Member Blog

Countdowns to Christmas are annoying at the best of times, but this year’s comes with an added annoyance of having to prepare for Brexit.

Whether the outcome is positive or negative, there are some changes that we all need to make.

Thankfully, your supply chain will be there to help you – the key is communication and preparation. These 6 essential questions will prepare both you and your supplier for Brexit.

Where are they based, and where do the products come from?

Even if most of your suppliers are the UK, it’s likely that some goods and services will be sourced from the EU.

If your key goods come from the EU, there could be some disruption to them if your supplier isn’t prepared.

Buying from a UK company doesn’t protect you if the supplier has run out of stock.

Of course, it’s your supplier’s problem to sort out their incoming goods but it’s still better to be prepared.

A simple step to take is to make a table of key supplies, the name of the supplier, what country they are based and what country the goods come from. For bulk products it could also help to track the incoming port, as some will be less disrupted than others.

What stock levels do they intend to have?

It’s good to track stock levels in terms of how long they will last. Knowing that your supplier has 2000 unicorns may sound a lot, but it’s not so good if they sell that many in a week.

I would advise that you top up your own stock as well, though this isn’t always possible and it’s a burden on cashflow.

Some tips:

• Give your supplier a forecast of what you’re likely to buy between November and March
• Raise call-off orders – this means you agree to order a certain number of goods but the supplier will store them until you’re ready (and charge you when they ship them)
• For really critical items, go and visit if possible – nothing beats seeing stock levels in person

Honesty is the best policy for planning with suppliers. They’ll be trying to balance enough goods for all their customers and over-estimating how many you require is going to harm relations longer-term. If you’re unsure of your demand, talk to your supplier about a range, for example 20-50 unicorns required each month.

Will any new regulations apply?

The government’s intention has been to ‘grandfather’ EU law over to UK law.

This means, in theory, everything should stay the same. However, new registrations or different processes might change how you operate.

For example, the REACH legislation that covers the import, manufacture and export of chemicals and substances will transfer over to UK law but there are actions that companies in this sector need to take.

Your suppliers are experts in what they do – don’t be afraid to ask questions, they’re probably hoping you do!

Do drivers accompany the goods across the border?

There are two ways goods cross the border to be shipped to you by road:

1. Offloaded at the port and collected by a driver
2. A single driver makes the whole journey from the EU to the UK

Trained drivers, especially ADR drivers, are in short supply.

The drivers who collect from the port are likely to stay within the UK. This means they should be carrying on as normal during the Brexit period.

The second type of` journey could cause delays. Drivers may not want to accept jobs with UK border crossings because they will lose valuable time in any delays at ports.

There’s not a huge amount you can do about this, but it’s a factor that you should include in your planning process.

What INCOTERMS will we be trading under?

Incoterms are internationally recognised ways of dealing with international deliveries.

They determine who is responsible for:

• Transport
• Insurance
• Customs
• Tariffs

Of the goods during their journeys from the supplier to you.

This isn’t the place to learn the details, but here are the main ones:

Code

Name

Description

EXW

Ex-works

All the risk is with the buyer from the moment the goods are ready to ship

CIP

Carriage & Insurance Paid

The supplier has responsibility for loading, transportation and the insurance up until the customs stage

DAP

Delivered at Place

As per CIP, but the seller is responsible for delivery to your door

DDP

Delivered Duty Paid

All the risk is with the seller, including customs and tariffs

The best way to think about it is to ask yourself: whose risk is it if something happens to the goods on their journey?

You probably won’t worry about a bearing being shipped by DHL from Manchester, but £50,000 worth of glassware from Italy could be a different story.

Suppliers may be hoping to change the INCOTERMS because of Brexit, so it’s worth having the conversation in advance.

How are they set up to do customs?

Even if there aren’t tariffs applied, customs documents will need to be completed.

Whilst we were in the EU, goods flowed freely as if the whole bloc was just one country. Governments didn’t need to track what was moving within the bloc, they just tracked what was coming in and out of the EU to the rest of the world.

Now, both the EU and the UK will want to know what’s travelling across the borders. This means that even if there aren’t tariffs attached to your goods, you’ll still need to fill out customs forms.

The UK is planning to allow businesses to defer their customs declarations throughout 2021, though details are yet to be confirmed. Even if it’s delayed, you’ll still need to track what you’ve brought in from the UK so that you or your suppliers can fill in the paperwork before the deadline.

If you’re not used to doing customs declarations, it would be better to encourage your suppliers to do this on your behalf as part of the sales contract. If not, you could use a Freight Forwarder to support you.

Conclusion | We’re All In This Together

There’s never been a more important time to work together, with both the pandemic and Brexit on the horizon. Be honest about your requirements and hopefully your suppliers will feel like they can be honest with you.

It’s probable that there will be delays for the first quarter of 2021. If your supply chain is going to have problems, it’s better to know as soon as possible so that you can prepare and adapt.

Communication is key – there’s still plenty of time to prepare with your existing suppliers or find new ones if needed.

If you have any questions on this or anything else related to procurement, please feel free to give me a call – 07588 071975

NOTE – This price is subject to adequate access to people and information, it does not include any additional specific services required or identified at any stage which will be charged at standard rates.

If you were to Google “diversity in the workplace”, you would find any number of articles that explain why it is important.  Fundamentally, it all points to this – more diverse workforces perform better financially and are more innovative.

We were recently contacted by a client who asked us if we could provide a board observer as part of our Board Ready Talent Scheme. This meant that an individual who is preparing for board level positions has the opportunity to observe the workings and dynamics of a board first-hand.

As an organisation, with two female executives out of six on the board, our client wanted to ensure that their Board is genuinely diverse and ensure this is sustainable for the future. They also wanted to provide a unique opportunity for an ambitious individual who would benefit from the experience. They selected a person who they felt could benefit the most from this opportunity and contribute to their diversity objectives. 

The CIPD’s published an article on Building Inclusive Workplaces, which discusses how promoting and supporting diversity in the workplace is an important aspect of good people management. They explore how diversity should go beyond legislation and become inclusive at all levels of an organisation, contributing to employee engagement and wellbeing. However, hiring a diverse workforce does not ensure that every employee has the same experience or opportunities.

There is no doubt that organisations need to work harder to support diversity, internally and externally. Not only is it the right thing to do but it makes good business sense.

Recently, our Executive Director, Lynn Walters, sat on Norfolk Chambers panel discussion on “The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace”. Along with the lockdown and Black Lives Matter, we have been thinking a lot about the wider subject of diversity in the workplace and why it is important.

How can organisations in the Eastern region recruit diverse workforces?

We have seen businesses across our region become more productive and successful with diverse and inclusive Boards. The boards that perform better in challenging times are those that are diverse as different people offer different perspectives, which helps with making difficult decisions. This current crisis has been a testament to the importance of diverse leadership. The business case for diversity at all levels in the workplace is clear and progressive organisations seek diversity of experience, behaviour and thinking. A diverse boardroom should reflect its customer base, lead to better decision making and improve business performance.

The CIPD report also suggests that organisations need to think beyond increasing diversity and tackle the challenges around workplace equality, personal bias or exclusionary culture. To address this, organisations need to be inclusive as well as diverse. Inclusion is fundamentally about an individual’s experience and allows everyone to contribute and feel part of an organisation. Hiring a diverse workforce does not guarantee that every employee has the same experience or opportunities in the workplace. Given that all employees are unique, inclusion is relevant for everyone in a business and it works hand-in-hand with diversity.

Lynn Walters says, “When it comes to recruiting, noticing and paying attention to diversity is a good first step. As you enter the recruitment process, evaluate how diverse your shortlist is and ask your recruitment partner to provide a diverse shortlist, encouraging wild card candidates who may not meet every single criteria, but bring a broader perspective. Measure the proportion of your recruits from diverse backgrounds over a year to help you understand diversity in your organisation.”

Providing a psychologically safe environment where everyone feels that they can participate and achieve their potential is fundamentally important to engagement, diversity and inclusivity. At the recent Norfolk Chamber webinar, Richard Ross Director at Chadwicks, suggested asking “why do we want people to fit in?” He proposed that a huge benefit of ensuring there is diversity in the recruitment process means that people are able to bring their own experiences into the team and keep diversity of thought going in the organisation. Cultural fit can be challenged. Simply talking and listening to people from diverse backgrounds opens the opportunity for new ideas.

Finally, encourage role models to speak out about their own experience and then really listen to understand. Whether these are internal or external, positive role models give people aspiration, inspiration and will challenge negative behaviours.

Achieving diversity

Over the past 5 years, Pure have focussed on broadening gender diversity in the Eastern region, through three distinct initiatives:

• Women’s Leadership Programme – we have worked with more than 100 women and their organisations over the past 5 years.
• Board Ready Talent Programme – we help aspiring professionals make the transition to Board level and 50% of participants are female.
• Measuring the gender split on short-lists and board appointments

Diversity is important to us at Pure from three perspectives:

• For our own business
• For our clients and organisations across the eastern region for whom we recruit
• For our candidates to ensure their applications are not affected by conscious or unconscious bias.

Having watched events unfold this year, it has prompted us to challenge ourselves on all aspects of diversity, both within our own organisation as well as wondering how we could do more to support our clients through recruitment and development. It is fair to say that we are at the start of our journey, and keen to explore and better understand the broader aspects of diversity. 

This focus is gaining momentum and we believe progress is being made, but there is still much work to do.

Discover more

If you would like to discuss your recruitment strategies, talk to our consultants today and discover more about how our Women’s Leadership Programme and Board Ready Talent Scheme can support people in your organisation.

Here are some useful resources for further reading:

• Ted talks by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

It’s no coincidence that with the growing need to make more of our space at home, searches for ‘garden rooms’ have increased. You might initially expect to see something more like a conservatory, orangery or extension, but these are very different styles and structures to a garden room. So when we say garden room, what exactly do we mean?

Well firstly, a garden room is typically a freestanding structure, unlike their adjoined alternatives. Generally there are standard features you’d expect to see of a good garden room. These include, a timber frame or modular construction, insulation, windows, roof, weatherproofing and electrical wiring. What can change is how these features are considered by each designer or manufacturer. It can be handy to explore the options and talk to the teams about their approach before you decide. However it’s built and for whatever purpose, a garden room can be a big investment and should be built around you.

How do you build a garden room?

Here at Image Garden Rooms we construct using a timber engineered frame and wall system derived from our experience in modular construction. This combined with our ability to finish key decorative elements ahead of installation means our system can be installed quickly, with minimal mess or hassle onsite. We provide full insulation to the walls, floors and ceilings, with careful use of joins and weatherproofing to provide a comfortable and stress-free structure for year round use. Within our garden room structure, we employ high-quality UPVC windows with double glazing. Not only does this add to the thermal efficiency of our garden rooms, but it looks good too, with a choice of colours available.

In fact its choice we’re really passionate about here at Image. So whilst we’ve standardised how we build our garden rooms, what we build is up to you. Our bespoke garden room options mean that from the floor to the ceiling, it’s entirely your choice. Our roof styles, cladding, floors and even specialist features are all provided with peace of mind guaranteed, with our job not complete until you have your perfectly finished garden room, ready to use.

So, what can I use a garden room for?

Would it be cheesy if we said anything you like? Well we’re going to say it anyway. Your garden room can be used for anything. Some specific uses can require consideration of planning permission, for example running a full time business from your garden room or bringing in elements like plumbing. However we can help you get the planning right so you can use your garden room for anything without the worry. With the growth in home working and home workouts too, we’ve seen the popularity of garden offices and garden gyms increase. Plus more and more people have seen the benefit in using a garden room to increase living space or create a social escape for friends and family. Whether your garden room is destined to become a garden bar or spa, studio, games room, playroom or multi-purpose space, at Image we’ll build it around you.

Want to see more about our garden rooms and how we build them?

– Explore our garden room range here

– Get Ideas with our Freestyle Inspiration Gallery

– Learn more about our approach with our handy FAQs page

Or Contact us to learn more, discus your ideas and start planning your perfect garden room

Regardless of size or industry, chances are the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way your Business does business.  Whether it is the services and products you provide, how you provide them, or just working out how to keep your staff working- adapting to these unprecedented challenges, and fast, was essential to mere survival.

During the initial response the focus was purely on keeping the business going- and that’s entirely understandable. But when necessity, functionality and convenience become the priority, security inevitably takes a back seat. In the context of necessity and ‘temporary measures’ to get people working, the increased risk of putting security concerns to one side was acceptable and, in many cases, unavoidable.

But what if these temporary measures have changed a business for the better?  What if actually, these temporary measures allow a business to operate more efficiently, save money and increase productivity whilst improving their employees’ work/life balance?  In short, what if a business decides that these temporary measures become permanent?

Having been forced to create a more flexible working environment, many employers and employees alike have come to notice something unexpected- it works.  It works really well.  Employees can do their jobs wherever they are whilst still being able to meet and collaborate with colleagues, customers are still engaging- and in some cases new opportunities have arisen- albeit virtually. 

It is no wonder then that many businesses are considering making these temporary measures permanent and adapting long-term strategies to take advantage of the benefits.

But those security concerns haven’t gone away.  Those risks, while acceptable at the time and given the circumstances, can no longer be ignored.

The right tool for the job

The first place to start is to review and evaluate the tools you are currently using.   Regardless of whether they were implemented as a COVID-19 workaround or not, look at everything in use today- file sharing tools, video conferencing tools, email and messaging tools, the lot. 

You should know now better than ever exactly what your business really needs to operate.  What is essential for your employees to be able to work effectively?  Do you have the tools in place to facilitate it, and are they the right tools from a functionality AND a security perspective?  Just how secure is Zoom anyway, and is Dropbox really the place to share and store commercially sensitive data??

It is so important that the right tools are made available proactively by the business- don’t let ‘Shadow IT’ put your business at risk.  Find out what your employees need to do their job and provide the tools for them, before they start finding them for themselves.

Many service providers offer tiers or licensing, with functionality and security features to match.  Along with identifying your tools identify what tier works best for you- while this will probably mean paying a license or subscription fee for a corporate-level toolset, but this is money well spent considering the potential risk of ‘open’ tools.

Keep business data within the business

How you provide external access to business resources now may well be different to how you used to do it, when it was perhaps less prevalent or more ad-hoc.  If remote working will form a more fundamental part of your business strategy moving forward, then now is the time to put in the right framework to make it secure.

If your business is using ‘Cloud’ services such as Office 365 or other Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) options such as Salesforce, then be aware that sufficient security isn’t necessarily part of that ‘Service’- at least not out of the box.  It is still your data and your responsibility to keep it secure, so password policies need to be up to scratch and multi-factor authentication should be strongly considered.

If your data is within your office environment, then you should aim to provide a secure remote access solution that keeps business data within the corporate environment.  If you or your IT partner put some temporary Remote Desktop provision in place to allow remote access, is it as secure as it needs to be?  Is it usable, auditable and scalable enough to enable your strategy?  If not then you should look to implement a new, secure end-to-end solution, or build onto whatever is in place to make it secure.

If you don’t already have a VPN capability then again, now might be the time to do it.  VPNs offer secure and encrypted communications between your staff and your business data which is great, but it will require expertise and the right equipment to be set up so assess if it’s the right solution for you before weighing up the potential costs.

Home Security

Before pandemics and lockdowns were part of our everyday lives, home network security wasn’t high on many people’s list of priorities.  Home networks are often relatively insecure, but the risk was small as there was not much to be gained from by an attacker breaching a home network, except to maybe leech some free broadband. 

This is no longer the case, and Cyber Criminals know it.  Now, breaching a home network can essentially mean breaching a corporate network by default, and suddenly the security of your employees’ home networks could be critical to the security of your business. 

Issuing corporate devices and implementing a VPN can massively reduce the risk, but regardless, make IT Resources available to them to help them secure their own equipment.  You should also mandate best practices to follow, and provide recommendations in your policies or communications (Is your internet router still using factory-default credentials?  Here’s how to check!).

Document and communicate your policies

Possibly most important of all, once you have decided on the tools and practices to help you deliver on your new strategy you need to document them in your policies and processes.  Creating and communicating clearly defined policies to tell employees what tools they must use and how they must use them will make it clear to everyone what is acceptable and what isn’t. 

These policies are also something to point to that demonstrates to potential clients (or auditors, if security accreditation is part of your strategy) that as a business, you understand the threats you face and the risk they pose, and steps have been taken to mitigate these risks where possible.

What the ‘New Normal’ could mean for your business

Businesses have always had to adapt to survive and Coronavirus forced many to adapt faster and in ways they never thought possible.  Many business owners now find themselves at a crossroads- do they endeavour to go back to ‘how things were’ or do they embrace the positives, and potential, in how their business was able to respond?

Each business is of course different, but think about it.  If your employees can effectively do their jobs remotely, do you really need all that office space?  If your employees can access your business data from anywhere- couldn’t that data also be anywhere- or effectively, everywhere?

Suddenly all sorts of opportunities present themselves- opportunities to save money by scaling back real estate, opportunities to cast your talent search wider if location is no longer a factor, opportunities to reduce or eliminate on-premises servers and infrastructure by adopting SaaS and cloud services, and many more.  These in turn could then have real business impact- what could less CapEx and more OpEx mean for your business model and your cash flow for example?  It’s surely worth thinking about.

Cyber Security strategy is a part of your business strategy

If you use a Service Provider or partner for your Business IT then take your business strategy to them, and talk to them about your options to maintain security.  You know your business and they should know the best ways to deliver on your strategy- but make sure they tell you exactly what they are doing to ensure that security, and auditability is being implemented.  Don’t assume that you’re getting the Information Security that you need, you must understand the risks specific to your business and what is being done to mitigate them.

For more general advice and recommended practices, particularly around new challenges that the Coronavirus pandemic introduced, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is an invaluable resource.  This Government organisation exists to provide Cyber Security guidance to businesses such as yours, and is a great baseline for the levels of security you should have in place, and that you should aim to maintain.

The fact is that your business has changed since the beginning of 2020, and the Cyber Security threats it faces has changed along with it.  Surviving COVID-19 forced many organisations into adopting practices they may previously have considered as unfeasible or too much of a security risk- but the benefits and opportunities that these new ways of working can afford your business are real.

With the right security consideration and guidance, they can be part of your New Normal if you choose to embrace them for your business.

We do understand that even with the great free information available from the NCSC and other sources, the time required to read and understand this, and to plan and take the relevant actions is time not spent running your business. 

If you need a fresh pair of eyes to validate your IT team is covering all the bases and simply if you don’t have an IT team with some specialist security advice we invite you to schedule a 30 minute call with one of our Cyber Security Consultants to help you understand where your key risks and opportunities are, and how we might be able to help.

n the circumstances, can no longer be ignored.

When most people think of technology hubs, they may come up with places like Silicon Valley in California or the Old Street area of London. While it’s the case that those places and others are firm favourites of tech professionals and venture capitalists, the reality is that there are plenty of places across Britain which are shaping up to be competitive homes for tech firms.

Norfolk on the east coast of England is one such place. The county has a lot going for it, including a burgeoning tech scene in Norwich and beyond – and, as one local entrepreneur recently noted, increased globalisation opportunities thanks to its proximity to the transatlantic flight routes of Stansted Airport. This article will delve deeper into the role that technology could play in Norfolk’s economy – and look at what sort of sub-sectors of the tech industry might one day appear here.

Agri-tech

Norfolk has long been known for its farming industry. Farming and technology can and do go hand in hand. Technology has been part of farming since the earliest farms, even if what was cutting edge at the time amounted to no more than a plough. In recent years, however, the term “agri-tech” has come to denote everything from crop modification systems to food packaging labs, and the agri-tech sector as a whole is believed to be worth around £14bn in total.

In many ways, Norfolk is a perfect place for agri-tech to boom. With acres of flat and fertile land, testing is simple and easy. Given that Norfolk continues to play host to thriving agricultural businesses, the demand for the use of agri-tech tools is present – meaning lower shipping costs and a less risky supply chain. According to local tech industry leader Tim Robinson, scientific research talent is already strong in the Norfolk area, so the leap towards making business to business agri-tech product offerings need not be too large.

Casino software development

To many who like to play casino games online, the whole thing is just a bit of fun – with added funky graphics and exciting themes thrown in for good measure. However, there is a whole industry behind the online casino world, and casino software development is big business.

The online casino industry is hugely popular in the UK, and now is a great time to capitalize on it. Even young companies with a small portfolio of games, like Stockholm-based Thunderkick Casinos, enjoy a lot of success. This page goes into more detail about their range of products, but it is companies like this that prove how a small, talented group of people can create a successful business.

Gaming companies based in Norfolk can take advantage of a huge pool of talent from the county’s biggest university, the University of East Anglia (UEA), which notably offers a BSc and MSc in Computing Science. The country is well connected to Cambridge and London via train, and also Europe via Norwich Airport, so talent can be drawn in from afar, and there is also a huge pool of potential clients no further than a short trip away. 

Ancillary services

As well as developing actual tech products and services, there’s also a lot of scope for Norfolk to start providing ancillary services to the tech sector as well. Tech office space could well become big business in this region, especially thanks to the improved transport links outlined above. Fashionable tech co-working spaces often flourish in areas which mix old and new. With historic Norwich located in the county, there are plenty of opportunities for landlords and property developers to take a role in shaping the new Norfolk tech economy rather than merely responding to it.

Once the requirement for tech skills is taken out of the equation, there’s a range of other services required. Tech firms also need to be taken to market, for example, and Norfolk already has a variety of promising leads in that regard. The UEA also offers a BA in Marketing and Management at the Norwich Business School – and with UEA often ranked second only to Cambridge in the East of England region’s university guides, there’s a golden opportunity for local graduating talent to be put to good use in the tech sector.

Overall, it’s time to put aside any misconceptions about what the Norfolk economy has to offer. While it might not be San Francisco or Silicon Roundabout, it’s got a burgeoning technology scene that is only likely to grow in stature in the coming years. From agri-tech to casino software development, the types of tech firm which could make it here in Norfolk are diverse.

Ransomware is big business, and business is certainly booming for cyber criminals.

It’s becoming all too frequent to hear of the next large corporation to be hit with a Ransomware attack, taking down services and putting the personal data of millions of customers at the mercy of the now highly organised, effective and increasingly ‘business-like’ criminal ransomware groups.

It is not just down to luck, or natural progression and growth that these groups are now able to successfully implement attacks against large, successful and (you may think) well-protected businesses. Put simply, it’s just down to good, albeit criminal business. 

More and more ransomware victims are choosing to pay the ransom to get their businesses back up and running, and in doing so they are filling the coffers of criminal organisations and effectively bankrolling subsequent attacks.  More money means more resources to re-invest in the business of ransomware- building better tools, more sophisticated and nuanced delivery methods and more intelligent and dynamic payloads.  Ultimately this then leads to more successful attacks and more ransom money in the bank, which leads to better tools….it’s one hell of a business model.

You don’t need to look far for examples of this evolution in action- take these incidents from the past year alone:

• On New Year’s Eve 2019 foreign currency giant Travelex was crippled by REvil ransomware, with the responsible group adding blackmail to the mix by threatening to release the encrypted data into the public domain if payment terms were not met.  Travelex reportedly paid $2.3 million to end the attack, but the effects to the business have been long-lasting and they have still not fully recovered to this day.

• More recently in July this year US Travel company CWT suffered an attack of Ragnar Locker ransomware, deployed by a ransomware group with a surprisingly customer service-focused offering.  A representative from the group engaged in an online chat with CWT execs to negotiate payment, and CWT ended up paying the bargain price of $4.3 million to decrypt their data and again, prevent the group from releasing the stolen files (Initially the request was for $10 million, however CWT were given a discount for responding quickly).

• Own a Garmin device?  Then I’m sure you’ll be aware of the breach that affected Garmin services for days, also in July this year.  Garmin were infected by WastedLocker- a strain of ransomware largely believed to be attributed to ‘Evil Corp’, a Russian cyber crime group that was hit with US Treasury sanctions in December 2019 for affiliation with a Russian Intelligence operation to steal classified US Government documents.  Apparently unperturbed by the risk of falling foul of the sanctions, it is widely reported that Garmin enlisted a 3rd party to engage with the criminal gang, allegedly paying a multi-million dollar ransom to get control of their >www.cyberscale.co.uk

There are a number of things employers will need to keep in mind as a large proportion of their workforce send children back to school and to return to work.

As with any other employees who were furloughed for a considerable amount of time, a return to work can mean employees have concerns about returning to the workplace. This could be for a number of reasons such as whether they are returning to a Covid-19 Secure workplace or general anxieties about being away from work for so long and how effective they will be when they return. Whether employees have been furloughed or have been working at home and will now return to the physical place of work, they should be re-inducted and provided with information about new procedures and provided with training for any new systems that have been implemented in their absence. Employers should be mindful that those returning will need time to adjust and that regular communication and support will help with this.

It may not be long before an employee receives a call telling them they need to collect their child from school due to coronavirus and they have the statutory right to take the time off to either collect their child or make other arrangements. Time off for dependents means providing or arranging the care in the event of normal planned childcare falling through i.e. the example of needing to pick a child up promptly from school especially as the option of grandparents/friends collecting in the event of suspected Covid-19 symptoms will not be permitted. Usually the time would be a day or two at the most and the entitlement is unpaid, employers must remember that an employee should not suffer a detriment for exerting a statutory right and therefore should not look to impose sanctions or treat an employee unfavourably because they have taken the time off. Any ongoing time off to continue to care for children would also be unpaid however it could be taken as holiday too.

The rules around self isolation remain similar to what they have always been so if someone in the household develops symptoms those who live with them must self isolate for 14 days. Where a parent collects their child because of suspected symptoms then the likelihood is that they will have to self isolate too. In this instance their time would be taken as sick leave and SSP may be payable from day one, unless the parent can work from home in which case, if they are well enough and childcare requirements permit it, they can continue to work from home as opposed to take sickness absence. SSP would not be payable for any days where work was undertaken. Small employers can claim SSP back from the government where it is Covid-19 related.

Keep in mind that local lockdowns could be imposed and depending on how strict the lockdown is, it may mean that children cannot attend school, or childcare arrangements before and after school may be restricted. In these instances working parents will need flexibility to manage the situation. There may be scope to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme again (if both parties are eligible) and place them on furlough/flexi furlough but this will only last until the end of October, employers should take the opportunity to identify those employees who may find it difficult in such a situation and give consideration to what extra support can be given to them.

Flexibility is key, where work can be undertaken from home then employers should do all they can to accommodate this. It may mean a temporary adjustment to working hours so the normal ‘9-5’ does not apply and time could be made up in an evening or weekend. Measuring productivity based on tangible outputs rather than being present will give confidence to employers and employees that a remote, flexible arrangement can work for both.

Employers may experience an increase in flexible working requests, it’s important to remember that for those with 26 weeks’ continuous service, making a request for flexible working is a statutory right and has a formal procedure which should be followed to agree or reject the request. Requests can only be rejected for eight stipulated reasons and must be objectively justified by the business to ensure any rejection of a request does not fall foul of the legislation. Trial periods can be really beneficial if an employer is not sure about the proposed arrangement, they allow for the working pattern to be tested and can also be extended if more time is needed to find the right arrangement.

A reluctance or inability to provide flexibility to working parents will not only cause productivity issues for companies but could also find them on the wrong side of the Equality Act 2010 too. The majority of those with caring responsibilities are women and not providing flexibility to assist with childcare could result in indirect sex discrimination resulting in tribunal claims and reputational damage.

There is no doubt that coronavirus has shifted the way the country is working and each employer has a responsibility to do all they can to help employees manage their childcare responsibilities alongside work. Doing this successfully means valuable employees can continue to work and be engaged with the organisation resulting in a win-win situation for both employers and employees.

For assistance with any of the points raised, please do get in touch.

There is nothing new about getting home insulation, nor about the importance of acquiring the ideal type of insulation for your property. However, in recent months and years there has been an increased drive by the UK government to help homeowners and leaseholders get access in the form of vouchers, to property insulation and various schemes to assist with doing so (source: Homesun).

There are many well-established reasons as to why you should consider getting both insulation for your home as well as additional features which will assist in the insulation of your property altogether. Common reasons for insulating one’s home include:

• Better energy efficiency
• Better heat retention through the colder months
• Sound proofing
• Reduced bills
• Increasing your property’s resale value

The type of insulation and precisely how you go about getting and fitting it will depend on a number of factors including the type of property in question, where your property is located (for example near the sea or in an urban city centre) and the resources at your disposal.

If you are a tenant in a property that you do not own, you will be less able to implement measures to improve the insulation of your property. You may however, be able to speak to your landlord or leaseholder to point them in the direction of government schemes and other ways in which to insulate the property.

Common Ways to Insulate Properties

Although there is no ‘perfect’ way in which to insulate a property, there are various well-established ways in which you can go about insulating and improving the status of a property which include:

• Double Glazing – Many properties in the UK have double glazing which is a tried and tested way in which to specifically insulate the doors and windows (which often cause a great deal of leakage) of the property
• Cavity Wall Insulation – Some properties have a cavity wall, which is a wall that has a gap [the ‘cavity’] between the interior and exterior walls of the property. filling this cavity with insulation can make a huge difference to the insulation of the property, stopping cold air entering and warm air leaking out via the cavity
• Loft and Basement Insulation – For those with a basement, it can be a huge source of heat loss, not being properly insulated. For most properties however, the loft, or loft room(s) will often allow a great deal of heat to escape through the roof and as heat rises, this can be one of the largest sources of air leakage for properties
• Use Draft Excluders – A cheaper alternative and one that is certainly one for tenants who cannot make any significant changes to their property. draft excluders, fitted to doors and windows can have a dramatically positive effect on stopping air leakage from properties and will also reduce drafts around your property, making for a more comfortable living environment too
• Check Your EPC – An EPC, or energy performance certificate is a document that in short, will detail the property’s energy efficiency. It may also allow you to understand where and how to improve the property in questions to ensure better insulation

On 13 October 2020, Microsoft will end support for Office 2010. This means any devices running the software after this date will put your business at risk. What does this mean for you?

• Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes or security fixes for Office 2010
• You’ll no longer receive Office 2010 software updates
• No further updates to support content will be provided and most online help content will be retired

Running outdated software not only makes your devices vulnerable, but it means you’re not taking advantage of modern software upgrades which could help the efficiency of your business. Although the software will still function, eventually you will see difficulties performing daily tasks.

What is the risk? With Microsoft no longer providing bug fixes or security patches, your devices could be vulnerable to attacks. Security updates help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Without these updates, attackers will be able to easily penetrate your devices. How do I upgrade? We’d strongly recommend upgrading to the latest software as soon as possible. Our technicians can look at the options available to you, and support you in transitioning between the software. If you’re a Breakwater client still running Office 2010, we’ll be in touch before the October 13 deadline. If not, get in touch to see how we can further support your business with our services. E: enquiries@breakwaterit.co.uk T: 01603 709300 Visit our website

From the coastal casinos of Great Yarmouth to gambling nights in Norwich, it’s no secret that Norfolk knows the thrill of a flutter. The earliest records of gambling date back from 1715, when Great Yarmouth’s famous racecourse first opened its doors – and whether we’re betting on horses or finding offers available for blackjack, our love of trying our luck doesn’t seem to be slowing down.  

But behind gambling’s fun façade, we can also glean some strategic tips. In a world where the gambling industry is being transformed by tech, what can we learn from the success of Norfolk’s bricks-and-mortar casinos?

This post will explore the top three business lessons we can learn from Norfolk’s casinos. If you’re taking a chance on a business venture of your own, read on to find out how you can maximise your shot of hitting the jackpot.

1. Know your audience

This is probably the golden rule of any business – and one which Norfolk’s casinos know well. Although many land-based casinos are starting to struggle as customers shift towards the convenience of virtual offerings, Great Yarmouth’s casinos have remained resilient. In fact, 2019 figures found that tourist attractions (including casinos) bring a whopping £635 million to the Norfolk borough every year!

Thanks to Great Yarmouth’s long history as a pleasure destination, its casinos are more secure of their customer base than many others around the country. That’s because visitors want a physical experience – a night out as opposed to a quick spin on their phone. The result? Norfolk’s casinos know they don’t need to get sucked into the industry pressure to digitalise in order to keep their clients.

1. Appearance is everything

Whether your business is online or off, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of an attractive shopfront. It could be a great homepage that’s eye-catching and easy to use, or it could be a physical store that calls to passers-by on your local Norfolk high street.

The neon signs, luxe carpets, and colourful machines we associate with Norfolk’s casinos don’t just create an entertaining atmosphere. They also play into a long tradition of what we expect casinos to look like. This appearance is so iconic that online casinos attempt to recreate it, often using red, gold, and black branding.

Make sure the appearance of your business complements the type of service you’ve offering. Your use of colour, imagery, and design can all influence the way potential customers view your venture – so give it the best chance you can by playing with their expectations.

1. Turn traffic into customers

Most successful businesses use a variety of marketing channels in order to attract traffic and turn it into customers. There’s no point launching a business if you don’t know how your clients will find you – you have to create open channels to facilitate engagement.

Just look at the Grosvenor Casino in Great Yarmouth. Situated on the iconic (and very high traffic) Marine Parade, this casino is a lesson in the importance of location. Even – or especially – if your business will be web-based, it’s important to have a great customer acquisition strategy. If you can’t rely on having premises on one of Norfolk’s most iconic streets, then social media marketing, online reviews, and referral programmes can all be excellent ways to gain traction.

Recruiting apprentices can be a great way to feed your talent pipeline. It allows you to assess not only your prospect’s talent, but also how they would fit within your organisational structure. You’ll also be able to tell if they would be a good fit with your company’s culture. Apprentice recruitment can turn to disaster in some rare cases, however, and hold your company back more than it can help. Let’s take a look at some of the do’s and don’ts when recruiting apprentices.

Do – Make Job Descriptions as Detailed as Possible

The job description will be the most important part when searching for the right candidate. You want them to know exactly what will be expected of them, and avoid wasting time with unqualified people. You also don’t want apprentices quitting because they’re way over their heads with what you’re asking.

Don’t – Go into the Process Uninformed

You want to be well informed about the apprentice recruitment process before you even start. For instance, you want to find out about different programs that could benefit you or different government schemes and funding opportunities.

If you want to learn more about these, we strongly suggest you check out the site employinganapprentice.com. This a great resource for both employees looking for apprenticeships and employers looking for apprentices. They have a section specifically on funding with information on various grants and government programs that will cover the cost of hiring apprentices. They can also connect you with local assistance if you need help specific to your own jurisdiction. By informing yourself through websites like this, you’ll be able to ensure that you follow the right steps.

Do – Go with a Specialised Training Provider

You want to go with a training provider that will be able to refer to apprentices that are relevant to your business. You can find apprenticeships for everything from auto repair to cybersecurity. Not all companies will be able to refer you to top talent in every sector, so you have to know in what area they specialise if you don’t want to end up wasting your time.

Don’t – Put too Much Emphasis on Qualifications and Experience

Yes, you are supposed to treat your apprentice just like any employee, but they’re not. Remember that they’re here to get experience first and foremost, and you will need to accept that they might not have much to show besides what they did at school. So, try to focus on personal qualities and potential before putting too much weight on their experience.

Do – Work with Passionate Apprentices

Speaking of personal qualities, one of the most important things you should look for is passion. You also want someone eager to learn. They might not have been top of the class, but you’d rather have someone dedicated and loyal than someone who thinks they know it all who might end up either leaving or alienating themselves from others.

Hiring apprentices can be a real asset to any organisation. However, it has to be done with the right vision in mind and realistic expectations.