Member News

MHA Larking Gowen, Corporate Finance Partner, James Lay, has been named as High Achiever 2019 for the European Region, at last week’s Mindshop annual conference, for his work advising businesses on maximising their potential.   “Mindshop is a leading global network of business advisors. It provides a fantastic resource of tools and technologies, which we use to help our clients get the most value out of the businesses they have worked so hard to create,” explained James Lay, on receiving the award.    “The High Achiever Award is something to be really proud of, particularly as we joined the organisation only two years ago,” James continues, “and while the award came as a surprise, it recognises the commitment of Mark Curtis, Becky Ames and myself in delivering business advisory services to our clients at MHA Larking Gowen.”    Mindshop supports over 1,000 advisors and business leaders globally. It was founded in 1994, and has hubs in Australia, the US and Europe.    “Our objective is to provide clients with the latest thinking in how to grow their businesses, maximising profits, making best use of time, and opening up the potential that so many business owners are sitting on,” says James. “We provide clarity and objectivity to what can at first appear a rather daunting process. Mindshop helps us do that.   “We establish where a business is now, understand where they want to get to and then work out how to get there in the most direct and effective manner, holding people accountable along the way. We tackle a broad perspective of challenges, coaching leaders and their teams, embedding a positive growth mind-set, profiling ideal clients, developing pricing strategies based on consumer psychology, and so on. Mindshop’s famous ‘Now, Where, How’ principle has a real energy behind it, creating the impetus for change across a huge range of businesses,” James concludes.   “I congratulate James Lay on this prestigious European region award,” says Jon Woolston, Managing Partner at MHA Larking Gowen. “The Business Advisory team’s work to maximise business potential is a valued and effective approach, being taken up by more and more of our clients. I’m delighted that the commitment and vision of James, as well as Mark and Becky from the team, have been recognised.”

13 franchisees and senior practice staff recently graduated from The TaxAssist Training Academy’s management and leadership course.

Run over two years, the bespoke LEAD Diploma course, which is offered to both TaxAssist franchisees and senior staff, develops the skills required to be a leader and to help build and manage an effective team.

This is the second group of staff and franchisees to complete LEAD, with the first group of 25 graduating in 2017.

Samantha Skyring, Senior Training and Technical Communications Manager at TaxAssist Accountants said: “To successfully build a practice, you need to have the skills and knowledge to successfully build and manage a team of staff. This is important in the early days as a franchisee begins to establish their business, and equally important to mature franchises with an eye on exit strategies and succession planning.

“This totally bespoke course continues to be very popular with everyone in the network, who can see the value it adds to the running of their practice.”

TaxAssist has received some fantastic feedback from those who have successfully completed the LEAD course.

Steve Doyle, of TaxAssist Accountants in Plymouth said: “The LEAD course has been extremely helpful in building my confidence and ability to deal with situations and aspects of work that I have previously had minimal experience in or avoided. I now feel able to conduct formal staff communications, deal with conflicts and delegate work effectively.

“Everyone on the course wanted to get the most that they could from it, therefore we were all very supportive of each other and it was very interesting to gain different perspectives on how to complete day to day tasks from other people on the course.

“I think the LEAD course is very helpful to anyone who is hoping to become a more influential and effective member of staff within their team, no matter what their job role is.”

To learn more about The TaxAssist Training Academy, our business model, the support that we provide and of course to meet with us, we run regular franchise Discovery Days at our Support Centre in Norwich. Contact Nikki Haythorne on 0800 0188297 for an initial chat.

Flagship Group has developed a unique system which will transform how it manages the thousands of trees for which it is responsible.

The Group, the largest housing provider in the East of England, has replaced its time-consuming manual office-based process with a bespoke app-based solution which will free up Flagship’s team of arborists to spend more time out on site.

With 3,500 individual and 1,000 groups of trees covering an area from North Essex to North Norfolk within Flagship’s remit, the Group’s Business Intelligence Team was tasked with redesigning the process to be more streamlined.  Victoria Green, Business Intelligence Developer, explained: “Our passion is delivering a great service for our customers, so we were very keen to support our arborists by designing a solution to help them work as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

Using existing software, the solution has streamlined the arborists’ workload and made requesting of tree work much easier. Through the new solution, Flagship staff can request tree works via a bespoke PowerApp, adding pictures and location to provide clarity to the arborists. The arborists are then able to assess the work via another bespoke PowerApp, identifying what resources are needed. Finally, the lead arborist can geographically manage the team’s workload effectively and the arborists can log their work using the GIS-based system, provided by ESRI.

Andy Blackman, GIS Developer said: “Our system enables us to visualise the team’s work on a map –  combined with the arborist’s live location to enable maximum efficiency when assigning and recording work. This allows the arborists to amend existing and add new tree data while in the field, allowing the Group to better understand and manage our assets.”

The solution, which is unique to Flagship, offers huge benefits to the tree service which was brought in-house from January 2018. Jonny Worden, Lead Arborist said: “This new system will transform the way we operate and allow us to more accurately pinpoint the work that is required. It will mean that we are better informed before we go out on site and able to easily plan and deliver our work.”

The team are continuing to develop the solution, looking for ways to enhance its functionality.

*Anyone interested in finding out more about the solution which has been developed by the Business Intelligence Team can get in touch with Andy Blackman (andy.blackman@flagship-group.co.uk) or Victoria Green (victoria.green@flagship-group.co.uk).

Bukky Shonola has opened a new walk-in tax and accountancy shop on 53-55 Station Road in Letchworth.

Bukky is a qualified AAT technician with eight years’ experience working in various roles in accountancy. She runs the practice with the assistance of her husband Dapo, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), who has more than 20 years’ experience in accounting.

She bought the Letchworth TaxAssist Accountants from retiring franchisees in April 2018 and is excited to have opened the shop, which offers the perfect location to meet with the 250 existing clients of the practice, along with potential new clients who can pop in for a free consultation.

Bukky explains what attracted her to become part of the TaxAssist Accountants network: “Having worked for other people throughout our working lives, we thought it was time to pursue our dream of owning a business. Both being accountants, we thought buying a TaxAssist would be a good fit and the discovery day convinced us that this is the right opportunity for us.

“We are very excited for the future and for the opportunity to work as a family to grow the practice into something much bigger, including having multiple shops.

“The TaxAssist Operational Support Centre Team has been excellent and we really couldn’t have done this without them. At every stage of the process, they have been there for us.” 

If you would like to find out more about joining the TaxAssist Accountants network, please give Nikki Haythorne a call on 0800 0188297.

We love an after hours event at The Norfolk Chambers! Last Thursday we got together at Redwells Brewery for our annual Pub Quiz. 

It was the perfect venue for drinking beer, eating pizza and enjoying an evening with your colleagues!  We had a mix of companies competing against each other for the prize of Office tea-time goodies.  With the entire Brewery at our disposal, the evening kicked of with wine and beer, and thanks to the amazing chaps at Brick Pizza on the premises, we didn’t have to wait long for the delicious food! The quiz kicked off with five rounds of questions, and over the next two hours we really made the brain cells work.  It was a close call on who the winning team would be, but coming in at first place were the reigning champions – The Return of the King Quizzard and the Lizard Wizards, the brain box team from Tiger Eye Consulting Ltd. Thank you to everyone who came, it was a fun, noisy evening with a fantastic atmosphere! Enormous thanks to Harley at Redwell’s for loking after us, and to Emiliana and George at Brick for providing pizza to soak up the beers!

This month, Copy & Content Executive, Clare Crowe, celebrates 12-months working with Full Mix Marketing. We caught up with her to discover how she’s found her first year in a growing marketing agency:

What bought you to Full Mix Marketing?

I’ve always loved to write. Whether it was scribbling scripts to perform with my childhood friends or now writing press releases for clients, words come naturally to me.

I moved from my native Canada to Lincoln almost 7 years ago to study a MA in Script Development and Playwriting. After graduating, I moved to Norwich and became a content writer for a busy media agency, writing for brands including McCain, Warner Brothers and Expedia.

Joining Full Mix Marketing was a great opportunity to expand from copywriting alone to a more varied role. Despite being relatively new, Full Mix were clearly going places and delivering successful marketing for their clients. I had heard good things about Sarah (Managing Director) and was excited to learn from someone with so much experience.

What does your role entail?

As the Copy & Content Executive, I help with all things written. I support our clients with press releases, articles, blogs, website text and award entries, as well as written content for sales materials including brochures, mailers and advertising. I also take a lead on social media, making sure our client’s online presence is strong and consistent.

My role is very creative which puts me in my element. Whatever the medium, I love using words to communicate our client’s strengths, connect with their customers and help them stand out.

How has the job impacted on your skills?

Working at Full Mix Marketing for the past year has challenged and grown my abilities as a writer.

I’ve developed new skills, particularly when it comes to uncovering opportunities to create content and carefully weave in the messages our clients want to pass to their prospective customers

Having previously worked with retail brands, I’ve now gained a lot of experience working with companies who sell business-to-business too. The variety of clients we work with means I have to carefully tailor my writing to many audiences. In any one day I might write for an IT provider, engineering firm and online retailer. Each needs their own voice.

Our directors are very supportive and keen to help everyone develop their skills. It’s great to have the freedom to get on with the work whilst having an experienced team around me for support. It’s been a great environment for my colleagues and I to explore outside our comfort zones.

Which part of the role do you enjoy most?

Seeing our client’s success is always the best part.  It’s great to hear something I’ve written has directly resulted in new sales for one of our customers, especially when we’ve worked hard to get the messaging just right.

I enjoy writing press releases most. They’re all about identifying opportunities and turning them into a compelling story which journalists want to share with their readers. Sometimes there doesn’t initially seem like much of a story to tell, so it’s even more pleasing when I can turn it into a widely published and interesting article!

What excites you about the future?

I’m pregnant with my second child so that very exciting! I’ve been very fortunate to find the right balance between work and family life at Full Mix.

Despite the rise of digital marketing, good content and copywriting will always remain about storytelling and painting a picture with words! In particular, social media and content marketing have created a great opportunity for almost any business to demonstrate their strengths and leadership to a wider audience.

I’ve learnt a lot working with a very talented and enthusiastic team of marketers and gain new knowledge I couldn’t have predicted a year ago. Following maternity leave, I’m hopeful my skills will continue to grow and I’ll keep getting the same buzz seeing our client’s content online and in print!

For more information and support in creating blogs or press releases contact Full Mix Marketing today: www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk

Head to the Maids Head Hotel on Norfolk Day, Saturday, July 27 for two free events that focus on Norwich at the time of Kett’s Rebellion, 1549. Donations welcomed to the Maids Head’s charity of the year, Break.

Meet Sir Thomas Paston to hear tales of his involvement during this tumultuous period in the history of Norwich. This costumed talk by Rob Knee from the Paston Heritage Society, will include readings from the famous Paston Letters. Arrive at 10.30am for coffee and cake, view the Paston 600 exhibition and listen to Sir Thomas at 11am.

Then in the afternoon, there is an opportunity to join Norwich tour guide Paul Dickson for Shardlake’s Norwich, a two-hour walking tour celebrating CJ Sansom’s best-selling novel Tombland.

The tour starts and finishes at the Maids Head Hotel, beginning at 2pm and includes Tombland, Augustine Steward’s House, Norwich Cathedral Close, Bishopgate (Holme Street in the novel) and the Great Hospital, Bishop’s Bridge, the site of Bishop’s Gate and Lollards Pit, followed by a climb up to Kett’s Heights with its fabulous views across the city.

The return journey follows the north side of the river with views of the medieval Cow Tower before crossing the river and visiting the site of the Battle of Palace Plain.

Advance booking required for both events online at Eventbrite:

Book here for Sir Thomas Paston

Book here Shardlake’s Norwich

Alongside Birketts, Pure is proud to once again be sponsoring the prestigious Best Employer Award at the Norfolk Business Awards 2019, which are now open for entries.

The Norfolk Business Awards are the opportunity to come together as a business community and to celebrate the many inspiring and progressive organisations in our region. Norfolk has such an incredible range of business sectors that make up a vibrant local economy. It is home to multi-nationals, SMEs, small businesses and a large number of family-owned firms who recognise the value of happy employees and the benefits of growing staff skills and retaining top talent. This is what makes Norfolk such a great place to work and to do business, and why many organisations could be in the running to win the coveted Best Employer Award and further strengthen their employer brand.

We are always particularly thrilled to be able to sponsor the Best Employer Award. As a specialist professional recruitment company we know how important staff engagement and workplace culture and values are when it comes to recruiting and retaining high-calibre employees. Even in these uncertain times, there is a continued appetite for sustainable growth, and providing opportunities for people to enjoy stimulating and rewarding careers here in our region. The working world has changed and people want to be part of a business whose success is measured by an engaging culture and its reputation in the market. This award will celebrate the organisation that has achieved great success by putting people first, having clear values and engaged employees that are excelling in their field.

By entering the Best Employer Award, organisations will have the opportunity to demonstrate how they have made significant progress in their people and talent strategy through engagement, learning and development, retention and employer brand. They can also showcase how the organisation’s vision, values and purpose are embedded, reward and recognition strategies are driving performance, positive and inclusive cultures are being created and its approach to employee wellbeing and community support.

Through the judging process we are always delighted to come across undiscovered gems that have put staff engagement at the forefront of business. The winning organisation will achieve an external accolade which highlights how its success and growth can genuinely be attributed to putting people, values and culture at the heart of everything it does. The winner’s story will share and promote why it is a business which everyone wants to be part of and how it is changing people’s lives.

For more information or enter the awards visit the Norfolk Business Awards website. The organisations entering the Best Employer category will also be required to also complete the Best Employers Eastern Region employee survey, providing real-time data on employee engagement levels within the organisation.

Our plans for The Sky House, a new home for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities that also unlocks the Grade II-listed Lasdun Wall for refurbishment over the next decade, have been unveiled following approval from the University of East Anglia (UEA). The Sky House is the most significant new build project the UEA have undertaken since the Lasdun buildings and will become home to Arts and Humanities and some Social Sciences schools from 2022. The new building will allow staff and students to move out of the Lasdun Wall and enable the start of the phased refurbishment of the Historic England-listed 1960s block. The Sky House will be located on a site at the end of the Lasdun Wall, across from the Registry, and will act as a new main reception point for the UEA campus. The c. £65 million The Sky House will include: •general purpose teaching and seminar spaces •flexible informal learning spaces •language learning lab •drama studios •rehearsal spaces •screening room •café facilities •faculty and school offices •provision for HUM’s postgrad community •PGCE teaching rooms •a new reception point for the University •learning and teaching hub The development of The Sky House is the key to unlocking the Lasdun Wall’s major refurbishment. The Lasdun Wall, completed in 1970, is listed by Historic England for its special architectural and historic interest but is at the end of its design life. Very significant investment in the Lasdun Wall is now needed to ensure it is safe, secure and fit for the future needs of UEA staff and students. UEA Vice-Chancellor Professor David Richardson said: “Investing in our UEA campus means investing in our people and the spaces they need to work, learn, study and teach both now and in the future. The Sky House will be the new gateway to UEA for visitors and provide collaborative and communal working spaces for our staff and students.”

LSI Architects have joined the Architects Declare movement, a campaign led by the UK’s leading Architectural Practices to take action on the twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, the most serious issue of our time. Director Peter Courtney comments that: “We wholeheartedly agree that there is no alternative but for Practices to follow the commitments that Architects Declare have laid out. We acknowledge the crucial role that architects play in reducing the energy consumption of our built environment, and consequently sustainability is embedded in our core values. We believe that as a practice we are already well on the way to following these commitments, through our Sustainable Design Guide and use of environmental modelling software, whenever the opportunity allows. Our approach to sustainable design begins at first principles, as we believe this is the most effective way of engaging clients and project sponsors in the importance of a considered approach. In a project with fixed financial resource the design team must initially look to cost neutral design moves to help achieve sustainability goals as these can be more easily agreed upon with the client. In our experience securing these essential elements allows the project to be driven forward with sustainability at the heart of its concept. We are aware however that there is more work for us to do as a profession to continue to raise awareness of the issues and of the significant benefits that a sustainable approach to projects can deliver for clients. As co-curators of our future, we need to embrace a change of perception within the industry. LSI Architects confirms that we are ready to support this challenge.” Follow the link to view the Architects Declare page: www.architectsdeclare.com/

Through partnerships, innovation, student and staff spend, widening participation and public engagement, supported by world class teaching and research, UEA is committed to making a positive impact on the economic and social wellbeing of the wider community.

On Thursday 6 June launched it’s new report, CONNECTING PEOPLE + PLACES, at a business breakfast hosted by Vice-Chancellor, Prof David Richardson, at Norwich Castle. Connecting People + Places is a showcase of just some of UEA’s activity. The economic analysis has been carried out independently, and the case studies demonstrate some of the wide-ranging ways UEA makes a civic and social impact in the community. These activities encourage literature, sport, art, education, volunteering and music to flourish, and promote the ethos of collaboration and social responsibility that is at UEA’s heart.

Read the full report at www.uea.ac.uk/business to find out more.

Report design by Creative Sponge, and printed by Healeys

Video created by Meantime Media

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