NNBN - Supporting Business Growth - Issue 1 - Feb 2022

NBN

Digital

KEEPING IT LOCAL

FEBRUARY2022 2022 PUBLICATION 01 - FEBRUARY

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

LATEST BUSINESS NEWS & OFFERS BUSINESS ARTICLES & RESOURCES 1

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

NBN

Digital

Simon Cox, Editor

Hello and welcome to the new and exciting NNBN Digital publication – here for the North Northamptonshire community as part of the new NNBN Membership Scheme.

Both Marie and I are delighted to have launched this new digital publication to the area and we have some exciting plans for the future which we know you will enjoy reading more about as we go forward.

In this first edition, you can find some great articles including the news of the fantastic Chester House Estate completion, what’s going on with Digital Northampton, how Weetabix helped the Burton Latimer community, an insight into Corby Radio and lots more.

You’ll also find further details of the NNBN Membership as well as a quick reference to further support for you and your business on pages 56 and 57 featuring some of our key partners and other business organisations that we suggest you consider to help you and your business.

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KEEPING IT LOCAL

Of course, the NNBN Digital publication is only a piece of the jigsaw when it comes to the new NNBN Membership Scheme which has been launched by Marie and I, and the publication will help keep you up to date with events, news and information from what’s going on in the area. What’s more... it’s named the NNBN Digital publication as we will only be publishing the magazine digitally, so we can consider the environment and accessibility of our readers.

The NNBN will also be bringing more to the local community so look out for some exciting announcements soon.

Finally, I would just like to thank everyone who has supported this first edition and look forward to working with you throughout 2022 and into the long term future.

Keep safe, keep smiling.

Simon Cox https://nnbn.co.uk @NNBNBusinessSupport

CONTENTS 4

Food for Thought - zero waste shop

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Geek Retreat comes to Kettering

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North Northamptonshire Council

10 Teamwork Trust reshapes post-covid 12 Samantha Cameron - Keeping social simple

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14 Chester House Estate Project

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16 Have you gone green yet?

18 Q & A with Robyn Allen

FEATURE

FEATURE

Zero waste food shop

Chester House estate 14.5M project complete

20 Real role models with SEMLEP 22 Help your business excel with marketing 24 Meet the Northants Chamber of Commerce 27 Weetabix plants oak tree for Queen’s jubilee 28 Rent free space offering for Kettering 30 Financial planner earns highest qualification 32 Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire 34 New partnership delivers better first aid 36 Glamour & Glitz at Weetabix awards

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30

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

42 Brightwayz: sustainable travel organisation

All change: Northamptonshire charity Teamwork Trust reshapes and thrives post-covid

Financial planner earns profession’s highest qualification

44 Pilkington Comms: Grow business with IG

38 “The students are raving about it” 40 Fit for the future: New Northants site

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Digital

KEEPING IT LOCAL

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All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher.

FEATURE

CREDITS: POPPPY DESIGN STUDIO LTD.

46 Beauty Bar Desborough 48 Meet Corby Radio 50 What is Love Corby?

51 Focussed on Corby 52 Planning for the future 53 Northants Chamber announce 2022 expo 54 What is NNBN? 56 Need help for your business?

12 Keeping social simple with Samantha Cameron

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FEATURE

FOOD FOR THOUGHT THE ZERO WASTE SHOP BASED IN WELLINGBOROUGH We spoke to founder, Kerry Leese about what inspired her to create Food for Thought...

WHAT INSPIRED FOOD FOR THOUGHT?

WHAT DOES ZERO WASTE MEAN?

“I’ve always hated the thought of landfill and I can’t stand walking into shops where there’s row upon row of single-use plastic packages but when my daughter Harper was born, I became consumed by the state of the planet.

I felt helpless and I wondered what I was doing bringing a precious little life into it.

Zero waste? It means that you’ll be able to find many of the items you find in a supermarket but they won’t be pre-packed in plastic. We stock everyday essentials, food, cleaning, personal hygiene products that you can buy without packaging so bring in your containers or make the most of donated jars. As much of our product is organic and is local as we can possibly find it.

I was tired of there not being a convenient way to help me cut out single-use plastic (which never goes away and that we use once!) And I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I’m a great believer in being the change you want to see in the world so if there wasn’t anything locally, why not do something about it?”

21 Nene Court, 27 The Embankment, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 1LD

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FOOD FOR THOUGHT BY VISITING THEIR WEBSITE:

https://foodforthought.shop 4

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EDITORIAL

GEEK RETREAT GAMING CAFÉ COMING TO KETTERING Daniel and Geraldine Powell have brought Geek Retreat, the geek culture retailer, gaming café and events venue rolled into one, to Kettering, High Street in February 2022.

Sited at 10-12 High Street, Kettering and providing 5 local jobs, it offers the community a safe, friendly environment where people can come and enjoy their shared interests. Fans of Marvel, Magic the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! to Warhammer and Pokémon – and even traditional board games, are welcome at the store and can meet and play their hobbies in the café. Customers can enjoy a high-quality menu with vegetarian, vegan and kids’ options, ensuring there’s something to suit everyone’s taste, which has been developed in partnership with leading food service firm, Booker.

Making sure that Geek Retreat provides an inclusive, welcoming, and social environment for its more vulnerable customers, like those on the autistic spectrum, or with mental health issues is also extremely important. It has a national partnership with the National Autistic Society and are hoping to support more local charities moving forward some are being discussed currently but we welcome any to come forward and talk to us.

“Finally Kettering is getting a local gaming store where we can meet friends face to face and make new friends, whilst sharing our love of roleplaying and trading card games. Long live Geek Retreat”

Daniel said:

“We are delighted to come to the Kettering community. It offers something very different on the high street – a place to play and have fun, but also somewhere that it safe, inclusive and where people with the love of geek culture and games can meet and make friends. Additionally we welcome anyone who just wants a space to interact over more generic and well known games or just for a coffee.”

Geek Retreat is on track to open a total of 100 new stores in 2022, creating hundreds of new jobs around the UK. Its growth is echoed by the increasing popularity of board games, card trading and tabletop games which make up an industry worth £8 billion in the UK and is predicted to grow by 3.1% annually over the next three years.

All stores commit to a COVID-19 secure environment, with strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place, to give customers extra peace of mind that they can visit in confidence. To find your nearest store or shop online, visit https://geek-retreat.uk/ PHD Property Advisory Limited is Geek Retreat’s retained property advisor.

- Adrian Coles – IT Technician and Local Scout Leader

ABOUT GEEK RETREAT The Geek Retreat franchise, which opened its first store in Glasgow in 2013, has stores in towns and citycentres such as Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, the Wirral, Northampton, Chelmsford and London, which stock geek culture merchandise like comics, posters, clothing, figures and memorabilia as well as games and trading cards.

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SUPPORTER

North Northamptonshire Council is your new council, covering the geographical areas of Corby, East Northamptonshire , Kettering and Wellingborough.

North Northamptonshire has a proven track record as an attractive and highly successful place for people to work, invest, live, visit and grow.

It’s population has grown at one of the fastest rates in the country during the last few years and this is expected to continue, driven by it’s location within the Oxford to Cambridge Arc and the North Northamptonshire Garden Communities developments beginning to take shape.

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It has special environmental qualities, great locational advantages, immense potential and ambition.

The Council provides a wide range of Business facing services and is dedicated to supporting your business to achieve its full potential, and ensuring North Northamptonshire is an attractive place for people to work, invest, live, visit and grow.

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL BUSINESS SERVICES INCLUDE: Economy and Regeneration Support for start up and established businesses and information about funding and grants.

Visit website here

Recovery through Enterprise The Council’s dedicated site for businesses seeking support in times of significant change.

Visit website here

Business and Licencing Advice on health and safety, business rates, food safety, trading standards and licencing.

Visit website here Planning and Building Control Advice on applications, building control, local searches, delivering growth and policy.

Visit website here Waste and Recycling The Council offers a competitive and reliable commercial waste service for local businesses Visit website here Selling to the Council The Council purchase a wide range of goods and services each year, including from local suppliers.

View website here Partners: To ensure that we deliver on our Corporate Plan Key Commitments and priorities for both the economy ‘Safe and Thriving Places’ and the Climate Change Agenda ‘Green and Sustainable environment’, the Council is working with a range of Organisations: South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, University of Northampton, Tresham College, Federation of Small Businesses, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and Job Centre Plus.

For more details about our corporate plan visit here

www.northnorthants.gov.uk

0300 126 3000

@NorthNorthants

@NNorthantsC

NNBN Digital

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EDITORIAL

ALL CHANGE: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHARITY TEAMWORK TRUST RESHAPES AND THRIVES POST-COVID

An innovative new structure inspired by the pandemic, growth and a soaring demand for health, wellbeing and social care services has been implemented by Teamwork Trust.

The Northamptonshire charity and social enterprise, which works with and supports autistic adults, people with learning disabilities and individuals with mental health needs, has unveiled its new structure this month – one which puts service users at the very heart of all decision making.

Vickie Bell, Head of Programmes at Teamwork Trust, said: “Like so many other organisations the pandemic pushed us to review and adapt all our services.

We developed new ways of supporting our users, with a mix of hands-on, remote, and digital support, and this restructure is an extension of all we have learned - one that will ensure we are sustainable in the future, equipped to implement new services at pace and firmly focused on coproduction.”

Co-production, put simply, is a way of working in which those who benefit from and use a service are empowered to shape and drive it. For Teamwork Trust this means its service users are now taking an active role in everything from recruitment and planning to the education programme and employment and volunteering opportunities.

“We are upskilling staff, have more trained experts in autism and employability and have a packed programme of living and learning projects and activities as well as wellbeing and counselling programmes that our service users help us steer and plan.

- Connor O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan Financial Planning 10

Vickie added: “We are upskilling staff, have more trained experts in autism and employability and have a packed programme of living and learning projects and activities as well as wellbeing and counselling programmes that our service users help us steer and plan.

“We are passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to the same chances and choices and we want to thank our serviceled steering group for helping with this restructure.”

Most recently service users helped recruit a new head of trustees and at Teamwork Trust’s recent AGM Jimmy Noble, who has been a committed chair for over 20 years, stepped down. Ceri Davies, who has extensive experience in the third sector and is Chief Executive of Nottingham Trent Students’ Union, has now officially taken on the role.

New trustees are also being sought, with a particular need for skilled individuals with administration and income generation experience. A recruitment drive is also underway for new apprentices and volunteers.

Meanwhile, the staffing structure as a whole has been reconfigured and divided into three teams: Health and Social Care, Support Services and Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Alison Taylor-Burt, Head of Support, added: “The growth of Teamwork Trust has also played a big part in our need to restructure.

During the pandemic our turnover exceeded £1million which means we are now considered by the Charity Commission to be a ‘large’ charity. This means we have a responsibility to govern ourselves, to review our structure to take this growth into account. Our new structure means we are now perfectly suited to do just this.”

Teamwork trustee Shirley Marshall, who played a leading role in the restructure, said: “I am confident the changes we have made will enable us not only to achieve our strategy but to provide more opportunities for everyone and ensure the best possible experience for our service users”

“Our vision is clear, and our objectives are motivating and engaging.

With improved accountability and communication channels, we are committed to working together to continue to achieve what our name says – Teamwork.”

Service user Rachel added: “It’s so wonderful to be part of an organisation that listens to us and that is shaped by its members. We get to say what we want, what we like and how Teamwork will look now and in the future.”

More information on Teamwork Trust: https://teamworktrust.co.uk/ NNBN Digital

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FEATURE

As business owners we all know that we need to have some form of social media presence but it doesn’t just happen unless we have an agency creating our content for us.

There has never been a better time to use social media for your business and with over 70 social media platforms it’s become easier to grow your online presence.

Being consistent with your social media is key and an important factor to growing your social media presence. Whether you are going be posting 3, 5 or 7 times a week it’s all about that consistency when it comes to increasing your engagement.

So many people have a fear factor of social media and it can all become very stressful, but this is normally because we are overthinking or over complicating our social media strategy. Keeping it all simple will not only work but it will help save time and take all the stress away.

Putting together the content to help us grow our social media presence doesn’t have to be hard or stressful by following my social media strategy tips it will make things a lot simpler * * * * *

Share motivational quotes, we all love a good motivational quote.

Tips around your industry/business - show others that you are an expert in what you do.

Behind the scenes, real life what is going on in your business.

Customer/client testimonials and reviews, if you don’t tell your audience how great you are who will.

Fun facts or something funny, show others that you are human

Remember to have FUN.

One thing that we forget to do when we are using social media for business purposes is showing the face or faces behind the business. PEOPLE BUY PEOPLE and social media can take longer to build trust with our prospective clients/customers - 20 times longer than meeting someone face to face.

Your social media posts don’t have to all be about business they can have an personal element to them but many of us will struggle with this as we feel that either our audience don’t want to see this side of things, or maybe you might think your personal life is boring or even private to you and only you however it works, trust me!

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When was the last time you reviewed your social media profiles, even those you use for personal reasons. Your profiles are like your shop window they promote you and your business, however you only have 3 seconds to showcase you, your business and showing others that you are an expert in your field/industry. Are your profiles telling your friends and connections what you do and how you can help them in these 3 seconds? Can they find your website, find your business page, sign up to your latest event or purchase your latest product or service easily.

Doing all of the above takes time, however it doesn’t have to take up hours and hours of your time it’s all in the planning.

Planning your social media not only will save you time but also take away a lot of the stress. Also look at scheduling your social media content, even if you do this daily, weekly or monthly it will help you

If you need help planning your social media then download my FREE 2022 social media content planner here

Stand out from the crowd. Don’t forget to add emojis, hashtags and photos to your daily content, these will all help with your content stand out and increase your engagement and reach. When using photos/images try and use real life shots rather than stock images. Don’t overuse emojis, use ones that suit the post, you and your business. When selecting hashtags spend time thinking about the right hashtags to use, do some research first looking to see what hashtags others in your industry are using.

Here are my social media top tips Be consistent with your social media Use the right social media platforms that suit you and your business Don’t be afraid to use emojis and hashtags Show people the real you - PEOPLE BUY PEOPLE Plan your social media content, weekly, monthly Look at scheduling your social media content Ensure your profiles are up to date and check them regularly Most of all have FUN!

For more social media tips and advice please join my FREE social media support group here

NNBN Digital

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FEATURE

CHESTER HOUSE ESTATE £14.5M PROJECT COMPLETED ON TIME Northamptonshire’s largest free family attraction opened its doors to the public for the first time at the tail end of 2021. The Chester House Estate near Irchester will be the jewel in the county’s crown and its much-anticipated opening comes after years of restoration work on site.

The surrounding farmland has been cleared of scrub and a new pontoon has been installed on the River Nene to allow access to those who arrive on foot and by water, as well as a new car park and footpath entrance in Claudius Way.

Perfectly located on the banks of the River Nene, the third and final phase of the project, joint funded by North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund was the restoration and conversion of the 17th Century Grade II* listed Farmhouse into a restaurant and bed and breakfast.

Jack said: “We’re excited to announce that The Chester House Estate will open on time on 23rd October, despite navigating a pandemic and a few complex issues on site.

Kerry Purnell, Assistant Director for Housing and Communities and Business Manager, Jack Pishhorn took the lead with the project in early 2020 and have seen it through to completion, introducing new and exciting plans for the site, which itself can be dated back 10,000 years.

The 84-acre scheduled monument is built on a former Roman town and includes the Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (ARC), a learning centre, a free-to-enter museum, an artisan courtyard and farm shop and an events and wedding space, as well as the flagship farmhouse.

“The plans have changed a lot since we started and we’ve made some bold and exciting decisions, ensuring the project would have a sustainable business model that wouldn’t be a burden on taxpayers. Along the way we’ve made some long-lasting partnerships and been proud to support local charities and businesses. We look forward to welcoming visitors to site to show everyone what we’ve been working on.”

Cllr Helen Howell, North Northamptonshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “For more than a decade, The Chester House Estate – a jewel in the county’s crown – has stood in ruin and thanks to the support of North Northamptonshire Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund we’re now able to say we’ve restored it for generations to come.”

Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council said:

https://chesterhouseestate.org/ 14

“It has been vital to the council that we create a space that will not only attract visitors to our fantastic green corridor, but also to create a fun, free and educational resource for locals to use. I’m proud to say we have delivered that.”

nice page/ ad

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HAVE YOU GONE GREEN YET? Eco web hosting explained by Poppy Design Studio In order to meet the UK’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions and end its contribution to global warming by 2050, businesses around the world must play their part.

WHAT DOES NET ZERO MEAN? Net Zero is a target of completely negating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the activities of human life. This is achieved by reducing emissions and introducing methods of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

WHAT IS A CARBON FOOTPRINT? Carbon Footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, service, organisation, product or place. Greenhouse gases, including the carbon containing gases carbon dioxide and methane, are caused by the burning of fossil fuels, mainly from coal, petroleum and natural gases, land clearance and consumption of food, manufactured goods and other services.

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WHAT IS CARBON OFFSETTING? Carbon Offsetting is the action of compensating for carbon dioxide emissions arising from human activity of industrial actions. Schemes are designed to make the equivalent reductions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

WHAT IS GREEN HOSTING? Green website hosting, also referred to as eco-friendly hosting, is when website hosting companies take the extra steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Hosting companies reduce their impact on the environment by using equipment and adopting policies that are more environmentally friendly in their data centres or business premises.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

MAKE THE SWITCH As a web design company who provide website hosting, we are all too aware that datacentres require a vast amount of energy, which is why we decided to switch our servers and only offer green website hosting for all of our clients.

Switching hosting does not have to be difficult, check with your hosting provider if they can provide green hosting.

If you would like to know more about Green Website Hosting please visit our website here Email: hello@poppydesignstudio.com

Hosting data centres typically use a lot of energy and resources, and this can have a really big impact on the environment. Many data centres waste large amounts of energy. Some data centres use more energy than a town the size of Kettering for example and create a lot of pollution. Some companies have even been proven to be breaking environmental violations such as excessive air pollution. By choosing a green web hosting provider, you’re not only reducing your own carbon footprint, but also sending a message to other businesses and customers out there that you care about the environment, and they should, too.

POPPY DESIGN STUDIO WEBSITE DESIGN | DESIGN & PRINT | PR & MARKETING | SEO

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Q&A

INTERVIEW WITH ROBYN ALLEN The first female President of the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce

This edition we are excited to have our Q&A with Robyn Allen, from Robyn Allen Solutions. Robyn first started her business in 2016, we first met her at a Kettering Business Network meeting. It is exciting to see how Robyn has grown her business and grown as a person to help many people in the county.

How, and why did you start your business?

After spending nearly a decade working for the Halifax, following in my Dad’s footsteps, I was made redundant from my last role as a Financial Consultant.

I took a year off and spent some time putting myself back together as I was dealing with anxiety, but then realised I wanted to re-enter the workforce. I initially focussed on finding a ‘real job’ but then realised I could set up on my own. Whilst running a business isn’t the easiest job in the world it is still the best thing I ever did. Now I have the freedom to be able to help and support people, not just for their insurances, but with so many other things.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The people. It’s as simple as that. I always make sure I take the time to get to really know someone, whether they’re a client or a fellow business. Yes, my meetings take me twice as long, but we have twice as much fun. So that’s what’s important.

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You brought Tik-tok into the business.

How has that changed things and why?

I wouldn’t say I brought Tik Tok into the business, it came into my life and now I use it to create videos, that I then use to help people get to know the real Robyn.

By being able to show off my personality and who I am as a person, people feel more comfortable getting in touch to discuss what can be a touchy subject.

That, in turn, supports the business.

Do you think it’s changed how your clients find you?

Absolutely. I used to get most of my customers through business networking but nowadays it’s through LinkedIn and other platforms.

Thinking about your 16-year-old self, do you think you’d see yourself doing what you’re doing now, all those years ago?

The simple answer is no. I don’t think anybody is passionate about insurance at 16 years old. I always knew I wanted to help people, but it’s probably only the

last few years that have shown me how that works in my world and quite how many people I can reach and help if I put my mind to it.

What’s the best piece of business advice you would give a start-up business?

Be yourself. That’s it. Stick to your authentic self, don’t try to be who you think others think you should be because that is just tiring. Make sure that you make your decisions and build your business around who you are.

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The biggest achievement is probably the fact I still love and enjoy what I am doing. That’s on a personal and a business level, because it was important to me that I set up my life to make sure I’m having fun in everything that I do.

Thinking about the presidency for the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce. What is it like to be the first woman president for Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce?

It’s an honour, but that goes without saying. I believe it is a role I can be good at as I have an incredible support network around me, including the Immediate Past President, Kevin Rogers. The fact that I was the first female, and the youngest President were a bonus to me, it wasn’t the reason I took on the role. I hope I can set a great example for those that aspire to these roles in the future What’s been the biggest achievement to date in your business or personal life?

The biggest achievement is probably the fact I still love and enjoy what I am doing.

That’s on a personal and a business level, because it was important to me that I set up my life to make sure I’m having fun in everything that I do.

If you could have lunch with anyone, who would that be and why?

I’d have to say Ryan (my partner), because I rarely get to sit down and have a nice chilled out lunch with him anymore. He works really hard in his job, as I do with mine, so it’d be nice just to sit with him and catch up without all the life stresses that are inevitable.

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Be yourself. That’s it. Stick to your authentic self, don’t try to be who you think others think you should be because that is just tiring.

What do you do in your spare time away from the business?

To put it simply, I live my life. Right now, I’ve got some decorating plans which Ryan’s thrilled about. I workout most days because, for me, keeping fit is an important part of my life. We hang out with Ozzy, our 6 year old Cockapoo, we watch films, we go for walks and we just live our life.

What does the future hold for Robyn Allen Solutions and for Robyn?

I have no idea, or if I do I’m not telling.

It’s much more fun that way.

visit https://robynallensolutions.com

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EDITORIAL

INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION: REAL ROLE MODELS NEEDED

Have you ever thought about how you ended up in the career you have now? From ages as early as five, we’re making decisions that will impact our future career decisions. Whether that’s picking up a paintbrush for the first time, or deciding to study engineering at university, our actions have led us to where we are today.

Today, young people across the world are faced with the same decisions we were. But can you help? We’re running an initiative called: Real Role Models. For the project, we’ll be creating a range of video assets that can be used in schools and colleges to inspire and inform students.

Want to inspire a young person’s future? We’re looking for local, upbeat, inspirational people to work with a production team to create a short video providing a firsthand insight into your job role, how you got into it, the skills you needed, your top tips and insight. Interested?

To ensure we created videos aligned to the sector needs within the South East Midlands, we are initially looking for people who have been in employment for under 10 years and are currently working within:

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High performance engineering (design, development and research engineers) Manufacturing (maintenance engineers and technicians) Digital (programmers, DevOps, computer support) Business operations and management (from any sector, including HR, procurement, data analysis, accountancy) Health (nurses, physicians, psychologists) Education (teaching assistants and teachers) Logistics specific (drivers, forklift drivers, warehouse operatives) Construction (all trades, architects, quantity surveyors) With equality and diversity at the heart of the South East Midlands, it’s important that we create videos that accurately represent the world we live and work in. Therefore, we are keen to include role models who are often underrepresented in their role and/or sector (gender/ethnic group/disability or learning difficulties).

Your story can make a huge difference.

If you’re interested in getting involved to volunteer to inspire, please contact our Employment and Skills Manager, Paul Thompson at 07989 401108 or email paul.thompson@semlep.com

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TOP TIPS

HELP YOUR BUSINESS EXCEL WITH DATA IN YOUR MARKETING

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MONITOR YOUR COMPETITION

You could start a spreadsheet and identify your competitors in business - nothing complicated, but list down your competitors on a sheet and record what they are doing. This could be the number of social media posts they put out across the month, how many testimonials they have on their social media accounts and how they rank in search engine searches. You could rank your competition with a points scoring system and produce a league table. Maybe 1 point for each social media follower they gain in the month, maybe a further point for the number of Facebook likes they gain on their posts throughout the month.

Whatever you decide, this will give you an idea of what activity they are involved in with their social media marketing and gives you a focus to start and drill into the detail of your competition.

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EXPORT YOUR CRM DATA AND ANALYSE THE OUTPUT

Exporting your data from your CRM into Excel can lead to interesting results. You could look at your customer data to spot missing data, analyse out where your customers are located and even the last time they bought from you if you know where to look with the various tables and fields. By exporting the data into Excel, you could link this to a product such as Power BI which is a free solution and great for analysing data. In the past, I have used Power BI to visually show where customers are located in the UK meaning that we have visibility of their geographic location which can be updated with a future export. There is also nothing worse than receiving correspondence in the post and its half addressed to you as someone hasn’t input all the full data into a CRM. By exporting your data, analysing out the customer addresses and contact data, you can gain a quick focus on missing data meaning your customers won’t feel the “lack of care” feeling when receiving marketing literature or mailshots from you.

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SHORT CUTS TO KEY WEBSITES

Have you joined a number of Small Business Facebook groups and no idea how often you post in them ? Why not list them all down in a spreadsheet with the relevant link to the group and then complete dates of when you post in those groups? You could then measure the engagement from those posts to record if your post is engaging and gaining traction.

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You will also be able to market your business with a consistent approach in social media groups by simply entering the date of when you posted in the group and then monitor your activity going forward.

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TESTIMONIAL TRACKERS

Tracking testimonials is a great way to increase your marketing activity.

You supply your customer and ask them for a review or testimonial. Why not enter the customer details on a new Excel spreadsheet and the date of when you asked them for the testimonial.

In a month’s time, look at your social media accounts and update your spreadsheet with any increase in new testimonials or reviews. If you’ve seen an increase, then great. If you haven’t, by entering the date, this will give you a decision to make – ask the customer again or maybe review for the next month.

VIEW MORE OF OUR BLOGS HERE

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HASHTAG ANALYSIS

Do you monitor popular hashtags in your industry? We know hashtags can play an important role in digitally marketing a particular market, but how popular are they ?

You could identify the growing hashtags in your industry to help you decide whether they are worth targeting with future posts or whether you should consider targeting different hashtags.

A simple search of a specific hashtag on Instagram (for example) will show how many posts have been posted with that hashtag. Maybe monitor this for one month at a set time and date and repeat going forward on a monthly basis. If you see increasing trends, is it worth considering posting with this hashtag ? Maybe another option to consider.

Written by Simon Cox - Marketing Manager Poppy Design Studio Limited NNBN Digital

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SUPPORTER

Meet the Northants Chamber of Commerce

A Chamber of Commerce for Northamptonshire was founded in 1917 in response to the concerns of boot and shoe manufacturers over exports during the first world war.

Since then, Chamber membership has grown significantly and now represents around 1,000 Northamptonshire businesses – who employ over one third of the county’s workforce. We enjoy the enviable reputation of being the largest business support agency in the county.

The Chamber is further enhanced by being part of a worldwide network and is one of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Accredited Chambers – the largest and most powerful network for business in the UK. The wide range of Chamber Membership benefits have been specifically designed to enable small and medium sized businesses to make the most of their potential. As part of your membership and our partnership approach there is a commitment policy that outlines what we’ll do for you.

“We are proud to support NNBN, which promises to ensure that the wider communities across North Northamptonshire are aware of the business support available from across the county. The Chamber are always keen to engage with businesses from across our county and look forward to meeting businesses at upcoming forums.”

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Representing over a third of the Northamptonshire workforce, Northamptonshire Chamber members receive a range of business support services to raise their company profile, protect their business and reduce overheads.

Northamptonshire Chamber is the proud winner of four British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) national Chamber Awards in the last 3 years..

Winning these awards at national level is a testament to the hard work and contribution of each and every member of the team.“It also reflects the high quality service we provide as well as the important and diverse role we provide in the local, regional and national business community.

PROFILE - WE’LL HELP TO RAISE YOURS Raise your company profile via our online promotional tools, events and inbusiness magazine.

SAVINGS - WE’LL HELP YOU REDUCE OVERHEADS Save your business money by accessing our range of cost-saving services.

TRAINING - IMPROVING EMPLOYEE SKILLS Equip your workforce wth the latest skills and techniques with access to a range of discounted training courses.

REPRESENTATION - WE’RE ON YOUR SIDE Your Chamber lobbies on your behalf, locally through our MP’s and Local Authorities and nationally through the British Chambers of Commerce.

PROTECTION - SECURITY & PEACE OF MIND Helping you to protect your business and make informed decisions.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE - UNLOCK YOUR GLOBAL POTENTIAL Supporting you to take your business global with our expert International Trade Advisors. https://www.northants-chamber.co.uk/

NNBN Digital

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EDITORIAL

WEETABIX PLANTS OAK TREE AS PART OF THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS Weetabix and Burton Latimer Local Council hosted a tree planting ceremony was part of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) – a unique, nationwide tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, which invites everyone to plant sustainably and to protect the UK’s trees. The company is proud to support the project as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, which also sees Weetabix commit to sourcing every grain of its Weetabix wheat from within a 50-mile radius of its mills in Burton Latimer.

For its contribution to the QGC project, Weetabix has donated a specimen oak tree planted in Pocket Park – an 11 acre area of meadowland situated on the western fringe of Burton Latimer, which is open to the public. The tree’s location will be uploaded onto an interactive map on the QGC website, which is working to create a green canopy of projects to cover the country and to inspire others to take part in the initiative.

To mark and celebrate the planting of the tree, Town Mayor Councillor Nigel Padget and John Petre, Supply Chain and Technical Director at Weetabix delivered inspirational speeches highlighting the importance of sustainability and the UK’s woodland, improving local green community spaces, and marking the Queen’s Jubilee. They were joined by a live folk singer, local councillors and residents, employees from Weetabix, and two local schools – people who will all enjoy the tree at Pocket Park in future years to come.

Starting this month to coincide with the tree planting season, the QGC project encourages everyone to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ and learn more about the best way to plant trees so they survive and flourish in the years to come, creating a national legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership over 70 years.

It also showcases 70 amazing and irreplaceable Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identifies 70 Ancient Trees.

“At Weetabix, we pride ourselves on having sustainability and our local communities baked into our DNA. The Queen’s Green Canopy is a brilliant opportunity for us to enhance a local green community space, whilst inspiring people to take an interest in ensuring our country’s woodland is healthy and productive – something that is key to the UK’s biodiversity. We would encourage everyone to support the QGC initiative and ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.”

- John Petre, Supply Chain and Technical Director at Weetabix

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EDITORIAL

‘RENT-FREE SPACE AND EXPERT SUPPORT’ OFFERING FOR BUSINESSES IN KETTERING Flourish, SaveTheHighStreet.org and Newlands Shopping Centre have joined forces to launch a unique package of rent-free space and expert support for local businesses and start-ups based in Kettering for 2022.

How to get involved?

Local businesses and start-ups based in and around Kettering can register their interest through this link - Local entrepreneurs should click here to apply.

Why now?

National retailers, hospitality and other high street businesses are disappearing from town centres across the UK in record numbers.

Growing vacancy rates turn high streets into boarded-up ghost towns and destroy local economies.

Empowering a new generation of high street entrepreneurs is now of critical importance.

Smaller local businesses with access to space and support will be central in driving the Covid-19 recovery for Kettering.

Now is the time to start repopulating Kettering with the right businesses, in the right places, and the support they need to succeed.

What launched in the New year?

In response to this challenge, Flourish, SaveTheHighStreet. org and Newlands shopping centre launched a unique ‘free space and expert support’ offering which started in January 2022. Each selected trader will receive 4 weeks of rentfree space in the Newlands shopping centre worth approx. £2,000.

They will also receive 6 weeks of personalised business support to help them achieve their potential in the centre.

At the end of their rent-free period, each trader will have the option to leave or transition onto a flexible rent paying license agreement.

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Paul Clifford, founder of Flourish, says “The high street has changed and with Covid-19 the rate of change has accelerated. There is a real opportunity right now to create places that reflect the needs of local customers opposed to the rental desires of the landlord. Just filling spaces is no longer enough. That’s why we are doing this differently!”

Alex Schlagman, co-founder of SaveTheHighStreet.org, says “Successful local high streets and shopping centres benefit everyone. The next few months may prove to be the most important in the history of this market. We are pleased to be partnering with the Newlands shopping centre and Flourish to provide local entrepreneurs with the space and support they need in Kettering.”

About Us: At Flourish we know that filling vacant spaces and turning the lights on within our town centres, high streets and malls, encourages activity, makes people feel safe, drives traffic and trade, and ultimately, brings places to life.

SaveTheHighStreet.org is a 5-year-old industry-wide movement on a mission to ensure the success of UK high streets, now and for the future. We are running a series of programmes to transform and strengthen local high streets in partnership with high street businesses, start-up entrepreneurs, community champions, trade associations, local authorities, landlords, industry innovators and others, across the UK. Find out more about Flourish at: https://thisisflourish.co.uk/

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FEATURE

FINANCIAL PLANNER EARNS PROFESSION’S HIGHEST QUALIFICATION A Northamptonshire-based financial planner has now achieved the highest global certification available to financial planners in the UK. Conor O’Sullivan, of O’Sullivan Financial Planning, has achieved the Certified Financial Planner TM certification from The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI).

To be successful, individuals must meet rigorous competence, ethics and professional practice standards and have completed a challenging examination and case study.

The qualification is so challenging that fewer than 1,000 of the UK’s tens of thousands of financial advisers have qualified as Certified Financial Planner professionals.

Conor said: “It was the most detailed and challenging qualification I’ve ever completed, and I have a huge amount of respect for the small group of people in the UK who have achieved it.

“To be a Certified Financial Planner practitioner means I’m in the upper echelon of my profession in terms of my knowledge and experience.

According to Which, only 22 per cent of candidates pass the exam and only eight per cent are like Conor and pass the case study first time

“It was the most detailed and challenging qualification I’ve ever completed, and I have a huge amount of respect for the small group of people in the UK who have achieved it.”

- Connor O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan Financial Planning 30

About O’Sullivan Financial Planning O’Sullivan Financial Planning are independent financial advisers, based in Kettering, Northamptonshire, which is ideally suited to be able to provide national coverage.

Our founder, Conor has been working in the Financial Services Profession since 2003 in a number of advisory and supervisory roles. He is a Chartered Financial Planner and has been Fellow of the Personal Finance Society since 2011.

“When people first become financial advisers, the qualifications are very heavily product focussed, ensuring you’re matching the right products with client needs.

“Lifestyle financial planning is very different.

The product is almost irrelevant because you’re much more focused on the client and their ambitions and goals for the future. They may have half a dozen conflicting dreams and you need to use your expertise to work out how to use their resources to help them achieve their goals.

“The best analogy I can give is the difference between going to see a builder or an architect.

A builder will give you exactly what you ask for. An architect will take time to listen to you, understand what you’re trying to achieve and work with you to design an optimum solution prior to laying the first brick.”

Through the CISI’s only accredited training partner for the case study, Conor is also now training to run the Certified Financial Planner training courses to pass on his knowledge and experience to future candidates.

All this comes at a time when his business is growing dramatically.

Conor explained: “Much of the work I do now is with business owners. A lot of their wealth tends to be tied up in their organisations and I help them to ensure that their business generates wealth for them and their families, and they become independently wealthy. As a result, my services are in high demand.

“Our business has grown a lot during the past year and we’re busier now than we have ever been, so we’ll be looking to grow our team further during 2022.”

For further information about O’Sullivan Financial Planning, visit: https://osullivanfp.co.uk

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SUPPORTER

We have hubs in Northamptonshire Central Library, Kettering Library, Wellingborough Library, Brixworth Library and Towcester Library.

You can pop into any of your nearest libraries (not just the ones mentioned) and ask for more information.

BIPC Libraries act as engines for economic growth through helping businesses to start, run, innovate and grow. As part of the British Library Business & IP Centre National Network, the Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire helps establish enterprises, create new jobs, increase turnover and boost our local economy. For every £1 invested in the BIPC Network, £6.95 is put back into the economy, which we believe represents a fantastic return on investment.

Our services cover the whole of Northamptonshire, both West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire, which includes: Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, South Northamptonshire and Wellingborough. You can find the Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire at your local library.

The Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire has been supporting businesses since 2015. In that time, over 1750 people have used its services and they have helped over 500 entrepreneurs start a business through a rich variety of webinars, workshops and one-to-one business and intellectual property advice sessions. The library service also provides entrepreneurs and SMEs across the UK with free access to databases, market research, journals, directories and reports worth thousands of pounds.

Libraries are not just full of books. They are full of ideas. As part of the British Library National Network the Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire is leading a revolution by inspiring a thriving community of new and existing business owners. It is free to join and open to everyone. And it is transforming the way ideas grow into successful businesses.

So if you would like one-to-one business advice, access to market research databases, webinars and events, or intellectual property advice, all for free… then visit your local library to find out more at: https://www.bipcnorthamptonshire.co.uk

www.northnorthantsbusinessnetwork.co.uk 32

“We are delighted to support this new initiative in North Northamptonshire. The new NNBN membership service will provide much needed additional support, engagement and exclusive discounts to local entrepreneurs and businesses and will serve to complement existing services within North Northants. We look forward to supporting and working alongside NNBN.” - Barry Crisp

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Workshops/Seminars We deliver a range of supporting activities aimed at anyone considering self employment, starting a new business or requiring advice on intellectual property.

Reset. Restart webinars We are delivering a dedicated programme to support SMEs which can be accessed remotely, whereever you are in the UK, all for free.

One-to-one advice We offer a wide range of one-to-one sessions for anyone who is considering self employment, and new start-ups. Advice on business basics, business planning, IP and ask an expert.

Intellectual property advice We offer advice and information on: Patents, Copyright, Trade marks and Registered Designs.

Free subscription resources We pay the subscription fee so that our library users can benefit from access to: COBRA, EMIS, Fame, Frost & Sullivan, Grantfinder, IBIS World, Kompass, Mintel, Newsbank, Statista and Local Data Company.

Links to useful start-up websites Free quality business and enterprise selected by our information professionals

Networking opportunities All our events, webinars and social media platforms provide ample networking opportunities.

All services are provided free of charge to the local community.

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EDITORIAL

NEW PARTNERSHIP DELIVERS BETTER FIRST AID FOR KETTERING NIGHTS OUT Partygoers at Kettering’s clubs and pubs can look forward to a safer night out following a new partnership between one of the town’s charities and a leading local business.

MBCO Academy, who are based in the town, have donated over £3000 worth of training to Kettering Street Pastors, enabling all 50 of the charity’s volunteers to study for an Emergency First Aid qualification. Street Pastors are receiving their training from MBCO Academy’s expert team at the company’s base on Regent Street in the town.

Street Pastors patrol Kettering town centre from 11pm to 3am every Saturday night as well as on payday Fridays and other major party nights. The team helps to ensure that everyone enjoys a great night out and gets safely home, and the new training will mean volunteers are better equipped to provide first aid support to those who need it.

Rob Webb, Coordinator for Kettering Street Pastors, explains: “Our colleagues in the Ambulance service and the North Northants Community First Responders do a wonderful job. But we all know from the media how busy they are, and when drink and drug related incidents take place on a Saturday night they’re particularly overstretched.

“Some of the response times we’ve been quoted for an ambulance recently mean that there’s a genuine danger of someone losing their life – not because they’ve got something that can’t be treated, but because we can’t get the right care to them quickly enough.

“The tremendous support of the team at MBCO Academy will mean that our volunteers are better equipped to provide immediate support while we wait for the ambulance or first responders to arrive.”

Michael Beddall, Chief Executive at MBCO Academy, said: “As a group of companies we always look to support a local charity each year, and when we heard the Street Pastors’ appeal for donations towards first aid training, we knew straight away that we wanted to help.

“We’re pleased to be able to support such a worthwhile cause, and delighted that the training provided will make such a difference right here in the town where we’re based.

“We’re proud to offer job opportunities to a number of local young people and, who knows, one of them may well benefit from the support of Street Pastors when they are enjoying a night out.”

The donation of training was received from MBCO Academy following an appeal at October’s Kettering Awards, where Kettering Street Pastors were the official charity. It means that the £1,100 donated to Street Pastors at the event, which celebrates the Kettering business community, will now be spent on the items that Street Pastors give out on patrol. These include bottles of water for those who have had too much to drink, space blankets for people who are cold, sick bags, and flip flops for people who can no longer walk on their heels to prevent them walking in broken glass.

“This is a fantastic gesture from the MBCO Academy and I would like to thank Michael Beddall for his support of the Kettering Street Pastors following the Kettering Awards in October. Having seen first-hand the valuable work that the Street Pastor team add to Kettering’s town centre, this will make a tremendous difference to the town’s people and continue to support the work of the Street Pastors.”

- Simon Cox, NNBN

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The MBCO Academy team at the Kettering Business Awards. (l to r) Dom Beddall, Michael Beddall, Julzz Pettingale, Ryan Lumsden, Jennifer Petrie

ABOUT MBCO ACADEMY MBCO Academy is based in Kettering at our purposely fitted out Training Academy, Regency House, 143 Regent Street, Kettering, NN16 8QQ. We offer First Aid, Security and over 100 E-Learning courses that you can do any place, any time. You can call us FREE on 0800 118 4087 ext.3, use the Live Chat on our website or email training@mbcoacademy. co.uk.

We work with Individuals, Businesses, Schools/ Universities, Charities and Governments. Providing high quality and affordable training solutions. You can come to us, or we can come to you, speak to us today and let’s talk about how MBCO Academy can train you.

You can find out more at https://mbcoacademy.co.uk/

ABOUT KETTERING STREET PASTORS Street Pastors patrol Kettering town centre every Saturday night and other major party nights until 3am, providing help and support for everyone who needs it, regardless of their circumstances.

Street Pastor Toyin Olugbile learns how to resuscitate a patient.

They help to ensure everyone enjoys a good night and gets home safely, and to achieve this they work in close partnership with door staff, CCTV and the police.

A particular focus is on those who are vulnerable or in need – whether they’re on a night out and have had ‘one too many’, or have deeper concerns which they need to talk about.

Street Pastors volunteers are all Christians from local churches and offer a caring, listening ear and a helpful ‘can do’ approach – no matter whoever, whatever and whenever – and without judgement. Teams also hand out flip-flops, lollipops, water and space blankets, and collect cans and glass bottles from the streets to prevent them causing injury later in the night.

To find out more visit https://streetpastors.org/locations/kettering/

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EDITORIAL

GLAMOUR AND GLITZ AT WEETABIX NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AWARDS The Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards celebrated the successes and achievements of hundreds of Northamptonshire based food and drink businesses and individuals excelling in culinary excellence at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton.

350 people attended the spectacular occasion where 67 finalists in 13 awards categories were championed, with most of the category results being revealed on the evening.

Awards Director, Rachel Mallows MBE DL said “The Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards is unique in the fact that not only do we celebrate achievement at the awards evening, we provide long-lasting support with individual mentoring, business support and training, marketing and promotion as well as entrance into the Great Taste Awards for our Gold product and drink winners – in our 13th year, we received hundreds of applications in 13 categories, from a diverse range of ambitious and driven individuals who make up the fabric of Northamptonshire’s food and drink sector.”

The awards are generously supported and sponsored by major food and drinks businesses based in the county including headline sponsor Weetabix.

Stuart Branch, Group HR & IT Director from Weetabix said: “What an incredible evening celebrating such inspirational and forward-thinking people and businesses who make up the Northamptonshire Food and Drink scene. As a business based within the county, we are immensely proud to support the awards process with year-long backing to ensure that those who are declared finalist or winners in each category, receive the recognition they deserve as well as mentoring and guidance.”

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Nathan Portess, Catering Development Controller at Booker said, “The Booker Young Chef of the Year competition showcases the very best talent that Northamptonshire’s young people working in the hospitality and catering industry has to offer. At Booker, we are committed to helping Chefs across the county by improving choice, price and service for them and we are delighted to support the 2021/2022 Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.

Congratulations to all the finalists and especially Ellie Galloway as the overall award winner in the Booker Young Chef of the year category and The Falcon at Castle Ashby and The Pig and Waffle at Grafton Underwood as the Gold winners in the Booker Dining Venue of the Year category.”

MC for the evening was trusted TV Broadcaster Helen Fospero, who took the time out of her busy schedule with programmes such as the BBC One show, to announce the winners of the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drinks Awards. Helen said, “I’m bowled over by the skill, talent and teamwork showcased tonight by finalists and award winners.’ ‘It’s my first visit to Northampton and I’ll certainly be returning more often to sample the quality produce the county has to offer.’ ‘It’s incredible to see so many young people being encouraged to learn chef skills and forge a career in the food and drinks sector too.’

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NNBN Digital

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FEATURE

“The students are raving about it” Get to know Northampton College’s new Digital Academy

Northampton College’s new multi-million pound Digital Academy has now opened, giving students fantastic new surroundings to explore the possibilities of future technologies. We spoke to Jake Zelkowicz, Assistant Principal for the school of Arts, Digital and Creative Industries, to find out about the vision for the Digital Academy and how the students have reacted to their new facility.

THE VISION

TAKING SHAPE

“The original vision came from our Principal, Pat BrennanBarrett. She brought me into a meeting in September 2019 where she was talking about the idea of a building to house all kinds of courses which would develop the skills of the future.

“We were constantly looking at it and being asked questions. What would happen here and what would we need there?

“She asked me to lead on the project and that’s when I started going off and talking to a whole bunch of different people, from employers to other colleges and universities to get a feel for what they thought would be digital courses and digital environments, which this facility would model itself on.”

FUNDING THE FUTURE “The majority of the funding came from SEMLEP, because of their research into what was needed in the region.

SEMLEP produced a wide and detailed digital research report which looked at the local area and opportunities available here and the skills needed.

“The Digital Academy would fill a gap SEMLEP already knew was there. It was a perfect relationship and SEMLEP could see how the money would be well spent. To anyone with ideas and initiatives to build the local digital economy, I’d certainly encourage them to speak to SEMLEP.”

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“We had site visits and I ran a working group of staff throughout the college so they would have an input what kind of tech did they want, what courses would we run initially and what would follow that a year or two on?

“There was a constant involvement, not only from people I met externally but also the people that would work within this facility about what it was they thought and wanted to happen in the building.

“It was modelled on the London Digital Institute, which is part of Staffordshire University - that was what we wanted to emulate. Even through the uncertainty of the pandemic, we got the finance done, the building built and now the courses are running within the two-year period, so I’m very, very pleased.”

LOCAL EXPERTISE

THE DIGITAL ACADEMY IN ACTION

“I spoke to all kinds of local people - at the university, digital companies, freelancers, Digital Northampton all kinds of people who had digital expertise.

“As well as the Esports arena and the TV studio, we’ve got a network room so IT students can look into the hardware aspects of their course.

“My background is in the media industry so initially I was looking at developing courses in digital media but we’re looking at what else we could do - there are loads of experts in Northamptonshire whose knowledge I’ll be looking to tap into, in areas like robotics and logistics.

“We’ve got 50 high spec machines in our two digital workshops for students in gaming and web design, and general purpose classrooms which all of our Digital Academy students can use.

“All the local digital employers I met have this one, focused dream of building a network and collaborating with other local businesses. Most of the people I spoke to had gone to London, built up their knowledge and experience, and have since come back to Northampton to develop their businesses. I think people really want to see the digital economy thriving here in Northampton.”

“They’ve all been issued with either a laptop or a Chromebook so students can use their technology in any of those rooms.

“We have between 400 and 500 students using the Digital Academy. The students who use the facility are absolutely delighted. They’re enthusiastic, they’re committed, they love working in this new environment.

The eSports arena is terrific. The TV studio is fabulous.

The students are raving about it.”

SKILLS AND CAREERS “We want to make sure every student is able to use digital technology on a basic level, and we’ll run skills courses all the way up from Level 1 to Level 5, and an HND in cyber security.

“So we’re trying to get students to develop their skills in Esports, AR and VR, special effects, TV and video, coding, programming and cyber security. Later on we have the potential to develop courses in robotics and logistics, but we want to make sure we cover the whole range of digital skills and future careers.

“My vision is that the building houses all kinds of people - technical experts, social media influencers, creatives - so they can come together across different courses, collaborate and work on projects - to build ideas, apps and businesses for the future.

“We’re also looking to develop part-time evening courses which would allow more mature adults to return to education or re-skill in some way. That’s next on the horizon. Then we’d be looking into whether we could hire it out to individuals or companies to make the most of the building.” https://digitalnorthampton.com

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EDITORIAL

FIT FOR THE FUTURE: NEW NORTHAMPTONSHIRE SITE EXPANDS CAPABILITIES The booming e-commerce marketplace is transforming the supply chain, and at Sanderson Transport they’ve always looked ahead to stay one step ahead of change.

In recent years Sanderson Transport have been adapting their business to keep pace with new trends, investing in warehousing facilities and infrastructure, securing double AA food standard accreditation, developing their people, and expanding their fleet.

With future-proofing in mind, they’ve now acquired a new site adjoining our existing warehousing facility in Sallow Road, Corby. With finance supported by Lloyds Bank, the new acquisition provides a fantastic blank canvas for the development of their business.

In the immediate future, it offers the opportunity to expand their warehousing by a significant 55,000 square feet, more than doubling their Corby capacity and increasing their overall warehousing space to more than 150,000 square feet. This is supported by 10,000 square feet of new office space.

In addition to e-commerce fulfilment and distribution, their work within the food industry is now a key growth area.

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Part of the site will be re-developed over the next 12 months to be of a food standard, also supporting the massive development in the food manufacturing industry within Corby itself.

ipsum sit possibilities amet, The Lorem new site also dolor creates beyond consectetur adipiscing sed of their warehousing, giving scope forelit, overflow do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut current transport and distribution operation in labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Market Harborough. 5.5 acres of land provides Cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat parking for up to 45 trucks. Add to this a vehicle vivamus at augue eget. Pretium weighbridge and space for a new HGV vehicle lectus quam id leo in. Mauris pelwash and Sanderson Transport have the all-round lentesque pulvinar pellentesque facilities needed to extend capacity beyond Market habitant morbi tristique senectus Harborough when required. et netus. Et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas sed The tempus. site also houses what was formerly Roquette’s Commodo viverra mae‘Corby Innovation Centre’lacus – a conference and meeting cenas accumsan vel facilisis space. volutpat. Aenean sed adipiscing diam donec adipiscing tristique.

The Egestas new site is expected to urna createet new jobs within sed tempus the community, but for Sanderson’s existing staff pharetra pharetra.

Orci eu loborit will help preserve their high standard in working conditions by creating efficiencies, and relieving pressures across their other sites. They hope that their investment in the future will offer a level of confidence and a sense of job security, as well as opening wider opportunities for career progression within Stephen Sanderson Transport.

NNBN Digital

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EDITORIAL

ALISON CROWNED HONORARY MEMBER OF UK’S LEADING SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL ORGANISATION

A select group of individuals have been recognised for their commitment and passion to sustainable travel at this month’s Modeshift 2021 Convention – with Northamptonshire’s Alison Holland one of just 20 across the UK to be awarded Honorary Member status.

Alison, who set up social enterprise Brightwayz in 2014, has this month been applauded by Modeshift judges for making an ‘outstanding contribution to the development and expansion of the sustainable travel sector’.

Alison, whose organisation is based in Kettering, Northamptonshire, explained:

Ross Butcher, National Chair of Modeshift, commented: “A huge congratulations to Alison, who we are delighted to welcome as one of our exclusive Honorary Members – in recognition for her ongoing support and dedication to sustainable travel.

“Alison is a long-standing member of Modeshift and has made a huge contribution locally, regionally and nationally to sustainable travel, playing a pivotal role in raising the profile of our sector. Thank you for your contribution in creating healthier people, places and communities”.

Brightwayz, originally known as Brightkidz, was launched in 2004 after founder Alison Holland set up a ‘walking bus’ scheme at her son’s school and realised there was a need for information and resources to support walk to school schemes.

“Active travel is all about encouraging people to walk, cycle or travel in other active ways to school, work, or other local destinations.

Sustainable travel also includes using public and shared transport for longer journeys.

Brightwayz, as well as running projects and programmes, has a range of active travel campaign resources – including walk to school banners and stickers. 100% of profits are used to enable this social enterprise to carry out its work with schools, businesses, and organisations across the UK.

“At Brightwayz we provide information and resources such as signage and incentives to support workplace and community active travel campaigns. Thank you to Modeshift for this incredible accolade. “

Another side of the organisation is brandmythingy.com, which sells customised promotional products to UK businesses. All the profits from this commercial arm of the organisation are fed back into supporting Brightwayz.

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EDITORIAL

HOTPOINT SUPPORTS NATIONAL ORGAN DONATION WEEK

The National Organ Donation Week raffle winner being drawn at Kettering General Hospital.

Left to right: Shirley Newman, Chair, Organ & Tissue Donation Committee, Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Jacqueline Mariani, Managing Director, jmm PR Simon Weldon, Group Chief Executive of Kettering, and Northampton General Hospitals

Simon Weldon, the Group Chief Executive of Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals, picked the raffle winner and commented: “We are enormously grateful and thank Hotpoint for the generous gift for the raffle, and in supporting and helping us raise awareness of organ donation.”

Shirley Newman, Chair, Organ and Tissue Donation Committee, Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation

National Organ Donation Week, at Kettering General Hospital, was supported by Hotpoint with the gift of a topof-the-range combination microwave oven for the raffle.

This year the campaign focused on leaving your loved ones certain. It is very important to talk to all your loved ones and to make sure that they understand and support your organ donation wish. Whether or not you decide to donate, if your friends and family know, it leaves them certain that they are carrying out your wish, making a difficult time a little easier for all those around you.

Unfortunately, every year, many opportunities for transplants are missed because families and loved ones are unsure of what to do. The event at Kettering General Hospital, with the exciting raffle, provided an invaluable opportunity to chat to, and engage with, staff and visitors about organ donation.

Trust said:

“This year was particularly successful, with a new location in the hospital grounds, and with the exciting raffle prizes, we increased the engagement with staff and visitors.

We cannot thank everyone enough for all the effort in making this year our best, and Hotpoint’s gift made a huge difference in helping us to promote organ donation.”

For more information on organ donation please go to: https://organdonation.nhs.uk/ For more information on Hotpoint appliances, please visit the website: https://hotpoint.co.uk

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EDITORIAL

HASHTAGS, INSIGHTS AND LINKTREE GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH INSTAGRAM

Just two years after its launch in 2010 Instagram was sold to Facebook for $1 billion. Today, more than 30 million people use Instagram in the UK alone and for businesses it can be a game-changer.

Around 90% of all Instagram users follow at least one business on the platform. So, put simply, do it right and Instagram will drive traffic to your website, boost sales and help your business soar.

So, what does ‘doing it right’ mean? Jessica Pilkington and Harriet Emery, from Pilkington Communications, one of Northamptonshire’s leading public relations companies, have these five top tips:

A SNAPPY BIO: Don’t undervalue the importance of your biog – essential for the right first impression. Instagram gives you 150 characters, so make sure you answer three questions: Who are you? What do you offer? Why should someone follow you?

LINKTREE: Unlike other social media platforms you can’t include URL in your Instagram posts.

That’s where LinkTree comes in. It enables you to create a simple landing page that hosts multiple links – usually to your other social media channels and to key pages on your website.

INSIGHTS: This is a feature only available for professional (not personal) accounts and enables you to see how many people view and engage with your post. By keeping an eye on your insights you can see what posts are the most successful as well as what isn’t proving popular. This feature is available 44

SWIPE-UP: After reaching 10,000 followers you will be able to utilise the ‘Swipe Up’ feature which means you can link people straight to your website. Something to aspire to!

HASHTAGS: Instagram allows a maximum of 30 hashtags per post and we recommend using your maximum allowance. Use them correctly and you’ll get your posts seen by more people. But use them badly and you can actually do damage, from annoying potential followers to getting penalised

by Instagram’s algorithm. When you use a hashtag, your post will appear on the page for that hashtag. People can also choose to follow hashtags, which means they could see your hashtagged post in their feed even if they don’t follow you (yet).

NEED SOME HELP WITH YOUR INSTAGRAM?

Have you been meaning to set up an Instagram account, but need a little guidance?

Perhaps you are comfortable with your Instagram account and would simply like an expert’s feedback, tips and advice?

If your answer is YES to either question then this may well be for you. Pilkington Communications, who already work with and support a host of organisations in North Northants have a special offer – exclusively for NNBN.

Their Instagram Health Check, usually priced £155 + VAT, has been exclusive discounted to £125 + VAT. Simply quote ‘NNBN’ at the time of booking. This includes oneto-one training and the design of four Instagram posts.

If you have an existing account, Jessica, Harriet and the team will help smarten this up for you. If not, they will set this up for you – fully branded and looking great.

They will also research the 30 most effective Hashtags for your business posts.

Find out more here: https://pilkington-comms.co.uk/social-media-training/

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EDITORIAL Beauty Bar Desborough is a small family run beauty salon employing seven local people, located just off Braybrooke Road, Desborough. Recently crowned best salon of the year 2021, adding to their best employer award for 2 years running at the Kettering Business Awards.

Laser Hair Removal emits concentrated pulses of laser light. During laser hair removal, a laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment in the hair. The light is converted to heat, which damages the hair follicles. This damage inhibits or delays future hair growth without disrupting or damaging the skin’s surface.

Eve Taylor stockist, they are truly passionate about natural skincare and raising the ethical values within the beauty industry and bringing a new experience to Desborough and North Northamptonshire.

The most common areas of hair removal are the bikini area, underarms, arms, upper lip, legs, neck, and back. Other areas are chin, beard and jawline, shoulders, chest, and abdomen.

They are the only salon in the local area to offer head to toe services from pedicures, manicures, lashes, massage, facials, spray tanning, laser hair removal, and much more.

Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular and environmentally friendly method of getting rid of unwanted hair and managing excessive hair growth.

Giving long lasting results. https://beautybardesborough.co.uk/ 46

The PermaICE gold standard Triple Wavelength Diode laser is cutting edge technology. It is the most advanced diode laser hair removal technology available. It is extremely popular due to the comfort and speed of the treatment and the fantastic results. It is also very cost effective compared to other laser treatments due to shorter treatments times and fewer treatments required. Fast and safe for most skin and hair types.

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EDITORIAL

MEET CORBY RADIO Corby Radio arrived on 96.3 FM on Saturday December 5th 2009 to provide a full-time community-focused radio station which is strong on local issues and news combined with popular music for all tastes, genres and ages.

The project to provide Corby with its own radio station began in 1996 with a one-month FM broadcast under the name “Corby 108”. The first experimental broadcast came live from a makeshift studio in the foyer of the town centre’s Festival Hall.

Corbyite local radio presenter Des Barber had brought a team of volunteers together for this venture in radio which proved so popular that another broadcast was immediately planned for the following year.

In 1998 Corby Radio was given the use of the old doctors surgery in Neville House by the then town centre owners Tops Estates for further broadcasts. Every month-long broadcast from then went from strength to strength. Each year we looked to support a worthwhile cause within the community, like the ‘Corby Kids Summer Camp Appeal’ which the team helped raise over £10,000 for. In 2002 we were the official broadcaster of the Corby Pole Fair.

In 2007 we moved to The Connaughty Centre in Cottingham Road, rebuilding our studios from scratch.

But this time we added a training academy as part of our studio complex to run interactively with Corby Radio. The idea was to give everyone, young and old, the chance to obtain basic radio skills.

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Online broadcasts started from here before OFCOM informed us on September 18 2008 that we had won the right to broadcast 24/7/365 on FM to the borough of Corby.

As well as our regular studio programming we have undertaken outside broadcasts live from a number of key community events in Corby including the Corby Carnival and Highland Gathering; plus important one-off events such as the opening of the Corby Cube and the arrival of the Olympic Torch in Corby, an event our station manager Des Barber was proud to be a Torch bearer.

We moved again in 2019 to our present studio based on Dale Street. The community ethos of Corby Radio means we are open to the public on most days and love to get visits from our listeners.

Advertising on Corby Radio gets your message across to our listeners, with a potential of 60,000 people in Corby alone listening every day, not to forget the villages and surrounding areas that listen to us, this really is a great way to get your company or business noticed.

Get your message across and support your community!!

For more information, you can call us on 01536 265 666.

Corby Radio is a full time Community Station serving Corby and the surrounding area, including the villages of Gretton, Weldon, Stanion, Cottingham and Middleton, East Carlton, Rockingham, Little Stanion, Great Oakley, Little Oakley – these amongst others are now tuned in on a daily basis. It makes sense to be advertising with us and therefore talking to your potential customers.

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EDITORIAL

WHAT IS LOVE CORBY? Love Corby is a community of local businesses, making a difference in the town. A fantastic networking group resulting in work collaborations that benefit both the town and the group members alike. With the use of LoveCorby.co.uk we are able to support your business brand, job posts, events and brand promotions, to ensure you reach the residents/businesses of Corby and beyond.

Love Corby host 6 networking meetings a year at various venues though out the town; including, Rockingham Castle, Deene Park, Holiday Inn, and The Core Theatre to name just a few of the previous hosts. This showcases the venue to businesses and then are informed on how the businesses can get involved with the venue, either through sponsorships, events and so on.

Each event has a guest speaker who is closely connected to the business world and on the pulse of current activities within the borough, giving the attendees some great information to take away.

All members have the option to book Featured Business weeks, these run from Monday to Sunday. During this week we can promote your business through all of our social media channels, whether it be creating a post about a new product, shouting about an event, promoting an offer or a new job/ volunteer opportunity.

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How it works: The first post we would create for you across all social media platforms introducing you as the Featured Business. For the further posts/tweets across the week we would ask you to provide the images and copy for us to share on your behalf.

We then continue to post about your business, including a link to your business profile on our website, across our platforms each week for the entirety of your membership. Regularly keeping your brand out there. Whilst you can send over any new information at any time and we will also share this for you!

Finally we are proud to bring to you the Love Corby lamp post flags. These are situated along George Street in the town centre. The flags have been a massive success in promoting our members businesses, it’s really hard to miss them in a very busy part of the town as they really stand out and get noticed.

If you wish to join the Love Corby family and start receiving all the member benefits, please select the join button on https://lovecorby.co.uk or email: info@lovecorby.co.uk

EDITORIAL

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR BUSINESS TO STAND OUT FROM THE MASSES IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME?

Well, we are here to help! With the popularity of our quarterly magazine ever growing since our launch in July 2016, we decided to take 2020 head on and produce our magazine Bi-Monthly. Giving our customers ever better value for money and allow more time restrained events/shows etc.

We are a ‘Community magazine’, therefore, we give back to the community by offering FREE editorials to local charities and support groups, to help give them a voice throughout the town. This accompanied by money saving vouchers, competitions, quizzes and fantastic local businesses, we give the reader, well, something to read! Meaning many of our pages are open for a lot longer than a typical trade magazine, whilst they read the articles, subliminally taking in the advertisers on the next page!

We can certainly help all types of business from large corporates and small businesses, to Sole traders and home businesses alike. We use various media avenues and combination packages, that without a doubt will get your company noticed over and over again, gaining new and repeat customers who just keep coming back for more!

Our most prestigious advertising Campaign covers 3 media platforms in one hit, giving you maximum exposure, quickly, across the diverse audiences using each platform depending on their preference. The audience can see your advert in the magazine, your voucher in the magazine, hear your advert on Corby Radio, hear your radio advert on social media via a video produced from your copy, see your advert and vouchers online via our website and daily social media posts.

The vouchers can also be a great tool for the advertiser, as this shows where that sale has come from. You may get several used, which shows you the value of your advertising. One voucher may actually pay for your advertising altogether depending on your business. For example, one of our builders obtain a 6 month contract from a half page advert at a cost of £135 + VAT. IT’S A NO BRAINER!!!

https://focussedpublications.co.uk/

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EDITORIAL

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SEEKS NEW CHIEF VICTORIA MILES Northamptonshire Community Foundation is this week advertising for a new Chief Executive – two decades after the charity was first set up to support the county’s voluntary and community sector.

The organisation, which supports many of the most vulnerable communities in Northamptonshire, has been headed up by Victoria Miles for the last 15 years.

Victoria, who is set to take on a new role as CEO of The Parks Trust in Milton Keynes in a few months, is now preparing the organisation for her successor.

Victoria, who received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list in recognition for services to the community in Northamptonshire during Covid-19, is excited about her new challenge but also hugely proud of all the Foundation has achieved since its inception and her appointment:

“I am forever in awe of the groups we support.

We are the voice of those community and voluntary groups and that is what I am most proud of - shouting for people who don’t have a voice because they are busy on the front line fighting to make a difference and improve lives.

“We have made this organisation utterly sustainable, fit to support those in need for generations to come. I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t know the Foundation was in such a great place. The time is right.”

Rachel Mallows, who joined as a Trustee during the pandemic, took on the Chair of Trustees’ role at the start of this year, said: “Victoria has been extraordinary and The Parks Trust will undoubtedly continue to thrive under her leadership. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of my fellow trustees, staff and all the groups Victoria has worked with, to offer our profound gratitude and best wishes for her future career.

“Over the last two decades the Foundation has grown from a modest charity to one that awards around £1.4million a year and has a £20 million endowment. During the pandemic, in 2020/21 we awarded an incredible £2.6 million (remove the duplication of ‘awarded’ at end) – the Foundation were literally life savers.

“We are excited to advertise the role of Chief Executive and are looking for a very special, committed person to lead the Foundation in the years to come – someone who can build on Victoria’s work and continue to grow the organisation so it can support people and communities and for decades and generations to come.”

Victoria, who was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire in 2016, added: “I am so proud to have been a custodian of this incredible charity, one that continues to build something that is forever, not just for now. The Foundation is here for the problems, challenges and issues of the future. What a privilege it has been to head up this incredible organisation – and what an exciting role this will be for my successor, the Foundation’s new custodian. “I live in Northamptonshire, I will remain a Friend of the Foundation and donate annually and will continue to be an active supporter.”

To find out more about Northamptonshire Community Foundation visit https://ncf.uk.com

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EDITORIAL

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER ANNOUNCES FIRST BUSINESS EXHIBITION OF 2022 The first Northamptonshire Chamber Business Exhibition has been announced for 2022. The event will be held on International Women’s Day, Tuesday, 8th March, at Kettering Conference Centre from 10am until 3.30pm, and will include talks by key business leaders, including the Chamber’s first ever female president, Robyn Allen.

We are particularly glad to be sponsoring the event due to this year’s theme. In 2021 we became Front of Shirt sponsors for the Women’s First Team at the Northampton Town Football Club and we’re fully invested in supporting and mentoring women within the community. It’s great to see the Chamber running the exhibition on such a significant day, accompanied by an important theme.”

The exhibition, sponsored by Chamber Business Platinum Partners dbfb, is open to both members and non-members, and is free to attend for all visitors on the day. The major event will boast more than 50 stands showcasing the wares of Northamptonshire’s finest businesses, as well as exciting seminars and plenty of opportunities for organisations from across the area to connect and network

Newly crowned Northamptonshire Chamber president Robyn Allen said: “I am very much looking forward to my first exhibition as Chamber president. As ever, the Chamber team has been hard at work on making the event the best it can possibly be, and as a Women With Vision Champion, I am delighted to see this fantastic event take place on International Women’s Day.”

It will include a Business Before Hours networking event, from 8.30am until 10am, with a breakfast and structured networking opportunity for attendees.

There will also be a panel discussion on Unconscious Bias, hosted by the Chamber’s Women With Vision Network and a topical seminar, entitled Social Media for Small Businesses, delivered by 123 Internet Group.

Places for the breakfast networking and seminar must be pre-booked. Speakers at the event include Chamber president Robyn Allen, a representative from North Northamptonshire Council and sponsor dbfb’s Simon Pickering. Simon said: “We’re excited to be the headline sponsors at this year’s exhibition. After a challenging few years for many, we’re looking forward to physically networking with other local businesses to create new connections and supercharge our local business community in 2022.

“Our Women With Vision Network was born from a passion to help business women and create a community of support and mentorship. Holding an exhibition exactly a year since its conception, seems a very fitting way to mark the first anniversary milestone and celebrate its success.”

Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce’s Deputy CEO Julie Maclennan said:

“This exhibition, and included events, will allow the local business community to network, share best practise and make new connections, which is everything our Chamber aspires to provide for those we serve. If you are an entrepreneur or business person, come along and make the most of this fantastic opportunity.”

Exhibition stands are available to book for Chamber members strictly on a first come first serve basis.

Please call 01604 490490 or email the team at: events@northants-chamber.co.uK

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WHAT IS NNBN? IT JUST GOT EASIER TO GET MORE FOR YOU & YOUR BUSINESS The NNBN is the new and exciting business membership for North Northamptonshire which is here to help businesses in the North Northants area recover, build, and grow for a brighter future. The membership is open to businesses, organisations, charities, and students who are based in or provide services to North Northamptonshire.

Our membership provides a large amount of benefits, which include: MEMBER ONLY AREA & DIRECTORY EDITORIAL & ADVERT IN NNBN DIGITAL EVENTS & NETWORKING NNBN FUEL CARD BUSINESS PROMOTION %

NATIONAL BRAND DISCOUNTS HEALTH & WELLNESS BENEFITS NNBN APP ADVERTISING

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WHAT MAKES THE NNBN DIFFERENT? The NNBN is all about North Northamptonshire and is the face of the business community in the area.

We focus solely on businesses within the boundary set out above and ensure members within the area are informed, engaged and up to date with what’s happening in the best interest of them and their business.

We also keep them up to date with news, events and offers from our supporters of the NNBN.

WHAT DO I GET AS A MEMBER? The NNBN membership gives you benefits for you, your family, your business, charity or organisation.

The great benefits are split into two categories, benefits for you and benefits for your business. The great thing about our membership is even students and community groups can benefit, it is all about connecting communities and supporting you all!

Visit our website here: https://nnbn.co.uk

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NEED HELP FOR YOUR BUSINESS ?

As experts in business, we offer our members a wide range of vital business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice heard in government. Our mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. https://www.fsb.org.uk/

A Chamber of Commerce for Northamptonshire was founded in 1917 in response to the concerns of boot and shoe manufacturers over exports during the first world war and now represents around 1,000 Northamptonshire businesses. https://www..northants-chamber.co.uk/

Providing free business support, the Growth Hub helps local businesses to identify and connect with the right guidance and funding to maximise potential and overcome challenges. https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com/

The Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire supports entrepreneurs, investors and small businesses from the first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and developing a business. https://www.bipcnorthamptonshire.co.uk/

The economic recovery plan for North Northamptonshire. https://recoverythroughenterprise.co.uk/

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The Executive Team includes individuals drawn from a wide range of backgrounds including Legal, Accounting, Commercial Property specialists, Planning Consultancy, Retail, Manufacturing, Marketing and Financial Services.

TOP TIPS

The Wellingborough & East Northants Chamber of Commerce was founded over 75 years ago and was formed to represent the interests and aspirations of local businesses. In 2019 the Chamber expanded to include East Northamptonshire.

https://wencc.co.uk/

Small Business Britain is the UK’s leading champion of small businesses, supporting all 5.8 million small businesses in the UK – no matter their location, their sector, or their ambition level. Through a series of reports, events and campaigns, Small Business Britain champions, inspires and accelerates small businesses in the UK to foster growth and increased confidence. https://smallbusinessbritain.uk/

Do you need to develop your capacity to push your business to the next level?

Find trusted expert advice and fresh ideas from the UK’s leading business schools. https://smallbusinesscharter.org/

Businesses in North Northamptonshire can register with us to ensure you are kept up to date with the latest Government incentives.

Claim your FREE one hour advisory session and find out how you can grow your business in 2022. https://digitalfuturefirst.co.uk/

Each edition of Business Times features clients ranging from sole traders and startup businesses, through to many of the biggest names in the region – Business Times is distributed via the Royal Mail to some 9,500 businesses each month. https://www.business-times.co.uk/

The SME Climate Hub is a pioneering global initiative that aims to create a tipping point for mainstreaming climate action and building business resilience.

SMEs represent 90% of business globally, employing 2 billion people. We are here to support millions of SMEs as they commit to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, and race to net-zero emissions before 2050. Our pragmatic approach aims to remove the obstacles SMEs face as they take climate action — whether curbing emissions in their own business or getting green solutions to market — and help them unlock valuable incentives. https://businessclimatehub.org/uk/

Enterprise Nation is a vibrant community of small businesses and business advisers that exist to shortcut your route to trusted business support. Whether you’re starting or growing a business, we have the resources, expertise, and connections to help you get it right. https://www.enterprisenation.com/

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ADVERTISE WITH US Do you want to get your business seen more locally? NNBN Digital can help!

01536 648383 https://nnbn.co.uk/advertise-with-us/

hello@nnbn.co.uk @nnbnbusinesssupport

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