There are more than six million lone workers in the UK – around 20% of the workforce. As the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) points out, a lone worker is someone who “works by themselves without close or direct supervision.” Learn more about the varied field of lone working and how lone worker safety and productivity can affect your business here: Who is a Lone Worker – and Why Should You Care?
We have all perused news articles exposing the vulnerabilities of specific mobile phone applications and social media sites. These pieces will often mention the threats posed by spyware, malware and similar types of malicious content. In fact, your information might have even been compromised in the past. Do these very same dangers extend to a small Norfolk-based retail website? Certainly not, as cyber criminals only target big businesses and credit card information. This is actually more of a myth as opposed to an accurate observation. You may be surprised to learn that a growing number of smaller businesses have experienced serious data breaches in recent times. Why is this the case and how can trusted ecommerce platforms be of assistance?
A Larger Threat than You May Have Realised
Cyber criminals are extremely intelligent and one of the main issues faced by security teams is that their methods evolve at a breakneck pace. This makes thwarting the latest threats exceedingly difficult. In fact, many software patches are only created once a flaw in a system has already been exploited. These situations tended to be limited to big businesses such as Amazon and Apple in the past. However, cyber criminals are now targeting smaller firms due to the fact that the majority do not have the proper protocols in place.
So, it is relatively easy to steal your data. Perhaps more worrisome is the fact that the personal information of your customers (such as home addresses or credit card numbers) can become compromised. This would irrevocably damage the reputation of your business and there is no doubt that a great number of customers will be lost as a result. So, what can you do to protect yourself from such emerging risks?
Ground-up Protection from the Digital Age: Better to be Safe Than Sorry
The first step is to use your website in synergy with a trusted e-commerce application such as Shopify. As there is a great deal of antivirus technology already built into this software, you will be provided with a robust firewall. It is also possible to adjust many of the associated settings so that your platform can become fully customised (such as blocking access from a certain portion of the world or identifying sources of spam).
Another excellent suggestion is to use a professional antivirus software bundle such as Norton or Avast. This architecture is updated constantly, so the latest threats are able to be quarantined and removed before they can cause any real damage. Check to see if these services can be used in conjunction with your website, as coding issues can occur on occasion.
Please note that this article was not intended to exhibit an alarmist flavour. It is instead aimed at educating local Norfolk businesses in regards to the online threats which currently exist. A bit of preparation goes a long way in this sense. If you believe that your portal might be at risk, it is better to take a proactive approach as soon as possible.
Responding to the details of the Government’s legislative plan set out in today’s Queen’s Speech, Nova Fairbank, Chief Operating Officer for Norfolk Chambers, said:
“Norfolk businesses will welcome the clear direction in the Queen’s Speech, as the Government looks to boost the economy and place all parts of the UK on an equal footing.
“As local companies begin the slow process of rebuilding following the pandemic it is vital that they are given the support they need to kick start their recovery.
“A strong focus on improving digital and technical skills that match the needs of local business will be a key driver in making that happen.
“Improving rail and bus services, maximising the national coverage of 5G mobile services and superfast broadband, while simplifying the planning system are important enablers to ensuring companies can rebuild and grow.
“These are all challenges that have existed for a long time, and we are now at a critical juncture where they must be addressed. This opportunity cannot be wasted, and the Chamber network will have a laser focus to ensure the Government delivers on its promises.
“It is disappointing that new employment legislation that could address the flexibility of working practices did not feature. The pandemic has changed the way we work forever, and employers need clear guidance on how to provide long-term flexible working arrangements that will make jobs more accessible for everyone.”
On Thursday 22th June, our members joined us at The Royal Assembly Rooms, Great Yarmouth for a morning of networking over breakfast and a presentation from Michael Timewell, Director at Blue Sky Leisure.
The Chamber’s Public Affairs Manager, Nova Fairbank hosted the event, which began with members taking part in an ice breaker game of ‘Finish the sentence’. This allowed guests to find out a little more about those on their tables, such as their childhood dream jobs and the favourite parts of the industry they work in. A delicious breakfast was then served and members got a chance to speak more to the other people on their tables
To facilitate more networking opportunities, guests participated in a chamber favourite – the Safari move! Once at their new tables and having introduced themselves, in the spirit of the theme of Michael’s talk, we had a tourism quiz where members were asked to guess the name of 9 famous Norfolk hotspots.
Michael Timewell then took to the floor to discuss the impact Tourism has on Norfolk and why we should all love a tourist. Drawing upon his experience having worked in the tourism sector for a huge part of his career, he emphasized the importance of the industry for the economy of Norfolk. He spoke about how it had changed in recent times and that people are more inclined to holiday in Britain and spend money on days out rather than travelling abroad. He finished with talking about how we should all do our part in ensuring Norfolk continues its reputation as a popular tourist destination.
Following Michael’s presentation, there was time for a Q&A session. The morning concluded with a final round of networking with their existing contacts and also the new ones they had made that day.
The next Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast is Norwich breakfast is Thursday 7th September, book your place
One of the biggest problems that many gamblers face is the ability to do business with a casino company for many years. Longevity is not a thing that gambling companies are known for, especially in the age of the online casino. In this environment, however, there are still some innovative and strong companies that have stood up to the test of time, becoming better as they go. Here are some casino companies with great longevity that you can definitely trust if you are a gambler who is looking for a homebase.
There are many other brands like Casumo.com that are showcasing the same properties as these long-standing icons in the industry. Newer brands are also making their way into the online space, so you can expect to see some of the big names in the industry follow suit. However, the new and expanded world of online gambling allows for many new brands to take market share without necessarily stepping on the toes of the big boys. We can probably expect to see many more casino companies with great longevity in the near future, as new technology allows innovative people within those companies to create unique experiences for their clients.
Many people know MGM as the movie studio, but it is actually a brand that owns many iconic casinos around the world. Its flagship in Las Vegas is one of the most highly trafficked gambling centers on the planet. Its portfolio also includes the Bellagio in Las Vegas, the Mirage in Las Vegas and many other huge performers in Springfield, Macau and other international cities.
Caesars Entertainment definitely has longevity. As one of the oldest company brands in the casino industry, gamblers can expect a great time from its more than seven decades of experience. Under the Caesars umbrella resides the Horseshoe and Harrah’s brand of casinos. Its portfolio also includes Caesars Atlantic City, Ballys Atlantic City and many casinos in the international market such as its holdings in Vietnam and Egypt.
As the biggest casino company in Australia, Crown Resorts is a huge holder of many brands in the land down under. Australian billionaire James Packer was the fuel in the fire behind this brand for many years, and he was actually the catalyst for the brand launching in many new markets outside of Australia. Crown Resorts recently opened its new building in Macau after it teamed up with Melco International. The brand was actually blocked in Sri Lanka, but it is building in Las Vegas.
This company is based in Hong Kong and serves as a holding company for many brands that come out of that area. Stanley Ho, Hong Kong billionaire, is the wind in the sales of this company. Its portfolio includes the Casa Real, Lisboa Casino Hotel and Ponte 16 Resort Macau.
Steve Wynn, billionaire and chairman, is responsible for some of the most luxurious casino properties in the world. This is a brand that has survived many eras of the casino industry. Its portfolio now includes incredible properties in Las Vegas and Macau. They are also building a new location in Boston Harbor.
Coming out of Hong Kong, this brand has concentrated itself strictly on the Macau market. However, it will soon begin construction on a location in Boracay of the Philippines in 2019. The family owned company comes out of the Lui family of Hong Kong. Its portfolio includes the Waldo Casino Hotel, the Broadway Macau, the Starworld Casino and Hotel, the Galaxy Macau Casino and the President Casino and Hotel.
63%!! That’s an awfully big statistic and a lot of business lost – it’s the rock-star of communication.
If you think this is a great idea for you, call us and we’ll support you all the way 01603 513111 or email me at wendy@livelinkresource.co.uk
A warrant control is a legal document that is given by the court if you have any debt and it is the type of document that allows the agents of warrant control to have a check at your place, and they are allowed to get control over the things you own. Whatever they seize will typically be sold at auction to collect the debt that is required from you. It is necessary that the warrant of control is given by the court, and the court has the right to file such warrants against you if you have not paid a fine charged within the country of the court judgment.
Bailiffs are also known as enforcement agents, who are hired by the court and may be allowed to enter your home if do not pay your debts on time. The court will first send you a notice to pay your debt within a set period of days or weeks and if you do not clear the charge fined on you then the bailiffs may be allowed to enter your house, and may well be allowed by the court to take certain posessions from your place without your express permission.
It is advisable to get rid of the CCJ payment as soon as possible to avoid getting into the situations which may lead to the issuing of a warrant of control, but if you are late then you can still get rid of this warrant by applying for the necessary paperwork from the court. This paperwork will likely help you to get rid of this warrant as soon as possible.
There are certain rules under which the bailiffs are required to work:
What Can Bailiffs Seize?
What Can Bailiffs Not Seize?
If you have any further queries regarding bailiffs or the warrant of control, you can simply view this website for more information.
Health and safety policy cannot be effective without good communication and trust between lone workers and their employers. What tools are available to help employers and staff take responsibility for their health and safety, and how you can you build a better safety culture in your organisation? Find out more here: How can employers and lone workers share responsibility for health and safety?
There are a plethora of blogs and articles on the internet about working from home. Whether that’s occasionally or, from a home office. Self-employed, employed or consultant. This is my personal story of employing remote workers.
Some people think having their team working from home is great, others are much more sceptical. The one thing that comes up time and time again is productivity. People hand-wringing that their employees won’t be productive as they’ll be lured away by something interesting on the TV, cooking their dinner or even dusting (whatever dusting is!).
My question would be – is the work being done? If it is, does it matter if they’ve sloped off to watch Homes Under the Hammer (you can see what my guilty pleasure is). Does it matter when it was done if it was done well and the deadline was met?
I’ve called this the Productivity Myth, as that’s exactly what it is – a myth. When the right team is working together with the same shared vision, what happens? Productivity soars. It doesn’t matter if they are warming the seat in the swanky office or bent over their desk at home.
If you have a team member that’s going to sit back and not care, they’ll do that in your expensive office too. All that’s happening is you’re adding to your business cost and your blood pressure is rising to stratospheric levels trying to manage them.
How do I know that lack of productivity is a myth?
Because I have done both. Previously, all my team were based in that (expensive) office. Buses were ‘late’, lots of ‘headaches and tummy pains’ and I was paying for that. Not just in money, but in time, stress and frustration.
A little over two years ago, I saw the light and hired my first two home workers. They are still with me today. Today, every member of the team works from their home office. I keep a small serviced office in Norwich and I’m the only person that uses it.
What have been the pitfalls?
There is one pitfall and it’s probably not what you think it will be. It’s getting the right person. Our hiring process is long and in depth. Applicants think they want to work from home, and it will be great (or easy), but soon find out it’s neither. Some find the isolation hard.
What’s great?
Almost everything!
Would I go back to having an office-based team. Never – it wouldn’t enter my head.
In the last year in which full data is available the arts and culture sector supported 360,000 jobs, contributed £10.8 billion to the nation’s economy, and had a gross value added per worker of £62,000 compared to £46,800 for the wider UK economy. Chris Gribble, CEO of National Centre for Writing, began his talk at our Norwich Networking Breakfast on Tuesday 16th July with these facts as a way of highlighting to the business community the contribution the arts and culture sector makes to the local and UK economy.
There is a booming culture scene in Norfolk and Suffolk with proportionally more people working in the sector than regionally or nationally. Considering that Norfolk is steeped in history this is hardly a surprising statistic, but the thing that did surprise a number of people in the room was just how much has always been going on in our fine city. Norwich was the first city in England to establish a municipal library in 1608 and the Millennium Library has been the most used public library in 6 out of the last 7 years. If you’ve ever been to an event as part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival you’ve attended England’s oldest city arts festival, which began in 1772. Julian of Norwich, one of Europe’s great mystics, wrote Revelations of Divine Love in an anchorite cell in Norwich and was the first woman to be published in English. Britain’s first and most famous MR Creative Writing was founded at the University of East Anglia and the first student was Ian McEwan! In 2006 Norwich became the first and only UK city to join the International Cities of Refuge Network which promotes free speech and supports persecuted writers.
Chris was a hard act to follow but Hannah Garrard, Programme Manager, did an excellent job. She highlighted the programme the National Centre for Writing ran to encourage young people to consider a career in the arts sector. As part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival the Engage! Group put together a festival in a day which included programming 5 events, designing the logo and marketing, and managing the event on the day. The feedback the event received was extremely positive and the National Centre for Writing are planning on running a similar event for next year’s festival.
Everyone came away from the morning with fun Norwich facts to wow people with and a renewed excitement for the arts and culture sector in Norwich. We are certainly going to be taking advantage of some of the fantastic events and venues on our doorstep and encourage you to do the same!
Big thanks go to the team at the National Centre for Writing and Ginger Lily for providing us with some fantastic food.
You can find all the slides from the morning here and information about 1000 years of Norwich’s history here.
What does the term Corporate and Social Responsibility (CS&R) mean to you? Chances are it is something that you associate with large scale companies who have budgets that enable them to make generous donations to good causes or are able to allow employees time off to do charitable work. However, there is plenty that even a sole trader can do to fulfil their own CS&R ambitions, which can be equally rewarding both for the business and for the recipients of their goodwill.
As a self employed florist and balloon decorator I deal with lots of requests on a regular basis asking for support in various forms. Having done a three year stint on our local school PTA I know only too well how difficult it is to generate support from local businesses to help boost often very small scale fundraising events. As a result, I choose to support certain local good causes in 3 different ways;
Raffle prizes with discount vouchers
With so many requests for raffle prizes, I now support a number of small scale events near me with a balloon arrangement and a discount voucher. A table of vouchers which may have considerable value on paper, can look quite uninspiring so by donating something visually attractive it can really encourage raffle ticket sales. It has even more impact when the charity gives permission for their logo to be replicated onto a balloon! The inclusion of a voucher also encourages the lucky recipient to redeem it against my products at a reduced rate.
Paid balloon décor with a charitable discount
For bigger events, larger scale décor is more appropriate but not so cost effective for me to just give away. Instead, I can apply a percentage discount which allows the charity to WOW their guests with some impactful décor at a more affordable price. Personalising balloons with the charity logo really brings the décor to life, and reinforces the branding message during the entire event.
Free balloon décor
This year I have had the privilege of working with two amazing local good causes, whose stories have really touched me; littlelifts.
I first met Oa, who founded littlelifts, at a networking meeting where we took part in a comfort box packing event. Oa was diagnosed with primary breast cancer at just 28 years old. Having received lots of little packages and gifts during her treatment, Oa decided to give something back by creating comfort boxes containing items that help with the side effects of chemotherapy and other products that give a ‘little lift’ at a very difficult time. These boxes are now distributed to women at the start or during their treatment at various hospitals across East Anglia, and the boxes are funded as the result of money raised at various events.
At Easter, littlelifts ran a cupcake decorating workshop. I donated two balloon bouquets (including the littlelifts logo) and a stuffed rabbit raffle prize which drew a lot of attention! This event raised £500 which is enough to support 12 women facing chemotherapy for breast cancer.
To find out more about littlelifts and how you can support them, please go to www.littlelifts.org.uk
The other good cause I have chosen to support is Sunshine and Rainbows, a not for profit scheme run by local photographer Shellie Wall. Shellie offers free photography sessions for families with a child who has a life limiting or life threatening condition, and some local businesses contribute something towards a gift box that the family receive. I donate a personalised helium balloon which Shellie uses as part of the photoshoot, and whilst donating a single balloon is a small gesture for me, the impact on the children (who have all adored their balloons) is far, far greater. The smiles on their faces are priceless and melt my heart, and the photos themselves become absolutely priceless to the whole family if things take a turn for the very worst.
If you can donate anything to help Shellie keep this truly wonderful service going, please head to https://shelliewallphotography.co.uk/sunshine-rainbows/
Being able to give back is very important to me, and I truly believe that if all businesses could give a little something to a local cause, we could soon make an amazingly positive impact in our local communities!
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, why not have a look through some of my other Blogs!
Claire Carney is an independent florist, a Certified Balloon Artist and NABAS Approved Balloon Décor Instructor based near Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Profit & Delight Studio has completed a presentation project that epitomises the unique opportunities Norfolk offers for contemporary developments based on its 1000-year heritage.
Principal Arthur Meek led the process to help The Community of Our Lady of Walsingham reshape their approach to a major international fundraising campaign to establish a presence in the heart of Little Walsingham, and expand their nearby spiritual retreat and formation center in Dereham.
Little Walsingham has been “England’s Nazareth” – its premier pilgrimage destination – for over 1000 years. Renowned across Europe, it attracted royalty and commoners alike until its suppression during the Reformation. Today it remains a significant destination for pilgrimage and tourism, drawing 350,000 visitors annually to Norfolk.
The Community of Our Lady of Walsingham, established in 2004, transforms thousands of lives each year through an authentic spiritual accompaniment practice, rooted in tradition, that includes group and hermitage retreats. Demand has grown along with its reputation. The Mission Hub development and Formation House expansion will boost retreat attendance from 132 to 500-1,000 young people annually, and double its capacity for hermitage retreatants to 150+.
The dual-site expansion helps strengthen Walsingham’s position as England’s premier spiritual center. The campaign has already attracted more than 440 donors who have contributed over £540,000. Members of COWL head to the US in the coming weeks with materials developed by Norwich-based Profit & Delight Studio.
Arthur Meek of Profit & Delight Studio notes: “Norfolk’s wind creates opportunities for energy infrastructure developments, and our thousand-year spiritual heritage creates unique development opportunities that are recognised by different kinds of investors!”
If you’re developing places and spaces that make Norfolk an even better place to live – get in touch with Arthur at Profit & Delight Studio. He’ll help you get to the heart of your story, in your voice for the stakeholders that matter to you.