BUSINESS NETWORX
W W W. T E A M V A L L E Y P U B L I C A T I O N S . C O . U K I S S U E # 2 0 • A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6
FIRST CLASS WIN FOR ADVANTEX GATESHEAD COMPANY TO INSTALL NEW HIGH TECH SYSTEM
northern powerhouse Northern cities join forces
WINDOW WAREHOUSE
PRO-FIX INSTALLATIONS OPENS NEW DIVISION on TEAM VALLEY
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BUSINESS
THE DO’S AND DON’TS
BUDGET 2016 OUTLINING THE MAIN POINTS OF THE CHANCELLOR’S ANNOUNCEMENT
In asso c iation with :
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The do’s and don’ts of
SOCIAL MEDIA for business
Social media provides a great opportunity to promote your business, build brand recognition and engage with existing customers. However, it’s important to work out your objectives. Do you want to make new contacts, increase your customer base, sell more products or communicate with customers? The target market you choose will affect which social media sites you use. LinkedIn is ideal for business to business contact whereas for customer engagement try Facebook or Twitter and for design and image-led communication then Instagram, Pinterest and Vine work well. Once you’ve decided who you want to communicate with, it’s good to explore the sites to get a feel for how they work, how your competitors are using them, what works best and what doesn’t. Many businesses dive in and start using social media without a considered strategy, which can have a detrimental effect on business and in the worst case, can alienate potential customers. So before you begin, here are five dos and don’ts to consider: Do - have a strategy Decide which sites to use, who to target, how often, what type of content and how to measure your success, e.g. aim for ten new followers a week. Do - be interesting Try to educate and entertain your followers by blogging, retweeting or sharing interesting or industry relevant
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information. Use social media to find out what your customers want, engaging with your audience will widen your network and increase brand recognition. Do - be consistent Decide what messages you want to send and in what tone of voice, then make sure your staff are briefed. That way you’ll avoid sending mixed messages to customers. Do - let your business’ personality shine through Business doesn’t have to be boring. When your personality comes through, you can really engage with your customers. Do - update often Keep your followers interested by maintaining a regular presence. Using, for example, Hootsuite or Tweetdeck you can schedule posts to multiple sites at once in advance, and measure how many people you are reaching. However… Don’t - bombard your audience It is important to have a regular presence but don’t go overboard. People will soon switch off or ‘block’ you if you constantly update.
Don’t - be political You might have strong opinions on a subject but that doesn’t mean your business should. Keep your personal views for your own social media account and avoid alienating your customers with a controversial comment. Don’t - try to sell sell sell Social media users are savvy and they don’t appreciate being sold to. Save traditional sales pitches for traditional media. Don’t - be negative Customers may use social media in order to make a complaint about your product or service. Don’t ignore it or respond negatively. The way you handle feedback can change perceptions of your business. Don’t - forget this is business Your customers don’t want to know what you had for breakfast or if you are stuck in traffic. Avoid being too personal and keep content business relevant and interesting. With more and more people accessing the internet from a mobile or tablet, social media is quickly becoming a focus for interaction with customers, prospects, suppliers and even employees. Make sure your business isn’t left behind by getting to grips with social media now and making it part of your marketing routine.
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North East business advisor launches own support startup North East training professional Gillian Middleton has taken an entrepreneurial leap to start her own business. A specialist in business support, Gillian has spent many years advising people on how to grow businesses of their own. However, after her employment came to an end in September last year, the Gateshead resident has decided to go it on her own, with new business support startup Branch Business Services.
Industrial
Petards, the Gateshead-based developer of security and surveillance systems, has won an £800k contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the provision of communications equipment and related services.
Gillian, who had worked as a business adviser for around 10 years, made the move after taking advice from one of Gateshead Council’s Business Advisors. She soon attended the Council’s free ‘Enterprise for you?’ workshop, which provides information on all aspects of becoming self-employed such as business structures, tax and dealing with HMRC, regulation and business planning. Following this, Gillian found she qualified for the New Enterprise Allowance programme, which supportsunemployed people to set up a business and offers a financial allowance for up to 26 weeks, providing a cushion while she got her business off the ground. Gillian said: “Self-employment has been better than I expected so far. After a lot of years working for employers in training and business support, the time was right for me to take the plunge into working for myself. I’d like to develop my work with individual SMEs to help them grow. Source: bdaily.co.uk
• Royal Air Force Boeing Chinook lifting off in Malta © InsectWorld
Petards lands £800k MOD contract Petards has a reputation as a supplier of radio communications equipment, together with related engineering services, to the MOD. Petards won a £600k contract from the MOD last April for the design, manufacture and supply of equipment to form a Defensive Aids Suite system. The new project covers the delivery of radio equipment and engineering support services, a good proportion which is expected to be delivered during the first half of 2016.
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Raschid Abdullah, Petards Chairman, said: “Petards is very proud of its long established relationship with the MOD in this field and we believe that our consistently high levels of customer service together with our longstanding accreditations and expertise in supporting the MOD has again been recognised through the award of this contract.” Sourced from www.bdaily.co.uk. Receive the Bdaily business news bulletin by registering at www.bdaily.co.uk/register
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Economy
George Osborne took to the centre stage in the Commons to deliver his latest Budget announcement, the eighth since the Conservatives came to power in 2010 following a 16-year absence from government. Here, we’ve outlined some of the main points of the Chancellor’s Budget.
Growth forecasts cut It was announced that while the UK is still on track for growth over the coming years, analysts have lowered their expectations somewhat. According to Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) data, GDP is expected to grow by just 2% this year, down from 2.4% since the Autumn Statement last year.
coffers, while more will be reaped from companies currently paying no VAT by selling their goods online in the UK. For smaller companies, the picture is brighter, as the annual threshold for 100% relief on business rates will double, from £6k to £12k, while the higher rate will grow from £18k to £51k, exempting an estimated 600k businesses. Reforms are also coming to commercial stamp duty. Property buyers will pay nothing on purchases up to £150k and a rate of just 2% on properties valued in the next 100k bracket. A rate of 5% will be paid on space worth above £250k.
Further, the OBR predicted GDP to grow by 2.2% in 2017, and 2.1% in the three years after that.
As of now, here is a new 2% rate for highvalue leases with a net present value over £5m.
Government to slash spending
Transport
The UK’s Conservative government will reduce its spending by £3.5bn by 2020 in its efforts to cut the nation’s huge deficit. Spending as a share of GDP is due to fall to 36.9%. Further, Whitehall also revealed that it is going to miss its original debt targets. Forecasts for debt as a share of GDP have been revised up for every year in the next five, to 82.6% in 2016-17, followed by 81.3%, 79.9%, 77.2% and 74.7% in the years after. Annual borrowing for the 2015-16 year is also set to be £1.3bn lower than predicted back in November, at £72.2bn.
Boosting business To stimulate the UK economy by strengthening its business community, Osborne confirmed in his Budget that the headline rate of corporation tax, which currently stands at 20%, will fall to 17% by 2020. By that point, further clampdowns on tax avoidance and evasion are expected to have raised £12bn for the public
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In a major boost for the Northern Powerhouse, the Chancellor gave the official greenlight for the east-west HS3 rail link connecting Manchester and Leeds. Meanwhile, he said that over £230m would be ploughed into improving the North’s road infrastructure, which would include an overhaul of the M62.
Sugar tax and lifetime ISAs In one of the biggest surprises of the Budget, a new sugar tax will be levied on the soft drinks industry from 2018, with the additional £520m a year raised to be put towards doubling funding for primary schools in England. Further, to help young savers put money away either for a home deposit or their pensions, a new lifetime ISA for the under 40s will be introduced in which the government will give £1 for every £4 saved. Those who save £4k a year towards buying a house or supporting themselves after retirement will be given a maximum of £1k a year, every year until they turn 50.
Budget 2016: Everything you need to know
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Te c h n o l o g y
First class win for Advantex internet telephone services Gateshead IT company Advantex is teaching a new generation about the benefits of internetbased telephone technology (VoIP) after its latest contract win.
recording functions along with client profiles available at the touch of a button.
The fast growing firm, which has seen its telephony business increase in the last 12 months by 25% and has a £5m turnover, has won the five figure work to install and support a new high tech system at First Class Supply in Whitley Bay.
It is ramping-up its plans to bring on-board and support more than 6,000 new hosted extensions by 2017.
First Class Supply recruits teachers and teaching assistants for schools across the North East but needed additional telephone capacity to support exceptional growth as its operation expands across three sites in the region. The Advantex system has been integrated into the CRM function enabling customer service advisors to have call logging and
• Advantex’s Andy Shannon with First Class Supply’s Lesley Robinson (centre) and Steph Boulton (right)
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The investment will ensure that service levels at the Whitley Road-based recruitment specialists do not suffer as it moves forward to meet strong demand for its services. This latest success comes as Advantex sees growth in VoIP services continuing as more businesses plug-in to the cost and operational benefits provided.
Lesley Robinson who leads the 20-strongteam at First Class supply alongside co-director Steph Boulton, said that with business booming she needed the latest in VoIP services to support growth. “Advantex’s solution uses the latest VoIP technology to meet our future needs. This will not only deliver long term cost savings but ensure high quality communications are an integral part of maintaining and improving customer service levels as the business expands.”
Head of communications Andy Shannon says businesses like First Class Supply recognise the flexibility and cost savings VoIP technology offers. “Hosted telephony is a fast growing sector and companies like Advantex are at the forefront of delivering high quality, seamless solutions to customers in the region and beyond. “We have seen demand triple in the last 12 months as organisations look to migrate away from traditional telephone services where it take weeks to add new phone lines. “We will continue to invest in our services and products over the coming years to ensure customers benefit from high quality, trusted solutions that add value to their own business activities.”
Sourced from www.bdaily.co.uk. Receive the Bdaily business news bulletin by registering at www.bdaily.co.uk/register
£21.9m acquisition sees Gateshead’s Vertu add Mercedes to its franchise Gateshead-based car retailer Vertu Motors has introduced Mercedes-Benz to its franchise portfolio, following the acquisition of Berkshire-based dealership Sigma Holdings Limited for £21.9m. With a network of 126 sales and aftersales outlets across the UK, Vertu’s latest purchase marks further progress in its strategic goal of growing the premium mix within the group. Also acquiring Greenoaks (Maidenhead) Limited, a subsidiary of Sigma, Vertu has snapped up a retailer which has represented Mercedes-Benz for over 30 years. Greenoaks operates the Mercedes-Benz outlets in Reading, Ascot and Slough, with the Reading and Ascot outlets also representing the smart franchise and Ascot being an AMG performance centre. Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors said: “We are delighted to announce the introduction of Mercedes-Benz to the Group, which is a significant further step in the growth of our premium business”. Mercedes-Benz UK, commented: “Mercedes-Benz is delighted to welcome Vertu as a new franchise partner”.
How to Induct New Employees Effectively The provision of training, including induction training is not generally subject to legislation, except that employers must provide instruction and training as is reasonably practicable to ensure health and safety at work. The time that you invest in your new employee will mean that they will become effective quicker. If they are well trained and integrated, you will also reap the rewards of lower staff turnover and limiting recruitment costs.
Top tips on how to get induction right Plan for the arrival of new recruits and make them feel welcome. Make sure you give new recruits information about the organisation and their job including: • the duties and responsibilities • terms and conditions and how and when salary/wages will be paid • company rules, policies and procedures where to find facilities such as first aid, canteen, toilets etc.
Provide training in health and safety procedures. Look upon induction training as the first stage in identifying training needs.
Completing the Induction Process There is no set timescale within which this will happen and follow-up is essential to ensure it has been effective.
Review Review should be done regularly and the results used to identify any further training needs that the new employee may have. The results overall can be used to consider performance during the probation period and to consider whether probation has been completed satisfactorily or otherwise.
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Tr a n s p o r t
Go North East announces £10.5m bus fleet investment Bus operator Go North East is investing £10.5m in new buses, bringing the firm’s total capital spend over the last five years to £50m. The Gateshead-based company has bought 47 new vehicles as part of a programme to ensure its fleet is as modern and efficient as possible. Go North East has a fleet of 660 buses and is the region’s third largest employer with 2,100 staff. The company runs services in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Teesside. Go North East has a fleet of 660 buses and is the region’s third largest employer with 2,100 staff. The company runs services in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Teesside. The first of the new buses to hit the road are seven double deck vehicles on the X21 Pronto, Newcastle to Bishop Auckland, service. The Pronto has been renamed The Castles Express and given a fresh new look with a blue livery that shows the castles that are near the route – Auckland, Lumley, Durham and Newcastle. In April the firm’s Tynedale Links service, that operates in the Hexham area, will receive five brand new buses and three newer vehicles.
Go North East is improving services by investing £10.5m in new buses
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The other services to benefit from the investment will be North Tyne Links – set to be renamed Indigo; Prince Bishops, which operates in Durham, and some national coach trips operated on behalf of National Express.
over £10m being spent. These significant sums of money demonstrate how committed we are to giving our customers the best possible services. These new vehicles will ensure our fleet is one of the most modern in the country.
Other services will also be upgraded with newer buses thanks to the company’s strategy of cascading the newest vehicles down to refresh the whole fleet, removing the oldest vehicles from service.
“We have very loyal customers and we continue to innovate commercially to ensure they stay with us, by giving them features they tell us they appreciate including free wifi, plug sockets, next stop announcements and comfortable seats.”
The vehicles will be phased in over the next few months and are fitted with leather seats, LED lighting, wood effect flooring, free wifi, next stop announcements and USB and plug sockets. The vehicles are also fitted with the latest micro hybrid engine technology which recovers braking energy to power on board systems that would otherwise require power from the engine, thus reducing fuel consumption and improving emissions. Go North East managing director Kevin Carr said: “This time last year we spent £7m on new buses and this year there is
A series of launch events are planned over the spring and summer to introduce the new vehicles and new brands into their local communities. A series of launch events are planned over the spring and summer to introduce the new vehicles and new brands into their local communities. Sourced from www.bdaily.co.uk. Receive the Bdaily business news bulletin by registering at www.bdaily.co.uk/register
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“I remain encouraged by the high value of exports to our top markets and the continued strength in sectors such as Medicine and pharmaceuticals.”
UKTI encouraged by North East’s ‘consistent positive trade balance’ A small decrease in year on year exports in the region should not discourage the North East business community, believes David Coppock, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Regional Director. According to the latest quarterly export figures released by HMRC for September to December 2015, the North East is actually the only UK region with a consistent positive trade balance.
The Netherlands retains its top spot as the largest single market for NE goods with a 12-month export value of £1.655bn (at Q4 2015) a small fall of 1.34% compared to the previous year.
Results show the value of exports from NE England, in the 12 months to the end of Q4 2015, was £12.141bn compared to the previous rolling 12-month period at £12.475bn.
North East export values for 11 of the region’s top 20 markets grew over the past 12 months with those top 20 markets representing 83.2% of all annual exports from the region.
David Coppock said: “Despite this small drop in exports I remain encouraged by the high value of exports to our top markets and the continued strength in sectors such as Medicine and pharmaceuticals.
A group of North East prestigious hotels - Seaham Hall, Rockliffe Hall, Matfen Hall and Lumley Castle - are working with UK Trade and Investment to represent the North East and provide American travellers with a rounded picture of luxury stays available here in the North East.
“We know that there are potentially many more North East businesses who with a little help could start their own exciting and rewarding export journeys and I would urge them to get in touch with us to see how we can help.“
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Sue Beverley, UK Trade and Investment International Trade Adviser, said: “We are delighted to welcome this group to the North East, the Luxury Hotels of North
East England and UKTI have worked hard together to raise their profile in the American market and this visit is the culmination of all those efforts. It is an exciting time for the region and UKTI ‘s export assistance has played a vital part in helping the hotel’s increase their overseas business” Sarah Barber, Sales and Marketing Director of Matfen Hall Hotel, said: “Our group of four hotels offers American tourists something a little bit out of the ordinary. “Whilst each of the properties are different, we all offer a quirky English charm with a sense of history and romance that our American visitors really love. This, together with the highest standards of customer care will help us in securing more American visitors to the region in future.“ Source: bdaily.co.uk
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Public Sector
Five Northern cities join forces in Powerhouse pledge
The North’s five core cities have come together to work collaboratively and support the government in making its Northern Powerhouse vision a reality. Leaders from Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield have signed a joint commitment to the plans, pledging to work with the government on rebalancing Britain’s economy. In a joint statement, the cities have agreed that the Northern Powerhouse can only come to fruition through investing in people, places and infrastructure over the long term. While devolution and enhanced transport between the five cities have been acknowledged as key facets of a stronger North, the statement’s signatories have committed to working together to boost skills, housing and enterprise development. Newcastle City Council’s leader, Nick Forbes, commented: “City leaders across the north are determined to create
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a stronger economy shaped by the values of those who live and work here. “But we know that the Chancellor’s Northern Powerhouse will only succeed if our cities are handed the powers, and funds, to create more and better jobs.” He continued: “The North is leading the way in a new era of life sciences, offshore engineering, automotive technologies and advanced manufacturing, and now more than ever is the time to hand to over the powers needed to back those industries locally. “We know that will involve working together on major issues, as well as with cities and leaders from across the north as we seek to ensure this vision becomes a reality.”
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HELPING OUR CLIENTS SUCCEED Business Networx Magazine | 23
A renticeshi s /NVQ’s wit Access Training Access Training is an award winning provider based in the state-of-the-art, Skills Academy on the Team Valley. We have been delivering training programmes for businesses and individuals across the North East for over 30 years. We have a genuine interest in the success of the companies we work with and aim to provide a personal, bespoke service tailoring the NVQ / Apprenticeship to the employers’ needs. We are currently working with a number of Team Valley based employers including: Express Engineering, Elring Parts, H2o Bathroom Design Co, It’s All Good Ltd and Amari Plastics.
OUR OFFER We provide companies with quality apprentices that make a real difference to their business. We take pride in ensuring we recruit the right person for the job and we support you every step of the way to employing a fully qualified, reliable employee. We can also help to up-skill your existing employees and can deliver a range of programmes to help develop the skills of your team.
whAt ARE thE bEnEFits? While gaining qualifications is highly desirable, the most important aspect about good training is whether it has an impact on the individual and your business. Here are some of the benefits that our employers have told us about: • Increased productivity • Improved levels of quality • Growth of the business • Apprentices bring enthusiasm and new ideas into the business
EmplOyER tEstimOniAl “We recently used Access Training to recruit an administration apprentice and they provided an excellent choice of candidates, we were so pleased with the service that we are currently recruiting a second Apprentice with them” Kate Brown Office Manager at Fresh Freight Ltd.
gEtting in tOUch If you would like to offer training programmes to any of your current staff or would like to recruit an Apprentice please contact our Business Solutions team: T / 0191 490 4646 E / info@accesstraining.org
AppREnticEships And nVQ’s ARE AVAilAblE in thE FOllOwing AREAs: • Accounting (AAT) • Business Administration • Customer Service • IT User • Social Media & Digital Marketing • Team Leading & Management Access training Gateshead Skills Academy, Kingsway South, Team Valley Gateshead, NE11 0JL T / 0191 490 4646 E / info@accesstraining.org
• Hairdressing • Beauty Therapy • Barbering • Manufacturing • Warehousing & Storage • Installing Security Systems
Mile House, Bridge End, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 3RA T / 0191 388 4488 E / info@accesstraining.org
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Access Training @Access2Training Access Training Limited www.accesstraining.org
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Finance
Left to Right: Richard Hogarth, Dawn Riley, Matthew Elliott, Brian Foreman
• Left to Right: Richard Hogarth, Dawn Riley, Matthew Elliott, Brian Foreman
Swedish bank announces Gateshead expansion Swedish bank Handelsbanken, which boasts over 850 branches in 25 countries worldwide, has announced that it will soon open an office in Gateshead. Former Barclays man Brian Foreman, who joins the firm as branch manager, will lead a newly assembled team found at the Keel Row at The Watermark, Gateshead. Handelsbanken, which first established a UK presence in 1982, manages a decentralised network of over 200 branches across the country. Therefore, customerrelated decisions will be taken locally in Gateshead, with each customer having direct access to a relationship manager empowered to make decisions. Alongside Brian Foreman, the Handelsbanken Gateshead team includes Corporate Banking Manager Matthew Elliott, Individual Banking Manager Richard Hogarth and Account Manager Support, Dawn Riley.
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Brian said: “Joining Handelsbanken to set up a new branch in Gateshead was too good an opportunity to turn down. Handelsbanken have given me empowerment to set up the branch and to recruit my own team. “This level of decentralisation is at the heart of the Bank and being able to make the customer-related decisions locally in Gateshead demonstrates our overwhelming focus on our customers. “At all times, we aim to provide the best advice for the customer, untainted by targets or bonus incentives. The recent awards really do highlight our capabilities and opening a new branch in Gateshead further reinforces our commitment to the local area.”
At all times, we aim to provide the best advice for the customer, untainted by targets Sourced from www.bdaily.co.uk. Receive the Bdaily business news bulletin by registering at www.bdaily.co.uk/register
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