Member News

Norfolk based broker, Alan Boswell Group, has been named ‘Independent Insurance Broker of the Year’ at the annual Insurance Times Awards. The illustrious awards ceremony, hosted, this year, at the Battersea Evolution in London by David Walliams, are the leading national awards honouring excellence in the insurance sector.

Before presenting the award, Insurance Times Editor, Saxon East, said: “This Broker has that great quality of being completely customer obsessed. It is clearly committed to its community and staff and the business is defined by its independence.”

The company, which has offices in Norwich, Attleborough, Bury St. Edmunds and Peterborough, were appraised by the judging panel on their achievements in making their independent status work for them. Highlights were the company’s award-winning Landlord Insurance, market-leading policy for Broads boat owners and staff training & apprenticeship scheme. The Group’s performance has been reflected in its customer service score with clients awarding the company a 98% rating via third-party review site, Feefo.

Chris Gibbs, Managing Director of Alan Boswell Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded the title of Independent Broker of the Year. The award is a testament to our staff who are dedicated and passionate about providing expert, friendly advice. Our Feefo reviews demonstrate that we are providing a level of service that clients need and appreciate.

“Building trust within our community, improving the knowledge of our staff, having the best products and providing exceptional customer service. These are the fundamentals of our business and we’re thrilled that the combination of all these factors has been recognised by our peers.”

On Monday 21st December, Credo will be getting into the Xmas spirit by holding a charity “Bake Off” day where Credo staff will be baking, cakes, pies etc. There will be local knowledgeable judges deciding the winners and all proceeds (including entry fees and any donations) will go to our Charity of the Year – CLIC Sargent.

The day will commence at 1pm after the judging but run all afternoon. You are invited to come and sample the cakes here at our offices with a beverage ofsome description. We are wearing Xmas jumpers and there’ll be a party atmosphere, so please, if you are able, swing on by, come and see us, fill up on some Xmas cheer, maybe a few carols, lovely cakes etc. Would be great to see you if you can make it and help us raise some money for a great charity.

Save the date in your diary and we hope to see you here at Credo HQ on Monday 21st!!

SMS, a subsidiary of Alderley plc, are proud to announce that Managing Director, Dave Howlett, has been highlighted as an exemplar in the Top 100 Manufacturer report which reveals the most influential individuals in UK manufacturing.

Dave Howlett joined SMS in 2005 as a Senior Proposals Engineer and progressed to Project and Operations Manager before being promoted to General Manager (2011) and Managing Director (2014). Since taking on his new leadership responsibilities, SMS have shown consistent growth with turnover increasing by 112% since 2011 and employee numbers increasing by 84%. SMS are internationally renowned in the oil and gas industry as leading specialists for the design, engineering and manufacturer of hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical control systems.

Dave Howlett comments, “It is a great honour to be recognised for my contribution to manufacturing in the UK. SMS have been manufacturing in the UK for the past sixteen years and it is a privilege to work with such a talented team to meet our growth ambitions in our varied and challenging industry.”

Great Yarmouth College students benefit from Christmas gift from Lintott Jamie Thums from Lintott and Michael Stow from Siemens attended GYC recently to present them with a Programmable Logic Controller. Siemens have kindly donated the equipment and Lintott will be donating training as the college would like to provide staff and students the opportunity to work with latest technology. At this stage the college has received a starter kit. Jamie explained that it is the latest industrial control and being of modular design can simply be expanded to suit its application. Staff have been left with the task of devising some projects that will include use of the kit. Jamie is thrilled to be supporting the college, he explained “It’s our way of providing students with real life experience, exposure to the real-life application and training from engineers that use top rated kit day in and day out. What’s more the scalable kit means that students can learn small scale on a starter module and build up – just as we do in industry” Jamie was keen to stress how he hopes this is just the beginning of a long term relationship with GYC – starting with hardware and training. Lintott are offering the college as much training as they need as well as supporting design software! Jamie explained what is driving this initiative is the need for the industry to help address its skills gaps and provide students with the most relevant experience. “I would certainly be inclined to take on a college leaver with experience of this kit – it would give them the edge” he said. He also acknowledged the need for more leaders in his sector. “Leadership, supervisory and management training is in short supply we are hoping to work with GYC on this in the future”. Gary Jefferson, Assistant Principal is delighted with the new partnership – “we pride ourselves on building strong relationships with employers, precisely so our students get the best start in their careers. And as an engineer myself I am thrilled to add the latest technology to our already pretty comprehensive learning facilities.

Last month Fiona and Lesleybraved the cold to raise money for the Benjamin Foundation in a Charity Sleep Out.

Fiona had a horrible cold but that didn’t stop her taking part.

The Sleep Out took place outside the offices of Clapham & Collinge on a rainy night but the atmosphere helped buoy everyone up.

Fiona and Lesley raised £500 from the event and today proudly handed the cheque to Chris Elliott from the Benjamin Foundation.

SMS, a subsidiary of Alderley plc, proudly announces that they won the Great Business Growth Award, sponsored by the Great Yarmouth Mercury, at the Spirit of Enterprise Awards 2015 on Friday night. The Spirit of Enterprise Awards focus on recognising the achievements of business and enterprise in the Borough of Great Yarmouth.

SMS’s successful win was based on their sustained growth since 2010 in terms of employee investment, business turnover and profit.

Dave Howlett, Managing Director, SMS, comments, “We are delighted to have won the Great Business Growth award. All the companies shortlisted in this category had impressive stories to share and it was a great honour to be chosen as the winner.”

Dave continues, “I would like to thank all our employees at SMS, without them we would not have been able to continue growing the business and deliver well engineered and specialised equipment all over the world to exacting standards.”

SMS have been operating in Great Yarmouth for the past 16 years and are committed to Great Yarmouth as its business base and will shortly be moving to new premises on Beacon Park.

Crisp ‘n’ Dry, the UK’s leading cooking oil brand is returning to TV and radio just in time for Christmas! Led by agency bigdog, their new advertising campaign features some rather tasty looking roast potatoes and the celebrity voice of Jane Horrocks.

We filmed using the RED Dragon camera (the same one as is used on certain M&S commercials!) to achieve the slow motion high-quality close up video of the potatoes, and a skilled food stylist provided us with potatoes that had the perfect ‘crunch’.

You may have already heard the radio commercial which has been airing nationally on Heart stations, and the TV advertdebuedon ITV, during Good Morning Britain, on Tuesday 1st December.

So, we know what our roasties will be cooked with on Christmas Day. Yummy

Would Your Business Benefit From an Extra Pair of Hands?

Why Work Experience is the answer.

I’m often asked by schools and students if I can offer work experience, everything from a few days to summer long placements. At Naked Element we’ve always found the experience enjoyable and often learned as much about ourselves as the students did about our business. Bright, ambitious and free of those bad habits we all learn along the way in the world of work, work experience students can inject energy and enthusiasm into a business.

Many employers and businesses feel that they don’t have the time or resources to commit to a work experience placement, as much as they’d like to help a young person as they’re starting out, but there are in fact lots of benefits to your business that make work experience a win-win situation for both student and business. Here’s just a few:

Early access to emerging talent

Lots of employers find that work experience programmes are a great way to recruit top talent straight from schools and colleges. Extensive research by City & Guilds shows that staff taken on following work experience placement are more effective, require less training, have more respect for their supervisors and have a greater ability to work in teams. Plus, many small businesses struggle to find young people who have even the most basic work skills and taking on a work experience candidate is a great way to test their skills before you commit to them.

Fresh Ideas

In most cases your work experience candidate will be eager to learn or they wouldn’t be with you in the first place. In an effort to impress they’ll be keen to get stuck in and maybe even bring something new to the table. Perhaps your company is lacking a social media presence that your work experience candidate can address?

Today’s youth are tomorrow’s consumers

Research has shown that “the consumer power of under 16 year olds has grown faster than that of any other age group. This has led marketers to identify three roles which young people can fill for businesses as ‘current consumers; influencers and future purchasers’ (Miller, 1998, p 316).” Work experience helps businesses and brands get up close and personal with their target markets or future consumers.

And of course…

Giving Something Back

One of the biggest benefits of offering someone work experience is the chance to give someone a helping hand in the often overwhelming world of work. Businesses are placing more and more emphasis on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and work experience is a great way to do your bit in up-skilling the next generation of workers. Enjoy the feel-good factor of giving someone an opportunity they might not have otherwise had and encourage their interests in business. You never know – they could be the next Gates, Branson or Jobs…

If you’re interested in finding out more about how your business can benefit from offering work experience, get in touch with Paul paul@nakedelement.co.uk who’ll help you get in touch with top talent.

Following the success of last year’s Norfolk Developers Conference (Nor(DEV):con), which attracted an unprecedented 263 speakers, delegates and sponsors, Nor(DEV):con 2016 promises to continue the record breaking trend. Run by Norwich­based web, mobile and enterprise software services provider Naked Element, the Winter conference is in it’s fourth year and will bring together delegates and companies from across the whole professional spectrum.

The conference is a meeting of minds for business and technology experts, who’ll come together to explore the fundamental role technology plays in the East of England’s economy. Nor(DEV):con will take place from Thursday 25th to Saturday 27th of February 2016 at the King’s Centre on King Street in Norwich.

Back by popular demand, the conference will feature the dedicated business presentation stream to highlight how essential technology is for the wider business economy. The 2016 agenda is peppered with business­centric sessions (indicated by blue briefcase icons). Paul Grenyer, Nor(DEV):con organiser, said, “Once again we’re proud to lead the way with Nor(DEV):con, now in it’s fourth year. It’s all about helping the tech community to reach out to the wider business community to demonstrate how we can all work together for stronger, more efficient businesses. Norfolk continues to be tipped as one to watch in the UK’s technology sector and is already considered a centre of technical excellence. Today technology is so ingrained and intertwined with the local economy that one cannot exist without the other and Nor(DEV):con is a celebration of this.”

The content­rich conference will feature keynote speeches, workshops and talks from industry influencers, including:

• Jon Bradford, Managing Director of Techstars in London, co­founder of F6S and tech.eu, will present ‘Silicon Broad: Bridges not Valleys. Jon will talk about how tech ecosystems evolve, tie that into tech and tech startups in London and the rest of the UK, and then talk about how this relates to the Valley. Jon will wrap up the session with advice for soon­ to ­be tech startups.
• Matthew Draycott will be presenting ‘The Myth Buster…The Real Secrets to Building a Growth Business’. Matthew will discuss his philosophies for building effective high growth companies. Based on his own experience he will focus on five key tasks which he believes every owner and management team should be engaged in if they hope to build a successful, rapidly growing business.

Norwich ­based Axon Vibe will be Nor(DEV):con’s Elite sponsors. John Fagan, CTO at Axon Vibe said “We are excited to support another great local technology event and welcome any opportunity that builds on Norwich’s reputation as a Tech City. We hope we will further cement Norwich’s position on the national and international stage by choosing Norwich as the platform for launching our mobile app SoJo ­ A live view of your world globally in 2016.”

The conference features a programme packed with interactive sessions demonstrating the latest and greatest advances in technology and will give businesses a real insight into how they can use technology to add value to their own business. The popular dinner and evening wine reception gives delegates the chance to network as well as a thought provoking Q&A sessions with the speakers.

For more information, sponsorship opportunities or to book tickets, visit www.nordevcon.com

The full conference agenda can be found here www.nordevcon.com/agenda

­Press enquiries:

Paul Grenyer at Naked Element

01603 383 458

paul@nakedelement.co.uk

At Novagraaf, we love a Christmas puzzle, so to celebrate the holiday season, we’ve put together another of our annual IP teasers. This year, all you need to do is reorder the 26 logos into the alphabetical order of their trademarks. Get them all right and you’ll be in with a chance to win this year’s prize: a unique French designer watch!

After having to guess the correct country and brand logos in our previous holiday puzzles, this year’s teaser has an extra twist: you will need to identify and then drag and drop the logos into A to Z order before you can submit your entry.

Free prize draw: win a watch worth 145 euros Enter the 2015 Novagraaf Holiday Puzzle and you’ll be in with a chance to win a designer watch from the new French watch brand Charlie Watch, founded in Paris in spring 2014. Offering both classic and modern unisex designs, and interchangeable straps in a multitude of colours, Charlie Watch watches are assembled in the heart of Paris in the purest tradition and to the highest quality. The winner of the Holiday Puzzle can choose between three designs (the Buci, the Soma or the Union) and can also choose their preferred strap.

How does the puzzle work?

• Identify the brand associated with each logo fragment.
• Move the logos into A-Z order by clicking on the image and dragging it to a new location.
• Enter your name, email address and telephone number to enter the free prize draw.
• Once you’ve placed the logos into your chosen order, click ‘Submit’.

Don’t wait any longer and enter the 2015 Novagraaf Holiday Puzzle now!

TaxAssist Accountants has been awarded a ‘Best Franchise’ award in its category, at the Best Franchise conference and awards ceremony, which took place in Milton Keynes on the 26th November.

The awards are based on feedback from thousands of franchisees that have completed the Smith & Henderson Franchise Satisfaction Benchmark survey. The survey asks franchisees to anonymously rate their franchisor on everything from training and support to shared goals and how it has compared with their expectations.

The Top 3 franchisors from each investment category (less than £25k, £25 – £75k and £75k+ investment) were shortlisted, all having received the highest feedback compared to their peers, and were asked to present to a judging panel. The Best Franchise Awards are unique, as they are based 50% on feedback from actual franchisees and 50% on the judges’ scores.

During the conference, TaxAssist Accountants was also presented with a 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction award as TaxAssist is part of a select group of franchisors which received outstanding feedback. To get this recognition TaxAssist had to receive above average feedback in all of the key areas of the survey:

Training & Support Franchise System Culture & Relationships Stewardship & Leadership General Satisfaction

Just 15 franchisors received this award.

“Winning the Best Franchise Award is a fantastic vote of confidence from our network,” said Karl Sandall CEO of the TaxAssist Group. “We are also delighted to have received the 5-Star franchisee satisfaction rating for the third year in a row, which proves our business model and support continue to work well.”

Steve Frost, Founder of Smith & Henderson said: “5-Star Franchisee Satisfaction is only awarded to franchisors that receive better than average feedback in all the key areas of our survey. TaxAssist Accountants is part of an elite group of the UK’s best franchisors.”

Pictured above are Karl Sandall CEO of The TaxAssist Group, Jody Fiveash UK Recruitment Manager and David Paulson Senior Manager International Development.

A BIG welcome toWinsor Bishopthe latest Norfolk based business to jump on board our digital signage networks across Norfolk.Winsor Bishop are using our screens to maximise business during the busy festive period. The advertisement can be seen on our ‘Domination Circuit’ – comprising of both the gym screens and the new screen viewable to the public, located at Riverside. Switched on 24/7 the domination screen increases the audience we reach in excess of 350,000+ additional consumers a week.

Working alongsideBlanc Creativewe went with some Christmas cheer, creating a fun and festive advertisement. The video footage starts with the opening of the shop door, beginning the wonderful shopping experience. As the frames continue throughout the advertisement, the footage reveals the treasures that can be found inside to give viewers an interactive advertising experience. The companies branding remains static throughout, including contact details and the website address. The ad finishes off with the warming message: “…where Christmas Fairytales Begin”.

Winsor Bishop was first established in 1834 and has been situated at its present site for 180 years. Renowned for the finest watch portfolio in East Anglia, Winsor Bishop continually strives to bring the very best brands and some of the most exclusive timepieces to Norfolk, includingROLEX,Patek Philippe & Co.,Breitling,Officine Panerai,TAG Heuer,OMEGA Watches,Bremont WatchesandLONGINES. Based in Norwich, their jewellery offering is one of the most complete in the region providing engagement rings, eternity rings, pearls, precious stones, costume jewellery, vintage jewellery, diamond stud earrings, diamond pendants and diamond necklaces. Winsor Bishop also house popular brands such asMIKIMOTO,Georg Jensenand Schoeffel.