Niche Magazine Issue 48

Mar/April 2022

#FindYourNiche

THE BP LEGAL FAMILY SERVING FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS Leicestershire TOP 200 Leicestershire companies in print

Breaking the bias

International Women’s Day

Corporate Wellbeing

Company culture and wellness ideas

Have you forgotten about your marketing?

Are you guilty of whacking out content just so you have something out there rather than taking the time to consider what you should be putting out and to whom?

Both are common, so firstly, know you’re not alone.Secondly, we know it’s very easy to take control of.

The most common small business marketing challenges are: ● Lack

of resources

● Ability

to increase visibility or generate quality leads ● Choosing

the right avenue to market

● Producing

and delivering quality content that talks to the right audience ● Use

the right platform at the right point in their customer journey ● Keeping

up with trends and technology.

Remember, you don’t know what you don’t know!

If you resonate with any of the above and are ready to commit to making a change, you are the right client for us

Come and have a FREE 30 Minute consultation with one of our marketing experts Call 0116 271 2573 or email info@crossproductions.co.uk

JENNY CROSS CEO jenny@crossproductions.co.uk

SALLY SMITH Marketing Director sally@crossproductions.co.uk

KERRY SMITH Editor kerry@crossproductions.co.uk

TOM YOUNG Feature Writer and Events co-ordinator tom@crossproductions.co.uk

EMILY MILLER Senior Journalist emily.miller@crossproductions.co.uk

One of our valued marketing consultants, TINASHE has a business management degree and over five years of experience working in sales. He’s also a keen weight lifter and maintains mindfulness and inner peace by practicing meditation.

LEVITHA BIJI Feature Writer levitha@crossproductions.co.uk

TOM is a Niche Magazine feature writer and the event co-ordinator for Cross Productions. He has a degree in creative writing and over a decade of experience working in comedy and theatre. He likes writing about business news, what’s on, and interesting people.

SUSAN HOLMES Head of Design studio susan.holmes@crossproductions.co.uk

KATIE BRENNAN Creative Assistant katie@crossproductions.co.uk

TRACEY HUNTER Marketing Consultant tracey@crossproductions.co.uk

CHARLOTTE MILES Marketing Consultant charlotte@crossproductions.co.uk

TINASHE SIGAUKE Marketing Consultant tinashe@crossproductions.co.uk

BECCI HOULSTON Head of Digital becci@crossproductions.co.uk

SHARON CLEMENT Assistant Head of Digital sharon@crossproductions.co.uk

BECKY DAY Digital Account Manager becky@crossproductions.co.uk

Dancer and keen photographer, SERENA is a media and communications graduate who is skilled in personal branding, public relations, design, and social media marketing, making her a great fit for her digital account manager role at Cross Productions and Niche Magazine.

EVAN-MAY GILLOTT Digital Account Manager evan-may@crossproductions.co.uk

SERENA JIVAN Digital Account Manager serena@crossproductions.co.uk

#FindYourNiche nichemagazine.co.uk

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0116 271 2573

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info@crossproductions.co.uk

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

NICHE

is the trade mark of Cross Productions and used under license by Jennifer Cross. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copying or otherwise without permission.

Disclaimer – Niche Magazine and Cross Productions Ltd are fully protected by copyright; no part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without the complete and expressed permission of the publisher.

The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy, however there can be no liability accepted by the publisher for errors and omissions. We can under no circumstance be held responsible for any materials, matter or photographical copy submitted for publication or not within the website or magazine. We cannot be held responsible or liable for any breaches of copyright from adverts, materials or photography or any other such material supplied by a third party. The views and opinions expressed within our publications are not necessarily those of the publisher or indeed Niche Magazine or any featured parties.

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Published by Cross Productions Ltd 17 Mandervell Road, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5LR info@crossproductions.co.uk

F

un and frolics have been had here at Niche with the Leicester Comedy Festival brightening a dull February.

We’ve attended a heap of events between us including The Same Faces’ improvised comedy gig run by Tom Young who has brought much laughter into our offices after we hired him as our newest feature writer. He joins senior journalist Emily Miller and intern-turned feature writer Levitha Biji.

We’re a sponsor of mental health charity Lamp and are gearing up to take part in the ‘Trip to the Moon’ 5k challenge in May. Read more about it on page 105. We’ve also featured plenty of other charities and events that you can keep your eye out for over the next few months.

Our big news this issue is that Niche Magazine is the official print sponsor of the Leicestershire Top 200 Companies 2022 list.

We’re over the moon to be able to share the full list with you this year. The data was compiled by Leicester Castle Business School and De Montfort University, and we’ve put together our own analysis of the list starting from page 40.

International Women’s Day is something we write about each year. This time, we’ve touched on some difficult subjects and started conversations with local women about their experiences.

Our front cover ties in with this overarching theme too, as Bhumika Parmar of BP Legal, who sits on Niche’s regal-looking thrown this issue, talks about how family is fundamental to business success.

We also have special features on Corporate Wellbeing and The Green Piece for you to get stuck into. There’s lots of advice in there for employees and business owners on how to improve mental health and get serious about going green.

@magazineniche

@magazineniche

nichemagazineuk

Contents MARCH / APRIL 2022

20 ON THE COVER 20

THE BP LEGAL FAMILY Serving families for generations

200

TOP

COMPANIES IN LEICESTERSHIRE 2022

29

#BreakTheBias 78

Imagining a gender equal world

78

Constructing conversations

80

Mothers and moguls

81

Working mother shame

THIS ISSUE

81

Breaking the glass ceiling

TOP 200

82

Women and homelessness

83

Gender-based violence

84

Debunking stereotypes

85

Beauty from the inside out

Cover Image Bhumika Parmer Photographed by Hitz Rao at Hitz Rao Photography 0116 246 0475

BusinessLive LeicestershireLive

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

COMPANIES IN LEICESTERSHIRE 2022 29

About the list

30

Forewords

33

Purpose and method

34

The overall picture

36

Noteworthy

37

Analysis

38

CORPORATE WELLBEING

Does your work make you happy?

87

What happiness means at work

Sector trends

88

Striving for long term change

40

The top 10

89

Tackling taboo subjects

45

The top 200 list

90

Technology and mental health

77

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

87

CORPORATE WELLBEING

THE GREEN PIECE

09

Possible solar farm for Loughborough

95

10

Levelling Up in Leicester

12

EMC’s Leicestershire Business of the Year

12

Flexible co-working space

Listening, reading, doing

How businesses can take action

96

Grassroots green action

97

Reduce, re-use, recycle

EVERY ISSUE 14

Thought Leaders

23

We Asked You

74

Talking Legacies

92

Tales from the print room

94

First Impressions: a photography guide

98

Susie the Foodie

112

The Boardroom

BUSINESS NEWS 08

Leicester Business School restoration

09

Digital poverty grants

FINANCE

MARKETING 93

CRM as a business growth tool

WHAT’S ON 100

Home Planet at National Space Centre

101

Shows and gigs not to be missed

24

Minimum wage increase

24

What you need to know about buy-to-lets

103

Paul Merton’s Impro Chums at Curve

25

Measuring inflation with Cadbury’s Freddo

105

5k ‘Trip to the Moon’ challenge

26

How to finance a growing business

SOCIALS

28

New financial year tax advice

108

LEGAL 71

Owning the full rights to your home as a leaseholder

73

Solicitors firm doubles workforce

75

The risks of buying property at auction

Leicester Comedy Festival events: the Gala Preview Show and the Big Chilli

BUSINESS NEWS LEICESTERSHIRE

Leicester’s delegation heads to the French Riviera for MIPIM Team Leicester will visit Cannes for the MIPIM property and construction conference this spring.

The global real estate and business showcase returns to the French riviera from March 15 to 18 after being cancelled in previous years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Delegates from Leicestershire team up each year and head out to the week-long event. It’s a chance for SME business owners to mingle with business leaders from across the world, making valuable connections in a social setting.

Team Leicester expects the conference will take place on a marginally smaller scale this year because of the pandemic, but they’re looking forward to representing the city and county on an international stage.

Previous years have seen Team Leicester present investment opportunities at MIPIM including Leicester Riverside Regeneration Zone and MIRA Technology Park.

08 | NICHE

Brookfield House open for business after £16m restoration project at University of Leicester The home of University of Leicester’s Business School was formally opened with a special ceremony in January after a £15.8m restoration.

The works focused on creating an outstanding environment for students and researchers alike.

The Brookfield campus has been sympathetically restored to offer a variety of state-of-the-art learning and teaching spaces, including a Harvardstyle lecture theatre and the University of Leicester School of Business (ULSB) Trading Room, which boasts 16 dualscreen Bloomberg terminals.

Built in 1870, Brookfield House was Thomas Fielding Johnson’s family residence. The Victorian business leader was the founding benefactor of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland University College. It was only fitting that his descendants unveiled a commissioned portrait in his honour at the ceremony, which also celebrated University of Leicester’s centenary.

Speaking at the ceremony, President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Nishan Canagarajah said:

“The transformation of our Brookfield Campus has been a flagship project for the University, and I am delighted to see the tremendous facilities already being put to great use by our students and researchers.

“For us to cut the ribbon here in our centenary year is especially significant; this campus is directly linked to one of our founding fathers, and we have been conscious to honour the legacy of Thomas Fielding Johnson in this sympathetic renovation of his former family home.

“We hope that, through a mix of old and new, these facilities may also stand for the next 100 years in providing research-led education for our future leaders and entrepreneurs.”

Professor Daniel Ladley, Dean of the University of Leicester School of Business, added: “These restored facilities – reflecting on our past as well as looking to the future – will help enable continued, high-quality education and pioneering research across our internationally renowned areas of expertise.”

DONATIONS OF UNUSED IT EQUIPMENT MADE TO THE REACHING PEOPLE PROJECT ‘REFURB, REUSE, INCLUDE’

Digital poverty grants totalling £300k will benefit seven schemes The Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) has awarded £300,000 in grant funding to seven local projects in a bid to address growing concerns around digital poverty.

Stewart Smith, the LLEP’s Head of Employment and Skills, said: “The seven projects demonstrate an imaginative and exciting response to the challenge of digital poverty and will sustainably increase both accessibility and skills.”

The shift to digital during the pandemic has demonstrated the daily importance of being able to use a smartphone or computer to access

work and services.

The LLEP grant funding supports a range of innovative projects across the city and county, including recycling devices, laptop lending, skills support and digital buddies who can provide one-to-one help.

Kevin Harris, Chair of the LLEP Board of Directors, said: “By investing in accessible digital hubs, supporting training and increasing availability of equipment, the LLEP is working towards its goal of creating a region which is more productive, innovative and inclusive.”

The Leicester and Leicestershire

Economic Growth Strategy 2021-30, launched by the LLEP in December, sets a vision for harnessing local strengths, innovation and skills. The document’s vision is to create a resilient and adaptive workforce that continues work completed over the last decade to increase economic participation and prosperity for residents.

One project that has been funded is ‘Refurb, Reuse, Include’ run by an organisation called Reaching People.

It was awarded £87,941 to fund the project, which will acquire and format obsolete IT equipment from local businesses before gifting it to local charitable groups for use by people who would otherwise be digitally excluded.

All seven projects are due to start in early 2022.

Council investigates solar farm feasibility in Loughborough to cut carbon and generate revenue There could be £150,000 of council funds spent on two huge, new solar farms in Loughborough.

Charnwood Borough Council is set to explore the creation of the solar farms in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint.

One of the two areas being considered is a 21-acre piece of land at Nanpantan, and the other is a 40-acre site at Allsopp’s Lane in Loughborough. Both sites are owned by the Council.

The council is at the very early stages of the investigation of the land and is attempting to understand the investment required and how much energy it is possible to generate from the solar installations. The feasibility study will also consider the potential of rooftop installations on Council buildings and at Council car parks.

Cllr Roy Rollings, Lead Member for Transformation with responsibility for the Council’s commitment to be Carbon Neutral by 2030, said: “One of our strategic priorities is to

care for the environment and we are committed to making our operations carbon neutral by 2030.

“We have reduced our carbon footprint by 40 per cent since 2015, but we recognise that we need to go further in the coming years.

“The proposal at the moment is to explore the feasibility of adding solar installations on land we own and possibly to some of our buildings before any further decisions are made.

“Further investment would clearly be needed, but that is not a decision we can make without firm evidence to support that. We would also look to ensure that any investment pays for itself.”

Cabinet is being asked to approve £150,000 of funding from a budget that has already been allocated to help reduce the council’s carbon footprint. However, the report says a significant contingency is built into this cost and not all of the funding may be needed.

NICHE | 09

Leicester City Council awarded over £45.5m

from Government’s Levelling Up Fund

SE

one

o ry eds

ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF ENTRANCE OF LEICESTER RAILWAY STATION

Exciting news as Leicester, one of only three locations, is awarded Levelling Up funding for three projects.

City Centre Director Sarah Harrison explains how it will support the city's economic recovery and help create hundreds of new jobs

A

fter bidding for a portion of the government’s Levelling Up Fund, Leicester City Council has been awarded £45.5m which will go towards three major projects across the city.

The Levelling Up Fund is granted to major capital projects designed for the long-term. Funds given out are to be used to create jobs, encourage new investment, and enable business growth.

Leicester City Council will be using the money towards the revamp of Leicester railway station (£17.6m); the transformation of the former factory buildings at Pilot House, King Street into new start-up units for creative businesses (£8.5m); and £19.4million for three plans in and around Pioneer Park and Exploration Drive, complementing The University of Leicester’s Space Park development.

10 | NICHE

Leicester’s railway station revamp

An ambitious £22m scheme to remodel the station’s entrance and create a more attractive new gateway to the city centre have been given a major boost with the award of £17.6m of government funding.

The station would be effectively restored to its Victorian glory by forming a new entrance into Station Street, directly facing the city centre, and restoring the booking hall to its original size to create more space for train passengers.

The area immediately outside the new entrance will be remodelled with a ramp and steps leading to a large, newly glazed entrance to the main concourse.

The building’s original Station Street façade will also be restored.

The covered entrance hall areas on London Road – known as a port cochère – would be transformed into an attractive new plaza for retail, food, and drinks, with the existing taxi ranks reallocated nearby on Station Street.

The railway station revamp has seen a first phase of regeneration in the area which, in the longer term, could help attract more private investment and new development in the area.

The proposals will be subject to planning permission, and detailed design and development work is now underway. It is expected that construction will begin in early 2023 and be completed by mid-2024.

BUSINESS NEWS

ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF FRONTAGE OF PILOT HOUSE ON KING STREET

Pilot House regeneration plans

Pioneer Park economic recovery project

The news of the £8.6m government funding – that’s 75% of the total budget required for the scheme – means that plans to refurbish the council-owned site in King Street into a hub for start-up and growing businesses can now go ahead, subject to planning permission.

It would be a permanent base for businesses of varying sizes, from graduate start-ups to established firms, and of varying types – including craft makers and design practices.

Under the council’s proposals, Pilot House would be sensitively transformed to provide a central courtyard and atrium for shared use, a business zone for technical and digital businesses, and a co-working lounge.

The five separate but interconnected buildings on site would be transformed into 60,000sq ft of high-quality accommodation that would support around 250 new jobs.

The £19.4m funding will enable two related projects in and around Pioneer Park and Exploration Drive on land near the National Space Centre. The area is already home to the innovative Dock workspaces for high-tech industries, and the first project would see two more Dock-style buildings as well as nine high-quality manufacturing spaces totalling 4,000 square metres.

An area of land at Pioneer Park would be redeveloped to complement the University of Leicester’s Science Park, providing an opportunity to deliver high-quality production facilities linked to space and satellite technologies.

The bid proposals also include a third element, transforming the vacant Ian Marlow Centre council depot site in nearby Blackbird Road into around 3,000 square metres of light industrial spaces to provide much-needed small units.

All projects are expected to be completed by spring 2024.

IMAGES: LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL

PIONEER PARK DOCK 1 AND 2 STREET VIEW

NICHE | 11

BUSINESS NEWS

Brand new flexible co-working space opens in city centre Leicester City Council has turned part of the old Fenwick department store into flexible co-working office accommodation. Anyone for hybrid working with unlimited premium coffee?

O

ne thing the coronavirus pandemic has taught us is that some jobs don’t have to be done in the office. Some can even be done better in the comfort of your own home. It has also allowed a new wave of freelancers and start-up business owners to follow their dreams, but also for large corporates to review their existing office space and shift to remote working.

But working from home can come with loneliness and lack of inspiration.

Leicester City Council has developed Gresham Works to support remote workers to thrive. Free, unlimited tea and premium coffee isn’t the only appeal of the £450,000 Gresham Works scheme, which is part of the £17m refurbishment that has transformed the building from a store to the 121-bed Gresham Aparthotel.

Workspace Development Manager Crystal Carter, who also manages The Dock, said: “Covid has changed how

people work. Bigger businesses are wanting small spaces to cater for remote workers. Not all employees need to travel to London or wherever their offices may be. Businesses are offering local spaces as a company benefit.

“It’s possible to stay in one space to work, eat and sleep. However, having a dedicated workspace gives us structure in life, which helps our minds differentiate between work and play. After all, it’s about work-life balance. Even the most introverted among us need to be around people, even if just to people-watch.”

To find your way to the pristine Gresham Works offices, venture through the suave and sophisticated Black Iron Social restaurant within the Gresham Aparthotel. Inside, the offices are complete with flexible hot-desking spaces, adaptable meeting rooms for up to 28 people, a shower room, high-speed WiFi, reception services, lockable storage, fully equipped

CRYSTAL CARTER, WORKSPACE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

communal kitchen, and free fruit days.

Business networking events are also to take place to encourage business collaborations.

The principle of Gresham Works is to create a space where people have the option to partake in a community of hard-working individuals or put their headphones on and enjoy working in solitude with the quiet, comforting buzz of those around them. Another beauty of the scheme is that, while reception is serviced 9am-5pm by a welcoming team, morning people can arrive as early as they like, while night owls can stay into the early hours with 24/7 access.

The creative input of Operations Manager Andrea Tsinontas has also developed the style of Gresham Works, scattering Leicester homage throughout the space with use of colour, artwork, and quotes to foster creativity.

Five businesses have taken up leases at Gresham Works, including professional services and legal companies, a charity, marketing agency, communications company, and magazine publisher.

All leases are flexible, with the option to exit the lease with three months’ notice. Fixed desk spaces are priced from £220 per month and hotdesking is from £175 per month with one month’s notice to exit, and meeting rooms are available to book. Hot desk day use is £25 per day. All licences come with one guest pass per month.

Book a tour of Gresham Works at greshamworks.co.uk or email info@greshamworks.co.uk.

REAL ENTREPRENEURS

2022

By shining a light on those who set up breakthrough businesses, saw dramatic growth, or even pivoted their business to adapt in the ever changing face of our economy, we are here to share their stories enabling others to learn and, of course, grow.

It’s through the Real Entrepreneur Awards that we will identify best practice, promote enterprise, and encourage entrepreneurship across the board.

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AWARDS NIGHT

28th April 2022 Register your interest at awards@realentrepreneurs.co.uk realentrepreneurs.co.uk

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Thought

Andy Rudkin

Leaders

Partner and specialist property dispute solicitor at Nelsons

Leading by example, one opinion, one idea, one lesson at a time, our thought leaders are significant in the Leicester and Leicestershire business scene.

With authority in their field of expertise, passion for sharing ideas, and commitment to helping others, they’ve been asked to express their most current brainwaves in print.

Selected organisations and individuals share how and why they go about their business, reveal their ambitions, provide clarity on matters within their industry, educate on complex or novel subjects, inspire with their forwardthinking and progressive perspectives, or look backwards to evaluate what’s been learnt.

Got something you’d like to see our team of thought leaders cover?

Send your topics of interest to kerry@crossproductions.co.uk.

35 | NICHE

Eviction moratorium set to end

I

n 2020, the government announced Section 82 of the Coronavirus Act 2020, which prevents landlords of commercial properties from being able to evict tenants for rent arrears. In March 2022, this law comes to an end.

To combat the inevitable issues that will arise from the end of this legislation, the government has announced the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill, which will aim to bring stability to the issue.

Subject to the bill’s passage through parliament, it is intended to resolve any dispute between commercial landlords and tenants relating to the payment of the Covid-19 rent arrears.

The bill will enable landlords and tenants to apply to an arbitrator to resolve any disputes and is supported by a new Code of Practice. The code provides additional guidance on how parties should negotiate and covers such factors as: ◆ What the arbitration process will look like; ◆ The key principles of

fairness; and ◆ The viability that the payment will be adhered to.

Landlords and tenants are not obliged to negotiate rent arrears under the new scheme, and many may choose to avoid the process due to its length. However, either party can apply for the matter to be referred to the binding arbitration scheme.

The government’s response to this issue should minimise some of the chaos when the emergency moratorium comes to an end. However, it is inevitable that there will be a significant backlog of disputes and it is still undecided who the arbitrators will be. The government might have to draft in temporary arbitrators to help manage the caseload.

There is also uncertainty around debts outside of the protected period and the general transition period to the new legislation, so it is vital for both landlords and tenants to start planning now and to start communicating with each other.

THOUGHT LEADERS

Jay Webb Managing Director at Jay Webb Consultancy Services

Contracts of employment: where many problems lie

I

n these days of legislative changes occurring in the blink of an eye, I am sure that many human resource professionals and employment law solicitors will tell you that trying to keep up with the very latest government guidelines is a

mammoth task. Not for the faint-hearted.

There is one area of employment law where it is vital that employers must ensure that they keep up to date and that is the issuing and updating of contracts of employment, or rather, statements of main

terms and conditions of employment.

Legally, employers must give the written terms of employment on or before the person’s first day of employment.

It often astounds me how many employers still do not have proper contracts of employment in place for their staff or how many don’t understand the legal requirement for issuing contracts of employment.

Whenever I am asked for advice on an employment issue, I always ask the employer: “What does it say in your contract of employment?” This is because that is the heart of the employment relationship (and usually where the answer or problem lies).

If a contract exists, it is generally a matter of interpretation, but if there is no contract in place things can – and often do – get very messy.

As I write this article, five of my clients have called this morning with queries or needing clarification or interpretation on their terms and conditions of employment, two of which were directly related to changes brought about that day by the government in response to Covid.

Employment law changes so quickly, especially with the issues around Covid and the government changing the rules at the drop of a hat, so it’s always advisable to have your contracts reviewed on a regular basis.

programmes retain good staff, increase staff productivity and engagement and see them taking pride in their company and ownership of their work.

Businesses can benefit greatly by encouraging staff to get involved with causes that are close to them and there are a number of opportunities to choose from locally. Voluntary Action Leicestershire manage a range of long term and micro-volunteering opportunities across the city and county, which can be found online at volunteer.valonline.org.uk.

But what if you could have double the impact?

The voluntary sector has been tested and pushed further than ever over the past two years and this

is the time to get actively involved in supporting a local charitable organisation.

Whether you commit two hours or 200, the sector will welcome it with open arms.

Having spoken to several charities recently, there is a great need for active trustees to guide them through the ever-changing circumstances. Experts in their fields can give advice and guidance on areas such as financial management, hands-on support for fundraising and much more.

Considering the sector has provided continuous service to the local community, going above and beyond the call for action, this could be the ideal time to play your part as we progress through the next phase of recovery.

Krupa Joshi-Bhatt Development Officer at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire

Doing good: with double the impact!

S

taff wellbeing and mental health have become a regular conversation for all types of businesses across multiple industries, including the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. But how can these topics be managed better?

Studies have shown that engaging employees in local community projects can

be very beneficial to their wellbeing because they feel more socially connected, warding off loneliness and isolation. A study published

by Deloitte explains the wider benefits of employee volunteering including staff morale, workplace atmosphere and brand perception.

Organisations that offer employee volunteering

NICHE | 15

Rik Pancholi Managing Director at Pattersons Commercial Law

Enjoying the journey…

F

or over 12 years, my wife and I have had an annual strategy session that takes into consideration both our business and personal lives. This extends to our children and what they want to achieve over the coming year.

What’s exciting is that even if we are unaware of

it, it’s different every year depending on the stage and/or phase of life we are at. We take a full day out to sit in the board room and hash out everything from our personal vision to where we see our respective businesses in say 10 years.

Do you know what brings joy into your life?

It’s interesting what comes out of these sessions and the incremental changes we intend to make to get us a step closer to the goal.

Some of the things which came out this year ranged from considering the environment by looking at taking Pattersons Commercial Law to net-zero through to taking a holiday abroad. The children’s visions ranged from a tea party in the garden to a trip to the beach. By considering

where we are, I find it helps to enjoy the journey and not endlessly wait for arrival at the destination.

Business owners generally create objectives and goals. It’s important to take stock of where you are on your journey and not focus so much on the objective that you forget to enjoy the moment.

If you were to review your last year and then plan for the next, what would you discover?

have helped me on my journey or who I rate. But do we do it often enough?

The corporate world is a competitive one, but we are all on the same journey and probably have similar dreams, hopes and fears.

Perhaps showing that you are there to cheer someone on, support them, or have their back would often be welcomed, no matter the industry.

“Winning the Rugby World Cup was not about doing one thing 100% better, but about doing one hundred things 1% better.”

This is another quote I love from Sir Clive Woodward, who was an England and British Lions

coach. I think it’s fair to say that in business it can be difficult to improve one thing dramatically, but we all thrive for marginal gains as we focus on the many day-today challenges associated with running a business.

Finally, another great quote from Clive: “You don’t get lucky in sport.” I think the same applies in business. Success is not a continual series of victories and wins, or in sales, deals done or contracts won, but rather it is littered with disappointment and setbacks, as well as drive, determination and, at times, lucky breaks. Sporting success, as in business, does not happen in straight lines!

Darren Willoughby Managing Director at 2XL Commercial Finance

The sport of business

I

have often thought about things I have learnt over the years within business and sport that are actually intertwined and can be used in both arenas.

What brought this to the fore was a recent quote I heard from a fellow father whose son had just made his rugby debut. It made me think about my seven-yearold who is making his way in football.

“I promise you that I will

16 | NICHE

always be in one of three places... In front of you to cheer you on, behind you to have your back, or next to you so that you aren’t alone.”

This famous quote certainly resonated with me, but I believe the same can also be said in business. Many people have advocates of their business and I certainly do my best to promote or support other business people who

In these uncertain and unpredictable times, it is so important to remain connected with your workforce

Andrea Gray Managing Director at PPL PRS

Friendship helped us thrive

I

remember writing a column for Niche at this very time last year, and feeling surprised that we were still in the grip of the pandemic and more restrictions. We had fully expected it to be over in a matter of months when the first lockdown was announced back in March 2020, yet here we are heading into March 2022 and the pandemic is still very much present, with the threat of restrictions continuing to loom over businesses.

This column isn’t going to dwell on the bad news though.

I want to focus on the positive – how our businesses have learnt to adapt and overcome the challenges we have faced.

Developing a hybrid working environment, at extremely

short notice, which is actually successful is something that was always in the pipeline for PPL PRS, but not in the plans for 2020, or 2022 come to think of it. Yet, we did it and it works really well.

Whilst the pandemic has brought so many negatives with it, there are positives to be found. As part of our plans to help support our staff during their time working from home, we held weekly virtual ‘coffee breaks’, in which I spoke with all our staff very informally, just as if we were in the kitchen at work around the kettle making a coffee.

These sessions really helped us to build relationships and enabled our employees to see the senior management team as real people. We talked

about missing visits to the pub and hairdressers, the takeaways we had planned for the weekend, sharing pictures of our lockdown DIY projects, baking, and pets! If lockdown hadn’t happened, I’m not convinced many of us would have had these conversations or built the friendships we have now.

In these uncertain and unpredictable times, it is so important to remain connected with your workforce – even more so now, as Covid fatigue can have a real effect on people and cause them to become detached from your business. Keeping yourself accessible and ensuring your virtual office door is always open is vital to keeping your business thriving and positive as the new year develops.

NICHE | 17

It’s a simple enough approach: when a problem needs solving, you drill down to its root cause by asking ‘Why?’ five times

George Oliver Director at 1284

The 5 Whys technique

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ory Sutherland was riffing on the subject of Columbus’s Eggs.

His new year Spectator column had posed the question of whether there was a word for brilliant ideas and discoveries that seem simple or obvious after the fact. This often relates, for example, to developments in technology.

He discovered ‘Columbus’s Eggs’. My word count precludes explanation as to why. You’ll have to Google it.

But it led me to think about the counter-example cited by Sutherland an expert in consumer behaviour and trends – in his column.

That was why manual gears remain popular among UK drivers, despite sharing a market with the ‘Columbus’s Egg’ of automatic transmission.

One of the things I like about Sutherland is that he takes a long, often

18 | NICHE

counterintuitive, view about why perceptions form and become consumer preferences or even norms.

It also got me thinking about the use of the 5 Whys approach (or similar) in getting back to the source from which such customer decision-making derives.

Getting to the crux of an issue seems a valuable approach to problem solving.

Japanese industrialist Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries, developed the 5 Whys technique in the 1930s.

It supports decisionmaking based on deep understanding of what’s actually happening (usually on the shop floor) rather than on what is perceived to be happening (usually in the boardroom).

It’s a simple enough approach: when a problem needs solving, you drill down to its root cause by asking “Why?” five

times. Then, when a counter-measure becomes apparent, you follow it through to prevent the issue from recurring.

So why are manual gearboxes still preferred by so many UK motorists? As ever, Sutherland’s theory is worth quoting in full as he theorised on source: “The reason Britons venerate manual transmission is largely because our cars were so weedy in the 1950s that it was essential (early Morris Minors managed 0-60mph in 52 seconds).

“We made a virtue of necessity, and started burbling on about how manual transmission ‘gives you a sense of control’.

Yet few people who have owned an automatic ever go back.”

UK drivers, manual gears, marketing and the power of nostalgia. The omelette to Columbus’s Egg.

THOUGHT LEADERS

Jennifer Thomas Development Manager for Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland at Federation of Small Businesses

Small firms are being threatened by a late payment crisis

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ate payment has regularly been an issue raised with me

by FSB members over the six years I’ve been in this role. In those years, despite the introduction of a Small Business Commissioner (specifically tasked with tackling the issue) and the disastrous collapse of Carillion (who by the end had increased their payment

terms to well over a hundred days), still the problem persists and late payers are getting away with it.

Public sector bodies including local councils have made commitments to pay within 30 days (sooner when possible), but their own suppliers and other big businesses are able to stretch out payment and punish SMEs with their terms,

sometimes pushing them out of business altogether.

Almost one-third (30%) of the 1,200 business owners surveyed for FSB’s 2021 Quarter 4 Small Business Index said there had been a rise in the late payment of invoices over the last three months, and 8 per cent said this was threatening the viability of their business. We introduced a debt recovery service for members in 2018 in response to the issue, which quickly became one of our most used member services and gave us an even greater understanding of the scale of the problem.

Sometimes the issue is human error, but often it’s institutional, the result of an unfair or slow process – and often, is quickly rectified by the first letter from the debt recovery service.

According to ONS

figures for 2021, the small business community diminished in size by over 400,000 over the past year.

Worryingly, based on our Q4 statistics, unless action is taken now to tackle the scourge of late payment, as many as 400,000 more SMEs could be forced out of business by simply not being paid what they’re owed – what they need to pay the bills and invest.

Now is the time for the prompt payment code to be strengthened, board members of bigger businesses to become responsible for payment terms, large businesses to be strengthening, (not punishing) their supply chains, and all of us to be asking ourselves what we can do to make late payment an unacceptable way to do business.

their estate and in what shares. But there is a problem here. Those wishes will only happen if you do something about it and make a will. To those people who have always put this on hold, year after year, I recommend that they take action and make life easier for their loved ones.

Each Christmas, we have many new enquiries and clients who say they had a think over Christmas that they need to get their wills made or they need to update their existing will as it’s not in line with their current situation and circumstances. But why

do they wait until the New Year? There is no time better than the present to put something so important in place or update – we never know what is around the corner. Whether you have a house, a business, children, grandchildren, savings or a life insurance policy, it’s worth making sure whatever you have goes to who you want it to go to.

I encourage anyone who has been having thoughts about this and putting it off to call us for a free, no obligation chat so we can help put their minds at ease and give them any advice they need.

Bhavin Gandhi Director at Paradigm Wills and Legal Services

New Year’s Review

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n the New Year, many people contact us to discuss their wills.

As 2022 continues with rules being relaxed as we try to make life as normal as possible and make up for what we missed out on over the last two years, it’s time that one item on the ‘to do

list’ is actioned sooner rather than later: Wills and Lasting Power of Attorneys.

After what has happened across the world, many people say that life is too short, and they have had conversations about what they’d like to happen and who they’d want to inherit

NICHE | 19

NICHE COVER STORY

Regally legal the family of solicitors

A noble-minded solicitor and her ‘family’ team of lawyers on how they’ve become solicitors for generations of local families WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

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ractically the queen of customer service, we thought this solicitor deserved a thrown for the day after many years of hearing about how she runs her business. Bhumika Parmar set up her firm BP Legal 12 years ago. In that time, she’s worked with families across the generations from elderly couples in setting up their wills through to helping their grandchildren buy their own homes. She’s not just a one-time solicitor, she’s part of the family for life, and her colleagues feel the same way.

Bhumika’s goodwill isn’t exclusive to those she works with. For as long as she can remember, she has been supporting individuals in any way she can, as well as now helping those who can’t afford it with their legal conundrums. As a solicitor, and one who gained her qualifications in the face of adversity, she’s adept in spotting the needs of others and knowing how to help.

She’s the daughter of a man who, as a child, went from living a luxurious lifestyle in Kenya to living in poverty after fleeing the country during the conflict in the 1960s leaving behind all their wealth. It means Bhumika is well-versed in compassion and empathy and has developed an ambitious work ethic. She became a manager in a law firm by 24 years of age and was headhunted by a London-based company but turned them down.

“I love Leicester and I’m all for developing it,” the 44-year-old told us. “My grassroots are here, and I love that my children were born in the same hospital that I was.

Leicester is me.” As a child, Bhumika remembers helping out in the temples. She still visits those same temples twice a week to help the elderly with anything they might need from sending off for a bus pass to explaining letters from the council.

The Mountsorrel-based solicitor – winner of the East Midlands 2020 Outstanding Woman in Professional Services Awards and finalist in the British conveyancing Awards 2022 – says that she and her team are a family’s solicitor for life, and it certainly checks out, starting with Bhumika’s very own family.

Family ties

The high street business is hugely family orientated.

Bhumika’s mum, dad and brother are frequent visitors at their Belgrave Gate offices, to the point that mum regularly feeds the team and dad likes to act as assistant to all employees helping them out wherever possible.

Bhumika said: “These are the kinds of relationships that are carried through the firm. The whole point in me opening my own practice was to be able to offer that personal touch to clients and employees. We have become the community’s family solicitor in this way. When you care for people in a unique and honest way, the support they give back to your business is extraordinary.”

We want to make sure that people from Leicester are always supported. Even if they move away, they still have that connection Could this be the key to retaining talent in Leicester?

According to Bhumika, all former staff members are still in contact with her today – she even attended the wedding of one of her previous employees in February. Although employees may move on from BP Legal or even the city, Bhumika knows that she’s formed a strong enough bond for them to feel they always have a link to Leicester.

“We want to make sure that people with ties to Leicester are always supported. Even if they move away, they still have that connection. I have old staff members and clients who ask to meet up with me when they’re back in Leicester. Ex staff members will also call me when they NICHE | 21

NICHE COVER STORY

You might not be able to give massive bonuses, but you can give them you. You are the most valuable thing you can offer your staff come up against challenges in their new workplaces to ask for my help and guidance so that they can go to work the next day feeling confident. I am never just their employer, I’m their confidant and mentor.

“We should be teaching the next generation how to survive in the world, how to communicate and present themselves. We must try to keep all our amazing youngsters in Leicester, we need to retain that talent.”

Always on the lookout for how her team can up their self-development, Bhumika has encouraged her staff to get involved in the local community too. One employee, Dimple Vaisnav, came to BP Legal after empty promises from various firms. Another employee, Reema Patel, stepped out of her comfort zone by becoming a student mentor at De Montfort University.

Reema commented: “I have worked at BP Legal Solicitors since 2016 and it has been an extremely exciting journey. BP legal has always provided a friendly and family-oriented environment and it’s a great place to work! I never feel like work is a chore, I enjoy coming to work as I have great colleagues who are all very supportive personally and professionally.

“Being a part of BP Legal’s history is an honour and being able to support local businesses is not only helpful for the firm but also a fantastic way to reach out to others and get to know people in the local community, but it also brings you a sense of pride that you have been able to help and support other people.”

The firm takes on eight work experience students 22 | NICHE

REEMA PATEL

each year. There is regular in-house training, and each team member delivers a presentation on an area of law they’re interested in every month.

“If smaller firms do this they will gain so much more in return. One thing I’ve noticed about other small firms is that they avoid training staff in case they leave, but what are they doing to sustain them? Yes, people want to move on and that’s not wrong, but what you can give them is invaluable no matter what other firm they go to.

You might not be able to give massive bonuses, but you can give them you. You are the most valuable thing you can offer your staff.”

Those principles apply to Bhumika’s peers in the Leicester business community as well. “My ethos has always been to work together, not against each other.

It comes right down to simple things like just the other week, I had another solicitor ask if they could use my photocopier.

“When it came to the pandemic, a lot of firms, unfortunately, weren’t set up to work throughout it, other solicitors called on us to take over their transactions and put cases through. If we can help others to be successful in their business, then that’s when Leicester can create more business, more talent and more jobs.”

On the future of BP Legal, Bhumika remarks: “I opened up the business in a recession and survived the pandemic so I think we can take on anything!”

Bhumika’s steadfast compassion and wise business moves are her crowning glory.

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I’d probably go for someone in fashion like Mary Quant because she’s stood the test of time and was revolutionary for her era. She changed the way women looked at themselves and how they displayed themselves in public and gave them confidence to show their bodies and how they wanted to express themselves.

My mum because she worked throughout the whole pandemic. She works as a technician in the Sandringham building at the Royal. It’s just inspiring that she still managed to go to work and help others when we were in a pandemic so she’s my role model.

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NICHE WE ASKED YOU...

The Spice Girls. Hear me out, I know it’s cringey, I have a picture of them on my bedroom wall but I don’t care because when they first came out when I was 12, they blew my mind. I realised girls can be outspoken and can wear what they want and be successful and amazing. These women changed my life.

Who is an inspirational woman to you? er

Meryl Streep because I’m aware she went through a lot of failure in her early years. I know there were a lot of producers and directors who turned her down; I think one person said because she wasn’t attractive or maybe words to that effect.

However, she has gone on to become one of the most recognised and well-known movie stars of our time.

Maya Angelou. She went through a lot of heartache and trauma in her life but she grew and came out of her trauma and she helps you to reframe feelings and to teach you that you’re deserving of love. She didn’t disguise trauma and shows that you should honour your suffering but that you can heal.

I’m a trauma-informed therapist and craniosacral therapist helping people to release tension and trauma without having to talk about it so she inspires me to help others to heal because I’ve been on a similar journey.

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The Queen and Katy Perry.

When the Queen went to her husband’s funeral she still stuck to the Covid rules while at the same time the Prime Minister had a party. Although she could break the rules, she’s still a role model so she didn’t. When Katy Perry does her concerts they’re so random, she comes out of huge toilets and things like that – things that might seem weird, but she isn’t bothered. She just does what she wants to do.

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March is Women’s History Month so we asked coffee-drinkers, dog walkers and passers-by in the Everards Meadows area who they see as an inspirational woman and why WORDS BY KERRY SMITH AND EMILY MILLER

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NICHE | 23

Finance Forum Kellie Chetwynd Director at The High Street Accountant

Failure to comply with these changes will mean fines and therefore will be a great deal more costly to you and your company

MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE 2022 This April will see the new national minimum wage rises. It’s vital at this time for employers to check their current pay rates against the upcoming minimum wage rates. From here they must ensure that, where necessary, they increase remuneration for the first pay period commencing April 1, 2022.

Failure to comply with these changes will mean fines and therefore will be a great deal more costly to you and your company.

The hourly rate of the minimum wage will increase from: ◆ £8.91 to £9.50 for workers aged 23 and over (the national living wage) ◆ £8.36 to £9.18 for workers aged 21 or 22 ◆ £6.56 to £6.83 for workers aged 18 to 20 ◆ £4.62 to £4.81 for workers aged under 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age ◆ £4.30 to £4.81 for apprentices under

19, or over 19 and in the first year of the apprenticeship.

Of course, these changes will have an impact on your business financially and indeed admin wise too. Perhaps it’s thrown your budget plans off kilter?

Got you worrying about who needs a raise and to what? It’s helpful to seek support for these areas so that you can feel prepared for any effects on your business both in the short term and long term.

Buy-to-let properties Buying a property that you plan to have other people paying rent to you to live in is known as a buy-to-let (BTL).

Harborough-based commercial finance brokers Royale Standard tell us more

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hy would you buy a property to let?

A person may have inherited a property and choose to keep it, they may move into a new home and keep the previous property, or they may invest money into a property to earn an income or gain valuable equity for longer term rewards.

How do you fund a BTL?

There are different mortgage rate types, such as fixed or variable, and different repayment options such as capital repayment, interest-only, or a mix of the two known as ‘part & part’. Typically, lenders will lend up to 75% of the property. With a BTL mortgage, the amount you can borrow is normally based on the rental income, not your personal income and outgoings.

Lenders will apply a ‘stress test’ on your interest rate and base the amount you can lend to protect you and the lender.

What about the interest?

For BTL mortgages, lenders will use an accounting technique called amortisation. The current interest rate on a mortgage today may be 3% but in five years, it may be 5%.

This means that as long as your tenant can pay a minimum 24 | NICHE

amount that the lender requires in order to cover possible future interest rates, you and the lender are protected should the house ever be repossessed.

What about Stamp Duty?

When you’re purchasing a property for BTL purposes, you’ll need to factor in Stamp Duty. Below is a table to show the thresholds for England and Northern Ireland.

Portion of property price £0-£125,000 £125,001-£250,000 £250,001-£925,000 £925,001-£1.5m £1.5m+

Buy-to-let stamp duty rate 3% 5% 8% 13% 15%

Email info@royalestandard.com or call 0774 667 9350 royalestandard.com Disclaimer: Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loans secured on it. Royale Standard are the introducer between the client looking for financial advice and the lending source. Royale Standard is not regulated by the FCA.

NICHE FEATURE

Inflation

is costing your savings a fortune The price of a Cadbury’s Freddo as a cost of living index? Kris Amliwala of Designer Wealth Management explains the chocolate connection WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

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illennials could spot the green and purple packaging anywhere.

Back when we were kids in the ’90s, a Freddo was 10p. The cost has steadily increased over 20-something years, reaching 30p until Cadbury’s dropped it to 25p in 2019 after Freddo’s friends protested at the inflated price.

And don’t get me started on a packet of Walkers crisps… these are just prime examples of inflation. Fellow ’90s baby Kris Amliwala says that not only has the price of a Freddo increased, but the chocolate bar’s size has decreased: “That’s shrinkflation!”

Kris is a Chartered Retirement Planning Specialist at Designer Wealth Management and a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, so he knows a thing or two about inflation.

“The kind of reduction in purchasing power that we’ve seen here with Freddo happens over time naturally,” he told me.

You’ve probably had someone in the generation above you explain that they bought their first house for £6,000, or that they earnt £40 a week in their

full-time job back in the ’80s. That exact same house might still be there today, except now worth somewhere in the £100,000s. And that £40pw might now be £400 now. It’s all because of inflation.

But rising costs are a good thing?

The Bank of England targets rates of inflation at 2%. Kris commented: “That means the government wants prices to rise by 2% each year, which is a good thing because it keeps the economy growing.”

This target helps everyone plan for the future. However, rates of inflation haven’t risen by 2% in the past couple of years. The current inflation rate is 5.4% which means the cost of living is going up. Which, at the moment, means inflation is bad?

“This is important because if your cash savings were left as they are right now earning perhaps 0.1% interest – if you’re lucky – against a 2% inflation rate, it means you’re actually losing money in real terms.”

An inflation calculator on Kris’s website helps to figure out

THE KIND OF REDUCTION IN PURCHASING POWER THAT WE’VE SEEN HERE WITH FREDDO HAPPENS OVER TIME NATURALLY

what the difference is that you’re losing between interest earned and rates of inflation. Kris gives a good example.

If you left £10k in a Cash ISA to save for retirement over 30 years and inflation had steadily risen at the 2% target, the inflation calculator shows that your savings would effectively be worth just £5,520.71 by the time you get to retirement age.

“If you’re not reviewing your cash for the longterm, it can cause real damage to your purchasing power.

Whether that is cash in the bank, savings in your business, or a cash fund within your pension; If you don’t plan to use your cash in the next couple of years then it’s potentially worth thousands to look into alternatives.”

To review your cash savings, find Kris’ inflation calculator at dwm.uk.com/ online-services/calculators.

NICHE | 25

How to finance a growing business finance routes for business owners

Inspired by the achievements of Leicestershire’s Top 200 companies (see page 29), 2XL Commercial Finance director Darren Willoughby tells Niche readers how to secure finance for business growth

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irst of all, a huge well done is in order to all the companies that appear in Leicestershire’s Top 200 companies, especially against a backdrop of the uncertainty we’ve seen over the last two years. Huge credit also goes to those small and medium sized businesses that have worked diligently to keep our economy afloat over the last year.

The pandemic has also seen a whole host of start-ups born and, as the saying goes: ‘out of adversity comes opportunity’. This couldn’t be more fitting for those about to embark on their business journey.

As a commercial finance brokerage with our head office in Leicestershire, it’s fantastic to play a small part in the growth journey of many local businesses by assisting them in obtaining the right financial solution for their business.

A common preconception is that if a business requires finance they must be in trouble – nothing could be further from the truth. The input of finance can often enable companies to reach their goals or aspirations more quickly.

But what does this actually look like?

Working capital

The ability to inject money into a business by way of loan or overdraft can often give the business the boost it needs to perhaps fund stock, equipment, staff or expansion. This money is then used to give the company a return on its investment and this injection could be in the form of an overdraft or business loan.

26 | NICHE

Commercial mortgage

Many businesses are on the lookout for more space and demand is currently outstripping supply, particularly for warehousing and industrial units. The ability for a business to purchase its own premises in a number of guises gives the business owner security going forwards and, hopefully, a long term asset for the business. Many business owners who already own their premises can also look to remortgage the building on commercial terms to inject more cash into the business and use that money to get a strong return on investment (ROI) within the business.

Asset finance

In some cases, cash is king; hence the ability for business owners to keep cash in the business and actually then finance things such as vehicles, machinery and equipment using asset finance. The beauty being that the security for the loan is the actual assets themselves. Finance can be taken over a longer term, thus reducing huge capital outlay within the business and avoiding the use of vital cash resources that could be apportioned to other things.

Refinance

Many business owners fail to review their financial arrangements and often have no idea if they are actually getting the best deal for their business. This is across all types of financial products. Home owners review their mortgage regularly but the same can’t be said for

NICHE FEATURE

all business owners. And, with banks regularly moving goalposts and changing products, businesses could be paying way over the odds for their products when there may well be better available, particularly as more new and alternative funders come to the market.

Invoice discounting and factoring

Invoice discounting and factoring allows you to simply raise money against your current debtor book and also against any outstanding invoices to ensure your business can maintain a healthy cashflow. Varying solutions are available for a range of businesses, with many different types of providers in the marketplace readily available.

Out of adversity comes opportunity Property portfolio finance

Portfolio funding is when a borrower is looking to purchase additional property, refinance or raise capital against an existing property investment portfolio, and it’s available against commercial, residential, and mixed portfolios. The rates of borrowing and loan to value (LTV) available are determined by the rental income being derived from the portfolio after costs and other deductions. An assessment is made of the borrower’s property portfolio schedule which includes property values, tenant or lease details, and rents received. The options are limitless with interest-only options available too, and each option is tailored to the specific portfolio. Many landlords use this option to make further acquisitions or simply review what they currently have to ensure the deal is competitive.

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In summary

There are countless possibilities for funding business growth, expansion, and development. Whether you’re looking to grow via acquisition or the hiring of new staff, the question of finance will come into play. While at first you may have thought that securing adequate funding to take your business to the desired level was something impossible for you right now, this list may help point out that there are options that may be available to you right now. You can find out more about each option at 2xlcommercial. com or by contacting myself at darren@2xlcommercial.com.

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Finance for Pension Funds Asset Finance Commercial, Business, Personal Insurance Invoice Discounting and Factoring Bridging Loans CBILS Loans NICHE | 36

NICHE FEATURE

Business tax advice:

Looking ahead to the new financial year

As we approach a new financial year, it’s time to take stock and, assuming we don’t go back into lockdown, build on the progress made during 2021. Corporate tax consultant Pete Miller advises

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here’s no doubt that the pandemic has led business owners to rethink their futures over the past two years.

Concerned about their mortality, many brought forward their retirement plans, selling their businesses earlier than they had originally intended.

And, with the pressures of trading during the crisis exposing irreconcilable differences in some business relationships, we’ve seen business partners break up and go their separate ways. One partner might, for example, want to take the business in a new direction, postlockdown, while the other would prefer returning to life before coronavirus.

Breaking up or demerging doesn’t have to be hard to do, but the tax aspects can be complex. There are special exemptions and reliefs from tax which let you demerge pretty much tax-free (subject to certain conditions), but you will need expert professional tax advice.

28 | NICHE

BREAKING UP OR DEMERGING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD TO DO, BUT THE TAX ASPECTS CAN BE COMPLEX

The options when selling a business

When it comes to selling your business, you have several options. Increasingly, owners are giving earlier consideration to who should step into their shoes and when. But before you sell, you’ll need to look at how your sale is structured for tax.

If you qualify for Business Asset Disposal Relief, you’ll pay Capital Gains Tax at just 10% on the first £1m of gains, and at 20% thereafter. You may structure your sale differently if it’s to a third party, to your management team, or to your children, or even to a mixture of any two or three of these. If your buyer can pay you cash on day one, then tax isn’t an issue. If they can’t, then you might need some kind of structured deal.

Are you considering marketing your business? Then you’ll need to get it ready for sale, which might include a demerger, at least two or three years before you plan to sell

it. That way, you’ll be able to show that the demerger is for commercial reasons, making it easier to persuade HRMC to give you advance clearance.

Again, getting clearances is something we can help you with.

Management buyouts (MBOs) are still commonly used to help owners realise the value of their businesses but EOTs (Employee Ownership Trusts) are becoming more and more popular too. Essentially, an EOT is a tax-efficient way of passing on your business to your employees. As long as you satisfy relatively straightforward conditions, the sale of the shares to the EOT should be free from capital gains tax.

Some of the legislation around EOTs, is, in the Chartered Institute of Taxation’s view, not quite fit for purpose, but the CIOT, of which I’m a member, is making representations about these issues.

Find more of the latest at themillerpartnership.com/news.

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BusinessLive LeicestershireLive

COMPANIES IN LEICESTERSHIRE 2022

Niche Magazine exclusively prints the Top 200 list De Montfort University’s annual Leicestershire Top 200 companies list is eagerly anticipated in the local business community and this year, Niche Magazine has partnered up with DMU to print the list exclusively for the very first time.

Sponsored by

In Association with

Print Sponsor

Sponsored by

Following the official release of the information – which was revealed at an invitation-only breakfast event that took place on February 22 at Winstanley House – this issue of Niche Magazine, Leicestershire’s leading business publication and official print sponsor of the Top 200, showcases the full list for our readers.

It’s the first comprehensive list to be drawn up and published by academics at the university’s Leicester Castle Business School in two years and aims to reflect the vital role and scope of the county’s businesses.

Professor David Rae of DMU’s Centre for Enterprise and Innovation, said: “We are delighted to be bringing back the renowned Leicestershire Top 200 Businesses after a two-year break and to report on the fortunes of our county’s leading businesses.”

The listing is sponsored by local firm Pattersons Commercial Law. Rik Pancholi, managing director of the company, said: “As a corporate and commercial law firm, we’ve always been about supporting businesses, their owners and their management teams. When the opportunity came up to sponsor the Top 200 list, we realised that many of our clients are on the list and the recognition these great local businesses deserve should be celebrated in the best possible way. We want to celebrate their success.

“The list really does recognise the efforts of those entrepreneurs and fantastic executives for their efforts in creating employment, supporting local businesses and strengthening the economy. It also provides a great source of inspiration to those entrepreneurs looking to create or grow their businesses, because every large business started as just an idea.”

The team at Leicester Castle Business School also compiles the annual East Midlands Top 500 Businesses index which returns this spring and will be published in Real Entrepreneurs Magazine.

LEICESTERSHIRE

FOREWORD

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

PROFESSOR DAVID RAE

LINDA HICKSON

I

I

EDITOR, EAST MIDLANDS TOP 500 COMPANIES t’s good to be back! The Leicestershire Top 200 Companies index took a break in 2021 because of the pandemic and lockdown (though the list was produced, as it is essential for the East Midlands Top 500 Companies, it was not published). So it is good to see it returning in 2022 and showing the fortunes of the best of Leicestershire-based businesses in the year to June 2020.

This year, we said congratulations and farewell to Dr Rachel English who has taken up a new post at the University of Leicester. We thank Rachel for her many wise contributions to both the Top 200 and Top 500, which we developed together. From this year, Linda Hickson, Head of Department of Accounting and Finance at Leicester Castle Business School, now leads on the Leicestershire Top 200 Companies and you can read her report in this issue.

And you are also reading this in Niche Magazine! We are very pleased to welcome Niche Magazine and Cross Productions as a complementary media partner to Reach Media and BusinessLive. Publishing in Niche Magazine brings the Leicestershire Top 200 report to a wider readership in a high-quality printed magazine for a longer period. Cross Productions is keen to support the Top 200 in this way, and we can also reveal that their new periodical, Real Entrepreneurs Magazine, will be carrying the East Midlands Top 500 Companies 2022 report this summer.

So its back to business, only better.

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE, LEICESTER CASTLE BUSINESS SCHOOL am delighted to have contributed to the annual list of the Top 200 companies in Leicestershire having taken over the privilege from a colleague, Rachel English, who has been involved for many years.

It is an honour to be associated with this and to be involved in its first partnership with Niche Magazine and Cross Productions. Leicestershire is an exciting region and I know that the Top 200 will continue to be seen as a celebration of local businesses and their successes for many years to come.

The list is compiled using data that is comparable with that of previous years. The 2021 rankings are composed using the total turnover for the year-end falling between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. The pandemic and Brexit will have affected many of the companies included in this list, and will no doubt have contributed to many of the changes in ranking, but it is a positive sign that our region’s businesses are continuing to thrive and grow. This is rightly celebrated in the publication of this list.

There was little movement amongst the top 20 companies with only one company, Drive Holdings 2015 Limited, breaking into this section of the list in 19th position. Ten of the top 20 ranked companies increased their turnover, with eleven of them increasing employees. This is extremely promising in a highly unpredictable business environment.

This is just a snapshot of the fascinating data available and I hope that the partnership between Leicester Castle Business School and Niche Magazine and Cross Productions will be able to develop much greater insight into our regional industries, and the companies contributing to them, in future years.

95 of the 164 companies that have remained in the list from last year have shown an increase in revenue with a number of companies increasing their revenue by 50%

NICHE | 31

LEICESTERSHIRE

PURPOSE AND METHOD The Leicestershire Top 200 Companies index exemplifies the city and county’s contribution to the UK economy. Those that made it onto the list are this year showcasing the true strength, heart and spirit of Leicestershire companies.

Whilst the business realm continues to be troubled by the pandemic – in many modes across the different industries – the data produced by DMU and analysed here suggests that Leicestershire companies are striving forward.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LEICESTERSHIRE TOP 200

T

he list is compiled annually celebrating a range of firms. From it, other Leicestershire-based business owners, and those across the whole of the UK, can track the progress of the companies listed, taking inspiration from them.

The 2022 Leicestershire Top 200 list is poignant in that it is the first time the list has been published in two years. The coronavirus pandemic is still affecting many businesses and their workforces so to see the list and understand the successes of others is crucial in economic recovery.

The list hammers home that the prosperity of the companies in this year’s Top 200 list affects our communities, workers, and our supply chains. Their success has a vast impact on other businesses across a web of sectors.

It’s a source of business intelligence that supports economic development in our corner of the East Midlands. The data compiled showcases staff numbers, financial turnover, and industry sector at a glance. This information positions Leicestershire in good stead when represented across the country in various forms be that in parliament or at local networking events. Hinting at the successes and challenges overcome in the city and county, it displays Leicestershire’s resilience and highlights growth.

DATA AND ASSEMBLY OF THE LIST

Business

he Top 200 list uses sales ‘turnover’ to rank all active businesses that have their registered offices located in Leicester and Leicestershire, and which are not dormant or in receivership.

Turnover is considered to be a useful indicator of business growth and relative positioning, being used globally to rank businesses.

The rankings are compiled using the total turnover for their year-end that falls between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

These dates have been used to allow time for the submission of the published financial statements to Companies House, and to remain aligned with previous listings of the Top 200 companies.

To gain a position on the list – which is sponsored by Pattersons Commercial Law – businesses must have a registered office address in Leicestershire, publish financial data in the period being considered, and report part or all of their figures to Companies House.

those across

T

owners, and the whole of the UK, can track the progress of the companies listed, taking inspiration from them

NICHE | 33

THE OVERALL PICTURE

WORDS BY LINDA HICKSON AND PROFESSOR DAVID RAE

AT A GLANCE

The Leicestershire Top 200 Companies and East Midlands Top 500 Companies are led by Leicester Castle Business School at De Montfort University. The team consists of Linda Hickson, Head of the Accounting and Finance Department, who leads the Leicestershire Top 200; and Professor David Rae, who leads the East Midlands Top 500.

£36m combined

26 new

turnover of all companies in the Top 200

entries

10moved

companies

their registered offices to the county

AUTOMOTIVE

RETAILING FOOD SUPPLY

HOUSEBUILDING CONSTRUCTION

sectors boast the county’s biggest brands 30 | NICHE

155k employees across all businesses that made the list

T

he Leicestershire Top 200 was not published in 2021 during the COVID Pandemic and lockdown, although the list was compiled as a contribution to the East Midlands Top 500 and for comparison with previous and future years. Most of the company reporting years did not include or only included a few months of the period affected by the global pandemic. The true effects of these challenging times will therefore not be seen in the information provided, but the impact of the first year of COVID will be apparent in the next year’s list.

Thirty-six companies entered the listing for the first time, not having appeared in the 2021 data. This occurs for a number of reasons, including an increase in turnover; a change in registered office; previously dormant accounts; or a new start-up.

Overall, the Top 200 companies reported a combined turnover of £36,444 million and employed over 155,000 people during the financial year, bringing great benefits to the region.

Despite a slight downturn in the overall turnover reported by the Top 200 firms (a 4% downturn from the 2020 to 2021 lists), 95 of the 164 companies who have remained in the list from last year have shown an increase in revenue, with a number of companies increasing their revenue by over 50%. A similar number of companies have also increased their employees, which brings great benefit to the region.

The ‘Top 20’ companies at the top of the list show relatively few changes from the previous year’s list.

Sytner Group (BMW dealerships) retains its place at number 1, with NEXT Plc moving up to second place, above Barratt developments and Bloor Investments, both of whom stay in the ‘Top 10’. They are joined

by Samworth Brothers, Caterpillar (UK), Dunelm Group, and Watches of Switzerland, all of whom move into this select group. We can see from these brand names the strength of the county’s biggest names are in the automotive sector, in retailing, and in food supply, housebuilding and construction. There are other strong contenders in each of these industry sectors.

In fashion retailing, it is also good to see locally owned Joules Group continuing its steady rise, moving up to 30th place. Retail, fashion, and wholesale all continue to be major strengths in the county’s businesses.

One performance of note, amongst many, is the entry of B M Fashions (Holdings) Limited, at 90th position. Its turnover has increased every year for the last four years and has more than doubled in the last year. Another high new entry is BTE Holdings Limited, which commenced trading in March 2019, and ranks at 94th in the list.

With a focus on sustainability and healthy living, it may be no surprise that Giant U.K. Limited, involved in bicycle marketing and distribution, saw a 14% increase in turnover and rose 11 places to be ranked 96.

However, this was exceeded by the growth in TMS Limited, a car dealership. Indeed, the companies involved in the sale of new or used motor vehicles showed a 7% growth in the region overall. This, alongside the performance of companies involved in vehicle maintenance or repair (e.g. Sytner Group Limited, No 1), or the manufacturing of

LEICESTERSHIRE

SECTOR TRENDS vehicle parts (e.g. Plastic Omnium Automotive Limited, No 15, and Sandicliffe Limited, No 17), emphasises the importance of the motor industry and related industries in our region.

Lower down in the index, we also see the rise in performance of a diverse set of manufacturing industries, including construction, automotive, food and drink, and other specialists. As well as in retailing, the strength of the wholesale, transport and logistics industries is, as you might expect, increasingly significant.

Fourteen of the 26 new entries to the index were as a result of increased turnover, with some especially impressive improvements in performance. For example, CD Investments (UK) Limited (115, Vauxhall dealers) increased their turnover from £1.4m (reported Dec 18) to £43.1m (reported Dec 19) and gained an additional 162 employees being taken on during the period.

Ten companies have moved their registered offices into the county and thus entered the index; some of these have long connections with the area. One of these is Refresco Beverages UK Limited (18), which owns the Cott soft drinks manufacturing facility in Kegworth.

The complete picture of the leading 200 Leicestershire firms from this index is one of strength in a diverse economy, of well-managed firms progressing and thriving during the year, and of firms moving down or out of the index in a few cases. Companies’ fortunes do of course change, and we anticipate seeing more movement in next year’s index.

26% 23% 18% 8% 7% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0%

These charts show the total percentage share by industry sector of operating revenue and number of employees.

In terms of operating revenue, more than a quarter was taken by businesses in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities sector alone, with over £11.1m heading in that direction. This sector includes the top two businesses of Sytner Group (£5.9m) and Next (£4.3m), which account for most of this success.

It should come as no surprise that this sector also employs the most people, with 40,914 staff representing 26% of the workforce in Leicester. Again, just under 36,000 people work for either Sytner Group or Next.

When it comes to operating revenue per employee, Perfect Circle JV Ltd led the way in the Architectural Activities industry, taking over £12,500 per employee (£100,566 operating revenue with eight staff). By sector, Public Administration & Defence took the most operating revenue per staff member, with 26 workers generating £1,032.85 per head, for a total of £26,854.00.

■ Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities ■ Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles ■ Manufacturing ■ Construction ■ Administrative & Support Service Activities ■ Arts, Entertainment and Recreation ■ Transportation & Storage ■ Mining & Quarrying ■ Financial & Insurance Activities ■ Human Health & Social Work Activities ■ Information & Communication ■ Real Estate Activities ■ Accommodation & Food Service Activities (not shown) ■ Other Service Activities ■ Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation NICHE | 35

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LEICESTERSHIRE

NOTEWORTHY HIGHEST NEW ENTRANT NEW ENTRIES

90 B M FASHIONS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED 94

BTE HOLDINGS LIMITED

110

WARD GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

115

C.D.INVESTMENTS (UK) LIMITED

119

MYONEX LIMITED

121

COBA HOLDINGS LIMITED

143

ASRA CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LIMITED

148 SKYNET LIMITED 159 WOOLLEY GMC ENGINEERING HOLDINGS LIMITED 167

W M BUILDING SERVICES (LEICESTER) LIMITED

168 PREDAPTIVE OD LIMITED 170

CRONER GROUP LIMITED

175

PPL PRS LIMITED

176

TRUST GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

177

ZEECO EUROPE LIMITED

185 IRONMONGER INITIATIVES LIMITED 186 WALTER MILES HOLDINGS LIMITED 188 POLLARD BOXES LIMITED 189 STAMFORD HOLDINGS LIMITED 192 ALBERT BROWNE LIMITED 193 PYRAMID POSTERS LIMITED 195 CLIFTON PACKAGING GROUP LIMITED 196 ITP ENGINES UK LIMITED 197

MONRO LIMITED

199 WILSON ENTERPRISES LIMITED 200 J.J.CHURCHILL LIMITED NICHE | 37

NOTEWORTHY

30 | NICHE

HIGHEST CLIMBER

133 AMBER BEVERAGE UK LIMITED

BIGGEST MOVERS

114

ASHFIELD MEETINGS & EVENTS LIMITED Climbed by: 55 places 2020 ranking: 169

99

NJDR GROUP LTD Climbed by: 48 places 2020 ranking: 147

161

ORIGIN WINE LIMITED Climbed by: 38 places 2020 ranking: 199

158

AEM LIMITED Climbed by: 33 places 2020 ranking: 191

81

PROJECT C TOPCO LIMITED Climbed by: 32 places 2020 ranking: 113

155

AMETEK (GB) LIMITED Climbed by: 30 places 2020 ranking: 185

150

REABROOK HOLDINGS LIMITED Climbed by: 29 places 2020 ranking: 179

153

REABROOK LTD Climbed by: 28 places 2020 ranking: 181

59

PERFECT CIRCLE JV LTD Climbed by: 27 places 2020 ranking: 86

139

ROBERT POCHIN HOLDINGS LIMITED Climbed by: 27 places 2020 ranking: 166

(previous name CELLAR TRENDS LTD) Climbed by: 64 places 2020 ranking: 197

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THE TOP

10

SYTNER GROUP LIMITED

A group engaged in the retail, maintenance and repair of vehicles and the supply of related parts and accessories.

Turnover: £5,915,844 Number of employees: 10,489 2020 ranking: 1

NEXT PLC

Retailer offering exciting, beautifully designed, excellent quality clothing, footwear, accessories and home products.

Turnover: £4,266,200 Number of employees: 25,491 2020 ranking: 4

BARRATT DEVELOPMENTS PLC

Acquiring and developing land, planning, designing and constructing residential property developments and selling the homes it builds. Supported by commercial development, urban regeneration, procurement, design and strategic land capabilities.

Turnover: £3,419,200 Number of employees: 6,422 2020 ranking: 2

BLOOR INVESTMENTS LIMITED

BLOOR INVESTMENTS LIMITED

A group engaged in the development of new residential properties, design manufacture and sale of Triumph motorcycles and hire of mobile accommodation and mechanical plant to industry.

Turnover: £1,557,289 Number of employees: 4,024 2020 ranking: 6

AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES UK LIMITED

The provision of the exploitation of land and mineral reserves principally for the supply of heavy building materials for construction activities.

Turnover: £1,330,012 Number of employees: 3,433 2020 ranking: 9

SAMWORTH BROTHERS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

A group engaged in the manufacture and distribution of high quality value added food products.

DUNELM GROUP PLC

Retail of homewares via stores and over the internet.

Turnover: £1,057,900 Number of employees: 6,519 2020 ranking: 13

WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND GROUP PLC Retail of luxury watches and jewellery.

Turnover: £810,512 Number of employees: 1,984 2020 ranking: 20

GRAHAM BELL (HOLDINGS) LIMITED A group engaged in the sale and sourcing of motor vehicles.

Turnover: £454,058 Number of employees: 785 2020 ranking: 23

Turnover: £1,163,984 Number of employees: 9,895 2020 ranking: 14

CATERPILLAR (U.K.) LIMITED

Assembly of construction and material handling machinery and related equipment.

Turnover: £1,101,800 Number of employees: 2,217 2020 ranking: 11

NICHE | 43

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LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

COMPANY

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

1 1

SYTNER GROUP LIMITED

5,915,844

10,489

4,266,200

25,491

2

4

www.sytner.co.uk

NEXT PLC

www.nextplc.co.uk

3 2

BARRATT DEVELOPMENTS PLC www.barrattdevelopments.co.uk

3,419,200

6,422

BLOOR INVESTMENTS LIMITED

1,557,289

4,024

1,330,012

3,433

1,163,984

9,895

1,101,800

2,217

1,057,900

6,519

810,512

1,984

GRAHAM BELL (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

454,058

785

CROWN CREST GROUP LIMITED

442,219

5,972

419,992

1,473

409,257

2,249

357,053

3,313

349,069

1,144

331,993

1,986

4

6

www.bloorhomes.com

5 9

www.aggregate.com

6

AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES UK LIMITED SAMWORTH BROTHERS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

14

www.samworthbrothers.co.uk

7 11

www.cat.com

8

CATERPILLAR (U.K.) LIMITED DUNELM GROUP PLC

13

www.dunelm-mill.com

9 20

www.thewosgroupplc.com

10

23

11 25

12

WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND GROUP PLC

www.crowncrest.co.uk

BREEDON TRADING LIMITED

28

www.breedongroup.com

13 26

www.ibstockplc.com/

14

IBSTOCK PLC CEVA LOGISTICS LIMITED

24

www.cevalogistics.com

15 29

www.plasticomnium.com

16

31

PLASTIC OMNIUM AUTOMOTIVE LIMITED EUROPCAR GROUP UK LIMITED www.europcar.co.uk

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2022 2021

17 32

18

36

19

46

20

COMPANY

SANDICLIFFE LIMITED

306,545

654

270,592

930

DRIVE HOLDINGS 2015 LIMITED

262,725

832

FLOGAS BRITAIN LIMITED

258,262

1,091

247,226

5,354

219,796

1,117

219,197

1,905

218,473

1,000

213,896

325

202,322

597

201,040

295

STREVENS VEHICLES HOLDINGS LIMITED

199,376

612

FISHER SCIENTIFIC U.K. LIMITED

198,225

628

190,808

1,690

184,866

453

171,728

69

www.mazda.co.uk

REFRESCO DRINKS UK LIMITED www.refresco.com

39

www.flogas.co.uk

21 41

www.everyoneactive.com

22

SPORTS AND LEISURE MANAGEMENT LIMITED NOTTINGHAM REHAB LIMITED

59

www.nrshealthcare.co.uk

23 44

www.toppstiles.co.uk

24

TOPPS TILES PLC CROMWELL TOOLS LIMITED

38

www.cromwell.co.uk

25 42

www.globalpaymentsinc.com

26

GLOBAL PAYMENTS U.K. LIMITED EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEMENT LIMITED

54

www.emerson.com

27 60

www.davidsonsdevelopments.co.uk

28

68

29 57

30

DAVIDSONS DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED

www.fisher.co.uk

JOULES GROUP PLC

49

www.joulesgroup.com/

31 64

www.vwr.com

32

48

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

VWR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED SMARTWAY PW. HOLDINGS LIMITED

LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

33 61

34

COMPANY

IB GROUP LTD

167,210

596

162,047

3,428

158,582

306

158,420

635

154,833

268

149,950

363

147,261

360

144,777

134

135,602

975

134,553

291

131,280

627

126,471

461

124,477

275

119,982

366

ESENDEE HOLDINGS LIMITED

117,927

86

BELL ROCK WORK PLACE MANAGEMENT LIMITED

116,489

1,056

www.ib-eng.com

SHOE ZONE PLC

66

www.shoezoneplc.com/

35 58

www.cevalogistics.com

36

CEVA FREIGHT (UK) LIMITED OFFICE DEPOT INTERNATIONAL (UK) LIMITED

63

www.viking-direct.co.uk

37 72

www.hopeconstructionmaterials.com

38

BREEDON CEMENT LIMITED LEICESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

67

www.lcfc.com

39 69

www.board24.co.uk

40

BOARD24 LTD GLW FEEDS LIMITED

106

www.glw-feeds.co.uk

41 76

www.nationwideplatforms.co.uk

42

NATIONWIDE PLATFORMS LIMITED WALTER E. STURGESS & SONS LIMITED

73

www.nissan.co.uk

43 87

www.gemeasurement.com

44

DRUCK LIMITED SMITH BROTHERS (LEICESTER) LIMITED

86

www.airplants.co.uk

45 79

www.sycamorehd.co.uk

46

81

47 48

74

111

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

CENTRAL GARAGE(UPPINGHAM)LIMITED DELIFRANCE (UK) LIMITED www.delifrance.com

www.johnsonplc.com

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2022 2021

49 84

COMPANY

BROADTHORPE LIMITED

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

115,752

467

www.williamdavis.co.uk

50

78

HAJCO 199 LIMITED

112,977

171

51

157

BASTIAN PLC

110,256

134

52

130

STRATFORD RETAIL PARTNERS LLP

109,089

248

MEXICHEM SPECIALTY COMPOUNDS LIMITED

107,089

234

106,560

319

106,181

743

105,438

21

103,631

1,096

102,892

195

PERFECT CIRCLE JV LIMITED

100,566

8

PLASTRIBUTION LIMITED

85,246

78

81,328

782

78,584

112

77,071

511

76,120

196

53 95

www.mexichemspecialtycompounds.com

54 GAFOOR HOLDING LIMITED 55 82

56

JELSON HOLDINGS LIMITED www.jelson.co.uk

HBB RELOCATION SERVICES LIMITED

94

www.housebuyerbureau.co.uk

57 57

www.deichmann-shoes.co.uk

58

92

59

137

60

DEICHMANN-SHOES UK LIMITED V12 SPORTS & CLASSICS LIMITED www.v12sportsandclassics.co.uk

100

www.plastribution.co.uk

61 141

www.myhomemove.com

62

MY HOME MOVE LIMITED C.J. UPTON HOLDINGS LIMITED

116

www.uptonsteel.com

63 103

www.konecranes.co.uk

64

120

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LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

2022 2021

COMPANY

65

146

DMWSL 532 LIMITED

75,225

2,463

66

132

ASHFIELD HEALTH LIMITED

74,443

610

74,403

465

MHR GLOBAL HOLDINGS LIMITED

73,869

681

BPW LIMITED

72,946

86

72,837

278

GO INSPIRE GROUP LIMITED

71,466

476

ADARE SEC LIMITED

71,417

443

71,086

593

ADVENT TOPCO LIMITED

70,330

600

FREUDENBERG SEALING TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

70,295

337

70,213

239

69,700

417

69,063

218

68,564

140

68,345

136

www.ashfieldhealthcare.com

67 122

www.fred-sherwood.co.uk

68

133

69 117

70

119

71

125

72

FRED SHERWOOD GROUP LIMITED

www.bpw.co.uk

HANCOCK CASH & CARRY LIMITED www.hancocks.co.uk

126

www.adare.com

73 128

www.eastmidlandsairport.com

74

148

75 155

76

EAST MIDLANDS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED

www.fst.com/en

MARK JARVIS LIMITED

108

www.markjarvisbet.com

77 134

www.hwcoates.co.uk

78

H.W. COATES (HOLDINGS) LIMITED TAYLOR HOBSON LIMITED

156

www.taylor-hobson.com

79 150

www.tmsmotorgroup.co.uk

80

115

TMS LIMITED BEUMER GROUP UK LIMITED www.beumergroup.com

www.oliverrayns.com

Private Residential Sector (PRS) Managers Single Let Specialists Tenant Find or Full Management Packages National Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) Managers House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Managers Tenant Find or Full Management Packages

W WW. PROJ EC TST UDENT .CO.UK Find Oliver Rayns Estate Agents & Project Student at 106 Queens Road Leicester, LE2 3FL

LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

81

COMPANY

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

PROJECT C TOPCO LIMITED

67,793

545

LANDS’ END EUROPE LIMITED

67,670

344

66,843

144

65,134

159

64,938

114

64,529

441

61,958

658

61,295

538

60,501

889

B M FASHIONS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

59,620

125

CAMBRIDGE & COUNTIES BANK LIMITED

57,095

149

55,188

1,917

55,163

83

94 BTE HOLDINGS LIMITED

54,923

53

95

HAMMONDS FITTED FURNITURE GROUP LIMITED

54,637

800

GIANT U.K. LIMITED

53,809

27

178

82

136

www.landsend.co.uk

83 140

www.hormann.co.uk

84

HORMANN (U.K.) LIMITED G TOURING LIMITED

129

www.travelsphere.co.uk

85 142

www.roca-uk.com

86

ROCA LIMITED ASHFIELD HEALTHCARE LIMITED

124

www.ashfieldhealthcare.com

87 138

www.horiba-mira.com

88

HORIBA MIRA LIMITED HARLOW BROS HOLDINGS LIMITED

127

www.harlowbros.co.uk

89 113

www.cobainternational.com

90

337

91 154

92

159

93

96

153

110

170

COBA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

www.ccbank.co.uk

BARKER ROSS GROUP LIMITED www.barkerross.co.uk

C3 CONSTRUCTION HOLDINGS LIMITED

www.giant-bicycles.com

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LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

97 166

98

151

99

230

100

COMPANY

PUKKA PIES LIMITED

53,098

380

52,561

143

NJDR GROUP LIMITED

50,354

300

GL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES UK LIMITED

50,307

302

49,263

117

49,061

255

48,835

102

48,472

240

47,685

111

47,336

509

46,938

40

46,819

76

46,418

90

45,024

365

44,730

64

44,413

217

www.pukkapies.co.uk

BOAL U.K. LIMITED www.boalgroup.com

189

www.dnvgl.com

101 185

www.riekepackaging.com

102

RIEKE PACKAGING SYSTEMS LIMITED METTLER-TOLEDO LIMITED

167

www.mt.com

103 386

www.grassvalley.com

104

GRASS VALLEY BROADCAST SOLUTIONS LIMITED AMETEK AIRTECHNOLOGY GROUP LIMITED

174

www.ametektms.com

105 202

www.effective-energy.co.uk

106

EFFECTIVE ENERGY GROUP LIMITED SPS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

171

www.spstech.com

107 176

www.anand.co.uk

108

ANAND INTERNATIONAL LIMITED CHARLES STREET BUILDINGS (LEICESTER) LIMITED

177

www.csbgroup.co.uk

109 231

www.jigsawtransport.com

EV CARGO SOLUTIONS LIMITED

110 WARD GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED 111 102

112

217

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

FANNIN (UK) LIMITED www.fannin.eu

LAKSHMI & SON’S LIMITED www.cofresh.co.uk

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LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

113 188

114

270

COMPANY

SYNCREON TECHNOLOGY (UK) LTD

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

44,098

260

43,189

227

43,119

164

www.syncreon.com

ASHFIELD MEETINGS & EVENTS LIMITED www.ashfieldmeetings.com

115

C.D.INVESTMENTS (UK) LIMITED

116

CMS CEPCOR (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

43,020

103

KCT HOLDINGS LIMITED

42,311

216

42,128

105

41,422

29

41,358

133

121 COBA HOLDINGS LIMITED

40,586

889

122

40,157

219

40,139

485

40,121

577

39,905

169

39,790

45

OADBY PLASTICS HOLDINGS LIMITED

39,717

246

URGO LIMITED

38,802

161

192

117 183

118

www.technicut.ltd.uk

RESEARCH GARAGE GROUP LIMITED

172

www.peugeot.co.uk

119

www.myoderm.com

120

184

MYONEX LIMITED SELECTIVE MARKETPLACE LIMITED www.selective.co.uk

FINE TUBES LIMITED

194

www.finetubes.co.uk

123 212

www.preci-spark.uk.com

124

PRECI-SPARK LIMITED FISHER GERMAN LLP

220

www.fishergerman.co.uk

125 186

www.glevents.co.uk

126

196

127 128

193

206

GL EVENTS UK LIMITED TOTAL MOTION LIMITED www.totalmotion.co.uk

www.urgo.co.uk

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LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

129 199

130

COMPANY

URSCHEL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

38,443

91

38,411

76

38,405

86

38,295

1,873

37,590

74

CANOPY HOLDCO LIMITED

37,539

647

PAYNES GARAGE (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

37,231

127

36,628

144

36,159

204

33,372

153

www.urschel.com

HOMAG U.K. LIMITED

180

www.homag.com

131 238

www.reflexvans.com

132

REFLEX VEHICLE HIRE LIMITED INDUSTRIA PERSONNEL SERVICES LIMITED

207

www.industria-jobs.co.uk

133 179

www.cellartrends.co.uk

134

214

135 165

136

AMBER BEVERAGE UK LIMITED

www.paynes-garages.co.uk

STERIS SOLUTIONS LIMITED

221

www.steris.com

137 161

www.nuttalls.co.uk

138

234

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

THE NUTTALL GROUP LIMITED BPX GROUP LIMITED www.bpx.co.uk

139

ROBERT POCHIN HOLDINGS LIMITED

32,860

133

140

OPUS TRUST MARKETING LIMITED

32,789

239

32,754

74

32,063

176

266

www.otmltd.com

141 368

www.sherriffsfoods.co.uk

142

SHERRIFFS FOODS LIMITED WINBRO GROUP TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

232

www.winbrogroup.com

143

www.pahousing.co.uk

144

255

ASRA CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LIMITED FARMER & CARLISLE HOLDINGS LIMITED www.toyota.co.uk

31,962

31,604

114

Giving Hope Through Business Hope Against Cancer has enjoyed some excellent corporate partnerships and generous support from local companies over the 19 years since we were founded to bring cutting-edge cancer research to our region. As well as vital funds, companies have donated gifts, alongside time and expertise, and have supported their staff’s involvement with us too.

Our vision for working with local businesses is to truly understand a company’s objectives for community investment and identify any areas where we can be a partner to help fulfil these objectives whilst supporting the vision of the charity.

At Hope Against Cancer we’re proud of our Leicestershire roots – and we’re committed to creating mutually beneficial relationships with our region’s wealth of successful businesses and organisations.

Show your commitment to being an integral part of the Leicester and Leicestershire community – a commitment that can benefit both parties and in motivating your staff and customers.

Listed below are some of the many different ways in which local companies have, and can, support Hope’s vital research and ensure that Leicester remains a centre of excellence for cancer research: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Sporting challenges Dress down/up days Quiz nights Make a donation in lieu of sending Christmas cards Hold a sweepstake, raffle or auction Engage local businesses in sporting tournaments Office bake sales Bag packing at local supermarkets Take over a local restaurant for the evening Sponsor one of Hope’s forthcoming events Promote payroll giving Match fund employee fundraising

For some time now, consumers have been willing to pay more and stay loyal to brands that are seen as a sensitive business that cares about local issues Financial Management Magazine.

To find out more about how your business can make a positive impact on your staff, clients and community email: jessica@hopeagainstcancer.org.uk

Join us at our two locations: 21 Leicester Road, Blaby, LE8 4GR Everards Meadows, Cooper Way, LE19 2AN Find us on social media: @jennoscoffee

LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

145 240

146

236

147

264

148

COMPANY

MARKS ELECTRICAL LIMITED

31,500

93

31,312

100

CHARLES BENTLEY PROPERTIES LIMITED

31,274

151

SKYNET LTD

30,685

105

30,600

77

30,530

233

30,528

241

30,510

364

30,470

228

30,204

752

30,144

61

CAVALIER MARKETING HOLDINGS LIMITED

29,959

184

ARMSTRONG LOGISTICS LIMITED

29,899

436

29,818

202

WOOLLEY GMC ENGINEERING HOLDINGS LIMITED

29,777

200

PINNACLE INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT HOLDINGS LTD

29,667

73

www.markselectrical.co.uk

CHARTERHOUSE HOLDINGS PLC www.charterhouse-holdings.co.uk

www.skynetworldwide.com

149 165

www.everards.co.uk

150

EVERARDS BREWERY LIMITED REABROOK HOLDINGS LIMITED

281

www.reabrooklimited.worldsecuresystems.com

151 191

www.diam-international.com

152

DIAM UK LTD. PARKERS MOTOR SERVICES (SYSTON) LIMITED

244

www.thepartspeople.co.uk

153 258

www.reabrook.co.uk

154

REABROOK LTD OLIVE CATERING SERVICES LIMITED

274

www.olive-catering.com

155 292

www.ametek.co.uk

156

269

157 275

158

298

159 160

235

277

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

AMETEK (GB) LIMITED

www.armstrong-logistics.co.uk

AEM LIMITED www.aem.co.uk

www.pif.co.uk

LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

161 308

162

273

163

284

164

COMPANY

ORIGIN WINE LIMITED

29,374

12

29,268

107

LK METROLOGY GROUP LTD

28,691

156

DGS GROUP PLC

28,685

159

28,658

155

28,142

126

28,097

34

28,037

113

C R SHIELD HOLDINGS LIMITED

27,925

183

CRONER GROUP LIMITED

27,880

308

27,577

80

27,432

25

www.originwine.co.za

BREVITT - RIEKER LIMITED www.rieker.co.uk

254

www.dgsgroup.co.uk

165 237

www.adder.com

166

ADDER TECHNOLOGY LIMITED UK FLOORING DIRECT LIMITED

331

www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk

167 323

www.wmbuildingservices.com

168

169

260

170

W M BUILDING SERVICES (LEICESTER) LIMITED PREDAPTIVE OD LIMITED www.holovis.com

318

www.croner.co.uk

171 227

www.matsuura.co.uk

172

247

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

MATSUURA MACHINERY LIMITED INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY SUPPLIES LIMITED www.ims.com

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LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

2022 2021

173 215

174

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

COMPANY

SYNCREON AUTOMOTIVE (UK) LTD.

27,431

473

27,339

136

27,015

257

26,854

26

26,622

80

26,617

230

26,595

305

26,566

107

UAV TACTICAL SYSTEMS LIMITED

26,435

109

NOVA BIO-PHARMA HOLDINGS LIMITED

26,358

238

26,321

46

26,141

230

www.syncreon.com

G.A.E. SMITH (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

287

www.casepak.co.uk

175 325

www.prsformusic.com

176

317

PPL PRS LIMITED TRUST GROUP HOLDINGS LTD

177 ZEECO EUROPE LIMITED

www.zeeco.com

178 278

www.fashion-fabrics.co.uk

179

FASHION FABRIC TRANSPRINTERS LIMITED COOPER PARRY GROUP LIMITED

179

www.pkfcooperparry.com

180 300

www.ksb.com

181

255

182 296

183

KSB LIMITED

www.novalabs.co.uk

WEIDMULLER LIMITED

286

www.weidmuller.co.uk

184 301

www.uniquewindowsystems.com

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A FINAL T WORD

he list was exclusively announced at a breakfast event at Winstanley House to press and key business leaders on March 22. It had taken months to gather and assemble the data before DMU and Leicester Castle Business School presented it to the room that morning.

Reach PLC’s BusinessLive then released the Top 200 in stages online in the days following the event. But before the big reveal, director of events at Reach, Marcia Mitchell said: “For all of us it’s been a tough few years but many of these 200 businesses have really weathered the storm well. Even with fresh problems being thrown at them such as supply chain problems, stock shortages, and rising inflation, they are prospering and providing employment for so many people across Leicestershire.”

Awards were given to the highest new entrant B M Fashions (Holidngs) Limited, and the highest climber Amber Beverage UK Limited.

Linda Hickson, Head of Department Accounting and Finance at Leicester Castle Business School, spoke at the event saying: “When I moved to DMU, I knew very little about Leicester and it’s really pleased me to see what a diverse and thriving economy it is in Leicester, and it’s impressive that in this time, the combined turnover of the top 200 companies – only 200 companies – in the region is £36.4bn, which is an amazing figure for the top 200 so well done on your contribution. Thank you to any of you who contribute to that region of the economy.”

Leicestershire is a remarkable place to do business and this list is just one of the ways that the county proves itself.

68 | NICHE

LEICESTERSHIRE

Sponsored by

TURNOVER NO. OF GDP £’000 EMPLOYEES

2022 2021

COMPANY

185

IRONMONGER INITIATIVES LIMITED

26,122

83

186

WALTER MILES HOLDINGS LIMITED

26,091

24

HAWTHORN THEATRICAL LIMITED

26,039

169

25,915

351

25,850

247

25,752

39

25,659

226

25,391

84

25,325

141

25,297

147

25,270

130

25,024

176

24,375

46

187 299

188

www.hawthorn.biz

POLLARD BOXES LIMITED

www.pollardboxes.co.uk

189

STAMFORD HOLDINGS LIMITED

190

www.stamfordholdings.com

291

MOTORS (COALVILLE) LIMITED

191 304

RUTLAND CYCLING 2013 LIMITED

192

www.motorscoalville.co.uk

www.rutlandcycling.com

312

ALBERT BROWNE LIMITED

193

PYRAMID POSTERS LIMITED

355

194

www.steris.com

www.pyramidshop.com

307

BRADGATE CONTAINERS (HOLDINGS) LIMITED

195 332

CLIFTON PACKAGING GROUP LIMITED

196

www.bradgate.co.uk

www.cliftonpackaging.com

330

ITP ENGINES UK LIMITED

197 314

MONRO LIMITED

198

www.itp.es

www.monro.co.uk

253

SANTANDER ASSET FINANCE (DECEMBER) LIMITED

199 275

WILSON ENTERPRISES LTD

200 354

J.J.CHURCHILL LIMITED

23,997

www.alliance-leicester.co.uk 23,979

6

23,956

150

www.wilsonslate.com

www.jjchurchill.com

NICHE FEATURE

Before the hammer falls

KIRSTY ADAMS, SOLICITOR

Weighing up the risks of buying property at auction before the gavel hammers down WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

W

hether residential or commercial, buying at auction can be a fun way of investing, if done properly.

Prior to the auction date there will be a pack of information available on the auctioneer’s website for a potential buyer’s perusal, known as the ‘Auction Pack’. This pack of information will usually be prepared by the solicitor acting for the seller and will contain information regarding the property to be auctioned, including land registry title documents, search results and certificates for works carried out.

So, what is the importance of the auction pack? The auction pack tends to contain all the information your solicitor would ask for during the course of a normal purchase transaction.

The difference is that all

70 | NICHE

ENQUIRIES CAN STILL BE RAISED WITH THE SELLER’S SOLICITOR IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN NEED OF CLARIFICATION AND A FULL REPORT WILL USUALLY BE PROVIDED TO THE POTENTIAL BUYER

documentation available is produced before the auction takes place.

Solicitor at Pattersons Commercial Law, Kirsty Adams, said: “It is sensible and almost essential for the potential buyer’s solicitor to review the documentation provided, just as it would during a normal purchase. Enquiries can still be raised with the seller’s solicitor if there is anything in need of clarification, and a full report will usually be provided to the potential buyer.

“It’s advisable to instruct a solicitor to review the auction pack prior to making a bid on a property to ensure there is nothing untoward which would cause issues post-completion.

The main reason this is of such great importance, is that as soon as that hammer falls, you are legally bound to buy

the property your winning bid has just been accepted on – regardless of whether the documentation has been reviewed or not. If there is something adverse which is contained within the auction pack, you’re pretty much stuck with the property.”

Of course, you may proceed to place a bid at auction without having reviewed the auction pack, however, there is the risk that your bid wins and you don’t really know much about the property. You have already contracted to buy the property and there may be costly implications in attempting to withdraw from the transaction.

For more advice and assistance with auction purchases, including reviewing auction packs before auction, buyers can call Kirsty on 0116 319 1110.

New radical proposals to create a fairer housing system

L

easeholders in England and Wales could find it easier and cheaper to buy the freehold of their building. Future leaseholders are set to benefit from the first of the government’s reforms to the leasehold system, expected to take effect later this year. This would put an end to ground rents for most new residential leases and lease extensions.

This in turn will give more leaseholders the ability to manage or own their properties in buildings where there is a mixture of homes and other non-residential facilities, such as shops and restaurants.

New proposals could give leaseholders the right to manage or buy their building outright, by increasing the limit to 50%, this will enable them to have more control over how shared facilities are run and have the final say on building maintenance costs.

This consultation is an important step towards implementing the Law Commission’s recommendations on leasehold reform. Hopefully we will see more leaseholders than ever before owning the full rights to their homes after these proposals.

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NICHE FEATURE

Talking legacies Dealing with all the difficult stuff no one wants to talk about until it’s too late – from divorce to death – is all part of will writer Satwinder Sidhu’s everyday work at Paradigm Wills and Legal Services. We interviewed one of his clients

THE CLIENT

M

att Piper is a former Premier League footballer who is now a personal trainer at PiperFitness and co-owner of Football and Sports Diploma (FSD) Academy.

Matt heard of Paradigm through word of mouth and took out a will and Power of Attorney services with them.

We all see life from our own unique perspectives; have there been any moments that have made you reevaluate yours?

Life is precious, each and every kind. At a certain point in my life, I didn’t see that and I tried to end mine. Thankfully, I was unsuccessful and from then on I decided to treat life as precious.

The way I viewed myself changed and by adding small disciplines to my daily routines, I began to experience life on a higher level and I made a promise to myself to always keep moving forward and embrace everything life had to offer.

How did embracing life in this way lead to making a will and a Power of Attorney?

I wanted to protect my family and make it as easy as possible financially if anything ever happens to me. I’d like my family to have clarity over my finances and assets – knowing that gives me a calm feeling as I get a little older.

You had a successful career as a professional footballer and now as a business owner, but what has been your greatest achievement?

My children. Being a dad is the greatest job in life. I always thought that as long as you love and protect them, that would be a job well done – but as we all know, it’s much more than that and comes down to nurturing, guiding, encouraging, and understanding them... the list is endless, but I’m so proud of all four of them and the people they are becoming.

By having a will, it means them having a bright, happy future with the energy to grasp life and enjoy every moment.

LIFE IS PRECIOUS, EACH AND EVERY KIND. AT A CERTAIN POINT IN MY LIFE I DIDN’T SEE THAT AND I TRIED TO END MINE

How would you describe your own upbringing?

It was very loving from my mum’s side and very stern from my dad’s side. When they were together, we pretty much lived hand to mouth. Money would be spent on essentials to survive and at SATWINDER SIDHU (RIGHT) WITH MATT PIPER

Christmas or birthdays, we’d go into a little debt to get something nice for each other. I look up to both my parents for very different reasons. Mum taught me how to love and live a life of kindness.

Dad always provided for his family and even though we weren’t close when I was a kid, later in life I understood the sacrifice he made to provide for his family.

Now that you’re providing for your own family, what projects are you currently working on that you’ve included in your will?

My FSD Academy. Away from my family life, it’s my main passion and I live every day with a deep desire to see it continue to grow and positively impact as many young lives as possible using the power of sport. The academy is now in my will, which means I have peace of mind that it will be inherited by my four children who care about it and understand the vision.

NICHE FEATURE

Law firm grows in

size and partnerships In order to meet the shifting economy head on, Leicestershire law firm TML Solicitors more than doubled their workforce. Here, Director Dav Mahet tells Emily Miller how

T

he TML team has sought partnerships with other local businesses to boost the local economy and help other fellow business owners throughout the coronavirus crisis. TML Solicitors have acknowledged that different businesses have been affected in different ways by the pandemic and have assisted business owners through this difficult period.

Pre-pandemic, TML Solicitors offered every solicitor service available with their team of eight.

Providing a service to all for every need sounds like a good idea, and it worked for them since the business’s inception back in 2013.

But something shifted for Director Dav Mahet, as the pandemic changed the shape of everything: “Quite quickly we could see that we needed to focus on four key areas of law: family law, conveyancing, commercial property law, and

74 | NICHE

WE’VE GROWN TO DEAL WITH THE SHIFTING ECONOMY, TO MEET THE DEMAND OF OUR CLIENTS

criminal defence,” he told us.

“As directors, we had to detach from Covid and look at other ways to succeed. We pulled back our services and chose to focus on our key areas in the business, solidifying our offering.”

As a result, the team needed more specialists and having started in one office with eight employees, they are now a team of 26 occupying three offices. First taking on a business development manager who repositioned them and established new relationships, they then developed their IT structure and processes so that everyone could work from home.

“We’ve grown to deal with the shifting economy, to meet the demand of our clients and provide services from some of the best, highly skilled lawyers.”

They developed their team by starting regular in-house training, and in some cases attracted existing members to retrain in

areas to reposition themselves in the company. One employee who started as a receptionist expressed interest in learning and is now a conveyancing assistant Dav told me.

Their oldest member of the team is 67 – they made a move to TML six months ago. “That’s a scary move to make at that stage in your career, but she saw that we were progressive and was confident in us.

“We have many people who come to us to complete their training and gain their qualifications due to our reputation for developing our team members and working with them to achieve their career ambitions,” adds Dav. With the support of the team as a whole TML Solicitors has grown into a major player in the Leicester legal landscape.

To read more about TML’s team and services, go to tml-solicitors.co.uk.

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07581 494 151 | bcdecorators.co.uk NICHE | 75

Where did the profit go?

As we enter financial year end, Action Coach Phil Nassau asks: have you had the following conversation with your accountant?

Y

our accountant is taking you through the results of your previous year and you want to discover what the profit was and how much tax you’ll owe. Your accountant shows you’ve had a good year. Sales are up, costs are under control and you made a profit. You ask: ‘So where is the money, as I would like to take a nice dividend this year’.

Sales - Expenses = Profit

This is the way many business owners structure their business. This is logical but humans are not. We work on selling more to cover costs and pay bills as we go. This structure teaches us to focus on sales and expenses first, then on our bank

balance. In conventional accounting for your business, we focus on Sales and Expenses. Profit comes as an afterthought.

Sales - Profit = Expenses

You could instead use this structure.

When profit follows sales, then expenses are paid, and profit is put away. If out of sight, out of mind.

You can work this by having six business accounts: ◆ Main Income Business Account (1) and Owners’ Compensation Account (2). These should already be in place ◆ Profit Hold Account (3), Tax Hold Account (4), and Operations Expenses (5). This last account is for business development.

Sometimes a PA just isn’t enough JSP Virtual offer a concierge service to suit clients who understand their time is best spent working on the business rather than booking travel, personal reservations and appointments or food shopping.

What is the value of being given time back?

Book a free confidential consultation today by calling 07854 084 861 or email info@jspvirtual.co.uk 76 | NICHE

Next, work out what your profit, tax and operations expenses were as a percentage of your revenue from the previous year. Then, at the end of each week, transfer that percentage for each area to each account based on revenue received. I use this myself and now take a dividend each year vastly more than ever before. If you did not make a profit in the previous year, start at one per cent.

The downside is it takes around 10 minutes a week and you could find you struggle to pay some bills initially. The upside is you’ll start to reap the profit and you’ll be all over the numbers. Plus, the business becomes more profitable.

Oh, and that sixth account should be your VAT Savings Account (6).

NICHE FEATURE

International Women’s Day This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias encouraging all to imagine a gender equal world WORDS BY EMILY MILLER, KERRY SMITH, LEVITHA BIJI AND TOM YOUNG

NICHE | 67

I

want you to imagine a world free from bias, discrimination and stereotype. The world is inclusive and diverse, entirely gender equal.

Are you there yet? Our world isn’t.

Not quite anyway. There’s still so much to be done, so many opinions to educate and stories to tell.

This imagined world won’t happen without you. Whoever you are, wherever you come from.

Women need to be recognised each and every day of course, but International Women’s Day on March 8, 2022, gives us all the opportunity to do this on a larger scale.

The day itself encourages everyone to unite in celebration of the achievements of women the world over, to come together to support women, to give a louder voice to the discussion of gender bias and educate in the pursuit of equality.

Recognising and honouring women who have achieved, who have triumphed in the face of adversity and spoken up in support of women’s rights are all ways we can do something to create lasting and effective change in attitudes and understanding.

Breaking the bias is something we need to do together. We need to continue to forge for women’s equality.

Through conversations about all things that affect women, from world events to health care, collectively, we can all #BreakTheBias.

Destructive language vs constructive conversations CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: ANDREA GRAY, GLYNIS WRIGHT MBE, JENNY CROSS AND LEANNE BONNER-COOKE MBE

C

rying, throwing, running; you can do them all like a girl. Like it’s a bad thing? The Always brand redefined the phrase with its powerful #LikeAGirl campaign in 2014. But ‘Like a girl’ is still thrown flippantly as an insult.

Speaking to one woman who is committed to making her workplace an equal one, Andrea Gray admits that in the past she has been guilty of using phrases like this, but not anymore. Andrea is the managing director at music licensing company PPL PRS, which is known for promoting equality and diversity.

“You can hear gender bias in common sayings like ‘cry like a girl’, but we all cry the same, don’t we? It’s clear that things still aren’t equal. If they were, we wouldn’t have to have things like Women in Tech and Women in STEM, we wouldn’t have to keep showcasing our abilities. I think it will take many years to dismantle, but we are making changes by taking steps like adjusting the language we use.”

PPL PRS is part of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce

SPECIAL FEATURE: INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

Ten-Point Plan meaning they’re held accountable for improving representation. One way the company did this last year was by teaming up with transgender photographer Katie Neeves who delivered talks to staff to raise awareness about her journey.

Andrea said: “Katie made a good point that if you make talks like this mandatory, everyone has to stop and listen, and learn.”

Andrea has embedded herself at the heart of the Leicestershire business network since arriving in 2015.

She’s an active member of the BID Leicester Board, supports projects such as Curve Youth and Community Hub with local schools, Leicester Comedy Festival, and charities such as Help the Homeless and Soft Touch Arts.

She’s found a unique group of friends in the likes of talent recruitment business owner Eileen Richards MBE, tech specialist Leanne Bonner-Cooke MBE, and marketing director Jenny Cross.

“This group of supportive women adopted me and they’re like a network of mentors who I can test ideas with and get different viewpoints, plus they’re great fun! There are also supportive males in the Leicester business community,

Chris Stafford CEO of Curve being a great example. There isn’t this kind of business network in other places I have worked. I feel really supported here,” she told us.

Reflecting on her very first few leadership roles, she commented: “The business landscape was different to how it looks now. To be successful, in many businesses at the time, you had to be more assertive. Career-driven women could be seen as aggressive and out to prove a point.”

Working with another strong female leader was pivotal in shaping Andrea’s leadership style, showing her that a good leader and role model leads by example, no matter their gender. “I realised a number of years ago it was fine to be emotional and actually care about people. You are only ever as good as your people.

“Each time we have conversations about diversity, inclusion and equality we are taking another step towards making sure they’re part of every workplace structure and employee wellbeing programme. If even just one person who has worked with us here at PPL PRS has learnt about the extremely important issues being faced, and they take this forward into another business, then we are making a difference, and I am proud to be instrumental in that.”

To be successful, in many businesses at the time, women had to be more assertive

PPL PRS

Highlighting the worth of women and the struggles they go through is important as it shows their worth is just as strong as a man

Eaton Event Hire

Mothers and moguls W orking mothers are a tough group who have become accustomed to managing work responsibilities and family time. The Covid-19 crisis pushed everyone to get creative in terms of income and many mothers took to going about setting up their own businesses. Priti Lodhiya, owner of event management company Eaton Event Hire tells us her experience of being a working mother and running her own business, which was started in 2018.

“If you are a young woman thinking about your career, you should always do something you enjoy. This will help you grow. It’s never too late to change your career, I started my own events business when I was in my late 30s,” Priti tells us.

Priti is a mum of an 11-year-old daughter and encourages her daughter to believe in herself and choose a path she enjoys. Priti has also gone through IVF twice in the last few years, losing both IVF children, one at nearly six months pregnancy. “I bounced back into my business, which took more pressure and courage than anything, a business that I’m very passionate about.

“Highlighting the worth of women and the struggles they go through is important as it shows how important and strong women are. Women juggle so many roles from being a mother, a wife, and having a career,” Priti explains.

As a woman, Priti has always been an overperformer in

80 | NICHE

her previous corporate roles compared to her colleagues and has always seen her own potential to reach her future goals.

Being the boss of her own company, Eaton Event Hire, which was set up in Leicester and now handles national and international events, Priti tells us she has learned from her own experiences to treat everyone in the working environment equally, no matter what their gender is.

“Being in the events sector means always having to find a solution for her clients’ problems while always remaining calm to produce stress-free events. She believes that no matter the situation, there is always a solution. When her clients enjoy their event stress-free and appreciate the team for a great event, Priti feels satisfied as she says customer service is at the forefront of her business.

“Encouraging more women to pursue entrepreneurship or a senior leadership role in their career is more important than ever. Believing in themselves and going with their gut feelings is key. As a woman, it is important to always be willing to put yourself forward, always be up for a challenge and don’t hesitate to take risks.”

Priti welcomes Niche readers to get in touch about career tips, especially those wanting to go into the events industry. They can also get in touch about planning corporate events on priti@eatoneventhire.co.uk, call 07971 671 840, or visit eatoneventhire.co.uk.

SPECIAL FEATURE: INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

The High Street Accountant

Saying no to working mother shame T

he workplace might not appear to be disproportionately biased towards working mothers, but according to a study by Pearson, nearly half of women (49%) are concerned about finding a job that will allow them to care for their families.

One employer who set out to break this gender bias with her business, The High Street Accountant, is Kellie Chetwynd, who told me: “I wanted to create a culture in my business where the relationships with my staff were reflective of my own beliefs around working and family life.

“There is a definite bias towards working mothers and their need for flexibility with their work. I have felt it myself, where others consider I am somehow less serious about my work because I need to fulfil family commitments.

I wanted to break this bias.”

Megan Lawson, a business manager at The High Street Accountant, shared: “In previous workplaces, whenever I needed to take time off to accommodate say, my child being ill, I would feel judgement from other team members and my employees at needing to put my family first.

“Now, it’s not like that. It really isn’t, Kellie has worked really hard to break down the stigma attached to mothers working and their need to be around for their own family when it’s needed.”

Kellie explains how this works both ways, reflecting on the strength of a truly supportive environment: “My team appreciates this culture we have in our working days, and they work hard for me in response. We have found that by breaking the barriers down for working women that we have a really strong and happy team.”

Jay Webb Consultancy

Breaking the glass ceiling W

omen worldwide still battle for equality of treatment. And in the workplace, this is still a struggle for many with prejudice and gender pay gaps which, whilst declining, are still very much there.

Jay Webb, director of an independent human resources consultancy said: “This is why we need to ensure that we never stop talking about the rights of women. In particular, the gender pay gap and women’s rights in the workplace.

“Of course, we have come a long way than say a decade ago, but we mustn’t drop this ball, not until there isn’t a gap at all. We must continue to break the glass ceilings applied to women in the workplace.”

In addition, Jay expresses that it’s in the way we speak up for those who can’t, that we support those who need it and give hope in our own achievements for those who need it too.

“We need to provide a voice for those women whose voices are silenced. We need to support women in what we say and do – sharing the message for equality far and wide.”

Jay adds: “My business will continue to support International Women’s Day through supporting women in the workplace and sharing the message far and wide.

“We will also continue to work with charities dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable in society and celebrate the success of females through social media and mentoring students.”

Learn more about the work that Jay does for women through jaywebbconsultancy.co.uk.

NICHE | 81

Women and homelessness T he current pandemic and the rise in the number of women experiencing domestic abuse, including financial and psychological, is contributing to even more women in our societies no longer having a place to call home. Sue Langley, CEO of the homelessness preventing charity, The Bridge (East Midlands), has some insights.

Homelessness figures are a stark reminder that our society has gaping holes in its system. At an all-time high, and with the figures continuously rising for women and mothers, this inadequacy to care for the most vulnerable in our society is woeful.

The rise in domestic violence during the lockdowns has seen a subsequent increase in women fleeing their homes The ‘Rough sleeping snapshot in England’ released by the government in February last year revealed that out of 2,688 people sleeping rough in England on a single night in autumn 2020, 377 of them were women. Whilst this figure is significantly lower than the homeless male population (as not all women sleeping rough are being counted), these figures do not reflect the ‘hidden’ homeless.

Sue said: “Women without a place to call home often hide at night when such surveys are counted. Therefore, the statistics tend not to be accurate, as due to the hostile street living environment, women are harder to reach.

They are, in reality, hiding from danger.

“Additionally, women who are in refuges that have fled domestic abuse may not be included in official figures, although this is obviously temporary accommodation and not a permanent home.”

Women fleeing abuse in their own homes report the need to seek temporary accommodation, which isn’t always immediately available, or forthcoming – especially for those with refugee status.

The Bridge (East Midlands)

“Women don’t always feel safe in their own homes – the rise in domestic violence during the lockdowns over the last two years has seen a subsequent increase in women fleeing their homes. Whilst there might be limited temporary accommodation available, there is often a gap in time as they wait, and they can slip in and out of rough sleeping.”

The gender pay gap, whilst tightening, is still there – with women earning on average 6.5% less than men, according to government statistics recorded in 20192020. This puts women in a more financially compromised position and at a greater risk of falling into rent arrears, and food and energy poverty, therefore resulting in a greater risk of homelessness.

“Empowerment is one of our five values at The Bridge, and so is a continual important message that we embed within our equality and diversity practices. It can be especially difficult for women without hope to feel like there’s a way out when there are still so many inequalities in our society.”

Meeting the needs of society, charities like The Bridge are doing all they can, to adapt and provide long term support as a way out and by way of attempting to rebalance the inequality.

“Our awareness of societal needs informs the way in which we support people individually, and we look at ways to address this imbalance – that’s where we will make lasting impact.”

With over 79% of The Bridge workforce being women, Sue explains that they are well-positioned to promote women’s rights. “Sometimes it’s not about statistics, it’s about the many experiences we have as women in society that impact the way we want to support other women. Put simply, inequality adds up, and it informs how we want to address that inequality amongst the community, by advocating for long term change.”

To highlight further change needed, Sue explains the importance of building a strong community. “Early intervention and prevention of homelessness with the help of community is vital. We currently have a growing group of local Leicestershire businesses who are joining our TheBridge2Collaboration network, which is encouraging, as local people want to be part of the repair of our society.”

To join TheBridge2Collaboration network, contact TB2C@thebridge-eastmidlands.org.uk.

SPECIAL FEATURE: INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

Gender-based violence S omeone whose life most certainly revolves around the rights of women and protecting them is charity founder Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan.

The Zinthiya Trust has been supporting women and girls to live without fear of violence and abuse since 2009.

In 2020/21, Zinthiya Trust supported over 1,600 Leicester women to be free from all forms of abuse and provided over 6,000 nights of emergency accommodation for them.

“We’ve come a long way as a society and some progress has been made, but we’re nowhere near what we’re owed. The pandemic has set us back another 10 years in terms of violence, inequality and poverty across the world. Other things can hurt women too, such as natural disaster, climate change, and conflicts. The conflicts in places such as Syria, Yemen, and the crisis in Afghanistan for example have impacted women in many ways including increased violence and breaches of their fundamental rights.”

A report by UNFPA stated that in 2021, women and girls reported facing intimate partner violence to a significantly higher degree than in previous years. There are increased reports of early and forced marriage as well as sexual harassment and exploitation, and cases of femicide are becoming a growing concern in some areas. Lastly, technology-facilitated gender-based violence such as harassment and sexual exploitation committed online has

also been reported more frequently.

“I’m a firm believer that women’s oppression is a result of the patriarchal structures that govern our societies that consider women to be the properties of men. Leadership is associated with masculine traits like assertiveness and there’s a perception that women don’t have those strengths, yet when we assert ourselves, we’re gaslighted.”

But women also need to look inwards, Zinthiya says.

She recalled a conversation overheard on a train between two females blaming feminists for why they must work, saying: ‘if it weren’t for them, we’d be at home with a cup of tea and a book’, clearly missing the bigger picture. On another occasion, she heard two women at a women’s awards ceremony ranting in the toilet, stating: ‘the problem with women’s events are that there are too many women’.

“As a woman of colour, I know we face a double-edged sword of discrimination. Not only men but also women at times do not take you seriously. People think you’re oppressed and needing to be rescued or think we all have an exotic story to tell, not understanding that we are all individual women with intersecting identities.

“International Women’s Day is not the only day we talk about women’s rights. We also need to talk about women’s responsibilities towards society as well as take responsibility for ourselves. Ask yourself what you’re doing to support another woman.”

The Zinthiya Trust

I’m a firm believer that women’s oppression is a result of the patriarchal structures that govern our societies that consider women to be the properties of men

She Inspires Business Playbox A new project led by Zinthiya Trust will focus on women who face additional barriers to moving into employment and business and in particular those from racial minority communities, and underrepresented in employment, business, innovation and eco-sustainable business sectors. The six-week course helps explore business ideas

and their viability, covers business strategy, introduces business start-up tools, teaches about finances and how to understand them, and more.

Sessions take place at The Hub, 10 Bishop Street, LE1 6AF. To enrol, call Zinthiya Trust on 0116 482 6598 or email zinthiya.trust@gmail.com.

NICHE | 83

Anicca Digital

Debunking stereotypes A

nn Stanley is celebrating the 15th anniversary of Anicca Digital, the company she founded in 2007, as well as her 20th anniversary of working in digital marketing. The CEO has worked hard to get where she is, always following her guiding principle – prove yourself!

“I’ve always been a tomboy,” she tells us, after we asked her about the photo of her on her motorbike that adorns her bio at anicca.co.uk. “I’ve always been into rock music and motorbikes – though I’m a bit older now, so I’m more about fast cars these days.” Unimpressed by the options typically expected of the girls at her school (“you could either work in a shop or the local bra factory”), she broke the mould and became one of the first girls from her comprehensive school to go to university – studying biology here in Leicester.

ANN STANLEY

After working in male-dominated industries for years, she’d always treated everyone equally but had never managed to get the director title she felt her talents deserved. “At 35, I was working in the leather industry, and frustrated that I wasn’t progressing in the way I felt I should be. I was doing all the work, but in order to advance up the company, you had to wait for an existing director to retire or die!” That wasn’t looking likely to happen any time soon, so Ann made a sideways move, changing industry from science to marketing, and finally smashing through the glass ceiling when she founded her own business.

Ann doesn’t believe gender quotas are the right approach to building your team; instead, create an environment where everyone can thrive. “We’ve always picked the best person for the job and have still ended up with an equal gender balance. If you’re doing everything you can to prove that you’re as good, if not better than everyone else, and you’re still not progressing, that’s not the environment for you. Very talented women are running their own businesses; I always think: ‘If I can’t change the culture; then I’ll do it myself’.

“Trust in yourself; if you know you’ve got the talent – prove it!” And she certainly has – now celebrating a decade and a half with Anicca Digital, Ann is proud that the business has evolved to the point where she no longer needs to do everything. “Before the pandemic, I was able 84 | NICHE

Trust in yourself; if you know you’ve got the talent – prove it! to take a month off to travel the world, and things ran smoothly without me – if you hire the right people, and trust them to do their jobs, you can build a legacy for the future. Businesses aren’t worth anything if they’re reliant on their founder.”

Currently, she’s helping others prove they have the talent it takes to succeed in business by doing her bit to close the digital skills gap among the female population.

Anicca provides a grant-funded 12-week digital skills bootcamp, which starts in April, for which over 70% of the enrolled applicants are women. Anicca is recruiting for the April course, people can apply online at anicca.co.uk/grant-funded-digital-skills-bootcamps.

Bev Sankey

G

ender equality is more than recognising inequality. It’s about human rights and affects all of us. By striving to create a world free from gender bias, we all need to be feminists. We need the world’s message to be the same.

Gender holds no bias. We need to all work to break the bias for good.

Beauty from the inside out W

omen’s health and the role that nutrition can play in it shouldn’t be overlooked. The subject of women’s health is coming into sharper focus with less of an emphasis on achieving a certain body shape and more on what can be done to improve our health through nutrition and wellbeing.

Health, wellbeing and nutrition coach Bev Sankey runs a 30 Day to Healthy Living Programme, which aims for people to establish healthy habits, increase energy levels, and gain control of their own lives through plant-based nutrition. We asked her how women can take control of their own health.

“Looking after our gut is an ideal starting point; so too is protecting your immune system. Eating clean, nutrient-dense foods combined with wholefoodderived, good quality nutritional supplements will make a significant difference to how we look and feel,” Bev responds.

“Our mental health in particular can be greatly improved, with attention to our nutrition and any deficits. Our gut plays a crucial role in how our body functions and feeding it the right nutrient dense foods has a huge effect on our stress levels, hormone balance and blood sugar and mental health.

“By addressing which foods we put on our plates, we are addressing our health and in turn reducing inflammation, which can lead to a whole range of impactful health concerns.

“It’s liberating for women to take the emphasis away from how they look and their body shapes by addressing their health first and to concentrate on how they feel,” Bev adds.

Bev provides more health and nutrition advice on her website at bevsankey.com.

“What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? That since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not.” – Canadian feminist, author, and eyeopening social media poet, Rupi Kaur

The recruitment

spring back Balancing returning workforces with the demand for hybrid working is an ongoing trend – ER Recruitment considers what it means when attracting the best people into a workforce

‘B

ack to normal’ working brings new considerations for employers looking to attract new talent, and employers operating in a jobseekers’ market are under increased pressure to keep their top performers satisfied. So, what can they expect as the recruitment market springs back post-pandemic?

Movers and shakers

While businesses have continued to recruit, recent months have seen many individuals reluctant to leave existing positions. There are a variety of reasons for their hesitancy, ranging from company loyalty to current benefits and job security. However, with 52% of individuals stating that the pandemic has left them at least considering their career options, it is likely that the market will see increased numbers of movers and shakers in coming months (East Midlands Chamber QES Reports 2021). Agile employers will be positioned to move quickly as new talent enters the candidate pool.

Hiring competition

Movement in the market is exceptionally positive for businesses looking to recruit and grow. However, it also 86 | NICHE

THERE’S CURRENTLY LOTS TO CONSIDER IF YOUR BUSINESS IS LOOKING TO ATTRACT NEW TEAM MEMBERS. HOWEVER, THE FUTURE IS LOOKING BRIGHT

means candidates have an increased number of options.

Research suggests that they are interviewing for around three positions at any one time. With this in mind, we encourage our recruitment partners to consider their candidate attraction methods. This might include enticing adverts, use of company branding, and the recruitment and onboarding process itself.

Each component is crucial in differentiating your business from competitors. Care taken at the planning stage will result in fewer offer rejections and reduce success of counter-offers made by competitors.

Employer adaptability

With skill shortages and increased competition expected to remain a market factor for some time yet, employers will likely become increasingly adaptable about candidate experience. For this reason, it’s important that hiring managers are alert to transferrable skills and the ambition to learn among applicants. The alternative is to adopt a mindset of only employing a candidate who 100% meets the criteria – and be prepared to spend accordingly.

Employer survey data shows

that 71% of businesses say some of their best talent joined them without experience (East Midlands Chamber QES Reports 2021). The right people are prepared to learn.

Candidate expectations

The experience of working through a global pandemic has inevitably altered employee attitudes to jobs and careers.

Many professionals are now actively seeking roles that guarantee them a work-life balance. This may be in the hours they work, through the ability to work from home, or the offer of increased flexibility within their roles. But it doesn’t end there.

Forward-looking businesses are considering – and implementing – wellbeing support, training programmes and the opportunity to earn.

There’s currently lots to consider if your business is looking to attract new team members. However, the future is looking bright and the recruitment market is springing back. This is creating opportunities for those positioned to act upon them.

For free consultations about any of the tips shared here, email hello@eileenrichards.co.uk.

Corporate wellbeing POOR MENTAL HEALTH HAS COST EMPLOYERS IN THE UK BETWEEN £33-42BN

You spend most of your week at work. Does it make you happy? Should it make you happy?

Is a job just a job or is it an employer’s responsibility to have happy employees?

WORDS BY LEVITHA BIJI, EMILY MILLER, AND TOM YOUNG

M

odern life comes with a lot of pressures: work hard, pay your bills, resist the temptation to tell your boss where to stick that overtime request… That’s why it’s important to slow down sometimes and remember that there’s more to life than goal-chasing.

March 20 is the UN’s International Day of Happiness, and we think it’s worth taking a moment to step back and evaluate whether your workplace is having a positive effect on your mental health.

“Happiness is shorthand for a great experience,” says leading happiness expert and founder of Happiness Works, Nic Marks, when he spoke to Robert Half Talent Solutions. “It’s an emotional word we use to summarise

the quality of experiences in everyday work – essentially, whether we are feeling good and doing well.”

What happiness means at work

Typically, workplaces have tended to offer pension plans, annual leave, and maternity and paternity leave designed for recruitment and maintaining talent. This is standard practice, but research suggests that adding wellbeing programmes to a company’s repertoire can cause positive changes to happen in the employee’s attitudes towards their work. It might even make them feel happy to come to work.

Employer-sponsored programmes designed to promote long-term health among employees is the basic

principle of corporate wellbeing. It might be known amongst colleagues as the company’s employee perks, or its wellbeing policy, or team building, or mental health first aid – really, it’s all of these things together, and more.

The NHS states that investing in wellbeing in the workplace sends a powerful message about your values and ethics, and can help you attract a high-quality workforce. Having a wellbeing programme in place can be a rewarding experience for both parties. The team is more likely to feel valued and listened to, which will see them more focused on the organisation’s values and goals and more likely to give their full potential while working.

Poor mental health has cost

employers in the UK between £3342bn, according to the Stephenson Farmer report Thriving at Work in 2017.

It is also the main cause of sickness absence in this country as one in 6.8 people experience mental health problems in the workplace. In addition to this, women in full-time employment are nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem as full-time employed men. Therefore, it is crucial for employers to invest time and resources in staff wellbeing and being positive about mental health at work.

A culture that encourages staff reliability and high spirit is probably going to keep staff in the business for longer. Besides, staff who feel their prosperity needs are being met are less inclined to take sick leave and are bound to get back from any leave taken in a more passionate manner.

Happiness at work can be achieved for employees with corporate wellbeing policies and programmes. If you don’t have one in place, here are some tips for building your own.

Simple steps to create a positive working environment

◆ Praise your colleagues’ successes – making them feel valued will increase productivity ◆ Normalise random acts of kindness – you don’t need an excuse to do something nice for your colleagues; bring them a doughnut or take something off their to-do list ◆ Treat yourselves! Group nights out as rewards for good work or appreciation of effort made shows a workforce that its contribution is appreciated, which means they’re more likely to feel confident in sharing ideas and being creative

Strive for long term change T

SanaMente

he pandemic has brought mental health in the workplace into sharp focus. Poor mental health is a rising problem and is impacting businesses more than ever. The increased demand for greater mental health support in the workplace sets new challenges for employers.

Linda Neville, owner of SanaMente and a mental health practitioner, explained: “Whilst it is extremely

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positive that mental health has moved up the agenda, it has increased the anxiety for business owners as they look to find the right long-term solutions to support their workforce.”

Business owners face increasing issues of absenteeism, presenteeism, stress and lower levels of productivity, morale and motivation among staff leading to unachieved targets and higher costs to their company.

SanaMente has created a community platform called Strive for Businesses and individuals which works by providing a range of talking therapy solutions to fit the needs of the company. Employees have access to SanaMente’s Strive 1-2-1 support groups, live events and progress reviews as well as the resources and activities they need to help them live their best life.

Strive recognises that each member of staff will have individual needs and fits all learning styles through audio, video, activities and reading content.

Content is curated and presented by mental health experts, covering evidence-based, compassion-focused techniques to guide workplaces to improved mental health.

“With a community like this one, we can help business leaders find the tools to help their workforce for the long term,” Linda concludes.

This is a great example of a corporate wellbeing programme that others can take inspiration from.

You can become part of the Strive community by visiting sanamentehypnotherapy.co.uk.

Tackling taboo subjects

Secret Whispers

ALMOST HALF (45%) OF WOMEN SAY THAT THEIR MENOPAUSE HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR WORK

O

ne local company has gone a step further to make certain one significant life event is listened to, heard about, and spoken of.

Julie Colan, creator of pelvic floor toner business Secret Whispers, generated a ‘menopause and menstruation’ policy for her employees.

Almost half (45%) of women say that their menopause had a negative impact on their work. This was reported in 2017 by the British Menopause Society, which also found that the menopause remained a ‘taboo’ subject.

“Many women feel unprepared for the onset of menopause symptoms and less equipped to manage the symptoms at work,” Julie told us.

“They tend to feel uncomfortable talking about their symptoms to their line managers, especially if they are male or younger than them. Once women feel supported by having the menopause talked about openly in their workplace, have accurate knowledge and options, many women are able to get back on track in their working and personal lives.”

Heavy periods, hot flushes and brain fog can be physically and emotionally distressing as well as embarrassing in the workplace.

Symptoms usually last between four and eight years, though sometimes longer. That’s a significant period in someone’s lifetime.

The aim of Secret Whispers’ corporate wellbeing programme is to highlight some of the challenges that women face during menopause and how others can support their employees by positioning their company as ‘menopause-friendly.’

It’s designed for both women and men and looks at taking positive steps to help manage challenges and provide practical solutions and techniques that can be applied in the workplace or at home.

Steph Macshannon, an employee at Secret Whispers said: “Julie encourages us to be open about our mental health wellbeing and we have a team check-in together twice a week which is amazing. Knowing that if I am having a particularly emotional time, I have the option to take a personal day is invaluable. I feel so supported.

You always feel valued and the company’s mental health, menopausal and menstrual policies are such an amazing addition to the workplace.

Being a woman feels so celebrated at Secret Whispers.”

The policy helps employees feel confident to ask for any adjustments they may need to help them manage their symptoms at work, and they can request flexi-leave if they feel they need a day off due to menopause or menstruation symptoms. Not only that, every employee also has an allocation of four paid mental health days per year that they can book off at the last minute to have a personal day with no questions asked.

Menopause is a natural chapter in a woman’s life. Being more open about it, as Julie and her team at Secret Whispers are, could be the answer to turning it from taboo to topic of interest in every workplace.

Unhappiness in the workplace often comes from feeling misunderstood or underappreciated. It’s corporate wellbeing programmes like these that raise awareness of individuals’ unique journeys and collective experiences.

They help employees to bond, become more empathetic to one another’s circumstances and therefore have more understanding of how to best work as a team.

To be part of the community and take part in courses, contact bookings@yourhealthcareacdemy.com NICHE | 67

NICHE FEATURE

Technology and mental health C

ould an emotional intelligence app complete the puzzle that is mental health? Hidden deep down in the subconscious mind, often beyond the reach of traditional psychology and further complicated by the fear and stigma of being labelled as an emotional liability, mental health is a puzzle that we are continuously trying to complete.

In a bid to solve this puzzle, the world is now looking to technology to provide some answers. Function Jigsaw, a business centred on the physical and mental wellbeing of employees, has partnered with CCR3, a world-leading authority on cognitiveemotional intelligence, on a wellness app called E.Q.M.E. Designed to create self-awareness of a person’s emotional intelligence, the app taps into the gears of their EQ (emotional intelligence) which are intrinsically linked to mental wellness and a person’s capability, the app is revolutionary in its approach.

“It’s now globally recognised that effectively measuring emotional intelligence is critical in a person’s

ability to fully recover and perform. It plays a far greater part in a person’s ability to be successful in both their personal life and their career,” Julie Hayton, director at Function tells me.

A critical component of success is to be more self-aware and to understand how you think and make decisions. To know your mental strengths and to feel confident to use them, is all part of what a greater understanding of ourselves creates.

The app helps users to see and experience themselves with a deeper understanding, to make them more self-aware, and better at playing to their strengths.

“We see people increase their thinking and intellectual horsepower because of opening up their mind to new and better ways of being themselves. The app is a powerful way for employees and employers to understand one another better and tap into their full potential.

“Much of current psychology at large, when looking at a person to help them fix themselves or help them understand their ‘personality’ so that

Function Jigsaw

THE APP HELPS USERS TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE THEMSELVES WITH A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING, TO MAKE THEM MORE SELF-AWARE, AND BETTER AT PLAYING TO THEIR STRENGTHS

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they can understand themselves, is flawed and based around fitting people in boxes. Using emotional intelligence technology goes far deeper than these boxes allow.”

The science is ultra-modern, utilises decades of research and applied mathematics and is independently validated by some of the world’s leading thought psychologists.

So, if an app like E.Q.M.E could help us solve our puzzling mental health problems, it could be a starting point for businesses that are building their mental health policies to support their employees.

Whether it’s motivation, menopause, or a mental health condition you’re struggling with, your time at work will play a role in your ability to cope. It’s an employer’s responsibility to help support that, but we can also help ourselves and each other by working on our selfdevelopment and considering the mental health of others.

For more advice visit, functionjigsaw.co.uk.

Workplace music is all the rave No matter what your business you want it to run smoothly, be this assigning workloads, managing partnerships or setting out your budget.

2

But running a successful business is about more than just your day to day operations. It’s about providing an excellent service for your customers or clients. It’s also about encouraging teamwork and supporting collaboration; but most of all, it’s about keeping your workforce focused whilst safeguarding their well-being.

environment, it could also make your employees feel valued and improve their overall attitude and performance.

Make music the soundtrack to your business Playing music in the workplace could help to create a more upbeat and energetic environment and could help to keep staff positive, engaged and focused. It could also help to:

Increase

Decrease

• • • • • • • •

• • • • •

Productivity Retention Health & well-being Recognition & reward Team spirit Performance Quality & value Employability

Employee sickness Restless routine Clock watching Dysfunction Staff turnover

Benefit both the health and well-being of your workforce. By creating a more upbeat

3

Potentially enhance the environment which could help to improve the efficiency and quality of work. It could also help to create a happy

working atmosphere, keep employees motivated and improve their attendance, retention and overall sense of involvement.

Music and your brand Not only is music a great tool to support your business with its employee well-being and engagement, but can also help to make your business stand out and could be an important part of your brand identity.

The right kind of music could reflect your business and could be an important part of your brand. Carefully selected music that suits your workforce and their operations could help to make them feel more involved and could therefore be just as important to their identity as their teams or their uniform.

Put some play into your work Many of us choose to listen to music in our day to day lives as it has the potential to make us feel more positive and upbeat. Listening to music at work could have a similar effect and could help to:

1

Create a calming environment and relieve stress and other anxieties that employees may experience. It has the potential to make staff feel more at ease and focused. Not only this, but it could help your team to effectively manage their workload and prevent that overwhelmed and ‘stressed out’ feeling.

pplprs.co.uk

Introducing music could be highly beneficial to your business and could help your organisation fulfil its potential. It could help to improve the experience for both your staff and your customers and could help to make your business the very best it can be.

If you are already using music or if you’re thinking of introducing music in your business, you’ll usually need a music licence.

TheMusicLicence allows you to legally play music for employees and visitors in your business through the radio, TV and other digital devices.

For more information about the benefits of music, or to get TheMusicLicence for your business, please visit our website:

pplprs.co.uk

Tales from the

print room AN INTERVIEW WITH: Andrea Pinchen CEO of Leicester Tigers Every print job has a story behind it. In this regular feature, our print partner Soar Valley Press introduces Niche Magazine to the Leicester-based people they work with, to absorb the tales from when their projects go to press WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

A

Leicester Tigers matchday experience is very exciting. An opportunity to see elite-level sport by one of the game’s powerhouse teams, sumptuous food in the hospitality suite, and a killer atmosphere in the stadium. When everything’s great, you don’t want any element to drop the ball – top quality print work from a reliable company is a vital addition. Niche spoke to Tigers’ CEO, Andrea Pinchen, about why their working relationship with Soar Valley Press adds so much value to the visitor experience.

“In sport, we talk about the one percents,” says Pinchen.

“There’s rarely one big change that makes a great impact, but if you can improve a lot of things by one percent, it quickly adds up.”

Soar Valley Press’s contribution to the visitor experience at Welford Road is certainly more than one percent. Print permeates every facet of a match day, especially in hospitality.

“If you’re coming to a 92 | NICHE

BY THE TIME THE PLAYERS ARE ON THE PITCH, YOU MIGHT’VE HAD MORE INTERACTION WITH SVP THAN THE TIGERS!

matchday, you’d receive our literature pack in advance. Upon arrival, you’d see our pop-up banners. In the hospitality suite, you’d receive our menus and wine lists. In the stadium, you can pick up a matchday programme.

By the time the players are on the pitch, you might’ve had more interaction with SVP than the Tigers!”

Pinchen emphasised how important a stress-free working relationship with their suppliers is.

“Chris and the team have our absolute trust. They understand the needs of the business and you never feel like you can’t call them. During times of crisis management, such as the pandemic, it’s so important to have reliable business partners who make life easier. They’ve always given us a quality product and are great about catering to last minute changes.”

Those last-minute changes are no joke; in professional sport, last minute can mean last minute.

“Our team sheets are

everywhere on match days. They go in the matchday programmes, the opposition dressing rooms, the hospitality suites, and to all the media outlets. Sometimes the team is changing up until the morning of the match, but SVP are amazing at delivering quick turnarounds.”

Welford Road is also a popular venue for corporate events and conferences, and even the Tigers’ end of season awards night can be subject to last minute changes.

“We have a tendency to push and push and push the print deadline,” says Pinchen. “At the 11th hour, attendees will tell us they can’t make it and someone else is taking their place. This means we need to change our displayed seating plans. On at least one occasion, Chris has personally driven down to the stadium to make sure we get the new print on time.

“Suppliers like SVP make us look swan-like – calm and serene on the surface, but lots of work going on below.”

Marketing Forum Remy Clark Director at Cymer Marketing Solutions

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH CRM Cymer Marketing director Remy Clarke says businesses shouldn’t persevere with their CRM system, they should flourish with it Whether you’re starting out or well established, having a well configured customer relationship management (CRM) platform aligned to a CRM strategy can provide massive benefits to your organisation.

CRM provides a system that can aid lead generation and improve

your lead management. Proper integration allows your organisation to not only capture more leads but also to improve conversion. A properly streamlined and controllable pipeline creates a more proactive and stronger relationship between your company and potential clients.

Customers should always be the focus of your business and a CRM system makes it easier to understand your leads and your customers.

Through CRM analytics you can understand market trends, your customers’ preferences and purchasing habits, allowing for more accurate and effective marketing campaigns.

By radically improving your customer services through CRM, your organisation can increase your customers’ average spend and increase transactions. Furthermore, CRM can help you to overcome the challenges and barriers of upselling and cross-selling. Combined with reductions in operational inefficiencies,

a properly configured CRM platform can increase your profit margins.

The potential profit for your organisation fully justifies the cost of finding the right partner for your CRM needs.

More advice on CRM systems can be found at cymermarketing.co.uk/ crm-solutions.

Don’t persevere with CRM... flourish with it!

LOOK AS QUALITY AS THE SERVICE YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDES MEDIA LAUNCHES PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOTS STUDIO AND OUTDOOR LOCATIONS CORPORATE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT PACKAGES ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS PHOTOGRAPHY

07958 421 027

PETE@PETEMARTINPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

PETEMARTINPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK | GLEN PARVA, LEICESTER

NICHE | 93

The perfect location for your photoshoot DECIDING ON THE IDEAL PLACE FOR A PHOTOSHOOT IS CRUCIAL WORDS BY LEVITHA BIJI

P

hotoshoots – whether for your company website, your family calendar or your dating profile – can take place anywhere.

Location is priority if the idea of publicly posing for photos doesn't appeal to you.

Opting for the professional studio could be a better option in this case, with the key benefits of privacy. On the other hand, location-based shoots can appear more natural. Let’s go through the benefits of each.

In-Studio

Photos produced in a professional photoshoot will be fit for almost any purpose.

The primary advantage of working in a studio is that you have full oversight over your pictures. You can change the lighting arrangements, props, backgrounds, fix hued lighting gels set up, and more. Every 94 | NICHE

aspect of photography can be taken care of in a studio.

On Location

The great British weather can be challenging to the photographer who works outside. A windy, cloudy, or even too-sunny day can disadvantage your shoot.

Another tricky aspect is people!

They may get in the way of your perfect shot and some locations may require a permit or special permission for shoots, which could increase the cost.

Choosing a north-facing, shaded location, you can get good pictures on even the sunniest summer’s day. Similarly, cloudy skies can be a picturetaker's dearest companion, as they act as a giant diffuser, giving the light an even, delicate quality and dispensing shadows.

Natural light is at its gentlest and most complimenting in the early morning, late evening, or late afternoon.

A WINDY, CLOUDY, OR EVEN TOOSUNNY DAY CAN DISADVANTAGE YOUR SHOOT. ANOTHER TRICKY ASPECT IS PEOPLE!

Hitz’s tips!

Matching the theme to the purpose is the key.

To figure out the perfect location for your photoshoot, let the photographer know what your desired outcome of the photoshoot is. They’ll then be able to advise you on the perfect location.

THE GREEN PIECE Another piece of greenery for you this issue. All our writers are very much ‘into’ the environment and protecting the planet, so we’ll continue to focus on the eco agenda WORDS BY EMILY KIRTON, LEVITHA BIJI AND KERRY SMITH

I

n our January issue, we asked members of the public how important it was to them that companies large and small start their Race to Zero. In the previous issue before that, we did a big feature on the exemplary green efforts of local company Michael Smith Switchgear.

And now, we give you our favourite pieces of information from different media that you can take in at

your own pace. We give you our listings on where to find easily digestible eco info and comments from local people on their thoughts around the environment and what they’re doing to lower their impact on it.

LISTENING

READING

DOING

Sustainababble A weekly podcast about the environment, for and by the confused.

Tree Hugger One of the world’s largest info sites dedicated to making sustainability mainstream.

Eat less meat Livestock is responsible for releasing carbon dioxide and methane which is damaging to the environment. Better yet, go vegan.

Outrage + Optimism This podcast helps you understand the climate crisis and get inspired to take action with a can-do attitude.

‘Tentacle’ by Rita Indiana In this novel that poses questions about climate change, a woman must go back in time to save the ocean.

Take the heat off Lower your thermostat by just one degree and pop a jumper on.

Costing the Earth The BBC Radio 4 podcast provides fresh ideas from the sharpest minds working toward a cleaner, greener planet.

‘The Uninhabitable Earth’ by David Wallace-Wells This New York Times bestseller lays out terrifying facts about what will happen if we don’t change our ways.

Avoid fast fashion There are plenty of apps and shops that sell great quality secondhand clothes and shoes, which help to minimise landfill and needlessly using resources.

‘An Action Plan for Solving the Climate Crisis’ An 11-minute TED Talk by John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram.

‘The Greenish A blog for people who want to be greener without losing their personality

Search with Ecosia The search engine that plants trees every time you use it.

Make going green your Q2 resolution 31st March 2022 9.15am – 3pm Harborough Grow-on Centre LE16 9HW Breakfast, lunch, & ts refreshmen d e id v pro

BOOK NOW AT: harboroughdc.eventbrite.co.uk For more information email business@harborough.gov.uk

Join the Go Green Business Convention to discover the steps your business can take to reduce your business’ carbon emissions.

Learn about the local and national grants, schemes, and innovations available to help you.

NICHE | 67

Equipment Leasing Solutions

GRASSROOTS GREEN ACTION

W

ith the world looking for a corporate response to the climate crisis more than ever, businesses know they have a responsibility to do more.

Yet, whilst businesses are aware that they need to go greener and are even aware of the long-term financial benefits, they might not be aware of how to implement and finance the technologies available to them.

Stuart McKee, an energy, heating and power equipment mogul and managing director at Equipment Leasing Solutions (ELS), said: “For leaders in businesses and educational settings who want to minimise their organisation’s environmental impact, one of the biggest prohibitors to adopting greener technologies is funding.

“Whilst greener systems save money in the long term, investing in them outright – particularly in ownership terms – can be very costly indeed.

“That’s why leasing is a practical and sound investment option.”

The goal in consuming less energy means costs will be less in the long run. Switching to LED lighting systems is an ideal place for businesses and educational settings to start.

LED lighting consumes up to 80% less energy, the savings in the long run can be huge.

“A recently funded LED lighting project enabled the client to save £1,956 a month, whilst the lease payments

were only £975,” Stuart highlights.

Savings can be immediate against energy bills and in many cases setting green technologies in place provides savings greater than lease payments straight away.

“In the case of Solar and Battery Storage they are also eligible for income generating tariffs.

“Biomass boilers, stoves, heat pumps and thermal panels also generate an income through the renewable heat incentive. Some financed projects can even benefit from enhanced tax relief on certain approved products.”

The Race to Zero carbon emissions is on and with options like leasing becoming available there’s more help to join in than ever before, with a plethora of benefits for the organisations adopting greener ways.

“Who doesn’t want to be a greener organisation? They save money, attract more clients and employees and save the planet – and it’s never been easier to be part of the change,” Stuart adds.

Energy leasing, efficiency and renewables information can be found at els.lease/energy-lease.

SOME FINANCED PROJECTS CAN EVEN BENEFIT FROM ENHANCED TAX RELIEF ON CERTAIN APPROVED PRODUCTS

Paul Hartshorn

REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE

ONCE ONE STARTS TO REDUCE, RE-USE AND RECYCLE, THEN THAT BALANCES OUT ANY INCREASE IN SPENDING

T

o ‘go green’ we must take every aspect of our lives into consideration.

From reducing our use of transport through to making the most out of everyday items and making sure our waste is recycled.

In the past decade, the Leicester County recycling rate plummeted by 10% according to the county records. But it is more important than ever to get into the habit of recycling rubbish and become more environmentally friendly, so we can save our planet. It can be as easy as using eco-friendly cleaning products and walking to your local grocery store.

Getting into the habit may seem to be more expensive in the beginning, but as councillor Paul Hartshorn says: “Once one starts to reduce, re-use and recycle, then that balances out any increase in spending.”

Paul believes that meeting the balance of being environmentally friendly and being practical means investing in zero-carbon public transport that everyone will enjoy using, as well as well-maintained footpaths and protected bike lanes.

“Electric public transport is a must that gives us realistic options to leave the car at home,” Paul commented. “The national and local government needs to put climate action at the heart of every decision. This means planning shopping centres with frequent shuttle services to minimise the carbon footprint, as it often pushes people away from their local streets and encourages citizens to use their cars.

“Having a penalty and reward system may be a solution, because it’s only natural for human beings to take the cheaper option.”

To maintain being environmentally friendly whilst being practical, conversations like ours and Paul’s need to begin.

Governments need to make going green as easy as possible.

Send us your eco-friendly business and lifestyle ideas to info@crossproductions.co.uk.

NICHE | 97

Susie the Foodie FOODIE THINGS IN LEICESTERSHIRE Now we are out and about a bit more, we take a look at the street food scene and the delicious delights that are on offer

XXL STREET FOOD TAKEAWAY KOCIOLEK 215 Hinckley Rd, Leicester LE3 0TG

LCB DEPOT

31 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1RE Leicester’s hub for creative people and businesses LastFriday Just as it says on the tin, the last Friday of every month is street food night from 5pm until 10pm.

The night is a mix of street food, art, culture and vibes.

Entry is £2 and inside you will find: Hope you’re hungry: East Asian Street Food Ba-Ha Vegan: Multi-award-winning humane food Biddulphs Pizzeria: Wood-fired quality pizza Street Souvlaki Brum: Traditional Greek BBQ Souvlaki kebabs cooked over premium charcoal Fresh Rootz: Award-winning veggie and vegan world street food made using organic wholefood ingredients.

Traditional Polish food. Fresh home made street food ‘literally made from a scratch in our kitchen’. Dine-in, curbside or pickup.

Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Choose from pizza bread, burgers, kebabs in baps, giant baguettes, wraps, shnitzel, dumplings and potato pancakes.

LANE 7

Grand Central Station, Great Central St, Leicester LE1 4JT Inside this bowling alley, along with ping pong, pool and karaoke, lies three dining experiences.

Thai Express offers curries, noodles, stir fry and spring rolls.

What’s Your Beef? is a meat lovers paradise.

Mouthwatering pattys and toppings packed onto seeded brioche buns with a range of sides. And then there’s Deckards, street food specialists offering bao buns, loaded fries, and a whole range of asian inspired treats.

BODEGA CANTINA 6 St Martin’s Square, Leicester LE1 5DF Fresh, authentic South American homecooked food.

There’s everything from burritos and enchiladas to Moqueca and Argentinian rump steak, plus a good selection of vegan dishes. They also have an extensive drinks menu with South American beers and hand crafted coctails. Private Hire available.

Delivery from Deliveroo & UberEats.

DIM SUM MASTER

Unit F8 & F16 Harborough Market, Northampton Rd, Market Harborough LE16 9HB Serving chinese street food from Tuesday to Saturday from 8am. On the menu, you will find sui mai, chicken curry, dumplings, wanton pieces and char stu buns all freshly made on-site. To avoid the rush at lunchtime it is advised to phone in and place your order early.

Looking for your happily ever after?

STONELEIGH ABBEY

The fairy tale setting of Stoneleigh Abbey will take you and your guests back in history.

Walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen, Queen Victoria, and Prince Albert in beautiful surroundings that hint of romance at every turn.

We can offer a number of options for both your ceremony and reception, to make your wedding day wishes come true. The elegant and ornate saloon in the West Wing overlooks the picturesque Grade II* listed parkland and the timber beamed Victorian Banquet Hall which was built as an indoor riding school, are ideal settings for a traditional wedding or an Asian wedding and has a capacity for up to 300 guests.

If you are looking for a more contemporary setting, the Orangery with its stunning riverside location, or the exclusive summer marquee site allow for private ceremonies and receptions.

01926 858 535 | Bookings@stoneleighabbey.org | stoneleighabbey.org

NICHE WHAT’S ON

The view from above A new gallery is coming to the National Space Centre, exploring how satellite data is vital for managing our relationship with Earth’s air, water and land WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

H

ome Planet, an all-new interactive and spellbinding experience gallery will be open at the National Space Centre in time for Easter.

Funded by Severn Trent Community Fund, it’s set to inspire visitors to consider human impact on the environment, and how we can all live in greater harmony with Mother Earth. The concept is highlighted by an installation from local artist Michelle Reader, inspired by the Great Wave of Kanagawa, but made from recycled materials.

Boasting an interactive projection floor, you’ll be able to engage with ice, water and sea creatures that respond to your touch. Above this, another big screen reminds you of the various habitats and life-forms on our planet.

Another exhibit explores the effects of rising global temperatures, time-lapsed from before the industrial revolution to the present day – a giant thermometer near the audience reacts accordingly to the temperatures displayed at different points in the show.

We spoke to Kevin Yates, Head of Exhibition Development at the National Space Centre.

It can help motivate us to embrace the changes that will be necessary to live more harmoniously with our home in space Why was now the right time to introduce this gallery?

We have developed individual exhibits within the Orbiting Earth gallery in previous years, but the generous funding from the Severn Trent Community Fund allowed us to rethink the gallery as a whole. Climate change, along with broader environmental concerns, can be quite complex subjects for people to navigate. So, this was the ideal opportunity to address these topics in a way that is accessible and engaging for all.

What had stood out about Michelle Reader’s previous work that led to her creating the new piece for the gallery?

Whilst the science we get from satellites is vital to helping us manage our relationship with our home planet, we recognise that art often speaks to us on a different level. It can help motivate us to embrace the changes

that will be necessary to live more harmoniously with our home in space.

We loved Michelle’s previous work, so once we discussed the project with her, we were convinced she would create an installation that would communicate with visitors in a powerful way.

What’s the main insight that you hope visitors will take away from the new gallery?

We hope visitors will come away from the gallery with a deeper appreciation of the crucial role satellite data plays in understanding the impact human activities have on the environment.

But more than that, we hope people will feel empowered, both individually and collectively, to make decisions that protect our precious home planet, for us and all life on Earth.

See more interactive Space Centre exhibitions at spacecentre.co.uk/ whats-here NICHE | 101

Shows and gigs not to be missed There are so many great shows, gigs and events coming to Leicester in March and April. We’ve picked out a handful of highlights you might not have considered but would be crazy to miss WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

F

rom The Gruffalo to Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, we’ve picked out some iconic shows and gigs taking place in the city centre during March and April.

COMEDY

9 Years In – Still No Plan…

The Same Faces: Improvised Comedy – 9th Anniversary Show Saturday, April 16 The Q Room @ International Arts Centre, Leicester One of the city’s cultural gems, The Same Faces have been Leicester’s leading improvised comedy group since 2013, and they’re inviting you to attend their ninth birthday party (which usually means there’ll be cake).

The last nine years have seen The Same Faces grow from three founding members to over 40, whilst running workshops, performing in multiple venues and several comedy festivals, expanding to Northampton and doing their utmost to make improv cool.

If you’ve never seen one of their shows before, A) you’ve been missing out, and B) you can expect two hours of improvised sketches, songs, games and one-liners. Everything is made up on the night; think Whose Line Is It Anyway? but live and local! Are they any good? Yes! They’re one of the few acts in the history of Leicester Comedy Festival to receive award nominations in consecutive years (2018 & 2019).

Niche has attended a few of their shows since they returned to action in September 2021 and has no hesitation in saying that you won’t find a better night out for the price anywhere in Leicestershire.

Tickets: £5 or £7 on the door.

Book at tsfleicester.eventbrite.co.uk.

102 | NICHE

MUSIC

Tony Hadley 40th Anniversary Tour

Tuesday, March 15 De Montfort Hall, Leicester It’s all Gold. The former Spandau Ballet frontman brings his 40th Anniversary Tour to Leicester. One of the most iconic voices in British Pop History, Tony celebrates four decades in music from his breakthrough as part of the ’80s New Romantic movement right up to his critically acclaimed solo releases of recent years.

Tickets: £49.

Book at demontforthall.co.uk.

FAMILIES

The Gruffalo

April 20-24 Curve, Leicester There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo.

Children aged three and up (and their grown-ups) are invited to join Mouse as he goes on a deep, dark journey through the woods in this musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s classic picture-book.

Tickets: £14 Book at curveonline.co.uk.

THEATRE Eric & Ern

Saturday, April 23 De Montfort Hall, Leicester.

This brilliant homage to Morecambe and Wise is fun for ages eight to 108!

Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens bring you sunshine, breathing new life into the legendary duo’s immortal sketches.

From Greig’s Piano Concerto, to Mr Memory, to the paper bag trick, revisit some of British comedy’s most iconic moments.

Tickets: £24.

Book at demontforthall.co.uk.

NICHE WHAT’S ON

With a little help from his friends Last on a stage together in August 2019, nothing is going to prevent the on-the-spot, off-thecuff comedy antics of Paul Merton’s Impro Chums at Curve this May WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

I

t’s entirely possible that you’ve only ever seen Paul Merton – the muchloved team captain of Have I Got News For You – on television. That’s not unreasonable. Through that show, Merton has added a treasure trove of iconic moments to the vault of British comedy (who else could win a news quiz while partnered with a tub of lard?) But you’re missing out.

Paul Merton’s Impro Chums (the touring off-shoot of The Comedy Store Players) are returning to Curve on May 22 with an entirely improvised comedy show. Merton, Suki Webster, Kirsty Newton and two Whose Line Is It Anyway? alums, Richard Vranch and Mike McShane, make up the team.

“What audiences like about what we do,” Merton tells Curve, “is that we haven’t lost our sense of play, our sense of fun. The sort of thing that gets knocked out of you because you have to get married or get a mortgage or find a job. We play and they enjoy watching us play.”

The show is made up of theatre games: improvised scenes and songs inspired by audience suggestions. It can be mesmerising to watch, and the beauty is in the silliness; if you’re used to Paul’s news-related output, don’t expect a lot of hard-hitting satire here.

“I think the particular form of comedy we do is about having fun and being silly,” says Webster. “It doesn’t lend itself to satire or indepth discussion on difficult subjects;

the depth of it is in the joy and connection.”

Like most of the comedy industry, the Chums have been unable to tour during the pandemic, with this being their first time back out. “The thing I’ve missed is laughter,” says Vranch. “I’ve been watching a load of telly and there’s been wonderful stuff produced by an arts industry that’s having a hard time. But I’ve really missed laughing with mates on the way to – and on stage during – the gig.”

The audience is vital. The show is built for and by them and the team is thrilled to be re-establishing that connection.

Webster added: “With our show it’s about everybody because their energy and their suggestions build it like no other show. When it goes right, everyone is involved and having a good time.”

Paul Merton’s Impro Chums visit Curve on Sunday, May 22. To find out more and book tickets, call Curve’s Box Office on 0116 242 3595 or visit curveonline.co.uk.

104 | NICHE

NICHE FEATURE

Fancy a

trip to the

moon?

Mental health charity Lamp is on its way to the moon as part of this year’s 5k challenge theme WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

I

t’s Mental Health Awareness week in May and each year, mental health charity Lamp organises a county-wide, inclusive challenge inviting people to join them in travelling 5k by walking, running, cycling, skating, swimming, or using a wheelchair.

A ‘Trip to the Moon’ will take place this year from May 9 to May 15 for Mental Health Awareness Week. Lamp is encouraging people to take part in the 5k fundraising campaign to collectively reach 384,400km, the distance from Earth to the moon. Participants can take on any activity they like including swimming, rowing, walking the dog, competing in a triathlon, or even completing an activity in fancy dress during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Lamp went ‘Around the World’ with last year’s inaugural theme raising over £8,000 to support the charity’s service users and carers with mental health advocacy throughout Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. More than 1,500 people joined in from as far as India last year thanks to the Strava app, meaning everyone’s five kilometres combined equalled more than double the circumference of the entire world. The success of the campaign won Lamp the Community Event of the Year Award in the 2021 Leicestershire Community Champions Awards.

Richard Kotulecki, Lamp’s CEO said: “We’re very excited

about organising our 5k Trip to the Moon challenge for Mental Health Awareness Week. We are aiming to bring the community together again in a creative way…

“We firmly believe in the benefits of physical activity which serve as a shield against the harmful effects of the pandemic on our mental health and wellbeing and this is why we set up the Lamp 5k campaign.

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen a huge surge in demand for mental health advice and support.”

This year’s 5k fundraiser ties in with this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week which is loneliness. The theme has been set by the Mental Health Foundation, which found that loneliness has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. A

WE’RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT ORGANISING OUR 5K TRIP TO THE MOON CHALLENGE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

study by the Foundation revealed that loneliness has been an important factor contributing to higher levels of distress, resulting from people’s sense of isolation and reduced ability to connect with others.

Hinckley & Rugby Building Society are supporting the campaign for the second year.

Chief Executive Colin Fyfe said: “The Covid-19 pandemic threw light on the plight of those people who suffer from loneliness and this initiative offers a way for people to release endorphins through exercise and mixing with friends and family, as well as supporting a local and independent charity which is committed to helping people from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to navigate the complex mental health maze.”

To take part in the Trip to the Moon 5k challenge, go to lampadvocacy.co.uk/lamp5k and download your fundraising pack. You can sponsor Lamp by emailing info@lampdirect.org.uk.

NICHE | 105

The Benefits of Volunteering Volunteering opens doors to new opportunities and helps to improve your health and wellbeing.

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Learn new skills and Gain valuable experience Improve your CV and Boost your confidence Have fun and Make new friends Make a difference and Be part of a community Take on a challenge and Try Something new

Are you ready to

VOLUNTEER and make a difference?

Get in touch today!

volunteer.valonline.org.uk helpline@valonline.org.uk 0116 257 5050

A huge

u o y k n a h T For supporting the Shama Celebration A world of change starts locally. Empowering women to reach their full potential, that change starts here.

If you would like to support The Shama Women’s Centre please contact business@shamawomenscentre.co.uk

Helping fight period poverty among disadvantaged women and girls Through our sanitary product subscription service, we raise funds to provide free products as well as educate women and girls menstrual hygiene and put an end to period poverty and stigma attached to menstruation.

How does Bear Earth work?

Monthly subscriptions can be ordered to have sanitary products discretely delivered to your door or you can choose to donate your subscription to a woman who can’t afford to access products.

Choose from 3 packages

To find out more about the subscription service and Bear Earth get in touch

07476 044 432

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bearearth.org

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info@bearearth.org

14 Northampton Street, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 1PA

IT’S BACK

Our popular bi-monthly networking event is back!

Join us on March 17, 6pm - 8pm at the South Wigston Menphys Hub The business community in Leicester will reunite once again this March Meet like-minded professionals and build new relationships.

You’ll be greeted with a welcome drink, canapes, and a special gift to mark the return of Niche Networking

Tickets: £15 pp

Book your tickets online at eventbrite.co.uk Search ‘Niche Networking’ In association with

Sponsored by

NICHE SOCIAL

Laughing ourselves silly I GALA PHOTOGRAPHY: NATASHA JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY

t’s been a laugh a minute this February at the Leicester Comedy Festival. We attended the Gala Preview Show and the Big Chilli in support of charity Soft Touch Arts.

The Big Chilli is an event that’s put on by Christina Wigmore of Soft Touch Arts, Pete Miller of The Miller Partnership and sponsored this year by Patersons Commercial Law. Each year, guests gather at Chutney Ivy to enjoy great food and fantastic comedy, and, obviously, to see Pete dressed as a giant chilli. Tables and bellies were gratefully full and there were performances from comedians Mrs Barbara Nice and Olga Koch, and singer Dominique. Guests were also entertained by an art-related

music quiz and a magnificent prize draw. More than £3,700 was raised on the night.

The Leicester Comedy Gala Preview Show invites people to sample some of the acts. Hosted by the gutsy Rosie Jones, the show takes on a Live at the Apollo format.

The line-up included hormone-based comedy from Nina Gillian, gags from the adorably ‘sassy’ Josh Jones, a sexually-charged set from Sikisa, political humour from Imran Yusuf, an interactive performance from beat boxing duo Jarred Christmas and Hobbit, relationship quips from Ria Lina, and miserably self-deprecating wit from Eric Rushton.

Leicester Comedy Festival

NICHE | 109

YOU WOULDN’T HEAR IT IN

Directors, specialists, CEOs, MBEs, PhD holders, and other higher-ups… they’re all people you might meet in the boardroom. It’s a professional space where best behaviour is upheld. But these successful types are people too! They have lives and we want to know what goes on in them.

We squeeze answers out of them on subjects you wouldn’t normally discuss in the boardroom

PROFILE: Jaimon Thomas eneur Hospitality entrepr Age: 45

a Born in Kerala, Indi icester Lives in Rothley, Le and Kayal franchisor of Herb d an r de un Fo y: Noteworth atson’s nice and Donald W Ve of t an ch er M d restaurants, an s. rs and motorcycle ’ about vintage ca zy ra ‘C r.

Ba n ga Ve w would you FRIENDSHIPS: Ho a friend? as lf se ur describe yo sy-going, fun, Down to earth, ea all my friends loving, and I keep There are no t. close to the hear I like to think as , me barriers for with my heart. hat’s the ADVENTURES: W e done? In u’v yo craziest thing e to call myself my spare time I lik otorcycle] rider a Royal Enfield [m es from Kerala rid as I completed )! to Delhi (1,596 miles

E: What do INTELLECTUAL LIF Historical you geek out on? novels with novels, especially , cricket! se ur co spies and of What’s RELATIONSHIPS: ip advice? sh your best relation it is a as life ily Focus on fam s lead ay alw ll wi t tha blessing you to success.

here would ENVIRONMENT: W arest look de d your nearest an for you? pical lifestyle Kerala. I like the tro The next place and love travelling. ver is Spain. co dis I would like to NESS: What’s HEALTH AND FIT habit? I don’t your unhealthiest e been a I’v – exercise much but always tell m gy the member at xt month, which myself I will start ne es! riv basically never ar

od at anything?

SKILLS: Weirdly go ts for the hospitality Designing concep tant solutions on sector as well as ins s. operational issue Which of life’s SPIRITUAL LIFE: u up at night? mysteries keep yo to ing Christian, I like tis ac Proud to be a pr if n, ma hu a irituality of think about the sp it can of the world, how fit ne be it’s for the eful ac how to have a pe run smoothly and lifestyle. the worst part CAREER: What’s e timing. As the about your job? Th ring festive periods du en business is op st work while and weekends, I mu g fun. everyone is havin

tside of work, CREATIVE LIFE: Ou eate’? ‘cr t what did you las r called Vegan ste ice Le in A new bar vegan drinks.

Bar for exclusively t’s your most FAMILY LIFE: Wha childhood? My fond memory from n me and my relationship betwee mother.

E: Which political COMMUNITY LIF t interested topic are you mos not interested in right now? I am d to choose ha I if in politics but be about the uld wo it , one thing economic world.

WORDS BY LEVITHA BIJI

To get a well-rounded feel for our interviewee, our questions are based on Vishen Lakhiani’s 12 Areas of Life Balance

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