Niche Magazine Issue 53

Level up your Strategy skills

Get the highest score in the marketing game

Every business should have a marketing strategy, no exceptions. Marketing results don’t just happen by chance. Creating a strategy ensures you’re targeting the right people, with relevant content that appeals to them. The more time you spend creating a clear strategy, the more opportunities you create to sell.

During this session you can expect to cover the following areas:

● Understanding marketing

● Understand your audience

● Segmentation

● Understanding your customer journey

● Targeting

● Positioning

● Setting measures

Once you have a clear marketing strategy you will know how to speak directly to your target audience and stop spending money in the wrong places.

EDITORIAL

Editor: Kerry Smith kerry@crossproductions.co.uk

Senior Journalist: Emily Miller emily.miller@crossproductions.co.uk

Feature Writer: Tom Young tom@crossproductions.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial intern Bintou Secka

Photography: Hitz Rao

ART STUDIO

Head of Design Studio: Susan Holmes susan.holmes@crossproductions.co.uk

ADVERTISING

Media packs are available upon request

Marketing Director: Sally Smith sally@crossproductions.co.uk

Marketing Consultant: Tracey Hunter tracey@crossproductions.co.uk

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION

Head of Brand Marketing: Becci Houlston

Produced by Cross Productions crossproductions.co.uk

Print management: Soar Valley Press

Distributed by Media Matters Direct and Self Select Distribution

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Orders and enquiries 0116 271 2573 Online enquiries nichemagazine.co.uk Email info@crossproductions.co.uk

PARTNERSHIPS

Contact us to discuss partnership opportunities on jenny@crossproductions.co.uk

MANAGEMENT

Chief Executive Officer: Jenny Cross jenny@crossproductions.co.uk

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

This first issue of the year also marks a new direction for Niche Magazine as we continue to publish as a quarterly publication! By producing four issues a year (instead of six), we prolong the coverage of the businesses we feature, gaining more deserved traction and brand awareness for them.

We also give those living in our bordering neighbours of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire more chance to learn about Leicestershire as we take Niche Magazine closer to these counties.

It’s an exciting change for Niche and we look forward to sharing it with a wider audience as we approach Niche’s 10 year anniversary in May.

Embrace Equity is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8. Our special feature on the awareness day introduces businesswomen working in Leicestershire, sharing their stories relating to the 2023 theme.

We’ve asked many businesses for their take on the Digital Switchover that will start taking place in 2025 seeing all landline phone systems switch to internet-based infrastructure. Anil Motivaras of Giga Ops is on our front cover – he discusses the impacts of the switchover and other digital trends.

@magazineniche

@magazineniche

The switch got us thinking about which businesses might already be prepared for this and the advantages that come with that. We explore how industries are using digital technology in other areas of business to get ahead and improve the ways they work. #FindYourNiche

Has LinkedIn changed its algorithm again?

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.

I know the Hex codes for black and white. I’m basically a hexpert

…I dunno, I went on holiday

Ew, my ex just joined LinkedIn

100 Women to support local charities

One hundred women will come together at Oadby House for a novel fundraising event on Monday, March 6. The event, created and arranged by marketing company Cross Productions, has been organised to celebrate International Women’s Day, which takes place later in the week.

The evening will provide a stage to three charities that will each present a five-minute pitch to the room. Each of the 100 women will arrive with £100 cash. After listening to the charities, the women will each cast a vote as to where they would like their money to go. The funds will then be gifted to the charities accordingly on the night.

Cross Productions CEO, Jenny Cross, said: “The objective is to bring 100 driven women together to support local charities as a celebration of International Women’s Day. This is one evening where we hope to see £10,000 cash to be dished out to local charities who we all know need as much support at the minute as possible. We aim to do this again with 100 men in November for International Men’s Day.”

Women are encouraged to register their attendance before the event to avoid missing out. All charities are welcome to put themselves forward for a chance to be picked at random to feature at the 100 Women event.

Guests and charities can register interest by emailing jenny@crossproductions.co.uk.

SMEs invited to register interest in £3m Made Smarter fund

Growth Hubs have combined to win £3m of funding to help increase the skills and productivity of manufacturing businesses in the East Midlands.

Government will extend Made Smarter to the East Midlands as part of a programme which will be open to small and medium-sized firms in Leicester and Leicestershire. The funding will be used to help manufacturers boost productivity by implementing digital technology and improving leadership and management skills.

The East Midlands is home to 16,410 manufacturers. Made Smarter has already been running in the NorthEast, West Midlands, North-West, and Yorkshire and the Humber. It has been estimated that the investment will help to generate £80m in additional productivity. This is based on data from previous programmes in other areas.

Sonia Baigent, Chair of the LLEP Business Board and Director of Assist Business Consulting Ltd, said: “It’s excellent news that Leicester and Leicestershire will be working with neighbouring counties to help our SMEs increase their productivity and skills. Increasing productivity is a pillar of our region’s economic growth strategy, as is innovation – doing more with less

through new-to-business initiatives.

“The vast majority of businesses in our area have fewer than 250 employees, so if we are to really increase productivity then we need to take full advantage of programmes such as Made Smarter and the help they offer in developing key sectors such as manufacturing.”

Successful applicants will be able to secure match-funded grants of up to £20,000. They will also work with specialists to devise tailored plans to develop and grow their businesses. This will help to create more high skilled jobs in East Midlands programme area, which includes Leicester and Leicestershire.

Made Smarter East Midlands aims to advise more than 400 small and medium-sized businesses, undertake 133 business assessments, provide intensive support to 70 businesses, and boost the leadership and management skills of 36 senior manufacturing leaders. It will also help businesses implement more automation and take advantage of new technologies such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Register interest at bizgateway. org.uk/made-smarter-vital-support-formanufacturers.

New Cool As Leicester Social Club aims to curb loneliness

A new way of socialising is set to launch in Leicester with the Cool As Leicester Social Club.

Created by Cool As Leicester Editor Gabby Miller, the club aims to combat loneliness and encourage people to talk and grow their friendship circle. It will be structured around a series of events throughout the year, with an online community at the heart of it.

Gabby said: “As more people continue to work from home, we’ve seen an increase in those who say they feel isolated or are lacking a social circle to attend events with. The Cool As Leicester Social Club will offer a regular programme of events for people to come together and meet some new faces.

“As safe spaces where people can feel comfortable attending alone, it seeks to help combat loneliness and

encourage everyone to meet those with similar interests. Sometimes you never know who is on your doorstep.”

The club’s social events will be safe spaces for people to attend on their own and meet new people. There is an added benefit of being able to try out some of Leicestershire’s best independent venues.

The launch of the club’s supportive online community will enable people to find others who may be interested in attending specific events with them. Next time that obscure band you like is playing, you can ask the online group if anyone else fancies seeing them.

Search ‘Cool As Leicester Social Club’ to join the online community. The first events are to be announced soon. Businesses interested in hosting or sponsoring events can contact info@coolasleicester.co.uk.

Everards of Leicestershire earns double win at the Leicestershire Tourism and Hospitality Awards

The Leicestershire Tourism and Hospitality Awards took place at Athena on November 24, from which Everards of Leicestershire took home two impressive awards.

Up against some of the best hospitality and tourism businesses in Leicestershire, the well-known Leicester company fought off some tough competition as their popular brewery tour was recognised as Experience of the Year.

Everards of Leicestershire’s brewery tours, which first took place just over a year ago, the company has welcomed over 3,000 visitors for guided behind-the-scenes tours of the state-of-the-art brewery.

Judges said: “[We] loved every second and the knowledge and enthusiasm of the staff was exceptional and a major factor in delivering a gold winning experience.”

Richard Everard, President of the business, was also presented with the prestigious Tourism Superstar award for services to the industry.

The judges stated: “This winner has been working away in the background making a huge difference without seeking personal profile or promotion. For 2022, we have a truly worthy winner responsible for a multi-layered contribution to the tourism and hospitality sector over many years.”

Leicester's Leisure Line-up

Leicester is responding to the evolution of retail by filling vacant units with exciting new leisure offers – City Centre Director Sarah Harrison explains

The retail sector continues to evolve as it responds to changes in consumer behaviour. Online retail sales accounted for 14% of all sales in 2016, rising to 37.8% in January 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. With shoppers returning to the high street, online retail sales in 2022 fell from this all-time high to 26.5% of all sales (CRR).

UK shoppers spend more money online on average than any other country in the world. It is forecast that retail sales from m-commerce (mobile commerce) are expected to surpass the £100bn mark by 2023 – up from £50.36bn in 2019, reports Statista.

Omnichannel is a term used in e-commerce and retail to describe a business strategy that aims to provide a seamless shopping experience across all channels, including store, mobile and online. Bricks-and-mortar stores have a large role to play in the future, as not only are customers looking for experiential shopping but also like the option of click-and-collect.

Recent charges made by retailers for online returns drives customers in-store. Zara brought in a policy recently to charge customers £1.95 to make a return at a designated drop-off point, but returning items to Zara stores located in the same region as the online purchase is free. Boohoo has also brought in charges for returns and it is expected that other retailers will follow suit. This may be due to rising last-mile delivery costs, a way of tackling

SIXES CRICKET

serial returners or to entice customers to visit in-store and encourage more sales.

More than 17,000 chain store outlets closed across Britain in 2021 (Local Data Company) as heritage brands such as the Arcadia Group and Debenhams closed stores and other retailers including banks restructured.

The challenge for cities and towns is how to fill these vacant units. There has been a welcome increase in independent brands on the high street, more residential schemes as urban living becomes the top choice amongst youngsters and the emergence of leisure activities. Leicester has welcomed a host of new entertainment venues, adding to the richness of the city centre’s overall offer.

Leisure venues

The latest to open is Sixes Cricket in the former 19Gale restaurant in the Cultural Quarter. It’s cricket, but not as you know it. The tech-powered game offers adrenalinefuelled batting against some of the greatest bowlers with a precision scoring system igniting competitiveness. Add in the food and drink offer and Sixes Cricket is perfect for office nights out and team-building days through to birthdays, and stag and hen dos.

Treetop Adventure Golf invites you to tackle the Tropical Trail or discover the Ancient Explorer with two full 18-hole mini golf courses.

If you’re looking to get active, head over to Boost Trampoline Park for plenty of bouncing fun. They have activities suitable for all ages, including special under-four sessions for toddlers.

You can check out your strength and endurance at Ninja Warrior Adventure Park at St George’s Retail Park. Based on the ITV programme, you can climb, balance, jump and swing across different obstacles, using and developing your Ninja skills, then see who can conquer the famous Warped Wall – the ultimate challenge for every aspiring Ninja.

From a bouldering session at Social Climbing or flying across Europe in the cockpit of a Spitfire plane at Leicester Simulations, the city is full of exciting options for a day out with a difference. If you’re planning a get-together with friends, then a competitive element always adds a little extra excitement to the gathering.

East Street Lanes is Leicester’s independent boutique bowling alley, featuring eight bowling lanes alongside a stylish cocktail bar and arcade. Situated just next door, Caddyshackers, the home of crazy golf in Leicester, takes you through 18 themed holes, from a brewery theme to a building site and even a Leicester City-themed football hole. Under-18s can visit Caddyshackers before 7pm, but the evenings are made for the grownups.

If you’re looking to elevate the competitive element up a notch, how about axe throwing? Axethrowing lanes can be found at Caddyshackers and Angle Axe Throwing.

Across the city, Lane7 offers a complete entertainment destination in the transformed former Leicester Central Station. Lane7 houses the

city’s biggest social gaming zone. Bowling lanes, crazy golf, ping pong, pool, shuffleboard, arcade games and Leicester’s biggest sports screen all await you inside.

You can also travel to far-off places at one of the city’s escape rooms. Enjoy a family-friendly Egyptian mystery in The Betrayal of Cluetankhamun at ClueHQ or join your friends as you tackle Operation Magnus in Escapologic’s specially designed 1942 bunker.

The emergence of exciting leisure experiences adds to the overall appeal of the city centre and, importantly, encourages people to interact socially.

To find out more information, go to visitleicester.info.

PHOTO: BOOST TRAMPOLINE PARK

SOCIAL CLIMBING

BOOST TRAMPOLINE PARK

‘A fantastic place to do business’

East Midlands Chamber Business Awards

Celebration was in the air as the East Midlands Chamber Business Awards returned to Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire for 2022. Gala dinners were held in partnership with headline sponsor Mazars at King Power Stadium in Leicestershire on November 4, Reach Pride Park in Derbyshire on November 11, and Nottingham Belfry in Nottinghamshire on November 18.

Hundreds of people turned out at the three ceremonies, which recognised 150 finalists across 13 categories – ranging from Excellence in Innovation and Environmental Impact at organisational level through to individual honours for Entrepreneur of the Year and Apprentice of the Year – in each county.

An overall Business of the Year title was also awarded to Katapult in Derbyshire, Copley Scientific in Nottinghamshire and Scope Construction in Leicestershire.

Winners were chosen by a judging panel of the Chamber’s senior leadership and board of directors, as well as sponsors.

Scott Knowles, chief executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “It’s always important to celebrate our businesses’ achievements and shout about the great

things happening right here in Leicestershire. We know it is a fantastic place to do business and these organisations – many of which have worked together to maximise their impact within their sectors and communities – are doing a wonderful job.”

Hosted by comedian Patrick Monahan, the three Business Awards ceremonies raised £5,075 for president Lindsey Williams’ three chosen charities this year – Focus, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, and Treetops Hospice.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR WINNERS

DERBYSHIRE

KATAPULT

Designs themed attractions and experiences for some of the biggest brands in the world, including Lego, Merlin Entertainments, Ferrari, Cartoon Network and Warner Bros.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

COPLEY SCIENTIFIC

Based in Nottingham, designs and manufactures pharmaceutical test equipment used across the world. It exports about 85% of its products to more than 70 markets around the world.

LEICESTERSHIRE

SCOPE CONSTRUCTION

Based in Loughborough, this is a fast-growing company that provides construction, refurbishment and interior design contracting services for the residential and commercial sectors.

PATRICK MONAHAN

MATT LILLEY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF LEICESTER CHARITY FOCUS

Government urged to act by Chamber Manifesto

Back the East Midlands to back the UK’ is the proposal being put to politicians by East Midlands Chamber as it launches a blueprint for economic growth in this region and beyond.

Chamber representatives, members and local MPs visited Parliament to unveil the 12-page document, titled A Centre of Trading Excellence: A Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands and Beyond, on November 24.

It includes ‘The Big Opportunity’ to further develop the East Midlands as a ‘Centre of Trading Excellence’, which reflects the region’s key assets in its industrial heritage, leading-edge universities, central location, and the country’s largest pure freight airport.

The Chamber, which represents more than 4,000 businesses, also calls on policymakers to ‘get the basics right’ by outlining what businesses need now to succeed and take advantage of emerging opportunities via a series of key policy asks, covering people, taxation and regulation, and connectivity.

It then urges Government to ‘grow our competitiveness the right way’ by doubling down efforts on net zero and the wider environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda.

East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “We’ve long spoken about our region being a place that’s great for making things, moving things and innovating in how we do this.

“These strengths really came to the fore during the pandemic and shone a spotlight on our region being a Centre of Trading Excellence, which is about businesses wanting to trade more, trade differently, trade with new partners, and trade in a way that is cleaner and more effective.

“The former Bank of England governor Mark Carney once remarked on how the East Midlands is a bellwether of the UK’s economic health, as we proportionately have more manufacturing businesses and jobs than other regions but we’re not overly reliant on any single sector.

“In many ways, we are a microcosm of the national economy outside London, so our message to Government is if you want a blueprint for what a successful economy looks like, then the key components exist in the East Midlands.

“Creating a policy environment that helps businesses here to succeed can be replicated elsewhere, which

ultimately spurs more trade that boosts the national economy, creates more jobs and improves people’s life outcomes. This is why we call on the Government to back the East Midlands to back the UK.”

To read A Centre of Trading Excellence: A Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands and Beyond, visit emc-dnl.co.uk/manifesto.

BUSINESS MANIFESTO FOR GROWTH: CHAMBER’S KEY ASKS OF GOVERNMENT

By responding to a string of policy asks, the Chamber says Government can ‘establish a formula that will help to deliver on key goals to level up, reboot the economy and boost post-Brexit growth in global trade’. The manifesto covers three key pillars:

1. The Big Opportunity

Develop the East Midlands as a Centre of Trading Excellence by focusing on the ‘four Is’: investment, innovation, infrastructure and international trade

2. Getting the basics right

Provide the levers to drive growth via a business ecosystem, comprising of incentives to invest in people, a long-term approach to business taxation and regulation, and improving digital and physical connectivity

3. Growing our competitiveness the right way

Long-term planning allows sustainable business growth and creates opportunities for the UK to be a world leader in sustainable products and processes, driving global growth for decades to come

‘Develop our region as a Centre of Trading Excellence’

MANIFESTO LAUNCH IN PARLIAMENT

Thought Leaders

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.

Darren Willoughby Managing Director at 2XL Commercial Finance

Widespread Apathy?

Ihave noticed over the last few months that I have increasingly been using the word ‘apathy’ in my vocabulary; a word that up until the last few months I can’t ever really recall saying previously.

I Googled the actual dictionary meaning of the word and found this definition from the Cambridge Dictionary: ‘behaviour that shows no interest or energy and shows that someone is unwilling to take action, especially over something important.’

This has really come to the fore in the finance world recently, in my opinion. Timescales on answering enquiries or actually completing deals have gone from what used to be handled with a ‘fair wind’ of a six to eight-week completion time to a now more than likely three to four months. Considering that nothing has really changed, why is it taking so long?

Or, have things changed? In my opinion, something has changed – and it’s human attitude.

Covid-19 and working from home have rightly or wrongly ingrained a

different way of working into some people. It has removed any element of urgency or accountability in the workplace in some industries, but it’s also clearly having a negative impact on an economy that needs all the help it can get.

I read a quote recently that really resonated with me, in both a business and personal capacity: ‘You can’t build with someone who isn’t trying to help you carry the bricks.’

If I apply the analogy to a transaction, then if someone in the chain of professionals lets you down, the whole thing falls apart. I would apply this to any team activity or sport too.

If you have people who aren’t prepared to chip in, it affects factors like morale and momentum. This, in turn, makes the people who are actually putting the effort in demotivated and lose sight of what they thought was a common cause. The net result is an unsuccessful and dysfunctional team.

Let’s hope the new year brings the ‘kick-start’ to us all that I feel the economy desperately needs.

Good luck!

Richard Kotulecki

CEO at Lamp

Frankly Finance

Although they say money can’t buy happiness, money and mental health are undoubtedly linked. The clearest examples are driven by the current cost-of-livingcrisis. Not having enough to pay for essential items causes a lot more than unhappiness. At Lamp, we’re working with people whose mental health has deteriorated significantly because they can’t pay their bills. The county’s crisis centres are supporting people for the same reason.

And we do not have to be at crisis point for money to adversely affect mental health. Sometimes we spend to make ourselves feel better – acquiring new things gives us a short term high. In our consumer society, we’re surrounded by exhortations to buy more things. Even as many retailers adapted the tone of their adverts this Christmas, the prompts to buy more stuff were very evident.

It’s not difficult to fall into a trap of buying to feel better, regretting it later and buying again to ‘treat ourselves’.

Many of us work to have enough money to buy the essentials we need, generating a disposable income as a reward for our hard work and perhaps to save something for a future need. HSBC once suggested a 50%-30%-20% ratio. There is little doubt that a wellmanaged disposable income increases our standard of living and improves our wellbeing.

Recently, however, the proportion of all our income we spend on essentials has increased substantially. Is it possible to maintain our wellbeing and mental health whilst our disposable incomes are being eroded?

I once worked for a charity that supported seriously ill young adults by providing them and their families with ‘Special

Days’ – experiences that enabled and empowered people to live life to the full. Faced with the most difficult circumstances, families found enormous fulfilment and positivity through shared experiences. Two things stood out. Firstly, that this also applied to families of young adults in palliative care. Secondly, that sometimes the experiences were very simple and low cost. I always found the courage shown by these families to be humbling and I learned that to enhance wellbeing and quality of life, positive experiences are always better than stuff.

Research backs up both phenomena – that experiences lead to greater, more sustained happiness than possessions, and that as we age, simple experiences can have a substantial positive effect (Battacharjee A and Mogilner C).

In the current climate,

those on lower incomes have felt the squeeze hardest, as a greater percentage of their expenditure covers essential costs. For some, the pressure is immense. I understand this pressure as I grew up with a single parent working two jobs and a reliance on free school meals and school uniform vouchers. So I accept that discussing disposable income under current circumstances might seem insensitive. But actively maintaining our wellbeing and mental health is important at all times and arguably even more so in difficult times.

Last year, the Government announced increases to benefits and pensions that might mitigate some of the inflationary impact on those with the lowest incomes. Some employers have announced support packages for staff to help through this period. But the geopolitical factors driving these difficult times will not disappear soon.

I urge us make use of simple experiences to improve our wellbeing; things that cost little or nothing. A walk in the park with family, a call to a friend, or volunteering time to a cause we feel strongly about. The real beauty of these simple shared experiences is that they benefit not only us, but the people with whom we share them. And the positive effect can be long lasting.

I learned that to enhance wellbeing and quality of life, positive experiences are always better than stuff

Eileen Perry MBE Owner of ER Recruitment

Get your employer branding on point

As we’ve seen more and more over the last few years, the job industry has found itself heavily candidate-driven due to an influx of open positions and a decrease in active job-searchers. As a result, candidates can be more selective in the roles they apply for, with a wider choice than ever before. Talented candidates are not afraid to turn down offers that don’t

match their expectations, as counteroffers from existing employers are becoming more common.

To draw in candidates, businesses need to put greater focus and consideration into their branding, as it has become a critical element in the recruitment strategy. It’s been found that the more information jobseekers can find on a company, the more

Andrea Gray Managing Director at PPL PRS

On the change: setting an example for menopause policy

Menopause – it’s the ‘hot’ topic at the moment, if you’ll excuse the pun!

Celebrities and the media are tackling the normally taboo subject head-on now – and so are a number of businesses

looking to support their employees who may be experiencing symptoms.

However, it’s just a tick box for companies to say ‘yes, we have introduced a menopause policy, and we will support anyone who needs some extra help

reputable it feels, resulting in a higher chance of them applying. This detail can range from the company’s reputation, mission, values, and what it’s like to work there. Injecting this into job descriptions not only makes them more interesting, but allows candidates to get a better understanding of what the business is about outside of its day-to-day operations.

Considering topics such as ‘what makes us an employer of choice?’ will provide candidates with reasons as to why they should rather apply for your business over a competitor. Making your business

memorable means it will receive a greater reach to potential candidates, as word of mouth travels across networks.

Businesses wanting to compete for the best talent should consider what will appeal to a wide range of audiences and the type of employees they want to attract. Highlighting what the business is doing for the local community, and regarding issues that matter to potential candidates, helps them to connect on a personal level, while establishing credibility.

So many businesses are doing great things – it’s crucial to share them!

during this time’. Employers really need to understand the full implications of the menopause and the issues their staff may be facing.

Open and honest conversations, education, mental and physical support, and of course a thorough change to HR policy is vital to ensuring that valued employees are not only able to access the help they need, but also ensures they don’t suffer in silence and leave! Believe it or not, around 18% of women are considering leaving their roles due to a lack of menopause support from their employer.

At PPL PRS, we held real and frank discussions about

the symptoms and how they affect us both mentally and physically, and how we could create an environment where anyone suffering would not feel embarrassed or excluded.

Are you supporting your employees? Is a menopause policy something you have looked into?

You can read more about our policy, practical help, and how we have signed the Wellbeing of Women Menopause Workplace Pledge to commit to continuing to provide that support and making sure it wasn’t just that ‘tick box’ later on in this issue of Niche.

Whilst businesses can greatly benefit from having access to such technology, it is important that business owners are also alert to the pitfalls

Laura Kearsley

Planning policy on digital tech

Digital technology is now used in most, if not nearly all, businesses and workplaces. Whether it be through emails, smartphones, social media, search engines, performance monitoring or instant messaging platforms, businesses and the workforce are becoming increasingly reliant and supported by digital and electronic technology.

Whilst businesses can greatly benefit from having access to such technology, it is important that business owners are also alert to the pitfalls. Where employees have access to digital technology whilst at work (and also often outside of work) issues such as the following can arise:

(a) Confidentiality breaches: most commonly, through sending emails or data to the incorrect recipient

(b) Inappropriate social media posts: whether that be on personal or workrelated accounts

(c) Using personal smartphones or other personal technology during working hours

(d) Misplacing or accidentally breaking technology devices.

In order to help prevent and combat issues relating to the internet and digital technology within the workplace, we recommend that businesses implement employee policies such as:

(a) Email and Internet Usage Policies: these can cover areas such as social media usage, web browsing and email usage, and monitoring whilst at work or on work devices;

(b) Data Protection Policies: which should confirm what employee data is held by

the business and how it is used and processed, and also the responsibilities of employees to appropriately handle personal data whilst at work

(c) Employee Training and Development Policies –these can cover technology and cyber awareness training

(d) Home Working/Remote Working IT Policies: these can be used to ensure employees have correct and safe access to technology whilst working from home.

Having policies such as those listed above can help clarify the employer’s expectations of employees in respect of digital technology, which in turn can help increase employee productiveness whilst at work and can reduce the risk of issues arising. Ultimately, if employees have clear and defined boundaries in respect of the usage of digital technology at work, and have sufficient training, technology should continue to help support, benefit and help businesses to thrive.

Partner and solicitor in employment law at Nelsons

Many employees will be concerned about their futures and how secure their jobs are

Rik Pancholi Managing Director at Pattersons Commercial Law

Should I stick or twist?

New year, new start, as they say!

I’ve been speaking with many clients and other professionals about their predictions and projections for 2023. As a corporate lawyer, I’m a big fan of growth, both organically and through acquisition.

My top tips for ownermanagers to watch out for in 2023 are:

1. Owner-managers should start to pull together a list of companies they like the look of – and treat them as potential acquisition or merger targets. The new year may well provide an opportunity to really grow businesses by taking on an additional workstream which wasn’t there previously or diversifying

into an area that may not have been considered already.

2. There may be some fantastic deals to be made. The premium paid for a business may fall as potential sellers assess what the next 18 months look like. This may well result in a seller willing to accept a lower sale price.

3. Be prepared to act quickly. If a buyer is looking at an acquisition and engaging with the seller, chances are others may be too. Potential buyers will want to have their funding arrangements either in place or clearly understood so they can move very quickly when the time comes.

4. Once the deal is done, the new business will want to pay special attention to its new team and maintain high morale. Many employees will be concerned about their futures and how secure their jobs are. Developing a new business culture, working arrangements and future progression will pay dividends over the following years.

Ultimately, much of a business’s growth will depend upon the buyer’s appetite to acquire, their access to funding and their vision for future growth.

The year o2023 will bring opportunities… will you stick with where you are or will you twist and explore a new opportunity?

Fear: the ongoing pandemic in the workplace

You want to be at your best every day at work, but one thing always gets in the way.

You don’t see it, you feel it. You don’t talk about it, you hide it. Fear.

Fear protects us from danger and has prolonged the survival of the human species. However, day-today, most of us aren’t facing actual danger, it is often imagined. As a result of our ‘fight or flight’ system, our physiology changes in response to potential threats.

In the same way, our body responds to physical threat as it does social threat. Most of the time, we react with a fight and flight stress-based reaction when we don’t need to. Our fears are often misguided, and we behave in ways which are unhelpful.

As leaders, this is important because our attitude and behaviours are always impacting the attitude and behaviours of others.

How does fear show itself in your leadership, in your teams, and your workplace culture?

Fear is an ongoing pandemic, because it spreads faster than anything else. We feed off others’ fears as well as our own.

It can show itself in our day-to-day workplace as: fear of failure, conflict, embarrassment, rejection, missing out, being judged, the unknown, or of looking silly. Or it can express itself as: frustration and anger, avoiding making decisions, procrastination, not speaking up, avoiding risks, worry, doubt and anxiousness, being out of our comfort zone or feeling vulnerable.

When under pressure, or not managing ourselves in the way we do normally, we can often react to situations with good intentions, but it can negatively impact others. For instance, if we’re too perfectionistic, others might see us as overly controlling. If we are overly

passionate about the results, we can appear annoyed. If we focus on the task too much, we might appear unsocial or emotionally disconnected.

Unintended behaviours of leaders destroy trust, diminish creativity, deplete motivation, reduce wellbeing and resilience, and erode efficiency and effectiveness. Teams that are feeling fear in their workplace may show resistance to ideas, not give feedback, hide their mistakes, blame others for things going wrong, not take responsibility, not push themselves, and feel less valued, demotivated and less engaged.

The cure to the fear pandemic?

Develop your emotional intelligence, starting with self-awareness. Once you can be open about your strengths and weaknesses, fears, concerns, and how this impacts you – especially when under more pressure – you can build the trust for others to do the same. You can then start to use strategies to overcome this.

Sarah Higgins

Leadership Coach at Sarah Higgins Corporate Coaching

We’re talking to more businesses looking to move to VoIP-hosted telephony before the PSTN switch-off in 2025. Routing calls through the internet is more economical, improves business functionality and offers customers a better user experience. Updating your communication services also allows for better collaboration between employees. Choosing the right solution from the beginning is important, so I would advise engaging with a professional business telecoms provider.

Using VoIP (bOnline) has been the best decision I made when setting up my business, as well as having an e-commerce website that allows clients to book free discovery calls at a mutually convenient time and allows them to pay for initial assessment meetings online. It’s hassle-free, saves time and energy, is very efficient and economical. Other technologies I use that have changed the way I work are PDF Filler, Dropbox, Calendly, Stripe, and Ascend by Wix.

We use technology to communicate with young people on social media and to share the wonderful music, art and films they make. We use industry-standard creative software daily in our creative and life skills sessions. This gives young people creative industry and digital skills for the future, and a platform to express themselves through art, music and media digitally. Digital inclusion is a high priority for our charity as so many young people we support don’t have access to WiFi, laptops or smartphones – something so many of us take for granted.

How is your workplace digitising to stay ahead?

Leicester businesspeople told us how they’re using advanced and everyday technology, why it’s shaping their company and how it impacts employees and customers

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

Here at Premier Logistics we offer our customers the ability to book, check and receive delivery information all through our online portal. Whilst we are always keen to speak with customers, we understand that everyone is busy and this is a very userfriendly system that saves time and allows our customers to put this to the back of their mind as they know we will deliver on the rest.

Working in the fast-moving recruitment industry, Google Sheets has been a massive help for us to check-in workers’ attendance on the way to work. The app has been extremely useful for out-of-town contracts and supports bridging the gap between us and the client. Being better armed, we can share this information with clients to help with their KPIs. We use QR codes for workers to help with their applications online; they make registration more efficient and helps candidates with their job search.

One of the recent efficiencies we implemented was to reduce production waste in garment manufacturing.

This was done by upgrading our outdated digitised pattern grading and plotting system from Lectra to the more modern Investronica system. Our fabric usage has been maximised as a result, which in turn helps combat some of the rising energy costs, as well as reducing waste disposal costs.

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SHB S Ltd

Does goal setting improve business performance?

The right goal can give you focus and direction, but without a clear path to success, they’re little more than fantasy.

Achieving your dreams requires a roadmap – ActionCOACH

Phil Nassau tells us more

Success means achieving a desired outcome, but unless you are clear on what that outcome is, you are highly unlikely to get there. When you set goals, they are the road map to achieving your dreams. Your business dream may be very clear, but the route is not so obvious. If you set a goal and already know how to complete it, it’s not a goal; it’s a task.

Your goals should create some fear or anxiety, challenging you to consider: “How am I going to get this done?” You shouldn’t be entirely sure how you’re going to achieve it. If they don’t instil that fear, they’re probably just tasks.

When it comes to setting an overarching business goal, the best place to start is to consider what your business will look like when it’s finished, and what

you’re going to do afterwards. This will give you the destination you are working towards; it’s an important stage and should not be missed before you start planning your route.

You should design your goal to serve three purposes:

1. To create direction and focus

2. To create movement and momentum

3. To supply the direction for personal growth.

Write your goals down and make them visible – a wall planner is a great way to do this. Start by writing down where you want the business to be in 12 months’ time to limit how far ahead you’re looking. Next, break the year down into quarters (90 days) to provide some real clarity on what needs to be done to move the business (and your personal life) forward.

YOUR GOALS SHOULD CREATE SOME FEAR OR ANXIETY, CHALLENGING YOU TO CONSIDER: “HOW AM I GOING TO GET THIS DONE?”

CREATING YOUR 90-DAY PLAN

Sit with your team to review the last three months and look at what’s gone well and what hasn’t. Reflect on each and consider what needs to change to move you towards your 12-month goal.

Determine what your three main goals are for the coming quarter based on your notes and reflections. Write each goal on a post-it note and add it to your wall planner. If you have more than three goals, you will need to decide which can go into the first quarter and which can wait until later.

Next, write a list of actions required to achieve each goal. Assess whether it will move you towards your quarterly goal. Assign each goal to a week on your wall planner and stick the post-it note to it.

Initially, be careful not to have more than one to two actions per week, so you don’t overwhelm yourself – you still have a business to run!

Remember the planner must be visible to keep you on track. There you go, it’s no more complex than that!

Switching over: the future is now

Technological change is happening faster than ever. With the Digital Switchover incoming for 2025, the telecommunications industry will be revolutionised. Internet-based infrastructure will replace all analogue phone lines. And with the pandemic accelerating digital transformation strategies around the world, customers are now expecting innovation to continue at a fast pace in every service and purchase they make. Businesses that don’t shift their focus to maintaining efficient, scalable, sustainable, and secure operations as they innovate, run the risk of falling behind their competitors.

Anil Motivaras is the owner of IT and Telecommunications solutions and support services company Giga Ops Ltd. Opening our chat positively, he said: “So much of what we do is about supporting businesses in reaching their goals; the right technological systems can absolutely help to meet them.

BY

THE BIG 3

The main three digital telecommunication systems for Cloud-based service:

◆ (TPS) Transaction Processing System: Drives efficiency, transactional activity and integration with other systems – ie Xero Accounting system

◆ (OAS) Office Automation System: Drives collaboration for efficient communication and all-round office tools, assignment and accountability, supports activity at all levels across the organisation

– i.e. Microsoft 365 suite of applications. M365 is a complete platform of applications – M365 Voice, M365 Business Apps, Device Management, Advanced Threat Protection, M365 Business Voice and more

◆ (MIS) Management Information System: Helps middle management and supervisors make decisions, plan and control workflow, and provides daily reporting on performance

“That’s because these changes in technology are positive for our clients. They enable them to have stronger processes and more efficient, responsive businesses in turn. Technology is a supportive tool for growth in any business.”

Of course, there is investment needed. None of the systems are free that are required for the 2025 Digital Switchover. But, as Anil is keen to point out, the initial investment will return quickly.

“More efficient systems and processes mean a more profitable and agile business in the long-term,” he tells me. “The right tech systems will allow the business to be more flexible and adaptive to changing economic climates. Investing in technology as early as possible will bring those returns sooner too – something that every business will be looking at, right now more than ever.

“Efficient information systems allow employees and business owners access to information more readily, empowering them to be part of the decision-making processes – after all, knowledge is power!”

Why now?

In the current economic climate, business leaders need to increasingly turn their attention to their digital automation initiatives to drive growth, enhance productivity, and create much-needed cost savings.

Anil says: “Organisations will now need to move

Understanding the biggest digital trends, now and in the future, is key for organisations as they adjust their operating models and technology investments to drive growth. Niche spoke with Anil Motivaras of Giga Ops to discover the power of embracing the technological future now

WORDS

EMILY MILLER

beyond focusing on individual aspects of their automation that use Robotic Process Automation (RPA) initiatives. A more dynamic approach is necessary through carefully planned, strategic organisation-wide automation of the infrastructure of advanced technologies.”

Aside from driving revenue growth, optimising costs, and helping to reduce risk, hyper-automation (AKA the infrastructure of advanced technologies) frees employees up to focus on higher-value activities by using optimised digital products and technology.

How these products and technologies are arranged and accessed – or rather the composability of these – is much like having a musical conductor to bring them all together and working from the same technological hymn sheet.

“To achieve the potential that hyper-automation offers, composability will need to be central to its realisation. Integration and composability will continue to be vital elements for any digital strategy in 2023.”

Composable infrastructure shifts the computational storage and networking resources in your business from physical locality to cloud-based integrated technology.

“Composability will be an integral pillar of any business strategy this year to ensure innovation and agility. Agility is essential to a successful digital transformation, as it allows organisations to innovate, creating connected, positive experiences for customers.”

Security

Cybersecurity is another pillar of business strategy that needs to be layered and integrated to protect, from fastmoving, complex areas of threat to business fraud.

Over the last few years, business needs have adapted to support remote working, adopt more efficient processes, and create new ways to engage with customers online.

In response to circumstances over this time, this meant that organisations needed to invest heavily in cloud computing and microservices, which provided the digital competencies needed to innovate quickly. As a result, the environment has left businesses more open to threat.

“During the pandemic, these systems became open to cyber-attacks, with an increase of up to 300%. Now, businesses need more robust backup and recovery systems in place, protected from ever-evolving threats with staff highly-trained in how to protect them.”

Cyber security has been big news this year, with the new hybrid way of working here to stay. According to the Cyber Security Office CSO, one small business in the UK is said to be hacked every 19 seconds. Around 65,000 attempts are made to hack small to medium-sized businesses every day, and around 4,500 of these are successful cybercrimes.

“Businesses need to have adequate and up-to-date IT security systems in place, not to mention a backup and recovery plan to protect what they have.”

Businesses need more robust backup and recovery systems in place

GIGA OPS

The Switch: Analogue to digital lines

With the demand for faster broadband and other digital communication services having skyrocketed, technology has had to catch up – or rather, businesses have had to catch up with the technology.

Between now and 2025, telecommunications providers will be gradually switching 14 million traditional copper phone lines to new ‘All-IP’ (Internet Protocol) networks, which utilise fibre optic cabling.

Impact on essential systems

There are implications to the switch that businesses might not consider, such as systems that run from the changing technology that aren’t so obvious. The national switchover will affect any crucial system that uses phone lines, such as alarms and lifts.

The new network will be in two formats: ‘Fibre to The Premises’ (FTTP) and ‘Fibre to The Cabinet’ (FTTC), with FTTC being phased out sometime in the future, in favour of FTTP.

“Most of these systems will have backup power arrangements, of course, but they will be different for these new networks. Businesses will need to protect their systems to ensure continuity of alarm monitoring when using an All-IP connection.

“This is especially vital for critical national infrastructure organisations that will want to ensure any digital upgrade

WHY SWITCH?

The switchover may feel daunting and financial investments are needed, but there are benefits too.

◆ Improved technology allows multi-site businesses to consolidate onto a single platform, which reduces operational costs and requires less equipment and maintenance – a simpler network structure

◆ Enhanced structures for telephony capacity via laptop/PC are game-changing. Improved functionality for telephony services mean that voicemail to email, call recording, instant messaging, call management and diary integration are all accessible from one platform

◆ Higher internet speeds mean more productivity and greater customer experience

Being ahead of the curve means you’ll be migrating your systems with tailored solutions and transforming your services, improving your users’ experience and reducing maintenance costs in the long term.

can be achieved with minimal disruption for both customers and the general public.

“The upgrade to digital services is the starting block to full-fibre. And while 2025 may seem a long way off, it’s essential to take action today to avoid delay in waiting time and to ensure that the very best systems are in place. Planning is everything.”

Giga Ops has the technical knowledge and skill to advise and help businesses work out a cost effect strategy to ensure they embrace the digital transformation. Embrace the change, embrace the evolution, embrace the progress. Talk to Giga Ops to discover how. Book a free IT review at giga-ops.com.

While 2025 seems a way off, it’s essential to take action today

It must be a

Striving for growth, a signage company has demonstrated innovation at its finest whilst developing its own apprenticeship scheme following a digital revolution in the trade

Aspecialist industry requires equally specialist training, and the company has taken steps to ensure that new talent is being developed. Few schools would think to suggest sign writing as a career, but Nik Hardy, owner and founder of signage business Hardy Signs, has brought Burton & South Derbyshire College into the fold.

“In 2016, we helped the local college form a sign makers academy, named after us. We supported them to spec out the industry machinery, and numerous apprentices have come to work for us after completing their course. With these specific skills, they were able to hit the ground running because they’d been trained on the same equipment.”

“It’s an investment in the future and helps with our corporate social responsibility – we’re looking out for the next generation. It’s quite a legacy to have, and we’re very proud of it.”

Hardy Signs is widely

respected within the industry. Nik formed the company in 1993, having served what he describes as an eight-year apprenticeship in the trade (“I was still the teaboy at 23!”). Starting out with then state-of-the-art technology, they specialised in vinyl cut lettering. Nowadays, their products include high-definition large-format printing, vehicle wraps, and digital signage –these form key elements of rebranding work for clients nationwide.

They’ve come a long way thanks to their innovations in technology and training the next generation. It must be a sign they’re doing the right thing… With Generation Z already tech savvy, the apprenticeship scheme developed by Hardy Signs has been a proven success.

“The entire industry has changed. We only do a small amount of hand-crafted sign writing these days – technology allows us to achieve a similar result in a fraction of the time. Yet, 30 years ago, we didn’t have

a single computer, which shows how the industry has completely evolved since we started.”

Hardy Signs will celebrate its 30th anniversary this August and continues to develop. While many business owners pursue long-term growth, Nik has a focused goal for the future.

“Certainly, we’ve got a long-term plan to double the size of the company; however, in the short-term, our goal is to continue providing a high-quality service to our clients whilst improving on our environmental impact and sustainability pledge.”

That makes long-term security more of a priority and ensures a strong platform for targeted growth in the coming years. It’s satisfyingly pragmatic, with Nik and his team taking big strides to plan for the future, whilst including short-term, tangible goals.

For more information on Hardy Signs’ apprenticeships and their product and services, simply visit hardysigns.co.uk or call 01283 569 102.

THE COMPANY HAS TAKEN STEPS TO ENSURE THAT NEW TALENT IS BEING DEVELOPED

Niche Business Awards 2023

Announcing BP Legal as the official headline sponsor of this year’s awards ceremony and judging process, we get to know Bhumika Parmar

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

The Vice President of Leicestershire Law Society (LLS) has announced she’ll be supporting this year’s Niche Business Awards as headline sponsor. The solicitor will also be employing her business and legal expertise as a judge.

Also the owner of independent law firm BP Legal, Bhumika Parmar has consistently supported the Leicestershire business community over the years as the sponsor of the Businessman of the Year category.

From her home in Leicestershire, Bhumika told us: “I’ve connected with lots of female business owners over the years and thought that supporting the men’s category was a good opportunity to mix with the male professionals! I really focused on finding businesswomen when I founded BP Legal, so much so that I now know lots of them. I felt there weren’t as many businesswomen as there should be – but as I dug deeper, I realised there are many women-led companies out there. Just in my village, for instance, the beauticians, the florist, and the café are all owned by women.

“I wanted to bridge the gap between women and men working together by supporting the men’s category. And personally, I wanted men to know that women are also serious businesspeople. If I didn’t support businessmen, then I would never be able to get that message across.”

Collaboration is Bhumika’s key strategy in both her roles as LLS Vice President and Director of BP Legal, which she founded 15 years ago. It was during the coronavirus pandemic that collaboration really came into play and took her business in a new direction.

“I wasn’t going to let that time be wasted over the Covid period. I expanded our reach by building

relationships with local agencies and brokers. When we came back to the office full-time, I had tripled my sales.”

With over 25 years of experience in both residential and commercial property, Bhumika connected with developers and quickly onboarded six new clients, each with large property portfolios across the East Midlands. BP Legal is the partner firm for these and companies in other sectors, and is now trusted with the conveyancing and legal matters of their properties and acquisitions.

Relationships on another scale were also created. From previous experience, businesses around Leicestershire knew they could count on Bhumika and the team when they were in need. When one company’s printing system went down, they went to BP Legal for help. These kinds of alliances have not been forgotten and are still prevailing today; they’re why Bhumika’s reputation precedes her and how she came to acquire a new business in August 2022.

BP Legal bought out nationwide web-based company Solicitors4Landlords Ltd after a client and friend recommended Bhumika as a potential buyer of the company when its founder was looking to retire. On the

Any opportunity to mix with other business owners and support the community should be snapped up

purchase, Bhumika commented: “The company was the owner’s baby and her reputation was still on the line so she needed to choose its successor well. I was in two minds about how we were going to take on Solicitors4Landlords. I could merge it with BP Legal or keep it as a stand-alone business.”

Going with the latter option, Solicitors4Landlords and BP Legal remain separate entities. Bhumika explained her reasoning behind the choice: “If I merged the two companies, we would have lost the SEO and nationwide audience of Solicitors4Landlords. BP doesn’t have that nationwide audience. But, in time, as we continue to run Solicitors4Landlords, we can refer those clients to BP Legal for conveyancing work. The two companies will encapsulate each other so BP Legal will become nationwide itself over the years, naturally and organically.”

Since the acquisition last year, Bhumika says she has recouped her investment and has tripled BP Legal’s sales figures. She’s hoping to triple it again by 2024.

Meanwhile, there are two other property-based businesses that Bhumika owns and she also has her own

property portfolio. Working 13 hours a day to fit it all in, Bhumika is eager to use all her time wisely: “Whilst I can still do it, I want to utilise all the hours I can, but I don’t forget my family. It’s a rule that we don’t work at the weekends, and we make time for holidays each year. And I still have time to watch programmes and movies with the family.”

Remarkably, there are still hours in the day for Bhumika to dedicate to charity work. Being an ambassador for Zinthiya Trust, she supports victims of abuse and poverty as well as charity work in India. This year, she’ll be heading to Mumbai to create more alliances and donate to the homeless and the poor.

While she’s far from lonely in all her business and family activities, Bhumika knows what being at the top can feel like. “As a business owner, you can be isolated, so any opportunity to mix with other business owners and support the community should be snapped up. This is one of the reasons why being headline sponsor of the Niche Business Awards was a great option for me.”

Organised by parent company Cross Productions, the Niche Business Awards will take place at Athena on September 8. Nominations are open until March 31.

“Headline sponsorship gives me a connection with businesses and allows them to learn about LLS and our charitable work. One of the things I like about Cross is that they are heavily motivated in connecting people. Just the other day, Jenny, Cross’s CEO introduced me to someone I would have never thought would be mutually beneficial and now I have a meeting booked with them next week. That connected mindset is an important factor as to why I chose to become headline sponsor.”

BP Legal will become nationwide itself over the years, naturally and organically

HR will see you now...

When it comes to human resources, the common issues tend to be universal. While different companies have different needs, the needs of people are the same. Nicki Robson, director of Breedon Consulting, told us her most frequently asked questions WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

The main thing to consider when it comes to human resources is to be prepared. The sooner you have your policies and procedures in place, the easier it becomes to act on them. It’s much harder for HR to act when you’re already past the point of no return.

“Our most common ‘in’ is as a distress purchase,” says Nicki Robson the director of HR company Breedon Consulting. “Something has gone wrong in the company, and the management wants our help to fix it. The reality is that, had we been involved months earlier, we could’ve been a lot more impactful.”

Nicki has shared with Niche the questions Breedon Consulting are most often asked by new clients.

THE BIG ISSUE IS, MANAGERS WHO EITHER DON’T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE OR DON’T HAVE THE APPETITE TO

How do I deal with performance issues?

The key to dealing with performance issues is to make sure expectations and measurements are clear. You may feel that an employee is not performing, but if the expectation for them hasn’t been articulated and there are no measures in place, it can be difficult to demonstrate. Once those mechanisms are in place, if the employee really isn’t performing, you can show where they’re falling short, and give them the support they need to catch up. If they still don’t improve, you can advance matters with evidence. It’s important not to chuck the baby out with the bathwater – if they’re in the role, there must’ve been a reason. Sometimes external life factors can cause a performance dip, and they just need help.

How do I address problems with conduct?

This can divide into two categories: ongoing issues and oneoff incidents. An ongoing issue might be that someone is always late, but if management doesn’t address it early, it won’t get resolved. The problem will become too great by the time HR gets involved. If you’ve let an ongoing issue fester, you can’t suddenly act without warning. With one-offs, it depends – if it’s a serious issue, you’re going to have to act through the disciplinary process. If it’s an accidental slip up from an employee with an unblemished five-year record, you might be better off exploring why it’s happened and giving out a warning. The key thing is consistency – if you let it go, it sets a precedent, so you must be prepared to let it go next time too. The action you take needs to be reasonable.

How can I make my management team more effective?

In a nutshell: training. The big issue is managers who either don’t know how to deal with people or don’t have the appetite to. Managing people is a skill that’s not always taught. Usually, the best salesman becomes the sales manager. The best accountant becomes head of the finance team. But that doesn’t mean they’re the best at managing people, so training is important. A good manager acts as a foil to their team, helps them shine, makes everyone happier, boosts productivity, and looks good as a result. These skills can be learned, but need to be taught.

‘Not being sustainable is not an option’

What does it mean in 2023 for a business to contribute to a more sustainable future? Emily Smith, a leader in the field, answers that question as we look to a new year in business. For her, contributing to a more sustainable future is not just business, it’s personal WORDS BY

EMILY MILLER

Director Emily Smith ia at the helm of two carbonneutral companies, Michael Smith Switchgear and AVW Fabrications. They have become pioneers in sustainability within manufacturing, but we wanted to know why it’s so important to the two organisations.

“We believe we are the only switchgear manufacturers in the UK that are officially certified carbon-neutral,” she says. “And as a fabrication company, we are also right up there. It’s personal for me that we have such a big commitment to sustainability – I honestly couldn’t sleep at night knowing that we weren’t doing all we can. Not being sustainable is not an option.”

Growing up, Emily’s mother’s environmental compassion made an impactful impression on her, one that led her to travel and explore the natural world on a conservation trip to Africa and

the Rainforest.

“I saw with my own eyes the effects of climate change –you can’t unsee those things, they shape how you look at the world.”

Manufacturing isn’t known for its green credentials, that’s why the two organisations’ dedicated commitment to being sustainable is even greater. “Much of what we do isn’t a requirement. We do what we do from an ethical viewpoint. It doesn’t make us the cheapest manufacturer, but it makes us the most ethical – and that’s important to us and our clients.”

It isn’t only clients who will recognise this green commitment though, it’s also potential employees who are now largely looking to work for organisations with a sustainable culture.

“Employers look more attractive to new skilled employees if they have a strong sustainability commitment, it’s one of the top three things that our

BUSINESS ECO QUICK WINS

Quick wins businesses can implement without big investment

USING TO LED BULBS

Switching light bulbs is a good place to start

CHANGING LIGHT SWITCHES TO PIR SENSORS

Sensor lighting can reduce energy consumption by 30% in some commercial buildings

COMMUNICATE

Communication with your team is vital. Explain how they can do their bit by turning off lights and equipment

RECYCLE, RECYCLE, RECYCLE

Provide separate bins to help staff segregate waste

DITCH SINGLE USE PLASTICS

If you have a coffee machine or water cooler, encourage theuse of reusable bottles/cups

ASSESS YOUR PACKAGING

Opt for eco-friendly alternatives of your usual packaging – it might even be cheaper!

I SAW WITH MY OWN EYES THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE –YOU CAN’T UNSEE THOSE THINGS, THEY SHAPE HOW YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD

interviewees ask from us; that we are a sustainable company.”

The pressure to be this way comes from within the two organisations, as Emily explains: “If there was a governing system that would place sanctioned guidelines on businesses to adopt green methods when importing and exporting goods, companies would have to comply – it’s only really when that happens that companies will be forced to be greener.”

You can see why the organisation is an eco award winner. Their investment both financially and ethically in green policy isn’t a forced one, it’s a choice and that is pretty inspirational, to say the least.

“None of us can be solely responsible for climate change, but we can do all we can to make a significant positive impact,” Emily concludes. And as I leave their offices, I can’t help but be seriously impressed.

Why the 3Cs need to be part of your toolkit in 2023

East Midlands specialists ER Recruitment reveal the reasons why collaboration, community and choice are three tools businesses need in their toolkit to assist in driving businesses forward in 2023 and beyond

During times of difficulty and uncertainty, the businesses that thrive are the ones that draw out their survival kit and face challenges head-on. In recent years, many businesses have been shaken by turbulence, but have utilised their survival kit to both endure and prosper.

No doubt in 2023, businesses will face new challenges but with the three Cs, organisations will have the foundations to continue to strive forward and make the East Midlands region a great place to live and work.

Eileen Richards, founder and director of ER Recruitment said: “Collaboration, community, and choice are three Cs that I have utilised throughout my career. The three complement each other to result in personal and business achievements alongside having a positive impact on the success of the region.”

COLLABORATION

“The East Midlands is renowned for business innovation and resilience – we’re a region of 367,000 businesses (East Midlands Chamber, 2022), that’s a lot of great firms to work in partnership with. As we have witnessed, it’s the businesses that work together supporting each other’s goals that result in outstanding projects and results. With collaboration in the toolkit, businesses should consider other brands and services that complement their offering and establish if there could be added value by forming a strategic alliance with one of these organisations.”

COMMUNITY

“As businesses, it is our duty to invest time and money into our community to make it a great place to live and work. From a recruitment perspective, we see how businesses’ CSR (corporate social responsibility) and ESG (environmental, social and governance) activity impacts their ability to recruit and retain top talent.”

Employers need to be seen to be supporting local causes, getting involved in local initiatives, having a sustainable impact, and making a positive difference to our community to be considered an ‘employer of choice’. Hiring is a challenge for many businesses right now, likewise, 31% of employees quit a job within the first six months (Bamboo HR), which demonstrates why businesses need to be doing more to attract and retain quality people.”

CHOICES

“One of the biggest choices for all businesses is based on people: the people you choose to work in business partnerships with, the people you choose to place in

managerial positions to represent the brand, and the people you choose to hire. As experts, we know that finding these right people can be tough, but choosing to work with the right recruitment partner that understands your people-challenges and skill gaps will help to alleviate pressures and, ultimately, get the right bums on the right seats.”

ER AND THE COMMUNITY

“We are collaborating, working with our community, and making positive choices in the following three ways: Our DNA framework puts the three Cs at the centre of what we do. For our clients and candidates, we define, navigate, and acquire to match talented individuals to great businesses. However, our commitment extends beyond recruitment.’

We’re collaborating by working with long-standing partners such as Breedon Consulting to offer a combined recruitment and HR function. At the East Midlands Chamber Awards, we were awarded the ‘Excellence in Collaboration Award’ for our BrightER Futures partnership with De Montfort University.”

We’re supporting the community by working closely with incredible charities and initiatives. One example of this is our close partnership with Hope Against Cancer – we have continued to build on our relationship and our MD has now founded the sub-group ‘Hopeful Futures’ with a great board in place to support the charity’s goals to educate and spread awareness of cancer amongst younger audiences.”

And we’re choosing to work with businesses that we know, to treat their employees well, invest in their people and support great causes.”

As a business that keeps collaboration, community, and choice at the core of our DNA, we pride ourselves on the relationships we have formed and are always keen to connect with like-minded employers to do business with in one way or another. For a free consultation on how we can work in partnership, visit eileenrichardsrecruitment.co.uk.”

Collaboration, community, and choice are three Cs that I have utilised throughout my career

Afree recruitment service for digital marketing roles is part of a wider scheme to help close the digital skills gap by training individuals who want to break into the industry, switch careers, or develop their current workplace.

Leicester company Anicca Digital is a training provider approved by the Government to run its Digital Skills Bootcamp course. The next course begins in March, with more course dates to be confirmed in the coming months.

The company has created an online community to advertise jobs to its learners through its online Slack and WhatsApp groups. They currently have around 50 candidates seeking new opportunities in digital marketing. In the last 12 months, Anicca’s Bootcamp has kickstarted the careers of over 250 people across the East Midlands and East Anglia.

Anicca, which turned 15 last year, has received funding by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership to run the 10-module course. As part of the funding deal, approved training providers must guarantee unemployed learners a job after completing the three-month course.

Going the extra mile, Anicca created a new position in the business. Salema Khatun is the firm’s Employer Liaison Officer whose role is to work with local employers and provide free candidate screening and CV matching.

Smaller companies looking to fill digital marketing roles can typically find it difficult to secure an ideal candidate due to the nature of the industry,

Digital Skills Bootcamp helps fill job vacancies

Businesses are benefitting from what is essentially a free recruitment service that works with candidates who are looking for opportunities in digital marketing

DIGITAL MARKETING HAS COME VERY FAR VERY QUICKLY AND HAS CREATED A GENERATIONAL SKILLSET GAP

according to Anicca. Trainees can be hard to come by as it can seem expensive to hire through a recruitment agency, graduates may have little practical experience, and older and more experienced workers may not have the IT skills required.

Ann Stanley, founder and CEO of Anicca, commented: “Digital marketing has come very far very quickly and has created a generational skillset gap. We deliberately try to help minority and priority groups such as those over the age of 50 or under 24, and the BAME community.

“Employers already know that those who have taken the course have had the tenacity to do so, we’ve already pre-screened the candidates, and they’ll have the knowledge they’ve gained through the course. That level of training is a huge part of education for adults and a significant advantage to small businesses.”

The course leads to a

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

level 5 qualification from the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI). So far, over 50 learners have successfully passed their exam with an average pass rate of 90%. Having a level 5 qualification in digital marketing can open doors to new job opportunities and further education, such as a degree apprenticeship at level 6.

The course, worth £2,500, is free to the unemployed and self-employed. SME employers are required to contribute £250 towards the course, and companies with more than 250 employees are to contribute £750.

“If you’re an employer and want someone to take the course, or you’re struggling to find candidates for a new role, we have this free recruitment service available to you.”

Get in touch via anicca.co.uk to learn more about advertising jobs. Apply for the course at anicca.co.uk/free-digitalmarketing-recruitment-services.

A clear inbox = a productive day

Think about how you feel once you’ve organised something. At home, perhaps it’s the messy kitchen drawer. At work, it could be reaching the end of your email inbox. Jo

at JSP Virtual told Niche why a clear inbox leads to a productive day

When my email inbox is properly organised, I know I feel much clearer, more productive and able to turn my attention towards the day’s important work or relaxing properly, when time allows.

How about you? Do you feel more productive? Like you can concentrate on actually running your business?

Whether at home or at work, being organised always feels good. However, organisation at work is more than a feelgood moment. It makes things more efficient, productive and ultimately, more profitable. Though it can make you feel bad too.

Let me explain. Once your inbox is clear and your to-do list is complete, and you get that ‘winning feeling’, there’s

immediately more added and that high from being on top of it all is lost. Not to mention the efficiency and profitability that came with it. Know that feeling?

“Oh yes definitely, I know that feeling,” Jo Peters from JSP Virtual agrees. “I see it in 99% of clients that come to us for our remote receptionist and diary services in particular.

“There aren’t enough hours in their day to dedicate to organising work admin, which in turn affects home life and the stresses of trying to do it all.”

So, what’s the answer? Jo suggests considering outsourcing.

Outsourcing

In recent years, businesses have found that the culture and advancements in technology have meant that working remotely and outsourcing your

THERE AREN’T ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY TO DEDICATE TO WORK ADMIN, WHICH IN TURN AFFECTS HOME LIFE

Peters

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

workload not only works, but actually saves time and money –both precious resources for any business owner.

“Outsourcing is more affordable than people think. By using a company like ours as a remote receptionist, diary manager and business support assistant, they are saving money in what would ordinarily be an in-house employee’s job, and they’re saving their time as a business owner.

“They get all the benefits of feeling organised and productive, in the knowledge that the admin side of their business is taken care of professionally.”

As you start the new year in business, that reached-the-endof-the-inbox feeling might just be achieved by outsourcing. You can call Jo on 0116 366 2044 for more time-saving tips.

Triple threat technology

from BTT

Rob Bright and Shiv Passap of diverse technology company BTT have a new year’s message for you – to be on top in business in 2023, means ensuring your security, connectivity and IT need to be triple threat prepared ahead of the digital switchover WORDS BY

EMILY

MILLER

Abusiness like BTT has many strings to its bow. Communications, connectivity, telecoms, IT, and security, to name a few. BTT is diverse and dynamic in its offerings providing solutions which enable their customers to be ahead of the game across all their technological resources.

“Our clients often don’t realise just how much we can do. I know it’s typical for the general perception that a business offers one thing really well – we do that, but we do that through various departments,” BTT’s Connectivity Specialist Shiv Passap tells me.

They aren’t segregated though, despite offering a diverse range of support and services, Rob Bright BTT’s Telecommunication specialist explains: “Often, someone from our telecoms team will head out to a client and discover that the client’s needs require someone from our connectivity team to attend too, in order to be able to fully service the job.

“It’s always a multi-pronged

ALL BUSINESSES NEED TO GET ON BOARD WITH THIS CHANGE IN THE PIPELINE, BUT IT WILL BE FAR FROM A CASE OF JUST CHANGING A BIT OF CABLING

service, because in our industry there is rarely one specialist area that doesn’t require the support of another specialist area.”

With the digital switchover of 2025 fast approaching, I ask Rob which departments clients will need: “All of us! Of course, we will determine what a client needs when we go out to meet them, but it’s our experience that makes me say that.

“The digital switchover won’t work if clients approach it with ‘fixing’ the situation; sometimes it needs supporting systems to be optimised and invested in to ensure it’s not only smooth but also creates better processes for the business.”

This approach is similar when it comes to the cybersecurity of any business too, as Rob tells me: “Since the pandemic, cybersecurity has been a growing threat and one our clients often share their concerns over.

“Our security team provides all the technology and training support for all new systems and can provide these services in addition to digitalising a business.

Implementing technology also requires the training to be able to use it safely.”

It appears that the message here to businesses is that these changes in the technology industry are multi-layered. To implement them effectively, efficiently, and profitably, a business needs to approach them as exactly that.

“There’s no one size-fitsall approach here. Yes, all businesses need to get on board with this change in the pipeline, but it will be far from a case of just changing a bit of cabling.

“It will affect every aspect of a business – from card payment machines to lift communications, alarm systems, and much more. We look at the bigger pictures, and all the details behind them working together to draw on the experience and knowledge of one another to make it work for our clients,” Rob concludes.

Speak to the BTT team on 0330 222 0330 to find out how their multi-layered approach will place you ahead of the rest before the digital switchover in 2025.

#EmbraceEquity

International Women’s Day is on March 8, 2023

This year’s theme focuses on the need for equity as a path to equality. Niche spoke to influential members of the business community to find out what that means to them

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER, KERRY SMITH, AND TOM YOUNG

The International Women’s Day movement describes equity as not just a ‘nice-to-have’, but a ‘must-have’. Equity is about giving people what they need to experience the world on par with those around them. Once everyone is starting from the same place, then we can think about equality.

Treating everyone the same is a beautiful ideal. Yet the reality is that certain groups or individuals need additional support in order to operate at the same level as others. Most people would need a 60m head start (at least) in order to have a competitive chance of beating Usain Bolt in the 100m. If you gave the same head start to Usain too, it would be equal, but it wouldn’t be

equitable.

In the business world, this may take many forms;. If a business offered every employee the same benefits package, but half the company have no need of what’s offered, that would be equal, but not equitable. If the company surveyed its employees to learn of their individual needs, and tailored their packages to each individual accordingly, that would be equitable, but not equal.

Whether through challenging gender stereotypes, calling out discrimination, drawing attention to bias, or seeking out inclusion, pursuing equity is not restricted to women – male allies are incredibly valuable.

Working better with

There are approximately 5.87 million women of peri-menopausal or menopausal age currently working in the UK. With around 15.7 million working women in the UK aged between 16 and 60, this in turn means that over 35% of the current female workforce could be experiencing one or more symptoms of the menopause whilst continuing to work. It’s also believed that around 18% of those are considering leaving their roles due to lack of support from their employer.

Just let that sink in for a moment. The menopause can cause a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms that can last for several years, including hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, sleep deprivation, memory loss and much more.

In a recent survey conducted by music licensing company PPL PRS, out of 500 menopausal women, it was reported that only around 26% of the people surveyed feel supported by their employer during the menopause. And over 90% of those surveyed had experienced at least one physical or mental symptom. However, over 40% of those have not tried to source any relief from those symptoms.

PPL PRS also found there are 75,000 internet searches a month for ‘menopause symptoms’, while only 5,000 users search for ‘menopause relief ’. The research shows that the majority of women who are experiencing any kind of menopause symptoms are probably continuing to suffer in silence, and are not receiving the support or treatment they need to help them manage this time of their life.

The team at PPL PRS have chosen to sign the Wellbeing of Women Workplace Pledge to confirm their commitment to supporting their colleagues who are experiencing any signs of menopause.

By signing the Menopause Workplace Pledge, PPL PRS commits to:

◆ Recognising that menopause can be an issue in the workplace and that women need support

◆ Talking openly, positively, and respectfully about the menopause

◆ Actively supporting and informing our employees affected by the menopause

So far, over 1,700 UK businesses have signed up to the pledge, but there needs to be more awareness and education for business leaders to equip them with the knowledge they need in order to provide the support that this survey shows is obviously lacking for many women. We asked Managing Director Andrea Gray how PPL PRS is providing this kind of equity in the workplace.

Niche: Why has PPL PRS pledged to support women with menopausal symptoms?

Andrea Gray: Approximately 20% of our female employees are over the age of 45, and as we returned to the office after the pandemic, we started to look at ways we could support anyone who may be suffering or unsure if their symptoms were due to the menopause. We also wanted to offer support to the wider business, to help them understand how to help their colleagues during this time, and possibly also their own family members who could be experiencing symptoms but not sharing this with their partners or children. Around 18% of peri-menopausal or menopausal age UK women who are currently employed are considering leaving their roles due to lack of support from their employer, according to Elektra Health. As a business that prides itself on being diverse and inclusive, we became aware that a number of our employees may have been experiencing menopausal symptoms without the necessary support in place.

What support do you offer to the team?

We began with a short drop-in session, which led to the implementation of a Workplace Menopause Policy that ensures anyone experiencing symptoms is treated fairly, with respect and supported in line with the policy. The policy includes flexible working, adjusted working conditions and, most importantly, it allowed the business to be able to record sickness absence as menopauserelated, which would then enable line managers to provide more support where it was needed and encourage the employee to seek medical help where necessary. We’ve also provided care packages that are placed in accessible lockers throughout the building, close to bathroom

Around 18% of peri-menopausal or menopausal age UK women who are currently employed are considering leaving their roles due to lack of support from their employer

the menopause

areas. These care packages included new underwear, replacement clothing in various sizes, freshening wipes and sanitary products. In our recent survey, we found that only 3.5% of businesses that do offer support provide care packages, and these items can be vital for someone who is at work and experiencing unusually heavy periods. More recently, we have created our own Menopause and Periods Hub, where our employees can access a wealth of support and information.

How can others ease the symptoms of the menopause?

Only 40% of the women we surveyed have sought relief from their symptoms. When we think of that relief, we immediately think of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), vitamins and herbal remedies, and in some extreme cases, surgery. However, were you aware that music can have a positive effect on some of the symptoms? Music can help ease stress and anxiety, bringing a sense of calm and relaxation. It can also help with concentration. Many menopause sufferers complain that their memory and concentration are severely affected and they get ‘brain fog’. Music has been proven to aid with this. We all have our favourite tracks, ones which bring back memories of wonderful holidays or events, reminds us of loved ones, or can simply put a smile on our faces and get our feet tapping. Dancing and exercise is a great way to ease some of both the physical and mental symptoms of menopause, and what better way to feel good than dancing around the kitchen to our favourite songs, with our brains producing dopamine and serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ chemicals, and lifting our spirits. Not sure what to play? There are a huge number of ‘Menopause Playlists’ to choose from on Spotify if you are looking for some inspiration.

How do you exercise these processes when it comes to gender inclusivity?

Being inclusive is absolutely vital to us here at PPL PRS, and the Workplace Pledge recognises this. We use the terms ‘women’, ‘staff’, ‘employees’ and ‘people affected by the menopause’ to reflect the fact that whilst most

people who experience the menopause are women, some trans men and non-binary people experience the menopause too. We also recognise that some trans women may experience similar symptoms at times. Employers must ensure workplaces are inclusive and sensitive to the needs of all people, including those whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.

The Wellbeing of Women Workplace Pledge has been written about by PPL PRS at pplprs.co.uk where more information and advice can be found.

Minakshee Patel Consultancy

‘Why?’ as a way forward

Minakshee Patel was a ‘rebel with a cause’ in her teen years – she just didn’t know at the time. Her non-conformist attitude was driven by the question ‘why?’

As an Asian female growing up in the ‘70s, childhood was full of ‘why’ questions. Minakshee quizzed her family on the cultural aspects of her upbringing, like why it was the done thing that men ate before women. Looking back on it, she realises that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) were things she’s practiced her whole life, not just in the last 16 years of her EDI career in local government or 12 years in HR in the NHS.

“Growing up, there were people who couldn’t quite voice what they wanted to, and I like to think I enabled

Patel Consultancy provides team and individual profiling, coaching, recruitment profiling, and bespoke training programmes.

The business is centred around helping others answer the question ‘why?’. Educating and listening rather than preaching, Minakshee never tells her clients that they’re wrong in any capacity. She explains: “I don’t jump into telling people that certain things are wrong; I ask why they have used certain phrases and if they’ve thought about how that might impact somebody. If you tell someone they’re wrong, then the next time a related situation occurs, they won’t say anything out of fear of being wrong.”

Most organisations do have an understanding of women’s issues now, such as the menopause. Minakshee has worked with businesses to develop their menopause policy and raise awareness with managers about how to provide support. Gender pay gap reporting is another factor Minakshee references, requiring all businesses with more than 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap.

“I read an East Midlands Chamber report in 2022 that said four in 10 businesses do not have a policy – that’s really stark. Firms need to recognise that women make up half of the population, so if they want their business to be seen as inclusive to women, they need to have systems in place to support them. Plus, women have spending power; we can choose who we buy from and who we work for!”

those individuals to do that growing up,” Minakshee says. “I appreciated their reasons; sometimes it’s just that they needed some support and confidence. I was doing that for classmates and colleagues. I have an open, approachable and cheery disposition, so people feel comfortable in coming to me.”

Last February, she set up her own business to help educate businesses on the importance of EDI. Minakshee

The courses Minakshee Patel Consultancy provides can be tailored. She has recently been asked to cover how to make part-time work attractive to women, how to invite new mothers back to the workplace, targeted faith awareness talks and more.

She encourages people not to feel they should be ‘careful around women’, nor that they should feel the need to ‘look after’ them. “Women are actually very strong, resilient characters. To move forward in equality of any kind, it’s empowering to build our own confidence in asking ‘why’ when we hear something that doesn’t sit right with us.”

To move forward in equality of any kind, it’s empowering to build our own confidence in asking ‘why’ when we hear something that doesn’t sit right with us

#EmbraceEquity

Resilience and visibility

Rising to the top of an industry is a challenge for anyone – but for a woman in a male-dominated world, Emily Smith’s advice is simple.

“Don’t listen,” she says. “Be resilient. I’ve had some horrendous things said to me. ‘You can’t be the managing director of a fabrications company – you’re a woman’ or ‘you’re just a silly little girl, what do you know?’”

Emily is the Managing Director at AVW Fabrications and the Operations & Finance Director at Michael Smith Switchgear, two high-up positions in prolific organisations.

“If I wasn’t of a resilient character, these things could really get to me. Imposter syndrome is a massive issue –for men too, but more prevalent in women – so when you hear these things, they make it worse. You need resilience not to let that in. But at the same time, I’m so resilient because I have heard these things and I’ve found a way to come through them.”

“It’s one of my pet peeves when someone says: ‘Why is this a women’s event? Why is it International Women’s Day? What about the men?’ and I say: ‘Hang on a minute, what about the working men’s clubs? What about the freemasons, and all the other things that exist solely for men?’ We need these things to make us more visible.”

Every business can own the responsibility of creating equitable working environments. The businesses’ latest strategy for generating equal opportunities is very simple.

“When we’re hiring, our HR team removes names and other identifying information from the CVs, so we see the candidates on the strengths of their skills and experience alone. Hopefully, this removes any unconscious bias, and means we interview people that might’ve been overlooked in the past.”

With the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day being #EmbraceEquity, Emily believes that the best way to get more women into the manufacturing and engineering industries is at the grassroots level.

“Equity is the pathway to equality. It’s how we catch women up with men – and once we’re level, we can start to think about equality.

“In my industry, we need to be reaching girls while they’re young. I’m an enterprise advisor in schools and work to ensure they know the opportunities that are available to them. I was at a careers fair with the fabrications team recently, when a couple of girls came over to look at our table, and one said: ‘I can’t go into that because I’m a girl’.

“Why? Who’s told you that? Where’s this ideology come from that you can’t do something? We need to change that; it’s not about saying: ‘You have to do it’ so much as ‘You can do it’ and making it an option.”

International Women’s Day, Pride, Black History Month – these are all examples of equitable events, not designed to exclude others, but to emphasise the continuing needs of minority groups and the rights and opportunities they fight for.

Equity is the pathway to equality. It’s how we catch women up with men, and once we’re level, we can start to think about equality

The path that led to everywhere

For 15-year-old Keeley Baigent, a student at Loughborough’s Our Lady’s Convent School, law became her goal. It wasn’t a path that came from anywhere in particular, but through hard work and a supportive family it led her everywhere.

That path has led to Keeley becoming Company Director of her own company, ksabLAW. So how does a young girl at an all-girls school with no family members in law settle on a path for a career in it?

“I knew I wanted to become a lawyer at the age of 15 years old. I can’t remember why I had this desire – and I’m unsure of where it came from, as no one I knew was a solicitor or barrister or even worked in the law,” she

In addition, she was the only pupil in her school year to go on to study law at university. Having made the grades, she attended Nottingham Trent University to graduate as a solicitor.

“My head teacher taught us girls that we could do and be anything we set our minds to – there were no restrictions from that perspective,” she adds. After completing her law degree, which included a one-year period of employed work, she went on to a postgraduate Legal Practice Course (LPC) at De Montfort University, where she developed an affinity with employment law.

After completing her training contract, building up valuable experiences and working within practices in different legal areas, she qualified as a solicitor in 2002. Keeley was promoted to associate solicitor in 2005 and

My head teacher taught us girls that we could do and be anything we set our minds to

Partner at Nelsons Law in 2008 until 2018 when Keeley decided it was time to step out on her own.

“The primary reason for me founding ksabLAW was to provide me with flexibility alongside bringing up our two children – who at the time were six and two years old. We adopted our children and I felt compelled to ensure I was around for them, especially in their early years.

“I really enjoy my work so I wanted to continue with it whilst raising my family in a way that didn’t compromise the business or my personal life. So many mothers feel this pull

in different directions, and for me it was about ensuring I felt fulfilled in both.”

Balancing career and a young family, especially if it’s your own business, takes a fair amount of determination and skill to manage. When I ask her how she’s achieved this, she replies: “I am lucky enough to have been influenced and supported by very strong female figures in my life. They have taught me about loyalty, strength, resilience, and kindness.

“How the female family members in my life in particular have dealt with serious illness and personal tragedies with such positivity and strength has taught me a great deal.”

Keeley has gone on to become one of the most highly regarded and recognised employment law specialists in the East Midlands. When I ask her what 15-year-old Keeley would think to that, she replies: “I think she’d be pretty proud of herself!”

A brief history of the gender pay gap

Keeley Baigent shares her knowledge of the gender pay gap in 2023

We all have a responsibility to ensure that the organisations in which we work operate in an ethical way, free from gender pay inequality, sex discrimination and sexual harrassment.

Ensuring that female employees are adequately represented within organisations – particularly at a senior level – is essential in creating a culture free of inequality and discrimination. In addition, conducting regular reviews to ensure that promotions and pay increases are applied fairly and equally to both men and women will help in securing a fair environment.

Legislation promoting equality in the workplace between men and women and to prohibit sex discrimination (including sexual harassment) first came into force in 1970 under the Equal Pay Act 1970 (EqPA 1970) and 1975 pursuant to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA 1975).

The EqPA 1970 was enacted at a time when it wasn’t uncommon for employers to openly pay different rates to men and women performing the same job, or to reserve lower-paid jobs for women.

Although such overt discrimination is less common today, a significant gender pay gap remains. A substantial difference in average hourly rates for men and women persists in the UK, quoted at anywhere between 12% and 21%, depending on the method of analysis used on the data.

Today, the main function of equal pay law is tackling the effect of long-standing job-segregation and undervaluing of jobs traditionally seen as ‘women’s

work’, such as caring, catering and cleaning roles. In recent years, thousands of women have brought equal pay claims to address the ongoing effects of this historical segregation.

Continuing inequality is still operating between men and women conducting the same or similar work. Only last March, a bank was ordered to pay over £2m compensation to a female employee who brought successful claims for equal pay, sex discrimination and victimisation (Macken v BNP Paribas London Branch 2021: 10 WLUK 640).

In fact, the legal profession has some of the biggest gaps in salary between male and female employees that are not due to their level of education or years of experience.

Gender pay inequality is also more prevalent in senior roles. In March 2021, a report on Women in Economic Decision Making in the EU showed that limited progress had been made to achieve gender balance within the boardroom, with just 32% of boards in the UK made up of women.

To comprehensively address pay inequalities, an employer can conduct a job evaluation study (JES). A JES is an analytical procedure for ranking jobs in a non-discriminatory way. They will then be grouped into salary bands and all jobs within a particular band will be ‘rated as equivalent’ for the purposes of the EqA 2010 and should therefore be paid on the same scale, unless a material factor applies.

We have come so far – but there is still a way to go.

So many mothers feel this pull in different directions and for me, it was about ensuring I felt fulfilled in both

2 new street Chambers

After 20 years of practising criminal law, initially as a Higher Court Advocate and predominantly as Defence Counsel in Crown Courts in the East Midlands, Sarah Cornish is now a family barrister at the pioneering and inclusive 2 New Street Chambers, Leicester. The firm, is now in its 100th year, and has been employing award-winning female barristers since taking on trailblazing Yetta Frazer – the first female barrister to practise in Leicester.

Sarah didn’t take the traditional pathway to the bar –law degree, bar finals and pupillage. She first completed a degree in English Literature and Language, before returning to university as a Post Graduate to study law, being called to the Bar aged 34.

Sarah explains her change in direction post-divorce as she settled back in Leicester with two young children under the age of six: “As with all life-changing moments, there was a period to reassess and re-evaluate. I had always had a keen sense of justice and fairness, and decided to retrain as a barrister.”

Not a straightforward move, some might say –especially when you consider the pressures of family life and the juggling of study, work and motherhood.

However, rather than having held her back, Sarah’s life experiences have proved to be a positive asset when dealing with her clients. They are drawn from all walks of life, something she is keen to highlight to others: “I went to a comprehensive school and was the first in my family to go to university. None of the above, however, is a barrier to success if you really want to succeed. Work extremely hard, develop a thick skin and keep going.”

Keep going she did. Having been exposed to gender politics in the mid ’80s through reading literature by Margaret Attwood – who Sarah describes as ‘hugely influential’ – her drive, hard work and self-belief,

irrespective of gender, background or position in life, led her to complete a PGDL at De Montfort University before completing her Bar Finals at Nottingham Bar School.

Sarah was called to the Bar at Grays Inn in July 2001.“When I first practised it was the first year that more female barristers had been called at Grays Inn than male. Female barristers were still very much in the minority at the Crown Court. This is changing. It’s not uncommon that a court is entirely made up of women – from the judge to the advocates and the essential court staff.”

There are challenges, though, as Sarah shares: “Life at the bar is incredibly rewarding, but does not sit easily

with the demands of a young family. Hours are long and hearings can be moved at the last minute or run over, which can prove difficult with childcare.

“The experiences I had, when I started my legal journey, however, have been the building blocks to my career. They have played a key part in enabling me to help those who have instructed me at a time when they may be feeling at their most vulnerable.

“Being a member of a Chambers that has been a trailblazer for women in the law, and at the cornerstone of Leicester’s legal community for 100 years, continues to be a privilege.”

When I first practised it was the first year that more female barristers had been called at Grays Inn than male

#EmbraceEquity

Appearances can be deceiving

The modern world places a lot of attention on physical appearance. It’s impossible to scroll through Instagram without seeing the idealised versions of women from all over the world, perceived to be living their best lives, filled with luxury, flawless skin, and beautiful clothes. It’s an illusion that can be detrimental to the selfesteem of women everywhere – and teenagers especially. This has driven a rise in Botox, fillers, and other cosmetic procedures, as women feel a pressure to meet the beauty standards they’re bombarded with. Distressingly, this means that – if you scroll through Instagram – there’s a real chance that everyone will look broadly the same.

Amedics Clinic offers a different approach. Company founder Dr Ameera Laher told us that while they offer cosmetic procedures, they won’t perform what they deem to be unnecessary.

“If a young woman comes to us requesting fillers, for example, we approach it from a medical perspective, rather than just taking the work to keep the till active. It’s about talking to them as medical professionals to ensure

It can be quite a cowboy industry – you need frighteningly few qualifications to pick up a knife or a needle and change someone’s appearance. Our clinic is doctor-led, with qualified medical professionals and strict, regulated treatment plans, so you know we’re safe, we’re ethical and we give the appropriate advice.”

Amedics will be adding to their portfolio of services this year, bringing in the likes of vitamin testing and nutritional assessments.

“We want to complement the services we already provide, so it’s not too big a bridge from one to the other. My end goal is to incorporate the healthcare, aesthetic, and cosmetic clinics under one umbrella. It’s about listening to our client base – who are 80% women – and learning what they need. Though we’re completely inclusive and gender neutral, and work with the LGBT community too.”

the person doesn’t have an undiagnosed condition like body dysmorphia. By blindly performing the procedure on her, we could actually make it worse.

“So we always ensure it’s in the best interest of the patient. Do they understand the pros and cons? Do they know the side effects? And are they psychologically ready to have this kind of treatment? The entire industry should be like that.”

This feels like a healthy approach to cosmetic enhancements, with either route offering a chance to build self-esteem. If you have a blemish, scar, or insecurity that you want to change, Ameera says the right procedure can lead to a massive boost in confidence and self-esteem. If it’s not a necessary change, they can hopefully help you to accept your natural beauty and build confidence in other ways.

“When we do perform a procedure, it’s actually quite fulfilling for us, because it gives the patient so much selfconfidence. A small tweak in your appearance can change your personality – you no longer need to hide the thing you’ve worried about, and you flourish.

“It’s about doing cosmetic procedures in an ethical way.

It’s about talking to them as medical professionals to ensure the person doesn’t have an undiagnosed condition like body dysmorphia

Ashioma Consults

Leaving school with hopes and dreams, to be faced with discrimination and stereotyping is something Ashiedu Joel says you’re never taught how to deal with. She set up Ashioma Consults out of a personal quest to improve what leadership looks and feels like.

“My personal journey into leadership was a difficult one,” Ashiedu says. “I went into employment full of aspirations, thinking my skills, abilities and willingness to learn would propel me to the top. I hadn’t bargained for the fact that there are still some old networks that want to keep things the same.”

As a Black British woman, Ashiedu says she’s felt disillusioned in the workplace many times, referring to a time she was described as a “crazy African woman” in a meeting. To overcome the challenges, she took the time not to understand others rather than herself.

“I asked myself: What is it about this workplace culture

that limits me? What am I aspiring to be?

I had to understand my Black British self and my Nigerian self and how to straddle working across both cultures. Then I asked myself how I can get those at the top to recognise the strength in my cultural values, understanding that what was deemed normal to them was so out of tilt for me. To bring my authentic self to work, I had to work twice as hard for acceptance and recognition, because my difference was perceived as a threat rather than a benefit.

“Valuing difference and establishing cultures that make all feel welcome are leadership requirements to ensuring a more equitable workplace for all.”

Subconsciously, leaders lead with a particular style that their teams must conform with. Ashiedu encourages leaders to ask themselves: ‘What do I know about the cultures that I engage and shape at work? What does it feel like for others to be led by me?’

The gender poverty gap

Women are more likely to be hit harder by the cost-of-living crisis than their male counterparts, says Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan at Zinthiya Trust

Women are the ‘shock absorbers’ of poverty. They are archetypally the ones in a household who are less likely to be able to increase get paid work or increase their paid work due to childcare costs, whilst also typically being responsible for the purchase and preparation of food and managing household budgets.

Stats from the Women’s Budget Group (WBG) showed that single mothers in the UK were hit badly by the pandemic, with a third said to be in significant financial difficulty due to a number of reasons including lower levels of savings.

Zinthiya Trust is an organisation founded by Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan to

create a society where people can be free from abuse and poverty.

“We are seeing a huge increase in women suffering due to the cost-of-living crisis,” Zinthiya told us. “Their financial vulnerability is further increased by their relationship circumstances too. Women facing abuse are finding it significantly harder to leave their relationships due to concern about how to support themselves and their children as living costs and food and fuel poverty increases.

“The women who are excluded from claiming social security benefits are the most vulnerable as they face destitution if they separate from a partner or lose work. We see a high

proportion of women in this position.”

According to WBG’s report, poverty rates are significantly higher among people from Bangladeshi (53%), Pakistani (48%) and Black (40%) ethnic groups than among White people (19%), making it yet harder to meet rising living costs for women in these groups.

Zinthiya says there is still work to be done. If you or someone you know is in need of help, visit zinthiyatrust.org for free support and advice.

Following on from the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis presents another unprecedented challenge for charity fundraisers.

However, in contrast to the pandemic, we can at least anticipate the impact of a recession and take steps early to adapt our fundraising strategies accordingly.

It is important to start developing resilient strategies now to weather the coming storm, as demand for the services provided by charities will likely rise as living standards drop.

1STAY

RELEVANT A good place to start is to focus your services that may have a rise in demand, making your charity relevant during the cost-of-living crisis. Providing help where it is specifically needed in the local community will help align your charity with the day-to-day lives and values of supporters.

2FIND PARTNERS Now is a great time for charities to seek business partners and corporate supporters. With the cost-of-living crisis featuring so prominently in the national conversation, a lot of organisations will be keen to align themselves with charities and non-profits that are providing relevant services in their area.

3STAY PRESENT It is important for charities to stay present during this turbulent time and maintain their current fundraising activity. It may be challenging, but there will be long-term benefits to those that stay the course and keep showing up where supporters expect them to be.

If you want to speak about any of these issues, feel free to scan

3 things charities need to consider when fundraising during the cost-of-living crisis

here to get in touch with Zinthiya on LinkedIn

Leaping through technological hoops to provide agility in the workplace, the pandemic has accelerated our expectations of how businesses should operate. It’s not just IT firms and app developers that need to be ahead of the game, it’s businesses of all kinds that need to innovate with the use of tech.

We spoke to Associate Director Nick Wright at Jerroms Miller Specialist Tax to understand one company’s efforts to satisfy its employees’ and clients’ needs since 2020 and beyond.

Jerroms Miller Specialist Tax aims to make corporate tax less taxing. Nick is happy to offer advice on going digital and any tax queries and invites readers to contact him on nickwright@jerromsmiller.co.uk or by calling 0121 693 5000.

Digital Innovation:

How going digital is making specialist tax firm Jerroms Miller more efficient

Self-confessed ‘tech geek’ Nick Wright, associate director at Jerroms Miller Specialist Tax, has always welcomed advances in technology. He spoke to Niche about how digital innovations are benefiting tax advisers and clients day-to-day

Niche: How has Jerroms Miller embraced technology?

Nick: I’m not an IT expert, but I like technology and have some knowledge of how it works. My interest in IT means I’m always keen to look at digital innovations and see how they might make a

COVID, AND THE NEED FOR SAFE REMOTE WORKING DURING LOCKDOWN, LED US TO PROGRESS OUR DIGITALISATION PLANS

difference to our business. Covid, and the need for safe remote working during lockdown, led us to progress our digitalisation plans. Fortunately, before the pandemic struck, we’d already started using SharePoint for our advisory work, so that we could collaborate efficiently and work on multiple documents at the same time.

Since then, the specialist tax team has grown and we have migrated to Microsoft Teams. All our clients are organised within separate Teams channels and staff can chat to each other within each team. This is where emails are automatically posted and where our files are stored for each project. It’s fantastic. Everything we need is all in one place.

For task management, we use ClickUp which makes it so much easier to reassign work between us and manage deadlines. We’ve also built an app within Teams for onboarding clients. With the click of a couple of buttons, we can look at the professional contact’s name and nature of their inquiry, then send a quote. We look forward to embracing further innovative digital solutions as Jerroms Miller Specialist Tax continues to grow.

If you’ve just bought your first house, your first thought might not turn to: ‘How I am going to keep it?’ After all, you’ve already been approved for the mortgage – surely you must be set? But what happens if you suddenly lose vital income in the future?

“Our work is about helping people protect their families,” says Aaron Sanderson, performance director at Boden Samuel. “We offer both mortgages and insurance and protection products – it’s not only about getting your home, but keeping it.”

Protection products generally fall into four categories: life insurance, critical illness insurance, buildings and content insurance, and income protection.

“There’s no catch-all – they all complement each other. If you were off work sick for six months, you might be covered by critical illness (employer sick pay), but if you were still unable to work

Protecting your future

WE’VE ALREADY STARTED MOVING TOWARDS A CASHLESS SOCIETY

beyond that, income protection covers your family and lifestyle. It’s about 60% of your gross income, so there’s still an incentive to get back to work!”

Aaron observes that income protection is often only sold after a conversation with an adviser –it’s not usually something people seek out on a price comparison website – but it’s statistically the most valuable.

“Life insurance is the ‘nuclear option’, but there are many more common ways to lose income than death, so it’s wise to be prepared for anything.”

Boden Samuel also specialises in mortgages for clients with complex incomes (such as directors of limited companies) and business protection services – a collection of products aimed at business owners. These include...

◆ Shareholder Protection

If two partners (shareholders) own a business and one dies,

leaving their shares to their spouse who knows nothing about the company, this would provide the surviving shareholder with the funds to buy them out.

◆ Key Man Insurance

This protects the business against losing an employee who is vital to its operation – funds can be used to cover the costs of recruiting their replacement and cover continuity in the meantime.

◆ Death in Service Benefit

Many large employers offer this as part of their employee package; effectively life insurance but paid for by the employer. Not only can this help SMEs offer more value to their employees, it can also help reduce your corporation tax liability.

◆ Private Medical Insurance

This can be provided as an employee benefit to grant your staff access to private medical help when needed, removing the reliance on the NHS and its current waiting times.

Boden Samuel is keen to work with SMEs to talk them through the protection products that are available to them (as well as support any financial wellbeing initiatives you want to run for your employees) and is willing to visit the offices of those businesses, or have them visit their own.

“For all our products, we get access to more features and benefits than you’d find online, and ensure you get the best coverage – tailored to your circumstances, not just the best price.”

To speak to an expert advisor for either mortgages or protection products, visit bodensamuel.co.uk.

When it comes to protecting your family, assets, or lifestyle, it’s vital to have the right insurance coverage. Aaron Sanderson, performance director at Boden Samuel, told us why WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

The switch from analogue TV to digital was an early example of the digital transformation our lives are undertaking, while the recent ‘Making Tax Digital’ scheme directly affects businesses.

If you’re intimidated by the notion of the Digital Switchover and how it will affect your business, you might be reassured to know that other businesses have already been through similar changes, and there is cause for optimism.

“It’s a chance to make your business more efficient,” says Alistair Ferris, director of accountants Torr Waterfield. “When Making Tax Digital arrived, we took it as an opportunity to update all our processes, as it affected our clients’ bookkeeping. We’re big proponents of cloud-based book-keeping software, Xero, and we’ve moved most of our clients onto it now. It allows us to provide real-time support.

“We have also invested in a digital portal which means that documents can be electronically signed online. It saves time and paper. In the old days, we’d have

The Digital Switchover is just the beginning…

clients driving over to the office at 16:45 on January 31 to sign their tax return, and then we’d have to drive the paper copies down to the HMRC office. Now, they’re all submitted digitally –we must all be saving so much petrol or electric!”

The phoneline switch to fibre optic also allows for faster communication. Coming off the back of Covid, and with more companies embracing hybrid working, high quality and reliable internet enables this new normal.

“We’ve had fibre since 2018, and when the pandemic hit, we were able to move 95% of our business services online within 48 hours, with over 50 members of our team having full server access. Microsoft Teams was implemented company-wide and staff communication was uninterrupted. I doubt any of that would’ve been possible with oldstyle copper wiring.”

We know for certain that every business will have to switch to full fibre by 2025, but it does make sense to get on board early and embrace the technology.

“You might be able to negotiate a better deal now,

WE’VE ALREADY STARTED MOVING TOWARDS A CASHLESS SOCIETY

as installation charges could conceivably increase as we get closer to the cut-off date. Any new system takes time to integrate into your business, so the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be comfortable with it.”

Alistair suspects that there are bigger changes to come, as the government seeks to design our digital future.

“We’ve already started moving towards a cashless society, meaning there’s a digital record of money moving around. I recently had a conversation with a representative from HMRC who told me that the long-term goal is for every individual to have one digital profile that will include all your government data.

“That could include your National Insurance number, NHS number, driving licence, medical information, voter registration, tax code… even your passport. It’ll all be stored as part of one handy digital profile. It means you’d only need one form of ID. It may take 10-20 years to implement, but that’s their long-term vision.”

For more business advice, visit Torr Waterfield’s blog at torrwaterfield.wordpress.com.

Technology is ever-changing. The 2025 digital switchover is not the end of this process – it’s not even the beginning. Alistair Ferris, director of accountancy firm Torr Waterfield, told us why this is not the end

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

Nelsons shows its spirit in a record-breaking year

Nelsons’ ambitious plans to recapture the spirit it was founded on, while rejuvenating its culture, have resulted in a triumphant year for the regional law firm – with a record turnover and impressive growth. As it prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary, we learn about the Leicester office’s role in this success, and find out what’s next

There’s been a string of achievements at Nelsons over the last 12 months. “When I think back to becoming Chief Executive in 2017, I spoke at the AGM about wanting a cultural rejuvenation for Nelsons,” says CEO Stewart Vandermark.

“I felt that by investing in people and introducing something fresh, we could recapture the spirit that Nelsons was founded on – and in turn, enable better performance and a more positive workplace.”

Embracing the vision

“I’m pleased to see that those things have gradually come together and have delivered an incredible year. We couldn’t have seen such success without our hardworking and dedicated team in Leicester - they have really embraced the vision that we set out to achieve.

“Change can be daunting, but it is also a great way to release new energy and it really feels as though Nelsons has made significant strides this year, while still retaining its core sense of purpose.”

One of Nelsons’ biggest ambitions was to reach a turnover of £20m by the end of 2022. And as the firm heads towards its 40th anniversary amid the challenges and fallout of a tumultuous two years, this record-breaking figure has been met triumphantly.

Along with multiple Tier One rankings in The Legal 500, the company has also made its debut ranking in The Times’ top 250 law firms, commended for its personal injury and clinical negligence expertise.

Building on success

Turnover for the Leicester office – based in New Walk –has increased by 19% in the last financial year to £4.6m. A key driver towards this success was the acquisition of niche family practice Glynis Wright & Co two years ago.

It’s great to see people not only progressing in their careers, but also developing our offering as a company

NELSONS CEO STEWART VANDERMARK

Partner Glynis Wright MBE, who heads the Leicester family team, told us: “I’m incredibly proud of the team and the work they have done in the last year. We’ve seen fantastic results with fees of over £1.2m for the team, which has contributed towards the growth of the Leicester office.

“We’ve also welcomed Naomi Bond to the team in the last year and – along with Lisa-Marie Leanders’ promotion to partner on December 1 – the team continues to go from strength to strength.”

Gayle Rowley, who was also part of the Glynis Wright & Co leadership team, has just been listed in The Legal 500 as a next generation partner and continues to attract clients with her expertise in all aspects of family law, and alternative dispute resolution in particular.

With the current delays in the court system, this is a much sought-after specialism and an area we are looking to develop so that we can continue to empower our clients.

Glynis added: “When we completed the acquisition, our vision was to become the strongest family team – not just in Leicester, but the East Midlands. With the focus that myself, Lisa-Marie and Gayle have on developing our range of specialisms and growing the team, it’s going to be an exciting year ahead as we look forward to building on our strengths and achieving our ambitions.”

The next vision

Stewart concludes: “It’s been a fantastic year for the Leicester office, with further promotions for wills and probate specialist Nadia Faki – becoming a partner – and corporate law specialist Ziaur Rahman and Danielle Young in the clinical negligence team promoted to legal directors.

“It’s great to see people not only progressing in their careers, but also developing our offering as a company.

“After setting out a clear vision and achieving the target of £20m, it’s a really exciting time as we finalise our vision for the next three years. We know there are some uncertain times ahead, but having recaptured the spirit that the firm was founded on, we’ll continue to drive growth through our culture and commitment to clients, looking for new opportunities as we set our sights on even greater goals for the future.”

More information can be found at nelsonslaw.co.uk, where you can also keep up to date with Nelsons’ latest news and events.

A family and divorce law expert who heads up the family team in Leicester, providing advice on high value and complex financial settlements, contested contact and residence cases involving children, pre and postnuptial agreements and cohabitation breakups.

A qualified collaborative law practitioner, LisaMarie advises on complex issues within divorce and financial settlements as well as pre and post nuptial agreements, separation agreements and cohabitation agreements. This includes private law Children Act disputes.

Having specialised in family law for 25 years, Gayle offers specialist advice on alternative forms of dispute resolution in divorce and separation, often dealing with complex financial settlements as well as private children law and resolution of child arrangements.

It’s going to be an exciting year ahead as we look forward to building on our strengths and achieving our ambitions

Glynis Wright MBE Partner, solicitor

Lisa-Marie Leanders Partner, solicitor

Gayle Rowley

Legal director, solicitor, mediator

GAYLE ROWLEY, GLYNIS WRIGHT AND LISA-MARIE LEANDERS

Divorce can be a painful battle; carving up assets and childcare creates unhealthy communication and toxic memories doesn’t it?

Sushma Kotecha of Holistic Family Mediation disagrees. “It doesn’t have to be,” she says optimistically as we sit huddled over a warm coffee with torrential rain pouring outside.

With a warmth that reflects her approachable, friendly energy, Sushma immediately makes you feel like you’re in good hands – and the trust and sense of safety she emits is instantaneous.

When I tell her this, she replies: “Well, that’s what I hope for with the clients I serve through their divorce journey. Of course, there is professionalism but also, alongside that, there is a true understanding of what they are going through.

“As a result, I’m passionate about helping clients through the process, using a variety of holistic methods that support a new way of approaching divorce – methods that result in a more amicable, compassionate divorce, paving the way for

Divorce: Another way

Flipping the switch on the toxicity of divorce, Sushma Kotecha left a successful family lawyer role of 27 years to help clients break free from the lasting effects of a difficult divorce. Here, Emily Miller meets with the award-nominated soon-to-be author to discuss how her own divorce changed everything

improved relationships.”

Mediation does this though, right? “Well, in part it does, yes, but sometimes things can’t be resolved in mediation, and so court is the only option. However, why should this part be toxic? Why can’t it be amicable? Or at least, less painful for all parties.”

At the peak of her professional career, she left law and took a leap of faith to start Holistic Family Mediation, a service that helps clients cut up to 90% of legal fees, reduces conflict and nurtures healthier relationships.

So how does she do it? “It’s a heart-centred service, that aligns with my core values: integrity, humility and compassion, with a focus on dispute resolution as the first port of call; supporting separating and divorcing couples by providing a comprehensive holistic approach.”

With her expansive knowledge and experience, Sushma carries out pragmatic and transformative mediation sessions with her clients. Her website, for a start, provides tools and resources for clients to support the process – and she

I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING CLIENTS THROUGH THE PROCESS USING A VARIETY OF HOLISTIC METHODS

explains that it’s a free portal for those who need it.

Sounds like a better, healthier way of doing things, doesn’t it? And it is, according to Sushma.

Striving to expand her knowledge, she’s undertaking further education to add ‘Holistic Divorce Coach’ to her services, and her book – penned to offer further support to the clients in the New Year – is an exciting addition to the plethora of skills she already has. The thrill she expresses for the book further reinforces to me that Sushma is on the right path.

When I reflect this thought to her, she says: “Oh, I know that I am. I get so much from doing what I do. The professional and personal experiences I have all inform how I approach and support each and every divorcing couple that I work with. It’s the path I am supposed to be on, and I am very grateful.”

It’s a path that we are grateful she’s on too, that’s for certain.

Book a free Discovery Call with Sushma via her website: holisticfamilymediation.co.uk/ services to find out how she may be able to support you.

Leading with confidence

How directors can reduce their risk of personal liability during times of financial uncertainty – Charlotte Clarke of Pattersons Commercial Law explains the ins and outs

Many businesses emerged from Covid-19 restrictions with the hope of a rebound in the economy. However, companies are now facing additional pressures arising out of the cost-of-living crisis, spiralling inflation, supply chain difficulties, and employee retention issues. Government statistics for England & Wales also show that there were 2,114 registered company insolvencies in March 2022; more than double the figure of 992 registered in March 2021. The uncertain outlook for the UK economy is yet a further test for directors.

During these challenging times, it is more important than ever for directors to be fully aware of the duties they owe as a result of their office as well as understanding who they owe their duties to and what the implications can be –commercially and personally –if a company’s financial position takes a turn for the worse.

When can a director be personally liable for a company’s losses?

Generally, a director will not incur personal liability for the company. Nonetheless, there are circumstances that can lead to this situation. Ordinarily, directors owe duties to their company (Companies Act 2006). One of the statutory duties requires directors to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole. But, if a company experiences financial difficulties that result

in it being insolvent, or close to insolvency, this duty is modified so that the directors are required to consider the interests of the company’s creditors when making decisions. If a company subsequently enters into an insolvency process, directors can face personal liability for losses incurred by the company if they are found to have breached any of their directors’ duties. Such claims are usually brought by the company’s liquidator and involve an allegation that the directors failed to consider the interests of the company’s creditors when they knew (or ought to have known) the company was insolvent. Many directors believe (incorrectly) that for a claim against them to be successful, it must be shown that they have acted dishonestly. However, even routine actions such as paying a creditor could be questioned if the company is found to have paid certain creditors but left others unpaid at a time when the company was insolvent.

When is a company insolvent?

The Insolvency Act 1986 does not define ‘insolvency’. Instead, it sets out the following tests for when a company is deemed unable to pay its debts:

◆ Failure to comply with a statutory demand

◆ Failure to satisfy enforcement of a judgment debt

◆ The court being satisfied that the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due (the ‘cash flow’ test)

◆ The court being satisfied that

the liabilities of the company (including contingent and prospective liabilities) exceed the assets of the company (the ‘balance sheet’ test)

It’s important that directors seek professional advice if they believe their company could fulfil the criteria for any of the above tests.

What can directors do to protect their position?

Directors can reduce their risk of incurring personal liability for company losses by:

◆ Holding regular board meetings to review the company’s financial position

◆ Keeping written records of all decisions made by the directors including the options considered and the reasons for making a particular decision

◆ Collating up-to-date financial information for the company on a regular basis and making the same available to all directors before agreeing on a course of action

◆ Seeking advice from professional advisors in respect of their directors’ duties and the options available to the company if it is experiencing financial difficulties

If you are a director and concerned about the financial position of your company, you should seek professional advice at the earliest opportunity to avoid inadvertently exposing yourself to personal liability for losses incurred by the company. Forewarned is forearmed!

IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR DIRECTORS TO BE FULLY AWARE OF THE DUTIES THEY OWE AS A RESULT OF THEIR OFFICE

PEOPLE AND HARDWARE

Any big change, especially in business can be scary. But the digital switchover can be an opportunity to improve your business e ciency. Remy Clarke has been working on just that.

“It’s about making your work digital and shifting processes over to a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform that brings everything together so it’s concise, can be reported on, and enables you to react quickly to it.”

His company, Cymer Marketing Solutions, won ‘Best CRM Solutions Provider’ at the MarTech Awards 2022 and has seen a steady growth in business as the switchover draws closer.

“We’re the connective tissue between the people and the hardware. We’ve been working closely with the IT Business to do this – they go in as the IT and telecoms specialist, finding a system process and software

that integrates with the CRM, and we set that up, so they have the complete package. We ensure it works as it’s meant to work.”

With new telephony systems, there’s an opportunity to integrate your phone calls with your CRM, automatically building a client profile.

“It allows you to gather information about a caller – who they are, what business you do with them, any outstanding work or payments that might be calling about, etc. It means you’re better prepared to build relationships and respond to them in the right way and through the right channels.

“It’s about taking advantage of the fact that the phone lines are going from analogue to digital – and rather than viewing it as an inconvenience, seeing the opportunity it presents. What can you do now that you couldn’t before? By integrating your CRM package, your client database

WITH NEW TELEPHONY SYSTEMS, THERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE YOUR PHONE CALLS WITH YOUR CRM

is always up to date. It’s ideal for call centres, but it’s now becoming more a ordable for smaller businesses too.”

The digital phone lines also o er an opportunity to automate other aspects of your communications, with a CRM capable of generating automatic email responses for missed calls.

“If a client rings outside of o ce hours, they’d get an email saying: ‘Sorry we missed your call; our business hours are X to Y – please try calling us again then or leave a message and we’ll call you.’

“There are all kinds of features built into CRM packages now, and it’s about identifying what’s relevant to you and your company, and what makes your marketing systems more e ective and more e cient.”

To discuss ways a CRM can make your business more e cient post-switchover, visit cymermarketing.co.uk.

The digital switchover could be a cause for trepidation, with businesses seeing the cost of new systems as a cause for concern. Remy Clarke, director of Cymer Marketing Solutions, is optimistic –he views the switchover as an opportunity for businesses to become more e cient WORDS

BY TOM YOUNG

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Form relationships with home buyers before they are even on the market

Standing by our customers’ side until they have the keys in their hand

Your home as a stage

Useful tips to help you set the stage when selling your house

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

As yet another result of the cost-of-living crisis amid inflation and interest rates rising at the end of 2022, house prices dropped by 2.3% according to Halifax. For those looking to sell their house in 2023, this doesn’t make for reassuring reading. On a positive note, there are things you can do to gain the best possible price in a di cult market.

Create calm

If your home is slightly busy on the colour palette, consider creating a calmer home with a neutral colour. The new palette will allow potential buyers to visualise their own décor more easily, making your property more appealing for purchase.

De-clutter

A serious de-clutter will help your property to look more appealing as well as helping you too in the short and longterm. Cleaning up will be far easier each time you prepare for a viewing and in the longer term, you won’t need to be packing so much for your move!

Fix it

Those niggling things in your property that you’ve left: that plaster patch in the hallway, the dripping tap, the light bulb that’s gone, they all create the feeling that the property hasn’t been looked after. By fixing the small DIY jobs, you create a finished feel, and any potential buyer won’t feel the property is too much of an undertaking.

Ask the experts

Take the advice of professional property experts in their area. Ask them for realistic sales prices, and what they feel you could do to improve your chances. Only then should you put the property on the market. The result of putting a property on too high and not smart can make it look tired in the listings before long.

Women’s health

Our experienced gynaecology consultants pride themselves on helping women of all ages overcome a range of health problems.

From gynaecology consultants, to female physiotherapists, to our rapid access breast care clinic, we offer a wealth of services at our private hospital in Leicester. Our experienced consultant gynaecologists specialise in a range of women’s health treatments which help to transform the wellbeing of women.

Packages

• Mirena Coil

• Copper Nova Coil

• Assessment of abnormal bleeding

• Annual check-up and pessary change.

Screening

• Well woman check

• Colposcopy assessment

• TV Ultrasound scan.

Fertility

• Ovulation assessment and induction

• Additional tests

• Follicle tracking (per cycle).

Menopause

• TFT/FSH/Oestradiol

• TSH

• Full blood count

• A range of individual blood tests

New Year Refresh

Muscle Relaxing Injections

For the temporary improvement of expression lines (particularly in the forehead and the eyelids) and wrinkles, such as crows’ feet and other facial wrinkles. Muscle Relaxing Injections are also used in facial re-shaping –for example, lifting the eye brow or correcting asymmetrical facial features.

Skin Fillers

Dermal Skin fi llers are used to revolumise the skin. We do a variety of skin fi llers and the most appropriate one will be selected for you upon consultation with the doctor

WHAT’S ON IN LEICESTERSHIRE

A laugh and a half

Every February, comedy takes centre stage in Leicester. Our comedy festival is now the largest of its kind in Europe, with over 800 shows happening in the city and wider county over the course of 17 days. Here are a few upcoming highlights

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG

Leicester Comedy Festival 2023

February 8-26

All tickets available via comedy-festival.co.uk

It’s would be very easy to stick to the familiar names when it comes to the festival. The city’s biggest venues host comedy’s biggest names, but don’t be afraid to take a risk and check out the performers in back rooms of pubs or restaurants. You never know what gems you’ll encounter!

Comedian’s comedian Stewart Lee (February 9-10, De Montfort Hall) returns to the festival for two nights at DMH. One of the most highly regarded, critically acclaimed stand ups working today, he’s a master of long-form comedy.

The Same Faces (February 9, 16, 23, Wygston’s House) are Leicester’s longest running improvised comedy show. Similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, featuring sketches, games,

songs and one liners, all created on the spot. The group are two-time Leicester Comedy Festival award finalists, and will be celebrating their 10th anniversary in April this year.

Fans of festival cult sensation, The Elvis Dead, will be pleased to learn that Rob Kemp is back at the festival with a new show, You May Be Wondering Why I Called You All Here (February 9, Manhattan 34 and February 18, Grays@LCB Depot). A previous festival award winner, Rob’s surrealist world is often a unique experience.

Olga Koch is on the rise, having appeared on Mock The Week, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, and Late Night Mash. Please Respond (February 11, Manhattan 34) is her latest show. Koch o ers a unique perspective of British culture, having been born in Russia, educated in America, and now living in England.

The annual tradition of The UK Pun Championships (February 13, De Montfort Hall) will see the very best one-liner comedians and punsters battle it out for the title of UK Pun Champion. Last year’s competition

was won by the Punball Wizard, Richard Pulsford, and has historically been hosted by Jason Byrne.

If you’re looking for a Cluedoinspired, improvised comedy murder mystery, then Murder She Didn’t Write (February 18, The Little Theatre) is the show for you. With nothing planned in advance, anyone could’ve done it!

Celya AB was one of the highlights of the Festival’s Gala Preview Show. The French comedian was Chortle’s Best Newcomer in 2022, and brings her show, Celya AB Has A Bit Of Fun (Is That Such A Crime?) (February 24, The Big Di erence) to Leicester following a sold out run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

Ending the festival with a competitive edge, eight of the country’s finest improvisers go headto-head in Improv Smackdown 2023 (February 26, Upstairs at the Western). Working together to create a night of outstanding comedy before your very eyes, the performers are also battling it out to claim the crown.

STEWART LEE

WHAT’S ON IN LEICESTERSHIRE

Date ideas this winter

The cold weather can make it incredibly tempting just to cuddle up in the warmth of your home for a romantic evening. But for those prone to cabin fever, there are still plenty of fun places to take the other half this winter WORDS

BY TOM YOUNG

Activities

If you’re interested in something crafty, Lollipops Pottery Painting Studio in Oadby makes for a fun date. It’s a two-hour session and you pay for what you paint rather than a fixed fee.

For a more active option, Social Climbing at Highcross has an array of things to climb up, over, and around. The indoor centre caters to all abilities, and climbing shoes can be rented.

If you like your dates with a dash of history, you can never go wrong with a National Trust (NT) visit. Stoneywell Cottage in Ulverscroft was the home of a family who loved arts and crafts, and the house reflects it. For something statelier, Calke Abbey is on the edge of Derbyshire and includes the traditional NT restaurant for a cosy hot chocolate.

Alternatively, there’s Leicester Museum featuring exhibits of dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, art and more. On January 26, there’s also a guided tour of the museum’s storerooms, revealing many articles that have never been on display.

The National Space Centre with the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium o ers a unique date beneath the stars.

Beer enthusiasts can take a Brewery Tour at Everards Meadows. Tours, run Thursday-Sunday. You can make a day of it by staying for dinner afterwards. Booking advised.

If like to test your general knowledge, pub quizzes can be found around the city, including Soar Point on Sunday nights, Rutland & Derby on Monday nights, and The Black Horse on Tuesday nights, among others.

Hotels and B&Bs

Acosy, romantic getaway is another idyllic winter date.

Leicester has a vast array of intimate, comfortable hotels that are ideal to snuggle up in.

If you want to stay close to the city, Winstanley House is a Grade II listed, Georgian hotel with beautiful, modern rooms. It’s also home to the Black Iron steakhouse and bar.

Tresillian House in Melton Mowbray is a quaint bed and breakfast that’s pet-friendly and close to several nearby parks. It’s a charming spot for a quick getaway from Leicester city.

Caravelli in Loughborough is an updated guesthouse with exposed beams and period features. One of their rooms has a four-poster bed, freestanding bath and fireplace – the perfect winter hideaway that won’t break the bank.

For additional date ideas, including bars and restaurants, walking spots, and more activities, visit our blog at nichemagazine.co.uk/post/7-dateideas-in-leicester.

LOLLIPOPS POTTERY PAINTING STUDIO

SOCIAL CLIMBIMG

EVERARDS BREWERY

CARAVELLI

The Music Room

WORDS BY EMILY MILLER

Since the start of the Covid crisis, the grassroots music sector acquired over £90m of new debt, yet 67% of Cultural Recovery Grant was paid to landlords, according to Music Venue Trust. It says the solution is for grassroots music venues to purchase their own properties, but this is a di cult feat.

Music Venue Trust, the UK charity which represents hundreds of grassroots music venues (GMVs), has attracted widespread investment, endorsements and support from across the music industry for its ‘Own Our Venues’ initiative.

Key figures from all sectors of the music industry have o ered their support to the project, which aims to purchase the freehold of grassroots music venue properties via a Charitable Community Benefit Society named Music Venue Properties (MVP).

With GMVs now also facing a critical threat from spiralling energy costs and the cost-of-living crisis, Music Venue Trust has reiterated and reinforced its remit to tackle short-term threats alongside the need to provide genuine long-term solutions.

Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust, said: “I don’t want to keep walking in and out of people’s o ces for the next decade begging for shortterm cash because this or that beloved venue is under threat of closure. With our Own Our Venues initiative, Music Venue Trust has created a real, long-term, deliverable solution to the challenges facing GMVs, and we are delighted that its value is being recognised by leading voices in our industry across every sector.

“We have a thriving music industry that has survived and is thriving despite a major pandemic, and our

WE HAVE A THRIVING MUSIC INDUSTRY THAT HAS SURVIVED AND IS THRIVING DESPITE A MAJOR PANDEMIC

job is to ensure the grassroots music venue sector isn’t left behind.” Leicester’s own grassroots venue The Charlotte closed down after financial di culties back in 2009. Arguably, The Charlotte was Leicester’s

WHAT IS MUSIC VENUE TRUST?

Created in January 2014, the charity aims to secure the long-term future of iconic grassroots music venues (GMVs) such as Hull Adelphi, Exeter Cavern, and Southampton Joiners. These venues have played a crucial role in the development of British music over the last 40 years by nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers, and develop their music and their performance skills.

most vital venue for nurturing upcoming talent in the city, whilst attracting acts from the rest of the UK.

Manager Andy Wright, who sadly passed away in 2022, ran the muchloved venue for 23 years. During that time, some of the most famous bands in the country such as Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and Coldplay performed on stage there.

On the closure, Andy made no secret that the financial pressures of competitive larger venues across the UK, high running costs and a lack of support just became too stressful to maintain the venue.

When a city loses a grassroots venue like this, the knock-on e ects are huge losses for tourism, the nurturing of musical talent in the area, and the overall appeal of the city from a music perspective.

Local people can help GMVs by supporting the initiative at musicvenueproperties.com/getinvolved.

The team’s work is supported by a Board of Trustees, made up of professionals who are passionate about GMVs and their social, cultural and economic value.

MARK DAVYD, CEO OF MUSIC VENUE TRUST

Reviewed: Holiday Inn, Oxford

WORDS BY SALLY SMITH

In November, Jenny Cross (our CEO) and I decided to try a new experience: seeing how much work and leisure we could fit into 48 hours. We’re often at our most creative when working remotely and we share a common passion for shopping. These two elements meant we landed on Holiday Inn, Oxford, as the perfect place to base ourselves.

Our journey saw us drive up on Sunday morning to enjoy lunch and a full day of shopping at the brilliant Bicester Village. With plenty of tempting designer boutiques and discount o ers, who could blame us?

With our arms laden with bags and legs starting to waiver, we decided it was time to drive to the hotel. We were gleeful to discover it was only 14 minutes away, and very conveniently located for visiting the centre of

Oxford.

Walking into the hotel, we were greeted by a team of receptionists who were all smiling and clearly enjoying their jobs. We were immediately struck by the positive culture in this hotel. We found it to be a common theme throughout our stay.

The hotel felt like a home from home. It was modern and comfortable, stylish and welcoming. All the sta were attentive and happy to help. No request was too big or too small.

On Sunday evening, we dined in the restaurant. The menu had variety and we wouldn’t have run out of options had we’d been staying longer. By comparison to another nearby hotel chain that had no facilities, Holiday Inn’s restaurant was alive with enjoyment.

Once I’d settled on a chicken

WE WERE IMMEDIATELY STRUCK BY THE POSITIVE CULTURE IN THIS HOTEL

liver parfait to start, and a burger for main, the food service was fast and fulfilling. The dessert menu was enticing, but we hadn’t left room! We did what anyone else would… ordered desserts to be delivered to our room later that evening, and settled down to watch a new episode of The Handmaid’s Tale

On our final morning, it was easy to be up and eating breakfast in the restaurant at 6am and back in the car for the drive back by 7am. With a less than 90-minute drive back, we were able to continue with the working day as usual.

If you’re looking to mix some business with pleasure, this is the destination to try, allowing you to enjoy everything this picturesque part of the country has to o er. Search ‘Holiday Inn, Oxford’ for reservations.

We work to live and what better way to spend your time than mixing work and life together

Waste Oil Collection

Cost e ective, legal and environmentally friendly

We are a registered waste carrier for your used cooking oil and fats, providing specialist services for collection, disposal and recycling of vegetable oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and hard fats.

All the used cooking oil we collect is recycled to produce biodiesel. By using EM Oils for your oil disposal you will increase the environmental credentials of your establishment or company.

New cooking oil

We also supply new branded cooking oil from trusted producers.

Resaurants

We collect from: Takeaways

Pubs

Chip Shops

Hospitals

Care Homes

Mobile Caterers

Food Manufacturing Companies

Why is biodiesel better

Biodiesel is a carbon-neutral fuel. When it is burnt is does not add any new carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Cool As Leicester

Get out and explore Leicester with Gabby Miller’s New Year entertainment guide. Keep up to date with the latest What’s On news by following

@coolasleicester

With the new year comes new opportunity, so why not take the chance to explore Leicester a little further? With recently opened new venues to visit, new restaurants on the horizon and more activities to take part in than ever, there’s plenty to fill out your calendar with.

Cool As Leicester Social Club

In a post-pandemic world, we know that many people have seen a change to their working day, with a large number still working from home. Whilst this can be wonderful for flexible working, it can also get lonely. There’s no shame in looking for new people to hang out with and that’s the very reason behind the set-up of the Cool As Leicester Social Club. Created by online magazine, Cool As Leicester, the new Social Club has been set up to make it easier than ever to make new friends and meet like-minded people in Leicester. “We so often hear from people who say they struggle to make friends as they’ve become older, or they’ve missed out on events because none of their friends fancied it. We want to change that.” With a series of events set-up to be welcome spaces for people to attend on their own, as well as a new online community encouraging people to share their interests and find “gig buddies”, there’s a fantastic opportunity to make 2023 your most sociable year yet.

ROAMDOME

ReRoll Board Game Café

For a more chilled out vibe, we went to check out ReRoll Board Game Café on Granby Street and loved it. With over 400 board games for you to choose from, as well as an onsite bar and café serving coffee, shakes, beer, cocktails, bagels and sweet treats, it’s easy to wind down and spend a few hours having fun (or getting competitive) with your nearest and dearest. Don’t worry if you don’t know what to play, the team are on hand to introduce you to new games and they’ll take you through the rules before you play. Also, visit every day between 5pm – 7pm and you can enjoy Happy Hour with 2 for 1 beers and 2 cocktails for £12.

We know how work life can be busy, with looming deadlines and new clients to meet, sometimes you just want to escape the reality. Make sure you book in a visit to ROAMDOME this year. Located in Thurmaston, alongside TeamSport Karting, ROAMDOME is a fully immersive VR experience that feels, sounds and smells so real you won’t believe it’s a game. Channel your inner Indiana Jones or grab your gun and shoot some zombies, as you put on your backpack and headset and journey into these incredible worlds. Up to five people can play on a team at once, with children aged 12+ also welcome. Afterwards you can enjoy a drink in the bar, or even have a quick round their motorsport themed mini golf, Putt Club.

Sixes Social Cricket

Opening just before Christmas, Sixes Social Cricket is a must visit venue this year. Perfect for a work social, night out with friends or family afternoon activity, Sixes combines the age-old game of cricket with top-notch hospitality. You can grab a bat and see who gets the high score with the fast-bowling games, before heading to the bar for cocktails, beers, burgers, pizzas and more. Situated in the heart of the Cultural Quarter, Sixes has been a huge hit since opening with Leicester only the fourth city in the UK to boast one of these brilliant venues.

SIX

Whilst we’re in the Cultural Quarter, you won’t want to miss out on tickets to some of the hottest shows to come to Curve this year. Following its sell out success on a previous visit, smash hit musical, SIX, will be returning this June. From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. With rave reviews and sell-out shows in the West End and across the UK, don’t miss out on tickets when it’s in Leicester from June 13-18.

Leicester Comedy Festival

Of course, at the start of any new year in Leicester attention turns to one thing… Leicester Comedy Festival. Celebrating a massive 30 years, 2023 looks bigger and better than ever and if the recent Preview Show at De Montfort Hall is anything to go by, everyone is in for a real treat. You can see the likes of Milton Jones, Seann Walsh, Nish Kumar, Stewart Lee and more, but often the real gems are those hidden shows you stumble on at random. Our recommendation is always to pick a day, grab a brochure and head into town to see what you find. Many of the shows are free or PWYW so it’s the perfect opportunity to explore and discover your next favourite comedian. Find some of Niche’s top picks on page 67. Get all the info from comedy-festival.co.uk.

Leicestershire and Rutland Charity Hope Against Cancer have launched exciting new initiative ‘Hopeful Futures’, which aims to raise awareness of cancer research amongst a younger generation to encourage early detection and prevention of cancer.

Founded by Vice-Chair Eileen Perry MBE, Hopeful Futures is driven by a group of young professionals, who each have their own motivations behind committing their time to deliver on Hopeful Futures’ purpose: to provide support for young people who are living with cancer in one way or another, whilst also educating

Hope Against Cancer’s new initiative

and fundraising to ensure that we are striving towards a better future for those diagnosed with cancer.

The board consists of Beth Grundy from PPL PRS, Chloe Ireland from Empire Finance, Emily Smith from Michael Smith Switchgear, Laura Filer from ER Recruitment, Nathan Smith from Mattioli Woods and Tinashe Sigauke from Soar Valley Press.

Founder of the group Eileen says: “In line with Hope’s charity funded projects… our Hopeful Futures board represents the investment we are making for the

future growth of our charity, raising awareness of prevention and continuing our mission of better outcomes and saving lives”.

Hopeful Futures held a fantastic Launch event in December and are now working on a programme of fundraising events for 2023 as well as how they can start to bring to life the amazing stories of the research students that are funded by Hope Against Cancer.

You can follow Hopeful Futures on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to find out more about their events and activities.

Changing lives in Leicester & Leicestershire

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) is a charity that has been helping people to change their lives for the better for over 50 years.

Following the difficult time of the pandemic, VAL has been actively working to get back out there to reconnect with our diverse communities of place and communities of interest in Leicester and Leicestershire. During 2022, we have:

£174,878

FUNDING

Helped local VCSE organisations to raise funding

EVENTS

Organised training and networking events to bring local communities together to share ideas, and collaborate in Leicester & Leicestershire.

329 DELEGATES 17 VOLUNTEERING Enquiries about the opportunities available

There is a lot of support available for charities and community groups - find out what support is there for you:

„ Supporting local charities by providing advice, training & resources

„ Promoting volunteering across Leicestershire

„ Supporting people with learning disabilities to live fulfilling lives

„ Low-cost office space for local businesses and charities

789

If you’d like to help VAL improve the lives of local people, get in touch with us today!

Volunteering opens doors to new opportunities and helps to improve your health and wellbeing. We’re here to help you get started, search online for opportunities: volunteer.valonline.org.uk

Get in touch with us to see how we can help you: valonline.org.uk

helpline@valonline.org.uk

0116 257 5050

A-Z Parkrun: running for mental health

Business people in Leicester will be running an alphabetical list of parks around the world to raise money for mental health charity Lamp

WORDS BY KERRY SMITH

Three professionals are taking part in an ‘A-Z Parkrun’ fundraiser throughout 2023 in a bid to raise £10,000 for Lamp, a mental health charity. They’re welcoming runners of all abilities to join them or sponsor the challenge.

Photographer Pete Martin and solicitor Greg Hollingsworth are members of the Lamp Business Club, and former Lamp trustee Dave Green will be tackling the challenge of completing 26 park runs in 26 UK and international locations.

Richard Kotulecki, Lamp’s CEO, commented: “The A-Z Parkrun looks set to be a great challenge. It is especially heartening to see that our Lamp 5k annual fundraiser inspired Greg, Pete and Dave to come up with their own version of a community fundraiser to gather support for Lamp while helping to raise awareness of our mental health advocacy work.”

The first parkrun took place on New Year’s Day in Braunstone, Leicestershire. Each park run then corresponds to letters of the alphabet ranging from Ashbourne (A) in Derbyshire to Zuiderpark (Z) in the Netherlands.

Greg said: “The three of us came up with the concept of the A-Z Parkrun event after supporting the annual Lamp 5k event. It is meant to be a fun way to raise much-needed funds for Lamp. We all run together anyway, so we’ll also use the runs as an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of the advocacy

IT IS HEARTENING TO SEE THAT OUR LAMP 5K ANNUAL FUNDRAISER HAS INSPIRED GREG, PETE AND DAVE TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN VERSION OF A COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER

services that Lamp provides, as well as highlighting the benefits of physical exercise on improving wellbeing. We have already been overwhelmed with the support of the local Leicestershire business community, with 20 businesses committing to sponsor 20 of our 26 locations.”

Runners of all abilities are welcome to join the events. For further information on how to run alongside the three runners, or to sponsor them on their challenge, visit www.justgiving. com/page/parkrunatozin23.

TIME TO TALK

Friday, February 3

7pm-10.30pm

Winstanley House

At Lamp’s ‘Time to Talk’ charity dinner, people can join open and insightful conversations to raise awareness of mental health, learn more about Lamp’s community mental health advocacy work, fundraise and hear from advocacy users and business supporters sharing their own mental health experiences and journeys. You can find sponsorship opportunities and book tickets at lampadvocacy. co.uk/ timetotalk

DAVE GREEN, GREG HOLLINGSWORTH AND PETE MARTIN

Leicester Giving Day A huge success for local partnerships

This all-new charity awareness celebration took place for the first time on November 18, 2022 and it was a big success

Established by Embark CSR to promote partnerships between business and charities, Leicester Giving Day involved more than 100 organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Stacey Wragg, Embark CSR Director, said: “The success of Leicester Giving Day was down to the organisations and individuals that embraced the concept. And of course, our sponsors, University of Leicester, AKN Build and SSR Builders whose generosity support made the day possible.”

During the day, five community hubs were open at Soft Touch Arts, Highcross Leicester, Old Moses Cabin, The Zinthiya Trust and St Martin’s House and Conference Centre, which showcased the work of local charities and socially responsible businesses. There was also a wide range of events taking place elsewhere, promoted by business and charity partners that were designed to highlight a number of important issues including sustainable textiles, road safety for young people and support for bereaved parents.

A unique feature of the day was the gift by Sandicli e Ford of one of its new E-Transit vans which Leicester Giving Day personnel used to pick up food donations for local foodbank, Wesley Hall Community Centre.

Leicester Business Festival handed over the final day of the festival to Leicester Giving Day and all events taking place on the day had a philanthropic theme.

Richard Osborn, Regional director at Excello Law, Chair and a director of the LBF Community Interest Company (CiC), said: “Thank you to Chris Shaw and Stacey Wragg from Embark CSR for making the first ever Leicester Giving Day happen, a success and a truly unique part of the Leicester Business Festival (LBF). The day provided a philanthropic way for businesses to engage with the festival and shone the spotlight on those who make living and working in Leicester even better.”

On the evening of the 18th, Embark CSR also held the Giving Day Gala, which took place at St Martin’s House. The Giving Day Gala saw the announcement of the four Community Impact Programme winners and four Leicester Social Responsibility Award winners.

Gala attendees were able to listen to presentations from cofounders Chris Shaw and Stacey, as well as Professor Deputy Dean at the University of Leicester Business School, Paul Baines, and Chair of the Leicester Business festival CiC Richard Osborne.

All welcomed the establishment of a Giving Day for Leicester, and stressed the generosity of everyone involved,

WE ARE DELIGHTED WITH HOW YEAR ONE HAS TURNED OUT AND WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING FOR HOW WE CAN MAKE 2023 BIGGER

especially at such a di cult time for the local economy.

Richard added: “The gala awards evening and ceremony was the perfect way to close this year’s Business Festival, celebrating and acknowledging the special commitment from businesses. Here’s to even more people getting involved next year!”

To get involved in next year’s Leicester Giving Day, go to leicestergiving.uk.

GIVING DAY GALA AWARD WINNERS

COMMUNITY IMPACT PROGRAMME WINNERS

Eko Joe

Butterfly Beacons

FSD FC CiC

LCFC in the Community

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD WINNERS

Cambridge and Counties Bank

(Socially Responsible Business of the Year) for their unstinting support of the National Space Centre’s Ignite community engagement programme Shoe Zone and Young Leicestershire partnership (Business & Charity Partnership of the Year), which helped sustain support for young people during and after the Covid-19 pandemic Bid Leicester and the Homelessness Charter (Innovation in Social Responsibility), for its work in raising funds to tackle homelessness in the city Lindzi Mayann (Social Responsibility Newcomer of the Year) for her work in developing new approaches to support people with ADHD

Leicester Giving Day Gala

The first-ever Leicester Giving Day and Giving Day Gala dinner took place on November 18. More than 120 people attended the prestigious evening event, which took place at St Martin’s House and Conference Centre.

The Gala evening saw the announcement of four Community Impact Programme winners and four Leicester Social Responsibility Award winners.

Community projects Eko Joe, Butterfly Beacons, FSD FC CiC and LCFC in the Community competed alongside 25 more applicants to win support for their ideas to benefit local communities.

Social Responsibility Award winners were Cambridge and Counties Bank; Shoe Zone and Young Leicestershire partnership; Bid Leicester and the Homelessness Charter; and Lindzi Mayann.

Gala evening attendees listened to presentations from Leicester Giving Day founders Chris Shaw and Stacey Wragg, Professor Paul Baines, Deputy Dean at the University of Leicester Business School, and Richard Osborne, Chair of the Leicester Business festival CiC.

KuKu Connect’s 6th birthday

Networking group KuKu Connect splashes out on a birthday bash for their clients and friends every year. Except on this occasion, they promised a celebration as fabulous as their usual networking events but this time, “on steroids”.

Over 300 business people from across the East Midlands and beyond at the KuKu Connect Annual Birthday Reception for a grazing supper, hosted at Brooksby Hall with SMB College Group on November 16 last year.

Students from the college performed a flash mob dance ahead of the speeches. Founders Stephen Goddard and Philip Brooks-Stephenson were then joined on stage by Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, GCB, CBE, ADC, DL one of the UK’s most senior military figures.

Lumbers Jewellers of Leicester donated a fine marquise cut Ruby gemstone to be won on the night and there was an array of treats to try out from exquisite brownies by Tree House Cakes to magic tricks by Eddie Young.

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID HARRISON PHOTOGRAPHY

The Little Theatre networking

Leicestershire Business Network Group, run by Paragon Sales Solutions founder Rob Spence, teamed up with Knighton Park Amateur Operatic Society to put on a one-of-a-kind networking event.

The society is known for bringing West End and Broadway productions to Leicester’s Little Theatre for a fraction of the cost, all performed by non-professional actors. With tons of history (and a well-stocked bar), The Little Theatre, in Dover Street, made for the perfect unique and informal setting that LBNG was looking for.

Networkers gathered in the Little bar for a welcome

drink and popcorn before being taken on a behind-thescenes tour of the latest KPAOS show 9 to 5 the Musical on its opening night on November 22. They were guided back stage by Theatre Manager Graham Muir and Stage Manager Nadine Hall revealing to guests some of the secrets behind the magic of theatre world.

The networking included tickets to the show and guests had the opportunity to meet the cast and production team.

The Little Theatre runs free backstage tours every Tuesday, look out for their Connection Evenings on social media.

East Midlands Chamber Christmas Lunch 2022

Atouch of magic was sprinkled on East Midlands Chamber’s Christmas Lunch as it returned for the first time in three years.

Britain’s Got Talent winner Lance Corporal Richard Jones – nicknamed The Military Illusionist – was the headline act at the event at Athena, held on December 2.

He dazzled the 300-plus crowd with a series of tricks performed on the Chamber’s director of resources Lucy Robinson and Bradgate Estates operations director

Aaron Levy. The event has long marked the traditional start of the festive calendar for many businesses but was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions and folded into the Leicestershire Business Awards the following year.

A Christmas raffle raised £805 – topped up to £1,000 by the Chamber – for president Lindsey Williams’ 2022 charitable fund. This went towards the total amount raised for Focus, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Treetops Hospice.

Directors, specialist, 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 good 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:

Geo Rowe BEM

Founder, Leicester Comedy Festival

Age: 50

From: High Wycombe

Lives in: Leicester city centre

Noteworthy: Holds an honorary doctorate from DMU Stepping down from running Leicester Comedy Festival this February after 30 years.

FRIENDSHIPS: How would you describe yourself as a friend? Busy! But I won’t be in March next year… I have a few very loyal people who have been my friends for years, and I organise things to make sure I see them – it’s important for me to make time for them.

ADVENTURES: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done? I appeared in drag at the Birmingham Hippodrome. It was for an American comedy ballet called Trockadero de Monte Carlo.

ENVIRONMENT: Where would your nearest and dearest look for you? In the kitchen, or at the o ce. I really like cooking, and that’s how I switch o .

HEALTH AND FITNESS: What’s your unhealthiest habit? Chocolate. No specific brand - just “lots of”. Why aren’t selection boxes available year round?

INTELLECTUAL LIFE: What do you geek out on? On a Sunday afternoon, sitting down with a cup of tea and reading Private Eye magazine – I love doing that.

LOVE RELATIONSHIPS: What’s your best relationship advice? Having

been in one relationship for 21 years, it would be to stop saying: “I’m just going upstairs to answer a few emails…” Make time for one another, and don’t focus on work so much.

SKILLS: Weirdly good at anything? I’m quite good at cooking. I’m quite handy with a drill. I can juggle – I was part of the university juggling society. And apparently, dressing up in drag, but that’s only happened once, and won’t happen again!

SPIRITUAL LIFE: Which of life’s mysteries keep you up at night? I don’t think anything keeps me up at night – we got a puppy a few years ago, and he did, but otherwise… As I’ve got older, I’ve thought a lot more about what we’re here for, why we do what we do, and social responsibility.

CAREER: What’s the worst part about your job? This one’s easy: Money. Every year, raising enough money to keep the thing going. The other thing from a comedy perspective is when one of our shows upsets someone – it’s never intentional and it’s not something we want to do. It’s meant to be fun for everyone.

CREATIVE LIFE:

LIFE:

Outside of work, what did you last ‘create’?

A tapas meal, with an apple and ginger crumble. It was a triumph! I really enjoy the buzz of making lots of di erent things all at the same time.

FAMILY LIFE: What’s your most fond memory from childhood?

Visiting my grandparents with my brothers and cousins. They lived by the seaside on the south coast and that was just wonderful.

COMMUNITY LIFE: Which political topic are you most interested in right now? Protecting local services. All sorts of things are being eroded, and they’re the things that bind communities together – whether that be GP surgeries, local radio, or even regional festivals. As a result, the potential for people to feel isolated and disengaged is enormous. We need more things that bring people together.

WORDS BY TOM YOUNG