Member News

Nick, who has been a part of the TaxAssist Accountants network for over 12 years, operates shops from Barnsley and Huddersfield and has now opened a shop in North Sheffield in partnership with his wife Pat.

On the 1st October, Nick Brook opened his third shop, on 1 Wadsley Lane in Sheffield and is delighted by the response so far.

“We’ve had a fantastic first week,” said Nick. “The shop has drawn many admiring glances and positive comments from neighbours, passers-by and clients and we are looking forward to becoming an integral part of the local business community.” Nick opened his first shop in Huddersfield in 2006, followed by an office in Barnsley in 2015. Such was the demand for his services in Barnsley, that he relocated his office to a larger, more centrally located shop in the Yorkshire town’s Church Street in 2017. “The shop-front concept is clearly key to my – and TaxAssist’s – success and I think it provides authenticity to our offering and makes us so much more visible to potential clients,” explained Nick. From starting out on his own, Nick now employs eight staff who look after the needs of over 500 clients.

“I am looking forward to working with Pat and my fantastic team of staff to continue the success that I’ve had so far in Barnsley and Huddersfield to North Sheffield and would like to encourage potential clients interested in our services, to pop in for a free consultation,” added Nick. TaxAssist Accountants provides a wide range of accountancy services including tax returns, annual accounts, payroll and bookkeeping and helps a diverse range of small businesses including start-ups, sole traders, limited companies and landlords who operate in many industries. If you are interested in finding out more about joining the TaxAssist Accountants network, please contact our Recruitment Manager Nikki Haythorne on 0800 0188297.  

GENIX Business Support are holding a conference near Cromer to help businesses gain a better understanding of which social media platforms will work best for their business.

Business owners are invited to attend the Choosing the Right Social Media for Business conference.

The aim of the event is to explain cost-effective ways to increase brand awareness and increase sales. The session is designed to help delegates discover how to best capitalise on free marketing through social media and what makes creative, memorable content.

The conference will be held on Tuesday, 13th   November at Northrepps Country House Hotel, near Cromer from 9.30am until 12.30pm.

The guest speaker will be Nick Pandolfi who works with businesses across the UK enabling them to reach new markets, through online, content creation.

Conference host, Leanne Castle from GENIX said, “Nick will show how and why different social media platforms work best for different businesses, how potential customers use social media and when.

 “Finding and recruiting staff with the right skill set is difficult for some Norfolk based companies and Nick will show how to use platforms for recruitment drives through promoted posts.

“It promises to be an interesting and informative conference, Nick is well known for his whit and engaging presentation style.”

North Norfolk District Council commissioned GENIX in 2016 to organise and host business information conferences in north Norfolk.  Choosing the Right Social Media for Business will be the fourth event for business owners to be held in the district.

Tickets cost £10pp and booking is essential. Visit www.genix.org.uk or call 0800 096 3013.

More than 30 business people are expected to attend GENIX Coffee Means Business networking event at Northrepps Country Hotel, near Cromer on Tuesday 16th October.

GENIX Business Support  has been hosting the monthly business events since September 2016 at different locations across north Norfolk.

GENIX host, Leanne Castle said, “We welcome established businesses, micro businesses and start-ups to our friendly, informal and relaxed networking events. People can chat over coffee and biscuits, move about the room and meet a wide range of businesses in a short, two-hour period.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet new business contacts and we’re thrilled that the sessions are such a success and GENIX is entering its third year of organising them. People enjoy the friendliness and the low entrance fee of just £5, there are no joining or membership fees and the parking is free too.  Coffee Means Business is the affordable face of business networking.”

North Norfolk District Council commission GENIX to organise and host Coffee Means Business in the North Norfolk area. They could see there was a need for regular networking opportunities for businesses which didn’t involve expensive membership fees.

Coffee Means Business will next be held on Tuesday 16 October at Northrepps Country Hotel from 9.30am until 11.30am. There are no membership fees, just £5 towards coffee payable on arrival and booking isn’t essential. For full details got to www.genix.org.uk

Norfolk’s Best Employers were celebrated at the Best Employers Eastern Region 2018 awards conference which brought together over 150 business people from across East Anglia.

The awards conference, held at the Rowley Mile Racecourse in Newmarket on Wednesday 3 October, revealed the 2018 winners of Best Employers Eastern Region Awards and Accredited organisations.

It was also the opportunity for the region’s business leaders to learn from one another about creating engaging, inspiring and inclusive workplaces which bring out the best in their people.

The Best Employers Eastern Region initiative was founded by professional recruitment specialists Pure and psychometrics experts eras ltd. It is sponsored by law firm Birketts and provides businesses with the opportunity to gain unique data on their employee engagement levels through the initiative’s free employee survey which measures employee engagement, culture and values.

The chance to be officially recognised as one of the region’s best employers is based on the survey results.

As well as the award-winning organisations, more than 40 businesses were also presented with Best Employers Eastern Region Accreditations at the event.

New for 2018, the Platinum and Gold Accreditations were awarded to the organisations which scored in the top 25% of the Best Employers Eastern Region employee engagement survey and which also submitted further evidence for judging.

The Norfolk organisations presented with prestigious Best Employers Eastern Region 2018 Awards and Accreditations were:

Award winners:

• Best Overall Medium Company Award winner and Platinum Accredited: The Fountain Partnership, digital marketing agency based in Norwich
• Best Professional Services Company Award winner and Platinum Accredited: LSI Architects

Platinum Accredited:

• Flagship Group, housing association with its head office in Norwich
• Morgan Sindall Construction East, construction and regeneration group with offices in Norwich
• Quotatis, home improvements quotations provider based in Norwich
• Liftshare, social enterprise based in Norwich

Gold Accredited:

• Chadwicks, wealth management and business advisors based in Norwich
• Holden Group, automotive dealership based in Norwich
• Made, creative marketing agency based in Norwich
• Purple Tuesday, software development company based in Norwich
• ReAssure, life and pensions company based in Norwich
• Smithfield Foods based in Norwich
• Tiger Eye, work product management company based in Norwich
• Victory Housing Trust, housing association based in North Walsham

The judges also presented further accreditations to the organisations which showed high levels of engagement and which they believe are the ‘Ones to Watch’ ahead of the biennial Best Employers Eastern Region in 2020.

These included Independent chartered surveyors and business consultants Brown & Co, the Holkham Estate on the north Norfolk coast and Norwich’s family-run department store Jarrold.

On being presented with the Best Overall Medium Company Award and Platinum Accreditation, Rebecca Lewis Smith, Managing Director of Norwich’s digital marketing agency Fountain, said: “We’re over the moon to receive this award, which recognises the approach Fountain takes to looking after, supporting and empowering our team members. In a service business it’s clear that investing in employee engagement and team wellbeing has a direct impact on the quality of work we do for clients, and, in our industry, to their bottom line.

On a personal note, being part of a happy team, who are passionate about their work and proud to be Fountaineers, is extremely rewarding – and I’m extremely moved to receive this recognition of our commitment to our culture.”

Ben Goode, Director at LSI, which was presented with the Best Professional Services Award and Platinum Accreditation, added: “At LSI, we want to be the best employer in the construction industry, in order to become a better architectural practice. The Best Employers Eastern Region Platinum accreditation and award for Best Professional Services Employer are further evidence that we are on the right path. We regularly receive feedback from clients that our people are great to work with and we believe that this is because they are happy, healthy, highly skilled and motivated to deliver the quality design and committed service that we believe our clients should expect.”

Lynn Walters, Executive Director at Pure and founder of Best Employers Eastern Region, said: “We would like to congratulate all our winners and accredited organisations. The full list really demonstrates the breadth of amazing organisations we have in our region and this external recognition will help them to further enhance their employer brand. We developed Best Employers Eastern Region to raise the recruitment profile of organisations and the region as a whole. In today’s competitive recruitment market these businesses will now be in a stronger position to attract and retain the high calibre employees needed to achieve business growth. As well as being a celebration, the event was a unique opportunity for our region’s businesses to learn from one another. I would like to thank all our guest speakers for sharing their employee engagement journeys and helping us in our purpose of contributing to the growth of the eastern region by sharing insights on increasing employee engagement and productivity as a result.”

The guest speakers at the event included Mark Merryweather from Norwich’s creative marketing agency Made and Steve Shore from life and pensions company ReAssure in Norwich.

Jeanette Wheeler from regional law firm Birketts also led an interview with Catherine Spitzer and Julie Archer from Bidwells, in which they shared their experience of redesigning their Cambridge office as a catalyst to change the culture of the business.

At the event, Paul Henderson and Alex Pearce from eras ltd shared the key findings and regional trends from this year’s Best Employers Eastern Region employee engagement survey.

Alex Pearce, Managing Director at eras ltd, said: “We’ve had a fantastically diverse range of organisations taking part in Best Employers Eastern Region 2018. With double the number of participants completing this year’s survey we had some really high quality and valuable data to share.”

The awards event also raised money for charity with a proportion of ticket sales being donated to the regional offices of MIND. Together with money raised at the Best Employers Eastern Region 2018 launch event in February over £5,200 has been raised for the mental health charity.

The full list of award winners and accredited organisations is shown on the dedicated Best Employers Eastern Region portal.

A busy start promised for 2019

The team at GGS are preparing for a busy start to 2019, having been awarded the contract to design and build a 105 square meter stand for a food and drink trade mission by a delegation of The East to the Netherlands. The stand will have a prominent position at Horecava in January, which is the largest Dutch hospitality trade fair for food and drink producers and catering professionals. The East’s team, includes representatives from New Anglia LEP, Norfolk & Suffolk county councils and the Department of International Trade. ‘The East Food and Drink stand’ will give up to 24 Norfolk & Suffolk based food and drink producers the opportunity to showcase their products to Dutch buyers. The stand design has an industrial influence and uses materials such as corrugated steel sheeting on the walls complimented with galvanized steel counter tops, and plenty of rustic timber. Suspended above the stand will be a four-sided Union Jack banner frame – just so there’s now mistake the Brits are in town. Norwich based ‘The Lively Crew’ are managing the space allocation for companies interested in participating on the stand (7 to 10 January 2019), and can be contacted for further information by emailing robert@thelivelycrew.co.uk. For any other questions contact Roberta Willner at Norfolk County Council  roberta.willner@norfolk.gov.uk. GGS Exhibitions can be contacted at duncan@ggs.co.uk

Make a real difference to those in our community affected by cancer…

Norfolk’s cancer charity, Big C, is looking for enthusiastic and innovative people to join their Board of Trustees and help steer the strategic future of the organisation at what is an exciting time for the charity. Big C is looking to fill four specialist vacancies and is keen to hear from anyone over 18 who has experience at a strategic or senior level management in Clinical Research, Education (primary or secondary), Fundraising, GP or Public Health Professionals. Big C’s Chief Executive, Dr Chris Bushby, said “The new Trustees will be joining Big C at a pivotal moment in its history as we forge ahead with our focused programme of strategic growth and positioning. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last 38 years, but as an organisation we very firmly look forward to our next developments in delivering outstanding and pioneering cancer care in Norfolk and Waveney.” From its first small, but important, fundraising project providing chemotherapy equipment at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Big C has grown into an impressive organisation which funds specialist life-saving equipment and internationally significant research projects based at the Norwich Research Park. These projects greatly benefit local people and have a global impact on our understanding and treatment of the many types of cancer. The charity has also established four Big C Support and Information centres across Norfolk which, last year, were visited more than 25,000 times, providing an oasis of specialist emotional and practical support for those with a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones. For more information about this rewarding opportunity, visit www.big-c.co.uk/about-us/current-vacancies.aspx Trustees are volunteers, but travel costs and reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

Norfolk and Waveney’s cancer charity, Big C, has announced impressive growth for its retail division, which includes 13 charity shops in towns and communities across the region. Income for the charity, generated by retail, has increased by over 38% since 2014, with year on year growth. Gift Aid contribution has also risen by 43% over this period. Big C has opened three new shops in the last 18 months, with more openings planned in the year ahead. Several of the existing stores have also been refitted. This bucks the trend nationally, with the 2017 Charity Shops Survey* showing that UK numbers have flat-lined, with as many charity shops closing as opening in the period. Big C’s Head of Retail, Ashley Bunn, said “These positive results are the outcome of a clear growth strategy and a huge amount of work and commitment from our team. I am very proud of this achievement by our staff and volunteers, especially in a challenging retail environment and against rising costs.” Ashley continues, “I believe the fact that we design every one of our shops as a destination tailored to its location and give it an individual personality; a point of difference, is key to our success. We also want to become part of the community. For example, our new Diss store has several craft groups that meet upstairs in a community area. Our Cromer shop has its own unique style to appeal to both locals and tourists. The manager, Wendy, has dressed the store with home-made bunting and they take part in local events. We also have our Furniture and Craft Emporium at Wymondham and bridal shop on the top floor of our Timberhill shop in Norwich.”  Big C’s retail team has also been working with John Lewis, which has seen groups from the Norwich branch of the national retailer volunteer at Big C’s distribution centre and some of Big C’s staff visit John Lewis for some coaching. Students from City College Norwich have also worked on Big C projects taking briefs for projects including photography, upcycling and bridal. Both organisations also have Donation Stations at their sites. Norwich based stylist, Kate Cooper, who has an interest in sustainable fashion, works with Big C to demonstrate how clothes from its stores can be customised for personal style. Bridal gowns from the Timberhill boutique were showcased at Norwich Fashion Week. Many of Big C’s volunteers work in the network of charity shops. Ashley added, “We never take for granted how lucky we are to have our amazing army of volunteers, especially when many charitable organisations are reporting pressure on volunteer numbers and volunteering hours. We still need many more however and we’re very keen to hear from anyone who would like to join the team.” Dr Chris Bushby, CEO at Big C says, “Our shops provide an integral part of our charitable income. We rely on the generous time and energy our volunteers give to Big C. It’s a great way to meet new people and spend some free time and for some it’s also an excellent way to gain experience of the retail sector. On average 20 people are given a cancer diagnosis every day in Norfolk and Waveney and the need for our services are increasing daily.  Your unwanted gifts, outgrown clothes and any other items go a long way to support people affected by cancer in our community.” If you would like to donate to Big C please visit https://fundraise.big-c.co.uk/donate/ If you would like to volunteer for Big C please visit https://big-c.co.uk/volunteer

Do you need low-cost training on food allergens for your business ? With more tragic cases highlighted in the news recently , it is an opportunity to receive training in this important area.

The venue is at Breckland Council, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE.

There are a number of dates:

3rd December 2018

15th January 2019

18th February 2019

11th April 2019

The cost is £50 per person and the course can be booked here:

www.ehtc.co.uk/level2infoodallergen

Flagship Group is continuing its commitment to solving the housing crisis as work starts on site this month for nine houses on Music House Lane in the centre of Norwich.

The development known as ‘Kings Gate’ will be Flagship Group’s first open market scheme in Norfolk, the sale of these homes will enable Flagship to invest in their core purpose, providing homes for people in need.

Planning consent was obtained for the nine open market townhouses and terraced homes in 2017 with works due for completion in June next year.

Kings Gate will consist of four two bedroom and five three bedroom houses. These bespoke homes will help towards the ongoing regeneration of this area of the city. 

Tony Tann, Managing Director of Flagship Homes (Development) said: “We are excited by this development, it is a great addition to our growing portfolio and shows that we continue to diversify in our offering to help solve the housing crisis in the East of England. 

“We are proud to be building high quality homes in a great location which will have appeal to a wide range of people.”

 In light of GDPR regulations, deadly data breaches are the subject of discussion in offices and business meetings nationally.

There is a public focus on the businesses accountable, with the public being more aware of their personal data rights than ever before. Most data breaches happen accidentally in your employee’s inboxes, either by sending an email to the wrong recipient or clicking on a link that isn’t secure. Have you ever sent the right email to the wrong person?

Simple mistakes such as these can now cost companies clients, income and also their reputation. Several businesses have come under scrutiny recently, after mistakenly sending sensitive information to the wrong recipient, just through a click of a button.

Over breakfast at St Giles Hotel, Tiger Eye Consulting will help you to make sense of how you can avoid the dreaded data breach in your inbox.

The seminar will explain the simple truth behind data breaches, and present two solutions, with presentations from Tiger Eye, MimeCast and Tessian. With spaces booking up fast, grab your spot to avoid missing out: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-secure-is-your-email-system-breakfast-seminar-and-networking-meeting-tickets-49894855857?aff=twitter1  

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is now inviting not-for-profit small and medium-sized enterprises to apply for grants of between £1,000 and £7,500 to offer innovative employability training courses helping residents in the borough.

The new Inclusion Project will assist long-term unemployed and economically inactive residents who face complicated life challenges and who are most disconnected from community support, including from entry-level training, volunteering and work placement opportunities.

As part of the initiative, which is funded by the borough council and the European Social Fund, the council is making available £120,000 over three years to not-for-profit SMEs in order to develop employability services that address gaps in the training currently available and meet residents’ needs.

Following a successful project launch recently, which was attended by 14 SME organisations, the council is putting out its first call for grants applications to provide employability skills. Applicants can be based anywhere in the UK, but must deliver their proposed new services within the borough and be prepared to match-fund their requested grants, either from other funding sources or in kind.

Eligible enterprises interested in finding out more or applying should contact Tracey Read, Inclusion Project Coordinator, via tracey.read@great-yarmouth.gov.uk or 07468 764753. The closing date is October 25.

Cllr Andy Grant, chairman of the housing and neighbourhoods committee, said: “This is a great opportunity for not-for-profit SMEs to help drive towards inclusive economic growth in the borough by assisting those furthest from the workplace into training, education, volunteering and ultimately jobs. We invite any eligible SMEs interested in these exciting grant-funding opportunities to get in touch.”

Businesses are reminded they have until noon on Monday, October 15 to enter the Spirit of Enterprise Awards 2018, the most prestigious annual celebration of business excellence in the Great Yarmouth borough.

Organised by enterpriseGY, Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s business support service, the popular awards aim to recognise and raise the profile of the borough’s top-performing companies, while boosting confidence in the strength of the local economy. 

The awards have nine categories, the winners of which will be considered for the sought-after title of 2018 Business of the Year by overall award sponsor Noritake Itron.

Time is running out to enter, as businesses only have until noon on Monday, October 15 to put themselves forward for the various categories. The awards are free-of-charge to enter online at www.soea.co.uk and finalists will be profiled in a supplement in the Great Yarmouth Mercury, with winners appearing in a further supplement.

The finalists and winners will also be showcased at a glittering awards ceremony and gala dinner at the Town Hall’s prestigious Assembly Room on Friday, November 23.

Each award is backed by a local organisation. Sponsors choose the winner in their category from three finalists shortlisted by a local independent panel or by the category sponsor themselves.

The categories and sponsors are:

• Great Manufacturing/Engineering – sponsored by P&S Personnel
• Great New Business – sponsor to be announced
• Great Business Growth – sponsored by Bateman Groundworks
• Great Business Idea – sponsored by Aston Shaw
• Great Customer Services – sponsor to be announced
• Great Family Owned Business – sponsored by Birketts
• Great International Growth – sponsored by Pasta Foods
• Great Investment in People – sponsored by Norse Group
• Great Community Contribution – sponsored by Potters Friends Foundation

The media partners are the Great Yarmouth Mercury and The Beach radio station.

Cllr Graham Plant, the council leader, said: “This awards scheme is another way that the council is supporting the local economy, boosting investor confidence by showcasing the many brilliant businesses of all sizes and sectors from across the borough.

“We always have great feedback, with past winners saying the recognition has helped to boost staff morale, their profile and their reputation with customers. This is a fantastic opportunity and a great celebration of business excellence that has only been made possible thanks to the sponsors, including main sponsor Noritake Itron.

“It is completely free-of-charge to enter – so if you think you could win a category or even be crowned 2018 Business of the Year, then please make sure you submit the entry form by noon on Monday, October 15.”

Andy Stubbings, of Noritake Itron, said: “We are honoured to be the overall award sponsor for the Spirit of Enterprise Awards, having previously sponsored the Great New Business category for several years.

“Entering these awards is a chance for businesses to showcase their achievements on the public stage, helping to boost their stature, reputation and staff pride. There are some excellent businesses right across the borough and we know it will be hard to choose the 2018 Business of the Year.”

Entrants and potential sponsors seeking more information are invited to visit www.soea.co.uk or call Michaela Smith-Moore on 01493 846380.