Business Connected Essex October / November by Business Connected

BUSINESS

October / November 2014

CONNECTED ESSEX

THE LEADING COUNTYWIDE B2B MAGAZINE

Also this month: • Networking Events

•W orkplace Feature

• Local News Round Up

• Business Coach News

• HR Update

• Franchise News

• Telecoms

• Cyber Security

Leading B2B Magazine

Business Networking

Featured Local News

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BUSINESS

October / November 2014

CONNECTED ESSEX

THE LEADING COUNTYWIDE B2B MAGAZINE

Also this month: • Networking Events

• Workplace Feature

• Local News Round Up

• Business Coach News

• HR Update

• Franchise News

• Telecoms Leading B2B Magazine

• Cyber Security Business Networking

Featured Local News

Get In Touch Tel: 01702 513113

Email: info@businessconnected.co.uk

Or Visit: www.businessconnected.co.uk Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ BusinessConnected

Welcome... Welcome to the October / November edition of Business Connected Essex. I hope you all enjoyed your summer. In this edition we are proud to announce the launch of the Green Essex awards and the Essex Green 100 a brand new scheme launched and we are excited to be working alongside a great team and sponsors to help bring this much needed award to the county. You can read more about this on page 38 in our local news round up. In this edition we also have some fantastic features including our popular centre spread that showcases a select few of the county’s top business events brought to you by some of our networking partners and friends. Our own events are now in full effect, we offer a Business Connected meeting every Friday at venues across the South East full details are on page 4. You may have first heard about Business Connected through the various social media channels that we operate on, social media is a big part of our business and we have enjoyed a summer of training our clients and running training courses, if you would like some bespoke training then please give us a call on 01702 513113. Don’t forget to visit our website at www.businessconnected.co.uk for up to date business news from around the county. To submit press releases please email pressreleases@businessconnected.co.uk. I would like to thank all our readers and advertisers for your continued support and look forward to working with you in the months and years to come.

Contents 06 Lead Feature 07 Taking the Interior Design Market by Storm 08

Richard Pond Managing Director

12 14

HR Update Attracting and Engaging Older Workers

Workplace Feature Computers Can Hurt You and Your Business

Technology Update Cyber Security - It Does Affect You

20 Essex Networking Events 21 Recommended by Business Connected All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any way without prior written permission of Business Connected Ltd. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions.

24 26 28 32

Printed in the UK by Printwize www.printwize.co.uk

34 38

Franchise News A Five Star Initiative

Business Advice Telecoms - How to Manage Your Costs

Business Coach Successful Juice Experience Leads to Top Coaching Results

Business Advice The True Cost of Printing

Charity News Prostate Cancer - What Every Man Needs to Know

Essex Round Up News From Around The County

www.businessconnected.co.uk

BUSINESS

CONNECTED ESSEX

To book tickets for any Business Connected event please visit: www.businessconnected.co.uk/our-events or call 01702 513113

About us Business Connected is proud to be operating the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier b2b magazine, networking events and online portal that focus on the business community of Essex. We bring local businesses together via the many platforms that we operate. Our magazine is distributed across the whole county in print and online. The business connected website which receives over half a million hits a month is dedicated to up to date business news, a business directory and the number one place to find out whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in Essex. You may have heard about the Business Connected Premier Partner scheme which helps businesses be seen not just in print but also online and through our fantastic social media

To advertise in any of our forthcoming publications or

offering, please see full details opposite.

for any information on anything Business Connected related please call us today on 01702 513113 or email

If you are like us and still like to see potential customers

info@businessconnected.co.uk

regularly face to face then our networking events might be just the answer. We hold four quality business networking events. Details of our upcoming events below. At all events we follow the same proven formula, we send delegate lists out in advance, have plenty of time to network, listen to one or two short but informative talks and get fed well. We always make sure there is a real focus on networking. Still not convinced? Then have a look at the videos of our events at www.businessconnected.co.uk, you can also book your tickets here. Business Connected

Business Connected

@Essex Cricket Club

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Next event 3rd October

Next event 10th October

Next event 17th October

Next event 24th October

and then the 1st Friday of

and then the 2nd Friday of

and then the 3rd Friday

and then the 4th Friday of

every month

of every month

every month

www.businessconnected.co.uk

The Business Connected

Premier Partner Scheme Exclusivity – We only work with one company of any type within the county.

Business Connected Magazine – A full page advertisement in every edition of this magazine, we print and distribute 6000 copies, email 50,000 copies as well as uploading to the Business Connected website and social media sites.

Social Media – Yes you may have a Twitter / LinkedIn / Facebook account but how about a helping hand, we can set up and run your account, interact as a “raving fan” or simply come over and give you regular training to all your staff.

Email Campaigns – Need to get the message out to the masses? we have a number of options which we can tailor to suit the needs of your business.

Networking Events – Many people know Business Connected from our countywide events and we want you to be part of them, fancy being a speaker or displaying your banner at all our events?

Website – Our Business Connected website gets thousands of visitors a day, being a countywide news based website we are the number one place to find business news.

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ANK LIMITED IS A MEMBER OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPENSATION SCHEME. * AER STANDS FOR ANNUAL

Banking

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Specialising in Business Recovery and Turnaround, Corporate Insolvency Founded in 1997, Antony BattyBatty & Co&LLP is anisestablished and and well well Founded in 1997, Antony Co LLP an established and Financial Restructuring, the Brentwood office is headed up respected Insolvency Practice withwith offices in London and and Brentwood. respected Insolvency Practice offices in London Brentwood. by Nicole Southwell who has over 22 yearsNicole experience in helping Southwell Nicole Southwell Specialising in Business Recovery and and Turnaround, Corporate Insolvency Specialising in Business Recovery Turnaround, Corporate Insolvency Head Head of ABC of Brentwood ABC Brentwood businesses across Essex and the UK. and and Financial Restructuring, the Brentwood office is headed up up Financial Restructuring, the Brentwood office is headed by Nicole Southwell whowho has over 22 years experience in helping by Nicole Southwell has over 22 years experience in helping We pride ourselves on giving Companies and Directors professional, businesses across Essex and and the UK. businesses across Essex the UK. honest advice, and our initial ‘no obligation’ meeting is confidential and free of charge. Our aim is to guide our clients through the available We pride ourselves on giving Companies and and Directors professional, We pride ourselves on giving Companies Directors professional, options, treat them with courtesy and respect, make Garyand Waskett Gary Waskettthe process honest advice, and and our initial ‘no obligation’ meeting is confidential honest advice, our initial ‘no obligation’ meeting is confidential Business Development Manager Business Development Manager as straightforward as possible. We have extensive experience in ABC Brentwood ABC Brentwood and and free free of charge. Our Our aim aim is toisguide our clients through the available of charge. to guide our clients through the available most areas of business, with Construction, Travel, Transport and options, treattreat themthem withwith courtesy and and respect, and and make the process options, courtesy respect, make the process Retail being particular specialties. Our Firm has over 150 years as straightforward as possible. We have extensive experience in in as straightforward as possible. We have extensive experience combined experience. mostmost areasareas of business, withwith Construction, Travel, Transport and and of business, Construction, Travel, Transport Retail being particular specialties. Our Our FirmFirm has over 150 years Retail being particular specialties. has over 150 years Please visit our website for client testimonials, combined experience. combined experience. and examples of how we have successfully helped

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Two Business Women take the Essex Interior Design market by storm Susan Ashman owner of renaissancebespoke.co.uk and Susan Barker owner of moodboardinteriors.co.uk have been working their magic within the commercial and residential design sector for many years and Business Connected was lucky enough to spend some time with them recently. Speaking from her East Hanningfield studio, Susan Ashman told us how passionate she is about a new contract “I started working with commercial clients in the early part of 2000 and have just won a new contract to provide Johns Blinds an Essex established business with Johns Blinds Bespoke a brand new service aimed at their existing data base. I had a 5 year contract with Countryside Builders when the first phase of Beaulieu Park was under construction. Making Bespoke Curtains and Blinds for Countryside clients with short lead times presented new logistical demands on my company but I’m pleased to say we managed to get everything in on time and correct 100% of the time.” Further afield Susan has just finished an exciting commercial project in Somerset. “I have had an amazing 2 years working with a commercial client in Somerset. Brympton House is a Medieval Grade 1 Listed Wedding venue in Brympton d’Evercy Yeovil. The brief for the 5 State Rooms allowed me to work with the By Royal Appt Weavers Gainsborough Silk Co. In Sudbury, trust me these jobs only present themselves rarely but now I’ve completed one Stately Home I’ve got the enthusiasm to tackle another! As you can see from the scale of the windows the bespoke curtains, pelmets, swags and tails

were too big for any workroom table and had to be constructed on site. As a team we were made very welcome by the owners and enjoyed the delights of the house and surrounding grounds whilst making the larger items directly in the rooms themselves, it was always a treat to wake up on such an amazing property and I can assure anyone we never felt the presence of any ghosts!” Susan initiated a Sponsorship scheme which enabled the refurbishment to be completed within a two year time scale way ahead of the owner’s timescale. “The cost of curtaining the Grand Saloon with archive correct silk cost £20,000 alone so you can imagine we had to use our imagination to raise the funds needed”. The BBC were filming a Costume Drama TV Production during the refurb and presented a further challenge to Susan and her team. “We would arrive on site and rooms allocated to make up and costume changes would suddenly become out of bounds, making our job just a little harder but we all enjoyed the drama around us.” To view the completed project go to Bympton-weddings and click on Virtual Tour. The BBC filmed “The Turn of the screw” at Brympton during the refurb and the Library drapes are featured. Qualified Interior Designer Susan Barker mentions working to tight deadlines “My commercial clients are very conscious of not alienating their existing core customer base and also getting the

refurbishment completed as quickly as possible often asking us to complete the design during out of hours and at weekends – helping to limit disruption to their business. A refurbishment is definitely more challenging than a brand new installation as we are constantly working around existing influences whether this be structural or people”. In recent months Susan Barker has seen her client base change with a far more even split across both the residential and commercial sectors; “Businesses are definitely feeling more confident than this time last year and this is reflected in the number of enquiries regarding refurbishments - venues want to take advantage of consumer confidence and present an updated environment for their customers to enjoy. Currently I am working with a local Italian Restaurant helping them to create a more modern yet traditional feel for their establishment. The design needs to still be appealing to their loyal customers yet it has to help attract customers from a different demographic. The owners were delighted at the prospect of handing over the designing of their new look to someone who could see the project through to completion, a mood board presentation is always a good place to start and helps the client to visualise the finished look. Obviously coming in on budget is something that is paramount as expensive extras need to be avoided”.

This leads us on to the launch of I N T E R I O R which the two ladies are extremely proud of. “Our exciting new concept I N T E R I O R is all about making good design affordable both for the commercial sector and the residential side of the business. By combining our experience, expertise and contacts we bring to the market a fresh approach to decorating and furnishing with a personal Interior Designer that leads you through the design process to completion with one person to organize your whole Interior project” Business Connected wish the two Susans every success with their new venture and thank them for taking time out of busy schedules to share their excitement with us. Contact Susan Ashman and Susan Barker via interioressex.co.uk or call 01245 400794 or 07967 952571.

design build furnish | interioressex.co.uk

HR Update

Attracting and Engaging Older Workers

he UK population is increasing in age and the number of people who are working past retirement age has almost doubled in the last 20 years and by 2020 it is anticipated that more than one-third of workers will be over the age of 50. They can be a valuable asset to the business with years of training, experience, skills and knowledge. Since phasing out the retirement age of 65 for all employees in the UK in October 2011, what impact has this had on your business? The Government have recently called for employers to proactively attract older workers and to encourage them to stay in employment for longer and has launched its new “Fuller Working Lives” framework to provide employers and employee with additional support. Older workers will potentially prefer different benefits from much younger workers. For example, flexibility and support if they are ill could be very important to the older worker. And don’t forget that as Age is a protected characteristic and discrimination in the recruitment process is against the law, but it still happens in practice quite a lot. Whilst it is quite hard to prove discrimination being rejected for a job for reasons of being over qualified or just too old to do the job, does amount to age discrimination.

Employees working long hours and the Working Time Directive In the last couple of months another highlighted issue has been employees working longer hours because the business they work in is growing as the economy is picking up, business is starting to boom, projects and new work is being acquired by businesses but recruitment of more resources is not happening at quite the same rate. Inevitably, existing staff are working longer hours to cope with the demands of the work. Obviously these are temporary measures and recruitment programmes or outsourcing parts of the work were things all in motion. However, it was a useful reminder for all that we have to comply with the working time directive which means our existing staff are not burnt out and unable to come into work when our order books are full. The working time directive allows: • a limit of an average 48 hours a week on the hours a worker can be required to work, though individuals may choose to work longer by “opting out” • 5.6 weeks’ paid leave a year • 11 consecutive hours’ rest in any 24-hour period • a 20-minute rest break if the working day is longer than six hours • one day off each week • a limit on the normal working hours of night workers to an average eight hours in any 24-hour period, and an

08 10

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entitlement for night workers to receive regular health assessments. Employees who are aged under 18 have special regulations where their working day is restricted to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. The rest break is 30 minutes if their work last more than four and a half hours. They are also entitled to two days off each week.

National Minimum Wage (NMW) Regulations Published Each year the Government review and update the NMW regulations, these figures have now been published and are due to come into effect on 1st October, 2014. As a business you will need to ensure all of your staff receives pay which is equal to the rates below;

Age of Worker

21 and over 18 to 20 years 16 to 17 years Apprentice Rate

Current NMW Rate

NMW Rate from 1st October

£6.31 £5.03 £3.72 £2.68

£6.50 £5.13 £3.79 £2.73

There are a number of people who will not be entitled to the NMW these include: • self-employed people • volunteers • voluntary workers • company directors. All other workers including pieceworkers, home workers, agency workers, commission workers, part-time workers and casual workers must receive at least the NMW. There are no exemptions according to size of business or by sector, job or region. SVC is committed to 100% customer service at all times. We offer new ideas and ways of working that are tailor-made to our client’s requirements. Working in partnership with our clients to build long-lasting relationships, we offer professional, commercial advice to our clients to provide them with practical solutions to everyday HR related issues. Providing exceptional customer service is key to our organisations success and our company mission of putting people first is the core of our activity for our clients. The department is led by the HR Director, who has worked at SVC for over 11 years and has built a strong team of fully qualified professional HR Advisors, who have a combined total 50 years HR experience within various industries. If you would like to speak to us about how we can support your business to regarding an ad hoc HR issues or any other HR related project please contact us on 01206 262117. * Written by Claire Linton, SVC Group

Human Resources SVC Human Resource provide a professional, cost-effective way to manage Human Resources. From offices in Colchester, we serve the whole of East Anglia and the UK beyond.

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Workplace Feature

Computers Can Hurt You and Your Business

arah Tapley and Katrina Wade from Bodyworks Ergonomics based in Colchester discuss how computers can hurt you and your business and what you need to be doing in order to prevent this happening.

Are your computers hurting your business? As humans, we are designed to be mobile and upright, not hunched over and static as we often are when using a computer. Repeated and prolonged use of a computer in poor posture and with the wrong equipment, can lead to being uncomfortable in the short term with general back, neck, shoulder and wrist pain. Long term and untreated, this may lead to permanent damage or disability from conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, RSI and tendinitis.

• Make sure staff know what is going to be done, what has been done and what to do if they have a problem

Benefits to your business It will ensure that you are not only complying with the law but you also gain real benefit from the assessments. Our DSE assessments are not just about ticking boxes but a chance for you to ensure you have: • Improved productivity and quality • Contributed to staff morale and well-being. • Reduced sickness • A cut in compensation claims

Being static for periods of time can cause us to become stiff and uncomfortable. Being static in a poor posture, for example, hunched forward, ‘the computer hunch’, with chin jutting out, can cause damage to the neck and upper back.

• Improved customer service

There is also a legal requirement

About Bodyworks Ergonomics

The Health and Safety Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 apply to all staff who ‘habitually use display screen equipment as a significant part of their normal work’. This will include multisite and mobile workers, not just office based staff who use computers or mobile DSE.

Bodyworks Ergonomics uses a unique, thorough approach, combining ergonomics with physiotherapy. We help businesses to set up healthy computer workstations for increased staff effectiveness and business profitability.

The Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 apply to workplaces where staff use DSE if the following criteria are met: •Y ou have staff who normally use DSE for continuous or near continuous spells of an hour or more at a time • They use the DSE in this way more or less daily •T hey have to transfer information quickly to or from the DSE

What do you have to do? The aims of the regulations are to prevent injury and ill health. To avoid costly sickness absence and to demonstrate legal compliance, an employer needs to be able to demonstrate the following: • Decide who the users are • Train those users

mproved return on investment in display • I equipment, office furniture and environment.

Laptops are a brilliant invention which allow us to access information and join in social networking wherever and whenever we want to. Laptops are designed to be computers that can be easily moved from place to place not just placed on one’s lap! The downside of laptops though, is that they are a poor design to use comfortably! In order to use them you are forced to adopt poor posture. In order to see the screen you generally have to bend your neck forward and downwards. The keyboard tends to force your wrists into a bad position. The mouse is often a single button or a touch pad both of which require awkward and tense hand postures. So all in all not good to use for anything more than an occasional check of your email. An evening spent curled up on the sofa surfing the net will do untold damage to your whole musculoskeletal system. Sarah and Katrina can be contacted for advice at Bodyworks Ergonomics. Tel: 01206 844410 or via email info@bodyworksergonomics.co.uk

• Identify and train assessors • Assess the workstations and reduce the risks •M ake sure the workstations comply with minimum requirements • For mobile workers, training and instruction should be provided to allow them to plan work activities and a rest break to ensure adequate time away from the laptop

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screen

Tel: 01206 844410 Email: info@bodyworksergonomics.co.uk Sarah Tapley and Katrina Wade, Bodyworks Ergonomics

Set to revolutionise the Essex property market

Watch this space! If you are interested in advertising on our new site, please contact our sales team: 01702 292277 info@quicktickproperties.com

Technology Update

Cyber Security – It Does Affect You

adly it is no longer the case that this topic is just for large high profile businesses, it can now affect every business or organisation.

Cyber Security is the protection of the information stored on our IT systems from attacks emanating from systems we are connected to through our Internet connections, which basically can be any connected system in the world! The information we store and value can include information with significant value to a business such as designs, intellectual property, customer details, contracts and there are many more categories. Most importantly is the data including personal details, bank account and credit card details held on behalf of clients by doctors, accountants, solicitors, letting agents, the list goes on. Statistics from many sources report a surge in the number of Cyber attacks and these are based just on those attacks reported. A recent unreported attack cost a small business over £35,000 when the bank details of a supplier were changed following a well crafted and personal email provided details of a new but false bank account. Social media has provided the cyber criminal with a very useful tool to make the reconnaissance of the target easier. Social engineering is the term applied to the analysis of a target’s contacts, interests and even holiday details. Knowing when someone is away provides more possibilities to access their systems. The cyber attack on Target, the second largest US discount retailer, where 40 Million+ credit card details were harvested from Point of Sale tills has cost the business dearly. The attack was preventable and there is a lesson to be learnt by SMEs who trade with larger companies and vice versa. The cyber criminals allegedly infiltrated a heating maintenance company which had access to Target’s network. Security software and hardware technology continues to be developed and its complexity requires well trained IT professionals to install and maintain such systems. Simply installing and relying on technology is no longer enough. Processes and controls over IT systems and users are now essential and are generally overlooked. There are a number of standards that businesses can adopt but these are often seen as too expensive and not relevant to smaller businesses. HM Government launched a voluntary initiative in June this year called Cyber Essentials with the

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desire to build the UK’s reputation as a secure place to conduct business. Cyber Essentials has two levels one requiring a self certification questionnaire to be completed and independently assessed. The Plus level requires an independent test of the security system itself. The level adopted by the business will be their decision and will reflect the nature of the business. Becoming accredited to the Cyber Essentials standard requires commitment from the top of the business and should not be expensive or a burden. Whilst adopting Cyber Essentials is voluntary, there are a number of Government contracts that will only be awarded to accredited businesses as of 1st October 2014. HM Government expects supply chains to drive accreditation down to suppliers and likewise regulatory bodies may in time also expect accreditation to be in place. There are benefits to be gained by adopting the best practice in Cyber Security and demonstrating that your business takes the security of your data and your customers’ data seriously will help your business stand out and give confidence to those you deal with. So now what should you be doing? Here are the first steps you should be considering: 1. A cknowledge that Cyber attacks are a threat to the business and communicate this to all in the business. 2. A llocate responsibility at the highest possible level for securing business data. 3. U ndertake a review of the current security provisions by appointing a specialist advisor. 4. Address the gaps identified during the review. 5. M onitor threats and modify provisions as required as Cyber threats will constant change. There are further steps to consider such as seeking certification against security standards such as the recently Government launched Cyber Essentials standard. Yellowspring has actively contributed to the development of the standard and is well placed to advise and guide businesses in enhancing their security provisions as well as securing the CE certification. * Written by Paul Rolison, Yellowspring Ltd IT Consultancy based in Laindon, Essex www. yellowspring.co.uk

Cyber Essentials scheme If you hold sensitive information about clients, customers or any Third Party, are you sure your security measures are sufficient to protect against the growing number of Cyber attacks?

Cyber Essentials is a Government initiative designed to help responsible businesses demonstrate that they take Cyber security seriously and have implemented controls to protect data held about their clients and connected parties.

Yellowspring has the skills and experience to help you develop your security using technology and importantly process controls, and if certification is required Yellowspring can guide you through the process.

Telephone Maria West on 01268 494 101 to arrange a meeting or email: cyber@yellowspring.co.uk

Yellowspring Ltd Astra House, Christy Way, Laindon, Basildon, Essex SS15 6TQ.

October 1, 2014 deadline

As from 1st October 2014, the Government will require all suppliers that are bidding for contracts that include the handling of certain sensitive and personal information to be certified against the Cyber Essentials scheme.

ESSEX COUNTYWIDE WINNERS 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

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Essex Cricket Christmas Lunch Hosted by Graham Gooch OBE with celebrity guest speaker Paul Merson

Thursday 11 December Emirates Stadium, London

ÂŁ155 +VAT per person Three Course Lunch

Unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks

Supporting

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Franchise News

A Five Star Initiative

usiness research firm, Smith and Henderson, recently released the results of its innovative 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Programme. Its aim is to truly identify exceptional franchises from the point of view of an investor. We reviewed which franchises stood out and what this new transparent method of evaluation could potentially do for investors. I am sure you will agree, transparency in the franchise industry is crucial, it’s what everyone is looking for. One of the largest problems quality franchise operations have faced since the start of franchising has been putting clear distance between them and other poorly run operations posing as franchises in the eyes of an investor. Now, thanks to a ground-breaking idea from top franchising researchers, Smith and Henderson, franchising has entered a new age of ultra-transparency – allowing only the best businesses to come out on top. Smith and Henderson’s 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Programme identifies the best franchise operations in the UK, by talking to the people who know them best – existing Franchise Partners. In 2013, over 2,000 Franchise Partners were asked to confidentially provide information about their franchisor on a number of different areas to find out what the support is really like for those benefitting from it today and how it has compared with their expectations before going into the business. Steven Frost, Managing Director of Smith and Henderson explains: “5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction is based on this principle. Each year, we ask thousands of actual franchisees to rate their Franchise Partnership experiences. We guarantee that their answers are confidential so they give honest feedback. We then award 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction to franchisors that receive above average feedback in all five areas that we measure.” Analysis is thorough enough to ensure that only the best Franchisors receive the 5 Star Award. Once the businesses are registered, all Franchise Partners are invited to give 100 per cent anonymous feedback in an online survey. The anonymity ensures Franchise Partners can be honest without fear of repercussions. The online survey consists of 30 questions and covers five main areas, including training/ support, the franchise system, franchisor relationship, franchisor leadership and overall satisfaction. This year’s winners in order are ActionCOACH Business Coaching, Helen O’Grady, Home Instead Senior Care, Little Kickers, McDonald’s, Music Bugs, Platinum Property Partners, Puddle Ducks, Tatty Bumpkin and TaxAssist Accountants. All of these brands can now boast genuine franchise partner satisfaction in accordance with Smith and Henderson’s firm valuation.

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Ian Christelow, Managing Director of ActionCOACH UK said of the award: “I feel honoured to be part of a company with such an amazing team of Franchise Partners. To win the prestigious 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Award as a result of our team’s positive ratings and comments makes everything we strive to achieve thoroughly worthwhile. ActionCOACH is a referral-based business and building a team of delighted franchise partners is and needs to stay front and centre of everything we do.” The research process is arduous and obtaining the results of the 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction programme takes careful analysis. But for those qualifying brands, the label is a rubber stamp of approval for continued quality in the industry. Steven continues: “There are hundreds of franchise opportunities currently being advertised and it’s difficult to stand out from the crowd. Receiving the 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction award helps to differentiate your franchise from the competition, demonstrates the level of support you provide and helps build trust with prospective franchisees.” Franchise operations that achieve the sought-after award can provide additional evidence in the form of third party analysis, showing that everything they promise in the lead up is 100% accurate. More importantly, people looking for a franchise can be sure that a 5 Star business is one with many happy Franchise Partners already in existence, which is sometimes difficult to tell. “Franchisors that have recently been awarded 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction have on average, happier and more satisfied franchisees,” says Steven. “While nothing guarantees that a particular franchise is a good fit for you or that you will be successful, franchisors that have recently been awarded 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction are a great place to start. Knowing a franchise has 5 star satisfaction will of course give people confidence in what is perhaps a very new sector to them.” For franchisors and Franchise Partners alike, 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction is undoubtedly worth having. If you would like more information on the ActionCOACH, Business Coaching Franchise then please call Rainy or Sam on: 01284 701 648 Alternatively you can watch their 6 minute overview video at: www.actioncoach-franchise.co.uk/overview

* Written by Steph Jones, ActionCOACH

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Business Advice

Telecoms – How To Manage Your Costs

he cost of telecoms affects every organisation from the retail and leisure sector through to manufacturing and media businesses. Since the deregulation of the UK’s telecoms markets and the introduction of competition and new services in the early 1990’s the UK has become one of the most competitive communications markets in the world. The telecoms industry globally accounts for 5.8% of the planet’s entire GDP and it’s amazing how quickly things have changed: • 1 876 – the telephone is invented • 1 973 – Motorola produce the first mobile phone •2 001 – introduction of 3G services 007 – first iPhone is released •2 These ma jor advances in telephony and IT have led to an increasingly complex market of suppliers, tariffs and technologies. Every day a host of telecoms related businesses bombard organisations offering to slash their telecoms spend, install new cost saving technologies and improve their business performance. Understanding and keeping up with this ever changing landscape is becoming increasingly difficult. The latest statistics relating to the telecoms markets further shows how the market has changed over the years: •7 8% of mobile users access email on their smart phones •6 0% of employees now claim they can work remotely • 32% of employees rely on more than one mobile device during the day • 70% of companies using a PBX recognise the need to upgrade to VOIP Few organisations have the time or resources to understand the complexities and nuances that are required to keep up with this fast moving sector. It is little wonder, that 75% of UK businesses do not have a telecoms policy or cost management strategy. A lack of market knowledge and impartial advice has left many organisations unsure of which path to take or whether the guidance they have been given is the best solution to their requirements. Either way it is costing organisations time and money and compromising their efficiency. So the question your organisation should be asking when looking at its telecoms costs is not “What should I do” but “who can I turn to for impartial advice and help”. Auditel has been at the telecoms front line since the early days of

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deregulation. For the last 20-years it has helped literally thousands of organisations to navigate through the uncharted minefield of tariffs and emerging technologies and implement strategies that improve efficiencies and accelerate business performance. Since those pioneering days much has changed but here at Auditel we continue to provide organisations throughout the UK with independent, expert advice and telecoms solutions that match operational needs today and in the future. Although the market is complicated, there are obviously areas that you are able to look at yourself and I have detailed below my two top areas for review: • Wholesale Line Rental – BT have recently announced price increases and this provides an opportunity to cancel a contract with BT within 30 days of receiving your notification of this price increase. A standard BT line now costs from £15.00 per month while alternative suppliers can be as low as £10 or even less with shorter minimum contracts. The fact that people forget is that the line you rent whether from BT or Joe Bloggs Telecoms is the same copper in the ground with the same fault repair SLA’s in place. •M inimum Call/ set up charges – check your contract to see if you are charged a minimum call charge or indeed a set up charge for every call you make. It is a fact of life that over 90% of calls are less than 1 second long. So if you are being charged 1p a minute for calls to national and local numbers, a 1 second call will cost virtually nothing. However if you had a minimum call charge of say 4p per call together with a call set up charge of 4p a call, all of a sudden a 1 second call has cost you 8p, giving an effective rate for this call of £4.80!! Slightly different to your headline call rate of 1p a minute. As always the devil is in the detail though and it means you need to look at the charge for every call made to really understand the effective rates you are being charged. I am sure you may not have the spare time to do so, but Auditel’s tools enable us to analyse this data quickly and efficiently and provide you with the detail that you need to manage your Telecoms spend.

Tel: 01279 722167 Mobile: 07803 246737 Email: lee.freeman@auditel.co.uk Lee Freeman, Auditel

Do you have the time and resources to manage your telecoms costs effectively? If not, you may be paying for equipment and tariffs that don’t match your needs.

WHO MANAGES YOUR TELECOMS COSTS?

Auditel was set up in 1994 to help organisations in the UK find their way through the minefield of tariffs and service levels that had sprung up following deregulation. Since those early days, Auditel has become the country’s leading provider of telecoms cost management services, usually able to save clients at least 20% of their current expenditure and ensure that tariffs and services reflect their operational needs.

“I’ve been genuinely surprised and impressed by the savings Auditel has found as I really thought we were in a good position in terms of our existing contracts.”

Are your telecoms costs under control? It wouldn’t hurt to book an Auditel Telecoms Health Check today, to make sure.

Contact Lee Freeman today to book an Auditel Telecoms Health Check and find out how much better off you could be.

T: 01279 722167 M: 07803 246737 lee.freeman@auditel.co.uk www.auditel.co.uk/leefreeman

Fully equipped to manage all your business costs

Business Coach

Successful Juice Experience Leads to Top Coaching Results

tephen Unwin has a great track record in growing successful companies. He currently heads up a juice business but increasingly he spends his time working as a Business Coach, using his knowledge and diverse experience to develop the skills of other owner managers in the SME sector – and seeing their businesses prosper as a result. Stephen’s early career was as a Chartered Surveyor working in London. In 1985 he moved to Suffolk to join Copella Fruit Juices and he was Managing Director of the company during the period of rapid brand growth in the 1990’s that led to the successful sale to Tropicana/Pepsico. After 2 years working with the new owners he established his own juice company following his purchase of the Cawston Press brand from Copella. Surprisingly this enterprise does not keep him fully occupied and hence his work as a Business Coach. “I have always found business fascinating in itself but it is the people and their leadership skills that make the businesses either succeed or fail. My experience of the coaching process goes back to a course at the Cranfield Business School and it brought immediate benefits to my business” says Stephen. “When I came across the Action approach to Business Coaching I found it really hit the mark in terms of its practical systems and business tools”. “My clients include both small and large companies but the common factor is that they are private or family owned and committed to business improvement and growth. Challenges with Time (not having enough hours in the day) and Money (generating sales and cash flow) are typical areas of focus. A third key challenge that I see repeatedly, and one that can be a real obstacle to progress, is the business owners ability to build a great team of people and to manage them effectively to grow the company. This requires the development of leadership and management skills, the ability to delegate effectively, and an effective recruitment process. These are not areas that can be learnt overnight; they require on-going attention and improvement so that over months and even years clients progressively develop their skills and can build the great team that they need. A key tool that I use as part of this process is the DISC profile. This is a long established means of providing clients with a much greater insight into their natural style of behaviour and communication, as well as that of their team members. Leaders, managers and team members within a company

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are different people who behave in different ways, and understanding this and their relative attributes and perhaps challenges enables the team to really move forward and work more effectively together. It is critical for the business or team leader to establish a ‘Common Goal’ that the team are seeking to achieve. As I often say “How can you and your team set off on a journey if you haven’t agreed where you are going?” It is usually the leader who will set the long term goal for the business but if you can then engage the team in discussing and agreeing how you are going to get there you immediately create participation and enthusiasm. I would also get the team to think about their ‘Rules of the Game’. How are they going to work together, how will they behave to one another, communicate and go about their day to day roles. This would invariably include the development of a ‘default diary’, with time protected for key meetings together, and perhaps ‘culture statement’, created and continually reviewed by the whole team. Overall if there is a lack of these leadership and team skills and engagement I invariably see frustration, time being wasted and real financial cost to the business. Conversely in businesses where these skills are developed and continually applied and improved the multiplier effect is enormous with the whole team working well together, feeling motivated and enjoying being part of a team that is achieving success and growth. I have found that coaching is a powerful way to develop these leadership and team skills and it is immensely rewarding for me when a client comments that they find new enjoyment from working ON their business rather than IN it, and that I am making both their business and their life more successful and enjoyable”. Stephen Unwin is an experienced Business Coach working with owner managed businesses in Suffolk and North Essex – stephenunwin@actioncoach.com Tel: 01206 263656 or 07775 537322.

Tel: 01206 263656 Mobile: 07775 537322 Email: stephenunwin@actioncoach.com Stephen Unwin, Business Coach

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Business Advice

The True Cost of Printing

e live in an age where we have choices in all aspects of our life. Sometimes there are so many choices we just opt for the easiest solution that appears inexpensive and hassle free. However this is rarely the case and we often end up paying more than we need. It’s a similar scenario when it comes to choosing the right printers for your business. The focus is often on the purchase price of the device and the features that it has to offer. When we take into account the cost of all the variables such as consumables, ink coverage and print speed we can then discover the true cost was three times what we were expecting!

Find the right partner Geerings can help your business gain control of its print spend and understand the pitfalls of the desktop printer marketplace. With its head office in Ashford, Kent, Geerings have been supplying businesses across the South East since it was founded by Walter Geering in 1903. This family-run business, now in its fourth generation, is renowned for its honesty and integrity in all its’ business dealings.

Knowledge is power

Geerings are premier partners with Ricoh, the number one office equipment supplier in the UK, and has a strong and long standing relationship with them. Geerings are able to provide marketleading Ricoh equipment that is expertly installed and serviced by its own in-house team of highly trained engineers and IT department.

The price tag on any given printer really tells only half the story. Sometimes the cheapest printer to buy isn’t necessarily the cheapest printer to own. And how can you tell which printer is the most affordable for your specific needs? Depending on how many pages you print and how much it costs to print each page, a high-priced printer with expensive toners could be a lot cheaper to own in the long run than a lessexpensive printer with low-cost toners. Coming up with that long-run cost for comparison isn’t always easy.

Before considering any equipment, Geerings provide businesses with a full print audit and site survey free of charge and without obligation. This enables them to understand the needs of each business and the issues faced by staff on a day-to-day basis. Geerings look at all aspects including invoice processing and document management. They can then make recommendations on how to improve overall efficiency and provide cost savings across the business.

Before you can calculate the real cost of a printer, you need to know the cost per page. To get it, you need to know the yield (how many pages a toner can print) and the price. But until recently, there’s been no good way to find out the yield. Printer manufacturers will give you a yield and, usually, the estimated cost per page. But printing different images, manipulating driver settings, or changing how you determine when a toner has reached the end of its life can all alter the yield you might produce. Without knowing if different manufacturers’ tests are comparable, you have to take the claims with a proverbial pinch of salt.

Geerings regularly discover opportunities for businesses to significantly reduce their costs. Often companies will implement changes that don’t involve replacing any equipment but utilising the current equipment better. This process allows Geerings to work in partnership with companies, build successful, long-term relationships with them and guide them in this fast-moving industry. To find out more call Geerings on 01245 201138 to arrange an initial meeting.

Gartner the independent body says that companies underestimate their print spend by 50% and that it can cost as much as 1-3% of a companies’ turn over.

The printer companies make their money by supplying the toners rather than the printer itself. Often the printer drivers are set to auto colour which means that when printing a document with colour on the page the black is made up from the colour toners thereby making it necessary to purchase more expensive toners.

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Tel: 01245 201138 Email: Chris.Atkins@geerings.co.uk Chris Atkins, Geerings

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Charity News

Prostate Cancer – What Every Man Needs to Know

his third article for Business Connected now starts to tackle specific Men’s Health problems. Although heart disease remains the number one cause of premature death, Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the most emotive and controversial. It is the commonest men’s cancer causing nearly 42,000 new cases each year and nearly 11,000 deaths, often undignified, slow and painful. Even though PCa can be detected at an early and curable stage by a simple blood test, there is no national screening programme for a cancer that will affect 1 in 8 white men and 1 in 4 black men.

aggressive, insignificant cancers that would never do you any harm. We believe these reasons are now out of date because ma jor European trials are consistently showing that PSA screening leads to reduction of PCa death rates of up to 50%! Furthermore current UK specialist practice is now specifically designed to avoid the risk of over-treatment. Consequently we recommend:

The prostate gland is a sex gland about 3cm in diameter that lies immediately below the bladder and encircles the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the bladder into the penis. Over the age of 40 it usually grows and due to its bulk, may start to block the urethra, causing urinary symptoms predominated by a slackening stream and poor bladder control with an increasingly frequent and urgent need to pass urine, often worst at night. This process is usually due to relatively harmless, benign enlargement of the prostate known as BPH which is easily treated with drugs, especially if addressed early. Much less often is it due to cancer and PCa causing symptoms is usually advanced and incurable. So, if you do notice a change in your waterworks, don’t delay and get checked out.

3. Check your PSA from age 45.

Early, curable PCa doesn’t usually cause any symptoms and is detected by screening. “Screening” means looking for cancer before any symptoms arise and is done by a blood test called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and a simple digital examination of the prostate via the rectum – a “DRE”. If commenced in a man’s mid-forties, it is estimated that the UK’s PCa death rate could be halved. So why do we not have a national screening programme like that for breast cancer? The “official” reasons are that PSA is not accurate enough and early diagnosis leads to harmful over-treatment of non-

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now where your prostate is and what it does. 1. K 2. D on’t ignore new urinary symptoms - see your GP.

4. I f you are black African or African Caribbean or have a family history of PCa, you have a much higher risk and should definitely enter a screening programme from your early forties. If you would like a FREE health check including PSA, diabetes screening, skin cancer screening, heart and stroke risk assessment and aortic aneurysm screening, come to the CHAPS Men’s Health Days at Ipswich Town FC on 16/10/14 or Sam’s Hall, Clacton on 13/11/14. To support CHAPS Charity come to the Gala Dinner at ITFC on 16/10/14 starring top comic Ian Irving and brilliant magician Michael J. Fitch and hosted by ITFC legend Simon Milton. For tickets ( £55/head, £500/table for 10 ) or to book a health check, call 07734 747854 or email Trish.binks@chaps.uk.com.

Tel: 01206 321253 Email: chris.booth@chaps.uk.com Chris Booth, FRCS, CHAPS Clinical Director

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and strategy • A Virtual FD acts as a sounding board and provides financial sanity A Virtual FD is essentially a business adviser. Someone that becomes a trusted source for financial insight at a far smaller cost than a full-time FD. And for most small businesses, cost is a critical factor in deciding the scope of the accounting services they can afford. Having access to an experienced, knowledgeable finance professional was a luxury that many businesses simply couldn’t afford on a permanent basis. But linking in with a Virtual FD is now within reach of these smaller companies. Through a combination of practice knowledge, cloudbased accounting software, mobile technology and modern data analytics we can deliver a financial director role that really makes a difference for our clients.

Why is this role emerging? There are some significant trends popping up across the accounting industry and these trends have been appearing for some time.

outsource@cbhc.uk.com www.cbhc.uk.com • compliance work for accountants has become a commodity with no differentiation between brands • technology is helping to automate basic functions.

year mark. That’s quite a sobering thought! While there are several reasons for small businesses failing, many simply aren’t making the wisest financial decisions and this is where having the insight of a Virtual FD

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Taking on a virtual FD, so, where do you start?

Speak to Gary White at CBHC to see how cloud

As we are Gold partners with Xero, the leading cloud-based accounting software providers, we now have just under 60 clients fully live on the system and therefore have 24/7 access to all accounting systems and records for those clients in real time. This makes areas of compliance, bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and tax much easier and work that would previously have been time-consuming and process-heavy becomes more streamlined, efficient and – most importantly – quicker. To put this into context: the ability to connect to client bank feeds is one efficiency that could save your company literally weeks of employee hours. This focus on working smarter, not harder, is something we see with many companies. The more efficient the process, the less time spent on correcting errors and making adjustments. This frees up time for us to work on valueadd services, improving client revenues, and driving more value to them.

Stepping into the cloud and using a virtual FD Here’s one meaningful statistic to think about: roughly 50% of small businesses don’t make it past the five-

based virtual FD services could help your business. Gary.white@cbhc.uk.com 07595 650690

Essex Round Up

News From Around The County C

CMY

The Birkett Long ÂŁ50 challenge in aid of St Helena Hospice is reaching its conclusion Over the past 13 weeks, we have seen 32 teams put the fun into fundraising, demonstrating enormous commitment, energy and creativity in their money making activities. There has been baking and bike rides, boot sales and bacon rolls, wine and wristbands - the hard work and dedication that has gone into this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenge has been incredible and we would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone that has taken part. The final awards ceremony will take place on the 15th October 2014, so look out for the next issue of Business Connected, where the winners will be announced.

2014 in aid of St Helena Hospice

The cost of care

Are you concerned about planning for your own future or that of a relative?

6 November 2013 - 9.30am to 11.30am Prested Hall, Feering, Colcheste 7 November 2013 - 9.30am to 11.30am Ivory Rooms, 66-68 Laindon Ro

The Green Essex Awards and The Essex Green 100 launches The awards and greenest county initiative is designed to recognise and reward companies, organisations, community projects, education establishments and charities within the county of Essex for their efforts to reduce their carbon footprints and improve environmental performance. It is also designed to act as a link between business and the community who have a shared responsibility for the environment. The scheme is unique for the county, with nothing focused on the people of Essex currently. This is very much about creating a greener Essex through greener lives, greener business and a greener future for all. For more information please visit www.essexgreen100.com Business Connected is pleased to announce that we have been chosen as Corporate Sponsors for the upcoming Best Business Expo which runs on the 20th November at the Marriott Hotel Waltham Abbey. For more information or to book a stand please visit www.bestbusinessexpo.co.uk

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Business Solutions from Essex Auto Group

essexbusinesssolutions.com Vehicle Solutions That Mean Business

Basildon | Billericay | Lakeside | Rayleigh | Southend Official fuel consumption in mpg (litres/100km) for the ŠKODA Octavia Hatch 1.6 TDI CR 110PS DPF GreenLine III: Urban 74.3 (3.8), Extra Urban 94.2 (3.0), Combined 88.3 (3.2). CO2 emissions 85g/km. Standard EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Business users only. *Plus VAT and initial rental based on ŠKODA Octavia Hatch 1.6 TDI CR 110PS DPF GreenLine III. Contract hire offer based on 3 years and 10,000 miles per annum 6+35 profile, non-maintained contract. Initial rental of £1,194 followed by 35 monthly rentals of £199. 6p per mile excess mileage charge. Terms and conditions apply. Further charges may be payable when the vehicle is returned. Indemnities may be required. Subject to status. Available to over-18s for vehicles ordered by 30 September 2014 from participating retailers only. ŠKODA Finance, Freepost ŠKODA Finance. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time and are subject to vehicle availability.

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