your industry and market Karthik: Energy is in the middle of a huge transformation right now. The entire infrastructure for the industry is being renewed on a massive scale, there’s a lot happening and organisations are having to change the way in which they think about energy and sustainability.

Take energy markets, for example. They are more volatile than stock or FOREX markets – and the changes in prices, which can double or halve in any given year, affect the costs of every industry that uses energy to process raw materials.

People also understand now that managing their energy better is a crucial part of becoming sustainable. At the same time the technical things you need to do to change are the easiest to understand; we know the technology, we understand what we need to do, we know what options are there. It’s the organisational challenges that stop most people from taking action right now.

Gordon: The thing is, we’ve created our own industry, so actually we’ve made the space of our own and that’s the thing that’s different. So, we are generally perceived to be in a widget category and we’ve actually created a widget

KARTHIK SURESH FROM AMERESCO

category in which we’re able to demand a premium price. To be able to demand a premium price we understand the benefits that our products give to our customers.

The environment is one of them, so we have 5% of embedded carbon compared to threaded rod. Basically, it is 20 times faster to install, which is money and health and safety. To some we have driven our own destiny, and not everybody’s in a position to do that, and to some extent that makes us unique.

Gemma: In the time that I have been at Forgemasters, I’ve seen different markets change in terms of demand.

At one point in our business, gas was about 40% of our turnover, and that almost vanished overnight, so from a people perspective I then had to deal with the organisational changes from those type of changes in the industry and the repercussions that they can have on the employees.

Andy: I think we’ve tried to look at the market and where we could extract premium, so we still have our standard business. The market is very competitive – competition is fierce and competition abroad has probably doubled or trebled over the last 10 years.

So, we’ve always tried to look at the skills that we possess throughout the organisation and put them in areas where it is niche.

We try to find how our markets have changed – for example, one of the areas we started looking at was theatres, as we thought engineering in theatres would be really hi-tech, but you’ll find that a hi-tech industry doesn’t give you the value or the returns.

Another is access equipment on buildings – often referred to as window cleaning machines – so we did the Gherkin building costing millions of pounds but we didn’t make much money,

because the engineering is not valued particularly.

When you have something you’re trying to find, it’s quite easy to get a cross reference on pricing. It’s a case of going cost plus.

Karthik: I think the starting point is to put a framework in place to help you make better decisions. Again, looking at markets, in the last 15 years there were four times where you could buy energy cheaply for a long time. In 2007, just before the financial crisis, the energy price was really low.

After the crisis, 2009 was also very low across all markets.

If you were managing a portfolio, even though things looked really bad in 2009 it was also a rare opportunity to buy assets cheap.

It's not about timing the market but having a framework that tells you when things are cheap and when they've expensive so you can decide whether to buy or stay away. That's a proactive strategy and it's very different from a reactive one which tries to figure out what to do in the middle of events – that usually leads to panic buying at the highest price and panic selling at the lowest price and you end off worse off than if you'd just taken a random decision based on flipping a coin.

How about financial and revenue changes?

Andy: With the Tottenham Stadium retracting pitch, we fixed some of the prices – the elements we knew that we could control – and we knew we had a good specification in the first place. But other areas which were developing in the architectural process continued, and therefore we went on a cost plus basis.

It was a very unusual type of contract that we worked on – it took a little bit of negotiation, so it’s about being bold and understanding where the risk is to be able to get the right commercial contract.

www.ameresco.com Follow us on Twitter: @Ameresco

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ROUNDTABLE

REPRESENTATIVES FROM LEADING BUSINESSES DISCUSS THE ISSUES AROUND MANAGING CHANGE AT GRIPPLE'S GLIDE HOUSE

Sometimes you may not be able to do that, we did do a fix priced contract but then there’s a lot of risk and there’s a case of who owns that risk.

These are things we’ve learnt over the years, we need to manage that business very carefully and let’s face it, lots of bespoke engineering businesses don’t hang around for very long, because they have that horror project that basically just busts them.

Now the Tottenham Stadium has elevated our profile in the industrial and stadia sector.

We’re currently working on, not the full retractable pitch feature, but an iteration of seat changes and so on.

There’s probably six or seven we’re looking at around the world. Up until about a year ago, we would have said that our market was predominantly UK-based, that’s where we decided we would focus, 98% off our sales have been from UK businesses – we’ve had offers from overseas but we’ve

always rejected by way of lack of interest.

Richard: Paul, in terms of pricing – you can probably do similar things to what you used to do, three years ago but add a couple of noughts on now you’re in the Premier League. Has that been the biggest change or is it just the markets you’ve been operating in and the people that you’re dealing with?

Paul: The relationship with the football club is one that lasts forever and then is passed throughout generations, so of course aspects like the bread and butter ticket have remained consistent, but with a price increase of around 15%.

This season, again to reward the loyalty, we are freezing prices, because ultimately, we are part of the entertainment industry. The challenge for stadia is, we are only open, certainly now in the Premier league – 20 times a season.

The biggest revenue change has been involved with sponsorship and advertising,

so I have tried to keep a Sheffield-centric partnership base from an advertising perspective, the first one I did was John Holland Car Sales for £90,000, we then moved into the Championship, where Ramsdens Currency paid us £250,000 for the season and then we did the £7.2million deal with Union Standard Group in the Premier League.

The shirt is the same, the cost to print it is the same but the global advertising base, literally goes from a couple of hundred thousand who were watching us in League One, to touching a million in the Championship to a global audience of up to three billion within the Premier League.

The strategy there is to look after the local customer base around ticketing, hospitality but obviously the advertising market drives the prices up.

Richard: Ray – working in an industry where you’re supporting people through change, are you seeing things differently or would you see

yourself as a catalyst?

Ray: I don’t see myself as an industry. For us, we’re not a consultancy nor a training provider, we’re more of a niche provider. I’ve had to radically change what I do to deliver my passion, which is to get involved in change.

There is an awful lot of change happening, particularly with apprenticeships, and a lot of people are basically stuck in the mud. Sadly, I’m not surprised but you’d think in the modern age – we’ve lived through ten years of a recession – as a whole, we’d perhaps be a bit sharper about this.

Where you both speak about being in entertainment and football, we’re speaking about how we can use our experience to help others – perhaps that’s similar to entertainment – so for us, we’re constantly looking at providing good service, value creation and relationship development.

www.ameresco.com Follow us on Twitter: @Ameresco

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ROUNDTABLE

GEMMA ALLCHIN HR DIRECTOR AT FORGEMASTERS

RAY BYRNE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT WHYY? CHANGE

What are the best examples of your business taking what you do well to the next level to ward off competition?

Gordon: We have a KPI that’s much more important to us than the return on sales, it’s a percentage of turnover from products and things that we didn’t think about, say, four years ago. Our target is 25% and that’s probably what we focus on the most as our driver for business. Some years we hit it, some years we fall short, but the rationale behind it is that we’re trying to solve problems and deliver new stuff particularly in the construction industry or civil engineering or agriculture.

We involve our customers in our dialogues, we’ll bring them together and thrash out the issues, clarify them and solve them. In essence, that’s what drives us, and then we capture that in a vehicle called Glide House. What does Glide mean? Glide stands for growth-led – and if you don’t grow, you’re going to die.

Innovation driven and employees. Our employee strategy is different to almost

everyone else and the starting point is that everyone is a shareholder, and everyone has to buy at least £1,000 worth of shares and that fundamental commitment, we believe makes a difference.

Gemma: From a HR perspective, around 18 months ago, we didn’t have specific values or behaviours as an organisation so we put them in place via employee focus groups – across a cross-section of our employees and they put together four core values to focus on.

We decided to look at what we do well as a company and what we don’t do so well – which then led to our annual appraisal process. In this, you have a set of positive and negative indicators for each value which neutralises the language.

This is new to our managers, as they have a framework for discussion when values aren’t displayed correctly as opposed to jumping straight to a disciplinary. What we found was that the structure change in the organisation does take a long time – there can be

In association with

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SCX MD ANDY WHITWORTH

a cultural lag – it involves a mentality change, which is why we’re integrating these values into everything else we do. Instead of a performance conversation, we’re having a performance and behaviours conversation. It’s working, as people are now challenging behaviour they don’t see as appropriate in the workplace.

We’ve been working on this for 18 months however, to me, it’s still in its infancy, as it’s about changing hearts and minds and not just a case of changing a few processes.

What is the single most important element for you in your industry?

Andy: People – our biggest challenge is how we recruit, train and retain these personnel, and provide them with a good work/life balance and the impact of this on the business. The competition in Sheffield is key also – when students from university look for jobs they often head to places like McLaren, so we have to ask ourselves – how do we get the message across

that we are just as interesting a business to work for in the industry? This is a constant consideration we’ll carry on for as long as possible.

Gordon: We see ourselves as innovators and we see the world as constantly changing.

In our sector, the government is targeting the construction industry to become 50% faster, greener and more efficient – that’s the challenge.

If you look at the number of patents being accepted over the past five years, they’ve doubled and that really says to me that if you want to have a long term sustainable business you need to be innovative and finding new ways of doing things. What we’re focused on at Gripple to achieve this we know we’ll still be here, but working with products and things that will keep changing and maybe don’t even exist yet.

Gemma: Investment is key, as we need to invest in our people and skills, but also in technology and equipment.

To remain competitive and to meet a customer’s schedule, we need hi-tech kit that allows us to keep up and to have

Your trusted sustainability partner

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ROUNDTABLE

GRIPPLE'S SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER GORDON MCCRAE

quicker machine cycles that we can pass on.

All this investment will be fuelled on the business’ profitability, which means you’ve got to have engaged, productive employees – it’s a full cycle. I believe it covers a range of aspects across the business and will allow us to remain for the next 200 years.

Paul: Football is a business like no other – we can’t put in a five-year business plan as everything could crash in two years. What we are doing is trying to modernise the world’s oldest professional stadium, Bramall Lane, but we need to emulate what’s happening in the real world

SHEFFIELD UNITED'S HEAD OF COMMERCIAL PAUL REEVES

and our customer needs a hospitality environment and a concourse environment that they can access on the high street.

Then the bit on the pitch, we need to ensure we’re spending the money wisely as our biggest benefactor are the players. It’s an interesting business as which other industry could sustain our model?

Ray: I’d talk about brave leadership. It’s difficult being a leader as I’m sure we’ve all experienced in different ways – you don’t have to be a CEO to make a decision.

It’s easy to keep the status quo, it’s quite comfortable,

but somebody has to have a vision. Agility in your approach is also necessary and you have to adapt, it’s not about a fixed state of mind.

Consistency of messaging – going back to leadership, how many times has Forgemasters, for example, been through change?

Different approaches and different people sticking, and you’ve just got to find the right leader and set the right course, and that opens you up to solid problem-solving and innovation.

Karthik: What’s interesting in what we’re seeing is this idea of change in a system.

Too many organisations focus

on improving one area of the business and then wonder why overall performance doesn't improve. And that's because you need to make the whole system work better, not just one part - it's like buying an expensive steering wheel and wondering why your car still has the same top speed. If you want to create change then you need to develop a more systemic way of thinking. We’re seeing that there isn’t just one answer and the important thing is to understand how people think about a situation - to study their situation - and work out what kind of change will work for them.

Ameresco, Inc. is a leading independent provider of comprehensive energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for facilities throughout North America and the United Kingdom, delivering long-term value through innovative systems, strategies and technologies. Ameresco’s solutions range from upgrades to facility’s energy infrastructure to the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants combined with tailored financial solutions. We work with customers on both sides of the meter to reduce operating expenses, upgrade and maintain facilities, stabilise energy costs, improve occupancy comfort levels, increase energy reliability and enhance the environment.

The Company was founded in 2000 by George Sakellaris, a pioneer in the energy service business. To best serve its wide-ranging clientele, Ameresco has regional offices located throughout North America and the United Kingdom. With dedicated energy and business professionals with years of experience and strong commitment to customer satisfaction and service, Ameresco offers you the resources needed to successfully plan, execute and even finance the energy programme that will create real, sustained economic and operating benefits to fulfill your unique requirements.

www.ameresco.com Follow us on Twitter: @Ameresco

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AGENDA

ENTREPRENEURSUPPORT

BY HELEN WILLIAMS

Our columnist says when it comes to accountability, a tough-love approach is needed

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WHAT IS ACCOUNTABILITY? Accountability – a term we often hear and say we need, but what is our real understanding and why do we benefit from having it?

To be held accountable to something means you have to do what you have said you are going to do and this is used in coaching to keep you on track with the work required to pursue your goals and targets.

Everyone benefits from this but not everyone takes a liking to it.

With true accountability, i.e. having someone like a coach, is going to keep you accountable and call you out when you are showing signs of weakness, doubt and all-consuming excuses. That means there is very little room for manoeuvre!

We are human. If we are tired, we often find an excuse to not go to our 7am gym class.

If we are late home from the

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office, we often justify the need to call a takeaway instead of cooking the perfectly suitable healthy food that our fridge is already stocked with. If we have just received rejection from a contract that we were sure to land, we can often shy away from picking up the phone to find our next proposal prospect.

All sounding familiar? You are not alone.

Be sure to find that coach who will ensure you are accountable. You aren’t going to like it, but your results aren’t negotiable if you have set your goals in the first place. You essentially sign a contract with yourself, to improve yourself and your situation whether this is in life in general or, indeed, your business.

Someone who is going to ‘let you off’ when the going gets tough is ultimately giving you permission to stop

fighting towards what you had once said you wanted to achieve. This is why friends or individuals on the same peer level as you don’t make the most constructive accountability partners.

You may think this is all a little dramatic – a ‘one off’ won’t hurt. But the thing is, it does.

You undo all the hard work and momentum of the process. You take yourself back to square one just because of a split second of listening to your negative inner dialogue and the fact that no-one strong enough was there to keep you in the game.

While this can be, hypothetically speaking, true of someone actually being there in person, just knowing that your coach will find out and ask you, means you have their voice in your head – it works as a deterrent from

your excuses and is where the power of a coach lies.

Being kept accountable in the first place means there is some chance that you will default at some point and not be 100 per cent self-motivated.

Taking all the relevant action, at the right time doesn’t come down to motivation and this is what the cusp of accountability is all about. It keeps the discipline in order through the challenging times when your motivation has long since passed.

Use accountability as a useful tool to help build your discipline muscle.

Accept the fact you won’t like it! But attach yourself to the outcome, not how you feel at the time.

Helen Williams helpingentrepreneurswin.com 07881 917665

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Award-Winning Digital Marketing, Web Development & Digital Design Contact Our Team For Help Growing Your Business Online www. evoluted.net

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AGENDA

EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY

BY ASH YOUNG

Our tech expert on the emails every small business should send

EMAIL MARKETING TO DRIVE PROFIT Email marketing provides the opportunity to build trust with customers – especially your most loyal ones. As an SME, you are more than likely to have a fairly small marketing budget, meaning you choose wisely where it’s spent.

Email marketing is a simple, cost-effective way to drive revenue for you. However, manually sending emails is a labour intensive task. So firstly, it’s best to get all your emails automated – saving you a lot of valuable time.

Here are some techniques I’d recommend actioning: Abandoned shopping cart Abandoned shopping cart emails remind a customer that they have something left in their basket. Research shows the shopping cart abandonment rate sits at around 70 per cent, so that’s plenty of otherwise lost

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revenue that you could recover and win back. These emails can typically reclaim around 10 per cent of those potential lost sales.

Some companies add an incentive to finish checking out or text with a sense of urgency about the product selling out quickly. At a minimum, there should be a clear CTA that links back to the cart and your copy should be encouraging.

Here are a few of my favourite strategies to help you beat the competition: • Limited time discount codes.

• Cart expiry warnings to remind them the products aren’t reserved and could sell out.

• Free delivery offer.

• Offer to reserve their items a little longer.

Personalised emails According to Oclero, “email

subject lines that are personalised generate open rates that come in at an average of 50 per cent higher”.

Personalisation brings both engagement and profit. And dynamic content is the ideal way to personalise emails to each individual – with minimal effort.

You can use data such as their name, past purchases, past responses and interests to avoid a one-size-fits-all message in your emails.

Here are just a few ways to personalise your emails: • Subject line • From name • Product recommendations • Custom discounts • Custom pricing Reviews BrightLocal found that 82 per cent of consumers read online reviews for local businesses and the average consumer

reads 10 reviews before feeling able to trust a business.

After a specified number of purchases, it’s a great idea to send an automatic email asking for their feedback and secure plenty of positive reviews. Plus, this also provides the opportunity to segment any negative reviewers and attempt to build back their trust.

Emails don’t just need to be for collecting reviews – why not send your current customers a round-up of your best reviews? Helping to build even stronger relationships with your consumers and increasing their lifetime value can be really valuable.

For help building an email strategy and setting up automation, contact the Evoluted team.

Ash Young, Evoluted www.evoluted.net

39

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AGENDA

LEGAL MATTERS

BY CHARLOTTE HIGGINS, BELL & BUXTON

The company and commercial solicitor with guidance on personal data compliance

Rodgers

GUIDANCE FOR COMPLYING WITH SUBJECT ACCESS REQUESTS Since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) – GDPR to you and I – subject access requests have been on the rise.

Whether an employer or a supplier of goods and services, if you hold personal data that relates to an identified or identifiable individual, they have the right to access their personal data.

Receiving a subject access request, the organisation has one month to respond to that request. It is therefore advisable for organisations to have a policy in place which sets out how to identify a subject access request and understand when the right of access applies. Staff training

unLTDBUSINESS.COM

should also be provided.

In the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)’s original guidance, its advice was for organisations to respond “without undue delay, and within one month, starting from the day after you receive the request”.

The ICO has issued further guidance and clarification surrounding the time frame for responding, and it now says that the one month time frame starts on the day of receipt of the request.

This means that if the subject access request is received on 12 March, the time limit starts from the same day. This gives the organisation until 12 April to comply with the request. If the

corresponding date falls on a weekend or a public holiday, you have until the next working day to respond.

This (belated) change by the ICO is to reflect a 2004 decision from the Court of Justice of the European Union (Case C-171/03 Maatschap Toeters and M.C. Verberk v Productschap Vee en Vlees). This judgment considered Article 3 of European Regulation 1182/71 on the rules applicable to time periods set out in acts of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission.

There are circumstances where the time limit can be extended by two months, bringing the maximum timeframe for responding to three months, in the

circumstance where the request is complex or you have received a number of requests from the individual, and on the proviso you have notified the data subject of the extension during the initial one month deadline.

Following this amended guidance, data controllers should review and update their subject access request policies and procedures to ensure continued compliance with their data protection obligations.

Have you received a subject access request from an individual? Please contact Charlotte Higgins on 0114 249 5969 for more advice about how to respond.

41

ADVERTORIAL

£1 MILLION BOOST FOR MANUFACTURING FIRMS TO DATE Yorkshire energy experts warn many companies are missing out on £196 million state aid pot

Ask manufacturing company finance directors (FDs) about energy and the chances are that they will be angry, frustrated and fed up. Costs seem to keep going up, new rules come in all the time and issues take forever to resolve.

Take gas costs, for example.

Many businesses use gas but don’t realise that their bills include costs for gas “lost” in the system. It leaks away, is not metered or is measured wrongly. New rules are now going to increase lost gas costs for our clients by tens of thousands of pounds. At the same time, some companies are eligible for a £196 million per year state aid subsidy but many think they won’t pass the tests and don’t put in a claim. More on this very shortly.

All these changes cause major accounting problems.

Forecasting and budgeting for complex charges is difficult. If you can’t understand how to make an application for a rebate, you might not bother at all. But if an unplanned number hits the budget, can you sell enough tyres, carpets or pipes to hit your numbers? And, if not, who can you work with to get control over your energy costs?

Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading energy solutions company delivering energy savings, energy efficiency and renewable energy capability

money paid for green taxes that they pay but others overseas don’t. Companies think, looking at the rules, that they can’t apply.

That isn’t the case – and we have found a way forward in every situation.

Ameresco has so far recovered over £1m for eligible customers, with more on the way. The key is understanding the rules and working with government departments.

There is a process – but doing KATH CHAPMAN, AMERESCO MANAGING DIRECTOR, it right means understanding IN OUR CASTLEFORD OFFICE technical and accounting data in detail and crafting an application that will pass an serving the UK, North and Third Party Intermediary auditor’s forensic checks.

America and Europe. of the Year at the TELCAS and Kath Chapman said “If you Kath Chapman is the Large Consultancy of the Year get it right, then you could Managing Director for Ameresco from Edie Sustainability Leaders. see an 85 per cent reduction, in the UK. She says “One of the Why did we pick up these £200k to £2m straight to the problems many companies awards? They were all for a bottom line. But, even if you are have is they get 15-20 calls a day single reason: the quality a smaller company, you can still promising to save them money. of our customer service. get your share.”

How can you tell who is any Ameresco became the first “At the same time, other good?” energy consultant to achieve companies pay more to Ameresco ranks among the Servicemark, the standard subsidise this state aid. That is top companies in the sector. of the Institute of Customer often an unplanned cost that Verdantix, a research firm, Service. At the Energy Event hits the budget – and we are placed Ameresco as a leader the judges voted unanimously working with them to claw back in innovation in 2016. In 2017 for Ameresco, pointing to its the increases in different ways.”

Navigant research recognised “honest and practical” approach She added: “This can Ameresco as a top 3 energy to energy management sometimes take 6-12 months service company and Cornwall Ameresco’s services are to sort out for a company, and Insight placed Ameresco as taken up by companies looking many will engage us on an a top ranked UK third party for specialist energy advice. at-risk basis. They take no risk intermediary.

Take the £196 million a year or exposure and we do all the Ameresco has won a number pot mentioned earlier. This work. When the FDs realise they of coveted industry awards, is state aid to protect eligible are losing £60,000 every month, including Consultancy of the manufacturing companies that they pick up the phone and get Future, Best Customer Service use a lot of electricity. It returns in touch.”

Arrange a discovery call with Kath on kchapman@ameresco.com or call +44 (0) 113 360 4819, uk.ameresco.com

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AGENDA

SECURING YOUR ASSETS

BY SAM LEEDER

Our columnist highlights the pros and cons for businesses who want to go electric

IS YOUR BUSINESS GOING ELECTRIC? As the UK moves towards a carbon neutral economy within the next 30 years, the government continues its promotion of electric vehicles.

One of the ways it is doing this is by increasing the tax incentives for business users.

The purchase or lease of a fully electric car by the company qualifies for corporation tax relief.

Additionally, the benefit in kind tax on the use of an electric car for an employee has been reduced from 6th April 2020 to zero in the first year and increasing to a maximum of 3 per cent over the next three years. This is a huge difference when compared to the tax on an equivalent diesel vehicle which could be 20 per cent.

In view of this, we are

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already seeing a big increase in company directors changing their Range Rover for a Tesla and adding it to their business insurances. Given the new incentives to employees, we are also expecting to see increasing numbers of companies purchasing or leasing these types of vehicles for employees.

So, given that there is going to be a large increase in electric vehicles, what are the insurance implications a business needs to consider?

When electric cars first came onto the market, many insurers were unwilling to provide cover as they had little experience of repairing them and considered a total loss following an incident to be a likely outcome. However, with the increase in numbers and

more repairers being available, there are far more insurers who now provide cover.

That being said, most insurers still require a premium over a like-for-like non-electric car, due to the increased repair costs and the unknown consequences of accidents in respect of batteries etc.

In addition to this, most electric cars cost more to replace and so far the theftattractiveness of them is unknown. As a general rule we are also seeing more insurers imposing a tracker requirement for vehicles over ÂŁ50,000 in value, so it is likely this will be a requirement for many electric cars on the market at the moment.

We are also seeing insurers being more strict regarding who they will allow to drive

these vehicles, particularly for the premium vehicles such as Tesla, Jaguar, Audi etc. You can therefore expect to have to name drivers and possibly have an age restriction on them of over 25 or 30.

So, whilst there are savings for the company and the individual, there may be some additional costs to take into consideration when deciding whether to go down this route. We would therefore recommend consulting your insurance broker in addition to your accountants before making a final decision.

Sam Leeder ACII Actus Insurance samleeder@ actusinsurance.co.uk 0114 2903624 07718 189476

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AGENDA

SALES STRATEGY

BY STEVE KNAPP, THE SALES MINDSET COACH

Columnist and author Steve has a surprising – but effective – message for sales managers

RESULTS AREN’T EVERYTHING It might surprise you to know that the role of a sales manager should be far more than a simple drive for results.

Yes, that’s a key part of it.

But, you’ll never sustain the results without paying equal consideration to the other – arguably more important – parts of the job.

For one thing, you’ll need to take on a near chameleon-like existence – your sales team will demand very different things from you when compared to the needs of your company bosses.

One of the best pieces advice I was ever given was “a sales manager makes heroes rather than being one himself or herself” - you’ll get far more satisfaction from mentoring a team to sustained success than trying to take the glory yourself.

I know because I’ve done it.

If you create an environment that your sales team can thrive

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in, the rest of your job gets easier.

I like to keep things simple so I’ve split the important areas of the job into something I call the eight wonders of sales management.

• Always be results oriented - hire people with drive and resilience. Create a team that is focused on the key sales metrics. When you put competitive people together it has a positive impact on the entire organisation.

• Build the right sales team Establish what mix of sales professionals you require in order to succeed. Different people have different skills.

• Set sales expectations - You want to get your team energised! Set clear expectations so everybody knows the difference between over-performance

and under-performance.

• Don’t hire dinosaurs - Your sales team must be good at taking feedback. Only hire sales professionals who are open to coaching, embrace technology and invest in their professional development.

• Set high but realistic goals - All sales professionals expect to be stretched.

Your job is to ensure their targets are neither too high or too low. You want them to fully buy in to the “do-ability”.

• Incentivise your team Create a sense of urgency and leverage motivation.

Consider displaying league tables around the office.

• Training matters - Make continuous learning part of the culture.

Every successful sales organisation should have

a programme of training that is consistently progressing the core of product knowledge, prospecting, opportunity management, territory planning and professional communications.

• Remove Clutter - Shield your team from internal politics and don’t get in their way - make it easy for them to focus on the job.

If you want to read more about how to adopt a ‘sales mindset’ across your company then try my best-selling book ‘FunnelVision – Sales Made Easy’. It’s on Amazon for £4.79 Kindle/ £9.95 physical edition.

Steve Knapp can be contacted on: steve@ thesalesmindsetcoach.com More information from: thesalesmindsetcoach.com

45

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e

ADVERTORIAL

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY

‘GOING GREEN’?

With the environment and corporate social responsibility even higher on the business agenda after the launch of Sheffield Sustainability Network, Office Friendly managing director Julie Hawley says it’s time to make your office products supplier a priority – their depth of knowledge could surprise you!

A lot of the conversations I had at the recent launch event of the Sheffield Sustainability Network (SSN) – and a similar question we’re asked on a dayto-day basis at Office Friendly – is about businesses wanting to source ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ products.

My answer is always the same … and it’s a question.

What do you classify as green or alternative or sustainable?

Do you mean environmentally friendly?

Are you talking about the kind of raw materials products are made from?

How about the product’s carbon footprint?

Does the production plant itself recycle or have solar panels?

Is the manufacturer paying a living wage? Or giving back to the community, environment or education?

Office Friendly is a buying group in the office products industry with a 140-strong membership who all sell products with a collective turnover of £450million. We spend £54million a year with a Sheffield-based wholesaler on office products, furniture, facilities management, catering and janitorial.

Office products suppliers are often very low on the priority list for companies but actually they’ve built up a vast amount of knowledge over the years of many sectors. So when you’ve

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got someone coming into your business selling stationery actually their remit is far wider – and their knowledge much deeper.

These people are effectively experts in a lot of industries on areas like sustainability and that’s why we established Weaver - our social sustainability programme – to give them the credentials behind what they’re supplying to businesses.

I’d challenge businesses wanting to find ‘alternative’ or ‘green’ products to ask their supplier – they’ll be able to source you a great deal more than you think. We champion small businesses and have plenty of local, smaller suppliers competing against the big boys, but their advantage is they have that wealth of knowledge.

Take a pen – the components parts will probably be made in one country, be assembled in another and then shipped to UK for consumption.

Then think of the life cycle of that pen – is it a single use item or refillable?

Is your business aware of schemes like Terracycle?

They disassemble items at the end of their useful life and put their components back into BIC 4 COLOURS PEN the supply chain to be reused as something else

JULIE HAWLEY

like gardening implements, for example.

A key speaker at the SSN event was Webmart founder Simon Biltcliffe whose message was: you can still make a profit AND give back to the community and environment – it just takes a little bit more time and thought.

Businesses want to make a gear change – and chances are, your office products supplier can enable your company to take that first step.

Want to know more about sustainable office products, challenge your current provider or find out more about Weaver and how it can help your business?

G www et in tou ch .o T: 011fweaver.c ! o 4 256 6300.uk

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47

BUSINESS START-UPS

THE LEGAL LOWDOWN FOR WANNABE BOSSES Wanting to start out on your own? It’s never too early to take advice on the legal implications. Jill Theobald got the lowdown from Taylor Bracewell’s experts to find out more about the key areas all wannabe-bosses need to consider Time is money, as the old adage goes and any established entrepreneur will no doubt agree.

It turns out its as true about starting a business too because as I quickly learnt from my time with Taylor Bracewell being aware of the legal pitfalls at the outset ‘inevitably saves time and expense’.

Taylor Bracewell have multiple offices which are located at Sheffield (11 Paradise Square, S1 2DE) and two offices in Doncaster (17-23 Thorne Road, DN1 2RP and 1 Railway Ct, DN4 5FB) where their large team of experts advise businesses large and small, new or established on all commercial matters.

So over to two legal specialists to discuss areas you need to consider before embarking on your own enterprise.

EMPLOYMENT – HARRIET GARDNER, TRAINEE SOLICITOR The contract of employment is the first and foremost document you need to consider. Employers are required to provide employees with a written document summarising the main terms of their employment on the first day of starting work. It should contain information

48

such as job title, salary and holiday entitlement. Do not forget to confirm any changes in writing such as an increase in the employee’s salary.

The staff handbook contains all the details the employee needs about the workplace, including company policies and procedures, and should be used as a guide to ensure consistency in treatment of employees.

Extremely important in today’s world, a carefully drafted handbook and contract can help to defend a claim should the employee choose to issue one.

You need to give thought to obtaining employer’s liability insurance, if you need to set up a workplace pension and the various employment checks you need to carry out including if the employee has the legal right to work in the UK. You also need to remember to register as an employer with HM Revenue and Customs.

Employees are the most important asset and recruiting the right people is expensive and time-consuming but when done properly, employees are more likely to remain, work

hard and, ultimately, cause fewer issues.

Our Bulletproof Protection Plan helps guide you through the employment law minefield. The main perk is the ability to access advice from an employment adviser who will provide draft letters and who understands how each client likes to operate their business.

TOP TIP:

Keep a record of important discussions with employees (such as appraisals or difficult conversations) including the date, who was present during the conversation and a summary of the discussion.

The most effective note is one shared with the employee for them to sign to confirm that the content of the note is correct.

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BUSINESS START-UPS

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY – ALISON TURNER, HEAD OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Every business has different needs whether leasing premises or purchasing a freehold property.

Our Commercial Property Team has a wealth of knowledge and experience in assisting businesses of all sizes in acquiring the perfect premises and helping with their ongoing needs.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW TOP TIPS: • Find the perfect premises – don’t settle for second best, this is the building which you are going to see your business grow into so make sure it’s the perfect premises for you and your business.

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• Make sure your business is able to carry out your trade from the premises – restrictive covenants can bite you.

• A lease may be the right option – consider leasing as an alternative to buying.

• Always consider if you need more than legal help, you need to ensure that your business is fully protected and ready for anything that will come its way.

So now you know the basics in the key areas for starting your business, however as easy as it sounds we understand it is not.

That is why we have staff working around the clock to ensure that all businesses and people within South Yorkshire have a point of contact if something was to occur.

If you require any more information on any of the

topics discussed don’t hesitate to call us.

Sheffield – 0114 272 1884 Doncaster – 01302 341 414 Also keep an eye out for our next edition where Phil Crawley, Head of Commercial Property and Emma Cornell, Head of Dispute Resolution will be giving an insight into what you need to consider to be a wannabe-boss.

• Check if planning permission is required for your use of the premises.

• If leasing, always keep the landlord happy – make sure your rent is up to date and if you want to do any works always check to see if the landlord has to consent first.

Call us on: 0114 272 1884

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Visit Our Free Legal Clinic 11am - 3pm 11 Paradise Square, S1 2DE Every Thursday No Appointment needed 0114 272 1884Â Hello@taylorbracewell.co.uk www.taylorbracewell.com

Business

Helping your business

Employment

HR & Employment

Property

Residential and Commercial Property

Wills, Probate & Trusts Looking after your life

Family

Taking care of your family

Dispute Resolution

Let us settle your dispute

Charity

For those that need it most

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unLTDBUSINESS.COM

ADVERTORIAL

SHEFFIELD’S JEWEL IN THE CROWN Sheffield’s oldest and arguably its most attractive hotel, has completed a full refurbishment of the Grade II listed Ballroom at Crowne Plaza® Royal Victoria Sheffield , as part of a £3 million refurbishment The hotel mixes grand Victorian architecture with the very best modern facilities and services, all under the umbrella of one of the world’s leading business hotel brands, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts.

Situated at the site of Sheffield’s historic Victoria train station, the hotel was considered one of the most complete and luxurious hotels in the United Kingdom when it was built in 1862. It was given its ‘Royal’ prefix after a visit of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1905.

March 6 2019 was another significant day in the history of the hotel. One year on, after a bedroom refurbishment, the hotel has been brought back to its former glory and comes

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under the Crowne Plaza flag, InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) leading business brand.

The hotel joins more than 400 Crowne Plaza hotels across the globe, and is the 3rd Crowne Plaza hotel in Yorkshire.

The hotel is perfectly located in the heart of Sheffield City, just a five-minute walk into the city centre and offers ample parking. Our impressive meeting rooms can cater for everything from an intimate business gathering to a conference in our stunning ballroom for 400 attendees – with a choice of 14 meeting rooms we have a space to suit everyone and our Meeting Director will ensure that you and your party have everything you need.

Our Lounge and Cocktail Bars serve an impressive selection of beverages, cocktails and wines from all over the world and provide the perfect setting for pre-dinner drinks before dining in our outstanding Cunningham’s Restaurant.

The Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria Sheffield boasts 105 beautifully appointed elegant bedrooms, and with IHG’s Sleep Advantage™ programme you are assured a good night’s rest.

Residents can take advantage of our fitness suite and sauna, complimentary WiFi, 24-hour room service and complimentary tea, coffee and mineral water in your room. Cunningham’s Restaurant is open to the

public daily and offers afternoon tea and seasonal offerings throughout the year.

The Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria has a number of facilities which include: 14 corporate meeting rooms catering for groups of four to 400, a Victorian Ballroom which is home to numerous events including weddings, proms, dinner dances, corporate parties, Christmas parties, an annual New Year’s Eve Ball and much more.

Get in touch: Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria Sheffield Victoria Station Road, Sheffield S4 7YE www.cpsheffield.co.uk 0114 252 6512 sales@cpsheffield.co.uk

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The Office you know and love, on the devices you use most, whenever you need it, wherever you are...

01246 266 130 info@ct.uk unLTDBUSINESS.COM unLTD April - Office 365.indd 1

18/03/2020 16:29

SMARTER COMMUNICATION

IS IT TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO EMAIL? As technology evolves, new and more efficient ways of communicating have emerged. CT’s MD Ian Snow takes a look at the drawbacks of email – but explains why businesses should not abandon it just yet!

Email has been one of the most popular forms of communication for as long as the internet has been around, particularly for business. But as technology evolves, new and more efficient ways of communicating have emerged – including instant messaging systems and workflow platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Every day, more businesses realise the benefits of the alternatives.

Email kills productivity Up to 15 per cent of the workday is spent checking and responding to emails and sorting through the junk.

This can have a negative effect on productivity. How many days have you gone into a meeting only to come out and find 30 messages in your inbox, all demanding your attention? This leaves you tied up for a good portion of the day trying to action and prioritise the demands – not an effective use of time.

New communication channels Social media has become an easy way for companies to reach consumers and for businesses to reach current and potential clients – email is no longer the default.

With the rise of remote working, communication often needs to be instant.

Video conferencing through

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and Marketing Association.

For businesses of any size, it’s a way to reach a large group of people with personalised and tailored messages.

platforms such as Teams enables users to schedule appointments and then chat with an employee while working on a shared document – no more back and forth via email.

But despite the drawbacks, email does have its place when used smartly.

email is a quicker solution than organising a call.

Consider also that 68 per cent of UK workers use mobiles to check emails – it’s the easiest way to keep on top of work when you’re in or out of the office.

Email marketing is a powerful tool Access it from anywhere Email still plays a big role Email allows you to in helping businesses reach communicate with their customers – in the employees or customers UK it has risen to its best anywhere at any time. performance since 2015.

Sometimes phone calls or Email open rates have video chats are not viable – increased from 17.2 per cent particularly if there’s a time to 20.8 per cent and email difference involved. It may delivery rates are up to 92 per not always be immediate, but cent, according to the Data

It is cost-effective If put to good use, email can be one of the most costeffective communication and marketing tools your business can use. Used properly, it can be a personal and more professional approach than a blanket social media post, for instance.

Email has become a part of people’s daily lives. It helps anyone track what they’ve purchased online, remind them of bills they need to pay and provides them with updates on things they enjoy.

So, what does the future look like for email? It still has a place, but we envisage that it will become a smaller part of the communications mix as businesses increasingly take advantage of unified communications platforms that handle group chats, social media messaging and internal communication.

Is your business looking to start a digital transformation? For more information about our unified communications and cloud solutions, please contact CT. www.ct.co.uk info@ct.uk 01246 266 130

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FOCUS ON

ARE YOU LOOKING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR WORK WINNING FUNCTION TO GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING BUSINESS? We have a proven track record and have successfully delivered over £200m of growth for companies in the UK in the last 3 years alone.

Contact Bronwyn on 07957 227947 or bronwyn.linkhorn@marketinfra.co.uk for more information.

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unLTDBUSINESS.COM

ADVERTORIAL

AIRMASTER – CUSTOMER SUPPORT DURING COVID-19 As COVID-19 continues to impact on businesses, Airmaster’s business development manager and air conditioning specialist ‘Energy Ian’ Fisher shares how the company is supporting its maintenance customers at no additional cost during the crisis The Airmaster team are constantly monitoring the COVID-19 situation and complying with government advice.

We want to keep our own staff working safely and have procedures in place for that, but also want to help our customers to be more confident in using their air conditioning systems, while trying to make their buildings a better place to be as much as we possibly can.

It’s now more important than ever to keep systems clean and we are doing what we can, where we can, for as long as we can during this time and are implementing added value to maintenance at no additional cost to all our customers to try and help keep the wheels of business turning.

So, all Airmaster maintenance customers during the COVID-19 outbreak restriction periods will receive, at no additional cost, during their maintenance visit: • Disinfection of airconditioning units or air handling units coils and

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cleanable filters with QX-60, a chemical cleaner that kills 99.9% of bacteria and fungi in 60 seconds or less while also improving indoor air quality.

• Documented and dated disinfection for every unit serviced.

If buildings are at low or no occupancy, this provides our team easier access and a safer environment for our engineers to work in. In coordination with our in-house fully accredited TM44 Air conditioning energy assessor, we are going to help our customers with: • Optimisation with the controls for systems in empty areas or to suit low occupancy, which can provide you a considerable energy saving.

• Setting up ‘night purge’ to refresh the building with clean, fresh, outside air ready for the next day, every day - (please note optimisation and night purge can only be set on systems with the capability in place to do so).

If you are not currently a maintenance customer of Airmaster, but our service is of interest to you, get in touch now to see how we can help.

We want to keep our own staff working safely and have procedures in place for that, but also want to help our customers to be more confident about using their air conditioning systems

Airmaster Air Conditioning ltd 0114 2889911 We are the experts you’re looking for Official guidance from REFCOM at time of going to press is that maintenance of air conditioning and ventilation systems should be continued. For further information on the likelihood of how an air conditioning system can or would spread a virus such as COVID-19, and what building owners can do to prevent the spread through common ventilation systems, visit: www.refcom.org.uk/ blog/covid-19-and-airconditioning-systems/

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EAT . DRINK . DANCE CUBANATAPASBAR.CO.UK Call 01142 760475 unLTDBUSINESS.COM Cubana_Logo_Advert_Exposed_ARTWORK.indd 1

28/08/2018 10:02

10:02

PRODUCT GUIDE

PRODUCT GUIDE WITH JAMES BIGGIN

SPONSOR ED BY WWW.S TEEL-CIT Y.CO.UK

Once again, we chat to Steel City’s MD, James Biggin about his go-to products this month.

Keeping hydrated is a big deal and we all know that drinking water makes us feel better and ultimately keeps us healthy. As well as keeping hydrated, the massive eco-friendly trend of consumers moving away from disposable drinkware means reusable branded drinks bottles are becoming the go-to business gift.

JAMES’S PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: DOUBLE INSULATED BRANDED DRINKS BOTTLE So, for my product of the month I have chosen the double insulated branded drinks bottle, the Tide.

With the well-known Chilly’s bottle being such a popular choice, it was only a matter of time before a comparable style of bottle would appear in the business world. Similar to the Chilly’s bottle, the Tide bottle has a huge branding area to really get creative with your marketing message. It is stocked in 16 different, vibrant shades and can even be Pantone matched to your brand colours if more than 500 units are ordered. You are spoilt for choice with branding options – be it engraved, spot colour print or full wrap-around digital print (you can even have individual names printed). It also comes in either a matt or glossy finish.

ITV 2’s favourite summer show Love Island made the fold down sip mouthpiece bottle fun and cool which is why every summer this stylish bottle continues to be a huge hit. The Bowe is a similar style branded bottle, available in a number of colours including green, pink, blue and more. So, add some personality to your bottle by having your logo and call to action printed on the side – perfect for Instagram!

If you are looking for a premium, high-quality, stylish drinks bottle then look no further than Copper Vacuum insulated bottles. There is a massive range of insulated styles to choose from be it sports bottles, tumblers, mugs or flasks. The double-walled stainless-steel vacuum with copper insulation allows beverages to stay cold for 48 hours or hot for at least 12 hours. The Thor as shown above features an on-trend wood-look lid and is branded with laser engraving.

As businesses continue to move towards environmentally friendly branded gifts, the H2O branded bottle collection offers exactly that. These branded bottles are made from 100 per cent post-consumer PET scraps right here in the UK and are packaged in a homecompostable bag.

Steel City, headed by James Biggin, act almost like a concierge service, taking on board your marketing message and goals and making them come to life with branded products. The team is constantly on the lookout for new and creative product ideas to help your brand stand out.

STEEL CITY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PROMOTIONAL GIFT DISTRIBUTORS IN THE UK AND WE ARE STILL GOING STRONG TODAY! WWW.STEEL-CITY.CO.UK • TWITTER: @STEELCITYM • FACEBOOK: @STEELCITYMARKETING • INSTAGRAM: STEELCITYTHEDON

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Independent, impartial and honest As a small local business, we’re able to provide you with a level of service that other firms simply can’t. We take the time to get to know you and your business on a one-to-one basis with no obligation and no up-front fees, so you can make the best decision at your own pace.

Short Term Bridging Loans | Property Development Loans | Unsecured Business Loans Professional Practice Loans | Commercial Mortgages | Asset Leasing Contracts New Business Startup Support

For more details contact Jamie Baggaley for a free quote or to arrange a one-to-one meeting

Arrange a free no-obligation consultation today Call us on 07399 660 002 or 01709 805624 jamie.baggaley@jjcommercialfinance.co.uk

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jjcommercialfinance.co.uk

unLTDBUSINESS.COM

COMMERCIAL FINANCE

EXPLORING YOUR OPTIONS Keen to explore the business finance options available to SMEs across the Sheffield City Region? This month J&J Commercial Finance director Jamie Baggaley explains how Asset Finance can help businesses What is Asset Finance?

In its simplest terms Asset Finance is a type of secured finance where the lender will take a security interest in an asset. It’s changed a lot since the days where it just used to be machinery, cars, yellow goods (JCBs etc) and now covers a broader range of assets.

It generally still covers business critical assets – for example, a fleet of lorries for a logistic company or a coffee machine for a café.

This broad range means that Asset Finance is accessible to businesses across different sectors.

The different variations of Asset Finance There are many different permutations of Asset Finance and structuring a deal can be very bespoke to the individual, business and asset type. In summary: • Hire Purchase – This is where you spread the cost of the asset over a period of time. The asset appears on your balance sheet and because you own the asset you are responsible for maintenance and associated costs. At the end of the term you will have full ownership of the asset.

• Equipment Leasing – This is where the lender owns the asset and rents it back to you. At the end of the lease period you can either continue to lease, upgrade to a new piece of equipment or hand it back.

• Other forms include – Finance Lease, Operating Lease, Lease Purchase, Contact Hire, Refinance.

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J&J COMMERCIAL FINANCE DIRECTOR JAMIE BAGGALEY

Is Asset Finance available to me?

From new start-up business to established businesses, Asset Finance is an option available when purchasing new assets into the business. The types of assets are so varied it could be catering equipment, vehicles, lorries, printers, manufacturing, construction, as well as medical and dental equipment, gym equipment, shop fittings, IT … the list can be endless!

Asset Finance is available to sole traders, limited companies, partnerships, and individuals.

The asset also doesn’t have to be new – it can be

second-hand and we can work with you and the supplier to ensure a smooth process. Due diligence will be undertaken to make sure that there is no outstanding finance on the asset before ownership is changed.

How much does Asset Finance cost?

With the various lenders and options available this is a really difficult question to answer and is where J&J Commercial Finance can help.

We can guide you through the process from looking at what deposits are available (a number will now do 0% deposit), through to VAT

deferment, seasonal payment options, and what you want to do at the end of the term with the asset. We can pull together a no obligation quote and explore the options with you, as well as looking at other finance options giving you peace of mind that you are making the right decisions for your business.

Jamie will be back in June’s edition of unLTD where he’ll be exploring invoice financing in more detail.

To book a no obligation meeting please contact Jamie on 01709 805 624 or e-mail Jamie.Baggaley@ JJCommercialFinance.co.uk

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PROFILE

BUILDING BLOCKS When Rochelle Gilburn's life came crashing around her after the sudden passing of her husband 18 months ago, she made a decision the event would not ruin her life. unLTD editor Richard Fidler took time out to chat to the young entrepreneur as she starts a new life in property 60

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PROFILE

ROCHELLE AT A PROPERTY EVENT IN LONDON WITH ELLIE MCKAY OF COMBINED PROPERTY

It’s a story of our time but different in many, many ways.

Life is going well. It’s going great, in fact. And then your world comes crashing down.

Right now there are millions of people across Europe, and beyond, feeling that way, but for Rochelle Gilburn her suffering began 18 months ago with the sudden death of husband John.

John, a well-known business figure across the north of England and managing director of Owlerton Stadium in Sheffield, passed away from a heart attack to leave Rochelle to bring up their two children Maisie, aged five, and Joshua, aged three.

In a lesson to us all, Rochelle has refused to buckle – and instead embarked on a new career that is very different to the marketing executive roles she has held previously.

“The first six weeks after John died were a whirlwind as I was sorting everything out,” said 31-year-old Rochelle.

“After a while I was left twiddling my thumbs at home so I went back to work at the dogs where I was a marketing executive. It was only seven weeks after John’s passing, so it was probably too soon.

“It was difficult, but I

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wanted to make sure everyone was ok and John’s work was continuing at the stadium because he’d done so much.

However, I quickly realised I needed a fresh start and made the decision to leave the role.

“I'd always thought about getting into property but there's always a million excuses for not following your dreams. After John's death, I realised life is too short and you just have to go for it.

“That’s when my new working life got started,” said Rochelle. “I was chatting with a friend who knows about property investment and she advised me to take a course so I did an evening, online course with Facebook over five days to give me the basic information.

“I liked what I heard so I did a further four-day course in Glasgow about how to structure my business and it has gone from there.

“I act as a property consultant for investors who want to add to their portfolio within South Yorkshire. I’m building up my networks with estate agents, solicitors and financial advisers as I put together a group of investors.

“It’s a good market to be in with other people who are doing a similar thing all being

I made a decision to not let what happened to me ruin my life

very supportive. We often work together to pass people on to the right person.

“I have access to great value properties that won't be found on the open market. I recognise that interest rates are so low with the banks and people are looking for alternatives that will give them a great return on investment.

“But busy professionals just don't have the time to look for the opportunities.

That's where I come in. I'll take the hassle out of building a portfolio and manage everything from the purchase to the refurb.”

There’s no hiding behind the tough time the country is going through at the moment with the COVID-19 pandemic, but Rochelle advised people to be positive.

“I made a decision to not let what happened to me ruin my life,” she said. “I could have just stayed in bed and not done anything but there is lots to look forward to. It’s about not letting things pull you down and working hard for what I want to do.

“What I’m doing is building relationships with people and I think that is so important across all aspects of our lives.”

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SUCCESS STORY

The complete business VoIP solution made in Sheffield

Looking for the flexibility to work remotely?

Improve employee productivity?

Enhance customer service?

Time of day call routing | Voicemail to email Call queueing | Call recording | Automated answering Simple to manage portal | Remote working Sheffield numbers | Call hunting | Conferencing ...and more besides!

Our no nonsense, simply priced, independent VoIP system is ideal for Businesses and Startups of all sizes Give us a call: 0330 122 8415 Or email us: hello@callwise.com

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callwise.com unLTDBUSINESS.COM

ADVERTORIAL CATERING AND HOSPITALITY STUDENTS ENJOYING BARISTA AND COFFEE DEMONSTRATIONS

CATERING STUDENTS GIVEN FOOD FOR THOUGHT unLTD caught up with Barnsley College Catering and Hospitality students as they visited Cutlery Works in Sheffield to gain valuable experience and enhance their knowledge of cuisine and culture The trip provided the students with the chance to experience different styles of catering at the various outlets within Cutlery Works.

They were able to see Korean barbequing with Konjo, bean to bar chocolate tasting with Bullion, sushi making with Edo Sushi and barista and coffee demonstrations with Foundry Coffee Roasters.

The students used the opportunity to learn about cooking in a variety of cultures and how staple foods have become popular around the world. The highlight of the day came when students had the chance to taste their very own creations.

Mark Beardshall, Catering and Hospitality tutor at Barnsley College, said: “It was

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an amazing opportunity for the students to experience food from different cultures and learn about the origins and processes behind the food they eat. It was also an inspiration to those with aspirations of owning their own business.”

Jess Widdowson, Enterprise Team Leader at Barnsley College, organised the trip within the department to help students on their way to getting job-ready. She added: “The trip has been a great success. We were fortunate to be joined by some brilliant experts, demonstrating their skills and talking about their careers.

“It’s great to see professionals inspiring the next generation of catering and hospitality employees.

The students who attended the trip were thrilled at the variety of talks and workshops and found the day both educational and enjoyable.”

Cutlery Works is part of The Milestone Group. Beth Green, Group Commercial Business Manager at The Milestone Group, commented: “Jess and I met with the desire of creating something new and unique for the students of Barnsley College. We wanted to bring them something that was innovative, so Cutlery Works, the first foodhall in Sheffield, was a perfect venue.

“The trip gave the students an opportunity to gain hands on experience, putting their skills to the test with a variety of different cuisines. They gained an understanding of

the ideas and ethos behind each of the businesses, what inspired the vendors to launch their businesses in the first place and why they chose Cutlery Works as their base.”

The Milestone Group is at the forefront of the food and drink scene in Sheffield, with a flagship gastropub in historic Kelham Island, two fabulous craft beer and pizza restaurants – Craft & Dough, Sheffield’s first rooftop bar INC, and the foodhall in a converted cutlery factory – Cutlery Works.

For more information on Barnsley College’s Catering and Hospitality courses call 01226 216 123, email info@barnsley.ac.uk or visit www.barnsley.ac.uk/candh

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SUCCESS STORY

CALLWISE With their strong local reputation down to word-of-mouth, Callwise have taken the complexity out of phone systems and given them a much-needed modern upgrade – especially timely in the current climate of employees working from home. unLTD’s Sasha Mossman spoke to Peter Kelly to find out more 64

unLTDBUSINESS.COM

SUCCESS STORY CALLWISE FOUNDER, PETER KELLY

Tell me a bit about the business.

Callwise provide phone systems for offices, businesses and start-ups – anybody who needs a phoneline really – both in and around the UK and internationally.

The kind of phone systems we supply include deskphones with extensions, we give customers all kinds of options such as allowing them to queue customers (your typical press 1 for sales, press 2 for support kind of scenario), transfer calls, record calls and more. Really, we do everything you’d expect an office phone system to do, and more!

What’s unique about us, is that we write and have written it all from scratch – which is something we’re extremely proud of. We have our own software, our own brand but we’re not particularly sales-y.

We operate within The Cloud, as opposed to many other businesses whose software is installed on site – all you need with Callwise is an internet connection for it to work.

This is a great benefit, especially in the current climate, to those working from home as all they need is an

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internet connection, wherever they are in the world.

How has it developed over the years?

The vast majority of our business has been driven by customer demand and wordof-mouth.

When we created Callwise we all had a similar telecoms background. I was working as a consultant after being CTO at a telecoms company and I had a customer who had a specific need for their phone system that they needed to be deployed in the UK, the US and Australia – and they couldn’t find an off-the-shelf solution that didn’t cost in the six-plus figure sums. They asked us to write it, which we did, and Callwise was born.

That was back in 2015, and we’ve grown since then, mainly through word of mouth and customer demand – we develop new features as they are requested, and we’ve got quite a comprehensive offering to be able to show potential customers now.

What projects, products, or services have been particularly successful?

We’re good at surprising

people! Some new customers have this fixed opinion about phone systems – thinking they’re expensive or difficult to set up and manage.

They see phone systems as something that’s stuck in the past and never updated, but when we come in we’re able to show them that there’s no problem – everything’s internet-led and all they need to do is plug a phone into their home or office router, or install an app on their computer or mobile phone.

It just works like a modern internet-based app would.

I think that’s where we’ve been most successful really, by entering these older, more-established businesses and updating their viewpoints on what a phone system is all about.

What are the key milestone achievements in recent years?

Our first customer was a big milestone, and the fact we’ve had so many subsequently has been brilliant.

We had a customer recently who has a very high-volume operation and is constantly using their phone systems to move backwards

and forwards and transfer calls. To see them using our system in action – which we don’t often see! – on that big a scale, felt fantastic.

What sort of feedback do you get from staff about the company culture and workplace environment?

There’s just the three of us, to be fair! However, as a team we work extremely well together. We’re just as chilled out as we can be really, which is all we want.

What are your plans for the future to drive further success?

One major plan is that we’re trying to expand the business into the United States in the near future, especially with the resellers over there – it has a lot of potential.

We’re trying to get more exposure that isn’t via word-of-mouth. Although it’s a fantastic way to attract customers, most of our work comes from referrals and we’d like to look more into alternative ways of marketing ourselves.

Driving more local growth is one of our key aims in the next few years.

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CHARITIES

A NEW HOME FOR PACES! A Sheffield charity and school which supports children, adults and families with Cerebral Palsy and motor disorders, have launched an exciting capital appeal to raise £3.5 million to build a new home.

With a prime location on the Advanced Manufacturing Park secured, the new centre will enable Paces to support three times as many children and offer even more services such as respite and hydrotherapy.

Almost 100 families have been turned away in the last three years, so being able to open the doors up to more families

that can take advantage of the support and the services is something they’re incredibly excited about.

The school is currently in a state of disrepair with a new home needed more than ever. With the promise of community provisions such as a sports hall, cafe and pool, it will be an inclusive centre for everyone.

The ‘A New Home For Paces’ campaign is now underway with businesses, organisations and individuals across the region being asked to come together to support the vision.

THE PROPOSED NEW SITE FOR PACES AT THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PARK

SHEFFIELD MAN MARKS TEN YEARS SINCE HOSPITAL SAVED HIS LIFE Dan Healy is taking on the Sheffield Half Marathon to raise funds for Neurocare the city-based charity that supports the Neurology Department which saved his life ten years ago.

Dan was just 19 when he was involved in a serious

road traffic accident and suffered bleeding on his brain requiring neurological surgery, twice. After having part of his skull removed and a titanium plate fitted, the teenager spent two months at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

Neurocare is a charity that raises money to support patients receiving treatment for brain injuries, tumours and complex neurological conditions at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

To support Neurocare’s work Dan, his brother Dec, and two

friends, Josh Schwartz and Will Thompson will join thousands of runners taking part in this year’s event now taking place on Sunday 27th September.

To find out how you can make a donation, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/ Dan-Healy.

FUNDRAISER CELEBRATES DECADE CANCER FREE Tony Sheppeck, Managing Director of 1st Security Solutions Ltd, is celebrating ten years cancer free after raising in excess of £35,000 for Weston Park Cancer Charity through various fundraisers The donation figure is thought to be much higher as he offers free security services for all Weston Park Cancer Charity events at Doncaster Racecourse, as well as providing minibuses to transport equipment to events.

Tony, who was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in 2010 and reerred to Weston Park Cancer Hospital for treatment, explained: “It is through their sheer dedication and kindness that I am here today – they saved my life.”

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HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS AT DONCASTER RACECOURSE, MARK EDWARDS AND TONY SHEPPECK

Weston Park Cancer Charity CEO, Samantha Dixon said: “It is a milestone year for Tony and a milestone year for

Weston Park Cancer Charity as we mark our 50th year of treating patients.”

There has never been

a more important time to support Weston Park Cancer Charity. To make a donation, visit www.westonpark.org.uk

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volvo sheffield BUSINESS CENTRE

The Volvo XC90 FROM £369 PERMONTH +VAT

PLUS £2,214 INITIAL RENTAL (+VAT) THE XC90 SUV 2.0 B5 MOMENTUM STANDARD FEATURES INCLUDE 9” Touchscreen, Voice Activated Control, Satellite Navigation, High Performance Sound Audio System, 19” Alloy Wheels, Keyless Drive, Adaptive Cruise Control, Heated Front Seats, Power Operated and Handsfree Tailgate, Front Park Assist and Rear Park Assist Camera, and a range of connected features through the Volvo on Call app.

Business Contract Hire, 24 month agreement, 8,000 miles per annum, all prices are plus vat, excess mileage charges apply, you can never own the vehicle.

CONTACT US NOW TO FIND OUT MORE OR ARRANGE YOUR TEST DRIVE

Stoneacre

280 Penistone Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S6 2FQ. Telephone 0114 553 7200 www.stoneacre.co.uk

FUEL ECONOMY FIGURES FOR THE VOLVO RANGE IN MPG (L/100KM): URBAN 14.1 (20.0) -57.7 (4.9) EXTRA URBAN 28.8 (9.8) - 83.1(3.4) COMBINED 20.9 (13.5) - 74.3 (3.8) CO2 EMISSIONS 322 99G/KM. Fuel consumption figures are obtained from laboratory testing intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect real driving results.

All offers subject to terms and conditions and are as part of a Stoneacre finance plan. Finance provided subject to status, written details available on request. Models shown are for illustration purposes only. Ask for details. Cars may be in group stock. Stoneacre operate as an Independent finance Introducer from a panel of lenders. Stoneacre do not charge a fee for introduction to a finance provider however we may or may not receive a commission. Offers correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to change. Subject to Your status, if after signing the Purchase Order You sign a Finance Agreement with a Finance Company in relation to the Vehicle, the terms of the Finance Agreement will replace this Supplier Agreement. The standard terms of the Finance Agreement will be stated on the Finance Agreement form that You will be asked to sign. Decidebloom Ltd t/a Stoneacre, Omega Boulevard, Capitol Park, Thorne, DN8 5TX, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our FCA number is 308726. You can verify this by visiting the FCA website or by contacting the FCA on 0854 606 9966.

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