Niche Magazine Issue 49

May/Jun 2022

#FindYourNiche

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS NELSONS LOOK TO LEICESTER’S NEXT CHAPTER Niche Business Awards 2022 Everything you need to know

Myth busting

Tall tales of marketing explained

The cultural issue

Celebrating and cultivating diversity

THE BIG CROSS MARKETING QUIZ Whilst taking a break with Niche Magazine, get your brain ticking with our marketing quiz!

NO

START

1

Do you have a marketing strategy?

YES

2 YES

3

NO

Do you have a plan and vision for marketing but aren’t sure how to get there?

Do you have the time to focus on marketing?

NO YES

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

NAVIGATION: You might

require some help navigating the best practice for your business to start understanding the benefits of marketing to acheive your business goals. By outsourcing your marketing to us we can work with you on anything from design and blogging through to social media account management and traditional magazine advertising. Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint, but it’s important to start picking up the pace.

NO

4

Does your company have a social media presence?

YES 5

general idea of marketing and know what needs doing but possibly not how to get there. We are here to consult and guide you through the next steps to help take that marketing headache away. How about joining us for a marketing strategy session to get started?

Are you in a marketing flow but struggling to keep up with trends and workload?

NO 6

JOURNEY: You have a

YES

Are you ready to upskill and learn more about marketing in real time?

LEVEL UP: Congratulations, NO YES

you’re a marketing wiz! You know about the industry and how it can benefit your business. Why not take your knowledge to the next level and upskill with one of our training programmes?

At Cross we advise on, educate around and implement solutions for business

JENNY CROSS CEO jenny@crossproductions.co.uk

SALLY SMITH Marketing Director sally@crossproductions.co.uk

KERRY SMITH Editor kerry@crossproductions.co.uk

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

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

LEVITHA BIJI Feature Writer TRACE is our Business Development Manager at Cross Productions. She has a degree in teaching and brings many qualities from this career, such as patience, listening, empathy and drive to support and guide all Cross clients, old and new.

Her passion is supporting charities, especially ones that inspire young people.

levitha@crossproductions.co.uk

SUSAN HOLMES Head of Design studio

Having completed a master’s degree in digital marketing achieving a distinction, KATIE now works in the design team at Cross Productions coming up with dazzling designs for Cross titles including Niche Magazine. She loves painting and making her own dresses.

susan.holmes@crossproductions.co.uk

KATIE BRENNAN Creative Assistant katie@crossproductions.co.uk

TRACEY HUNTER Marketing Consultant tracey@crossproductions.co.uk

CHARLOTTE MILES Marketing Consultant charlotte@crossproductions.co.uk

TINASHE SIGAUKE Marketing Consultant tinashe@crossproductions.co.uk

TRACE VOSS Business Development Manager trace@crossproductions.co.uk

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

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

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

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

SHARON has a master’s degree in marketing for the creative industries. She has an online blog called Sharon and You where she writes about her life, feelings and passions. Sharon is active on social media where she posts about body positivity, women’s relationships with their bodies in society, and mental health.

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

#FindYourNiche nichemagazine.co.uk

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0116 271 2573

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info@crossproductions.co.uk

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

@magazineniche

@magazineniche nichemagazineuk

NICHE

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

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

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

Printing Print managed by Soar Valley Press

T

his cultural issue of Niche shares many of the diverse businesses, stories, and events that make people proud to call Leicestershire their home or place of work.

Throughout each section, we’ve touched upon how the industries featured promote diversity – whether that’s through a company’s inclusion policy, a personal story from a business leader, or the ways in which an organisation recruits – discovering what makes up the culture that Leicester is loved for, from social beliefs to habits and behaviours.

The Nelsons business legal team sit comfortably on our 49th front cover as they discuss with us the positive impact the firm has had on Leicestershire and how they hope to continue to grow their relationship with the county and its culture in the business sense.

We also introduce a new culture feature, The Music Room, in which our Senior Journalist Emily Miller gives readers a run down of music news and gigs.

It’s Mental Health Week from May 9-15 so our special mental health feature talks about loneliness, connection, and a running event to bring people together. Another special feature debunks some common marketing myths from copywriting to video marketing.

You’ll also see a sneaky new addition to this page. ‘Overheard in the office’ shares an out-of-context snapshot of what office life is like behind the pages of Niche.

You may have heard people talking about the Niche Business Awards of late. Hundreds of people have been nominating individuals and organisations for the Niche Business Awards, so the independent judges are now hard at work finding their finalists.

Keep an eye out on nichemagazine.co.uk for updates.

Distribution Media Matters Direct Mediamattersdirect.co.uk Chutney Ivy The Green Grazer

Let me just get involved in this rhubarb cake

Self Select Distribution Selfselectdistribution.co.uk

Did somebody say Jaffa Cake?

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

I would die for olives, especially when they’re plump

Don’t judge me but…

Alexa, play Spice Girls ‘2 Become 1’

Did you watch The Apprentice last night?

What on earth was that logo?

Contents MAY / JUNE 2022

Cover Image Nelson’s Photographed by Hitz Rao at Hitz Rao Photography 0116 246 0475

ON THE COVER 28

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Nelsons look to Leicester’s next chapter

THIS ISSUE THE CULTURAL ISSUE Celebrating and cultivating diversity 19

Cultural Leicester

NICHE BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 #NicheBizAwards

28 MARKETING MYTH BUSTING

Debunking some of the tall tales of marketing

EVERY ISSUE 12

Thought Leaders

20

We Asked You

48

Marketing CEO has her say

30

Talking Legacies

49

The digital world evolves too quickly

54

Tales from the print room

66

Susie the Foodie

49

Anyone can be a content writer

73

The Music Room

51

Just ‘doing’ social media and marketing works

82

The Boardroom

52

Videos need to go viral to be successful

THE GREEN PIECE Debunking some of the tall tales Eco-friendly investments

33

All you need to know

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

34

Meet the judges

62

59

36

Nominee: Rutland Cycling

Connecting to help fight loneliness

Making money from electric vehicle chargers

36

Nominee: The Bridge

63

Lamp’s 5k trip to the moon

60

University of Leicester Innovation Hub

37

Nominee: Clarke & Roskrow

38

Meet the ambassadors

58

Green help from Leicester’s universities

33

NICHE BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

48

MARKETING MYTH BUSTING

BUSINESS NEWS

LEGAL

WHAT’S ON

08

High Sheriff brings community together

31

Would a 4-day working week work for you?

68

Bobby’s restaurant publishes cookbook

08

Desert cycle raises £11k

32

71

Glastonblaby is back!

08

Freemasons donates £500k to Ukrainian refugees

Leicestershire Law Society Awards update

72

Summer in Leicester

72

Bring the Paint Festival

74

The Da Vinci Code at Curve

09

Essential medicines donated to Ukraine

09 10

BUSINESS 43

Celebration of Culture and Communities roundup

Is your business culturally intelligent?

44

Experience a new ‘flavour’ of coaching

Co-working spaces for business growth

45

Improving diversity in the workplace

47

Leicester’s inclusive business community

FINANCE

CHARITY 77

Business development training to help women-led organisations

77

Cancer research and minority backgrounds

21

Doing business better

22

Employee Ownership Trusts

MARKETING

SOCIALS

23

Payments on account explained

53

79

Leicester Social Economic Consortium Anniversary

23

The benefits of employee benefits

PROPERTY

80

Shama 35 for 35 Niche Networking

Financial planning vs advising

57

81

24 26

Positive press for pensions

Mass email marketing

Interior design: the house always wins

BUSINESS NEWS LEICESTERSHIRE

Leicestershire’s High Sheriff brings community together The High Sheriff of Leicestershire invited people to ‘give something up’ on April 20.

The community-led initiative was the idea of Leicestershire’s newest High Sheriff, Mehmooda Duke MBE DL, who is making connecting communities the theme of her year in office.

Members from different communities across Leicester gave up various things incuding doing a day-long digital detox, not eating specific foods or even fasting. Breaking fast together at 20:15 (sunset), friend to friend, neighbour to neighbour in a display of solidarity, the event was a success.

Ms Duke said: “Reconnecting communities seems especially pertinent as we emerge from lockdown and as we witness the atrocities in places like Ukraine.

HIGH SHERIFF OF LEICESTERSHIRE MEHMOODA DUKE MBE DL (CENTRE) WITH CADETS AND JUNIOR CONSORTS

“I felt that doing something as a community to bring us all together – like clapping on the doorstep did in the pandemic – would be a positive and visible way to remember what we have all just come through together – and remind us of the power that a strong community has.”

Sam’s desert cycling adventures raise £11,000 Former Niche Businessman of the Year and founder of The Beautiful Pubs Collective Sam Hagger has raised over £11,000 by cycling 335km (208 miles) across the deserts and mountains of Jordan in the Middle East.

Sam was one of 26 riders who have now collectively raised nearly £300,000 to support people in the pub trade facing homelessness and financial hardship.

The group cycled for four days 08 | NICHE

through hail, rain, strong winds and desert sun, as well as waves of people and car horns.Travelling from Amman in the north and passing the Dead Sea to Acqaba in the south on the Red Sea coast, they camped out in freezing conditions, before riding over the sands during the day.

So far, the incredible challenge has raised £257k with Sam personally raising over £11k. Donations can be made at justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-hagger.

Freemasons contribute £500,000 for Ukrainian refugees

Essential medicines donated to Ukraine A Leicestershire pharmaceuticals business has donated almost 60,000 medical packs, which will provide 1.29 million doses of essential medicines to communities impacted by the War in Ukraine.

The significant donation by Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals came about after the company’s founder and chairman, Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, spoke with the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadym Prystaiko, at a business event in London.

Dr Kotecha, who was also recently appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire, said: “The heartbreaking situation in Ukraine has touched us all, and like so many people in the United Kingdom, we’ve been keen to do everything we can to help the victims of this terrible conflict.

“After speaking to the Ambassador,

the Ukrainian Embassy identified a range of Morningside manufactured medicines, which their healthcare system is in urgent need of.

The Embassy and our teams at Morningside then worked closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the UK to ensure the medicines could be shipped rapidly as humanitarian aid.

Morningside Pharmaceuticals has also supported the aid effort in Ukraine by storing a large quantity of supportive goods, such as hundreds of packs of nappies, feminine hygiene packs, sleeping bags and children’s essentials in its Loughborough warehousing.

These goods were donated through Loughborough’s Polish associations and social clubs by members of the public and have now been delivered to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees, as well as displaced people still inside Ukraine, will be given help and support, thanks to half a million pounds raised by Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons and other provinces across England and Wales.

The money is being directed to charities working on the ground in Ukraine, as well as organisations that are helping refugees in neighbouring countries including Poland, Moldova, Romania and in the UK. The £500,000 was raised in less than three weeks and the total is still growing as freemasons continue to dig deep to help the refugees.

Local freemasons contributed to the grant through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by freemasons, their families and friends from across England and Wales.

Celebration of culture and communities The region’s diversity and inclusion story was told via the medium of dance, music and food as one of the highlights in the East Midlands Chamber events calendar returned.

More than 350 people attended the Celebration of Culture and Communities held in partnership with emh group, Morningside Pharmaceuticals and HSBC UK at Leicester Tigers’ Mattioli Woods Welford Road stadium in March.

Scott Knowles, chief executive of the Chamber, said: “Our region has much to celebrate in terms of our diverse range of people, communities and businesses, and it was fantastic to have so many inspirational individuals in one room for the evening to get a snapshot of the eclectic cultural talent that exists on our doorstep.”

Alongside a three-course Indian-inspired meal, they were treated to three performances by Nupur Arts – a Leicesterbased dance group whose members featured in Marvel Studios’ Eternals movie, in Kathak, Bollywood and Bhangra dance styles. A children’s choir from the Embark Federation greeted guests on arrival.

The Chamber acknowledged the work that is making a difference to the region, with three special awards given to Cosy Foundation for Excellence in Equality, Autism East

Midlands for Excellence in Inclusion, and De Montfort University for Excellence in Diversity.

A series of keynote speeches tapped into these themes. Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, chair of Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals, spoke about the 50-year anniversary of the expulsion of the Indian diaspora in Uganda and the subsequent impact this community has had on the UK economy after many migrated to Britain.

Emh group chief executive Chan Kataria OBE, whose family was among the Indian diaspora that moved from Uganda to the UK, discussed the affordable housing provider’s joint first-of-its-kind research with East Midlands Chamber on equality, diversity and inclusion engagement among East Midlands businesses.

NICHE | 09

From little acorns,

mighty oaks grow Sarah Harrison, city centre director highlights locations for business growth in Leicester City Council’s managed workspace portfolio

E

ntrepreneurs and small businesses are looking for agile, flexible workspaces without the need for capital. Fully outsourced workspace solutions for these individuals and organisations are popping up around Leicester in order to service their needs.

Is the managed workspace model here to stay? Certainly, the increase in recent demand would say so.

Leicester City Council has been successful in securing Government Levelling Up funding to refurbish Pilot House in King Street to deliver much needed city-centre office and workspace to meet the demand from inward investment, the professional services sector, and creative/design businesses.

The site will be transformed into 60,000 sq.ft of high-quality accommodation supporting around 250 new jobs. Pilot House will support Leicester’s significant design cluster, supporting businesses of varying sizes from graduate startups to established firms with growth ambitions.

Start-ups and small businesses may be small by definition, but with these types of workspace solutions, mighty oaks may be able to grow from these little acorns.

Here are other council managed workspaces across the city.

10 | NICHE

LCB Depot lcbdepot.co.uk

From animators to YouTubers, the LCB Depot, Phoenix workspaces and Makers’ Yard designermaker studios in the Cultural Quarter are three managed workspace sites that are home to over one hundred creative businesses.

LCB Depot was the first Leicester City Council managed workspace, which was opened in 2004.

Located on the original site of Leicester’s central bus depot, LCB Depot is now a thriving studio and workspace hub.

Leicester City Council’s investment in LCB Depot provides spaces for an important and growing sector and support for start-up businesses. With 54 workspaces, LCB Depot has established itself as the city’s creative hub and is home to architects, artists, photographers, filmmakers, and designers. The workspace is carefully managed to create the added value that business clusters bring, friendlier streets, animated spaces, and more investment.

Within LCB is Grays Coffee Shop and Kitchen serving up fresh, seasonal food and award-winning coffee. Open to the public, Grays is a great place for networking or relaxing inside or outside in the courtyard. The popular #LastFriday event managed by local independent businesses offers street food, arts, and music to enjoy.

GRESHAM WORKS - BETH WALSH

GRESHAM WORKS

BUSINESS NEWS

Gresham Works

greshamworks.co.uk

Gresham Works is part of the spectacular £17m refurbishment by Aimrok Holdings of the former Fenwick store in Market Street. The Gresham building also houses a 121-room aparthotel, as well as the Black Iron Social restaurant and the recently opened SkinSpaceUK, a specialist skincare clinic.

Gresham Works is the latest in Leicester City Council’s portfolio of managed workspace offering 11,000 sq. ft of flexible contemporary space on the ground floor and basement areas to freelancers, remote workers, start-ups and businesses for as little as £175 per month.

The managed workspace has opened at a time when people are looking at more agile ways of working and Gresham Works offers flexible options in terms of style and size of space and frequency of use. Whether people are looking for managed workspace for a couple of days

a week, every day of the week or a city centre base, the rental fees at Gresham Works include high-speed broadband, reception services and even unlimited cups of coffee!

There are 14 office units that work well for businesses looking for private space, co-working space for a more collaborative working approach which is either a hot desk or fixed desk, a business lounge on a day-use basis and three meeting rooms that can hold four, eight or 16 people. Office space is available on a two-year lease with three months’ termination notice. Co-working licences are on a 12-month term with one month’s termination notice.

These managed workspaces are ideal for people looking for flexibility in contracts and top-quality support services. Recognising that no size fits all, Gresham Works offers exciting contemporary workspaces that cover a variety of business needs right in the heart of the vibrant city centre.

CONTACTS Creative workspaces at LCB Depot, Phoenix Square Workpsace, Makers Yard W: lcbdepot.co.uk E: info@lcbdepot.co.uk

Dock W: dockleicester.co.uk E: info@dockleicester.co.uk T: 0116 225 7900

Gresham Works W: greshamworks.co.uk E: info@greshamworks.co.uk T: 0116 296 8000 MAKERS’ YARD DESIGNER-MAKER STUDIOS

DOCK Pioneer Park

DOCK

dockleicester.co.uk

Dock 1 and Dock 2 are located next to the National Space Centre and the University of Leicester’s Space Park and are part of Pioneer Park, a business investment area for innovation and technology industries. Tenants at Dock include those in emerging technologies such as low carbon, environment and space.

The workspace is improving the city’s economic prosperity, supporting enterprise, and creating jobs.

Businesses benefit from Dock’s full range of facilities including reception services, meeting and conference facilities, fast IT, and access to networks and events.

Dock 1 and Dock 2 have 71 units and offer leasing terms from two to five years. Three meeting rooms which hold up to 60 people are available to hire seven days a week.

DOCK - BETH WALSH

MAKERS YARD - DAIV SIZER, LCB DEPOT

T: 0116 261 6800

NICHE | 11

Thought

Phil Nassau

Leaders

Managing Director at ActionCOACH

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

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

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

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

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

35 | NICHE

Never outpace your learning

I

n my professional life, business owners ask the same question over and over again: “How do you become successful?”

Back in April, myself and 1,500 other business owners attended the BizX Forum and Awards to learn from the best of the best in business.

There were a couple of common learnings.

Firstly, those I spoke with all wanted to get better at doing business. Secondly, the presenters explained that they did not achieve their success easily – they spent lots of time learning, they talked to the best in their industry and kept pushing forward. Not one of the presenters were given their success; they all failed along the way but learnt from the journey, never allowing others to outpace them.

So, how do you become successful?

There are several answers to this question; the biggest is in the title of this piece. You have to learn business to become great at it. If you’re reading this, I’m

sure you are now thinking: ‘well you would say that!’ But if you want to be successful at what you do, you have to learn how.

I believe many business owners are deluded – this is based on the belief that we often consider ourselves to be better than we actually are. Much like in life, when we are given an opportunity, we can often make the wrong choices and therefore don’t succeed in the way we’d hoped.

When we admire highly successful people from afar, we tend to believe that they are just lucky, more talented than ourselves, or just in the right place at the right time.

In truth, our lack of success is because of something we are not doing. In other words, our failure is not participating. Fear fuels the excuses in our heads about why we are not where we want to be. Continuing to learn is the key.

If you want to learn more about business, talk to other business leaders and get a head start on your journey, to avoid being outpaced by those around you.

THOUGHT LEADERS

Darren Willoughby

This proposed increase could have a serious impact on the mortgage and property market as banks look to factor in the actual rises

Managing Director at 2XL Commercial Finance

further to an all-time low of 0.1%.

However, as we approach the middle of the year with inflation rising, coupled with an uncertain future especially due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we have seen Bank of England’s rate increase to 0.75%.

With further increases

planned, there has been a rush to try and fix interest rates, particularly from portfolio landlords. It’s because this proposed increase could have a serious impact on the mortgage and property market as banks look to factor in the actual rises as well as the predicted ones. But why the panic, you may ask?

Well, let’s just say you have £2m of debt on a base rate linked product at base+2.5% over 25 years.

On March 19, 2020, your all-

Jay Webb

also came to an end.

Portfolio landlords: time to fix?

I

s it now time to look at fixing your loan rate or keeping it variable?

Bank of England took the unprecedented step of cutting interest rates to 0.25% on March 11 in an attempt to reduce the economic burden of the Covid-19 outbreak. Just a few days later, they slashed them

Managing Director at Jay Webb Consultancy Services

Are your policies up to date and working for you?

F

or those of you in business or in the joyful role of HR, Covid is keeping us all on our toes.

On March 24, 2022 changes related to the Government’s policy of ‘Living with Covid’ and the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

Scheme came into effect.

Pre-pandemic rules will apply, meaning that anyone who is unwell with Covid will only be paid SSP from the fourth day of their absence.

Additionally, workers’ rights to claim SSP due to the sickness or self-isolation from the first day of absence

Covid will be treated like any other illness and people who are asymptomatic are not technically sick; SSP from day one is no longer applicable and, as there is no mandatory self-isolation, people can now go into work.

This is going to cause quite a dilemma for all organisations that have staff coming into work, because the alternative to not paying people some form of sick pay if they are asymptomatic is the risk that staff will come into work and potentially mix with vulnerable people.

Employers also have a duty of care under their health and safety obligations so will need to undertake a risk assessment on a caseby-case basis.

You will need to consider

in rate was 2.6%, meaning your monthly payment was £9,073 a month. Fast forward to March 2022 and your all-in rate is now 3% with monthly payments of £9,484.

If the year-end predictions come true with base rate potentially reaching 2%, your new all-in rate is now 4.5% meaning your new monthly payment is £11,116 – an increase of £2,043 a month. Annualised, this is an increase of £24,516 a year.

what your company’s policy will be for those who you don’t want to come into the workplace if they test positive for Covid and how you will manage this.

You may consider establishing your own enhanced sick pay if you expect people to be off who are capable and willing to work. Contractually, employees will have a right to be paid if you want to enforce them to stay at home – whether that is full pay, SSP or an enhanced SSP. At present, there is no guidance from the Government, so employers need to create their own post-Covid policies and procedures to deal with it.

There are many HR experts and legal firms who can help you with this.

NICHE | 13

Rik Pancholi Managing Director at Pattersons Commercial Law

We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no!

W

e don’t talk about Bruno... but sometimes we actually need to. The reference here is not really to the character Bruno in the famous animated Disney movie Encanto, but in fact this is a reference to events

that are outside our control.

As business owners, you will have realised throughout your career that there are certain things that you simply cannot plan for nor expect, no matter how detailed and how concrete your business plan is.

If we rewind over the last decade and a half, we have experienced a global financial crisis, a series of political changes, a worldwide pandemic and more recently, a war which was unforeseeable to many.

If you think about it, our businesses – as resilient as they may be – have to be adaptive to a changing geopolitical environment and, as business owners, we have to be ready for change when it comes and when we least expect it.

I can think of many scenarios in which I’ve spoken to clients who have very valuable businesses and have seen them take a massive downturn because something huge and significant impacts them. As

a specialist corporate lawyer who advises on business acquisitions and sales, I cannot stress how important it is to be ready and adaptive.

If that means buying another business where there is a perfect opportunity, then you must always be ready for it. Equally, if a great offer lands on your lap and you are unsure whether to take it or not, it is always worth a look-see.

Whilst you may not want to talk about Bruno, sometimes we really must!

If we avoid talking about future events outside our control, our businesses – much like the Madrigal family – may be hurt by the consequences when we could have instead worked things out together.

remit of Loughborough University’s LU Inc. incubator – which previously served graduate start-ups and research spinouts – to an accelerator for founders across Leicestershire and beyond. It runs two programmes a year.

Accelerator programmes generally last between three and six months. So, what should you look out for?

Rick Turoczy has worked in high-tech start-ups in the US for more than two decades. He co-founded the Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) accelerator.

Turoczy writes about building start-up communities by meeting entrepreneurs where fledgling communities already exist.

That is similar to the ethos of Leicester Startups, which recently moved to a new city co-working space and for whom I sometimes

mentor. Leicester Startups is a social enterprise with a ‘give first’ ethos, running a programme that concludes with local entrepreneurs pitching to potential mentors and backers at a Demo Day. Re-reading Nudge (the 2009 bestseller about how people make choices) recently, I noted it has a whole chapter devoted to why people make choices based on social influences.

And I think that aspect of accelerators is maybe as important as the funding and mentorship provided – the best accelerators offer a supportive ecosystem in which entrepreneurs can celebrate breakthroughs and work through setbacks together.

As Turoczy concludes: “Remember that, in the long run, you’re not building an accelerator. You’re building a community.”

George Oliver Director at 1284

Accelerating growth of start-up entrepreneurs

E

merging entrepreneurs value free stuff, right?

And they invariably want it quickly? Accelerators offer a solution.

Business incubators have been around since the 1950s, but accelerators are a more recent phenomenon.

Since the mid-2000s they have been supporting early-stage and start-up businesses with investment, short-term mentoring and training. Accelerators 14 | NICHE

speed up early growth with intensive compressed support programmes. They may be public, private, university or community enterprises. They sometimes specialise in specific groups or sectors.

There are plenty of them to choose from in our region. For example, the Wayfinder scheme I work with provides a raft of free support to entrepreneurs.

Wayfinder broadens the

It’s crucial to review existing contracts, policies and procedures regularly to ensure that they are fully compliant

Laura Kearsley Partner and solicitor in employment law at Nelsons

Minimising the risk of employment tribunals

I

n 2017, employment tribunal fees were abolished, making justice far more accessible to employees across the country. Despite best intentions, employers may, at some point, have to navigate an employment tribunal.

It’s important to bear in mind that there’s an incredibly broad range of issues that could be the catalyst for employment tribunal claims, such as: unfair dismissal, breach of contract and discrimination.

It’s vital that once the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) tries to get in contact with an employer about a potential claim that they reply quickly.

ACAS have a limited window of time during which they can try to resolve disputes before Tribunal proceedings

are initiated.

If this is unsuccessful, the next thing an employer will receive is a copy of the claim and a response pack from the Tribunal. The response will need to be submitted within 28 days of the claim being issued by the Tribunal. If a response isn’t received by then, the employer may be excluded from taking any further part in the claim and, in some cases, the tribunal may automatically rule in favour of the employee.

If you file your response in time, a preliminary hearing is sometimes held to review certain aspects of the claim, such as: the time and date of the employment tribunal and what steps both parties must take beforehand. Once adequate time has passed for both parties to gather the required evidence, the

full employment tribunal will take place.

During the tribunal, should proceedings go in favour of the employee, it’s likely that the employer will be ordered to either pay compensation or sometimes to give the employee their old job back or find them a similar role.

It’s crucial to review existing contracts, policies and procedures regularly to ensure that they are fully compliant, up to date and safeguard the business’ rights – paving the way for a sound employer and employee relationship.

Employment law can be extremely complex.

Therefore, if a claim is filed, it is vital to remain calm and seek legal advice as soon as possible to ensure the business is protected throughout proceedings.

NICHE | 15

Big businesses must become better corporate citizens with their supply chains, including when it comes to stamping out poor payment practices

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

Government and big business must back small businesses

S

mall firms are absolutely crucial to our economic recovery, bringing innovation and dynamism, creating jobs, growth and opportunities.

They account for 60% of private sector employment in the UK and make up 99% of all businesses. But they face significant barriers, being unfairly penalised and held back while big businesses with greater resources, opportunities and platforms, grab the spotlight.

Tellingly, large corporates are now regularly being struck off the Prompt Payment Code for their poor payment practices – but is this making a real difference to their willingness to improve? Big businesses must become better corporate citizens with their supply chains, including when it comes to stamping out poor payment practices,

16 | NICHE

reducing bureaucracy, and gifting through the Apprenticeship Levy.

As I write this in midMarch, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has raised the base rate to 0.75%. This move will mean higher debt costs for many firms at a moment when soaring overheads are threatening futures. At the same time, consumer confidence has plunged and the cost-of-living squeeze has intensified, with record fuel prices and sky-high utility bills meaning loss of disposable income. Small businesses increasingly feel that the Government is indifferent to the cost pressures they face. The planned hikes to national insurance and dividend taxation taking effect, alongside an income tax threshold freeze, will, for many, be the final straw.

Increasing the Employment

Allowance, upping the small business rates relief threshold on rates, steps to spread the pressure of debt repayments and taking action on surging fuel and utility bills would all help. We have urged the chancellor to take these and various other steps to support SMEs in his Spring Statement, and by the time this article is published we will know what he is prepared to do to help.

From growth-inhibiting tax hikes by government to poor supply chain treatment by big businesses, unfair treatment and policy against SMEs holds back our economy and must be challenged. Government and big businesses should back small businesses in whatever way they can, as part of their DNA. We must inform and encourage them to do so and also challenge where we don’t see this happening.

THOUGHT LEADERS

Krupa Joshi-Bhatt Development Officer at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire

Celebrating similarities in a world full of differences

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ver the past couple of years, the words diversity and inclusion, or wider still, equality, diversity, equity and inclusion (EDEI), have become of extreme importance within our communities. The #BlackLivesMatter (#BLM) movement triggered a wave of emotional upheaval that

resulted in cultural changes everywhere.

With businesses introducing focus and resource internally to evidence their efforts, it’s been an opportunity to recognise existing provision within the local voluntary community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) and connect with

them. This combined effort to ensure people from diverse backgrounds get a fair chance has encouraged broader perspectives, positive workplaces, improved team integrity and better staff retention. Voluntary Action Leicestershire (VAL) trustees committed to the Equality Diversity Inclusion principle of the Charity Governance code as good practice and have internal processes in place to do the same.

However, whilst the local VCSE sector is constantly battling inequalities in local communities, the 2021 Sewell report carried out by the Commission for Race and Ethnic Disparities undermines and disregards the presence of inequalities based around ethnicity and background. The sector plays a huge role

in offering tailored and bespoke services to suit the individual needs of those from different walks of life – with a focus on promoting equal life chances to all, continually commended by the local authorities, health partners and private sector organisations.

by (such as family members, children, and grandchildren) and we discuss bloodline planning and how children’s inheritance can be ringfenced against future divorce, we tend to hear them say: “I wasn’t aware of these options when I last made my Will”.

Quite shocking.

The clients may have made a DIY Will or purchased a Will online and spoken to someone who just processed their order and did not give them information on their options.

Ringfencing inheritance to protect it against beneficiaries going through a divorce is one of many things you can protect against. I always invite people in for a coffee and a chat to review their Will to explain to them what they actually have

and whether it suits their requirements, and if it does, then that’s great.

However, if they wish to understand how to protect their children’s inheritance, we will carry out a thorough fact-find to understand what their estate consists of and what they want to achieve.

We’d also help to educate them on their options that they can then go away and think about before they decide what it is they want to do.

Many people come back and want to put comprehensive plans into place as they feel it’s important to protect what they have worked hard for.

Do you fully understand what is in your Will and have you had all possible options explained to you?

The bigger picture

The one thing that has shone out over the course of the last two years is the unanimous desire to help each other out. Whilst our community is made up of a unique blend of people, the focal point has been the similarity driving everyone towards the same goal – humanity. The VCSE has always served the needs of the community, and it is great to see other sectors partnering with them to create greater positive change!

Bhavin Gandhi Director at Paradigm Wills and Legal Services

Ringfencing and bloodline planning: do you know your options?

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hen a potential client wants to discuss making a new Will, I always ask what’s important to them and what is it they want to achieve by making a Will. The usual responses I get are that they want to name their children

as executors, or they want to change how their estate will be distributed once they pass away or change the beneficiaries. When we get talking further down the line to understand their family set-up and more about the people they are surrounded

NICHE | 17

Andrea Gray Managing Director at PPL PRS

Changing how we communicate

C

ommunication is not only about talking to someone, but also about our body language, how we listen, our responses and our physical reactions. With all meetings taking place remotely over the last two years, it has become harder to ‘read’ the person on the screen.

Returning to in-person

meetings has also led many of us to find that our communication skills may now be a little lacking. Some colleagues may have even taken their first steps into the working world within that remote environment and have never encountered office etiquette and routines.

Open and honest communication has now

never been more key to ensuring our workplaces return to the buzzing and thriving hubs they were preCOVID. Understanding that we all have different levels of comfort and styles of communication is vital.

I prefer straight to the point and factual styles of communication, whereas some of my colleagues respond well to more visual and creative ways of working and discussing ideas and issues.

What is most important though, as we all return to a new normal, is a real consideration that we aren’t all the same, we do have different ways of saying the same things, and just because someone else’s style of communication is

different to yours, it doesn’t mean they are wrong. They are just different to YOU. In this ever-evolving world which brings new challenges for diversity and inclusion almost daily, this is a good time to take stock of our own behaviour and communication style and understand that it is these things which make us all unique – our upbringing, our gender, our culture, our experiences – they all influence how we behave on a daily basis and how we treat others who are different to us.

This understanding can go a long way to building strong teams who respect each other and work hard to make your business a success.

you know that a huge 58% of FTSE 500 CEOs are almost 6ft in height, yet only 14.5% of the male population are this height?

Our perception of height and power has put these people in more senior positions. Just because they are taller does not give them a more effective skill set to be in the position than those who are shorter.

So how can you start retraining your mind and open yourself up to new opportunities? There are many tools to draw upon and here are a couple of hacks to help you.

from different perspectives and ideas that create new opportunities.

Sally Smith Marketing Director at Cross Productions

Remove unconscious bias, open up to opportunity

F

rom your life experiences to date, your mind has stored information you have been exposed to from meeting people, watching TV or reading books. Each element of information is given associations in your brain, ultimately creating your view of the world.

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Stripping this back to its simplest form, these associations provoke your knee jerk reactions; you see a red light and your unconscious mind tells you to hit the brakes.

Our unconscious bias has been impacting and influencing organisational decisions for decades. Did

Remove bias triggers

When recruiting, remove their name, age and gender and focus on the skills and experience. By hiring someone who is not the ‘usual type’, you can benefit

Spend time with people different to yourself

Learning more about cultural differences can change the educational information you already have ingrained, enabling change in your unconscious bias. Future decisions will be made with an open mind, and you become receptive to things that are different rather than things that are safe, gaining you different experiences. The more exposure you have, the more you increase your chances of different outcomes.

Remember, we are products of our environment; change your environment and you experience something new.

Cultural Leicester Leicester is one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse cities.

Here’s how it came to be known as such WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

M

ore than half of the 355,218 people living in Leicester are from non-White-British backgrounds, according to the 2021 census. It was described as the ‘most ethnically diverse’ city in the UK according to the 2011 census.

With over 70 different languages and dialects spoken in Leicester, one of the largest and oldest cities in England, we are proud of this multiculturalism. With a firm welcome to all as its key message, it’s no surprise that it has been that way for decades – and continues to be.

The history behind Leicester’s multiculturalism

It starts way back in the nineteenth century when the city saw the arrival of Jewish, Irish and Italian migrants who were later joined by Belgian refugees during the World War I. Then, during World War II in the 1930s and 40s, we saw the arrival of refugees from Eastern Europe – in particular Poland – as well as a second wave of Irish migrants.

The Caribbean population settled here largely in the 1950s for work opportunities. Migrants from the Indian subcontinent began to travel and

settle here in Leicester in the 1960s, with their numbers greatly increased by the arrival of East African Asians in the early 1970s after Idi Amin expelled many Asians from Uganda.

Since the 1980s, Leicester has seen the arrival of many small migrant groups, including those from Vietnam and the former Yugoslavia, as well as refugees from Monsterrat. And then, THE WONDERFUL MIX OF FAITHS, CULTURAL TRADITIONS, RESTAURANTS, FESTIVALS, CELEBRATIONS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP ARE WHAT MAKES LEICESTER

in the ‘90s, the Somali community grew with migrants moving from the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.

Since the enlargement of the European Union in 2004, a significant number of Eastern Europeans have also called Leicester home, as well as people from Eritea.

However, it’s not only an expansion of the city through those escaping conflict, but also through the welcoming of thousands of students from around the world wanting to study at one or more of Leicestershire’s three universities.

How Leicester celebrates culture

The way in which we can celebrate our varied cultures often comes in the shape of festivals. Hindu festival Mela, which started in 1982, has continuously attracted thousands from miles around.

The annual Caribbean Carnival also draws in many visitors – over 80,000 each year according to Carnivaland.

One of the largest Caribbean Carnivals in the UK, it started in 1985 and takes place in August each year to commemorate the emancipation of slaves in the West Indies.

In addition, there are a plethora of other festivals, such as Diwali, Chinese New Year, Eid, Hanukah, Bonfire Night, St George’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, and many more celebrated by so many of us in the city.

It’s not only those migrating to live here that we celebrate in their diversity, though festivals such as the LGBT festival Pride also highlight the way in which our city is a welcoming, inclusive community for all.

The wonderful mix of faiths, cultural traditions, restaurants, festivals, celebrations and places of worship are what makes Leicester the incredible, welcoming and culturally intelligent city that it is.

NICHE | 19

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I try to avoid the news at the moment because of the worry of war in Ukraine. It’s disheartening to hear, especially when I have my nieces and nephews asking if we’re about to go to war. My 12-year-old niece is currently learning about WWII and of course, it’s scarily resembling today’s news headlines. She’s worried that her dad is going to have to go to war.

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Ukraine. I haven’t really kept myself up to date with current socio-economic affairs, but I know that people definitely don’t want any war right now or in the future.

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Which current news topics have caught your attention and why?

We like to keep things positive at Niche Magazine, but there’s no getting away from the worrying headlines in the news these past few months. Hoping to raise awareness of social issues, we wanted to hear about what was concerning you the most.

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I guess the main one would be Ukraine, which feels kind of obvious because it is everywhere. The budget news as well. The ongoing post office scandal is also really horrible. Whenever you think you’ve heard how bad it can get, you hear another story. It would be nice to see some consequences for that.

Ukraine and obviously what’s been happening over there, but also the recent inflation issues.

Ukraine caught my attention because it’s big world news, but inflation has been on my mind because it personally stresses me out as it affects me directly.

It’s rising by so much and it’s not just gas and electricity, it’s food as well. I’m going to the shop and constantly noticing more things rising in price and it all adds up.

Big families on low incomes are especially going to be having a rough time.

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Ukraine. Absolutely. And of course the price of diesel.

Everything’s going up. I was born at the end of the war. My children and grandchildren, they think that peace will be theirs forever, but it’s got to be earned and it’s normally earned by what is happening in Ukraine. And those people are as brave as our soldiers were in WWII. Braver actually, because everything’s against them.

do FINANCE: er ing t t business be Looking deeper into the world of business finance WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

F

inancial services make up one of the economy’s most important and influential sectors.

In 2020, the financial services sector contributed £164.8 billion to the UK economy – 8.6% of total economic output, according to the House of Commons Library.

Financial advice is one of the most sought-after services in today’s world.

One of the simplest reasons for this in business is that most organisations need consistent and regular advice to survive and protect their business.

Individuals also need advice on their personal finances to save effectively and plan for their families’ futures.

A professional can help you understand the often complex financial world, so in this issue we talk to the professionals, the insurance brokers, mortgage advisors, accountants,

investors, and tax specialists, to showcase the services many might not know exist, and to educate on the fact that financial advice doesn’t always have to be complicated or expensive.

Employee benefits

Here’s an overview of what’s in this issue’s finance section.

The difference between traditional financial advice and life planning, and how the two distinctions might inform which one you currently need.

Tax advice on Employee Ownership Trusts

Why trimming workers’ benefits to save money may compromise your position on the job market.

Life planning

The governance issues, complex tax aspects, and HMRC clearances involved in EOTs when transferring control of your business to your employees.

Commercial finance services

Payments on account

Positivity around pensions

How HMRC will expect you to pay if your tax bill is more than £1000, how payments can be reduced and when you might be charged interest.

Last year, this particular finance company placed just over £35m of borrowing for their clients despite being in a global pandemic.

Modern pension solutions and how these can benefit employers as well as employees plus how to make your pension work for you.

NICHE | 21

Employee Ownership Trusts are they for you?

When it comes to selling up and retiring, increasing numbers of business owners are considering the Employee Ownership Trust route. Tax expert Pete Miller from The Miller Partnership explains

A

n Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is essentially a tax-efficient way of transferring control of your business to your employees and as long as some fairly straightforward conditions are met, then the sale of the shares to the trust should be free from capital gains tax.

In recent weeks, many owners looking to sell have contacted me about EOTs to see if they’re something they should be putting in place.

If you’re looking for a quick sale, then no, definitely not.

But, if you want a planned exit that safeguards the longer-term future of your business and its staff, then an EOT is well worth looking at.

While they’re a great option for some, there are practical and policy issues that the Chartered Institution of Taxation is currently discussing with HMRC. Government policy is to 22 | NICHE

THERE ARE OTHER COMPLEX TAX ASPECTS TO EOTS AND SEVERAL HMRC CLEARANCES WILL BE REQUIRED

encourage long-term employee ownership, but what happens if the EOT’s trustees want to sell the business to a third party? Under the rules, this is discouraged by the tax implications, as the trustees will usually have a large capital gains tax bill and any surplus distributed to the employees will be subject to national insurance contributions and income tax.

To get around this, some advisers are encouraging owners to sell their businesses to an offshore EOT so trustees don’t have to pay UK CGT when they sell their shares. This circumvents the wider policy of employee engagement and is not what EOTs were intended for.

There are also governance issues, such as what happens if one or more of the vendor shareholders remain both a director of the company they have sold and a trustee of the EOT, which could potentially

cause a conflict of interests.

In such cases, I encourage my clients to appoint other directors and trustees, usually at least one employee representative and one independent person, to ensure that the vendor shareholders do not effectively control the company after the sale. Setting up some form of Employee Council is also advisable – and is considered to be best practice by the Employee Ownership Association – although not all sellers choose to go that far.

There are other complex tax aspects to EOTs and several HMRC clearances will be required.

We also need to look carefully at how the purchase is funded, so you’ll need professional tax advice.

For help and guidance, Pete is available to advise when you email pete.miller@ themillerpartnership.com.

Finance Forum Kellie Chetwynd

HMRC ask for 50% to be paid in January and 50% paid in July

Director at The High Street Accountant

PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT EXPLAINED Since most self assessment returns will now have been made, I thought it would be a good time to explain the tax payment system called Payment On Account.

Once your tax bill is more than £1000 (tax and Class 4 NIC), HMRC will expect you to make payments on account.

This means that you need to settle

the tax owed for the year of the return you have submitted. And then also make a payment in advance towards next year’s liability.

The assumption is that next year’s earnings will be the same as last year’s, so your payment on account will be based on this.

HMRC ask for 50% to be paid in January and 50% paid in July.

If this is your first year owing more than £1000 in tax, then it can be daunting as you will have all of the previous year’s tax plus 50% towards next year.

Payments on account can be reduced if you expect to earn less in

the coming year than last, however, if you reduce them too much and owe more tax than is paid, you will be charged interest.

As an example, if you owed £5000 in January 2022, you would pay £7,500 in January 2022 and £2,500 in July 2022, therefore having cleared your £5000 tax bill and having £5000 on account toward next year’s bill.

Should you earn less, your payment can be returned. Should you earn more, you will have a balancing payment.

If you need any help managing your tax liabilities, you can get in touch with one of our team for some support.

NICHE FEATURE: Bespoke Benefits

To everyone’s benefit

The pandemic has changed the job market. Workers no longer choose their next position based on salary alone.

Niche spoke to Bespoke Benefits about the growing importance of employee perks WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

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ost-pandemic, companies might consider trimming employee benefits to save money. Gareth Carroll and Richard Jones see things differently.

“Companies have shown they’re very concerned about employees’ mental health,” says Gareth, who formed Bespoke Benefits in February with business partner Richard. “Even with staff working from home, the benefits market is actually expanding.”

Companies know that they need to show loyalty and incentivise their employees.

“If working from home leaves the employee feeling isolated from the company, the next thought is: ‘Why

do I need the company?’” Richard observes. “Benefits are now essential for retaining staff.”

Remote or hybrid working has become a staple of the job market.

As a result, workers are no longer choosing jobs based on locality.

Gareth suggests: “If I were living in Cambridge and working from home, office location is no longer a factor.

I’d be looking for remote jobs with London companies. Suddenly, I’ve got a Cambridge home with a London salary.”

This is why Bespoke Benefits have been seeing a rise in business; companies need to encourage loyalty.

“There’s not one generic package,” says Richard, “it tends to be sector-

specific, but common benefits include income protection, life cover and medical insurance.”

Gareth adds: “Medical insurance, especially, has seen a major uptake from younger people. Pre-pandemic, few workers under 40 were even thinking about medical insurance, but growing NHS waiting lists mean more young people are asking their employers for it.”

Richard concludes: “Our basic advice would be to benchmark yourself against your competition. It is so important to know what others are offering, what is expected and what is realistic.” Find a list of employee perks at bespokebenefits.co.uk.

NICHE | 23

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NICHE FEATURE: DESIGNER WEALTH MANAGEMENT

financial life planner vs advisor Financial life planners and traditional financial advisors are often mixed up or thought to be the same thing, but there are key differences you should know about before you select a service provider

HOW LIFE PLANNING IS DIFFERENT TRADITIONAL FINANCE PLANNING

FINANCIAL LIFE PLANNING

Advise on the money

Advise on the person

Planner takes over responsibility

Planner empowers client

Planner identifies problems

Planner identifies desires

Planner sells solutions

Planner helps client find solutions

Planner mainly talks

Planner mainly listens

Planner Directs

Planner inspires

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

W

hile there seems to be no strict definition for either financial planners and advisors or life planners, there does seem to be a set of fundamental distinctions for each. The differences between them can help inform which one you’re after.

Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, Chartered Financial Planner and Registered Life Planner, Kris Amliwala at Designer Wealth Management quite literally designs people’s lives with them, based on their dreams and finances. He told us his ideas about financial advisors and life planners: “From experience, advisors focus on investment management and shorter-term relationships, whereas planners take a more holistic approach with a

view to forming longer-term relationships.”

Kris describes himself as a financial life planner, as his main focus is the client, with advice and recommendations built around the client’s preferences, wishes and goals. There is no set template or default option, which makes sense as one client’s life will be different to the next.

He’s one of only 250 active Life Planners in the UK registered with the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. The Kinder Institute website reads: “Life Planning connects the dots between our financial realities and the lives we long to live. The Kinder Institute’s tools and trainings make it possible for financial planners and individuals alike to cultivate a Life Plan designed to deliver the most meaningful kind of

CONSIDER AND RECOMMEND ALL TYPES OF RETAIL INVESTMENT PRODUCTS THAT COULD MEET YOUR NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES

freedom: The freedom to pursue life’s passions, wherever they may lead.”

The government website describes financial advisors as: “an adviser or firm that provides independent advice” that is able to “consider and recommend all types of retail investment products that could meet your needs and objectives.”

Look at the key differences between traditional planners and advisors compared to life planners above, which was provided by the Kinder Institute.

But there’s much more to be said about the profession. You can discover more about planning and advising at kinderinstitute.com and from the Financial Conduct Authority at fca.org.uk and find useful life planning resources at dwm.uk.com.

NICHE | 25

KINDER INSTITUTE OF LIFE PLANNING

Know the difference:

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NICHE FEATURE: FURNLEY HOUSE

Positive press for pensions Individuals and employers have at times had a negative perception of pensions. The many legislative changes that have been imposed on pensions and the misunderstanding of how these affect individuals have contributed WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

O

ver the years, individuals and employers have at times had a negative perception of pensions. Some of this has been due to the many legislative changes successive governments have imposed on pensions and, sometimes, the misunderstanding of how these affect individuals.

Here we speak with financial adviser John Woolhouse about modern pension solutions and how these can benefit employers as well as employees and how to make your pension work for you.

“Providing a pension scheme for your employees became mandatory in 2012 with the advent of auto enrolment, so firms need to ensure they have one to begin with,” John tells me. “Whilst some might see this responsibility as a burden, it provides the employer with an opportunity – the tax efficient extraction of profits from your business and the potential to invest in and support your business in other ways, too.”

As an employer, you can direct up to £40,000 of profits into your pension each year mitigating 19% corporation tax

on the amount contributed and reducing income tax you might otherwise pay on drawing these profits from the business, according to John.

“If your company owns its own office or other commercial property, these can be held within a specific type of pension known as a SASS, depending on the value and pension benefits within the business.

This structure can allow you to release capital for the business to invest in other areas and increase company growth. Within limits, you are able to borrow against the property value within the pension, and income can be paid as rent within the pension scheme, ensuring tax efficient pension growth.”

Structuring your pension in the right way can also reduce national insurance contributions for both employer and employee through salary sacrifice arrangements. He explains: “This saving can allow you to provide other benefits to employees such as death in service benefits, provide greater sick pay arrangements or other perks which, due to the saving

WHILST SOME MIGHT SEE THIS RESPONSIBILITY AS A BURDEN, IT PROVIDES THE EMPLOYER WITH AN OPPORTUNITY

on national insurance, could come at no additional cost to the employer and instead act as incentives to improve the lives and loyalty of staff.

“Many have preconceived ideas about pensions and we work with firms to highlight the benefits they can bring to business owners and their specific business and individual needs. The specific benefits should be discussed with an adviser; someone who can look at the whole of the company who will then advise on the best possible pension plans for you as an adviser and a company.”

These facts and figures were correct at the time of writing in March, and Furnley House states that: ‘Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance’. They advise that the value of an investment and the income from it could go down as well as up, and also that the return at the end of the investment period is not guaranteed and you may get back less than you originally invested.

Readers can contact Furnley House for further guidance on 0116 269 6311.

NICHE | 27

NELSONS:

by Leicester’s side It’s been a year since top law firm Nelsons made their cover debut with Niche Magazine, and in that time they have supported the Leicestershire business community through a monumental year. Emily Miller catches up with the award-winning team to talk pandemic recovery, Leicester’s growth and a bright future

NICHE COVER STORY NELSONS

W

e are very proud of the work that we have done, not just over the past year, to help local businesses achieve their objectives and goals,” Stewart Vandermark, chief executive of Nelsons, told me.

“Leicester has a dynamic and diverse economy built on an entrepreneurial spirit. The city has shown great resilience and adaptability during the pandemic and we’re excited to be part of its next chapter.”

Recognised and recommended by the leading, independently researched Legal 500 in more than 18 practice areas as well as Chambers and Partners and The Lawyer’s Top 200 UK law firms annual report, Nelsons has proven to be hugely impactful in our business community and local economy.

With the pandemic having made a huge impact on cities across the UK, Leicester has certainly been no exception. In fact, the city’s economy shrunk by 12.2% in 2020, according to the PwC Good Growth Index, and is now growing at a rate of 2.6% a year, according to The Business Desk.

The business services team has provided high level assistance in Leicestershire, with advice on commercial agreements, corporate services and restructuring, commercial property and employment to continue to support the business community as the city emerges from the pandemic.

From build-to-rent schemes to innovative bar and experience ventures, Nelsons is advising several visionary organisations that can see the potential demand for highquality hospitality and ‘experience’ offerings in the city centre. Alongside this, the corporate team has advised on more than 35 deals in 2021, with an aggregate deal value of more than £160m, demonstrating just a small selection of the work that the business services teams have been involved in over the past year.

But it’s not just business services that Nelsons supports.

The firm bolstered several departments through new appointments and awards recognition in 2021. The family department was shortlisted at the national Family Law Awards while partner and head of the Leicester family team Glynis Wright MBE was highly commended in the ‘Woman Solicitor of the Year’ category at the Law Society Awards. Clinical negligence partner Matthew Olner has also recently been appointed president of Leicestershire Law Society.

“Despite the challenges that we’ve had to navigate over the past few years due to the ongoing pandemic, I’m incredibly proud of the whole team at Nelsons,” Stewart added. “At the heart of everything we do is to empower our clients and our teams, and we’ve put a lot of emphasis on this over the past year.”

In addition to being recognised by The Lawyer as a top 200 firm in the UK, Nelsons secured accreditation from The Law Society in its annual Lexcel Audit for the sixteenth year running. The report described the firm as having an ‘enviable reputation’ and praised how its colleagues ‘pulled

As we look forward, now is the perfect time to re-focus on why we do what we do and clarify our targets for the next period of growth together’ during the continued turbulence of the pandemic and proved their ‘ability to adapt in times of crisis, pushing for ways to enable its team to ‘be the best they can possibly be’.

Moving into the new financial year, 2022 sees the culmination of Nelsons’ vision, which began in 2018, and set out an exciting plan for a cultural rejuvenation, by defining its purpose and strategy with ambitious plans for growth. This has led to a period of sustained growth through the firm, as it is on course to achieve 25% growth in this period; with Leicester on track to achieve an incredible 50% growth.

Not a company to rest on its laurels, the focus now shifts to the next three years, with the creation of a new vision to build on the results it has achieved and maintain the positive momentum in Leicester and across the region as a whole.

Stewart said: “While now is a good time to reflect on the past few years, it is equally as important to look forward and ensure that we continue with the upward trajectory we’ve worked so hard to maintain.

“Like many businesses, we have had to be reactive since 2020, due to the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, but it has helped us to have a clear vision of where we have been heading to help us steer through this time. As we look forward, now is the perfect time to refocus on why we do what we do and clarify our targets for the next period of growth.”

Leicester has shown huge resilience and fortitude since the global pandemic – and with what we have achieved this last year alone imagine what we could achieve as we look to the future with firms like Nelsons by our side.

The latest Nelsons news, blogs and events can be found at nelsonslaw.co.uk.

TOP LAWYERS

Nelsons was formed in 1983 by Tim Hastings and two other solicitors in a small Nottingham office. Since then, they’ve grown to become one of the leading law firms in the East Midlands with offices in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. They’ve been recognised

by The Legal 500, Chambers and Partners and also featured in The Lawyer’s annual report of the UK’s largest 200 law firms.

NICHE | 29

NICHE FEATURE: PARADIGM WILLS AND LEGAL SERVICES

Talking legacies Covering the difficult stuff no one wants to talk about until it’s too late. We interviewed a client of our resident Will writer Bhavin Gandhi of Paradigm Wills and Legal Services to hear their stories and thoughts on life and death WORDS BY TOM YOUNG THE COMPANY

Paradigm Wills and Legal Services

THE CLIENT

Simon and Debbie Winfield, married couple and both business owners living in Leicester

THE SERVICE

Will writing and estate planning

Why did you feel now was the right time to talk to Paradigm?

Debbie: We hadn’t updated our wills in 20 years, but because of our ages, and because we have grandchildren now, we wanted to make sure everything was in place in case anything should happen to us. We wanted someone we knew and trusted, and we’d met Bhav through networking events.

Simon: That’s especially important with financial or legal matters, as you need to feel you can rely on them, and we get that with Bhav and his company.

You’ve both had quite a history in finance – how has this influenced how you protect yourselves?

Debbie: From a money point of view, we’re both conservative.

Simon was an area manager and I was a personal manager for a high street bank. We’re generally risk averse – we’ve always saved and bought property. We know that if you don’t look after your money, it can’t look after you, so we’ve built for ourselves and 30 | NICHE

for our family. At this stage of our lives, we’re adding to our retirement pot so we can enjoy it when we reach that point.

We want to spend time with the grandchildren, without having to worry.

How do you hope to be remembered?

Debbie: I’d like to be remembered through the family – always there for them when needed. I also hope that our affairs will be left tidy so it’s easy for them to deal with.

Simon: Yes, it’s the family for me too. And as somebody who’s been successful and taken the opportunity to support my community.

AT THIS STAGE OF OUR LIVES, WE’RE ADDING TO OUR RETIREMENT POT SO WE CAN ENJOY IT WHEN WE REACH THAT POINT

THE OUTCOME

Taking time out to plan their wills has enabled both Simon and Debbie to help protect their loved ones and means the estate will be dealt with in the way they have chosen.

BHAVIN GANDHI WITH DEBBIE AND SIMON WINFIELD

Who are Paradigm Wills and Legal Services?

A firm that truly cares about educating on the importance of making a Will and ensuring that a testator’s assets are planned correctly so that their families receive the maximum benefit from their Wills.

Not just Will writers; but also estate planners which means they gain an understanding of customers and their family dynamics and show the best way to guarantee an inheritance for your loved ones, which with the complexity of modern society, a simple Will just does not cover anymore.

The use of a trust or multiple trusts is now what we call the modern Will or as we prefer to call it ‘The Paradigm Will’ as planning the family succession is vital. This also could include planning the succession of your business, if you are a business owner, as well as business power of attorney.

NICHE FEATURE

Will we have a 4-day working week?

RUBY RAI, SENIOR ASSOCIATE

The traditional model of the five-day working week is being challenged. But why now and will it benefit employers and employees in the UK? Ruby Rai, Senior Associate at Pattersons Commercial Law examines the future possibilities

T

here can be no debate that the way we work has fundamentally changed.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the idea of a regular structure of working from home, fully remote working, and flexible arrangements was more of a concept than a practice.

Most employers now adopt a hybrid way of working, which involves time in the office as well as home working and has largely been adopted by most businesses in the UK. Work-life balance continues to be at the forefront since the pandemic and, since it has been addressed, has shown to increase productivity and employee satisfaction.

Employers and employees are challenging traditional working practices and people are now questioning why we started the five-day working week in the first place.

The history of the five-day system

The industrial revolution, faith and workers’ rights in the 19th century effectively created what we now know as the weekend.

Factories implemented a twoday weekend. In America, this

was practised by the legendary car maker Henry Ford in 1926, and the USA officially adopted the five-day system in 1932. In the UK, the Boots corporation closed their new factory in Nottingham on Saturdays and Sundays in 1933 and kept the same number of workers on the same pay. The reduced hours meant there was less chance of surplus stock and Boots had a workforce that was refreshed on Monday mornings after having time for leisure and family activities. The weekend was therefore made official Boots policy in 1934.

Another by-product of giving workers time off was the opportunity to spend their down time buying consumer products, which kept cash circulating through the economy.

The push towards a four-day working week has been bubbling since the 1960s. However, the challenge is understanding how to harmonise this with employers’ need, to protect business output and requirements.

What a four-day week looks like

The four-day working week is currently being trialled over the

THE CHALLENGE IS UNDERSTANDING HOW TO HARMONISE THIS WITH EMPLOYERS’ NEED TO PROTECT BUSINESS OUTPUT AND REQUIREMENTS

next six months in the UK. The 4 Day Week pilot programme is coordinated by the 4 Day Week Campaign and researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College and Oxford University.

Researchers will be considering wellbeing, impact on the environment, and gender equality.

The trial began in January 2022 with more than 30 UK companies taking part. Their employees will be paid the same amount for four days as they would for working their usual five days.

Countries like Japan and Iceland have already taken part in trials and have seen the benefits of reducing the working week and protecting employees from burnout.

Time will tell if the benefits that other countries have seen by this move will be the same for the UK. But what we know already, is that whatever the circumstances, employers and employees that work together create change.

If you need help navigating these changes, you can contact Ruby by emailing ruby@ pattersonscommerciallaw.com or call 0116 319 1110.

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2022 FINALISTS Barrister of the Year

Leicestershire

Law Society

Emma Burden – New Street Chambers Moira Ashton-Walsh – KCH Garden Square

Chambers of the Year New Street Chambers 36 Group KCH Garden Square

Awards

Junior Solicitor of the Year (NQ to 4 PQE)

The finalists are gearing up for the ceremony this May WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

Smith Partnership Weightmans

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(up to 6 partners)

he Leicestershire Law Society, a centre of legal excellence boasting more than 700 members of local practising lawyers, has selected its winners for its annual award ceremony that will take place at Athena on May 20.

The shortlist was announced earlier this year in March and judges have now selected their winners, ready to reveal on the night.

The 2022 panel of judges are: District Judge Mason, Steve Evans of the University of Leicester, Tim Hillier of De Montfort University, Law Society Council Member Linda Lee, and

32 | NICHE

LLS patron David Gilmore of DG Legal.

So far, there are four sponsors of the Leicestershire Law Society Awards which are: KCH Garden Square, 36 Group, University of Leicester, and De Montfort University.

This year’s LLS President Matthew Olner, a clinical negligence lawyer from Nelsons, has chosen a 1950s theme for the awards ceremony. He’ll also be raising money on the night for the charity Leicester Children’s Holidays.

Tickets for the ceremony can be purchased by emailing office@ leicestershirelawsociety.org.uk.

Reema Patel of BP Legal Harpreet Kashb of Parity Legal Kayleigh Brown of Wilson Browne Solicitors

Large Law Firm (7 partners or more)

Small Law Firm of the Year Josiah Hincks Johnson Astills Patterson Commercial Law Parity Legal ZMS Solicitors

Solicitor of the Year (5 years PQE)

Parvien Akhtar – Bright Legal Solicitors Shahzad Raja – SKR Solicitors

Support staff member of the year

Hira Asif – Parity Legal Stan Owens – Hollingsworths Solicitors

Trainee Paralegal of the year

Connie Kitchener – Affinity Law Giacomo Ciccognani – Hollingsworths Solicitors

NICHE BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 HEADLINE SPONSOR

Tickets are up for grabs and the finalists are soon to be revealed WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

T

he Niche Business Awards this year treats us to a Back to the Future take on the annual event – as we’re sure you might have guessed from looking at this fantastically designed page.

The nominations are in and the judges have whittled them down to their chosen semi-finalists. We received over 400 nominations this year, which means our independent adjudicators busied themselves throughout April with the task of finding out more about each nominee, their businesses and their achievements.

By the time you read this, this year’s semi-finalists will have been announced at the next Niche Networking event on May 9. Check in at nichemagazine.co.uk for updates.

Those semi-finalists will then be painstakingly narrowed down by the judges to just three finalists per category, ready for the long-awaited award ceremony on Friday, September 2.

Here’s a reminder of the categories: Best New Business Family Business Business Growth Best Small Business Digital Business of the Year Community Impact Rising Star Employer of the Year Best Customer Service Leicestershire Charity of the Year Entrepreneur of the Year Eco Excellence Professional Services Business Man of the Year Business Woman of the Year

NICHE | 41

MEET THE JUDGES The official line-up of judges for the Niche Business Awards 2022 consists of eight local personalities from industries including law, entertainment, technology, and more.

Get to know those who will be judging the 15 categories and assessing applications in the run-up to the ceremony on Friday, September 2.

EMILY SMITH Finance, HR and Health and Safety Director at Michael Smith Switchgear

An award-winning business leader in the East Midlands, Emily’s current roles also include being the Managing Director for AVW Fabrications Limited. Emily moved into the manufacturing industry in 2013 after working in an accountancy practice for eight years where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor. She has driven key changes in the businesses, focusing on employees’ health, safety, and wellbeing, as well as being a keen advocate for environmental issues. Last year, Emily was appointed Chair of the ICAEW Manufacturing Advisory Group which leads the discussion on hot topics affecting manufacturers across the UK.

SHELLEY HARVEY Partner at Macintyre Hudson

Shelley joined MHA MacIntyre Hudson in 2019 as a Director in the Leicester office. With almost 20 years of experience in practice, she has worked with many different sized businesses across many sectors from start-ups to those with multimillion-pound turnovers. Her current portfolio ranges from smaller owner-managed businesses to larger corporate entities. Prior to working in practice, Shelley spent some years within an accounts team for a manufacturing business, this gives her a ‘user perspective’ on both the audit and accounts services, allowing her to deliver as effectively as possible. She focuses on providing forward-thinking business improvement advice, tax advice, and audit and accountancy services.

AIME ARMSTRONG Kickstart Director and Managing Director at Ninja HR

Lego and sci-fi enthusiast, Aime launched Ninja HR as a trading name of Armillan Ltd to help employers thrive by supporting their staff. When the Kickstart Scheme was launched, becoming a Kickstart Gateway felt like the perfect opportunity to utilise her knowledge of the public sector gained through 20 years of managing HR teams and departments in the NHS and local government with her passion for helping employers flourish. She did this all whilst creating work placements for young people.

The mum of two has undergraduate degrees in both law and psychology and an MA in HR. She has also taught HR at a PostGraduate level, ran the HR department in a local authority and had the roles of both Head of HR Shared Services and Head of Learning and Development across the NHS in Leicestershire.

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MATT BULL Managing Director at ActionCOACH Loughborough

Working with the world’s most ambitious business owners, Matt simplifies a business’s approach to business success. He combines over a decade of experience in business improvement with a world-class coaching approach to help businesses succeed. Previous roles include Head of Finance and Commercial for global SME business, improving performance, upgrading systems, refinancing, board-level strategic input and day-to-day commercial decisions, one-year secondment to global HQ of HSBC working in the corporate banking team. Matt advises small ownermanaged businesses through to multi-million-pound turnover PLCs. He is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

NICKI ROBSON Managing Director at Breedon Consulting

Back in the 1990s when times were tough in manufacturing, for some reason Nicki thought it was a good time to stick her head above the parapet and volunteered for redundancy. She says it was the best thing she ever did and so Breedon was born. Managing Director and Founder of Breedon Consulting, an HR agency committed to delivering specialist HR support to all types of businesses, Nicki has over 20 years of experience in HR management across a wide range of industries. She loves being able to be creative and generate new ideas on how to support clients, and then seeing those ideas turned into reality by the team.

DARREN WILLOUGHBY Managing Director at 2XL Commercial Finance

A Niche Business Awards winner himself, Darren has more than 20 years of experience in the commercial lending arena, and has achieved many feats in his career. He became the youngest business development manager with Lloyds Bank at age 24 and was consistently among the top 10 performers nationally from 2004 to 2006. He lent over £78m last year via 2XL Commercial and was identified as one of the UK’s leading commercial finance brokerages in all UK lenders’ approved panels and is a consultant to many banks and lending institutions on strategy and growth. He has overseen and managed the expansion of the 2XL Commercial network to seven offices, forming a truly national presence.

IAN BORLEY Chief Executive Officer at Borley Consulting Ltd

Ian served as Senior Partner of KPMG for several years in the East Midlands, a £30m multi-disciplinary practice, employing 250 staff across two offices. He also led the firm’s Midlands Enterprise practice, meaning he has not only advised clients but has first-hand experience of running a business himself. Throughout his career, Ian has worked primarily in the East Midlands. He is a former Chairman of Leicestershire Business Voice, has served on the boards of the National Forest Charitable Trust and the Richard III Visitor Centre, is a non-executive director of the National Space Centre and was a member of the CBI’s East Midlands Regional Council. In 2013 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by De Montfort University.

NICHE | 35

NICHE BUSINESS AWARDS 2022

Along for the ride As the government’s Cycle to Work scheme grows in popularity, Rutland Cycling believe now is the time to rethink your commute RUTLAND CYCLING

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

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ith fuel prices going up, there’s never been a better time to consider cycling to work – and more employers are joining the Cycle to Work scheme, encouraging workers to ditch the car for their daily commute.

The Cycle to Work scheme allows employees to purchase a new bike through their employer, with no up-front payment required, and the balance paid through salary sacrifice.

Big advocates of the scheme, Rutland Cycling accept vouchers from many scheme providers in each of their 14 stores and their digital sales team. It means you can save 26-40% on your bike’s cost, dependent on your tax bracket.

Your new bike can also be used for leisure purposes,

and the scheme covers helmets and other cycling gear too.

By signing up to the scheme, employers can contribute towards their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) obligations, and it’s also shown to be good for staff retention, developing a healthier, happier workforce.

Employers can also generate a NIC saving of up to 13.8%.

To this end, with multiple destination sites across the Midlands, Rutland Cycling are encouraging employers to consider their corporate and electric cycle hire packages for a fun company day out. You get free helmet hire and a GPS or printed map of the best routes around some great destinations, including Rutland Water, Pitsford Reservoir and Everards Meadows.

Further information can be found at rutlandcycling.com

HOME What does home mean to you?

For many, it is a privilege – but a roof over your head should be a right.

www.thebridge-eastmidlands.org.uk

Charity No. 1050596 Company No. 03114996

DONATE NOW For the price of a cup of coffee, you could prevent local people’s homelessness

Fun in the (UV filtered)

sun

As we approach the summer months, many of us will start to think about renewing our sunglasses. You might already have a broad idea of which designer or style you want, but if you’re looking for something unique, Clarke & Roskrow Styling Opticians have another approach WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

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here’s been an optician on Market Harborough’s Church Street for nearly 50 years. In May 2014, Anthony Clarke and his wife, Karen, bought the premises to create the multi-award winning, boutique optical practice, Clarke & Roskrow Styling Opticians. The company specialises in niche eyewear (no pun intended), choosing to work with smaller, more artisanal designers.

They’ve been nominated in multiple categories for this year’s Niche Business Awards, including Best Customer Service.

“For most people, a trip to the opticians is a forgettable experience,” says Anthony.

“You go because you have to, or because you feel duty-bound – ‘I go to the dentist to look after my teeth, I’d better go to the optician to look after my eyes’. Our ethos is to wow the client and make it a more enjoyable experience.”

With tea, coffee, and even prosecco available for clients awaiting their appointment,

it’s certainly a more enjoyable experience than most health or retail appointments. Anthony notes: “The fridge is always well-stocked”. On May 13 and 14, that fridge gains beers, wines, and even cocktails, as Clarke & Roskrow host their annual Super Sunglasses event, back by popular demand after the COVID pandemic. An opportunity to view their entire spring/summer 2022 collection, clients can book in, enjoy a cocktail, have their eye examination, and view this season’s new sunglass collections.

“Most of the sunglasses brands you’ve heard of are owned by one company called Luxottica,” says Anthony. “They control the majority of the global optical market, but as a boutique practice, we choose not to work with them, so we can offer something different.”

The flagship brand for the event is Maui Jim – a Hawaiian designer, “so they know a thing or two about sunlight” – with

CLARKE WE WANT PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THEIR SUNGLASSES, SO THEY’RE NOT JUST A LAST-MINUTE PANIC BUY AT THE AIRPORT

ROSKROW

those in the know seeking out their designs due to the superior lens technology.

“Maui Jim’s sunglasses have the best UV protection,” says Anthony. “Protecting the eyes from the harmful effects of UV helps to reduce the risk of certain diseases like cataracts, as well as keeping the eyes healthy and happy for longer!”

Their lenses also have a patented polarising filter, which removes glare and reflected light; they also use rare earth elements, which help to maintain colour perception, eliminating the sensation that “sunglasses make the world look dark”.

“We want people to think about their sunglasses, so they’re not just a last-minute panic buy at the airport,” concludes Anthony.

“We ensure they look great, are suitable for purpose, and a comfortable fit.”

Learn more about sunglasses at clarkeandroskrow.co.uk or call 01858 462 996 to book an appointment.

NICHE | 37

, THIS YEAR S AMBASSADORS The people championing local companies in 2022

JAMES CONAGHAN Novotel & Adagio Leicester

N We are delighted to be a sponsor of the Niche Business Awards as it recognises local Leicester businesses for outstanding achievements over a very difficult period for all

STUART MCKEE Equipment Leasing Solutions Limited

E

quipment Leasing Solutions works with equipment suppliers and direct customers to provide flexible leasing solutions for their purchasing requirements.

Their leasing solutions are backed by a number of financial institutions and high street banks which provide access to a range of funding mechanisms such as lease, hire purchase and loans. The company is a proud supporter of, and member of, the Lamp Business Club and Mental Health Project.

We got involved with the awards this year to help highlight the great business community that exists in Leicestershire, the support these businesses provide for each other, and to help recognise those that have gone the extra mile 38 | NICHE

ovotel Leicester is a stylish hotel that first opened its doors in 2019 and offers 154 rooms including junior and superior suites as well as an on-site fitness centre, stunning destination restaurant and bar Nine B that offers locally and internationally inspired cuisine. Located in the newly regenerated Waterfront area, and with onsite parking available for guests, the hotel is perfectly situated for those wanting to experience the very best of Leicester’s historic, sporting and cultural highlights. Close by are attractions such as the National Space Centre, rugby and football grounds, King Richard III Visitor Centre and the vibrant city centre and Highcross shopping complex.

JENNA LEIGH Jenna Leigh Training Academy

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he Jenna Leigh Training Academy is a professional and specialist microblading and permanent makeup academy offering permanent makeup training and microblading training courses, alongside many more specialist procedures and aesthetics.

I have been involved in the Niche Business Awards for three years and accepted an award for Community Champion of the Year at one of them. It’s an annual event that has provided me with many opportunities to make new contacts and gain more support, therefore further enabling me to increase our profile, which has helped diversify revenue for the Trust. To become an ambassador just made sense. The platform it gives to our charity is unique.

I hope to see this year’s finalists and winners enjoy the ceremony, which is Back to the Future in theme – another great aspect of the Niche Business Awards, a surprise theme each year!

Applying for an award gives us that sense of recognition, that commitment and the ability to show up in front of others and really connect with a business community that is passionate about networking and reaching new goals as a celebration together. Being in the shoes of a finalist and as a winner of the Niche Business Awards 2021, I wanted to be able to support those that are only a few steps behind me! The ceremony itself is not only a fun place to be, but the awards are truly supported by inspiring business leaders showing support to other business leaders

ZINTHIYA GANESHPANCHAN She Inspires

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he Inspires was founded in 2018 to support notfor-profit organisations survive, thrive and become sustainable. The charity exists to help solve the critical issues facing these organisations by providing a broad range of services and solutions.

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DARREN WILLOUGHBY 2XL Commercial Finance

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stablished in 2007, 2XL Commercial Finance is the complete professional service for anyone seeking any type of business or property finance.

We chose to get involved in the Niche Business Awards 2022 after winning an award ourselves a few years ago. The awards act as a great platform to showcase business talent and entrepreneurial spirit across Leicestershire.

As a business finance company, we regularly meet businesses of all types and it’s the passion we share within the business finance arena that matches perfectly with the Niche Business Awards.

It’s great to hear people’s business journeys, what makes them tick and what makes them a success. Being an award winner is great because it’s shared within a room of people that really understand what it takes to run and make a successful business

KAMLESH LODHIA Airborne Mortgage Solutions

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irborne’s independence gives them access to the whole market and a wide range of mortgage lenders and products, so there’s absolutely nothing ‘standard’ about their offering. Kamlesh has mortgages in his blood and will stop at nothing to find his clients the very best deal. As well as many years of experience, he has a strong focus on the individual applicant and a desire to find the perfect product to make your dream home a reality.

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I chose to become an ambassador because these awards represent best practice. Offering a quality of service is so important and anything that recognises this is something we want to be aligned with.

It was great to attend last year’s ceremony. It was long overdue, having been in lockdown for so long. I expect this year will be no different.

Recognition through awards like these impact small businesses massively through giving kudos and instilling trust amongst peers and potential customers

The Niche Business Awards are a great celebration of the Leicester business community. Last year’s ceremony was a little more special, as it was the first time in over a year people could come together in one room. There was so much enthusiasm and support as every business had been through a tough time because of COVID. Running a business is certainly not easy; there is so much hard work that goes into it. So to be recognised with an award makes business owners know that all their efforts don’t go unnoticed

WESLEY HUGHES Utilities Made Simple

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JOANNE PETERS JSP VIRTUAL

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rom full diary and email management to events co-ordination and an overflow reception service, JSP allow their clients space to do what they do best.

They invite clients to divert their mobiles, switch off their emails and relax. Their specialist team also has experience in working at HMRC within their debt collection department, so they can take over and help chase income down.

Being an ambassador is about sitting down with some big decision makers in Leicester that can hopefully aid my business and its growth and future plans. Last year’s ceremony brought a good mix of people together and there wasn’t too much business chat. For me, it was about making a few connections and hopefully engaging later down the line. I think it gives the SME owners the opportunity to sit around with fellow SME owners and build relationships with those in the same boat, sharing experiences and knowledge

MS compares business energy prices from multiple suppliers to find out how much their clients could save. They offer free business gas and electricity quotes, deal with all the top brands and work in conjunction with them. Their billing experts have knowledge of all supplier billing regulations and layouts.

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IMRAN SATTAR AIMS Accountants

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IMS Accountants for Business are a market leader in core accountancy and taxation services for small, local and independent businesses. They’ve been established for nearly 30 years now, and with over 200 qualified accountants nationwide, continue to enjoy robust growth along with a successful track record. AIMS Accountants have the knowledge and expertise in all areas of accounting and tax services and are more than happy to take on the bean-counting and number-crunching for any Leicestershire business.

GET YOUR TICKETS < NOW > Taking place at Athena Friday, September 2 7pm till late

£85 per ticket £800 for a table of ten Ticket price includes drink on arrival, three-course gala dinner and the glamorous awards ceremony itself Dress Code: Black tie Book early to avoid disappointment

To get your tickets, email awards@nichemagazine.co.uk

NICHE FEATURE: ASHIOMA CONSULTS

Is your business

culturally intelligent?

What it means to create a culture of belonging, progressive understanding and communication in the workplace WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

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s an organisation, nurturing the talent in your business and promoting their sense of place within it authentically and inclusively regardless of orientation, backgrounds and gender, cultural intelligence is the way to progress in today’s global society.

Sounds straightforward, right?

Well, it’s actually not as simple as saying it. Having an organisation that is culturally intelligent, a true understanding of it, is more than a diversity and inclusion box to tick.

But, when you do, you create an organisation with its heart rooted in progressive understanding and communication, the benefits soar through a contented workforce and client base to higher profit margins and make you a talent pipeline firm to work for.

What is cultural intelligence?

I start here with my questions for Ashiedu Joel, a cultural intelligence consultant from Ashioma Consults. “It’s the ability to effectively relate to others and interact effectively across diverse cultures, as a starting block. But, for me, for cultural intelligence to be attained at its highest level, it extends to leaders possessing an inspirational influence of cultural competence too,” she tells me.

Think about what it means to be culturally intelligent as a business right here, right now in Leicester in 2022. Perhaps you think you are culturally intelligent

yourself. Maybe because you have a team of individuals from diverse backgrounds, you feel that you are doing all you can to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“The organisations I work with often have an initial feeling that they are doing all they can to be inclusive as a company.

Organisational culture and practice is mostly driven through inflexible policy and regulatory guidelines open to interpretation.

However, a willingness to learn ways in which they can improve the leadership culture and grow more culturally intelligent is essential.”

This willingness to learn and grow starts with a business’s leader. From here, with the right support and the right questions asked, a leader can develop a culture that is truly inclusive, with the benefit of being able to competently flex and adapt their leadership styles through a genuine understanding and knowledge of the cultural values and preferences.

“Businesses in the modern age have a humanist approach.

For example, they know about the things they need to do in order to keep their staff happy according to policy, but often it goes to no deeper understanding than this.

“But people are more than policy; there is so much that goes into exactly what an individual needs from their working environment.”

THERE’S NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL, THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT

How to foster cultural intelligence

When I ask Ashiedu what she believes the most limiting aspects of not having cultural intelligence are, she tells me: “It does start with one’s emotional intelligence and a willingness and intentional approach to cross cultural interaction; and then from there an empathy and understanding is needed to begin to look at the nuances of each individual and be sensitive to their cultural identity.

“Part of my role is to assist leaders in finding ways to address these nuances in their workforce, to communicate openly and to guide them towards a more progressive way of thinking.”

What’s more, going into an organisation and applying a formula for this change certainly isn’t the answer, either. “There’s no one size fits all, that’s the whole point,” she adds.

A willingness to approach it, to really look at your business and how you nurture the nuances of your team is key.

“In my direct and personal experience, I hit so many ceilings in the workplace – I was hired for roles and proved my worth, but never got opportunities to step into leadership roles in the workplace. There’s a true lack of awareness and open discussion around it all – that’s where I want to change things.”

Start the conversation by calling Ashiedu on 07811 51237 for advice.

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NICHE FEATURE: THE TURNAROUND CEO

Life is a journey, so coaching should be too. But different stages of it require different ‘flavours’ of coaching, according to the owner of a new, out-of-the-ordinary coaching centre WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

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Coaching should always be about a coachee’s current needs, which might make for a flavoursome smoothie of coaching indeed!

haking up everything we thought we knew about business coaching, a trailblazing new centre – like a gym for the mind – is opening its membership up to the public this June.

The Daly Insight Centre introduces the idea that every coach has a ‘flavour’ and that every personal journey requires different flavours at different stages on the voyage through life.

The coaching centre will be home to a number of coaches, each with different styles, personalities and techniques... or flavours. Like a gym, there will be a timetable of daily classes each hosted by select coaches.

The current coaches are specialists in scaling up, mindset, succession, relationships, bereavement, family matters, and more.

Founder Amanda Daly says the idea behind her new venture is that coaching is an experience, meaning no one coach can offer every flavour of coaching in the wandering palate of life. She likens it to a snakes and ladders board. “At one roll of the dice you might be doing great, you’re up the ladder and there are new opportunities ahead. But at the next roll, you find yourself

going down the snake and feeling like you’ll never get to where you want to be,” the Loughborough-based business owner said. “One coach might not be able to offer the specific kind of coaching that you really need at different stages of the board.”

Admitting that her direct coaching isn’t for everyone, Amanda said: “You might be dealing with a relationship breakdown which is affecting your wellbeing and health, but I’m not the right coach for that stage of your journey.”

At the Daly Insight Centre, however, members gain access

1 New business created Business plan

44 | NICHE

2 Self value/ self worth

3 Sales/ winning the business

MINAKSHEE PATEL

24 New ideas creativity

25 Succession exit

Improving diversity in the workplace

to all the distinctive flavours to suit where you’re at on your journey.

You might be in need of some peppery spice to motivate you enough into taking your business to the next level, a bitter dose of lemon to serve as a reality check challenging your leadership skills, or a sweet, warm taste of honey to reassure you and nurture your relationships. Or perhaps you need a splash of all three to create a dressing perfectly suited to your taste.

“Sometimes a coach becomes too attached to their client. In this case the objectivity can be lost. Pride can also step in with the fear of losing a client. Coaching should always be about a coachee’s current needs, which might make for a flavoursome smoothie of coaching indeed!”

The Daly Insight Centre is based in the unique coworking spaces at Canal House in Loughborough for now, until Amanda settles on the perfect Leicestershire building that she can dedicate entirely to the centre.

Add yourself to the members’ waiting list or find out more about coaching flavours at dalyinsightcentre.co.uk.

4 Being visible/ marketing

5 Personal development

Leicester business owner opens up about her experience of racism, which led her to start a business based on equality, diversity and inclusion WORDS BY LEVITHA BIJI

E

xperiencing racism once in a new business owner’s life motivated Minakshee Patel to start her own consultancy firm.

Whilst at a polytechnic in the mid-1980s, she stood in an election for the Students Union. She wrote history being the first female as well as the first Asian up for election. However, there were some individuals who believed she didn’t have a place there, she told us: “They used a derogatory term to describe me because I am Asian. I was shocked.” Being the character she is, the experience made her more determined to win the election, which she did. She said: “It was more about them than me.” She eventually started her own consultancy business, Minakshee Patel Consultancy.

She turned this experience into a positive one and now Minakshee, who has 16 years’ experience, wants to make a difference by adding value regarding equality, diversity and inclusion to other organisations and ensuring their employees have a voice. This business owner’s goal is to be a catalyst in her clients’ journeys to help them reach their goals by using a tool called MindSonar®.

MindSonar® measures cognitive diversity, with the insights gained enabling staff to perform at their best and improve diversity and inclusion within the workplace by helping to address unconscious bias, leading to a competitive advantage for their organisation.

If your organisation wants to unleash the power of diversity in your teams and achieve more effective and efficient work, visit minaksheepatel.co.uk or email Minakshee on minakshee@minaksheepatel.co.uk.

NICHE | 45

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NICHE FEATURE: ER RECRUITMENT

Leicester’s inclusive business community Leading locally, ER Recruitment are keen advocates of supporting and matching local people and employers and are very aware of how an inclusive approach can benefit all.

The team tells us more

T

he goal of Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) is to create a resilient, adaptive workforce from which all local residents have access to skills and career progression.

As a business born in Leicester, one of the key factors underpinning the success of ER Recruitment over its first eight years has been the inclusivity of its community. Not just in our local environment, with the support of like-minded businesses and professionals who have utilised our services and referred us to others, but through wider industry partnerships that have enabled us to grow. But there’s more.

Leicester is one of the largest cities in England, yet has the welcome advantage of a business community that is compact enough to thrive on positive relationships and word of mouth.

The Good Growth for Cities Index this year named Leicester within its top 14 cities in which to work.

Yet, in terms of job opportunities, Leicester is still considered a small city in comparison to larger cities within the UK. We often hear about top talent choosing to relocate or commute to roles elsewhere.

So it makes sense to read an LLEP plan for inclusivity that identifies the importance of local qualifications and employability,

DMU – SURAYA, HSBC, KATIE, SCARLETT, SCOTT & AYO (BRIGHTER FUTURES)

and career progression through jobs and skills. The value is clear in improving the quality of jobs, in-work progression, pay, and access to opportunity – it will help to retain our best and brightest people and add value to our economy.

By retaining a skilled and enthusiastic workforce, we continue to grow a vibrant city of thriving SMEs and corporate organisations, providing a pipeline of new talent for high profile brands such as Everards Meadows, PPL/PRS and Flogas Britain – each of which works in partnership with ER Recruitment.

Alongside these established names, there are, of course, a huge number of smaller independent employers (including ER Recruitment itself) which underpin the local economy. The LLEP put the SME total at more than 42,000 earlier this year.

ER Recruitment prides itself on its ability to attract and retain talent on behalf of all of our clients. But we want to do more to ensure that we support the region’s goal of continuously developing and retaining future talent. One way of doing so is by addressing the perception of work in Leicester being about manufacturing roles. That was why we developed BrightER Futures, one of many local schemes that promotes Leicester as a fantastic

LEICESTER IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN ENGLAND, YET HAS THE WELCOME ADVANTAGE OF A BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT IS COMPACT ENOUGH TO THRIVE ON POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND WORD OF MOUTH

place to live and work.

Leicestershire is home to three world-class universities that contribute 17,000 skilled graduates to the workforce every year. Eileen Perry MBE DL is a Pro-Chancellor at De Montfort University and works with its careers support service DMU Works to create local work experience opportunities for third year students. This is a win-win in terms of talent retention.

Playing a part further strengthening our city’s economy by connecting talented professionals and students with reputable local business is #PartOfOurDNA. We’re excited to be playing our part in Leicester’s thriving future.

ER Recruitment offers Niche readers free recruitment advice.

Email hello@eileenrichards.co.uk for a free consultation.

Simple ways to attract and retain talent

1 Promote yourself as an employer of choice, highlighting your business’s CSR impact within our connected community 2 Offer flexibility or hybrid working to attract candidates who have moved from other cities to improve work-life balance 3 Encourage your employees to grow their own personal branding by involving them in events and networking groups NICHE | 47

Marketing Myth Busting If it’s not your speciality, finding best practice for your marketing can be daunting. We asked some experts to break down those misnomers to reveal why it’s easier than you might think WORDS BY KERRY SMITH AND TOM YOUNG

M

arketing is an ever-evolving art form. New platforms, new media, new techniques – so much change can make it difficult to maintain a solid foothold in an industry filled with in-the-know experts telling you what you should be doing.

At Niche, we know that it’s not as intimidating as it seems, so we talked to the crème de la crème of business marketing for their advice, to help shatter those illusions and show that it doesn’t have to be complicated or cost a fortune.

Our own CEO, Jenny Cross, often reminds the Niche team that

most marketing is targeted at the point of sale – and that’s too late. “Eighty percent of buying decisions are made before the point of sale,” Jenny says. “If you decide to have a takeaway for dinner, you probably already know which one you’re going to, so the decision’s already been made ahead of purchase – no amount of marketing is going to change your mind at that point. Marketing needs to plant the idea of a new option much sooner in the customer’s journey.”

The importance of sharing your story is another misconception – telling your own story doesn’t engage a potential customer if they’re not involved in it. They do care about their own journey, so sell them that instead. “Make the client the hero in their own story,” says Jenny. “The villain is the problem they’re experiencing, and you’re the guide that leads them to the solution. Make your business about them.”

There are so many confusions and misconceptions around marketing that we want to clean up.

Who’re you gonna call? Myth-Busters!

GIGA OPS

Let’s get digital A

lot of marketing myths exist in the digital arena, perhaps because a lot of it still feels new, rapidly evolving, and difficult to keep up with. Anil Motivaras, Director of Giga Ops Ltd, told us why it’s not as intimidating as it seems.

Start with the simple but effective things. “A Google Business Profile is the first thing you should put in place,” says Anil. “It costs nothing, and it gives you an online presence. Some people think you need a physical premises to do this, but it still works with a virtual office.”

The next thing is to set up a good digital mailing list.

“Whether it’s services like MailChimp for emails or FastSMS for text messages, these simplify contacting your client database. While there’s a subscription for these services for larger contact lists, you can send a lot of free emails before you reach that limit. By the time you need more, your business should’ve grown to the point where you can justify the cost.”

A good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is also essential. “As a way to record information and communicate with your client base, it’s so easy. Their user interfaces are much improved these days, and they’re so easy to use. People shy away from CRMs because it’s a big, costly piece of software, but there are free/low costs solutions available like Monday or Hotspot. The best ones are more than just a datastore – there’s so much functionality you can use.”

If you’d like assistance setting any of this up, get in touch with Anil at info@giga-ops.com or call 0330 10 10 98.

DIGITAL ETHOS

Anything you can do…

L

uke Tobin, founder of Digital Ethos, tells us why you can’t treat your marketing as an afterthought.

Anyone can do Public Relations

PR is a key tool within your marketing strategy. It’s a skill that needs an expert at the helm – someone who can form strong relationships with the media and have a keen eye for what makes a good story.

Public Relations will take a lot of hard work, patience and resilience. It requires someone accepting of the industry’s highs and lows to cultivate a positive public reputation for your brand.

You can’t measure ROI in Digital Marketing

In traditional marketing, ROI is measured by the increase of revenue and sales that your strategy created; companies didn’t bother creating a system to analyse the progress and results of their marketing efforts. However, today’s digital marketers can measure how effective an ongoing campaign is – in addition to the campaign’s return on investment – without the need for sophisticated tools.

Identifying your objectives and key performance indicators are the first places to start.

From unique monthly visitors, average position and branded search lift to load-to-close ratio (the number of leads to the number of closes), measuring ROI in digital marketing looks way beyond your sales increases.

Writing good marketing content is easy

LUKE TOBIN, DIGITAL ETHOS

Anyone can put together 500 words, right? Wrong. Good content writing is a complex process, from researching your subject to nailing your brand’s tone of voice, making sure your copy is engaging, informative and entertaining is a real skill. No one wants to read poorly written articles, littered with grammatical errors. Quality content is essential for any thriving website.

NICHE | 49

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ANICCA DIGITAL

Challenge Anicca O

ften when it comes to marketing, people focus on visuals – the pictures, the videos, the presentation – but without understanding the analytics, it will probably fail. Ann Stanley, CEO of Anicca Digital, tells us why measurement is vital to improving your marketing’s performance, and why now is the time to prepare for a big change that’s coming next year.

Myth #1: If I post a lot on social media, I’ll get loads of sales and website traffic

“Sadly, that’s not true,” Ann tells us. “Some businesses have had success through social media, but most potential customers will find you through your website.

“If you think about the way we look for products and services, we normally go straight to Google, so you need to use marketing techniques like search engine optimisation (SEO), to help prospects find your site.

“Optimising content for topics and key phrases that your target audience will be using will also help. Adding regular, relevant blog content and a fast, well-designed website will have a substantial impact.

“Social channels can only take you so far – especially if you’re only doing free ‘organic’ posts, that won’t reach beyond your existing network.”

Quality posts are better than many posts – write less, research more. “Think about the Skyscraper Philosophy.

Everyone can remember the tallest building in the world, but hardly anyone can remember the second tallest.

You’ve got to produce something better than the next best for people to engage with it.”

Myth #2: My marketing looks great, so it must be working

“You can’t run marketing without data and measurement,” says Ann. “Google Analytics is really important, but there are several big changes coming next year that we want to get people ready for.”

The biggest change is the retirement of Google’s

Universal Analytics, set to be replaced by GA4 (Google Analytics 4) in response to new European court rulings over GDPR. “Google sends European data back to American servers, which can be accessed by the US Federal Government. Therefore, Google Analytics was ruled to be in breach of GDPR. Retiring Universal Analytics is their solution, with GA4 offering better privacy.”

GA4 will become the new normal by July 2023. As a result, marketers are set to lose years’ worth of analytics data, unless they back it up. Anicca helps companies make the switch sooner, beginning a longer period of

Add depth to what you’re sharing; be a thought leader, rather than a trend chaser overlapping data. It’s not perfect, but there are solutions.

“To be honest, GA4’s reports are not as good as Universal Analytics; we’re recommending a free reporting tool called Google Data Studio. This takes the information collected in GA4 and turns it into something useable that allows us to blend the historical data with the overlap.”

According to Ann, there are currently three types of people when it comes to analytics. The people who: 1 Don’t know about marketing measurement, so don’t know why they’re succeeding, or – more likely – why they’re failing.

2 Are aware of marketing measurement but unaware of the coming change or that they’re set to lose data history.

3 Are aware and are preparing for it.

“Marketing measurement matters because we need to know what’s working,” Ann concludes. You need data to measure what marketing channels ‘convert’ and make you money. ie did a prospect call you, complete a form on your site, or buy from your shopping cart? Find more help at anicca.co.uk/resources-webinars.

NICHE | 51

CHROMOSPHERE

Going viral E

xactly what makes a video ‘go viral’ is debatable.

Chromosphere’s Phil Garrett, who runs the video marketing company, says it’s a myth that successful videos go viral.

“You can’t plan to go viral,” Phil told us. “You also can’t base how good a video is on how viral it goes.”

Perhaps a video that capitalises on a cultural mood or idea of the moment has more chance of going viral?

Phil explained: “It’s a deep social science. The right video released at the right time with a zeitgeist appeal might go viral. A video released about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock is too late by now, but if it was released within minutes of the event, it might have gone viral. It’s a bit like the stock market.”

Phil formed Chromosphere with friend Glenn McAllenFinney after making indie films and music videos for almost a decade and accumulating a team of professional freelancers who are now their trusted runners, producers, scriptwriters, and sound and lighting technicians.

“Shooting a corporate video on your phone will

turn customers away. It might be that a video about an accounting firm will not go viral, but that’s not the point. The point is to build trust through professionally shot content.”

Return on investment can be hard to track, but one corporate video can be reformatted for each social media platform and used across a business’s content calendar for years to come. Phil says market research is key to understanding why your customers chose you. To know if your video has been successful, he suggests simply asking if they saw it. See examples of corporate videos at chromosphere.media/our-work.

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NICHE FEATURE: CYMER MARKETING

Mass email marketing Sending emails is the easy part – getting customers to open them and read them is where you might be stumped. Cymer Marketing’s Remy Clarke shares his tips

T

here are many factors to consider when looking to set up email communications for your business. Whether it be for a single email, campaign emails or an automated email journey, we’ve devised a list of tips at Cymer Marketing Solutions to help deliver your messages to your audiences.

Email Deliverability

Making sure your emails get through to your customers and not caught in junk or spam folders is a must so that email providers don’t blacklist your domain. This is easily overlooked and can be difficult to overcome.

There are set-up processes to help ensure your emails have the best chance of reaching their intended inboxes, whether sending to 10 or 10,000,000 email addresses. In certain

cases, it may be useful to set up a separate domain for sending marketing emails, especially if the volumes or frequencies are high.

Dedicated Email Domain

If you are regularly sending high volume marketing emails, especially to cold leads, it is worth investing in a dedicated domain, separate from your website and work email domain. This helps maintain a good score for deliverability on your main domain, keeping it on the safe list for your daily and transactional communications.

Domain warming is an essential process to take new high volume email domains through, so that email service providers accept the activity and give you the platform to make sure your messages reach their intended audience.

IN CERTAIN CASES, IT MAY BE USEFUL TO SET UP A SEPARATE DOMAIN FOR SENDING MARKETING EMAILS, ESPECIALLY IF THE VOLUMES OR FREQUENCIES ARE HIGH

Email Address Validity

Checking over data is vital in email marketing – especially getting the email address correct. Did you know that sending to invalid email address reduces your deliverability scores with service providers like Google and Microsoft?

A lot of these are user entry errors that can be rectified simply, ie remy@cymermarketing.couk (should be .co.uk) or isaac@homail. com (mis-spelling hotmail). Some are not visible, eg email no longer exists, or recipient has blocked your domain.

Email design, content, subject lines, timing, frequency... these are irrelevant if the message never gets the chance to be seen by the recipient. It is well worth speaking to an expert when considering getting into mass email marketing, as it could save you wasted marketing expense and getting your domain blacklisted. Check cymermarketing.co.uk for more tips.

NICHE | 53

Tales from the

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

F

or this issue, Niche Magazine turns its gaze inward, as we are a client of Soar Valley Press! This very magazine was printed by SVP, so we spoke to Jenny Cross, the CEO of our publishing house, about why a great print partnership is so important to Cross Productions.

“The reason we work with Soar Valley Press,” Jenny tells us, “is because they understand us as a business; they don’t just print stuff, they listen to us – they understand who we’re trying to target and advise us on the best material to use.”

Cross Productions’ print needs are wide ranging – whether it’s water bottles or other merchandise, brochures or table plans for the different events we produce, or even this actual magazine, SVP think about the audience and advise us.

“As print specialists, they 54 | NICHE

IF THEY DON’T FEEL SOMETHING’S RIGHT, THEY’LL COME BACK AND HIGHLIGHT IT TO US. IT GIVES US THE FREEDOM TO MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION

understand what works best.

They have that knowledge and they’re outstanding at communicating it.”

Ensuring the professional standard of everything Cross produces would be impossible without a reliable print partner.

“We have used other printers over the years, but often the finish wasn’t the quality that we’d expect. It’s the attention to the small details that makes the biggest difference; when we’re printing a black brochure but it comes back with a white fold through it, that doesn’t reflect well on us. As our business has grown, the standard of our product and service has increased, and that needs to be demonstrated in everything we do.”

One of the ways Cross Productions has developed and grown is through strategic partnerships with trustworthy people who will give advice

that’s right for the company.

“That’s exactly why we work with SVP,” says Jenny. “If they don’t feel something’s right, they’ll come back and highlight it to us. It gives us the freedom to make an educated decision – we can continue doing what we’re doing or we can listen to what they’re suggesting.”

As a business owner, you can’t be an expert in everything.

It’s important to acknowledge the other people who have helped you, and the skills they brought to the table.

“I suspect people often think: ‘Yeah, here we go, the design’s finished; send it off to press – done!’,” Jenny concludes. “But actually there’s way more to it.

The finish, the borders, the quality of the paper – how do you know what you want, if you don’t have that knowledge? That’s why it’s great to have expert partners like Soar Valley Press, who do.”

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NICHE FEATURE: HOUSE TO HOME BY LEENA

The house always wins Interior design should reflect your personality, and how you want to feel in your home. We spoke to Leena Biant about why her design approach is client-led WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

S

ince founding House to Home by Leena a year ago, Leena Biant has been creating beautiful interiors, tailored to her clients’ styles and life practicalities.

“There is often this perception, that interior design is all about trends or a specific style.” says Leena. “While I use inspiration from what’s already out there, I create something unique by focusing on what the clients already have, already love, and how they want to live in their home.”

It’s a bespoke approach, tailored to the client’s taste and lifestyle, rather than the client settling for something just because it’s easy.

“Every project comes down to the finer details,” Leena observes. “Every element is considered. If you look at my Instagram, each project looks completely different. Some

people want simple, minimalistic clean lines, while others want bolder choices like Art Deco. Everyone’s different, every house is different, and how people use their space is different.”

With her current portfolio of projects nearing completion, Leena is ready to take on new clients.

“It’s a collaborative approach. If you have kids, your needs will be different to those who don’t. One of my clients wanted a calming office space so she can feel at ease when working; her space was designed to reflect that. It’s all about cultivating that relationship with the client, tuning into the core purpose of a room, and bringing it to life. That’s what I love to do.”

See more of Leena’s work at housetohomebyleena.com, or on Instagram @housetohomebyleena.

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NICHE | 57

The Green Piece

How Leicestershire’s universities are aiding our bid to go green and how one bright spark suggests that money can be made from an eco-friendly investment WORDS BY AIMEE CULVERHOUSE AND EMILY MILLER

T

his issue, The Green Piece looks into how universities can help the people and businesses of Leicestershire to go green, and how those individuals and organisations can then benefit financially from making one rather specific investment.

What are Leicestershire’s universities doing to help us go green?

Government funding worth £1m has been awarded to support Leicestershire companies in the race to net zero.

Delivered by De Montfort University, University of Leicester, and Loughborough University alongside

local authorities and the city’s business support organisations, is The East Midlands Accelerator programme, led

by East Midlands Chamber.

The programme is for companies that have between 10 and 250 employees based in Leicestershire, enabling them to receive free help to discover their carbon footprint and put together practical steps to reduce emissions.

Dr Andrew Reeves, Associate Professor in Energy and Sustainable Development at DMU, will be working with companies on the accelerator programme.

He said: “We know from recent work we have done alongside the University of Leicester that while many companies want to do more to cut their carbon emission, they are not sure about what steps they can take to become more sustainable.

“We hope that by combining all of our expertise, we can support them to take practical steps and have a plan in place which is achievable and could help to ‘green’ the whole of the city’s business eco-system.”

The zero-carbon project is just one of five programmes that will be funded via the £1m pot, which comes from the Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund (CRF). Others focus on startups, mentoring, finance, and digital transformation.

SMEs can express interest in taking part in the programme by emailing Leicester Innovation Hub on leicinnovation@le.ac.uk.

NICHE FEATURE: THE GREEN PIECE

Revenue stream from electric T

he benefits of choosing electric over petrol and diesel cars for your business are much publicised. But did you know you could earn money from it too?

For the business owner, choosing electric vehicles saves money for your staff, your business and enhances your commitment to sustainability. Yet there are further revenue-creating perks to electric vehicles that you may not be entirely aware of.

“We are seeing a growing number of businesses installing a couple of extra charging ports as there are financial perks to loaning these extra stations to other electric vehicle owners – and the earnings are quite significant for the initial investment,” Matt McGarry, who fits charging ports in the region, tells me.

Matt is the director at Fuses Electrical. He shared some ideas on how to make money with extra charging points.

If your business is in retail, for example, having a charging point that is accessible for customers on your premises can encourage them to stay longer and hopefully spend more.

For hotels or commercial parking providers, you can offer something to stand out from your competition and perhaps attract repeat custom by offering the chance to charge while they sleep.

Then there’s the sustainability factor. In an age where customers are increasingly demanding more sustainable stances from suppliers,

Fuses Electrical having charging points at your premises that are accessible to customers and staff alike creates a strong sustainability appearance for your brand too.

You can generate additional income by setting fees for charging sessions at your ports.

This may include a fixed session start or connection fee and a variable kilowatt hour (kWh) rate. One practice is to charge by the amount of energy being used (ie 10p per kWh). Then, you can also set your mark-up (ie 35p per kWh). So, if a car pulls up and needs to charge 25 kWh, that could earn you £11.25.

“Businesses are starting to really

see the increased financial gain of installing an extra port or two for this purpose. When you look at it as a way of making your initial investment of having electric vehicles work even harder, the initial costs of going electric start paying back quite quickly.”

Initially, a financial investment to switching to electric is needed of course, but there are grants available and as demand increases plus further tax savings to be found, as well as additional revenue to be earnt, the investment is becoming far more profitable and affordable for the business owner. Find out more at fuseselectrical.com.

Saving on the commute

Travelling around nine miles in a petrol Volkswagen Golf costs around £1.30, while the cost in a diesel Golf is £1.21. The same journey in Volkswagen’s all-electric ID.3 will set you back just 34p.

Assuming you commute in both directions every working day, that’s 18.64 miles every day for 232 days (52 working weeks of five days, less the UK statutory entitlement of 28 holiday days each year).

On that basis, commuting in the petrol Golf costs £723.84 a year, the diesel Golf £756.32, and the electric ID.3 £255.

Saving on the carbon footprint

Once on the road, fully electric vehicles emit zero CO2. Plug-in vehicles attract lower charges from clean air zones being implemented around the UK and London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ).

If the UK’s cars went entirely electric its total carbon emissions would be cut by almost 12%; that doesn’t sound like a huge drop initially, but in the government’s commitment to bring all greenhouse gases to net-zero by 2050, it is certainly a steady start.

NICHE | 59

NICHE FEATURE: THE GREEN PIECE

University of Leicester

Support for responsible and sustainable business Developing the sustainability of SMEs through responsible business practices – University of Leicester and Leicester Innovation Hub tell us how they’re committed to it

U

niversities are impactful drivers of sustainability through their role in shaping the perspectives and enhancing the capabilities of business leaders.

The University of Leicester is committed to developing SME sustainability through responsible business practices, as exemplified by our Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) membership.

Through the University of Leicester School of Business and the Leicester Innovation Hub, we advance sustainable practices across our teaching, research, operations and outreach activities. We help build resilient, profitable and successful organisations whilst embracing a net zero future and offer several key initiatives to support responsible business practice and sustainability.

Help to Grow Management

Help to Grow Management is a 12week part-time programme for senior 60 | NICHE

managers in SMEs with between five and 249 employees.

Responsible business is a key theme across all modules of the programme, helping SMEs to identify carbon reduction strategies and use sustainability and responsible leadership as drivers to identify opportunities, solve problems and engage employees.

The programme is 90% government funded, but a limited number of 100% funded places are also available to SMEs based in Leicester city.

For more information on the programme, visit le.ac.uk/helptogrow or get in touch by emailing ulsb.business@le.ac.uk or calling 0116 252 2167.

Leicester Innovation Accelerator Programme

The Leicester Innovation Accelerator Programme based at the Leicester Innovation Hub celebrates its fifth anniversary working with businesses to drive innovation and launch new

products, processes and services. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underpin our support, enabling a more holistic approach across environmental, social and economic elements in fostering growth and innovation.

Race to Zero Carbon Accelerator

Joining our Race to Zero Carbon Accelerator programme can provide your business with the insight, guidance and support you need to make effective sustainable changes by providing Sustainability Audits, bespoke Carbon Reduction Plans and Carbon Literacy Training accredited by the Carbon Literacy Trust.

Getting started on operational cost saving, planning for future energy and carbon pricing, building resilience and putting the values of your customers at the heart of your business, all start with your journey towards Net Zero.

If you need more help, you can contact Leicester Innovation Hub on leicInnovation@le.ac.uk or calling 0116 373 6471.

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Burleighs National Forest Gin £37.50 Working in partnership with the expert foresters from the National Forest, Burleighs has developed a unique botanical recipe that encompasses the true spirit of the rolling landscape. burleighsgin.com

Owens Coffee - Gara One-off purchase: 200g – £6 | 1kg – £22 Subscribe & Save (15%): 200g – £5.40 | 1kg – £19.80 Awarded ‘Best Organic Coffee’ in the Soil Association BOOM AWARDS 2019, this bold and fruity, mediumdark roasted blend from Central America is ideal for expresso and filter. owenscoffee.com

y a D s ’ r e h t Fa e d i u G Gift

Ultimate Father’s Day Curry Kit With 80 Easy Curry Recipes £34.95 Ultimate Curry Lovers Gift ticks all the boxes. It’s practical (who doesn’t love a food gift right?) and comes complete with a selection of Indian spice blends, as well as an Indian Cookbook packed full of easy to follow recipes. spicepots.com

Especially for Him Gift Box £49.99 Give him the gift of choice with thousands of UK-based experiences in one voucher. redletterdays.co.uk

Escape Room In A Box (3in1) £99 Perfect for special occasions and suitable for all the family, creating an escape room at home provides hours of entertainment! Teamwork, creativity, logic, and attention to detail will be needed to unlock the door and make your escape in time! epic-escapes.games NICHE | 61

How to get involved with this amazing cause and help those who need it WORDS BY FOX WHITEMORE AND KERRY SMITH

P

eople all over the world struggle every day due to issues with mental health. Whether it’s depression, anxiety, anger, a phobia, low self-esteem, or another diagnosed condition such as borderline personality disorder, statistics from Mind say that one in four people are affected by mental health problems. So the chances are, you will need mental health awareness throughout your life to help yourself, your friends and family.

Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event that has grown over the years into one of the nation’s largest awareness weeks, and an extremely important one too.

The observation week is set to take place on May 9-15 and this year, the annual theme is loneliness. Chosen due to the notable rise in cases of loneliness during the

Mental Health Awareness Week lockdowns of the past few years, it is a problem that continues to be on the rise in the UK. The effects of loneliness mean a person can often feel isolated from loved ones, colleagues or society, but as we now begin to move on from the restrictions of the pandemic, it is vital that we raise awareness of how we can effectively combat loneliness, one of the most prevalent factors in the deterioration of mental health.

Loneliness is often a cyclical problem in that a person’s mental health can be affected by it whilst poor mental health can also cause loneliness.

“Loneliness can be both the driver for and a product of poor mental health,” the Mental Health UK website points out. Breaking this cycle is necessary, but it isn’t always easy.

Connection is the key to combatting it.

Connecting to fight loneliness

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL)

Clic

First Contact Plus

There are many organisations run by people who want to provide real help for those suffering from loneliness.

Here are some of them that anyone can contact for more information on how they can help you or a loved one, or for businesses to support their campaigns. clic-uk.org.uk A free online community to support everyone with their mental health. All you need to do is create a free account to gain access to chat rooms, mental health tips, tools, and safe, secure support.

Loneliness Prescription Service

mychoice.leicester.gov.uk A free and confidential service run by Leicester City Council. Services include unlimited telephone befriending services, advice, information on local events, one-to-one support, and mentors.

Call Julia Day on 0116 223 7367 or email julia.day@ageukleics.org.uk.

Places of Welcome

placesofwelcome.org.uk There are over 450 Places of Welcome across the country run by local community groups. They provide a place for people to connect with one another, find belonging and offer gifts and skills that interest them. Search for your nearest Place of Welcome in Leicestershire on the website.

62 | NICHE

valonline.org.uk A charity that supports community groups by providing volunteer opportunities. Use VAL’s volunteer search to find the ideal volunteering role for you, or you can sign up as an organisation to advertise your volunteer roles. firstcontactplus.org.uk An online tool to help adults in Leicestershire find information about a range of services all in one place. Information and resources on housing, health, living independently, money advice, work, security and other topics that assist the county’s residents can all be found on this site.

Leicestershire Communities

leicestershirecommunities.org.uk Working in partnership with communities to improve the lives of people living or working in Leicestershire. The website provides a range of useful information to help local people actively participate in their communities.

Mental Health UK

mentalhealth-uk.org.uk Learn more about loneliness and download flyers, brochures, video call backgrounds, email signatures and more to show your support for Mental Health Awareness Week.

NICHE FEATURE

Loneliness has been an important factor contributing to higher levels of distress resulting from people’s sense of isolation

Mental health is everyone’s business

A

supportive community has been created by Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project (Lamp).

The charity is dedicated to providing a voice to those whose lives are affected by mental health issues, aiming for beneficiaries to feel that they are valued, listened to and more able to cope.

Their annual 5k challenge is coming up soon, which encourages local people to come together to tackle loneliness. The charity’s inaugural 5k ‘Around the World’ initiative in 2021 raised over £8,000. This year, they’re hoping to make it to the moon!

Individuals and businesses can get involved by taking part or supporting the cause by volunteering or donating.

5k Trip to the Moon

Lamp’s 5k challenge this year aims to get to the moon. They’re encouraging people to cover 5k or more to collectively reach 384,400km – the distance from Earth to the moon – and raise £1 for each km covered. Participants can take on any activity they like, such as swimming, rowing,

walking the dog or even competing in a triathlon during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Richard Kotulecki, Lamp’s CEO said: “Our 5k fundraiser ties in with this year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, which is loneliness.

The theme has been set by the Mental Health Foundation which found that loneliness has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A study by the Foundation revealed that loneliness has been an important factor contributing to higher levels of distress, resulting from people’s sense of isolation and reduced ability to connect with others.

“For this reason, we encourage you to join with us in the 5k Trip to the Moon challenge to get outdoors and exercise. Plus, it isn’t just the exercise which will help – engaging in the challenge with friends and family members will enable you to nurture supportive and meaningful relationships, all of which can contribute to positive mental health.”

Get involved at lampadvocacy.co.uk/lamp5k.

NICHE | 63

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Susie the Foodie FOODIE THINGS IN LEICESTERSHIRE Summer is coming and the weather is getting warmer, so we thought we would look at some delis around Leicestershire for that impromptu lunch time picnic

THE DELI KIBWORTH 39 High St, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicester LE8 0HS

A family run business offering breakfast, lunch and sandwiches freshly made to order, with daily specials and hot lunches.

Choose from delicious quiches and savoury pasties to samosas and salads, rolls and wraps.

There is a good range of sweet treats too, plus milkshakes, frappes and homemade ice cream just right for those sunny days.

Look out for the daily specials.

DELI FLAVOUR

RUSTIC KITCHEN AND DELI

Deli flavour offers a range of foods including cheese, meats, Hambleton bread, olives, antipasti, cakes and other sweet treats to take away or to eat in the small café on site.

Open 9.30-4.30 you can have a brunch of smashed avocado on toast or bacon and maple syrup bagel or for lunch sandwiches, wraps or bagels filled with pesto, humous and avacado or chicken, pesto and parmesan or a mixed vegan antipasti.

89/91 Loughborough Road, Mountsorrel LE12 7AP

Stoneygate

Run by chefs Tom and Lee, the Rustic kitchen sits in the heart of Mountsorrel. Click and collect hot toasties and cobs or order a fakeaway graze box with breads, cheeses, dips, cooked meats and fruit. The deli counter offers black pudding scotch eggs, sausage rolls a selction of antipasto and sweet treats. Open Tuesday to Sunday.

EMERSON & WEST Market Harborough

BRYTER MOON DELI

A traditional delicatessan with an in house bakery selling a diverse range of English and continental foods, award winning Melton Mowbray pork pies, homemade artisan breads and cakes. A well stocked cheese counter offers British and continental cheeses including Stinking Bishop and Leicestershire handmade cheeses Bosworth Field and Battlefield Blue.

Also on offer daily are hot roasted meats, freshly carved on rolls.

Other local produce includes locally brewed beers from The Langtons Brewery, Frog Island Brewery, Dow Bridge Brewery, The Grainstore, Phipps Brewery, Gundog Ales and Hoggleys Brewery.

in The Silver Arcade, Leicester

A fully licensed deli in the city centre offering a good range of Leicestershire chutneys, jams, biscuits and cakes as well as locally renowned Hambleton breads and local cheeses which you can wash down with one of the many Leicestershire craft beers they stock. They also offer a good range for vegans and vegetarians too.

NEWS & DELI

29 Carlton Dr, Wigston LE18 1DF ‘It’s not just a corner shop’ is the slogan they use and they are right. Open Tuesday to Sunday, owners Pratik and Bee Master take pride in championing high quality, local produce.

Offering a unique shopping experience and known for their support of local independents, they expanded their reach by setting up the Swithland Deli in February this year. More than 10 local producers set up stalls in and around the shop to celebrate its launch, giving out samples and talking to delighted shoppers. These included baked goods from Bisbrooke Artisans, sweet treats from Sweeet Toothz, and Leicestershire’s very own Vintner, Liz Robson from the Rothley Wine Estate.

Every Saturday, the Wigston has a new set of producers will be on hand to showcase their wares to the public including the award-winning Gelato Village and artisan bakers Choux’tique.

WHERE TO HAVE YOUR PICNIC CROW MILLS Great for exploring and for those who love to be surrounded by nature, Crow Mills is a hidden gem.

The canal-side picnic spot is close to a secluded walkway that leads up to The Manor pub in Glen Parva with many other picnic spots along the way.

MOUNTSORREL & ROTHLEY MARSHES Expect this new reserve to be constantly changing.

It’s a network of meadows, woodland, and tranquil waters – the ideal setting to spot beautiful plants and animals while you picnic. There are lots of walking trails among the wet grasslands too.

WELLAND PARK, MARKET HARBOROUGH Welland Park is the largest park in Market Harborough. It has a large playground, three floodlit tennis courts, a skate park, table tennis table, rugby posts, a social fitness zone, a rose garden, a café, public toilets, and two car parks.

HISTORIC QUARTER A restful, quiet part of the city centre, the Historical Quarter has grassy patches perfect for picnicking on and benches for sitting and admiring the surrounding architecture.

KNIGHTON PARK This very popular park has a sensory garden, Ping! Tables, orienteering courses, tennis courts, a FootGolf course, football pitches, and a play area.

There are plenty of areas to explore and have a bit to eat in the serene surroundings.

NICHE FEATURE: WHAT’S ON

A labour of love: Bobby’s publishes its first cookbook

One of Britain’s oldest and most famous vegetarian Indian restaurants is sharing the secrets of its popular family recipes in a new cookbook

C

ook With Love has been lovingly created by the Lakhani family, which has run the iconic Bobby’s in Leicester for the past 45 years.

Compiled by Enna Lakhani, it features many of the restaurant’s favourite recipes.

“It’s been a real labour of love for us,” says Enna, the daughterin-law of founders Bhagwanji and Mangla Lakhani who opened the restaurant – named after their favourite Bollywood movie of the era – on St Valentine’s Day 1976.

The book is dedicated to Mangla, described by Enna as ‘a woman whose passion for her family, food and life knew no bounds’.

“She created alchemy in the kitchen, her small, magical hands never needing to measure ingredients but always producing consistently perfect food.

“She simply loved to feed people and instinctively knew what everyone loved to eat, never compromising on the

68 | NICHE

SHE CREATED ALCHEMY IN THE KITCHEN, HER SMALL, MAGICAL HANDS NEVER NEEDING TO MEASURE INGREDIENTS BUT ALWAYS PRODUCING CONSISTENTLY PERFECT FOOD

dishes that she cooked.

“Not only did she have an incomparable knowledge of the kitchen, she remained engaged in everything from current affairs and politics to Indian fashion until her final days.

“I learned a lot about the art of cookery from Mangla after I got married, and she would always tell me to watch and learn, so we could turn it into a book one day. I hope she would be proud of what we have created.”

Cook With Love has been compiled by Enna with help from 10 other members of the family and recognises the contributions of all the chefs and colleagues who have worked at Bobby’s over the past 45 years.

Situated in the heart of the Golden Mile, Bobby’s has become a vegetarian culinary institution, offering a gastronomic journey through the Indian subcontinent from street food to traditional Gujarati thalis.

It was one of the first vegetarian Indian restaurants of its kind in the UK, setting the benchmark not only for exceptional, authentic cuisine but for unforgettable hospitality.

It was listed in the top 30 restaurants in The Sunday Times’ best places for a curry and has gathered fans from across the country and globe, including Indian cookery guru Madhur Jaffrey who travelled there specifically to sample a rarely served Gujarati dish of Dal Dhokli.

A Way with Media, which has published the book, commented: “The story of Bobby’s is not simply that of a neighbourhood restaurant. It’s the story of an institution, a way of life, a race to freedom by an exceptional family who made Leicester their home and who came to be a valued and integral part of the city’s landscape.

‘Cook With Love’ is available to but at awaywithmedia.com.

Romance and History WEDDINGS AT STONELEIGH ABBEY The fairy tale setting of Stoneleigh Abbey will take you and your guests back in history.

Walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in beautiful surroundings that hint of romance at every turn. The breath-taking tree-lined driveway which is just the beginning followed by the enchanting Grade I listed Stately Home along with spectacular grounds and views of the River Avon, this can be yours exclusively for the day.

We can offer stunning rooms for both your ceremony and reception to make your wedding day wishes come true. The elegant and ornate Saloon in the West Wing overlooks the picturesque Grade II listed parkland and the timber beamed Victorian Banqueting Hall that was built as an indoor Riding School, are ideal settings for a Traditional or Asian Wedding, with a capacity of up to 280 guests.

STONELEIGH ABBEY & C O U N T R Y PA R K e: bookings@stoneleighabbey.org t: 01926 858 535

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NICHE FEATURE: PAUL HARTSHORN

Music Festival The long-awaited festival is back better than ever without the hindrance of COVID restrictions.

Blaby District Councillor Paul Hartshorn tells us more WORDS BY LEVITHA BIJI

T

he Glastonblaby Charity Music Festival is opening its doors to the public on August 20 with no COVID restrictions to hinder the longawaited Blaby village event.

Hosted at Leicester Lions Rugby Football Club, the festival is a great opportunity to get out and about this spring. There’ll be fantastic live music from many different artists throughout the day, plus a wonderful selection of stalls selling food.

The performers playing at the festival are Kade Smith, The Collective, The Fazed, Jordan Eagles, and Daniel Butterworth.

All funds raised during the event will be donated to four registered charities based in Leicestershire: Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, Archie’s Army, Travers Foundation, and Soft Touch Arts.

A limited number of early bird tickets are available starting from £3.50. Children under the age of five go free.

Tickets are on sale at glastonblaby.co.uk.

Want to perform on stage?

Travers Rising Stars is searching for the best local singers and bands. The competition is open to any solo artist or band between the ages of 13 and 30 from Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, or Rutland.

Winners will perform on stage at Glastonblaby 2022 and win various prices such as valuable studio time!

Apply at travers-foundation. org.uk.

WHAT’S ON IN LEICESTERSHIRE Get set for summer With the days getting longer and the air getting warmer, Leicester’s summer transformation is just around the corner.

With it, comes a brilliant range of exciting and entertaining outdoor events WORDS BY FOX WHITEMORE

H

ere’s a quick look at just a few of the things going on in Leicester during these hotter months, all outdoors so you can truly make the most of summer this year in Leicestershire.

Kicking off the month on May 2 is the annual Enderby Playdays event, a family friendly funfair with live music and plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy, as well as a licensed bar for the parents.

Show your support on May 28 by taking part in the annual LOROS Hospice Twilight Walk, this year in the theme of a royal parade around the city. Often referred to as ‘Leicester’s biggest night out’, all the funds raised are donated towards patient care at the local hospice.

Also featuring optional fancy dress!

Into the month of June, you’ll find a huge number of events celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, including the annual outdoor music event Proms in the Park on June 2, which this year features Leicester’s

own amazing Bardi Wind Orchestra.

On June 4 and 5 we will see the return of the much loved Riverside Festival, spreading over four areas around Bede Park. It’s sure to be one of the greatest waterside events of the year.

With live music, food and drink, arts and craft, and tons of fun activities not just on land but on water too! Boat rides, rallies and demonstrations, it’s a one-ofa-kind event you won’t want to miss.

One of the most jam-packed activities of the summer, Festival in the Pit is a family friendly event held on Blaby Bypass in Leicester. Coming on June 25, you’ll be able to watch some of the top musical tribute acts in the country, with food and bars, plenty of rides and stalls, and then to top it off a fantastic firework show finale!

Right in the middle of the hottest month comes the return of the Belvoir Castle Flower & Garden Show on July 16-17. A must see for any gardening

guru or novice alike, this event has it all from botanical displays to topnotch gardening retailers, as well as a ‘let’s talk’ session featuring advice from professional gardeners. And all to the sound of relaxing stage artists throughout the day.

The last event on this list but far from the last event of all, an outdoor stage showing of David Walliams book Awful Auntie is set for July 21, once more at Belvoir Castle. Entertaining for all ages, this live adaptation is a much more relaxed version of typical theatre.

Dog friendly, picnic friendly and with free parking, this is a brilliant activity for the whole family to enjoy.

With all that and more to look forward to, as well as a huge variety of wonderful indoor activities to take part in, summer in Leicester is looking all set to be one of the best in years.

Bring The Paint Festival Bring The Paint returns to Leicester with an expanded schedule of activities to highlight the city’s rich and growing arts community WORDS BY ANNA SIKORA

B

ring the Paint (BTP) International Street Art Festival will run from May 23-29. Founded in 2017, the festival has won several awards, and now finds its place in Leicester organised by Graffwerk.

Around 10,000 people are expected to visit Leicester for live artworks, skateboarding, breakdancing, BMX, live music and exhibitions are the activities featured at this immersive event.

Artists from all over the world will gather to showcase impressive artwork and skill. There will be a

72 | NICHE

range of events, workshops, activities, and voluntary opportunities, with something for everyone.

Attendees can get involved in events such as Symposium: Archiving Graffiti History, Paint to Pixel: Virtual Reality Exhibition, Red Bull Skate Park, and more. Workshops include spray painting, DJ-ing, photography, and urban landscaping activities. And volunteer opportunities range from being a team leader to audience engagement.

Find the full programme at bringthepaint.co.uk.

NICHE FEATURE

The Music Room

With opportunities to experience live music expanding every week, our music loving journalist Emily Miller shares her top gig picks for the next couple of months in Leicester

Mystery Jets

Yard Act

James Bay

Elvis Costello

April 20 02 Academy Leicester The seasoned indie rockers have announced their twice rescheduled tour dates, where they’ll be spreading the message of new album A Billion Heartbeats far and wide.

Playing hits spanning their career, including Young Love and Two Doors Down, the Jets continue to bring catchy tunes and fun to live music.

May 7 02 Academy Leicester The man in the hat and BRIT Award-winning singersongwriter, famed for his anthemic back catalogue, is back with new material and a UK tour. In 2014, he released his single Hold Back the River, which was certified platinum, before releasing his debut studio album Chaos and the Calm. The album went to number one in the UK and number 15 in the US – and his new material looks set to achieve similarly dizzy hit success.

Michael Kiwanuka

May 9 Demontforthall.co.uk This British singer-songwriter and record producer is a Polydor Records artist with hits dating back to his highly acclaimed debut album, Home Again from 2012. His second album, Love & Hate, debuted in 2016 and reached number one in the UK charts.

May 26 02 Academy Leicester The Leeds band are touring their debut album The Overload this year. One of my picks of 2022 so far, the record makes humorous, wry and dry observations on modern British life with a fresh and exciting take on what it means to be an indie band right now. You won’t want to miss this one, not if you want to remain in the know.

June 14 De Montfort Hall Otherwise known as Declan MacManus OBE, this evergreen singer-songwriter and record producer has won multiple awards, including Grammys, in a career spanning over 40 years. His impressive back-catalogue of hits include such classics as Oliver’s Army, Pump It Up and Watching the Detectives.

The Drifters

June 16 De Montfort Hall The Drifters are comprised of a cluster of American doowop and R&B/soul vocal groups. Originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. Later they became The Drifters part II with the second group forming in 1959 fronted by Ben E King. Memorable hits include Save the Last Dance For Me and Under the Boardwalk.

NICHE | 73

THE PLOT The curator of the Louvre has been brutally murdered, and alongside his body are a series of baffling codes. Follow the pulse-racing journey as Professor Robert Langdon and fellow cryptologist Sophie Neveu attempt to solve the riddles leading to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and beyond, deep into the vault of history.

In a breathless race through the streets of Europe, Langdon and Neveu must decipher the labyrinthine code before a shocking historical secret is lost forever.

T

he world premiere theatre production of Dan Brown’s gripping thriller The Da Vinci Code is coming to Curve starring Coronation Street’s Chris Harper this May. Chris, who plays Robert Langdon, is joined by Danny John-Jules as Sir Leigh Teabing.

Danny is well-known for his roles in Red Dwarf and BBC’s Death in Paradise. Hannah Rose Caton makes her UK theatre debut in The Da Vinci Code playing Sophie Neveu.

The production is directed

by Luke Sheppard, who also directed the award-winning West End musical & Juliet.

Producer Simon Friend said: “We have a truly stellar cast and creative team bringing The Da Vinci Code to life on 74 | NICHE

The Da Vinci Code Adapted for the stage Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel is now an epic stage thriller WORDS BY KERRY SMITH CRACKING THE DA VINCI CODE OPEN FOR THE STAGE REVEALS AN EPIC THRILLER STEEPED IN THEATRICAL POTENTIAL

stage for the first time, and with Dan Brown’s full endorsement of the show and the talented director Luke Sheppard at the helm, we’re confident that we’ll please devoted fans as well as newcomers to this magnificent story.”

Dan Brown’s gripping mystery has been read by millions worldwide. He commented: “I am thrilled that The Da Vinci Code is being adapted for the stage and excited to see the unique potential of live theatre enhance this story.

“The team making the production has been faithful to the book, but will also bring something new for the audience, in what is certain to be a gripping, fast-paced stage thriller and a thoroughly entertaining show.”

The Da Vinci Code has been adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff (Flowers for Mrs Harris) and Duncan Abel (The Girl on the Train).

Director Luke said: “Cracking The Da Vinci Code open for the stage reveals an epic thriller steeped in theatrical potential, rich in suspense and surprising at every turn. Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s brilliant adaptation leaps off the page and demands us to push the limits of our imagination, creating a production that champions dynamic theatrical storytelling and places the audience up close in the heat of this gripping mystery.”

The Da Vinci Code runs from Tuesday, May 17 to Saturday, May 21 at Curve theatre.

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Learn new skills and Gain valuable experience Improve your CV and Boost your confidence Have fun and Make new friends Make a difference and Be part of a community Take on a challenge and Try Something new volunteer.valonline.org.uk helpline@valonline.org.uk 0116 257 5050 76 | NICHE

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NICHE CHARITY: HOPE AGAINST CANCER

Cancer research in Leicester Those from minority backgrounds could benefit from clinical trials says local charity

H

ope Against Cancer’s dedicated trials centre is located in our culturally diverse city. It means the charity is well placed to include people from all backgrounds in conversations about cancer and clinical trials.

Whilst cancer overall is more common in people from a White background, there are still many people from Black, Asian and other ethnic backgrounds who will get cancer in their lifetime and could benefit from taking part in research, according to Hope.

There are types of cancer that people from Black and Asian backgrounds are at higher risk of than White people. In Black people, this includes prostate cancer, womb cancer and a type of blood cancer called myeloma. Black people also have a higher risk of stomach and liver cancers, with Asian people at a higher risk of liver cancer than White people. Participating in clinical trials is associated with better outcomes for patients, but fewer people from minority backgrounds tend to participate in them, meaning they might not get the benefit of these new treatments or tests.

Hope’s fundraising team is lucky to have the support of people across the county like TV reporter Bharat Patel who donates the proceeds of his autobiography Indian Takeaway to the charity.

He said: “I had travelled across three continents by the age of eight and had lived through the challenges faced by early Indian immigrants. I asked my family questions and uncovered many stories, not just about myself but about their own struggles. [In my book] I have tried to recreate the lost world of Africa and England in the ‘60s and ‘70s whenever possible through the eyes of a small boy.”

Purchase Indian Takeaway or learn about taking part in research at hopeagainstcancer.org

Charity

Forum Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan Founder and CEO of She Inspires (Global)

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TRAINING She Inspires Global was established in 2018 to solve the critical issues facing the small not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises by providing a range of services.

Our new website has just gone live and our second issue of She Inspires Magazine has recently been published.

It all aims to provide support and advice to small not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, and individuals in business across the UK. Profits made through the services we provide in the UK are then re-invested into building the capacity of women-led organisations in developing countries working to improve the lives of women and children affected by poverty and violence.

If you are a small not-for-profit organisation, a social enterprise or a start-up needing support, then take a look at some of the services that we offer below, then contact us on info@sheinspiresglobal.org.uk or call 07476 044 432.

Training and mentoring For founders,

board members, staff or volunteers in areas such as leadership, governance, strategic planning, monitoring evaluation, programme design, and delivery and income generation.

Strategy We can support strategic reviews, strategy development and succession planning to ensure the sustainability of your organisation.

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Monitoring, evaluation and learning

We support the creation of robust monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks, impact data collection tools, analysis, and reporting.

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NICHE FEATURE: ZINTHIYA TRUST

Charity after Freedom Day The last remaining COVID restrictions were lifted in February; the latest instalment in the ‘Freedom Day’ series. At this significant time, we asked a local charity founder what Freedom Day meant for her WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

“T

he struggle is still real,” said Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, the founder of a poverty and domestic abuse trust, speaking of the difficulties that charities continue to face nearly a year on since ‘Freedom Day’ last July.

As the founder of Zinthiya Trust, she suggests that workers in the sector still feel as though they are very much midpandemic.

Zinthiya Trust helped more than 1,700 beneficiaries between June 2021 and March 2022, over 300 more than the period before.

“A hole has been made in charity finances thanks to COVID-19,” Zinthiya told us. “It has also exacerbated financial challenges that existed before the crisis. Charities are experiencing an increased demand for services since Freedom Day, whilst having to pivot the ways they work and fundraise. This gap between demand and capacity will only continue.

“The pandemic has made us realise how much society depends on the not-for-profit sector as well as the long-term impact this causes. Freedom Day helped more people find their way to our doors, but now we must ensure we can continue to help them.”

Charities are adapting to new societal behaviours and the 78 | NICHE

WHILE THERE ARE OTHER CHALLENGES, HOW WE WORK AND HOW WE GIVE WILL BE OF HIGH SIGNIFICANCE TO THE SECTOR IN THEIR MISSIONS OF MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES BETTER PLACES TO LIVE

‘new normal’ – an ever-changing concept. The entrepreneurial charity founder talked us through some of the challenges and opportunities that charities will experience beyond 2022.

Zinthiya added: “While there are other challenges, how we work and how we give will be of high significance to the sector in their missions of making our communities better places to live.”

WITH CHALLENGE COMES OPPORTUNITY How we work

Hybrid models and remote working are becoming the norm and organisations are grappling with how to balance online and offline working as we realise the strengths and weaknesses of both. In this circumstance, charities must think about the needs of beneficiaries, first and foremost. Remote and digital service delivery could increase efficiency and reach wider audiences, but this could also lead to the loss of in-person contact which will come at a cost. This is not only because beneficiaries might want to access services in person, but also other factors such as the visibility and integrity of a charity. Digital ways of working are here to stay, and charities will need to evaluate cost-benefits of these models and how it will impact on achieving our missions.

How we give

There are now new trends in giving. The first is the expansion to the ideology of ‘doing good’. One element of this is the rise in volunteering and the emergence of mutual aid groups. The other is the role of digital apps and platforms. There is also the increase in giving via commercial transactions such as online shopping, and corporate support as growing numbers of businesses focus on corporate social responsibility. These are all opportunities.

However, this will also pose a challenge to smaller or digitaldeficit organisations as well as boosting donor participation and experience. Again, charities will have to find the right balance between online and offline approaches in their fundraising and in how they engage supporters, long term.

NICHE SOCIAL

Leicester Social Economy Consortium’s 25th anniversary In an opening speech, CEO Dave Brazier said: “As a social enterprise, you are reliant on finding directors who are willing to serve and in many instances get paid absolutely nothing.

Amongst them I should single out one person in particular; my right hand woman, Victoria Stephenson.” Victoria has worked with LSEC for 13 years and organised the event.

The consortium owns around 35,000 sq. ft of workspaces at Phoenix Yard in Upper Brown Street, where the celebration was held. LSEC accommodates 60 enterprises and supports charities too, most notably providng housing charity SHARP with over £400k since 1997.

PHOTOGRAPHY: LIONEL HEAP

The Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire Mike Kapur OBE spoke at the 25th anniversary celebrations of Leicester Social Economy Consortium (LSEC), which supports small businesses in Leicester by providing workspace and tenancies. He said: “LSEC ensures that buildings and areas around Leicester are put to good use as commercial properties rather than becoming derelict, thereby preserving architectural and cultural heritage around the city.”

As part of the champagne gathering in March, intern Khadeejah Patel compiled the 27-page publication ‘Tales from the Phoenix’, for which she was congratulated by Mike.

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Shama 35 for 35

N

iche attended the Shama Women’s Centre’s “35 for 35” event in March, during the week of International Women’s Day. Shama Women’s Centre came into existence 35 years ago when a group of local BAME women got together to provide culturally inclusive support and activities to local women. They offer support for mental health, domestic abuse, business advice and more.

With over 200 guests present at the Empire Banqueting & Conference Hall, the evening was a celebration of Shama’s 35

80 | NICHE

years of work and an opportunity to share their vision for the next 35. This was supported by the event partners including University of Leicester, De Montfort University, and the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce.

After enjoying a truly remarkable meal from Sanjay Foods, host Jessica Adaku Okoro told us about the history of the charity, and we heard emotional-but-inspiring stories from Shama’s service users.

Shama are currently looking for new short and long-term partners to fund the continuation of their life-changing work.

NICHE SOCIAL

Niche Networking

M

multiple Leicester charities – and August’s fundraising climb of Ben Nevis for Menphys and Lamp.

He also introduced Bhumika Parmer – last issue’s cover star – who spoke about how much she’d enjoyed the experience of working with Niche, and what she and BP Legal had gained from it.

It was brilliant to be back in the room with everyone after so long apart.

The next Niche Networking will be held on Monday, May 9 and will include the semi-finalists announcement for this year’s Niche Business Awards.

PHOTOGRAPHY: PETE MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY

arch saw the long-awaited return of Niche Networking for the first time in many a moon. Held at the Menphys Hub in South Wigston, guests were treated to canapés and prosecco as well as the opportunity to meet other professionals and build business relationships.

It was fantastic to see a mix of old and new faces.

Event sponsor Chris Cain spoke about what separates his business, Kazzoo, from other IT companies, as well as the importance of supporting others in the community. He mentioned his and Jenny Cross’s recent Easter Egg drive – receiving over 2000 donations that were shared between

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YOU WOULDN’T HEAR IT IN

Directors, specialists, CEOs, MBEs, PhD holders, and other higher-ups… they’re all people you might meet in the boardroom. It’s a professional space where best behaviour is upheld. But these successful types are people too! They have lives and we want to know what goes on in them.

We squeeze answers out of them on subjects you wouldn’t normally discuss in the boardroom

PROFILE: Tasha Skupinski erships , Wholesale & Partn er ag an M g tin ke Senior Mar Joules Ltd Age: 36 on Born in South Lond rborough Lives in Market Ha ng up the opening w York whilst setti Ne in ed Liv y: rth Notewo es. Worked on the d stores in the Stat an s om ro ow sh of ion in Germany. the Joules expans marketing side of w would you FRIENDSHIPS: Ho as a friend? describe yourself r. I’m definitely A very good listene and the type of rt ve more of an intro nds can come to. person who my frie hat’s the craziest ADVENTURES: W ? thing you’ve done York for a couple w Ne to I went over ded up signing of meetings and en t same trip and for an apartment tha years. o tw staying for over

What’s your RELATIONSHIPS: vice? We ad ip sh best relation ctation on pe ex of lot a may put y must be one person, that the as well er our romantic partn ybe that ma t bu , as best friend n give you one person who ca exist. everything doesn’t

here would your ENVIRONMENT: W est look for you? nearest and dear , I’m happiest me ho I love being at ing I love around there with everyth me.

NESS: What’s your HEALTH AND FIT ? Eating out. Last unhealthiest habit o’s. night I was at Nand E: What do you INTELLECTUAL LIF asts that look into geek out on? Podc are. Some of why we are how we w to Fail with Ho my favourites are Place with y pp Ha Elizabeth Day, the Deliciously Fearne Cotton and ally interested in Ella podcast. I’m re psychology.

od at anything?

SKILLS: Weirdly go and I have a spin I’m really into spin write. My friends bike. I also like to if they need often come to me ough and edited. thr ad something re Which of life’s SPIRITUAL LIFE: u up at night? yo mysteries keep on. I don’t know if The law of attracti but I love the I’m fully onboard, nk about it often. thought of it and thi the worst part CAREER: What’s t having enough about your job? No re’s just so hours in the day; the ies and not nit rtu po many great op enough time.

t’s your most FAMILY LIFE: Wha childhood? fond memory from used to go to Family holidays. We ery year. With ev ll St Ives in Cornwa we had a few the British weather we always made wet holidays, but tion. the best of the situa E: Which political COMMUNITY LIF t interested in topic are you mos l health and the right now? Menta ort, particularly pp su need for more ople following the amongst young pe a lot of people pandemic. There’s more help from t campaigning to ge put into be to nt the Governme the NHS. d an s itie un local comm topic I feel really That’s definitely a passionate about.

tside of work, CREATIVE LIFE: Ou ‘create’? what did you last g, the last thing kin ba I really enjoy straws. I took them I made was cheese ay. rd to the office yeste WORDS BY AIMEE CULVERHOUSE

To get a well-rounded feel for our interviewee, our questions are based on Vishen Lakhiani’s 12 Areas of Life Balance

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10 ways music can improve your well-being Music is one of the best stress busters out there, from reducing anxiety levels to influencing our mood and atmosphere. We’ve compiled a list of 10 ways music could benefit your well-being during Mental Health Awareness Week.

No matter what your business you want it to run smoothly, be this assigning workloads, serving customers, managing suppliers or setting out your budget.

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Music can be an important part of day-to-day life for many people, particularly during their leisure time, which is why something could seem lacking without it in a hospitality environment.

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