Thinking Business Kent Feb 24

THINKING

BUSINESS • OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR KENT INVICTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • February - March 2024 •

SKILLS & EDUCATION The value of apprenticeships n The Big Interview with EC Safety Solutions p16 n International Trade p36 n Chamber Events p42 n New Members p48

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Welcome & Contents

Building a stronger local community work, support and friendship she has provided over her tenure.

Tudor Price Chief Executive Welcome to the latest edition of Thinking Business magazine and my first official welcome as the new Chief Executive of the Chamber.

We all wish Jo the very best for the future and I personally extend a massive thank you for all the hard

As the new CEO, I will endeavour to continue Jo’s hard work in growing the Chamber and providing invaluable support to our members. In fact, we have set out four key priorities for 2024 as part of our ‘Where Business Belongs’ campaign with the British Chambers of Commerce, to support members and build a stronger local economy. The time is right for us to take action.

It is vital we address the skills gap and engaging with our local universities and colleges provides apprenticeship opportunities, work placements, CPD and upskilling.

Skills training and CPD are the best ways to enhance your team’s skillset which, in turn, leads to an

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increase in creativity, productivity and employees’ loyalty to staying with a firm. Apprenticeships are a win-win for employers and your future team members – they are cost-effective, reduce the skills gap and enhance businesses’ reputations as being committed to future talent.

but the UK economic growth remains fragile.

The British Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey shows a small rise in business confidence in the final quarter of 2023. The data has also revealed that the percentage of firms expecting to see their turnover increase over the next 12 months has increased to 56 per cent.

Thank you for giving me a warm welcome to the role and I look forward to seeing you at one of our events very soon.

The economy grew by 0.3 per cent in November, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), after it shrank during the previous months,

Tudor Price Chief Executive, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce

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Contents

Congratulations to EC Safety Solutions, who have been awarded the Medway Workplace Award (Platinum). You can read all about the company and their awardwinning services and initiatives in this edition.

Chamber News

22-23

Skills

41

Membership Benefits

5

Legal Update

24-29

Cover Feature –

42-43

Chamber Events

8-10

Members News

Members News

Patron News

LSIP

44-45

11

30-31

Members News

Business News

Members News

32-34

46

12-14

The Big Interview

Growth Programme

New Members

16-17

35

48-49

36-37

International Trade

50

Last Word

Chief Executive: Tudor Price Tel: 01233 503 838 info@kentinvictachamber.co.uk www.kentinvictachamber.co.uk

39

Economy

50

Movers & Shakers

Media No. 2017

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19 & 21 Members News

Our Patrons

Education & Skills

Editorial and General Enquiries Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, Ashford Business Point, Waterbrook Avenue, Sevington, Ashford, Kent.

TN24 0LH

Published February 2024 © Benham Publishing

Publisher

Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited, Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 admin@benhampublishing.com www.benhampublishing.com

Advertising and Features

Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 karen@benhampublishing.com

Editor

Sarah Dale Tel: 0151 236 4141 Sarahdale@benhampublishing.com

Production Manager

Mark Etherington Tel: 0151 236 4141 mark@benhampublishing.com

Disclaimer

Thinking Business is published for Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in Thinking Business are not necessarily those of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2024. Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us. Cover images: Pixabay

Thinking Business

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Chamber News

Chamber sets out priorities for 2024

Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce has identified four key priorities for 2024, as part of its ‘Where Business Belongs’ campaign with the British Chambers of Commerce, to support its members and build a stronger local economy.

“A better planning system, a flexible apprenticeship levy, strengthened UK-EU co-operation and a dramatic grid upgrade are all needed urgently if we are to grow the UK economy.

As the only countywide chamber accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), Kent Invicta has reaffirmed its commitment to working in partnership with local businesses and local authorities to lobby national government to help tackle economic growth, skills and employment, trade and net-zero.

“The European Union remains our closest trading partner. We need to see UK-EU relations strengthened to benefit the tens of thousands of exporters here. And as the closest place in the UK to mainland Europe, Kent is perfectly placed to rise to the challenge.

The aim is to work in partnership to build British business, promoting the investment in people for a more prosperous economy; raising export-led growth, and ensuring the UK becomes a leader in green innovation.

“All too often businesses are squeezed out of towns and cities, as good land is given over to housing. Local communities thrive when businesses are at their heart. Those businesses need skilled workers, and a flexible apprenticeship levy will make sure employers can give staff the training they need.

Tudor Price, Chief Executive of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, said: “The County has a justifiably strong reputation for working in partnership, and with the economy under significant pressure with growth at best sluggish, there is a need for urgent action to support and safeguard local firms.

“The transition to net zero presents businesses with opportunities to grow. But access to the national grid is a huge headache for trailblazing utility companies. We need to make sure there is sufficient network capacity and flexibility for modern energy needs.

“The politicians are limbering up for a General Election, and so the time is right to influence our policy makers to back business, regardless of their political persuasion. If we are to kickstart the economy, we must continue to work in partnership.”

A key part of the ask of Government involves investing in infrastructure, with Kent Invicta continuing to support plans for the new Lower Thames Crossing; upgrading of the M2 to Dover, and the return of Eurostar services from the international stations at Ashford and Ebbsfleet.

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, added: “The economy thrives when business and politicians work in partnership. These four priorities will unlock the power of British business and increase economic growth which benefits everyone.

❛❛

The European Union remains our closest trading partner.

We need to see UK-EU relations strengthened to benefit the tens of thousands of exporters here. And as the closest place in the UK to mainland Europe, Kent is

❜❜

perfectly placed to rise to the challenge.

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Thinking Business

“Action on these key issues will make a dramatic difference for the tens of thousands of businesses we represent. British firms need action, certainty and clarity from politicians – now more than ever.”

To find out more about the work of the Chamber visit: www.kentinvictachamber.co.uk

Locating the Value in Learning and Development Schemes

Legal Update

By Tracey Myhill Girlings Solicitors

The employee wellbeing sector is booming. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry with $61 billion spent globally in 2021. And that figure is on course to rise to almost $100 billion by 2026. The cost to businesses, who may feel under pressure to support such initiatives, is growing, but what value do these initiatives really offer? And do they actually help to improve the collective culture of an organisation?

Such well-intentioned programmes range from mindfulness courses, resilience training and wellbeing interventions, to physical health initiatives such as yoga and bicycle-powered desks.

Although designed to help employees, research published earlier this month by Oxford University suggests that participants in many wellbeing interventions were in fact no better off, and that such initiatives overall ‘are not providing appropriate resources in response to job demands’. Comparable studies have revealed similarly lacklustre results.

However, there are some areas in which organisations can make a difference to employee wellbeing, notably by investing in upskilling, mentoring and continuing

professional development. These types of effort can help employees to feel genuinely supported and confident, enabling them to thrive in their respective areas of work.

In the legal profession generally, continuing professional development is rightly encouraged. Apart from anything, a positive approach to learning and development helps us ensure that our staff remain agile and resilient as new opportunities and challenges emerge.

Like any conscientious employer, we have a responsibility to ensure that the training we provide is closely aligned with the needs of both employees and the business as a whole.

For this reason we take great care to select learning and development options that are positive, pertinent, and produce defined benefits. This is not just a top-down process either: we also give serious consideration to training opportunities that are identified by members of staff themselves.

In common with many other law firms, a large proportion of our investment in mentoring and professional development is focused

on our trainee solicitors. Our trainees, who overwhelmingly stay with us beyond qualification, rightly recognise our personal development programmes as an important investment in their futures, as well as being designed to further the interests of the Firm.

It is also reassuring to observe that our trainees’ thirst for knowledge and self-development continues beyond their qualification – suggesting that the support on offer is relevant, useful and valued.

Further research suggests that this kind of structured and targeted training is intrinsically motivating, i.e. that the reward comes from the satisfaction of learning new skills and feeling supported. Where this is the case, and when care is taken to strike a balance between the needs of the individual and the interests of the business, continuing learning and development may be seen as an investment that benefits the recipient, while also enhancing workplace culture, having a positive impact on retention rates, and ultimately making us better equipped to serve our clients.

Tracey Myhill HR Manager Tel: 01227 367 355 Email: recruitment@girlings.com

girlings.com Thinking Business

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We are proud of our success, our independence, and our reputation of being a friendly, professional practice.

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PLAN AHEAD

Advertising Feature

in advance of tax changes from April Lee Wood APFS, Associate Director

and Chartered Financial Planner, Financial Advice & Services

Two key tax allowances are being halved from April, which will impact most investors. We take a look at the changes and how planning ahead can help reduce future tax liabilities.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT) After being significantly cut in April 2023, the annual CGT allowance will be halved from 6th April 2024, and will see many more individuals subject to CGT in the next tax year.

The Finance Bill 2022 introduced the first reduction in the annual CGT exemption, reducing the allowance from £12,300 in 2022/23 to £6,000 in the current tax year. From 6th April, this exemption will halve to just £3,000 and the legislation confirms this allowance is fixed until any further legislative changes are made.

CGT is payable on the net balance of gains and losses made over the course of a tax year when assets - such as property and investments - are sold. A direct result of the lower annual allowance is that many more people will pay CGT, with those holding substantial investment portfolios that are not in a tax-efficient wrapper, such as an Individual Savings Account (ISA), facing mounting annual CGT bills. The rate of CGT on the disposal of investments is, thankfully, not punitive. Those who pay basic rate income tax will pay CGT at 10% and higher rate taxpayers pay 20%. Higher rates of CGT are, however, charged when disposing of residential property.

Impact on portfolio planning The reduced allowance is likely to challenge investment strategies and could potentially lead some to reach the conclusion that they should avoid disposing of investments for fear of triggering a tax charge. Another way to reframe the decision is that you still retain at least 80%, or possibly 90%, of the gain made above the allowance, and the sale could provide the opportunity to realign an existing portfolio.

This could prove to be a sensible move, if the investment has grown substantially and the level of risk has increased by virtue of the larger holding. It could also be worthwhile if the investment is underperforming, and the proceeds are used to reinvest into another asset with improved prospects.

There are steps you can take to maximise the available allowances. Investments held in joint names can use both CGT allowances as the gain is deemed to be shared, and if investments are held in an individual’s sole name, arranging a transfer between spouses could help make use of available allowance that would otherwise be wasted.

Any CGT liability needs to be declared to HMRC, and even when the net balance of gains and losses falls below the new £3,000 annual allowance, disposing of assets valued at more than £50,000 will also trigger the CGT reporting requirements. This is likely to mean that many more individuals will need to complete a SelfAssessment Tax Return in the future.

Dividend Allowance Alongside the reduction in the CGT allowance from 6th April 2024, the Dividend Allowance is also being further reduced to just £500. The Dividend Allowance is a tax-free allowance that covers dividend income received and captured the first £5,000 of dividend income received in 2016. This allowance was cut to £2,000 in 2018 and was further reduced to £1,000 in the current tax year.

According to Treasury data, the latest cut to the Dividend Allowance is likely to impact over 3 million individuals, from those who hold investment portfolios to company directors who are largely remunerated through dividends.

The changes are likely to be felt the most by investors with smaller portfolios of individual shares or collective investments, who may be faced with paying dividend tax for the first time.

Dividend tax is charged at 8.75% for basic rate taxpayers, and therefore the impact may appear relatively light; however, the rate is hiked to 33.75% for higher rate taxpayers and 39.35% for additional rate taxpayers.

Firstly, the changes present an ideal opportunity to review an existing investment portfolio, to consider whether funds or stocks need to be sold in the current tax year to crystallise a gain within the CGT allowance. We often meet clients who have not reviewed existing portfolios for some time and carry investments with large capital gains that would be crystallised on disposal.

With the reduction in the CGT allowance, the tax implications of disposal will need to be carefully managed, although investors would be well served to consider the performance and future prospects of an investment, when reaching a decision that creates a CGT liability.

Using tax allowances, such as the ISA allowance, can be effective ways of minimising the impact of the tax changes. ISAs have been a staple of financial planning for many years, and the benefits of regular use of the ISA allowance, in conjunction with other tax efficient investment wrappers, could reduce tax bills in the future.

Seek advice The reduction in the annual CGT and Dividend Allowances is likely to impact many investors from April, and for individuals with sizeable investment portfolios that are rebalanced and reviewed regularly, CGT liabilities may well be increasingly unavoidable. That being said, future liabilities to both CGT and Dividend Tax can be reduced by planning ahead and using annual exemptions where possible.

As a Chartered independent firm, we can advise on solutions from across the marketplace, and are very used to providing advice on existing investment portfolios and how these can be made more tax efficient. Speak to one of our experienced advisers to discuss the impact of the changes from April and how it will affect your portfolio. © Financial Advice and Services Ltd 2024

Take before April According to Treasury figures, the combined impact of the CGT allowance changes and reduction in the Dividend Allowance will generate over £4.6bn of revenue over the next four years.

This represents a significant additional tax take for the Exchequer, although investors can take steps to minimise the impact of the changes.

The content of this article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. It is for general information only and should not be relied upon when making any financial planning decisions. You should always obtain professional independent advice based on your circumstances. Financial Advice & Services Limited, Independent Financial Advisers, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Thinking Business

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Members News

Sideways Media Welcomes CEO Tudor Price and Damian Green MP to its Ashford HQ

New Chamber member, Sideways Media, was thrilled to welcome Tudor Price, CEO of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and the Rt Hon Damian Green, Conservative MP for Ashford to their offices at The Coachworks in Ashford on Friday 12 January.

Team Tolhurst raise £17.5k for GOSH Martin Tolhurst Solicitors has raised an incredible £17,500 for their current Charity of the Year, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

It’s a tremendous achievement and so far, the largest amount they have ever raised for one single charity.

With a huge variety of fundraising activities taking part throughout the year, including walks, bake offs, dress down days, raffles and more they would like to extend a huge thank you to all who supported them to raise this amazing amount.

Stay tuned for more events and initiatives from Team Tolhurst coming soon. Your continued generosity makes a world of difference. www.martintolhurst.co.uk

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Thinking Business

During the visit to the company’s HQ, the Sideways team showcased their current projects, gave insights into the publishing and marketing industries, and discussed economic development in Ashford and plans for future growth in the town.

A family-owned independent business founded in Ashford in 2014, Sideways Media is a fourdivision company, encompassing in-house publishing, contract publishing, creative design and marketing & PR communications.

As well as publishing Kent’s biggest lifestyle magazine, insideKENT, they also manage PR, communications and events for Elwick Place, Ashford’s entertainment and leisure destination which included the conceptualisation and delivery of ASHFOOD! - a new family food and drink festival weekend; marcomms for a number of other local businesses; and publish contract magazines including A Kentish Ceremony on behalf of clients including Kent County Council.

Owned and operated by Adam and Samantha Ready, Sideways Media is a multi-award winning company, having been named ‘Best Family Business’ at the 2023 and 2022 Business Awards Kent, with Sam also awarded ‘Businesswoman of the Year’ for 2023 and the ‘Growth Award’ at the Kent Women in Business Awards.

Sideways Media’s team is based at The Coachworks, a creative co-working and events space run by Ashford Borough Council.

Sideways became its first tenants in 2019, and during their visit to the space, Tudor Price and Damian Green were keen to discuss the positive impact The Coachworks

has had on the town’s creative offering. The Sideways team gave their visitors a tour of the space and shared some of the work that takes place at Sideways HQ on a daily basis.

“We were honoured to welcome esteemed guests Tudor Price and Damian Green to our Sideways offices,” says MD of Sideways Media, Samantha Ready. “Through our work, we’re passionate about supporting local businesses, telling their stories and aiding their reach. It was a great opportunity to discuss plans for growth and development within the town with them both.” www.sidewaysmedia.co.uk

Management apprenticeships boost leadership skills Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is helping to support businesses to develop their existing staff, through two Business School degree apprenticeships co-designed by employers.

The higher-level Senior Leaders Apprenticeship is for those established in their management role but who want to develop their knowledge and understanding and build on their command of leadership for further career progression. Again, much of the learning focuses on the business that the employee works for, so the learner can start bringing additional knowledge and ideas to the business almost immediately.

The Chartered Managers Degree Apprenticeship offers those new to management, or those who want to progress into management, the chance to hone their leadership skills. Study and projects are focused on the learner’s place of work, so they can apply their learning in the classroom directly to their employer’s business.

SMEs receive 95 per cent of the cost of these apprenticeships from government funding. There is also an opportunity to have the full cost covered with a levy transfer – the university is able to provide advice on this option. Levy-paying businesses can use the funds to cover the full cost of the apprenticeship.

A university is helping to upskill workforces with two apprenticeships aimed at building on the leadership and management skills of current staff members.

To find out more about what is on offer at CCCU, visit: www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/apprenticeships/current-apprenticeships.

Members News

Delight as hospital raises thousands for Air Ambulance Charity Hospital staff have raised a staggering £16,248 for their chosen charity, helping to save countless lives.

KIMS Hospital in Maidstone raised the funds for the Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) after choosing it as their charity of the year for the past two years.

The hospital’s charity of the year is chosen by the team of more than 500 employees who then hold a number of events, challenges and competitions to help fundraise.

KIMS Hospital’s Executive Chairperson, Prema Subaskaran, said: “The Air Ambulance is a vital service for our local community and I am immensely proud of our fundraising efforts.”

Kerry Campbell, Corporate Relations Officer at Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex, said: “KIMS Hospital has been a fabulous charity supporter over the past two years.

“We’ve really enjoyed getting to know the team and being involved in their numerous fundraising activities; they truly have gone above and beyond.

“We’re so grateful for the staggering amount of money

raised since 2022. Without support like this we can’t keep flying and saving lives.”

Since choosing to support the cause for two years in 2022, KIMS Hospital’s Social Committee has organised a number of fundraising events including two sponsored walks, one of which was 15 miles long, a coronation-themed cake sale, a clothes swap and a summer family fun day on the hottest day of the year in 2023.

Keli Tomlin, Clinical Nurse Manager and Chair of KIMS Hospital’s Social Committee, said: “Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex was the perfect fit for our charity of the year. We’ve had a lot of fun in the past two years supporting them, and have even had the honour of a fly-by at our Summer fun day.”

For 2024, the KIMS Hospital team has voted to support Rochesterbased charity Holding on Letting Go, who offer bereavement support for children, young people and their families. This will also be supported for the next two years, with fundraising beginning this month.

Dispute?

Not all businesses run smoothly – disputes inevitably occur. Partners fall out, Directors disagree, and once harmonious relationships can sour, impacting business performance and profits. So it’s essential to resolve commercial disputes as quickly as, and as effectively as possible.

Disagree?

Our Dispute Resolution team provides expert advice, short-term tactics and long-term strategies to resolve business disagreements. Ranked in Chambers and Legal 500, we have an enviable track record in achieving mutually acceptable agreements, and preserving future relationships.

Divided?

To find out how we can help, call us on 01622 698000 or email enquiries@wmlaw.uk whitehead-monckton.co.uk

Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales. Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.

www.kims.org.uk Thinking Business

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Members News

New name, same local insurance broker Howden is the new name for A-Plan, where they do peoplefirst insurance, understanding the specifics of insurance needs and matching them with the insurer that is best placed to provide that cover, at the right price.

Even though they have a new name, they remain focused on helping their clients get the right advice, great value and dedicated, friendly support when needed on their home, motor and business insurance.

Being a part of Howden means they can harness the collective power of being part of a much bigger group. They can access a wider pool of insurers and strengthen relationships with them to offer even more comprehensive and tailored services, ensuring they meet clients’ evolving insurance needs.

Their new look also demonstrates Howden’s commitment to the local high street and supporting Maidstone businesses through their people-first approach.

The firm is delighted to now be a part of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and be able to connect with even more local businesses.

Do you and your staff feel comfortable talking about menopause?

“I don’t expect you to become an expert. Still, with insight and comfort in dialogue, the workplace can become a supportive environment for everyone.”

“Despite being a Pharmacist, I had no idea about the full impact of menopause,” said Nicola.

“I was totally floored and not with what everyone assumed: hot flushes. It was the psychological symptoms and insomnia that impacted my life massively. Work became exceedingly challenging.”

Women’s website Henpicked’s mission is to make menopause an inclusive subject that no-one is afraid or embarrassed to discuss. The training demystifies menopause, equipping teams with knowledge and opening dialogues that too often remain

closed. It’s an initiative that has the power to retain the irreplaceable expertise of women who might otherwise leave their careers.

“They say that menopause affects 51 per cent of the population,” she said.

“I know that it is way more than this. While it is only women who

The sessions are customised to fit the unique fabric of each work setting. They are delivered with a blend of humour and levity because learning about menopause should be as comfortable as it is essential.

“It’s not just about coping; it’s about thriving,” she added.

“I am here to ensure that menopause is no longer a workplace taboo but a shared journey towards a supportive and understanding work culture.” www.nicolavinall.com

Vernacular Homes’ Linton Park Estate barn conversions go on sale House designers and builders Vernacular Homes has been watching with keen interest the sale of The Linton Park Estate in Maidstone.

Visit: www.howdeninsurance.co.uk or their local Maidstone branch on Week Street.

It’s thought to be Kent’s largest country house and is selling for £32 million. It includes the main house, coach house, 16 properties, gardens, parkland, lake, pool, tennis court, art gallery and cricket pitch – 440 acres (178 hectares), in total.

www.rw-coaching.co.uk

The site has undergone huge renovation over the past

10 Thinking Business

experience the actual physical symptoms, the men that they live and work with will also share it, I promise you.

Nicola Vinall, at Nicola Vinall Early Menopause, is a Menopause in the Workplace Trainer, Nutritional Therapist and Pharmacist. She provides CPD-approved menopause training to SMEs, schools, private healthcare businesses, and third-sector organisations.

40 years and Woodchurch-based Vernacular Homes was honoured to be a part of the project, working on restoring, renovating and bringing back to life five disused barns, all in varying states of disrepair.

The team was commissioned for one barn, then asked back to convert a further four, including a large barn split into two, and storage buildings including a cart horse barn and tractor shed, converted into new homes for

both tenancy and staff. Original features, exposed timbers, high ceilings and large windows to admire the view were all included in the designs.

Managing Director Trevor Weeks said: “Working on the Linton Park Estate site has been very interesting and a real privilege, giving these old barns a new lease of life for many years to come.” www.vernacularhomes.com

Patron News

Tax Year End Planning for SME’s and Small Business Personal Tax

With the tax year end approaching at the end of March, now is the time to review your businesses and your own tax situation to see if any actions need to be taken before it’s too late, to maximise your tax efficiency. Below are some suggested action points:

• Check to see whether you and your family have utilised the various annual tax allowances, such as the savings and dividend nil rate bands, capital gains tax and ISA annual allowances.

• Can additional pension contributions or gift aided donations be made? These can be extremely tax efficient for people whose personal allowance has been abated due to high income.

• Is an adjustment of income needed to mitigate the highincome child benefit charge.

• If there is a family trust, now is the time to see whether an income distribution can be made to beneficiaries with low or no income to generate a tax refund of the tax credit.

• Do you need to transfer income producing assets into your spouse’s name so that future income is taxed on them and potentially at a lower tax rate.

Business Tax

• If your businesses year end is 31 March, then you may wish to advance expenditure and defer income to temporarily reduce tax payments and take advantage of capital allowances/full expensing reliefs.

• The Autumn Statement announced the reform of the R&D schemes from 1 April 2024 so businesses that utilise this valuable relief need to understand whether they want to accelerate expenses pre or post this date to gain most tax benefit.

• The use of accrued salary or bonuses is another option to consider when looking to reduce a company’s tax liability.

• For the self-employed and partnerships that don’t have a 31 March/5 April accounting year end they will need to decide whether they want to change to a 31 March year end following the introduction of the ‘Basis Period Reform’ measures by HMRC from 1 April 2024.

A conversation with your accountant now regarding the above points can hopefully provide you and your business with a tax advantage.

Stuart Chipperfield Tax Director MHA stuart.chipperfield@mha.co.uk

MidKent College awarded Trailblazer status in Esports education industry knowledge, and will equip the students with the confidence, competence, and creativity to excel in the fast-growing and dynamic field of Esports as well as transferable skills to take into their future careers.”

Patrons of the Chamber, MidKent College has announced pioneering courses in Esports after it was named, out of hundreds of others, an official Esports Trailblazer Centre, for the new Esports Leadership Programme in collaboration with the Leadership Skills Foundation.

Emily Blackburn, MidKent Head of Digital (Esports and IT), said: “We’re thrilled and honoured that we have been chosen as one of the pioneering centres to design and deliver a range of innovative courses that will empower the young generation to become leaders in Esports.

“These courses will combine the latest research and best practices in leadership development, coaching strategy, management skills, and

With the Esports market in the UK forecast to rise to £179m this year and growing on average by 8% a year since 2016, the Leadership Skills Foundation is leading education in what is a relatively new subject.

Lucy Supperstone, Director of Innovation and Standards at the Leadership Skills Foundation said: “We are delighted to be working with MidKent College as a Trailblazer centre on the Environment Leaders Programme. Many young people are engaged in the world of Esports and the vast number of employment opportunities connected to this subject are ever growing.

“This relatively new subject has highlighted the transferability of leadership skills and the ability of our programmes to support learners to develop these skills in new and exciting areas. Just like our traditional sports leadership programmes, the community-building and camaraderie found in Esports is a great bedrock on which to build essential leadership skills.”

MidKent College will be offering new courses at Level 1 and 2 this year. Joe Tuley, lecturer in Esports, MidKent College said: “It will attract those who want to do Esports but also want to gain a qualification in leadership. We will be networking with different schools/Colleges in the local area to develop a strong network and promote Esports in Medway, Kent, and surrounding areas.

“The course will allow students who have a passion for Esports to develop their hobby that they love into something they can make a career out of. We inspire them to evolve from grassroots, amateur level to become professional gamers, streamers, or team managers in the future.”

Esports courses at MidKent have become increasingly popular and successful with students developing their teamwork and communication skills as well as working under pressure, solving problems, using strategic thinking, and competing at national levels.

Their skills transfer widely into other careers.

Students from the Esports course have gone on to careers in coaching, sports science, broadcasting, technology, journalism, digital and software development as well as marketing and design.

Go to www.midkent.ac.uk/news/blog/esports-the-booming-digital-industry-you-need-to-know-about for more information about Esports at MidKent College Thinking Business

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Members News

Dover Marina Hotel and Spa receives accolade of Best Western Premier The coming year is again set to be an exciting one for the Dover Marina Hotel and Spa, now officially recognised as one of the best in the region.

A multi-million-pound investment in the waterfront hotel saw it last year named as a Best Western Premier, a rating which puts it in the top rank of the brand’s flagship hotels nationwide.

That award reflected a major expansion of the hotel which added 13 new luxury rooms, including two Presidential Suites, within an adjacent building in Waterloo Crescent.

Owner K Rajaseelan (universally known as Seelan), described the opening of the new rooms as part of an ongoing journey – and this year work is set to start on a further expansion of the hotel, this time into Protea House, on the opposite flank of the hotel.

That work will add a further 24 bedrooms, a large bistro bar and a function room to the

impressive facilities already on offer at the hotel.

Last year’s celebration evening to mark the expansion and the Best Western Premier announcement was attended by civic dignitaries and guests from business and commerce. It also saw Dover District Council Chairman Cllr Gordon Cowan unveil a stunning “hyper-realistic” watercolour of the front of the hotel by renowned watercolour artist Nigel Wade.

Facilities at the Dover Marina’s Waterfront Health Club and Spa have also benefitted from the arrival of ayurveda and yoga specialists Dr Deepa Patwal and Dr Sharmila Haleem, each of whom has a degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery.

Chamber members can learn about developments at the hotel, and tour the new facilities, at a Chamber Connections networking meeting scheduled for 2nd May 2024. Booking is available. on the Chamber website - see page 43.

French Parliament approves new long stay visa rules for British homeowners British citizens who own a second home in France will soon be given the automatic right to a long-stay visa, following the adoption of a new Immigration Bill by the French Parliament.

Under the previous Schengen rules, non-EEA nationals could not spend more than a total of 90 days within a total period of 180 days in France without applying for a visa.

However, a new article will now be incorporated into the Code de l’Entrée et du Séjour des Etrangers et du Droit d’Asile (Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners

12 Thinking Business

and the Right of Asylum) that will automatically grant long stay visas to British owners of French property.

Deborah Vaysse, a French Avocat specialising in French property with law firm Furley Page, said: “Since Brexit, British owners of French property have been campaigning for the right to continue living in their French homes without qualification, or having to make France their primary residence.

“With the new visa rules, the hassle of calculating the number of days left to spend in your property, the stress of planning your holidays

without exceeding the 90 days rule, and the cost and complexity of applying for long stay visas will soon be things of the past. Brits can once again say ‘bonjour’ to spontaneous weekends, peaceful holidays and retirement options in France!

“In the end, the French don’t hold grudges, and despite the UK’s decision to leave the EU, they don’t seem ready to say goodbye to their British friends.”

The bill has been submitted to the Conseil Constitutionnel to verify its constitutionality, with a decision expected to be handed down before 26 January 2024,

although it is expected to be ratified and come into force shortly. The conditions of application of the article will be specified by decree by the Conseil d’Etat at a later date.

Furley Page’s French property and estates team is made up of fluent French speakers and French nationals who specialise in various aspects of French law and the UK tax system. The team provides advice and guidance notably on the process of buying and selling French property.

For more information about French property matters visit: www.furleypage.co.uk

Members News

How to look after your e-bike over winter Keeping your e-bike safe and in working order during the winter in the UK is essential to ensure its longevity and your safety when you start riding again in the spring.

Storage

Charge the battery in a safe place and use a timer so that it doesn’t stay on charge for longer than is needed.

Storage indoors is great, but if you don’t have space, a shed or garage is good too. If it’s outside, use a cover to protect it from harsh weather, and ventilate.

Clean

Checks

Use a mild detergent and water to remove dirt, mud, and grime. Dry it completely to prevent corrosion.

Tyres

Inflate your tyres to the recommended pressure to prevent flat spots from forming.

If you have tubeless tires, consider adding sealant to prevent any slow leaks.

Tighten all the nuts, bolts, and screws on your e-bike, especially those holding critical components like the handlebars, saddle, and pedals. Lubricate lightly to prevent rust.

Contact UK Electric Bike Centre if you have any questions or want to book in for a winter service. Visit ukelectricbike.co.uk

Top tips for building projects BYTNAR is a firm of Chartered Structural and Civil Engineers dealing with architecture of building projects.

Theirs is the only Kent office that can deliver project designs from the concepts, through to the last bolt shown on the shop drawings, all handled in-house.

Based on the ICE and IStructE CROSS report, Design for Alterations to a Dwelling Carried Out by an Unsuitable Person, BYTNAR has the following recommendations: • You are responsible for making sure the people who design and build your project are suitably qualified and experienced to assure the safety and wellbeing of all future occupiers.

• The next time your Architect, Architectural Designer or Quantity Surveyor tells you he got a cheap chap who does things remotely, shake hands and say your goodbyes.

Guide •Oak We Creative’s value people and h In the fast-evolving world of design, Oak Creative of clients has network made it a priority to understand everything and

• We deliver creative kno Youbrand get out whatbuilding you put in expertis

Battery

Safe charging

Learning to Navigate AI

• We champion Kent to local economies

AI has to offer. With the help of our resident AI Trailblazer, Jenni Tilson, we have distilled our learnings into five golden rules for effectively navigating the use of AI in business:

UK Electric Bike Centre based in Headcorn, is the South East’s largest e-bike showroom.

Here are some tips from their workshop on how to protect your e-bike during the winter months: Remove the battery from your e-bike and store it indoors at room temperature. Cold temperatures can reduce battery capacity, so keeping it warm will help maintain its performance.

• We believe that partne Sponsored most powerful way to

• Clients should understand that structural engineering, domestic work included, is a complex discipline that should only be entrusted to a suitably qualified and experienced person.

• As a minimum, a Structural Designer should be expected to be a member of a professional body that regulates structural designers, normally the Institution of Structural Engineers or the Institution of Civil Engineers.

• Any person who proposes structural changes to an existing building, without inspecting it, could have their competence queried.

The key principle for leveraging AI effectively is to provide clear and comprehensive instructions. While AI tools can be powerful aids, they are no substitute for human intelligence! Precise instructions are essential for optimum results.

Use for generating ideas, not final products AI can do a really great job of interpreting your ideas into an initial visual guide and acting as a source of inspiration, but it isn’t the best for high quality finished work. This is especially true for any of the image generation tools such as MidJourney.

Never be complacent Never take any information for granted, especially if using it to curate written content for a blog or article.

AI tools also have the common problem that because they aim to answer all questions, they will provide fabricated information too.

Marketing & Advertising

Top Tip: When using ChatGPT you can specifically ask it not to lie if it doesn’t know the answer. This helps rule out some potential inaccuracies and ‘AI Hallucination’.

Be transparent

Acknowledging the use of AI in content creation fosters trust and authenticity. If you are transparent and open about how or where you have used it, people can appreciate the real content from the real you even more, and stop wondering if every post they see is from a human or not.

Stay true to your brand If you’re using AI, be sure that it stays true to your brand.

It’s crucial to ensure that the output aligns with your brand’s tone of voice, visual style, and overall identity.

It is now possible to train AI tools to emulate your brand’s style, injecting a human touch into your AI-generated content.

Illustration & Animation

Creative designer Jenni Tilson is an AI Trailblazer for Oak Creative (a Holiday Extras Group company). Jenni shares weekly AI updates, hosts workshops, and generally champions positive uses of AI to aid in day-to-day functions.

• Building control bodies do not create risks and therefore are not responsible for them. Only a competent Designer can advise on matters of design.

For more information, visit www.bytnar.co.uk Thinking Business Business Thinking

13

Members News

Educating employees on EDI leads to inclusive work Sport support for youngsters cultures In a world grappling with growing inequality, declining mental health, and various risks to personal and community wellbeing, organisations must step up to educate their employees with accessible training.

Courses in equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI), mental health, and safeguarding empowers workforces to proactively address emerging issues.

EDI education creates secure spaces for all personnel to thrive, fostering inclusive cultures that champion equity regardless of gender, sexuality, or race. Quality mental health information increases collective awareness, enabling early recognition of emotional struggles and facilitating timely interventions. This not only destigmatises mental health but also enhances emotional intelligence, promoting safer spaces for productivity and staff welfare.

Safeguarding courses are crucial in developing empowered communities, equipping individuals to identify and compassionately respond to situations involving coercion, exploitation, or neglect. By educating workforces in these key areas, employers not only protect organisational progress but also contribute to societal wellbeing by empowering workforces, supporting marginalised groups, preventing abuse, encouraging help-seeking, and strengthening community bonds.

Kent businesses, more than ever, need to prioritise creating inclusive, compassionate, and secure workplaces, says Social Enterprise Kent CIC. As a leading training provider in Kent, it takes pride in supporting individuals and organisations to access this crucial training. The team can offer support and answer any questions about this essential provision.

Find out more at: www.sekgroup.org.uk

14 Thinking Business

could change their lives Kent County Council and local councils have been urged to think of alternatives when closing youth clubs, and support young people to join sports clubs.

For 10 years, Safer Kent, the community safety charity, has been using sport to help young people build self-confidence and selfdiscipline skills. An analysis of the full range of programmes that they have been running in Kent and Medway has shown that youngsters changed their habits and had better school attendance and a lower likelihood of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour after completing one of the sports-based programmes run by partnerships set up by Safer Kent.

Bryn Price, Director of Safer Kent, says that at times when local councils are cutting youth

centres, it is vital that programmes are put in place that will allow youngsters to make positive changes to their skills. Feedback from the youngsters referred to the Safer Kent programmes is that they often feel that they will not be welcome at sport clubs. By supporting partnerships with local sports clubs, councils would give youngsters the chance not only to learn the life skills that sports introduce, but also get to know the club coaches and feel encouraged to keep up the sporting activities.

Mr Price said that a one-off investment of £100 to have a youngster join one of the Safer Kent programmes can improve their school attendance and likely have them make sport part of their routine.

For more information, see www.saferkent.org.uk

Financial wellbeing at work: A call to action for Kent employers Amid global challenges, Kent employees face financial uncertainties, emphasising the need to prioritise financial wellbeing, says Jason Smith, Business Development Officer at Wave Community Bank.

The COVID-19 pandemic, cost-of-living crisis, and geopolitical tensions underscore the urgency for Kent employers to take decisive action to help their employees.

Beyond its impact on bank accounts, poor financial wellbeing adversely affects physical and mental health, directly influencing work performance. With a potential recession looming, addressing employee financial wellbeing is not just a moral obligation but a strategic necessity.

Research shows 81 per cent of employees are uncomfortable discussing finances, revealing a crucial communication gap. Employers must actively create an environment for addressing these concerns.

Promoting the building of emergency funds and instilling a savings culture within the workplace are practical steps to alleviate money worries and reduce financial stress.

A total of 4.2 million worker days each year are lost in absences because of a lack of financial wellbeing. That is the equivalent of £626 million in lost output, so it is important to invest in the financial wellbeing of employees.

Wave Community Bank, a dedicated member of KICC, has introduced Chorus, a free Workplace Saving Scheme. This scheme empowers employees to save directly through their wages or access loans to navigate financial challenges.

Financial wellbeing is not a luxury but a necessity for organisational success. Kent employers need to seize the opportunity to invest in their workforce’s financial health now — it’s a pathway to enhanced performance, resilience, and a brighter future for all.

For more information visit: wavecb.org.uk or www.savewithchorus.org.uk

Thinking Business

15

The Big Interview

How EC Safety Solutions can be

your one-stop-shop for health & safety Health and safety consultancy and training provider EC Safety Solutions can provide a one-stop-shop for all your H&S needs. Owner Eric McCann and Managing Director Steve Waterman talk to

Sarah Dale about their bespoke online portal, training courses and why a focus on maintaining staff’s positive mental health has won them numerous awards.

EC Safety Solutions were established in 2008 and is an award-winning health and safety consultancy and training provider.

They offer bespoke health and safety retained management packages and mentoring for the responsible person, as well as courses in health and safety, first aid, mental health first aid and construction, with training provided face-to-face or online.

Steve Waterman, Managing Director said, “We essentially become the Health

16 Thinking Business

and Safety Manager for clients so they don’t have to employ someone in-house.

“We look after policies and procedures, compliance visits, everything a client needs to ensure best practice in their chosen industry essentially saving them money.

Owner and Director Eric McCann added: “Every company has someone responsible for health and safety, but it isn’t always their main job. We are qualified and experienced to give the correct level of guidance and mentorship.”

Not only do they act as a retained Health and Safety Manager for clients, they also provide a 100 per cent secure, A* rated online portal.

“Information such as site visits, policies, procedures and incident reports are all stored on the online portal. It is GDPR compliant with individual logins and is password protected.” It’s a one-stop-shop for anything related to health and safety for a client,” said Steve

The Big Interview The online portal issues reminders to each client six weeks prior to expiry dates of services, this is to give enough time to organise testing and training before the client becomes non-compliant for items such as PAT testing, Emergency light servicing, DSE assessments, Company Polices etc. or to organise any training required for employees whose certificates are due to expire. The portal automatically emails the relevant person of a company saving valuable time and providing peace of mind.

The company joined Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce more than 10 years ago.

In this time they have developed numerous health and safety apps that are issued to each client to streamline and encourage their use to ensure compliance.

They developed an electronic link for firms to record and store any incidents or accidents. All the relevant information of what happened, where, who and when are kept securely on the portal.

They have an app for display screen equipment (DSE) so clients can have online workplace assessments. If any concern is flagged on the assessment, EC Safety Solutions can arrange to go on site and carry out a face-to-face workplace assessment. There is also an app for homeworking assessments following the rise in hybrid working arrangements, whether an employee works in a home office, at the dining table or on the sofa.

The safety specialists have also created an app for company inductions, which includes an animated video, every employee is required to complete this as part of the company induction process, each employee signs to record that they have been shown the company policies, procedures, fire safety plan, who the first aiders are, and who to report incidents or accidents to etc.

Like the other apps, the information is added to the client’s secure online portal.

Eric added: “Every online portal is specific to that client. They are bespoke portals designed and owned by us.”

The firm has recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. To mark the milestone, they held their inaugural EC Safety Solutions Health and Safety Awards 2023

at The Commissioner’s House at Chatham’s Historic Dockyard in November.

“We wanted to do something special to mark our 15th anniversary,” said Steve.

“There were 15 different award categories including Local Business of the Year, which was won by Clearwater Cleaning Services Kent. It was a great event and, more importantly for us, it was a chance to reward our clients for the brilliant work that they do.”

“Most Armed Forces covenants are big companies but we’re a small business and we will continue to support them as much as we can,” added Steve, who was in the Army for 25 years.

“We have that can-do attitude and know what it’s like to leave the forces and transition into civilian life and look for work.”

EC Safety Solutions was established by Eric in 2008. He used his qualifications and experience as a Head of Safety to start consultancy work before setting up as a sole trader. After a few years, it became a limited company and year on year, it has grown and now has more than 100 retained clients including international firms.

The team of six is expanding to include a part-time Business Development Manager and two new Health and Safety Advisers.

Steve added: “We are a small Company but we’re picking up different awards, we are continuously innovating and improving the services available to our client base.

“We designed the portal and applications with the aim of ensuring simplicity and ease of use. Our goal is to increase the likelihood of companies adopting the system and adhering to health and safety regulations.

“We are people centred. That’s why anyone goes into health and safety, they want to make things better and safer for people.”

Supporting ex-military personnel is also important to the Directors, with four of the six team members being ex-Forces themselves.

They are very proud to have been awarded the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award 2023.

The company has also been awarded the Medway Workplace Award (Platinum).

“For us, as a small business, it is quite an achievement,” said Steve.

“We were awarded it because of how we invest in our staff and look after their physical health and mental health and wellbeing.”

Being active members of the Chamber is important to Steve and Eric.

“It’s a good networking opportunity and we always try to support the Chamber by bringing in new members” added Steve.

❛❛ We designed the portal and applications

with the aim of ensuring simplicity and ease of use.

Our goal is to increase the likelihood of companies adopting the system and adhering to health and safety regulations.

❜❜

Chamber members can receive a 10 per cent discount on all EC Safety Solution’s services and training.

Enter Chamber10 as a discount code at www.ecsafetysolutions.com Sign the Armed Forces Covenant and make your pledge www.gov.uk/government/publications/corporate-covenant-pledge

Thinking Business

17

Advertising Feature

How can an Outsourced Finance Director support your Business?

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, achieving sustainable growth is a top priority for companies of all sizes. One strategic approach that has gained significant traction in recent years is outsourcing key roles, including that of a Finance Director.

The key question is, how can an outsourced Finance Director play a pivotal role in supporting and accelerating business growth?

1. Cost Efficiency

One of the most compelling reasons for outsourcing a Finance Director is cost efficiency. Hiring a full-time, in-house Finance Director can be expensive, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Outsourcing allows businesses to access top-notch financial expertise without the heavy financial burden of a full-time salary, benefits, and overhead costs.

2. Strategic Financial Planning

An outsourced Finance Director brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. They can work closely with the company’s leadership to develop and implement strategic financial plans.

This includes setting clear financial goals, creating budgets, and providing guidance on investment decisions.

By aligning financial strategies with the company’s growth objectives, an outsourced Finance Director can pave the way for sustainable expansion.

3. Risk Management

Financial risks are an inherent part of business operations. An outsourced Finance Director can assess and mitigate these risks effectively. They can develop risk management strategies, monitor financial health, and provide timely insights to avoid potential pitfalls. By minimising financial risks, the business can operate more confidently and allocate resources towards growth initiatives.

4. Improved Financial Reporting

Accurate and timely financial reporting is essential for informed decision-making.

An outsourced Finance Director can ensure that financial reports are not only compliant with regulatory requirements but also offer valuable insights into the company’s financial performance. These reports can help identify areas of strength and weakness, enabling management to make informed decisions to drive growth.

5. Access to Expertise

Outsourced Finance Directors often come with a diverse skill set and industry experience. They can offer fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to financial challenges. This external perspective can be invaluable for businesses looking to break new ground and explore growth opportunities.

6. Scalability

Businesses are dynamic, and their financial needs can change rapidly, especially during periods of growth.

An outsourced Finance Director can adapt to these changes seamlessly.

Whether it’s scaling up financial operations or streamlining processes for efficiency, they can provide the flexibility needed to support the evolving needs of the business.

7. Focus on Core Competencies

By outsourcing financial management, business leaders can free up their time and resources to concentrate on core competencies. This is especially important for startups and SMEs where every resource matters. Delegating financial responsibilities to an expert allows the leadership team to concentrate on innovation, product development, and customer acquisition.

8. Investor Relations

For companies seeking external funding or partnerships to fuel their growth, an outsourced Finance Director can be an asset in managing investor relations.

They can prepare compelling financial presentations, perform due diligence, and communicate effectively with potential investors or partners, increasing the likelihood of successful funding rounds.

9. Cost Transparency

Outsourcing financial management brings transparency to the cost structure. Businesses can better understand and control their financial commitments by choosing services tailored to their specific needs.

This transparency allows for efficient allocation of resources, which is crucial for growth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an outsourced Finance Director can be a strategic partner in a company’s journey towards growth.

They bring cost-efficiency, expertise, and scalability to the table, allowing businesses to navigate the complexities of financial management effectively.

By leveraging their skills, companies can make informed decisions, manage risks, and optimise their financial strategies, ultimately accelerating their path to sustainable growth.

In today’s competitive business environment, outsourcing financial leadership can be a game-changer for companies aiming to thrive and expand.

Your business could benefit from an outsourced Finance Director.

Interested in finding out more?

It all starts with a chat. Get in touch.

Commercially savvy accountants Providing businesses finance leadership:

• through periods of substantial growth • periods of interim cover providing continuity and stability • with cashflow controls including fundraising • leading projects including pricing negotiation, cost & operational management • struggling businesses who require a commercial finance expert with business turnaround experience.

Outsourced Finance Directors provide: Financial leadership, Expertise, Flexible service, Cost-effective & Financial Control

Contact acefinancedirector@gmail.com or visit www.acefinancedirector.co.uk/contact

18 Thinking Business

Members News

Six advantages of listing your company on Google Business Brandspace Media is a fullservice creative marketing agency based at the Innovation Centre, Canterbury. We work with corporates, SMEs, charities, start-ups and the public sector.

2. Being visible in local search results

The Google Business listing is a great marketing tool to help prospective clients find you easily and includes the following advantages:

Share posts to announce offers, answer questions from potential customers and use a call-to-action button such as sending a message or booking an appointment.

6. Use of free insights

4. Enables Google Reviews

Your Google business profile will help you stand out online, make you more visible to customers, increase your credibility and offer great insights to improve your digital strategy.

1. Appearing more credible online Once you have claimed your business profile you can add your logo, business contact details and products or services.

Listings with completed profiles are 29% more likely to attract purchases.

When searching online it is common for people to type into the search bar ‘local to me’ or ‘in Kent.’ In fact, 80% of people use this type of keyword.

3. Convincing more prospects to buy

Google Reviews are a great way of getting recommendations from recent customers and, as they can only be left by others, they are genuine and trustworthy.

5. Encouraging past customers to return Build relationships with those who leave you Google reviews by responding to them as this will make your clients feel valued and demonstrate that you care about them.

Your profile will come with free insights which are great for helping with your digital marketing including Google Ads campaigns.

brandspacemedia.co.uk

Is your marketing working?

Working WITH YOU, not just FOR YOU Tax planning Profit improvement strategies Business development advice Inheritance tax advice Succession planning Tel: 01233 630000 Payroll www.mageegammon.com

Find out in our audit - we will look at: • Website content • Key messages • Social media posts • Branding • LinkedIn profiles • Customer journey • Target audience • Printed materials Book now: • Discovery meeting • Appraisal report • Improvement plan

£195 +VAT

Book today: hello@izzypr.co.uk | 07748 631100 Thinking Business

19

Advertising Feature

FUTURES, CAREERS & EMPLOYABILITY with Shooters Hill Sixth Form College Jasbinder Mato Futures Manager Shooters Hill Sixth Form College Futures Team are committed to shaping the lives of students for the future world of work. Our Annual Careers Programme demonstrates that we believe in empowering our students to build on their employability skills, inspiring students to make better informed decisions about their future career pathway.

We are a sixth form college located in the heart of Royal Borough of Greenwich and are proud to announce that we have managed to build and sustain robust working relationships, that have developed Business Partnerships, bridging the gap between education and careers.

The College T level offer will be growing and ever evolving, and we will be offering more courses year on year. This is a perfect time for organisations to be involved and achieve their social value commitments.

If you are an employer that is passionate about taking the lead in adding corporate social value to your company, then look no further! There are many ways that you can demonstrate your

commitment towards supporting young people in the community by taking part in the following.

•

Exhibit at Shooters Hill Careers Fair during National Careers week, Tuesday 5th March 2024

•

Attend our Business Breakfast meetings to find out more!

•

You can have the privilege of joining our business mentoring programme.

•

Get involved in speed networking events. Giving your organisation the opportunity to head hunt potential future workforce.

•

Deliver a talk.

•

Site Visits

•

Mock Interviews

I am excited to share that our new and existing partners have innovative plans with us such as the Health Care Careers Day launch, aimed at future health care specialists, offered to all secondary schools in the Borough, in conjunction with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and NHS on 20th February 2024.

To help support our students’ careers and employability skills, and to further develop their knowledge and give them a real insight, we encourage employers to take part in the above-mentioned events.

For more information about how you could be part of our Careers and Employability Programme contact Jasbinder.mato@shc.ac.uk

20 Thinking Business

Court ruling paves the way 10 Things for mediation to be imposed to include on disputing parties in a GOOD

Members News

A hotly anticipated ruling by the Court of Appeal has now been handed down in the case of Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, which could see disputing parties forced to use out of court alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes such as mediation.

In a judgment handed down on 29 November 2023, the Court of Appeal ruled that courts have the power to order the disputing parties to engage in ADR, a process by which complaints are settled outside the court system with the assistance of an impartial dispute resolution body.

The case concerned a claim brought by Mr Churchill against Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council for damages arising from the encroachment of invasive Japanese Knotweed onto his property from land owned by the Council. The Council denied liability and effectively sought to oblige Mr Churchill to exhaust the council’s internal complaints procedure before further litigation could commence.

Jeremy Ferris is a Partner with Furley Page solicitors’ highly regarded Dispute Resolution team and an Accredited Mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).

He said: “The Court of Appeal ruling held that courts will have the power to stay proceedings and encourage, or even in exceptional cases mandate, parties to use ADR. Crucially this will be the case even if the parties are unwilling to participate in ADR processes such as mediation.

“The decision integrates mediation into the civil justice system and has significant and far-reaching implications for civil litigation in England and Wales. It empowers the courts to play a far more proactive role

in encouraging and at times mandating ADR in appropriate cases.

“This is likely to have a lasting impact on the landscape of civil litigation and the conduct of cases, potentially leading to a more streamlined and costeffective approach to resolving disputes.”

Furley Page offers civil and commercial mediation services which can help preserve personal and business relationships, with the focus on developing effective communication between each party and finding solutions that work for all.

Sarah Hawes from Izzy PR gives her advice on how to get 2024 off to a great start.

“Rule number 1, is that you don’t have to do it all – good marketing is on the right channels, with the right message, in the right way, at the right time.

Plan carefully.”

1: Review your target audience – has it changed, are there new ones, some need to come off?

2: Review your key messages – are you telling your customers what they want and need to know?

3: Make a plan – tell the right people, the right messages, at the right time. Points 1 and 2 will make this easier!

4: Customer service – can you improve anywhere? It’s such a big deal – make sure you’re getting it right.

As a professional creative agency with decades of experience and a diverse client base, Howell & Hicks has seen LOTS of design briefs – some good, and some not so good!

But using these 10 headings should give your agency or designer the information they need to produce outstanding work that delivers impressive results for your business…

1. Project Overview: the purpose and scope of the project, and any desired outcomes.

Mediation allows the parties to stay in control and, unlike the court system, parties can decide how they want to resolve the dispute, with either side able to refuse an outcome they are unhappy with.

2. Detailed Information about the Product/Service: name, features, USPs, any current issues.

Generally mediation is much quicker and much less expensive than going to court, and provides a safe, supportive and confidential way of resolving disagreements.

4. Design Objectives: what does the creative output need to do?

Raise awareness? Convey product benefits? Create an emotional connection?

For further information please visit: www.furleypage.co.uk

Where to start with your marketing in 2024

Marketing is a really important part of your business strategy, guiding your activity and leading to growth.

Design Brief

5: Reviews & case studies – ask for reviews so others know you are good! Present case studies to show more in-depth, what you do.

6: Referral scheme – reward your loyal brand ambassadors.

7: Advertising – are there opportunities you should be taking up and creating budget for?

8: Editorial – are there publications who can take your information, story or opinion piece?

9: Branding – is it saying the right thing about your company and what you do? Is it clear and professional?

10: Networking – get out there in 2024 and meet people to talk about your business, plus find out about theirs too! Connections are vital in business! izzypr.co.uk

3. Target Audiences: customer demographics, preferences, and known behaviours.

5. Competitor Analysis: what works well in competitor designs? And how can you differentiate yourself?

6. Regulatory/Legal: e.g. labelling mandatories, material compliance, consumer claims etc.

7. Brand Identity and Guidelines: define your brand including its values, personality, and market positioning. Share any existing brand guidelines or design elements that need to be followed or included.

8. Extra Visual and Creative Direction: mood boards, colour preferences, typography choices etc.

9. Deliverables and Submission Details: what do you need/expect (visuals, print-ready files, editable graphics, prototypes etc.?) And how, where, and to who, should each stage of work be submitted?

10. Budget and Timeline: any financial or time constraints, key milestones, deadlines etc.

For further information visit: Howell & Hicks Creative: www.hh-creative.com Thinking Business

21

Skills

The Christmas Pudding of Life If life was a Christmas Pudding, then education would be the flour.

It’s not going to deliver a delicious festive treat all on its own, but combined with all the other ingredients, it becomes something meaningful and delicious.

Christmas may well be a distant memory for most at this point, but when thinking about skills, there’s quite a nice analogy that I thought of during the festive break. If life is a Christmas pudding, then surely education is the flour. So why do I think this, and what on earth does it mean? Well, it’s fairly simple really. Although education’s incredibly important in delivering the skills required for an area, it won’t do everything on its own, as it takes more than just that to create a great place to live, in exactly the same way that flour is never going to deliver a delicious festive treat without a multitude of ingredients alongside it.

So, what exactly are the other ingredients of this Christmas pudding of life? Well, there are certainly a few and they’re many and varied, but here are some things I feel are key. Across Kent one key ingredient that’s already in place is infrastructure – though we probably all feel we could do with a touch more at times. With strong links from the railways that speed us up to London and take freight from the continent, all the way through to the key arterial roads and our county’s docks that open Kent up and make us the gateway to Europe. Housing too,

22 Thinking Business

is a core ingredient in this Christmas pudding of life, with more exciting largescale developments taking place in Kent than in many other parts of the country. Jobs are also a key element of this place-making pudding too.

And whilst we witnessed some tough times through the pandemic, Kent rebounded strongly and continues to tell a positive story. And then there are the social factors – the mix of people and their demographic segments, family units, political beliefs, and of course education opportunities.

These different ingredients – alongside many others I’ve neglected to mention – bind to create our societies, and our communities. And it’s just these communities which our Group of Colleges seeks to improve – either through delivering the best, most relevant curriculum we can, or through developing all of our students in an holistic manner, to ensure they ‘buy in’ to their community.

That’s the reason the Local Skills Improvement Plan is so powerful and why we spend so long considering how we can meet local needs in delivering our education; ensuring we are offering the best possible opportunities for young people, which

meet the needs of the community and local employers, makes what our Group does – namely delivering education – more meaningful. It means that we are helping to develop the area’s community more, not just its peoples’ skills. It makes our brand of further education less one dimensional, helping to develop more than just an individual’s skillset.

And that’s essentially the mission for East Kent Colleges Group; we are committed to developing the social and economic prosperity and well-being of the diverse communities we serve.

So, to return to my original analogy, whilst Christmas may be a distant memory as we move into Spring (and hopefully some warmer weather), we should all keep that great Christmas Pudding of life in mind. And I firmly believe that education – and more specifically further education – has a key part to play. It’s about developing the whole place, not just the people, and delivering a great community.

I’m glad that our Group has the strong local partners, and the vision, to ensure that we’re doing all we can to achieve this in the future.

By Jamie Weir

EKC EKC Training Training

Train Train your your team, team, see see the the difference difference Skills training and CPD are the best ways to enhance your team’s skillset, Skills training and CPDcreativity are the best to enhance team’s skillset, boosting productivity, and ways staff retention in your the process.

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Cover Feature | Education and Skills

Introducing new skills into the workplace

Recruitment can be a challenge for every business but working with your local university could be the answer. From work placements to summer internships, as well as the opportunity to upskill your current workforce, there are lots of ways to solve those recruitment and skills shortage woes.

If, like many companies, you’ve struggled to recruit new staff or to find the right skillsets since Brexit and the pandemic, you may want to consider working with a local university.

Higher education institutions offer a myriad of ways to bring new skills into the workplace, allowing you to improve productivity, introduce fresh, innovative ideas and to be in a position to consider legacy planning: • Year-in-industry – many students have the option of a sandwich degree course that allows them to spend their third year in paid employment before their final year. This offers a mutual opportunity to see if the student is the right fit for your company and for them to try out a particular industry/sector. A high percentage of students end up working permanently for the business once they have graduated.

• Summer internship – a student spends a few months working on a specific project for you during their summer holidays. Again, this offers a business the opportunity to see if the student is a good fit for future opportunities.

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• Student projects – a business provides a project brief to a university for groups of students to work on as part of their degree.

This is a win-win situation: students gain experience working on a ‘real world problem’ and the business can gain several different and innovative solutions and ideas to take forward. Canterbury Christ Church University is one of only a handful of institutions that offers the worldwide CDIO™ INITIATIVE (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) for engineering, design and technology projects.

• Design your own graduate scheme – Canterbury Christ Church University houses its own recruitment agency that can work with you to offer a graduate scheme.

• Upskill your staff – universities offer a wide range of CPD and postgraduate courses as well as the Help to Grow: Management Course that is 90 per cent funded by the Government. Investing in your staff makes them feel valued and supports retention.

• Apprenticeships – existing staff or new recruits can access apprenticeships at different levels, all the way up to level 7 (Master’s). The Apprenticeship Levy covers the cost of training for large companies; smaller companies need only pay 5 per cent towards the cost of training as the Government funds the rest.

• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) – providing up to 75 per cent funding from Government (Innovate UK), a KTP is a threeway partnership between your organisation, a university, and a graduate for long-term, innovative projects (one to three years) that are designed to transform or accelerate your business in some way.

Charlotte Goode is the Knowledge Exchange & Engagement Manager at Canterbury Christ Church University, the no.1 university in the UK for graduates in employment* *HESA: Graduate Outcomes 2023

Cover Feature | Education and Skills

Seven takeaways from the Kent and Medway Business Summit 2024 On 12 January, over 200 business people and academics came together to connect, collaborate and learn at the 7th annual Kent and Medway Business Summit hosted by Kent Business School. Read on for the top takeaways from the day.

Innovation and enterprise remains high on the agenda in a post-LEP world From April 2024, the Government’s sponsorship of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership is set to cease, with many of its functions transitioning to Kent County Council.

Roger Gough, Leader of KCC, sees this as an opportunity to improve on what came before. In the Summit’s opening session, he previewed the Council’s plans to support innovation and enterprise in Kent and Medway with an emphasis on the rejuvenated Kent and Medway Business Fund, the delivery of the Local Skills Improvement Plan and the current consultation on the Local Transport Plan which will support the region’s transition to net zero.

Economic conditions are set to remain challenging into 2024 In an update from the Bank of England, delegates heard that GDP has weakened more than expected and that the labour market remains tight, meaning that the ratio of vacancies to available workers is still high.

On a slightly brighter note for employers struggling to recruit, the market is expected to loosen in the coming months. The Bank of England also reported that both wage and service price inflation fell by more than expected in November, but both remain well above levels consistent with their inflation target.

Building bridges between business and education will drive us down the road to sustainability The appetite for sustainability is there, but the understanding of how it works in a business context is sometimes lacking in young people.

The good news is that the Sustainabilityfocused panel led by Director of Green Business Hub, Martin White, offered lots of advice for businesses who want to turn this

around. Josh Pitman, Managing Director of Priory Direct, recommended others follow in his footsteps as a guest lecturer at Kent Business School, and Paul Gannaway, Director at Betteridge & Milsom, encouraged businesses to take advantage of the Government’s apprenticeship scheme. Connecting with local further and higher education institutions can create further opportunities to improve sustainability – as proved by Priory Direct which is now working with Kent academics to improve the sustainability of their services via a Government-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

Experience-based recruitment is out: skills-based recruitment is in Despite many businesses in Kent and Medway still struggling to recruit, the Skills-focused panel, led by Professor Patricia Lewis from Kent Business School, concluded that the region isn’t short of a skilled workforce; skilled workers are just underutilised.

The panellists proposed a number of solutions to this problem. Dr Joel Montgomery is working with Kent Refugee Action Network to examine how businesses can draw on the highly skilled but marginalised refugee community, whilst John Parkinson, Director of HR GO, has partnered with Kent academics to use machine learning to help businesses understand where skills will transfer within a company. In the future, he predicts that more businesses will prioritise skills over experience in the recruitment process, of which the panel agreed leadership and management are some of the most sought after.

It’s time for a Ministry of Joined-Up Thinking!

Even those who have never stepped foot in court were able to relate to the frustrations that Barrister and Head of Leverets Group, Rupert Butler, has to contend with when dealing with the UK court system.

But that is exactly what businesses need if we’re to increase productivity according to the panel led by Deputy Dean of Kent Business School, Professor Catherine Robinson.

To exemplify this, the Founder of Canterbury Brewers and Distillers and the Foundry Brewpub, Jon Mills, told his story of developing a means to grow speciality mushrooms using the waste grain, heat and water from the whisky distilling process – both improving the sustainability of his business and developing a new product. Ingenious!

There is a wealth of support available for start-ups and scale ups Senior Manager at British Business Bank, Susan Elliott, chaired the Summit’s Finance session, where she was joined by finance experts from Kent Business School, Discovery Park Ventures, Kent County Council’s South East Business Boost and a London-based business advisory and accountancy group.

Symon Barkway, Principal Director of Williams Giles Xeinadin Group said of the company’s support for the event: “The main takeaway from the Summit was to look more into driving sustainability for us and our clients, plus we are also looking to grow ties with the university and collaborate where possible, including support, mentoring and offering placements.”

AI is no match for human creativity… yet Ending the Summit talks on a high note, keynote speaker Dr Esther Fee Feichtner, an expert in AI technology and sound from Munich, posed the question of whether artificial intelligence has become better at generating art than humans. After reflecting on the history of generative AI and its increasing capabilities when it comes to ‘creating’ music, she ended with an exceptional piano improvisation so stirring it was met with a standing ovation from the audience.

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Profile: Skills

Investing in people is proving a winner for Baxall Malcolm Clarke, Managing Director of Baxall Construction, talks to Sarah Dale about why they set up the Baxall Academy and how it’s ensuring the successful future of the 60-year-old firm.

When people find meaningful work and feel that they have a purpose and are recognised for their successes, it leads to positive mental health, resilience and improved performance.

This is why Malcolm Clarke, Managing Director of Baxall Construction, says the Baxall Academy is proving such a success.

The regional contractor, which was established in 1964, recruits at least five new apprentices/ graduates a year who join the programme after completing their A levels or T levels.

They complete a four-year degree course while training at Baxall, “earning and learning”.

“Two pieces of advice I’d give to all young people coming into the built environment sector: Keep developing your knowledge which gives you added power and capability - and never give up.”

One of the “side benefits” but crucial result of the Academy’s implementation and success is its support of employees’ mental health.

The Academy, which was established in 2016, was the brainchild of Baxall Construction Director, Steve Turner, a very much missed member of the team who sadly died a couple of years ago.

“What we have found is that learning gives purpose, something to strive for, something to achieve that takes you above the day job, and it gives you the recognition of that achievement,” he added.

Initially, the Academy was set up for “the youngsters coming into the business” but the senior leadership team soon realised its potential across the whole company.

“It develops resilience that good mental health needs.”

Of a team of around 85 people, there are 28 Mental Health First Aiders, including Malcolm.

“We support all our staff to achieve professional qualifications,” said Malcolm.

The company also provides a mentoring scheme providing a mentor for every new employee for at least the first six months, with apprentices having a mentor throughout their training. This is part of Baxall’s onboarding process which includes department by department induction.

“We encourage and support people’s training in small cohorts so they can support each other. Currently, 84 percent of our staff have professional qualifications, which is unheard of in the sector.”

The Academy works with apprentice organisations, local colleges, the University of Kent and supply chain partners to provide a strategic leadership programme, apprenticeships and continued professional development (CPD) for all staff members.

“We have found that this leads to a supportive network because everyone knows what each other does in each department,” he said.

“The business is 60 years old and there’s a reason why we have survived all these years and it’s our perseverance and resilience.

Its success has led to the firm achieving its Investors in People (Platinum) award.

We have people retiring who have worked here for 30 to 40 years. One director started as an apprentice carpenter straight from school. We paid for him to go to college and he progressed into site management - and that is just one example.”

“Our strategic leadership programme is training the current and future leaders of the business,” he said.

“At senior level, we have now got our eighth person going on the Innovative Future Leadership Programme (IFLP), delivered by SECBE, a non-profit organisation supporting the sector. We want to train the future leaders of our sector and to give them the tools to understand how to do it even better than their predecessors.”

CPD is extremely important to Malcolm and Baxall and regular lunchtime CPDs are provided as well as external programmes.

Baxall Construction joined Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce more than 15 years ago and Malcolm praises the “supportive” network.

“More learning leads to an improved performance,” said Malcolm.

“Their focus on the construction sector is brilliant,” he added.

“The programme – and, indeed, all the training at the Academy – helps the individual’s capability but also the business’ capability.”

“The Academy enables us to focus.

Every project review includes a section on identifying training needs.

“You can form strong relationships with other businesses and I have made a number of work friends through the Chamber.”

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Solutions Provider for the Built Environment

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Advertising Feature

For Green Construction, the Future is now Richard says: ‘Once those drivers are in place, we’ll get some momentum to start upgrading houses. That’s things like eliminating damp and poor ventilation and, and wasting energy through leaky walls, roofs and floors. A cold house is not a healthy house. The first move is probably going be made with local authorities and housing associations upgrading their housing stock.

With 26 million homes across the UK’s existing housing stock that don’t meet current energy efficiency requirements and approximately 460,000 new roles needed within the construction sector, a government grant has been awarded to Midkent College to take forward their innovative ‘Green construction’ plan which equips them to deliver sustainable building training at scale to employers and tradesman in the sector through a broad range of newly developed short courses.

‘Where’s the workforce going to come from to be able to do that? If there’s reskilling, upskilling, that’s going to be required or assessment of competencies before people can go out and carry out these installations, then MidKent College will have the facilities and the resources in place to help.

Richard Wilde, who led the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) bid for MidKent College says the funding will enable them to lead the way, meeting demand for the skills to meet the UK’s commitment to Net Zero 2050.

‘For example, if there is a significant amount of housing stock of solid wall construction then there may be a requirement for external wall insulation in this area. A lot of installers are going to be needed to be able to carry that out.

We want to be able to develop competencies for not only new people coming into the construction industry, but also to upskill and reskill existing people within the construction sector to be able to carry out building fabric measures.

He says: “We already have facilities that we built from the ground upwards that we furnished with training assets for things like air source and ground source heat pumps and renewable energy solutions located in the Skills Factory and Home Energy Centre at the Maidstone Campus that we created from the previous funding.

‘Though those facilities are great for raising awareness around renewable energy solutions and increasing the knowledge that people require to carry out those tasks, what we couldn’t do was develop practical competencies for people like the installers, operatives, and retrofit assessors.

‘The LSIF fund allows us to now expand those facilities with a new building where we can actually deliver those practical competencies. We will have a complete portfolio of training facilities and curriculum to cover all aspects of sustainability awareness right through to retrofit installations.

‘The overall challenge of Net Zero 2050 is not going to move. We have to reach those targets by 2050 and the more we delay, the greater the challenge becomes. One of the biggest challenges is finding the workforce. We want to be proactive in training that workforce.’

Richard Wilde says the ideal – but impossible solution for the 26 million homes that don’t meet current energy efficiency requirements would be to flatten them and rebuild new ones. In construction

28 Thinking Business

‘There’s other roles for designers, retrofit coordinators and managers to be able to specify the right materials and products for certain applications. Selection of the right products and systems is just as important as the installation of them.’

the practical answer is to retrofit the existing homes, and that’s where nearly half a million new jobs will be created.

‘It’s not all going to be new people coming into that sector. 460,000 new roles is obviously quite a hole to fill. What we’re looking at is people moving. It might be somebody that’s reskilling or upskilling to fit into one of those roles.’

MidKent College is preparing for the drivers for change – which could be regulatory or in the form of grants and opportunities.

Another area that green construction training will mitigate is poor retrofit. Richard Wilde says: ‘If we’re not careful, once the retrofit tasks start to roll out across the county, if installers and operatives are not carrying out those retrofit tasks correctly, that’s more damaging than actually not doing any retrofit on those buildings at all. Developing the competencies to be able to carry out those retrofit tasks correctly is essential to what we’re trying to achieve along this path to net zero.’

What’s important now is for us all to have the conversation as to what’s needed and we’re ready to support employers and tradespeople to shape their future workforce and provide the necessary skills.

01634 383080 courses@mkctraining.com www.mkctraining.com

Get paid to learn to code and earn a degree For school leavers aged 18 and over, who aren’t sure whether to jump into the world of work, do an apprenticeship, or go to university, you may like to know that a degree apprenticeship can kickstart your career, while you continue studying.

BAE Systems’ skilled workforce plays a vital role in defending international security, and supporting the UK’s armed forces and security services. Its Rochester site is one of Kent’s biggest employers with more than 1,500 employees.

There are a number of apprentice, undergraduate and graduate opportunities available at Rochester, which is the UK home of the company’s Electronic Systems business.

Adam is also in his second year of the software engineering degree apprenticeship.

He said: “I was thinking of going to university, until I found out I could learn on the job and still get a degree at the end of it.

The apprenticeship removes the need to search for a job as a graduate too – I know it’s a worry for many, as it’s a competitive market.”

Jasmine is in her second year of the software engineering degree apprenticeship.

She said: “I decided not to go to university after my ‘A’ Levels, because computer science is advancing rapidly and I felt that with an apprenticeship I would stay up-to-date, while gaining real work experience.”

“It’s been great to learn on the job during my placements. I’m currently based in the innovation and growth department, which is really exciting. And what’s more, it’s a really positive company culture here. Everyone is nice and I feel supported.”

You could find yourself working on some of the most exciting and high-end aerospace and defence technology in the world, such as augmented reality displays for pilots.

The site is also home to the company’s Faraday Test Centre, where employees conduct extreme environmental and electromagnetic testing. Equipment is certified for flight, and other operations, which helps BAE Systems’ customers to complete their missions safely.

But the application window for apprenticeships closes at the end of February, so don’t delay.

“The transition from sixth form has been really smooth. I wasn’t unfamiliar with programming, as I learnt ‘Python’ in school. BAE Systems introduces ‘C’ and ‘Python’ during year one of the degree apprenticeship, so as well as learning a new programming language, I was taught to use both languages effectively.”

At BAE Systems, you are supported with your ongoing learning and development and your qualifications are fully funded.

There is even a simulation facility where BAE Systems’ own technology is showcased for existing and potential customers.

“So far I’ve been involved with research and development for several projects. One is to do with virtual reality! Another is to do with human-machine interfaces, which I got the chance to present to our senior leadership.”

“I get on really well with my apprentice cohort and I’ve met other software apprentices from around the country when we go to our in-person university week every three months.

I also benefit from flexible work hours, so I can balance my studies and keep up with my sports and social life outside of work!”

BAE Systems in Rochester continues to grow for the future, recruiting for positions across the business. With roles in Operations, Engineering, Project Management, Finance and more, there is a role for you no matter what stage you’re at in your career.

What’s more, tech fans will have the opportunity to embark on BAE Systems’ hardware engineering degree apprenticeship, which is running for the first time at Rochester this year.

To learn more about apprenticeships, internships and graduate programs at BAE Systems, visit: www.baesystems.com/earlycareers

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LSIP

Photo: Pixabay

The Value of Apprenticeships Written by Camilla Maurice - LSIP Project Manager

Technical education has been transformed in recent years through programmes such as apprenticeships and T Levels. National Apprenticeship Week 2024 (5th – 11th Feb) will encourage the wider community to consider and celebrate how technical education can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and employers to develop a workforce with future ready skills.

Together they aim to inspire the nation with engaging stories of apprentices’ progression – the increase in their confidence, skills, knowledge and how apprenticeships have kick-started incredible careers.

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LSIP Here we explore the value of apprenticeships to businesses and why it needs to be a consideration when identifying solutions to the skills gaps and labour shortages in organisations.

A Win-Win for Employers and Future Talent In the dynamic landscape of the modern workforce, employers are constantly seeking innovative ways to cultivate and harness talent. One such approach gaining momentum is apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships are structured training programs that blend on-the-job learning with classroom instruction, offering a unique avenue for individuals to develop their skills while providing employers with a valuable resource pool. In this article, we will explore what apprenticeships are and why employers should actively engage in the process, highlighting the myriad of benefits they can bring to businesses.

Understanding Apprenticeships Apprenticeships have a rich history, dating back to the medieval guilds where master craftsmen would pass on their skills to the next generation. Today, apprenticeships have evolved into a formalised system that combines practical experience with theoretical knowledge. Apprentices typically split their time between on-the-job training, working alongside experienced professionals, and classroom-based instruction.

Why Employers should embrace Apprenticeships 1. Skill Tailoring: Apprenticeships allow employers to shape the skills of their workforce according to their specific needs. By actively participating in the training process, businesses can ensure that apprentices acquire the precise skills and knowledge required for their industry.

2. Cost-Effective Talent Development: Hiring and training new employees can be a costly process. Apprenticeships provide a cost-effective solution by allowing employers to “mold” talent from the ground up. This reduces recruitment expenses and ensures that the workforce is equipped with the skills necessary for the company’s success.

3. Reduced Skills Gap: In many industries, there is a widening gap between the skills employees possess and the skills businesses require. Apprenticeships directly address this issue by fostering a direct link between education and industry needs. This helps bridge the skills gap and ensures that the workforce is aligned with the demands of the market.

4. Increased Loyalty and Retention: Apprenticeships create a strong sense of loyalty among employees who appreciate the investment made in their professional development. As a result, businesses often experience higher retention rates, reducing the costs associated with employee turnover.

5. Innovation and Fresh Perspectives: Apprenticeships inject fresh perspectives into the workplace. Young, eager minds bring new ideas and approaches, fostering a culture of innovation. This can be particularly valuable in industries undergoing rapid technological advancements.

7. Enhanced Reputation: Engaging in apprenticeships demonstrates a commitment to talent development and corporate social responsibility. This commitment enhances a company’s reputation, making it an attractive prospect for both potential employees and customers.

Apprenticeships represent a powerful symbiosis between employers and aspiring professionals. By actively participating in apprenticeship programs, businesses can strategically shape their workforce, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. The benefits extend beyond immediate skill acquisition, positively impacting employee loyalty, innovation, and the overall reputation of the company.

As we navigate an era of rapid change, embracing apprenticeships is not just an investment in individuals; it is an investment in the future success of businesses.

National Apprenticeship Week 2024 (5th – 11th Feb) is a week-long celebration that will showcase and celebrate apprenticeship employers, training providers, assessment organisations, apprentices, parents, schools, colleges, and universities. The aim is to promote the benefits of apprenticeships and connected skills offers, showcasing the progression opportunities, exciting new occupational standards, and lots more.

Further information can be found at nationalapprenticeshipweek.co.uk

6. Compliance with Industry Standards: Apprenticeships often adhere to industry standards and regulations, ensuring that employees are trained to meet specific requirements. This can be crucial in sectors where compliance is paramount, such as healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.

Interested in Apprenticeships? Some useful resources for Business below: • • • • • •

Information about Apprenticeships - www.apprenticeships.gov.uk Skills for Careers from the Department for Education - www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education - Link to occupational standards highlighting the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for an apprentice to be competent in their role: www.instituteforapprenticeships.org Employer Training Schemes that can support with staff recruitment and skills development - www.find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk CXK is a charity that delivers career guidance and training programmes to support individuals to build the skills and confidence they need - www.cxk.org The Education Landscape: a Guide for Employers explains what’s changing to support businesses and how to get involved www.educationlandscape.org.uk

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Members News

Warm welcome at ‘home from home’ Two brothers have carved out a niche for themselves offering a “home from home” for those needing a space in Maidstone, Kent.

The accommodation is suitable for all, say the brothers, from “contractors needing a place to relax during busy work periods” to “healthcare professionals seeking a peaceful retreat after demanding shifts”.

CRE Estates says it strives to create a warm, welcoming and supportive atmosphere where guests feel respected, valued and understood, as well as being committed to cleanliness, safety and convenience for its guests.

From the accommodation, there is convenient access to local business hubs and transport links.

For more information visit: www.creestates.com

Photo: Pixabay

CRE Estates, run by brothers Charlie and Matt, offers serviced accommodation space, with each accommodation being fully furnished and offering a variety of amenities.

Plough service ready to keep business moving A fleet of ploughs is at the ready should snow arrive this winter.

Chatham-based Avondale Environmental Services is all set to keep businesses, roads and car parks open if it snows.

Their fleet of snow ploughs can be deployed across Kent, Sussex and Essex to help clear entrances and

exits, driveways, car parks and access roads. Provided with an operator, the service is designed to provide quick, safe and efficient clearance across the area.

It is currently a reactive service, but new MD Danny Patel plans by next year to have contracts in place for customers who need their businesses to be cleared of snow

in order to remain open for staff, customers or deliveries. Avondale is working with a mix of local authorities, private and residential clients including parish councils, highways, railways and more.

To book the plough service or find out more, go to www.avondaleuk.com

Seven steps to boosting your business A1WebStats has helped thousands of companies gain more business over the past two decades.

Andy Harris’s Canterbury-based company specialises in helping micro to SME-sized companies in the UK and worldwide understand where they could be gaining more business from their website visitors, having worked with more than 6,000 websites over the past 20 years.

Here, Andy shares his seven easy steps to getting more enquiries from your website visitors:

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Step 1

Go to the websites of several of your competitors.

Step 2

Look for things they’ve done well on their website pages (e.g. video, live chat, case studies relevant to the service/product being viewed).

Think like a potential client would – what would impress them (but that you don’t currently have as strong on your own website)?

Screenshot those and paste into a Microsoft Word document for later reference.

Step 3 Look through your document full of all the positives you’ve taken from competitors’ websites and discuss them with others within your business or outside.

Step 5

Combined input will help you identify priority areas to focus on, allowing for time and financial resources available. Agree on your first priority to strengthen your website.

Step 6

Step 4 Add 30-45 minutes per day into your calendar every day for the next few weeks and work on the first priority that you identified.

Wait for the increase in website enquiries because your website will be stronger than the combination of all of your competitors.

Repeat this process, using the 30-45 minutes per day, until you have worked through all the Word document points you’re going to address.

Congratulate yourself on combining the best elements from multiple competitors into your website.

Step 7

www.a1webstats.com

Members News

From mailroom to boardroom

Data protection compliance crucial in marketing

Podcast host Matt Sims began his career as a Postal Worker at Royal Mail in 2001.

5. How are you going to share your database securely with your agency?

When working with a marketing agency, data protection compliance is paramount, says Judith Andrews.

6. Have you been asked to “prove” you have consent of the individuals on your database?

Judith, of Business Tamer, specialists in GDPR and data protection, advises organisations in how marketing agencies should use and protect the information that is shared with them for marketing purposes.

7. Have you carried out a Legitimate Interest Assessment with them to ascertain any impact on the individuals on your email list?

8. Have you checked which email system (Mailerlite, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Salesforce) will be used? Is this your own account or that of the third party?

If your organisation is working with a marketing agency, says Judith, it’s crucial to ensure they are compliant with the UK’s data protection framework, and here she shares 10 important questions that organisations should be asking:

9. Can you be confident that they will not use your data for their own purposes and that they will keep it secure?

1. Do they have an up-to-date privacy notice?

2. Are they registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for data protection?

10. When the contract ends, will your agency comply with the terms of your sharing agreement/contract?

3. Does your contract with them address data protection and GDPR? 4. If your existing contract does not address data protection and GDPR, have you put a separate data sharing/processing agreement in place?

Ticking all of these boxes will give you the peace of mind that all your data sharing and communications are being carried out responsibly and within GDPR rules, says Judith. www.businesstamer.co.uk

His ‘mailroom to boardroom’ story saw Matt rapidly rise through the ranks, culminating in pivotal senior roles at Amazon, thanks to his dedication to people and drive for efficiency.

At Amazon, Matt led ground-breaking initiatives, masterminding the Lean and Continuous Improvement development model, establishing global standards and revolutionising frontline Learning & Development.

Matt is the dynamic force behind the widely acclaimed Ever-So-Lean Podcast. This platform goes beyond entertainment, offering an exploration of business excellence, leadership and continuous improvement to a global audience. Whether on his podcast or at his engagements as a speaker, he loves to connect with his audience.

For more information, visit: ever-so-lean.podbean.com

Clients are at the centre of Knights Clients are at the heart of legal and professional services business, Knights.

Priding themselves on offering a “completely client centric approach”, the business has branches in 23 locations across the UK to be close to its client base and build strong, local market knowledge and networks.

Knights, which has more than 1,500 employees, provides a full service offering to corporate clients as well as synergistic services to high net-worth individuals who are often clients of its corporate and commercial services.

Ellen Lambert, Client Services Director for Knights’ Kings Hill office, looks after the

team in Kent. A practising Solicitor with 20 years’ experience, she specialises in tax, trusts, wills and estates.

“We build longstanding relationships with a range of clients from multi-national corporations to national corporates and small and medium enterprises,” said Ellen.

“We are proud to work with a highly diversified client base of more than 10,000 businesses, including over 45 FTSE 250 companies, and high net-worth individuals.

“What makes us special is the great relationships Knights has with both clients and other professionals.

“That local expertise is underpinned by a national team of legal services professionals helping to get the best outcome for clients.

Free from the usual billing and time recording targets, we can focus solely on our clients’ best interests and how best to achieve their objectives. We offer a completely client centric approach.

“We have a first-class team with huge capability. I expect to see what we do, and the number of people doing it here, expand as our reputation builds in the South East and beyond.” www.knightsplc.com Thinking Business

33

Members News

Boosting charity success through data insights

It’s a tough time for charities – with belts tightened and a watchful eye on spending, financial support from donors needs to be carefully nurtured.

Angela Hall from The Insight House specialises in using data to inform marketing strategy and reveals how charities understanding their data can boost their marketing success.

Knowledge is captured every time supporters interact, she explains – when they open an email, sign up for a newsletter, join a volunteering project, or support online.

All this vital detail, once brought together in the same place, gives you insights that can inform a charity’s marketing strategy and content.

Using your data to refresh your marketing strategy and content will: • Retain current supporters at their current donation level • Increase support from current supporters without risking cancellation of membership/support • Convert one-off supporters to regular givers • Increase conversion from current marketing – newsletters and events, for example.

When considering how to use data for proactive marketing purposes, Angela explains, organisations need to know the best way to converse with their supporters to drive loyalty, engagement and value, the right timing and to understand short versus long-term value. This gives the charity the ability to choose the best strategy to apply to each donor or member, whether it be membership renewal communications, an increased support campaign, conversion of one-off donors to regular supporters or reactivating lapsed memberships.

For more information, see www.insighthouse.co.uk

34 Thinking Business

Brachers awarded Best Companies accreditation as a ‘very good’ place to work Chamber Patron Brachers is celebrating its accreditation by Best Companies as a ‘very good’ place to work, recognising the firm’s high levels of employee engagement and commitment to creating a better workplace for its staff.

Best Companies is a leading employee engagement specialist, and their accreditation programme is recognised as the standard for workplace engagement. The programme uses a data-driven methodology to score organisations, based on feedback from employees on eight workplace factors including leadership, personal growth, wellbeing and fair deal.

Organisations who achieve the highest levels of workplace engagement are accredited with ‘best company to work for’ status, with good levels achieving ‘one to watch’ status, very good levels achieving one-star, excellent levels achieving two stars and world class levels achieving the highest accolade, three stars.

Brachers’ one-star status is the outcome of staff feedback on life at the firm, with 88% of staff saying they felt proud to work for the organisation, and the same percentage expressing they feel they make a valuable contribution to the success of the firm.

The accreditation also comes almost exactly a year after the firm invested in refurbishing its Maidstone offices to create a more welcoming, inclusive, and productive workplace for staff.

The offices were transformed into a modern, open-plan layout with dedicated collaboration

Brachers Shirley, Jo, Nervin and Angela at Somerfield House

and social spaces, driven by an emphasis on fostering a space where staff feel happy and able to work effectively and efficiently.

Joanna Worby Managing Partner said: “At Brachers, our greatest asset is our people. Being recognised as a ‘very good’ place to work is testament to the vibrant and inclusive culture that we have nurtured here and which each of our employees contribute to every day. We’re committed to creating a workplace where collaboration and innovation thrive, and employees feel empowered to reach their potential. This accreditation affirms we are on the right track and inspires us to continue listening to our staff and striving for excellence.”

Michelle Perry, HR Director, said: “Our accreditation reflects our commitment to create a truly exceptional employee experience.

We’re very proud of the initiatives we’ve implemented which support professional development and protect and enhance the wellbeing of our staff. We’ve also worked hard to amplify our employees’ voices, including through the Best Companies b-Heard survey. We’re determined to build on the feedback from our staff to make Brachers an even better place to work, where everyone can thrive and feel valued.” www.brachers.co.uk

Helping employers to support carers as new Act comes into force A charity is supporting new rights for working carers with a training programme designed to help employers support carers in the workforce.

Charity, Carers’ Support East Kent, is running its employer training and support programme to ensure local employers have the knowledge and skills to support carers in their organisations. This comes in time for the Carer’s Leave Act 2024, set to be enacted on April 6, under which employees will be given new statutory rights.

The charity states that one in nine people in Kent look after a relative or friend who could not manage without their support. They do this all year round and perform a valuable and often invisible role in society. Three in five people will become a carer at some point in their lives. It can happen at any time and to anyone, and it has a huge impact on a person’s life, says the charity. Many of these carers will find themselves having to take time out of work to care for someone else at some point during their working life.

It is estimated there are 2.5 million unpaid carers in employment (Census 2021) with 600 people each day, on average, leaving work to care and 75% of carers in employment worrying about continuing to juggle work and care (Carers UK, State of Caring 2022).

Local employers can get in touch for more details about Carers’ Support East Kent’s employer training and support programme by contacting Kevin Fordham at www.carersek.org.uk.

Growth Programme

Grow your business in 2024 with the

Canterbury Growth Programme If you have the capacity and ambition to grow your business in 2024 and you are based in the Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay area then you should consider signing up for the Canterbury Growth Programme.

Run by Canterbury City Council in a partnership with Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, we are looking to bring on 23 ambitious businesses for 2024: 8 start-up businesses (up to 2 years old with capacity for growth and ideally having funding for investment) and 15 companies who wish to scale up.

What participants from Cohort 1 are saying: ‘I met Philip in a previous support programme provided by the Chamber during Covid and was delighted to continue the support through the Canterbury Growth

The programme will include 12 months of 1-2-1 support with a business advisor with a track record of success as well as peer-to-peer networking.

Programme. Philip is so good and

Starting in March 2024 this is the perfect time to look at your business in line with your goals for the year and really make a difference with the benefit of guided support.

numbers’ in my business to help me grow. In fact, my business has grown

How will your business benefit?

Philip and is still on a sharp trajectory

This programme really works. Past programme participants collectively benefitted from increased growth including: • £4,236,000 increase in turnover

has taught me to understand ‘the

30% since starting working with which is invaluable’.

M Selby

• £1,020,00 of capital investment

‘The programme is well worth

• created 47 new jobs

the time and effort. I have found

• received £237,000 in grant funding

the consultants to be skilled and

Interested? What to do next: To find out more simply complete the Expression of Interest form (http://bit.ly/CCC-Growth) and one of our Business Navigators will be in touch.

professional and it has been nice to meet other business owners in other business sectors’.

C Wilse

Thinking Business

35

International Trade

Uncertain times ahead for global trade

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed there was a pick-up in some export sectors in goods trade with the EU and services remained steady for a further month, but other indicators for November were weak.

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The positives are, there was a pick-up in some export sectors in goods trade with the EU, particularly in automotive sales. Services also remained steady for a further month, with only very small declines. But other indicators for November were weak, particularly on imports.

“Looking ahead the picture is only likely to worsen as the effects of the disruption to shipping in the Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal, begin to be fully felt. The Kiel Institute this week estimated global trade fell by 1.3% in December due to the initial impact.

36 Thinking Business

“These are stark numbers – the fall in containers taking this route, from the East, amounts to 300,000 per day. This suggests only 40% of normal sea freight traffic is currently travelling via the Red Sea. This is a significant challenge, especially when combined with the other global headwinds which traders are facing in the early weeks of 2024.”

The UK trade picture in detail

There has been a steady performance for UK services exports in 2023 but this latest data shows a further decline in UK trade in goods, for both imports and exports. This is mainly due to a decline in trade flows with the rest of the world. The trade surplus in services declined slightly in the three months to November, but the trade in goods deficit widened slightly.

Goods Imports

Overall goods imports volumes fell by 3.8% (£1.5 billion) in November. The main falls in purchases from the EU were in machinery and transport equipment (including aircraft from Germany).

Goods imports volumes from the rest of the world fell by 6.5% (£1.1 billion), driven largely by lower sales of cars, electrical machinery and inorganic chemicals imports from China, and reduced imports of pharmaceutical and medicinal products from Switzerland. On the current prices measure, goods import values from the EU fell by £0.5 billion (1.7%), while the rest of the world saw import values drop by £1.1 billion (5.4%) over the same period.

Overall, goods imports fell by 3.3% (£1.6 billion) on that measure.

Photo: Pixabay

International Trade

BCC welcomes UK financial services deal with Switzerland The British Chambers of Commerce has welcomed the news that the UK has signed a first-of-its-kind financial services agreement with Switzerland.

The Berne Financial Services Agreement

has been formed to make it easier for UK

businesses to provide financial services to

the Swiss domestic market, and vice versa.

Reacting to the agreement, William Bain,

Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers

❛❛

Looking ahead the picture is only likely to worsen as the effects of the disruption to shipping in the Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal, begin to be fully felt. The Kiel Institute this week estimated global trade fell by 1.3% in December due to the initial impact.

❜❜

Goods Exports

Overall goods exports volumes in November fell by 2.8% (£0.7 billion). The significant falls in goods export volumes to the EU over the previous two months of 3.4% and 7% respectively were reversed in November with a modest rise of 0.6% (£0.1 billion).

This was connected to a rise in machinery and transport goods sales, including cars to Italy.

Goods exports volumes to the rest of the world fell by 5.9% (£0.8 billion), with lower exports of fuels (particularly crude oil) and material manufactures being the key drivers.

On the current prices measure, without inflationary effects being removed, EU goods

export values rose by £0.2 billion (1.2%) and non-EU goods fell by £0.8 billion (5.0%).

The combined figure shows goods exports falling in value by £0.6 billion (2.0%).

Services

On services, import and export volumes both fell slightly by £0.1 billion. On the current prices measure, there were also slight falls in both import and export values of £0.1 billion. Services exports in November were 12% higher, excluding inflation, than in February 2020.

More detail on the ONS data can be found at https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/ nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/ bulletins/uktrade/november2023.

of Commerce, said: “Switzerland is one of the largest global markets for UK services

– accounting for 3.8% of total UK services

exports during 2023, with financial services worth £2.7 billion per annum alone.

“This Agreement creates new opportunities based upon mutual recognition while

preserving regulatory autonomy in those

affected sectors of financial services. With

85% of UK services exports being delivered

digitally, this deal offers strong market access to UK based financial services companies, and Swiss firms alike.

“We hope 2024 will see the negotiation of a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with Switzerland building upon this

announcement. Any FTA should preserve

the right of in-person travel and access for

service provision for those businesses who need that. We also hope a bespoke trade

deal will also advance mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the UK

and Switzerland. Any agreement should also have strong provisions to develop digital trade between the two countries.

Thinking ThinkingBusiness Business

37 37

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Business confidence boost fails to revive investment Despite inflation continuing to ease, more firms are expecting their prices to rise, compared with the last quarter – 47% of respondents are predicting an increase (41% in Q3), 49% think prices will stay the same, and 4% are anticipating a decrease.

While inflation remains firms’ biggest concern (58%), a recent trend in rising worries over interest rates has eased.

39% of businesses say they are concerned about the cost of borrowing, compared with 41% in Q2 and 45% in Q3. These figures remain high compared with the pre-Covid trend.

The British Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey, the UK’s largest and longest-running independent business survey, shows a small rise in business confidence in the final quarter of 2023.

The percentage of firms expecting an increase in turnover over the next year (56%) has risen to the highest level since Q1 2022 when Covid restrictions were lifted.

The data also reveals that more firms expect price hikes, ending the downward trend of the last two years.

The survey, conducted in November, of more than 5,000 firms across the UK – 91% of whom are SMEs – also reveals business performance across different sectors varies considerably.

The percentage of respondents reporting increased domestic

sales rose slightly to 36%, compared with 35% in Q3.

Meanwhile, 22% reported a decrease and 42% said sales had remained constant.

There were significant sectoral differences, for example, 46% of consumer services firms said they had seen a boost in sales, whereas 35% of hospitality companies and 28% of retailers saw a decrease.

The percentage of firms expecting to see their turnover increase over the next 12 months increased to 56%, from 53% in Q3. Only 15% of respondents are expecting to see their financial situation worsen in the year ahead, with 29% expecting things to remain the same.

Profitability confidence has also improved, with 47% of companies saying they expect profits to increase in the next year (45% in Q3), whereas 21% believe their profits will fall.

Overall, the percentage of respondents reporting an increase to investment in plant/ equipment has increased only slightly from 23% in Q3 to 24% in Q4 and 58% of businesses said investment had remained the same, 19% reported a decrease.

There are large sectoral disparities in investment levels: 32% of hospitality sector firms say they have decreased investment, and 19% have increased. Meanwhile, in the transport and logistics sector, 36% of respondents reported a rise in investment – only 18% a decrease.

David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “The latest QES results show steadily growing confidence among UK SMEs, particularly compared to this time last year, when the UK was beset by a significant energy price shock and political instability.

However, while it’s likely the UK will avoid a technical recession, these results provide more evidence of a very low growth climate as most SMEs continue to report no improvement to sales, cash flow, or investment.”

Economy

Economic growth remains fragile

The risk of recession remains despite stronger retail sales helping the UK’s economy to bounce back in November.

The economy grew by 0.3% in November, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), after it shrank during the previous months.

Black Friday sales boosted retailers in the last quarter of 2023, but the ONS said the economy had shown “little growth” over the past year.

Alex Veitch, Director of Policy and Insight at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Today’s ONS data, showing GDP grew 0.3% in November, but fell 0.2% in the three months to then, indicates how fragile UK economic growth is right now.

“It’s likely the economy will be stuck in the slow lane for the foreseeable future.

Our latest Quarterly Economic Forecast expects growth below 1.0% for the next two years.

“The Chancellor’s decision to make full expensing permanent was welcome, but more needs to be done to help businesses invest and drive economic growth. Despite the headline rate of inflation easing, firms are continuing to battle with high interest rates, recruitment difficulties, and tough international trading conditions.

“Businesses are crying out for a longterm economic plan that prioritises growth. In the upcoming budget, and the election campaign to come, that must be the priority for all politicians.”

The BCC’s latest Quarterly Economic Forecast expects UK GDP growth to flatline for the next three years. In the short term, the BCC is expecting 0.6% growth for the whole of 2023, falling to 0.4% in 2024 and rising slightly to 0.6% in 2025. Prolonged high interest rates, trade barriers, particularly with the EU, and limits on consumer spending are all seen to feed into a low growth climate.

Thinking Business

39

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CHAMBER

CHAMBER HR

ChamberHR is a valuable support service for any business that is currently employing people. For a small business with no in-house specialists it is an essential asset, as all the expertise needed is easily accessible. For the larger SME which does have some in-house resource it is a vital support for that department. Many large companies also use it to help them with complex cases.

CHAMBER H&S

Chamber H&S is the easy way to ensure your business is health & safety compliant. Every business, even those under five staff, must be compliant with health and safety regulations so for those with no in-house expertise this service is perfect. It can also support all SME businesses with their health and safety compliance.

CHAMBER TAX Chamber Tax is ideal for any business that needs some free professional advice. You have access to our Tax and VAT line for any enquiries you may have.

CHAMBER LEGAL Chamber Legal is perfect for all businesses, but particularly for small businesses and sole traders who may not have any in-house legal expertise. You also have access to Legal Expenses Insurance to deal with a full HMRC and aspect enquiry, PAYE and VAT disuputes.

Find out more on www.kentinvictachamber.co.uk/member-benefits

Every month we bring you a mix of information sessions, networking events, workshops and training sessions with some of the top local business professionals from an array of different industries. Each event is designed to offer invaluable up-to-date information tailored to our attendee’s wants and needs, as well as networking opportunities to help you grow your business.

With a mix of events held online and face to face across Kent, you’re sure to find the right one for you.

Annual General Meeting and Networking

West Kent Expo 2024

12:00pm - 2:00pm, Members Only Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, Ashford Friday 1st March 2024

10:00am - 3:00pm The River Centre, Medway Wharf Road, Tonbridge Thursday 14th March 2024

The Annual General Meeting is an opportunity for members to hear

With around 40 local West Kent business stands we are so excited to be joining others to celebrate the businesses of West Kent.

from the Chamber and its Board of Directors on activity over the past twelve months.

Do you have a business idea? Are you a sole trader / entrepreneur?

Following the official duties, there will be a chance to network with fellow members over a buffet lunch.

Is your business an SME or a National/Global enterprise?

All are welcome to attend.

In the afternoon, you will also hear from Joe Martin, who will look at the trends in the workplace that some companies are experiencing now and some trends that are predicted down the road.

West Kent is a great place to work, live and do business.

42 Thinking Business

Come and visit the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce stand.

Chamber Connections 10:30am - 12:00pm Members: Free to Attend, Non-Members: £10.00 + VAT Ashford International Hotel, Ashford, Thursday 7th March 2024 Hempstead House Hotel, Sittingbourne, Thursday 4th April 2024 Join others for our very popular Chamber Connections Networking event and receive a warm welcome from your Chamber representative on arrival, who will be on hand to help you meet new members of the business community.

Any business, any size, we know and understand the pressures and ambitions your business has. Imagine what you could achieve being part of a local business community.

Kent Construction Focus Group

Business Bites - ISDN - Ensure You Are Prepared For The 2025 Switch-Off Thursday 8th February 2024 | 1:00pm - 1:30pm Online via Zoom Virtual Business Networking Tuesday 13th February 2024 | 10:30am - 12:00pm Online via Zoom Business Talks – Afternoon Tea and Networking Thursday 22nd February 2024 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm Burlington Hotel, Folkestone, CT20 2HR Virtual Business Networking Tuesday 27th February 2024 | 10:30am - 12:00pm Online via Zoom

7:30am - 9:30am KCFG Members: £22.50 + VAT, Non-Members: £32.50 + VAT The Village Hotel, Maidstone, Tuesday 5th March and 2nd April 2024

Kent And Medway Manufacturing Focus Group Wednesday 28th February 2024 | 12:00pm - 2:00pm Innovation Centre Medway, Chatham, ME5 9FD

Hosted by members of the KCFG committee, Cheryl Causebrook and Ella Brocklebank, we bring you KCFG.

Business Bites – Sickness Absence Thursday 29th February 2024 | 1:00pm - 1:30pm Online via Zoom

The Kent Construction Focus Group (KCFG) is a one-stop-shop for local businesses to discuss the future of Kent development, giving companies access to local knowledge, expertise and contracts. During the morning you will enjoy a full English breakfast which will be followed by a presentation from our guest speakers.

Annual General Meeting and Networking Friday 1st March 2024 | 12:00pm - 2:00pm Kent Invicta Chamber, Ashford, TN24 0LH

Kent And Medway Manufacturing Focus Group

Chamber Connections Networking Thursday 7th March 2024 | 10:30am - 12:00pm Ashford International Hotel, Ashford, TN24 8UX

12:00pm - 2:00pm Free to Attend Innovation Centre, Medway, Wednesday 28th February 2024 Kent & Medway Manufacturing Focus Group (KMFG) is a networking and business group for Manufacturing & Engineering organisations across Kent and Medway offering unique access to peers and colleagues, sector specific information, advice and support.

The group meets every last Wednesday of the month. KMFG is open to all organisations operating or directly supporting the Manufacturing and Engineering sector in Kent & Medway, whether they are Chamber Members or not.

Virtual Business Networking 10:30am - 12:00pm, Online via Zoom Free to Attend Tuesday 13th February 2023 | Tuesday 27th February 2024 Tuesday 12th March 2024 | Tuesday 28th March 2024 Each event will be an eclectic mix of conversation topics as we interview our guest business and encourage questions from the attendees, making sure we bring you the networking event you want to be involved in.

Conversations with our guest speaker will be followed by 3 breakout room sessions where attendees can delve deeper into this discussion, or discuss their own topic in more depth.

Kent Construction Focus Group (KCFG) Tuesday 5th March 2024 | 7:30am - 9:30am The Village Hotel, Maidstone, ME14 3AQ

International Women’s Day Webinar 2024 Friday 8th March 2024 | 10:00am - 11:00am Online via Zoom Virtual Business Networking Tuesday 12th March 2024 | 10:30am - 12:00pm Online via Zoom West Kent Expo ’24 Thursday 14th March 2024 | 10:00am - 3:00pm The River Centre, Medway Wharf Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1RE Business Bites The 10 Commandments of Business Growth Thursday 14th March 2024 | 1:00pm - 1:30pm Online via Zoom Virtual Business Networking Tuesday 26th March 2024 | 10:30am - 12:00pm Online via Zoom Business Bites Thursday 28th March 2024 | 1:00pm - 1:30pm Online via Zoom Kent Construction Focus Group (KCFG) Tuesday 2nd April 2024 | 7:30am - 9:30am The Village Hotel, Forstal Road, Maidstone, ME14 3AQ Chamber Connections Networking Thursday 4th April 2024 | 10:30am - 12:00pm Hempstead House Hotel, Sittingbourne, ME9 9PP

Thinking Business

43

Members News

Austen Allen Homecare wins Best Business in the Care Sector Austen Allen Homecare is thrilled to reflect on a dynamic 2023 which saw the business grow and win a prestigious award.

A significant milestone in the company’s journey was the expansion of its head office, now housed in a spacious threestory building in Dartford Town Centre.

This relocation signifies the company’s remarkable growth and positions it at the heart of a bustling community they have served for 15 years.

The year also brought the expansion of their new Margate Branch, broadening AAH’s reach and impact, allowing them to extend their services to the East Kent region.

Another highlight was their recognition at the Gravesend Business Awards. AAH’s Gravesend branch proudly earned the prestigious title of Best Business in the Care Sector, which acknowledges their dedication to excellence in the field.

In addition to these triumphs, AAH continues to successfully develop N-AbleUK, an intermediate care and support therapy service that plays a pivotal role in enabling individuals to regain independence following hospital discharges. They are also excited to share that they are soon launching their innovative online training system, enhancing their organisation’s workforce development strategy.

With these accomplishments and ongoing initiatives, 2024 holds great promise and dynamism for AAH, positioning them for continued success and impactful contributions in the field of home care. www.aa-homecare.co.uk

44 Thinking Business

Elevate workplace safety with EC Safety Solutions Elevate your workplace safety with EC Safety Solutions, a multi-award-winning Health and Safety Training Consultancy.

In today’s professional landscape, prioritising health and safety is not just a legal necessity but a strategic investment in employee wellbeing and organisational excellence.

Their retained consultancy service specialises in delivering comprehensive health and safety packages tailored to clients’ needs. They believe in cultivating a safety mindset, going beyond checklists to establish a foundation of safety excellence. From policies, procedures and risk assessments to emergency response planning, their experts guide businesses towards a culture of safety that exceeds compliance.

EC Safety Solutions has a team of seasoned professionals with extensive experience in health and safety management. They do not only provide policies and procedures; they ensure a deep understanding of their underlying principles. Their innovative approach includes a secure online portal for retained clients, featuring policy storage, service reminders, training alerts, and easy access electronic apps to keep clients fully compliant.

Their accredited training sessions are tailored to clients’ specific requirements. From interactive classroom sessions to a variety of engaging e-learning modules, they offer scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes.

For more information, visit www.ecsafetysolutions.com

Members News

Planning your renovation project can be stressful

You deserve your perfect home, but it seems impossible to line up the best trades, choose the right colour and design scheme whilst scheduling it efficiently.

How many times have you been let down and are you are starting to wonder if your project will ever happen?

It can be frustrating and overwhelming to fit the running of your project into your daily life and this is when poor choices and mistakes are made. This is normal, and you are not alone. You need the right tools to build a space you will love and feel proud to be your home.

With 26 years’ experience in the property industry, Gloss Enterprises, an awardwinning firm based in Whitstable, can help.

They work alongside qualified, professional trades who take pride in their work. They will help you achieve your transformation on budget and on time.

One Gloss testimonial stated: “Sofia really helped us to visualise the space that we needed. She listened to our needs and expertly helped us achieve the fantastic space we now have. Sofia’s help was invaluable.” www.glossenterprises.co.uk

Introducing HGF Limited a leading European Intellectual Property Firm Intellectual property concerns creations of the mind.

It subsists in the products, services and businesses that we interact with on a daily basis. Your phone for example is likely to contain innovative features that are protected by one or more patents, the brand and any sub-brands are likely to be protected through numerous trademark registrations, the shape of the phone may be the subject of registered design rights and copyright may subsist in any underlying software code. From your favourite beer to your insurance, IP is everywhere.

Protecting IP is often fundamental to the success and growth of a business. It can encourage investment, provide a competitive advantage, generate revenue through licensing and other commercial arrangements, and it provides IP owners with a basis to stop third parties from using or damaging important business assets.

HGF is recognised as one of Europe’s leading Intellectual Property firms. They have more than 190 Patent Attorneys, Trademark Attorneys, Design Attorneys, IP Solicitors and Attorneys-at-law spread across 24 offices in seven European countries - the UK, Ireland,

Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria and France.

They act for a broad spectrum of clients, ranging from individuals and start-ups to well-known multi-national companies, to advise on the protection, enforcement and utilisation of brands, inventions and other intellectual innovations.

Their scale and geographical reach allows them to provide a dynamic, commerciallyfocused and complete IP solution for businesses of all sizes and specialisms. www.hgf.com Thinking Business

45

Business News

Produced in Kent announces Free strategic partnership with small business Kent Food Hubs CIC shout outs on Radio Ashford Produced in Kent, a dynamic community of local growers and artisan producers, is thrilled to announce a significant partnership with Kent Food Hubs CIC, an online sales platform for local sustainable artisan food and drink.

Radio Ashford has been supporting the community for more than 11 years and prides itself on offering low cost and effective advertising and other ways to promote businesses, charities and community groups from Ashford.

Their reach currently on the FM signal is out to Chilham, Tenterden and the outskirts of the Marsh.

They have been given the option

by OFCOM to increase the strength of their FM signal which will be in place by the end of 2024 and they are also awaiting confirmation of a successful bid for the station to also be on DAB. Their average listenership per day is 10,000 to 12,000 with people listening via FM, online or via their smart speakers. They also have a strong social media presence and both the Wake Up with Webbo and Radio Ashford Facebook platforms have more than 5,000 followers.

The radio station offers free small business shout outs every Monday, as well as a range of advertising packages.

For further information visit: radioashford.com

46 Thinking Business

This collaboration marks a pivotal moment for both organisations as they join forces to champion the accessibility of fresh, locally sourced products.

With a central hub in Folkestone, Kent Food Hubs CIC provides a streamlined platform for Produced in Kent members to showcase and sell their highquality goods. This collaboration opens new avenues for local producers to connect with a broader audience and become an integral part of the shopping habits of residents.

“We are excited to strengthen our ties with Produced in Kent and enhance the reach of local produce through Kent Food Hubs,” said Beckie Alves, Codirector at Kent Food Hubs CIC.

“This partnership aligns with our mission to make locally sourced food more accessible to the community and supports the incredible efforts of local growers and artisans.”

Floortje Hoette, CEO at Produced in Kent, said: “It is the strategic aim of Produced in Kent to steer consumers to buying more local and pave the way to a commercially viable local trading infrastructure, and a partnership with Kent Food Hubs is a logical outcome of that aim.

“We like how Kent Food Hubs is committed to achieving a fair price for the producer and

consumer whilst maintaining a high-quality offer of local product, and we are very keen to support them in extending their network across Kent and Medway.”

The Folkestone hub offers a convenient online ordering system, providing customers with an effortless way to access a diverse range of fresh, seasonal products. Kent Food Hubs CIC believes that fostering such collaborations is essential in building a sustainable and resilient local food system.

Produced in Kent members can look forward to the many benefits that come with this partnership, including expanded market reach, increased visibility, and a stronger connection with consumers seeking quality, locally sourced options. www.kentfoodhubs.co.uk

Support our veterans through our team at Kentec Training as they trek the 100km Frontline Walk this October!

We’re excited to announce that Kentec Training’s Dave Keen and Matthew Booker are gearing up for an extraordinary challenge this October – a 100km trek along the historic frontline battlefields of the First World War, organised by the Army Benevolent Fund Charity. This challenging endeavour is both a personal feat and a noble effort to raise over £1250 each to provide vital support to our soldiers, veterans, and their families.

Dave Keen, Kentec’s Training Operations Manager and British Army Veteran, and Matthew Booker, one of Kentec’s Directors, are both driven by a shared sense of duty to give back to those who have sacrificed for our freedom.

Their 3-day journey from Arras, France to Ypres, Belgium, will pass through several historic landscapes and memorials, honouring the memory of those who served while raising funds

to make a meaningful difference in the lives of present-day military personnel and their families.

All of us at Kentec Training rally behind Dave and Matthew, and we encourage others in our industry to support this cause by contributing to their fundraising efforts. Every donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to making a positive impact on those who have dedicated themselves to serving our country.

To donate to this worthy cause, please visit the below link to our Fundraising page on the Army Benevolent Fund website:

events.armybenevolentfund.org/fundraisers/davekeen21871/frontlinewalk-westernfront-2024

New Members

Welcome to our new members Acey Bookkeeping

Rochester 07400 3066 38 aceybookkeeping.co.uk Bookkeeping Services for Large and Small Businesses

ACT Forwarding and Logistics Ltd

Dover 01304 273652 actforwarding.com ACT Forwarding and Logistics have been operating since 1986 and specialise in freight forwarding and customs clearance processes

Adonis Blue Environmental Consultants

Maidstone 0800 009 6054 adonisblueenvironmental.org.uk Part of the Kent Wildlife Trust Group, is an ecological consultancy that provides in-depth and robust ecological and land management advice and, importantly, returns all profits to conservation work in Kent

Alyas International Enterprise

Wye 07391 133687 alyas.co.uk Supplier and consultant for the construction industry. Specializing in protective coatings for flat roofs in the United Kingdom

BGB Brickwork Ltd Ashford 07522 305258 bgbbrickwork.co.uk Brickwork Specialist and Groundwork Contractor

Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust Chatham 01634 823800 thedockyard.co.uk The story of Chatham Dockyard and its people can be discovered in our immersive exhibition galleries, such as Command of the Oceans and The Ropery

CRE Estates

Ashford 07824 388340 creestates.com A rent to serviced accommodation business

Crescent Digital Marketing Sittingbourne 07856 365321 crescentdigitalmarketing.co.uk Digital Marketing

Evelyn Partners

Rochester 07736 465449 partnership.sjp.co.uk Financial Planning

Tunbridge Wells 01892 546546 evelyn.com/about-us UK’s leading integrated wealth management and professional services group, looking after clients’ combined wealth and tax needs, personal and business

Angle Studios

Ever-So-Lean (Shimuzu Media)

Andy Young Financial Planning

Faversham 01304 897330 anglestudios.co.uk Web Design Agency

Barclays Eagle Lab

Sandwich 0345 734 5345 barclays.com A new online learning platform, launched to help tech founders start and scale their businesses

Bareska Creative Ltd

Maidstone 01634 816092 bareska.com Strategic content solutions to boost your sales and future-proof your brand

48 Thinking Business

East Sussex 07749 054446 eversolean.com Host of the Ever-So-Lean Podcast, Event Host, Presenter, Speaker, Content Creator, Voice Artist, Thought-Leader, Podcasting Services, Business Coach, Continuous Improvement Excellence, Transformation and Leadership Consultant

Eye In The Sky Media Services Maidstone 07354 499050 eyeintheskymediaservices.com Aerial and Ground Based Photography and Videography

Henry Schein UK (Holdings) Ltd

Gillingham 01634 877613 henryschein.co.uk A Dental Specialist and Laboratory Supplier

HGF

London 0207 776 5100 hgf.com Intellectual Property Firm

Howden Insurance Maidstone 01622 828658 howdeninsurance.co.uk Insurance Services

HW Media Management

Sittingbourne 07732 779871 hwmediamanagement.co.uk Specialising in B2B and B2C Social Media Management

Jaguar Contract Cleaning Services Maidstone 0800 093 4939 www.jaguarcontractcleaningservices.co.uk Quality Cleaning Services

Lean IA Ltd

Tunbridge Wells 07951 804214 leania.ai Helps small to medium businesses to see where and how to leverage the right AI and automation tools to save time and money

Libra Utility Services

Chatham 01622 562222 librautility.services Drainage, Tankering, Pump Services, Engineering, Industrial and Property Services

Medway Metals Ltd Rochester 01634 297423 medwaymetals.com Scrap Metal Merchants

Mesh Accommodation

Sittingbourne 07786 374299 meshaccommodation.co.uk Serviced Accommodation in Kent

New Members

Enhance Nicola Vinall Early Menopause

Cranbrook 07835 177347 nicolavinall.com Specialising in perimenopause and menopause, helping women feel like themselves again

Oakes Power Services Ltd

Chatham 01634 940796 oakespowerservices.co.uk One of the UK’s leading electrical engineering contractors, specialising in serving the nations rail and private power networks

Odelia Care Services Maidstone 07834 853880 odeliacareservices.com Care Services

One Ashford Hospital Ashford 01233 423000 onehealthcare.co.uk Private Hospital Facility

OP-SMART

Folkestone 01303 904951 op-smart.co.uk Guiding Directors, Business Owners and Department Managers to optimise their business to achieve efficiency, growth and profitability

Pervasive Solutions Group Ltd

Dartford 0333 006 2784 pervasivesolutions-group.com Providing a suite of services to national and international clients including within the verticals of Industrial Training, Medical Training (from First Aid to Trauma based courses), plus both Business and Industry Sector Specific Project Consultancy and R&D activities

PMJ Risk Solutions Ltd

Repham 07367 236362 pmjlimited.com Independent Insurance Brokerage

Real Deal Marketing Sandwich 07917 080507 realdeal-marketing.com Digital Marketing Agency

Protect Shapes

Canterbury 01227 696131 shapes.team Accounting and Marketing for Better Businesses

Site and Search Ltd Larkfield 07880 704348 siteandsearch.com Digital Marketing Agency

Skyfleet Ltd Ashford 01233 730260 skyfleet.com Car Leasing

Strategic Video Partners Canterbury 07919 045722 strategic-video-partners.com Tailored Video Solutions

Survey Design Services and Associated Ltd (SDS) Faversham 01795 594110 surveydesignservices.co.uk Specialists in Construction, Water and Waste, Highways and Rail

Tamu Homes Supported Accommodation Ltd

Surrey 07305 056066 tamuhomes.co.uk Supported Living Accommodation offering support for individuals with diverse needs

The Citadel/Techfort

Dover 07766 680070 thecitadel.co.uk UK’s largest Napoleonic era fortress, The Citadel in Dover, Kent. An historic monument dating back to 1779, embracing a positively modern future

The Fifth Trust

Canterbury 01227 832022 fifthtrust.co.uk Supporting Adults with Learning Disabilities

The Norton Knatchbull School Ashford 01233 620045 nks.kent.sch.uk Grammar School

Connect The Sports Trust

Folkestone 01303 846020 thesportstrust.org Creating inclusive and inspiring environments for people to love sport and exercise, whatever their motivations may be

Think It Simple Ltd

Maidstone 0330 024 0180 thinkitsimple.com Making Business Solutions Simple

Total Electrical Solutions

Ramsgate 01843 855019 totalelec.co.uk Leading Installers of Solar Panels and Renewable Energy

Virtual Recreation Ltd

Ashford 01233 221409 virtualrecreation.co.uk Experience Free Roam VR with up to six players. Our advanced VR technology allows you to explore a fully immersive virtual world with your friends or family, without any cables or heavy backpacks, making it an unforgettable experience

Vitale Digital

Chart Sutton 01622 278007 vitaledigital.co.uk Web, Digital and CRM. Technology and Managed Print Solutions. Consulting

WRS Systems

Newport 0333 996 9566 wrssystems.co.uk WRS Systems is an award-winning company that provides industry-leading, secure Epos solutions to the hospitality, retail, sport and education sectors across the UK, Europe and beyond

Your Virtual PA

Ashford 07922 197614 kellyyourvirtualpa.com Virtual Personal Assistant Thinking Business

49

Last Word

Movers and Shakers

Lizzie Booth Construction Youth Trust Schools and Programmes Coordinator

Lizzie joined Construction Youth Trust after teaching English and Media Studies for 14 years in South London and Hertfordshire. She is enthusiastic about supporting young people to meet their goals and aspirations.

As a neurodivergent person with dyslexia, Lizzie is aware of how barriers to learning and everyday life can affect someone’s chances to thrive. Lizzie wished to enable young people from all backgrounds to break through those barriers and achieve their ambitions.

What was your first job and what was the pay packet?

Working as a Sales Associate in Ernest Jones for £4.85 per hour. I eventually completed their JET training academy courses and specialised in diamonds and fine jewellery.

What do you always carry with you to work?

Laptop, work phone, makeup, hand sanitiser and work keys, with a ridiculous number of keyrings!

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

Funding, getting volunteers to support our sessions and finding entry level opportunities in the construction sector in Kent.

If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change to help business?

More funding for young person focused charities and the work they do in communities.

What can you see from your office window?

In the home office, foxes in the garden. In the work office, the London skyline.

If you could do another job, what would it be?

Novelist, as I love books!

As a businessperson, what are your three main qualities?

Will try my hand at anything. Confident in delivering/public speaking. Team player.

What was your biggest mistake in business?

Overcommitting and then being run ragged.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Go for it. Don’t knock it until you try it.

Keep on top of the figures – they will keep you in the game.

Who do you most admire in business?

As a charity, we have some wonderful funders who make everything we do possible. I admire them all for their commitment to making a difference and impacting young lives.

ThinkingBusiness Business 50 50 Thinking

The Digital Lookout appoints Jake Logan as Head of Design Patron member The Digital Lookout has promoted Graphic Designer Jake Logan to Head of Design.

Managing Director Connor Styche said: “No-one is more surprised than I am at how quickly The Digital Lookout is growing. When my business partner and I launched in July 2021, we had very conservative ambitions of making a living, doing something we enjoy, with a handful of clients.

“Fast forward to where we’re at now - a team of eight, each of us specialising in different areas, and currently advertising for two new people to join the team.

“From the point of first needing to recruit, we knew we wanted to be joined by people who shared our vision; to change the perception of the marketing industry, and to exceed all expectations of what a full-service, construction marketing agency can do.

“Promoting one of our Graphic Designers, Jake, to be our Head of Design says we’re doing just that, and we’re incredibly excited to see him take the creative team to the next level. Jake is a huge asset to the business and we’re confident he’s got an exciting journey ahead of him.”

Jake added: “I am absolutely thrilled and grateful to have

been promoted to Head of Design, a testament to my dedication and hard work.

This achievement fills me with immense joy and a profound sense of accomplishment, marking a significant milestone in my career.” www.thedigitallookout.co.uk

advo is crowned UK’s Advice Firm of the Year

advo has won the UK’s Advice Firm of the Year award at the UK Health & Protection Awards.

The winners of the UK Health & Protection Awards 2023 were announced at a black-tie ceremony at the London Hilton Park Lane where more than 750 industry leaders from both insurers and advisers gathered to celebrate and recognise the industry’s ‘best of the best’ while comedian Russell Kane entertained the audience. advo, which is in its 26th year, also celebrated other wins at the prestigious event. Simon Friday, who heads up advo’s Private Clients team, picked up the award for the UK’s Best Individual Health Insurance Advice Firm and Ellie Sultana, who manages the Employee Benefit Account Manager team, picked up the award for the Best Group Health Insurance Advice Firm.

Another popular win was Luc Genest who walked away with the Outstanding Newcomer Award, an award previously won by Ellie Sultana. advo’s recently retired Head of Private Clients, Sue Smith, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the health and protection industry.

Colin Boxall, who picked up the Adviser of the Year Award,

with Chris McCracken, Sue Smith and Ellie Sultana, said: “This is advo’s best year yet. After all these years our approach remains fresh and innovative. It has been a tough few years for UK business.

It is a testament to the quality of our people that we not only survived but thrived through difficult times. Our people are simply marvellous.” www.advogroup.co.uk

Copy Deadline: News items for the April - May issue to be submitted by 4 March 2024

We pride ourselves on being a local company for local businesses and want to help business owners to be fully compliant at affordable prices.

COURSES ON OFFER FROM OUR TRAINING CENTRE IN STROOD:

• Mental Health First Aid Courses (Various)

• IOSH Managing Safely – recommended for all Managers / Supervisors (3 Days)

• IOSH Safety, Health and Environment for Construction Workers (Needed for the Green CSCS Card – (1 Day)

• Emergency First Aid

in the Workplace (1 Day)

• Manual Handling Training (4 Hours)

• First Aid at Work (3 Days) • First Aid Annual Refresher

• COSHH Awareness

• Basic life support and AED

• Fire Marshal / Warden

(4 Hours)

Use (4 Hours)

(4 Hours)

(4 Hours)

We also design tailored courses for individual company requirements.

A lot of our training can also be delivered online to suit the needs of the learner and company.

0800 193 0246

www.ecsafetysolutions.com