Southgate Global, a King’s Lynn based leader in the supply of packing equipment, consumables and servicing in operational logistics and fulfilment, has been selected to share its expertise and insight at the UK’s only sustainable packaging event. With more than one-third of adults favouring brands with eco-friendly business practices, sustainability has become a key conversation for organisations within e-commerce, manufacturing, retail and logistics.[1] Recognising the environmental challenges the sector faces, Southgate Global has for some time been looking at innovative packaging solutions, as well as working with its suppliers and customers to reduce its environmental impact. Now in its sixth year, the Environmental Packaging Summit brings together experts from leading industry associations, major brands, manufacturers and logistics operators from across the supply chain. This year the event includes blue chip names such as DHL and Coca Cola, who will showcase innovations in the sector. The two-day event will take place at the Park Plaza Victoria London (June 26-27) with intense discussions on innovations, developments, and challenges within the packaging industry, with conversations spanning packaging material choice to how developments in government legislation will impact organisations across the supply chain. Southgate Global’s CEO Dan Brasier will be part of a panel discussion, alongside other leaders, on the topic of ‘Visions for Sustainability’. He said: “We’re pleased to have been selected to share our expertise and insights at the Environmental Packaging Summit, where we can share best practice and our sustainability plans for the future. “We’re very aware of our environmental responsibility and it informs everything we do. Whether it’s design, development, manufacture, or delivery, we’re constantly striving to meet our customers’ end-to-end needs, while causing the least possible harm to our planet, and making it as easy as possible for our customers to do the same. “We’re seeing increasing demands for sustainability across the supply chain from brands and retailers. There is also pressure from the consumer too, according to the Sustainable Consumer report by Deloitte a third (34 per cent) of consumers stated that their trust in brands would be improved if they were recognised as an ethical and sustainable provider. This is why it’s more important than ever that we continue to search for ways to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. “We have some big targets at Southgate, we’re working to reduce and rebalance our greenhouse gas emissions and we recently secured neutrality for scopes 1 and 2 in partnership with One Carbon World. But we also understand how equally important it is to focus on the changes we can make in the present, such as helping customers renovate rather than replace their equipment. “The event is an excellent opportunity to explore innovate ways the industry can work together towards carbon neutrality.” The Environmental Packaging Summit will explore the pressing issues around sustainability, with speaker sessions and panel discussions helping attendees broaden their knowledge of sustainable challenges and opportunities within the packaging industry. Southgate Global is an international company which are leading specialists in packaging equipment, consumables, and servicing for operational logistics and fulfilment, with the mission of helping organisations in the sector boost productivity and efficiency in their operations.
Peerless Plastics & Coatings is proud to announce that its Managing Director, Mr. Peter Llewellyn-Stamp, has been awarded the prestigious title of “Plastics Manufacturing MD of the Year 2024.” This esteemed recognition, presented by SME News, highlights Mr. Llewellyn-Stamp’s outstanding leadership, vision, and contributions to the plastics manufacturing industry.
Mr. Llewellyn-Stamp has been at the helm of Peerless Plastics & Coatings for six years guiding the company to new heights through his commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence. Under his leadership, Peerless Plastics & Coatings has introduced pioneering products like PolyGuard™ (among others), a revolutionary hard-coated plastic solution that significantly extends the usable life of plastic products while addressing critical sustainability concerns.
Key Factors for Recognition:
• Innovation: Mr. Llewellyn-Stamp has driven the development and successful market launch of several new coatings including PolyGuard™, setting new standards for protective coatings in the plastics industry.
• Sustainability: He has championed sustainable practices within the company, including the use of UV curing technology and the installation of solar panels, reinforcing Peerless Plastics & Coatings’ commitment to environmental responsibility.
• Growth and Expansion: His strategic vision has led to significant expansion of the company’s global distribution network, with a focus on establishing strong partnerships and enhancing brand recognition in key markets around the world.
• Customer Focus: Mr. Llewellyn-Stamp has fostered a customer-centric approach, ensuring that Peerless Plastics & Coatings delivers bespoke solutions that meet, and exceed, the specific needs of diverse industries.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this award,” said Mr Peter Llewellyn-Stamp, MD of Peerless Plastics & Coatings. “It reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire team at Peerless Plastics & Coatings.
Together, we have made significant strides in advancing the plastics manufacturing industry, and I amexcited about the future as we continue to innovate and lead with sustainability at the forefront of our efforts.”
Peerless Plastics & Coatings, under Mr. Llewellyn-Stamp’s leadership, serves a wide range of industries including construction, manufacturing, electronics, healthcare, automotive, rail, aerospace, retail, offshore gas & oil, and agriculture. The company’s commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction has earned it a reputation as a trusted leader in the industry.
Awards Coordinator Kaven Cooper took a moment to comment on the success of the diverse programme: “It’s great to recognise the accomplishments of our winners as some add yet another award to their roster. And for those who are winning their first accolade, it’s fantastic to be part of the journey that is opening up in front of them as they carve out a unique path for themselves. I wish each of our winners a highly successful future as they continue to improve their integral sectors.”
SME News prides itself on the validity of its awards and winners. The awards are given solely on merit and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.
First Intuition, the award-winning accountancy training provider, is proud to announce the release of its fourth annual Accountancy Salary Guide, a thorough report aimed at informing employers in East Anglia about average salaries for trainee and qualified accountants. The report also highlights the rewards and benefits businesses offer, key industry recruitment and retention trends, and changes over time. Drawing from over 150 survey responses from clients based in East Anglia, this year’s report offers valuable insights into the current state of the accountancy job market in the region. The survey, conducted from March to April 2024, focuses on five key themes: ‘Average Salaries’, ‘Rewards and Benefits’, ‘Retention’, ‘Recruitment’, and ‘Personal Factors’. These themes provide a well-rounded view of the factors impacting employers and employees in the accountancy sector. Key Findings from the 2024 Report:
Average Salary: The average salary across all levels of accountancy in East Anglia is £31,182, reflecting a 4.2% increase over 12 months.
AAT vs. Graduate Salary: Newly Qualified AAT staff earn 14.2% more than Graduates at a similar age.
Industry vs. Practice: Professionals in Industry earn, on average, 18.9% (£4,116) more than those in Practice.
Specialisms: Tax & Audit have seen the greatest salary increases according to employers.
Retention Challenges: 26% of respondents reported difficulties in retaining staff, with Newly Qualified staff being the most challenging to retain.
Recruitment Difficulties: 65% of employers are finding it difficult to recruit staff, with the most challenges in Practice (73%) compared to Industry (62%). The hardest positions to fill are those for 2 Years Post-qualified and Newly Qualified accountants.
Hiring Trends: 33% of employers increased the number of accountants hired from 2023 to 2024.
Apprenticeship Preference: 56% of employers prefer apprenticeship programmes over commercial programmes.
Skills Gap: 47% of employers feel that the written communication skills of entry-level staff do not meet their expectations.
Flexible Working: 90% of employers offer flexible hybrid working options, and 70% offer flexible working hours.
Social Responsibility: 70% of businesses actively support a social issue or cause.
This report serves as a valuable benchmark for salaries in the accountancy industry and provides insight into competitive benefits and working conditions offered by other employers in the region. First Intuition hopes by understanding these trends, businesses can better strategise to attract and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive market. First Intuition Chief Executive Gareth John comments “The First Intuition accountancy salary guide is an increasingly important part of the salary setting process of employers of accountants across East Anglia. Our clients frequently tell me how useful and informative it is. This year the format of the report has evolved even further to govern an astonishing range of data, but in an easily accessible way.” First Intuition continues to support the accountancy profession with high-quality training for AAT, ACCA, CIMA, and ICAEW qualifications, alongside a wide range of finance-focused programmes. Their commitment to student success and client service remains unparalleled, as evidenced by the free informative resources and events they offer. You can download the full East Anglia Accountancy Salary Guide 2024 here: https://www.firstintuition.co.uk/accountancy-salary-guide-2024/. Visit First Intuition for more information and to access additional resources for accountancy professionals.
So last week we celebrated Spider being 11 years in business! Nominate your Charity! Read on…..
During the last 11 years, we have built our reputation as the region’s dedicated multi-job board advertiser, offering SME’s a fixed fee way of advertising and recruiting great candidates online…Fast forward 11 years and we have helped 1000’s of companies recruit talent and support on average 60 recruitment campaigns every month. We are super proud that we have an 84% success rate of finding the right person for the role regardless of sector or location. Fixed fee, multi-job-board advertising is definitely here to stay!
We’re also keen to have some advice from our LinkedIn friends. We know that running a business is incredibly tough and sadly Charities across the region seem to be struggling more than most sectors. To celebrate our 11th year, we would like to support one Charity a month for the next 11 months with a free recruitment advertising campaign to help them find their next Superstar. As much as we are unable to help every Charity with every role, we’re hoping that a little Spider love could help ease some of the financial burden. What Charity would you nominate?
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Guy Pyle as Managing Director with immediate effect.
Guy’s appointment as part time Managing Director follows Darren Chapman’s move to Chairman at the beginning of June 2024.
Handing over the day to day responsibility to Guy, Darren Chapman said ‘Guy and I have been long connected and I believe that Guy’s appointment will benefit our customers and business through our next stage of growth.
Guy is renowned for leading teams and providing clients with key IT services combined with a passion for a more holistic approach to strategic cyber security.
Join us in welcoming Guy to the team.
CyberScale also welcomes, Stuart Golding.
CyberScale, a specialist Cyber Security Consultancy, based in Norwich are delighted that Stuart Golding has agreed to join the team in a Principal Consultant role.
Stuart has an accomplished career in cyber and information security having supported some of the UK’s most recognisable brands including WH Smith, Sainsbury’s, and Carnival UK as Founder and CEO of UKDataSecure. Stuart will bring a wealth of skills and knowledge to CyberScale.
Darren Chapman, founder and Chairman at CyberScale said ‘I’ve known and worked with Stuart for many years, and I’m delighted that he has agreed to help us progress CyberScale in this critical role. Stuart’s knowledge, skills and experience will be a great asset to CyberScale and of great benefit to our clients, and his approach and values are closely aligned to CyberScale’s and my own. As such, he’s the perfect fit to help take forward our advisory services’.
It’s been a busy few months for us here at Zip Water. We have been traveling the country to promote our market-leading drinking water solutions to the public; here’s a round-up of what we’ve been up to! Workplace event: To help boost awareness of how we can help improve workplace wellbeing and productivity, we attended the Workplace Event 2024 in Birmingham. We greeted attendees with our fantastic range of offerings, with a focus on providing a solution for their individual workplace needs. Our HydroMe flavour-enhanced water offering sparked lots of interest! Elite Events: We were delighted to exhibit at London Elite, one of the UK’s most exclusive high-end lifestyle events, to showcase just why we are the luxury brand of choice when it comes to all things water. Our all-new HydroTap Celsius Plus All-in-one Pull-Out stole the show serving up water at its best. Clerkenwell Design Week: As design took over London’s streets for this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, we hosted a range of events at our showroom – we brought the taste of Australia with our exclusive wine-tasting extravaganza, as well as a DJ set and tea-based cocktails at our closing party. Overall, we enjoyed entertaining our guests and celebrating our fantastic range of offerings that all hold standout design at their heart. What’s next? We will be at the Royal Norfolk Show on the 26th and 27th of June to greet you all with our tasting van! Come along to Stand 45 on Avenue 4 and taste water at its best from one of our Boiling, Chilled, and Sparkling HydroTaps. You can also see our range of models, font options, and premium finishes on the van’s built tap wall. We can’t wait to see you all there!
What the classroom taught me about public speaking As a B-Corp, Selesti believes in putting people and planet before profit. Our particular focus is UN Social Development Goal (SDG) #4 – quality education – because we believe we can make a direct difference to our clients, our clients’ clients and the local community. And so we have offered our people, their time and their insights to help students at local schools, colleges and the University of East Anglia (UEA). For example, Selesti founder Ollie Blackmore delivered a session on value-based marketing for students at Norwich City College (NCC).Content Marketing Director James Gill has delivered a handful of sessions about content marketing, including those at NCC and UEA. While he has experience of public speaking at marketing events, he had never ‘taught’ in a school before. With the wisdom and guidance of course directors Lorraine Sutherland (NCC) and Nicky Barrell (UEA) he has done some learning of his own. Here he describes what marketing mortals can learn from the pedagogy gods, and employ teaching skills in developing presentations and public speaking.Introduction“As an extrovert, I have always been drawn to public speaking; the allure of the audience you don’t have to fight for and the potential for post-event affirmation. It’s also nice to think that something you know and enjoy can help others. It’s why I also enjoy managing and mentoring. The heartwarming impact of the mutually beneficial.“I didn’t do much public speaking while I worked at music magazines, but since 2012, I have delivered dozens of sessions, from straight presentations and workshops to training and panels.“Recently, I have been volunteering at City College and UEA to deliver sessions for students, hoping to further combine my love of public speaking with training and mentoring and put it to good use.“In so doing, I’ve not only been teaching, I’ve been learning. Working with the amazing course directors and teachers at NCC and UEA, I have been trying to improve my teaching skills. In addition to their own advice, they have directed me to investigate teaching theory generally, to understand the principles behind teaching – what works and why. “Here are some things I’ve learned and that I will carry back to my marketing role:1. Info-dump“Most presentations that you’ll see in the public sector – from networking events to conferences and summits – will be info dumps. Knowledgeable people and their well-designed Canva decks trying to pump information from their brains into yours. As much as possible in the time available. Everything I know about SEO/GPT/CRM?! There’s so much to say! More slides! Speak faster! “This would be fine if our memories worked like computers: able to perfectly record what’s been said and immediately activate the learning. If we don’t use or revisit that knowledge within 24 hours, most of it will evaporate. By the end of the week, it will all be gone. ‘This is, in part, because presentations make audiences passive, which is not great for learning. 2. Knowledge frameworks‘Another reason we forget presentations is a lack of schema. Our brains have frameworks – schema – into which facts go which helps us to organise, store, access and synthesise knowledge. Key to this is the interconnectivity of knowledge – understanding how things interrelate, from the internal mechanics of a concept, to how that concept relates to other topics.‘A presentation will have a topic, maybe even a narrow focus, but if it’s just a list of facts or even a process it will be harder to understand and forgettable if it doesn’t leverage schema.“In a recent presentation, Selesti used the metaphor of the marketing funnel throughout a presentation about marketing for startups, to help explain various aspects of marketing, from strategy and channels to customer service and measurement. Everything we explained sat within the schema – the metaphor, the diagram – of the marketing funnel.3. Problems and solutions“Most presentations will be about solutions, even actionable advice. But it’s equally important to explain the problem that it solves. This might sound obvious, but it’s amazing how many presentations are just the solution.‘This is particularly important in a school/college/university setting as it is more likely that what you’re teaching will be theoretical and not a real-world problem for which your solution will be obvious.“Describe the problem. Give real-world examples. Put a person at the heart of the problem. Bring the context to life so that the solution makes more sense. Describe how your presentation aims to solve this problem.4. Storytelling“Tell stories. This relates to the points about problems/solutions and schema. Stories create a schema that helps people remember content and problems/solutions are a key part of storytelling.“At the most basic level, stories follow this structure:
Problem/quest
Journey/obstacles
Solution/Resolution
“Frame presentations and workshops as stories. Bring the problem to life, explain how you solve the problem and describe the results of the solution.5. Interaction“Extroverts love to talk, so many presentations are lots and lots of speaking. This is slightly unfair, because many introverts are also keen to convey their ideas and help people solve problems and so cram decks full of facts and stats and data and quotes. It’s simple maths, right? Information is useful, so the more information, the more useful.“However, this means that presentations are passive and passive is bad for learning.“Interactivity improves engagement and aids learning. “Listening is one use of our brain, but this can become tiring (and boring). By introducing interactive elements – questions, tasks – we make audiences use their brains in different ways, which helps learning and maintaining attention.“Many presenters don’t include interactivity. It’s just simply not on the radar. “I wonder how much of this is because of control. As soon as there’s an audience element, it’s beyond our control. I might have an exercise or hypothetical or want to use someone’s business as an example to prove a point, but I don’t know who’s in the room, so I can’t rely on it going well. So I won’t introduce it. As long as it’s just me and my PowerPoint, I can reduce risk and deliver the knowledge successfully. I have certainly tried to do fun little exercises, only to find that no one understands, or there are no good examples of something that I need etc. Brutal. Staring at those blank faces, that are now blank yet also, somehow, communicating that they’re embarrassed for me.6. Make them do the work“In professional presentations, it is implicit that the presenter will do all of the work: develop the ideas, write the script, design the 40 slides and deliver an hour-long presentation. There might be the odd question: ‘Who here uses SEMrush?’ but it is rare to see a presenter say, ‘Right, get your phones out, Google XYZ and tell me how you would change the metadata’. “The result is a description of the solution to a problem and how to do it. ‘That knowledge coming from outside of me, not yet real, only theoretical, distant’. Mini case study“After delivering a session for her class of media production students at City College, the amazing course director Lorraine Sutherland told me to make the students do the work. My role was to help them discover knowledge: show them the map, don’t deliver the treasure.“This is a real challenge. Think of what you do for a living, instinctively, every day. How might you create a session in which a group of people work out how to do what you do, or follow the steps you’ve described to discover for themselves how a process or method works? It’s hard.“I was to deliver a session on audiences: how to know who they are, what they need and how you can reach them. I could have just described what I do and given some examples. However, I was determined to take Lorraine’s advice and develop something that meant they would discover how it worked and what they needed to do.“I created an exercise in which half of the students were audience personas and half were digital marketers (DMs). The DMs had to define a piece of content and a channel on which to publish to promote their course project. The DMs would interview the ‘personas’ to find out what they cared about, what media they consumed and so on. The ‘personas’ would get in role and answer the DMs’ questions. And off they went. “I felt out of control: like ‘simply telling them how to do it would be more effective’. But I was wrong. “They took a minute to get going. I was worried that the whole thing was fatally flawed and wouldn’t work. They had good questions about what they needed to do, how they might do it and what sorts of things they might ask. But after only a couple of minutes, the DMs were working their way round the personas and asking about hobbies and families and social media channels.“When they’d finished, they described their projects and then the piece of content they would create and what they would do with it. Importantly, they described where the insights came from that informed their decisions. It was great to hear. They’d nailed it. They had discovered for themselves that they needed to understand what their audience cared about and had developed their own questions to explore that. They had understood that they needed to understand how people used their phones and watched TV and had asked questions to probe that. They had then joined those two things together to form a little campaign idea that would perfectly resonate with and reach their desired audience.“Much of the knowledge they now have, has come from them. As such it is more likely that they have internalised the knowledge and are more able to activate it in the real world. I also hope that they will remember it, because it’s no longer a set of facts, but a live process that they can expand on and apply.“Making others do the work is one of the hardest elements to introduce into public speaking. Sod’s law it’s also one of the most powerful for transmitting knowledge. A promise“As well as doing some guest lecturing, I am on my own learning journey: expanding my understanding of pedagogical theories and seeing them at work (I didn’t know what that was two months ago). “I am committed to bringing my learnings from the classroom and injecting them into the corporate world. I have since been at events where some brainbox has delivered a 30-minute fact-splosion and wondered how much better I would have understood and remembered the content if it had been interactive or helped me discover the knowledge, rather than had it fired at me from a PowerPoint.“Next time you’re preparing a presentation for a public speaking engagement, ask yourself: How can I show them the map and get them to find the treasure?”Thank you to Lorraine Sutherland at City College and Nicky Barrell at UEA. Photo Credit: SearchNorwich/Candour
The countdown is now on for the Royal Norfolk Show and we have a lot to do. Prepare the Effective exhibition space. Print our brochures. Do we have the roller banners ready? Which tote bags are we taking this time? Wait – how many pens should we take?! It is non-stop organising. On top of our own stand, we are also offering exhibition packages to other businesses who are in the same position of trying to get everything ready. Some might say chaos. We say, controlled organisational fun! Along with our fellow Strategic Partner Blackwell Print, we are joint Headline Sponsors of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce’s Business Hub this year, which is contributing to a certain level of heightened stress in the run up. So why do we do it every year when we know how much organisation and time goes into participating in and sponsoring a huge event like this? This is why. Sponsoring any event comes with the commercial advantages you’d expect and marketing buzzwords are aplenty: brand visibility, showcase, customer awareness, promotion, ROI. Of course, these things are all true. But there’s so much more to be gained by sponsoring or exhibiting at an event like the Royal Norfolk Show, other than funnels and customer acquisition.
Networking with other professionals: meeting other like-minded businesses, even your competitors, can open up so many new opportunities for collaborations and partnerships that you may have never considered.
Community engagement. As businesses, we believe in our social responsibilities towards our local community. We try to give back where we can by sponsoring local sports clubs, for instance – things which often see very little return on investment. As a Norfolk-based business, we are big supporters of the Royal Norfolk Show for what it represents to Norfolk and the wider East Anglian business community and economy. Being able to sponsor this event is an honour.
It’s fun! Talking to other people about your business may not be the ideal topic for a Saturday night out, but it can still be fun. Really! Remember, your business is your passion, and sharing that enthusiasm with others can truly be inspiring. Take advantage of the time to spread the word about your business with an attentive audience ready to listen.
Exhibitions and trade shows: do you love them or hate them?
Although having a website is very important for your brand, having a social media presence is equally important. Through social media platforms, small businesses can find their niche audiences. The content you share on social media can significantly impact your search engine ranking. Your social media engagements influence how search engines understand your website’s authority and relevance, indirectly influencing your SEO efforts. By creating vibrant, engaging content for your social media that resonates with your target audience, you provide more platforms and opportunities for potential customers to find your brand. Overall, having a great social presence is very important, and here’s how you can do it. Choosing Social Media Platforms Your current and potential customers spend a significant portion of their day scrolling through social media. Posting content on the social media platforms your target audience frequents is important. For example, if you provide a B2B service, you might be best posting on LinkedIn. Social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn provide invaluable tools for engaging in two-way conversations, gathering feedback, and building a community around your brand. This level of engagement increases loyalty, thereby turning customers into brand advocates, but also opens up avenues for sales by maintaining a vibrant relationship with your current audience for retention. Build Brand Awareness Brand awareness is the first step in the marketing funnel—essential for attracting new customers. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn offer a unique opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality, values, and offerings. Engaging content and strategic posting can put your small business in front of a wide audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing methods. Social Proof Social proof improves trust by showcasing positive customer feedback, revealing your business’s credibility. Share genuine behind-the-scenes content to display your brand’s personality and make it relatable. Ensure your branding is consistent across all platforms to boost recognition. This direct approach builds a straightforward yet powerful bridge of trust with your audience, distinguishing your brand. Maximising Engagement Engaging with your followers through comments and messages is crucial—it shows you’re listening and value their opinions and participation. Improve your social media interactions by quickly replying to comments, messages, and reviews. Keep your audience engaged with fun polls and quizzes, and share content that truly speaks to their interests and values. This approach helps turn followers into active community members, strengthening their connection with your brand. Driving Sales Through Social Media Social media isn’t just for branding; it’s also a powerful tool for driving sales. Promoted posts can reach broader audiences, and links to your website can be integrated into your posts and bios. Dynamic ads can enhance your strategy and retarget visitors, and shoppable posts can simplify purchasing. This approach ensures that engagement on social media directly converts into sales. Establishing Thought Leadership Becoming a thought leader in your niche can significantly impact your brand’s perception. Share blog posts that tackle industry-specific issues, create and distribute infographics summarising the latest research findings, and organise live sessions to discuss industry news or answer questions from your audience. This strategy not only differentiates your brand from competitors but also assures your audience of your comprehensive expertise and informed leadership in your field. SEO For Social Media Optimise your social media profiles with key search terms. People will often be searching for the content or company they want; ensure you include your relevant keywords throughout your social posts and platform to ensure you show up in their search results. Remember to apply the 80/20 rule in your content strategy: 80% should focus on sharing valuable knowledge and engaging content, like getting to know the team or the latest news, while the remaining 20% can be oriented towards sales. Also, link your social media posts to your website to increase traffic. Encourage interactions like shares, comments, and likes to increase your visibility. Engage your audience with polls, ask for their feedback, or pose questions to foster more engagement and enhance your online visibility. Hire An Agency While it’s true that hiring a marketing agency requires a financial investment, the value they bring to the table can far outweigh the expense. Delving into the complex marketing world without the necessary knowledge or expertise can be overwhelming and ultimately ineffective. An agency brings a wealth of experience, resources, and specialised skills that optimise your marketing efforts. Plus, entrusting this crucial aspect of your business to the professionals ensures it’s done correctly and frees up your time, allowing you to focus on other critical areas of your business. Work with Smash Marketing Smash Marketing offers expert social media services tailored for small businesses. Their cost-effective packages ensure accessibility regardless of budget and their team passionately manages everything from content creation to daily interactions, freeing you up to focus on running your business. Choose Smash Marketing for a partnership that boosts your social media presence and drives tangible growth.
Alpha 7 made a remarkable impact at Castle Combe during the 3rd Round of the Caterham Graduates Racing Series championship. Supporting six cars in total, with four in the 150 class and two in the 135 class, the team faced intense competition among a strong field of entries—21 in the 150 class and 28 in the 135 class.
The practice session on Friday saw weather conditions that tested the skills and adaptability of all drivers. A dry morning gave way to heavy showers in the afternoon, offering a perfect opportunity for competitors to experiment with different race setups and strategies. In the 150 class, Alpha 7 drivers showcased their prowess during qualifying. Jamie Ellwood secured 2nd place, Thomas Horton grabbed 4th, Harry Cramer positioned himself at 12th, and Matthew Willoughby took 8th. The first race was a thrilling spectacle with a fierce lead battle involving Jamie Ellwood, Thomas Horton, and Harry Senior. The lead changed every lap, but ultimately, Jamie Ellwood emerged victorious over Thomas Horton, who not only achieved the fastest lap but also set a new club lap record. This fantastic result marked a fantastic one-two finish for the team. Race 2 continued the excitement as Jamie Ellwood, starting from pole position, engaged in another intense battle with Harry Senior, James McCall, and Thomas Horton. Unfortunately, mechanical issues forced Thomas Horton to retire early. Despite this setback, Jamie Ellwood managed to secure his second win of the weekend, bringing his total to four wins out of six races so far this season. Alpha 7’s success story is not just about winning races but also about fostering a passion for motorsport and developing new talent. If you’re inspired by the adrenaline and camaraderie of competitive racing, Alpha 7 offers comprehensive driver development programmes tailored to transform complete novices into seasoned racers. Whether you need professional car management or prefer to hire a top-performing Caterham, Alpha 7 is dedicated to supporting your journey to becoming the best driver you can be. Interested in taking the first step toward your racing dreams? Contact Alpha 7 today for more information on how we can help you hit the track with confidence and skill.
Jonathan Reynolds, along with his wife Lauren established Serene Safety 2-years ago. In those two years the company has seen growth across its consultancy and training arms. ‘I’d always aimed to start my own consultancy one day’ says Jonathan, who has been providing training and advice on health, safety and risk for over 15-years.
‘I started small, with only a few hundred pounds, a credit card and the network I had grown over the last 15-years in the industry. When I called round my contacts to tell them that I had started my own business everyone was very supportive, and my first few projects were borne out of the relationships I had made with those people. Jonathan continued ‘The name of the business didn’t come about by accident either. I had seen, over the years, that it had been over complicated in areas and viewed as a ‘minefield’ in others therefore I always strived to keep things as proportionate as they could be. That’s why the company has three core values of being simple to do business with, treating our customers business like we would or own and never letting a challenge get the better of us. Keeping people safe and healthy at work isn’t rocket science at the end of the day.
As part of the growth plans for the company Jonathan wanted to include accredited training to what they do, as well as the bespoke aspects a lot of companies want. ‘I opted for the IIRSM Managing Risks: The Essentials and, flagship, IOSH Managing Safely to compliment what we do already. The two bodies that accredit these courses are global institutions so it made absolute sense to offer these.’ We have been running these for the last 12-months with success.
Serene Safety is the only company in East Anglia that offers both IOSH and IIRSM accredited training courses. These really complement each other with Managing Safely focussing on safety and health aspects and the MRE course taking a broader business view on risk – it really balances what we have to offer a range of businesses.
Serene Safety have expanded further by adding the IOSH Working safely passport to the repertoire. ‘This broadens our reach to all members of an organisation so risk can be talked about from grass roots, all the way up to management. Pair that with the work we do with leadership teams and boards on strategy and direction, and we can support all layers of an organisation.
“It was a great honour to receive the Kings Award for Enterprise recognising our success in International Trade. We have exported our sonar products to over 70 countries and this would not be possible without all of the team at GeoAcoustics who design, build and ship our systems.” – Richard Dowdeswell, Chief Commercial Officer The King’s Awards for Enterprise is the most prestigious award for UK businesses and can bring substantial benefits to winners, including increased staff morale, boosts to turnover and international trade, promotes greater recognition and excellent marketing opportunities.