Member News

Does your organisation spend every £1 as effectively as it could?

When I was a CFO, my organisation spent £1.2m a day. Did I invest every £1 as well as I could?

The answer is no. Not because we didn’t hunt down efficiency opportunities, but there is a limit to the resources available to secure savings, and you have to focus on the big wins.

Often teams do not always know what ‘good’ looks like, or the assumption is supplier loyalty translates into best pricing and service.

So what really gets in the way? We don’t like change; status quo and the path of least resistance feels the easiest path until change feels too late.

I am now putting my experience to use with Expense Reduction Analysts, a leading global network of expert cost optimisation consultants, with over 750 consultants, operating in more than 40 countries. To find out more, contact:

James Rimmer Jrimmer@expensereduction.com 07801 550 403

Major new appointment for Trethowans

Leading Southampton and Winchester law firm, Trethowans, has appointed Steve Cole as its new head of banking and finance.

Steve’s recruitment represents a major statement by the firm, reflecting its continued commitment to the provision of dedicated banking and finance services to support its varied client base. As a leading banking and finance lawyer in the region, Steve has built an excellent reputation from advising on a broad range of complex financial transactions for banks, other institutional lenders and corporate borrowers, in a career spanning over 20 years.

Steve will lead the banking and finance practice at Trethowans, with responsibility for service delivery to existing clients, development of new business and management of a fastgrowing team. Mike Watson, Trethowans’ managing partner, said: “Steve is one of the most preeminent banking lawyers in the south and his recruitment is testament to the continued investment we are making in our banking and finance practice.”

Basingstoke ISO/UKAS specialists supporting new medical technologies and COVID-19 testing

Maintaining quality and compliance is never easy during a crisis. Working to ISO standards is one way to keep a steady course with checks and balances to counter the risks.

This is especially important when bringing new products and services into today’s dynamic technology marketplace.

QFactorial is pleased to be helping manufacturers, laboratories, medical centres and pharmacies to bring new medical products and services onstream. Current clients include providers of medical scanning hardware and software, COVID-19 PCR kits, sampling, POCT and laboratory testing services.

With our specialist knowledge of certification and accreditation processes, we are working hard to support our clients on the journey to obtain critical approvals, including ISO13485, ISO17025, ISO15189 and ISO22870. This includes the initial ISO/UKAS application, professional documentation and audit preparation. By taking the strain in these areas, we make time and space for our clients to focus on their products and services.

Oldfield Consultancy launches Kuinua Coaching Leadership Academy

Oldfield Consultancy solves the most complex problems using the latest tech such as AI, data and analytics as well as providing analytical training and technical teams training.

We have now launched our Kuinua Business and Lifestyle Leadership & Negotiation Training Academy for Professionals. Season 4 of our podcast is launching in August so check it out on all major platforms.

Our Director, Marie Oldfield, has been elected as Fellow of the Institute of Science and Technology as well as being invited to the College of Peer Reviewers for Rephrain and as an Expert Fellow for SpritePlus.

www.kuinuacoaching.com www.oldfieldconsultancy.co.uk

Talk will give innovative businesses a head start

Businesses that want to get ahead of their competitors can sign up for a talk by one of the region’s experts on intellectual property.

James Cornford, who is a partner at Forresters, will be sharing advice on how securing patents, designs and trade marks can help protect the future of innovative businesses. The talk ‘IP: getting the basics right’ on June 16th is being featured as part of a virtual conference in the lead up to the Business Innovation South Expo.

James said: “I’ll be answering some of the questions we get asked regularly by innovators and business leaders, such as how to identify the many aspects of a business that can be protected. In today’s connected world, successful businesses need to protect themselves from copycats and competitors, and so it is essential that they know how to secure their intellectual property.” The talk on June 16th is free to attend. For tickets visit

https://www.businessinnovationsouth. com/book-now/speaker/ webconferences

Archive migration trends

TrueSwift manage migration projects for most enterprise email archive platforms. Since January, we are seeing trends that are increasing the demand for specific archive migration projects:

Cloud archive migrations

They are being driven from a compliance and governance perspective over and above eliminating on-premise archive maintenance and support costs. Compliance procedures are ever more complex and onerous, requiring improved retention and disposal policies. Our current migration projects include: - Moving from on-premise archive platforms to Office 365 - Migration of data between different cloud-based archives (e.g Mimecast to Proofpoint and Mimecast to Barracuda)

PST Discovery is becoming a priority

PST files are a headache and a serious threat to compliance and GDPR. How we help: https://www.trueswift.

co.uk/solutions/pst-discovery-migration Free data surgery with a data expert

If you have an upcoming project or would like to discuss specific issues, book here:

https://www.trueswift.co.uk/surgery

Read some case studies here:

https://www.trueswift.co.uk/ resources/case-studies

Importance of email marketing for SMBs

Email marketing continues to be the primary driver of customer retention and acquisition for small and medium‑sized businesses. In fact, 81% of SMBs still rely on email as their primary tactic for customer acquisition.

There’s no surprise that with this widespread popularity, the return on investment (ROI) is massive. In other words, a well-thought-out email marketing strategy will make you money.

In order to be successful, you’ll need: a mailing list, compelling content, and great designs in mind. However, you should start by choosing the right email marketing software for your business. For example, the Really Simple System’s Email Marketing tool allows you to efficiently create, personalise, and optimise marketing emails that feel and look professional without requiring your own designers or IT support.

Additionally, for long term success it’s advantageous to manage your email data within a CRM system (like Really Simple Systems) so your marketing team can easily analyse the success of your email marketing, and follow up on opportunities.

Want to learn more?

Contact us today via marketing@ reallysimplesystems.com, or sign up for a free 14 day trial.

Blake Morgan elects first female Chair

Leading south coast law firm Blake Morgan has elected Kath Shimmin as its new and first female Chair. Four newly elected partners will also join the firm’s Board from 1 May.

Named in the 2021 Legal 500 Hall of Fame, Kath has more than 25 years’ experience in the finance sector. She joined the firm in 1994 and was promoted to partner in 1997.

Since then, she has been focused on setting up, building and leading a specialist Banking and Finance practice within the firm. Kath replaces Bruce Potter, who has held the position since 2014 and will step down at the end of the financial year. In addition to Kath’s election to Chair, Blake Morgan has also welcomed partners Penri Desscan, Andrew Farmery, Sadak Miah and Richard Wade onto the Board, with effect from 1 May 2021.

Bounce back with clean energy

Tackling climate change is on everyone’s mind, but how can businesses do their part? Here, energy consultants U4L share three recommendations to help you reduce costs with a cleaner energy strategy: Review your energy contracts

Many suppliers now offer 100% renewable energy at no additional premium, so there’s no excuse to keep running your business on fossil fuels.

Implement efficient solutions

Replacing ageing lighting and heating systems with modern solutions can help you use less energy overall and reduces your bills as a result. Install an energy management system

An EMS tells you how your business uses energy in real time, automates processes like turning off lights and helps you identify areas of wastage.

The government has set a net zero target for 2050, but businesses are already working to get ahead and reduce their environmental impact now.

With relatively simple changes, we really can make a world of difference. U4L: info@u4luk.com

01202 800200