BizCom Issue 8 - Jan, Feb, Mar 2020 - Bringing Businesses To The Community by thebusinessescommunity

WHERE BUSINESSES MEET THE COMMUNITY Issue 8 - Jan/Feb/Mar 2020

There’s so much happening at Westminster Lodge - get active in 2020! Let’s get to know the people behind the businesses - what’s available locally in the amazing city that is St Albans!

Meet Clare How to communicate easily with your baby

Meet Alistair Mr President of St Albans Chamber

INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE

Meet Paul - why give Headcase Barbers a try?

Businesses COMMUNITY

ADL Electricals

Arbonne

Business GameChanger Dance2gether

Events

EYES On St Albans

Headcase Barbers

Jeremy Banks Photography

Join TBC

Kick Pistol

Oaklands College

Popdance

STANTA

The Signing Company

St Albans District Chamber of Commerce Straight Talk Social Media

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TBC Members

The Brandit

The Signing Company - St Albans, Harpenden and Redbourn

The Woo Hoos

Three Counties Expo

Total Legacy Care

Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre 02

THE

Businesses

2 2

COMMUNITY

WHERE ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE

2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We cannot wait to get our teeth into 2020! A year of drive, passion, determination, collaborations, connections, support and working together in our businesses! It’s also about bringing the Businesses to the Community! The more people know about you and your business - the more they will buy from you, recommend you, support and help you - making #ShopLocal even easier! And we’ve got support by the bucket loads - so grab a cuppa (dry January?), and have a good ole read to see what’s happening in business and leisure in St Albans.

Enjoy! Sue and the TBC St Albans Team

We want to know about YOU and YOUR business - email stalbans@thebusinessescommunity.com to find out how to get involved 03 5

What’s happening at Westminster Lodge?

We caught up with the team at Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre to ﬁnd out what kind of things we can do in 2020 to help us with our health, wealth and happiness…

no you don’t need to be a member. You must have registered for an EA card so you can pay as you go and complete the online induction but after that you are ready to go.

Hi Team, So this time of year gets really busy for you guys? It certainly is busy and it was great to see so many people exercising to try to reach their ﬁtness goals during the festive period. Do you have “off-peak” periods - or times when it’s a bit quieter? We have a steady stream of people working out throughout the day, however if you were to visit between 12-4pm the centre is generally a bit quieter. And people can book ahead via your fantastic app can’t they? Yes they can! You can book classes 7 days in advance if you are a full member and 4 days if you are a pay as you go member. Over 70% of all bookings in the centre are done through the Everyone Active app. Do you have to be a member to go to the gym or classes? There are a number of options for attending the Gym or classes but keeping it simple,

What would you say to people that haven’t exercised for a while, but want to really make a difference to their health and lifestyle in 2020? We would say don’t worry, every journey has a start and a ﬁnish and we all need to start somewhere. It’s really important that once we know where we want to go with our goals we know how to get there. Make sure you speak to a professional and know the type of exercises you are doing are going to get the results you want to see. Finally keep going! Don’t be disheartened if you don’t see some immediate changes as achieving exercise goals is a long term process. We know it takes 10-12 weeks of repetition to create a habitual change so keep going and don’t give up! It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

Do you have any tips to keep people motivated and to keep going after the New Year’s Resolutions fade? Don’t give up and remember the reason why we started exercising in the first place. Most of the time we exercise because there is an emotional attachment to why we do it! Health, our physical happiness, whatever it may be, remember that emotional attachment, remember how important it is and use it to self-motivate to get to the end of your journey. And it’s not just the gym and classes that you have is it? You also have a fantastic swimming pool, children’s pool and sports hall - can you tell us a bit more about that? We are more than just a gym at Westminster lodge. We have 3 swimming pools on site (Main pool 20x25m, small pool 17x10m and water confidence pool for the little ones) providing swimming lessons for children as young as 18months all the way up to adults. The sports hall offers a range of activities for all ages with structured courses and pay as you go classes available. The sports hall also provides opportunities for court hire for you to come and play as you wish. Our courses provide coaching for gymnastics, trampoline, basketball and more throughout the week. And did we see that you have lots going on for the over 50’s as well? We have a specifically tailored sessions specifically for the over 50’s, ranging from basketball, badminton and netball to group circuits and cycling, all in all we provide 13 dedicated sessions for this group. Our over 50’s activities are not limited to sport and exercise with social events also taking place. And to top it all off, there’s the gorgeous, gorgeous spa! Can you tell us a bit more about that? The Verulamium Spa is a luxurious beauty facility based within Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre. With everything you could possibly need for an indulgent day away, it’s the perfect place to relax, unwind and recuperate.

Choose from one of our of luxurious treatments using Caudalie and Environ products or take advantage of our wide range of beauty services including Jessica manicures & pedicures, gel nails waxing, tinting and shaping. Our facilities include 5 luxurious treatment rooms, including a couple’s suite, as well as our beautiful heat and water oasis. Our Highly trained therapists are committed to ensuring each guest is treated as an individual and to ensure that you receive an experience you will treasure. Each treatment is designed to bring balance and harmony to the body leaving you feeling revitalised and refreshed. Our product lines consist of a range of luxury brands to cater for a wide range of skin concerns and needs. We are excited to say we will be launching our new holistic brand, Gaia in the New Year, follow our Facebook page @VerulamiumSpa for more information.

So can people pop in to have a chat with you about what membership may be right for them and how best to use the centre? Yes you can pop in to site where a member of the team will build a great rapport to understand what it is you are after and make sure to see if membership is cost effective against their likely attendance. All questions will be answered in as much detail to make sure the customer/s are aware with all ins and outs. We would always suggest to make initial contact to our membership line to have an appointment arranged so that a team member is made available to meet on the scheduled appointment. Thanks guys Find out more and book your visit here

Snap up a perfect portrait

JEREMY BANKS PHOTOGRAPHY Business portrait photography from just £35 per person. For details please contact me on 07977 555090 or jb@jeremybanksphotography.com Or visit www.jeremybanksphotography.com/portraits Come and chat with Jeremy at The Business GameChanger event on 7th Feb at Rothamsted Conference Centre

The beneﬁts of signing with your little ones Babies are great at using their hands to communicate with us. Think how quickly they learn to wave bye bye. By learning to use BSL Signs you open up a whole world of communication with your little ones and helping to alleviate those frustrating temper tantrums too. My sessions are 45 mins, we use BSL Signs based on a weekly topic, you learn to Sign songs and nursery rhymes, we meet our puppet friends and ﬁnish with bubbles too. There are 3 stages Signing Babies (5 months plus), Signing Toddlers (18 months plus) and Signing Talkers (2 years plus. Book your place online www.clare.thesigningcompany.co.uk or contact Clare via email clare@thesigningcompany.co.uk or phone 07841 533506

Why Oaklands? Our St Albans campus sits within 200 acres of countryside, these extensive grounds allow us to host large scale and corporate events. We also have meeting rooms and workshop space available for evening and weekend hire. In addition, our extensive range of sports facilities and equestrian centre are also available to hire. You can also sample ﬁne dining at our awardwinning Stables restaurant, all created and served by our catering and hospitality students. www.oaklands.ac.uk

We cut to the chase with Headcase Barbers We caught up with Paul Lesnik at Headcase Barbers after the festivities to ﬁnd out what’s happening in 2020.

Paul, with quite a few barbers and hair stylists in St Albans, what do you think makes Headcase unique? We believe our relaxed approach and shop vibe/style sets us apart as generally speaking the barber shop can be a daunting place to enter for the ﬁrst time if you’re not sure what to expect - is it too masculine?.... too young and cool” etc etc....we like to make everyone feel welcome and I think our decor and music playlist help toward achieving this. And, all our staff are born and raised in St.Albans which we think is pretty cool!

And you’ve got a special offer for BizCom readers haven’t you? We do! We’d like to offer those who haven’t experienced us before £5 off a full price haircut valid Monday-Friday, the readers can also offer this to their friends, all they need to do is mention “BizCom” or “TBC” when they come in. So go on guys, give Headcase a try and let us know how you get on. Headcase Barbers, 12 Holywell Hill www.headcase-barbers.com/st-albans

What can people expect when they visit you on Holywell Hill? A warm welcoming atmosphere with a modern yet relaxed interior...great haircuts from friendly barbers while listening to an eclectic soundtrack! Do you feel that Headcase has a niche or specialises in a particular style, or gives particular customer service? What’s the vibe? We are all scissor specialists and have worked in both the hair and barber industries so we understand shape and technique not just a quick short back and sides! So what would you say to people to encourage them to come and try you guys out? Words aren’t going to do us justice... simply come in and put us to the test!

Have you met Anton? A local electrician with a 100% customer satisfaction record! Hi Anton, we hear you had a busy Christmas? Yep, lots of “ring” doorbell installations as well as taking bookings for complete house rewiring, to smaller jobs such as spotlights that aren’t working. I’m always here to help with any size of job. Do you prefer the larger jobs? I actually tend to work directly with customers themselves rather than builders, but I’m happy to work with all. I love helping people get things off their “to do” list and getting things ﬁxed for them. So how does it work, do you go round to see customers and then provide them with a quote for the job? Yes I am very happy to visit customers at

their premises to assess what is required and then provide them with a quote for the project. Great - how can people get in touch with you, Anton? People can contact me via my mobile on 07810 771020, email: antonleto22@ outlook.com. Facebook page: ADL electrical St Albans. I’m also a member of Checkatrade where all my contact details can be found and customer reviews.

An illuminating time dancing in Blackpool We have had a whirlwind few months, with all our Dance2gether pupils preparing and competing at the Blackpool Winter Gardens in November.

The pupils danced brilliantly, gaining places in ﬁnals against dancers from all over the country, and enjoyed the atmosphere and friendship that dance brings! Everyone came to watch and support our pupils and made for a wonderful weekend.

dancers, 5yrs+ who want to experience the wonders of Ballroom Dancing, the ﬁtness, the friendship and the fun, and have the chance to dance under the lights of Blackpool, FREE trials are available and classes have started back in Hemel and St Albans.

Now it’s 2020, it’s the kids turn! Places are open to join the school, so for any budding

Please check out the website, and book for next term now! www.dance2gether.co.uk

Why not join Sarah on the 30 days to healthy living program Daily support, menu plans, tips and advice to kick start your healthy lifestyle. Contact Sarah for further information: sarahoglethorpe@hotmail.co.uk or mobile 07734 604866

How can Instagram help YOUR business? In this fast paced world of social media, it’s often difﬁcult to keep up. Twitter this, facebook that, instagram feed and now stories! IGTV, lives! Aaaaahhhhhh! But never fear, Lisa Nichols, is here. Specialising in social media for the 1970s and 1980s generation, Lisa explains how it all works, what platforms work best for your business and basically holds your hand along the way.

Watch our video here

Find out more HERE about Lisa’s monthly support programme at just £25/month and get the help and advice you need.

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WHERE BUSINESSES MEET THE COMMUNITY into your inbox every quarter Don’t miss out on getting to know more about local businesses in St Albans and what they have to offer Making #ShopLocal even easier Subscribe here 09

Kicking it for 2020! Local band, Kick Pistol, would love your support in their journey into the music industry. From a simple follow on instagram, to a download of one of their tracks - it all makes a massive difference to this young band who formed at Marlborough Science Academy back in 2016. Ernie, Nate & Robert have loved the last three years which have included: • Releasing their ﬁrst ever single, Because You Know • Recording and releasing their ﬁrst EP - self titled “Kick Pistol”. Performing at: The 02 Academy Islington The Social MFestival Oddfellows Arms Ye Olde Fighting Cocks The Hare and Hounds

On Radio Verulam The White Lion Wilkestock Festival The Horn (both venues) • Being ﬁnalists in The Horn’s Battle of the Bands competition • Being signed to Nub Music So what does 2020 hold for this driven and ambitious group? We will be recording our new single “Kill The Competition” later this year and look out for us on the gig circuit as well as at a few festivals as well. We will also be writing and performing new material which we are really excited about. Support your local talent and follow these guys on instagram

MAKE 2020 THE R

C H H A A N N G G ER E

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MAKE 2020 THE

BO BO NOO O NO K W W !

Steve Clarke

Friday 7th Feb - Rothamsted Conference Centre

Simon Leslie

Steve Clarke

sponsored by

Simon Leslie

Steve Clarke

FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Friday 7th Feb - Rothamsted Conference Centre Book on to this huge GameChanging Conference and you will get:

Tips and Tools to implement into your business the very next day that WILL get you results Motivation and Inspiration for your business in 2020 Take-Aways that WILL ensure you stay on track Hundreds of connections with local businesses Help and support from specialists in all aspects of business The drive and determination to take your business to the next level International entrepreneurs, Steve Clarke and Simon Leslie will be sharing insights on how they built their businesses to multi-million pound levels

No fluff â&#x20AC;˘ No jargon Simply "roll up your sleeves", "let's get it done" tactics Capacity is 300 and tickets are going fast - book now to ensure you don't miss out more.thebusinessescommunity.com/gamechanger

A day full of opportunities Join us at The 3 Counties Expo for a day full of opportunities. Showcase your business by booking a stand, prices start from £149.00 plus VAT. There are networking events, free workshops and there is no entry fee for visitors. The Expos are now in their 6th year and bring the business communities from Herts, Beds and Bucks together to connect and learn. Luton – 24th March at Venue 360. Expo begins with breakfast networking. Opens to visitors at 9am until 1.30pm and concludes with a networking lunch. Watford – 25th June at The Mercure Hotel Watford. Same timings as Luton. We limit the exhibitors to 2 per industry and we have 50 stands at each event. To book your stand, enquire about sponsorship, book a free visitor ticket or networking place visit our website www.3countiesexpo.co.uk

It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you Brandit… Hi Gav, you’ve been a graphic designer for 34 years now, we bet you’ve seen some changes in this field over the years? Yep, I sure have - I’m originally from the land of “cut and paste”, but obviously now we have soooo many more tools at our fingertips to help us to communicate effectively and lots of businesses are able to create their own logos, flyers and websites Do you have any tips or advice for business owners who are on a budget and are designing for their businesses in softwares such as Canva and may not have design experience? Yep, the obvious ones which are to be consistent in your colours, fonts etc. and to make sure you have the rights to use any images in your work. A lot of people don’t realise that you can’t just download images from Google and use them - some people learn that the hard way when a large bill appears! There are lots of websites where you can use images free of charge or for a small cost. But, as with all things, it’s always better to get the experts in when we can? Absolutely, graphic designers are trained in their field - and, very importantly, can bring a lot of creativity to the table. We absolutely love it when we show our clients their designs after chatting with them about what they want to achieve. So, customers simply brief you on the outcome that they want, i.e. more customers, more of the right customers etc. and you do the rest? Yes, we talk about what the right type of “work” or “customers” are that the business wants - not just a scattergun approach, but focussing on what is going to help our customers reach their goals and then create a proposal of how we will do that. It’s one of the favourite parts of our job - creative concepts and showing our customers the journey of how that all falls into place. So not just a “pretty picture” then? Absolutely not. Whilst we love all things design, the logo, leaflet, brochure, website, ecomms, business cards, whatever it is, has a job to do and has to earn it’s return on investment. Want to get your communications right in 2020? Fancy some creative ideas and plans to get you where you want to be? Give Gavin and the Team at The Brandit a shout info@thebrandit.co.uk www.thebrandit.co.uk

…and that’s what gets results! 15

TBC TEAM SHEET A- Just in time service Ltd A Quick Word ABA White Rooms Accentuate beauty Accord HR Consulting Ltd ACE Digital Marketing Consultancy AddVance ADH Web Design ADL Electricals ADS Digital Aims Alban Care Alison Diana Coaching Allegro Blinds (St Albans) Alterra Business Consulting Ltd Amber Mountain Marketing Anna Wilk Consulting Ltd Annie Griggs Photography AP Brand Communications Appleonia Beauty Studio Arbonne Atlas Translations Avin Accountants AVS Smart Solutions Beautiful Bea & Tropic With Eileen Beejal Coulson Best Theatre Arts Ltd BH Compliance Ltd Birth Into Being Blissfully Organised Blue Mole Promotional Merchandise BLS Computer Solutions Ltd BNI Networking Body Balance Clinic Ltd Body Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen & Drug-Free Healing Ltd bubbleHUB Buckets and Bubbles Buff and Bare Business Video Hub C2 Group Captain Tortue Catherine Batour Make Up Beauty Style Centre4Excellence

Cerimonia Chameleon HR Ltd. Cheryl Louise’s Hairdressing ChipsAway St Albans Chris Hobson Weddings Christopher Place Shopping Centre Corker Cars Ltd Corporate Alchemy Limited Cositas Counselling Foundation Create Communications Crisp Accountancy Ltd Curiosity & Clarity Dance2gether Daniels Estate Agents DCS Voice and Vision Deirdre Swede Nutrition Digital Jen Digital StAlbans Distinct Physiotheraphy Dizzy Bee Kitchen Dogtastic Dream Team Movers Limited Duguid Communications Ltd Earthworks EIC Insurance Services Ltd Ember Designs Emma Hayes Massage Emma Kosh Interiors Emmy’s brigadeiro Enhanced Optical Services Eve and Adam Evolution Pest Control Excalibur Auctions Ltd Excel Beauty Cosmetics Ltd EYES on St Albans Faces by George Farr Brew Ltd Fircroft Associates Ltd Firestarter Creative Ltd Flagship Wines Floral City Flourish With Social Media Flowers by Catherine Forever Living

Functional Therapies Fusion Training GHPS Ltd Gladrags Gold Nugget Designs Good Beyond Ltd Great in 8, A Gradual Better You Gymboree Play & Music St Albans Hadham Health Ltd Haiders Hannah Sessions Design Hays Travel Headcase Barbers Heartwood Executive Cars Ltd Helen Frusher Forever Living Helen Louvieris Hypnotherapy Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Herts Garden Rooms Herts Health and Wellbeing - Vital Herts Kitchen Wellness Clinic Hindlip Design Ltd HK Accountancy Services Ltd Holiday Inn Express St Albans Home County Rentals Home Property Finders Hour Hands House of Colour - St Albans Hummingbird Ofﬁce Solutions Ltd Hypnos Wellbeing Ian Silverstein - Creative Thinker IGM Inspire Music School Invoke Finance Isagenix Nutritional Health Jasmine Jewellery Jaxstar Solutions Jeremy Banks Photography Jonathan Emmerson - Cushions, Fabrics and Homewares Jonathan Emmerson - Cushions, Fabrics and Homewares Judy Britten Reﬂexology Kijiko Lacon Designs

Lady A Photography Laura Anderson Coaching Lawyer In The Making LDS Louise Driving School Leafi St Albans Museum and Gallery Leah Webster Explainer Videos Leightons Opticians Lets Talk Travel lifeadmin LifeWorks Lili Oli Ltd Little Big Ego Louise’s Antenatal Classes Lower Red Lion Lush Mush Lydia Berman Creative MacPro Design and Print Ltd MacRat Madison HR Maria Isaeva Financial Advisor Marshalwick Magazine Mary Bloom - Fitness & Performance Metro Bank PLC Mettle Milers milknfizz Mindful Pathway MJP Financial Consultants Montet Designs Motion Designer Moveology Mums Unlimited My Local DJ My Mustard Network and Security Limited Newborn Love Photography by Sara and Lee NoLimit Camps Nordikka Interiors LTD Norwex Noshpod Oaklands College October Design Olwen Jennings OnBrand Group One Home Interiors Oxygen & Drug-Free Healing Ltd Peer 2 Peer Perfect Match Presenters (PMP) Perfect Moment Florists Planit Purple Popdance Ltd Positive Reflex Therapy

Powder Eight PQA PR with Perkes Principal Chauffeurs Print Shop St Albans Prestige Medical Beauty PTA Social Rachel Varndall Travel Counsellor Raring2Go Redbourn Autos Redway HR Regali Gift Wrapping Ltd Retromum Catering Rinceoiri le Cheile School of Irish dancing RK Interior Architectural Design Rocket Girl Coaching Rolling Snowball Marketing Rothamsted Enterprises RPG Crouch Chapman Sajona’s Small World SamSocial SASA School of Performing Arts Schye Construction Ltd Sigrid’s Language Training Sinead Howland Career Coaching SJ Locks Smart Tech Social Elements Media Socially Mindful Sorted SPG Sphere Data Protection Sphere HR St Albans Decor St Albans Enterprise Agency STANTA St.Villa restaurant and cocktail bar Stagearts Catherine Stephanie Belton Photography StEPs C.I.C Stitch and Sparkle Straight Talk Social Media Striking Places Photography Superstar Communicator Sweet Charity Tarbys Tailor Together Temple Spa The Barefoot Accountant Ltd The Best of St Albans The Brandit The Business Network South Herts

The Carpet Store The Cat Butler The Chocolate Wrapper The Cobbled Kitchen The Endless Bookcase The Flying Physios The Hospice of St Francis The Insurance Store The Marketing Hive The Mercuré Noke Hotel The Music Dept The Nutritional Medicine Clinic The Physio Specialist The Pilates Workshop The Reﬁll Pantry The Signing Company The Virtual Marketeer Tickled Pink Interiors Timber Club Torrington Hall Total Care Personal Training Total Legacy Care Tracey Baum Coaching Trestle Arts Base Trio Telecom UK Business Buddy Uskuri Theobald Architect Utility Warehouse Valuing Minds Varangian Vayu Limited Verulam Clinic Verulam Tile Warehouse VFB Marketing Viburnum Ltd Vin En Van Visionary Accountants Voispeed Wagada Watersplash Swim School West Hertfordshire Swim School Puddle Ducks Westminster Lodge WUKA ltd XPG Events Limited Yellow Lizard Yoga with Stacey Landau Zebra Stripe

Come and join an incredible team! 17

We’re part of

TBC Membership Why you deﬁnitely need to join if you have a business that covers the St Albans area We know that businesses have different needs at different times. So we’ve created membership packages to suit your marketing budgets and give you marketing and promo support when your business needs it.

Starter Membership £25 per YEAR! You get: • Your business on the TBC website so people can ﬁnd you and we can refer you to potential customers! • Unlimited posts in the St Albans Businesses facebook group and the TBC members only fb group • FREE jellies • Access to Masterclasses • Discounts on events • Member Exclusive Offers

Bronze Membership £25 per month You get: Everything in the Starter Membership PLUS: • Your products and services on the TBC Website • Your events on the TBC website • Your blogs on the TBC Website All of which we share across our social media platforms reaching an audience of thousands for you And linking back to your website (which google loves)

Join Here Today Got any questions? Get in touch with us at stalbans@thebusinessescommunity.com to see how TBC can help YOU and YOUR Business

Get ready for 4th Annual Woo Hoos 2020!! Wednesday 3rd June in the evening in the stunning teepee at Oaklands College - get it in your diaries now! The Woo Hoos were created to celebrate all kinds of success in business - from start ups, to going international, to overcoming hurdles etc - we want to celebrate the achievements of businesses across St Albans.

So how does it work? Well in April we open the doors to nominations from our TBC Members, who can nominate any business at all that covers St Albans (nominees do not have to be TBC Members). The nomination can be for any type of achievement. The ﬁrst 30 businesses nominated will be invited to the Woo Hoos Achievement Evening to receive their “Woo Hoo” and ﬁnd out why they’ve been nominated for it. Everyone is welcome to attend the Woo Hoos - it’s a fantastic night - friendly, fun and incredible to see what goes on behind the business scene in this amazing city. Tickets are available now - it is advisable to book now as we completely sold out last year - BOOK HERE

THE

If you are interested in sponsoring a Woo Hoo - ﬁnd out more here and book your sponsorship place as soon as you can. We completely sold out last year ﬁnd out more and BOOK HERE

Businesses COMMUNIT Y

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Who will you nominate?

Jan-Mar

Find out more about all these fantastic events at stalbans.thebusinessescommunity.com/events Contact the organisers as subject to change

7th Jan - 14th Feb

The Vagina Monologues

15th Jan

Chamber Business Breakfast with St Albans BID The Business Network South Herts - January Event How to create/build a website using wordpress

16th Jan

LinkedIn for marketing and professional headshot day Jelly - co-working and networking at Rothamsted Conference Centre Chamber Lunch Web&Beers Meet Up

17th Jan

Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for business seminar

18th Jan

Wardrobe Organisation Workshop

21st Jan

5 Things You Need To Know To Improve Your Cashflow

22nd Jan

Mailchimp for Beginners

23rd Jan

Mums UnLtd Harpenden Search Engine Optimisation Workshop Inspiring Herts 2020 Awards Launch Mindfulness Course Open Evening & Taster

24th Jan 27th Jan

Presentation Skills Workshop 20:20 Vision - Boost Your Business This January

28th Jan

Mums UnLtd Hemel

29th Jan

Mailchimp - Advanced Workshop

31st Jan

Jelly Baby - Secret Business Tool That Will Change Your Business

3rd Feb

Mums UnLtd evening group

6th Feb

Business Planning Seminar

7th Feb

The Business GameChanger Conference!

11th Feb

Google Analytics Workshop

12th Feb

Chamber Breakfast - St Albans Council Update Mums UnLtd St Albans The Business Network South Herts - February Event

13th Feb

Jelly Co-Working and Networking at Mercure Noke Hotel Spring 20:20 - Evening 8 Week Mindfulness Courses in St Albans

14th Feb

Making Impactful Video

19th Feb

A Little Bit of Google Workshop

25th Feb

Mums UnLtd Hemel

27th Feb

Mums UnLtd Harpenden

28th Feb

Jelly Baby - Jackie Forster Admin MOT

4th Mar

The Business Network South Herts - March Event

12th Mar

Jelly

14-15th Mar

Oaklands Lambing Weekend

27th Mar

Jelly Baby

1st Apr

The Business Network South Herts April Event

3rd Apr

Jelly Baby

16th Apr

Jelly Co-Working and Networking at Rothamsted Conference Centre 21

St Albans and District Chamber of Commerce - from 1907 and into the future

We caught up with Alistair Woodgate, President of St Albans and District Chamber of Commerce, to ﬁnd out more about the business networking group that started back in 1907!!! Hello Mr President - So we understand you have been President for 18 months (not since 1907!) - what does the role of President entail? My role is to represent the membership and to act as a spokesperson for members in discussions with other groups and organisations, at District, County and occasionally national level. In recent weeks I’ve had meetings with national politicians on the election trail, to alert them in particular to the need for Business Rate reform, I’ve spoken at a Council Business Summit about the challenges and opportunities for local businesses and I’ve met a number of charities and local organisations. At formal occasions I wear a very impressive chain of ofﬁce, carrying the names of all the former Presidents, which

has led to me being mistaken for the May or more than once! Can you tell us a bit more about the Chamber and what you guys offer to businesses in the local area? St Albans and District Chamber of Commerce was formed in November 1907 to ‘further the interest of businesses in the area ensuring positive growth and development’. We are still committed to these objectives, providing a forum for networking in St Albans and aiming to be a ‘voice’ for our members. The opinion of the Chamber is one valued by many other organisations. We aim to help ‘join the dots’ – identifying where one business can support and/or beneﬁt from another, organising introductions, and bringing businesses together. We want to inspire one another and expand opportunities for all – upholding the reputation of the Chamber as a good place to do business and of businesses doing good. Through all of this it’s also about having fun in business!

And you put on lots of events during the year don’t you - what kind of events are they? We hear the St Georges Day lunch is always a sell out within minutes. We do! Our regular events range from Business Breakfast Meetings with a guest speaker, to speed networking sessions, less structured lunchtime get - togethers and New Members’ evenings. The St George’s Day Lunch is one of the highlights of the year and, as you say, sells out in minutes! It’s a great occasion and also raises signiﬁcant funds for local charities. We also hold a black - tie Winter Ball that again supports charities locally. And in June every year we hold a one - week long Business Festival combining workshops, seminars and a variety of CPD and CSR events – all designed to bring the business community closer together, to share ideas and challenges and to build a network of great local referrals. All the great work being done in our District is celebrated annually through our Community Business Awards. At our ﬁrst three networking events in 2020 we’ll have presentations from St Albans BID (Business Improvement District), The Chief Executive of St Albans District Council (to review the Council’s achievements over the last year and their aspirations for the next year) and from Luton Airport about the potential physical and economic effects of its proposed expansion on the District. And we have a monthly newsletter to keep everyone abreast of news and events.

Is the Chamber for members only? Not at all – all our events are also open to non-members, though once a non-member has attended three events, they are invited to become a full member. The non-member rate to attend events is, understandably, higher than for members. What kind of businesses join the chamber - does it tend to be larger businesses or do you get sole traders as well? Membership is right across the board. Chamber members range from sole traders through to the city’s biggest employers. This gives smaller and newer businesses the chance to interact with larger organisations. And our members represent all trades and professions. What would you say to anyone who is thinking of joining the Chamber? Do come along to an event, meet a few people (we’ll gladly make any introductions for you) and see if the Chamber could work for you and your business. And, like any organisation, to get the most out of it, don’t just join, join in! Many members say that their Chamber member ship has resulted not only in really effective business relationships but in some great friendships too. Find out more about the Chamber, their memberships and events here www.stalbans-chamber.co.uk

How to solve the Rubik’s Cube using TLC How Total Legacy Care became Rubik’s Ambassadors

Local company Total Legacy Care (TLC) are working on a project to prove Rubik’s cubes help maintain capacity and improve self-conﬁdence. As a legal company providing Wills, Trusts, Lasting Power of Attorney, TLC looked to give back to their clients who were concerned about losing capacity in later life and give them something that could do to help keep their minds active. Research shows that crosswords, puzzles & sudoku can keep the mind active, so TLC ramped it up a notch and gave every client completing their Lasting

Power of Attorney a Rubik’s Cube along with full instruction on how to solve one. They then started teaching the elderly in Care Homes how to do the Rubik’s Cube. The initial project was so successful, Rubik’s Brand made them Ambassadors and supported their project. TLC have now rolled out the project and work with those living with Dementia, Autism & Learning Difﬁculties.

Director of TLC and Rubik’s enthusiast, Neil Barras-Smith says: “When we started teaching the elderly, our initial objective was to have fun. The results were amazing. Not only were we giving people a weekly activity that they looked forward to but it improved hand-eye coordination, dexterity, self-conﬁdence and their mental wellbeing. It was the highlight of our week. We expanded the project to work with teenagers with Autism and the results again were outstanding. The group leader of the Autism group said that they had never seen the group so engaged. We are proud to be Rubik’s Ambassadors and are

excited where this project will lead us. We’ve simpliﬁed the process of solving the Rubik’s Cube down to eight easy steps with a full guide and videos to support people who want to learn, all completely free.”

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to solve the cube, check out their free guide here:

www.totallegacycare.co.uk/rubiks It is a great way to learn and spend time with a loved one.

Getting ďŹ t the Popdance way! We all know that dancing is amazing for us - but did you know that it also helps with muscle memory, stature and mindfulness?

And, did you also know that international dance business, Popdance, was created 10 years ago right here in St Albans! From tiny acorns and all that - we are now in Cyprus, USA, Greece and Azerbaijan! As well as across the UK of course! And we are thrilled to announce that we have Antonia Loader running Popdance parties, classes, workshops and camps right here in St Albans! With Kerry Bowler, Lianne Holt and Angie BlufďŹ eld nearby also. So if you fancy learning fun dance routines to Pop music from the 80s, 90s, 00s and current tracks, get in touch at info@popdance.co.uk

Our teachers also offer other styles of dance - so give them a shout to ďŹ nd out more. If you know any amazing dance teachers, anywhere in the world, please do point them our way. We not only bring them additional revenue with Popdance, but we also help them to promote and marketing their own dance businesses too!

Happy Popdancing! www.popdance.co.uk

We also run Corporate Teambuilding sessions! Great fun and a great way to connect with your team!

EYES on St Albans Old Haunts