Every Business Owns Intellectual Property, What Do You Own? is the title of a business event taking place in Norwich on Wednesday 28th February, arranged and hosted by GENIX Business Support. Intellectual property (IP) will account for a large part of the value of many businesses and yet often, the owners haven’t given it a moment’s thought.
The conference will cover the four main areas of intellectual property; trademarks, designs, copyright and patents and will explain how to protect intellectual property rights. The interactive session will draw on examples and provide delegates with a clear understanding of what they need to consider for their business.
The keynote speaker will be, Gary Townley, from the Intellectual Property Office.
Leanne Castle from GENIX said, “We are pleased to be hosting this conference to help businesses know what images and designs are protected by copyright. In a recent survey 74% of businesses were unsure who owned the intellectual property rights to their website, logo, artwork and photographs. “There will be plenty of opportunity during the session for delegates to ask questions and to network during the coffee break.”
The three hour conference is sponsored by i101 Digital, supported byas the Business & IP Centre Norfolk in the ‘Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library. Tickets cost £12 per person.
For more information and to book tickets go to www.genix.org.uk or call 0800 096 3013
Work to build a landmark headquarters for a major energy sector employer at Great Yarmouth’s Beacon Park has reached a key milestone today as the company’s logo is fixed onto the building.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is developing a new Great Yarmouth base for Proserv to rent on a prominent site at the park, a growing hub for the energy sector which is owned by the borough council and part of a top-performing Enterprise Zone.
Construction of Artemis House has progressed well since ground was broken in June, with Proserv set to move in during spring. Today saw representatives of the council, Proserv, New Anglia LEP and contractor Morgan Sindall go up on a scissor lift to witness the fixing of the final letter of the external Proserv badge onto the building.
One of the largest commercial buildings in terms of floorspace ever constructed in Great Yarmouth, Artemis House will enable Proserv to consolidate and grow its Great Yarmouth operation under one roof. Proserv currently employs about 190 staff at two sites in Great Yarmouth, most of whom already live within 10 minutes of Beacon Park.
The landmark facility, flanking the A47/A143 link road, will serve as Proserv’s global centre of excellence for control systems and services for the offshore energy market, comprising 65,000sq ft of modern office and production floorspace.
The council has invested £4.5m in the development, with an additional £1.5m coming from New Anglia LEP’s Growing Places Fund. Proserv is contributing up to £2m towards the fit-out and will be taking a 20-year lease on completion.
In a joint statement, the council’s political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Cllr Chris Walch, and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: “Construction on Artemis House has progressed well and it is now very visible on Beacon Park and from the link road. This milestone is a reminder that in a few short weeks the building will be a busy workplace for nearly 200 staff: a clear symbol of this council’s close work with partners to support jobs and growth.
“This project ensures that those jobs continue to be based within the borough and gives Proserv the capacity to invest and expand further in this purpose-built base, while adding to the council’s important property portfolio that generates significant rental income to help support vital public services.”
Simon Harvey, Head of Operations at Proserv, said: “The construction team have made excellent progress and so I am delighted to say that we remain on schedule for a late March entry date. This marks an exciting chapter for the whole of Proserv as we invest significantly in our future and growth aspirations.
“A lot of consideration has gone into how we create the right space, in terms of both working environment and servicing our customers; something which our staff have been heavily involved in, and so we are looking forward to plans and concepts becoming reality in the coming weeks.”
Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “We’re delighted to see this fantastic new building nearing completion at the heart of our Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone.
“The new Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk underlines our aspiration to be the place where high growth businesses with aspirations choose to be and as such, we’re really pleased to see Proserv committing its support to its local staff and suppliers.”
Attleborough based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has been shortlisted for two top national awards for its district heating installation for housing association Flagship Group.
The Heating & Ventilation News (HVN) Awards 2018 celebrate excellence, forward thinking and the highest achievements across the building services industry. The awards cover the UK’s entire Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and building services supply chain, and is open to companies including installers and consultants as well as building owners themselves.
Finn Geotherm’s installation for Flagship Group has been shortlisted for both the District Heating Project of the Year Award and the Renewable Project of the Year Award. The ground source heat pump system is delivering domestic heating and hot water for 30 flats at Orchard Close in Watton, Norfolk. The first domestic heating scheme for communal use in the East of England, it will cut Flagship customers’ heating bills by two thirds, creating annual savings of hundreds of pounds. In addition, it enables Flagship to dramatically reduce its maintenance costs and CO2 emissions. The project is expected to be the first of many for the housing association, with Flagship hoping to roll out other ground source heat pump systems to other customers as part of its plan to create more affordable and environmentally friendly homes.
Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for two awards in the prestigious HVN Awards scheme, which recognise the country’s most significant heating products and projects. Being placed as a finalist in two categories is both a testament to the forward-thinking strategic approach of Flagship and the hard work and skill of the team at Finn Geotherm in delivering the best possible solution for the organisation and its tenants. We thoroughly enjoyed working together on this project and hope we can soon be celebrating its success together too!”
Matt Smith, Compliance Manager at Flagship, said: “To be shortlisted for these two awards is fantastic news. We have worked hard to get the scheme up and running, so to be recognised in this way is a great achievement for everyone involved. We are continually trying to improve the service we offer our customers while at the same time reduce our carbon footprint, and the system in Watton has allowed us to do both.”
Winners of the HVN Awards will be announced on 19th April 2018 at a black tie event in London.
For more details on the Flagship installation, read the case study here, or click here for information on ground and air source heat pumps and Finn Geotherm.
Warehouses can be very busy places, especially if they operate a cross dock operation where goods are coming in throughout the day and sorted for outgoing distribution or for future storage. With this type of logistics operation, doors are generally open and closed throughout the day. This is when warehouses are likely to see the introduction of birds leading to harbouring and nesting. You need a solution to prevent this happening, especially if you are dealing with product within the food chain.
Over the Christmas period, Abate Pest Management sent a team of technicians to Bretts Transport near Wisbech to proof a warehouse that is used for cross docking to help reduce the risk of the sparrows looking to harbour and nest up close to stored foodstuffs.
The team installed sparrow netting using a framework of steel wire fixings, strainers, clips and guide brackets to hold approximately 2400 square metres of netting. Sparrows can often live within the buildings where they may contaminate products with faecal and nest materials.
The new installed bird solution will help Bretts Transport comply to BRC standards and demonstrate that they are showing a pro-active approach to pest control to prevent the risk of encountering any problems before they arise.
Bretts Transport near Wisbech is a certified in BRC Global standards for storage and distribution. The company is now a nationally recognised name specialising in ambient deliveries to the retail, food service and food manufacturing sectors, typically delivering in excess of 4000 tons of canned food and other grocery products along with 5000 pallets of food grade packaging each week.
If you require any help with bird proofing give Abate a call on 0800 980 9767 or visit their pest control website at https://www.abateltd.co.uk
INSURANCE. A word that excites so few, yet residing on unassuming street in the centre of Norwich sits a team of nearly 70 insurance professionals, all passionate about their industry. This is a business that has existed in the city since 1906, when a young entrepreneur named Hugh Boswell began trading from a small office in London Street. Over a century later, the business remains independently owned, and thanks to decades of organic growth, one of the top 100 brokers in the UK.
“The years have been kind to us,” states Hugh J Boswell Managing Director Peter Foster. “When the existing board bought the business through a management buyout in 2013, it was in a great place. The Directors are dedicated to the idea of creating something special, whilst upholding the foundations on which the business was founded.”
So, what has helped make Hugh J Boswell?
The Culture
One of the factors Peter attributes to the business’ success is the united culture. A quick glimpse at the website, or walk around the office shows how important values are to the people at Hugh J Boswell.
“We identified very early on the importance of culture within a growing organisation. We have taken the philosophies that made our business successful, and placed them into a dynamic framework, to help us develop as a unified team. We now have a mission, and set of values that run through the veins of the entire company”
Training
It sounds like a service sector cliché to say ‘the people are the business’, but within Hugh J Boswell, there’s a feeling this is exactly the case. The commitment to training and development was acknowledged in 2015, when Hugh J Boswell were awarded Chartered Insurance Broker status; an accolade only a handful of brokers in the region can boast.
“Investing in training has meant our clients receive quality service and our people are given career opportunities. Last year, we proudly launched the ‘Hugh J Boswell Academy. Our Academy encompasses everything development-based, including an apprenticeship programme, sponsored professional qualifications and regular soft skills training for all staff”.
Clients
Hugh J Boswell has a vast number of long-standing clients but none that can match RH Matthews. The Holt-based family-run firm have placed their insurance programme with Hugh J Boswell for over 60 years.
“I believe it’s a testament to how we conduct business that a client that has trusted us to protect their business for so long. Our independence and emphasis on ‘people’ ensures we really do place our clients’ needs first.”
Forward Vision
Whilst the company is rightly proud of its history and heritage Hugh J Boswell has a clear vision and solid plans for continued growth. Peter says “We are never ones for standing still and believe that our future is bright indeed. Through commitment to our clients and investment in staff we are delighted that we continue to grow and have confidence in the years ahead.”
The Eastern region’s only world-class commercial data centre has been chosen as one of the 50 most exciting and promising businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk to watch over coming years.
Norwich-based MIGSOLV have joined the Future50 list of bold and bright businesses chosen by local publishers Archant and sponsors including Barclays, the UEA and Lovewell Blake.
“This is great recognition for our whole team” says David Manning, MIGSOLV’s Managing Director. “They’ve worked hard to deliver a first-class service, allowing our customers to achieve their own goals, whilst we protect their data. It’s a well-deserve accolade for everyone.”
MIGSOLV’s Gatehouse data centre in Norwich is the region’s only purpose-built commercial data centre, providing space, power, cooling and physical security for organisation’s computer servers and IT equipment. Renovated at a cost of £12 million in 2012, it helps businesses increase their resilience by protecting their data against threats including terrorism, power failure and extreme weather.
The Future50 list details companies large and small who stand out as the most innovative and ambitious in the region. Those on the list will gain access to business support and become part of an exclusive group of businesses aiming to help each other succeed. MIGSOLV joins a number of digital and creative businesses demonstrating the growing technology sector in Norwich and Norfolk.
“As well as technology businesses, our region is home to companies of all types simply using IT to do what they do better” adds David. “We give their data the safest and most flexible home whilst they get on with being successful and contributing to the local economy.”
Primarily used for colocation, the data centre is home to computer servers and hardware owned by businesses themselves. As part of MIGSOLV’s 2018 plans, they are looking to launch a range of managed services providing ‘pay-as-you-go’ data storage so smaller businesses can protect and grow their data with ease.
“Future50 is a great opportunity to gain exposure and showcase what businesses in the East can do” concludes David. “As our role is to protect business’s critical data, we’re looking forward to helping ambitious businesses both on and outside Future50 to realise their own goals with peace-of-mind.”
All of the team at Tudor Lodge Consultants including our content, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), design and development teams are pleased to announce our partnership and work with the exciting team at Secured Loans and their website. We are working across their website, lead generation and digital marketing, with a large emphasis being placed upon their SEO and organic search results; targeting new and existing audiences and search traffic for this established website and brand.
Established and set up online in 2001, Secured Loans provides applicants the chance to acquire secured loans against property and other higher value assets at rates starting from as little as 5.25% APR. With hefty amounts of experience in the finance world and offline marketing, Secured Loans saw an opportunity to move into the online space and has been working with our various teams at Tudor Lodge Consultants for the last 6 months.
The Online Challenges Faced
Although the Secured Loans website has been live for over 15 years, having gone live and remained so since 2001, there has been very little work performed on the site and there has been no digital marketing around the brand or its products. Although over the years Google has given increased credence to domains that demonstrate a greater degree of establishment and permanency, algorithms have shifted from being purely technical to focusing on the user journey and experience.
This has left an otherwise successful and exciting brand languishing much lower down Google than it ought to be; with Secured Loans starting from around page 10 for the key term ‘secured loans.’
Lying lowly on Google, we identified a number of issues and outstanding factors that needed addressing for the website and this has included taking into account numerous important SEO ranking factors such as:
· How the site is crawled [read] by Google and other search engines
· How users interact with the site
· The application processes
· Link profiles; both internal and external
· Content opportunities to address effectively
What we Have Done So Far
In the short time we have been working with the team at Secured Loans, we have carried out various crucial SEO actions to be able to ensure the site can rank properly and effectively. Firstly, we attended to the design and layout o f the site, using our talented design and development teams. We overhauled the homepage, landing page templates and contact forms. This has allowed Secured Loans to boast a much-improved look and feel. We have also overhauled and improved the branding on the site, making it much clearer who the brand is, what exactly it does and the brand message required.
We have also paid specific attention to the meta data which is one of the first factors that Google assesses when analysing a site. Through thorough keyword and competitor research, we identified the areas within the secured loans and finance industry where Secured Loans are best suited and where their core services lie. This has lead to their main terms of ‘secured loans’ climbing 4 to 5 pages in the first 6 months alone, which it is continuing to do on a weekly and monthly basis.
Further to the research and competitor analyses, we have also created the templates, designs and content for landing pages for the site. These pages are specifically designed to rank highly on Google and other search engines to capture more relevant users. Upon ‘landing’ on the pages, users are then taken through the ‘funnel’ and their journey, being guided to the end-point; the contact point.
We have also been undertaking a strong, targeted and focused approach with regards to the link profile and online PR of the brand and website, being featured in various well-known online publications and websites to the benefit of the Secured Loans website.
With great progress already made and with many more exciting developments and pieces of content and work to come, we are very excited for the future of Secured Loans and we cant wait to see what 2018 holds in store for this promising and exciting brand and website.
Protecting Business Copyright and Design For businesses, knowing what images and designs are protected by copyright and how to protect their inventions and brands via patents and trademarks can be a minefield. In a recent survey 74% of businesses were unsure who owned the intellectual property rights to their website, logo, artwork and photographs. To help fill this knowledge gap GENIX Business Support are holding an interactive conference titled ‘Every Business Owns Intellectual Property. What Do You Own?’ on Wednesday 28 February at the Business & IP Centre in the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library, Norwich. Presenter, Gary Townley of The Intellectual Property Office will draw on real life examples to explain the importance of protecting a business’ copyright and designs and the pitfalls and costs, should they get it wrong. Alex Till, CEO of GENIX said, “Most successful businesses, whatever their size are built on intangible assets such as intellectual property. Businesses create and use IP all the time, whether it is the name of their company, branded products, website or even marketing materials. The value of IP can far outweigh the value of physical assets. “I’m extremely pleased GENIX are hosting this interactive session where delegates will be presented with a series of scenarios in which intellectual property is crucial to a business. The seminar is designed to support small business owners, their marketing staff, accountants and a variety of professional bodies.” The event is supported by Norfolk County Council and the Business & IP Centre Norfolk and is sponsored by GENIX Patron, i101 Digital. Managing Director, Andrew Winship said, “As a GENIX Patron we’re pleased to be supporting the local business community by sponsoring this informative seminar. Whatever size a business is, it owns intellectual property and as commercial photographers and short film producers we understand the importance of protecting the security of a business’s identity and brand.” The conference is being held from 10.30am until 1.30pmon Wednesday 28th February at Business & IP Centre in the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library. Tickets cost £12 and booking is essential at www.genix.org.uk or go directly to this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/every-business-owns-intellectual-property-what-do-you-own-tickets-39866391450
Abate Pest Management, based in Morley St Botolph near Wymondham has recently been supported by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, which is partially funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Abate who predominately works with commercial businesses, has been growing throughout the Eastern region with advanced service work and specific projects such as the bird proofing of buildings.
A grant was awarded to support the purchase of a new trailer for a 9 metre scaffolding tower which has resulted in a better service being offered to customers. Managing Director Jon Blake said: “Getting equipment to a job at the right time is vital so it doesn’t hold up the schedule and cause client disruption. Now we have a trailer with the tower, we are totally in control.” In addition, following the expansion of the Head Office last year, a new CCTV system has also been purchased and installed thanks to the scheme.
Jon continued, “It was really nice to receive expert advice from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership. The grant has helped us with the continued growth of the business.”
According to Ibis World, Pest Control is valued at over £320m per year in the UK. More and more companies are being proactive in the prevention of pests due to the issues rodents, insects and birds cause.
Abate Pest Management offer free surveys and can be contacted on 0800 980 9767 or via their website.
Flagship Group Chief Executive David McQuade has said goodbye to his beard in aid of The Helping Harry Trust. After one year of growth, the impressive facial hair has been replaced with a “almost” clean-shaven face. The action was live streamed from the @_FlagshipGroup twitter account and will also be available via www.flagship-group.co.uk. Although many people liked David’s hairy look, equally as many are pleased to see his face once again – especially his wife and family. The Helping Harry Trust was set up to support two year old Harry Charlesworth. Harry suffered strokes prior to being born which left him with severe brain damage. As a result, Harry has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, breathing difficulties and is tube fed. David said: “I’m delighted to be able to do something for such a worthy cause. Harry is a brave boy indeed. Any money raised will help Harry get the essential equipment, treatment and care he needs to have the best future possible.” Harry’s mum Hayley said: “We have been overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received for Harry and delighted David has decided to raise money for our cause. Despite the challenges Harry faces, he is such a happy little boy and as a family we are still coming to terms with this new reality but we are growing stronger and more resilient each day.” To sponsor David and support The Helping Harry Trust please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/2ptcczw including the reference: DAVID-BEARD. The “beard off” has also marked the start of Flagship Group’s 2018 Charity League where teams across the business will raise money carrying out various activities for their chosen charity throughout the year.
New flights and holidays to Dalaman for East Anglia holidaymakers TUI adds Dalaman, Turkey to summer programme from Norwich Airport TUI (formerly Thomson) the UK’s largest holiday brand, has today announced a new route to Dalaman, Turkey for summer 2018 operating out of Norwich Airport. Holidaymakers from East Anglia will now have even more choice when it comes to booking a summer holiday, with TUI adding a new weekly flight to Dalaman. Flights start in May 2018 and will operate every Saturday. The decision to add Dalaman to the network is part of the holiday company’s plans to offer as much choice as possible, ensuring customers across the UK can fly from their local airport and stay at the best hotels TUI has to offer. As well as new flights to Dalaman residents from in and around East Anglia now have a wide choice of destinations to choose from when booking their holidays this summer with another new route to Heraklion in Greece already on sale. Karen Switzer, Director of Aviation Planning for TUI UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be adding Dalaman to our programme from Norwich Airport for summer 2018. We will be flying to two new destinations this summer with the addition of Dalaman and Heraklion to the network. In total we have 10 destinations for customers to choose from when booking their holidays from Norwich Airport. Holidaymakers in East Anglia now have wider access than ever before to our diverse collection of destinations and hotel concepts.” Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport said: “We are delighted TUI has taken the decision to add Dalaman, Turkey to their summer programme from Norwich Airport increasing the range of destinations available for 2018.”
Norwich Airport Travel Show – 20 January 10.00 – 14.00 Over 20 tour operator and airline representatives will be on hand throughout the day offering first hand destination and product advice on their departures from Norwich Airport. Pop along for some holiday inspiration and talk to the experts; it’s the only time you are likely to find so many collectively in once place in this region and its right on your doorstep! Don’t miss your chance to enter the airports free prize draw to win one of the fabulous prizes on offer including: – Flights to Alicante & Malaga, Flying lessons plus much more! Travel Norwich Airport will be offering 5% off all holiday bookings made on the day plus Free holiday parking at Norwich Airport. Free parking available for visitors to the show, please use the short stay car park.