Member News

New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership has launched a call for innovative projects which support growth across Norfolk and Suffolk.

The £1.5million Innovative Projects Fund invites submissions from new revenue projects which help to deliver the ambitions of the Economic Strategy and Local Industrial Strategy.

Successful projects will have the potential to support the delivery plan for the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk on the themes of driving inclusion and skills, our offer to the world, driving business growth and productivity, collaborating to grow and competitive clusters close to global centres.

The first call of the Innovative Projects Fund was made in October 2018. Schemes awarded funding in that round include Growing the Year Round Economy (led by Visit East of England), a schedule of events on the newly-refurbished Ipswich Corn Hill and work to support the international positioning of Great Yarmouth’s energy sector.

This Innovative Projects Fund call brings together £500,000 from income from the business rates generated by New Anglia LEP’s Enterprise Zones, £500,000 of pooled business rates from Norfolk local authorities and £500,000 of pooled business rates from Suffolk local authorities.

Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for projects to bid for revenue funding to deliver new exciting projects which help to deliver economic growth. We are delighted that local authorities are matching our investment into the Fund through pooled business rates.

“The first initiatives to be supported by the Innovative Projects Fund a year ago are already delivering outputs and making a difference so we’re keen for more ambitious schemes to come forward and bid for funding this time.

“Delivering on the ambitions in the Economic Strategy is key to everything we do and this fund gives ideas which push the boundaries the chance to start making a difference.”

Interested organisations should contact tanya.nelson@newanglia.co.uk for more information and to request an application form.

The final deadline for applications is Friday 20 December 2019.

Project appraisals will take place in January and February 2020, with the announcement of successful projects anticipated to take place in spring 2020.

Projects must:

• Represent new innovative activity;
• Be able to demonstrate their contribution to the delivery of both the Economic Strategy and where applicable the Local Industrial Strategy through direct and indirect outputs;
• Wholly benefit Norfolk or Suffolk residents or businesses;
• Be State Aid compliant;
• Be able to demonstrate the need for funding and the additionality achieved by the funding;
• Plug a funding gap that cannot be met by other grant programmes;
• Be for revenue funding only, although purchase of small plant, equipment etc could be admissible;
• Match funding up to 50% would be an advantage, this can be match funding in kind (e.g., staff time) but must be for new activity (existing staff positions working on the new project must be backfilled);
• Support inclusive growth.

The region’s ambitions for future growth are set out in the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk for the period 2017 to 2036. The Local Industrial Strategy builds on the priorities and targets set by local partners in the Norfolk and Suffolk Economic Strategy and is a local blueprint for inclusive growth and productivity gains, with an overall goal to transform the economy into one of the best places in the world to live, learn, work and succeed in business. 

Barclays have a number of events taking place this November on Preparing for Brexit and Beyond.

You know your business better than anyone and that it never stands still. We know we can help you thrive today and tomorrow. That’s why we’re committed to backing the UK and helping our customers succeed through Brexit and beyond.

• Learn how to prepare your business for the future
• Explore trading abroad, regulation of goods and services, cyber security, cashflow and access to talent
• Learn how to assess and prepare your business for future changes.

Preparing for Brexit and Beyond Events

• Friday 8th November at The Open, 7.30am – 9.30am
• Tuesday 12th November at The Bridge, Wroxham, 9.30am – 11.30am
• Tuesday 19th November at The George Hotel, Dereham, 8am to 10am
• Tuesday 26th November at The White Hart, Hopton, 7.30am – 9.30am

Places are limited, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to share your experiences and network with other business owners.

RSVP. To confirm your place please see the email on the flyer. 

By sharing your journeys with a Liftshare partner, you can split the costs and that’s effectively what you’re doing.

There are many reasons why using Liftshare is such a great way to help you travel, but one of the main reasons that members love Liftsharing is how much they save on fuel and parking costs.

We want to get even more people sharing and saving money, especially as the average regular sharer on our platform saves over £1000 per year! Not only that, but they also save the equivalent in weight of 27 Orangutans in CO2 per year!!

Sign up to liftshare.com to save on your fuel costs

What better time to get involved and start making savings than during this year’s Liftshare Week – happening from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 October.

Win a £150 Red Letter Days experience voucher…

Any member that forms a Liftshare team between 30 September and 20 October 2019 will be entered into a prize draw to win a Red Letter days voucher up to the value of £150.

Get involved today!

All you need to do is sign up via Liftshare.com, add your journey and find your match. It’s that easy.

If you’re already a member but don’t have a liftshare, you can log back into your account, review your matches and find someone new going your way. https://liftshare.com/uk/account/register

For the second year running, BDODrive is proud to sponsor Tech Nations Rising Stars, the newest and most exciting pitch competition for early-stage tech businesses.

Tech Nations Rising Stars objective is to identify East Anglia’s best tech start-ups and provide them with the support, mentoring and advice to unlock their future growth.

Companies shortlisted by Tech Nation Rising Stars will benefit from a business plan diagnostic, delivered by our BDODrive team. Alongside a comprehensive review of your business plan, our team will provide feedback and challenge to help you assess the areas of development and ensure you are investor ready.

Reviewing your business plan through an ‘investor lens’, we will look at a range of requirements from venture capitalists, and will identify potential gaps. Before the Grand Final, our local teams will visit you in person to play back development areas, enabling you to maximise your chance of securing investment.

The competition is open to any company that:

• Is HQ’d in the UK
• Has been established for 1-3 years
• Is a digital, tech-enabled business
• Is at seed to pre-Series A funding stage, or if bootstrapped has max annual revenues of up to £1.5m
• Has ambition to grow and scale
• Can commit to Rising Stars competition dates outlined in the timetable.

Previous year’s Tech Nation Rising Stars finalists from East Anglia included:

• Thyngs
• Developing Experts

To find out more about the competition, prizes, the timeline and how to enter, simply click the link below. Applications close at midnight on 3 November 2020.

Find out more about Tech Nation Rising Stars

About the local BDODrive team

Emma Smith leads the BDO Drive team and is keen to work with local Tech businesses, her contact details are Emma.L.Smith@BDO.co.uk  if you have any questions about this

BDODrive delivers business services to support ambitious, entrepreneurial businesses. As part of BDO, you’ll have access to experts across our global business to enable your business’ growth and help make doing business easier.

Find out more at www.bdodrive.co.uk

Fast-growing cities, attractive commercial development sites and growing Enterprise Zones make Norfolk & Suffolk ripe for investment, key property industry figures are to be told.

Norfolk & Suffolk Unlimited – the new brand for the region – will be showcased at MIPIM, the UK’s leading property event, as part of a concerted campaign to attract new investment.

An estimated 2,300 property professionals from around the world will attend the re-energised MIPIM summit, which is being held at Old Billingsgate in London on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 October. 

Ipswich was listed fourth and Norwich eighth in the UK in a recent report forecasting future growth from 2016 to 2036, pointing to a bright future for companies looking for development opportunities.

Significant investment is already being attracted to growth locations such as Ipswich, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and King’s Lynn and along busy transport routes, maximising the opportunities around London, Cambridge and Felixstowe. 

Large-scale industrial, warehousing and office development opportunities exist along the global trade corridor of the A14 and the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor offers science park, office, industrial and residential development potential.

A massive £133 million in private investment has been unlocked by the 16 Enterprise Zone sties across the two counties which offer business rate discounts, simplified planning and superfast broadband.

There is also huge interest in Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and other coastal areas due to growth in key sectors such as offshore wind, ICT digital and agri-food.

Six sites will be specifically marketed at MIPIM:

• North Quay/Conge, Great Yarmouth
• Hornbill Business Park Enterprise Zone, Beccles
• Norwich Research Park
• Snetterton Heath, A11
• Western Way, Bury St Edmunds
• Nar Ouse Enterprise Zone, King’s Lynn

Doug Field, chair of New Anglia LEP, said: “Norfolk & Suffolk’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the country and it is a diverse region rich with opportunities for property developers and investors. Rents and rates here are better value than in many parts of the UK, we have excellent connections to London, Cambridge and overseas markets and our Enterprise Zones deliver a package of benefits, including a business rate discount of up to £275,000 over five years.

“A new Local Industrial Strategy has been developed, a new brand launched and the high growth we have seen is forecast to continue, so there has never been a better time for companies to invest in this region.” 

Norfolk & Suffolk’s buoyant economy has driven economic success in the construction and development sector. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is based at Bircham Newton in Norfolk and the sector has an emerging specialisation in modern construction and sustainable design, with the Fabric First Institute at Easton & Otley College.

The sector employs around 70,000 people, supporting more than 10,000 businesses with major opportunities such as the UK’s largest urban extension in Broadland. 

Norfolk & Suffolk Unlimited will be exhibiting at Pod P1 on the first floor of Old Billingsgate where a team will be available to provide potential investors with information about the region and specific sites.

A business brunch on Tuesday 15 October will meanwhile focus on Norwich and Ipswich as fast growth locations and developer Chancerygate will give its perspective on investment in the region.

You can find out more about development and investment opportunities and download our brochure at www.newanglia.co.uk/inward-investment

As the Chief Executive of a charity which supports some of the poorest communities of Norfolk, taking the plunge to become an accredited Living Wage employer was a no-brainer. Future Projects provides education services, advice and guidance, employment support, volunteering, and training and skills to those most in need. The very reason our charity exists is to look after those less well-off than us, so of course we should pay a Living Wage, right?  But, aside from it being expected of us, why should we – the Voluntary and Community sector – be the ones leading the way when it comes to fair pay?  Our work is heavily affected by austerity and cuts to public funding. Generally, our terms and conditions are considerably worse than our private and public sector counterparts – even though recent studies have shown on average we are better qualified. Many charities struggle to pay the bills, and it is not unheard of for leaders to sacrifice their pay to keep the charity afloat.  Some charities are on a very real knife-edge.  Everything points towards us using low wages to keep the sharks at bay, yet it might surprise you to know that 11 of the 34 local accredited Living Wage Employers are charities or social enterprises. Yes, one in three!  But you would be wrong if you thought this was simply because it’s in our ethos. For many of us, the decision to pay our staff more is all about business.   Yes, it means also increasing the pay of non-Living Wage staff to keep differentials intact. Yes, it means committing to long term, ongoing increases in staff costs. Yes, it’s a risk in some cases. But… in return we see a range of benefits: staff are less likely to leave so we benefit from reduced recruitment and training costs, not to mention avoiding harmful disruption to the business.  Our productivity has risen as absenteeism and sickness absence has declined. We have become a more desirable employer, better able to attract talented and qualified personnel who want to work for a company that has a culture of fairness and equality. We’ve experienced a boost in morale, commitment and enthusiasm from staff, not just amongst those on the Living Wage, but at all levels as our teams take pride in our commitment to fair pay. Adopting the living wage has also given us a competitive advantage when it comes to securing contracts and new work. For example; Norwich City Council requires that any organisation tendering to provide services on its behalf is an accredited Living Wage employer. This effectively reduces the competitive pool; if you don’t accredit, you simply cannot bid.  Since Future Projects adopted the Living Wage we have grown our annual turnover from £800k to almost £1.9m – at a time when austerity has seen many of our counterparts shrink or disappear entirely. We have grown our workforce from around 25 employees to 55. But the impact of our decision doesn’t stop there; the extra pay we offer our employees is being spent directly in the local economy, and higher wages are boosting inclusive growth and social mobility as we hire and train local people to fuel our growth.  So, when I see large or established employers taking a risk-averse approach to the Living Wage, as a businessman and a leader in my sector I can see the missed opportunities. I want us all to recognise the benefits of fair pay, and for more employers to get on board and join us in the Voluntary and Community sector in paying a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.   As businesses move towards measuring success not just by profit, but also by their social and environmental impact, the Living Wage provides an opportunity to increase business performance across a number of these indicators and should not be overlooked.  Living Wage Norwich will be hosting an event during Living Wage Week in November. In partnership with AVIVA plc and Norwich City Council, we will be celebrating the Living Wage, networking, and hearing from employers and employees about the benefits accreditation has provided them.  Please do join us at the Forum on Wednesday 13th November, 6pm-7.30pm to find out how paying a Living Wage to your lowest paid employees could also benefit you and your business!

The UK construction industry has experienced a further year of slowdown in sales, turnover and profits, pointing to a sustained downward trend, according to the latest UK Construction Sector Report from MHA, the UK-wide group of accountancy and business advisory firms of which MHA Larking Gowen is a member.   • Turnover growth continues to slow with larger firms hit hardest  • Year-on-year decline puts squeeze on profit margins • Sales cool as depressed demand and Brexit uncertainty bites • Stalling profits highlight potential labour costs exposure    Turnover in the last year grew 5.3% but was in marked contrast to the 14.1% increase recorded over the past two years, revealing a slowdown in the industry’s growth. Larger businesses, those with turnover of £200m and over, continue to experience a decline in turnover levels, with the average dropping by 13.8% this year.    In the face of this decrease, larger firms have reduced their workforce numbers from last year, with the average number of employees reducing from 878 to 777. Elsewhere, staffing levels remain static. The extension of the IR35 legislation ‘off-payroll’ rules for the private sector, which comes into force in April 2020, is likely to see employment numbers rise and with it, the potential impact on prices or further squeeze on margins. However, there appears to be no apparent material increase in employment numbers at this stage.    While the average gross profit margins are in double figures across the board, it is the smaller companies (under £25m turnover) that have seen the highest margins of between 20-25%. For mid-tier firms (£100-150m) the margins drop to just over 14% (14.4%) and larger firms have seen a decline to 11.2%    Overall, average margins are declining year on year and for the larger firms the fall in turnover and the desire to maintain workforce continuity, as well as general competitive pressures, are behind the squeeze. In a post Carillion world, the report seems to indicate these firms are looking to improve profitability rather than chase turnover.   A slowdown in the sector is further emphasised by the biggest fall in new work for a decade, according to the IHS Markit/Cips UK construction PMI survey. This together with a lack of new infrastructure projects and major developments and a depressed demand created by Brexit uncertainty, are also contributing to the slowdown. All these factors contributed to a decline in sales growth across all turnover brackets with the largest companies actually contracting over the past two years.   Whilst there is a general upward trend in dividends, the levels have fluctuated across the different sizes of firms. The smaller firms have either remained static or seen a decline. Most notably, those in the £5-10m turnover bracket saw a significant decrease in pay-outs of 85.6%; this is in marked contrast to a leap of nearly 250% the previous year. For the largest businesses, there was a 60% decrease in dividends from last year compared to a 17.1% rise over a three-year period.    The overall construction industry’s profit before tax performance showed a decline in 2019, with only small firms experiencing increases, although these were lower than two years ago. For the larger companies, who saw the biggest declines – the largest drop being from £46m last year to £26.3m in the current year – lower profit before tax is the inevitable result of reduced turnover and margins. Companies in this group will undoubtedly try to reduce overheads, but this tends to be difficult in the short term as certain costs are fixed. This does raise the prospect of future labour cost-cutting.   Robert Dowling, Head of Construction and Real Estate at MHA, said:   “It remains a challenging time for the UK’s construction industry. Nationally, firms have managed to maintain similar levels of profitability with slightly lower gross profit margins than last year. But the indications of a downward trend are there. Declining workloads and the potential impact these may have on profits could mean tougher times ahead for some firms. At such times it is important that firms adopt and maintain disciplined and strong management, whether that is remaining focused on your core specialisms or strengthening the balance sheet by retaining higher levels of profit.    “Firms should look at technology investment and the implementation of strategies to reduce tiers of management whilst retaining key personnel and the adoption of robust project risk management; all of which can enable firms to ride the downturn and even prosper.”   Robert Dowling continued: “It is impossible to talk about the future prospects of the industry without mentioning Brexit. Beyond the impact of the current uncertainty, the industry could even stand to gain from a post-Brexit boost and any UK government commitments and plans for infrastructure investment will be warmly welcomed.”   MHA’s national outlook on the UK construction sector used company accounts information published by credit reporting agency Experian, for construction firms in England, Scotland and Wales with an annual turnover of between £5 and £200m+.

IT experts Green Duck are helping businesses across the region create certainty as Brexit continues to dominate the news.

The IT services and support company, who also provide bespoke websites and software, are doubling efforts to ensure IT is one less thing to worry about for the businesses they support.

“IT is essential for almost every organisation” says David Buist, Chief Operating Officer. “As some may understandably be distracted by what’s going on, we want to help ensure their IT is totally dependable and helps them increase productivity.”

The Bury St Edmunds-based business provide complete IT infrastructure, hardware and software, as well as first line technical support and advice. The first way they are supporting clients in the current climate is focusing on their industry-leading response times and quick solutions should issues arise.

“If any issues do occur with a business’s IT, they need a swift resolution” states David “That’s where our support team and 15-minute triage come in. Most issues can be solved with a single call to one of our experienced and plain-speaking staff.”

The second prong of Green Duck’s support is helping more organisations take advantage of cloud-based IT. The certified Microsoft Partners have helped a wide range of businesses to host their software and data on an external cloud, resulting in increased flexibility and lower and more predictable costs.

“Cloud IT makes a lot of sense for most business’s needs. It also blends well with existing IT” states David. “Our clients have reported significant savings and improvements in productivity since moving away from costly servers and other hardware. They appreciate the flexibility and more predictable costs.”

The third element of Green Duck’s efforts to help businesses cope with current uncertainty is combating cyber threats. The IT experts have developed a range of protection from leading providers which not only protects against known threats but automatically evolves to new ones.

“The last thing businesses need is a virus, hack or malware disrupting their work” says David. “As the risks get more complex, so do the solutions, so our clients really appreciate and trust our no-nonsense approach.”

Green Duck partner with a number of leading providers of cyber security software and other protection. Depending on business’s individual needs, they provide a number of tailored solutions from encrypted back up to web and spam filtering.

In 2017, Green Duck acquired Source Code Studios, a strategic move which has been highly successful and further broaden their services. They have been busy creating apps and software to help businesses improve their operations and business-critical functions. The easy-to-use solutions they’ve delivered range from a product safety app for ecommerce logistics, to a paperless HR system for a national food chain.

“Many businesses say ‘I wish we could just do that’ when it comes to IT. We take that wish and look at ways to cost-effectively make it a reality” concludes David.

More information on Green Duck’s IT services, IT support, cyber security and web and app development can all be found at https://www.greenduck.co.uk/

BDO LLP are looking to grow their Norfolk team and are currently searching for an Audit Senior.

BDO LLP is an accountancy and business advisory firm, we provide integrated advice and solutions to help businesses navigate a changing world. Our clients are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high growth businesses that fuel the economy.

We share our clients’ ambitions and their entrepreneurial mind-set. We have the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise to help them succeed.

BDO LLP operates in 17 locations across the UK, employing 5,000 people offering tax, audit and assurance, and a range of advisory services. BDO LLP has revenues of £590m and is the UK member firm of the BDO International network. The BDO global network provides business advisory services in 162 countries, with 80,000 people working out of 1,500 offices worldwide. It has revenues of $9bn.

Overview The Audit Senior works as part of an audit team or takes responsibility for running the audit, working directly with the client under manager supervision.  The Audit Senior manages the audit team and supervises the audit process to ensure our audits are of high quality.

We currently require 1 Audit Seniors in the Corporate team based in Norwich. However, we will also consider candidates for our Ipswich office.

Responsibilities • Assists in the planning, execution and finalisation of all areas of the audit assignment for manager or partner review, seeking input for areas of concern and judgement. • Predominant amount of time will be spent off-site at clients’ premises. • Identifies risk matters and raises with a manager and/or partner, while exercising judgement within agreed parameters. • Produce work for the Manager and/or Partner review clearly highlighting issues and providing potential solutions to issues identified. • Identify and understand client needs, suggest potential solutions on technical matters and communicate and agree client needs and potential solutions with managers. • Active engagement with senior client staff in order to gain a good understanding of their business and ensure the efficient execution of the audit • Take primary responsibility for monitoring progress against budget, and when the actual differs from the budget then gain a full understanding for the Manager. • Supervise, coach and develop junior members of staff within teams, on client premises and in the office. • Ensure compliance with internal (audit methodology and risk management) and external (regulatory) requirements • Participate in group, stream and firm wide activities

Requirements • Newly Qualified or Part Qualified ACA/ICAS Qualified or overseas equivalent.  • Educated up to degree level or CTS. • Experience supervising and coaching junior members of staff on site. • Working knowledge of UK and International GAAS, IFRS, UK GAAP and Financial Reporting requirements. • Working knowledge of firm services, issues regarding advice, and regulation and compliance, including anti-money laundering. • Demonstrable knowledge of current economic and market trends.

Desirable

• Audit Sector experience or Accounts experience • Experience with listed clients. • Experience auditing international groups.

Our Agency Policy BDO has a commitment to building relationships directly with candidates (and agencies) in our local markets and as such, we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies. We work closely with our preferred suppliers to support us in sourcing quality candidates but we only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place and an agency has been instructed by a member of the BDO Resourcing team. We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to BDO by any means other than through our recruitment portal. For any CVs which are submitted without instruction from the BDO Resourcing team, BDO reserves the right to contact and work directly with these candidates without payment of any agency fee.

You can view the available position on the BDO LLP website here

New recruits have recently joined the technical, marketing and technology teams further bolstering support to the TaxAssist franchise network.

Gary Clark AAT, CTA, a highly experienced tax practitioner has recently joined the Norwich based Support Centre as Technical Manager, to strengthen the support to its network of over 200 franchisees.

Gary, who has 30 years of experience, including 10 years as a specialist tax manager covering personal tax, CGT and IHT and 10 years as a proprietor of his own practice, joins an experienced and diverse team, who provide technical training, support and advice to the fast-growing franchise network.

Lee Currell and Nick Kyle join the digital technology team as Software Training and Support Officer and Junior Web Developer respectively, Patsy Boyle joins the marketing and business development team as a Marketing Executive and Jack and James Sandall join on 18 month Business Administration Apprenticeships with Skills Edge Training.

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director, said: “We remain committed to investing in support to our network as the need arises and I am delighted to welcome the new additions to the team.

“Gary brings with him a wealth of expertise, including providing advisory services to clients seeking income and capital taxes advice, all aspects of personal tax compliance and invaluable real-world practice experience, from which our franchisees can benefit.

“Our digital technology team has now grown to seven, with a further senior appointment expected shortly, and our marketing and business development team to 11 – an example of our desire to lead from the front in terms of embracing and rolling out new software effectively and efficiently and supporting our franchisees to grow substantial practices.” 

Continuing to buck industry trends with its consistently high levels of new franchisee recruitment, TaxAssist Accountants welcomed 16 new franchises in 2018 with 20 new joiners scheduled to complete training in 2019.

To meet this growing demand, The TaxAssist Group expanded its office premises on Broadland Business Park earlier in the year, and plan to recruit further in the next few months, to complement the team of 58, who currently support UK and International Operations. 

TaxAssist Accountants is the UK’s largest network providing tax and accountancy advice and services specifically for small businesses, with more than 300 TaxAssist Accountants offices nationwide. It is also established in Ireland and Australia and further expansion is planned to the USA in early 2020.

In the picture – from left: James Sandall, Patsy Boyle, Lee Currell, Nick Kyle, Gary Clark, Karl Sandall and Jack Sandall.

Professional recruitment specialists Pure, in collaboration with Barclays Eagle Labs, Tech East, and the Institute of Directors, hosted an inaugural Tech Leaders event in Norwich.

Held at Open, the event attracted a mix of current and aspiring leaders from businesses across the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor. The aim was to provide additional leadership development support for the people behind the fast-growing, innovative tech businesses which are significantly fuelling the Eastern region’s economy.

Ruben Davis, Senior Technology Recruitment Consultant at Pure, explained: “Independent research suggests the Tech Corridor could bring an additional £2.75bn to our regional economy by 2031 and create 26,000 more new jobs. To ensure this happens, one of the core aims of the Tech Corridor team is to ‘show the world that we have the people, companies and culture to match any of the leading tech clusters’. Leadership development, people strategy and company culture are all things we are extremely passionate about here at Pure and this is where we felt we could add real value and support.”

“We know that anything culture and people related needs to be driven from the top and by company leaders. We want to help those who have progressed into leadership roles, and the people who become Executives through founding their own companies, to understand the part they can play and the difference it can make. Even the most established and experienced leaders are facing a fast-moving industry, an even faster changing world of work and extreme competition for top tech talent. We know from our own work in supporting with technology recruitment that access to the right skills is the number one challenge facing tech businesses today. Organisations in our region need to be in the best possible position to be able to compete for and retain top talent, which again comes down to leadership, culture and employer brand. While there are already lots of excellent tech industry networking events in our region, we felt there was a need for a forum specially focused on leadership development and support.”

Pure worked in strategic partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, Tech East, and the Institute of Directors to organise and host the inaugural Tech Leaders event on 26 September. Guest speakers included leadership expert Mark Williams who delivered an engaging presentation on ‘Leadership that gets results’ and James Duez, Co-founder and CEO of Rainbird Technologies who shared his journey and experience of being a technology leader.

Ruben added: “Our aim was to create a forum where current and aspiring tech industry leaders could take time out to concentrate on their own professional development, to network with each other, and to explore the softer skills of leadership and its impact on culture and employee engagement. I hope everyone took a lot away from the event and we have already been in touch to ask for feedback and ideas for future sessions. For us, this marks the start of an exciting journey to build the best Technology Leadership network in the Eastern region.”

The first Tech Leaders event was jointly hosted by Pure, Barclays Eagle Labs, Tech East and the Institute of Directors. For more information and to be kept informed of future events sign up here.

We’re looking for two talented and enthusiastic individuals to join our supportive and professional team and help us deliver the highly effective marketing businesses need to grow.

Both roles can be part-time or full-time depending on the candidate and are based in Norwich.

The first is a Marketing Executive – with great written skills – to help deliver PR, social media and other content. More details here: https://fullmixmarketing.co.uk/news/marketing-executive-content-social-pr/

The second is a Graphic & Website Designer to help create effective websites and stunning design for digital and print. More details here: https://fullmixmarketing.co.uk/news/graphic-website-designer/

Full Mix Marketing is a result-focused marketing agency delivering all the strategic, digital and creative marketing businesses need. As a full-service agency, we provide both individual elements and act as some clients’ entire marketing department. We’ve developed a reputation for delivering great marketing for clients in sectors including technology, manufacturing, B2B services and travel.