Issue 2 Business Connected East London Edition by Business Connected

East London Edition Issue 2 | Summer 2016

East Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premier Business Magazine This month featuring: Business networking events Local news Featured articles Business podcasts & much more!

Leading B2B Magazine

Business Networking

Featured Local News

In this edition...

Summer 2016

The National Living Wage

Social Media Review

08: What will be the impact the new compulsory legislation has on UK’s businesses? How it affects more than 100,000 workers in our region alone.

20: In today’s world, it isn’t enough to just have a website for your business. We ask ten simple questions to see if you’re on the right track.

Tax Update

Does it have to be lonely at the top?

12: LB Group Director Mark Middleton looks at the new Tax rules for Directors / Shareholders.

22: NextGear Co-Founder Dave Pye discusses “How can you as a Business Leader receive the support you deserve”?

Business Podcasts

Don’t be a Statistic

18-19: This edition we have a look at five of the top podcasts available today.

26: When it comes to Health & Safety in the workplace, we’re talking big business: the overall cost to UK employers of workplace injuries and illness is over £14 billion per year.

05: Editor’s Note

06-07: Premier Partner Scheme

14: Newtorking Events

18: East London Round-Up

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Premier Partner to

Printers of this Magazine

9 Stepfield Witham Essex CM8 3BN T. 01376 500900 E. Sales@printwize.co.uk W. www.printwize.co.uk

Editor’s Note Welcome to the Business Connected East London summer edition. As this edition goes

Get In Touch

to print the EU referendum is one of the hottest talking points within the business community and we look forward to the excitement of the London

Tel: 01702 513113

Anniversary Games bringing back international focus to the Olympic Park.

Email: info@businessconnected.co.uk Or Visit: www.businessconnected.co.uk

In this edition, we are featuring fascinating Richard Pond MANAGING DIRECTOR

business articles including insights into regional health and safety statistics reflecting the reality of

neglecting risk assessment and company policy. We include important updates as to why directors and shareholders should be reviewing their remuneration strategy.

Most business owners are familiar with the financial benefits of a business coach but we explore the often, underestimated role of counsel and advisor that can be of equal importance to the success of a company. We also welcome a review of the impact the National Living Wage has made both

employers, employees and productivity in the workplace. Wishing you a successful summer.

About us

publication may be reproduced in whole

Business Connected as a brand brings together businesses across a variety of

or in part in any way without prior written

mediums from face to face networking, social media, printed media in the form

permission of Business Connected Ltd.

of this our countywide magazine, and much more. Business Connected is proud

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions.

to be operating the county’s premier b2b magazine, networking events and online portal that focus on the business community of East London. We bring local businesses together via the many platforms that we operate. Our magazine is distributed across the whole county in print and online. Our website, which receives over half a million hits a month is dedicated to up to date

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

business news, a business directory and the number one place to find out what’s going on in East London. 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 offering. Full details on our events can be found on page 14 including details of our latest venue Business Connected @ The Olympic Park and full details of our Premier Partners can be found on pages 6. For more info on all things Business Connected please log on to www.businessconnected.co.uk or give us a call on 01702 513113.

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Premier Partner Scheme Are you happy with your current level of business? How often do you promise yourself that you’ll invest more in social media and/ or run regular email and print campaigns, but simply don’t have the time or expertise to do it? Our fantastic marketing offer could be the answer!

Designed to support companies which need to introduce cohesive and co-ordinated marketing strategies or wish to enhance existing marketing strategies, we provide an effective, structured marketing solution at an affordable price.

• Exclusivity — We only work with one company of any type within the county. • Business Connected Magazine - A full page in every edition of our magazine. • 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 and give 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. • Premier Partner Power Hour - Dedicated to Business Connected Premier Partners monthly with expert advice and referral platform. • Networking Events - Many people know Business Connected from our county-wide events and we want you to be part of them. Fancy being a speaker or displaying your branding at all our events • Website - Our Business Connected website gets thousands of visits a day. Being a Premier Partner gives you branding on our site. • Account Manager - Probably the most important feature of the Partnership scheme, our account managers are working around the clock to find leads for our partners, from the many networking events that we attend and run. Our staff are introducing and passing referrals on a monthly basis.

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WHAT’S INCLUDED Exclusivity Full page magazine advert Full artwork and design Two tickets to all networking events and guest tickets Branding at all events Early delegate list to plan your networking Introductions to networkers from Business Connected staff Events for Premier Partners only Members-only log-in to the Business Connected website Web banner on Business Connected website LinkedIn training course for all your staff, on or offsite Promotion of your brand across all of our Social Media Platforms Inclusion on our monthly email newsletter Account Manager to run your campaign and pass you leads

Premier Partners

Premier Partners + Social

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Full social media management Premier Partner Power Hour

Price £500 per month

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The National Living Wage Back in the July 2015 Budget, one of the main talking points affecting UK businesses was the introduction of the new “National Living Wage”. Running alongside the existing “Minimum Wage”, the government states it is part of their plan to move to a “higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society”. Now that it is actually in force, affecting more than 100,000 workers in our region alone, what will be the impact the new compulsory legislation has on UK’s businesses?

half of those affected across all industries. There is likely to be little or no impact in service industries such as Insurance, Finance and Science & Technology where it is rare for those over the age of 25 to have been earning just the Minimum Wage.

A recap Over the last few years we have become very familiar with the National Minimum Wage introduced in 1999, most recently set at £6.50 per hour for those workers over 21, £5.13 for those aged 18 to 20 and £3.79 for under 18’s (separate levels are set for Apprentices). The new National Living Wage is, in effect, a premium on top of the existing National Minimum Wage for workers aged 25 and over. The new pay level will initially be set at £7.20 per hour, rising to around £9 per hour by 2020. In its simplest terms, it creates a 5th tier of National Minimum Wage. This new National Living Wage is of course not to be confused with the “Living Wage” which many businesses have subscribed to voluntarily over the last decade through the Living Wage Foundation and currently pay a minimum of £9.15 per hour in London and £7.85 per hour outside of London. Whilst that is voluntary, the new legislation is compulsory for all employers in the UK. What is the reaction to it? Last November, a survey by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) revealed that 93% of bosses agreed that the new wage was a good idea, with 88% believing it will lead to higher productivity. It also showed that 83% of the 1000 respondents believe it will make staff more loyal, 86% think it will boost staff morale and 82% said they thought customers were likely to return if they recognised the business paid the right rates of pay. It will be interesting to see the responses to the same questions this November, once the Living Wage has actually been in effect for six months or so. Effect on employees It is estimated that around 2.5 million workers will have received a direct boost to their pay, assuming their employers have been compliant of course. For those that were previously being paid the National Minimum Wage, this means they are receiving a pay rise of almost 11% - that’s about four times the national average! And then there’s the knock on effect to consider: how does the increase in minimum wage affect the pay differential between general roles and supervisory or management roles? It is likely that millions of employees further up the ladder will enjoy salary increases as an indirect benefit. Effect on businesses It is likely that smaller businesses with a high proportion of employees on minimum wage are the ones that will feel the financial and operational impact the most. These typically include employers in the Wholesale & Retail, Health & Social Work and Leisure & Hospitality sectors which in fact account for more than

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(Source: The Resolution Foundation) One of the biggest issues that employers need to face up to is looking in detail at their staff composition and ensuring that they are compliant with the new legislation as there is no doubt that the authorities will come down hard on anyone found to be non-compliant. As well as taking into account age and contracted hours worked, employers need to ensure that other elements don’t take a worker under their statutory pay level, such as overtime and salary sacrifice. Many employers have concerns about the effect on their businesses – increasing the annual wage bill by tens of thousands of pounds for some. Others say they may have to decrease the size of their workforce to compensate for the increase in salaries. There is speculation that in some industries, such as hospitality, leisure and catering, there will be a drive to recruit younger workers as the Living Wage does not currently apply to those under 25, leaving more mature employees on the sidelines (age discriminatory issues aside). Not everyone is quite so cynical: some have in fact introduced the £7.20 per hour minimum across their workforce for those aged 18 or over. Undoubtedly we will see many businesses increase their prices or service charges to mitigate against higher operating costs. The introduction of the National Living Wage is obviously good news for those employees who will see their pay increased and it is hoped there will be a positive impact on employee performance and reduced absenteeism as workers feel better financially rewarded for their efforts. It will undoubtedly continue to be a headache for employers for some time and it will be interesting to see the impact on employment levels and costs of services over the coming months and years.

Navigating your business through the HR landscape

Talk to the experts Call us on 01206 752100 or visit us online at www.parkcity.co.uk Real people, real experts, real time Park City Consulting Limited Tel: 01206 752100 Fax: 01206 752400 Email: consulting@parkcity.co.uk 894 The Crescent, Colchester Business Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 9YQ

2 hour LinkedIn Seminar How to Increase Sales using LinkedIn! Would you like to win more business using LinkedIn or think you are not making the most of this powerful business tool? If the answer is yes to either of these then you need to come along to our LinkedIn seminar! LinkedIn holds the largest professional network of businesses in the world! For just £39.00 and designed for total beginners through to everyday and advanced users on this seminar, Business Connected’s Managing Director, Richard Pond will show you:

• Homepage, Timeline & Toolbars

• Relationship tab

• Profiles & Branding

• Inbox & Notifications

• Sharing an update & Publishing a post

• Company

• Downloading connections

• Groups

• Interacting with new connections

• Privacy settings

• Endorsements & Recommendations

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Visit: www.businessconnected.co.uk/linkedin-seminar/ to book a place onto any of these fantastic seminars or give the Business Connected team a call on 01702 513113. “I would highly recommend Richard’s LinkedIn course. I learned exactly what I needed to and have a comprehensive manual now to refer to. The course has encouraged me to get LinkedIn and use it to its full potential.” – Lucy Cracknell, Consultant at Reward Health. “The LinkedIn training is well worth attending and Richard’s clear guidance in using LinkedIn to its full potential was a real eye opener and something I will gladly recommend.” – Anthony Payne, Business Development Manager at Monthind Clean.

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Own Company? Time For a Change? Until recently, the remuneration planning for the director/shareholders of an owner managed company was relatively simple. Invariably, the most tax efficient combined position for the company and individual was a mixture of low salary and dividends paid out of the company’s profits. Over the last two financial years, a number of changes to the tax rules for individuals have been announced, the most significant of which for shareholders is the introduction of a zero rate tax band to cover the first £5,000 of dividend income and a 7.5% increase in the effective tax rate on dividends above this level. This change will result in a director/shareholder who takes a low salary and £30,000 of dividends having a personal income tax liability of over £2,000 compared to nil previously.

The new rules represent a major change to well-known remuneration planning, but a proactive approach to such planning now may mitigate much of the tax increase. Good advice is therefore strongly advised. If you need any advice please contact LB Group on 0208 221 8282 or email charlotte.mottram@lbgroupltd. com. Please note the above does not constitute financial advice and LB Group cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

It is now important for director/shareholders to review their remuneration strategy, as there may be other ways to withdraw funds from the company in a more tax efficient way. Generally a low salary will still be best, as the National Insurance liability on higher salaries will normally outweigh any tax advantages, but taking a salary will now potentially be beneficial even where an individual has other employment or self-employment income. An option sometimes overlooked is the ability to charge interest on loans made to the company by the individual. Where this applies, the payment of a commercial level of interest by the company would save Corporation Tax and the interest income received by the individual could be covered by the tax free personal allowance, savings allowance or zero rate savings band. Even interest subject to basic rate tax, will be more tax efficient than dividends under the new tax regime. Where the company’s trading premises are owned by the individual, it is possible to charge a market rent and obtain Corporation tax relief in the company. There are, however, potential capital gains tax implications, so advice should be sought before choosing this option.

By Mark Middleton, Director at LB Group, a Top 75 firm of Chartered Accountants, Chartered Tax Advisers and Business Advisers.

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Networking Events Our Events Business Connected operates premium b2b networking events across the South East. We have a different event every week

The format at every event is as follows:

across a variety of quality venues. At each meeting we typically

7:30am open networking

attract between 70 and 100 delegates. Our current venues are

8:15am breakfast

below. There is no membership required just come along when

9:00am Speakers, and prize draws

you can.

9:15am Open networking

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 have a great breakfast. We always make sure there is a real focus on networking. We have some great videos of our events and have a dedicated YouTube channel. So just search for Business Connected and have a look for yourself. All of our venues offer free parking and excellent networking facilities. We also have dedicated LinkedIn groups for each venue, which is just for delegates who have attended each group. This allows you to network before the event with the delegate list, on the day at the meeting and afterwards on LinkedIn. For more information or to book on to one of our events please have a look at www.businessconnected.co.uk/businessnetworking/ or give us a call today on 01702 513113.

Our Current Venues Business Connected

Business Connected

@Essex Cricket Club

@Southend Airport

@Ipswich Town FC

@Colchester United

@The Olympic Park

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East London Round up TV’s ‘Monkey’ calms waters on Thames and avoids stirring up storm in a teacup The stunt by TV ad’s ‘Monkey’ character yesterday was a bid to “energise commuters” and highlight a forthcoming ‘Green Paper’ about productivity. The 20ft-high topiary, crafted from 110,486 fabricated green tea leaves, stirred many heads along the foreshore. It was aimed at publicising a report by Monkey’s bosses, PG Tips, identifying the presence of the colour green in workspaces and the home as having a direct impact on productivity and outlook on life. It’s due to its “primal association” to nature and open spaces, they argue. What better way than setting sail downriver drinking green tea to create the vision of calm, Monkey thought, living up to his larger-than-life character passing iconic landmarks from Canary Wharf to the Houses of Parliament. At least the weather was calm—so he avoided making a storm in a teacup.

Thousands of new sky-high homes take London’s ‘mini Manhattan’ to new heights A new London district was born 30 years ago. Canary Wharf rose in the east from the ashes of dockland to rival the City as a financial centre — named for the Canary Islands, from where fruit used to be landed on the quays. One Canada Square rose as a symbol of the regeneration of Docklands and was Britain’s tallest building at the time. Canary Wharf has come a long way since. The gleaming, glassy, mini Manhattan of today is a workplace for more than 110,000 people, with 16 million square feet of office and retail space, and apartment blocks that compete for glamour. The average salary is £100,000 and the area even has its “own” airport in the shape of London City, less than three miles away. With its wide open vistas of tidal Thames, and a network of inland canal basins for narrowboat homes, it is establishing a seven-day life for its residents, who no longer rush to leave for weekends in “real” places.

To find the sources to all of these and many more news stories please visit www.businessconnected.co.uk Business news stories are updated every day.

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East London postcode RM ‘luckiest’ for most lottery wins The east London postcode RM is the luckiest location for major National Lottery wins, Camelot has revealed. The postcode, which includes Romford, Dagenham and Hornchurch, has had more winners of £50,000 or higher per head than anywhere else in the country. RM is followed by TS (Teesside) in the North East and WA (Warrington) in the North West for the most winners since the National Lottery began. A total of 4,250 millionaires have been created since the draw began in 1994. In the last two years, TR (Truro) in Cornwall has had more big winners than anywhere else. The huge B (Birmingham) postcode remains the location of the most winners of £50,000 or more since the National Lottery began, at 1,180.

Housing bosses run Skillsmatch course in East End to get tenants back into work Old Ford Housing has helped 50 people get jobs since it began a partnership at the beginning of the year with Skillsmatch, a new job brokerage service run by Tower Hamlets Council. The course teaches “employability” skills such as computers and experiencing a working environment. One tenant who has had her career prospects improved with help from the team at Eastside youth centre in Bow is Bernadine Watts, 35, who had taken time out to bring up a young family. “It had been at least 10 years since I had used the basic IT packages like Excel and Word,” Bernadine explains. “So it was really helpful to refresh those skills. “I also got help with my CV and learnt key interview techniques, which boosted my confidence and got me into an apprenticeship.” Bernadine has already completed IT qualifications such as OCR Level 1 and a European computer driving licence. Now she has started volunteering with Circle Housing Old Ford’s community development and customer service teams to experience a busy working environment. Skillsmatch is a service where people identify and potentially secure jobs that match their skills. It is funded by Tower Hamlets council to given them an open door to roles which would have otherwise been closed—from administrative to hospitality positions. Bernadine has managed to get an apprenticeship at another housing association as a monitoring assistant.

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Business Podcasts For the last few editions we have been bringing you a review of some of our favourite business books. A lot of business people simply don’t have time to read a book a week / month. With this in mind this edition we have turned our attention to the world of Podcasts. A Podcast is a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or portable media player, typically available as a series, new instalments of which can be received by subscribers automatically. Here are some of our favourites:

The Tim Ferriss Show Tim Ferriss is a self-experimenter and bestselling author, best known for The 4-Hour Workweek, which has been translated into 40+ languages. Newsweek calls him “the world’s best human guinea pig,” and The New York Times calls him “a cross between Jack Welch and a Buddhist monk.” In this show, he deconstructs world-class performers from eclectic areas (investing, chess, pro sports, etc.), digging deep to find the tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can use.

#AskGaryVee Show The #AskGaryVee show, answers questions about marketing, social media, and entrepreneurship. Gary Vaynerchuk builds businesses. Fresh out of college he took his family wine business and grew it from a $3M to a $60M business in just five years. Now he runs VaynerMedia, one of the world’s hottest digital agencies. Along the way he became a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist, investing in companies like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, and Birchbox before eventually co-founding VaynerRSE, a $25M investment fund. The #AskGaryVee Show is on YouTube and is great, but you can’t really watch it while you’re at the gym, driving to work or walking the dog. So now, the #AskGaryVee Show is now a podcast.

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Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Since 2005 a group at Stanford University has been podcasting talks from some of the most successful people in business and technology. The speaker generally gives an overview of their experiences as an entrepreneur along with advice for anyone looking to start a business. On this podcast you’ll hear from such thought leaders as former AOL CEO Steve Case, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, sustainability architect & coauthor of Cradle to Cradle William McDonough, Former CEO of HP Carly Fiorina, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and people from Google, Yahoo, and dozens of other companies you’re probably familiar with.

The Fluid Business Podcast

Peter Day’s World of Business

Recorded weekly in Chelmsford, Essex, and hosted by marketing manager David Sargant, Fluid’s aim is to help empower you, the business owner, to develop and grow your business the right way.

Insights into the business world with Peter Day - featuring content from BBC Radio 4’s In Business programme, and also Global Business from the BBC World Service.

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Is your company’s social media in the right hands? Social media done right is a major asset to your business. Social media done wrong can be a major waste of time. Having used social media in business for over a decade, we see it as an integral part of our sales and marketing plan but only if done in the right way.

Answer these 10 questions to see if you’re on the right track:

1 2 3

Why? – It’s a really simple question but probably the most important. If you are only using social media because you

“think you should” then you need to rethink. Really look in to

asked all the time. Establish a policy early and make sure all

positioning in your market then your potential followers and

staff follow and sign up to these policies, it will save a lot of

connections won’t. This a very common mistake in business

we encounter is that sometimes social media is forced on an individual or individuals within an organisation who are

headaches in the future.

marketing campaign without a plan so why would you ignore one for a social media campaign?

don’t, this could be a big disadvantage from the start. Most

or want to outsource parts of your social media. In your

your budget from the start you won’t have any nasty shocks

Facebook than on LinkedIn. An insolvency practitioner who

marketing, this includes social media. You may need training

YouTube you may need a professional to help. If you know

who mainly sells b2c is going to have a far better return on

Have we got the right skill set? – If you haven’t or your staff

What is our budget? – A budget is critical in all forms of

Twitter ads. If it’s video content you are promoting through

4 then this should have been answered. A hairdresser

much more success on LinkedIn rather than Facebook.

point. Influencers are very important especially when starting

plan you may have decided to use Facebook, LinkedIn or

What platform? – If you have a good strategy as per question

is looking for referrals from accountants is going to have

influencers within your industry you have a good starting

influencer but one step at a time.

won’t engage well with your connections and followers. Do we have a strategy? – You wouldn’t set a sales and

Who are the influencers? – If you know who are the major

out on a social media journey. Eventually you want to be the

the wrong person or persons for the job. Unengaged people

Who owns the rights to individual’s LinkedIn profiles. Are the company? These are just two of the questions we get

What do we do? – If you are not 100% clear of your

Whose responsibility is it? – Another common problem

of your company it’s essential to have a social media policy. the comments and posts the opinions of the individuals or

the reasons why you should before you invest any more time.

and one that gets magnified on social media.

Do we have a social media policy? – Whatever the size

on the way.

How are we going to execute our plan? – There are many tools you can use to help execute your plan. This should

have been covered when creating a strategy but don’t worry

business owners have to wear a few hats when running a

it’s not too late. Hootsuite, Tweet Deck, Klout and many more

small business. Get yourself on a course before you start.

can help you.

So you have answered the questions above, now you’re ready to get cracking. Don’t forget in your plan to make sure you have a way of measuring ROI, some people say you can’t measure return on investment on social media. These people simply just don’t know how to measure it. 85% of British businesses wouldn’t be using social media for business if there wasn’t a return but it’s your job to measure. Make sure you engage, it’s called social media so be social! Don’t just post sales messages - remember you are looking to build yourself up as an influencer. If you’re struggling with answering any of the above questions then please do get in contact as we can help. You may just need a few hours training or have decided that you simply don’t have time to give your campaigns the time and respect that’s needed. Business Connected offers a full social media management programme starting at just £25 per week. We also have a great team that can come to you for some bespoke training. Give us a call today on 01702 513113 or have a look at our social media page on our website www.businessconnected.co.uk.

Social Media In today’s world, it isn’t enough just to have a website

purchase products and services, and people will take

for your business – your business now extends to social

the time to research online before making a purchase.

media marketing, like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

You need to have a social media presence that is

If your company still doesn’t have social media, now

engaging and helps reassure clients that your business

is the time to act and act fast. Customers more than

is reputable and can be trusted.

ever now are in tune with from whom and where they

We offer full social media management, which starts with a social media strategy. This creates the blueprint to deliver the service your brand deserves. Our services include: 11

Full social media strategy

All posts, mentions and interactions

Construction and design of your profiles

Guaranteed social growth

Professionally crafted posts

Full analytic reports

Research of your products, services and target market

Monthly strategy meetings with your Account Manager

WHAT’S INCLUDED

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Set up and brand new accounts Three posts per week Four posts per day Interact with hashtag hours on Twitter Reply to all interactions Grow followers by a minimum of 150 per month Set up and agree plan to increase following Run competitions if required Detailed blueprint of strategy Account Manager to look after your account Monthly detailed analytics

www.businessconnected.co.uk PRICE

£200 p/m

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Does It Have To Be Lonely “ At The Top?

Dave Pye

There is a wonderful scene in ‘The Godfather’ where Robert Duval, who plays Tom Hagen, the consiglieri to Godfather Marlon Brando, smiles at his colleagues as if to say, “don’t worry, I have his back”. In other words, ‘I am looking after him. I will make sure he is supported’.

•

“

How can you as a Business Leader receive the support you deserve?

They have excellent communication skills. A good consiglieri will be able to understand what you are saying and thinking and how to apply that in today’s ever changing and demanding environment. They will be able to consider a number of ways to move forward; they will be able to review a number of different issues from a number of different perspectives, capture them and distil them into a simple, easy to understand next steps guide. They will also challenge you as a client. A top class consiglieri will hold you to account and help you best navigate your journey.

Now, you may think that the Godfather film is not a great example for modern day business leaders like those • They will be able to offer expertise in running a business. who read this magazine and are involved in the Business A strong coach consiglieri will have run his or her own Connected family. Is it too violent? Is it too difficult a subject business. They will know what it is like to have cash matter? Or does that award winning film from back in 1972 issues; to have the bank breathing down your neck; to show us that all those who lead need someone to confide in, have experience the tension between investment and bounce ideas and thoughts off and question their motives? current financial needs. They should be able to offer I am convinced that no-one reading this magazine is like practical expertise based on their own experience not Don Corleone (at least I hope not). However, many of us guidance they have read in a book or a magazine. share the fact that we lead companies where the buck stops • They are in the business of coaching because they love with us. It is our business. If the buck stops with you, who what they do. Their experience has shown them that supports you to help the buck to stop? Are you feeling that what they do adds value and support to those they serve. it is tough at the top? • They act in a professional manner. A consiglieri coach If you are I have good news. That is the right feeling! Fed up Itwith being stuck working is, at all times, confidential. They have YOUR back. They in your is and it should be. It is your ambition, your desire, yourbusiness and not finding do not share any of their other clients’ issues. Their feelings, your heart and soul which is invested insufficient the ideas,time to work on it? devotion is to make sure you are okay and your business the people, the plans and the relationships to make your Is your business not growing as That you are supported and feel like you is evolving. business work. Most days are fantastic. Some are tougher quickly as you’d like it are to? the most important person in the world. They have and then some, well, some can be very tough indeed. good emotional intelligence and, in my opinion, are nice Are yyou ou clear on your business We believe all leaders deserve support. We believe end-‐game and do you people have a to have around. Their code of conduct should be deserve your own Consiglieri. A consiglieri is a counsellor, exemplary. viable road map to get there? an advisor, an assistant or mentor who ‘has your back’. talk to us at NextGear about coaching, If you would like to Someone who provides the intelligent support and guidance Talk to us at NextGear Partners learn ow onumber ur unique over products nd services please callto us onhthe theapage. Wecan would that, whatever size of company you are responsible help for, you you evolve your business faster and more efficiently. be delighted to talk to you or connect you with one of need and can benefit from. A fresh our and partners. flexible approach to business coaching We will never make you an offer you can’t So, what in our opinion, makes a good Consiglieri? refuse. We will help you cut through the noise of running your business and see the Workshops big picture as you continue the • They have great listening skills. Good support coaches wonderful of being a first class Essex business leader. our up ajourney nd coming summer events: will recognise that listening is more important than Check out

Is it time to shift your business into its next gear?

talking. Your support should recognise that it is•allJune about 30th, Chelmsford -‐ Building a business plan for impact. July 28th, Chelmsford – How to shift your business into its next gear. you and not them. They will listen to your every•word Dave Co-Founder NextGear For and more information or Pye, to book, visit www.nextgearpartners.com/events and emotion. Their job is to listen to their clients help them to realise their potential in all aspects of the business of running the business.

Tel: 01245 790799 www.NextGearPartners.com info@NextGearPartners.com

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Is it time to shift your business into its next gear?

Fed up with being stuck working in your business and not finding sufficient time to work on it? Is your business not growing as quickly as you’d like it to? Are you clear on your business end-‐game and do you have a viable road map to get there?

Talk to us at NextGear Partners to learn how our unique products and services can help you evolve your business faster and more efficiently.

A fresh and flexible approach to business coaching

Workshops

Check out our up and coming summer events:

• June 30th, Chelmsford -‐ Building a business plan for impact. • July 28th, Chelmsford – How to shift your business into its next gear. For more information or to book, visit www.nextgearpartners.com/events

Tel: 01245 790799 www.NextGearPartners.com info@NextGearPartners.com

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Don’t Be A Statistic – Health & Safety in our Region When it comes to Health & Safety in the workplace, we’re talking big business: the overall cost to UK employers of workplace injuries and illness is over £14 billion per year. That’s a lot of slips and trips! Whilst statistically, larger organisations are likely to have a greater number of incidences of injury or ill health at work, smaller organisations are less likely to have the correct health & safety controls and policies in place, and are therefore putting themselves at a disproportionately high risk of having to deal with the consequences of something going wrong. In the East of England alone there were nearly 2300 injuries to workers last year, according to data from the Health & Safety Executive. Let’s take a look at some of the statistics for our region in more detail. The cost of workplace illness in the East of England in 2013 was a staggering £676million, and the cost of workplace injury was a still an eye watering £416million. These figures just take into account new cases of illness or injury and don’t include those that have carried over from the previous year. Unsurprisingly, if you break down the number of workplace injuries by industry sector, we find that a large percentage of these occur in the construction industry, with 158 reported injuries last year. The service sector accounted for the second most number of injuries at 137, although this sector does cover a broad spectrum of occupation types. Manufacturing accounted for 104 injuries, 70 in Energy, Recycling & Waste, 57 in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing and just 4 in Mining & Quarrying. When we think of accidents at work, we most likely think of falling off ladders, or a slip or trip on a factory floor. Indeed these are the two most common kind of incidents reported in our region, with falls from height and slips and trips accounting for 134 causes of injuries each last year. But there are a whole host of other reported accidents, usually caused by poor health & safety management, and often avoidable. These include contact with machinery, lifting and handling, struck by a vehicle or moving object and physical assault, all of which recorded incidences of between 70 and 110 last year. Less common, but nevertheless extremely serious, accidents include contact with electricity (14), exposure to explosion (7), exposure to harmful substances (14), drowning or asphyxiation (2) and exposure to fire (18).

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Whilst thankfully most accidents at work tend to be minor and cause no long term injury, last year there were 11 fatalities as a result of workplace injury, working out at 0.4 fatalities for every 100,000 workers. Although this is a slight increase on the previous year (9 fatalities) it is significantly less than the 5 year average of 15 per year, so we can hope that we are seeing a downward trend as we strive to make our working environments safer. Again, these figures are specific to the East of England. As well as injuries in the workplace, illnesses caused in the line of work are also an extremely serious issue with approximately 110,000 new or ongoing cases of self reported illness caused or made worse by work in our region alone last year. Asbestos related illness, respiratory issues, hand arm vibration, noise-induced hearing loss, work related skin disease and musculoskeletal disorders are some of the debilitating illness that workers may suffer. But, in addition to these, you may be surprised to learn that stress accounts for a large proportion of work-related illnesses. Last year there were 40,000 cases of self-reported stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by work in the East of England. It has been found that stress is more prevalent in public service industries, such as education, health and social care with the key triggers cited as workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support. The statistics may make uncomfortable reading and experts agree that more thought should be given to the provision of awareness and training, particularly to small and medium sized businesses to help reduce their incidences of workplace accident and illnesses. Keeping up to date with new regulations will not only help reduce the risk of prosecution for non-compliance, but also help ensure best practice. Whilst it’s essential to make an investment in your Health & Safety Management, it’s better to have the correct systems and policies in place now, rather than risk the safety and well being of your employees and the financial burden it may bring if you haven’t got it right. And of course, a safe and healthy workforce mean better productivity and better results for your business in the long run so don’t let your employees become a health & safety statistic.

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