Forum of Private Business - in.forum issue 2 Dec 2016

HOW CA N A S MA LL BU SINES S AC H IE V E PR S UCC E S S ?

PUBLIC RELATIONS (OR PR) IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND ATTAINING PR SUCCESS CAN BE ACHIEVED RELATIVELY EASILY WITH A BIT OF TIME, EFFORT AND FOCUS.

in.feature The benefits of PR to your business.

in.profile We meet Peter Ibbetson, CEO and founder of Journolink.

in.solution Top ten tips for getting the best media coverage and maximising your PR stretegy.

INFO RUM MAG AZI N E

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DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE 2

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MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Leanda Hickman leanda.hickman@fpb.org

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Georgina Hodge georgina.hodge@fpb.org

DESIGNER Caroline Janes caroline.janes@fpb.org

PHOTOGRAPHY Jonathan Farber Thanks to Jonathan for his contribution @WA16PR email@farber.co.uk

John Kilbey Senior Business Advisor john.kilbey@fpb.org GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

Peter Ibbetson Chief Execuitive of Journolink peter.ibbetson@journolink.com

Graeme Donnelly CEO of Rapid Formations Limited graeme@rapidformations.co.uk

HELLO AND WELCOME TO INFORUM THIS EDITION IS PACKED FULL OF INTERESTING FEATURE STORIES, GUEST ARTICLES AND REGULAR CONTENT CLEARLY PRESENTED USING OUR NEW AND EXCITING DIGITAL PLATFORM. The hot topic we are focusing on this month is Public Relations – a fundamental and extremely beneficial activity for all small businesses – and something that can be achieved easily with a bit of time, effort and focus (see pages 6 and 7).

To support our PR feature, we welcome our partner Journolink who share their top ten tips for getting the best media coverage. The Chief Executive, Peter Ibbetson, writes about the importance of having something to say, engaging the reader and defining your headline amongst other fascinating pieces of advice (pages 10 and 11). We also get to learn more about Peter, how his business was born, his pet hate and what makes him smile (pages 12 and 13).

It’s also worthwhile reading our In.help section (pages 14-16) as we advise small businesses about the burning issues they face every day. And make sure you turn to page 19 to find out more about our Finance Director, Jane Connors, what she does to keep the Forum financially healthy and her unusual three wheeled mode of transport to work.

We hope you enjoy reading our new online, interactive business magazine. Please feel free to share in.forum with your colleagues, family and friends and do drop us a note at marketing@fpb.org. We promise to respond to all your questions and you may even have a chance of being featured in our next edition.

We have lots of really great features and stories planned out for future editions as well as introducing you to another member of the Forum team.

So watch out for the next edition of in.forum coming out soon.

Martin Mulholland MD Safety Management martinm@mdsm.org.uk

Leading National Journalist Reporter A special thanks goes to our leading national newspaper reporter for their PR tips article on page 7.

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In the meantime, we look forward to hearing from you and happy reading!

LE AN DA HI CKMAN Member Communictions Manager

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NEWS A N OFF IC E R E FUR B, OU R RES PO N S E TO B REXIT AN D T H E N E W E MPLOYM E N T GUID E THE F O RUM’S ICO NIC BUILDING I S U NDERGO ING M A JO R R E FU RBISHM ENT The Forum’s office is located within a historical Knutsford building and has been home to the business for over 33 years. It has been in need of renovation for some years and areas have fallen in to disrepair. So, at the beginning of August, the building work commenced on the Grade II listed Ruskin Rooms with the team hoping to be settled in to their newly refurbed office space by the New Year. https://www.fpb.org/blog/forums-iconic-building-undergoes-major-refurbishment

TA K E A P E E K AT OU R B R EX IT VI DEO The news about Brexit was a surprise to most people. The Forum boldly responded to this decision with an email to key political figures outlining a ten point plan to support growth in the economy. You can read the plan here as well as watch a video of Ian Cass, our Managing Director, explaining the main facts. https://www.fpb.org/blog/forum-10-point-plan

THE NEW EM PLOYMENT GUIDE 2 01 7 IS NOW AVA IL A BLE Our new, revamped and updated Employment Guide 2017 is now available and has already been posted out to certain members. This guide is a comprehensive, detailed and up-to-theminute examination of the procedures, practices and paperwork that every business needs in order to flourish and succeed in today’s competitive and challenging commercial environment.

Read more here https://www.fpb.org/blog/new-employment-guide-2017

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HOW CA N A S MA LL BU SINES S AC H IE V E PR S UCC E S S ?

PUBLIC RELATIONS (OR PR) IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND ATTAINING PR SUCCESS CAN BE ACHIEVED RELATIVELY EASILY WITH A BIT OF TIME, EFFORT AND FOCUS. LET’S START WITH UNDERSTANDING…

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...WHAT IS PR ?

PR IS USING THE NEWS OR BUSINESS PRESS TO CARRY POSITIVE STORIES ABOUT YOUR COMPANY OR YOUR PRODUCTS; CULTIVATING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL PRESS REPRESENTATIVES. SMALL BUSINESS ENCYCLOPEDIA

Furthermore, PR is an article that features your company and is not paid for. The journalist will feature your company as a result of information he or she has received and researched and what they then believe to be news worthy.

W H AT AR E THE B E N EFI TS OF P R ?

PR can benefit small businesses in a variety of ways and is important to any company, start up or when launching a new product. Here are four great reasons why PR should be integral to a company’s strategy.

PR is very cost-effective.

The only expenses are generally phone calls and mailings to the media.

PR has greater longevity.

An article about your business will be remembered far longer than an advert.

PR reaches a far wider audience.

Your story might even be picked up by the national media, spreading the word about your business all over the country.

PR has greater credibility with the public.

Readers feel that if an objective third party-magazine, newspaper or radio reporter is featuring your company, you must be doing something well.

WHY DO PR? The simple answer to this is that, in this day and age, PR is not an option.

In the early days, when a company is first set up, owners are bombarded with a list of all the activities that are essential to the growth of that business. This can be anything from cash flow to an exit plan.

However, there is often one area that is forgotten and that is communication. Without this one critical thing, a business cannot succeed.

Marketing and PR is the very foundation of a small business. It informs and connects people, suppliers, colleagues and customers in order to build better, stronger and longer relationships. Without it, there is nothing from which the business can grow and flourish.

Take control of your PR

INTRODUCING JOURNOLINK At the Forum, we work exceptionally well with our PR agency, Journolink, who have nurtured and created brilliant relationships with a whole array of journalists and can be relied upon to look after the PR interests of small businesses across the UK. Peter Ibbetson, the Managing Director at Journolink, has written an article discussing the importance of PR from a PR perspective, pages 10-11.

There are also some top tips from a leading national journalist, on page 7.

JournoLink is an interactive PR platform linking small business SUPPORTING MATERIAL to journalists, broadcasters and bloggers. https://www.fpb.org/blog/3-trends-you-need-know-get-media-coverage https://journolink.com/blog/category/business-tips https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253304

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Join the PR revolution today and make the most

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TOP WHAT A R E T H E TO P TIP S TO AC H IE V IN G S U CC E S S ?

HAVING NOW UNDERSTOOD THE REASONS WHY PR IS SO IMPORTANT TO A COMPANY, HERE ARE THE FORUM’S TOP TIPS TO ENSURING THAT EVERY SMALL BUSINESS MAKES THE MOST OUT OF THE TIME AND EFFORT THEY’VE INVESTED IN THEIR PR RELATED ACTIVITIES.

S P EN D TI ME P LAN N I NG A N D R E S E AR CHI N G

INV EST T IM E IN YO UR PREPA RAT IO N

• Make sure you have a winning PR strategy and share this with your team

• Allocate blocks of time on a regular basis to PR activities.

Good PR rarely happens without careful planning and persistent effort

• Have a picture in your mind of the person who will ultimately end up reading your release and write the content to suit them • Search out new content ideas that you know will be of interest to your target audience • Find out how publications and media platforms operate and work within those parameters

• Find a way of making your business stand out.

Consider newsjacking, guest blogging and social strategy • Build a relationship with your journalist. Spend time nurturing that relationship and market yourself to them professionally.

• Research ‘Crowdfunding’ - a platform to pitch a unique idea of a product or service and to gain coverage for it – and consider whether it’s right for your business.

MA XIM ISE YO UR COVERAGE

W R IT E A BR I LLI AN T P R ES S R E LE AS E

• Link your media coverage to your website

• Create a catchy headline and one that really stands out • Use statistics in your press releases to support your content. Stats and numbers gives gravitas and meaning to your release and appeals to the readers who prefer diagrams and numbers • Use exciting, eye-catching imagery and have relevant, high resolution images to hand • Handle the sending of large files to journalists efficiently and effectively. A suggestion could be to use Drop Box • Once you’ve submitted your content, ensure that you are available to respond to questions quickly. Avoid going on trips or holidays as this will jeopardise the release of your PR material.

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• Use social media to boost your PR • Don’t be afraid of Twitter. Use it as a fantastic opportunity to expand your coverage by connecting with other companies, people and journalists • In the longer term, continue to connect with journalists, bloggers, vloggers and other media in a meaningful way.

Deepen your relationship with these people and make sure you invest time nurturing new relationships too.

PR AGENC IES As your business grows and develops, it might be easier to farm out the PR side of marketing to an agency. When looking for an agency, it’s important that you are clear on the budget available and that they understand your business. A good relationship with your PR agency is vital if your PR is going to be maximized and that you get value for money in the long term.

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TIPS PR TIPS FR O M A L EAD ING N AT IO N A L JO UR N A LIS T PERS PEC T IV E K E EP IT BRIEF

Journalists typically have precious little slack in their days and are often bombarded with competing demands on their time. Getting your message across clearly and concisely gives you a much better chance of being heard. In an email, bullet points that get the key points across can work better than a lengthy press release. If it’s a call, don’t expect to engage in small talk. A journalist may need to get your story across in a sentence or two, so you should practise getting your point across just as concisely.

And don’t commit the cardinal sin of attaching a press release as a word document.

FI N D OUT WHO TO C A L L Knowing when to contact a journalist can be almost as important as being wise about what you say.

Newspaper reporters tend to resent those who call after mid-afternoon as they’ll be busy filing for the following day’s paper. However, the etiquette differs between newspapers and broadcasters, between dailies, weeklies and monthlies and even between individual teams within the same organisation.

R E ME MB ER T HE “R” WO RD Is what you are pitching really relevant to the publication or organisation you are contacting? What about the particular journalist? Have you researched the kind of thing they write about and the sections or industries they look after, for example? Which section do you think what you’re pitching will fit best in?

If what you’re contacting them with looks rather off beam to you, it almost certainly will to them.

It is amazing how many professional PR agencies do a bad job on this front, so you can put yourself at a distinct advantage by doing your homework.

WHAT’S T HE STO RY ?

Why are you, or your company, newsworthy? It might be that you have a great story that warrants coverage, but often a far more successful route for small companies is to offer to contribute to broader features relevant to their industry or running a company more generally.

There’s increasing coverage of practical issues related to building a business in both trade and national press.

Could you talk about the lessons of hiring a first employee, for example, or raising finance? Or perhaps you could talk to the trade press about a burning issue in your industry? Or to the national press about some new legislation that is affecting small companies? Once you get away from focusing solely on yourself, and think about how your business and experiences relate to the bigger picture, it can be much easier to secure interest from journalists.

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USING ONLINE CUS TOMER R EVIEW S AS A PR TOOL TESTIMONIAL FROM GRAEME DONNELLY ABOUT HOW PR HAS IMPACTED HIS COMPANY, RAPID FORMATIONS, FROM A SMALL BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE. Adopting a public relations strategy for your small business may seem like a daunting and expensive prospect, but there are a number of ways in which you can promote and maintain a favorable public image without breaking the bank. Online customer reviews is one such way. This is an incredibly effective PR and marketing tool for establishing credibility and trust, yet it remains largely under-utilised by many businesses.

With the exception of personal word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family, potential customers who are unfamiliar with your business are far more likely to trust reviews provided by your existing customers than your own (potentially biased) opinion of your products or services. For this reason, it makes good business sense to provide an open platform for your customers to provide honest, unfiltered online reviews.

As a small business owner, I was initially sceptical about the effectiveness of managing and promoting online reviews on our websites. I believed it would require a great deal of effort for little reward, but boy was I wrong to hold that opinion. Since making the decision in 2014 to invite automatic feedback from each and every client, we’ve gathered over 6,000 reviews. As a direct result, our search engine ranking has improved immensely, our sales have increased by 31%, and our conversion rate has grown by 4.5%.

Boasting a 9.7 (out of 10) customer rating on Trustpilot, it’s safe to say that the image we maintain and present to the public is consistently favorable. It’s all well and good making every effort to provide top-class products, customer service and experiences, but you need to let people know how great you are to ensure sustainability and stay ahead of the competition. And who better to do that than your existing customers who have first-hand experience dealing with your business.

“Boasting a 9.7% (out of 10) customer rating on Trustpilot, it’s safe to say that the image we maintain and present to public is consistently favorable.”

Undoubtedly, you will receive negative feedback at one point or another. It’s inevitable, but it also a good thing - as it shows that you’re not selective with the reviews you publish. Honesty inspires trust, and trust increases conversion and loyalty. Whether a negative review is due to an error on your part or a misunderstanding on the part of the customer, an online review platform provides the opportunity to publicly address the issue, demonstrate that you genuinely care about customer experience, and put a positive spin on a potential PR crisis that could damage future client relations and sales.

Graeme Donnelly | www.rapidformations.co.uk

READ RAPID FORMATION’S RESPONSE TO A QUESTION WE POSED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BREXIT ON THE DELIVERY OF PRODUCTS TO CUSTOMERS IN THE EU.

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FREE online guides to support your business

VIEW OUR FREE FORUM GUIDES ON ISSUU

Take control of your PR JournoLink is an interactive PR platform linking small business to journalists, broadcasters and bloggers.

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T EN TOP T IPS FO R GETTING T H E B E S T MED IA COV E R AGE

BY PETER IBBETSON AT JOURNOLINK

Amidst the various challenges of running a small business, the importance of PR and the opportunities it brings are often relegated down the priorities list. Although it should certainly form part of an overall business strategy, it needn’t be an expensive exercise.

To get your brand noticed and commented on by those trusted journalists and media commentators, here are ten top tips that will help you put together a press release, following JournoLink’s simple template:

1

H AV E S O MET HIN G T O SAY Remember, whilst you might be completely absorbed by your business and your news, others may be unenthusiastic or unconvinced to begin with.

Put yourself in a reader’s shoes – convince them that their time or money is worth spending on your hook’s subject.

You can make a start on this by simply using a consumer and business calendar. The JournoLink calendar, for example, gives you access to key consumer and business dates, along with trade shows, local events, and industry awards.

THE MORE WELL-KNOWN YOUR BUSINESS IS, THE MORE BUSINESS YOU WILL GET. JournoLink gives you the platform to get your brand name in front of the journalists writing the articles, guiding you on how and when to promote yourself.

Without breaking the bank, JournoLink connects your business directly to journalists and social media commentators.

We allow you to share your news, and also give journalists the chance to get in touch with businesses like yours when they are looking for spokespeople for comment.

For more information, or for a 30-day free trial, visit www.journolink.com/register/business Please quote the promotional code FPB2017.

Peter Ibbetson | www.journolink.com | @JournoLink

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E NGAG E TH E READE R Here you’re looking for a nugget that will be irresistible and make a reader genuinely want to find out more. The hook has to have real impact, and has to be the basis of your news story.

3

D E F I NE YOUR H E A DLIN E This has to lead to the story hook. It should be provocative and edgy. Often when you read a headline you wonder how the writer had the nerve to use it. But the point is that you read it, and went on to read the full article.

4

K EE P REE LING T HE REA DER IN Your first paragraph should be a teaser to keep them interested as they get into the full article. It should provide enough facts to flag what is in the rest of the piece, but not give it all away.

A provocative, thought-provoking headline is what will capture your reader’s interest.

5

TH E M AIN B O DY Remember to focus on the facts. Survey outputs are often good to demonstrate an argument and make a statement. Add colour by using a good quote from a recognised authority, and provide a link to a good quality picture to enhance the power of the narrative text

8

F O CU S O N ACT UA LLY GE T T I N G YOU R NE W S OU T It’s one thing writing an eye-pleasing article, but quite another thing catching the eye itself.

Mainstream PR firms can do this for you but frequently cost several hundreds, if not thousands of pounds a month in retainer fees. A more efficient option would be to use an online model that distributes news releases for you.

6

P RE PA RE T O BE CO N TAC T E D Journalists are always looking for spokespeople, so providing contact details in all news releases will make it easy for them to contact you. Using social media means that journalists will be able to contact you easier too.

Ensure your contact information is always available, whichever online platforms you use, as journalists also love to send out editorial requests. JournoLink’s system means you’ll only receive editorial requests that are related to your business, so it won’t take an age to sift through requests that aren’t relevant.

9

T I M I NG IS E V E RY T HIN G Try and coincide your story going out with some other relevant news already in, or expected to be in, the media. Something like a major sports event, some key economic data or a health report, for example.

For this exercise the JournoLink calendar, and weekly top tips, are a great way to plan your press release.

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DEC IDE W HICH JOURN A LISTS YOU A RE TA RG ETING A traditional print journalist will want to see a full press release, whereas a social media blogger or twitter follower will be looking for a concise story.

Both audiences have their own value and should be utilised fully, so ensure you have done your research in advance.

10 P ROOF REA D YOUR WORK

You are only as good as what people read so ensure to check grammar and spelling thoroughly before sending anything out.

It’s fine using 21st century grammar rather than strict 19th century rules, so you can start a sentence with ‘But’ or ‘So’, but make sure that it reads well.

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‘DON’T

EXPECT PEOPLE TO TAKE ADVICE FROM YOU UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE IT YOURSELF’ Peter Ibbetson | www.journolink.com | @JournoLink

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PETER IB B E T S O N FOUNDER AND HEAD OF JOURNOLINK

You would have thought that with the title Head of Business Banking at one of the biggest high street banks, the incumbent would really have understood how small businesses work.

By his own admission, Peter Ibbetson would acknowledge that it was only when he started running his own business that he genuinely understood the pressures felt by small business owners.

And that very much applies to the business he built and now runs, JournoLink.

The online platform enables over 3000 businesses to manage their PR and engage with journalists and bloggers, all within the size of budget that a small business owner wouldn’t lose sleep over.

For two decades he has lived and breathed small businesses, and for several years he was the face on the television, the name in print and the voice on the radio, whenever small business banking was being discussed.

That’s the experience he harnessed in setting up JournoLink.

He has a very simple approach to life: ‘Don’t expect people to take advice from you unless you have been there and done it yourself’.

“When we created JournoLink, it was from the viewpoint of the small business, with a desire to see their brand in print alongside the multinationals, but without the inhouse teams and the multinational budgets to achieve it.

At every twist and turn in the development of the platform we questioned how consistent we were being with the needs and mind-set of the small business owner with no real knowledge in managing PR, and how aligned we were being with the approach to the jobs of the journalists” His experience with small businesses, and the scars he carries from his days facing the wrath of the interviewer’s camera, has been the glue in successfully establishing JournoLink as the go to solution for small businesses- at least those with a hunger for media coverage, but not the money to appoint a mainstream PR agency.

What is equally important though is ‘to keep really close to your target market’ he emphasises, and as a Non Executive Director of the Start Up Loan Company, and of the National Enterprise Network, he does just that.

In his time he has been on government advisory bodies, has worked with the Princes Trust as a regional board member, and he is, of course, a member of the Forum of Private Business.

His pet hate? Late payment:

“Cash flow is the life blood of a small business and any big business happily starving their smaller supplier of their oxygen should be publicly shamed”.

What makes him smile? When a JournoLink client sees their business in the paper ahead of the big boys.

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SOS AS K A B UR N IN G QU ES T IO N O R GET ADV IC E FR O M OU R E X PE R T S.

WE HOPE THAT OTHERS WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THESE SHARED RESPONSES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET ADVICE FROM OUR EXPERTS THEN PLEASE GET IN TOUCH BY EMAILING MARKETING@FPB.ORG.

Q1 WHY DOES MY SMALL BUSINESS NEED PR? PETER IBBETSON FROM OUR PARTNER COMPANY, JOURNOLINK, REPLIES: Many business owners understand the basic concept of marketing - to let people know about their business with a view to selling their products - but many don’t see where PR fits into this. It’s often because PR is not a highly visible art, as opposed to advertising.

We’ve all read magazines or newspapers, but from a small business perspective many only see the adverts that surround the articles.

PR is a part of marketing too, and here are five reasons why it’s important to include it as part of your strategy.

1. Adverts are too sales-y 2. PR can build awareness of your brand and appear more established if it’s consistent 3. It will help you increase your Google ranking 4. Lower cost compared to advertising 5. It helps with damage control

To read more about why a small business needs PR, take a look at Peter’s blog https://www.fpb.org/blog/why-does-my-small-business-need-pr

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Q2 I RUN A SMALL ONLINE RETAIL BUSINESS. SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BREXIT ON THE DELIVERY OF PRODUCTS TO CUSTOMERS IN THE EU? GRAEME DONNELLY, CEO AND FOUNDER AT RAPID FORMATIONS, EXPLAINS: We still don’t know what’s going to happen during the negotiations and whether or not the free movement of goods between the UK and the EU will remain unrestricted.

If restrictions are introduced as part of the trade agreement, which is a possibility, every package your business delivers to a customer within the EU would be required to go through customs in the recipient country. This would result in slower deliveries. Furthermore, packages over a certain value would be subject to VAT, import duties and tariffs, all

of which leads to additional costs to your business and/or your customers.

Nothing is going to change in the next year or two until the negotiations have been finalised, so you can continue to deliver goods and packages to your EU customers in the same way you always have. However, it would be wise to start planning ahead in preparation. Read more about the ways in which you can start preparing for Brexit https://www.fpb.org/blog/what-impact-brexit-mysmall-online-retail-business

Q3 AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, ARE YOU AWARE OF YOUR AUTO-ENROLMENT DUTIES AND THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU FAIL TO FULFILL THESE DUTIES? THE FORUM’S SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR, JOHN KILBEY, ADVISES: The law on pensions has changed and all employers, no matter how small a business, will need a pension scheme in place and be able to automatically enroll all eligible employees.

Our best advice is make sure you know your staging date, understand your responsibilities and the impact this will have on your business and then work back from there.

If you fail to fulfill your duties, you will be at risk of a severe fine. New research by Paycircle suggests that the risk

to small and micro business owners could amount to a collective £22 million by the end of 2016 because they are unaware of their auto-enrolment duties. More than 1.8 million small firms, of which 262,000 are micro businesses, are required to commence automatic enrolment of their employees on a workplace pension between now and 2018.

For further information on auto-enrolment and to read our guide, go to: https://www.fpb.org/business-support/ pensions-auto-enrolment-guide

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SOS AS K A B UR N IN G QU ES T IO N O R GET ADV IC E FR O M OU R E X PE R T S.

WE HOPE THAT OTHERS WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THESE SHARED RESPONSES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET ADVICE FROM OUR EXPERTS THEN PLEASE GET IN TOUCH BY EMAILING MARKETING@FPB.ORG.

Q4 WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OPERATIONS WHERE WE REQUIRE OUR EMPLOYEES TO WORK AT HEIGHT. HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THIS IS UNDERTAKEN SAFELY? MARTIN MULHOLLAND FROM MD SAFETY MANAGEMENT LIMITED, EXPLAINS: Working at height is the cause of many fatalities each year in the UK. In 2014/15 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show that falls from height accounted for nearly three in ten fatal injuries to workers.

Examples of work at height include working on a ladder, working on a flat roof, working on a fragile surface and working near an unprotected edge, over a floor opening or a hole in the ground.

Where possible work at height should be avoided or designed out. However, where this cannot be avoided, for every task that needs to be undertaken at height you need to assess the risk and put appropriate control

measures in place. Where ladders are selected they should be regularly inspected and be suitable for the conditions.

Where scaffolding is used anyone who erects it must be demonstrably competent. The equipment must also be regularly inspected to ensure that it remains suitable – for fixed scaffolding this should be every seven days.

You must also ensure the provision of competent operatives and where there is proposed use of fixed scaffolding, tower scaffolds, MEWPS fall arrest systems, etc.

You should also ensure the development of an emergency rescue plan if there are issues when working at height.

Issues may include accidents or incidents of ill-health that necessitate a rescue of an individual(s).

To read more about working at height, take a look at Martin’s blog https://www.fpb.org/blog/working-height

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Essential advice for all employers Call our membership service team on 01565 626001 to order your copy.

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HELLO F IND O UT M O R E AB O U T T H E PEO PLE WHO WO R K AT THE FO RUM.

HERE IS WHERE YOU FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE FORUM AND ABOUT ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR. THIS MONTH, WE TALK TO THE LOVELY JANE CONNORS, FINANCE DIRECTOR AT THE FORUM. SHE’S A LADY WHO LIKES HER MOTORBIKES, GOES TO THE GYM AND WON’T SAY NO TO A STRAWBERRY TART (OR TWO!)

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- in.PERSON -

JANE CO N N O R S F INANCE DIRECTO R

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? I am a big fan of motorbikes and have recently treated myself to my first ‘trike’ which is the same as a motorbike but has three wheels instead of two.

I also enjoy keeping fit and I try to get to the gym at least four times a week. My weekends are filled with DIY projects and my favourite DIY job is knocking down walls, especially if there is a large sledge hammer involved!

I am also partial to a fruit tea but I still love my coffee!

WHAT DO YOU DO AT THE FORUM? I have been the Finance Director for a year now and have worked at the Forum in a finance capacity since I joined the company thirteen years ago. The funny thing is I said to myself that I would never do maths again after my O levels and here I am looking after the finance function of a successful small business!

Thankfully my role here is more logical and wide reaching and involves a whole variety of activities. Not only do I keep the company financially healthy, I also look after the welfare of our members and internal team and ensure the back office works smoothly. I am currently spending a lot of time on the integration of a brand new CRM system which will ultimately improve our member service and increase engagement.

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND TO THE FORUM? It is vital that our members are looked after and that the people based at our Knutsford offices are happy and content. It is also imperative to make sure the books all balance up and that we are in a good place financially.

It is very satisfying at the moment to see how well we are doing as a company.

We’ve seen some real momentum in membership and engagement over the past year or so and I am very excited to see what next year will bring.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FORUM IN TWELVE MONTHS’ TIME? With a new CRM system, a brand new website and totally refurbished offices, I know we will be in an even stronger position to offer our members more support and advice. We are always looking at ways to improve our membership package and we have some exciting new ideas for 2017. We will also be celebrating the Forum’s 40th year anniversary, which will involve lots of fun and some celebrating too.

IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE ONE SUPER POWER WHAT WOULD IT BE? I would love to wear an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter. I can see myself speeding in to work on my trike without anybody seeing me. It would be so funny seeing people’s faces as they hear me roaring past them. Can you imagine the fun you could have being Miss Invisible?

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Forum of Private Business Limited Ruskin Chambers, Drury Lane Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6HA Registered in England and Wales: 01329000

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