Our Winter Sale is on! For all customers booking Forklift training dates during the Months of December 2019 & January 2020, there will be a 10% discount applied. Plus our training guarantee still applies. For further information or to book a course, contact our office on 01692 407600 or email; contact@shepherdshsltd.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Six new franchisees plus one new staff member have recently graduated from the TaxAssist Accountants training course.
Leonard Woodbridge (partner at Paignton), Raza Syed (Southall), Balaji Krishnamurthy (Bury West), Samir Gosrani (New Malden), Michael Sidon (staff member at Chiswick), Daniel Wu (Welling) and Mark Dhillon (partner at Shepherds Bush) are the latest to join the TaxAssist Accountants network.
Daniel Wu worked for 11 years in the Big 4 accountancy firms before deciding that he needed to make a positive change in his life.
“I wanted to get out of corporate life, do something local and be part of my community,” explained Daniel.
“I searched for opportunities on the internet and nothing appealed to me until I came across TaxAssist Accountants. I decided to attend a Discovery Day in December 2017 to find out more. On the day, I was pleasantly surprised that people at the support center were genuinely warm, welcoming and friendly. There was no hard sell about the business model. They were open, honest and transparent. I had the impression that TaxAssist is like a family run business where there is encouragement to grow and be successful. I knew that I had found the right place. There was no doubt that I wanted to join and start my business with TAA in a shop front.
“I did my research and gathered feedback from the existing franchisees. Every one of them that I spoke to was friendly and helpful. It was very apparent that they enjoyed working in their TaxAssist businesses and there were no regrets.”
Leonard Woodbridge decided to work for himself in 2005, building up a small client base and sub-contracting to a few Chartered firms.
“After several years being extremely busy and not having much opportunity to think about it, I realised this business model was working very well for the firms I was sub-contracting to, but not so well for myself,” explained Leonard. “I was spending the majority of my time servicing clients for other firms, who were becoming more demanding. Spending the majority of my time out at clients also meant there wasn’t much time to build my own client base.
“I was aware of how time consuming it was to keep up to date with the work, legislative, technical changes and systems as well as undertaking marketing. Hence, rather intrigued, I came along to the Discovery Day in May this year. I really enjoy meeting people and helping them but I wanted somebody to help me with the operational side of things, this would enable me to develop and grow the business. The TaxAssist model fitted perfectly and thanks to the support office, this has already proved to be the right move for me as I go forward in the next stage of my journey!”.
Karl Sandall, Chief Executive Director at The TaxAssist Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome another fantastic group of franchisees and staff to the network and look forward to helping and supporting them with all aspects of the running of their practices.
“This year has been very successful in terms of recruitment. We are currently running our last course of 2019 and we already have interest in our first course of 2020 which starts in February.”
If you would like more information about becoming part of the TaxAssist Accountants network, please call our Franchise Recruitment Manager Nikki Haythorne on 0800 0188297.
Students from across Norfolk and Suffolk will be given the opportunity to speak directly with employers and education and training providers regarding their future career options, apprenticeships and training courses at an event focussed on bridging the skills gap within the expanding and exciting energy industry later this month.
Taking place on Wednesday 27th November in the new £11.4m Energy Skills Centre at East Coast College, Skills for Energy 2019 aims to inspire ambition and aspiration in the next generation of energy professionals with interactive STEM-based activities including virtual reality experiences, robot and ROV control, nautical chart treasure hunt, engine building and weld testing.
Gemma Head, Skills for Energy Programme Manager at EEEGR, said: “This event is now in its fourth year and each year, it has gained greater interest from industry exhibitors and students alike. We are really pleased to be able to host this event again within the region, highlighting the scale of the opportunities which lay ahead for the next generation of energy industry employees”
Sponsored by OPITO, the global skills organisation for the energy industry, and supported by the ECITB, the Skills for Energy event is just one of the elements of the East of England Energy Group’s (EEEGR) Skills for Energy Programme which aims to ensure the ongoing diversity and volume of skilled individuals for the current and future wellbeing of the energy sector. Working closely with industry as well as education and training providers, Skills for Energy helps individuals and companies benefit from the many opportunities the unique and varied energy sector in the East of England offers.
Jill Glennie, External Affairs Director at OPITO said: “The energy industry continues to develop and progress at pace using new technology and innovation to enhance delivery; introducing new roles and ways of working. The industry requires a multi-skilled, technology-enabled workforce to continue to drive the digital agenda.
“OPITO is proud to sponsor and support EEEGR and the Skills for Energy programme. The annual event provides a fantastic schedule of activities, bringing the energy sector to life for attendees who will gain a clearer picture of the opportunities our sector holds for them.”
With over 450 secondary school and higher education students set to attend and more than 30 companies exhibiting including ScottishPower Renewables, EDF Energy, 3sun Group, James Fisher Marine Services, UEA, OPITO, Gardline, Orsted, ECITB and Vattenfall, Skills for Energy 2019 looks set to be an unmissable event for students looking to pursue a career in the region’s growing energy industry.
Lloyd Felton, chief executive of County Broadband which is rolling out full fibre networks across rural East Anglia said:
“Today’s announcement highlights the importance of full fibre access for all. However, it also shows an alarming lack of understanding about the complex nature of full fibre rollouts and the fact that, unlike by comparison the rail industry that operates rail franchises, the industry has already invested billions of pounds in building its own infrastructure over which the service is delivered, in direct competition to BT.
“This proposal would almost certainly lead to delays, or at worst, derailment of existing full fibre investment and new network rollouts. It is a broad-brush, and makes no mention of how customers would be served and supported and provides no recognition for what has been achieved by the many Alternative Network providers who are currently active in providing a competitive full fibre solution.
“The competitive nature of the current market in the UK has meant consumers already benefit from one of the lowest cost broadband services in Europe. Broadband is an essential utility and whilst we share the ambition to bring future-ready full fibre connectivity to every home and business, we believe a mix of public and private investment is the only realistic strategy to deliver the service efficiently, without the need to bring significant cost to the public purse.”
TaxAssist holds bespoke event to engage and support the staff of franchisees
Knowing that happy staff who feel engaged and supported are key to the success of a practice, TaxAssist Accountants recently held its first staff regional meeting at Hampton Manor Hotel in Solihull. This event was delivered by Senior Managers Richard Washington, Richard Chatten-Hague and Jo Nockels on the back of the recent franchisee regional meetings with similar content but tailored specifically for staff.
Richard Chatten-Hague, Senior Business Development Manager, said: “It was great to be a part of this productive and enjoyable, inaugural event.
“We know how vital a role staff play in the running of a practice, and so we felt it was important to hold a bespoke meeting to showcase the vast support on offer, keep them up to date with technical and business development initiatives and to provide them with a platform for views and ideas.
“We are hopeful that holding events such as these will help with staff engagement, development and retention. We received excellent feedback from all who attended, and we will be looking to hold this event again next year.”
TaxAssist takes its commitment to staff development very seriously and runs a two-year diploma course for senior practice staff designed to nurture management and leadership skills. It also produces regular webinars and business development, technical and software training days for staff to attend.
Many franchisees in the network are also recognised as ICAEW accredited trainers, helping to attract and retain talented individuals by offering the ACA qualification.
A list of current staff vacancies can be found here.
The Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, Norwich has revealed a new contemporary look for its AA 2 Rosette Wine Press Restaurant, which is located in the former courtyard of the 15th century inn that first took the name Maids Head.
The Lord Mayor of Norwich, Councillor Vaughan Thomas and the Sheriff of Norwich, Dr Marian Prinsley visited the hotel on Thursday, November 14 to officially reopen the restaurant following its £60,000 makeover.
Interior Designer, Nicola Lovell, working closely with General Manager, Christine Malcolm, has created a colourful and exciting restaurant with new tables, chairs, banquettes, pictures and decoration, which complement the ancient courtyard of the hotel.
The Wine Press refurbishment is the latest project at the Maids Head, which has seen £3.5 million invested by the hotel’s owners, the Chaplin family, over the last six years across all public areas and guest bedrooms.
Christine Malcolm, General Manager said: “We are thrilled with the restaurant’s new look created by Nicola Lovell, and hope our guests enjoy it as much as we do. I would like to thank the Lord Mayor and Sheriff for joining us to celebrate the completion of this successful project.”
The Wine Press Restaurant’s refurbishment has been completed in time for the hotel’s very busy Christmas period. All the Maids Head team are looking forward to welcoming a record number of guests to the hotel for their festive celebrations.
For more information about the Maids Head Hotel see www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk, t. 01603 209955.
A new pilot wayfinding scheme has launched in the city centre comprising of 12 newly designed and branded City of Stories totems.
Delivered by Norwich Business Improvement District in partnership with Norwich City Council the pre-existing infrastructure has been redesigned to fit a new image for the city centre.
The 12 newly designed directional totems are located across the city centre, from outside St Peter Mancroft and The Assembly House, to Dragon Hall on King street.
Each totem is colour co-ordinated to match city centre districts and features directional content, immediate location information, 3D buildings and icons, accessible fonts and designs, as well as heritage information on the surrounding district.
As a creative and leading tech city, it’s no surprise that the new totems are piloting QR and Near File Communication (NFC) technology, supplied by local company, Thyngs. The technology will link through to the newly-launched VisitNorwich website (visitnorwich.co.uk), which will showcase more content on the surrounding area, including events, businesses and attractions.
Two years in the making, the scheme has worked extensively with the local businesses, specific interest groups and the wider community to ensure the scheme meets DDA compliance and learns the lessons from some of the national best examples of wayfinding.
To compliment the new wayfinding initiative, the Norwich BID have also doubled the area of the open guest free wi-fi network in the city centre. Available 24/7 the network is live throughout the main city centre, from Chapelfield Gardens to Norwich Castle, London Street and the Lanes and covering St Andrew’s, Surrey Street and Prince of Wales Road. The free city centre wi-fi makes it easy for visitors to surf with ease and stay connected. The free network offers speeds of up to 5Mbps, bringing a truly connected experience to city centre users.
It’s easy to get connected, in Wi-Fi settings select ‘Free-Wifi-NorwichBID‘. Registration is available through two options (Facebook and registration form). Registration is only required once; afterwards the device will automatically connect to the free Wi-Fi whenever it is in range (if set up on the phone).
Stefan Gurney, Executive Director at the BID said, “We are proud to unveil the amazing new look totems with integrated NFC technology. The new look ties in with our recent City of Stories rebrand and unifies the city with its clear colour coded districts in the city.”
“We are also pleased to offer extended wi-fi coverage across the city centre, increasing and enhancing the visitor and user experience whilst in the city”.
Graham Casbourne Appointed Business Development & Sales Director at KLM UK Engineering Limited
Paris, Amstelveen, November 2019 – Graham Casbourne has been appointed as Business Development & Sales Director at KLM UK Engineering Limited as of 11th November.
KLM UK Engineering is a wholly-owned AFI KLM E&M subsidiary specialising in maintenance & training solutions for regional and narrow-body aircraft fleets.
Graham started his aviation career at KLM UK Engineering 30 years ago and has held various positions in operations and sales. In 2012 Graham joined the Sales & Marketing department as Sales Manager and has an extensive network in the business.
On learning of his appointment, Graham Casbourne said: “I am very proud to have been appointed as Business Development & Sales Director. With my experience and network I look forward to supporting the Sales & Marketing team to deliver year on year growth for the business.
Norwich based energy consultants, Indigo Swan, raise an impressive £5,000 for an inspirational Norfolk charity in their annual ‘Big Indigo Charity Quiz’. It brings the total figure raised by Indigo Swan for the charity up to an incredible £17,000!
More than 165 guests attended the evening in aid of Norfolk and Waveney Mind, a charity who offer advice and support to those affected by mental health problems, which took place at EPIC Studios on Wednesday 6th November.
James Groves, Managing Director at Indigo Swan commented: “To see what started as a quiz by candlelight in a restaurant in Norwich with 30 people 5 years ago, grow to the amazing event we had last week is amazing! The support we see from the local business community grows every year and the impact it has on Norfolk & Waveney Mind is so rewarding to see.“
Indigo Swan, who recently won the regional ‘Workplace Wellbeing’ British Chambers of Commerce Business Award, also used the occasion to celebrate the company’s 10th birthday. Each of the rounds tied into Indigo Swan in someway with topics including birds, the last 10 years and a general knowledge round with a twist.
Alexandra Haswell, Fundraising and Campaigns Manager at Norfolk and Waveney Mind said: “We are so grateful to the hard work that Indigo Swan put in to such a fantastic quiz this year and for their support over the last five years. The money they have raised is vital to helping us continue supporting people in the Norfolk and Waveney area and raising awareness to continue to reduce the stigma associated with mental ill health.”
We are delighted to announce that all three of our Norwich offices are moving to a new headquarters – Prospect House in Norwich city centre.
Prospect House is a well-known building in Norwich as the base of regional news company, Archant, who will remain in the building as tenants. We’re looking forward to sharing the space with them, securing the future of this local landmark building.
As we continue to expand, we need space to grow into and this move supports our aspirations for the future. Relocating to the city centre will not only benefit our staff but our clients too, who can take full advantage of the great transport links to Norwich city centre and facilities in the building.
We aim to move in June 2020. Watch this space for updates, and we look forward to seeing you in our new place soon!
Method Marketing is pleased to release the results of its State of Content Survey 2019, which show that poor spelling, punctuation and grammar have an impact on business success.
The headline statistic shows that 94% of people are less likely to spend money with a company that has mistakes on its website, demonstrating that poor spelling, punctuation and grammar have a direct effect on a business’s bottom line.
This was in addition to 93% of respondents reporting that they are less likely to trust a company with spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors on its site. In an age when brands are trying to build trust and authenticity, this statistic illustrates that something as simple as a spelling mistake could erode customer relationships.
Other notable data showed that 84% of people generally notice errors, while 80% of people say that spelling mistakes are their ‘pet hate’. The research also revealed that people most frequently spot mistakes on social media (79%), in advertising content (75%) and in print media (67%).
The statistics also showed that people are typically more bothered when they see mistakes in education (91%), law (91%) and financial services (84%).
Says Method Marketing founder, Lucy Mowatt: “As a content marketer with an editorial background, I wanted to know about attitudes towards poor-quality content. Having noticed a decline in standards in recent years, I was keen to explore what effect, if any, it has on brand trust and sales.
“Now that the results of the State of Content survey have been collated and analysed, it’s possible to show that poor spelling, punctuation and grammar do have an impact.
“It demonstrates the importance of investing in professionally produced content, especially in high-trust sectors, such as education, law and financial services where attention to detail is vital to the services provided.”
Clean, clear, error-free content is easy to achieve by accessing the right skills, using the services of experienced writers, editors and proofreaders. If you would like help with this or any other aspect of your content marketing, get in touch.
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Norwich, Caroline Ackroyd, and the Chief Executive Officer at Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, Chris Sargisson, joined Jeremy Gilks on 7th November to celebrate the official opening of a new TaxAssist Accountants shop on Ber Street, with a party for the local business community.
Since Jeremy first opened the doors to his shop at 113-119 Ber Street on 27th August, he and his wife Sally have already become firmly embedded within their local business community resulting in dozens of clients, colleagues and well-wishers drop by.
“The shop is slap bang in the hub of the busy Ber Street community, which has become a buzzing hive of small independent businesses with a vibrant local traders association. There is also plenty of on-street parking for clients to use when popping in, as we want to be convenient to the city centre, to make it easy for clients to come and visit us while doing their shopping.
“We do not consider ourselves to be typical accountants, which is clear from the look and feel of our modern shop. We are passionate about offering a bespoke, tailored service to every kind of small business client and we have adopted the latest software on offer, which allows us to be more responsive to clients’ needs and provides greater efficiencies. But we have a best of both worlds approach for those who enjoy using tech and those who prefer just to come in and talk to us.”
As well as providing all the regular services you would expect from a local accountant, Jeremy, who has over 30 years’ accountancy experience across a range of sectors, is looking for his shop to become a destination for new start-ups by providing a business hub. This will offer a flexible working environment with space to hire by the hour, half day, day, week or month.
Caroline Ackroyd said: “It is delightful to see another small independently-owned business become part of the regeneration of Ber Street. Not only that, but TaxAssist works with small businesses and we know the importance of small independent retailers working together. I am told that for every £10 that we spend at a small independent shop, £50 goes into our local economy, so how good is that for Norwich.”
Chris Sargisson added: “Ber Street is a small business community and it’s great that a home-grown organisation like TaxAssist has opened a shop in this thriving area. Most of the things that small businesses need to know are ‘unknown’ unknowns. And that is where TaxAssist can really help as it not only helps small businesses with what they know, it is telling them what they don’t know and that is how businesses survive.”