Business Connect Magazine - December/January 2023

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On Small Business Saturday, Business Secretary Grant Shapps has announced a comprehensive review into tackling late payments for small businesses, while urging large companies to pay their smaller suppliers promptly.

Small businesses routinely spend significant time and resources chasing late payments, putting their firms at risk and preventing them from growing. The majority of small businesses do not have large balance sheets and cannot accommodate long payment terms or delays.

The Payment and Cash Flow review will scrutinise existing payment practices and the measures in place to make sure small firms are not ripped off by their larger clients – with over £23.4 billion currently owed in outstanding invoices to UK businesses.

The review will consider the progress made in specific sectors of the

economy in combatting late payment and will also include an in-depth examination of current payment reporting regulations and the Prompt Payment Code.

In addition, the statutory review of the Small Business Commissioner will help to ensure that the UK has the right arrangements in place to best support small businesses.

The Procurement Bill, which is currently being debated in Parliament, sets out legislation for the requirement of 30 day payment terms to apply in public sector supply chains, which will help encourage more businesses with smaller budgets to bid for public sector contracts.

Also within the review is the role of technology-enabled accountancy platforms in tackling late payments, promoting a better understanding of prompt payment measures within the small business community.

CBI call for UK tech sector to step up

In his first major speech as CBI President, Brian McBride said businesses must scale up, build innovative UK and global partnerships, and embrace new digital and tech skills for employees in a changing economy.

Addressing business leaders at the Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham, Brian said thriving companies would be the ones to ‘step up and adapt’ – not those that ‘hunker down and wait’ for opportunities.

To ‘power up’ start up and scale up firms, McBride launched a new campaign to highlight the importance of scale ups to the UK economy, remove barriers and find smart solutions to boost their success.

“Right now, we’re a magnet for tech investment – globally we’re second only to the US. That’s helped make the UK one of only three countries, alongside the US and China, with over a hundred $1bn unicorn companies. “Start-ups and scale-ups are the keystone of the UK tech sector, which is now valued at over $1trn and employs more than 1.6 million people. So, supercharging their success is one of the clearest ways of powering ahead.

“In the US they are already creating a new generation – ‘decacorns’, businesses that scale to $10bn in value. But at the CBI, we believe the UK can step up and match that. We want to knock down the blockers

holding them back and find smart solutions to boost their success.”

On building partnerships to make our tech sector – and our economy –greater than the sum of their parts:

“We already have powerful examples of the kind of partnerships we need in our economic clusters across the regions and nations of the UK. Because tech is a national success story, built on regional collaboration.

“There are huge prizes to be had from fostering more collaboration between business and universities –as well as innovation centres. To grasp that potential and encourage more of the partnerships we need, the CBI is working with members including BT, Intel, Airbus and Raytheon to launch a second demonstrator cluster, called Cyber Tech West.

“We need a culture that fosters firms to learn from each other’s innovations. And that encourages partnerships between big firms and small – locally, nationally, and also globally.”

Organisations across the UK pledge to put public at heart of data research

Five organisations from a range of sectors have today joined forces to form the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative (PEDRI), a new partnership to ensure the public are actively and consistently involved in decisions around how their data are used to inform vital research and policies that affect us all. Those signed up to the new partnership agree that it is the responsibility of data users to regularly engage with the public to better understand their needs, let them know how their data are being used and to better understand how they would like data to be presented.

Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said: “Data, in all forms, are part of our daily lives and we have seen, especially during the pandemic, the vital role official statistics play in making timely decisions for the benefit of our society and the economy. In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever to ensure that the public – our most important stakeholder – is happy for us to continue collecting data from across society and will benefit from the statistics we create.”

Signed up to the PEDRI now include the Office for National Statistics, Health Data Research UK, Admin Data Research UK, DARE UK and NHS England.

In-depth review launched to prevent small firms being ripped off by larger companies

CBI President Brian McBride

Northern mayors demand action for rail disruption across region

Five Mayors from cities and city regions in the North of England have met Mark Harper, the new Transport Secretary in London, to leverage urgent action to address the current rail disruption issues over the region.

Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester), Steve Rotheram (Liverpool City Region), Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire Combined Authority), Oliver Coppard (South Yorkshire) and Jamie Driscoll (North of Tyne) all called for urgent action over a number of specific issues affecting more than one operator.

To highlight the problems, North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll missed the meeting in London as his train was cancelled at the last minute!

The statement, published on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority website, read: “The absolute bare minimum of levelling up means being able to get to work and college on time – but Northerners have been robbed of this basic right because of the chaos on our railways. That must end.

“This was a positive meeting and we welcome the new Transport Secretary saying he will grip this crisis, which is causing misery for millions and damaging our regional economies.

“But the time for warm words is over. We’ve had enough of broken

promises – passengers are rightly demanding action now.

“We made it clear to Mark Harper that he can and must step in and clean up this mess, which was made worse by his predecessors.

“If thousands of trains were being cancelled in London and the South East, we know this would be dealt with as an emergency - and we expect that same level of urgency.

“That means putting operators – such as Avanti, Transpennine Express and Northern – on notice to improve. The government mustn’t reward these appalling levels of service by signingoff on contract extensions when they come up for renewal.

“We need the Department for Transport to set out a clear timetable for reform, with ambitious targets that would bring service in the North in line with the performance enjoyed in the South.

“We have a new timetable coming in on 11 December 2022 so our challenge to the Transport Secretary is clear: he must get the network running properly, deliver the full timetable, and ensure the disastrous scenes we’ve witnessed over the summer and autumn aren’t repeated.

“We will hold him to account on that for the nine million people across the North that we serve.”

inclusive workspaces

Jason Thomas from Banner, says, “It stands to reason that if you want to attract diverse talent, you must make your workplace inclusive and accessible.

Integrating inclusivity and accessibility into the office remains a low priority for businesses despite a growing HR desire to attract more diverse talent than ever before, according to data.

Post-COVID, mental health and wellbeing has become one of the top priorities for employees, as highlighted in a recent survey from HR and payroll software provider Ciphr. Reflecting this, data gathered by interior office solutions supplier Banner, indicates that attracting diverse talent is a huge priority for business owners.

“But when something is perceived as difficult or unclear, it can easily drop down the priority list, and our research indicates a lot of business owners have been left scratching their heads.”

Searches for “accessibility” and “inclusivity” have shown a clear climb in popularity over the last three years, whilst search terms such as “inclusive design”, “inclusive office” and “accessible office” have not followed the same trend.

Adding to this, it was found that the most popular search queries around these phrases included:

• What’s inclusive workplace?

• Why inclusive workspace is important?

• How can workplaces be more inclusive?

New analysis reveals that Reading is home to the keenest investors in the UK. The study, by UK financial services provider CMC Markets, examined Google Ads data to discover the average monthly search volume for investment-related search terms across the most populated areas of the UK, to determine which areas are most interested in investing.

The running order was firstly Reading, followed by Bristol, London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester, and in tenth position Newcastle upon Tyne.

Award-winning cartoonist Tony Husband and his interesting friends are available for live presentations at your open days, training events, product launches, etc. Tony can offer a totally unique and humorous touch to your marketing literature, calendars, reception art, portraits, and Christmas cards.

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Businesses still unsure how best to integrate

Study reveals the areas in the UK home to the keenest investors

news Informed Solutions celebrate 30 years in style

Digital transformation specialists Informed Solutions have celebrated 30 years of International success recently at Hotel Gotham in central Manchester.

CEO Elizabeth Vega OBE, commented: “What a night in our home city! We are delighted and grateful that so many of our friends, colleagues, partners, and clients

could join us to celebrate our 30th anniversary.

“Since 1992, Informed Solutions has worked hard to make a positive difference to our clients, our people, to society and to the communities that we are part of.

“A lot has happened in the world, across the technology industry, and at Informed Solutions over the last 30 years. The enduring success of any business is the result of building mutually supportive working partnerships, commitment to the success of our shared ambitions, respect for the diversity of skills and contributions that we all bring to the table and a willingness to work collaboratively through uncertainty, challenges, and setbacks.”

Report shows resilience in hotel sector

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has launched a new report, ‘The UK Hotel Market: New challenges on the road to recovery’, providing a snapshot of the UK hotel market in 2022, as it emerges from the pandemic and faces a new wave of economic and operational challenges. The report also shares a market outlook from major industry players, Accor and Pygmalion.

It suggests that the UK hotel market proved resilient throughout the pandemic and has recovered at a faster rate than first anticipated since January 2022, with overall performance nearing or surpassing 2019 levels since May 2022. However, the coming months may prove more challenging for the sector’s different stakeholders due to the cost-of-living crisis, weakened GDP, and increasing inflation rates.

The snapshot analyses the

performance and outlook for the UK’s top ten cities.

Regional UK markets such as Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool saw the highest increase in RevPAR in H1 2022, surpassing 2019 levels by 6.9%, 8.5% and 7.5% respectively. In comparison, London has been slower to recover as the capital relies on international source markets and business travellers.

Since January, operators have maintained high ADRs in order to balance some of the increasing cost pressures as well as partly protecting their profit conversions.

Greater Manchester Chamber appointed to deliver new Local Skills Plan

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has been appointed by the Department for Education to lead the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Greater Manchester.

As the designated Employer Representative Body (ERB), the Chamber will work alongside the business community, training providers and a range of key stakeholders to produce a plan that sets out the current and future skills needs for Greater Manchester, and the changes required to help individuals develop their skills, improve their prospects, and provide businesses with the workforce they need to succeed and prosper.

The LSIP will be developed from September 2022 until May 2023, then submitted to the Secretary of State for Education for approval and publication. On approval, the plan will be put into practice until a further review in 2025.

Chris Fletcher, the Chamber’s Policy Director and who will be the project lead said:

“This is a hugely important step forward for all businesses in Greater Manchester as the aim of the LSIP is to put employers at the heart of the skills system creating links with providers to make sure that provision responds to and meets need and demand.

“In order to produce the plan, we will be encouraging all businesses –large and small and not just our members – to talk to us about their skills needs, about why they can’t recruit and about what needs to

happen for them to find the people they need to take their businesses forward. Our position as the largest Chamber of Commerce in the UK, representing over 4,000 businesses, means that we already have strong links with our members and the business community to enable that to happen, but we will have to do much more.”

The project is based on the collection and rapid analysis of data, intelligence and evidence at the local level to provide a very detailed picture of the fast-moving GM labour market and ensure that skills provision matches demand at both the local and GM level. The Chamber’s Head of Research Subrahmaniam Krishnan-Harihara will be the lead on this key element of the project.

As well as working alongside the business community of Greater Manchester, the Chamber will also help to forge better links between employers and further education providers.

Chris continued: “Our aim is to be the conduit between the business community and training providers, reinforcing relationships where they exist already, or creating new lines of communication where necessary so that the provision of skills is responsive to the needs of employers. The data and analysis that sit behind this will ensure that employers and providers have the right up to date analysis and evidence to make sure plans are accurate.”

Scan the code here to take part in the Chamber’s survey and help shape a future skills map for Greater Manchester.

Trademarking can deter targeted attacks by CMCs

Financial compliance specialists, B-Compliant, are urging advisory firms to trademark their name to prevent targeted attacks by claims management companies (CMCs). They are warning firms that DB claims are becoming the focus of targeted advertising campaigns by CMCs, using company names to attract clients.

B-Compliant director, Vicky Pearce, said: “We are aware of one firm that has been the subject of a Google ad words campaign by a CMC, following an initial DB claim.

“By using the firm’s trading name to draw in further clients, a downward spiral begins that results in many more claims being issued against the target.”

Nybble IT win coveted Arte Et Labore Award

Lawncare leader prepares to take off with £100m growth plan

More than 140 franchisees from branches across the UK joined GreenThumb CEO Stephen Waring, Managing Director Paul Edwards, and special guests at the St Asaphbased company’s annual franchise conference.

benefit of their lawn and gardens –so there is scope for us to continue that trend.

The brightest and best in the Blackburn with Darwen area were honoured at a glittering awards ceremony at King George’s Hall as part of the HIVE’s 10th anniversary celebrations recently.

Hosted by Bauer Radio’s Trevor Jordan, the annual Blackburn with Darwen Business Awards saw nearly 250 guests from some of the region’s leading companies gather to find out who would pick up a coveted Hive award.

Ram Gupta, MD of Nybble IT, was

declared winner of the coveted Arte et Labore award, recognising the long-term commitment Nybble has offered the local community and businesses over many years, as well as the incredible range of charities supported.

Ian Brown, chair of the Hive Ambassadors Network, said: “It was an incredible night, with some fantastic organisations in the running for an award.

The atmosphere and support for each other in the room was phenomenal.”

Held at the Concorde Conference Centre at Manchester Airport, Paul Edwards revealed their target of doubling turnover to £100m. Continuing growth based on 40% of new customers coming from wordof-mouth referrals - the focus is on keeping the customer experience at the heart of GreenThumb’s continued growth.

Paul said: “Our vision is to build a nation of lawn lovers, making the UK greener one lawn at a time. “Throughout the pandemic, when we were still serving our customers, we’ve been able to lay the foundations for expansion – as so many more people realised the true

“Importantly, we have researched just how pivotal their outdoor space has been to the physical and mental health of lawn lovers and that’s reflected in all our plans going forward.”

He added: “Our purpose is wellbeing, not just for customers but for our staff and franchisees, so we will continue to work in partnership to innovate and explore new products, treatments and services.”

Students get career boost as industry figureheads flock to networking day at MediaCity

Dozens of University of Salford students took part in an unmissable day of networking and learning with a number of figureheads from the North West media sector.

In the first session of its kind since the pandemic began, up to 90 television and radio production students attended a TV and radio networking day at the University’s MediaCity campus at the start of November where they met and learnt from the very best within the industry that are neighbours to the campus in Salford Quays.

Students got the chance to listen to and learn from teams at the BBC including staff from their entertainment, children and entertainment teams, BBC Morning Live, ITV’s Coronation Street and the broadcaster’s subsidiary production company MultiStory Media, broadcast equipment company Lens Flare TV, radio and podcast makers AudioAlways and the Edinburgh TV Festival’s Network scheme.

The sessions included a runner’s workshop, a discussion on how to kickstart a career in television,

an industry networking lunch and a chance to have one-to-one discussions on CVs with production and talent executives from the BBC and the freelance sector.

Lyndon Saunders, programme leader for BA TV and Radio Production said: “It was brilliant to be able to return to our networking day in person where we can get everyone in one room and give our students the chance to really network and build relationships with the industry.

“It was also clear that it was a massive day for industry too as they were all keen to come and see what the next crop of talent is like. We nearly had as many industry representatives there as the number of students.”

Business Growth Hub win at MYTA awards

Business Connect Magazine joined the Business Growth Hub and guests for JCI Manchester’s Young Talent Awards 2022 which recognises outstanding individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who exemplify the best attributes of Manchester’s young people.

The awards feature talent across varied sectors in Manchester including finance, legal, property, recruitment, marketing and media.

Nick Shepherd from Business Growth Hub won – Sales & Business Development Professional of the year, Nick said, “I was so thrilled to win. The awards organised by JCI Manchester

are an amazing celebration of Manchester’s emerging talent, and it was great to be a part of the evening.”

Congratulations to all the award winners and to those shortlisted.

SeedLegals partners with JustCarbon in first carbon neutral investment round

SeedLegals, a legal automation platform for startup funding, has partnered with JustCarbon, a company simplifying the offsetting of carbon emissions and supporting high-quality, hyper-scale carbon capture projects to combat climate change, to drive its first carbon-neutral investment raise.

Addressing the global movement towards a low carbon economy and launched in 2022, JustCarbon is the first blockchain-based carbon offsetting platform to commoditise carbon dioxide removal from credits derived from the highest-quality, nature-based projects and verified to the highest international standards. The platform is seeking to raise up to $5 million seed round investment to significantly scale its presence within the buoyant carbon marketplace, currently worth $2 billion, and establish its own standards body with end-to-end recording on the blockchain.

SeedLegals have, to date, helped just shy of 50,000 startup founders and investors from traditional business backgrounds. This will be the first blockchain-based company it has partnered with and the first fully carbon offset investment round. To make the JustCarbon investment round and future SeedLegals’ partnerships carbon neutral, 200 JustCarbon Removal tokens (JCRs) - equating to 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) removed from the atmosphere - have been retired, the equivalent of the annual carbon footprint of just over 13 UK citizens. According to Carbon Savvy, the average UK citizen emits 15 tonnes a year.

According to Toby McCrindle, Chief Legal Officer, SeedLegals, “Web 3.0 is growing and the benefits of blockchain technology, such as tokenisation and smart contracts, can massively benefit industries like the voluntary carbon market.”

Agency matchmaker helps brands hit the B Corp button

Creative agency matchmaker

Studiospace is helping brands buy from ethical agencies by adding a B Corp button to its platform.

The company helps major brands find and connect with independent marketing agencies, enabling them to share briefs and select the types of agency they want to hire.

Studiospace CEO Pete Sayburn says he’s seeing a growing trend among brands to aim for a more ethical approach to marketing and this is set to impact the way agencies are hired.

Pete says world leaders meeting in Sharm el Sheikh Egypt for COP27 provided him with the inspiration to add a B Corp button, which will allow a brand manager to distribute briefs to a shortlist of agencies with the accreditation.

“Major brands are all looking to clean up their acts on many fronts and so, with COP27 taking place, I wondered if we could do something to help.

“I realised we have a number of very ethically focused agencies on our platform that are B Corps, so it made sense to make it as easy as possible for our biggest clients to be able to find them.”

Among the list of B Corp agencies signed up to Studiospace are Create Future, Fox and Hare, Communique, Notepad, Palo IT, MindArc, Republic of Everyone and Good Innovation.

“There’s a growing trend among marketers toward sustainability and people asking how they can use their talents for the greater good. A lot of very talented people want their work to have an ethical and sustainable dimension.”

Winner Nick Shepherd, Business Growth Hub

Pete Sayburn, Studiospace

construction

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced on Thursday the government’s support for Sizewell C’s construction, subject to final agreement.

In his Autumn Statement, he said the nuclear power station would create thousands of jobs and represented the biggest step in the UK’s journey to energy independence. He stressed the need for the UK to further increase domestic energy generation with “a major acceleration of homegrown technologies like offshore wind, carbon capture and storage, and above all nuclear. Projects like Sizewell C will deliver new jobs, industries and export opportunities and secure the clean, affordable energy we need to power our future economy and reach Net Zero,” he said.

In response to the Chancellor’s statement, a spokesperson from Sizewell C said, “We are delighted the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to Sizewell C and look forward to concluding negotiations in the coming weeks.

The new power station will strengthen the UK’s energy security, lower costs for consumers and help Britain reach Net Zero. It will bring a big economic boost to Suffolk and create thousands of jobs and apprenticeships in nuclear supply chain companies up and down the country.”

Housebuilders have hit out at plans to buy ‘nutrient credits’ for building on protected wildlife sites where pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus have leached into rivers.

They claim many smaller developers will go out of business when the new nutrient mitigation scheme goes live early next year.

National Federation of Builders, NFB, housing and planning head Rico Wojtulewicz said: “It’s farcical. We are paying for someone else’s mistake.”

The building industry claims intensive farming is the real culprit with fertilisers and animal excrement from pig and poultry farms the main cause of river pollution. Home Builders Federation, HBF, described the £30m government scheme as a ‘wholly inadequate’ solution.

Turner said: “We have over 100,000 desperately needed new homes on hold despite the fact that all parties accept their construction would barely contribute to the nutrients issue.”

The Natural England is inviting developers in the Tees region to apply next March to buy credits to build in the area with additional mitigation projects identified over the next three years. Housebuilders maintain the government’s requirement for water companies to improve their waste treatment works to remove nutrients by April 2030 is too long to wait.

Communications director Steve

Chancellor gives Sizewell C go-ahead More SME builders at risk of folding if forced to pay to clean up England’s rivers

construction

New plans submitted to Liverpool City Council for Liverpool Waters

Plans to deliver enabling infrastructure, create high quality public realm, a new park, and a green network of spaces around the Central Docks neighbourhood at Liverpool Waters have been submitted to Liverpool City Council by Peel L&P. Central Docks will be the largest of the five planned neighbourhoods at Liverpool Waters, and this planning application will directly enable the delivery of thousands of new homes, alongside commercial, retail, leisure and community developments.

The proposals outline Peel L&P’s plans to create an environment that has sustainability, biodiversity, and heritage at its heart. They include new street infrastructure, green spaces, the development of Central Park, and public realm areas north of Jesse Hartley Way.

They will also significantly improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists from the city centre and Princes Dock through to Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock and the city’s northern docks.

If approved, Central Park will become one of the city centre’s largest green spaces at 1.9 hectares (or 4.7 acres) and will include the planting of over 1,000 trees.

The proposals for Central Park also include plans for coastal woodland planting, wetland planting, community gardens and open parkland. Shelters and canopies, areas for sport, recreation and fitness, and spaces designed to support local wildlife have also been included in the plans.

Public realm and street infrastructure in the surrounding Central Dock neighbourhood will include a series of green streets and rain gardens, high quality footpaths and a variety of street types to support vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

As part of the Mersey Forest, tree cover will be increased by around 10% across the Central Dock neighbourhood and up to 30% along key road and rail corridors, linking the city’s green spaces together.

Clean Planet Energy have announced a new joint venture with private equity firm Crossroads Real Estate to fund Clean Planet Energy’s flagship ecoPlant currently under construction in Teesside, North East England. This will be the first of 10 new ecoPlants that Crossroads Real Estate and Clean Planet Energy are jointly seeking to build and operate across the UK.

The new joint venture could see over £400m of new UK investment deployed for the future construction of these facilities to tackle the plastic waste crisis. Potential sites have already been identified in Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, Lancashire and South Wales, with further locations and announcements to be made in the months ahead.

Clean Planet Energy’s ecoPlant is a green, advanced recycling facility intended to process non-recyclable and hard-to-recycle waste plastics that would otherwise be sent to landfill. Each ecoPlant is designed to accept 20,000 tonnes of plastics each year and to convert this waste into (a) ultra-low sulphur fuels to replace fossil fuels in the transport and heavy-machinery sectors, and (b) petrochemical feedstocks, including naphtha, which can be used to make new plastic products without the need to use fossil-based feedstocks.

Clean Planet Energy’s ultra-low-sulphur diesel can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 75% compared to the use of traditional diesel, while the joint venture could also lead to over 200,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle waste plastics being repurposed for use in the circular supply chain each year.

New offices on Deansgate looking for tenants Developers claim land banking amendment is misguided

A newly refurbished category B office space in the heart of Manchester’s business district is now available to businesses looking for smart new affordable premises.

St Johns House, a seven storey purpose built office block that contains more than 41,000sq.ft of ground space, offers occupants a number of benefits including secure on-site parking, a ground floor Café Nero, showers, suspended ceilings with air conditioned offices and 24 hour access for businesses that need to operate outside of regular hours.

Anna Main, Director at Landwood Group, said: “An increasing number of businesses are currently looking to

downsize their operations in the wake of rising costs and with the rise of flexible working.

“Buildings like St Johns House are great options for businesses looking to make more efficient use of space, and being a Category B office the building offers very competitive rents which coupled with a low service charge to comparable buildings, makes it a very attractive place for office users reducing overall costs of occupation.”

Changes to the levelling up and regeneration bill allowing councils to withhold planning consent to developers slow to build on a site are counterproductive, claims the industry.

They argue that land banking is a myth and that developers are keen to build on sites as soon as possible to gain a return on investment.

Home Builders Federation, HBF, planning director Sam Stafford said: “Repeated independent investigations have concluded that homebuilders do not land bank.

“Builders are always keen to get on site as soon as possible and get a return on this investment, but

there are many influences over how quickly a site can be built out.”

Economic conditions, finance, labour, supply shortages and the new building safety requirements are among the factors affecting prompt delivery.

The British Property Federation, BPF, has warned the government that the amendment to the bill could hamper future housebuilding. “I think the amendment means well, but could be counterproductive, in that developers will not want to apply for planning permission until they have all their ducks in a row.”

Clean Planet Energy partners with Crossroads Real Estate for 10 new advanced recycling facilities

gmcc news

previous PM and the last-but-one Chancellor when they created a maelstrom of costly havoc in the national economy, many see the new PM as having a much better handle on what is needed to start to address some of the many problems people are facing.

Chamber joins forces with Ebay and Families and Babies to increase third sector revenue

Responding to the news that Rishi Sunak is the new Prime Minister

Chris Fletcher Policy Director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce said:

“We would obviously like to congratulate the new Prime Minister and, hopefully, we can now look forward to a period of much-needed stability and serious focus on tackling the challenges that businesses and people are facing on a daily basis.

“After the abject failure of the

“It is vital though that all the focus isn’t taken up by market reactions. Whilst they are important to the economy there are more fundamental issues that need addressing around skills, infrastructure, rising costs, energy and net zero that have felt, recently, like they have become secondary matters.

“It is however these day to day issues that most people care about and want urgent action on. The honeymoon period for the PM will be brief and hopefully we will see a positive plan quickly produced to get this country, its businesses and people, back on track in a fair and sensible way .”

In other news, GMCC, Families and Babies and eBay for Charity held an event for charities, social enterprises and Community Interest Companies recently.

The exclusive event, which was completely free of charge, was designed to give advice about utilising the eBay platform to help generate more income at a

challenging time. The speakers were Elaine Edwards, Chair of Trustees at Families and Babies, Amelia Buttery and Martin Fahy from eBay and Bob Carter, who has previously worked with a range of charities including KidsCan, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary and The Princes Trust. The lunch event was sponsored by eBay for Charity.

The speakers from eBay for Charity gave an insight into how the platform can benefit charities and social enterprises.

Policy

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

focus

High Peak Business Club welcomes Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central

The High Peak Business Club is run by Edwina Currie, Novelist, Broadcaster, Economist and Parliamentarian. The club meets every month featuring high calibre speakers, and in November Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central, came to visit and share his journey.

Manchester Central started as a Central Rail station in 1880, but fast forward to the 1970s and the venue was an eyesore, an NCP car park with no investment and no future. Then the 10 Manchester councils took it over and turned it into GMEX which opened in 1986. It became Manchester Central in 2007, with seamless links to the Conference centre nearby and an auditorium for 800 people, all on one level so it is truly accessible.

So how is it staffed? That’s where the unique nature of such a venue shines through. Permanent full-time staff number only about 95, but up to 500 people can be called in to help set up and cater for a busy conference.

Shaun was also proud about the

creation of the Nightingale Hospital; how the Army phoned the day before the first lockdown and three weeks later it was ready with 750 beds. It was the busiest Nightingale treating 450 patients during the year of its existence.

We asked further about security, given the current inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing five years ago. Shaun said that he had immediately ordered a security review and there’s a difference: access to the Convention Centre is via a limited number of entry points where airport style security can be used, compared with a huge venue with multiple doors and exits. He welcomes the proposed “Protect Duty” legislation. Shaun was asked about the costs of energy in such a vast venue - he was able to replace 19 legacy boilers with a single, more efficient one. But his bill has still tripled since 2020. “And with a building as large as ours, with a

metal and glass roof, the potential to insulate is limited,” he added.

We returned to what makes a successful conference. “It’s the antithesis of Zoom,” he said.

Thousands of people descend on the Centre for days of learning, training, networking and deal making. Some 600,000 – 700,000 business visitors come into Manchester in a typical year, spending 3-4 times what regular tourists spend, in the hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs. It’s been calculated that the value of the deals done at events in Manchester over a 5 year period pre Covid was in excess of £1.5 billion.

One example from last May was the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, BIBA, where 20,000 insurance industry delegates congregated in Manchester. Typically half book for exhibitions, the rest are there because everyone else is, producing an estimated £4-5 million impact on the city during that one week.

When visitors have a great time both inside the Centre and in the city, they want to come again. Other venues are competing, but it’s that hinterland that makes the difference. And as far as Party Conferences are concerned, many cities are keen to attract them, but many lack Manchester’s unique infrastructure to provide the kind of experience delegates now expect. More information about the High Peak Business club: highpeakbusinessclub co.uk for Manchester Central: manchestercentral.co.uk

Why transferable skills are more in demand than ever

Since its inception, the recruitment process has centred around the prestige of technical and academic skills. But the world of work has changed significantly over recent years and so have hiring priorities, according to recent data.

Transferable skills have become even more important given the rise of remote and autonomous work and the need for strong skills in communication, accountability, resilience, and adaptability to succeed in a virtual world.

Hiring for transferable, or human, skills is growing in importance across industries, levels, and work environments. And when layered against the backdrop of the great resignation, we are seeing a noticeable shift in hiring ‘reliable talent’ over ‘top talent’.

Transferable skills can’t be taught like technical skills.

They are often innate and down to culture, life experience and personality. Therefore, hiring the right transferable skills will always set solid foundations for a team member you

can develop over the medium to long term.

In contrast, technical capabilities do not provide a foundation for transferable skills to be built upon and carry more risk when they are the sole focus of a hiring decision.

Technical skills regularly evolve, making it difficult for someone with an entirely technical skillset to remain relevant throughout their career.

Without the matching human skills needed to continue one’s own development openly and with humility, a great hire last year can

quickly become a legacy challenge the next.

According to newly released data from Clu, of almost 150,000 jobs converted into skills matrices since Summer 2021, 4 out of the top 5 skills in demand centred around interpersonal skills. These transferable skills were collaboration, communication, relationship management and stakeholder management.

The next highest in demand skills centred around efficient practice with problem solving, analytical mindset and time management taking poll position.

The highest in demand technical skills are data analysis, reporting, Python and SQL but these do not place in the top ten.

According to Clu’s data, the top ten most sought-after skills in the UK are:

Never underestimate the power of a

skills. In LinkedIn’s Global Trends Report, 89% of recruiters say that when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of these skills. Since the pandemic, soft skills are no longer optional. Instead, they are essential to get hired and succeed in today’s workplace.

By keeping them sharp, you’ll be able to stand out, remain competitive, and ultimately future-proof your career.

Joseph Williams, Co-founder and CEO of recruitment platform, Clu

apprenticeships

Developing Talent:

It makes sense for both parties

Developing our number one asset - our colleagues - the people who make our organisations achieve, is often spoken about in strategies and board meetings as a key priority.

It is then passed into human resources and learning and development functions; some projects are initiated, then picked back up and revisited a year later.

Clearly not in all cases, some businesses - often the best - are genuine learning organisations, where the art of continuous learning, right throughout their business, is integral to their DNA.

As we move further into very uncertain and challenging economic times, it is vital that we remember the art of learning and ensure the development of our colleagues remains an absolute priority.

Why? It makes sense for both parties…

People perspective:

1. Uncertain economic conditions can lead to significant worries for the people within our business. Job security, paying mortgages and all of the other pressures can become more real for many people.

In the right environment, people want to be better, improve, and develop their skills to ensure they are at the forefront of supporting their business through challenging times and therefore minimise any potential risk to themselves.

2. People are often at their best when times are hard. People within businesses often know their business, their sector and their competitors better than anyone.

They naturally want to innovate and find new solutions when their backs are against the wall. By freeing up time to learn, focus is given to the learning topic at hand, but it’s also a chance to reflect, think and innovate.

By giving people that time to learn, they will find solutions.

3. Learning and development is a great way to enhance confidence, protect well-being and generally build the feel-good factor. Like going to the gym, developing new skills, knowledge and behaviours can trigger a real sense of pride and confidence.

The opportunity to learn when times are hard can be a positive force for good, supporting people during tough times.

Employer perspective:

1. We need the best skills, the best talent and the best knowledge more than ever before. Covid, Ukraine and Brexit have delivered the most uncertain times for generations.

Developing our people and supporting them to be their best is absolutely business-critical.

2. Traditionally significant economic challenges bring very high levels of unemployment, ensuring that talent is more available.

However, this period of economic

uncertainty is unique. In the last two or three years, over 2.5 million people, some suggest it’s a higher figure, have left the labour market.

Unemployment rates are climbing a little but are still very low, and the total number of vacancies across the UK is still very high at over 1.2 million. Therefore, talent is still at an absolute premium, and we must do all we can to retain and attract.

Supporting people’s development can be a massive part of the retention and attraction piece.

3. Our business’s reputation can be hugely impacted by what people who are currently or previously part of the business say about us.

Whispers that develop over time have been replaced by instant reviews. Job boards and recruitment websites are turning more and more to ‘rate the business’. People who have been invested in, developed, nurtured, and supported will say this. People who have not will say so!

4. More positive times are ahead. Who knows just how long the economy will shrink?

Returning to stability and then growth is something we will hope for as quickly as possible.

One thing is certain: it will happen, and when it does, our business and organisations will need the best talent to ensure we maximise the opportunities and reap the rewards!

At Salford City College Group, we support over 500 employers with talent development through outstanding apprenticeship and business training programmes.

Last year, over 70% of the 1,700 apprentices we supported were over the age of 19, working hard to develop their careers and talent further and furthering their ambition.

If you think we can help you, please call the Apprenticeship Team on 0161 631 5555 or email apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk

exporting How to avoid recession

Ouch!

- the economic case for exporting

That was the reaction echoing in businesses across the country as they absorbed the implications for years to come of the recent Autumn Statement.

With an expected contraction in GDP of 2% and the implicit damage to confidence running alongside high inflation, energy costs and interest rates as well as increases in taxation, many businesses will be battening down the hatches, looking to cut costs to survive.

But it doesn’t need to be that way.

A self-fulfilling aspect of all the talk about recession is that consumers lose confidence and cut back on spending.

The ensuing reduction in businesses’ sales resulting from this may seem inevitable but there is a simple route out of this decline –look for new customers.

That is not intended to sound

glib, but the obvious answer to a reduction in requirements by existing customers is to find new ones. That is obvious I hear you mutter, but what do you think we have been trying to do for years!

Ah yes, I will reply, but are you simply looking amongst 68m people in the UK, or amongst the 8 billion people across the world?

Quite simply, exporting is just selling, but to a massively wider pool of potential customers.

So, if it is that simple, why isn’t everybody doing it, I hear you ask, hopefully in a more interested tone.

That, I have to admit, is a mystery that eludes me, but will come back to.

Exporting is obvious and not that difficult. I have been doing it for over 30 years, across a range of industries, across all continents (well, ok, not Antarctica!) so it can’t be that difficult.

I recently spoke to a group of aspiring exporters at the recent Export Academy LIVE! roadshow event in Manchester, run by the Department for International Trade as part of International Trade Week. The subject was International Marketing Strategy 101, and those kind souls that listened to me for an hour realised that “International Marketing” has exactly the same principals as “Marketing”. In each you adapt to your audience.

The reality of exporting is that you don’t sell to individual countries, you do the same as you would in the UK, you sell to markets; those markets that are the best match for the products or services you offer.

When you understand the nature of the markets you are selling to at home, then you simply apply the

same criteria across the world.

It really is that simple.

In early November I attended a meeting of Export Champions from across the UK at the magnificent Lancaster House, in London.

The importance of the event can be judged that we were addressed by Andrew Bowie on his first day as Export Minister and he took the time to meet and listen to the real-world experiences and advice of this group of business people, most from smaller companies, who have shown how it can be done.

Their experiences are regularly used in promotional material, it is not a secret…

So, if it is so obvious and achievable, why aren’t more companies exporting?

recession in your business

Is it the perception that it is too difficult?

That isn’t true.

Is it that you need to make massive investments?

Also not true.

Is it much riskier?

costs and it is always important to get that right. But in looking at sales margins you also need to consider economies of scale, indirect costs such as marketing and advertising, sales, local deliveries etc.

When exporting through a distributor you can control many of

higher. This can reduce risk, help control costs and give a real boost to the business.

So again, why don’t more companies export? Well let me ask you: please contact me and let me know why you don’t want to try and I will help you understand if and

KITSON Architecture have just celebrated their tenth year with a birthday party at the Con Club in Altrincham.

Back in 2012, setting up a business in Altrincham was an interesting proposition. With nearly a third of shops lying empty it was regularly ranking one of the worst high streets in the country. But having lived in Altrincham for many years, Mark and Ellen Kitson needed a convenient location to set up their newly formed architectural practice.

“We always liked Altrincham and although times were hard there seemed to be a positive attitude in the town. We set up the business working from our home and after eight months, having taken on our first member of staff, we took the plunge and rented offices on Greenwood Street opposite the old hospital and began to grow our architectural practice.”

10 years later, what a transformation and what an improvement in the town in both appearance and lifestyle. Now Altrincham hits the Sunday Times ‘best places to live’ lists and it has become the destination of choice for foodies and lovers of lively bars and markets from across the region.

In some respects, running a business over the same period has had its difficulties, not least the pandemic, but through some hard work and great clients KITSON Architecture have developed to become a respected architectural practice involved in projects from Inverness to Cornwall.

Their previous experience was with a practice in Manchester which gave them a great wealth of knowledge

allowing them to work on some incredible projects.

KITSON Architecture celebrate 10 celebration

Both Mark and Ellen were deeply involved in the immediate works needed to rebuild Manchester after the 1996 IRA bombing. “Working on buildings devastated by a huge explosion is something you don’t have training for.”

Reinstatement projects at the Arndale and Corn Exchange, pretty much from day one, meant working in large teams and having to come up with creative and practical solutions to unprecedented design problems in the space of hours. As the Manchester renaissance continued, other large projects followed.

“While we were amazingly lucky to transfer some of our existing clients to KITSON Architecture it was when we started to attract our maiden clients that we realised the practice might actually take off.”

This didn’t happen overnight and was the result of copious networking, rekindling relationships with existing contacts and promoting themselves on social media, via a new website and, most of all, the quality of their work.

“In the first few days of our opening week we were very lucky the local business community really rallied around us even though we were totally new to the Altrincham crowd.”

They quickly joined the Altrincham and Sale Chamber, opened a bank account and registered for VAT.

“Our ‘Holding Page’ was up and running within 48 hours and we soon had professional business cards and other branded items all sourced from local companies. Many of these businesses still support us today and we have

Within weeks the practice had secured sufficient work to employ Daniel on a short-term contract.

Within months a London client appointed KITSON Architecture on two multi-million-pound shopping centre refurbishment projects, one of which leading to the practices first national award. Daniel was employed full time and has since gone on to become an established qualified architect vital to the team.

They have always had a diverse approach to the sectors they work in. “Focussing on one type of development wasn’t how we wanted to work. For one thing, we like the varied design challenges associated with different projects which allows us to approach things differently and transfer skills from one sector to another. Secondly you need to protect yourself from a single sector struggling due to some unforeseen circumstances.”

A prime example of this was the work

the practice had undertaken in the hotel sector. The established relationships with our hotel clients had led them to produce some fantastic projects including the Spa at the Midland, a refurbishment of the basement health club at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. Taking a very dated ‘health club’ they transformed it into a sophisticated city centre spa with pool steam and sauna rooms, a Rasul, treatment rooms and gloriously sumptuous relaxation rooms with hanging sleep pods and cosy niches for resting before a healthy lunch in the dedicated eatery.

But when the pandemic struck, all the hotels closed and most investment in the sector stopped overnight. This is when having expertise in other sectors comes into its own.

For many years the practice had been involved in extremely technical projects in the data centre industry. “We had always been involved in data centre fit out works which gives a real insight into the workings of these highly serviced environments.”

Along with fit outs other projects have included an expansion of the national optical fibre network, the construction of a backup power energy centre for one of the country’s largest data centres and developments at

made friends for life along the way.”

The Spa at the Midland Hotel, Manchester

Architecture successful years

cable landing stations and satellite earth stations. More recently two new build data centre projects are in development to cater for the increased demand to serve the growing preference of home working and remote accesses throughout the workplace environment.

Their clients now include Vodafone, BT and Telefonica and they are expanding further into this sector with new, smaller data centre providers. “To be honest, you don’t leave architectural college thinking you will work on data centres, at least not in the 1980s. But there is a completely different approach to providing design solutions and the knowledge we have gained in this area has benefited in the way we look at work in other sectors.”

Mark started work in Manchester in 1987. Working first on hotels he progressed to being involved in many different types of development giving him a broad knowledge of the construction industry. “I always enjoyed drawing, either sketches or technical so a profession with a pencil in my hand appealed.” Now, his work book is filled with a mixture of meeting notes, doodles and sketches of current projects.

Ellen moved to Manchester in the summer of 1996 to help rebuild the retail heart of the city in the wake of the IRA bombing in June. The first-hand experience on site gave Ellen the unique opportunity to establish her roots in the retail sector helping to rebuild the Arndale Centre.

In recent years Ellen has supported the work of a local MP preparing briefing notes on school design which have made their way to Westminster. She has also provided advice to refugees who have moved locally and need help navigating the structures of the RIBA and routes to qualification.

Daniel’s architectural education was at

Liverpool John Moores University, a course with a strong emphasis both the art and technical sides of design. Starting his career in Manchester at the same practice as Mark and Ellen, Daniel has worked on retail, hotels and data centres projects and, more recently, housing, industrial and healthcare sites.

Now Michael has joined the practice to deal with our ever-growing workload.

With a longstanding involvement in heritage projects throughout their careers, KITSON Architecture have experience working on the retail elements of the Grade I Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool and the introduction of a luxury city centre Spa at the Grade II* Midland Hotel in Manchester.

Both through existing contacts and new relationships, the practice has grown its residential portfolio, particularly in the local area. Typically working with developers who see the potential in maximising value from

brownfield sites and existing buildings.

“We have designed numerous schemes. At the moment we have 14 houses and 12 apartments on site across three different projects, achieved planning permission for a further 25 and awaiting planning on another 7.”

With a small team of core staff and some trusted freelance associates the practice has focused on quality over quantity. “Our commitment has been to quality. Quality of service, quality of personnel, quality of design.”

The decision to keep the practice small, efficient and adaptable has been a conscious one. Both Mark and Ellen enjoy architecture and want to be architects. “Keeping the

role as project architects as well as managing the business means we are doing what we love and what we set out to do – be architects, hands on with clients and projects.” This approach means clients not only get the best levels of service but their experience can be imparted into every scheme to ensure the best outcomes.

With the team going into its second decade, they are best placed and experienced to continue providing their brand of high quality architecture to their existing and new clients.

“There is a positivity in Altrincham that we feed off and being located right in the centre, surrounded by the buzz and vitality of the town centre, will only encourage us to keep moving forward providing the best architectural service for the next ten years and beyond.”

Hotels and the hospitality sector

A welcoming service

Security staff can readily play a part in welcoming visitors to the establishment. Often, to help make their roles as cost-effective as possible, they will multi-task, working seamlessly with hotel staff at the reception desk or as part of the concierge service.

Hotel security professionals typically provide a less obviously visible role than ‘door staff’ in other sectors because clients are seeking to convey a different image; one of calm sophistication.

claim or customer complaint.

CCTV monitoring

In cases where CCTV monitoring is not carried out by a specialist off-site agency, security staff can provide an on-site monitoring service as part of their roles.

24-hour attendance

For many city-centre hotels, business continues 24 hours a day. However, for smaller establishments, night-times can be quiet.

Hotel security: an extension of your brand

Whether you’re running a large city-centre hotel or a boutique establishment in a remote rural district, your customers will expect to be safe, secure and treated with the utmost respect.

Your own staff will, of course, be trained to be attentive and courteous, but those qualities need to be displayed consistently. It only takes one failure for the customer experience to be spoiled, so if you’re planning to appoint outsourced security staff, it’s essential that their training extends beyond the basics. Approachability and customer care are also vital skills for a good security professional.

In the hospitality business, there’s a balance to be struck between unobtrusiveness and reassurance. No one wants a hotel environment to have the atmosphere of an airport security check but, equally, customers also like to feel that the establishment is a safe haven where they can relax; where they and their possessions are safe. A good security company can do a lot to reinforce this impression without becoming an overbearing presence.

Security and first impressions

First impressions count, and that’s as true of hotel security as anything else.

Visibility matters because it’s the

presence of features such as parking barriers, security signage, CCTV and external lighting that will help to shape customers’ impressions when they first arrive on site.

Measures should be robust but not inconvenient for guests. If you can achieve that, then you’ll already be sending subtle signals to your customers that they can expect excellent care.

Flexible security packages

A good hotel security company should be able to offer a comprehensive suite of services, but your business won’t necessarily need to take advantage of all of them. Packages should be tailored to account for factors such as your hotel’s location, size, amenities and footfall.

When considering what sort of support you may need, it’s helpful to consider the services that could potentially make up your ideal package. The following are examples, but other services are available to suit different markets and conditions.

External patrols

External security patrols are essential for ensuring that a hotel’s grounds and any parking facilities are secure and well maintained. The mere presence of uniformed staff helps reassure customers that they are in safe hands and also offers a visible deterrent.

Scrutiny

An experienced security specialist will stay alert for a range of potential problems and warning signs.

Identifying intruders, unauthorised guests or people under the influence of drink or drugs is all part of the job.

Floor walks

Floor walks are a routine and important element of a hotel security service. Staff who make regular patrols around the interior of the premises can look out for a number of important issues and potential risks. Security staff can act as the eyes and ears of the hotel’s management, alert to any issues that could compromise security or the visitor experience.

Room checks

Hoteliers will be well aware of the risks and nuisance associated with unauthorised visitors gaining access to guest rooms or other areas such as kitchens and meeting rooms. A routine room check can be conducted as part of an interior patrol.

Event logging and response

Keeping an accurate record of patrols, incidents and the condition of the premises can be an important role of security staff. This provides useful management information for the purposes of staff training, maintenance and planning. It can also prove invaluable in the event of a contested insurance

This is another example where security staff can provide a cost-effective service by multi-tasking; providing a presence at reception to deal with any customer enquiries, but also monitoring CCTV systems and controlling access to the premises.

Accompanied attendance

Not all hotels have on-site security personnel, but those that don’t often like to be able to call on a security team to help them respond to an incident. Good security companies will offer an ‘accompanied attendance’ service, whereby security staff can be sent to accompany the hotel’s representative in order to respond quickly to an incident.

On-site intervention

Sometimes hotels will encounter guests who make themselves a nuisance and risk undermining other customers’ enjoyment of the establishment.

These situations demand a firm but courteous response, and this is a role best assigned to a trained security professional.

Security staff will have the skills to defuse a potentially confrontational situation and should be able to secure a positive outcome very quickly.

Tony Hill Leisure Guard Security leisureguardsecurity.co.uk

Leisure Guard (UK) Ltd holds SIA approved contractor status for the provision of Security Guarding, Door Supervision and CCTV services.

Liverpool Chamber

newscommunity abuzz with energy for the reopening. Hospitality partners have welcomed back customers, charities have been able to relaunch fundraising initiatives, and growing businesses have been allowed to flourish once more.

“We have been really excited to welcome a range of new members to Liverpool Chamber in the past year, along with a raft of organisations who choose to join as executive level members, either as a Patron or Strategic Partner.

Team

activity and are featured in all of our communications channels. They also help to shape the Chamber’s voice with industry specialism and thought leadership.”

James added: “Since joining Liverpool Chamber I have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of growing businesses operating across Liverpool and Sefton. Our Innovation in Business Awards welcomed over 450 delegates to the stunning World Museum Liverpool, and was a true celebration of our incredible business community.

Jordan Rhoda, membership and business growth manager at Liverpool Chamber, is delighted to welcome James Parker to the team in the role of business engagement officer, strengthening the Chamber’s ability to deliver high quality support to their base of over 600 member companies.

Jordan explained: “Liverpool Chamber of Commerce has been the authentic voice of business in Liverpool since 1850, connecting businesses to enable them to thrive together. The Chamber’s work covers

five key areas: business support, policy and advocacy, networking, international trade and membership – which overlap as we join the dots for businesses in our network. Our mission is to add value to every one of our members. We support you, helping you connect and thrive so that your business prospers, creating jobs and prosperity for Liverpool.

“As the economy has reopened over the past year, it has been a true privilege to be able to once again meet with businesses face-to-face. Since then, I have seen the business

“Becoming a Patron of Liverpool Chamber positions an organisation as a key supporter, contributor and ambassador of not only Liverpool Chamber, but also the wider Liverpool City Region. We also work closely with our Strategic Partners to ensure that the companies have representation at our most prominent events, engage with us on policy

“We have an ambitious events calendar for 2023 to allow us to offer even more support to our members, connecting them with like-minded and supportive colleagues. I can’t wait to meet more of you in person so please do get in touch to arrange a coffee and discuss how we can best support your business in 2023.”

&out about

industry, attracting key people from well known companies on a regular basis, and now extends beyond networking by having a presence at key industry exhibitions including Healthcare Estates, Education Estates, and (in 2023) The Workplace Event in Birmingham.

funded by the sponsor, and in return that company is able to promote itself to a wide and growing audience of potential customers, suppliers and business contacts via the FM North database and rising LinkedIn group membership, which currently stands at just over 2,700 members. The winner of the 2023 ‘Networker of the Year’ award was Elizabeth Smith, Director of A2R Personnel, and FM North will return to The Lawn Club on Wednesday 25 January 2023.

Professionals from the Facilities, Cleaning and Construction sectors from across the UK gathered en masse in November for the final FM North networking event of 2022.

The annual Xmas Party and Awards event was held at The Lawn Club, Spinningfields, on 23 November and over 150 people attended.

Hosted as always by Ian Perton of

UK, the closing FM North event of the year was generously sponsored and supported by the IWFM Rising Stars, Dawson Group PLC, Cleanology, Business Connect Magazine, Tennant UK, CSS Facilities and A2R Personnel, and even had a surprise visit from Pudsey the Bear as the event also raised money for BBC Children in Need.

FM North has already established itself as the go-to networking event for the FM and cleaning

FM North co-founder and Tennant UK Marketing Manager Daniel Cross said “FM North has been going for almost 8 years and the reason it has been such a success, why people keep attending and recommending their colleagues and clients to join us, is because it clearly stands apart from the other business development groups.

“Members do not have to come with a set number of leads to pass on, we don’t have any speakers or speeches, and above all it’s free to attend.”

Each FM North event is completely

Join the FM North LinkedIn group linkedin.com/ groups/8348707/ or contact danny.cross@tennantco.com or ian@fmnorth.co.uk

Business Connect has joined the UK CONFEDERATION by CONFASSOCIAZIONI as a Media Partner and attended a recent Manchester network event at Gusto.

Business leaders from different sectors were invited to attend and given the opportunity to expand their business network.

Find out more: ukconfederation.co.uk

CSS Facilities, and Daniel Cross of Tennant

Samantha Del Vigna Dobson FCCA CEO & Founder of Del Vigna Dobson Ltd, also President at UK CONFEDERATION by CONFASSOCIAZIONI, pictured with Paul Mirage

Aileen Gilcrest, Ian Perton, Daniel Cross, George Franklin and Gary Bampton at the October event.

October saw the Business Catalyst Club hold their Lunch event in the heart of Manchester. Once again great speakers talked about business and support today, one of which was Vickie Hood from boutique business sales advisors the Spring Top Group.

November then saw another great event in Leeds where speakers spoke about what their business had to offer, and this month’s Charity Draw winner was Sara Poskitt, director of Lomot Developments who nominated Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds as the recipient.

So far this year members have voluntarily raised a total of £4,815.00 for various Charities which are chosen by members and guests both in Leeds and Manchester.

They included The Boathouse Youth, Leeds Baby Bank, Beechwood Cancer Care Centre, East Cheshire Hospice, PEEPS HIA, From The Heart Charity and Papyrus UK.

Graham Shiers has built a solid reputation for encouraging entrepreneurial values, emergent talent and stimulating business development and growth alongside funding services, with particular focus on the Northern business community, acting as a trusted source of introduction between new and

existing business contacts.

The Business Catalyst Club enhances business relationships by bringing together entrepreneurs, investors and decision makers to share new and exciting business opportunities.

The quarterly invitation-only Business Catalyst Club Lunch events in both Leeds and Manchester are designed to deliver added value to an extensive network of business contacts by facilitating new commercial and professional introductions. The events also provide an effective platform for a small number of companies seeking growth capital to showcase their proposals to our members and guests – many of whom are private or institutional investors and lenders.

Business Catalyst Club

Membership is available to decision makers from all walks of business life including entrepreneurs, MDs, directors, business partners and owner managers.

Membership includes four Lunches over the year plus members can invite a decision-maker guest on each occasion at no extra cost.

The next Manchester Business Catalyst Club Lunch is on Thursday 26 January in Manchester, followed by the Leeds Lunch on Thursday 9 February 2023.

For more information or to arrange a guest invitation please contact Graham Shiers at graham@BusinessCatalystClub.co.uk or visit www.BusinessCatalystClub.co.uk

Business Connect Magazine has extended its media expansion by partnering with the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce (see feature page at the front of this edition).

Pictured is Paul Mirage with Chamber CEO at a busy Chamber breakfast networking event at Regus Liverpool Mann Island.

Liverpool Chamber: liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Magazine as sponsors of the up and coming group. Businesses from all sectors attend the monthly event which takes place on the third Thursday of each month at the Clayton Hotel Manchester.

BGH Match is the free business networking group run by GC Business Growth Hub.

Launched in March 2022, their aim was to bring businesses back together again from across Greater Manchester, and since its inception, BGH Match has brought together over 800 businesses across 16 events.

BGH Match will continue into the New Year.

For more information on BGH Match visit: www.businessgrowthhub.com/match

BITA Social Manchester - Eventbrite for details, or visit Bita.ie

Paul Mirage with Chamber CEO Paul Cherpeau

A summary of the ‘freezing’ autumn budget statement

There was a chill in the air as Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt delivered the 2022 Autumn Budget Statement on Thursday 17th November, bracing the country for the icy economic period ahead.

At LWA, we have summarised the major points that will affect businesses and individuals, outlining advice on how to weather the cold storm.

Frozen tax allowances and thresholds

When the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak delivered his Budget Statement as Chancellor in 2021, he announced several tax rates that would be frozen until April 2026 –Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that the following tax allowances and thresholds to help recover finances from the furlough scheme will remain in place including some until at least April 2028:

• Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) reduction remains only until March 2025. It would be advisable to accelerate transactions before spring 2025 when the ‘nil-rateband’ will return to the first £125,000 on a residential property purchase, and also existing SDLT reliefs should be taken into consideration for advantage.

• VAT threshold will maintain at £85,000 to March 2026.

• Personal allowance will remain at £12,570 until April 2028.

• Employers National Insurance (NI) threshold will be frozen until April 2028.

• £50,270 higher rate threshold for income tax until April 2028.

Reductions

There are some major reductions including the upper rate tax threshold which could impact employed earners positively however, changes to tax-free allowances will negatively impact business owners who could be facing effective profit extraction rates of more than 50%.

• The upper rate tax of 45% will kick in on earnings over £125,140 instead of £150,000 from 6th April 2023. Individuals may want to reduce their income to £100,000 if possible, to avoid the 60% marginal rate of tax between £100,000 and £125,140 from the loss of the personal allowances.

It might be worth considering that pension contributions would be more worthwhile with this change, as this obtains tax relief at the marginal rate, working well if done under salary sacrifice, as there will also be National Insurance savings.

• Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Annual Exemption (the amount of tax-free gains which an individual can

realise each year) will be reduced from £12,300 to £6,000 from 6th April 2023, and then reduced again to £3,000 from 6th April 2024. Whilst this was an unexpected and tough announcement, it is worth noting a positive in that there were no changes to (CGT) rates which will remain at 20% (or 28% for residential property disposals) for higher rate taxpayers.

• Dividends taxed at 0% is reducing from £2,000 for 2022, to £1,000 in 2023 and £500 for 2024.

• R&D tax credit relief will be reducing to 10% for lossmaking companies who wish to surrender their losses for a repayable tax credit.

• For small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), the additional deduction which SMEs receive for their qualifying R&D expenditure will be reduced from 130% to 86%.

Increases

A number of tax and threshold increases for businesses and individuals have also been announced including:

• Increase in National Living Wage (NLW) for over 23-year-olds to £10.42 which will be legally enforceable.

• Employers allowance increase to £5,000.

• Plans to increase NIC by 1.25% will remain also 1.25% increase on dividend tax and S455 Tax.

• Plans to increase Corporation Tax to 25% and bring back marginal relief remain.

Company vehicles and mileage

• Changes to the taxation of electric vehicles – from April 2025, electric cars, vans and motorcycles will begin to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), in the same way as petrol and diesel vehicles.

• Company Car Tax (CCT) Rates – the government is setting rates for CCT until April 2028 to provide long term certainty for taxpayers and industry in the Autumn Finance Bill 2022.

• First Year Allowance for electric vehicle chargepoints – the government will extend the 100% First Year Allowance for electric vehicle chargepoints to 31st March 2025 for Corporation Tax and 5th April 2025 for Income Tax.

• The advisory fuel rate (the amount that employees can claim as a mileage allowance) for electric company cars will increase from 5p to 8p from 1st December 2022.

If you need bespoke advice as a result of the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget Statement, please do not hesitate to contact any member of our Tax Team – we’re here to help. Call 0161 905 1801 in Manchester or 01925 830 830 in Warrington, or you can email us via mail@lwaltd.com

digital marketing

Desktop vs mobile

That’s an increase of 933% in little over a decade.

If you’re not sure why that’s important, let’s look at it like this:

Mobile is, undoubtedly, the best way to reach the widest audience.

This isn’t something marketers have missed, which has given us the trend of mobile-first optimised content - digital content designed to perform best when viewed on mobile devices.

While that’s fine and well, it’s been noted to cause an issue for desktop users.

Let’s take a look at an example...

languages do. In the same way that you need to adjust your phrasing and structure from language to language, you need to structure your approach from platform to platform.

Digital marketing has always been aimed at reaching out to the broadest audience possible. In the past, that was done through desktops because of their availability.

However, there’s been a notable shift taking place over the years. Instead of desktops, companies are starting to aim their campaigns at mobile users.

Let’s take a look at the battle in digital marketing: desktop vs. mobile.

Tech is taking over

Like most people, I rely on technology to do the majority of my daily tasks. Whether that’s listening to music, talking to friends, working, or even something as simple as telling the time, I can safely say that my phone and laptop have become vital tools for accomplishing day-to-day tasks.

And, like most people, I didn’t really notice the shift taking place.

Of course, I saw ads about the newest iPhone - but it never occurred to me just how much technology has integrated into the structure of modern society.

And, upon further inspection, I believe

we haven’t noticed this change for the same reason we don’t see many changes: convenience.

Convenience is key

Technology provides a level of convenience we’ve not experienced before - which is the reason why so many people have welcomed it.

To the point where convenience has become (for many companies) compulsory.

It’s nearly impossible to send or receive information without a laptop, phone, or other pieces of tech.

With Google handling roughly 3.8 billion searches a minute, it’s safe to say that we’re accessing the majority of our information through the use of technology.

There are two main ways we interact with the online world: desktops/ laptops, and mobile phones - the latter of which is rising to snap up the majority of the market.

Some statistics

- In 2011, mobile held around 6% of global digital traffic.

- As of August 2022, mobile held around 62% of global digital traffic.

Video Advertising

Video advertising is significantly more effective on phones because it takes up the entire screen - which removes any distractions. With desktops, however, this isn’t as effective.

Ad blockers and larger screens deny those advertising opportunities completely, or allow us to avoid interacting with the ad.

And, though it may be the smaller portion, it’s important not to discount the importance of laptops. While people enjoy spending time on their mobiles, studies have found that the majority of online purchases are made on desktops.

Mobile vs. Desktop: Who wins?

The simple reality is that there’s not a clear winner. In fact, thanks to the phenomenon of “multi-screening”, people balance the scales between desktop and mobile - often using both on the same day. That means it’s essential to look at marketing across all platforms (something we know as cross-platform marketing).

The Takeaway

Platforms differ in the same way that

There isn’t a magic spell you can cast to succeed in your marketing efforts other than to actively pay attention to your consumer’s behaviour, and work hard to ensure they get the best possible experience. Whether they’re on a desktop, laptop, phone, or standing on top of a soap-box, every view (and every viewer) is a valuable one, and there’s no way for you to determine which platform will be the one that provides the most success, generate the most traffic, or offer you the most leads.

To see success, it’s crucial that you understand that more people doesn’t necessarily translate into more views.

If you’re struggling to get around the complexities that persevere in digital marketing, why not contact us?

Our boutique team is passionate, driven, and always happy to help with your digital marketing needs.

Whether it’s desktop, mobile, or both, we’ve got the tools to give you conversions the likes of which you’ve never seen.

for now, Henri Scott

Cheers

Henri Scott KlickSense klicksense.com

debt support

Managing your cashflow during a recession

As the UK looms headlong into recession the affect on small businesses could prove fatal for many owners of small businesses.

Inflation is at a 40 year high and the pressure of the increasing cost of living adds more pressure to small business owners.

If you have cash in your account, you should spend it wisely, and if you are cash poor spend it even wiser as the ability to borrow money at current high interest rates can worsen the outlook for your business.

Borrowing money to keep your business afloat through the tough times in recession may seem like a good option if you can obtain finance at a reasonable rate, but you have to be mindful of what happens if the funding runs out and you can’t borrow any more.

In a recession keeping your clients happy is very important, but only if those clients are willing and able to pay you promptly.

If you don’t have a contract with your clients or any terms and conditions confirming when and how you can expect payment, you should consider incorporating

payment terms into a new contract.

Over 40% of companies do not check the creditworthiness of an existing or new client. That can prove fatal if the client is not creditworthy or worst still, trading insolvently.

Over 60% of small businesses struggle to get paid on time.

Approximately half of all invoices issued by small businesses are paid late, so it is important to offer your clients as many different ways they can pay such as cash, bank transfer, card payment, PayPal and secure online payment links.

You would be surprised to hear though that many businesses still use cheques.

The Government legislation on late payments is worth reading up on. It costs nothing, and may prove useful if you are struggling to get your invoices paid on time. Sometimes the threat of adding late payment fees and/or charging interest on your unpaid invoices is enough to

prompt your clients to pay sooner so they don’t incur fees and/or interest.

If you are struggling to obtain payments from clients, you can use the Government platform Money Claim Online to issue County Court Claims to recover your money.

There are fees to pay to use the service and success is not guaranteed.

If you do not wish to issue a County Court Claim yourself you could instruct a debt collection agency to manage the process for you for Claims under £10,000 or a solicitor for Claims over £10,000.

PO Box 448, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 7WP

Paul Daine, Managing Director, Premium Collections

wellbeing

When is the right time

In this special feature,

to write about two very

The most common question I get asked, apart from now much is my business worth, is when is the right time to sell my business?

The simple answer to this is –‘when you don’t need to’.

When selling your business, choice is absolutely key to ensuring you don’t experience any post deal regrets or fall victim to sellers remorse which sadly many business owners do.

Apart from financial wealth, I would encourage every business owner considering an exit to consider what are the other elements of selling your business that are important to you?

For many it’s these socio- emotional elements that will truly reflect wealth.

What is most important to you post your exit?

Continuation of your legacy?

Employee protection?

Development opportunities?

Business location?

Customer relationships?

Supplier relationships?

The answers to these amongst others will all contribute to ensuring your ‘socio-emotional wealth’ is as healthy as your bank balance post the right transaction, thus aiding in avoiding the all too often experienced sellers remorse.

Make sure you look after yourself too - what are you going to do in the future?

What will be your purpose if not the owner of ‘xyz Ltd’.

It’s ok not to know the answer to this, however I would encourage you to give the answer some considered thought - the sense of loss for some business owners upon selling their business can be comparable to that of losing a loved one and the associated grief.

Returning to my first point of selling your business when you don’t need to, don’t wait for a competitor to approach you to make an offer to buy your business, I can guarantee that they won’t fulfil your requirements with the various elements of wealth which will leave you feeling accomplished.

The best buyers will be complimentary in nature and will add value to your current business, and vice versa. This ‘synergistic fit’ carries value and should be reflected in the transaction.

Another downside to responding to an approach is the lack of time you’ll have to prepare your business. Preparation. preparation. Preparation.

Make sure your business will stand up to the scrutiny that Due Diligence will provide. Poorly drafted, or even lack of contracts for example, are likely to open up the opportunity for the buyer to use DD as a price chipping exercise.

DD is about proving facts, not renegotiating the deal.

Plan for the future; Presenting future opportunities to any buyer will demonstrate greater value in the business, a business with growth opportunities will be more attractive to any buyer than a business with little growth achievable.

Be pro-active about exploring

the market to find the best buyer for the business. Remember if you wait to be approached, you’re likely to be unprepared, have no other options and certainly won’t be able to compare their offer with any other possibilities a wider market approach would offer.

My advice to anyone looking to sell their business without any regret, is to ensure you are in control of the entire process, prepare, research, be pro-active and concentrate on the future potential of the business.

If you do this, you will be less likely to feel bereft post any transaction, and your ‘socio-emotional wealth’ will be abounded.

Vickie Elson-Hood Spring Top Group springtopgroup.com

Business Connect has asked Vickie Elson-Hood from the Spring Top Group, and Susan Leigh from Lifestyle Therapy,

different situations when it’s time to step away from your business.

time to step away from your business ?

“My advice - is that if someone wants to start a company they should bear in mind that the most likely outcome is that it’s not going to work and they should only do it if they are really compelled to do it, you know, then you do it, even though the risk of failure is high.” These words, spoken by Elon Musk on ‘The Elon Musk Show’, BBC2, October 2022.

The statistics are readily available, revealing that 80% of entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first eighteen months and more than 500,000 small businesses close every year. And yet still we persevere, wanting to work for ourselves, be our own boss, achieve something special that we’ve built through our own endeavours.

At what point should we decide to throw in the towel and say we need to close our business?

“If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” — Steve Jobs. And that’s at the heart of any successful business, having the passion and enthusiasm to see beyond setbacks and obstacles, consistently working towards the bigger picture to achieve those goals.

What changes those business dreams into a nightmare?

At the outset there’s passion for a new business, a desire to go to work each day. But if that passion dissipates, perhaps after too many challenges, paying too big a price personally, professionally or financially, every hurdle can feel insurmountable, every rejection taken personally and eventually something has to give. Without drive and energy surely it’s time to quit.

The ultimate goal of any business is to provide a livelihood. New businesses often have plenty of ideas but fall down on their execution, lacking consistent, focussed effort. A business coach may introduce goals and accountability, but enough

money has to be generated to cover hours being undertaken and to pay overheads.

If you’ve no market for your goods or services and are effectively trying to sell widgets in a widget-free world, it’s time to acknowledge that you need to modify, adjust and adapt your business direction if you want to survive.

Any business should regularly monitor their markets, figures and keep an eye on the competition, so becoming aware of any changes that are being implemented. Unless you’ve cornered a niche market it’s important to be offering something viable to as wide an audience as possible. Enthusiasm will only take you so far.

If profits have been consistently falling to a concerning, unsustainable level it justifies a thorough audit, especially if business looks good on paper.

Could you be being stolen from; aggrieved staff may justify their actions, feeling they’re entitled to take from supplies.

Are inefficiencies or outdated equipment or methods hi-jacking your chances of being competitive and profitable?

Are you hiring expensive staff to perform routine tasks which could be undertaken by someone less expensive?

What about overtime, does that need investigating and are staff trained well enough to avoid making expensive mistakes?

Cash flow is often the biggest problem, particularly with new businesses. Sometimes the order book is full but charging a fair price or getting paid provides a major headache. Another cash infusion, the use of a handy credit card or bank loan, factoring outstanding invoices or involving an interested investor may be enough to weather the storm,

but there must come a point where any emotional investment has to be stepped away from and sensible business decisions are taken.

Is it time to start trading differently, maybe invest in online marketing, where you specifically target your ideal customer?

It may be that your personal circumstances have changed and you’re no longer as invested in nurturing your business as you once were. Your health may have taken a downturn, causing your priorities to be modified, personal relationships may have suffered due to work-related stress, your financial aspirations may have changed as children finished their education and moved away, or your inclination to spend as much time and effort at work has diminished as your drive to earn money has been replaced by other hobbies and interests.

Or maybe you’re looking for a different work environment, with less working from home and more mixing and meeting with others, want personal connections or to earn a regular salary and associated perks.

Could this be due to exhaustion and the need for a holiday, or is it time to delegate or hire more staff?

Some people have an exit strategy from even the earliest days of starting their business. They’ve formulated plans to sell, bequeath or franchise their way into profitable early retirement.

They face the challenge of stepping back from a successful business and letting someone else make major policy decisions about a business they’ve nurtured from scratch.

But in a business that’s struggling, stepping aside can be a wrench. Would it be possible for staff or management to buy or form a co-operative, or sell, and remain in the business as a consultant?

It can be tempting to persevere and continue with a struggling company, saying ‘just another loan’, ’a few more months’, but a successful gambler recognises the skill in knowing when to cut your losses and walk away.

This isn’t failure, but rather a major learning experience, giving insight into your customers, skills and contacts for future reference.

For further information please call: 0161 928 7880 or visit www.lifestyletherapy.net

Susan Leigh MNCH (ACC)

More from Susan on next page

wellbeing

How do you do so much?

Double up your arrangements where you can. Why not combine some areas of your life?

Eating out, seeing a show or concert and inviting several of your friends along, may maximise your time and create an almost party-like atmosphere amongst your various friends.

Business networking combined with a game of golf or a run can include exercise and business, as does perhaps taking a walk or enjoying a hobby or class with family or friends.

Learn to say ‘no’ appropriately When we work for ourselves or are in a new situation, we’re often keen to fit in and be accepted.

FOMO, fear of missing out, of having something to prove, of trying to be indispensable, not wanting to let go of the reins and aiming to fill every second with meaningful activity can all create their own stress.

But equally, there are those people who are eager to try everything that’s on offer, every option that’s on the menu.

It’s great to be enthusiastic and try new things, but it’s also important to take time to rest, savour and make the best choices for you.

Enjoy doing each thing for its own sake, being able to dedicate your whole, undivided attention.

I’m sure we’ve all had occasions when we’ve looked on and wondered how someone’s able to fit in as much as they do.

Whilst we’re still pondering how to clear our inbox, fit in an important meeting or shop for tonight’s dinner, they may have been to the gym, ordered the weekly food shop, made several important calls, volunteered at a local charity and completed an important piece of work!

How do they do so much?

Being organised is the key to getting things done. Without organisation things can become too random, dipping in and out of tasks with very little focus or planning.

Lists can be an efficient way of introducing order and control, so enabling outstanding matters to be sorted by degree of urgency, as well as the added satisfaction of being ticked off when completed.

Some things are too big or complicated to tackle in one go And also, some contribution or expertise may be required from a third-party.

Efficiency often requires being focussed and confident enough to pass tasks quickly on so that the next person can start on their input. Be sure to monitor where things are up to and how individual tasks are progressing.

Delegating is a valuable tool in a busy life. Being precious and

insisting on doing everything oneself may feel like a positive way to keep control, but not everything needs to be jealously guarded.

Let others help, share in the story and perhaps they’ll even come up with new, improved ways of working. It motivates everyone when they’re included as part of the team and subsequently given credit for their contribution.

Hire help. Certain routine or mundane tasks like ironing, cleaning and gardening may be worth outsourcing.

It could be a valuable investment to pay money and free up your time for other things. Equally, tasks outside your area of expertise may benefit from being done by someone else, rather than having you spend hours agonising over your accounts, admin or design work.

Something you dedicate ages to may take a professional a fraction of the time and be done much better.

Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you start. There’s no need to rehearse every possible scenario or set of circumstances in advance.

Often things come together well enough once you’ve begun. Allow your mindset to be flexible, receptive to the different possibilities and enjoy where they take you.

This can lead to interesting detours, unless you’re required to follow very specific criteria.

It can be tempting to say ‘yes’ and agree to everything in a bid to prove we’re enthusiastic, competent and obliging.

But, sometimes we need to review what we’re already committed to and ensure that we do a good job. Otherwise we may run ourselves ragged, trying to accommodate every request and enquiry, potentially damaging our reputation and our health.

Take regular breaks and recharge A twenty-minute break allows time to sit and eat a healthy snack, hydrate or maybe go outside to catch some fresh air. Many people find that afterwards they return to work with a clearer mind and renewed enthusiasm for the job in hand.

Remember to give yourself credit for each achievement. Rather than stoically working your way through your list, pause intermittently to value every stage of the journey, each completed task and appreciate what you’ve done.

And might it be relevant to sometimes ask yourself why you do so much, why you allow your time to be so fully occupied.

Some people are constantly busy because they need to be in control and are loathe to pass on work to others for fear of being cut out of the loop, of it being discovered that others do a better job or of having their mistakes and shortcomings revealed.

Focus on today, knowing that there’s always another day when you can move onto the next positive step on your list.

Susan Leigh MNCH (ACC) South Manchester counsellor, hypnotherapist, relationship counsellor, writer and media contributor offers help with relationship issues, stress management, assertiveness and confidence. She works with individual clients, couples and provides corporate workshops and support.

She’s author of 3 books, ‘Dealing with Stress, Managing its Impact’, ‘101 Days of Inspiration #tipoftheday’ and ‘Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain’, all on Amazon and with easy to read sections, tips and ideas to help you feel more positive about your life.

To order a copy or for more information, help and free articles visit www.lifestyletherapy.net

For more articles, information or to make contact please call 0161 928 7880 or visit www.lifestyletherapy.net

diary dates

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BITA (British and Irish Trading Alliance)

BITA London online every Friday

8.00am - 9.00am

Cost FREE until further notice

Live face to face events:

BITA London Monthly Social Networking 8 Dec 6.00pm - 8.00pm, every 2nd Thurs

Venue The Rising Sun, 61 Carter Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4V 5DY

Cost FREE

BITA Liverpool Monthly Social Networking 8 Dec 5.00pm - 7.00pm, every 2nd Thurs

Venue The Restuarant Bar and Grill, Brunswick Street, Liverpool L2 0UU (Jan venue to change - please see website for further details)

Cost FREE

BITA Leeds Monthly Social Networking

14 Dec 6.00pm - 8.00pm, every 3rd Weds

Venue Tipi Bar, The Restaurant Bar & Grill, The Old Post Office, 3 City Square, Leeds LS1 2AN

Cost FREE

BITA Manchester Monthly Social Networking 15 Dec, 19 Jan 5.00pm - 7.00pm, every 3rd Thurs

Venue Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre, 55 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3HP

Cost FREE

BITA Manchester Lunch 10 Feb 10.30am - 5.00pm

Venue The Edwardian Manchester, Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester M2 5GP

Cost £100+VAT (BITA members £80+VAT). Stall (inc. 1 lunch space) £300+VAT (BITA members £220+VAT).

BITA Liverpool Lunch 24 Feb Time: 11.30am - 5.00pm

Venue Anfield Stadium, Anfield, Liverpool L4 0TF

Cost TBC (please see website for further details)

Contact Paul Whitnell paulw@bita.ie Laura laura@bita.ie www.bita.ie

Best of Bolton & Blackburn Business Show

2 Day Business Expo

Part 2 - 14 March 2023 1.00pm - 7.00pm

Venue Bolton Stadium Hotel, De Havilland Way, Bolton BL6 6SF

Cost FREE (pre-registration required).

Contact boltonbusinessshow.co.uk

Business Connect Magazine are media partners

BNI Graphene Manchester

Weekly every Weds - includes hot lunch

10.00am - 12.30pm

Venue BOX Deansgate, 125 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BY

Cost FREE for visitors

Contact John Galloway 07971 161621

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BNI Vision Cheadle

Weekly every Weds

9.15am - 11.00am

Venue Bramhall Park Golf Club, 20 Manor Road, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 3LY

Contact Rebecca Moloney 07899 967 469 rebecca.moloney@uwclub.net

Business Fairs 2023

Annual business fairs across Northern venues.

Free to visit, all sectors welcome to exhibit

Liverpool Business Fair

28 Mar 10.30am - 3.00pm

Venue Liverpool Football Club, Anfield Road, Liverpool L4 0TH

Contact liverpoolbizfair.co.uk

Greater Manchester Business Fair 6 Jul 10.30am - 3.00pm

Venue AJ Bell Stadium, 1 Stadium Way Barton-upon-Irwell, Salford M30 7LJ

Contact manchesterbizfair.co.uk

Wirral & Chester Business Fair 20 Sep 10.30am - 3.00pm

Venue New Brighton Floral Pavillion, Marine Promenade, New Brighton, Wallasey CH45 2JS

Contact wirralbizfair.co.uk

Halton & Warrington Business Fair 9 Nov 10.30am - 3.00pm

Venue DCBL Stadium Halton, Lower House Lane, Widnes WA8 7DZ

Contact haltonbizfair.co.uk

Contact Tony Haines 0151 709 8932 tony@liverpoolba.com

Business Catalyst Club

Manchester and Leeds Networking Lunches

Manchester - 26 Jan Leeds - 9 Feb

Costs, Timings, Venues and booking detailscontact organisers below:

Contact Graham Shiers 07818 675 310 www.businesscatalystclub.co.uk

FM North

Networking event for professionals in the FM, Cleaning and Construction Sector

4th Weds of each month

25 Jan 4.00pm - 9.00pm

Venue The Lawn Club, Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3HG

Cost FREE

Contact danny.cross@tennantco.com Tickets through allevents.in

GC Business Growth Hub Events and Networking

Strive & Thrive : The Lean Business 13 Dec 10.00am - 1.00pm – using Zoom

Strive & Thrive : Market Opportunities

18 Jan 9.30am - 11.30am – using Zoom

Strive & Thrive : Innovation and digitisation in today’s economy

26 Jan 10.00am - 12.00noon – using Zoom

Green Leaders - Sustainable Leadership Interactive, 2-day, online course by Elevate 13 + 14 Dec 10.00am - 4.30pm – using Teams

Contact nick.shepherd@growthco.uk

#HereForBusiness BGH Match

26 Jan 8.30am - 10.30am

Venue Fire Up Co-Working Space, Maclure Road, Rochdale OL11 1DN

16 Feb 9.30am - 11.30am

Venue FC United of Manchester, Broadhurst Park, 310 Lightbowne Rd, Moston, Manchester, M40 0FJ

Cost all events and networking FREE

Contact nick.shepherd@growthco.uk businessgrowthhub.com/match

High Peak Business Club

Regular monthly breakfast networking with high calibre speakers

27 Jan Lloyd’s Bank 7.30am - 10.00am

17 Feb Will the Pub Survive..? 7.30am - 10.00am

Venue Chapel en le Frith Golf Club, Manchester Road, Chapel en le Frith, High Peak SK23 9UH

Cost £25

Contact edwinacurrie@sky.com www.highpeakbusinessclub.co.uk

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K-Club

Networking Breakfast Events and Lunches for Entrepreneurs

Monthly (please see website)

Venue Manchester based

Contact Amanda Manson 07754 069 829 www.k-club.co.uk

Lancashire Business Expo 2023

1 Day Business Expo from Shout Expo

24 Mar 2023 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue Preston Guildhall, Lancaster Road, Preston PR1 1HT

Cost FREE (pre-registration required).

Contact shoutexpo.com

MBH Business Networking

Face to face and zoom business networking

11 Jan, 22 Feb 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Venue Virgin Money, 48-50 Market Street, Manchester M1 1PW

Cost FREE

Contact kyle@mpostcode.co.uk manchesterevents.mpostcode.co.uk

Northwest Business Expo 2023

1 Day Business Expo from Shout Expo

6 Oct 2023 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue Bolton Stadium Hotel, De Havilland Way, Bolton BL6 6SF Cost FREE (pre-registration required). Contact shoutexpo.com Business Connect Magazine are media partners

pro-manchester

Hot topic breakfasts, Sector lunches, Economic Updates, Panel debates Full programme of events available online

Contact Nicola McCormick 07929 671755 nicola.mccormick@pro-manchester.co.uk pro-manchester.co.uk

Shout! Network

Fortnightly networking. Breakfast Included. Venues across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Liverpool.

Blackburn Friday at 8.00am

Blackburn Rovers Football Club BB2 4JF

Blackpool Friday at 12.00noon Hampton by Hilton, Blackpool FY4 1NG

Bolton Wednesday at 8.00am Bolton Stadium Hotel BL6 6SF

Bolton Tuesday at 9.30am Real Axe Bolton BL7 9PQ

Burnley 1 Thursday at 9.30am

Burnley Football Club BB10 4BX

Burnley 2 Friday at 9.30am

Burnley Football Club BB10 4BX

Bury Tuesday 9.30am Red Hall Hotel BL9 5NA

Chorley Thursday at 9.30am

Chorley Golf Club PR6 9HX

Leyland Thursday at 9.30am

Leyland Golf Club PR25 5UD

Liverpool Friday at 12.00noon Marriott Liverpool City Centre L1 1RH

Manchester Wednesday at 12.00noon

Worsley Park Marriott Hotel. M28 2QT

Preston Tuesday at 9.30am Shout Connect HQ PR2 2YF

Preston Wednesday at 9.00am Shout Connect HQ PR2 2YF

Preston Friday at 12.00noon

Shout Connect HQ PR2 2YF

South Ribble Tuesday at 9.30am

British Commercial Vehicle Museum PR25 2LE

Southport Wednesday at 12.00noon

Waterfront Southport Hotel PR9 0DZ

Wigan Wednesday at 12.00noon Gathurst Golf Club WN6 8EW

Wrea Green Friday at 8.00am The Villa Wrea Green PR4 2PE

Fortnightly networking is on a sector lock-out basis. Please contact Shout for further information. Costs also vary.

Contact 01772 935930 info@shoutnetwork.co.uk www.shoutnetwork.co.uk

The Business Network Manchester

Virtual and Live networking - inc seminars.

14 Dec 11.50am - 2.00pm (Optional seminar 10.00am start)

Venue The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Salford M3 5LH

Cost £48

Online - 17 Jan 11.50am - 1.30pm

Venue Online Cost FREE

31 Jan 11.50am - 2.00pm (Optional seminar 10.00am start)

Venue The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Salford M3 5LH

Cost £49.95

Contact Helen Bennett 0161 823 1384 helen@business-network.co.uk www.business-network.co.uk

The Business Network

South Manchester

Virtual and Live networking - inc seminars.

12 Jan 11.30am - 2.00pm (Optional seminar 10.30am start)

Venue The Pinewood on Wilmslow, 180 Wilmslow Road, Handforth SK9 3LF

Cost £50.00

2 Feb 11.30am - 2.00pm (Optional seminar 10.30am start)

Venue The Tytherington Club, 90 Dorchester Way, Tytherington, Macclesfield SK10 2JP

Cost £50.00

Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493428

Simon.Edmondson@business-network.co.uk www.business-network.co.uk

Third Thursday Club

Networking purely for construction and property attendees. Every third thurs.

15 Dec, 19 Jan 12noon - 2.00pm

Venue East 59th, Victoria Gate, 3rd Floor Rooftop, George St, Leeds LS2 7AU

Cost Invitation only - please enquire.

Contact Rachel Shaw rachel@ad-hoc-admin.co.uk

places to meet

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Chamber Space

Meeting and Conference Facilities, Hourly rates, 4-160 capacity, Full venue capacity 400, range of catering options, unlimited tea/coffee with room hire

Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WD chamberspace@gmchamber.co.uk 0161 393 4321 gmchamber.co.uk/chamber-space

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Cottons Hotel & Spa

10 minutes to Manchester Airport, 138 bedrooms, 13 meeting rooms capacity 200 delegates, 3 dining areas, AA Rosette awarded terrace restaurant Manchester Road, Knutsford WA16 0SU victoriaseddon@cottonshotel.co.uk 01565 600333 www.cottonshotel.co.uk

DoubleTree By Hilton Manchester Airport

230 bedrooms, 11 meeting rooms, restaurant and bar, 24Hr gym, On-site parking, airport shuttle Outwood Lane, Manchester M90 4WP cheryl.garnett@dtmanchesterairport.com 0161 435 3000 www.hilton.com/manchesterairport

Genesis Centre

Various sized meeting and conference rooms, Fully serviced offices for short or long term lets, On-site café and break out room Birchwood, Warrington WA3 7BH deanhaslam@citibase.co.uk 07976 567739 citibase.com

Go Serviced Offices

Meeting room, Free WiFi, Free parking, Free refreshments, Lounge and seated garden area, Capacity for 6 people

Ground Floor, Prospect House, Columbus Quay, Liverpool L3 4DB charlotte@gogreenofficesolutions.com 07494 090 373 www.goservicedoffices.co.uk

Hollinwood Business Centre

Meeting rooms, Free hi-speed wifi, Free Parking, Café, Touch screen TV, 60 people capacity

Albert Street, Hollinwood, Oldham OL8 3QL

walter.urquhart@bizspace.co.uk 0161 511 9450 www.bizspace.co.uk

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Hotel Brooklyn

Bed and breakfast, Cosy meeting rooms, Large banquet space, Accessible rooms, Designed for disabled guests 59 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3HP

khealey@bespokehotels.com 0161 518 2936 www.hotelbrooklyn.co.uk

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Manchester Central Convention Centre

Large and small scale conferences, Meeting rooms, Event spaces, Central location

Petersfield, Manchester M2 3GX sales@manchestercentral.co.uk 0161 834 2700 www.manchestercentral.co.uk

Marriott Hotel Manchester Airport

Brasserie Blanc Bar & Restaurant, San Carlo Bar & Restaurant, Executive lounge, 2 Function spaces (140 and 50 capacities), Courtyard (private outdoor dining) Hale Road, Hale Barns, Manchester WA15 8XW chris.pilling@marriott.com 07881 312158 manchesterairportmarriott.co.uk

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Marriott Manchester Victoria and Albert Hotel

148 bedrooms and suites, 9 meeting and event rooms with capacity for 240 people theatre style, Restaurant and bar, South facing terrace, Private dining, Business centre Water Street, St John’s, Manchester M3 4AW askus@thevanda.co.uk 0161 832 1188 www.marriott.com/manva

Marriott Hotel Liverpool City Centre

Brew Bar (food and drinks), Oliviers breakfast restaurant, Merchant Bar (private bar/event space), 2 Function spaces (240 and 50 capacities)

One Queen Square, Liverpool L1 1RH chris.pilling@marriott.com 07881 312158 liverpoolmarriott.co.uk

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Orega Arkwright House

Crompton (seats 10) and Hargreaves (seats 8) meeting rooms, both come with Free WiFi, Clevertouch screens, Video Conferencing, Catering (extra cost)

Parsonage Gardens, Manchester M3 2LF reception.arkwright@orega.com 0161 667 8100 orega.com/manchester-arkwright-house

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Regus Digital World

Meeting rooms of various sizes, Free hi-speed WiFi, Central location, Beautiful roof terrace 1 Lowry Plaza, The Quays, Salford M50 3UB

uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0161 601 7700 www.regus.com

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Regus King Street

Meeting rooms for 4, 10 and 12 people, Free wifi, Kitchen amenities, City centre location, 24 hour access 82 King Street, Manchester M2 4WQ

manchester.kingstreet@regus.com 0161 935 8000 www.myregus.com

Regus Spinningfields

Fully serviced, private meeting rooms, Free high-speed broadband, whiteboards, TV/projector, refreshments, Meeting rooms of varying sizes 10th Floor, 3 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3HF uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0800 279 7131 www.regus.com

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Regus St James Tower

Meeting rooms of various sizes, Hi-speed WiFi, Central location and good traffic links

7 Charlotte Street, Manchester M1 4DZ

uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0161 521 9800 www.regus.com

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Regus Trafford Park

10 person, 6 person and 4 person meeting rooms, Free WiFi, Free Parking, Close to Motorway

4th Floor, Centenary House, 1 Centenary Way, Manchester MSO 1RF

manchester.traffpark@regus.com 0161 504 2500 www.regus.com

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Salford City College Business Centre

Hot desking space, Free Wi-Fi, Formal meeting rooms, Event and conference space, Collaboration and breakout spaces, Tea and coffee facilities, Free parking

Frontier House, Merchants Quay Salford Quays M50 3SR business.centre@salfordcc.ac.uk 0161 631 5555 www.salfordcc.ac.uk

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SPACES Deansgate

Boardroom style meeting rooms, Presentation style training room, On-site Deli, Parking (chargeable), Hi-speed WiFi, Cycle store 125 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BY

uk.meetingrooms@regus.com 0161 519 2000 www.spacesworks.com

Leeds Marriott Hotel

Events space, Executive Lounge, Bar & Grill, Executive Rooms and Suites, 17 Meeting and Event Spaces

4 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane Leeds LS1 6ET zoe.hands@marriott.com 01132 366366 www.leedsmarriott.com

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Worsley Park Marriott Hotel

Restaurant and Bar, 9 Meeting rooms, Leisure club & Gym, 18 Hole Golf Course Walkden Road, Manchester M28 2QT libby.blackwell@marriotthotels.com 0161 975 2000 www.marriottworsleypark.co.uk

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If you currently have the printed edition of Business Connect Magazine available at your venue and you’d like to feature in our Places to Meet section please contact Paul Mirage at paul@businessconnectpublishing.co.uk

If you’d like to host our magazine at your site and feature on this page please contact Paul.