Member Blog

What we are doing for Iron Bridge Finance

With an advantage of working on a variety of sites within numerous industries, our team must look and dissect each website we work on, treating it as an individual case each time. Iron Bridge Finance are established in the mezzanine finance sector, but this is not reflected in their SEO rankings with their listings on mostly pages 5,6 and 7 of Google.

Our aim was to heighten user experience and create a good-looking, well-ranking website which was easy to use. We wanted to make the time spent on the site more engaging for the consumer by creating some interactive additions to the site, such as an in-built contact form and vital information on the header and the footer to make getting in touch easier.

Meta Data – One of the most fundamental parts of SEO and success on ranking for Google as well as other search engines. For our client, updating the meta data of their site was the first step in the process. Meta data includes SEO friendly meta descriptions and meta titles with target keywords in mind and alt-text being present on all images on the website. Meta data which has been carefully and correctly optimized is the difference between ranking on page one or two of google, or ranking on page six, for example. This is because it is the data which consumers will see on a Google search in addition to what Google prioritises in its algorithm.

Error Fixes and Clean Ups – Continuing on from meta data, a full clean-up of the site had to be conducted.  This involved crawling the site for broken links and error codes in order to put them right. Google makes no secrets that it favours websites which are deemed clean and have the best overall user experience. And this makes sense. Google want to recommend sites that are clean without broken links or pages because it will be a smoother journey for the customer.

Links – In SEO, having strong backlinks through PR is essential to build up authority and trust. As part of our work with Iron Bridge Finance, we began to work with our partners, relevant business and finance websites and used our tools to see what links had been gained by competitors on page one. It follows the notion that if Google likes these specific links and is rewarding other firms, the same logic applies if we capture these links too. We have been speaking to the numerous publications in the industry including Specialist Finance Introducer, Bridging and Commercial and Mortgage Introducer.

Within one week, we have seen Iron Bridge increase from page 6 to page 2 for ‘mezzanine finance lenders.’ We expect that more long-tail and niche keywords like mezzance finance lenders/companies/london/online will gain traction much quicker and eventually the hot term of ‘mezzanine finance’ will get to page one within 3 to 6 months.

We’ve all been there.

“That’s fine sir, I’ll call you back at 2:30 tomorrow, no problem at all”.

2:30pm comes. Nothing.

3:30pm. Still no call.

4pm rolls by and you decide to call them back yourself. “Sorry sir, we have been fielding a large number of calls today and you were next on my list!”.

Of course I was…

This type of questionable customer service is common place these days. At Indigo Swan, customer service is all about making a connection.

Ever since we started, our retention rate has been over 93% each year. Last year was our best yet, as we retained 97.7% of our clients. We’re able to achieve these results by implementing and sticking to a set of core values and beliefs – keeping it human is key.

Our top tips:

1. If you’re going to do it well, do it well 100% of the time. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many businesses forget that it’s often the little things that matter. Your customers are like your employees – you have to keep them engaged, enjoying the experience and feeling part of an exciting journey. If you don’t focus on them, one of your competitors will!
2. Surprise them! If you’ve nailed number 1, great! But don’t get too complacent just yet. To keep your customers engaged (just like your employees) you have to surprise them from time to time. Keep things fresh! We often hear stories in the news about banks and insurance companies offering great rewards to new customers, but nothing to their existing clients. Reward loyalty and give back to your customers as much as you can. You don’t have to send them a card every year… but it’d only cost you £1 and it’d put a smile on their face – bargain!
3. Be honest. If something goes wrong, hold your hands up, say sorry – but whatever you do, don’t get defensive! By being honest you gain the customer’s trust, and by passing them onto someone who knows the answer or popping them on hold to source the answer yourself, you’re providing them with a far better experience than you would if you just bumbled your way through the call. Then, review what went wrong and make changes if you can.

If your favourite brand falls down in one area of customer care, it’s only natural to start questioning your loyalty and how valued you are as a customer. Communication has to be consistent – from the first contact a client, supplier or colleague has with you, through to the most recent conversation or email, it has to be on point throughout. Get to know your client, understand how they like to be communicated with, build rapport and, most importantly, listen! Too many people jump in when speaking to a client without giving them ample opportunity to explain their problem, give their opinion, ask their questions. Let the client talk, make notes and provide clear, detailed and informative answers in return.

Examples from the Swans

As part of this blog, we asked three Swans, who work in three different departments, to share what good customer service means to them.

• Aimee, one of our Energy Contract Enthusiasts (she was shortlisted for the 24/7 Legend award at The Energy Live News Personality Awards in 2017):

“For me, delivering excellent customer service means consistently exceeding my customers’ expectations. This could be by providing excellent energy prices, getting the team to close a particularly tricky case or simply sending a customer an origami swan if they’re having a bad day.”

• Rae from our Client Services team:

“I am very much a happy-go-lucky ‘people person’ and enjoy any challenge or query which is thrown my way. I strongly believe that if you have a happy outlook on what you need to do, people are more receptive and willing to go the extra mile. It may seem a simple concept, ‘being happy’, but it really can be quite infectious. If you have a happy, positive customer service experience, then you remember it and that is what I aim for with every human interaction I have.”

• Alex, who works within Client Discovery:

“Research, research, research. Know about the company or organisation before approaching them as that way you are a friendly voice, approaching a business to make a connection. If the business comes later – great!”

Being authentic is so important when it comes to excellent customer service – you have to be real. We love working with clients who are just as invested in the Indigo Swan journey as much as we are. It’s all about great communication, listening to their needs and probably most importantly, being human!

What’s the best customer service you’ve ever received?

GDPR Conference

If you attended the #NorfolkGDPR conference on 13th March, 2018, thank you for attending and making this the biggest event so far for the Norfolk Chamber.  It was also the biggest speaking event so far for me personally, and I really enjoyed being able to share my thoughts on the importance of Cyber Security for GDPR with everyone there, along with the great presentations from Alex, Tom and John.

You will have heard me speak about why Cyber Security is a critical part of your GDPR preparation, what the regualations say about it and the importance that the ICO place upon it.  You will have also heard about the importance of having a Cyber Security strategy, based on a risk based approach focused on your individual business.

Cyber Security Strategy

So what do I mean by a Cyber Security Strategy, why is it important, and why do many organisations not have one?

Like many things, you can approach Security strategically, or tactically,

Over the last few years, IT and our reliance on it to run our businesses has changed significantly, and continues to do so – fast.  That brings enormous opportunities – but also new risks.  As we rely more on IT, and particularly Data, so we suffer more if that data is unavailable or compromised.  Compromise to the Confidentiality of data (think Personal Data under GDPR particularly) can lead to reputational damage as well as trouble from the ICO.  There are many ways in which this can happen.

Our reliance on data and IT used to be less, and it used to be more straightforward to protect, before the advent of cloud based file sharing, tablet and mobile phone access and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).  

GDPR states that organisations must implement “appropriate technical and organisational measures” to protect Personal Data.  Guess what?  Good Cyber Security practice requires that too – but for all your data (and the systems used to store, process and access it).  But establishing what is appropriate requires a strategy, and the decisions we make need to be justifiable, and demonstrable.

Effective Cyber Security needs to:

• Be based on the risks to your business
• Focused on the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of Data and Systems
• Consider People, Process and Technology
• Take into account ALL of the copies of data
• Evolve, constantly
• Include a plan to deal with incidents and breaches

The Cyber Security of many organisations is more tactical in nature, frequently based on technical solutions only.  This leads to many gaps, which not only leave them vulnerable to ever evolving Cyber Threats, but also would likely fail the test of “appropriate” measures in the event of an investigation following a Personal Data Breach.  Common reasons for this include:

• Belief that Cyber Security is just an “IT Problem” (Hint: It’s actually a BUSINESS problem)
• IT Security that has grown “organically” over time rather than to a plan
• Focus on Technical Solutions only
• Lack of investment (Time, money, skills)

So What Next?

If you haven’t started approaching your Cyber Security strategically yet in preparation for GDPR or just generally, here’s a quick outline of steps:

• Understand what data you have and where
• Understand what, and who accesses it
• Consider the threats (and weakest links)
• Assess the risks and impacts to your business (and to Personal Data)
• Plan to reduce, mitigate (or accept, where appropriate), the risk accordingly
• Document those decisions
• Implement the plan, record progress, and evolve

It is possible for the right IT Professional or Senior Manager to drive this kind of strategy, but often there’s a gap and/or disconnect between the Business and IT – often, they have very different perspectives; after all, IT Security has always been a balancing act between security & productivity and it takes an amount of pragmatism on both sides to achieve this.  Not always easy. 

Enter the CISO

I came across this article today from Microsoft which outlines their recommended approach to Cyber Security strategy, which is very similar to what I’ve outlined above.

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/02/07/developing-an-effective-cyber-strategy/

You’ll note that this refers to a CISO – Chief Information Security Officer, who typically drives this strategy in an Enterprise Business.  Many organisations smaller than enterprise level can’t justify or afford a full time CISO, however the skills and experience they have can greatly increase the capability of an organisation to succeed at approaching Cyber Security strategically.  More and more are considering a “Virtual” CISO or vCISO to assist on a part time basis, creating and driving the strategy, working with internal IT and/or external IT Teams and the Senior Management/Executive team, which can be a really valuable and successful option.  

With the growing shortage of qualified and experienced IT security staff at all levels, outsourcing and virtual/part-time roles of this nature are likely to be a key resource going forward but can be difficult to come by, particularly in regions such as ours away from the bright lights and rich pickings of London, Manchester and the like. 

At CyberScale, we’re pleased to be able to provide this kind of service to our clients, to help build and implement a comprehensive Cyber Security strategy tailored to your individual business, in conjunction with your management team and IT team or IT service provider.  We’re also working hard on developing a range of packages jointly delivered by ourselves and local, trusted IT providers to provide a comprehensive managed Security service, again based on a tailored strategy.  Watch this space.

Get Started

Whether you’re looking at Cyber Security because of GDPR or just because you’ve become more aware of the risks to your business, and whether you plan to do it yourselves, enlist a little help, or a lot of help, or whether you’re not sure, the important thing is to get started.

Start to assess where you are. If you need help just with that piece, an initial Cyber Security Assessment or audit can cover this for you.  Build a plan (our assessments always include this too), start with simple steps, and incorporate some quick wins to reduce your risks quickly.  We’ll cover some common ones in another blog.  Include and Incident and Breach response plan.

Doing something is better than doing nothing.  Once you get started, you’ll start to build momentum, and all the time you’ll be gradually reducing your risk.  

If you’re comfortable doing things yourselves, the NCSC and ICO (National Cyber Security Centre and Information Commissioners Office) websites are great places to start with some helpful content.  If you need a little extra direction, please get in contact with us.  There’s no cost to you for an initial discovery consultation and just that might provide you with the clarification and confidence you need to get started with approaching Cyber Security in a more strategic fashion – an ultimately more effectivley.

Are you struggling to recruit suitable staff locally or could your business benefit from an injection of fresh energy and enthusiasm? Perhaps you have a long list of essential tasks – but no time to start them – let alone get them finished? Fortunately, it’s never been easier to connect with East Anglia’s smartest, most diverse talent pool – the students and graduates of UEA.

We also offer the UEA Internship Programme – an agency-style service which makes the process of taking on an intern as simple as possible. Our dedicated team take care of the advertising, contracts and payroll for interns, effectively employing them for you. All of our advertised internship opportunities are paid, however, our flexible programme means that you can recruit for up to a year meaning that the internships can last in line with your budget. There are often subsidies for SMEs who qualify to help with the costs.

MyCareerCentral is your free online gateway to this wealth of highly-qualified, motivated and bright local talent, with the ability to reach around 15,000 current UEA students and more than 10,000 graduates. The site is a fast, user-friendly resource for promoting part-time and seasonal jobs, summer and Year in Industry student placements, volunteering opportunities and graduate vacancies and internships directly to UEA students and graduates.

Using MyCareerCentral is more efficient than using traditional job sites as you can:

• Save time when inputting vacancies – your company information is stored in the system
• Edit and close the vacancies you have listed
• View a history of all the previous vacancies you have listed
•  Add to and manage your contacts

Online at MyCareerCentral you can work with the UEA Careers Service to:

• Promote your opportunities
• Advertise student jobs and internships, full or part-time seasonal jobs, graduate vacancies and internships and postgraduate vacancies
• Host an intern
• Offer a Year in Industry placement
• Recruit volunteers
• Raise your profile – attend fairs, deliver workshops or speak to us about developing specific activities
• Share your knowledge – mentor a student, support a student entrepreneur or speak at an event.
• Access UEA expertise & facilities – consultancy, licensing opportunities, CPD & training

How to make the most of your vacancy advert on MyCareerCentral

The information that you include in your advertisement plays a key role in attracting the right candidates for your vacancies. Competition for the best applicants is keen, so it is vital that you sell your vacancy – and your company – to potential job seekers.

Unlike commercial jobsites, adverts on MyCareerCentral can be viewed only by UEA students and recent graduates, so tailor your offer specifically to them wherever possible. For example, if you were a student or graduate, what would attract you to the role and prompt you apply?

Completing our online vacancy form is quick and easy and by tailoring your postings to the student audience, you’ll have the best chance of attracting great applicants for your roles.

For more information contact the Opportunities Team on 01603 592527or email careers@uea.ac.uk.

When a woman announces her pregnancy, the first response of the manager is often to refer to the policy relating to maternity. But whilst a clear and accessible procedure is essential, at the heart of supporting a woman during maternity and beyond is open conversation. Throughout the pregnancy, maternity and on return, the manager needs to be talking to the mother, giving choices and options, understanding and recognising that the individual needs and priorities will change through pregnancy, birth and beyond. The type of contact during maternity, the support required, needs to be led by the mother.

Coaching is a powerful tool and one that can give a woman choices and empower her to find her own solutions at a time when she may be feeling a little uncertain and confusing. 121 coaching support before, during and on return can help the woman to identify what she wants to do, what form she wants her maternity leave to take, and indeed, how and when she wants to return.

Choice and influence is important too when the manager is looking at how maternity leave is covered. By engaging the woman in the process, and helping her to identify ways cover can be provided, can help the woman to feel valued and have ownership. This can also extend to the woman meeting the person providing cover and helping them to learn the role. The whole issue of maternity cover can be very unsettling for a woman and it often leads to concerns such as not being wanted back. This too is why the manager needs to be mindful of the sensitivities around this – for example, using the term ‘replacement’ can indeed make the woman feel as if they are being evicted from their job.

The way that a manager and indeed a company engages around maternity and parenthood is also key. Companies which celebrate family, where the internal dialogue is positive around women who take time out to have babies, will create a sense of security and belonging for women at a time when they may well be feeling vulnerable.

Flexibility is essential too. During pregnancy, when the mother may need time out for appointments, during maternity leave when a planned keeping in touch day be scuppered by a poorly child, and on return, when the woman may want to consider how and when she returns. And a company needs to ensure that its commitment to flexibility means that women do not feel ostracised if they return at reduced hours; a mother working a part-time role should not feel any less valued for the contribution she is making than her colleagues.

A robust policy and procedure is important but one that is not too rigid that it does not give space for choice, options and flexibility.  The company too needs to make the woman aware of what the procedure is, what support is available, and what she needs to do.

And when a woman returns from maternity leave, it is also essential that the manager is sensitive to the personal struggle she may be facing in being separated from her child. The manager also needs to be aware of her wellbeing and look out for signs that support is needed.

But the most important thing of all is for the manager to keep talking – and listening – to the woman so that she feels empowered and valued.

Seeing as it’s been National Apprenticeship Week this week, we thought we would shine a light on our apprentices, past and present. Naked Element would be a duller place without them and the valuable work they do! We’ve had three apprentices in total, Lewis, Rain and Jack and they’ve all been invaluable to our business. Lewis spent his year-long software development apprenticeship with us, before staying on a while longer as a full-time employee. He headed User Story workshops, held meetings with clients and even managed to join in with some of the social sides of Naked Element too! Lewis got a lot out of his time with us, saying “an apprenticeship is a great way to get your foot in the door of an industry, gain some excellent skills and first-hand experience in a job you may want to turn into a career”. Lewis decided to be an apprentice because he felt that a more hands-on approach to learning would suit him better than studying full time. At the time he hoped he would be working in the US in the near future, but he has since decided to settle down at university and is due to begin a Computer Science degree at the UEA later this year to bolster his industry experience with a formal qualification. Rain joined us as an administrative apprentice for just over a year, keeping us organised and the company running smoothly. Rain was an asset to Naked Element, as a natural networker and often the first face to greet clients, she helped start the conversation about software and business. From the professional presentation in her initial interview to managing conferences, she impressed us all. She took her experience with Naked Element and became the executive PA to the CEO of Apple Helicopters! Our current apprentice is Jack, who is part-way through his software apprenticeship. We’ve been so impressed with Jack that we’re hoping he will stay on after his course has finished to be a software developer full time! He’s a good problem solver, helping Naked Element deliver projects more cost effectively and equally enthusiastic at tech events when he represents the company. Our CEO Paul says “I believe that apprentices are an excellent way for the predominantly small tech companies in the TechEast region to grow and a way to help fill the skills gap we have here. They are also a great way to support young people in our region to get industry experience.” Naked Element has found all three apprentices invaluable to supporting and growing our business and we’re very proud of how far they’ve come!

Today marks the 11th National Apprenticeship Week in the UK and the theme this year is to showcase how apprenticeships work for individuals, employers, the community, and the wider economy. It seems only fitting to feature the perspectives of all four parties and to understand why apprenticeships are beneficial for all. Nu Image’s apprentice (Emily Smith) and trainer (Rhiannon Chisholm) have contributed towards this article to provide a real-life experience of becoming and employing an apprentice in a digital marketing agency.

Apprentice Perspective

My last six months as an apprentice have been eye-opening, I believe it’s one of the best ways to learn about an industry you’ve never worked in before. With a mixture of on-the-job training and academic studies, I’ve been able to become familiar with the theory and obtain the correct qualifications, whilst gaining first-hand experience in the industry. In addition to this, I’ve received terrific support on both sides; my tutor provides the appropriate resources and extra teaching for my personal studies, at the same time my Nu Image colleagues demonstrate the correct techniques to help me progress in my job role and to become a valuable asset to the team.

Nu Image has created an environment where I feel comfortable to exercise my creativity and suggest new ideas. I’m fortunate to have Rhiannon as a trainer, who has an abundance of specialist knowledge in her field and the patience of a saint; I’m able to ask questions and admit if I’m unsure about anything, knowing that I’ll be rewarded with an explanation that will answer my queries. I’ve learnt more about the online world in the last six months, than I ever did in the years I spent studying for GCSEs and A-Levels.

Employer’s Perspective

Hiring an apprentice has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. As a small business, it wasn’t a decision we took lightly, owing to the training time required and the necessary time out of work in the Academy. However, we had received excellent feedback from other businesses and as a creative business, we’ve learned from experience the potential benefits of bringing in someone with a natural passion for our work. Ultimately, we decided to meet the candidates to get an idea of their level of skill and ability before we made the final decision to take on an apprentice. We interviewed a number of young people and by far, Emily stood out as having a real drive for success and an obvious passion for our industry.

Emily has become invaluable to the business since joining us in September 2017, injecting new enthusiasm and innovation, not only to the Online Marketing team but throughout our creative studio. Emily has been able to learn quickly on-the-job alongside her guided learning with her tutor. She has been adding value to the business since she started and if anyone is considering taking on an apprentice, based on our experience we would highly recommend you do take the plunge and you maybe lucky enough to find yourselves an Emily.

Community Perspective

By employing apprentices, businesses are able to teach more people about their industry and provide apprentices with a new set of skills which they may not have otherwise been given the opportunity to learn. This enriches community knowledge and increases the variety of skills within that community. A large majority of apprenticeships are filled by young people who bring a fresh outlook to the business, as well as everything they’ve learnt in college that may not be practiced by the company already – helping them to advance services and products that the business supplies to the community which, in turn, improves customer experience with that company.

The Wider Economy Perspective

One of the biggest positive impacts that apprenticeships have on our economy is that many are considerably cheaper than university courses. Due to this, there will be more taxpayer money available to go towards other areas in the public sector. Furthermore, to enrol as an apprentice, you need to be employed in a full-time position; meaning more people will have money to spend, increasing the growth of our economy and helping to keep it stable.

For many reasons, apprentices add value to businesses, communities and the local economy. Furthermore, the commitment and willingness to learn that we have found in our apprentice has made Emily’s place in the business unquestionably valuable.

When the weather turns to temperatures like we are currently experiencing, it will drive rodents into buildings such as sheds, factories, schools, workshops, houses and garages. You name it and they will find a way in.  This week is ‘Pest Awareness Week’ and it was reported by the British Pest Control Authority (BPCA) that the insurance sector has estimated rodent damage to wiring is responsible for 25% of all electrical fires in buildings.  If this is not a big enough concern on its own, think about the opportunity you will give them to share your food stocks, probably without you even noticing it. Make sure you check for all entry points, broken drain covers, poorly maintained brickwork and get the maintenance completed.  When the thaw arrives over the next few days we will be inundated with a surge of calls and the Abate team will be ready with all hands-on deck. For Health & Safety reasons for all Abate staff, they have been told to stay at home for the third day running, but will be ready when needed? Abate Pest Management from Morley near Wymondham, delivers rodent control, insect control, bird proofing projects, woodworm treatment and specialist hygiene services to commercial and domestic customers throughout Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Herts and Beds. They offer free surveys and can be contacted at www.abateltd.co.uk or by calling 0800 980 9767.

Great Yarmouth based company Gapton Computers is set to join with Netmatters Ltd to create one of the region’s largest, full-service technology companies; offering ever improving levels of service to all businesses throughout East Anglia and the rest of the UK.

As of the 1st March 2018, Gapton Computers will join forces with Netmatters Ltd in a move that will establish Netmatters Ltd as the region’s largest, full-service technology agency. Trading as solely Netmatters Ltd from this date, we will operate from two locations within East Anglia, including our existing office in Wymondham, as well as our newly established offices in Great Yarmouth.

Gapton Computers has been trading since December 2008 and has focused on supporting the IT infrastructure for many businesses within the Great Yarmouth area. Under the management of Mark Johnson, Gapton Computers has achieved considerable success and has developed close relationships with many local businesses. 

Netmatters, also trading since late 2008, has continued to offer businesses bespoke and all-inclusive IT Support, Web Development, Software Development, Digital Marketing, Telecoms, Security Consultancy and GDPR Management solutions from its head office in Wymondham, Norfolk.

Over the past 10 years, we have continued to grow in terms of our offerings and dedicated team of experts who are at the forefront of the Netmatters business; supporting our customers and helping continue their success. This development will be further enhanced with the merger with Gapton Computers.

“Both companies have a similar approach in terms of how they support their clients…  both  take ownership and work with their business clients to ensure they have the technical support required to help them be successful” – Mark Johnson, formerly Managing Director of Gapton Computers.

Mark, formerly Managing Director of Gapton computers will continue to be a valued member of the team, taking a more technical position as we move forward.

Following the combination, Netmatters Ltd will welcome a larger team of expert personnel and will continue to maintain the office in Great Yarmouth – benefiting local customers by providing rapid local support.

“All former Gapton Personnel have taken new positions with Netmatters so we can maintain the good relationships we have with all our clients. We aim to maintain the personal service by aligning teams of technicians with accounts to gain the benefits of familiarity alongside a large resource pool if the need arises.” – James Gulliver, Managing Director at Netmatters.

Netmatters is passionate about technology and only employs people with the same mindset, as we believe the old adage that; if you love what you do, you will care about it.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Netmatters team who will be more than happy to provide more information.

Originally published on Netmatters Ltd.

There’s no doubt, that having a secure, fast and reliable internet connection will be towards the top of any businesses “must haves’ list. However, this can widely be the area that causes the most frustration in the workplace.

Never fear, there is a light at the end of the page loading wheel; leased lines.

First on the scene in the 1970’s, leased lines have continued to rise in popularity and have become an integral part for companies who want to protect their data and increase efficiency. Not only does this option provide a fast, reliable and secure connection, but leased lines also benefit companies that handle client data in any sector – vital with GDPR coming into play from 25th May 2018.

With our growing network of UK businesses, you’re one step closer to introducing cost-effective and reliable connectivity.

Benefits of Netmatters Leased Lines;

Dedicated bandwidth

Solely for your business use only, there’s no need to share your connection with other companies leaving scope for your business to optimise workload efficiency further.

No lag during peak times

Gone are the days of a slow internet connection, with dedicated bandwidth your business can function much more efficiently with internet ‘lag’ being a thing of the past.

Reliable

Leased lines use fibre-optic cables, which means it doesn’t suffer from electrical interference – resulting in being much more reliable in the long term, with minimal maintenance needed to be carried out.

Secure

Offering better security than alternative broadband options, a leased line data connection is controlled solely by your business, meaning your don’t share information on a public network – essential ahead of GDPR with all EU businesses having to enhance their data handling processes.

Flexible

Used to carry countless forms of communication, you have complete control to allocate bandwidth where most important to you and your business – this can be changed as your business continues to grow.

Ongoing Support

At Netmatters, as the direct provider we’re able to offer direct, one-to-one support straight away, helping solve any problems quickly.

Streamline your business activities and say goodbye to lag internet connection by getting in touch with our team of IT experts today.

Originally published on Netmatters Ltd.

What connectivity and integration options does your 4G hardware offer?

You may already have one or more existing connections, 4G hardware that works seamlessly with those connections will save your business time and money. It also reduces the risk of employees incorrectly changing cabling and settings.

• Will it work with satellite or an existing ADSL connection?
• If one connection fails will traffic be automatically rerouted via another connection or do you have to manually make the change?
• Can it be load balanced to share data from a slower ADSL connection?
• Can it be used just as an emergency failover without any manual intervention from you or your employees?
• Can you plug another connection into the 4G hardware to be used as a backup for business continuity in the event of a disaster?

What features does your 4G hardware have to help keep my business network secure?

As well as preventing physical theft of your data, you need to ensure your business data is secure from hackers and cyber-attacks by ensuring your networking equipment is fit for purpose.

• How is the hardware secured?
• Does it have WPA2 Security enabled WiFi and WPS disabled?
• Does it have a stateful inspection firewall?
• Can you easily create multiple networks for example to provide a separate guest WiFi network to prevent visitors accessing your private network and data?
• Can you separate different networks (VLANs) all together, for example keeping tills and card terminals isolated?
• Will it work with VoIP handsets? or WiFi calling on mobiles?

Is it easy to manage the features of the hardware to meet my specific business needs?

Your 4G router is not just about bringing connectivity to your premises, it should also be able to adapt for you to manage your LAN & WiFi to suit your changing business needs.

• What “self-service” hardware management options are available?
• Can you add a Guest WiFi portal to give users self-serve access and collect marketing data?
• What about content filtering? Can you block malicious or inappropriate content to protect your clients and employees?

How scalable and flexible is your 4G hardware?

Many businesses have more complex requirements than a single router. You may have a physically large premises or multiple users. Finding a supplier that’s competent to take a holistic view of your connectivity enables you to ensure you are making a purchase that can be scaled as your business grows so you don’t have unexpected costs later.

• Does it work out of the box with my existing network or will I have to replace it?
• Can I easily add more access points at my premises to extend the WiFi coverage?
• Is it possible to use multiple sims to increase the monthly data allowance?
• How many users can be online on the WiFi at any one time?
• Can remote and home workers connect to the same core network?

Do you have 24/7 automated monitoring and surveillance tools?

A key differentiator between providers is how proactive they are in detecting and resolving faults and how much they invest in tools for automated detection, management and reporting of incidents. Business providers should be checking and detecting incidents 24/7, so check what they do to ensure you don’t have to do anything!

• Do they provide monitoring alerts by email or SMS if the hardware goes offline?
• Does it the hardware the ability to self-heal when it finds a fault?
• Do they comprehensive reports of all monitoring activity?

What level of after sales support do you offer?

Determine the after sales support your supplier offers s key to ensuring your business can always remain online and run efficiently. Ensure you know what after sales support is and isn’t covered.

• What support is included in the hardware price?
• Do they offer an onsite service for call outs?
• Can your supplier remotely assist you with configuration advise and changes?
• How do I raise a support request? by phone, web or email?
• What are the hours of support available? Is it 24/7 from an operations centre manned round the clock by experienced support engineers or is it only available from someone on standby at home or in an overseas call centre?
• Is there a warranty on the hardware and what is the replacement policy?

Which 4G data providers can I use with your hardware and what are the costs?

You should look at the coverage maps of the providers in your area, the better the coverage the faster the speed.

• Will the provider come to your premises and give you a demonstration of the speeds you can achieve with their hardware?
• Is the data allowance capped or do you run the risk of accidental overage charges?
• Can you buy add on data and how much does it cost?
• Do you get commission cashback on your sims from the supplier?
• Do they have short term 30-day contract sims available?
• Can you scale up your usage allowance in contract term?

This year marks Norwich Sunblinds’ 40th year in business, and what a fantastic journey it’s been! From our inception in 1978, by our founder John Reddington and our first store in St Benedict’s Street in Norwich, all the way through to our second larger premises in Attleborough, we have enjoyed being an integral part of the fabric of Norfolk for the past four decades.   In our early days, we began manufacturing made-to-measure vertical and roller blinds above our St Benedict’s shop. This proved to be a challenging time, as the five-metre rail heads came in a lorry which meant that the street had to be shut. The headrails were then lifted into the upstairs window, as they wouldn’t fit through the shop! Fortunately, we no longer have these issues at our current manufacturing premises in Attleborough, but it certainly brings back interesting memories! Fabric designs have changed over the years, but Orla Kiely’s fabulous designs, which hark back to the 70s, are currently very popular.   To celebrate four decades in business, we are pulling back the curtains and taking a look at how Norwich and the UK have changed during this period. We hope you enjoy this whistle-stop walk down memory lane with us.   The year of our inception was a culturally rich one. We had the Beegees, Rod Stewart, Kate Bush, Boney M and Queen providing us with unforgettable soundtracks. Not to mention the release of Gerry Rafferty‘s iconic song Baker Street, with the unmistakable sax solo that still makes the hair stand up on the back of our necks. The Sex Pistols played their last gig in 1978 (up until their reunion in 1996), while Sony released their first prototype of the Walkman.   The cinemas saw Christopher Reeve bring Superman into our lives, while it still wasn’t safe to go back into the water as Jaws returned for a second movie. For those seeking comedy, they had the pleasure of seeing the unforgettable Inspector Clouseau, in Revenge of the Pink Panther. However, the defining film of the year was one that starred a young John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, in Grease, a movie that has stood the test of time and is still a favourite amongst audiences today. Meanwhile, on TV, we welcomed Grange Hill and Dallas, but said farewell to The Good Life and The Sweeney.   Roald Dahl continued to inspire a generation of young readers with his new book, The Enormous Crocodile. Former UEA Student, Ian McEwan published one of his first novels The Cement Garden in 1978, and the timeless Garfield comic strips came into print.   Closer to home, 1978 marked 700 years since Norwich Cathedral was consecrated. Norwich City were in the Football League First Division and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, the first-ever public building designed by Norman Foster, officially opened its doors to the public.   A twinning agreement was officially signed between Norfolk and the Rhineland Palatinate in Germany, as an indicator of growing development links between the regions.   Since then, we’ve witnessed widespread change across the city. Further developments were completed in housing estates, such as the Clover Hill and Chapel Break villages in Bowthorpe. In the city centre, we have seen the closure of Woolworths on St Stephens Street, along with a Big W store at the Riverside. On a positive note, we have seen the opening of Castle Mall in 1993 and intu Chapelfield in 2005, with their wide selection of big brand shops and restaurants.   The Bonds store, which had traded under that name for over 120 years, finally rebranded as John Lewis in 2001, despite having being bought by them 19 years earlier. The Cannon Cinema (formerly ABC Norwich and The Regent) shut their doors for good in the 90s, and is now home to the Mercy XS nightclub. Another significant change was the closure of St Augustine’s pool in 1996, where many locals donned their swimming costumes and learnt to swim.   Across the UK, 1978 was the ground-breaking year when Louise Brown became the first baby to be born through IVF treatment. This was a time when the VHS and Betamax format battle was in full swing, phones with rotary dials were commonplace and avocado bathrooms were in vogue. It’s hard to believe, but back then it was possible to buy a new home for a mere £9,100. BBC Radio 4 remind us that the cost of a pint of milk was 11p, and a loaf of bread only set you back 28p. How times have changed!   Since then, we’ve had six new Prime Ministers, including Margaret Thatcher and viewed 10 Olympic Games, counting those which took place in London in 2012. We hosted one of the Live Aid concerts at Wembley in 1985, which along with its sister concert in Philadelphia, was viewed by over 1.5 billion people in over 160 countries. Sky began broadcasting in 1989, and the following decade saw the increased use of the World Wide Web and the rise of international pop superstars, the Spice Girls. In 2003, England lifted the Rugby World Cup for the very first time, as Jonny Wilkinson helped lead the team to victory.   We’ve also witnessed the closure of some nationwide chains such as BHS, JJB Sports, Comet and Phones 4u in recent years. If anything, this is testament to Norwich Sunblinds’s ability to weather tough economic times as a family-owned business that continues to provide a quality service to our customers.   Our team has grown over the years, and we continue to make our blinds in-house, with our highly experienced and fully trained craftspeople. We are proud to be a company that invests in the local community.   Over the course of the last 40 years in business, we have expanded our product range to include new types of blinds, such as perfect fit, roman, vision/visage blinds, shaped blinds for unusual sized windows, as well as shutters, curtains, fly screens, conservatory sails and our own range of fabrics. We look forward to continuing to develop our product range, to make sure we offer products of the highest quality in years to come. But most importantly, we wouldn’t be here today without you. We’d therefore like to send a heartfelt thank you to all our customers, past and present, for supporting us over the past 40 years. We look forward to delivering the same high standard of service to you for the next 40!         Sainsbury Centre photo courtesy of the Sainsbury Centre and Pete Huggin