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BUSINESS
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JUNE 2021
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MAKING. MOVING.
INNOVATING. INSIDE THE EAST MIDLANDS LOGISTICS REVOLUTION
INTERVIEW
POLITICS
DHL'S EAST MIDLANDS BOSS ON REGION'S ROLE IN COURIER OPERATION
TRANSFORMING REGION'S SUPPLY CHAIN TO CREATE 'MIDLANDS AS A FACTORY'
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T: 01709 529709 W: www.daviesturner.com E: rotherhamsales@daviesturner.co.uk
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THE FIRST WORD
CONTENTS JUNE 2021
NEWS UPDATE 4
MEMBER NEWS Amazon to bring jobs boost to the region
20 APPOINTMENTS Housing association team expansion to deliver 700 homes
e’ve all seen the gloomy headlines about people’s livelihoods being destroyed by the pandemic, with the health tragedies of the past 15 months accompanied by unemployment heartbreak. But for all the jobs being lost in our towns and cities as the likes of Debenhams and Arcadia collapse, while Boots and plenty of others cut back, many vacancies have been opening up in logistics parks along the M1 and surrounding the airport. It’s not just warehouse operatives they’re looking for but people in finance, IT, marketing, operations and HR. In fact, those on the shop floor might not even have to approach a shelf as robots will do the job for them, such is the hi-tech nature of these workplaces. They’re household names, too – Amazon, M&S and Nestle are among the brands whose slick operations are made possible by the thousands of people working at these sites in our region. And yet it feels like the logistics industry is still a hard sell. Outside perceptions remain stuck in the past, even though the digital skills it needs are very much the future. That’s why we’ve dedicated the June edition of Business Network to this increasingly vital part of the East Midlands economy, in the hope of demystifying it – to borrow a phrase used by the subject of our big interview Peter Bardens (p22). He occupies a senior role at DHL Express’ East Midlands Airport hub, which many may not be aware is the courier giant’s main UK base and one of its largest in Europe with 3,000 people, and discusses why the region is so important to the company. DHL delivery drivers on our doorsteps have been one of the most visible signs of ecommerce growth during the pandemic and there’s little prospect of this slowing down postCovid, as we explore in the focus feature (p52) along with the skills, planning and sustainability challenges faced by the industry. Elsewhere in this edition, we look at how to make construction greener (p40), the exporting challenges faced by food and drink companies (p42), and the opportunity for a “Midlands as a factory” concept by creating an end-to-end regional supply chain (p44). This all feeds into the Chamber’s belief that the East Midlands can be a national and international centre of trade – at the cutting edge of a new sustainable approach to how we make, move and innovate.
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Dan Robinson, Editor, Business Network
THE BIG INTERVIEW 22 Peter Bardens, vice-president of UK hubs for DHL Express 26 PATRONS How the pandemic has changed living spaces 28 CHAMBER NEWS Reaction to Queen's Speech legislative agenda and hospitality reopening
SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS 40 Building back greener in construction
INTERNATIONAL TRADE 42 Exporting food and drink after Brexit
POLITICS 44 Can the region’s manufacturers work as one?
FEATURES 47 BUSINESS CRIME & PROTECTION How can businesses stay safe? 50 Defence in breadth rather than depth 52 FOCUS FEATURE Logistics in the East Midlands 57 CHARITABLE CAUSES, PROMOTION & PARTNERSHIP Making charitable giving a habit 60 Why should daily physical activity be on the menu for every child?
TRAINING & EVENTS 62 Stepping up as a leader in challenging times
DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY 64 Google’s page experience update explained
Editor Dan Robinson T: 07764 431028 E: dan.robinson@emc-dnl.co.uk Contributor Jasmine Thompson All Submissions E: magazine@emc-dnl.co.uk Chamber Membership E: membership@emc-dnl.co.uk Follow the Chamber W: www.emc-dnl.co.uk Twitter: @EMChamberNews
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BUSINESS SUPPORT 68 LEGAL Employees heading overseas: What you need to know 70 FINANCE Do you need cyber security insurance? 72 SKILLS How the pandemic has transformed academies’ finances 74 PROPERTY New Government hub in Nottingham completed 76 MOTORING Nick Jones tests the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 77 INFORMATION Why we need more elephants in sales
COMMENT 78 THE LAST WORD Chamber president Eileen Richards MBE on forging an identity for East Midlands business business network June 2021
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Amazon to bring jobs boost to the East Midlands Amazon will create 700 jobs in the East Midlands after announcing the opening of its fifth large warehouse in the region – as it also unveiled plans to help plug skills gaps in an innovative partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The e-commerce giant will take its total permanent headcount in the region to 3,400 when it opens the 500,000 sq ft fulfilment centre in Hinckley this summer, adding to existing sites in Chesterfield, Coalville, Kegworth and Sutton-in-Ashfield. It was included in a wider announcement that the company will create more than 10,000 permanent jobs across the UK by the end of 2021, taking its national workforce to 55,000 – with pay for operations roles in fulfilment centres starting at £9.70 per hour. East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said the Amazon was “fast growing into one of the biggest and most important employers in our region”, adding: “It’s therefore crucial for our region in particular, due to our central location nationally and reputation as a place where goods are made and moved, to embrace the logistics industry as an important part of our present and future economy.” Meanwhile, Amazon announced it will invest £10m over three years to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills. This training will be offered through the company’s Career Choice programme, where it pays 95% of course fees – up to £8,000 over four years – for its staff who
University joins Singapore alliance The University of Nottingham has joined the UK-Singapore Alliance for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (UKSAEI) – the first alliance of its kind to accelerate collaborations in entrepreneurship and innovation between the two countries. Launched in April, it brings together 11 universities from the UK, and five from Singapore, to share knowledge and facilitate collaboration in commercialisation and innovation. Professor of materials chemistry and pro-vicechancellor for global engagement Robert Mokaya is leading the project at the University of Nottingham. He said: “I am pleased that, as a founding member and with the support of both the UK and Singapore governments, the University of Nottingham is able to bring these great universities together in such an alliance.”
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have expressed an interest in pursuing a career outside of the firm. It believes this will boost the skills and employability of British workers, with available courses including accountancy, HGV driving and software development. By linking up with the BCC, accredited chambers of commerce such as East Midlands Chamber will have the opportunity to work with Amazon to identify regional skills shortages and ensure training is focused on local needs. The company will provide classroom-based learning through Amazon Career Choice, as well as exploring opportunities with the BCC network to provide practical work experience and mentoring in employees’ chosen future professions. Shevaun Haviland, director-general of the BCC, said: “This is a great initiative that will not only help Amazon but also provide a much wider benefit to the community, while showcasing how business can be a force for good.” Amazon’s UK country manager John Boumphrey added: “We’re delighted to be working with the British Chambers of Commerce on a pioneering approach to our Career Choice programme to provide the training, and skilled workers, needed to boost local economies right across the country.”
IT firm rolls out testing scheme Derby IT company Neuways is supporting its employees as they return to the office by enrolling on the NHS Covid-19 testing scheme. The Government-backed programme allows employers to order large quantities of lateral flow testing kits for their employees to use. By encouraging staff to regularly take lateral flow tests, Neuways has been able to safely increase the number of employees working together in its Chellaston office.
‘We will be looking to continue a flexible, hybrid approach to working’ Managing director Martin Roberts said: “The availability of Covid-19 lateral flow tests to businesses is the best way we can protect our staff as we return to the office. “While the technology to work remotely has been fantastic over the past year, and we will be looking to continue a flexible, hybrid approach to working going forward, to have the ability and capacity to return to the office will be a real strength for us as a business and our customers.”
Lateral flow tests will enable Neuways staff to safely return to its Chellaston office
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MEMBER NEWS
New export deals with India A Leicestershire business has been involved in one of 20 export deals signed between the UK and India as part of a new trading relationship. The export deal involving Morningside Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures and supplies quality generic medicines to the UK and international markets from its base in Loughborough, is connected to researching, developing and licensing new pharmaceutical products. It is part of an enhanced trade partnership between the countries that will facilitate an extra £1bn in UKIndia trade and investment, set to create 6,500 jobs. Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, said: “We are immensely proud to be included alongside other UK exporters in the new trading arrangements that have been announced with India. This enhanced trading relationship is a great step forward towards a future free trade agreement, which would bring significant opportunities for exporters, as well as investment, in the UK and the Midlands. “The Morningside companies have invested in India for many years, particularly in research and development and clinical trials, as well as through our manufacturing investments into developing new formulations of generic medicines for our UK and international markets. “We are proud that much of the innovation takes place here in Leicestershire and is then ‘technology transferred’ to Indian partners to help bring new
Dr Nik Kotecha, chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals
formulations of generic and branded medicines to the UK and global markets quicker.” The package contains more than £533m of new Indian investment into the UK, which is expected to create 6,500 jobs in vital and growing sectors such as health and technology – with £200m of these deals supporting low-carbon growth. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Like every aspect of the UK-India relationship, the economic links between our countries make our people stronger and safer. Each and every one of the more than 6,500 jobs will help communities build back from coronavirus.”
Interflex awarded Government grant Automotive parts manufacturer Interflex will embark on a new upskilling programme to help it diversify after being awarded a £254,000 Government grant. The company, based in Langar, Nottinghamshire, will allocate half the award to a £500,000 scheme to train, coach and mentor its team across a range of aspects of the business. Managing director Jim Griffin said: “This is an exciting time for Interflex. We have risen to some tough challenges over the past 12 months and have emerged a more flexible and efficient operation as a result. “Covid-19 did delay our planned expansion, but with the valuable cash injection that the award has given us, now is the perfect time to start putting these exciting plans into practice.”
BT secures contract with Avant Homes BT has been awarded a multimillion-pound contract with Chesterfield-headquartered national housebuilder Avant Homes to support the digital transformation of its business during the pandemic. The partnership has already seen BT deploy new technology to allow agile working for Avant Homes’ sales and customer service workforce during the past 12 months. The investment also allows the developer to further improve its customer journey for new reservations and viewings. For the next phase of the partnership, BT is providing a cloudbased solution that simplifies the management and operations across
Avant Homes’ five regional offices located in Scotland, North East, Yorkshire, and the Midlands, as well as its group head office operation and all development locations. Roger Craven, North East, Yorkshire & Humber sales director for BT, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has brought challenges for many businesses, even those in industries which have largely been able to continue to operate throughout lockdown restrictions, such as the housing and construction sector. “The need to invest in digital technology has never been greater as more work is carried out remotely and teams require secure access to information, contacts and systems from wherever they are.”
BT will support Avant Homes with its digital transformation
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Royal recognition for East Midlands businesses Winners of the Queen's Awards for Enterprise were announced in April, with 15 of the 105 companies recognised hailing from the East Midlands. With entries now open for next year, Business Network talks to two Chamber members among the recipients.
HUUB founder Dean Jackson
Team GB triathlon medal hopes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee in HUUB kit
INNOVATION AWARD WINNER: DEAN JACKSON, OWNER OF HUUB, DERBY What does your company do? We’re a global leader in the manufacture of triathlon and cycling products, employing 24 people. What encouraged you to enter the Queen’s Award for Enterprise? For us, there is no higher accolade. We can win stages of races, our partnered athletes collect medals at the Olympics and we can share in their triumph – but the whole team here having its achievements reflected in attaining The Queen's Award truly reflects commitment. Why do you think you won this award and how has it been received by your team? HUUB takes innovation seriously and as a driver to our survival and market leadership. We are the inventors – the playful, the imaginative and the curious. We won't leave gardens unturned, never mind the stones! I believe the judges will have seen how innovation had driven us, and 6
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shaped the way we work towards larger goals and aspirations of the business. How do you plan to use the recognition? We will use the award with the ultimate respect across all our trading channels and aim to leverage the recognition with our customers, for they truly are trading with an innovative company that has been recognised at the highest level. We will also use the Queen's Award to showcase Derby and the county. We are proud to come from a city of innovators, creators and makers, and there’s no finer way than to share our success with the city which shaped and inspired us. How does this fit into any future plans the company already had? The Queen's Award has further cemented our belief that innovation can and will drive your business. Looking forward is far more
important than looking back. There are days where you think “let's rest up and have a steady year” but we can’t – we are constantly being chased down by our competitors and this is what drives us. We plan to drive our cycling branch to become the world’s most respected cycling company. What would your advice be to any East Midlands businesses
contemplating whether to enter the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in 2022? Pretty simple – “get on with it”. It’s a journey of self-evaluation, selfreflection and gives the chance to focus and understand what really makes your organisation shine. It’s also paramount to take your staff and stakeholders on your journey of success, and bring along the whole team.
WHAT IS A QUEEN’S AWARD? The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise have four categories: innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility. Established in 1965, the awards are judged by senior Whitehall officials and experts from industry, academia and the third sector.
QUEEN’S AWARDS FACTS • • • •
205 winners in 2021, including 15 in the East Midlands 92% of winners are SMEs 44 companies have fewer than 10 employees 5 years – the amount of time businesses can use the Queen’s Award crest in promotional materials • 73% of winners in the international trade category (2012-2015) directly attributed increased sales to winning a Queen's Award. • 7,000-plus companies have won a Queen's Award since its inception in 1965
Applications are now open for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2022 and close on 9 September 2021. To apply, visit www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise/how-to-apply
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE WINNER: ANDY OWEN, PARTNER AT MASTERMOVER, ASHBOURNE What does your business do? MasterMover is a global leader in the design and manufacture of electric tugs that allow customers to safely move wheeled loads ranging in weight from 50kg to more than 100,000kg. We employ 80 people. What encouraged you to enter the Queen’s Award for Enterprise? The Queen's Awards are internationally recognised and extremely prestigious – the highest honour that can be bestowed on a UK company. We'd seen other businesses receive the award for their work in international trade and it's something we've always admired, not least because we understand first-hand the rewards and challenges that come with exporting. Why do you think you won this award and how has it been received by your team? MasterMover started a new export strategy in 2007. The result is we've gone from selling just a handful of machines to experiencing fantastic growth in sectors all around the world.
A1 Comms in sale of Go Mobile
In the past six years, overseas sales have grown by 227% and the proportion of sales exported has now increased to 59% – with plans for even further growth in the future. The award has been extremely well received by our staff as everyone has put in so much effort over the years. This recognition makes us all very proud. How do you plan to use the recognition? Receiving the royal stamp of approval is a badge of honour we're proud to display. We've already started using the emblem in our marketing and sales materials, and we will continue to roll this out in the coming months. We anticipate the Queen's Award will allow us to reach an even wider audience, establish new connections and educate potential customers. How does this fit into any future plans the company already had? The award has already been a real bonus and something we've been excited to share with our staff, customers and the business community. Over the next five
MasterMover partners Andy Owen and James Jones
years, we intend to add an extra boost to our existing growth plans. It will allow us to further develop our reputation both at home and across our international markets. What would your advice be to any East Midlands businesses contemplating whether to enter the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in 2022? Sitting down with the numbers, interrogating your growth plans – what you’ve achieved so far and what you’re going to achieve in the future – is always a good exercise. If you’ve got the drive, ambition and sales success to justify why your business deserves to be honoured with the Queen’s emblem, then go for it.
Derby-based A1 Comms has announced the sale of its Go Mobile high street estate to KTM Online, which trades as Fonehouse. The mobile phone and connectivity solutions provider will continue to own and focus on its digital consumer business – namely its portfolio of online brands Affordable Mobiles, Buymobiles and Phones.co.uk – as well as its nationwide business-tobusiness operation Yappl. Managing director of digital Bobbie Bhogal said: “We’re delighted to have completed the sale of the Go Mobile business from A1 Comms to KTM Online. “The agreement will no doubt help further Go Mobile, its franchisees, employees, and partners included. A1 Comms’ primary objective is now focusing on our rapidly growing digital consumer business, having generated a 62% increase in sales year-onyear, resulting in our best year as a business.”
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Agency wins award for NHS campaign Anicca Digital has picked up a paid media sector award for its work on an NHS survey – in which 32% of completions were delivered by its paid marketing activity. The Leicester-based digital marketing agency won the Biddable AgencyLed Campaign of the Year Award at the UK Biddable Media Award for a campaign it delivered for the Leicester Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Anicca Digital used paid digital marketing tactics to ensure participation from minority and “hard-to-reach” communities for a public consultation about building a new hospital. Ann Stanley, managing director at Anicca Digital, said: “Leicester is a city with a complex demographic make-up and the CCG was concerned that some communities may not get their say in the consultation process.” It successfully delivered more than 13 million advert views during the project’s three-month timeframe, with 32% of all digital survey completions driven directly by paid media activities. Working alongside the in-house NHS team – using a mix of marketing tools and additional paid advertising (online and offline) – the aim for the campaign was to raise awareness of a planned new hospital and to ensure survey completions from groups that had been under-represented. Ann added: “We’re really pleased that our paid digital marketing approach to target these specific minority or ‘hard-to-reach communities’ within Leicester and Leicestershire has been given industry recognition. “Due to the successful delivery of the campaign, we have since been approached to undertake an additional project using a similar strategy to encourage vaccine take-up for Covid-19.”
John Pye Auctions' new 3.5-acre site
Growth for tech firms in the East Midlands
John Pye opens site in Northern Ireland John Pye Auctions has expanded into Northern Ireland with the acquisition of a new 3.5-acre site outside Ballymena – which will make it the biggest commercial auction house in the country. The new site in County Antrim will create 40 jobs and increase the auction house’s network to more than 800,000 sq ft of sale room space, with the family-run firm offering a wide range of consumer products and liquidation stock from leading UK retailers, such as John Lewis, DFS and Halfords. Managing director Adam Pye said: “We are delighted to be opening in Northern Ireland, offering the country a new type of auction with the same great volume and variety – all under one 8
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Ann Stanley, managing director at Annica Digital
roof - as we provide across our wider UK network. “The kind warm welcome we have received is a great testament to the local community. We are looking forward to not only offering weekly value offerings through our auctions, creating employment and opportunities in the area, but also supporting community efforts. “We are a family business with strong roots and a proud history of championing the local communities our sites are based in.” Last year the company held more than 1,300 online auctions, selling more than one million lots with customers being able to make savings of up to 80% on retail prices.
The number of new technology companies being set up in the East Midlands rose by 3% in 2020, new analysis by audit, tax and consulting firm RSM has found. In total, 414 technology businesses were incorporated in 2020, according to data held by Companies House, a 3% increase on the 403 total in 2019. Simon Browning, head of RSM’s technology and media team in the East Midlands, said: “Despite the acute impact of the Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions, it’s encouraging to see such strong growth in the East Midlands tech sector as entrepreneurs seize the opportunities that
the pandemic has revealed for technology to support new ways of working and digital entertainment. “In 2020, the UK attracted $15bn in investment and sits third internationally for tech incubations according to the latest Tech Nation report – demonstrating that the UK continues to stride ahead of other European countries, despite Brexit, and remains the first-choice tech hub after the US and China. “The UK will always be a target for investment due to the financial and private equity infrastructure; but it’s great to see growth in the East Midlands where thriving media and technology industries are fuelling regional growth.”
Simon Browning
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Willmott Dixon has a women's leadership development programme
Construction firm supports diversity Willmott Dixon has been named as one of the UK’s top 50 places to work for women. The construction firm has been included in The Times’ prestigious Top 50 Employers for Women list for the third consecutive time in recognition of its focus on being an inclusive workplace. Group chief executive Rick Willmott said: “We are proud to again be recognised for our approach to gender diversity. “This is an important benchmark, not only for us, but the entire construction industry to promote career opportunities available for people from all parts of our community so that they can enjoy as we say, ‘a career of a lifetime’, while also making long-term impact on society that increases the opportunities for thousands of people.” The company has recently launched a Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)-based women’s leadership development programme – and the 12month course will be delivered to 17 high-potential female leaders. Rick added: “We see this as a crucial programme as we seek to increase the number of women within the most senior positions in construction.”
Artist’s impression of the new Derby Business School
University plans for ‘iconic’ city centre business school The University of Derby has announced its vision to build an “iconic” new business school in the centre of the city. Set to open in September 2024, the building is projected to be the study base for more than 6,000 students by 2030. They will benefit from a transformative learning environment delivering teaching, research, innovation and skills aligned to regional, national and global needs.
‘This new city centre building will not only enhance the area’s appeal and vibrancy, but also attract more students to Derby’ The landmark building is proposed to be net zero carbon in construction and operation, aligning to the university’s sustainability strategies, and its low-carbon expertise and research agenda. It will be located in Ford Street, Derby, on a university-owned site opposite One Friar Gate Square – home to the School of Law and Social Sciences. Professor Kamil Omoteso, pro vice-chancellor dean of the College of Business, Law and Social Sciences at the University of Derby, said: “Our ambitious plans for an iconic new business school, located in the centre of Derby, are part of a broader vision to expand the university’s reach and reputation across the UK and globally.
“To do so, the university must be in a position to offer the best possible learner experience that reflects its values of being bold, brilliant and future focused. “We intend to build on our already strong reputation to become a leading business school for applied realworld learning – one that creates opportunities for a diverse range of students to attain their full potential and become successful and responsible future leaders.” Relocating Derby Business School, which is currently based in Kedleston Road, supports the university’s ambition to have a greater physical presence in the city centre, providing a central and attractive destination for students. It also increases the accessibility of the new business school to residents, schools and colleges, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire businesses, and the local entrepreneur and start-up community – opening the door to increased enterprise collaboration to enable business growth and unlock new market opportunities internationally. Professor Kathryn Mitchell DL, vice-chancellor and chief executive of the University of Derby, added: “We are delighted to be moving forward with our plans for the new business school, a reflection of our ambitions and commitment to delivering economic, social, environmental, and cultural prosperity to the city of Derby and the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) region. “This new city centre building will not only enhance the area’s appeal and vibrancy, but also attract more students to Derby, positively impact the local economy, and provide businesses and organisations with easier access to research, innovation and the business services they need to grow and prosper.”
Purpose Media to deliver growth Digital marketing agency Purpose Media has been commissioned by a global IT business to help it achieve an ambitious programme of growth. It will work with Bam Bam Cloud to increase its profile in the UK and internationally as it seeks to expand its footprint beyond current markets in the US, Canada and India. The Derby-based company – previously known as Cooper Parry IT until a management buyout earlier this year – has already established a reputation as a 10
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market-leading supplier of cloudbased technology solutions, winning the prestigious Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Partner of the Year Award last year.
‘It’s great to welcome such a successful, vibrant and highprofile client on board’ Purpose Media managing director Matt Wheatcroft said his
team would provide expertise in paid media, search engine optimisation and digital content to help Bam Boom Cloud achieve its goals, which include trebling turnover to £9m in the next three years. “It’s great to welcome such a successful, vibrant and high-profile client on board,” he said. “Bam Boom Cloud joins a growing list of companies that are trusting us to grow their digital presence, engage with new audiences and deliver new business opportunities.”
Matt Wheatcroft
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Firms offered access to local talent East Midlands businesses have been offered easy access to talent coming out of Nottingham Trent University (NTU) via its latest graduate internship scheme. The fully-funded programme gives businesses the opportunity to hire suitable graduates equipped the latest skills and knowledge in a six-week placement. Rory Poyzer, a business development consultant in NTU’s employability, professional services team, said: "Via a talent match process, we offer employers the opportunity to engage with one or more of our graduates to undertake an internship to benefit their organisation. "Our graduates will bring extra resources to help grow organisations, bring fresh ideas, and the latest skills and knowledge to your team. "Simultaneously, participating businesses will play a fundamental part in providing experience to
NTU's scheme funds a six-week graduate work placement
some of our unemployed or underemployed graduates." Diversity, a creative digital marketing agency in Nottingham, has hired five graduates from NTU among its team of 22 people in the past five years.
Its managing director Simon Elliott was particularly impressed with Alexandra Mihut, who joined the company on a graduate internship while completing a master’s degree in 2017. After graduating, Alex returned
to Diversity and has since progressed from a marketing executive to account manager. Simon said: “We have welcomed students on the internship over several years, and each year are impressed with what they bring to the business – always professional, bringing enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to the projects. “Beyond the internships, these allow us to meet future talent for working in our business, and Alex was a prime example. By relating course content to growth areas in the industry, she helped us develop new services within the business, including voice applications and influencer marketing.” The deadline to submit roles for the graduate internship scheme is 2 July, with the next programme starting on 2 August. To learn more about taking part, contact Rory on rory.poyzer@ ntu.ac.uk or 0115 848 3200.
PR agency ranks among the best Nottingham digital PR agency Cartwright Communications has ranked in the top tier of a definitive listing of leading UK PR firms. It was one of only two East Midlands-based PR agencies – alongside Nottingham-based Tank – to rank in the PR Week Global Agency Business Report 2021, which is compiled from an estimated 5,000 agencies in the UK. It ranked in the top 35 of leading agencies outside London, bucking industry trends by experiencing
Liz Cartwright
increased revenue in 2020. Cartwright Communications owner Liz Cartwright has witnessed significant growth from clients seeking to diversify marketing strategies. She added: “We’ve noticed that businesses are looking to complement PR strategies with new digital channels, but we’ve seen the biggest surge in growth in e-commerce businesses, which have looked to PR as a new avenue to achieve greater market share in extremely competitive times.”
Volunteers working at Chesterfield Canal
Canal restoration plans gain approval Plans to restore the Chesterfield Canal by 1.6 miles have been approved – extending the navigable section in Derbyshire by a third from Staveley to Renishaw. The restored canal currently ends at Eckington Road Bridge in Staveley, where the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s volunteer work party has built a new lock and restored a further 300 metres of canal. The new section will go through a disused railway line and across the Doe Lea Valley on the Staveley Puddlebank. The towpath will be a 3m-wide, all-user trail alongside the canal – meaning walkers, cyclists and mobility scooter users will be able to join boaters, canoeists and paddleboarders in enjoying the new route. The planning application was approved by Chesterfield Borough Council and work is now planned to begin by the end of this year or early 2022. Chesterfield Canal Trust chair Peter Hardy said: “We are delighted that our planning application has been approved. “This is a substantial step on the path to achieving our ambition of reopening the canal fully by 2027. “We would like to put on record our thanks to our many supporters and partners who have backed us so far and who we know will stick by us in the exciting years ahead.” business network June 2021
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MEMBER NEWS
Trio of appointments at Cosy Direct A Derby company that sells ethical educational supplies to primary schools and nurseries has made a trio of appointments to the board as it looks forward to celebrating a 10th year in business. Cosy Direct, which recently moved from the city to a new 45,000 sq ft office near Tutbury on the Derbyshire-Staffordshire border, has appointed David Hook as its chief operating officer, Jackie Raven as buying director and Stuart Morgan as e-commerce director.
‘During lockdown, women have been responsible for the majority of home schooling and caring for, or supporting, vulnerable relatives’ David will be in charge of the company’s distribution unit, while Jackie will take control of Cosy’s buying team and supply base. Stuart is given an open platform to fuel the rapid digitisation of cosy. Nick said: “Jackie is a number one buyer in our sector, Stuart is a leading e-commerce specialist and both are a real steal for the Cosy team. These scale investments to
Restructure for Peak Translations Peak Translations has announced a restructure that brings together its project management and administrative functions. Madeline Prusmann will assume responsibility for both tasks after being promoted to lead project manager at the Whaley Bridge-based company. Iwona Skorbilowicz has joined the company permanently following completion of a three-month contract, joining Emma Morris in a project manager job share. Charlie Blood has also been appointed as assistant project manager following the successful completion of his business administration apprenticeship. Managing director Helen Provart added: “Being able to count on such a capable and skilled project management team means I can turn my attention to spending more time on our clients’ requirements.”
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The team at Cosy Direct
the board, alongside our building and new systems, gives us a platform to scale Cosy as we aim to double turnover and expand to 50 countries.” Peter Ellse also has plans to launch a “Mum’s Army” – 10 parttime jobs that will suit working parents with flexible hours during term time.
Peter added: “During lockdown, women have been responsible for the majority of home schooling and caring for, or supporting, vulnerable relatives. The Government’s recovery funding has been directed towards ‘male-dominated industries’ and opportunities for career development for women has dwindled.”
Cosy Direct, which was set up in 2011 by Peter and his wife Amanda, employs more than 80 people and, last year, the company reported an £8m turnover. The company supplies schools, councils and nurseries across the UK with thousands of inventions including craft, art and upcycled resources.
MBO for Nottingham print firm
Lance Hill, Karen Herbert and Jake Beardsley
Nottingham-based Eight Days A Week Print Solutions (EDWPS) has new owners after a management buyout was completed. Its managing director Lance Hill led the acquisition alongside his team, also comprising Karen Herbert and Jake Beardsley. EDWPS specialises in direct and essential mail, digital print, web to print and hybrid mail for a range of sectors including healthcare and pharmaceutical, retail, education, financial services and travel and leisure. The £5m turnover business employs 20 staff at its Nottingham facility and has experienced a strong period of growth in the past 12 months, despite the pandemic. Lance said: “We are very excited about the future. We’ve managed to ride through a tough 12 months,
partly due to our significant footprint in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector which has been very stable, and we have also seen some growth.” The company has also taken advantage of the Government’s Kickstart scheme to employ two production operatives. The Kickstart scheme helps employers by providing funding to create job placements for 16 to 24-year olds. The Government pays 100% of national minimum wages for 25 hours for a total of six months, along with associated employer national insurance contributions. For more information, contact education and business partnership manager Pieter Eksteen on 07468 474307 or pieter.eksteen@emc-dnl.co.uk.
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MEMBER NEWS
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MEMBER NEWS
Event will showcase options for career in health and care DNS completes charity challenge Derby-based Document Network Services (DNS) has completed a 2,500km challenge, raising more than £3,100 for charity me&dee. Colleagues at DNS pushed themselves to the limit by walking, jogging, running and cycling their way through April as part of the company’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Derby-based me&dee creates memory holidays for families with children suffering life-changing or limiting illnesses. DNS managing director Darren Marsh said: “From the second I heard me&dee’s story, I knew it was going to be a charity that DNS passionately supports. “The £3,172 we raised is a fantastic amount and it was lovely to present that figure to me&dee, knowing what a difference it is going to make.”
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A week-long event to showcase the diversity of careers and pathways into health and social care has been launched in Chesterfield. Careers that Care Week, organised by Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s (DVA) Community Chesterfield project, the University of Derby and Joined Up Careers Derbyshire, involves a series of virtual events held from 21 to 25 June. Funded by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Programme (DANCOP), it will feature opportunities for attendees to watch videos from people playing crucial roles in the region’s health and social care sectors, allowing them to find out more about what they do in the role day-to-day and where the career could take you. Charlotte Repton, project manager at Community Chesterfield, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Joined Up Careers on this event, which will promote the variety of roles available across the NHS and public sector and highlight why people should choose these sectors as a career path.” The programme is open to anyone from Chesterfield and surrounding areas with an interest in health and social care, but will be of particular interest to young people at the point of making a decision about their career or to individuals who might be considering a career change. Charlotte added: “Our role at Community Chesterfield is to bring the university and community
together to create a resourceful, experienced and knowledgeable health and social care sector in the area, as well as creating learning and personal development opportunities for students. This event should help to do just that.” For more information visit www.careersthatcareweek.org
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MEMBER NEWS
Author in ‘feet’ of endurance for Lamp Water charity calls on support to help Nepal Aquabox has launched an appeal to support its work in Nepal. The Derbyshire-based charity – which sends water filters and humanitarian aid to disaster zones around the world – is raising funds to support its aid provision to Nepal. Nepal lies almost completely within the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which are constantly on the move. Earth tremors are a frequent occurrence, and the country is subject to regular mudslips, landslides, earthquakes and flooding. Aquabox consultant Colin Petty said: “Our simple and robust handpumped Aquabox filter needs no chemicals, and uses a microfiltration element to eliminate
disease pathogens like cholera, polio, typhoid and guinea worm.” The filter units are assembled by a volunteer team at Aquabox’s depot in Wirksworth and despatched to disaster zones around the world, teaming up with local partners to oversee final distribution. Colin added: “Aquabox has been working in Nepal since 2013, supplying thousands of filter units to help families left homeless. Together, these filters have provided destitute Nepalese residents with millions of litres of safe water.” To support the Aquabox Nepal campaign, visit www.justgiving.com/ campaign/AquaboxinNepal
Leicestershire author Stewart Bint walked 10km barefoot to raise funds for mental health charity Lamp (Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project). He took part in the Lamp5k campaign, held during Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 between 10 and 16 May, which challenged people to walk 5km and promote the positive effects of physical exercise Barefoot on mental health. walker As a keen walker and advocate of Stewart Bint good mental health, Stewart took on a double challenge without shoes or socks, walking two 5km routes across fields, bridleways, gravel paths and urban streets. He said: “I've been passionate about mental health after suffering a crisis in 1997, which led to me being hospitalised for 10 weeks. When I learned of Lamp’s 5k event, it seemed an ideal opportunity to raise awareness of Lamp and demonstrate how regular exercise helps me. “As an avid walker, I felt 5km would be too easy for me personally so as I go barefoot as much as possible for both mental and physical health reasons, I set myself the challenge of doing two 5km walks in bare feet during Mental Health Awareness Week.” Lamp, which helps people access mental health services, has reported an upsurge in demand for its helpline, advocacy services and online resources during the Covid-19 pandemic. The average number of calls per month had doubled by October 2020 and last year’s target for advocacy support was reached months ahead of schedule.
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MEMBER NEWS
MEMBER FOCUS: TOUCHPOINTS MARKETING Armed with more than 15 years’ experience in marketing, including stints with chocolate brand Thorntons and former airline BMI, Victoria Prince now balances running her consultancy Touchpoints Marketing with other side businesses. She explains to Business Network how she juggles these entrepreneurial activities, turning it around during the pandemic and the support she’s received from the Chamber. Tell us what your company does and a brief overview of its history? Touchpoints Marketing helps entrepreneurs realise ambitious goals through bespoke one-toone support and online courses, with the aim of creating an effective marketing strategy and supporting the accountability of their ongoing plans. I have also run a double award-winning coffee shop in Surrey and taken my idea for the UK’s first vegan healthy snack brand from Kickstarter launch to selling online in Selfridges in under a year. Who are your main customers and what is your USP to them? I work with entrepreneurs and innovators in the start-up space but mainly those in a scale-up mode who want to grow as fast as possible. I suppose my biggest USP is that I have been there myself and know the pitfalls to avoid, and know that when there is someone helping to support you it makes the journey easier, more fun and more cost-effective in the long run How have you fared during the Covid-19 pandemic? In March 2020, due to Covid I lost 98% of my clients. This was mainly due to production ceasing and brands being nervous about promoting themselves during the pandemic. As this all happened, I was very upset but I had a good stern word with myself, and planned a strategy where I created content and gave it all away to help other businesses during the pandemic.
I also gave away free calls to help people understand how to navigate the choppy waters. This helped to raise my profile and support other businesses in my position to realise the benefits of reassessing their marketing strategy. As a result of helping others, my business started thriving and the monthly income by December was up six-times compared to January, pre-pandemic. What are the company's plans for the future? In 2021, alongside monthly masterplan clients and my accountability sessions, I’m developing my Marketing Mavericks course for business graduates. I currently have six Nottingham Trent University students working with me on a 37hour work placement, who are enabling the research and development phase to be really in depth. How long have you been a member of East Midlands Chamber, and what encouraged you to join and continue your membership? I joined East Midlands Chamber a year ago for the networking initially. During lockdown, I found the Chamber to be so supportive. In fact, so much so that after lockdown I made a YouTube video that talks about 10 reasons why it is a good idea to join a chamber of commerce. It was something I was really passionate about sharing as I just wanted to shout about the help it has given to my business.
What do you believe is the most important role of a chamber of commerce? For me, the biggest word that sums up the role of the Chamber is connecting – connecting with people within my industry; connecting me with the Government when I have concerns about Covid; connecting me with peers within the local area; and connecting me with online events. It’s also helping me to connect with my own business more – through learning – because there is always more we can do to build our businesses.
NEW MEMBERS In April, the Chamber welcomed 33 new members:
Ilkeston’s popular heritage event won’t take place this year
Vehicle show cancelled Organisers of the Ilkeston Heritage and Classic Vehicle Show have cancelled this year’s event due to Government restrictions regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the second successive year that Erewash Partnership Events, a sister company of enterprise agency Erewash Partnership, has called off what had become Ilkeston's biggest event. The partnership’s chief executive Ian Viles said: “We had to consider the impact of any social distancing restrictions, but our resources when the partnership's focus is on providing advice and support to local businesses. “It is largely funded by local businesses and in light of financial pressures that the virus has caused, we felt it unfair to ask for donations.” 18
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• A Mistry Group Ltd • A Mistry Ltd • Abacus Flooring Solutions Limited • Bradgate Estates Ltd • BRS Accounting Services Limited • DBC Training Ltd • Eventurous Ltd • Featherbed Tales • Fibre Tec Solutions Ltd • Fireserv UK (Midlands) Limited • Furnley House Limited • Great Business Matters Ltd • Halo Solutions • Hazid Technologies Limited • HDK Events • Hear 4 U and Healthscreen Limited • Hewitt Sportsturf & Petersfield • Growing Mediums • Kitking Ltd
• Logical Property Investments Ltd • MaryJanes Catering • Plastic Shims & Gaskets Co Ltd (International) • Prime Casual Ltd • Professional Heating Solutions Ltd • Pukaar Group • Quarry Manufacturing & Supplies Ltd (International) • St. Modwen Properties PLC • Sunter Studio • The Dimblebee Catering Company Ltd • The House of Lifestyle Management • The Peoples Muse • The Portland Training Company Limited • The QTS Group • Xpedient Advisory Services
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MEMBER NEWS
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APPOINTMENTS
Team expansion to deliver 700 homes An expanded development team will help social landlord Futures Housing Group in its plans to build 700 homes over the next three years. It will be led by director of development Anthony Holt, who has worked in the housing sector for more than 27 years. He was previously group development director at the Deeley Group and prior to that regional director for the Midlands region of the Orbit Group. Operating across the East Midlands, Futures works with a range of partners including local authorities, developers, contractors and consultants to provide affordable housing. The not-for-profit launched its new corporate plan last year that set out its strategy for the next three years, and the new 21-strong development team will be key to identifying projects in order to reach its goal of 700 affordable homes by 2023. Anthony said: “I’m excited to be leading our new development team. We have a wide range of people from different backgrounds all sharing Futures’ commitment to building high-quality affordable housing for local people.” Also in the team is head of new business, sales and performance Helen Munslow, who joins Futures from Derwent Living. Neil Laws is the new head of delivery, while Michael Gregory takes on a new role as clerk of works. Futures also welcomes new business manager Jacqueline Messenger, performance and compliance officer Trudi Vessey, and maximisation and sustainability project manager James Dial. Group chief executive Lindsey Williams said: “Our new corporate plan aims to stretch the business to meet our customer needs in an innovative way while growing as an organisation. I’m delighted to welcome all colleagues, new and old, to the team.”
Anthony Holt
Kickstarting a career in marketing Katie Marshall (pictured), a graphic designer working in the Chamber’s marketing department, has been hired via the Government’s Kickstart scheme – which provides funding for organisations to hire 16 to 24-year olds on a six-month work placement. Katie speaks to Business Network about the opportunities the scheme has opened to her and what her role will involve. Andy Irvine and Pamela Mathieson
Shorts welcomes Pamela Mathieson Shorts Chartered Accountants has appointed Pamela Mathieson as business development senior manager. Pam joins Shorts with more than 23 years’ experience working in business development within “Big 4” firms. Shorts managing partner Andy Irvine said: “Having worked in professional services for many years, Pam is well-known and highly respected within the local business community. “She brings a wealth of experience along with an understanding of the importance of trusted relationships and we are confident she will contribute significantly to our future success.” Pam added: “Shorts has a proven reputation of excellence and I am really excited to be joining such a growing and talented team at this time in the firm’s development. I look forward to developing the role and playing a significant part in the next chapter in Shorts' story.” 20
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Tell us a bit about yourself? I am a 24-year-old from Chesterfield and after completing my A-levels at Brookfield Community School, I completed an art foundation, followed by a degree in illustration with animation at Manchester Metropolitan University. Since graduating two years ago, I tried to immerse myself more in creative work and I did lots of volunteering, such as photography for various organisations. I also dabbled in part-time hospitality roles and some creative freelance work. What will your new job involve? My job as graphic designer will involve supporting the marketing team in creating visual assets for various purposes across Chamber products, services and campaigns, while keeping graphics cohesive with the Chamber branding. How do you feel to have got this job? I am incredibly excited and humbled to have landed this job and my colleagues at the Chamber are really supportive, which has made settling in very easy. I can’t wait to
see where this experience goes and the invaluable knowledge I will gain from it. Why do you think the Kickstart scheme is important for young people like yourself? Getting that first foot in the door, on the career path that I want, has been challenging. Since graduating, I have applied to an immense number of jobs without hearing anything back. As if getting a job as a young person isn’t difficult enough at the minute, most employers ask for more than two years’ experience in that work field – even for the junior and entry-level roles.
‘The Kickstart scheme is invaluable for young people struggling to find work’ That’s why I’m so grateful to have found this role, and why the Kickstart scheme is invaluable for young people struggling to find work. It is a great way to break into a career path, with a huge amount of support from both the employer and Universal Credit coaches along the way.
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APPOINTMENTS
Apprentices pass qualifications
Georgia Burdell and Tom Sharratt
James Wallis with Gemma Bailey
First new hire for Aristotle A Derby financial adviser who recently set up his own business has appointed his first member of staff. James Wallis, who founded Aristotle Financial Planning in April last year, described the appointment of Gemma Bailey as a significant step in growing his company. Gemma has joined as client support technician in order to handle much of the day-to-day business administration required for dealing with the firm’s clients, which mainly consist of people approaching retirement age or who run their own business. James, who had 10 years’ experience as an independent and chartered financial planner before setting up Aristotle, said: “Gemma has many years’ experience in the financial industry and her previous role was as a paraplanner, so she is more than capable
of giving me the long overdue assistance that we need with the day-to-day tasks so that I can focus on growing the business. “Setting up a company during a pandemic was a challenge and I’m very pleased to be able to make my first of what I hope will be many more appointments just before the end of my first year in business.” Gemma added: “I’m really excited to have joined Aristotle Financial Planning. “The values of the company, James’ approach to financial planning, along with his vision for the future are what made this role so appealing. I’m looking forward to working for James as he continues to develop his business.” determination and drive – all qualities we value in our staff, and to see it so evident in people at the beginning of their career is something special.”
Two apprentices from IT firm Neuways have overcome disruption from the pandemic to pass their qualifications and take on key roles within the company. Georgia Burdell and Tom Sharratt recently completed their apprenticeships with Derby-based provider Babington and have since progressed to become business administration assistant and technical support engineer, respectively. Neuways managing director Martin Roberts said: “We are delighted with the performance from both Georgia and Tom. “They both overcame the challenges posed by Covid-19 and their success is testament to their tenacity.”
Jonathan Newman and Rachael Cobb
Page Kirk celebrates double promotions Accountancy practice Page Kirk has promoted two members of staff. The Nottingham-based firm has appointed Rachael Cobb as manager of accounts and Jonathan Newman as senior manager. Rachael joined at the start of 2019 as assistant manager. Since then, her diligence and industry-specific knowledge has helped her quickly progress. She said: “I’m incredibly pleased my work has been recognised by the partners. At Page Kirk, there is plenty of room for driven individuals to make a significant impact. I plan to continue delivering high-quality services to clients, increasing our understanding of their industries and helping them make the best business decisions.” Jonathan joined Page Kirk back in 2005 on the company’s graduate scheme, after gaining his degree from the University of Bristol. He said: “Having started with the firm as a trainee, it is very rewarding to work with so many fantastic businesses as well as mentor and guide our current trainees. I am delighted to be accepting this promotion.” business network June 2021
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
Logistics industry is taking off in the East Midlands DHL has been at the forefront of the logistics boom created in and around East Midlands Airport, with its cargo operation having been at the site for almost four decades. With the region now one of the multinational firm’s most important strategic sites in Europe, Dan Robinson sits down with Peter Bardens, vice-president of UK hubs for DHL Express, to learn about its growth and what the future holds for both the company and the logistics industry.
SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability will be at the heart of DHL’s future vision, featuring plans for electric planes and vehicles. In March, parent company Deutsche Post DHL Group announced an “accelerated roadmap to decarbonisation”, pledging to invest 7bn euros in a goal to achieve climate-neutral logistics by 2030. Funds will be pumped into alternative aviation fuels, the expansion of electric vehicles and climate-neutral buildings. A third of its fuels are now sourced sustainably but it wants to increase this significantly. Peter says: “We’re always looking at the latest innovations around green technology for our industry, which includes things such as electric planes. “We’re working with manufacturers of our HGVs to look at the options available to reduce emissions, and we’re exploring how to use hydrogen-fuelled vehicles at Heathrow. We want to be a good corporate citizen and sustainability is central to this.”
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Peter Bardens, vice-president of UK hubs for DHL Express
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
he year of 1973 was a big one for East Midlands Airport (EMA). Then only eight years old, the opening of a second terminal allowed it to expand its nascent freight operations. Six years later, Royal Mail became the site’s first major courier, but it was the arrival of DHL in 1984 that was a real gamechanger. Even though only one or two aircraft took off each night, it set in motion a growth journey that resulted in the delivery giant’s UK hub, based in the East Midlands, becoming one of the largest in Europe with almost 30 cargo flights now transporting goods across the continent and beyond every night. “If you look at the UK geography, there’s no better location than the East Midlands,” says Peter Bardens, who oversees the cargo hubs at East Midlands, Heathrow and Luton airports for DHL Express, the arm of the business overseeing the courier vans and flights that most people will be familiar with. “It’s very central in the country and supported by the motorway infrastructure, with the arterial link to the north and south via the M1, as well as the A50 and M42. By road, you can touch pretty much all of England within four hours, so we have direct linehaul vehicles coming into the East Midlands from all corners of the country. “The only parts of the UK we don’t use the road to feed into the region is Scotland, where we fly from Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and Northern Ireland. “That why it’s always been our main hub for the UK since the 1980s and the rapid growth we’ve seen since then has allowed us to grow our facilities.”
T
THE SAN FRANCISCO-founded, Bonn-headquartered company is one of two major couriers to have its UK hub in the region, alongside UPS, with TNT another big player on the site. Its postyellow planes, adorned by DHL’s now iconic red lettering featuring “speed stripes”, jet off from the East Midlands to various European sites including Brussels, Spain, Italy and the Nordics, as well as the North American hub of Cincinnati and its New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago spokes. Flights to the group’s global hub in Leipzig also serve markets such as Asia-Pacific. Although the freight operation’s expansion has been a steady one in tandem with e-commerce growth, there’s no doubt the pandemic has been an accelerant, increasing the volume of flights from about 23 to around the 28 or 29 mark as lockdown forced even more consumers and businesses online. The result was EMA, the UK’s largest pure cargo airport, hit new records – experiencing its busiest ever period in the run-up to Christmas. Some 41,613 tonnes of goods were processed across the airport’s five cargo terminals in November 2020, a 26.4% increase on the previous year. DHL has been a major contributor to this growth, having diverted much of the volume that would have been destined for bellyhold on passenger flights at Heathrow to the pure cargo operation in Castle Donington. Peter, who points out the company invested heavily in making its sites Covid-safe for staff at the outset, says: “Bellyhold is historically a big part of our network because it helps us to manage capacity and gives us enhanced transit to more niche markets, but there’s been a massive reduction in passenger aircraft flying around the globe. “With that evaporating, it meant we had to find a solution for all our shipments that were due to go all over the world. “This has resulted in more volume going through our main hubs like the East Midlands, Leipzig, Cincinnati and Brussels. We’ve had to increase our cargo capacity to sustain the growth we’ve seen from Covid while managing the downward bellyhold capacity.”
PETER’S CAREER AND OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE ROLES Entering the DHL workforce at junior levels can be the start of a journey to the summit of the multinational firm, believes Peter. He recalls how a colleague doing the same job he was on his first day at the company 27 years ago went on to become an HR leader of its Americas business, a trajectory that isn’t uncommon. “There’s numerous examples we can point to of people developing their careers from the bottom to the top of the company,” he says. “John Pearson, the CEO of DHL Worldwide Express, started in an entry-level role as a sales rep in the Middle East, while there’s senior leaders in HR, technology, sales and marketing who have had similar journeys. “We have a tight network of people and we’re an organisation that is built on that culture of inward growth, development and upwards mobility.” Peter joined the company after finishing college. He had been due to go to university but a six-month placement at DHL as part of his college course turned into a permanent stay. Starting life in customs clearance for imports and exports, he progressed to supervisory positions and then network planning management roles. As the company expanded aggressively after the turn of the millennium, it provided new opportunities to reach senior positions and Peter eventually moved to a global commercial role in the former European hub at Brussels, where he oversaw procurement for bellyhold space. Stints in Los Angeles and Cincinnati followed, running all the export and import gateways in the US, before he returned to the UK in 2014 to run the expanding East Midlands hub as director of operations. Now VP of UK hubs, a role he has occupied for two years, Peter is responsible for the interface between DHL Express’ ground operations and its wider network. He says: “The motivation for coming back from the US was because I could see the growth and the transition to adopting new technology, so I wanted to be part of it.”
There’s also been new trends taking hold during the pandemic, as Peter adds: “The UK high street is changing forever, but businesses are adapting how they interact with each other and we’re seeing an evolution of B2B e-commerce. Maybe Covid has accelerated a lot of that but these trends already existed.” A MAJOR EXPANSION at the Cargo West hub completed three years ago enabled DHL Express to build new office space to accommodate its customer service team next to the huge warehouse that leads straight on to the runway. Its total footprint now exceeds more than a million sq ft, employing 3,000 people across the daytime and evening operations. The biggest change, though, has been the technology used. Peter explains: “We’ve gone
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
INVEST IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT Better public transport is needed to connect workers based in towns and cities with the jobs being created at logistics parks around East Midlands Airport, believes Peter. “We’re pretty much in the centre of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, but the public transport infrastructure isn’t as good as it could be,” he says. “The assumption is people have their own cars but there’s a lot who don’t, and they need to be able to have easy access to their workplaces, especially for night-time workers – and we have 1,200 people working overnight shifts.” EMA has been compared to a “mini city”, with about 5,000 people working there at peak times, but it still lacks appropriate connectivity. He points to Germany – where DHL Express’ global hub is located, in Leipzig – as a good example, adding: “Their public transport options outside cities are incredible compared to the UK. “Our country has invested well in transport in cities with systems like trams, but there’s still a lot of work to be done for out-of-town industries.”
Peter is keen to push the ‘plethora’ of jobs available in the industry
ADAPTING TO THE BREXIT TRANSITION The nature of trade with Europe has “changed forever” believes Peter – but he believes DHL avoided the worst Brexit disruption by preparing early. After spending four years preparing by training people and investing in infrastructure, he believes DHL Express has adapted to the transition relatively smoothly. While admitting the lastminute nature of the EU trade deal didn’t help, Peter says: “That work has borne fruit for us – we recruited more than 200 people at EMA to work on Brexit preparations – because we’ve had very few issues with the movement of goods. “One of the biggest parts of it was about educating shippers but we did a huge amount of work with our customers around the paperwork. “But the interaction with Europe is going to change forever and we have to keep a close eye on the future set-up with Northern Ireland so everyone understands the requirements when shipping to there.”
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from what was a very manual process, in which people placed packages on belts and would touch items six or seven times as it goes through a facility, to a nextgeneration automated sorter that removes a lot of this. “Now we handle a shipment two or three times as it goes through a facility. It’s allowed us to grow into the future.” More expansion is on the way. On the neighbouring SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, there is a separate warehouse for the DHL Supply Chain arm, which comprises the company’s third-party logistics services. It received planning permission last year for a second 670,000 sq ft building that will take its headcount on the park to 1,100 people by 2025. The DHL Express development, meanwhile, was designed with an expected lifespan that would take it to 2036 but there’s every chance this could be brought forward. After recently reporting its strongest quarter in its 50-year history, DHL Express has also announced it will remodel its East Midlands-based airline, DHL Air UK. An expanded fleet of new B777F aircraft and more B767s will enable it to increase flights between the UK, the Americas region and Asia from next year. “We’ve seen rapid growth since the expansion was built but as that’s really skyrocketed over the past 15 months, we’re now in the process of evaluating our network around the UK and how to accelerate ourselves into the future. “But what’s clear is the East Midlands will always be the cornerstone of our UK network, connecting to the rest of the world. “We’re touching 220 countries from the East Midlands every 24 hours. We have seen great growth but that will only continue if we’re able to offer a great service to our customers. The future of logistics is going to evolve, the demands of consumers are going to evolve and companies like DHL need to be at the leading edge so we can continue to support plc and UK economic growth.” DHL IS WATCHING the East Midlands freeport, which will bring benefits such as tax incentives and
streamlined customs, closely to see whether it could offer support in the future. But even before it was announced in the spring budget, the company had identified the region’s potential to be a logistics powerhouse. Peter says: “If you look at the way passenger and cargo airlines operate, the UK is used as a major transit point from the MENA region to the Americas. “That’s where the East Midlands is really important to us as a critical location for feeding volume across the Atlantic.” Like many in the industry, he’s keen to push the plethora of jobs available. DHL – a Global Top Employer for seven years running with the Top Employers Institute and second on the World's Best Workplaces list – offers roles in aircraft handling, customer service, couriering, IT, HR and training to name just a few options. But he adds: “There’s no two ways about it – with the evolution of the logistics industry, it becomes more challenging to find people with the right skills. “At the same time, we’re seen as a good employer that offers stable jobs, which helps us to find very good talent.” In the past, the logistics industry picked up people who had lost their jobs as traditional industries like steel and mining disappeared. With the economy again in flux, there could be similar scenarios as more sectors undergo transition – although Peter recognises perceptions need to change. He adds: “Some people still think logistics is about passing boxes around and delivering packages. Although those types of jobs exist, we have to create visibility of the other roles we have to demystify the sector. “The skillsets and types of people we’re looking for have evolved and will continue to do so as 80% of the jobs that will be in the market in 2030 don’t even exist today. “They will be more technical because today’s skills are a lot different to what they were 10 to 20 years ago. “We’re more than aware of this and need to make sure we’re looking to the future skillsets that will drive our business – and ultimately the East Midlands – forward.”
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How the pandemic has changed our living spaces Lockdown has meant we’ve arguably never spent more time in our homes than over the past 15 months, giving us food for thought on how we’d like our living spaces to look in the future. Dr Alan Cuong Nguyen (pictured), associate at Leicester-based Chamber patron Design Studio Architects, offers some insights into incorporating sustainable and healthy living into building designs. Previously, the need to adopt sustainable design principles was optional as investors and construction contractors weighed up the benefits and costs. But in the context of the pandemic and the thirst for greater sustainable living, the urgency to consider people’s health and wellbeing within building design requirements has increased. In the future, building standards might not only be limited to reducing carbon emissions or using environmentally-friendly materials, but also include requirements to prevent and treat both disease and mental illness.
MORE NATURAL LIGHT AND LESS CLUTTER IMPROVES OUR HEALTH Eco-designer Oliver Heath’s observes that people spend 90% of their lives indoors and two-thirds of this time in our homes. He discusses the ideas of how we can improve our mood, health and relationships through changing our homes in eight simple ways. His ideas comprise creating more social spaces while retaining the private areas; setting up a dedicated workspace; letting more natural light into our homes; using healthy materials to reduce dust and toxin levels; getting the right heating; reducing noise and clutter; and ensuring the quality of our sleep.
BACK TO THE FUTURE Looking into how our houses can help to cope with the pandemic, such as lockdown and working from home, Sonia Solicari, the director of London's Museum of the Home, believes our future could be informed by the past. She points out that working from home was not a recent phenomenon, but a normal practice until the 19th century Industrial Revolution. Houses in the past were also where people carried out their jobs, such as skilled craft, food production and schooling. Furthermore, the indoor and outdoor socially-networked living 26
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spaces were also intriguing features of both the historical and the future dwellings. She suggests we could learn from the past to find inspiration for our future homes, through the following six ideas: 1 The hybrid hall was a flexible and agile site of hybrid activities across different generations 2 The co-working coffee house created opportunities for both work and pleasure 3 Communal living was inspired by charitable housing from the 1700s 4 The Victorian bay windows can help boost people's interaction every day during the lockdown 5 The cosy corner, another Victorian idea that offered the solution to create privacy in a shared home 6 Pod living might be a potential solution for the current home/work crisis
PANDEMIC-PROOF HOMES Recognising the crucial role of our homes in mitigating coronavirus, writer, design consultant and TV presenter Michelle Ogundehin outlines 11 ways the pandemic will impact the design of our house in the future.
‘We need an interdisciplinary approach in design, integrating the knowledge from different experts’ To create future-proof and pandemic-proof homes, she says we should design them to boost our immunity, reduce indoor pollutants, have a flexible and adaptable layout, keep indoor hygiene by leaving shoes at the porch, keep our home smart but not sterile, and make the living room multifunctional for rest and play. As the kitchen should be the engine of the home – not the heart
– it must be a very hygienic food preparation area. Other ideas include the revival of forgotten rooms and the design ethos of biophilia – meaning love of nature – to make our homes human-centric and a true space for living.
TRANSLATING THESE IDEAS INTO REALITY Being an architect, I found all these ideas to be very thought-provoking given the unprecedented challenges we have faced throughout the pandemic, and possibly future ones. Just like the notion of sustainability, for healthier, futureproof and pandemic-proof dwellings, we need an interdisciplinary approach in design, integrating the knowledge from different experts. This is also the main approach of Design Studio Architects; we listen, we think, we design – and we will hope to invite further insights from a broader audience.
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New partnership to boost equality and diversity Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of a new strategic partnership between East Midlands Chamber and one of the largest providers of affordable housing and care services in the region. The link-up strengthens an existing relationship between the Chamber and Coalvilleheadquartered emh group, which owns 20,000 homes and employs 1,100 people. They previously worked together to promote Black History Month in October last year via a joint social media campaign that celebrated the positive impact of Black history, arts and culture on our society. Chan Kataria OBE, emh group chief executive, said: “Emh group is proud to join a strategic partnership with East Midlands Chamber. This builds on the strength of our existing partnership and joint commitment to promoting diversity and tackling
inequality across the region. “This partnership will enable us to explore the regional economic and social landscape in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion in the post-pandemic phase.” Established as East Midlands Housing Association in 1946, the company’s initial remit was to build a small number of affordable homes for ex-servicemen after the Second World War. It has since evolved to add care and support services alongside its role as a social housing landlord, working in more than 40 local authority areas across the region. Now known as emh group and with a turnover of £125m, the business also includes a specialist rural housing arm, apprenticeship academy and offers low-cost home ownership options. East Midlands Chamber director of resources Lucy Robinson, who is leading her organisation’s own
equality, diversity and inclusion drive, said: “Given that the Chamber’s vision is to enhance East Midlands businesses and communities, it’s very important we work with like-minded organisations, and we have been impressed with the work emh group has done regarding diversity, inclusion and equality, alongside other social issues such as tackling homelessness. “This strategic partnership will play a key role in our bid to demonstrate how business can be a force for good in a post-pandemic world.”
emh group chief executive Chan Kataria OBE
Hardy Signs joins as Chamber patron A company that designs and makes signage for brands including Nestle and Müller UK is seeking to establish new partnerships in the East Midlands after becoming the latest Chamber patron. Multi-award-winning company Hardy Signs, based in Burton upon Trent, has also joined as a partner of Generation Next, the Chamber’s growing network for young professionals and future leaders in the region. It will also sponsor the Community Award at the inaugural Generation Next Awards, which will be held at a virtual ceremony on 16 July. Managing director Nik Hardy said: “We have been a member of East Midlands Chamber for many years and have formed a great partnership. “We are delighted for the opportunity to become a patron, where we will not only support the Chamber but Generation Next. In line with our mission, vision and values, our key focus is to form new partnerships with other partners and members, and ultimately enable success for them through our bespoke, high-quality professional and digital signs.” Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Hardy Signs is a fantastic example of the innovative manufacturing base we have in the East Midlands. We are delighted to cement our relationship further by bringing Nik and his team on board as a patron, and look forward to working closely together.”
THE CHAMBER IS HONOURED BY THE SUPPORT OF ITS STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PATRONS
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Rapid recovery for jobs market The East Midlands jobs market is picking up faster than just about every region in the country, according to the latest Government figures. Between January and March this year, the region’s unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over was 4.9% – a 1% decrease on the previous three-month snapshot from October to December 2020. This trend is well above the -0.3% change to the national unemployment rate and the joint-fastest decrease in people out of work proportionally alongside the North East. Scott Knowles said: “With business confidence higher than at any point in the pandemic, companies are gearing up to capitalise on a full reopening of the economy and restarting pre-Covid projects that had stalled, both of which demand more resources. However, the Government must be prepared to intervene further in the jobs market if necessary as the squeeze on business cashflow from any marked delay to the planned full reopening of the economy may trigger renewed job losses.”
Economy takes centre stage in Queen’s Speech A lifetime skills guarantee, commitment to levelling up and planning reforms were the cornerstones of a business-heavy legislative agenda announced during the Queen’s Speech. Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said it was “encouraging” to see the economy take centre stage as it signposts businesses where to invest – with a nod made to the East Midlands freeport as confirmation of National Insurance Contributions Bills detailed the tax breaks available. Commenting on the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which gives people access to high-quality education and training throughout their lives, he said: “Closer ties between local employers and further education providers are crucial if we are to make
‘Closer ties between local employers and further education providers are crucial’
meaningful strides towards the upskilling agenda and have a tangible impact on productivity.” Meanwhile, Scott said the planning reforms should consider the role of industries such as logistics, which require more land availability “to meet the significantly growing demand for warehouse space”, and urged the Government to show it was serious about the levelling up agenda by finally confirming HS2 Phase 2b in its entirety. “This is a ready-made tool that has the ability to deliver some form of levelling up by increasing capacity for freight on our railways – something that’s crucial for an area that makes and moves a huge proportion of the nation’s goods – while delivering inward investment to the area around the proposed Toton HS2 hub station,” he added.
Reopening of hospitality is a key milestone
Rail reform must make improvements Making travel “easier, cheaper and more reliable” must be at the heart of the Government’s rail reforms, says the Chamber. New public body Great British Railways has been set up to set timetables and prices, sell tickets and manage rail infrastructure. A new flexible season ticket will also be launched for people who commute two or three times a week, which Scott Knowles identified as a key move due to an expected hybrid future of home and office working. He added: “The success of Government’s plans will be judged by whether they make travel easier, cheaper and more reliable, which will be crucial in getting more people onto trains and more sustainable modes of public transport. “It’s important the move towards greater public ownership isn’t allowed to hinder innovation, and it’s absolutely crucial that investment now follows to bring our ageing rail infrastructure into the 21st Century.” 28
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The reopening of indoor hospitality marks a “crucial milestone” in the roadmap to recovery, believes the Chamber. Scott Knowles said it provides “far more certainty about what lies ahead” for businesses and communities. He added: “Hospitality businesses have been hit harder than most during the pandemic, but we’ve argued all along that they will be viable in a fully functioning and open economy. So it’s vitally important our communities are ready to support them now they are able to once more.” He pointed out how the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2021 showed business confidence was returning strongly. A net 53% of
businesses expected their turnover to improve over the coming year and a net 35% anticipated profits to rise. Scott added: “For this belief to be maintained, businesses will need to see today as just one more step towards normality. That means they require certainty about what the future holds, including the fourth stage of the roadmap commencing irreversibly as planned on 21 June.” Meanwhile, the Chamber also welcomed the reopening of borders via the Government’s traffic light system for international travel. But Scott said clarity on quarantine guidelines was vital and for costs of tests to be minimised, while calling for popular holiday destinations to be added to the green list as soon as it was safe to do so.
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CHAMBER NEWS
Lucy Robinson
Chamber offers a top place to work Creating a family-like workplace culture with complete transparency and strong support has helped the Chamber to be recognised as one of the top organisations to work for in the region. The organisation features in two categories of the Best Companies to Work For lists released – The Midlands’ 100 Best Companies to Work For and the national Business Services’ 20 Best Companies to Work For. It follows in-depth staff surveys by the industry-leading employee engagement specialist that reflected well on a steady programme of changes in recent years to improve workplace culture at the Chamber, which employs 180 people across offices in Chesterfield, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Glossop and Mansfield.
These include improving internal communication methods, establishing new online meetings in which all employees are invited, and adopting and benchmarking against a set of values.
‘We’re trying to create a culture where it feels more like a family than just a workplace’ The Chamber’s director of resources and HR lead Lucy Robinson said: “We set out a vision about five years ago to make the Chamber a better place to work and one where people can thrive. We’re trying to create a culture where it feels more like a family than just a workplace.
“Improving our internal communication has been at the centre of this work and we’ve found the weekly all-staff meetings we hold have made it a lot easier and quicker to get messages out. “By becoming a more supportive employer, people will feel like they can bring their whole self to work. It all comes back to the work we’ve done to build our values and the responses in the survey corroborated this.” Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Being recognised in the Best Companies to Work For list, is a huge achievement for our organisation and the work we’ve done over the past five years or so. It’s about valuing our people so they feel respected in the work they do, which in turn means we can provide the best service to our 4,000-plus members.”
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Pandemic has impacted needs of entrepreneurs The Chamber offers initiatives and programmes to support businesses across the whole spectrum, ranging from start-ups to established forces. In her role as start-up adviser manager, Abigail Phillips (pictured) helps to guide people at the very beginning of their business journey – and has noticed a shift in the demographics and needs of new entrepreneurs during the pandemic, as she explains. The past 14 months has sparked a real shift in the lives we all lead but here at the start-up team, we have seen how that translates in the world of work and the economy. The D2 Business Starter Programme – which helps people move into self-employment and develop their ideas into commercially viable businesses – has welcomed 200 individuals from a mix of age, gender, ethnic and economic backgrounds. The free workshops we deliver in conjunction with Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council have ensured their foundations are strong for starting a business. As furlough and, for some, redundancy hit many people, 2020 brought a change in clients. With the help of Way2Work, which is aimed at people who are facing personal and economic barriers to finding work, the number of people unemployed joining the D2 Starter workshops has more than doubled since the last project.
NEW TRENDS IN BUSINESS START-UPS We have also seen a move away from cottage industry-type businesses towards consultancy, wellness and online retail as the opportunity to set out on their own has been grabbed by some. The demographics have changed too. In the past, we found a much more even split between genders, with the majority of participants being over 30.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS 1. Know what it is that you will be doing. An elevator pitch is as much for you as the person you are talking to. Understanding your business offering and being able to tell someone in a clear and defined way is essential. 2. Write a business plan. It doesn’t need to be long but it is part of your story. Knowing what you would like to achieve really does help you fulfill your ambitions. 3. Consider your finances. How much will it take to get your venture off the ground? 4. Find a business best friend. Running your own business can be lonely and don’t expect your best friend, mum or sibling to understand what you’re going through. Join our workshops and meet likeminded people, the ones that are going through the same things as you. Take advantage of our business advisers and ask for help. You are not alone. 5. Be realistic. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Today we have found the amount of people under this age has increased by 7% and shifted from being more popular among women to a 60:40 male-female ratio. This could be down to changes in current lifestyles with different demands on home life and the fine juggling act that many are facing. However, the one thing we have seen was an alteration of timeframes. Historically, many people don’t look to take a wage in their first year of business, but this need has changed. People are setting up their businesses out of necessity and need to draw an income sooner. Many are now looking at how they can immediately draw money to support themselves. In the Sheffield City Region, where our Chamber is active, Scaleup 360 has been there to support high potential new businesses and start-ups. It gives them the skills and next-level help, such as prototyping and packaging design, to really help them shoot for the stars. It is our privilege to help all these people along their journey. One-to-one support from our business advisers to help with the finer details, as well as look for funding opportunities, is offered from all our programmes, giving a leg up to those in need of speed with clear direction across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Report outlines the next normal New ways of working introduced during the pandemic offer opportunities for both employers and staff, according to a new report by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Barclays LifeSkills. Titled The Next Normal: Futureproofing the Workforce for a Post-Pandemic World, it reveals the thoughts of businesses on futureproofing the workplace for a post-Covid world. Among the key findings of research conducted between November 2020 and February this year are that employees’ mental health and digital skills will become increasingly important, while employers must be ready to adapt their training priorities to help the next generation of school-leavers enter a markedly changed workplace. 30
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In terms of attracting new talent digitally, businesses found online recruitment processes had given them access to a much larger pool of candidates. Hannah Essex, co-executive director of the BCC, said: “This report tells us that companies are now looking to the future of the workforce and are keen to grab hold of opportunities for greater productivity and improved wellbeing for their employees. “But firms will need more support to ensure their staff thrive. The capability to adapt to shifting training priorities and new ways of working across the board will be a key strength for any organisation.” The full report is available at bit.ly/3elT8cB
THE NEXT NORMAL FUTUREPROOFING THE WORKFORCE FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD Supported by
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Sharing success stories from the Kickstart Scheme KICKSTART CASE STUDY: BIRCH PRINT, ILKESTON Taking on five Kickstarters was a “no-brainer” for Birch Print, a specialist print management company in Ilkeston. The family-run business, founded 35 years ago, had reached the point when it needed to expand its team of nine but felt restrained by the uncertainty of the pandemic. By using the Kickstart scheme, it has hired an admin assistant, marketing assistant, sales support officer, warehouse assistant and studio technician in recent months.
Diane Beresford
More than 500 young people have found employment after the Chamber played a pivotal role in the Kickstart scheme. About 1,500 vacancies are also live – like the starters, based mostly in the East Midlands – after the organisation worked with 640 employers to date to create the sixmonth work placements. Employers that want to create Kickstart roles – which are aimed at people aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit or at risk of longterm unemployment – often use gateway organisations such as the Chamber to apply to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for a grant to cover the costs.
‘It’s incredibly exciting and rewarding to see the fruits of our labour as people now start their jobs’ Diane Beresford, the Chamber’s deputy chief executive and Kickstart lead, said: “We’re so proud to have played a key role in giving young people a chance they may not otherwise have had. After spending many months working with employers on their applications, it’s incredibly exciting and rewarding to see the fruits of our labour as people now start their jobs. “Businesses taking part are playing a vital role in their communities by supporting and preparing our future workforce, while they also benefit from a relatively risk-free opportunity to 32
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‘The Kickstart scheme is vital for the younger generation in such challenging times’ Joint owner and sales director Andrea Priestley said: “The uncertainty of the past year has brought a sense of cautiousness that avoids going out on a limb by adding new people to the team. “But the Kickstart scheme gave us the opportunity to expand with minimal risk to the business, as well as opportunities to give young people the experience that allows them to shine in valid roles that potentially could become full-time positions.” Ollie Wheway, 23, from Derbyshire, joined in the sales support role after a previous apprenticeship ignited a passion in business development.
Amanda Priestley and Ollie Wheway, of Birch Print
He said: “The current climate has hit many people hard, especially for young professionals starting their careers. After I was made redundant, I found it difficult for other prospects to ‘give you a chance’ and the reasoning was always the same – ‘little experience’. “I could not understand what I was doing a wrong. The demand for work was high and after applying for over 100 positions and almost losing hope, Birch Print offered me a position within its team. The Kickstart scheme is vital for the younger generation in such challenging times.”
KICKSTART CASE STUDY: SECRET WHISPERS, MARKET HARBOROUGH Chloe Godding had been looking for a job ever since graduating from university last summer, only managing to secure a couple of temporary roles for a few weeks at a time. So landing a digital marketing apprenticeship at women’s healthcare company Secret Whispers, based in Market Harborough, earlier this year was a turning point in her fledgling career. Her role has provided a cross-section of experience, ranging from running social media channels to seeking out wholesalers to carry its Kegel Kit products, which help women to improve
Chloe Godding, Julie Colan and Millie Stokes
the strength of their pelvic floor muscles. The 22-year-old, who also lives in the town, said: “I have really enjoyed the experience so far and feel that my contributions are noticed. The knowledge and skills I have gained by being involved with a small business that’s selling worldwide couldn’t be learned in a ‘normal’ job. “This is a great step and will give me the experience I need to secure a similar job in the future, or even better stay here in a full-time role.” Her colleague Millie Stokes, from Loughborough, also joined via the Kickstart scheme as an ecommerce apprentice. The 23-year-old, who has learned how to use programmes such as Google Ads and HubSpot to drive and manage sales, said: “I have learned about so many areas and aspects of running a business that I could not have gained elsewhere.” Secret Whispers owner Julie Colan, who previously ran the award-winning business on her own, said the Kickstart recruits had made a “massive difference” to her company. “They provide a new insight that is invaluable in a business when you are the sole employee,” she added. “They have continuous training and attend many training workshops, which means they can better improve their knowledge and their roles within the business.”
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KICKSTART CASE STUDY: EXPRESS RECRUITMENT, NOTTINGHAM Matt Rawding, from Nottingham, had struggled to find permanent employment since completing a business and marketing degree at Nottingham Trent University last summer. He recalled watching a news interview on his graduation day in which a local business owner said it was the “worst time ever” for graduates looking for jobs. “This was really scary for me, particularly as a business graduate wanting to work in an office environment, when so many businesses were making redundancies or closing.” But the 22-year-old now has a career path laid out in front of him after joining Express Recruitment, a family-run SME based in Nottingham city centre, in February as a sales consultant via the Kickstart scheme.
He said it has protected his mental health during the pandemic, adding: “The Kickstart Scheme is so important to me and my generation because it has given us all the opportunity to get into a work environment. We can now see a future that we perhaps couldn’t see this time last year.” Operations manager Theo Kirk said the company, which employs 14 full-time and four part-time staff, believes the Kickstart scheme provides mutual benefits for both the employee and employer. She said young people are more equipped to deal with constant changes in the workplace, while the subsidised wages has enabled the business to grow sustainably by pursuing new sales opportunities. She said: “Taking part in the Kickstart Scheme has also cemented our idea that young employees can bring a new or different way of thinking to the business.”
Express Recruitment operations manager Theo Kirk and sales consultant Matt Rawding
trial new roles that could lead to future growth. “There’s still plenty of time for employers to sign up and we continue to work with local authorities to engage with companies about why they should take advantage of the scheme while they can.” The £2bn Kickstart scheme pays for 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, national insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week. Employers can choose to top up this wage and are also eligible for a £1,500 Government grant for training people on a Kickstart placement. Once applications are accepted, young people are referred into the roles via a Jobcentre Plus work coach. The scheme is due to run until 31 December – the date when Kickstart jobs must begin – with funding available until 30 June 2022. The Chamber recommends making applications by the beginning of August. Businesses interested in applying for a Kickstart scheme grant should contact East Midlands Chamber education and business partnership manager Pieter Eksteen on pieter.eksteen@emc-dnl.co.uk or 0333 320 0333 (Ext 2241).
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Finalists confirmed for Chamber’s first-ever Generation Next Awards Finalists for the Chamber’s inaugural Generation Next Awards have been announced – featuring some of the most promising young talents in the East Midlands. The awards, held in conjunction with headline partner the University of Derby, recognise young professionals and business leaders aged under 35, as well as organisations led by people in this demographic. There are seven categories, covering a broad spectrum of people in organisations – from Apprentice of the Year to Generation Next Future Leader – as well as the Breakthrough Award for a fast-growing start-up. A judging day will take place on 3 June – featuring sponsors, a Chamber representative and members of the Generation Next board of “champions” – and winners will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Friday 16 July.
‘Young people don’t always receive the recognition they deserve’ Lucy Robinson, the Chamber’s director of resources and Generation Next lead, said: “Generation Next is a really exciting new initiative from the Chamber and these awards promise to be a fantastic celebration of the amazing young talent we have across the East Midlands. “Young people don’t always receive the recognition they deserve but we hope that celebrating their achievements will provide the confidence they need to continue growing as they develop within their careers. “The broad range of categories we chose were carefully crafted and we were delighted with the standard of entries, which are reflected in this incredible list of finalists.” Generation Next was established by the Chamber last year as a
Professor Kamil Omoteso
GENERATION NEXT AWARDS 2021 SHORTLIST GENERATION NEXT FUTURE LEADER AWARD (SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF DERBY) Edward Morley - Rise & Recline Harry Dodge - Far-UK Kate Walker - ExpHand Prosthetics Leah Binney - TTK Confectionery Theo Kirk - Express Recruitment
THE COMMUNITY AWARD (SPONSORED BY HARDY SIGNS)
THE BREAKTHROUGH AWARD (SPONSORED BY NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL) Holly Daulby - Honest Communications Daniel Jones - Professional Heating Solutions Max Poynton, Jacob Watts and Matthew Bond Project D Kate Johnson - Rate Social Junyi Xiao - W&W Trading and Consulting
EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY AWARD (SPONSORED BY GBS APPRENTICESHIPS) Rikan Patel and Tanrik Patel - Business 2 Business Tony Buck - EyeSiteView (Division of Oasis Studio)
CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD Beth Bearder – Keebles Jenna Hadfield - Banner Jones Solicitors network for young professionals to make connections, build new skills and advance their careers. It features networking sessions and educational events on topics such as marketing, brand awareness, sales and personal finance, as well as the awards. The University of Derby is the headline partner for Generation Next, with Fraser Stretton Estate Agents, GBS Apprenticeships, Hardy
Rob Spence - Paragon Sales Solutions Emily Marriott - Order Blinds Online Evie Margetts - Corporate Architecture
George Hanvere and Elliot Dipper - Paragon Law Nisha Pahuja - Charnwood Regency Guesthouse Limited Charlotte Robey Turner – Leicestershire Cares Katie Gilbert - TTK Confectionery
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY FRASER STRETTON) Trent Peek - CCM Group Holly Daulby - Honest Communications Jordana Chin - Nutri2Go Ltd Max Poynton, Jacob Watts and Matthew Bond Project D Aaron Gent – Aroment
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE) Chloe Newton - BEDE Events Chris Guard, Coral Guard - GBS Chloe Deville - Hardy Signs Olly Torrence - Purpose Media
Signs, Loughborough College and Nottingham University Business School also signed up as partners. Professor Kamil Omoteso, pro vice-chancellor and dean of the University of Derby’s College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, said: “Generation Next is the ideal initiative for providing young professionals with support for their new career or business, and these awards are a superb way of
celebrating how those taking part have responded to the challenge of establishing themselves in what is a very competitive environment. “The Generation Next Awards provide everyone whose name is put forward with deserved recognition for their contributions and ideas that are helping to take businesses forward, and to make our region’s economy more dynamic and resilient.”
Chance to host an event at Leicester Business Festival Applications are now open to host an event at Leicester Business Festival – which will showcase the innovation and resilience of the local economy. The event, running from 8 to 18 November and backed by the Chamber, will feature a mix of virtual and in-person sessions as 34
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organisers seek to help the business community bounce back following the pandemic. Last year involved 118 events across the two weeks and more than 3,000 online attendees, who were able to learn about the various business support on offer, gather knowledge and learn about
the latest commercial trends. This year features five new themes that represent the key areas within Leicestershire that have either been impacted or thrived over the past year, as well as those that could help businesses in their recovery. These are resilient innovation, connectivity,
perception, people and growth. Help and guidance for event applications is available from the Festival team. Email hello@leicesterbusinessfestival.com or call 0116 464 5995. The deadline for applications is 10 September. For more information, visit www.leicesterbusinessfestival.com
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CHAMBER NEWS
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CHAMBER NEWS
Seminar offer in Innovation Week Business owners with an eye on innovation can find out how to access relevant support at series of upcoming webinars hosted by Business Gateway Growth Hub. The sessions form part of Leicestershire Innovation Week, which takes place from Monday 21 June to Friday June 25. Aimed at SMEs across the city and county, this year features one of the most varied programmes since the event began four years ago. It will demonstrate that innovation does not have to involve high-tech solutions or even particularly big changes, and is something any business can do, whatever its size. The areas of focus will include life sciences, textiles, food and drink, automotive, the creative industry, and space. Women in innovation and digital retail will be other distinct themes. For more information, visit bizgateway.org.uk/ourservices/innovation.
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Structural Adhesives has developed a safe and eco-friendly material for cladding high-rise residential buildings
A green solution for cladding An all-female team of chemists from Leicester has developed a safer and greener material that can be used by the construction industry — after receiving backing from a Chamber-led business support programme. The scientists’ work means Structural Adhesives is set to become the first UK company to produce a certified adhesive product that can be used when cladding high-rise residential buildings.
‘I found some fantastic opportunities through the Business Gateway Growth Hub’ The A2 fire-rated greener adhesive fills a significant gap in the market as many companies that had previously supplied cladding systems for use on external walls above 18 metres have been unable to do so since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017. As well as being durable, non-combustible and having high bond strength, it contains significantly
fewer raw materials from non-sustainable resources compared with general construction adhesives. Structural Adhesives, which has manufactured and delivered bonding solutions internationally to industries including aerospace, engineering and construction for more than 30 years, has been supported by the Business Gateway Growth Hub in growing the business in a sustainable way. The one-stop-shop for business support across Leicestershire, which is delivered by a consortium of organisations including the Chamber, has a goal to help businesses become cleaner and greener. Angela Orton, a former art and design teacher who has changed the company’s direction towards greener adhesives since taking over the business from her father Mani Suri, said: “I found some fantastic opportunities through the Business Gateway Growth Hub. I realised this was a platform we could bounce off, and we were excited about where it could take us. “Our business adviser Altaf Ahmed was amazingly helpful. He talked to me about what my expectations of a green agenda were and got the ball rolling with a whole host of other ideas.”
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CHAMBER NEWS
Support helps drive transport planners A package of business support helped a Nottingham-based sustainable transport consultancy continue the growth journey that landed it a major merger deal with a multinational firm. Integrated Transport Planning (ITP), which seeks to address 21st century mobility challenges through green transport planning and research, worked with the D2N2 UpScaler project to become a more “vision-led business”. Key staff, including managing director Jon Parker, attended events on strategic HR, scale-up performance, supplier development, customer needs, employer brand and strategic marketing – giving them confidence in their structure for growth and helping to identify where they needed to invest. Support from the programme, which comes to an end this month, played a key role in securing investment from Dutch multinational engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV, giving it a platform to further its transport planning offer across the world. Jon said: “All the events were
really well organised and the business advisers we dealt with were invaluable. They enabled us to think about things in a way that we hadn’t really thought about before to get a new perspective on where we stand as a business.” ITP was set up in 1998 and employs 40 people, including a multi-disciplinary team of skilled professionals. The company researches, designs, implements, monitors and evaluates transport initiatives for public and private sector clients. It offers advice on how to support an increase in walking, cycling and public transport use by creating transport systems that are safe, sustainable, fair and accessible for all. It was named Nottinghamshire Business of the Year at the Chamber’s Business Awards in 2019 after building international trade to about 35% of its turnover. To reassess their market position and customer offering, Jon and his team used the start of the first national lockdown as an opportunity to learn more about how to continue developing and growing.
D2N2 UpScaler business coaches have helped Integrated Transport Planning get on the road to success. Inset: Jon Parker (left) and ITP founder Colin Brader
The D2N2 UpScaler business coaches also offered one-to-one support and mentoring, while signposting ITP to further local support initiatives. And a graduate talent grant from Nottingham Trent University enabled it to recruit and support a new member of staff. Jon also praised the convenience of the scheme, adding: “It didn’t demand a lot of time out of the office, which is good, because it didn’t focus too much of our attention away from running the business.” The D2N2 UpScaler project, delivered in partnership with Nottingham Business School has
supported 250 SMEs – with a combined workforce of 3,550 people and £435m turnover – across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire since November 2018. For more information, visit d2n2lep.org/project/upscaler
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CHAMBER NEWS
Hospice offers comfort to patients and their carers Each year, the Chamber president chooses three charities across our three counties to support through fundraising activities. In 2021, the organisations are Chesterfield Samaritans, Help the Homeless Leicester and Nottinghamshire Hospice. In this issue, Business Network speaks to Rowena Naylor-Morrell (pictured), chief executive of Nottinghamshire Hospice. What is the background to your charity? Nottinghamshire Hospice was established in 1980 by a group of local people led by Bernard Brady. At that time, the work of Dame Cicely Saunders – who founded the hospice movement – was becoming better known. There was an emerging understanding that people dying of cancer needed more than the administration of drugs, and palliative care offered so much more to support patients and families. While physical pain can be managed by medication, the pain patients feel about those they love or the things important to them requires compassionate, whole-person care. This is at the heart of what hospices do, recognising total pain and providing total care. The steering group worked with the council to refurbish and later buy our Woodborough Road premises after raising more than £150,000. Who do you support and how? All our care is provided free. We support anyone aged over 18 with a terminal or life-limiting illness who is registered with a Nottinghamshire GP. More than half our patients have non-cancer diagnoses, including heart failure, lung disease or neurological conditions like MND. Our patients come from across our community – some are young with children, careers and dreams shortened by their illness. Most of our patients choose to die at home. We make that possible with one of the largest “hospice in your home” services in the country led by our nursing team. We believe everyone deserves a good death and we aim to be alongside every person dying at home from a terminal or life-limiting illness.
Our Woodborough Road centre provides therapy and wellbeing services to help patients make the most of their days, and stay independent for as long as possible. We also provide counselling and emotional support for carers before and after bereavement. How has Covid-19 affected the charity’s work? Covid has changed the way we work, with three key impacts. We rely heavily on income from our 10 shops, which have been closed during each lockdown. The shops are also information hubs in their communities, where people feel comfortable to talk to us about concerns or bereavement. Our fundraising was also impacted. With events cancelled, we took new approaches and became much stronger at digital fundraising and attracting new individual and regular givers. Our Christmas appeal raised £80,000 – a fantastic Christmas present for our patients. The third impact is on services. Being a small, nimble organisation, we reshaped and even expanded our care after Covid hit, launching two new services. GriefLine is a free support phoneline for people experiencing grief during the pandemic. We also established the Hospice Outreach and Discharge Support service, which fast-tracks patients out of hospital by putting a care package in place for them at home. This is now one of our most successful services, providing fast responses and intensive support where and when it’s needed. We now provide roundthe-clock care to patients in their own homes. How important is business support for your charity? We have some wonderful partnerships with businesses across our city and county, many fostered during the Hoodwinked street art campaign in 2018, which put giant robin sculptures on the streets of Nottingham. Businesses support us through fundraising and providing volunteers to support our shops, patients, garden works or other key areas. It’s great when a company chooses us as their charity of the year or fundraises for us. This support is vital to the care we provide. In return, we offer businesses the opportunity to give something back to their community and build team spirit. What does the future hold for your charity? We have set ourselves four markers for the future – excellence in our care, resilience in our communities, inclusion in the way we practice and sustainability – to be there for those who need us. This year will be challenging as we need to recover lost income and rebuild relationships, but we are confident in the continuing support of our wonderful communities.
Nurses deliver the charity's 'hospice in your home' service
For more information on how businesses can support Nottinghamshire Hospice, contact fundraising@nottshospice.org
Campaign encourages people back to Leicester Creativity is at the heart of a new drive to encourage people back to Leicester city centre post-lockdown. The “We’ve Missed You” campaign was launched by Leicester City Council last month with a speciallycommissioned video showcasing the ways people can once again to make the most of what the city has to offer in terms of hospitality, shopping and entertainment. It’s accompanied by a poem, titled By the Clock Tower, which evokes memories of meeting friends at the city centre landmark. The council is working with businesses to ensure 38
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they can welcome back customers in a Covid-safe manner to help boost consumer confidence after more than a year of restrictions. It was awarded £318,000 in May from the European Regional Development Fund’s (ERDF) Reopening High Streets Safely fund, which has since been matchfunded by the UK Government’s Welcome Back Fund, designed to help businesses in cities badly hit by the Covid-19 measures. About £120,000 of that pot was used on the six-week campaign, which is run in conjunction with Arch Creative and Fraser Urquhart Media until the end of June.
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SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS
www.emc-dnl.co.uk/sustainability
Net zero carbon definition needs agreement The lack of an agreed net zero carbon (NZC) definition could be hampering the built environment’s decarbonisation efforts, believe sustainability experts at a Nottingham-based construction consultancy. While the UK Government has a goal to achieve this by 2050 and three-quarters of councils are now taking action, Focus Consultants claims the net zero carbon description does not include imports. In contrast, the UK Green Building Council (UKBGC) has a policy that expects the entire supply chain emissions to be net zero for the NZC definition to be achieved. Jason Redfearn (pictured), managing partner at Focus, who heads up the firm’s sustainability services, said: “This raises the question of whether a building that achieves NZC adhering to the UK Government’s definition and excludes emissions associated with imported products can be seen as NZC in line with the UKBGC. “Public bodies such as local authorities are typically aligning their definition of NZC with the central Government’s – so should those bodies wish to construct a NZC building, which definition should be used? It is unclear if such questions are being tackled.” He said the UKGBC’s definition only addresses selected life cycle stages of a building, excluding emissions associated with replacement, refurbishment and end of life – meaning calculated whole life emissions are artificially low. Further confusion is added by the World Green Building Council adopting two additional definitions of NZC accounting separately for operational emissions and whole-life emissions. “The uncertainty created by so many definitions of NZC could be an obstruction to the decarbonisation in the built environment,” Jason added.
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Carbon out, savings in: Building back greener
The Government wants construction to be one of the main engines behind its “building back greener” mantra but with the industry’s emissions hitting a record high in 2019, it faces a significant challenge to become more sustainable. Mark Deakin (pictured), regional strategic director for the Midlands at multinational real estate and infrastructure consultancy Turner & Townsend, explains how to crack the code of sustainable construction. ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
MAKING CHANGE A REALITY
The construction industry contracted by 12.5% during 2020, the sharpest drop in output since the record fall recorded in 2009 caused by the global financial crisis. This was markedly worse than the -9.9% retrenchment across the UK economy as a whole and represented the sharpest decline of all the key industrial sectors. By any measure, 2020 was a torrid, rollercoaster year for UK construction – but it ended on a comparatively high note. UK GDP grew by 1.0% in Q4 2020, successfully scotching talk of a “double dip” recession. The construction industry contributed well to that growth, increasing output by 4.6% across the final three months of 2020.
Designing and implementing a truly net zero real estate strategy requires more than just warm words. Goals must be explicit and baked into the process, and while technology and data-led decision-making are important enablers, a successful shift to net zero demands permanent behavioural change too. There are five key steps to making that change a reality: • Clarity and alignment: Businesses must be clear with their supply chain about their corporate net zero vision, ensuring everyone understands what needs to be achieved and the route to achieve it. • Procuring with purpose: You can only manage what you can measure. Firms must embed agreed technology standards into their contracting and procurement strategy, to ensure all stakeholders work to common parameters. • Joined-up value engineering: Value engineering is a crucial part of cost management, right across the asset life cycle. Rather than being taken in isolation, decisions must factor in the impact on totex, solution interoperability and whole-life carbon, as well as the environmental performance of the asset. • Getting more from the legacy estate: Asset owners must gather granular data on current progress in reducing energy use, decreasing embodied carbon and increasing renewable energy supply. IoT sensor technology offers the best way to amass huge amounts of operational data, but it must be visualised in a way that everyone can understand and act upon. • All for zero, and zero for all: In buildings with multiple tenants, or where use changes over time, net zero operational targets can slip. Ongoing success requires owners to monitor the right data, reward the right behaviours and foster collaborative relationships with occupiers.
THE CASE FOR BUILDING GREENER As the economy unlocks and the Government’s generous support package for struggling firms is withdrawn, insolvency risks will emerge. Coupled with historic capacity constraints and skills shortages, inflation is likely to increase steadily across our forecast horizon. One key driver influencing future pricing will be the increased demand and supply capacity for sustainable products as part of the Government’s green recovery and acceleration to net zero. Although large-scale options for cost-neutral net zero retrofit schemes can be expected by the end of 2023, the dynamics of new-build properties bring a different set of challenges. However, if the Midlands unleashed its significant regional capabilities of cutting-edge research, technology, academic leadership and business innovation, it could help drive change in the industry. The University of Nottingham’s Research Acceleration and Demonstration (RAD) building is one of the most energy-efficient research facilities in the UK and a great example of how we can successfully build greener.
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SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS
The logistics of sustainability trends As logistics and distribution witness skyrocketing demand, sustainability has come to the forefront for businesses operating in those industries. Amy Deakin, channel partnership manager at Western Union Business Solutions, explains how decision-makers can deliver to these fulfilment and distribution needs while maintaining their environmental credentials. In the five years following 2020-21, research firm IBISWorld predicted the UK’s warehousing and storage sector revenue to grow at a compound annual rate of 3.6% to £21.4bn. Many believe this growth has been fuelled by the upsurge in online shopping, particularly for fast-moving consumer goods. Additionally, the uncertainty around Brexit and the pandemic have caused some sectors, particularly manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, to stockpile goods, driving further demand for storage and distribution. Therefore, increased needs for distribution space, as well as shortened processing, packaging and turnaround times mean that businesses must prepare for the continued growth that lies ahead. But how can they do so sustainably?
AUTOMATION As the pandemic continues, adjustments are required to maintain a sustainable and safe work environment, as well as support employees’ health. One way to achieve this is through technology and automation. Many businesses have started to turn towards automation with equipment such as automated forklifts, electric vehicles that enable employees to move trailers, load docks, and transport pallets
Amy Deakin
and containers in and out of storage units. Not only do these devices help support increasing needs in the logistics industry, but they do so in a sustainable way through fewer emissions, reduced maintenance, lower operating costs and reliable, clean power.
OPTIMAL FACILITY FUNCTIONS Even the smallest of initiatives – such as converting to LED lighting, maintaining a wellinsulated building, or setting timers and sensors to reduce electricity, water or gas usage – can increase a company’s sustainability. According to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), “LEED-certified buildings use 25% less energy, have 34% lower CO2 emissions and consume 11% less water”. LEED has also diverted more than 80 million tonnes of waste from landfills.
REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE A global survey by management consultancy firm Accenture found 60% of consumers have been making more environmentally-friendly, sustainable or ethical purchases since the start of the pandemic. Nine out of 10 of those said
they were likely to continue doing so. As online shopping persists, it is important that businesses within the logistics sector look at providing sustainable packaging – which will not only increase their consumer appeal, but warehouses can also drastically reduce waste by reusing pallets, containers and recycling materials.
RENEWABLE ENERGY According to Prologis, about 15% of a warehouse’s total operating budget goes toward energy costs. Therefore, making solar-powered warehouses and distribution centres a sought-after commodity not only saves money, but it also brings companies closer to their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Exporting food and drink after Brexit Food and drink is one of the UK’s most important industries, contributing £23bn to the economy in 2019 via exports to 220 countries – led by Ireland, the United States and France. With Brexit having a profound impact on international trade for companies in the industry, Business Network speaks to businesses working with the Chamber to overcome disruption.
EMMA ROBSON, DIRECTOR AT BAT AND BOTTLE WINE MERCHANTS, BASED IN OAKHAM, RUTLAND What does your company do? We are a fiercely independent wine merchant – a micro-business led by a husband-and-wife team that established Bat and Bottle almost 27 years ago. Specialising in Italian wines, we buy and ship directly from artisan wine producers, and sell directly to the UK public and a few UK restaurants. How has the way you trade internationally changed since Brexit? The way we trade has not changed – we buy from the same suppliers and use the same shippers. However, additional data is now required and the number of “movements” that must be recorded duty-wise for one shipment, for HMRC purposes, has increased from one to three. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is setting new labelling requirements. Current proposals include making it compulsory for all text to be in English language – those we use are currently in Italian – and possibly also declaring the number of calories and other information that, although perhaps deemed suitable for high-volume wines, we fear will be impossible to adhere to when buying small parcels from artisan producers. The cost of translating, printing and changing the labels on every bottle imported will be prohibitive. This genuinely could mean the end of special, unique, artisan wines from small producers being available in the UK, possibly within the next two years. What have been the biggest challenges this has posed for your business? Apart from the obvious fear of new labelling laws and the inevitable increase in costs due to increased paperwork, time taken for wine in transit has become the new unknown. Despite having done our pre-Brexit research and invested in all the necessary software and licences, it took until the very end of April for our first 2021 order to arrive into our warehouse. Since then, a standard groupage shipment – which previously took up to two weeks – currently takes four weeks from order to our warehouse. Training on the new software, and integrating our licences, has also been a huge challenge. How have you responded to these challenges? We have used customs clearance agents until our warehouse ID for the HMRC’s customs declaration service software is issued, and are now considering making this permanent practice. It’s inevitable this will drive our costs up further, which will be passed onto the end consumer, but we are fast becoming convinced that this is a contracted-out service worth paying for and will probably abandon the software we have purchased. We have been in touch with East Midlands Chamber as a possible authorised customs clearance agent to act on our behalf.
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MAX VAUGHAN, CO-FOUNDER OF WHITE PEAK DISTILLERY, BASED IN AMBERGATE, DERBYSHIRE What does your company do? We are the East Midlands’ first full-scale craft whisky distillery, employing seven full-time staff. We also offer tours, and produce a range of other spirits, including gin and rum. Describe your experience with exporting to date? We made our first export in late 2020 to a specialist spirits distributor and retailer, based in Germany, ahead of the changes introduced following Brexit. What are your future plans with regards to exporting? We are launching our single malt whisky in winter 2021 and our short-term sales plans have mainly a domestic focus, but we have importers interested in our whisky in various EU countries and plan to start small volumes in late 2021. In the long term, we expect these export markets to be a significant part of our business and our aspirations extend to major markets such as the US. What are the biggest challenges you are anticipating in this regard? The biggest challenges we see in the short term with our EU partners are around alcohol duty, VAT and packaging, including additional and more bespoke labelling requirements. Under previous EU-wide arrangements and systems for duty and VAT, these aspects were relatively straightforward and there were only a few minor regional differences in product description requirements. Post-Brexit, these aspects are challenging for small producers and can involve significant additional costs for each country of export. For UK independents with lower export volumes, it becomes difficult to work with like-minded EU independents. It’s also apparent that interpretation of the new rules is varying from country to country in the EU. What are you doing now to prepare yourself for these challenges? We’re currently reviewing all the guidance being issued by the Government and HMRC, while maintaining a dialogue with exporters in our sector, so we can benefit from the learning curve of others ahead of starting our whisky exports. We are taking advice on offer from East Midlands Chamber via its Brexit support programme. This should have a positive impact due to the expertise available directly from the Chamber or through its network.
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE SME Brexit Support Fund coming to end
Dual use? SAD form? The jargon you need to know
Businesses that trade with the EU have until the end of this month to apply for grants of up to £2,000 via the SME Brexit Support Fund. The Government has made £20m available for the scheme, which offers funding towards the costs of training and professional advice to help firms adapt to changes to trade rules with the EU. Training that eligible firms – criteria includes having fewer than 500 employees and less than £100m turnover – can use the grant on include: • How to complete customs declarations • How to manage customs processes, and use customs software and systems • Specific import and exportrelated aspects including VAT, excise and rules of origin
With so many acronyms and code words, understanding some of the terms associated with international trade can be a challenge. Lucy Granger (pictured), the Chamber’s international services team leader, helps to clear up some common definitions with this jargon buster. MRN: The movement reference number required by UK customs to allow goods to cross the border.
P2P: Permission to progress, meaning the goods can leave the port.
SAD form: The original form introduced into the EU in 1988 for all customs declarations. Known as the single administrative document, it is also called the C88 form in the UK. This is the “paper” document of the customs declaration and could also be called the EAD (entry acceptance advice).
“At risk” or “not at risk” goods: Goods are deemed “at risk” when there is a risk they will be moved out of the UK domestic market in to the Republic of Ireland or the rest of the EU. Goods are “not at risk” if they are going to remain or be consumed within the UK domestic market. This occurs when trading with Northern Ireland.
Direct representative: Agents can act as direct representatives when making customs declaration for, and on behalf of, their principals. A direct representative is not legally liable for the declarations made, though they do have a duty of care in enacting the service. CHIEF: Customs handling of import and export freight – the UK customs computer that handles all customs declarations. CDS: Customs declaration service is the new UK customs software being developed to replace CHIEF
C79 form: Importers can reclaim import VAT (input tax) on their monthly or quarterly VAT returns using a C79 VAT certificate. Dual use: These goods can be anything from blueprints, spare parts, chemicals, telecommunications and machinery that can have both a military or a civil application. Pre-lodged: This occurs when the customs declaration is submitted to a customer prior to the goods arriving.
Incoterms: Internationally-recognised commercial terms for sale. They are published by the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC), and define the responsibility of the exporter and the importer. Customs value: This could also be referred to as the CIF value – cost, insurance and freight. Inventory linked: If goods are coming through a port with inventory linking, this means the customs declaration must be electronically linked to the cargo in the port before it will be released. Once the customs declaration has been accepted by customs, and correctly linked to the cargo, a message of P2P will be received.
The deadline for applications is 30 June. For more information, visit www.customsintermediarygrant.co .uk/sme-brexit-support-fund
Training courses help prepare exporters Grants from the SME Brexit Support Fund can be used to cover costs of courses provided by the Chamber’s international trade training team. Upcoming courses include: 10 June, 9-2 Customs declarations 15 June, 9-1 Incoterms 2020 rules 16 June, 9-12 and 1-4: Preference rules of origin relation to EU countries 23 June, 9.30-12.30: Customs special procedures and how to save time and money 24 June, 9-3.30: Customs procedures and documentation
For support on other terms or requiring a customs broker, get in touch with ChamberCustoms at East Midlands Chamber. ChamberCustoms is a nationwide compliance-led service that covers all ports in the UK, meaning the Chamber is able to act on any import instruction for goods arriving by sea, road or air to facilitate the rapid clearance of the goods. Email chambercustoms@emc-dnl.co.uk or call 0333 320 0333.
The above courses range in price of between £139 + VAT for members (£199 + VAT for non-members) to £280 + VAT for members (£350 + VAT for non-members). For more information, visit bit.ly/EMCInterTraining or email internationaltraining@emcdnl.co.uk
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POLITICS
Can the region’s manufacturers work as one? Supply chains have faced huge disruption since the first lockdown, forcing OEMs to contemplate where they will source goods and materials in the future, and SMEs further down the line to become more agile. Now experts believe there’s an opportunity to create a “Midlands as a factory” concept in which the region’s manufacturers compete as one, rather than against each other. Dan Robinson reports from a discussion at a recent Midlands Engine Economic Observatory event. he aerospace industry, once booming thanks to globalisation but ravaged by the pandemic-induced collapse of international travel, should be strapped in for a long-haul journey towards something resembling normality. As Andrew Mair, chief executive of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, says: “Aerospace supply chains are going to be what I’d call a ‘long Covid’ industry, as we’re not going to get the recovery for three or four years.” Fault lines in an unco-ordinated supply chain were already exposed last summer when the lack of certainty in the economy meant aircraftbuilding plans were halted but middle-tier companies continued ordering parts. Although Andrew calls it a “car crash” scenario for the industry that highlighted why greater collaboration was needed, many in the industry are searching for opportunities in line with the old adage of never letting a crisis go to waste.
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WHILE THE MIDLANDS seeks to bring together the region into a single living, breathing and making entity that acts in unison, research by the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) illustrates the stark variations that exist across its geography at the Midlands Engine Observatory’s latest quarterly economic briefing. For example, manufacturers in the West Midlands lost 89% of orders when Covid-19 struck – making it the second-hardest hit region – yet the East Midlands fared better than any other location with a 67% loss of custom between April and May 2020. Janet Godsell, a professor in operations and supply chain strategy at WMG, which sits within the University of Warwick, says: “The impact on the West Midlands is potentially because of the industry’s reliance on the aerospace and automotive industries, which have helped to make the region slightly more productive than the East Midlands. “They’re critical to the economy but not to life. So when a shock like Covid happens and demand for them is essentially switched off overnight, it’s not just the OEMs that are hit but also the supply chains that are very dependent on those sectors. 44
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Andrew Mair
“But the East Midlands has a much more diverse manufacturing portfolio, which may have provided some natural resilience for its order book when Covid hit, but at the same time it’s one of the least well-performing regions within the UK in terms of productivity. “So what we can’t get away from is this link between productivity and resilience, which are incredibly important to our region – but even within the region there’s some disparities that require further investigation. “One idea to address this could be to compete through economies of scope, not scale, and having a manufacturing capability that responds to changes in either demand or supply, rather than being locked in.” IF THE AEROSPACE industry is suffering from the effects of “long Covid”, then the 2020/21 experience for supply chains across manufacturing has been akin to a bad night in the ballroom. “The stop-start nature of lockdowns created a hiatus in the supply chain and it’s bit like knocking someone out of a waltz then asking them to jump back in,” says Charlotte Horobin, Midlands and East of England membership director at the manufacturers’ representation group Make UK. “It’s really not easy to turn a production line back on – you’ve got to have that critical demand in order to run.”
With 95% of British manufacturers exporting to some degree – and the industry accounting for half of UK total exports – the disruption to international trade from Covid, and exacerbated by Brexit, has been monumental. Three-quarters of firms in the industry have reported delays in the first three months of 2021, leading to rising costs for half of those and lost revenue for a third.
‘We have to understand our regional and national supply chains much better’ Make UK is not about to condemn global supply chains due to the complex integration already deeply rooted, but is calling for a review of UK supply chains. “For some products, it’ll never make economic sense to manufacture in the UK,” says Charlotte. “But we’ve got to establish what is strategically important for our country so companies know where to invest in R&D. “We have to understand our regional and national supply chains much better, boost their competitiveness so they play a bigger part on the global stage, and think more about quality and environmental values. “There’s a tremendous opportunity to transform our traditional industries to go from making a widget for a certain sector to talking about the capabilities and clusters we’ve got in the Midlands’ supply chains that can be beneficial for different sectors.”
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POLITICS
Professor Janet Godsell
Charlotte Horobin
‘Short-term priorities should be to focus on sectors that support growth in a more circular economy’
Taking a lead in the circular economy could be key to giving the Midlands a competitive advantage, believes Prof Janet Godsell. The circular economy model, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. As more companies seek to improve their sustainability credentials, the region’s manufacturers could develop a USP by designing high-quality and reusable goods with long lifespans. Prof Godsell explains: “We consume lots of stuff and things have got cheaper and cheaper over the years. When something breaks, it’s usually because it’s been costengineered down to be as cheap as possible so things like screws are replaced by welds and rivets. “But when it breaks, you can’t repair it and have to throw it away. This is a challenge because we’re running out of materials so can’t just keep making things and, secondly, we’re not particularly competitive in terms of forward-facing manufacturing processes. “If we want to make things cheap, there are other places in the world that can make things cheaper. “So a different way of thinking to compete – which balances the challenges of society, the economy and ensuring we have a prosperous manufacturing community in the region – is to go back to making things that last.” This would involve retraining the manufacturing focus on longevity and reuse, where materials would only be reclaimed from goods once all possibilities of repair and redistribution have been exhausted – with the added bonus of building up the UK’s stock of raw materials.
IN 1992, PROF Martin Christopher, an internationally-renowned academic in logistics and supply chain management, coined the expression that “supply chains compete, not companies”. But turning this into reality has been a struggle across the world.
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY Prof Godsell believes the Midlands has an opportunity “to be right at the forefront” of this ecosystem, highlighting a Repowering the Black Country project as an example of using low-carbon energy sources to reindustrialise the region. But she stresses it will take new ways of thinking as, despite PPE supplies being sourced more locally during the pandemic, it’s likely businesses will revert to buying goods from countries like China post-Covid due to cheaper costs. “So we need a new competitive advantage,” she adds. “At the moment, we’re the largest net importer of carbon in the world because we basically offshore the problem. “As we start to take into account the cost of carbon, there’s a real opportunity to actually think about how we can again manufacture in the UK – and in our region.”
While there’s many different perspectives in defining what a supply chain even is, Prof Godsell believes creating a regional end-to-end supply chain would give the Midlands a competitive edge and help close the productivity gap.
This would protect against the volatile demand and supply shortages witnessed during the pandemic, as well as the trade issues – including increased tariffs, customs delays and longer lead times – arising since Brexit. But Prof Godsell admits it’s easier said than done, adding: “While the Midlands region is concerned about issues of productivity, sustainability, employment opportunities, economic growth and foreign direct investment, firms have other priorities. They’re concerned about competitive advantage, operational continuity, efficiency, cost reduction, collaboration and agility. “There’s no joining of those two sets of objectives and there’s a language void between them. “So perhaps the link between those regional measures around labour productivity and employment, and the business-level measures of cost, quality and time, is to use the supply chain at a regional level to bring the two together.” Although it begins with looking at resources – issues such as skills shortages, lack of investment, poor cashflow and limited production capacity – breaking down silos and enhancing digital visibility will create an alignment between businesses that cuts down waste, while ultimately improving resilience and productivity. Short-term priorities should be to focus on sectors that support growth in a more circular economy, invest in infrastructure to enable lowcarbon and connection regional supply chains, develop skills in the fundamentals of manufacturing and supply chain management, and create the visibility and co-ordination that enables supply chains rather than businesses to compete. In the long term, Prof Godsell believes this will feed a vision of “the Midlands as a factory” to the rest of the world with green growth at its core. “This technological shift will make distributed manufacturing the norm and have a huge levelling effect that breaks down barriers between OEMs and SMEs,” she adds. “By harnessing the amazing potential we have in the Midlands, we can become the most supply chain-savvy region in the country.” business network June 2021
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BUSINESS CRIME & PROTECTION
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BUSINESS CRIME & PROTECTION
FEATURE
How can businesses
stay safe? Joe Burns is a certified ethical hacker and co-founder of Ilkeston-based Reformed IT, a cyber security and IT solutions company. He sees first-hand the damage being inflicted on businesses from cyber-criminals – noticing an increase in SMEs suffering financial losses – and often works alongside police forces to help with breach remediation. Now on a campaign educate businesses of these risks and how to avoid becoming another victim, he speaks to Business Network about some of the questions he’s frequently asked. WHAT IS THE LARGEST LOSS YOU’VE SEEN A BUSINESS SUFFER IN THE EAST MIDLANDS? In late 2019, I was called in to help investigate a sophisticated social engineering attack on a business that led to someone transferring in excess of £100,000 to fraudsters from the company bank account. Social engineering is where the attackers mislead individuals within the business in a way to encourage them to do something they shouldn’t typically do. This could be to reveal a password or information, buy vouchers from a store or, in this case, transfer large sums of money. The fraudsters usually do this by impersonating trusted people either within the organisation or external authoritative organisations such as banks and IT companies.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME HIGH-PROFILE RANSOMWARE ATTACKS IN RECENT YEARS. HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING SIMILAR WITHIN THE EAST MIDLANDS? Yes, ransomware can be extremely damaging to a business and if it hasn’t got a good backup and disaster recovery
plan, it can cause a lot of business interruption. Ransomware is a method that has been used by hackers for decades but has become more prevalent in the past 10 years. It typically works by getting someone in the organisation to run a piece of software on a computer, which then encrypts all data on the network to make files unreadable without a password. This password will have been set by the attackers and instructions left for the victim to pay a ransom in order to get access to their files again. Recently, I have dealt with a case where a business in Derbyshire had its server hacked into. The hackers then encrypted all the data and because they had full access to the system, they encrypted the backups as well – leaving the business with no access to its critical files and customer information. The hackers demanded nine bitcoin (which is valued at £363,000 at the time of writing) to return access to the company’s systems and data. In the meantime, the business was unable to correctly service its customers without resorting to pen and paper.
‘The business was unable to correctly service its customers without resorting to pen and paper’
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‘Defending against modern cyber threats requires a layered approach to IT security’
HOW CAN BUSINESSES AVOID ISSUES LIKE THIS? Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet to prevent all the risks from cyber-criminals. Defending against modern cyber threats requires a layered approach to IT security. If you think of it like protecting a physical building, you start by locking doors and windows, but you may add additional layers like an alarm, CCTV cameras and maybe even a safe for valuables. Here are some steps all businesses should be taking: • Ensure people can only set long, complex passwords for systems • Enable multi-factor authentication, meaning you need more than just a username and password to gain access to systems, such as a one-time code
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• Keep all systems and applications updated, including computers, servers and mobile phones • Educate all employees on the modern threats and, in particular, social engineering techniques • Ensure backups are taken regularly (multiple times per day) and at least one backup is offsite, so it’s not accessible to the systems being backed up • Work towards the Cyber Essentials standards and certification. For more information about steps your business should take to defend itself, visit www.ncsc.gov.uk
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Defence in breadth rather than depth By Kevin Else (pictured), director at Cyber Security Partners ou don’t need me to tell you that cyber-crime is a significant threat to businesses or that it’s an increasing part of all business crime. The problem is often defining the threat, where it’s coming from and not only how to prevent it, but how to capture the fact that it happened. Information crime is not new. Competitors have always wanted to find out what your company is doing. Information has a value – whether the information is your customers’ names, details of your products or details of your contracts, there is a value both to your organisation and to others too. We’ve also seen the availability of that information has a value to your organisation, with such crimes as ransomware, so even if the information isn’t released to competitors or the general public, a lack of information can have a serious effect on your bottom line.
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DEFENDING AGAINST INFORMATION CRIME WITH TECHNOLOGY AND PEOPLE The initial approach to information security has always been to build walls and levels of protection across the organisation to prevent leakage of information. The problem is, for you to do your business, you have to create holes in the walls. Otherwise the information is not available, so you can carry out your normal business functions. Even monitoring the gaps in the walls doesn’t always prevent cyber-crime. Threats can come from inside the organisation, whether malicious or accidental. Breaches in the walls protecting the information can arise, so a much more holistic approach is required. Technology is part of the answer and so are people. The day-to-day users of the information are the ones who will recognise an unusual pattern of events a lot more quickly than a piece of technology. Getting your users onside as part of your monitoring is a key method of preventing information theft. By utilising your users as first-line monitoring and giving them a level of responsibility in surveillance, that information access provides you with an extremely powerful level of protection. 50
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WHERE TO BEGIN So how do you build a skill set within your employee users? Yes, there is awareness training, and reviewing the latest scam and spam techniques, but to truly have them focus on how your information is accessed as an organisation, you need to understand the value of the information that you hold. You need to consider the business impact of either not having that information or it being released to someone who should not have access to it. There are multiple stages to be able to build this: 1. Understand the value of the information you hold. This is not the value to anyone outside of your organisation but the value of that information to your organisation. 2. Carry out a business impact assessment. What if the information is not available through a ransomware attack, or if only part of your information is available? 3. Define the threats and where they are coming from. That can be as simple as saying there are inside and outside threats. Then establish how likely those threats are so you can build appropriate mitigating controls. This can be both technical and non-technical, to help either prevent or, from a resilience point of view, define the process of how you recover from the information either becoming released or not being available to you. 4. Marry the business impact and the threat assessment together to highlight where your main risks are. 5. Finally, make sure your users are aware of those risks. This isn’t making them aware of general security risks but the specific risks to your organisation and its data. There is a place for general security awareness training, but unless you can directly relate it to your user’s day-to-day operations, it will not become part of their business as usual. Follow the above advice to ensure that your organisation can reduce the threat of cyber-crime and build protection within your business.
‘Information crime is not new. Competitors have always wanted to find out what your company is doing’
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LOGISTICS IN THE EAST MIDLANDS
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The logistical challenges of a growing industry The logistics industry was already growing in line with the explosion of e-commerce before the pandemic, but it has truly come of age over the past 15 months as people have come to know their delivery drivers and a raft of jobs have been created in increasingly visible warehouses. It presents some great opportunities for the East Midlands if it can overcome challenges, as Dan Robinson reports.
t used to be the person bringing Ringtons tea, the milkman or the teenagers on their early morning paper round. Now, it’s the Amazon and dpd delivery drivers – bringing groceries, clothes, electronics, home furnishings and medicines – who many of us are on first-name terms with. Their arrival on our doorstep is the result of a journey that began with a few website clicks, but operating behind the scenes is a logistics industry that is undergoing rapid transformation and fast becoming a titan of the UK economy. “So many people were forced to divert to online shopping and e-commerce sales have gone through the roof,” says Gwyn Stubbings, planning director at GLP, one of Europe’s leading developers and operators of logistics real estate. “It was the logistics industry that enabled this to happen and there’s been a huge reliance on it to perform incredibly well to keep the country going. “As a lot of businesses are now having to adapt online, demand will only continue to grow.” While these trends existed pre-pandemic – the online proportion of total retail sales grew from 6.2% in 2009 to 19.2% in 2019 – the lockdown impact was stark, with a sharp increase to 27.9% in 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Even as the reopening of the economy is likely to stabilise these numbers, the trajectory will continue upwards, while the onshoring effect of Brexit will also likely contribute to increased demand.
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Magna Park Lutterworth is billed as Europe's premier logistics park
THE EAST MIDLANDS, located within the so-called “golden triangle” that is within a four-hour drive of about 95% of the UK population, already has a headstart on many other regions. The airport’s reputation as the busiest pure cargo hub for air travel in the country has activated a wave of development up and down the M1, while the neighbouring 700-acre SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway is now home to powerhouse brands including Amazon, Nestle, Shop Direct, Games Workshop and Kuehne+Nagel.
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IDENTIFYING THE FUTURE SKILLS THE INDUSTRY NEEDS Lorry driving and digital savviness are the biggest skills needs for the logistics industry, believes the head of a college that’s opening a dedicated new training and research centre. Marion Plant OBE FCGI, principal and chief executive at North Warwickshire and South Marion Plant OBE FCGI Leicestershire College (NWSLC), says softer skills are also desperately required as the sector faces having to plug huge gaps to meet rapid e-commerce growth. The college is working in collaboration with industry and higher education partners to launch the new Centre for Logistics Education and Research (CLEAR) at Magna Park Lutterworth. “Digital skills are the biggest skills gaps at all levels,” says Marion. “There’s a huge requirement for upskilling within the industry because so much of the processes will be automated. Unless employees are tuned into aspects such as cloud logistics, machine learning, big data, internet of things and web design, they won’t have jobs. “More immediately, there’s a huge shortage of HGV drivers, particularly post-Brexit, with about 60,000 people needed.” ONS figures show 1.57 million people – 4.8% of the UK workforce – are employed in “transport and storage”. In 2014, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills forecast another 1.2 million people would need to be recruited in logistics by 2022 to meet growth projections, with the main skills gaps being technical, practical or job-specific – such as organisation, customer-handling, leadership, problem-solving, multi-tasking and communication. There’s clearly much work ahead as a 2019 report by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport found more than half (54%) of logistics firms anticipated skills shortages. “It’s a breadth of skills,” adds Marion. “As a result of the pandemic and our dependence on deliveries for online shopping, logistics has become so much more visible and there’s a new sense of valuing the industry.
Tritax Symmetry planning director Jonathan Dawes (top) and development director Alex Reynolds
Magna Park Lutterworth, meanwhile, is one of the largest distribution parks in Europe. Built on a former RAF airfield in 1987, it has expanded vastly since Asda made the site its main distribution hub at the outset. The 550-acre development now comprises 27 companies, with Toyota, BT, Disney, Britvic and DHL joining Asda across 37 buildings with a floor space exceeding 10 million sq ft. Gwyn, whose company GLP has operated and developed the park, says: “Its success has been built around the strategic location within the golden triangle.
‘The average building at Magna Park is about 200,000 sq ft but we’re seeing more demand for much bigger units’ “There wasn’t really anything of its nature previously – we had traditional industrial parks but with storage and distribution was just one element – so Magna Park has been a blueprint for the dedicated logistics parks we see today.” Furniture retailer Wayfair recently moved into a warehouse exceeding a million sq ft, while the market is so strong that GLP speculatively built four more units on its southern extension. Three have already been let – one of the occupiers is a pharma company that’s distributing a
“At the same time, employers increasingly want ‘Tshaped’ supply chain professionals who understand all elements, from procurement and customer service through to automation and operations, so there’s a much more complex range of skills needed. “It’s a smooth-running process that starts with a brand’s website and ends up on your doorstep, so in the future, people will have to work across multiple functions and be strategic thinkers. “We want to inspire young people but there’s also a massive emphasis on retraining for those already working in the industry.” To help prepare today’s and tomorrow’s workforce, NWSLC has joined forces with GLP, logistics provider Wincanton and Aston University to set up CLEAR, which will offer skills training and professional development at all levels across the spectrum of logistics and supply chain roles. The training centre, which will initially be based at Bittesby House in the Magna Park northern extension when it opens in July before moving to a bespoke facility within the broader logistics park development, will eventually accommodate 1,000 students along with applied research facilities. Marion adds: “By locating it on Magna Park, the tenants can see the training hub and buy into it more easily, while the students also benefit from an immersive experience they wouldn’t necessarily get on a traditional college campus.”
Covid-19 vaccine – and the other is under offer. “The average building at Magna Park is about 200,000 sq ft but we’re seeing more demand for much bigger units, which is why one of the speculative builds is 750,000 sq ft. “It allows businesses to future-proof their operations and grow into them, rather than have to move somewhere else midway through their lease.” LAST YEAR WITNESSED the logistics industry’s highest ever recorded take-up of warehouse space, at 504 million sq ft, according to Property Week’s latest industrial and logistics census – which also found 41% of occupiers expect they’ll need more space within two years. But land supply remains a major barrier. GLP has planning permission to build another five warehouses at Magna Park, which would take its floorspace to 16 million sq ft and headcount to 15,000, but thereafter it would have to navigate the complex British planning system to expand further. “There’s obviously challenges because bigger buildings are more land-hungry,” says Gwyn. “If you’re a council and decide to allocate 300 acres of land for future employment needs, a big warehouse could take 50 acres in one hit. “So we need to work with local authorities to forecast these trends and pre-empt them, rather than be forced into being reactive or having to settle for sub-optimal locations. business network June 2021
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THE LOGISTICS INDUSTRY IS HEADING TOWARDS A GREEN REVOLUTION
Modern warehouses are now equipped with robots
“Ultimately, if we don’t have the land supply then businesses will go elsewhere.” There’s frustration that the Government’s Planning for the Future white paper, which was published in August 2020 and pledged to streamline the country’s planning system, made no mention of logistics accommodation. Jonathan Dawes, planning director of logistics developer Tritax Symmetry, says: “Politically, housing is just far higher up the agenda than logistics and employment space. “Local authorities seem to think it’ll look after itself but we’re working through employment land that’s designated for the next 10 to 12 years within three years. “We need a longer-term strategic approach to identify the right sites in the best locations.” Nevertheless, the logistics industry continues to push on. Tritax is working on the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange, a 450-acre scheme off Junction 2 of the M69 that will comprise nine million sq ft of total floor space and have 16 trains running through each day. Planning consent is anticipated by early 2023 and could create up to 8,000 jobs when it is occupied from late 2025. Rail has a key role to play in the sustainability challenge, as Midlands Connect estimates one freight train removes the equivalent carbon emitted by 26 HGVs. Development director Alex Reynolds says: “Hinckley is in a great location and could be a major opportunity for this region to become an inland port. “Alongside the North West, the East Midlands has a national role in logistics already. The industry is soaking up jobs that have been lost elsewhere in the region, and there’s plenty of benefits if we can step up to the plate and show we can accommodate the projected growth here.”
Biofuels hold the key to making a breakthrough in decarbonising road transport used in logistics – but there’s a long way to go despite promising signs. That’s the view of Becky Rix, marketing director at Nottingham-based renewable gas infrastructure supplier Roadgas, which has noticed a significant shift in fleet managers turning away from fossil fuels in favour of greener alternatives to power HGVs. Becky, whose company helped Nottingham City Transport cut emissions by 84% within two years by switching its buses to biogas, says: “We’ve had an increasing number of logistics and fleet operators Becky Rix, managing making enquiries about using renewable gas in their director at Roadgas fleets since the beginning of the year. “The trucks, gas and infrastructure is here now, and we’re pushing on an open door because fleet operators know they can make huge savings on fuel costs – it’s just a case of getting them to replace their fleets with greener fuels. Average life cycles for trucks are six to seven years, so it can take a little while to see the benefits of the work that’s happening in the industry – but we’re finding fleet operators are increasingly trialling gas trucks, finding they like how capable they are and buying gas trucks whenever the opportunity arises within their fleets.” Her experience is backed up by data, with the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation reporting a 78% increase in sales of gas as a transport fuel in 2020. The 2040 ban on diesel trucks has led to predictions the UK market size for gas trucks could be 75,000 vehicles by 2030, rising to 160,000 by 2040. With 93% of gas-fuelled HGVs in 2020 using biomethane – a renewable and lowcarbon fuel – according to the Gas Vehicle Network (GVN), the direction of travel is green. Despite these encouraging signs, Becky, who chairs the GVN’s policy and stakeholder committee, admits renewable gas accounts for a tiny proportion of all fuels in HGVs today. “But the key thing is I don’t think there’s any sector in the UK where carbon can be reduced as quickly as it can from HGVs, which today account for 27% of all transport emissions,” she says. “So if we can even get a fraction of these vehicles using gas as a fuel, the reduction in emissions will be huge.”
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS AND CREATING A GREAT PLACE TO WORK Wellness spaces, wetlands and cycle routes may not be naturally associated with logistics parks, but they’re part of the appeal for workers at Magna Park Lutterworth. There’s also a Starbucks, restaurants on site, while the current 10,000 employees are encouraged to car share and use public transport. Gwyn Stubbings says: “It’s grown into its own cluster of
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business and if you look at the land uptake, it’s comparable to the town of Lutterworth, so we have to think about the types of amenities and recreation you’d get in those types of places. We want to attract new companies to the park and retain those already on site, so we want to make it a pleasant place to work.” It’s just the latest move to change perceptions about the logistics industry away from dirty warehouse
jobs to modern roles fully immersed in the latest technology. Accountants, operations managers, marketing professionals and IT technicians are just some of the jobs in offices built within the warehouses. The British Property Foundation’s Delivering the Goods report published in February 2020 found median salaries in logistics was £31,600 – some £6,700 higher than the average – and had
increased from £28,000 in 2014. Alex Reynolds, of Tritax Symmetry, says: “These are forward-thinking global companies on logistics parks with offices, R&D facilities and warehouses under one roof. “They have very sophisticated HR, training and skills functions, while they’re increasingly bringing in hi-tech automation that requires the right people to operate it.”
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CHARITABLE CAUSES, PROMOTION & PARTNERSHIP
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CHARITABLE CAUSES, PROMOTION & PARTNERSHIP
FEATURE
Six tips on how to make charitable giving a habit By Sophie Ellingham, marketing co-ordinator at Investors in Community
“Try not to focus on how much you can or can’t give, just focus on giving … life is more enjoyable when you give back”. Like many others, I spent years thinking that I couldn’t make an impact because I wasn’t able to donate hundreds of pounds each month but, in 2021, I decided to donate what I could each month. After hosting two fundraisers on the Investors in Community (IIC) platform, and having both charities offer their thanks and gratitude for my small donation, I realised how big my little donation actually was. Below are some tips to form a giving habit, but the best tip I can offer is to just give once and then see the impact you’ve created – after that, you won’t want to stop!
1. MAKE IT EASY It’s important when trying to create a habit to make it easy. Using online giving platforms like IIC ensures that donating regularly is as hassle-free as possible. Look into donating with friends who remind you to keep up your new habit or set up automatic reminders on your phone on each payday so it’s the first thing you think about when you get your paycheque.
‘If you’d prefer to donate your time, or gift, to your chosen charity, it’s easy to get involved’
2. FIND WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT Take a moment to write out a purpose statement and ask yourself what motivates you, as well as what you are interested in. If you love animals, perhaps a wildlife sanctuary is the charity for you. If you’re passionate business network June 2021
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about helping kids stay active and have access to sports equipment, then look into your local community sports clubs and donate to them. Find what interests you and then start from there.
3. FOCUS ON THE REWARD Habits are reinforced by rewards, and the good feeling of helping others is a huge reward. Make sure you can see the impact of your donation; you can do this by following your chosen charity on social media or getting in touch to discuss what each donation enables your chosen charity to achieve.
4. SMALL DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE “Small actions x lots of people = big change”. Any donation is appreciated and, by donating whatever you can to your chosen charity, your small contribution is going to make a huge difference in the long term. It can make you feel connected to your community.
5. DONATE TIME, MONEY OR GIFTS Giving back doesn’t always have to be donating money. At IIC, we facilitate the five forms of giving: funds, volunteering, skilled volunteering, pro bono and gifts. So, if you’d prefer to donate your time, or gift, to your chosen charity, it’s easy to get involved.
6. SET A REALISTIC BUDGET Any donation is appreciated, no matter how small. If you’re worried about how you’re going to add giving to your routine, make the decision to donate £5 (or even less) each month. Soon it will become an exciting routine of picking a charity or cause you want to help and you’ll see the impact so often that each month you’ll find yourself wanting to donate more.
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Sophie Ellingham
‘Habits are reinforced by rewards, and the good feeling of helping others is a huge reward’
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Why should daily physical activity be on the menu for every child? Covid-19 has pushed many children’s physical activity and mental wellbeing to crisis point. As the country looks to recover and rebuild from this, Chesterfield-based SHAPE Learning Partnership is on a mission to provide the pivotal support that schools, educators and families need to re-imagine what the “new normal” will look like and how to firmly embed physical activity in every young person’s life. Partnership development manager Paul Ryan (pictured) explains its work. t’s a difficult task but as a notfor-profit organisation, our vision and ethical responsibility is to make sure every young person, regardless of background, has the best possible opportunities to engage in sport, physical activity and health interventions. SHAPE works with primary and secondary schools across Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire, and knows how challenging the past year has been for everyone, not just within the education sector.
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Worrying statistics released by Sport England show the majority of young people failed to meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise in the 2019/20 academic year. Almost a third of children (2.3 million) were classed as “inactive” as a result of lockdown restrictions, not even doing 30 minutes per day.
ADAPTING SUPPORT DURING LOCKDOWN It was very clear during the first lockdown that we would have to adapt our support for schools and young people. The pressures that teaching staff and families were placed under, alongside restrictions, made any form of physical activity problematic. Many teachers and parents didn’t necessarily have the time or expertise to support young people with this element of their development, and therefore this was over-looked. To combat this, our delivery moved very quickly from face-toface support and events to virtual support, which included physical education lessons children could easily access at home, mindfulness and wellbeing sessions, and a physical challenges app – all of which were greatly received.
CREATING POSITIVE ATTITUDES ABOUT EXERCISE Young people participate in physical activity for a variety of reasons. During lockdown, it was apparent that they engaged with different or alternative activities to
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those they would normally choose, and in some cases engaged regularly in activity for the first time. Creating positive attitudes towards daily physical activity in our young people, and highlighting the benefits that come from this, is a vital foundation to leading active lives for this generation and ones to come.
CREATING MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES Understanding what young people want, and what motivates and drives them to participate, are crucial for SHAPE to provide meaningful experiences for all. We don’t know precisely the impact and long-term effects the pandemic will have on young people just yet. But what we do know is we stand at a pivotal moment in time to ensure the physical activity agenda is at the heart of the development, and future health, of our nation and this generation. To support our initiative, we as not just a community, but a nation too, have a part to play in supporting children and young people by being aware of what we are creating by means of a physical activity diet that is rich, broad and exciting. For more information on how SHAPE can support parents, carers, educators and people who value the impact of physical activity on mental health and wellbeing, email p.ryan@brookfieldcs.org.uk
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TRAINING
Stepping up as a leader in challenging times In the May edition of Business Network, Chamber business training manager Vicki Thompson (pictured) spoke about how managing teams has changed in a remote world. This time, she turns her attention to how business leaders are coping with all the responsibilities, concerns and worries that come with running a company in the same virtual environment – as well as where they can turn when in need of support at the top. “Leadership should provide great satisfaction seeing a vision come to life,” believes Scott Knowles, chief executive of the Chamber when asked to define what this important business characteristic means to him. Meanwhile, employee engagement specialist Best Companies, which runs the Best Companies to Work For lists, says: • Leaders support engagement of teams • Leaders drive forward how the workforce feels • Leaders have a strong impact on wellbeing • Good wellbeing is a product of the leadership culture • The culture at the top of an organisation supports what activity goes on throughout the rest of the company Picking through this list, you can almost feel the responsibility on your shoulders. Leadership is the
ability to impart knowledge – sharing your vision, influencing people and guiding your teams. It is also about establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others and ensuring there is a willingness for others to follow. Throughout the pandemic, leaders have found themselves in positions they could never have prepared for, both in terms of professional and personal challenges. The way in which we communicate with our teams is now more vital than ever. We have become more reliant on technology and, therefore, personal communication has become increasingly important. If you are sat there wondering, “am I doing this right?” then don’t worry as there is support and guidance available for you, including at the Chamber. Here, I’ll explain the training courses we run and how they can help.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSES LEADERSHIP IN ACTION (FRIDAY 18 JUNE) We’ve all heard the new leadership terms such as “agile” and “pivot”, but what do they actually mean for the modern-day leader – and how do you bring about a culture where change is seen as a positive, while managing and balancing risk? This is a half-day course is for experienced leaders at middle to senior level within their organisations, where results are dependent upon others. To book, visit bit.ly/3hIbLKZ
GETTING TO ‘YES’ (MONDAY 19 JULY) Most senior leaders would agree that being a highly-skilled and effective communicator is a cornerstone to a high-performing organisation. This course looks at the key components of effective communications for senior leaders. It highlights the common gaps or mistakes that can erode trust, as well as limit the progress and effectiveness, within a leadership role and the wider organisation. This half-day course is for senior managers and leaders who would like to take a look at new ways of communicating with their teams. To book, visit bit.ly/3hHGVCc The Chamber also has a number of courses that are specifically for leaders of a business, including our Director Development Programme – the next of which begins on 12 October. We also run an ILM Level 7 and ILM Level 5 courses, as well as our new virtual presentation skills course. A full list can be found at bit.ly/3oA3t9z
Free peer-to-peer support available for SMEs The second phase of the Peer Network Programme will begin this month – giving SMEs a support mechanism to reach the next level. Delivered by the Chamber’s peer networks team in conjunction with the D2N2 Growth Hub, it offers free peer-to-peer support for businesses across various sector and demographics. Individuals are placed into diverse cohort groups to collaboratively work through common issues using interactive action learning guided by expert facilitators. Participants can also discuss challenges while sharing feedback with each other within a
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trusted support network before implementing practical solutions to overcome challenges. While the scheme is fully funded and free for participants, it requires a time commitment of about 18 hours over the duration. Almost 300 SMEs were supported in the first phase of the scheme between January and March, including Chesterfield-based Original Recipes. Director William Sutherland said: “I really enjoyed being part of a small proactive network of like-minded people. I felt my contribution was valued and suggestions were taken on board. People’s positive perception of
myself and my business provided me with a real confidence boost to move forward, and make important decisions based on our discussions.” Cohort groups for the next Peer Network Programme include sectors such as hospitality, visitor economy, manufacturing and food and drink, as well as other groups such as womenowned businesses, and high-growth sales or digital companies. For more information, complete an expression of interest form at bit.ly/3wpLJjS
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EVENTS
ENTERPRISING WOMEN AWARDS 2021 SHORTLIST Breedon Consulting Shed Grounds Maintenance We Love Surveys
Last year’s winning line-up
Shortlist for Enterprising Women Awards 2021 revealed Apprentices, entrepreneurs and STEM ambassadors are among those recognised at East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards this year. Finalists have been announced for the 2021 awards, held in partnership with headline sponsor Futures Housing Group, across eight categories. Alongside individual categories, topped off by the Business Woman of the Year, there are group awards including Small Business of the Year and Team of the Year. The shortlisted individuals and companies will find out whether they have won at an awards ceremony on Friday 8 October, which is currently planned as a gala dinner in Nottingham. It will be the headline event for the Enterprising Women network, which is co-chaired by Chamber president Eileen Richards MBE and past president Jean Mountain. Eileen said: “The East Midlands is home to some fantastic success stories of enterprising women and it’s great to be able to celebrate the people, teams and businesses that help to make our region so great. “These awards are a huge part of the Chamber calendar and we can’t wait for the big night, which we hope will be a physical celebration that we can all look forward to.”
FEMALE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY FUTURES HOUSING GROUP Rowan Bradley, Children’s Therapy Solutions Natalie Bamford, Colleague Box Sandra Wiggins, DPI UK Jillian Thomas, Future Life Wealth Management Claire Twells, Smith Partnership Helen Wathall, Wathall’s Funeral Directors
FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY MIDLANDS ENGINE INVESTMENT FUND Jean added: “As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Enterprising Women network next year, this is once again a very strong line-up in our awards shortlist. “We’ve loved watching our finalists and winners in previous years go on to achieve great things, and I’m sure the class of 2021 will be no different.” The finalists were announced at a special Enterprising Women event lon 20 May, in which guest speaker Lindsey Williams, group chief executive of Futures Housing Group, spoke about her career journey. Lindsey said: “I’m delighted that Futures Housing Group is sponsoring the East Midlands Chamber’s Enterprising Women Awards for 2021. “It’s been an absolute pleasure to read through the nominations from women across the region and I’m pleased to say we have seen some outstanding nominees.”
Rachel Hayward, Ask the Chameleon Janice Holmes, Janice Rose Lingerie Iwona Lebiedowicz, PAB Languages Nicky Botham, Shed Grounds Maintenance Jaz Kaur, Fraser Stretton Estate Agents
SPONSORED BY SMALLMAN & SON Vicky Evans, Air Ambulance Service Ana-Andreea Covaliu, Design Studio Architects Hollie Newton, EMA Training Rosie McLaughlin, Embark Federation Matilda Swanson, Loates HR Consultancy
TEAM OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY SHE INSPIRES (GLOBAL) Astute Recruitment Cross Productions DPI UK Futures Housing Group RideWise
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO WORK IN STEM SPONSORED BY PICK EVERARD
SOCIAL COMMITMENT AWARD SPONSORED BY PPL PRS Bodie Hodges Foundation CR Civil Engineering Cross Productions Halo Recruit Hot House Music
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY UNIQUE WINDOW SYSTEMS Access Training Balls2 Marketing
DPI UK Emh group JB Engineering Midland Lead Rail Forum
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY EMA TRAINING Evie Smith, Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Brooke Dennis, Recruit 2 You Courtney Bower, Recruit 2 You Hannah Ward, Wytech Bethany Less, Xbite
People & Skills Summit to cover post-16 education reform The Government’s latest plans for further education will be the hot topic of discussion during the main event in the Chamber’s upcoming People & Skills Week. The People & Skills Summit 2021: The Skills Landscape Beyond Recovery will feature speakers from Government, further education and businesses giving an update on the post-16 education reform. A white paper titled Plan for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for
Opportunities and Growth was published by the Department for Education in January, and the Queen’s Speech included a Skills and Post-16 Education Bill that will be central to the post-Covid economic recovery. Following introductory talks from a senior Government representative, RDS Global CEO Andy Flinn and Loughborough College principal and chief executive Jo Maher, there will be a
panel discussion during the summit hosted by Chamber director of policy and external affairs Chris Hobson about how to overcome skills issues. The summit takes place on Wednesday 16 June from 9.30am to 12.30pm. It forms the centrepiece of People & Skills Week from Monday 14 June to Friday 18 June. To register for the free events, visit bit.ly/SkillsWeek21 business network June 2021
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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY
Google’s page experience update explained Ahead of the rollout of Google’s latest algorithm update, Digital Growth Programme consultant Ian Lockwood explains how businesses can ensure their website is up to speed and offers advice on ways they can improve quality scoring.
n mid-June, Google begins its rollout of its page experience update, with the full effects due to be in place by the end of August. This change to its organic ranking algorithm rolls up a number of existing ranking factors and introduces some changes to the way page load speed is measured. Google first announced this last November so the change is likely to be noticeable, although it’s clear that the quality of information on a page is the priority, even if the page experience is sub-par. You can already find a new page experience report in Google Search Console to show if your site has any issues. Specifically, Google’s page experience signals are: • Core Web Vitals (the three measurements of page load speed are largest contentful paint, first input delay and cumulative layout shift) • Mobile-friendly • Safe browsing (website is not hacked) • HTTPS (site serves over a secure connection) • No intrusive interstitials (large overlays covering the page on mobile) These are all used in Google’s algorithm already, although Core Web Vitals changes the metrics measuring page load speed.
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CORE WEB VITALS UNPACKED Core Web Vitals probably presents the biggest challenge for websites, as the vast majority should already be compliant with the other criteria (but do make sure your website serves over HTTPS, passes Google’s mobile-friendly test and doesn’t have intrusive interstitials). Let’s look at Core Web Vitals. Firstly, largest contentful paint (LCP), which measures how long the main content area of the page 64
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‘Core Web Vitals probably presents the biggest challenge for websites’ (without scrolling down) takes to appear. The target is under 2.5 seconds. While the quality of hosting can affect speed, most issues stem from how long it takes the visitor’s browser to download, process and render (visually display) the files that make up the page. Common issues include renderblocking (JavaScript and CSS files that have to be processed but aren’t used in the initially-visible page), unused resources (CSS and JavaScript included but not actually used) and images with unnecessarily large files. Images are relatively easy to fix, such as replacing existing images with correctly-sized and bettercompressed ones, but other issues can be tricky. Plugins and modules to help
might be available (WP Super Cache and Autoptimize for WordPress), but often only handediting the code can fully fix LCP issues. First input delay (FID) measures the time before a user can interact with the page, such as to click a link. The target is under 100 milliseconds. FID is caused by the browser being tied up by JavaScript and CSS, preventing it reacting to the user’s input. This requires optimisation of code to lower the impact on processing time. Cumulative layout shift (CLS) measures how much the parts of a page move around as it loads, scored 0 to 1 with a target of below 0.1. Solutions include setting the size for anything loaded separately, such as images, videos and other
elements (eg cookie notices). Loading fonts can also cause CLS – the text is initially displayed in the default browser font, then the “proper” font loads and text shifts. If you want to know how your website and page load speed are performing, test your site at one of the links below: Google Search Console page experience report: https://bit.ly/emc-gsc Google PageSpeed Insights: https://bit.ly/emc-psi For full details on Google’s page experience update, visit http://bit.ly/emc-pe To hear more from Ian join him at our next workshop. To see the full schedule, visit www.leicsdigital.co.uk/events
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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY
Five reasons why your business should care about data ethics Customer information is vital to every business – but how much consideration does your business give to data ethics? If it’s not near the top of your company to-do list then it should be, explains Dr Funmi Obembe (pictured), of De Montfort University Leicester’s (DMU) Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, a group of academics working with industry to educate about the potential impacts of technology on society and its citizens. It can seem as though data breaches are constantly in the news. In April, it emerged that 533 million people’s Facebook accounts had been exposed to hackers and LinkedIn user information was for sale on the dark web. More and more people are becoming aware of the amount of personal information that is held about them and expect companies to protect it. Data ethics is simply all about the ethical use of data by organisations which, among other things, includes thinking about the way in which your company treats the information it holds on its customers. Do you keep it safe and let your customers know what data your firm holds? Do you hold more data than you need? If you buy customer lists for marketing purposes, are you confident about the way in which that information was collected?
Here are five reasons why your business needs to think about the way in which it gathers, and uses, data and customer information:
1. REVENUE Put simply, ensuring you use data ethically protects your bottom line. Failing to ensure that customer data is safe leaves your company open for fines and legal action. Research by digital transformation firm Fenergo found 198 fines were imposed in 2020, 141% up on last year, with penalties totalling $10.4bn. In March, travel booking site Booking.com was fined £475,000 for being too slow to report a breach in which credit card information was stolen.
2. TRUST We know public trust in companies to use data appropriately is lower than trust levels generally. After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, 32% of Facebook users
stopped using the site as often. That rose to 38% the following year. A study by KPMG found 97% of consumers rated data privacy as important to them when choosing who they do business with. If your customers consider it as important, then it’s something businesses should be taking very seriously.
3. BUILD CUSTOMER LOYALTY When your customers know you are keeping their private information safe, you benefit from a loyal fanbase, and word of mouth is the best recommendation. It could also become a selling point for doing business with your company. The key is transparency and ensuring customers know what data you hold, and how you use it. Consumers expect more from brands they buy from.
4. REPUTATION More than ever, people expect full transparency, control and choice
over how their data is shared and used by companies. Unethical data usage, security breaches and leaks lead to bad press and affect your company’s reputation, which in turn can hit the bottom line. The Cambridge Analytica scandal knocked $36bn off Facebook’s stock value 24 hours after the story was published by The Guardian and The New York Times.
5. BE A TRAILBLAZER At the moment, data ethics is a “good to have”, rather than a legal requirement, but the direction of travel indicated by the Government shows legislation is increasingly likely. Those businesses that get on board now to audit their data, interrogate how it’s used and communicate it to customers will be the ones to gain a reputation for being good to buy from and do business with.
Air IT launches new password management service Businesses can call on expert support to prevent passwordrelated cyber-attacks after a managed IT service provider launched a new password management service. The Nottinghamshireheadquartered company, which has a national presence, will help employees at client firms to create a strong “master password” that allows access to an individual password vault – allowing a move away from risky practices in which people use the same combination across multiple accounts. The service will be overseen by Air IT’s in-house Security Operations Centre, headed up by chief technology officer Lee Johnson (pictured, centre). He said: “The average person has
more than 70 password-protected accounts, which often leads to poor password hygiene such as creating simple, easily-cracked passwords that are reused across several accounts. “As part of our mission to
safeguard organisations, we are thrilled to offer this new service which will mitigate the risk of data breaches, strengthen compliance standards and boost employee productivity.” Cyber-crime poses a significant
threat to businesses, with four in 10 affected by data breaches in the past 12 months. This figure is notably higher among medium-sized businesses, 65% of which had been victims of cyber-attacks, and 51% of highincome charities. Many of these attacks can be attributed to inadequate use of passwords and poorly generated passwords. Air IT’s specialist cyber security division has partnered with Keeper Security, the leading cyber security platform for preventing passwordrelated cyber threats, to offer the password management service, with features including password generation, record-level encryption, team management, secure file storage and security audits. business network June 2021
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LEGAL
Employees heading overseas: What employers need to know
Brits can finally travel abroad after the UK announced a traffic light system that places different restrictions for countries according to the category they’re placed in. For employers, this raises some questions about how to handle employees who are planning to travel and how it may affect a return to work. Laura Kearsley (pictured), partner and employment law solicitor at Nelsons, answers some of the common queries. GREEN, AMBER OR RED The Government’s global travel taskforce has created a traffic light system, which categorises countries based on a number of risk factors and places them in either green, amber or red: • Green: Requires one predeparture test up to 72 hours before returning to the UK, one PCR Covid test up to two days after arrival in England or Wales and no quarantine period. • Amber: Requires one predeparture test, 10 days of quarantine at home upon arrival in the UK and a PCR test on days two and eight of quarantine. • Red: Requires one pre-departure test, 10 days of quarantine in a Government-managed hotel upon arrival in the UK at a cost of £1,750 per person, and a PCR test on days two and eight of quarantine. Passengers must also book and agree to pay for a quarantine package before leaving the UK. It’s important to bear in mind that quarantine conditions will be dependent upon the country visited and that each category is subject to change at any point. For example, someone could start their holiday visiting a green category country that is moved to amber during their stay, meaning quarantine would be required upon their return to the UK. Consequently, this makes the holiday booking process a bit more complicated for both employers and employees. 68
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WHEN AN EMPLOYEE MAKES A HOLIDAY REQUEST, AM I ABLE TO ASK WHERE THEY’RE GOING BEFORE I APPROVE IT? This is possible, but it’s likely you will need to update your internal policies before you do so. Any policy changes should be made known and explained to your employees, which includes: • Notifying you if they’ve travelled overseas • What happens if they need to quarantine • How any periods of absence due to quarantine will need to be recorded or noted in employment records • If they will be paid for quarantine • If they won’t receive pay during this time, whether they can use any remaining annual leave.
IF ANY OF MY EMPLOYEES NEED TO QUARANTINE, CAN I ASK THEM TO WORK? Employees who should be returning to work but are unable to due to quarantine must follow the employer’s absence reporting procedure. As an employer, you can’t ask employees to return to the workplace if they have to quarantine as this would be a direct breach of Covid-19 regulations. However, if your employee is able to work from home while in quarantine, or from their quarantine hotel, then you may consider allowing them to do so.
IF MY EMPLOYEE HAS TO QUARANTINE, CAN’T WORK FROM HOME AND HAS NO ANNUAL LEAVE LEFT, DO I HAVE TO PAY THEM? No, you don’t have to pay a member of staff in this scenario, unless the individual is ill. Individuals who are required to quarantine but have no Covid-19 symptoms are not entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) either. If they have not agreed a period of unpaid leave in advance then you may regard this absence as unauthorised.
MY EMPLOYEE HAS BOOKED ANNUAL LEAVE THIS SUMMER FOR AN OVERSEAS TRIP, BUT I’M CONCERNED ABOUT THEM TRAVELLING ABROAD. CAN I CANCEL THEIR HOLIDAY? This is a difficult situation. As an employer, you have the right to decline holiday requests at the time they’re made, but this is not an automatic right to cancel the holiday further down the line. Either the employee’s contract or your holiday policy will contain the information on cancelling requests, and this will need to be followed. If no such clause or policy exists, employees should abide by the Working Time Regulations. Regulation 15(2)(B) states that employers must give as much notice as the leave they want to cancel and explain why. For example, to cancel one week of
annual leave, one week’s written notice must be given. Your employee would have a good argument that they had relied on the holiday approval and will lose money if the leave is cancelled. However, you should discuss this on a case-by-case basis as it may be that your employee’s plans are flexible.
NOW THINGS ARE REOPENING, CAN I DECLINE ALL HOLIDAY REQUESTS FOR A SPECIFIC PERIOD UNTIL WE KNOW HOW BUSY THINGS ARE? Yes, employers can decline holiday requests if there are business reasons for this. However, I’d recommend making sure your employees have the opportunity to take some holiday for health and wellbeing purposes. Something we have often heard during the pandemic is that many employees have not booked any holiday this year and are hoping to take time off when restrictions ease. This is something that should be discussed with employees as a break from work is vital, even if it’s not overseas. For this reason, you should consider to what extent you’re going to allow employees to put off taking holiday and whether this might be create problems further down the line.
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LEGAL
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FINANCE
Is cyber security insurance needed? New research has revealed the extent to which middle-market businesses are exposed to cyberattacks in the UK – with a Chamber strategic partner finding 56% of firms operating without any form of cyber security insurance. This is despite one in five companies reporting an attack last year, and the likelihood of a continued surge in cyber-attacks in the coming months and beyond. More than half of the companies reporting a cyber-attack said security breaches were up in 2020 compared to the previous year. Some 73% of those surveyed also said their business was at risk of unauthorised users deliberately and illegally attempting to access their data or systems over the next 12 months. The Real Economy survey, by East Midlands-based audit, tax and consulting firm RSM, questioned more than 400 middle market business leaders to uncover the cyber security challenges they have faced during the coronavirus pandemic. Eighty percent of those that had experienced a breach said the attack was an indirect result of the pandemic. The sudden shift in remote working practices from March 2020 and the need to adapt in such a short space of time appears to have created a weakened cyber infrastructure that criminals have capitalised on. With security breaches a certainty for many businesses and
Sheila Pancholi
‘There is still a lot to be done to define what cyber insurance looks like’ yet well over half of companies still having no cyber security insurance policy in place, RSM said it was perhaps surprising that 92% of those surveyed were confident in their existing measures to safeguard sensitive data. Sheila Pancholi, technology risk assurance and cyber security partner at RSM, said: “We know many businesses are facing significant challenges around managing the impact the pandemic has had. “With employees working remotely and not being fully safeguarded by corporate infrastructures, recognising and mitigating against cyber threats is more important than ever. “The challenge with cyber insurance sits in the fact that businesses still don’t know what
they need their insurance to provide cover over. “Conversely, the complexities and intangible nature of what’s required for that business make it difficult for insurance companies to provide coverage that has an adequate reach and is sufficiently tailored. “The burden of the time and cost of recovering from an attack is where a cyber insurance policy could prove invaluable. There is still a lot to be done to define what cyber insurance looks like for businesses, as a policy that would have provided effective cover one month ago might not cover the new threat variation.
“Additionally, questions remain on whether the UK workforce is adequately skilled with technicallytrained cyber security professionals, and the hand in hand role security measures will have for businesses when looking at their wider cyber footprint.” RSM’s cyber security survey was the second in The Real Economy series of topical quarterly surveys focusing on the middle market as a powerhouse of the UK economy. It is also the first authoritative source of economic data for this crucial area of UK market, sharing insight and perspective for the wider economy.
Santander course aims to boost diversity A large cohort of students at the University of Nottingham has been accepted on to a new programme run by global bank Santander to boost diversity in the finance industry. Eighty-seven black and black mixed ethnicity students and recent graduates will be among the first to take part in the Santander Universities Black Inclusion Programme – the latest in a range of initiatives to increase access to finance careers in which people of colour are under-represented. The group is among 3,000 university students and graduates in the UK to win places on the scheme. It will give them access to specially tailored online training, professional development and employability skills to help build their CV. The course is being run in partnership with leading finance industry specialist Finance Unlocked. It also focuses on the fundamentals of finance and covers topical subjects including green finance and blockchain. Professor Sarah Sharples, pro vice-chancellor for equality, diversity and inclusion at the University of Nottingham, said: “I am very pleased to see such strong participation from our black and minority ethnic students in this Santander programme. As part of our recent Race Equality Charter submission we identified the importance of targeted opportunities such as these as part of collective activity to eliminate the degree awarding gap. I wish the participants on the programme every success.” After completing the eight-hour online programme and quizzes, 30 of the top-performing students and graduates will also be in with a chance of receiving a £1,500 Santander scholarship. 70
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The initiative has been promoted to students and new graduates as part of the university’s growing portfolio of EDI activity for students and staff. Francesse Tornyie-Larbie, a first-year medicinal and biological chemistry student, said: “It is a chance for me to make my understanding of finance more comprehensive, especially considering my past experience with A-level business. The finance sector is a viable field for a graduate in chemistry to advance in, so I am hopeful that this course will give me a slight edge in my graduate career.” Charlotte Appiah, a second year MMath mathematics student, said: “This hopefully will give me an advantage when applying to summer internships later this year as I’ll have a better understanding of the finance industry and more insight into the daily workings of the various divisions.”
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FINANCE
Using R&D tax relief to support logistics innovation Brexit, the pandemic, changing customer demands and the rapid expansion of e-commerce mean the logistics industry is facing many challenges. The need to overcome these hurdles is driving many companies to innovative solutions – but not all will be aware of how they can recoup costs through R&D tax relief, as Caroline Hawkins (pictured), senior manager of Shorts Accountants’ Radius team, explains. WHAT IS R&D TAX RELIEF? Successive governments have used R&D tax relief to incentivise companies to invest in innovation by offering reduced corporation tax, and in some cases cash credits, to innovative companies. The relief can be worth up to almost 25% of qualifying costs for tax-paying companies and is a vital source of support for many claimants.
WHO CAN CLAIM R&D TAX RELIEF? R&D tax relief is available for companies seeking to advance technology by creating or improving
products and processes. Many eligible companies do not claim the relief they are entitled to because they overestimate the level of innovation required. Commerciallydriven innovative solutions to industry challenges often lead to projects which qualify for R&D relief.
INNOVATION IN THE LOGISTICS INDUSTRY Many solutions are technologyrelated, with logistics companies turning to software to help with supply chain management, stock management, warehousing, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship
management (CRM) systems. New or improved software development can be eligible for R&D relief where the software being created goes beyond the capabilities of existing software. An example of a claim recently completed by the Radius team was for a logistics company that developed a new system for warehousing and fulfilment, which integrated the process from order receipt through to delivery. This required the development of bespoke software to integrate with complex legacy systems. Other solutions can include manufacturing improved transport
solutions. For example, the Radius team has recently completed claims for a trailer manufacturer developing a novel trailer with simplified loading and unloading capabilities.
HOW CAN YOU GET STARTED? The above are just two examples of the way logistics companies may be undertaking projects for commercial reasons that could benefit from R&D tax credits. If your company is involved in any new product or process development, a reputable R&D tax relief expert can help you determine whether R&D tax relief is available.
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How the pandemic has transformed academies’ finances School finances were already in a challenging situation but the past year’s events have been put them under unusual stresses and strains. Rachel Barrett (pictured), director and head of academies at Duncan & Toplis, explains the impact using insights from a new report by the East Midlands chartered accountants. Each year, Duncan & Toplis co-authors a major report into the finances of almost 1,400 academy schools in 300 academy trusts across the UK. The Kreston Academies Benchmarking Report represents the finances of 15% of all academy schools in the UK, making it one of the largest surveys of its kind. Since 2018/19, most academies have turned a budget surplus and last year, the number of trusts in cumulative deficit fell from 8% to just 5% during the last school year. That schools were still able to turn a surplus at all during the last academic year may come as a surprise, but the disruption from Covid-19 only really began during the final months of the last school year, from the point when schools were first closed on 20 March.
‘A major barrier during the lockdowns has been inequality in the technology needed for remote learning’ Another important point is that, paradoxically, the period of the greatest disruption created the greatest opportunities for savings when it comes to school budgets: While closed, they were able to reduce the cost of staffing, maintenance and utilities, using savings to cover additional costs elsewhere. Because secondary schools were closed for longer than primaries, their financial performance improved the most, with average surpluses excluding capital income rising from an average of £13,011 to more than £147,000.
TECHNOLOGY AND SUPPLIER COSTS As was widely reported, a major barrier during the lockdowns has been inequality in the technology needed for remote learning. This has meant significant differences between schools, with some able to switch to online delivery almost overnight, while others struggled to secure the tools they needed, particularly in deprived communities. This meant some schools had to rapidly make large investments in technology, while others were able to make fewer new purchases. Schools also needed to consider issues around their suppliers, caterers and contractors, with difficult questions consuming management time.
FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AHEAD Looking at the current year, we can use some of these findings to anticipate the financial situations schools will be facing today, including the costs of reopening schools and making them Covid-secure.
In terms of remote learning, a survey we conducted in December showed 85% of schools increased IT spending in 2020/21. Although it may feel like it’s been a year of lockdowns, schools have largely remained open throughout the 2020/21 academic year. The consequence of this is that schools have had to shoulder the added costs of maintaining Covid security while remaining fully open for far longer than they did last year. As a result, the costs of extra cleaning, additional staffing and suppliers to cover higher levels of staff absence will have risen. Fortunately, schools are being supported with the additional costs they face. The Government has allocated support schemes such as the Recovery Premium, funding to cover exceptional costs associated with coronavirus, and a £2.2bn increase in school funding for schools that should increase most local authority allocations by 3%. However, many are retrospectively awarded, meaning schools must shoulder the immediate costs before claiming back for reimbursement. Many schools have also been unable to access these funds, either because the claim criteria is too narrow or because they are expected to use up their reserves before claiming for Government support. Very few schools we surveyed had made successful claims at the time of publication and even fewer had been reimbursed for their total additional spend. The challenges, exceptional costs and complications for academies across the UK continue to mount and we will have to wait and see just how badly school finances have been affected.
New town centre hub will boost careers A Careers and Enterprise Hub has opened its doors in the heart of Loughborough to help people enhance their skills to access the jobs market, progress in their existing careers or launch a new business idea. The hub, which is run by specialist advisers from Loughborough College and Loughborough 72
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University, will offer advice to people about education and training pathways to boost their skills. It opened last month after Charnwood Borough Council purchased the building with help from a £750,000 funding boost via the Loughborough Town Deal. Jo Maher, principal and CEO of Loughborough College, said it
would “help unlock the potential and career aspirations of local people in our community”. She added: “The Careers and Enterprise Hub perfectly positions the college to support the town’s skills-led recovery from Covid-19.” A Loughborough University team will provide expert support to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to
launch a new business. Loughborough University’s Professor Chris Rielly added: “The hub represents a really exciting opportunity to equip individuals with new skills, enabling them to build businesses which are ‘fit for the future’, agile, focused on emerging markets and committed to scaleup and growth.”
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SKILLS
‘Skills factory’ planned for the region Experts in cyber and space technology are bidding to create a £13m “skills factory” in Leicestershire to revitalise the region’s economy. The Leicester and Leicestershire Institute of Technology in Space, Digital, Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Propulsion aims to help plug the skills gap in the region and help the area recover from the effects of the pandemic, in which Leicester has remained in lockdown for longer than anywhere else in the UK. The provision covers the agriculture dimension and the provision of alternative fuel-based propulsion. Now the joint bid, which has the backing of the Chamber, has taken a step closer to reality after the Department for Education (DfE) chose it to go through to the next round of applications for one of eight new institutes of technology in the UK. The bid is centred on the themes of space, advanced manufacturing and digital skills. It will offer training opportunities for local people, help employers to meet skills needs, create jobs, and boost growth and productivity in the local
The Leicester and Leicestershire Institute of Technology would have links to Space Park Leicester
‘Demonstrates the university’s long track record in space science and research’ economy as well as supporting the delivery of specialist skills and education elsewhere in the UK. The delivery partnership involves the University of Leicester, De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), Leicester College, The SMB Group (Stephenson College & Brooksby Melton College), North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, the National Space Centre and employers including Airbus, Reaction Engines and WSP Engineering.
Each partner will bring their expertise in areas such as digital skills, engineering, space technology and manufacturing, supporting the Government’s “levelling up” agenda. Professor Nishan Canagarajah, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester, said reaching the final stage of the Government’s bidding process “not only demonstrates the university’s long track record in space science and research, but our commitment
to providing skills-based opportunities in Leicester and the surrounding region”. DMU vice-chancellor Professor Katie Normington added: “To win this bid would mean being able to really use the training expertise we have at DMU as a regional leader in apprenticeship delivery to bolster the development of crucial digital skills throughout the region. “By working with Leicestershire education partners, we will be able to provide a comprehensive, ideal range of experience to ensure this institute is a catalyst for economic growth and innovation into the future.” The Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership’s economic recovery plan identifies a lack of digital skills and belowaverage productivity levels as factors inhibiting the area’s growth. The need for skilled jobs will only increase as plans progress to open a freeport in the East Midlands, creating an estimated 60,000 new skilled jobs for the region, with a focus on industrial strengths such as advanced manufacturing to boost competitiveness and spur local and regional economic growth.
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PROPERTY
New Government hub completed in Nottingham Warehouse deal to create local jobs Industrial landlord Urban Logistics Reit (ULR) has agreed to buy 10 warehouses totalling 375,000 sq ft – mostly based in the East Midlands – in a £40m deal, providing opportunities to create about 400 jobs. The AIM-listed company, whose tenants are mostly in the supply chain for distribution networks, agreed a two-phase acquisition from Wilson Bowden Developments, which was represented by Chamber member FHP Property Consultants, ahead of the buildings being completed. Detailed planning applications have been submitted to build the 10 warehouses on four sites – Blenheim Park in Nottingham, Willow Farm in Castle Donington, Optimus Point in Leicester, and Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale. Richard Moffitt, chief executive at ULR, which was advised by M1 Agency, said the development programme “will add further highquality new assets to the portfolio at a time when smaller urban logistics warehouses are in short supply”. He added: “Given the strength of demand for space from occupiers seeking representation in the East Midlands market, which has been undersupplied for some time now, we expect to demand to be strong.” The first phase of the transaction commits to building four units ranging in size from 18,090 sq ft to 81,100 sq ft at Blenheim Park and a single detached warehouse of 43,850 sq ft at Optimus Point. These are expected to be ready for occupation by summer 2022 and it’s anticipated could create up to 250 jobs. Another 150 jobs could then be created during the second package of a further five warehouses, which ULR has the option to purchase, ranging from 20,000 sq ft to 44,608 sq ft later in the year. John Proctor, director at FHP Property Consultants’ Nottingham office, added: “The growth of ecommerce has been one of the driving factors behind the continued strengthening within the logistics supply chain sectors of the market. “We have seen major large-scale units of between 100,000 sq ft to one million sq ft being increasingly delivered to satisfy the larger-scale demand.” 74
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Described as one of the most transformational developments delivered in the East Midlands in more than a decade, Unity Square – the new UK Government Hub in Nottingham – has now completed construction. The Grade A office scheme in Queensbridge Road, opposite Nottingham railway station, will be home to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other Government departments after signing a 25-year pre-let agreement on the scheme with joint venture partners Sladen Estates and Peveril Securities.
‘Unity Square will have a positive impact on job creation and the economic growth of the area’ It’s hoped the modern 10storey office block, built at the site of a former multi-storey car park and with capacity for 4,000 workers, will serve as a catalyst for regeneration in the southside area of the city that also features the Broadmarsh site. Nick Sladen, chief executive of Chamber member Sladen Estates, said: “Unity Square will have a positive impact on job creation and the economic growth of the area. It should prove to be a spark for significant regeneration in the
Unity Square in Nottingham is a modern 10-storey office block
southside of Nottingham and provides a striking addition to the city skyline. “We are really pleased that despite the coronavirus pandemic, and all the labour and material sourcing issues this caused, that the scheme continued on track for its original target completion date.” Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates purchased the 1.14hectare site in 2015 and demolished the existing derelict car parks before embarking on the scheme, with the Government hub being forward funded by LGIM Real Assets, part of Legal & General. It was designed by Manchesterbased architecture firm 5 Plus and
constructed by Derbyshire-based Bowmer + Kirkland, with the contractors having to contend with the coronavirus pandemic during the final stages of the build. The development is now set to be one of the largest regional offices for HMRC, whose Nottingham office is currently based at the Castle Meadow campus, when it begins moving employees in from early 2022. Colin Casse, locations programme director at HMRC, said: “A stunning building, right in the heart of the city, 1 Unity Square will provide a flexible modern working environment that can be adapted as our ways of working develop in the future.”
Deal to deliver logistics facilities
Property developer Clowes Developments has agreed a £100m deal with insurance giant NFU Mutual to deliver new logistics facilities throughout the UK – including several in the East Midlands. The deal, which involved law firm Geldards and FHP Property Consultants, will lead to Clowes delivering six logistics sites – five of which will be speculatively built. Totalling in excess of one million sq ft, the three sites are at East Midlands Distribution Centre (EMDC) in
Castle Donington, Castlewood Business Park in South Normanton, and Centrix Park in Northamptonshire. The size of the new units will range from 58,586 sq ft at Centrix Park to a unit of close to 250,000 sq ft at EMDC. At Castlewood Business Park, two units will be delivered measuring 134,192 sq ft and 176,817 sq ft, while EMDC will accommodate buildings totalling 189,573 sq ft and 249,418 sq ft.
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MOTORING
A true four-leaf clover
Step forward the Alfa Romeo Guilia Quadrifoglio – which, incidentally, is Italian for “four-leaf clover” – having catapulted the brand into unchartered territory with its staggeringly powerful 2.9-litre twinturbocharged 503-brake horse power engine, a true race car for the road. The V6 engine has not one but two turbochargers, powering it to more than 190 miles per hour, and has a 0-60 time of just 3.9 seconds. Motoring journalist Nick Jones had a blast to gather his thoughts.
irstly, the Alfa faces some stiff competition from the likes of the Mercedes Benz C63, the BMW M4 and the Audi RS4, all seriously fast saloons. Despite being heavily turboed, the Alfa doesn’t suffer from any lag whatsoever – instead, delivers a button-sharp throttle response, coupled to the eightspeed automatic gearbox. Flick to the manual option and the Alfa can be shifted using large aluminium column-mounted paddles and they work really well. As with many Alfas, one can use the dynamic, natural and advanced (DNA) efficiency modes, but it’s when you select the “race” mode that things dramatically change. Everything firms up and as the revs rise, so does the bark it produces from the four exhausts. It also cracks violently on upshifts and goads you into further exploitation. Thankfully, the brakes are up to scratch with drilled large discs fore and aft, with the option of carbon ceramics if desired. Nothing wrong with the way it handles, as in race mode there’s little or no body roll and the clever rear differential sends power to the wheel that needs it most. Impressive still, the ride is not overly firm, feeling supple and well damped – so much so it doesn’t suffer from a back-crunching thump. On the inside, the Alfa has gone upmarket – the seats (mine had the carbon fibre ones) are among the most comfortable I’ve sat in for a long time and the pedals are not offset.
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‘One of the most entertaining, bonkers cars that I have driven in a very, very long time’
FACTFILE The carbon fibre theme continues with lots of the trim, and the leather-wrapped dash is well appointed; the steering wheel feels supremely race-like too. I do like the infotainment system and the operation of it via the 8.8-inch colour screen. There’s lots of room in the rear, but surprisingly the back seats don’t fold down or split – nonetheless, the boot is a good size. Against the might of the (mainly) German opposition, one may feel the Alfa lacks in several areas to put you off from buying one. I’m not having any of that. Yes, the Alfa may suffer holding up after say three years down the line in residual values, but it represents one of the most entertaining, bonkers cars that I have driven in a very, very long time. Oh, and it’s cheaper than all the opposition and looks the part. Now where do I sign up? Yes, it’s that good.
MODEL Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
PERFORMANCE Top speed: 190mph 0-60 mph: 3.9 seconds Power: 503 horsepower
CO2 EMISSIONS 206g/km
COMBINED MPG 27.2 mpg
PRICE OTR From £64,564
WOW FACTOR 11/10
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INFORMATION
Why we need more elephants in sales bounce back and be ready to provide solutions for your next customer. Ask yourself how far you are prepared to walk to meet your customers’ requirements?
Salespeople can find it hard to match their solutions with customer requirements, and so often this is because active listening was not used, believes Ade Fleet. The sales coach, who owns Borrowash-based sales training business SalesAde, recommends following the key characteristics and traits of an elephant – here’s why. KEEP GRAZING
ELEPHANTS NEVER FORGET
Elephants weigh up to six tonnes and need to keep grazing on 150kg of vegetation each day to survive. The same is true in sales, where proactive prospecting is key. Even when you are busy trying to close a huge opportunity, you need to keep prospecting – otherwise your sales pipeline will dry up further down the line.
But salespeople do. Following active listening, it is crucial you spend five minutes writing up your notes in a CRM shortly after each customer visit. Notes can be brief but should include requirements, solutions explored, timescales and agreed next actions. You will lose all trust and credibility if you fail to deliver on promised next actions.
ACTIVE LISTENING
PLAYFUL
When in contact with your customer, wherever possible stop talking and listen – really listen. Listen to find your customer’s challenges, needs and future directions. Only then should you talk about how you can partner with them to find a solution. African elephants, with their large ears, are well adapted for active listening.
Elephants love to play and roll about in the mud. In sales, we can learn from this – you need to be ready to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. You need to learn your products and be a valuable resource for your customers.
PACK YOUR TRUNK Occasionally in sales, you may get
HUMBLE AND WISE Elephants are humble and wise. When in front of a customer, leave your ego at the door. There’s nothing wrong with being quietly confident but remember to humble yourself. Keep it real, and draw on your experience and product knowledge.
HERD MENTALITY lucky with a quick win. You have a higher chance of success if you have a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) sales strategy in place. Before implementing your strategy, take some time to reflect on which sales activities you should continue, stop and start doing.
RESILIENT Elephants have thick skin and are prepared to walk miles and miles to reach water and ensure survival. In sales, you will not win them all. You need to grow a thick skin quickly to
In sales, a herd mentality is key. Getting the first few sales of a new product or service can be tough – but if your early adopters have a positive experience, they’re likely to spread the word with their peers and colleagues. They are then acting as powerful references for your solution and the herd should start to follow. Before your next customer appointment, take a few minutes to think “how can I be more elephant?” Clear your mind, be present, actively listen and hopefully, in the future, the herd may walk with you.
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COMMENT
THE LAST WORD Chamber president and ER Recruitment owner EILEEN RICHARDS MBE on forging an identity for East Midlands business ur three counties are masterful at marketing our diverse business offer, which ranges from engineering to manufacturing and logistics to leisure. But can we say the same of how we forge our regional identity so as to get ministers reaching for their infrastructure chequebooks? It was suggested during a recent Chamber president’s roundtable event that a united East Midlands business community might help promote our ever-developing offer as we seek to catch the eye of mandarins sitting in Whitehall. Politically, of course, we do not have the regional mayor or combined authority that provides places such as the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and the Tees Valley with a direct line to decision-makers and a straightforward pipeline for regional public investment. Could business play its part by shaping a regional coalition with a simple narrative and a single voice with which to speak to London? The centre of England is, after all, a centre of trade. Whether such a coalition would open the same doors (or answer the same Zoom calls) as a regional mayor is another matter. However, we must work with what is within our gift – and time is pressing. The Levelling Up White Paper – due later this year and led by the Prime Minister, with the advice of Harborough MP Neil O’Brien – presents a tremendous opportunity to position ourselves as the economy reopens. But position ourselves as what? What do we want to be known for as a region? A united business community may be somewhere to start. A regional coalition that moves as one from the lone entrepreneur to the multinational. One suggestion I liked at the round table was for the Chamber to work on such a project in collaboration with universities and regional branches of groups such as the Institute of Directors and Federation of Small Businesses.
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MARKETING EAST MIDLANDS Returning to the marketing theme, if word-ofmouth referrals are the most valuable form of 78
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promotion then we already have the networks – at every level – to make our case. As suggested recently by Rob Day, founder and chairman of Blueprint Interiors, our companies already work across regional, national and international borders – and are happy to say why they are based in the East Midlands. The challenge, of course, is that they are sharing individual perspectives. What if our businesses were armed with a single, unifying message that they can use to hammer home our case every time a client shows an interest in our region? Our offer is, after all, significant.
LEVELLING UP OPPORTUNITIES WILL HELP CONFIDENCE RETURN Meanwhile, the emerging recovery narrative is a positive one. The Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey is showing that, while some sectors remain challenged, recovery is happening at pace. Confidence is as high as it has been since 2019. This is a business region ready to capitalise on opportunities – if the leads are forthcoming. Currently, much investment is heading to our West and North. How can we get more of that coming our way? After all, the levelling up agenda is aimed squarely at place – and that means the East Midlands, as well as the West. How can we position ourselves consistently as being at the forefront of investors’ minds when they are looking for a region that can be relied upon to consistently deliver a trial or a programme? Government is placing increasing emphasis on the role of the Midlands Engine and we are fortunate to have strong representation on that platform. How can we help our representatives by swinging an exciting (and unified) business narrative in behind them for when they go in to negotiate with our Whitehall leaders? The Chamber – spanning as it does Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire – feels well-placed to spearhead a collaborative push driven by regional businesses of all sizes. And what a statement that would be.
AWARDS SEASON EDGES CLOSER It’s amazing to think that I’ve already reached the halfway point of my year as president. Fair to say that it’s been eventful! The challenges have been welldocumented – not least for our leisure and hospitality sectors, as reported in last month’s magazine. But the creativity and resilience has been inspiring and I want to do all I can to lock that energy into the benefit of Chamber members. As such, increasing membership has been a top priority for me so far. That’s why I have been really pleased to have had my timelines buzzing as new members are welcomed aboard. So what am I looking forward to during the second half of the year? Well, there’s the Generation Next Awards. This is our new initiative to build a network that develops and celebrates our future leaders. The list of finalists was revealed last month and the winners will be announced in July. There’s also the 24th anniversary of Enterprising Women to look forward to with a gala awards dinner in October. In the meantime, there’s also our three sets of Business Awards. They’ve also had timelines buzzing as sponsorships are snapped up. Most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing people face-to-face again. The technology has been (mostly) effective but business, for me, is about people. It’ll be great to see you all soon in the flesh, rather than on a screen!
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BUSINESS NETWORK
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