Niche Magazine Issue 28 by Cross Productions

#FindYourNiche

September/October 2018

BARBARA ARMSTRONG

OBE, ACCL, CMgr, FCMI

UNLEASHES YOUR BUSINESS POTENTIAL

Crowndale Food Services Adapting to their dramatic growth

The Awards Issue The power of awards

Leicester Business Festival

The fourth year of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest business event

THE TIMES ARE A-CHANGINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; FOR CROSS PRODUCTIONS Keep your eyes peeled as we reveal all next month

CROSSPRODUCTIONS.CO.UK \ FACEBOOK: @CROSSPRODUCTIONSLTD TWITTER: @CROSSPROD_UK \ INSTAGRAM: CROSSPRODUCTIONSLTD 16 | NICHE

NICHE FEATURE

REBRANDING CROSS PRODUCTIONS Niche, we like to think, is held in high esteem in the local community but we found not many know about its parent company Cross Productions, and so a rebrand was in order

s businesses approach Niche to advertise, they are often not ready from a marketing perspective to make a commitment to magazine advertising – and for that spend to work at its best, there are other facets that ideally need to be in place first. Our business development team found they were often turning business away on the principle that we do not want to take any part of a company’s budget if we are not confident that we can generate the best ROI for that business. Under Cross Productions, we found an area we appeared to be very strong in was advising and supporting business to implement the right foundations ready to springboard their marketing consultancy. Providing as much or as little as a company needs, we have now worked with hundreds of businesses aligning their marketing campaigns and overseeing them. We have built up a reputation of providing or coordinating businesses of all sizes with high quality marketing strategies that include aspects such as social media, training, coaching, photoshoots, corporate social responsibility, event, SEO, brand development, PR as well as its original publishing services. Marketing as a whole is a massive arena and so we coordinate the best in business to work together. Cross is often the facilitator of these meetings and now, under our consultancy arm, will ensure everything and everyone is working together meaning the client is aware of what’s happening, in control but only having to liaise with one party. Knowing we have their best interests at heart this gives us a unique stance in the ever-changing world of marketing. It was time for a rebrand. All these years, our team at Cross Productions has come up with inventive ideas for others but, as it turns out, we weren’t so great at coming up with something new for ourselves.

We employed the help of three exceptional teams to help us rebrand: PR Consultant Louisa Bayley; design agency Creative62; and digital marketing agency Unity Media. Here’s what they had to say about rebranding Cross Productions. MARK ROBINSON, CREATIVE62: Rebranding is exciting and a great opportunity, it is a chance to review the business and visually make yourself better, more representative of who you actually are. By rebranding you will be changing and evolving the overall perception of your company, including all associations, ideas, thoughts, and feelings that come to mind at the mention of your name. You could suggest Cross Productions perfectly represents a company that would benefit from a rebrand. It has experienced significant growth, introduced new products, has new technology in place and is developing a new strategy. We are looking forward to working with them as their new brand evolves during its roll-out.

Louisa Bayley, PR Consultant: You know your business inside out. And you know what your customers need. But sometimes you’re so close to the day-to-day running of your business it takes an outsider to explain what makes you special. Good copywriting will highlight clearly and concisely what it is you do. As well as making certain that all your promotional material reads well, copywriters also ensure that your message is consistent across all your branding. The team at Cross know the value of great copy and how vital it is to the marketing mix. Their ability to create compelling content for their customers is what makes their magazine ‘a must-read.

Pete Frost, Unity Media: Website design and development is more than just having something that looks pretty. It’s about having something functional to the user like displaying the businesses key messages in a way that encourages a better quality engagement. We help a business generate more leads/ business through the world’s largest high street: the internet. Working with Cross Productions is, as always, a pleasure. When you share the same passion for growth as they do, you have some of the key elements for an incredible strategy. We’re delighted to be able to work alongside the business to unlock more potential from their digital strategy.

NICHE | 03

Cover:

Barbara Armstrong, photographed by Angela Carrington, Bigger Picture.

LEANNE BAKER

JENNY CROSS MANAGING DIRECTOR 07815 899 574

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

jenny@crossproductions.co.uk

leanne@crossproductions.co.uk

Contributors The Miller Partnership, Glynis Wright, Leicester Racecourse, Leicester Riders, St Martins House, Soar Valley Press, RDZ PR, Ian Guyler, Fothergill Wyatt, Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors

SALLY SMITH

LIAM DEACY

SALES DIRECTOR 07931 220 116

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

sally@crossproductions.co.uk

liam@crossproductions.co.uk

Photography & Video courtesy of: Joe Whitmore 07887 812 321 jwhitmorephoto.co.uk Adam King hello@incitevideo.co.uk Alex Benyon 0116 296 6450 alexbenyonphotography.co.uk

KERRY SMITH

SUSAN HOLMES DESIGN EDITOR

SENIOR JOURNALIST

susan.holmes@crossproductions.co.uk

kerry@crossproductions.co.uk

JESS HEWITT

EMILY KIRTON JOURNALIST

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

emily.kirton@crossproductions.co.uk

jess.hewitt@crossproductions.co.uk

0116 271 2573

Official Media Sponsors of the Leicester Riders

Also Sponsoring Robbie’s Rugby Festival Leicester Law Society Awards Hope Against Cancer Rainbows Dorothy Goodman Academy

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.

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

Distribution Media Matters Direct Mediamattersdirect.co.uk Self Select Distribution Selfselectdistribution.co.uk

A WORD FROM JENNY

t’s been a busy few months for the team and I at Cross Productions. We have been working with Creative62 on a rebrand and have Unity working on a new website showcasing all the exciting new services we offer. With the Niche Business Awards due to commence on Friday, September 7, the last month has been filled with organising winners’ trophies and choosing our winners songs! This year, with a set judging panel across all categories, huge thanks goes out to Leanne Bonner Cooke MBE, Evolve Consulting; Chris Greenwell, Gateley PLC; Bob Johnson, Mazars; Cherie Concannon, Concannon Connection; Steve Adams, Cambridge and Counties Bank; and Tracey Miller, The Miller Partnership for the long hours they each committed reading all applications, supporting evidence and also meeting each of the finalists. I have been informed the standard was exceptionally high and congratulations are in order for each and every finalist. Also I must highlight the fact we would be unable to run these

nichemagazineuk

@magazineniche

awards without our headline sponsor Glynis Wright and Co and all our category sponsors and ambassadors. Leicester Business Festival (LBF), now in its fourth year, has grown substantially year in year out, with last year seeing more than 10,000 people attending (26.8 per cent of those from outside the Midlands), 154 events across two weeks, a market circulation of 74m and a reach of 31.08m and 78 international attendees. As we work in partnership with Associate Events on the official programme, which this year will mimic Niche Magazine, we have had first insights into the variety of events being registered. Keep an eye on leicesterbusinessfestival.com for the latest news and information. This year has seen the festival organise its events into 11 sectors with an industry expert initiating a headline event in each sector. ◆ Communication, Marketing & Business Support ◆ Creative Industries ◆ Distribution & Logistics ◆ Education & Skills ◆ Environment, Food & Rural Affairs ◆ Hi-tech Manufacturing ◆ Property & Construction ◆ Professional Services ◆ Retail, Tourism and Hospitality ◆ Space and Aerospace ◆ Sport, Health & Life Sciences I have had the honour of being invited to be sector lead for Marketing, Communications and Business Support and our headline event will be Friday, November 2, 9am – 12.30pm at Morningside Arena, home to the Leicester Riders. Please see LBF website to register to attend for free. So as we come to the end of the summer and more towards the back end of 2018, it’s a great time to reflect on business growth. For me personally I have enrolled with Leicester Castle Business School to complete an executive coaching course which will run from November through to March. With the knowledge and support of their academics I hope this will help me to grow Cross Productions further throughout 2019.

#FindYourNiche

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

NEWS

LIFESTYLE

08 Business News 09 Sarah Harrison 10 Everards Brewery

BUSINESS FOCUS 12 Upskilling 16 COVER STORY: Barbara Armstrong 18 Nucleus HR 19 Debbie Moore Coaching 20 Leicester Business Festival 24 Business Process Management 26 2XL Commercial 31 Finance Lab 34 Glynis Wright & Co 36 Legal columns

Featuring Paradigm Wills & Legal Services, Glynis Wright & Co and Hollingsworths Solicitors

37 Paradigm Wills & Legal Services 38 Legal columns

Featuring Josiah Hinks, Halo Consulting and Paradigm Wills & Legal Services

40 41 42 44 47 49 50

Hollingsworths Solicitors BP Legal Marketing Assisted Phoenix Paragon Sales Business Innovation

Featuring RDZ PR, Soar Valley Press

52 Cyber Security 55 Learning Without Limits

MANUFACTURING 58 Manufacturing Forum 60 Edward Cooper Young

06 | NICHE

64 Fothergill Wyatt 66 Property columns

Featuring Fothergill Wyatt, Glenfield Electrical, FLR Group,

68 72 73 74

FLR Group The Light House Chrysalis Interiors Gardening columns

Featuring Leicestershire Garden Design, Bentleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garden Buildings, and Ponds by Michael Wheat

77 Utility Warehouse 80 1st Choice Health & Safety 82 Health columns

Featuring Rossell Fitness, Function Jigsaw, My Solution Wellbeing and Oakdale Dental

84 89 92 94 96 108

My Solution Wellbeing Priti Coles Food Court Crowndale Food Services St Martins House 360 Auto Leasing

SPORTS 100 Leicester Racecourse 103 Sports

Featuring Oadby and Leicester Gymnastics Club and Steve Walsh

105 Outlaws 106 Sam Harrison

SOCIAL 110 Hanlon Hospitality 117 Tracey Miller Culture 117 Amwell Care Home 118 Stretton Circuit 119 Dave Smith 120 Prostaid

IAN GUYLER Consultant and Non-Executive Director at Pedigree Filbert

Economics: a bellwether!

16 COVER STORY Barbara Armstrong

20 The Leicester Business Festival

94 Crowndale Food Services

At the time of writing, Mark Carney and his Bank of England team have just increased interest rates – the first increase in the ‘emergency’ rate in 10 years. National business press comment is fairly sanguine, accepting the key reasons cited. Is it really a Bank of England pre-emptive strike on a strong pre-Brexit economy? We have high employment levels and effectively an ‘employable’ labour shortage. Maintaining inflation at 2 per cent is the bank’s key objective and it sees wages growth, and therefore spending power, as a key threat to inflation. With average settlements currently at 2.75 per cent (up from 1.75 per cent over the last five years) they predict we’ll be spending more money. So assuming we do spend more money – holidays, clothes, houses, cars etc – we all know that the where and how is changing. Adam Burdett in the recent Leicester Mercury business section tells us not to invest in the high street. Online sales over bricks and mortar continue to increase. Local retailers Dunelm, Joules, and Next report high street declines but big online increases. And our city centre, what will it look like? Fewer shops, more open public realm spaces like Jubilee Square and Leicester Market Square? Bars, restaurants, and maybe a return of Grade A offices? There is nothing new in this changing trend in shopping habits but to quote Mark Carney: “The East Midlands has been seen as a bellwether [leading indicator] for the UK economy.” This may be reflected in (‘one of the big three’) Hammerson PLC’s reported reduction in its high street exposure. Its divestment programme suggests this and is mooted to include 50 per cent of its investment in Highcross shopping centre! Anyway, if you don’t know what bellwether means in detail, it is well worth finding out, email me when you do! Until next issue.

NICHE | 07

BUSINESS NEWS LEICESTERSHIRE

Rothley vineyard set for early grape harvest of a bumper crop The grapes from the Rothley Wine vineyard are normally harvested from late September through to the beginning of November. However, the wonderful summer has promised a potentially large yield to be harvested much earlier. Vineyard proprietor Liz Robson said: “The Siegerrebe grapes have filled with juice, called veraison, and about one quarter of the bunches have changed colour to a terracotta hue which indicates ripeness. I have checked the brix (sugar) levels and the ripe grapes are ready for harvest now and it is still August! I have rallied my splendid team of volunteers and we will conduct a selective picking of the ripe Siegerrebe grapes on Friday, August 31. The remainder of that variety will be picked a fortnight later. Followed shortly by the Solaris grape. The next will be Fruhburgunder followed by Madeleine Angevine. “Weather conditions have been perfect so far. Firstly, the warm spring produced a lot of young shoots, and we were mercifully spared a May frost. The wet May allowed good root growth and water uptake by the vines, and then the wonderful period of sunshine allowed the grapes to develop amid a hearty canopy of leaves. I have never known the grape vines leaves to look so healthy, or for such a large number of grape bunches to be carried. Indeed, the trellis wires are sagging under the strain on the Solaris vines.” The wine estate is small but determined to succeed in producing fine quality wines with a distinctive Leicestershire identity. Seven wines are sold under the company name of Rothley Wine Ltd and can also be purchased from local retailers, wine bars, hotels and at Ragdale Hall. 08 | NICHE

African hospital praises support of Leicestershire business Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd have received a letter of thanks from an African hospital after donating thousands of pounds of medical supplies to help treat patients being cared-for there. Based in Loughborough, the company is a leading manufacturer of quality medicine to UK hospitals and a global supplier through aid agencies. The donation to St Joseph’s Hospital, in Limbe, Malawi, was made through charity Inter Care – Medical Aid for Africa, based in Syston. The charity specialises in sending high quality medical aid to rural health units in subSaharan Africa including Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana and Sierra Leone. The letter, written to Dr Kotecha OBE, Chief Executive of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, by Sister Mercy Kanyumbu, read: “I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for your kindness and generosity shown to us by way of this donation. “I am extremely grateful for your invaluable support to the hospital. The medicine will help us improve the quality of service delivery, especially to the poor and vulnerable. “It is our sincere hope that our relationship and collaboration will continue to grow from strength to strength for the benefit of our people. This will serve the children here and we really appreciate it.” As well as the donation of medicine, Morningside Pharmaceuticals has also funded Inter Care’s new online stock control system, which helps the charity track the recycled surplus UK medicines and healthcare goods it sends to rural health units in some of the poorest parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The digital system was the first of its kind since the organisation was set up in 1974 and enables the charity to track the aid it sends to Africa from the point it enters its warehouse, right through to delivery to each health unit. Dr Kotecha OBE said: “A significant part of our business specialises in providing essential supplies to aid agencies such as UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and the Red Cross. Much of the medicine supplied globally helps people in desperate need of healthcare, such as those living through the devastating wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. “We have been working closely with Inter Care for some time, which carries out amazing work in Africa that helps save thousands of lives each year. I was personally very humbled to receive the letter of thanks from the hospital in Malawi and am very pleased our donation has helped them continue their essential life-saving work within their community.”

SPONSORS

MEDIA PARTNERS

NICHE FEATURE bring individual businesses responsible for delivering our visitor experience together.” EDUCATION Professor Dana Brown Principal, Leicester Castle Business School Professor Dana Brown joined DMU in 2016 as the founding Principal of LCBS. She has worked in and closely with business, starting in high school when she had the opportunity to work alongside a former chief executive of FW Woolworth during the launch of a new start-up retail venture. She was also amongst the first employees of Amazon.com, where she worked as Senior Manager of Operations in the period leading up to the company’s IPO. “Whether it is providing employers with high-calibre graduates and apprentices, retaining graduate talent or training existing managers and leaders, education lays the foundation for economic success. Leicester Business Festival celebrates the strong partnerships forged between businesses and our schools, colleges and universities. Now more than ever, we need to work together to ensure that Leicestershire businesses can respond positively to the challenges of a post-Brexit world. I’m looking forward to the opportunity for us all to share ideas, learn from each other and ensure Leicestershire remains an innovative, exciting place to do business.” PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Scott Charlish - Head of Financial Planning, Brewin Dolphin Scott Charlish is a Chartered Financial Planner who works primarily with local firms and families, to assist in building and implementing their financial plans. He is a Divisional Director of national wealth management company, Brewin Dolphin, who have an office in Colton

Square. “Many of the UK’s largest professional service firm names have retained a Leicestershire presence, which is indicative of the strength of the sector in our region. In addition, we have a number of more locally based firms who also offer first class services to the people of Leicestershire. I am delighted, once again, to be associated with the festival. In particular, I believe that we will highlight the benefits of working within the sector in the city and county, thus helping to improve graduate retention and to emphasise the high quality employment opportunities available in our area.” PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION Alastair Hamilton Managing Partner, Pick Everard Alastair has more than 30 years’ experience in the construction industry as a chartered quantity surveyor. He is focused on client management, building bespoke plans and developing long-term relationships. He is also keen to develop and nurture talent and build a workplace centered around equality, diversity and fair pay across all levels. “Millions of pounds are being invested in regenerating key sites across the city. Pick Everard is delighted to be involved in these, namely the Grand Central Square development that will see two new hotels completed alongside 35,000 sq ft of new office space, creating 60 new jobs and providing visitor accommodation and workspace. We’re involved in the National Space Centre’s renovation as well as working at the Leicester Tigers’ exciting new hotel site. LBF provides these businesses with the tools to work better together encouraging collaboration through its networking opportunities. Leicester’s property and construction sector is booming. It’s on the cusp of greatness.”

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

AV MEDIA PARTNERS

APP PARTNER

COFFEE PARTNER

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Geoff Rowe - Founding Director, Leicester Comedy Festival Geoff has led the development of the festival since it began in 1994. The festival now makes a significant contribution to the local economy as well as attracting national media attention for the city and event, which takes place in over 70 venues across Leicestershire. It is the longest running comedy festival in Europe and is supported by a growing number of local businesses that benefit from engaging with the event and associated projects. “Creative industries is a thriving sector in Leicestershire and one of the largest creative clusters outside of London. The sector includes design agencies, web companies and cultural organisations and arts festivals. LBF provides a fantastic platform to not only showcase the fabulous range of sub-industries in the sector, but also to illustrate how creative industries as a whole make an important contribution to the local economy.” SPACE & AEROSPACE Dr Grant Bourhill - CEO Science Parks, University of Leicester Grant has been involved in innovation for his entire career, with experience across multiple sectors including energy, automotive, consumer electronics and defence. He joined the University of Leicester in April 2018. Grant holds a PhD in Chemistry from Strathclyde and an MBA from Oxford as well as over 30 patents. “Today, Leicester and Leicestershire already have almost 100 space related companies, employing 3000 people and generating a GVA of almost £200m p/a. In addition to the UK Space Bill and recently announced UK Space Port, the sector is a core foundation of the industrial strategy, the LLEP local industrial strategy prospectus, the Midlands Engine Vision for Growth and a Space Sector deal is imminent. Space Park Leicester will see industry collocated with the University of Leicester, which has the largest space-related group in the country (both upstream satellite engineering and downstream data) and has had an instrument in orbit every year since 1967.” NICHE | 23

BUSINESS FOCUS

Using business process management (BPM) In order to become and remain successful and competitive, businesses must continuously improve their processes. Failure to do so is likely to result in higher costs, lower revenues, less motivated employees and fewer satisfied customers

THESE THINGS WOULD NEVER HAVE COME TO LIGHT WITHOUT US TAKING THE TIME TO BRING THE TEAM TOGETHER TO ANALYSE HOW THE BUSINESS IS RUNNING

NIGEL BATES Managing Director at Evolve

BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT (BPM) IS A METHOD OF ANALYSING A COMPANY’S PROCESSES IN ORDER TO CREATE A FLUID, EFFECTIVELY MANAGED ESTABLISHMENT

24 | NICHE

s a specialist consultancy, it’s our job to advise our customers on business process management, re-engineering and improvement; it is one of our key services and a discipline we are highly experienced and competent in. We listen to our customers closely and help them to make changes that will increase their revenue, keep their staff and customers happy and keep costs down. The practise we deliver is intrinsic to the positive operational changes within the businesses we serve. So it is of course equally important to apply our own specialist knowledge to our own business; we spend most of our time delivering and advising others but it’s imperative we take the time to listen to our own advice and continually assess our own business processes. We are particular specialists in the process of developing software that ultimately eases processes other organisations struggle with like compliance and audit to standards, pricing, and rebate management. This means we have a rigorous process for business analysis, project management, knowledge and document management to ensure the products and services we provide to our clients are of world class quality. My background is in sales and marketing so a ‘go to market’ business process has to be my focus and responsibility to deliver, and most

definitely essential to our business and, I’m sure, everyone in our industry and beyond. Analysing and documenting our business processes, determining the implications on our delivery teams, and support teams impacts our entire business – it is therefore the responsibility of everyone in our business as it has touch points throughout. We spent two days out of the office as a team in May, looking at strategy and refining our BPM by looking at our entire business approach, which is clearly fed by sales and marketing but impacts planning, development and maintenance processes. Days like this are absolutely essential in refocusing the business and helping us to develop and grow. We discovered many areas which needed thought and further development including message refinement and marketing campaign development amongst other HR and operational issues. These things would never have come to light without us taking the time to bring the team together to analyse how the business is running. Our processes, like those in all organisations, need constant re-evaluation; they are a living and breathing entity that help us standardise work. They also must be adhered to every day to ensure success.

Buiness Process Management

ROGER PEACOCK Business Development Manager at Velocity IT

t’s time to scale with process automation. Business Process Management (BPM) and Business Process Automation (BPA) is our way of overcoming the need to increase headcount and the operational overhead often associated with growing a business. Automating business processes gives business owners the ability to put digital processes in place, allowing the company to take on increasing demand and generate higher revenues, without increasing costs proportionally. Let’s take a look at some of the ways BPA helps

cpa

to scale a business more effectively: ◆ Reducing the time people spend on repetitive mundane tasks, such as manually entering and updating data, allows them to spend more time on your customers ◆ Automating these tasks results in fewer data errors, greater accuracy and a higher speed of response ◆ Reducing the need of hire staff to take care of the processes, which have now been automated, allows companies to invest in true talent; bringing in people that add real value to your offering and affect your position in the market ◆ Analysing your processes puts you in the position to take a critical and subjective look at how your business is run. Processes can be refined, streamlined and excess steps removed to improve both backend and customer facing activities.

PROCESSES CAN BE REFINED, STREAMLINED AND EXCESS STEPS REMOVED TO IMPROVE BOTH BACKEND AND CUSTOMER FACING ACTIVITIES

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Back to business IN LEICESTER Ambitious plans, economic uncertainty and personal loss – we sat down with Director, Darren Willoughby to find out what made him move 100 miles back home to Leicester and kick start 2XL Commercial Finance

he year is 2000, and over 12,000 applications have been received by Lloyds TSB for its business graduate scheme. Loughborough’s Darren Willoughby is one of only 10 to be selected. The law graduate ends up moving to Manchester and becoming a business bank manager at 21 years of age making him one of the youngest in the country. Fast forward five years and the hunger for success is growing. Luckily, Lloyds TSB recognise the ambition in Darren offering him a role for a new, specialist department servicing professional introducers to the bank. Darren was brought in as a business development manager for a new professional lending team. With dedication and commitment, he learnt priceless skills on the job contributing to the success of the new department and growing the team from 12 to 185 in just over five years. Having worked with many brokers over the years, he believed there was a gap in the market for brokers offering quality and knowledgeable solutions to businesses and property owners searching for finance. Darren – as any entrepreneur would do – put his energy into seeing if he could provide an alternative solution. “I was working for the bank looking after a number of brokers and felt

26 | NICHE

there was an opportunity to improve upon what they offer to their clients,” Darren explained to us over a tea at Rothley Court Hotel. “These guys’ businesses on paper were performing very well without offering a quality, added value service to their clients - charging high fees for very little input. In a discussion with my boss at the time Tim Bamber, who is now my business partner, we decided to set up our own commercial finance brokerage.” With a drive to succeed, the pair embarked on pastures new in 2007

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

took the challenge of establishing our business in the East Midlands. It was a challenging time on a number of fronts for me both personally and professionally.” Darren spent the first nine months hammering on the doors of professional introducers such as IFAs, accountants and solicitors to engage with new contacts. He added: “The credit crunch had hit and businesses needed to access finance. Many banks had pulled out of the market and clients needed a solution. We then became the people to turn to for those

When you’re talking to us you’re actually talking to over 50 bank managers to launch their new business. 2XL Commercial Finance, was established and off to a flying start. Despite the credit crunch hitting 18 months later, the business continued to grow and flourish. Having built up the business in Manchester, it was time to embark back to his homeland in the East Midlands. “I came back to Leicester when my father died and as I’m the eldest son, I returned to be closer to my family. With my personal circumstances changed, Tim and I agreed to branch out. Tim focused on the North West whilst I

who need commercial finance.” He puts this down to the experience and knowledge he gained having spent years within the industry. 2XL Commercial finance works with an extensive panel of lenders dealing with the whole of the market and the company is directly authorised by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). This allows clients to get the very best deal for their individual circumstances. Darren explained: “To be a commercial broker you have to be experienced. You have to have credit

NICHE FEATURE

skills that you just can’t pick up without being in the industry. You also have to gain the trust of both the introducer and the client in handling these affairs. “You can’t just wake up one day and decide you want to be a commercial broker – sadly the marketplace is littered with residential brokers attempting commercial (badly) or failed bankers with no other avenues to explore which doesn’t help the industry as a whole. “Having worked within the Midlands for a number of years we are now firmly established as the go-to people in business and commercial finance. When you’re talking to us you’re actually talking to over 50 bank managers as we have access to all the commercial banks in the marketplace all with varied appetites for different deals.” On the subject of bank managers, the 38-year-old continued to explain that many often have a preconception that their own bank will be the one to give them the best deal. He says many of his clients have been offered deals by their existing bank only for 2XL

to save the clients thousands on the interest rate. “We won’t take clients when we know it can’t be done – A quick no is better than a protracted maybe from all sides – If the deal can be done we will help them shape the application to give it every chance of success,” he explained giving us a rundown of the procedure. “We formally interview the client and then write the credit paper. Once we have an understanding of their requirements we can then go to the market to source them the very best deal. Having worked on the other side as a banker I know how it works so we will write a detailed credit report on behalf of the bank to send out to other lenders. Within 48 hours of our application being submitted, we can then collate the responses and present the options to the client.” Last year, 2XL placed £76m of borrowing for its clients across a wide range of business and property transactions. Find more information on 2XL’s new, rebranded website.

SERVICES Commercial mortgages Buy to let mortgages Development funding Finance for pension funds Asset finance Invoice discounting and factoring Commerical, business and personal insurance Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme

darren@2xlcommercial.com 2xlcommercial.com NICHE | 27

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“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle” Sir Winston Churchill

Encouraging innovation: Is it still worth pursuing tax relief through Patent Box? One thing most businesses agree on – regardless of their stance on Brexit and the Government’s handling of it – is the pressing need for greater innovation and less onerous tax relief rules. With only 10% of small businesses reportedly seeking Government financial support to innovate, it is easy to see why organisations such as the Federation of Small Businesses want taxation relief systems like Patent Box made much simpler. When Patent Box was first introduced in April 2013 it helped boost UK technology and innovation – potentially providing Britain’s entrepreneurs with a 10% reduction in corporation tax on the income they got from their patents. However, the Finance Act 2016 saw Patent Box rules modified to incorporate new “nexus” calculations which link research and development expenditure directly to patents. Under the old system it was irrelevant who undertook the original research resulting in the patents. But, under the new regime, Patent Box claimants must prove that they did the work themselves or paid for it to be done by a third party. Rather oddly, work done by another group company doesn’t count! How much sense does that make? The revised rules, as the FSB points out, are much more complicated and have, I am sure, put off businesses from applying for this relief. And, while I wholly agree that Patent Box should be made simpler, don’t let its complexities stop you from pursuing it if you’re an entrepreneur looking to bring an innovative new product to market. To find out more about Patent Box – and for professional tax advice on whether the relief can be applied to your patent – please email pete. miller@themillerpartnership.com or call us on 0116 208 1020.

UK tax legislation is the most complex in the world and, when you’re looking at the Taxation of Company Reorganisations, Pete literally wrote the book The Miller Partnership are experts in all aspects of corporation tax. Our specialities include: Taxation of corporate transactions, mergers, acquisitions, disposals, demergers, reorganisations & reconstructions HMRC clearances Transactions in securities anti-avoidance legislation Taxation of corporate intangible assets & goodwill Disguised remuneration Taxation of partnerships Patent Box

T: 0116 208 1020 M: 07802 197 269 The Miller Partnership New Walk House, 108 New Walk, Leicester LE1 6UF

www.themillerpartnership.com pete.miller@themillerpartnership.com

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NICHE FEATURE

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The eight sections in the Wheel of Life represent balance. Regarding the centre of the wheel as 0 and the outer edge as 10, rank your level of satisfaction with each life area by drawing a straight or curved line to create a new outer edge. The new perimeter of the circle represents the Wheel of Life. How bumpy would the ride be if this were a real wheel?

Where do you want your money to take you? Finance Lab help you to decide

inance Lab does business a little differently compared to other financial planners. The team focuses on the concept that wealth should allow you to achieve or experience the lifestyle you desire. Financial Life Planner Rajesh Modha says: “When it’s about numbers there is no emotion but the decisions we make are really around emotion. What I tap into is the emotions that hold people back. “It’s all about getting our clients to understand what is it they want from life. A lot of people have never been asked that question or given it any

thought so it can be a little bit uncomfortable to consider. “Good financial planning allows you to use your wealth to enjoy a life that is authentic to you.” The Finance Lab assists its clients by offering questions and exercises to help them discover what they truly want their life to look like. One exercise Rajesh asks his clients to do is The Wheel of Life. Clients mark each aspect of their life out of 10, creating a visual representation of which they feel they are lacking in and which they feel they are abundant in. Rajesh explains: “People will

GOOD FINANCIAL PLANNING ALLOWS YOU TO USE YOUR WEALTH TO ENJOY A LIFE THAT IS AUTHENTIC TO YOU

find their wheel probably doesn’t turn smoothly. My passion is to help my clients understand what is required to have a smooth turn of the wheel and a smooth journey in life. This exercise gives us a great starting point for discussion.” See what your wheel of life says about you.

0116 262 1414 financelab.co.uk NICHE | 31

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Onwards and

upwards

for local family law firm Glynis Wright & Co 34 | NICHE

NICHE FEATURE

Latest recruit to the expanding Team GW This July the firm welcomed senior lawyer, Steven Illidge to Glynis Wright’s dynamic team. Steven is a highly experienced family lawyer who qualified in 1990 and has worked exclusively in the area of family law across the East and West Midlands. Steven brings with him a wealth of experience and prides himself on the level of positive postcase feedback he regularly receives from his clients. He is also the first male solicitor to join Team GW. Steven said: “I had heard of the excellent reputation of Glynis Wright & Co long before I applied for a position with the company. To work with a team of eight lawyers who specialise only in family law is a real privilege. There is a huge amount of expertise shared between us under one company banner. I am truly excited to be part of Team GW.”

The law firm is a finalist in the Law Society’s Excellence Awards – the highest accolade for law firms in England and Wales

he winners will be announced at the Law Society’s Excellence ceremony in London on October 17 which Team Glynis Wright will be attending. Head of Practice Glynis Wright said: “We are thrilled to be finalists for this superb award. To be singled out from so many firms nationally as a beacon of excellence in legal services provision is incredible. “We came from nowhere seven years ago to now being one of the most significant providers of family law in the Midlands. What makes us unique is the fact that the whole team places a huge emphasis on dispute resolution and conflict management, recognising the need to reduce the impact on the children in a family breakup wherever possible. I am proud of each and every one of the team.” National Law Society president Christina Blacklaws said: “There are more than 9,000 firms and 140,000 solicitors in England and Wales, so to be shortlisted for an Excellence Award is to be recognised as being among the best of the best.” To find out more about Glynis Wright & Co and any of the firm’s services, visit the website or contact the team directly. 0116 238 5608 glyniswright.co.uk

“Keep it out of court” Mediation and collaborative law at Glynis Wright & Co Glynis has encouraged two of her senior family lawyers to become specialists in out-of-court solutions to family breakup, namely mediation and collaborative law. Gayle Rowley and Lisa Marie Leanders both qualified in their new disciplines with flying colours. Gayle said: “I am thrilled to be able to help resolve disputes that arise in divorce and relationship breakup through mediation. Mediators are neutral and trained not to take sides. “They see both parties together and encourage them to come to their own agreements about finances and arrangements for the children following breakup. This is hugely rewarding and can save clients a lot of money that might otherwise be spent in court proceedings.” Lisa-Marie Leander has become a collaboratively trained lawyer in Team GW. She explained: “Each party appoints their own collaborative lawyer who is specially trained to hold round table meetings where all parties and their lawyers meet face to face to resolve the issues. “This is really good for clients who wish to speed up the process of resolving their disputes but who prefer to have their lawyers by their side handling negotiations on their behalf throughout. It is so much better to work through issues in a collaborative meeting than relying on court process.”

They see both parties together and encourage them to come to their own agreements Gayle

Lisa-Marie

NICHE | 35

NICHE BUSINESS

Forum

PROBLEMS YOU FACE WITHOUT A WILL

GREG HOLLINGSWORTH Director at Hollingsworths

CHECK LIST FOR START-UPS Starting your own company? Whilst it can be an extremely fulfilling and exciting time there are certain things that you need to establish to help the whole thing run smoothly from the off. Here’s how to ensure your new venture offers more excitement than stress. Structure Work out the structure of your business: are you a sole trader or a limited company? You need to balance your potential cost savings against the security of knowing that your personal assets are not on the line. Invoicing This goes beyond knowing who you are selling to. Be wary of offering payment terms to clients you don’t know. This is like loaning them money – not something you would be prepared to do for someone you’d only just met. Contracts Whilst a verbal contract is often binding there is nothing clearer than having a written one even if it is in email form. While your business might not be at the stage of needing terms and conditions, all businesses should record the basic terms of their contract with the customer before an agreement is made. Records Keeping records of business activity is essential for limited companies but it’s very useful for sole traders too – especially if any disputes arise. Protection Finally, it’s important to ensure your uniqueness isn’t compromised by competition or employees who may be looking to leave with your ideas and set up on their own.

0116 204 7260 hlegal.co.uk 36 | NICHE

Having a will is vital – we all know that – but too often we hear about those who have not realised the importance of one until it’s unfortunately too late. Imagine the look on your family’s face when they’re told your house, with a lifetime of memories built into it, is going to be taken away from them. Picture your most cherished possession in the hands of your ex-husband’s new wife’s daughter when your own daughter values that item way beyond its monetary value. Without a will, no one will care that you wanted your medals to go to your grandson. It’s not impossible for your loved ones to obtain parts of their inheritance without you having a will in place but this has often proven to be an extremely stressful and drawn out process. Families have been threatened with court cases by companies demanding payment for outstanding bills, people outside the family have been granted more rights than those who have cared for or put money into the deceased’s wellbeing, and these processes have been known

SATWINDER SIDHU Director at Paradigm Wills and Legal Services to continue for years. Without a will, your next of kin will have to apply for a grant of administration, which is required to represent you after you have passed. This in itself can take time and cause worry. Our top tip to your family, besides encouraging you to draw up a will, is to remember to document every encounter. Write down every time you speak to someone on the phone including names, dates and notes, and send documents and letters by recorded delivery. This may help to reduce tension and upheaval.

0800 999 7750 paradigm-wills.com

OWENS v OWENS

GLYNIS WRIGHT Head of Glynis Wright & Co In the last issue we mentioned the Supreme Court hearing of the case of Mr and Mrs Owens. At the time, we were waiting for the judgement which has now been handed down. It wasn’t altogether a surprise that the Judges ‘reluctantly’ decided that Mrs Owens’ divorce petition alleging that her ‘loveless’ marriage of nearly 40 years, which was making her feel a ‘profound and enduring unhappiness’, did not satisfy the requirements of the law. The judges said that their hands are tied by the current divorce law which they intimated they felt was out of date and one said: “It is not

for us to change the law laid down by Parliament – our role is only to interpret and apply the law that Parliament has given us.” The campaign for a truly nofault divorce continues. The team at Glynis Wright & Co – along with most solicitors – believe that the current system requiring one member of a couple, that has not been separated for more than two years, to have to show that the other has behaved in such a way that he/she cannot reasonably be expected to live with them, is not only out-dated but increases conflict between the parties and can have a very negative impact on the children of the family.

0116 238 5680 glyniswright.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE

How to

talk about wills Raising the subject of wills can be uncomfortable, but it can be much easier than you think if discussed in a frank and friendly manner – Paradigm Wills and Legal Services explain

t’s not something we like to talk about – after all, life’s for living – but there’s no avoiding the fact that at some point we should all think about how to get our affairs in order. While we appear to be more comfortable than ever when it comes to dealing with death – with personalised funeral services and social media remembrance sites, which allow us to pay tribute to loved ones – we’ve still not got to grips with one key element of dying: making a will. Recent research has shown that just one third of UK adults have a will. That means for many, saying goodbye to a loved one could bring legal wrangles, disputes and upset. Regardless of age, the time is always right to have that ‘talk’ with your parents and make sure that, whatever happens, all is just as it should be. Talking before a person is ill, and in a low-key, chatty manner can turn a taboo subject into a rewarding conversation, rather than something quite onerous. Don’t spring the conversation on your loved one – introduce it gently, and together, plan a

date to sit down and discuss it all, explaining why it matters.

The time is now

Only 21 per cent of over 65s with children have a will and Lasting Power of Attorney in place, which is a worrying statistic given that it’s a sad fact of life that things can change quickly, sometimes overnight. You may reach a stage where you need to look after your parents’ finances and make decisions regarding their health. Without a Lasting Power of Attorney in place, getting legal permission to do this can take months and become costly. By being prepared and having discussed with your parents what they want to happen to their estate you can ensure all paperwork is in place meaning less worry and anxiety for the people you love. And as time wears on, your will and theirs can be updated and reviewed, to reflect any change in circumstances.

Family matters

You may be worried that your parents haven’t written their will, but have you got your own family

REGARDLESS OF AGE, THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO HAVE THAT ‘TALK’ WITH YOUR PARENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT, WHATEVER HAPPENS, ALL IS JUST AS IT SHOULD BE

covered? As we get older and family comes along, we’re often too busy to give much thought to what might be ahead but it’s particularly important to make plans if you have a young family to consider. Making a will doesn’t take long and it can cost less than you think.

Looking ahead

Knowing elderly relatives have arrangements in place means peace of mind for what’s ahead – for you and for them. Having paperwork such as Lasting Power of Attorney in place so their finances are taken care of should they no longer be able to manage them is best done well before you might ever need to make use of it. An open discussion about making a will that expresses their wishes, whether that’s a little something for the grandchildren or ensuring their possessions are looked after, can help them feel empowered. 0800 999 7750 paradigm-wills.com NICHE | 37

NICHE BUSINESS

VICKKI RIDGWAY Personal Injury Lawyer at Josiah Hincks

HOW DO I KNOW IF I CAN CLAIM FOR MY INJURIES? Unfortunately, sometimes accidents do happen. There is no one to blame, it’s just one of those things. But, if you are injured as a result of the actions or omissions of someone else, then you may be entitled to recover compensation. For example, if you rented your property and you had complained to your landlord about loose carpeting on the stairs but the landlord had failed to take any action and you then slipped on that loose carpeting, you would be entitled to recover compensation from your landlord. Or, if you had taken your car into a garage for replacement brakes and you were reversing out of your drive when the brakes failed, such that you hit a wall and injured yourself, you would be entitled to recover compensation from the garage. Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence claims can be complex and it is therefore essential that you instruct a specialist to pursue your claim. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is a not-forprofit campaign organisation with over 3,000 member lawyers, who are dedicated to changing the law, protecting and enhancing access to justice and improving the services provided for victims of personal injury. It is worth checking that the company you’re dealing with includes a member as they will receive ongoing training to ensure they are always up to date with the latest developments in personal injury law.

0116 255 1811 josiahhincks.co.uk 38 | NICHE

Forum

THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCRETIONARY TRUSTS When it comes to writing a will so many people struggle to finalise what they really want to happen to their estate. We often come across people who are unsure about who they want to inherit and who to leave out because of complex relationship histories. There are also those who want to gift a loved one with inheritance but worry that it would fund a lifestyle they do not approve of such as alcoholism and drug abuse. Some want their beneficiaries to inherit only at a certain point in their lives or for a specific event such as a wedding. Others might worry that leaving their estate could threaten the beneficiaries, means-tested benefits. We have also seen people who want to leave money to a person who is unable to manage their finances due to disability. All of the above are worrying factors when will writing and we find most are unaware of discretionary trusts; a

BHAVIN GANDHI Director at Paradigm Wills and Legal Services legal arrangement where the testator appoints trustees who will use their discretion to decide when, how and if the beneficiaries will receive any inheritance from the trust. The testator will also compose a letter of wishes to act as a guide to how they would prefer their trustees to distribute their assets and exercise their discretion. With a discretionary trust, money is ‘gifted’ meaning it cannot affect means-tested benefits and trustees will be able to gift beneficiaries according to your wishes making your will less daunting to write.

0800 999 7750 paradigm-wills.com

SHAREHOLDER PROTECTION POLICIES PAUL BRADLEY Managing Director at Halo Consulting Picture the scenario: you set up a business with your business partner a few years ago with a 50/50 investment from you both. Business goes well and soon you are turning over a handsome profit and the company is valued at a cool £2 million. Then, unexpectedly, your business partner passes away. His widow then states she wishes to sell her share of the business. The business just doesn’t have that amount of cash to hand, you tell her so and she decides, rather than sell to one of your competitors, she will take her husband’s place as your new business partner. However, not an expert in your field, the business takes a turn for the worse and you end up losing not only your partner but your investment, livelihood and control over what

happens to assets. This is where hindsight makes it glaringly obvious that both partners should have insured the future of the business by taking out a Shareholder Protection policy. If the shareholders had taken out such a policy, the company could have received a lump sum of cash, bought out the widow’s new found 50 per cent share and control of the business and gained complete control and ownership. Sure, it’s not the nicest of things to discuss but it’s necessary to protect your investment and everything you have worked hard for. The small outlay for this protection provides vast peace of mind and could save you hundreds of thousands and your business in the future.

0116 366 6866 halo-consult.co.uk

Safeguarding Your Future

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We are independent specialists who can advise on all your health and protection needs. Whether you are an individual or a multi-national with offices worldwide –

we can help

0116 366 6866

enquiries@halo-consult.co.uk

www.halo-consult.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE

Smooth start-ups

Owning and running a business can bring great rewards but being your own boss can also cause stress and anxiety along the way

o help you meet the challenges, as well as enjoy the benefits of business ownership, here are five tips on setting up yourself:

DECIDE ON A STRUCTURE

WRITTEN CONTRACTS

Many verbal contracts are just as binding as written ones, but it is easier to prove a contract if it is in writing – at the very least, send an email and get a confirmation back.

Businesses can be structured in many ways. Some of these structures offer tax advantages and cost savings. Being a sole trader or a partnership brings with it personal liability – a liability which is limited for owners of limited companies, although they can face higher administration costs.

MAINTAIN GOOD RECORDS

WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?

Is your company unique and full of trade secrets? This information needs to be protected – both from people outside of the business and within to use it in their own business.

When you provide goods and services to a customer, you invoice them for your work and may give them credit on the invoice. Make sure you know who they are and what their terms are. Your customer could be imposing unacceptable payment terms.

It is required for Limited companies to keep records about the company and its financial and accounting activities, but all businesses, including sole traders and partnerships, should maintain and retain their business and financial records.

KEEP IT CONFIDENTIAL

0116 204 7260 hlegal.co.uk

KNOTWEED NUISANCE BHUMIKA PARMAR Director at BP Legal Solicitors Knotweed. Bad news for any property. The stuff is notorious for its fast growth, both through its underground roots or rhizomes. On its way through a building it can do some serious damage blocking drains, growing between slabs of concrete drives, disrupting brick paving, garden walls, and ultimately overwhelming outbuildings and conservatories. 40 | NICHE

Worse than that it’s very difficult to get rid of in its entirety. From a legal standpoint, when it comes to selling a property, Japanese knotweed on land can create a loss to the property’s market value. The Law Society’s TA6 property information form requires sellers to state whether the property is affected by Japanese Knotweed. Whilst it might be tempting to state ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’ on this form, your potential buyer can come back to you and either rescind the contract or get damages from you as the property is now worth a lot less than they thought. Solicitors should be cautious of this when dealing with properties,

especially with new builds and properties near public land. The recent case of Network Rail, for example, where they are being found liable for damages to two homes which have halved in value due to knotweed spreading from the company’s land, has brought knotweed to the forefront in the press. My advice: always seek legal advice if you suspect knotweed lurking anywhere near your property or potential land you own or are looking to buy.

0116 253 6856 bplegal.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE

Why one woman walked away from her job

We caught up with popular Leicester solicitor Bhumika Parmar as she approaches her 10th year of battling against laws on FGM, suppressing abusive relationships, solving mortgage disputes, and slaying the idea of the traditional law practice

aking voluntary redundancy in the middle of a recession at eight months pregnant doesn’t sound ideal. Her friends and family told her she was mad but that didn’t stop Bhumika Parmar quitting her job in 2008 to follow her dream – to revolutionise legal practices. Applying to the SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) to open a practice of her own, the regulatory body conducted an in depth assessment into Bhumika, vetting her work ethic, reputation, business plan, and five year forecast. She was given the go-ahead and opened an office with just one computer and one employee. “I wanted a modern approach so no 9-5 hours, because 9 times out of 10 clients will be calling on their lunch break. We do home visits and have a 24/7 phone line. Clients have a dedicated case worker but we all use an app to access files so that all of us can pick up any case.” Within a year they moved to bigger premises in Belgrave Gate during Bhumika’s second pregnancy. Just two days after giving birth she went back to work taking her new-born with her. “I had clients that needed taking care of. It was a lot to juggle but I wouldn’t have the flexibility

elsewhere. I didn’t want to miss the milestones in my kids’ lives. I offer the same thing to my staff.” BP Legal now has a team of five comprising of solicitors and trainees, has made headlines, and positively impacted the law raising awareness of important issues. Following that dream nearly 10 years ago resulted in a mammoth contribution to the community internationally. In 2014 Bhumika dealt with a giant media case that enticed BBC and ITV news reporters to her offices. She represented Afusat Saliu who was at risk of being deported to Nigeria after outstaying her UK visa because she feared her children would be at great risk of female genital mutilation (FGM). Despite losing the devastating case, she says the harsh reality of FGM was brought to the UK that year and demanded a call to action. The case gained an international audience but BP Legal’s work began at home. She told us: “An Asian lady asked for help; she was abused by her husband and in-laws, had no national insurance number, no phone, no money, nothing. She didn’t have the money and I could have easily turned her away but I said ‘you can’t let it go

IT WAS A RISK TO CARRY OUT WORK FOR CLIENTS WITHOUT PAYMENT, BUT I HAD FAITH IN THEM. NOT ONE PERSON HASN’T PAID ME BACK

on’.” Bhumika settled her divorce and immigration status. “But I told her ‘when you start working, come back and settle my fees’. And she worked and paid me back. Because of that I had a lot of women coming to me. It was a risk to carry out work for clients without payment, but I had faith in them. Not one person hasn’t paid me back. You could call it a charity but it’s not because what I’m giving them is an incentive to work and earn it. I don’t want them on benefits, I want them to go out and make something of themselves.” Bhumika’s work has impacted the education sector, having won a declaration of trust case in the High Court. The case has now become a leading example taught to university students. “I actually went on a conveyancing update lecture and they were citing the case in that,” she laughed. Her reputation and media coverage even led to an amusing stint on Channel 5’s Love Rats Exposed. What more could Bhumika dream up for the next 10 years?

0116 253 6856 bplegal.co.uk NICHE | 41

BUSINESS FOCUS

How winning awards can help your business That little award logo at the bottom of your website could make a difference to your sales figures. People on your site will subconsciously take in that you are an award winner or runner up and it will influence their decision making when dealing with your business

THIRD PARTY ENDORSEMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND PERSUASIVE MARKETING TOOLS THERE IS

HELEN CAMPBELL BUSINESS AWARDS DIFFERENTIATE YOU FROM THE CROWD AND COMPETITORS. IT GIVES YOU THE EDGE OVER OTHER BUSINESSES WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING FOR CUSTOMERS

42 | NICHE

MD at The Ideal Marketing Company

eople sometimes ask me if the time and effort that goes into entering an award is really worth it. My answer? From a marketing and PR perspective – most certainly. Third party endorsement is one of the most powerful and persuasive marketing tools there is. However, in order to get a return on that investment of time, it’s crucial to maximise the significant potential that an award nomination or win offers. The process starts with nomination. Put out a press release to relevant sectors of the press as soon as your nomination is confirmed. Bear in mind that the regional press may be looking for a different angle to the national or trade press, so make sure that you adapt press releases for each specific audience. For example, the local press will be more interested in your company’s contribution to the local economy and how many staff you employ while the trade press may want more sector specific information about your services or products and the impact they have on your industry. Having great imagery to accompany any PR makes all the difference. If you don’t already have

a portfolio of professional-looking staff photos, get some taken. Both online and offline media are more likely to feature your story if it’s accompanied by an eye-catching image. Plus, people are attracted to photos of people, which will ensure your story is well-read. And don’t forget that online coverage offers the advantage of creating authoritative backlinks to your website – great for SEO. You can then use this content on other platforms – post your story on social media, send any press stories to contacts on LinkedIn and use for website content, blog posts and newsletters spreading the good news to your GDPR-compliant mailing list of customers and prospects. Then, continue to issue press releases, online content, newsletters, and social media updates at every stage of the process: shortlisting, during the lead-up to the awards and after the event itself. If successful, you can really go to town with images from the event and more press coverage. The awards event itself is also a great networking opportunity. Ensure that you use the term ‘award-wining’ and/or relevant logos and badges in any description of your organisation – from press releases to your website homepage to email footers. And finally, celebrate and enjoy that well-earned moment in the spotlight!

Marketing

LIZ CARTWRIGHT

ALEX STONE

MD at Cartwright Communications

Strategy & Client Services Director at Mocha Marketing

here are a number of reasons why entering awards can be a fantastic opportunity for your business. Not only does it increase your credibility and boost your profile but it’s fantastic for employee motivation and attracting top talent. However, award writing can seem daunting as not only does it require time and ideas but you then have to pull them together into a coherent, well written award entry. I’ve pulled together some top tips on how to write a killer award entry 1.Save your data as you go Whatever you are working on make sure that you save data and statistics as you go and constantly think about what information might support your award. 2.Be specific Grab the judges’ attention from the beginning by including your stand out stats early on. Likewise, make sure you are demonstrating how the data backs up your objectives throughout the rest of the entry. Keep paragraphs short and avoid jargon. 3.Explain the why not just the what Make sure to articulate your strategic objectives. Make sure you are constantly analysing the results (the what) and linking it back to your objectives (the why) whilst also ensuring your entry has a good flow and tells the story. 5.Think about the bigger picture Ensure there is proper research behind the story (as an award entry really is just telling a story) and ensure it always links back to clear tangible results, backed up by statistics. Read previous winning entries to see what style and level of statistics the judges are looking for.

I WAS PERSONALLY VERY HUMBLED TO BE NAMED DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR BY THE EAST MIDLANDS INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS

DR NIK KOTECHA OBE Founder and Chief Executive at Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd

e have been honoured to have won a number of awards over the past few years for both our pharmaceutical activities and business success. I was personally very humbled to be named Director of the Year by the East Midlands Institute of Directors last year, which was unexpected and something I’m immensely proud of. I think winning awards brings a number of benefits, which are nicely summed up in both statements. In terms of staff morale, it certainly brings a boost and

t Mocha Marketing we invest a lot of time into entering awards as there are numerous benefits for this. But the one, perhaps less obvious benefit that over the years I have come to recognise and appreciate more, is the boost to staff morale. Being shortlisted for an award brings about a great sense of unity within the company. It’s something that everyone feels part of, creating an overall sense of achievement, something we all feel proud of. The application process itself can be a team activity: the sense of anticipation to find if you’ve been shortlisted and the joy finding out you have is shared amongst everyone. Then you have the opportunity to have a great staff night out on the evening itself. Just to get that far creates a great buzz but to win is obviously the ultimate achievement. The whole process itself gives a unique bonding experience that everyone feels involved in. I usually find this buzz continues for some time after the evening where everyone usually can’t wait to enter the next suitable award. If you haven’t entered an award before I can strongly recommend that you do. The benefits in such as marketing and PR opportunities are strong. But this added bonus of boosting staff morale is invaluable and well worth the exercise.

makes our employees feel they are part of a successful business with a bright future. Our aim is for our employees to love coming to work, so winning awards, combined with our CSR activity, helps to achieve this. Another benefit is the positive effect awards have on building Morningside’s public profile – both locally and nationally. We manufacture quality medicines for UK hospitals and pharmacies, so it’s important that our patients know who is providing their healthcare products. Awards, as well as our extensive CSR activity, help create a positive narrative around our brand that then reflects on the products we supply. My advice to businesses, looking to win an award, is to focus on your strengths. Choose an award and a category which aligns well with these strengths and give specific examples for each question, backed up with quantifiable outcomes. NICHE | 43

Bringing experience DMU Leicester graduate Nick Rinylo and his team bring over a decade of experience to the fast-paced world of digital marketing with agency ASSISTED. WORDS BY EMILY KIRTON

ccording to the Office for National Statistics, over 82 per cent of UK adults went online in the first three months of this year: that’s over 40 million individuals. This signals the rise of the digital age which is well and truly here to stay and those businesses that fail to adapt to the new marketing climate are at great risk. Enlisting experts in the field is the only way to adjust effectively and rather than simply relying on a few well-placed emails and having a Twitter account, join the digital revolution, it’s never been more important to pay digital marketing the attention it deserves. Leicester based company ASSISTED. enables businesses to make the most successful use of 44 | NICHE

digital channels. By integrating all aspects holistically, they are able to help you target customers at all stages of the buying cycle. The successful boutique digital marketing company formed when Company Director Nick Rinylo departed his long-term position at a large and prestigious Midlands based marketing company. “After graduating in 2007 I started work at a digital agency where I was one of four staff,” he tells us. “In the ten years that I was there I grew with the company to become one of 120 and exited as the company sold to major buyers in 2016. I gained so much valuable experience there and at the time of exiting I was the Chief Operation Officer.” After a short break from the

industry he set up ASSISTED., and since being formed, the agency has provided expert integrated digital marketing strategies to a number of different customers across a variety of sectors, building strong and longlasting relationships in the process’. ASSISTED.’s strategy, which creates bespoke solutions for SMEs to blue chip companies, is centred on establishing a close and lasting relationship with its clients on an ongoing basis. From initial communication right through to regular stat updates, the close-knit small team work hard to create a collaborative environment for both parties. “From the outset, I knew I wanted to create a boutique feel to the agency with an emphasis on small numbers of clients so that we could focus our energy in

NICHE FEATURE

As a result of our quality over quantity ethos... we have the valuable time to be able to provide a supportive relationship to a customer and their business

to your table

the right places and as we grow as a company, this won’t change. Client engagement has always been the priority and it always will be,” Nick comments. Within an energetic environment is a workforce who believe passionately in these real, honest and trustworthy relationships that Nick talks about. Strategies are delivered clearly and managed effectively with clear, measured results and often the support from ASSISTED. goes beyond digital marketing to a business consultancy level. Commenting on their relations as a company Nick says: “As a result of our quality over quantity ethos when it comes to taking on clients, we have the valuable time to be able to provide

a supportive relationship to a customer and their business – and chat often goes beyond the digital realm into general business.” Providing a three faceted approach encompassing all aspects of digital marketing, the company works to improve a customer’s digital content through its websites, SEO content, blogs, online video content, email marketing, social media and everything in between. “We work with varied companies who all want different things from us. Some might want a focus on their social media and improving their SEO, whereas others come to us to handle their entire digital marketing needs and it’s important to emphasise that we can help add value to any business

regardless of how little or how large an input they need from us,” Nick explains. Staying ahead when it comes to all aspects of such a fast-paced industry, ASSISTED. draw from their experience and vast knowledge of the sector to find the very best solutions for their clients. Nick told us: “We are continuously evolving and with each client we are discovering techniques to build on for other clients. It’s an industry which never stands still, and I believe it’s our ability to keep evolving, learning and growing to build on our already extensive experience that makes us stand out.” Having produced marked and measurable successes for some impressive clients so far, and with award nominations coming through thick and fast this Leicestershire based company are certainly ones to watch. 01788 288 020 assisted.co.uk/niche/ NICHE | 45

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NICHE FEATURE

2018

2008

Independent cinema

‘on the up’

A Leicester cinema is expected to nearly double its visitor numbers after an ambitious £7.1m expansion plan

here were 353 films from 38 countries screened at Leicester’s unique independent, charity run cinema reaching over 200,000 people throughout 2017/18. Phoenix is a treasured part of local culture celebrated for its diversity and inclusion, and loved by people from all walks of Leicester life. Phoenix has also projected its reputation for specialist, inclusive entertainment catering for people who have disabilities, and has attracted national funding. It’s one of only 11 organisations nationally to be awarded an Arts Council England (ACE) large capital grant, and the British Film Institute (BFI) also holds a special place for Phoenix in its heart. BFI provides funding for the centre to continue reaching all areas of society by screening low budget films – as well as Hollywood blockbusters – providing the public with a ‘window to the world’. Leicester City Council and De Montfort University are local stakeholders in the charity since it was founded in 1989. On a tour of Phoenix, CEO John Rance told us: “Local authorities have realised that culture and places like Phoenix are drivers for visitors. Attracting

people to the city has a local economic impact.” The centre for independent art, culture and cinema is aiming to expand its reach even further after the Phoenix 2020 expansion. The development will multiply its facilities from two cinema screens to four, create a larger more accessible digital art gallery, remodel its spaces for creativity and learning, improve its conferencing services, and add to its already successful eatery with a rooftop terrace café. ACE has made a conditional offer of £4.1m capital grant towards the cost of the project and the Phoenix team are working hard to secure the further £3m they need to hit their fundraising target. “We relocated to an area that had no passing footfall and Phoenix worked hard to attract people to the centre which is now thriving after 12% growth per year in visitors. We have transformed this former run down manufacturing quarter. The cinema is on the up.” The charity moved to Phoenix Square in 2009, which saw it more than double its visitor numbers to around 200,000 visits per year with its festivals, workshops, free

LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE REALISED THAT CULTURE AND PLACES LIKE PHOENIX ARE DRIVERS FOR VISITORS

courses and cinema screenings all contributing to its growth. On our journey around the building, bustling with creatives and boasting high-tech facilities, we came across a group of children creating light-up clay models in the digital gallery. Many engaging, all-encompassing events take place in this multipurpose room. It is hoped that the Phoenix 2020 initiative will result in an even greater local impact with community and education engagements. The centre currently runs 2,850 creative engagement events a year and aims for 6,000 by 2020. But all our help is needed to achieve the Phoenix 2020 dream. Phoenix and its backers: ACE, City Council, LLEP and BFI are investing over £550K in Phoenix 2020 design and planning up to October. In parallel, Phoenix is working on raising the rest of the capital funding needed to match ACE’s offer of £4.1m capital grant to complete the project. The Phoenix team already has offers of 60 per cent towards costs as well as firm interest from several national foundations. They are now looking for business partners and donors to support the project. phoenix.org.uk NICHE | 47

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NICHE FEATURE

Selling ideas

& Solving problems

Rob Spence of Paragon Sales Solutions believes salespeople should sell ideas and search out solutions – it’s all in his book

f you want a pay rise, you sell that idea to your boss. If you have a complaint, you sell the idea that you deserve a refund. If you want the kids to go to bed earlier, you sell that idea of why they should. That’s according to author of the newly released sales coaching book The Paragon Mindset, sequel to Relationship Selling. Rob Spence is the director of sales consultancy firm Paragon Sales Solutions, which has clients across the world as far as Australia. The team become representatives of the companies that have outsourced their sales to them, can make telesales on behalf of their clients, and offer sales training. Having read many books on business, Rob decided an updated volume of advice and theories was needed, which inspired him to write his latest book. The Paragon Mindset suggests

that a good salesperson will be willing to listen and only sell on the terms of the prospect. They will be honest, approachable and trustworthy. On his business ethos, he said: “I believe sales is an industry which needs to be regulated better. The problem I face day to day is that anyone can become a salesperson. ‘Salesman’ has quite a derogatory ring to it because people think ‘he’ll manipulate you’. A good salesperson should be a detective finding a solution to a prospect’s problem. And if they can’t offer that, they should be willing to walk away.” Next time you want the kids to eat their vegetables, or have the opportunity to seal a great deal at work, sell your ideas – the Paragon way. paragonsalessolutions.co.uk

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NICHE BUSINESS

Forum

WHY SHOULD I ENTER AWARDS? WE SAY, ‘WHY WOULDN’T YOU?’

CHRIS GOODMAN Managing Director at Soar Valley Press

MILKING THOSE AWARD NOMINATIONS It’s awards season for the team at Cross Productions as they’ve been busy all year pulling together the Niche Business Awards. It was an exciting time for all the finalists, and the outcome of the ceremony will have seen 16 winners revel in delight at their esteemed award titles. Whether you’ve received a nomination for an awards ceremony, made it through to the semi-finals, or have even been named a winner, you should make the most out it – and don’t be shy! There are thousands of businesses in the Midlands so to even be nominated is a big deal. One way you can really take advantage of these fantastic feats is to update your stationery with an awards logo. Any newsletters you send out should express that you are associated with awarding bodies, or that you are an awardwinning company! There’s never a better time to update your business cards as well. You could also send out postcards to your customers as a little token to say thank you, as without them, your company may not have been recognised at all. You should be capitalising on the publicity you can receive from any awards events – you can bet other nominees and winners will be spreading the word about themselves, so you will only fall behind if you don’t. You raise your profile by having your sales literature up to date. It’s all about positive promotion. Milk it!

0116 259 9955 soarvalleypress.co.uk 50 | NICHE

At RDZ we are often asked if awards are something worth considering as an integral part of (or add-on to) an existing PR campaign and our answer is always a resounding ‘yes!’. Not only should they be part of the mix, but they should be given the time and attention they deserve as they can, after all, be a very effective springboard for all other marketing activities. Our sister company, The Awards People, has recently been interviewing clients and business associates for a series of vlogs, the main subject being awards experience. The over-riding message which came across loud and clear was the wonderful effect of award success post-celebration. Yes, it’s an amazing feeling to hear your name called out as a finalist (never mind a winner) but the true prize for most is the attention and ‘validation’ which an award win brings to the business. Previouslyclosed doors start to open, unanswered calls start to be returned; in short, people are encouraged by the fact that you and your company have been independently assessed and found to

RACHEL HARGRAVE Director at RDZ PR be special – “A bona-fide 5-star review” as one of our clients put it (an accolade which does not go unnoticed amongst proud employees either). Some very important new contacts can be made during the judging process too as nomination events, finalist dinners and the presentation evening itself offer top class networking opportunities. What better ice-breaker than the fact that you (as well as everyone else in the room) have earned your right to be there through being amazing at what you do? Potential clients, key suppliers and valued employees want to be associated with a top-ranking business and that is exactly what award success shouts out about you.

01509 813 913 rdz-pr.co.uk theawardspeople.co.uk

LEARNING MORE ON CONTENT MARKETING JENNY CROSS Managing Director at Cross Productions Content marketing is proven to be one of the most cost effective and efficient ways of creating brand awareness, maintaining relationships with the target audience and even acquiring new customers. When planned and executed in a strategic manner, content marketing can actually boost the traffic to a business website, increase the social following and even displace market competition to take the position of an industry authority. On November 2, as part of the Leicester Business Festival (LBF),

there is the opportunity to speak with and learn from leading industry professionals about applying a strong marketing strategy. It’s free to attend but is entry by registration only. Book online at leicesterbusinessfestival.com under events. Last year LBF saw more than 10,000 people attend different events across the 2 week festival with a reach of 21.08m. This year will see LBF separate all events into 11 sectors from creative to aerospace industries. This is a fantastic chance for anyone in business to attend numerous events leading and gaining the support from some of the most successful businesses the city has to offer.

0116 271 2573 crossproductions.co.uk

BUSINESS FOCUS

Protect your business against cyber attacks Research has found that cybercrime may cost businesses £6 trillion a year by 2021. If your business becomes a victim of a cyberattack, it could result in major damage, not only to your finances but to your reputation as a safe, secure, trustworthy company who is up to date with the digital world. How seriously do you take cybersecurity? What investments have you made towards this?

IT IS A WISE CHOICE FOR BUSINESS OWNERS TO INCREASE THEIR CYBER SECURITY BUDGETS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMER’S DATA, NOT TO MENTION THEIR OWN. AFTER A CYBERATTACK, THE OUTLOOK FOR A BUSINESS CAN BE BLEAK AND IT CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO ITS FUTURE AFTER SUCH DEVASTATING OUTCOMES.

52 | NICHE

IF YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET, IF YOU HAVE ELECTRONIC DATA THAT UNDERPINS YOUR CORPORATE IMAGE OR YOUR ABILITY TO TRADE, THEN IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF IF YOU SHOULD, BUT MORE OF WHAT YOU SHOULD INVEST IN

JORDAN SMITH Director at Sempervox

f there was a lack of focus amongst business operators around cyber security and its relevance to their risk profiles, then media attention, legislative changes, and general noise from service providers should be dealing with the ‘it’s not my responsibility, someone else deals with that’ mind-set. If you are connected to the internet, if you have electronic data that underpins your corporate image or your ability to trade, then it’s not a question of if you should, but more of what you should invest in. Inevitably, there are options. Businesses would tend to tell us that their most important asset is their people. Consequently, they may well be your biggest risk but also your best form of defence. If you want to be bullet proof, unplug everything and disconnect. So a sensible starting point that may help you spend your money wisely, is to ensure you

allocate appropriate time and space to really understand the issue for your specific business. The new GDPR legislation may have already taken the journey forward and highlighted some gaps you might need to focus on. I think most of us realise there are some musts in terms of a sensible IT structure that will require budget, firewalls, Badware products, copies of data etc. This is the basic requirement, not the solution. There is a lot to be gained from the appropriate investment in your staffs’ understanding and ability to use the tools the business provides them with in a way that keeps them and the business safe: what’s a bad email to open, what’s a fraudulent correspondence, appropriate use of social media etc. In a cyber-security context, if you are not providing training, then one of your biggest assets is potentially one of your biggest risks.

Cybersecurity

Top tips for cyber safety HELEN DONNELLAN Director of Business Engagement at De Montfort University

rom a personal and business perspective, cyber security is important for all of us now and is becoming more important on a daily basis as innovation in this area is happening so quickly and is only set to speed up in the future. Also, data breaches are starting to shift with all of us being increasingly held responsible when things go wrong. If you think about home automation, smart cities and the internet, cyber security is a vital enabler to make these systems operate safely and securely for everyone – especially when they relate to critical infrastructures. In a world that is shifting to digitisation as quickly as ours, cyber security is more and more important because physical artefacts like notebooks and cash can be lost or stolen but not on the scale or with the ease that is possible with digital assets. As this trend continues, and with people owning more than two or three digital devices that carry personal data, it is more and more important that we take proper care of these data and we have technology in place that can help us manage and protect it. There’s a real skills shortage in this area across the UK, which is exacerbated by fast-paced technological advances and a changing security-threat landscape. As a champion of skills and professional development, I think engaging with universities is crucial. It helps to drive the industry forward by enhancing research and innovation. It also gives students invaluable insight into the industry’s latest trends and technology developments, while nurturing future talent. DMU is one of the UK’s leading universities in cyber technology working with some of the largest organisations such as Airbus, BT, Deloitte UK and Rolls-Royce; our Cyber Technology Institute is able to ensure that its courses are relevant to, and up-todate with, the current cyber security challenges faced by industry.

1. PRACTISE GOOD PASSWORD BEHAVIOUR Simple advice but it’s still a huge issue. The use of a strong password is still the most effective approach to cyber security – ensure a minimum password length that is complex, and do not reuse old passwords.

require prioritisation. Ultimately, if companies build updates into their normal IT operations, it becomes more feasible to have auto-updates turned on for the most common systems.

2. KEEP FIREWALLS TURNED ON There is always the temptation to consider turning off security measures such as firewalls when running into application or system implementation issues. But sometimes the problem with this is that they are not turned back on, which can expose your personal computer, or the entire company.

4. USE AN OLD LAPTOP FOR ALL YOUR ONLINE BANKING Often people just ditch an old laptop, or leave it somewhere to gather dust. Rather than do this, it’s actually a great idea to keep an old laptop working but use it for online banking transactions only. Of course, it’s still important to be smart about your banking application safety. Keep your device software updated and closely monitor your banking activity.

3. KEEP SOFTWARE UP TO DATE The idea of auto updates is great. The reality is far more difficult as most updates require testing in the environment prior to implementation. Many companies also have a large backlog of updates or patches, which

5. PHISHING EMAILS Train staff to spot phishing. Never pay money into bank details provided via email. Always check the email address from any suspicious email (hackers will appear to be a business email contact but the email address will differ).

JO SKINNER Business Development Director at Fusion Electrics

aving seen the devastating effects of a cyber-attack on a friend’s business, from both a financial and operational standpoint, we take the security of our business very seriously and have taken significant steps to protect our systems. In addition to our day to day security we have a built in disaster recovery plan that is reviewed annually. There is nothing more sobering than watching a

business unable to log in to their systems without a crippling ransom payment being made or facing the potential of losing years of hard earned work and access to carefully kept records. Thankfully the business in question was able to employ the services of an IT consultancy who managed to effect damage limitation. They were able to recover a large amount of documentation and continue to trade without to devastating an effect. The cost of evasive action was, however, almost the same as ransom requested and certainly not planned into the budget for the year. There are numerous providers in the market place who can offer sound support and guidance at a range of prices and to suit your individual business needs. I would urge any business who has not investigated this already to do so immediately. NICHE | 53

22 | NICHE

Proud to be a

Academy Trust recognised

for inclusion practises

Niche Business Awards reveals Learning Without Limits Academy Trust has made it through to the finals of the Education category

ne of six finalists in the category, the trust values inclusion across academies Heatherbrook Primary, Woodstock Primary, and The Lancaster, with Babington Academy as its lead school. “It was a bit of a surprise; you think ‘well we’re not really a business’ but of course we are,” Executive Principal and CEO Denise Newsome said. Set up in 2016, LWLAT delivers proportionate support in a sharing network. Denise oversees the four schools focusing on progress and attainment while monitoring and analysing data from each on staff absence, accidents, exclusions, destinations of ex-pupils, and more. She commented: “Babington is seen to have the expertise and skills to support other schools and make a real difference. There’s a genuine sense of collaboration, we’re all responsible for

PAUL STEPHENS Business Development Manager at Crowndale Fodd Services School food should be enjoyable for your pupils. If they have tasty food every day, there is a greater chance they will stay onsite keeping them safe whilst putting money back into the school’s funds. The Government’s school food standards state that educational facilities should provide high quality meat, poultry or oily fish, and they must not provide drinks with added sugar, crisps, chocolate or sweets, or more than two portions of deep-fried, battered or breaded food a week. As we provide over 50 schools in Leicester with nutritious, high quality, locally sourced food, we are experienced in advising on

We’re very good at knowing our children inside out and knowing what they need these children. “We’re very good at knowing our children inside out and knowing what they need. Parents like schools that are doing well so our job is to make them outstanding so the children are

getting a good deal.” Denise and the trust principals have devised a programme, which offers a range of opportunities and experiences for pupils which they may not otherwise have access to. It aims to ensure that all the children – particularly disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs – can ‘graduate’ from each key stage having accessed the opportunities available. Denise added: “It’s good to be recognised, not because we’re top of the league table but because we’re making a difference across the board for the ones that need a lot of help and the ones at the top end who need to be challenged.” 0116 222 1616 lwlat.org.uk

ARE YOUR STUDENTS HAPPY AT LUNCH TIME? school compliant dishes and drinks. We source and supply red tractor approved chicken products and we can provide halal too. We only offer sugar-free drinks, low fat options, and a vast range of products from trusted,

local farms and importers. The standards shared on the Government approved schoolfoodplan. com say that it’s important to provide a wide range of foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, meat and fish, and that fresh, locally sourced ingredients should always be used where possible. The standards are intended to ensure your pupils’ eating habits are healthy and satisfying giving them the energy and happiness they need throughout the school day – including out of hours clubs. Get in touch to find out more about Crowndale Foods Services products and delivery service.

0116 288 5747 crowndale.co.uk NICHE | 55

GO BEYOND BUSINESS AS USUAL Leicester Castle Business School is here to meet the needs of 21st century business. Going Beyond Business As Usual, we offer an accessible learning environment that invites you to challenge convention while also providing you with the opportunity and tools to think, create and inspire. Located in the beautiful and historic setting of Leicester Castle, we are only an hour from London by train and benefit from excellent transport links to the rest of the country. We offer a range of contemporary courses for professionals including courses that can be customised to meet the needs of your business. This is done by adopting a client-centric approach that puts you in the driving seat to collaboratively develop a professional education programme that is most appropriate for your needs. We also offer short professional development masterclasses on contemporary topics, these include: · Equality and Inclusion · Financial Technology · Sustainable and Ethical Leadership

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BUSINESS FOCUS

Build efficiencies to grow your manufacturing business Low productivity is a common theme across the UK manufacturing industry. Whilst investing in new technologies and increased automation can help, a strategy that also focuses on generating efficiencies is key. Here, business leaders comment on gearing business for growth

SHELLEY HARVEY

Director at SFB Group

anufacturing businesses are facing the same problems today as they did when I worked in the industry 15 years ago: the challenge of expanding production with limited resources. This is a common issue we witness with clients at SFB. However, despite the increase in competition from overseas and increased red tape that is now a considerable cost to almost every business in the UK, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thriving businesses today are more successful than ever before and the key to these achievements is delivering a cohesive business strategy that brings together all aspects of the marketing mix. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough to just rely on automation and robots to save costs, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential that a business also looks at making the design and manufacturing process more efficient. We urge business owners to make contact with trusted advisers such as their bank manager or accountant to make sure their business is geared for growth in these changing economic times.

58 | NICHE

PHIL COX

Managing Director at Xapsys

THE XAPSYS SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO HAVE MULTIPLE USERS WITHOUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR COSTLY LICENCES

he Xapsys system was originally designed for Trifibre, a manufacturing plant producing large volumes of bespoke products. The factory needed a production and stock management system to move away from job cards and wanted to introduce a clocking in system, to improve efficiencies and accountability. With this plan in mind, the management team began looking at their options. When considering the systems available, Trifibre found the requirement for multi licences to be cost prohibitive and felt that they would be purchasing elements of systems that were surplus to their requirements. This led to me and my team working with Trifibre to develop a solution that met their needs. The Xapsys system is designed to have multiple users without the requirement for costly licences, allowing each employee to read job cards and report work progress in real time. Previously, the factory manager would need to be on the shop floor to recognise problems, but now he can identify issues and provide solutions more timely and efficiently. Not only has the new system improved the manufacturing process, it has assisted planning, provides an overview of orders pending and alerts the relevant person should information need to be provided to

Manufacturing

PAUL CARVELL

GAYE PRIME

Director for UK division at Newall Measurement Systems

ow productivity across the UK may or may not be the big problem that people think. Whilst there may be businesses that really do need to seriously examine how they operate – and let’s be honest, there surely must always be room for improvement – I also believe that there are businesses out there that are tooled up, with people trained, ready to take advantage of future opportunities. During the credit crisis, many business leaders had to react quickly and severely to the economic climate. It was brutal. But retaining trained staff and developing new recruits is key to future success. If this translates in lower productivity for the time being, then so be it. Sensationalist headlines, generating fear and continuing uncertainty are not helpful. Our political and economic leaders have a duty to provide inspired leadership and action. Sensationalist speculation can be very expensive causing businesses to hold back on investment and expansion. I continue to do the best that I can, working on improving my own efficiency and the efficiency of my team. I look forward to the future and feel much better prepared having weathered the credit crisis storm. We just need the Brexit clouds to clear so that we can move forward with confidence.

complete an order. When asked what the biggest improvement has been, Factory Manager Jamie Donaldson said “The overall management and control of the production system means we are able to ensure delivery of orders on time or even ahead of time. This has made a huge difference in dealing with our customers in a positive and confident manner” In order to collate the stock, production and financial information, the Production and Stock Management software was linked to Sage to create a Digital Dashboard. This collates and reports real time information to the Directors and Management Team. The system tracks sales and orders very closely, has improved accountability and has increased communication between departments. The dashboard and availability of management information is essential to Trifibre. It has made it possible for one of the Directors to relocate his home to Portugal, yet still play an active role in the business, managing the entire factory from an app on his smartphone. Following the success of the Xapsys system within Trifibre, it has now been introduced and adapted for other businesses. Further modules have been developed that improve accuracy, reduce headcount and combine information from multiple sales platforms.

SFB’S EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT FIRMS PERFORM BETTER WHEN GOALS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN DOWN, AS THIS FOCUSES THE MIND AND GIVES STRATEGIC DIRECTION

Managing Director at SFB Group tarting my working life in my father’s engineering business, I understand the issues facing firms in the manufacturing industry first-hand. Over the years, I’ve examined what the difference is between those business owners that struggle and those that excel. I now use this insight to help clients. I’ve shared some of this knowledge below. Most businesses will be doing some of these, but the real difference is when you put them all together. First, constantly reinvest in your business in IT and the more obvious plant and machinery. Build up funds so you have some capital available for reinvestment when the time comes. Review your management information. Are you measuring the right things and frequently? With computerised accounting systems, many businesses have more information than ever before. However, most don’t know how to use it to its full advantage. SFB love helping with this! Look at what you are currently doing within your business. You may not realise that your activities are eligible for R&D tax relief. When looking at your current business activities, always ask yourself why? Why do we do it this way? Why do we use these suppliers? When life is busy, it is easy to put your head down without reviewing what’s going on around you. Make time to talk to like-minded businesses, not necessarily in the same trade. SFB find that business people are very generous with their knowledge – you may acquire some valuable advice over a coffee. Many manufacturing businesses keep upto-date with machinery but don’t upskill staff to perform tasks effectively. Your people are invaluable, so make sure you invest in them too! Your team understands what’s working well and can suggest areas for improvements. Linked to this is having the right team in place: some people produce, some people sell, some people organise. So, make sure you have the right people in the right roles. SFB use profiling to assist with this. Finally, have you set goals for you and your business? SFB’s experience shows that firms perform better when goals have been written down, as this focuses the mind and gives strategic direction. A combination of the above will help generate valuable efficiencies – whether you focus on spending time on the right things, questioning costs and processes or getting your people doing the right roles, it will help drive growth for your business! NICHE | 59

AND THE AWARDS GO TO... Eight award ceremonies and counting, a local chartered surveryors is hoping to finish the year the same way it started

dward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors (ECY) has had a successful run this year with a number of award wins, highly commended titles and nominations. Finalists in 14 categories over the last year and shortlisted for three additional awards more recently in the East Midlands Chamber Awards in July, the firm has been highly commended in the Signature Awards, IOD Awards, and Nachural Summer Business Ball & Awards for Promoting Apprenticeships in the Workplace, Innovation, and Entrepreneur of the Year categories. The certificates take pride of place in the ECY trophy cabinet sitting side by side with the glistening Employer of the Year award that was presented to the team at the Leicester Mercury Business Awards in April.

The 10-year-old firm specialises in the health care, residential and student accommodation sectors together with associated retail and commercial elements. But the business is built on a set of core values which permeate every aspect of their internal and external operations these being: people, relationships, solutions making the company’s attitude, and moves and decisions forward-thinking ones. With work ranging from £50,000 small refurbishments to £27m care village schemes and over 100 projects on the go at any one time, the successful company spotted the value of attending awards, despite the cost involved – even if the team walks away empty handed. Ashely Cooper, Senior Partner, said: “As part of our 10 year anniversary

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

celebrations of the practice, we decide to try our hand at entering a number of relevant awards within our industry sector and business areas. The process of entering any award can be time consuming and expensive with taking all those tables of 10!” Moving on to the benefits of award ceremonies, the Loughborough University graduate described his experiences in a positive light adding that accolades such as these act as great PR prospects providing new platforms to spread the word to the public about what company cares about and why it’s important. “We have been pleasantly surprised with the overall outcomes and success rate achieved. It’s great to be acknowledged by your peers and key industry leaders about your

It’s great to be acknowledged by your peers and key industry leaders about your business success stories 60 | NICHE

Proud to be a

NICHE FEATURE

business success stories and it’s great to be able to tell the world about what makes you different and how passionate you are about your business.” The recent association with eight awarding bodies and 14 categories has given Ashley the opportunity to present his business to panels of judges that may not have come across the company before. Simply being nominated has been a feat to be celebrated for the practice. The independent firm of construction and property consultants started 2018 in style and plan to see out the year in the same fashion. On ECY’s accomplishments at the beginning of the year, Samantha Gamble, Marketing Executive, said: “We were thrilled to hear that we had been nominated for one award in the East Midlands Chamber Enterprising Women awards, two awards in the Signature Awards and three awards in the Leicester Mercury Business Awards. “The award process has allowed us to spread the word as to who ECY are as our projects take us nationwide. Exposure from this kind of recognition firmly helps in pinning us on the map in Leicester, which is something we are extremely proud of.” Ashley added: “To achieve this level of acknowledgement on such a significant scale is fantastic. It is huge recognition for the team and the work they do and I am exceptionally proud of all of them.” The next awards ceremony the team will be spotted at is the Niche Business Awards in September where they will await the results of the Business Growth and the Professional Services categories. 01509 416 519 ecycs.co.uk NICHE | 61

BUSINESS FOCUS

Sales Management

Rewards for sales staff worth the spend? When your performance is valued or complimented your productivity rises, as does your satisfaction, desire and confidence to do it again. Expressing appreciation for, and rewarding, your employees will give them the confidence to improve and progress

THE HARDER YOU MAKE ANY INCENTIVISED SALES BONUS SCHEME, THE LESS LIKELY YOUR TEAM WILL PERFORM TO ACHIEVE IT

ROB SPENCE Director at Paragon Sales

e all like to feel wanted. We all want to feel needed. These feelings start at a young age and develop with us into adulthood; and they do not stop! That is why it is so important to recognise these emotions in your team and to ensure they are included in as much of the business as possible, and for them to be rewarded for their hard work and dedication. As a sales manager in a former life, I recognised early on that there was no reward system in place for the telesales team when they made a sale. Nor were there any incentives in place for these incredible team members. One of my principal tasks was to generate more sales for this company; and I recognised early on that in not rewarding the front-line sales team, there was little desire for them to make the sale. I introduced a very simple reward system that turned things around – fast! Within weeks, team members whom were becoming disillusioned were becoming the company’s top performers. Morale was increased and most importantly; sales increased too. Reward systems never have to be overcomplicated or time consuming. In fact, the harder you make any incentivised sales bonus scheme, the less likely your team will perform to achieve it. Even the simple act of offering a bottle of wine (or a box of chocolates of course!) to the highest weekly seller can work wonders for your sales team and is very cost effective too. Gratitude can go along way too. A simple ‘thank you’ can mean the world to some team members. I started this article with the need for us all to feel wanted and needed. Simple acts of gratitude will ensure that your team members work to their highest of standards and this will reflect when they go out and represent your company. 62 | NICHE

BENJAMIN ANDRZEJEWSKI Technology Director at Umbilical Technology

he promotion of a fun and positive environment is really important to us achieving our mission of building a ‘world class business’ in Leicester. We’re proactive when it comes to celebrating success. As a senior management team, we seek success out. ‘What wins have we had today?’ can regularly be heard across the office. Be it in weekly roundup meetings or end of month reviews, we celebrate the perceived small wins as well as the big. Our business is owned by the people within it. The rewards we offer are driven and determined by them. Our people have a voice in our organisation; so nothing’s off the table. It’s ultimately about a trade-off. If we want to go abroad for an incentive, which we did recently, then we agree a financial target that we must collectively hit. It’s about working together towards a common goal that creates the atmosphere that we all enjoy. For us it’s about remaining personal! Our CEO or COO takes the time to directly message one of our consultants when they’ve had a good day, week or month. It can have a huge impact; and the return on time investment is incredible.

Your leading independent flooring retailer for over 70 years...

Ticking the boxes

on your award-winning journey

Applying for a job that requires two years’ experience when you have just nine months’ is a feat in itself but to go on to win awards for your company is something else – Fothergill Wyatt’s Nicol Nightingale-Spear writes on the

esearch shows that men are more likely to apply for a job when they meet just 60 per cent of the criteria but women will only apply when they meet 100 per cent. I know from personal experience, but also from discussions with other highly qualified, successful women that this is often true. Many of us have, on occasions held ourselves back from applying for positions we’ve wanted, even if we felt confident that we could do the job successfully, just because on paper we didn’t tick all the boxes. However, in 2017 my attitude finally began to change, when I was shortlisted for the Lettings Candidate of the Year award by the UK’s specialist awarding organisation Propertymark Qualifications, which offers national property industry recognised qualifications. When I joined Fothergill Wyatt Ltd (FW) in April 2016, I had worked in the lettings industry for eight years and built up a wealth of on-the-job experience but had no formal qualifications. I therefore undertook the Level 3 Technical Award in Residential Lettings and Property Management through Propertymark Qualifications, which enabled me to become a member of ARLA Propertymark (Association of Residential Letting Agents); the UK’s

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largest professional body for letting agents. I completed the ARLA qualification in my spare time, over five months in 2016, achieving an average score of 96.25 per cent, which I later discovered meant that across the six lettings qualifications offered by Propertymark Qualifications, I had made it as one of the top five highest achievers of the year. I was therefore invited to attend a black tie awards

These awards in particular generated a high level of free PR in our local area ceremony at Le Meridien, London in May 2017 and realised that to reach the shortlist meant I was amongst the crème de la crème of property professionals. I took my team to the champagne reception where they had the opportunity to network with others working in the industry, including board members and the presidential team from both ARLA Propertymark and NAEA Propertymark (National Association of Estate Agents). It was during a discussion with the then President Nik Madan that

I was encouraged to challenge the stereotype about ‘box ticking’. I had seen a vacancy advertised for the role of ARLA Propertymark Regional Representative for the East Midlands that involved offering guidance and support to other letting agents in the region, representing our industry in local and national press and supporting the work of ARLA Propertymark in lobbying the Government to enact change. The role really appealed to me but I had told myself I couldn’t apply, as one of the requirements was that candidates had to have been a member themselves for at least two years and I had at this point only been a member for around nine months. When Nik found out why I wasn’t going to apply he replied: ‘why not apply anyway, what do you have to lose?’ I took his advice and was over the moon when I was appointed in to the role a few months later following a rigorous interview process. I have now been doing this, alongside my role as a Director at FW for around a year and am thoroughly enjoying it, as well as benefitting from being the first to know about any changes affecting the industry. This gives FW a clear advantage over our competition; over 100 other estate and residential letting agents in Leicester.

MIDDLE PHOTO: LOUISE KELHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

subject of ‘box ticking’ and the domino effect of award success

NICHE FEATURE Fothergill Wyatt Estate Agents and Chartered Surveyors

Since then I have been fortunate enough to be recognised at the Leicester Mercury Women in Business Awards in September 2017, when I was shortlisted for the Rising Star Award. I faced stiff competition from two wonderful entrepreneurial women who had both set up their own businesses in recent years and had achieved great success so I was certainly not expecting to win. I was therefore shocked and delighted to hear my name called out. These awards in particular generated a high level of free PR in our local area with numerous articles appearing in the days leading up to the ceremony. The number of clients, both new and existing who had seen the announcement and made contact to congratulate me was unbelievable. Most recently we have had another great PR opportunity after reaching the finals of the inaugural English Women’s Awards, held at the Mercure Leicester Grand Hotel. I was honoured to be awarded the Highly Commended recognition in the category Business of the Year (with less than 50 staff) for my work here at FW, having been shortlisted alongside other nominees from across the Midlands. Shortlisted candidates in other categories included those from prestigious, well-known companies such as Raleigh UK, Severn Trent Water, De Montfort University, West Midlands Police and Rainbows Hospice. The awards, presented by the Deputy Editor of BBC Radio Leicester Kamlesh Purohit recognised hard working females, leaders and businesses who have excelled to the forefront of their industries. Our appreciation of the encouragement and recognition that awards nominations can produce has led to us sponsoring an award for the first time this year, to help others to experience the same benefits and hopefully encourage others to challenge the stereotype about ‘box ticking’ in business. We are proud to be sponsoring the Employee of the Year category at the Niche Business Awards, which aims to recognise an outstanding individual in their field. Whittling nominees down to just three finalists was no mean feat due to the high quality of the candidates. We look forward to being able to make someone’s night on Friday, September 7.

0116 270 5900 info@fothergillwyatt.com fothergillwyatt.co.uk

Featured Property – To Let: £1,000 pcm Penthouse Apartment, Regent House, Oadby An attractive, spacious, light and airy two bedroom penthouse apartment on the top floor of Regent House; an exclusive apartment conversion scheme on the edge of Oadby town centre. Council tax: band B EPC rating: C Spacious kitchen/diner with integrated appliances ◆ Separate living area ◆ Bathroom with modern white three piece bathroom suite, including bath with shower overhead ◆ Double master bedroom with built in wardrobes and en suite shower room ◆ Second double bedroom with built in wardrobes ◆ Two spacious balconies ◆ One allocated parking space ◆ Lift to all floors ◆

Featured Property – For Sale: £1,000,000+ Granville Avenue, Oadby (Offers in excess of £1,000,000)

This imposing five double bedroom detached family home occupies a generous plot adjacent to Leicester Racecourse comprising of three reception rooms, orangery, breakfast kitchen, en suites to three bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property also benefits from a self-contained annexe complete with reception room, bedroom, kitchen and shower room perfect for family members or accommodation to let. The extensive plot also houses a mature landscaped garden, garage and

storage. Internal viewing is essential to truly appreciate the scale of this fantastic family home. EPC rating: C Five double bedroom detached family home ◆ Self-contained annexe ◆ Three spacious reception rooms ◆ Four bathrooms ◆ Beautiful orangery ◆ Adjacent to Leicester Racecourse ◆ Generous landscaped plot ◆ Large breakfast kitchen ◆ Garage with car port ◆

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PROPERTY FOCUS

Forum

CHOOSING YOUR OFFICE FLOORING KRYS LAKIN Installation Coordinator at Glenfield Electrical

WHAT A YEAR! When I started working with Phil at his firm Glenfield Electrical I never imagined that one year on I would find myself on the finalist list at the Niche Business Awards! Having known Phil since primary school, I have watched Glenfield Electrical grow and develop into a successful business with a buzz in the air and I jumped at the chance to be part of it all. I am no electrician and really, initially, my aim was simply to take some of the everyday pressures away from Phil giving him more time to concentrate on growing the business. But, I soon realised, as part of the growth process, Phil wanted to fully systemise the business and I knew I could help make this happen. Before long I found myself at the heart of it all and this year we have implemented SimPro, an operations system, which has made the whole process seamless for the customer supporting our ethos to provide outstanding customer service. It has been challenging at times but as a team we have grown stronger through the implementation of this system and I am truly proud to have been part of its setup. In the last year we have set up a telephone script created for answering the telephones which helps to increase conversion rates as well as a new telephone system which allows the office to be located anywhere in the world. I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding year for my career and personally. I am excited to have been part of the company’s journey so far and look forward to its continued growth.

0116 287 3226 glenfieldelectrical.com 66 | NICHE

An important part of designing your office space, are the materials you choose to combine. Understanding the space and what you want to achieve will help inform your decisions when choosing finishes, such as colour palettes, furniture and flooring. There are many considerations to make, such as, sustainability, antiallergen and body wellness, in addition to the aesthetic. The brands we work with have many great USPs - some are leading the way for becoming 100 per cent green and eco-friendly. Here at FLR all of the brands we work with, are renowned for focusing on the functionality of their products as well as the design, paying attention to cleanability and the wear resistance of the product. Think about what type of atmosphere you wish to create? What colour palette would be best suited?

SHERI LAWRENCE Sales and Marketing Manager at FLR Group With so many options, in addition to colour give some thought to texture and pattern. There are carpet tiles with more luxurious appearances, thicker yarns and metallic tones, twisted and looped into a design. If you are seeking a Luxury Vinyl, you can find realistic hand scraped embosses that give a look of an authentic wood or a riven natural stone effect. We have a team of knowledgeable people who can advise on what would work best and help you make the right selection based on your criteria. 0121 443 5503 flr.co.uk

COME FLY WITH FW MIKE HOLLAND Senior Valuer at Fothergill Wyatt Agents that appreciate the importance of quality photography in marketing materials, whether print or digital, without a doubt stand out from the rest of the crowd. When conducting a market appraisal you are operating in a competitive situation giving customers an accurate valuation while promoting your agency’s range of marketing strategies. Any edge an agent can provide to make a property stand out from the crowd is certainly worth considering. One strategy we have adopted at Fothergill Wyatt recently is the use of aerial photography to give a different perspective. We are not the first agent to use this method to advertise but its use is limited. However, when a property is photographed from an elevated positon

it certainly does stand out from the crowd on the property websites. At Fothergill Wyatt, we would only use an aerial shot if there was something extra to be gained from that viewpoint. Properties with interesting architectural features such as ornate chimney stacks, larger than average gardens or ones backing onto a golf course, woodland or parkland lend themselves well to an elevated photograph. I believe the best way to take aerial photography is through the use of a drone. At Fothergill Wyatt we work with David Goss from Ascent-Drone who has helped us produce fantastic photos and videos using this technique. It offers excellent quality photographs and gives much more versatility. Having a skilled pilot and professional producer means our homeowners are guaranteed a high quality finish, which will result in their property standing out from the rest.

0116 270 5900 fothergillwyatt.co.uk

Proud to be a

NICHE FEATURE

Going from strength

to strength

We caught up with Glenfield Electrical’s Director Phil Houlder to see how the company is progressing in its bid to become the firm to recommend

lenfield Electrical is building a reputation for itself as the kind of firm that friends and family would recommend and this, so Director Phil Houlder says, has always been their focus. “We set out to do something different within the industry and so far, we seem to be doing just that. People know that they can trust us, that we are reliable and that we are highly skilled. We couldn’t be more pleased with how things are developing – the growth for the company has been astounding so far!” Indeed it has, with multiple awards under their belt and a reputation that keeps getting better we asked Phil what he believes this is down to. “A number of reasons, but I think the biggest factor is our workforce’s attitude and skill set.” “When people invite us to work in their homes they are putting trust in us and our team know exactly how to make sure they gain that trust from the get go. The quality of work and their

service leaves an impression on our customers so positively that they recommend us to their friends and family – we couldn’t ask for more than that from our team, honestly.” How do they get such a highquality workforce though? Phil believes it’s all in the selection process and training. “We have great faith in employing apprentices – they really are the future of our industry. Plus, it enables us to do our bit for the local community and community.” As they’re considered a real asset to the firm, more apprentices are set to join the team as the company continues to grow. Developing the team is paramount to Phil: “Within the previous year and going forward we are priding ourselves on personal development and are making all efforts possible for our team to set high goals both personally and for the business; it gives us such great satisfaction to see them develop.” Glenfield Electrical know that

WE COULDN’T BE MORE PLEASED WITH HOW THINGS ARE DEVELOPING – THE GROWTH FOR THE COMPANY HAS BEEN ASTOUNDING SO FAR!

to stand out from the crowd and be the best, they need to attract the best, “A happy workforce is a happy customer in our opinion. We want to be known as one of the best companies within the Midlands to work for so that we can attract the best. To do this we are trying to create a culture that encourages fun and excitement whist still maintaining the highest professionalism at work. We always will encourage our employees to bring new ideas to the table to help us all improve.” It’s this refreshing attitude to the industry which is seeing Glenfield Electrical at the top of their game and it doesn’t look set to slow down anytime soon. “We are looking to grow regionally whilst still maintaining our excellent reputation as ‘the local electrician, and we are positive about what the future holds.” So they should be. 0116 287 3226 glenfieldelectrical.com NICHE | 67

www.flr.co.uk

FLR GROUP

East and West

forge new partnership A Midlands alliance was formed as two flooring companies came together in April to create an all-encompassing flooring empire

ASTON VILLA 68 | NICHE

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

NICHE FEATURE

he two firms – both major players in the commercial flooring arena joined forces earlier this year. Leicester-based company The Commercial Flooring Company merged with Solihull’s FLR Group to create a Midlands flooring powerhouse. The Commercial Flooring Company (Midlands) Ltd, run by Nathan Ware in Croft, Leicester, was formed seven years ago in 2011. Now an FLR Group director, Nathan said: “From a resource point of view it’s hugely beneficial for us. We’d grown very quickly in seven years in what is a very competitive market. We’ve now got the support of FLR’s administration and marketing teams to help underpin our growth. And it it’s not just Nathan who has benefited from this merger. Husband and wife directors of FLR, Faith and Jeff Walker, believe the match is already proving a success. Faith told us: “Nathan is the only person we’ve come across who thinks like us and shares the same drive and ambition to succeed. “Jeff started out at 17 and quickly realised, that in order to deliver the quality he wanted, he had to employ his own people. Creating an entirely directly employed workforce is fairly unique in the flooring industry. Following the merger the companies demographic has shifted combining employees with many years of experience with forward thinking younger members of staff. There is strength in the merger with some young, fresh minds. We believe we now have the perfect combination.” On how the pair met Nathan and The Commercial Flooring, Jeff added: “The industry is full of lots of events and we kept talking to Nathan and became friends. It was actually Faith who got us together. The merger was a no brainer in the end as it opens up opportunities for both parties.

PKF COOPER PARRY

Together, we have the resources to expand and predict seasonal highs and lows making us more competitive. We’re learning from each other all the time Working closely together from the same exceptionally customerfocused showroom and office space, each director has taught the other their unique set of skills. Where Jeff developed Nathan’s networking skills, Nathan developed Jeff’s ability to cope with new customers, and Faith guided them both in marketing and customer service. “Together, we have the resources to expand and predict seasonal highs and lows making us more competitive. We’re learning from each other all the time from networking to maximising on opportunities,” Jeff commented.

Nathan’s offices in Leicester will remain active under the new FLR Group name and will be serving the local community more than ever with an extended legacy of offerings. Walk into any HSBC branch or Primark store across the UK and you’ll be stepping on FLR Group’s highquality handiwork. As a joint group, the newly formed partnership has a striking portfolio that includes work for Center Parcs, Mercedes, Aldi, Patisserie Valerie, Crystal Palace, Sainsbury’s, schools, De Montfort University, Warwick University, hospitals, and more. FLR Group is also approached for NICHE | 69

COMPANY CULTURE PRIMARK

BMW more major health and safety works too. Nathan explained: “We’ve just done 44,000 stair nosings in high rise buildings because statistics showed that more people died in the Grenfell Tower by falling down stairs rather than from the fire itself.” Turning over £9m a year and producing 3,000 invoices pa with 2,500 of them under the value of £1,500, the team insist that they are not ‘put off’ by smaller jobs. Nathan noted: “We’re FLR – Forging Lasting Relationships – that’s exactly what we’re about. We will happily go up to Scotland to do a £100 repair as well as those bigger £50,000 jobs.” The couple, and now Nathan, are advocates of working together with other companies and in the community – in Solihull as well as Leicester. Avid BNIers (members of the franchised networking group Business Network International), the team says they are 70 | NICHE

interested in ensuring businesses work together ‘to eat off the same plate helping everyone in the room.’ The merger has brought together a team of 11 from The Commercial Flooring and a team of 41 from FLR. There has been no loss of jobs too which the tree directors are keen to point out. Rather, the team is increasing with the recent appointment of a Sales & Marketing Manager, a Business Development Manager and Contracts Manager In their new partnership, the three directors aim to make a turnover of £10m-£12m by next year by extending the Solihull-based group to Leicestershire and beyond showcasing what sets the company aside from its competitors.

0121 443 5503 flr.co.uk

“Over 70% of our operatives have come through our own apprentice and retraining schemes,” Faith told us. It’s something the company is particularly proud of. Jeff added: “this is the reason we are so successful – our people. We directly employ and train all our fitting team. For example, we hired a young man over 30 years ago, who was a hospital porter at the time, we retrained him and he is now our Installation Director. Development is a huge part of what FLR Group are all about. A labourer for the company who has been working in the team for many years has expressed interest in becoming a fitter and so a training programme has been put in place to upskill him. This sums up FLR’s attitude to recruitment as well, with members of the surveying, administration and sales teams having come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Regular internal and external training ensure all team members are the best at what they do. Jeff said we also ensure that all our operatives hold a blue CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card as a minimum. This underpins FLR’s commitment to achieving health and safety standards. “Your biggest overheads are your people so why would you not invest in them?” Jeff questioned. Embracing mental health and wellbeing is something that the Solihull-based firm are particularly passionate about, FLR Group employees have all-hours access to psychologists, physiotherapists and nutritionists. Jeff explained: “We recognise that external issues at home can effect an individual’s performance at work and we are here to help them fulfil their potential as best we can.”

NICHE FEATURE

THE SHOWROOM Waiting in the reception for a tour of the showroom, it’s hard not to admire the flooring. The modular carpet tile installation here is not only an elegant design (a depiction of the ocean) but it is also socially responsible. Net Effect from Interface is created from discarded fishing nets and provides a source of income for the small fishing communities of the Philippines whose livelihoods are directly affected by the discarded nets. It’s a fantastic product and the first hint that FLR Group is an activist of ethical and sustainable sourcing. Working our way around the inviting display area, which features FLR Group’s most cherished brands including Amtico, Karndean, Axminster and Crucial Trading, we were treated to refreshments in the Juice Bar. Have anything you want from the fridge: beer, wine, juice, water; or have a quality coffee, latte or hot chocolate from the machine whilst you view designs the experts have come up with for your home or offices on the big screen. Never have we seen such an interactive showroom as this. There is a touch-screen design visualiser in which you can even import a photo of your own rooms and apply thousands of different flooring designs, motifs and borders.

Jeff, Faith and Nathan prefer to use credible British brands that can trace their produce back to its roots. These British brands also have their own unique features. Axminster Carpets, a company over 250 years old, can replicate carpets and rugs from the 1600s, Amtico offers an unrivalled range of luxury vinyl tiles in a wide variety of pallettes and patterns, innovated and manufactured in the UK, whilst Crucial Trading offers the facilities to design a rug from scratch onscreen. On the upper floor of the building, an architects dream can be found: a library featuring every type of flooring FLR Group supply. As well as a sophisticated seating area, there is an Altro WhiteRock antibacterial wall cladding display. Property developers have done away with ceramic tiling and have replaced them with the advance cladding which is made from a highquality, food-safe PVCu polymer that can handle temperatures up to 60°C, and meets all EU directives on health and hygiene. With their prestigious flooring found throughout the UK in countless corporate offices and stores, including HSBC Bank and Primark, FLR Group are leading the industry and forging a new path for flooring.

It’s the company’s ethos to give a second chance to those who have been given an unfortunate start in life

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The Light House YOUR LOCAL LIGHTING SPECIALIST

www.lighthouse-leicester.co.uk Open: Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm Sunday 11am-4pm sales@lighthouse-leicester.co.uk

LIGHTING DESIGN SERVICE AVAILABLE

107A/B Hinckley Road, Leicester LE3 OTD ● 0116 233 0303

Illuminating in style

for 20 years A lighting design specialist and retailer celebrated its

he Light House, an established independent lighting retailer, has been operating in Leicester for two decades. The Light House has supplied its retail customers with many brands of lighting since opening its doors in 1998. It is recognised as the place to go for a vast array of lighting for every price range from new build packages to bespoke commissioned pieces. The company’s approach to service is a perfect mix of experience and recommendation with emphasis on meeting a customer’s needs every time, whether for a one off light fitting or satisfying much larger packages. Over the years, Lighting Design Director Tim Chapman has taken care of all enquiries in the domestic sector as well as commercial clients in the hotel

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20th anniversary in August and restaurant industries. He offers in-house advice and recommendations, after which he remains in contact for technical and design support until project completion. Over the years he has completed many designs for period and listed properties, contemporary conversions, and gardens, meaning The Light House has delivered essential works across the county, and will do so in its years to come. Paul and Jason, who man the showroom, are on hand to advise and demonstrate the extensive collection of lighting on offer. They are experts in the supply and control of all LED lighting whether it be a simple retrofit or a tailor made dimming system. The Light House has an enormous range of lighting products from over 30

suppliers meaning they can offer over 64,000 light fittings. When approached with a requirement demanding originality, they work with companies creating special bespoke lighting. The showroom in Hinckley Road, and its website, ensures a sampling of all it offers. The personalised online ordering system ensures every fitting purchased is a perfect fit. The Light House team look forward to seeing you at the showroom. 0116 233 0303 lighthouse-leicester.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE

The Colour SAM MANSELL

purple

Late last year Pantone announced its colour of the year for 2018 was Ultra Violet, a gorgeous deep blue-purple shade

o here in my last column for Niche I’m looking back over the year so far to see how this colour has influenced interior design for us all. The colour purple is not often seen in nature and therefore has the cachet of rarity to it. In ancient times the methods and ingredients needed to dye fabric purple were costly and hard to come by, meaning only the very wealthy could afford such items. This is why the colour is associated with royalty and luxury, even today. It is a calming and soothing colour also. We only have to think of the wonderful aromatherapeutic effects of lavender flowers that are also synonymous with the colour of the blooms as well, to understand that we often use this colour in our homes to help us relax. My hot picks help to showcase just how ubiquitous the colour purple has become in interiors this year. We have a gorgeous abstract art print, a sumptuous, moody, velvet armchair, a shiny ombré vase, a beautiful, painterly rug and an exquisitely artistic wall art mural. Purple is here in all shades and tones so why not try to grab yourself a little piece of calm in this hectic world and enjoy this historic, royal hue in your home. I’ve loved writing this column and sharing my ideas with you over the years, but all good things must come to an end eventually. So for now, goodbye and happy home designing! Much love

Samantha

Rhythm Art Print by Elizabeth O’Connor From £70 Reminiscent of frothy flowers, I love the colours and textures of this piece. kingandmcgraw.com Purple and Grey Ombré Vase £28.95 A pretty little piece. Simple and eye catching, it would look good on its own, with a bloom or as part of a collection. grahamandgreen.co.uk Barcelona Rug £119 Bright, bold and beautiful. I adore this rug for adding a splash of colour to any room. irugs.uk.com

London Wall Ready Made Mural £60 A beautiful statement piece of art for your home. The pastel watercolour-effect shades are simply stunning. A definite conversation piece. grahamandbrown.com

Elsa Upholstered Armchair £711 A modern classic and the deep plum hue is gorgeous. love-your-home.co.uk chrysalisinteriordesign.com/hotpicks

Tel: 0121 647 6709 f: Facebook.com/ChrysalisInteriorDesign t: @ChrysalisID www.chrysalisinteriordesign.com NICHE | 73

PROPERTY FOCUS

Forum

GARDENING THE JAPANESE WAY IAIN BENTLEY Director at Bentley’s

PICK OF THE FIREWORKS Firecrackers The variety of firecrackers is immense and the whole point of them is to explode and make loud noises. They generally come in strings that number from a measly 12 to a gargantuan 10,000 and are a hugely popular display choice. Fountains & Catherine Wheels Fountains are usually cone shaped devices that sit on the ground and shoot off a shower of colourful sparks. If you’re looking for a mild, yet pretty firework to shoot off to a mixed crowd these are the ones for you. Aerial Repeaters Aerial repeaters are really good for those who want a display with the wow factor but don’t want to do a lot of planning. They consist of multiple tubes bundled together (aka cakes) and each tube has a small aerial shell that explodes in a colourful crackling, impressive display in the sky. And you only have to light one fuse. Roman Candles Roman candles are long tubes that when lighted at one end shoot off colourful balls. Some of the shots crackle, flash, or explode and they can make for a great ‘mid-section’ of your display. Missiles and Rockets Bottle rockets are probably the most famous of this genre of fireworks. They’re small rockets that whistle while blasting off into the sky and explode when they reach their peak – these are the crowd pleasers.

0116 267 7572 Facebook: Bentley’s Fireworks 74 | NICHE

In our quest for constant perfection there’s some great news for the more hands-off amongst us. The Japanese concept wabi-sabi is an inspiring way of looking at your garden and can be defined as “beauty in imperfection”. The wabi-sabi aesthetic grew out of Buddhist philosophy in Japan and involves an appreciation for the forms and changes of natural landscapes. A garden based around wabi-sabi incorporates natural and manmade elements in a way that allows visitors to appreciate their humble and imperfect forms and the acceptance of the natural cycle of growth, decay and death. To explore natural changes in your wabi-sabi garden, plant perennials and self-seeding plants that will establish their own corners of the garden over the course of years. Place stones in locations that will not receive foot traffic so that moss and lichens will grow over them. Repurposing old manmade objects is another part of

JODIE FEDORKO Soft Landscape Designer at Leicestershire Garden Design wabi-sabi garden design. For example, you can place iron objects that will rust over time, such as old gardening tools and gates, around your garden. Adding plants that provide natural textures in different seasons, like a tree with textured or peeling bark, is a great way to do this. The key here is balancing nature and nurture, so sit back, relax and reflect on the beauty of your garden’s natural imperfections. Overgrown perennials, moss-covered stones, rusty iron gates and weathered pots are suddenly bang on-trend.

0116 214 7076 leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk

AUTUMN POND LIFE

MICHAEL WHEAT Creative Director at Ponds by Michael Wheat As autumn approaches you will start to see nature’s brown and red hues abound. This also means taking extra care of your garden, especially your pond, the fish and other creatures in your pond, and the plant life in and around it. The hallmark of autumn is the falling leaves but we wouldn’t want these in your pond. Putting up a net will keep your pond clean; maintain the pH levels in the water, and save your pond equipment from blockage. Fish are less active during this period so feed them wheatgerm (which

settles their stomachs better). You should be careful and try not to scare them – poking them through the net is a big no-no! Make sure they also have some cover as any lilies you have will start to die. Also, cut back any plants that have died as this will get them ready for the summer next year. Make sure the filter gets a good clean out as winter will bring its own challenges. Our advice is to keep the pump running – modern pumps can handle any issues that the cold brings. This also helps keep the oxygen in the water, which is necessary for the fish to thrive and keep the water clean.

0116 240 3735 pondsbymichaelwheat.co.uk

Leicestershire’s biggest stockist of fireworks

365 DAYS A YEAR

Find us on the A6 Leicester to Loughborough road next to Bentleys Garden Buildings Bonfire Night

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Bentley’s Fireworks Loughborough Rd, Wanlip, Leicestershire LE7 4PN

We will transform your ordinary garden into a stunning, beautiful one!

We create breathtaking, bespoke ponds.

11087_Niche Magazine Landscape HP.indd 1

www.pondsbymichaelwheat.co.uk Call: 0116 240 3735

Broughtons

09/04/2018 12:44

Traditional Lighting & Architectural Ironmongery Remy Wall Light. Heritage Bronze with Parissiene Gold detail. LIIW2582

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

How Utility Warehouse changed one distributor’s life

Fun-loving socialite David Goadby started his part time business from home: partnering with utility provider Utility Warehouse; after a 30 year career in IT – having just returned from an immense anniversary trip around South America, we asked more about his career Did you enjoy your incredible anniversary year?

Yes, it was absolutely amazing. The trip to the Iguazu Falls was a particular highlight. Copacabana Beach was spectacular and Christ the Redeemer statue was just wow. It is likely there will be more trips like this for us: my wife Anne has now retired and I am running my own Utility Warehouse business!

Why did you decide to partner with Utility Warehouse in the first place?

It is so flexible; I can work as much or as little as I like. It is to generate additional retirement income and have enough to allow Anne’s retirement. I am pleased to say that she was able to retire two years ago. The time and additional income also allows us both do a lot more of the things that we both enjoy: like travelling. I am also a private maths tutor, which I love to do.

What did you get from this new role that continuing in IT couldn’t give you?

THE TIME AND ADDITIONAL INCOME ALSO Apart from the time freedom, I don’t ALLOWS US have to hold any stock or do any invoicing: the company does all that. BOTH DO A They don’t advertise nationally or LOT MORE OF on the TV, so that results in savings THE THINGS for customers. There is no team THAT WE of salesmen so the money they BOTH ENJOY save is paid to the distributors. The quick income plan means upfront payments of up to £350 for a qualifying customer. Satisfied customers like myself do all the marketing, all we do is recommend the services. There are benefits across the board such as a company car and holiday incentives – one of the holiday incentives at the moment is an all expenses paid holiday to Machu Picchu. Success is achieved by helping more and more people to achieve their dreams so that you can achieve your dreams too; there is no competition. Everyone is so positive. The role attracts that kind of person.

You seem to have a very active social life, is that because of the friends you’ve made with the company? I’ve definitely made many amazing friends. The company celebrated 20 years not long ago and had a garden party for all their partners. Every month they have a social night called pizza Tuesday at venues around the country. Around 30-40 fellow distributors meet locally here in Leicester.

How can new distributors sign up?

If they would like to speak to me, I can get them started. I will mentor them. You’re never left on your own, there’s always support and training whenever you want it. I signed up two new distributors recently, so I’ve been making sure they’re all set up. When partners are promoted to Team Leader they can earn a once-in-a-lifetime flight in an amazing hot air balloon!

07736 146 400 save-earnmoney.co.uk davidgoadby@uwclub.co.uk NICHE | 77

Children and Young People Services. Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital. Skip the Waiting list and get treatment faster.

WINNER Private hospital group of the year

Children bring their parents boundless happiness - but they also bring endless worry. Everything becomes a little more important as the desire to keep this little human being safe, happy and to give them the best start in life and beyond into adulthood. Unfortunately, today parents are increasingly time poor, busy juggling the demands of work, school and many other things whilst balancing all this with family life. This is made even more challenging when our children are ill and need access to expert healthcare and medical advice quickly and easily and at a time when public services are stretched and under pressure. Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital has been treating children and young people for more than 20 years and was recognised by the Care Quality Commission in January 2017 as ‘outstanding’ for its care of children and young people. Nuffield Health has continued to build on this success, nationally it was voted Private Hospital of the Year in 2017 and again in 2018, whilst the Leicester Hospital has invested in ‘Matron led Care’, the refurbishment of its Children’s Ward and developed a team of dedicated Children’s nurses and medical team. Working alongside the nursing team Leicester Hospital also has over 50 expert paediatric consultants specialising in the diagnosis, treatment and care of children and young people. Infants from 0 to 1 years old can be seen in outpatients for assessment and diagnosis and Children from 1 year and above can be admitted for treatment.

This capability is unique in the private healthcare sector in the East Midlands. Fast Access to Expert Healthcare. We also understand that if your child is ill this can be a very worrying time for the whole family therefore fast access to expert help is very important. At Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital parents can access our specialist consultants, normally within 48 hours, along with our comprehensive range of test and diagnostic services. Services at Nuffield. Allergies - Arthritis/Rheumatology - Asthma/Respiratory Behavioural/Psychology - Children’s Orthopaedics Dental/Maxillofacial - Dermatology - Dermatology Ear, Nose & Throat - Eye Care - Urology/Circumcision.

“Whilst our care for children and young people was assessed in 2017 as ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission we have continue to build Tim Shewbridge, on this success with investment in dedicated resources and facilities Hospital Director: which can only continue to benefit patients and their families.”

Meet the consultants. Dr D Bakshi

Mr S Tandon

Dr D Nathan

Paediatric Allergy & Immunology Consultant

Orthopaedic Paediatric Consultant

General Paediatric Consultant

Mr G Murty

Mrs I Gottlob

Dr Fraser

Paediatric Ear, Nose & Throat Consultant

Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist

Consultant Paediatric Psychologist

Mr F Uddin

Prof I Ormiston

Mr N Patwardhan

Paediatric Ear, Nose & Throat Consultant

Paediatric Oral, Maxillofacial Consultant

Consultant Paediatric Urologist

Dr S Nichani

Mr Imran Dhariwal

Consultant Paediatric Dermatologist

Paediatric Physiotherapist Lead

Mr A Rajimwale Paediatric Urologist

Services at Nuffield Leicester Hospital. Allergy Medicine

Hand Surgery

Physiotherapy

Cardiology

Minor Plastic Surgery

Psychology

Dermatology

Neurology

Respiratory

Ear, nose & throat

Neurophysiology

Rheumatology

Eye Care

Oral Maxillofacial

Urology

Gastroenterology

Orthopaedics

X-Ray, MRI & CT Scan

Join us at one of our free open events. Skin SOS.

Thursday 13th September 2018 This event is for adults & children (from 1yrs) who are suffering from a skin complaint and would like to explore their options for private treatment.

Eye Care.

Wednesday 24th October 2018 This event is for parents of children who are suffering from an eye issue and would like to explore treatments that are available.

Nuffield Health Leicester Scraptloft Lane, Leicester LE5 1HY

Rethinking mental health in the workplace According to research, 20 per cent of people have had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. It is estimated that the value added to the economy of people in work who have or have had issues with mental health is as high as £225 billion per year (mentalhealth.org.uk)

TRAGICALLY, THE BIGGEST KILLER IN MEN UNDER THE AGE OF 50 IS NOW SUICIDE. AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IS NOW HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING FOR COMPANIES NATIONWIDE. THERE HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE STRONG EVIDENCE OF INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY – AS MUCH AS 12 PER CENT – WITHIN BUSINESSES THAT HAVE MADE EFFORTS TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES. 80 | NICHE

UNFORTUNATELY, CERTAINLY IN MALE DOMINATED JOBS, PEOPLE DON’T FEEL FREE TO SPEAK OUT LIKE THEY WOULD IF THEY HAD AN INJURY OR PHYSICAL ILLNESS

SCOTT MATHIE Managing Director at 1st Choice Safety Training Ltd

ue to my military and fire services background I have a keen interest in the subject of mental health. I have friends and family who have suffered greatly in varying degrees from mental health from those who are able to cope with their everyday troubles right through to those who are utilising the available assistance to attempt to get better. In the UK as a whole, suicide rates in men are 3.1 times higher than in women. But it isn’t just a male problem, females are greatly affected too whether it is brought on by pregnancy, social pressures or work. According to mentalhealth. org.uk about 25 per cent of people who take their own lives are women. Data analysis from the Office of National Statistics states that women working in culture, media and sport are 69 per cent more likely to die by suicide. Unfortunately, certainly in male dominated jobs, people don’t feel free to speak out like they would if they had an injury or physical illness. There’s still a stigma to mental health

in most workplaces and people often don’t feel confident to speak about it. It’s difficult to break that stigma. What this leads to is low level occurrences such as not wanting to face people, go to work or socialise. It can also lead to more major incidents such as relationship break ups, loss of employment, or ultimately, some taking their own lives. ITV reports that 84 men per week lose their lives in this way. I have personal experience of this from the fire service. There is an epidemic in military veterans committing suicide as well. Figures from The Sunday People showed that nearly 400 troops killed themselves between 1995 and 2014. The first to be reported this year was Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt who served alongside Prince Harry in Afghanistan. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is designed to give people the tools to break down these barriers and give people a safe space to talk, also giving the MHFA first aiders the tools to listen and signpost to the relevant help.

NICHE FEATURE

ED WATLING

GARY PEAKE

Employee Benefits Consultant (healthcare) at Mattioli Woods plc

Mental Health First Aid Instructor, at 1st Choice Safety Training Ltd

here is so much stress in our lives that it’s having a massive detrimental effect on our ability to perform our work. By having a stronger understanding of mental health we then stop judging people and allow them the opportunity to function with support of medication and therapy. Having mental health training in the workplace shows employers and employees how to spot signs and symptoms early for quicker diagnosis. Three years ago I left the Royal Air Force after I joined in 1984 – a time when the answer to any problem was to ‘man up’. In 1994 my own experience with mental health problems began. I was briefly sectioned, ostracised, and my career was at risk. I was diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety. From a personal point of view I think the perception of mental health has changed as there is greater awareness and therefore less social stigma. Fortunately, females are more likely to be diagnosed because they listen to their friends’ advice but men tend to selfmedicate; it’s harder for them to talk about but it is getting better because of awareness building. When celebrities such as Danny Rose, Stephen Fry, Victoria Pendleton, and Robbie Williams talk openly about their own struggles it proves we’re not alone and there is hope. With our mental health first aid course I research all the chartable support groups in a company’s local area because the NHS is so strapped right now. Some I recommend are Mind, Rethink, One Recovery, BAC O’Connor, Hidden Wounds Service, Help For Heroes, Heads Together, and MATES in Construction. After two heart attacks and double heart surgery it’s difficult to find a hobby to use as a coping mechanism so I turned to singing and joined the Invictus Games Choir – there are therapy groups to suit everyone from allotments to walking. The Government have an understanding that one in six people are affected by mental health issues but it’s more likely that it’s one in three. At the beginning of our courses I ask if anyone knows someone affected, most will say no but it’s almost guaranteed that during the class they will have a light bulb moment when they realise the answer is in fact yes.

FROM A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW I THINK THE PERCEPTION OF MENTAL HEALTH HAS CHANGED AS THERE IS GREATER AWARENESS AND THEREFORE LESS SOCIAL STIGMA

any businesses may not feel that mental health is a relevant issue to them but let’s put it into context: ◆ UK construction industry figures show that in 2015 there were 45 accidental deaths among workers, compared to 454 suicides. The construction industry suffers from the highest fatal accident rate in the UK by industry sector and also the highest suicide rate. ◆ During 2016, there were 5,965 suicides in the UK compared to 1,792 fatal road accidents and 137 fatal workplace injuries, according to Government figures. These statistics show why building resilience in mental health among employees is potentially lifesaving and an important safety initiative. In addition to saving lives, improvements in mental wellbeing will help with productivity and a company’s bottom-line. The Stevenson/Farmer report stated that it cost UK employers £33billion£42billion and companies investing in mental wellbeing training could see returns of £9 per every £1 invested as a result of reduced sickness absence and presenteeism. Training in the workplace – so employees have awareness of mental health issues and can help affected colleagues find assistance – is essential. It could be compared to the requirement to having first aiders in the workplace. Communication is key, both in terms of ensuring employees feel comfortable and supported discussing mental health concerns and making sure that employees know where and how to pursue suitable help.

BOOK YOUR MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE 1st Choice Safety Training Ltd offer sessions at your company as well as open courses. The next open courses are:

SEPTEMBER 20 - 21 and NOVEMBER 12 - 13

Leicester Tigers Rugby Club, LE2 7TR £250 + VAT Includes: Refreshments, lunch and parking

NICHE | 81

HEALTH FOCUS

JULIE HAYTON Managing Director at Function Jigsaw

WHY EMPLOYEES ARE HAVING MORE DAYS OFF Stree, anxiety and depression caused businesses to lose 11.7m work days in 2016 according to Government statistics. Companies are beginning to embrace mental healthcare – better late than never – in an effort to decrease statistics like these. Combined, physical and mental health issues can significantly damage your workforce. Our ‘Truth About’ series of informational workshops have proved to have a powerful impact in the workplace in empowering individuals to understand their lifestyle choices and how they impact on their general well-being. Talks cover the ‘Truth About’ sleep, stress, diet, protein, posture, teamwork, exercise, and more. At the end of each talk, employees are treated to a 20 minute massage given by a physiotherapist who will adapt their techniques according to an individual’s aches and pains. Busy lifestyles sometimes inhibit our ability to take care of ourselves. Employees will benefit from taking a step away from their day-to-day work to build team spirit and morale. “We were delighted to welcome Function Jigsaw for a taster day and found the experience thoroughly worthwhile. The “Desk Fit” was well received highlighting how small changes can address bad posture. The 15 minute massages were excellent, with the therapist not only treating problem areas but also recommending ways to resolve these issues. A very positive experience and we look forward to the next session.” – Jamie Thorpe, Thorpes Joinery.

0116 340 0255 functionjigsaw.co.uk 82 | NICHE

IS ANXIETY INTERFERING WITH YOUR LIFE? Anxiety is an uncomfortable emotion. It’s a feeling of worry, fear, nervousness or unease. It may be caused by issues such as workload, conflict with colleagues, or relationship, family or debt problems. National statistics published by Health and Safety Executive for 2016/17 revealed that stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 40 per cent of all work-related ill health cases. There are different forms of anxiety from generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) all the way through to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We will all experience anxiety at different levels of intensity – you may have even experienced a panic attack in your lifetime. You may need to share your feelings with someone if you experience the following symptoms frequently: a feeling of dread, feeling tense restless or weak, rapid heartrate or breathing, feeling nauseous,

GURBINDER SINGH Wellbeing Practitioner at My Solution Wellbeing difficulty focusing, insomnia, sweating, constipation, diarrhoea or excessive gas, obsessiveness with certain thoughts or behaviours, avoidance of certain places, people or situations. Next time you have any degree of anxiousness, practise this technique to help ease your symptoms in the moment. Sit and try to begin to accept what it is you’re feeling and breathe through it, taking your time, just like we would with any other emotion. When we try to avoid it we’re not dealing with our emotions. Eventually, after some time of being in the moment and breathing, the emotion will become easier to manage.

0116 403 0092 mysolutionwellbeing.com

WEIGHT LOSS AND LIFESTYLE: THE IMPORTANT STUFF NICOLA ROSSELL Personal Trainer at Rossell Fitness Summer is full of tasty treats and temptations: ice creams at the beach, coffee coolers in the park, and not to mention barbeques and summer parties! When you are trying to lose weight it can be hard to find the balance between social events where temptation is readily available, and making the choices that you feel are right for your weight loss. We have a system that allows for a balance between all the stuff a lifestyle really entails. We factor in fun stuff, mind-set stuff, fitness stuff, family stuff, the party and social stuff, and the friends stuff because we know that all of these things hold a place in your life. If you want to get great weight loss

results now and keep the weight off long term, then a lifestyle approach is needed. When you factor in all of the things that you want to do, when you know the barriers that might occur and when you understand where the balance needs to be to get the results you want, you can have it all without dropping the ball in any of the areas important in your life. Don’t let weight loss be the only thing that drives you. Strive for a flexible balance between all the things you value in your lifestyle and you will get better weight loss results without the sacrifices and guilt! Talk to me about what this balance could look like for you!

07983 551 550 rossellfitness.co.uk

Forum

Ladies only salon DR ALIF MOOSAJEE

MIND - BODY - WELLBEING

Principal Dentist at Oakdale Dental

NERVOUS PATIENTS I love treating nervous patients (not in a Little Shop of Horrors way) because I love being able to put somebody at ease and watch their confidence grow with small treatments and possibly working up to those that are a little more complicated. I always ask what they don’t like about the dentist. I do this because it’s important to have clarity in order to overcome previous bad experiences or fears. I commend nervous patients and have the greatest respect for them. When you fear something you tend to avoid it. Some of my patients have avoided the dentist for too long, meaning they end up in pain which is the only influencer that makes them visit. I find there are three types of patient: those who fear injections, those who fear drilling and potential pain, and those who are nervous about the loss of control when somebody is working in their mouth. If you’re afraid of injections we can encourage you to close your eyes as just seeing a needle can make you feel fearful. Or, we can try to avoid needles altogether. We can also use topical anaesthetic gels to numb the gum. The trick is to inject very, very slowly to avoid causing pain. It’s also helpful to pinch the lip while injecting to distract the pain receptors in the brain. When you’re booking your appointment, remember: “Courage is not the absence of fear; it is feeling fearful yet taking action anyway.”

0116 262 7150 oakdaledental.co.uk

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Facials & Skincare Includes steamer and extraction

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Free Yoga Session in Oadby • Do you want to feel stronger, ﬁtter and lose weight easily? • Do you struggle with emotional balance or anxiety? • Do you have aches or pains from sitting at a desk all day? Kickstart a new, healthy and fun way of moving your body and getting instant results! Quote 'NICHE' when you call to book your FREE* Freestyle Yoga Class with Rossell Fitness *T&C’s apply

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NICHE FEATURE

The first step

to change

Around one in five people have visited a counsellor*. We spoke

CLIENTS LISA PEARCE AND HER DAUGHTER

to a client of My Solution Wellbeing about her counselling experience Why did you choose My Solution Wellbeing? I chose them because I’d spoken to Gurbinder for myself. He offered some advice for free. I’d had some personal issues and he picked up on my actions straight away and supported me to identify behaviours. What was going on? My daughter (11) no longer wanted to see her dad; we had split up. She was lashing out and got into a fight at school. She was feeling quite angry and throwing things, was unable to self-regulate her emotions and couldn’t figure out why. We found out what was bothering her and she’s a different person now.

What is counselling like? My counsellor Mindy asked if she could go for a walk with my daughter. Being outside helped her to open up. She chatted to her and came back and spoke to me so I could support her more. We’re now in a really good place and my daughter always looks forward to her sessions. Would you recommend My Solution Wellbeing? Definitely! We’ve had other support from other services before and it’s never really helped. Mindy did more with my daughter in an hour than others have done in weeks. She’s happier at school, more open with me, and it’s changed our lives for the better.

0116 403 0092 mysolutionwellbeing.com ABOUT MY SOLUTION WELLBEING My Solution Wellbeing is a counselling service for adults and children founded by Gurbinder Singh. The team helps with depression, bullying, anxiety, self-esteem, confidence, addiction, negative thoughts, trauma, and relationships. It also offers workplace counselling, yoga, mindfulness classes, and workshops.

*British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

FIT FOR INDUSTRY CREATE INDUSTRY ATHLETES 12 MODULE SEMINARS The Fit For Industry Program consists of regular massage therapist site visits and 12 forty-five-minute talks

£16b

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TALKS ON THE TRUTH ABOUT: HEALTHY EATING, CALORIES, SUGAR, CARBOHYDRATES, FAT, PROTEIN, SLEEP, EXCERCISE, SITTING, TEAMWORK AND MASSAGE

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Treat the skin

MICRO-DERMABRASION The cold weather can leave skin looking a little dull. A non-surgical microdermabrasion treatment will visibly resurface the skin, stimulating new collagen growth and removing dead skin cells, which can often cause dull, lacklustre skin.

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As we grow older our facial muscles naturally start to lose tone and elasticity. Genetics, lifestyles, weight fluctuation and environmental factors can all influence the rate and degree to which our muscles will lose their tone. After a course of CACI facial toning treatments, the contours of the face will look lifted and toned. A monthly top-up treatment is recommended to maintain results.

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NICHE REVIEW

Pro-Sleep massage One in three adults suffer with sleep disorders which can have a huge impact on their body and mind – Inner Beauty may have a treatment to help send you off to dreamland

n the middle of press week with huge deadlines looming, as well as a crazy-busy home life during the same week, I thought there was no worse time to experience the ComfortZone Tranquillity™ ProSleep massage. But actually, what’s the point in de-stressing once the stress has died down? It seems there’s no better time to throw yourself into ultimate relaxation than in the middle of it all! Striking a balance between responsibility to others and responsibility to yourself is vital in reducing stress levels, according to mentalhealth.org.uk – and it only takes up to two hours with Jacquie at her home salon Inner Beauty. Making your way down the zen-inspired path and into the dimly lit, fragrant room relaxes you instantly before your treatment even begins. Jacquie says there’s only one rule: think of nothing. You really find yourself drifting in and out of a sleep-like state so it’s difficult to describe this treatment in all honesty! Jacquie uses her fingertips and

IT’S TAKEN ME 10 YEARS TO FIND THE RIGHT BRAND AND I’M SO GLAD I WAITED AS I LOVE EVERY ASPECT OF COMFORTZONE

specialised brushes to lightly activate the skin’s c-tactile fibres using a kaleidoscope of movements across the body. The most compassionate woman you’ll ever meet, Jacquie took her time – up to Inner Beauty’s 10th birthday this September in fact – before she found a massage plan she believed in enough to partner up with. She said: “It’s taken me 10 years to find the right brand and I’m so glad I waited as I love every aspect of ComfortZone.” The brand’s massage methods have been created by neuroscientists, cardiologists, and nutri-dermatologlists. Even the music playing during your treatment is composed using repetitive tones and rhythms that are almost hypnotic allowing worries and tensions to be released whilst helping the brain to recover from fatigue. The Pro-Sleep massage is inspired by Ayurveda and Sea Malay handed down from generations for its benefits on

the nervous system, while the Comfort-Zone Tranquility™ blend relieves stress and anxiety. The company also gives away recipes, sleep, health, skin and fitness advice. Jacquie added: “ComfortZone believes in not just the treatments but home care and lifestyle tips as well, something I strongly believe in. It all just feels right to me and fits who I am.” As someone who has a history of struggling to sleep – especially around stressful times – and having tried pretty much everything to help me nod off, I was dubious that Pro-Sleep would work. But, for the rest of the night, I felt entirely worry-free and found it really was needed in order to rid me of all those anxious, on-the-edge feelings. And, I fell asleep quicker than I’ve ever known myself to! Prices for all treatments can be found on the Inner Beauty website. 0116 224 7560 innerbeautyleicester.co.uk NICHE | 87

NICHE FEATURE

reating Leicester’s eyebrow queen Goldy brings her magic touch to Niche’s Leanne Baker and she couldn’t be happier with the results

erfect brows are a trend that just doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and with many of us still attempting to painstakingly rectify the sparse brow look we poorly attempted in the 90s (we are blaming you Kate Moss) we are fed up of hours and hours of penciling them in every week. All is not lost however, for the first time in years we can rectify those overzealous plucking mistakes with the help of the revolutionary Microblading procedure. The procedure, which works by introducing a semi-permanent tattoo to the skin, applies small, precise strokes of pigment which gently ‘scratches’ the skin surface. The perfectly colourmatched pigment replicates tiny, shaped ‘hair like’ tattoos. The result is flawless looking natural brows, liberating you from those endless hours penciling in makeup. Filling in and finishing your brows is a thing of the past with Microblading; instead you have effortless, filled-in looking brows

I DON’T PARTICULARLY DISLIKE MY NATURAL BROWS, I JUST WANTED A MORE POLISHED LOOK TO THEM WITHOUT PUTTING IN THE EFFORT EVERY DAY

without lifting a product. Enchanted Angels of Oadby, Leicester are a leading provider of Microblading in the Midlands with Goldy at the helm. Niche’s very own Leanne Baker opted for the treatment just recently and her brows have been the envy of the office ever since. Here’s her own account of how she went from sparse to full brows in just 3 hours.. “I don’t particularly dislike my natural brows, I just wanted a more polished look to them without putting in the effort every day with filling them in. I met with Goldy (aka The Brow Queen) at Enchanted Angels and knew my brows were in good hands from the start. Drawing a ‘map’ of measurements around my brows using careful measuring techniques, she created a penciled in version of what my brows would look like. Once we were happy with the shape she then anesthetised the brow and got to work with the

tattooing. I wouldn’t say it was a painful process, uncomfortable is more accurate. She was very meticulous, and the procedure took nearly three hours to complete. “When I first looked in the mirror I was amazed at how much of a difference my perfect brows made to my face! She gave me some ointment to use and instructions to keep them dry and no scratching during the healing process and off I went into the world with my brows on fleek! The healing process was easy and after six weeks I went in for my included top-up where any extra strokes are applied, and the look is perfected. I couldn’t be happier and would highly recommend it to anyone” Enchanted Angels also provide semi- permanent eyeliner as well as lash and body treatments. 0116 319 4952 facebook.com/Enchanted-Angels

NICHE FEATURE

Waxing… not just for summer

Known as the go-to goddess of waxing, Priti Coles is changing the way we think about the treatment one wax at a time WORDS BY EMILY KIRTON

s summer draws to a close many of us might feel tempted to let our summer waxing routine fall to the side rather than investing in soft silky-smooth legs and bikini lines. However, the more you wax the better the result long-term and with the wonderful feeling that freshly waxed skin provides, we say waxing is more than simply prepping for summer dresses and bikinis. Unfortunately, for lots of us, the word waxing conjures up images of pain, bruised and broken skin and plenty of horror stories. It can be a task to convince those who may have heard the horrors or experienced

a ‘bad’ wax that it needn’t be a dreadful experience. With Priti Coles, clients are in the safest of hands, and one wax at a time she is converting clients countrywide. Known as the best of the best her clients include celebrities and lifelong Priti devotees. The waxing queen tells us: “In the more than 24 years of waxing experience I have I can honestly say my clients do not talk of pain, ingrown hairs or broken skin; instead they refer to the waxing sessions as enjoyable and relaxing, virtually pain free! They tell others of the surprisingly pain free and enjoyable experience they had.” Her empathetic nature puts clients at ease in a professional, friendly and discreet way making the whole experience quite unlike the dreaded one that clients may have experienced elsewhere. Past clients have included celebrities, athletes, charity fundraisers and of course her countless loyal fuzz free loving clients over the years. Priti uses only the very best wax on the market, Australian

FEELING GOOD IN YOUR GORGEOUS UNDERWEAR YEAR-ROUND AND IN THAT PARTYREADY LITTLE BLACK DRESS FOR PARTY SEASON IS ESSENTIAL IN MY OPINION

derived Organic Lycon wax. Packed with essential oils, it works by shrink wrapping the hair follicle. Allowing the hair to be pulled from the root rather than at the hair itself. The result is smooth, undamaged skin. Although trained in luxury facials, holistic massage and other body work modalities, Priti specialises in intimate waxing and training. Believing in giving something back Priti has used her skill over the years to do charity waxes for local and national charities including Rainbows and has worked with Prostate Cancer and Motor Neurone Disease charities to name a few. “Feeling good in your gorgeous underwear year-round and in that party-ready little black dress for party season is essential in my opinion and it seems it’s a terrible shame to only enjoy that feeling in the warmer months.”

07795 361 288 pritibodies.co.uk NICHE | 89

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Slim Juice® Power Bank £20 Charge your devices when out and about, using this handy portable charger. Available from asda.com

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Korres Little Stars £10 Contains wheat proteins which form a protective film on the skin. Available from Amazon NICHE | 91

FOOD COURT Local sports and business people choose their favourite places to eat in Leicestershire

The best eating establishments in Leicestershire

92 | NICHE

PAUL GASCOIGNE

SAN CARLO

Football legend

Having recently moved to Leicestershire I am really enjoying the foodie scene, it seems to be really thriving! My friend and manager Shane has taken me to some amazing restaurants and I have to say San Carlo really lived up to its incredible reputation. Popular with celebrities and locals alike, the highly regarded Italian eatery’s new menu is amazing! The menu, which is sharing style Italian dishes, features all my favourites including plenty of freshly cooked pasta and pizza cooked in a wood fired oven. It’s a really stylish joint too, with some smart designs and art work to

JOSH HENDERSON

KNIGHT AND GARTER

ER Recruitment

We are immensely lucky here in Leicester to be surrounded by such an array of delicious local restaurants. For me however, Knight and Garter is definitely one of my go-to favourite places to enjoy great food and drinks with family and friends! Located in Hotel Street in the heart of Leicester city centre, Knight and Garter is familiarly known for its stunning ambience and quirky hidden bookshelf which leads to a welcoming dining space suitable for any occasion! As part of the Everards family, it is unsurprising that the authentic restaurant provides a huge variety of scrumptious dishes that cater to everyone. However, as a steak

0116 251 9332 sancarlo.co.uk 38-40 GRANBY ST, LEICESTER LE1 1DE look at. Located in the heart of the city it’s the ideal place to meet and socialise with the new friends I have made in this great city! The staff are so welcoming and couldn’t do enough for me when I went recently – from describing the dishes to being attentive to everything you need. I have eaten in some pretty swish places all over the world, but this is one of the best. It’s so good to see that Leicester can enjoy this kind of top notch cuisine along with London and Manchester. I know it has been around for some time but to me its new and I intend to visit lots over the coming months!

0116 303 3310 knightandgarter.co.uk 14 HOTEL STREET, LEICESTER, LE1 5AW guy myself I would 100 per cent recommend the ‘centre cooked rib eye steak’ – it’s simply mouth watering! After visiting the bar and restaurant on several occasions I have enjoyed an outstanding experience each time. The staff at the Knight and Garter are conscientious and provide exceptional customer service which always inspires me to return for both business and pleasure. If you are an individual who relishes in visiting great quality restaurants and are looking for a place that offers a unique experiential environment, make a booking at Knight & Garter – you will not be disappointed!

KAREN BLAIR

THE FORGE INN

Crowndale Food Services

When I dine out I like it to be a relaxed affair and The Forge Inn, Glenfield, provides the perfect mix of excellent locally sourced food in an informal atmosphere. The menu, which is packed with a great deal of delicious choice is always exciting and is good, hearty, home cooked pub style food. Much of the menu uses locally sourced ingredients and the dishes are all so fresh and tasty. The Forge Inn is a regular brunch choice for me and the Sunday roasts are legendary, complete with homemade Yorkshire puddings and goose fat roasties, flavoursome seasonal veggies and real gravy, there’s even a bloody Mary and complimentary Sunday papers

SAM HARRISON

BARCELONETA 0116 270 8408 barceloneta.co.uk 54 QUEENS RD, CLARENDON PARK, LEICESTER, LE2 1TU

Leicester Tigers

There are so many great restaurants in Leicester cropping up but for me and a lot of my friends the Spanish tapas restaurant Barceloneta still reigns supreme. It’s a firm favourite with many who just want great, authentic food in a great atmosphere – it’s unpretentious cooking at its best! Located on Queens Road and decked out in traditional Spanish décor with an atmospheric bar next door, it’s ideal for a group night out with a meal to start and drinks into the early hours and of course plenty of opportunity to enjoy ‘sharing’ style tapas dishes. I visit a lot with my wife as we both think it’s a pretty special place.

LOUISE SCOTT

SHIVALLI 0116 255 0137 shivallirestaurant.com 21 WELFORD ROAD, LEICESTER LE2 7AD

Glynis Wright & Co

My favourite Leicester based restaurant has to be Shivalli in Welford Road. The menu is purely vegetarian food from Southern India and there are an astounding 50 plus delicious dishes to choose from. The restaurant name itself explains its roots - Shivalli is a place in Southern India and the villagers are pioneers of the world-famous Udupi Hotels (vegetarian restaurants). And truly, it feels as authentic as you can get without actually being in Southern India! If I had to choose my favourite menu choice it would have to be ‘Thali’, which includes pickles and soup followed by a main course of a selection of different food items such as mutter paneer, korma,

0116 287 1702 theforgeinn.co.uk MAIN ST, GLENFIELD, LEICESTER LE3 8DG as standard. Staff are really friendly, and you can tell that they are passionate about creating a nice atmosphere and innovative food – the desserts are to die for with the Proper Waffle with honeycomb gelato and chocolate covered popcorn being a recent notable addition to the menu! In the warmer months the beer garden is a real attraction with a bustling, social atmosphere. The craft beer and extensive wine list complete my firm favourite restaurant. I discovered this gem years ago and it’s remained my favourite ever since. It’s a must visit; just don’t tell everyone, I still want my table free!

We try to go any chance we have a night off from the children and have always gone for any excuse really, but it’s particularly special for birthdays, anniversaries and just a romantic date night. The menu is varied, and each dish is generous in size and always full of flavour. We enjoy the fact that you can choose from so much and have a really vibrant table of food without having food envy for each other’s choices too! The service is amazing and with the authentic tiled walls, Spanish beer, friendly staff and being able to see the chefs cooking the dishes – it’s as close to Barcelona you are going to get without actually travelling there!

Raitha, rice and dal followed by a sweet dessert – it’s a really great way to sample the varied menu. One of my favourites in this dish is a dosa (pancake) which is amazing, so tasty and really light. Also, I must mention their sweet Lasi drink which is a yoghurt-based beverage with sugar – it’s so good. The staff are really friendly; attentive and genuinely know their menu inside out recommending dishes for those that find the extensive menu overwhelming! The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the cooking too. It’s ideal for large party groups and equally for a romantic meal for two. I would thoroughly recommend Shivalli, whether you’re vegetarian or otherwise! NICHE | 93

A new home for Leicester’s

crowning glory New horizons are ahead for food and drink wholesalers Crowndale Food Services Ltd, as the company made a move in a bid to adapt to its dramatic growth WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

tepping out of the hot blaring August sun and into Crowndale’s giant walk-in freezer was exactly what we needed in the midday heat. The company’s new Whetstone warehouse is packed full of all kinds of food and drink from tinned goods to fresh pastries all neatly organised into sections and structured meticulously for ultimate efficiency. This new premises was moved into in May and was designed by Crowndale’s newest employee Paul Stephens who joined the growing company in February 2018. John Boulger, CEO of the independent supplier, initially approached Paul for advice on his long-serving site in Pullman Road,

94 | NICHE

Wigston and his appointment signalled the need for change. “My first thought was ‘we need to move,’” Paul laughed. “Thirty years ago they were making a few hundred a week but we are now making £5m a year so we’d outgrown the old unit, it wasn’t suitable for the demand anymore. We’ve gone from 5,000sq ft to 10,000 sq ft.” During his first six months with the company – and with the help of John and the team – Paul has restructured the drivers’ rounds, updated staff roles and made continuous small changes in order to be able to service its current customers better and meet the ever

growing demand of the industry. “The week after I started we were already looking at new units. We wanted somewhere that could include a driver’s room with lockers and a kitchen. It’s important for them to have a place to come to and be part of the team otherwise they’re on the road all the time and all their personal belongings are in the van.” For a local food and drink supplier competing with larger nationwide companies, Crowndale has an impressive portfolio currently supplying goods to over 50 schools in Leicestershire, LCFC, Leicester University, Brucciani Cafe, Next,

NICHE FEATURE and other international brands. But Crowndale won’t disregard the smaller burger van and corner cafés from which John’s business started. Purchasing manager Lewis Reed told us: “Twelve years ago, after finishing university, I would do the festivals [with Crowndale]. We’d basically move the site to Download Festival with five artic lorries supplying the food trucks and burger vans. As the years have gone on we still supply the festivals – they’re a great loyal base but our bread and butter is local Leicestershire businesses.” General Manager Adam Forbes also started with the company supplying the festivals during his university summers. It might be no coincidence that when he was promoted to his current role seven years ago that the company was just shy of turning over £3m; which is now at £5m, staff numbers have increased, and vans have increased from three to seven. He has worked with Paul to streamline processes in the new location. He told us: “We hit capacity in 2017 and had to close our doors to new customers. Paul and I worked well together: he has the experience of dealing with growth and I know every customer personally having worked my way through the business from warehouse to driver to manager. Our doors have opened again and the world is our oyster. What will the next

six months bring?” The friends and family team has come a long way since it’s inception 30 years ago when John, then a butcher, began supplying meats and cheeses to other local butchers. It now performs as a one stop shop for customers of all shapes and sizes, priding itself on its customer service. With a new, larger site that offers a more homely touch, Sales Representative Karen Blair says Crowndale can directly focus on the #keepitlocal campaign, which has always been at the core of the company. She said: “Businesses thrive from local food so we are passionate about keeping it local. We only stock Walkers crisps for example,” she smiled. Sourcing local at every opportunity, Crowndale provides its customers with eggs from Melton Mowbray, samosas from Market Harborough, cooked meats from Coalville, and cheese and milk from local farms. And fruit and vegetables that are required are always sourced from a Leicestershire company. Asking about the effect of Brexit on the food industry struck a chord with the foodies. Karen says exporters have used the UK’s exit from the EU as a reason to increase their prices, and Lewis explains that prices even shot up around the time of the referendum.

Younger people eat out a lot more now; they sit and talk for hours. It’s very European

Paul

Adam

Lewis

Karen

Food for thought The English breakfast is a centuries old British tradition that dates back to the 1300s. But it was made most famous in the Victorian era when wealthy families wanted to impress their guests. It wasn’t until the 1900s that the ingredients were cheap enough to be available to the working class. Crowndale doesn’t see this tradition being scrapped any time soon.

“Fuel and weather have always affected prices so Brexit is just a third element to manage. You’ll see a price increase on cereals and fruit and vegetables this year purely because of the lack of rain,” Paul told us. More than anything, Crowndale has felt the feel-good effect of a ‘new’ interest in the city with the reinterment of King Richard III and Leicester City’s Premier League success and Champions League campaign. Crowndale says the food business in Leicester is ‘booming’. “At one time you only went out for a meal if it was your birthday. Younger people eat out a lot more now; they sit and talk for hours. There’s a very European feel,” Paul professed. “It’s a massive social thing now and our clients need to keep up with trends so they don’t fall behind. There’s a lot of vegan and gluten-free trends, lots of niche cafés popping up – businesses have to think outside the box to keep customers,” Karen commented. Lewis said: “Even your local ‘greasy spoons’ have adapted their menu. There are so many food wholesalers outside of Leicester, but this is our city, our community and there’s no one else like us.” Keep an eye out for the Crowndale van’s supplying top quality produce all over Leicestershire. 0116 288 5747 crowndale.co.uk NICHE | 95

NICHE FEATURE

A sophisticated

Seasonal Soiree St Martins House, set in the historic quarter of Leicester, makes for a

stunning venue at Christmas time –

celebrate the season in style this year WORDS BY EMILY KIRTON

he proximity of St Martins House to the Cathedral in all its glory at its busiest time of year makes for a stunning festive spot. The former Grade II listed Grammar School is now an integral part of the area which hosts a wide variety of events, weddings and conferences in the heart of the city. Originally built in 1877, this isn’t your typical venue. Steeped in history and ideally positioned near the city centre, delegates and guests can enjoy some of the exciting new additions to the area since the discovery of Richard III’s remains nearby as well as the seasonal decorations. Overlooking the £4m fully developed Jubilee Square, guests can appreciate the modern city at its best whilst immersing themselves in the centuries of history right on its doorstep. Nearby, guests can

96 | NICHE

also find the new and luxurious St Martins Lodge accommodation, which will open in October – perfect for those looking to really unwind after Christmas festivities or those travelling from further afield. With St Martins House, clients and organisers find a range of dynamic spaces to accomodate a variety of celebrations due to the impressive flexibility offered. The organisation has catered for many different formats from private parties to corporate entertainment, awards ceremonies, and chic private dinners. Up to 200 guests can delve into the captivating atmosphere and be treated to a range of menus from buffets to seven-course sit down dinners all adding to the regal feel of St Martins House. From panelled intimate spaces to

more magnificent areas, the real jewel in the St Martins crown is The Grand Hall. Staggering high vaulted ceilings and stunning stained-glass windows make for an ethereal feeling about the place – even while the DJ and disco lights are at their peak. The impressive 12-metre-high ceiling instantly attracts a resounding ‘wow’ factor whilst the flexibility of the venue allows your event to have its own unique character and atmosphere. The Grand Hall space comes fully equipped with all the latest audiovisual equipment, an ample wooden sprung dancefloor, free Wi-Fi, private bar and kitchen. The combination of modern and historic features will certainly surpass all expectations and make for a spectacular setting for any event. Many notable companies

Proud to be a

consider the building an excellent choice for their Christmas gathering, conferencing and event needs including Estee Lauder, BNI Hydra and Marks & Spencer to name a few, in addition to many local charity and community events. A dedicated event organiser will arrange every detail, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cabaret style event, a three course Christmas gala dinner, cocktails and entertainment or an intimate small gathering event in the 19th Century styled Bishops room for up to 12 people accompanied by buffet-style nibbles and soft drinks. Celebrate in style this season. To discuss your requirements contact St Martins House. 0116 261 5223 stmartinshouse.com

Many notable companies consider the building an excellent choice for their Christmas gathering, conferencing and event needs

NICHE | 97

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Christmas Parties

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Crayfish with curly endive, mango, capers & watercress cream

Roast breast of Turkey served with fondant potato, seasonal vegetables & thyme infused jus (Pigs in blankets, sage & apricot stuffing & cranberry sauce) (GF) Warm Beetroot & Blue cheese Tart served with fondant potato, seasonal vegetables & tomato coulis (V)

Traditional Christmas pudding with brandy cream Black Forest Dark Chocolate torte with glazed morello cherries

DATES AVAILABLE: 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 20th, 21st DECEMBER

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0116 271 6515 leicester-racecourse.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE

Countdown to

It’s never too early to book for one of the most soughtafter festive season party seats in the city

e can’t be the only ones who are already getting too excited about Christmas, can we? Here at the Niche headquarters we have even described Christmas as ‘not a time of the year but a lifestyle choice’ so we are definitely on the ‘get it booked’ team. Leicester Racecourse is known for doing things wholeheartedly and never by halves and Christmas is no exception – it really is the prestigious venue’s chance to shine. Having enjoyed our own Christmas celebrations here in previous years we can more than vouch for its ability to tap into the festive spirit. “We were blown away by the effort that goes into the festive party evenings, from stylish décor choices to the most perfect music to dance the night away, it comes highly recommended from me,” Niche Managing Director Jenny Cross comments. Located close to the city, yet far enough out to feel exclusive, the venue boasts ample parking and can accommodate up to 250 party revellers. Its offerings this year look set to be its biggest and best yet with the racecourse’s three course festive feast evenings; perfect for groups of friends, family or work colleagues to enjoy the

Christmas party season in ‘A’ list worthy fashion. General Manager Rob Bracken said: “We love Christmas here at the racecourse and with the opportunity to turn it into a winter wonderland each year we thrive on providing the perfect party setting. Each year we welcome feedback from our customers and so have improved each and every year. We like to think of the evening as bringing a touch of class to festive fun whilst maintaining the perfect one stop night out party package!” Packages for tables of 10 are available and your price per head includes all high-quality entertainment, a delicious three-course meal and of course the chance to dance the night away and celebrate with friends and family. The curated festive menu is curtesy of a team of highly skilled chefs who always utilise quality ingredients. Guests can expect the traditional festive menu that we all love but with a contemporary flair and passion injected into proceedings. Get it booked!

0116 271 6515 leicester-racecourse.co.uk

WINTER CALENDAR SUNDAY 2ND DECEMBER 3 course carvery meal £54.95 per person THURSDAY 6TH DECEMBER

3 course chef’s christmas menu £48.95 per person WEDNESDAY 12TH DECEMBER 3 course chef’s christmas menu £48.95 per person FRIDAY 28TH DECEMBER FESTIVE RACE DAY 3 course carvery £56.95 per person Chef’s Christmas Menu in the Nelson Suite Restaurant £69 per person Standard entry £25pp, under 18s free Corporate hospitality available on all dates, contact Jemma at: hospitality@leicester-racecourse. com for more information.

Early bird offers available NICHE | 101

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SPORT FOCUS

Niche Magazine Issue 28

Articles inside

Unleashing Her Potential