NEWS

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

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.

Dates for your 2023 Diary!

LIVERPOOL BUSINESS FAIR

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WIRRAL & CHESTER BUSINESS FAIR

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HALTON & WARRINGTON BUSINESS FAIR

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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

CBI President Brian McBride

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.

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.”

Businesses still unsure how best to integrate inclusive workspaces

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.

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. 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. “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?

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

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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 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.

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

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

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.”

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

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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

Winner Nick Shepherd, Business Growth Hub

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. “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.”

“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.