unLTD. Connecting business across Sheffield City Region #57

ON THE COVER...

38: FLYING THE FLAG FOR WOMEN IN STEM

Master Cutler Julie Kenny CBE DL on the history of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire and her drive for equality in STEM careers.

6-7: AGENDA

All the latest business news, including a new campus for Sheffield Hallam University in London and an increase in footfall for Barnsley town centre.

15-17:

APPOINTMENTS

Audit partner promotion for BHP plus the latest career moves around the region.

29: ACHIEVING BALANCE

THIS CHRISTMAS Counsellor and coach Holly Crosby gives her top tips for looking after yourself over the festive period and avoiding burnout.

72: FRENCHGATE GIFT GUIDE

Ian Leech from Frenchgate shopping centre in Doncaster shares his top picks for gifting in the office on a budget.

THE BEST IN THE

How has the last month of the year come around so quickly? Has 2022 been the fastest year yet?

It’s been a busy one, that’s for sure. I think we may all be ready for a little bit of rest and recuperation over the festive period!

But before we wind down for Christmas there are still plenty of events to attend and plenty of reasons to celebrate.

One thing that ticks both of those boxes is the Sheffield Business Awards, which is being held at Peddler Warehouse this month.

People from across South Yorkshire will gather to celebrate the very best in Sheffield business and the incredible strength and resilience we have all shown over the last few challenging years.

It’s going to be an amazing evening, with food from award-winning Jöro and Tom Wrigglesworth putting on a hilarious show.

I can’t wait to see everyone in a room together, raising a glass to their hard work and everything they have achieved.

unLTD is published monthly by Blind Mice Media Ltd

71-92: SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS SPECIAL

The Sheffield Business Awards 2022 takes place this month, so we’ve compiled a special edition with information on all the shortlisted businesses.

This month we’ve put together a special edition highlighting all the businesses and individuals shortlisted for the awards so you can learn a bit more about all the wonderful things they’ve been up to.

A huge well done from all at unLTD – we’ll see you at Peddler!

1B Rialto, 2 Kelham Island Sq., Kelham Riverside, Sheffield S3 8SD and Chapter II Unit 1A Speedwell Works, Sidney Street, Sheffield S1 4RG The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and Chapter II and while every effort is made to ensure information throughout unLTD is correct, changes prior to distribution may take place which can affect the accuracy of copy, therefore Blind Mice Media Ltd and Chapter II cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific listings.

Agenda

SBD APPAREL ENJOYS STRONG SALES GROWTH AND INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

CODA AND CROSSBOW VENTURES WORK ON NEW KELHAM ISLAND DEVELOPMENT

Sheffield property company Crossbow Ventures has submitted plans to Sheffield Council for their eighth development in the city.

Designed by the awardwinning CODA Architects team, the one, two and three-bedroom apartments and commercial units will be developed on the former Avis car rental site on Ebenezer Street at Kelham Island.

The Ebenezer Street proposal comes directly after the completion of the nearby £6.5 million Birtin Works site at Shalesmoor.

“We are delighted to have seen this latest project go through to the planning stage,” said CODA managing director Matt Bowker.

“Throughout the design process, we have worked closely with Sheffield Council planners to ensure a project that should meet all the specifications for the area.”

Crossbow director David Cross said: “This will be Crossbow’s biggest project to date, a six-storey development, with four storeys to the rear of the site.

“It is important to us as this project not only marks one of the final pieces in the Kelham Island redevelopment jigsaw and also brings our investment in Sheffield to well over £11 million.”

SBD Apparel, the Rotherham-based global market leader in supports and performance clothing for strength sports, has experienced exponential growth from international trading and now supplies product to 46 countries around the world.

The company, which currently operates from five units, including four in Thurcroft, last year secured a £1.5m Business Investment Fund grant from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority towards a brand new 100,000 sq ft premises on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Catcliffe. SBD Apparel is investing over £10m itself into the modern production facility.

The new facility, which will open in 2023, is expected to create 270 new jobs within three years and will enable the company

to bring its five existing buildings together to operate from one single site, quadrupling its floor space and increasing current output capacity by up to eight times.

The company has experienced 44 per cent sales growth in the last financial year and strong sales growth is expected to continue in 2023. In the last three years, the company has increased its retailers by 33 per cent and now sells in markets including Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway and Iceland.

William Islip, commercial director at SBD Apparel, said: “We have experienced strong international demand for our products, 86 per cent of our total sales are exported related and we currently have strong interest from additional retailers worldwide.”

Award win for Taylor Bracewell

Lauren Smith, partner and head of wills, probate & trusts at Taylor Bracewell, has won The Women in Law Awards 2022.

The Women in Law Awards aim to recognise the work and achievements of women within the often maledominated sector.

The awards are an annual celebration of these professionals and their endless effort to develop themselves and the legal industry.

Everyone at Taylor Bracewell is thrilled with Lauren’s award and the commitment and enthusiasm

she brings to her line of work.

The Women in Law Awards Winner Edition magazine states: “Taylor Bracewell are relentless in their efforts to meet and exceed their client’s expectations.”

Lauren qualified as a solicitor in 2006, meaning she has over 15 years of experience specialising in wills & probate. With her growth of knowledge and contacts, she is well-known and respected within the Yorkshire region.

She joined Taylor Bracewell in December 2014, becoming a partner in April 2018.

SHEFFIELD HALLAM TO OPEN A CAMPUS IN THE CAPITAL

Scheduled to open from 2025/26, and with up to 5,000 students by 2030, the campus will build on the University’s significant experience and proven outcomes for students, employers and the local community. The University will offer a small number of key subjects and skills areas that are in high demand in the area, as well as provide exciting opportunities for Hallam’s wider student community.

Sheffield Hallam University vice-chancellor,

Professor Sir Chris Husbands, said: “This new opportunity will allow us to build on our strengths in applied teaching, learning, workbased activities, consultancy, research and development.

“Sheffield Hallam is and always will be a university proudly rooted in South Yorkshire, but we are also committed to engaging nationally and globally and to raising the profile and impact of the city and the region more widely. This new development will create new opportunities for the university community, as well as for local and regional partners.”

SHEFFIELD CHRISTMAS TRAIL RETURNS TO THE CITY CENTRE

Two new restaurants –Fridays and Urban Burgers – in The Glass Works are adding yet more choice to visitors in Barnsley town centre, with footfall stronger than ever.

Visitor numbers in Barnsley town centre continue to soar this year, with recent data showing an increase of over 30 per cent over the last three months when compared with the same timeframe before COVID-19 in 2019.

October alone saw over 500,000 visits to the town centre – the highest recorded

footfall since The Glass Works opened back in September 2021.

These numbers show the modernisation and growing mix of brands and activities are helping to transform the public’s experience and perceptions of Barnsley town centre.

Barnsley Market, which is strategically positioned at the heart of the town’s recent regeneration, has been experiencing a boom too, with one local trader describing the numbers they were seeing through the door as ‘amazing’.

the Sheffield Christmas

A series of city centre activities organised and delivered by Sheffield Business Improvement District (BID), the Sheffield Christmas Trail consists of three family-friendly activities in Sheffield city centre aiming to get everyone feeling just that little bit more festive.

The trail is free to attend, with special prizes available for children who complete the activities.

Diane Jarvis, head of business operations at Sheffield BID, said: “It’s great to be able to put on our full festive programme this year after what have been very different Christmases in recent years. We know that many people will be facing difficult times over the coming winter, so being able to provide free, family-friendly activities like the ones we are delivering through the Sheffield Christmas Trail can be a really great way for people to venture out and capture some of the Christmas spirit which is bound to be flowing in the city centre.”

Sheffield Hallam University is set to offer degree-level courses at a new campus site in Northwest London as part of the flagship £8bn Brent Cross Town development.

Visitors to Sheffield city centre are being encouraged to celebrate Christmas with the return of

Trail.

Visitor numbers continue to soar in Barnsley with more restaurants opening

HUGE CELEBRATION FOR SOUTH YORKSHIRE BUSINESSES

Adam Bradley, managing director of Corrosion Resistant Materials Ltd in Rotherham, was among the businesses and individuals celebrating Business Person Of The Year at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber’s Celebration of Business Awards, in association with Glu Recruit.

unLTD’s Dan Laver was lucky enough to have accompanied Adam and the team from Corrosion Resistant Materials and was with Adam as he heard the announcement. It crowns a hugely successful year for the business, during which they have not only celebrated a record year of growth, but also made significant effort to work with Rotherham schools and young people.

“Wow, what a great night at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce Celebration for Business, “ Adam told us. “My heart was beating fast before my name was read out. It’s a truly humbling experience. I would never have imagined that one day I would win such a prestigious award and it means so much being born, raised and still living and

working within the area.” Corrosion Resistant Materials recently celebrated winning the Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade with the visit of LordLieutenant Dame Hilary Chapman to their site in Rotherham.

The company, founded in 2015 by owners Chris Williams and Lee Perry, won the award back in April for exceptional growth in export sales. Currently they supply over 70 different grades of materials into 38 countries worldwide and offer a full supply service including heat treatment, machining, testing, and forging.

Adam continued: “The event was extremely well organised, the food was delicious, the entertainment was world-class and the room was full of fantastic local businesses and people.

“Well done to all shortlisted and winning companies and individuals. You are all truly inspirational and deserve the recognition.

“A huge well done to our team member Jack Craven

too. Well-deserved on your Highly Commended Award in the apprentice category. “Thank you also to all the team at the Chamber and also at SHORTS for awarding me with Business Person of the Year.”

The glittering event took place at Magna and saw around 500 members of the local business community come together to create a party-like atmosphere, complete with its own light show, aerial dancers, fire eaters and much more.

Hosted by Life on Mars and Emmerdale star Dean Andrews, the event saw nine awards presented on the evening, recognising the efforts of all aspects of the business community –from apprentices and new entrepreneurs taking the first tentative steps in their chosen

vocations to businesses which have gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to staff development, customer service and growth.

SBD Apparel, which counts elite strength and fitness athletes across the world amongst its growing client base, as well as being synonymous with the World’s Strongest Man Competition, proved to be a worthy winner of the title of Business of the Year after successfully opening a new manufacturing hub at Rotherham’s Advanced Manufacturing Park.

The charity and notfor-profit sector were also rewarded, with all finalists and highly commended entrants receiving cash prizes to support their work. The overall title of Charity of the Year was presented to

Rotherham Rise in recognition of its efforts to support victims of domestic abuse and child sexual exploitation.

Longstanding businesses were also recognised, for their commitment to supporting the local economy with certificates presented to HLM Architects (40 years), Rush House (40 years), Airmaster (30 years) and The Source Skills Academy (20 years), and special recognition was also given to four recipients of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise over the past twelve months: AESSEAL, Cooper Turner Beck, Corrosion Resistant Materials and Waterman Corporate Enterprises.

Joada Allen, president of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber said: “I would like to congratulate every business who was shortlisted, highly

commended, and won awards during our evening. It’s great to have our awards back and it was clear not only from the numbers of entries we received but the quality of the submissions that there has been some incredible work delivered by businesses in Barnsley & Rotherham and the wider region over the past

Thanks to the sponsors

12 months.

“In business we must be brave enough to take a calculated risk, to sometimes fail and start again, but with the right mindset and support from organisations like the Chamber of Commerce, we can all play a part in building a brighter future for our region.”

The event was extremely well organised, the food was delicious, the entertainment was world-class and the room was full of fantastic local businesses and people

Are Employee Ownership Trusts the way forward?

move to being an Employee Ownership Trust is part of our succession planning strategy to secure the future of the business. I have been with the business for 48 years, having started as an apprentice in 1974, I am planning to retire in the next couple of years and so we are bringing through people to lead the business.

With more and more companies exploring the benefits of an employeeowned business model, the shared ownership structure is becoming increasingly popular. Companies like leading tax advisory firm YesTax are adapting to Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) models in response to cultural shifts in ethos, values and employee benefits.

According to YesTax, its newly established model secures the foundations on which YesTax has been built and gives its employees a shared ownership structure from which they will directly benefit. Like other companies that have embraced an EOT, YesTax is proud to reinforce the company’s unique culture by acknowledging its employees’ hard work and commitment to the company.

Director of YesTax, John Moxon, said: “When YesTax was incorporated it was underpinned by its four-E philosophy: Expertise, Ethics, Ease and Engagement. By becoming employeeowned, we have added a fifth ‘E’ and in the process have become a genuinely unique business within the tax advisory sector. Building a business and passing it to the staff who have worked so hard to ensure its success is immensely satisfying.”

With this in mind, we chatted with other local businesses across the region that have shifted to the employee-first approach, where inclusivity, personal motivation and investment are intertwined with company culture.

Local ventilation and heat recovery company Airmaster became an EOT in 2021, creating a unified work environment for all employees.

Airmaster’s managing director Lisa Pogson said: “Airmaster is a family-feel business with a close-knit team, the ethos of employee ownership was already there.”

“The possibility of trade sale was on the table, before Airmaster opted for employee ownership – inspired by the success of other employeeowned businesses locally, such as Gripple – and created an employee ownership trust.

“We were delighted to transition to employee ownership and reward the staff for their commitment to the company.

“I feel really positive about what we have done. I’m so glad we didn’t sell it to a buyer and we kept it in the team, because we’ve put all the effort and hard work in. We had the possibility of being bought out and it felt like it wouldn’t stay with the

same Airmaster ethos.”

HLM Architects’ move to employee ownership also came in 2021, with managing director Karen Mosley saying: “Since transitioning to an EOT, we’re more connected than ever before, having introduced more ways for views and voices to be heard.

“Everybody has become much more innovative in their thinking, exploring the ‘why’ behind the things we do, leading to greater outcomes.

“Our clients recognise they’re dealing with individ uals who are influencers in their own business, who are empowered to be able to voice opinions, shape decisions, and bring that little bit extra. This transition gives our clients more certainty about our longevity.”

Becoming an EOT in January 2022, NEC are approaching their first year as an employee-owned business.

Chairman of NE Components, Vince Middleton, said: “As a thirdgeneration family business our people have always been an important part of our company and the decision to become an Employee Ownership Trust rewards our team and gives them a say in the future development of the business.”

David Greenan, sales director at NEC added: “The

“As part of the investment in what NEC sees as the future management team of the business, both project manager, Paul Wildgoose and newly qualified engineer, Matt Keeley have now started an online MBA. This will assist both of them in their new roles as Paul is now on the board of trustees as part of the new Employee Ownership Trust and Matt has joined the operational board of the business.”

No stranger to sharing business success, local EOT frontrunners Gripple first invited employees to buy shares in 1994. In 2011, Gripple transitioned to its GLIDE employee ownership model which saw the purchase of shares become a mandatory requirement after a year in the business.

Gripple’s GLIDE chairman, Michael Hodgson, said: “Gripple advocates its pioneering ownership model as a more inclusive way of doing business, driving growth, engagement and resilience in a culture of innovation and custodianship.

“The business places its employee ownership model at the heart of its success, with EO driving a culture of direct responsibility. With owners at every level of the business, the onus is on each of its 1,100 members across the globe to drive sustainable growth, a focus on innovation and enduring support for the communities it serves. The direct ownership model gives its people skin in the game and a vested interest in ensuring the business continues to succeed, and it’s here for the long term.

unLTD spoke to local business about their thoughts on Employee Ownership Trusts and how they can benefit both business owners and employees

When the business succeeds, everyone benefits.

“EO is the driving force behind Gripple’s continued growth and success, with the business generally achieving 15 per cent sales growth per annum. The 50 largest EO businesses are enjoying productivity rates which track at twice the national average, a product of the sense of purpose that is created in a culture of collective ownership. People in EO businesses also tend to stay, with Gripple’s current retention rate tracking at over 90 per cent.”

On the other side of the same coin, local manufacturing company Agemaspark chatted about how employee ownership might be the way forward for them. Managing director Paul Stockhill said: “I have been lucky to have spent my 50 years across many different businesses in various roles. 20 years ago, Agemaspark was born, and we have manufactured products for the international space station, put parts on Mars, and we even export to China.

“We’ve had an apprentice scheme in the business for the last 20 years as we saw there was a huge skills gap in engineering particularly. The majority of our staff are under 30 years old and then we have others that are over 60, with nothing really in the middle, so we are facing a problem in a few years once the older generation in our team begin to retire. An EOT would enable us to ensure we protect our values, ethos, culture and independence while passing the business onto the managers that have worked their way up over the last 20 years”

The NEC team

Gripple staff

Agemaspark

Airmaster

SHEFFIELD FAMILY’S STAR-STUDDED MEMORIAL CONCERT RAISES OVER £60,000 FOR WESTON PARK CANCER CHARITY

A Sheffield family raised £62,204.46 towards cancer support services, research and treatment advances by organising a star-studded concert at Sheffield City Hall in memory of their beloved mum and wife, Bev Croke.

BB With Love’s Simply The Best 2022, organised by the Croke family – Michael, Sean, Rachel and Matthew – helped continue the legacy of ‘truly special’ Bev, also known as BB, who sadly passed away from breast cancer in 2021 aged just 61.

On an extremely moving evening, host Gok Wan was joined on stage by a number of West End, TV and film stars including Hayley Tamaddon, Daniel Brocklebank, Ella Vaday, Melissa Jacques, George Ure, Matt Henry MBE, Ben Nickless and producers Rachel and

Matthew Croke.

Sheffield Cancer Choir, of which Bev was a muchloved member before she passed away, also provided a spellbinding performance – as did Sheffield-based Shine Choir, and RMC Academy of Theatre Performance, which is run by Matthew and Rachel Croke.

The Croke family set up BB With Love in 2021 to continue Bev Croke’s legacy and help provide physical, emotional, practical and financial support for people and families affected by cancer after the love, support and care the Croke family received from Weston Park after Bev’s diagnosis in 2019.

Simply The Best 2022 brings the total raised by BB With Love to almost £100,000 in just 18 months – a remarkable impact in a relatively short space of time.

City Hearts charity rebrands as Causeway

City Hearts, a modern slavery charity, has rebranded as Causeway in a move that will show its commitment to marginalised and vulnerable people.

Formed in 2005, Causeway works primarily across the north of England with survivors of modern slavery to bring lasting change to those caught in the cycle of crime and exploitation.

As well as highlighting the important work Causeway does, it is hoped the rebrand will help in its mission to create a fairer and more understanding society for all.

Causeway CEO Ed Newton said: “We were determined that this would be more than a new page or chapter, but a new book for the charity.

“Throughout this process, we

have drawn upon the expertise and insight of the people we support, our staff, and our stakeholders.

“In Causeway, I am confident that we have an identity and strategy that will enable us to respond to the ever-increasing needs of our society and the people we support.

“We want Causeway to become a byword for the support of marginalised and vulnerable people. We are the safe place and bridge that takes people from existing to living.

"Going forward, we are determined to continue to deliver outstanding support that brings lasting change and to ensure that a person’s value is seen, their voice is heard and their contributions recognised, as we create a fairer and more understanding society for all.”

PHOTOS BY BECKY LEE BRUN

YOUNGSTERS RAISE HUNDREDS OF POUNDS FOR DONCASTER’S ST JOHN’S HOSPICE

Doncaster teenagers taking part in Club Doncaster’s National Citizen Service (NCS) programme have gone the extra mile to help raise funds for Doncaster’s St John’s Hospice.

The teenagers, aged 15 to 17, completed a sponsored walk from Cusworth to Conisbrough Viaduct and back, raising an impressive £375 to compensate for their blisters.

They spent the money on prizes for the hospice’s 30thanniversary tombola – which raised even more from their efforts through ticket sales.

The sponsored walk followed an earlier fundraising venture which saw the youngsters, who have been learning at Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium, donate teddy bears and other money-spinning items worth £300 to the hospice fundraising team.

St John’s Lindsey Richards, a member of the fundraising team from Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), said: “It was heart-warming to see these young people thinking of others as they set out to raise as much as they could for the hospice. It was a fantastic gesture and, as we sold lots of tickets for the tombola, it was actually worth more than £375 thanks to their efforts.”

Taking part in NCS is said to give young people the chance to learn new skills, develop confidence and leadership and learn about teamwork. NCS also provides young people with the opportunity to meet new people from all walks of life and make a real difference to their community or an issue they care about.

USING TESTIMONIALS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMPACT

HoHoHo! Have you been good boys and girls this year and will you be on Santa’s good or bad list?

As a non-profit, do you know the impact you have made this year? Do you know how you have made a difference to your beneficiaries and the community you are based in? Understanding this data is useful when applying for grant funding. Funders need to that you are going to turn their contribution into something that will give outcomes that make a difference and make the world a better place. This difference needs to be measured and you need to ensure you are tracking the evidence of this early in your delivery. The easiest way to achieve this? Monitor from day one and put in a process/procedure that can be followed by everyone involved in the project.

This monitoring can then be quoted as evidence of previous delivery for future grant applications to show you do make a

difference and can give the stories and data relating to the differences you make. Collect the figures, but don’t forget to collect the case study material too – those tear-jerking explanations of what you do and how great you are at doing it, you aren’t saying it either, third party testimonials are very powerful, it’s like the best Trust Pilot review ever!

Ensure you are keeping this information on your website too – implement a system of asking for testimonials at the start of your work, during and after, most people are happy to sing your praises, but they don’t offer to share this –ASK them.

Just like our letters to Santa – ask for what you want and if you’ve been good, you may get just what you want!

Merry Christmas to you all and I wish you a very happy New Year – 2023 is on the way! May I take this opportunity to thank all my amazing clients, who have let me help them during 2022.

Give Wendy at Let's Save Consultancy Services a call on 0772 9481010 or email wendy@letssave.biz

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2022 OFFICE HEROES AWARDS

Glu Recruit is delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2022 Office Heroes Awards.

The independent judging panel, featuring a range of local business leaders from the Sheffield City Region, debated a high number of nominations to choose their final shortlist of 10.

The ten finalists, who are invited to attend the awards ceremony taking place at the Leopold Hotel in Sheffield on Friday, December 2, are as follows:

• Marie Barrett – SCX Special Projects

• Alexander Wilson – Jenx Ltd

• Milda Hameed – Darnall Well Being

• Ellie Lavery – Unique School Solutions

• Dale Lancaster – Simoda Limited

• Lindsay Hudson – MED-EL

• Shane Armstrong – Tuffnells Parcels Express

• Charlotte Palmer – Clear Quality Limited

• Scott Cotterill – The Sheffield College

• Sophie McJimpsey – Aircon Group

Huge congratulations to all this year’s finalists!

A big thanks also goes to the judging panel and our special guests who have given up a significant amount of time to review each application and decide on the shortlist:

• The Lord Mayor of Sheffield

• Dame Julie Kenny. DBE DL, Master Cutler

• Toby Pochron – Freeths LLP

• Amy Tingle – City Taxis Jill Kay – ASD Lighting

• Andy Hanselman – Andy Hanselman Consulting

• Hayley Koseoglu – Crystal Clean

Keep an eye out for the announcement of this year’s winner on the Glu Recruit social media channels from 2pm on Friday, December 2, 2022.

Glu Recruit highly commended in award for commitment to people development

Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce held their annual Celebration of Business Awards on November 4.

Businesses local to Sheffield and Rotherham joined together at Magna Science Museum for an evening of entertainment and celebration.

Glu Recruit supported the event as headline sponsors and managing director Rob Shaw judged the Business of the Year Award.

He said: “It was a huge honour to be head sponsors of the Celebration of Business Awards. It’s a yearly highlight for our local business community and it was amazing to see so many people come together to celebrate one another’s successes.

“Being asked to judge the Business of the Year Award was the icing on the cake! We’ve been going to these awards for a long time, and I know how important this particular award is to attendees.”

Glu Recruit was among 25

other businesses who took home awards, across nine different categories, and was highly commended for its Commitment to People Development.

Rob added: “For us, personal development goes way above climbing the ranks and we try to do as much as we can to help our clients and candidates.

“As a recruitment agency, people assume that all we can do is put people into jobs and we wanted to strive to do more.

“We’ve made a number of strategic partnerships to help with personal development, be that through training and progression or to improve team moral within the workplace. We’ve launched various events like uNetwork and our popular Office Heroes event that the whole community can get involved with.

“I’d like to say a huge congratulations to my team at Glu Recruit and to all of the businesses who were shortlisted, took home highly commended awards and to the winners.”

Glu Recruit are a full-service recruitment agency established in 2016.

We specialise in temporary, permanent, contract and graduate recruitment – offering a tailored solution from entry level to senior management and board level spanning your entire organisation. As an independent recruitment

agency, we focus on the long-term stick of the placement. Whether you’re a candidate looking to make a career move, or an employer looking to add to your team, our thorough and proactive recruitment and retention service ensures you are well looked after!

CURRENT VACANCIES

Role:

Support Advisor

SEO Works strengthens its team

During November, Sheffieldbased search specialists SEO Works welcomed two new staff to their growing team.

Andreea Anton is the newest member of the fastgrowing digital PR team, having been welcomed as a senior digital PR executive. Andreea brings with her a wealth of experience after working in a variety of roles, from reporting to digital copywriting. Ellie MckenzieBurrell is the second new starter, joining the team as HR officer. In her new role, Ellie will be responsible for leading and developing SEO Works’ people proposition.

SEO Works have also recently announced a number of internal promotions with Kayley Good taking a new role as PPC manager, Alex Myers being promoted to marketing manager, and Lois Cookson stepping up into an SEO account manager position.

SHEFFCARE APPOINTS DEMENTIA AND WELLBEING MANAGER

Sheffield care home charity Sheffcare has appointed a dementia and wellbeing manager, Kathryn Rawling.

Kathryn has many years of experience within the Sheffcare family and her most recent roles have included community liaison officer and volunteer coordinator.

“My new role as the dementia and wellbeing manager demonstrates Sheffcare’s ongoing commitment to our residents and also to their families and friends’ wellbeing,” Kathryn said.

“We want to ensure all aspects of good care are explored whilst taking into consideration physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of our residents.

“We are always looking at new and innovative ways of helping our residents with dementia to live happy and fulfilling lives in our homes, supporting families to gain knowledge and providing safe spaces to share experiences.

“By offering this level of support, we hope we can help them maintain meaningful relationships.”

BHP announces audit partner promotion

Independent Yorkshire and North-Derbyshire accountant firm BHP has promoted audit director Terri Pierpoint to partner.

Based in Sheffield, Terri has 17 years of experience spanning several sectors including manufacturing, professional practices and the property sector. At partner level, Terri will join the partner team responsible for signing off the firm’s audits

Lisa Leighton (left) and Terri Pierpoint (right)

Terri joined the firm in 2005 as a trainee, completing her AAT qualification in 2007 and subsequently qualifying as a chartered accountant in 2010. She climbed through the ranks to director in 2018 after achieving Responsible Individual status from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

A new chairperson has been appointed at a Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire-based health trust.

Kathryn Lavery, of Hull, will take up the post on December 1 2022 at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), taking on the role from Dave Vallance, RDaSH’s interim chair.

Kathryn, the current chair for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, has a wealth of knowledge and experience. She was first appointed to an NHS board in 1998 and since then has served as the chair of West Hull Primary Care Trust and NHS Hull.

She has also served as a Hull City Councillor, is chair of Humber Business Week Steering Group and is a consultant to the University of Hull’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Kathryn said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the new chair of RDaSH and I’m looking forward to meeting as many patients, carers and staff as possible during my first few months and helping to shape the very best care for patients.”

BY HIGHLANDER'S RYAN CONNOLLY

OFFERING A BRIGHT FUTURE WITH THE HIGHLANDER COMPUTING ACADEMY

When we spoke with The Sheffield College about the opportunity to launch the Highlander Computing (HE) Academy, we jumped at the chance. We are now a few months in and we can honestly say that this has been a great experience so far, right from the initial engagement, to being involved in the design of the classroom, to sitting in and helping deliver some ‘industry led’ sessions. We have enjoyed every minute.

Why did we decide to do it? This is something we have considered for a long time and the timing was right. Like with many industries, recruitment has been difficult, so we have been looking at ways to improve this, making some significant changes to our approach. Working closely with the College, the Highlander Academy allows a hand selected group of students to work closely with representatives from Highlander to develop their professional industry knowledge, hopefully helping create a platform for some future stars!

We now see this as our corporate responsibility to give something back and hopefully give students a leg

up as they pursue their career of choice.

All our Highlander Computer (HE) Academy students can access a range of workshops, masterclasses, projects, site visits and placement opportunities to enhance their college studies. This academy inspires students hoping to pursue a career in IT to think about the various careers available in this industry.

The students will undertake their learning in a Highlander branded

classroom, complete with interactive equipment and a social space. The students in this academy will cover an array of subjects such as:

• Programming

• Networking

• Professional practice

• Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence and intelligent systems

• Software development lifecycles

To motivate young people and help prepare them for whatever the future brings, Highlander hopes to provide industry insight and meaningful learning experiences in the wider curriculum.

There’s no shortage of evidence that employer engagement in education makes a real difference to young people’s learning

and life chances. Hopefully we can help influence students’ thinking, challenge their assumptions and increase their motivation to learn while helping them make the transition from education into work.

In addition to our partnership with The Sheffield College, we have now forged some excellent relationships with local apprenticeship providers, having recently taken on our third apprentice. To add to that, we have also added to our commercial team, recruiting via the Rise graduate programme.

Our partnerships are key to us and thankfully we have forged some great ones that allow us to focus on continually improving our approach, while finding partners that mirror our core values.

Highlander’s Ryan Connolly talks about the partnership with Sheffield College and launching the new computing training academy

“Coaching that improves results, builds better relationships and transforms workplaces. We help individuals refine their approach to work, teams work better together and organisations create workplaces where people thrive.”

Christmas & Tax

ANDY FROGGATT OF ROYSTON PARKIN

CHRISTMAS PARTIES AND OTHER BENEFITS PAID FOR BY THE TAXMAN

CHRISTMAS CHEER

Hurrah, Christmas is coming! The goose is getting fat. HMRC will be feeling full of seasonal cheer so will give us lots of freebies and we can all make merry, right? Erm…. Well, I note below some of the tax-free benefits that are usually thought about at Christmas but do actually exist all year. It’s not a very long list and the limits have been in place for years –another stealth tax that we have been hearing about recently from commentators on the Chancellor’s budget.

STAFF ‘DO’

Business owners who are minded to celebrate the forthcoming Christmas break with their staff are reminded there is a tax-free allowance for the provision of an annual party or other events for the benefit of staff and their partners. The present limit to tax relief is £150 per head. If this amount is exceeded the full cost of the benefit is taxable, not the excess over £150.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR STAFF

Another way to benefit staff tax-free for Christmas is to consider making small gifts. You don’t have to pay tax on a benefit (gift) to your employee if all the following apply:

• it cost you £50 or less to provide

• it isn’t cash or a cash voucher

• it isn’t a reward for their work or performance

• it isn’t in the terms of their contract

Gifts that fall into this category are known as a ‘trivial benefit’ and, whilst they may be much more than trivial in substance, you don’t need to pay tax or National Insurance or let HMRC know you are making the gift.

ANY GIFTS THAT DO NOT MEET THIS DEFINITION WILL LIKELY BE TAXABLE.

Gifts to directors are treated in a similar fashion with one over-riding condition: a director cannot receive trivial gifts of more than £300 in total each tax year. This restriction only applies to the directors of ‘close’ companies. A close company is a limited company with five or fewer shareholders.

WATCH OUT FOR VAT CHARGES

If you recover the input tax charged when you buy gifts for employees and if the

total value of gifts given to an employee in a tax year exceeds £50, then you will have to account for VAT on the total value of gifts provided. If this is the case, you may be advised to avoid recovering the VAT in the first place.

The costs of exceeding the £150 and £50 thresholds are really ‘Scrooge-like’ in spirit but are fixed, so be careful!

ANOTHER CONSIDERATION: RETAIL VOUCHERS

Retail vouchers are considered as ‘non-cash vouchers’ as they can be exchanged for goods and services but not cash. There is no tax deduction on retail vouchers via your payroll as instead they are taxed as a benefit in kind reported on form P11D. There is a NIC liability for both the employee and employer. The value of the voucher – cost

to the employer – must be recorded on the employee’s payslip and NIC paid on that value. If the face value of the voucher is £50 or less HMRC considers this a trivial benefit – see ‘gifts’ above.

NO GIFT FROM THE TAX MAN AT ALL FOR CASH BONUS!

This is where you provide an employee with a cash sum as a Christmas Bonus. It does not matter if you hand the employee cash in an envelope or pay it via your payroll. PAYE and NIC must be deducted on these payments and shown additionally to the employee’s normal earnings.

Our own Christmas offers are more generous than HMRC - please email me on andyfroggatt@roystonparkin. co.uk for our free e-book ‘57 Ways To Grow Your Business’ including the chapter on The Four Phases Of Owning an Elephant! Or if you are thinking of starting a business our New Business Kit for 2022/23 will give the background information and compares Self-Employment, Partnerships and Companies.

Perhaps a meeting would help to discuss your business affairs and get plans together for 2023 and beyond? Please call to arrange and we would be pleased to welcome you to our offices for discussions on planning for growth (or just survival!) in the coming months.

All at Royston Parkin send you our best wishes for the coming festive season and a peaceful and healthy New Year.

Andy looks at what little gifts the Taxman might have for you this festive season

Legal Matters

BY JAKE GUIRDHAM, BELL & BUXTON INCORPORATING IRONMONGER CURTIS

THE LEGAL DANGERS OF PURCHASING A PROPERTY AT AUCTION

Jake looks at some of the legal aspects you should consider when buying a auction property

Property auctions can be an easy way for a seller to sell a property and for potential buyers to get a bargain. But auction purchases can cause very real and costly problems. There is always a risk there’s something hidden in the legal pack that could cost a lot of money to set right. There are several ways in which problems can arise, therefore it is vital to seek legal advice well in advance of an auction purchase.

Potential examples of property auction problems

Auction properties may be misrepresented. We recently saw a situation where the seller presented himself as the owner, when in fact he had not yet acquired title to the property he was seeking to sell. It is very possible a buyer may successfully bid, pay a deposit and later discover a defect in the title – such as this situation. Also, there is no legal duty on the seller to disclose any title defects or make any more than bland comments in the auction pack. The buyer is deemed to have knowledge of the property, including any knowledge of problems. The contractual terms have not been negotiated. It may be common for the property to be auctioned on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis.

This may expose the buyer to a one-sided purchase where they bear all risk, and the costs, from the seller. This is very important if the seller attempts to exclude or limit liability for property problems.

There may be the inclusion of out-of-date searches in the auction pack, which do not reflect the true position of the property at the date of the auction and require an up to date search – incurring more costs on the buyer.

Even when it seems there is an agreement, risks may also arise after the contract is exchanged. There is no obligation on a seller of an auction property

to volunteer further information to a buyer, or to assist the buyer once the contract is exchanged. It is expected that the buyer takes the necessary steps to check the suitability of what they are purchasing – but this is even more crucial in an auction purchase.

Importance of taking legal advice when buying a property

Often purchasers may not take legal advice on the auction purchase – it is crucial to get legal advice as this can reduce the risk of costly errors. Given enough time to do so, solicitors can review the auction pack information and point out any potential

title defects. Moreover, any searches on the property should be checked carefully by a solicitor.

As well as the auction pack, solicitors can check the contractual terms which may give rise to issues if the property is purchased. This also allows any missing information to be pointed out and any potential problems revealed at the outset.

Don’t go into auction without being aware of the possible risks. We are ready to provide advice to ensure you are ready on auction day and don’t make a purchase you regret. Please give Bell & Buxton a call to discuss on 0114 249 5969.

Personal Development

BY HELEN WILLIAMS, HELPING ENTREPRENEURS WIN

WINNING IS PERSONAL

HEW Coaching was initially founded as ‘Helping Entrepreneurs Win’. Back in 2017, a coach over in the States asked me the question: “Win what? What does win mean to someone?

And to a certain degree, you could say it was a great question, but for me the response has always been simple: “Winning is personal. It is subjective to the individual and that is the whole point of my coaching business, to help people establish themselves and what it is that they perceive as winning and why this is important to them.”

Is life and business really about keeping score?

Is it all about winning against the next person, or beating your competitor in business to the post, securing a piece of business that your competitors also pitched for, being the next front news cover or to be awarded a public accolade?

Winning mind wars

● Is it really about having a winner and a loser? Is it as black and white as that?

● Achievement and winning feels good, right?

● Who doesn’t want to be in the number one spot?

● There’s no point in sport without winning, so isn’t everything else the same?

● Or is there more to it all than that?

Coaching spotlight

● This is where it comes down to the individual.

● There is no right and wrong.

What is Important to you?

● Is it recognition and status?

● Is it validation from others you are seeking?

What does winning mean to you?

● Is it a goal that you set financially?

● Is it an emotion and that physiological sense of achievement adrenaline rush?

If competing against who you were yesterday and challenging yourself to one more rep, one more call, one less snack, one more meaningful conversation could actually enhance your life, your health, your relationships and essentially your business operation, is this not you winning?

We work on excellence - being the best version of you. Improving your awareness, skill set and mindset. That’s what we help you do. We get to work on a lot of the work that no one else tends to see.

Well being

BY HOLLY CROSBY OF THINK:ME

ACHIEVING BALANCE THIS CHRISTMAS

How to avoid festive burnout and take care of yourself over the holiday season

It is no secret that December is a busy month, with work events, family visits and Christmas parties galore – not to mention all the shopping, prepping and wrapping to do.

That’s without factoring in actual work and all the loose ends that need tying up before winding down for the holidays.

While the festive season is fun, it can also be filled with stress, pressure and a generous dollop of sleep deprivation.

Balancing family life, chores and work is never an easy task but the balance is even harder to find at Christmas, especially with the current political and economic climate putting a strain on all aspects of our lives.

The evening glasses of prosecco, end-of-year meetings and after-work events that occupy our calendar through December all take their toll, so we spoke to wellness coach and counsellor Holly Crosby from Think Me about the best way to look after yourself and your health.

Check out her top tips for prioritising yourself this Christmas and beating the festive burnout.

Striking a balance

As Christmas approaches it feels like we have much more to ‘fit in’ than usual. If this is the case, what events do you want to go to and which don’t you care much about?

Just because we ‘usually’

do it or we’ve been invited doesn’t mean we have to. Saying no is okay! Generally, people won’t even question it and will understand. If going to an event is likely to add to your stress levels or leave you feeling overly tired for your early-morning meeting, then make sure you set your boundaries and prioritise your wellbeing.

But equally it’s important to have fun and make the most of the festivities while you can! Enjoying yourself is good for your wellbeing. It looks different for us all, and if over the festive period it means going out a little more or overindulging a little then that’s okay too. It’s what Christmas is for…

To avoid burnout, a good tip is trying to spread out the timing of events wherever this is in your control. If there are multiple things happening in a week, but you know attending all of them will lead to exhaustion,

prioritise the most important one and make your intentions clear.

When it comes to work, set your priorities ahead of time – planning is key. What needs to be completed and when by? What are the most urgent things on your agenda that you need to action right away? Make sure you do these before breaking off for festivities and then make a timeline of things to work on in the new year – you’ll enjoy the fun side of Christmas much more more knowing you’re on top of work and you’re in a good position when you come back.

Avoiding alcohol pressures

Drinking and Christmas usually come hand-in-hand, but that doesn’t have to be the case. If you don’t drink alcohol, are looking to cut down on your consumption or just want to avoid the

horrific hangovers, there are plenty of options available.

Lots of non-alcoholic or low alcohol versions of lager/ beer/wine are now on offer and they taste really good. You can alternate with these or just drink them all evening! Have the ‘mixer’ without the spirit and there’s always nonalcoholic cocktails as well as alcohol versions.

Set your intentions and tell those you’re out with, otherwise they may well encourage you to drink while you’re out and that can be harder to resist. If you make your stance clear from the beginning, those around you will respect it.

It’s also a good idea to think ahead about things like how long you want to stay out for, how many or which bars you plan to go to and how you’re going to get home. This can help you stay on track and in the right mindset, without being tempted or easily swayed.

HOLLY@THINKMEINFO.CO.UK

Up to £5,000 Grant Funding for Your Digital Innovation Project

The Digital Innovation Grant (DIG) can fund 50% of a project costing £2,000-£10,000* which will help you to introduce new products, offer new services, and access new markets. *grant value £1,000-£5,000

The grant is available to small and medium-sized enterprises across South Yorkshire. You can apply online during one of our application calls, and the DIG webpage is regularly updated with the current, upcoming, and future call dates. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, visit the Enterprising Barnsley website: enterprisingbarnsley.co.uk/digital-innovation-grants

The Digital Innovation Grant Programme is an ERDF funded project and Barnsley MBC are the accountable body. The project is receiving up to £1.6m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

NEW HOSPITALITY ‘BOOTCAMP’ BY THE SOURCE HELPS UKRAINIAN WOMEN FIND JOBS

Sector Routeways course for jobless aims to ease staff shortages

Ukrainian women who came to Sheffield to escape the war are being helped into hospitality jobs by The Source.

The women are staying with local families under the Homes for Ukraine government scheme.

They hope to find work in South Yorkshire’s hospitality and visitor sector, which is struggling to find workers, and have boosted their chances by signing up to a new skills ’bootcamp’ for the unemployed.

The Source is running the four-week Hospitality Sector Routeways ‘bootcamp’ with Opportunity Sheffield, the City Council’s employment and skills service.

For the last year, Sector Routeways courses, which are part-funded by the European Social Fund, have been preparing people for work in Sheffield’s construction, social care, engineering and digital

sectors, which are all experiencing labour shortages.

Opportunity Sheffield commissioned The Source to create a new programme to help jobless people prepare for hospitality jobs.

Alla Shkvarun, 32, an events management, marketing and communications specialist; HR manager Anastasiia Kaprenko, 36; travel agent and mother of two Kateryna Pryhoda, 34 and Liliia Sholohon, 22, a qualified teacher, were among seven people on the very first course this autumn.

They enjoyed two weeks of learning – from baristatraining at Sheffield coffee specialist Cafeology to food hygiene, kitchen safety and cookery training with local chef Paul Deehan,

who has cooked aboard super-yachts for royalty, presidents and celebrities including Christiano Ronaldo, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Moss.

They also got workforce preparation training and help with CVs and interviews at The Source on Meadowhall Way before heading to two-week work placements at local hotels, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Gareth Urwin, The Source’s head of partnerships and external funding, said: “Local hospitality and visitor economy employers need new staff to hit the ground running, but joining a fastpaced workplace can be very difficult after a long period of unemployment. “Our ‘bootcamp’ prepares jobseekers, giving employers a wider pool of

people to recruit from “We were very pleased our first course included four women from Ukraine. They all had valuable transferable skills and a great worth ethic. In addition to learning more about hospitality work, they formed friendships. They shared experiences of the war and their concerns for relatives in Ukraine.”

Alla Shkvarun said: “The war ended my career and life plans. I came to the UK in July.and am so thankful to my host family.

“I took the hospitality course because I want to work in the events sector, perhaps as an events manager at a hotel, and use my skills to gain independence and earn enough to go back to see my family in Kyiv.

“The bootcamp gave more confidence in my English, improved my team skills, soft skills and interview technique - and I really enjoyed my two-week work placement at the Premier Inn Arena.”

Sign up to a course by emailing Zubair.Shahzad@ thesourceacademy.co.uk

Businesses offering work placements can contact sectorrouteways@ sheffield.gov.uk

The Source Skills Academy in Sheffield is passionate about bringing out the best in people. It has been helping businesses to increase the talents of their teams since 2003 and is proud to sponsor Skills Focus, a monthly spotlight on training and apprenticeship news and funding to help

Chef Paul Deehan with the course attendees

Anastasiia and Alla

Consultancy & training BROOK

DEVELOPMENTS 1,600 UP FOR BROOK

Brook Corporate Developments works with businesses of all shapes and sizes to help them achieve their aims, whether it be growth, meeting a training need or reshaping the workforce.

North Yorkshire-based training provider Livius Training, led by Director Allison Wells, became Brook’s 1,600th client.

Andrew said: “Livius approached us with a clear goal. They wanted a five-year plan to grow the business and increase turnover to make it attractive to prospective buyers, allowing Allison a future exit strategy.

“In the same way we have done with every client, the first step was to meet the team at Livius and assign them to one of our experts. Stewart McShane has been working with Livius and has fully immersed himself in their team, even spending time at the company’s offices on a regular basis.”

Allison said: “Brook have been fantastic with us. We are now into the second year of our five-year plan and hitting the targets agreed upon with Stewart. Having a structure in place and clear milestones to aim for has allowed us to take the business to a new level.

“When I first approached the team at Brook, I knew what I needed to achieve but didn’t know if it was

realistic for our company. After the first few sessions I had with Stewart, we were able to establish goals over and above what I thought could be possible to grow the business and the strategy that was needed to help us do it.

“Stewart works with us in the office regularly, and we continually review things to ensure we hit our targets. We are well on track at the moment, and the partnership is just going from strength to strength.”

Livius Training is just one example of a company receiving ongoing support from the team of specialists at Brook.

Andrew added: “The businesses we work with may have an idea of the areas they need help with, but our consultants will go through every aspect of the business so that we can make recommendations about the areas we think could benefit from support.

“Our work with Livius is a great example of the way

our support works because we have collaborated with Allison and the team to identify areas of change or improvement which they may not have seen, in addition to the five-year growth plan they came to us for.

“This way of working with businesses has proven to be successful and wellreceived over the past 14 years, and we will continue to use it to help as many businesses as we can across the region.”

www.livius-training.co.uk.

Brook Corporate Developments is celebrating after supporting its 1,600th business

2008. unLTD spoke to business support and compliance director Andrew Rowley about the company’s work with business 1,600, Livius Training

BY ESTHER MORRISON OF BUSINESS SHEFFIELD

DON’T BE AFRAID TO PIVOT YOUR BUSINESS

Part of owning a business is being agile and prepared to make creative changes to cope with shifts in the market. Visiting high street businesses across the city as a business information officer, I see how brilliant Sheffield businesses are at this. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic I’ve seen lots of businesses making exciting and brave decisions to adapt to changing consumer habits and keep themselves going. The rising cost of living is asking even more of you and you may feel there’s probably little left to gain by pivoting your business. To refresh your thinking and find a new direction in these difficult times, can I suggest going back to

If you’re a business struggling with the impacts of the cost of living, one of the first things I’d suggest you do is to recalculate the gross margins of every product that you sell. Subtract the cost of making or buying the item from its selling price, to work out how much you’re making from it. Don’t forget your energy costs as well as your

At the same time, track your sales to confirm how much of each item you sell. In lean times, it may help to focus your business on those products that are making you the most money or are really helping you get people through the door. Items with low margins and low sales could be paused for now, stored if they’re not seasonal or sold online to make more space in your

This is a good jumping-off point to consider the concept behind your business and whether it’s serving you right now. Customers’ priorities are changing radically as they make tough decisions about how to spend their money and a concept that would have made them choose you a year ago may not sway them now. Are you willing

to modify your concept to keep your margins at a level where you can pay your salaries and bills? For instance, you might be a restaurant with a great selection on your a la carte menu – but right now, you might find a fixed-price set menu helps you avoid waste and your customers know in advance what they’ll be spending with you.

Your customers are a vital asset when thinking about your concept. Customer motivation may not be the same as your personal motivation and could be very different even from six months ago: understanding this could improve your bottom line. While they’re in your business, chat to them about why they like shopping with you.

For instance, let’s say you run a refill shop with lots of ethically sourced products. If you find out that your customers are more motivated by a desire to reduce

food and plastic waste, you could modify your marketing to highlight that element of your offer. It’s all about matching your message to your customer’s internal messaging.

My colleagues and I have been in business for a long time, seen some very tough times and we know things are especially hard right now. If you’re feeling drained at the prospect of pivoting your business yet again, and struggling for ideas, that’s okay – you’re not on your own. Find ways to talk to other business owners in your sector or on your high street – it’s easier to be creative with someone to bounce ideas off, and you might find ways of making things better for all of you.

Our team’s also here to give free support with any challenges you might be facing in your business. Call us on 0114 224 5000 or email businesssheffield@sheffield.gov.uk

Esther Morrison looks at how going back to basics and getting creative with your concept could help you weather tough times

BUZYBUMBLZZ

Tell us about your company?

On the September 6 this year, the doors officially opened to children and families starting at BuzyBumblzz. BuzyBumblzz is a childminding business in Barnsley that provides flexible care for children aged zero to five years. We offer spaces for children that receive two-, three- and four-year funding for both 15 and 30 hours and we also have spaces for non-funded children offering flexible hours for working parents. Additionally, to support parents in the community, we provide a school and nursery drop-off and pick-up service to three local schools. Within the setting we have three adults and 13 children, all the spaces are full and we have a waiting list for the next 12 months.

When did you first decide to start up on your own and what inspired you?

After having my own childcare issues, I realised the village was lacking in childcare options, with only one childminder in the area. At the beginning of May I started to look at the different ways I could become a childminder and decided to go through an agency, as the process is fast and more supporting than going directly through Ofsted. As I have completed my level three childcare and due to start university, I was able to go on the fast track, this led to my training been completed in four weeks. I realised to make this work I would need to employ assistance so I could have more children in the setting, as I was limited due to having my own children, but I wasn’t sure if I could make enough money to pay their wages. This is where Launchpad

Starting

helped me realise my dreams where doable.

How has Launchpad helped you?

Launchpad helped me to create a business plan and get all my thoughts and dreams on paper, we looked at forecasting so I could see if I would be able to pay the wages of others as well as my own. Doing this meant I was able to employ two assistants, not just one. It’s helped me to feel confident about being

ADVISOR STATEMENT FROM KIRAN ANTCLIFFE

an employee and made me aware of the months that may be difficult, such as school holidays. Launchpad also helped me with social media, we have taken part in a short video and now this article. They are so supportive and I will continue to use them and recommend to others.

What are your hopes and aims for the business?

Over the next three to five years, the vision is to have two or three log cabins, with an amazing outdoor woodland space. It’s clean, fresh, natural-looking, with lots to explore. Buzybumblzz will have around four staff members and 20-25 children on the books, maybe more. Possibly getting ready to expand and have our own nursery. This will create more opportunities and prospects not only for myself but others. I wish for the business to be successful, to lead an outstanding team, while creating opportunities that benefit the family long term.

Stop dreaming and do it. Contact us for information now on 03330 00 00 39 or email growthhub@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk.

Sarah Arnold from BuzyBumblzz talks us through her journey opening a childcare business

and growing a business is not easy and that’s why the Launchpad programme was created. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and our partners means there is no cost to the entrepreneur, so we can get straight to work on turning those dreams into reality.

‘Sarah is the exact kind of entrepreneur Launchpad was set up to support, after seeing a lack of provision for childcare in her community she took it upon herself to solve the problem herself by setting up BuzyBumblzz. Sarah came to us with the drive and determination to make her business work and we provided her with the tools and advice she needed to complete the puzzle and make her business a reality.’

FLYING THE FLAG FOR WOMEN IN

When I found out my interview with Dame Julie and Hallamshire Mistress Rachel Abbott would be at Cutlers’ Hall in Sheffield, I was beyond excited.

Sitting opposite the Cathedral, it’s a building I often pass on my daily commute, and I have always been curious about what it’s like inside.

It’s safe to say I was not disappointed.

When I stepped through the unassuming doorway, I felt like I had walked through the wardrobe into Narnia or opened the door to the Tardis – the building is so grand that it almost took my breath away.

After picking up my jaw from the floor and spending a good five minutes staring in awe at the beautifully crafted cutlery lining the walls, I met Julie and Rachel for tea in the Mistress’ lounge – a sentence I never imagined myself writing.

With such big titles and so much grandeur around me, I was expecting quite a formal meeting, but what struck me quickly was how down to earth and kind these women were.

Their passion for their sector was evident from the get-go and the enthusiasm they both possess for their positions was palpable.

When Julie asked me how much I already knew about The Company of Cutlers, my answer was ‘start at the beginning’, which is exactly what she did.

“Well, back in the 1600s people in Sheffield who made cutlery were called Little Mesters,” she told me. “They wanted to make sure they protected the trade, so they petitioned the King to put something in place to ensure the standards of these items and those making them were upheld.”

Dame Julie Kenny CBE DL is the 383rd Master Cutler in the history of The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire – but she is also only the second Lady Master Cutler in that same 400-year period. unLTD’s Brogan Maguire spoke to her about her role, her drive for inclusivity and the challenges she has faced being a woman in STEM.

In 1624, an Act of Parliament incorporated The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, to maintain the standards and quality of Sheffield manufactured cutlery and the careers of its apprentices, while promoting the name of Sheffield.

Over the years, the Act was updated to cover other trades and in 1860 it expanded to steelmakers. In the same year, the Company was given the right to veto any proposed name of a limited company anywhere in the UK which contains the word ‘Sheffield’.

The Company is made up of members known as freemen, of which there are now around 375 – and Julie is hoping this will rise to 400 in time to celebrate the Company’s 400th year.

To become a freeman, you must be a director or senior manager at a South Yorkshire-based manufacturing company and one of these is elected each year as the Master Cutler.

It’s no wonder this position means so much to Julie, as she represents the Company on a local, national and international basis.

“This is a huge honour and one I hold in the highest regard,” she said. “Being a woman in a STEM career is not always easy and I want to be a catalyst for change for that, as well as a good role model for other women who want to excel in the industry. I want them to look at me and realise there are no barriers and they can achieve whatever they want.” That

comment sparked something in me, so I asked Julie to expand a little bit more on her career and the challenges she’s faced.

She said: “I’ve not had the most traditional route into my career, but I’ve always seen that as a good thing because it means I have experience in lots of different areas. I started out as a secretary and studied part time to qualify as a lawyer.

“Then, in 1986 I raised £28,000 from the sale of my house and decided to start a business which designed and manufactured security products – quite different from where I originally started out.

“Pyronix Ltd was born in Hellaby in Rotherham and by 1988 we were only the third security company in the world to begin using surface mount technology. Using such unique technology gave us a huge advantage.

“I always said I wanted us to be the number one security manufacturer in the country and that received quite a lot of laughs at the time. Well, I can tell you, they’re not laughing now!”

Pyronix, which Julie sold in 2016 as part of a multi-million-pound deal, has received plenty of impressive accolades over the years, from Manufacturer of the Year to Best International Achievement and Innovation of the Year.

But it’s not just the business which has some amazing titles under its belt.

If Julie wasn’t busy enough with her role as Master Cutler, she is

Helping

also Deputy Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, chair of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and has previously served as High Sheriff of South Yorkshire – not to mention her Honours from the Queen.

The most impressive thing for me, however, is that none of these roles or titles have gone to Julie’s head. Instead, she sees them as a way to have a positive influence on the lives of others and make change wherever she can.

She added: “If there is one message to take away from my story it’s that you can do anything you put your mind to. I had no previous technology training or experience, just a big dream and a lot of determination.

“I had the ideas, but I made sure to surround myself with people who had the technical know-how to bring these to life. Had I wanted to retrain as an engineer then I definitely could have, but that wasn’t the path I chose.

“Not every role is for every person and success looks different to everyone. The most important thing is to do whatever makes you happy and remember that your goals are always achievable, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.”

Speaking of goals, Julie told me how when she attended her first Cutlers’ Feast in 1998 and saw only a handful of women in the room, she aspired to one day sit on the top table. Now, as she makes good on her promise 24 years later, she is committed to using her role to help others in a similar position.

“Every year the Master Cutler has a theme, a cause they want to raise awareness of and take action around, and mine is diversity,” Julie said. “I personally know how hard it is to be a woman in STEM – how uncomfortable it can be walking into a male-dominated room, with the ‘are you the secretary?’ comments and the lack of respect for your position. In almost 400 years I am only the second female Master Cutler – that’s something I’m dedicated to changing and I am very pleased to say that in the next 12 years there will be four more.

“But it’s not just women who face these challenges, it’s people from all different backgrounds, and we need to ensure the STEM landscape is more inclusive as a whole.”

That’s why the Better Learners Better Workers programme, headed

up by Sarah Ward, exists – to reach out to pupils across South Yorkshire and help them gain the understanding and experience they need to pursue their chosen career.

Through this scheme, schoolchildren are given the chance to learn about different jobs, meet people from different companies and attend different workplaces.

Julie added: “Education is one of our biggest tools and it’s important to work with children from them being very young so they grow up aware of all the possibilities and opportunities available to them.”

The Master Cutler also has a chosen charity each year, and Julie’s is one very close to her heart – the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust.

Charity is one of the core pillars of the work done by the Company of Cutlers, and each year hundreds of thousands of pounds are raised.

Continuing with her theme of inclusivity and diversity, the money raised is to be used towards a number of targeted programmes at Wentworth Woodhouse including educational projects, community engagement activities, wellbeing programmes and cultural experiences. These will be

particularly focused on groups whose need is greatest but who are often not presented with the same opportunities as others, including disabled, low income households, the socially and economically disadvantaged and ethnic groups.

“I’m a council house girl made good, so I understand how difficult it can be to have very little,” Julie said. “I want to make sure everyone has access to the rich historical and cultural resources that teach us so much about who we are.”

While Julie knows she may not be able to change the world within a year, she is determined to do as much as she can and is committed to championing the work of South Yorkshire’s amazing manufacturing businesses.

She said: “The diversity of careers in our sector and the diversity of opportunities in our region is incredible – we have companies doing groundbreaking work and products going all over the world. A great example is the fact more than 90 per cent of playing cards in Las Vegas are made at Rollem in Barnsley.“Throughout the year, I am going to work as hard as I can to raise awareness of all this wonderful work, to bring in more people from all different backgrounds and to represent our businesses on the global stage.”

RACHEL ABBOTT HALLAMSHIRE MISTRESS CUTLER:

This year, Rachel Abbott takes on the role of Hallamshire Mistress Cutler, meaning there are two women sitting in the top spots.

Like Julie, Rachel is passionate about equality for women in STEM and promoting opportunities for all.

Rachel is the managing director of Cobra Sport, specialist manufacturers of stainless-steel automotive exhausts.

She’s no stranger to adversity in business, whether it be the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the difficulties in recruiting the right staff or the assumptions made about females who work in the manufacturing industry.

But what Rachel is passionate about is working hard to solve problems and bring about positive change.

She said: “I’ve always felt the best way to deal with these kinds of problems is to identify what would help and then set the wheels in motion yourself, instead of waiting for other people to make the first move – which let’s face it, doesn’t always happen!

“One of my biggest passions is training and when I realised we were experiencing a skills gap when trying to recruit, I took matters into my own hands.

“I have recently worked with The Sheffield College to bring back their level two day release fabrication and welding apprenticeship, as nowhere in the region was running this course anymore and it’s a skill we desperately need. I’m really proud to say that course will be back up and running in January.

“I also think we need to be investing more into traineeships as there are people leaving school without any ideas on what to do next who could make a real positive difference to businesses in the region. As part of my role, I am hoping to continue championing this as much as I can.”

Outside of her role at the Company of Cutlers, Rachel has been busy working on the creation of Cobra Manufacturing, which provides precision metalwork engineering solutions for amongst others, the commercial, leisure, automotive and food and drink industries.

EQUALITY IN STEM

FEMALE ROLE MODELS

OUR MISSION: TO ATTRACT, DEVELOP AND RETAIN A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE MIX OF PEOPLE IN STEM CAREERS

To read about more about our work and female role models please visit our website at www.equalityinstem.org.uk/blog

SIMODA ACQUIRES INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION CONSULTANTS, DATATRAINER

pillar to the technology solutions we offer.

“Our mission has always been to help business leaders and IT teams solve their issues, address their challenges, and achieve their objectives through technology. Increasingly data solutions such as database services, business analytics, and intelligent automation are required to make this happen. I couldn’t be more pleased that we have now added the Datatrainer offerings and someone like Tim on board.”

The move sees Datatrainer founder Tim Latham become part of the senior team, as head of data solutions at Kelham Islandbased Simoda. Simoda managing director Daniel Bumby said: “Tim is someone we have known and respected for a number of years, and so by bringing his expertise from Datatrainer into our business, we can add another

Simoda has grown rapidly since it was formed in 2019. It currently has a workforce of 25 and last year turned over more than £5m while working with clients across the whole of the UK.

Daniel said: “Our technologyfirst strategy means we don’t operate a traditional sales approach; our commercial team don’t get paid sales commissions, and therefore our solutions are focused on technology, not profit.

“We have built our offerings around four key pillars of

Technology specialist Simoda has acquired fellow Sheffield firm, Datatrainer to help strengthen its offering to businesses and organisations of all sizes.

technology; infrastructure & cloud, modern workplace, cyber security and data solutions, all of which are underpinned by a range of services and support designed to drive value for businesses and organisations, whether they are large or small. That requires what we call our value framework, which considers the commercial, technical and emotional value technology can provide. Technology should work for people’s benefits, not the other way around.”

Datatrainer was founded in 2019 by Tim Latham. He said he was looking forward to working with Simoda and added: “I am very pleased that the solutions I provided at Datatrainer have found a new home with Daniel and his team. There is no doubt that intelligent automation will continue to rapidly and radically change how we work and live – the past two years are a testament to that. I am very excited for what the future holds and believe that Sheffield is well-placed to be at the forefront of Intelligent Automation.”

Simoda is a scale up technology business based on the wonderful steel city of Sheffield.

It is located in the former industrial area of Sheffield, Kelham Island, and based at Eagle Works, a former factory which was opened in 1830 by Charles & Samuel Peace. The factory was used to refine steel for multiple industries across the globe.

Simoda stands for Simplify Modernise Accelerate and we would love to tell you some exotic story about how we came up with the name after meeting a buddhist on our travels who taught us the ancient ways of SIMODA, but the truth is that Simoda or Simplify Modernise Accelerate were business outcomes our leadership team have driven for years.

VISION.

THE SIMODA LEADERSHIP TEAM BOASTS OVER 100 + YEARS OF IT INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE.

Unlike our competitors we don’t have a traditional sales approach, we have a team of experienced and skilled technology experts – both commercial and technical – who work together to help our customers.

Because of this, we don’t operate a traditional sales structure where you would see a salesperson targeted to earn the business profit from sales to customers, instead we provide healthy basic salaries and a companywide profit share scheme.

This ensures our first focus is on finding and delivering the right technology to solve issues, address challenges and achieve business objectives. Technologies we provide include cyber security solutions, cloud solutions, Microsoft 365, data centre infrastructure and IT support.

PARTNERSHIPS.

Technology partnerships are critically important to us, making sure we have the right technology at our fingertips to solve our customers challenges is the lifeblood of Simoda.

Our technology partnerships are based on three categories: STRATEGIC PARTNER KEY PARTNER

& EMERGING PARTNER

AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR GROWTH

AFA is an independent recruitment agency established in May 2009.

Our experienced team includes Rebecca Thomas, Anne Braithwaite and Debra Foster, who have been with AFA between seven and 10 years, as well as Tim Garrod –through TWC Recruitment – and Jess File, administrator.

This dedicated team bring expertise recruiting across a wide variety of sectors such as accounts, commercial, engineering and technical, financial services, industrial, IT, facilities management, manufacturing, FMCG, legal, management, marketing and sales.

The flexibility of being an independent recruitment business allows us to adapt quickly to a wide range of companies.

Our expanding client list includes local start-ups to multinational organisations. Whether you are looking to recruit additional staff for your business or looking for your next career opportunity, Andy File Associates offers a friendly, professional, ethical and confidential recruitment service.

We have made several appointments to strengthen our workforce over the last five months. Andrew Jenkins and Matt Forrest, with 21- and 15-years’ recruitment experience respectively, are joined by Tash Formby, a recent graduate from the University of York. These recruits take the team to over 130 years combined recruitment experience. But we’ve not stopped there. Martin Gowland joined our team

as recruitment manager at the end of November. Martin joins from Capita, where he worked for the last 16 years. He brings a wealth of experience in delivery of volume hires and board level recruitment and we see him as an integral part of plans to grow the business.

We are not only investing in our team but also in new customer relationship management software, ID-checking software and candidate registration via Docusign. If you are interested in joining this ambitious South Yorkshire based recruitment company, looking for work or permanent or temporary staff, email: info@ andyfileassociates.com or call 01142 821281 or 01709 717841. You can also find us on LinkedIn.

Andy File Associates (AFA) is marking its impressive growth plans with investment in multiple key hires and a range of new systems.

James Martin, Design lead at Chapter II

I was approached by Debra Foster from Andy File Associates about a graphic designer role, after the job I was supposed to go to fell through at the beginning of the pandemic.

As most people know, the job market at that time was very slim – for future reference, don’t change jobs pre-global pandemic – with roles in design being few and far between.

This meant I wasn’t very optimistic.

But Debra and Andy were both so lovely and supportive throughout the process and genuinely interested in the work I was producing.

Debra was great at helping me prepare for the interview and her support was key in me securing the job offer. I have now been at Chapter II, previously HRM, for two years and since starting in October 2020 I have risen to the position of design lead, a role I had wanted to be in for a while.

I would thoroughly recommend Andy File and Debra in particular, for her expertise in the design and marketing sector, and as a recruiter that is interested in doing its best for both the employee and employer.

VITRITECH TESTIMONIAL

I have been working with Rebecca, Andy and the team at Andy File Associates for a number of years, recruiting for a number a different positions. Rebecca has been excellent to work with and is genuinely passionate about finding the right people that fit our business. When setting up the business, Rebecca was able to quickly find a number of suitable candidates that met our specific requirements. She is very professional and communicates very effectively throughout the recruitment process. I would have no hesitation in recommending Rebecca and Andy File Associates to help meet your recruitment needs.

From left to right: Martin, Matt, Rebecca. Tash, Debra and Andy.

Chris Sorsby, Managing director, Vitritech Limited

CASE STUDY

Joshua Banton

After graduating from University of Sheffield in 2019 and working in local news for almost three years, I knew I was ready for a change and somewhere new to direct my talents.

I’d been working within SEO and digital trends for the last year since completing my senior journalism exams and knew I had a passion for digital strategy, as well as social media and content creation.

The problem was that I didn’t know where to start looking or how to take the next step – that was when I reached out to Andy File Associates.

Andy had been recommended to me by a friend who had landed their dream job through the agency and said their experience had been overwhelmingly positive.

After taking the plunge and giving them a call, I was put through to a woman named Debra, who looks after vacancies in the marketing sector.

Debra was kind and friendly, asking me lots of questions about my goals, experience and what I was looking for.

I sent over my CV and was told Debra had a client she thought would be a great fit for me.

Days later, I had an interview lined up with South Yorkshire’s longest established and most wellrespected PR agency.

Just moments after that interview, I was told the company would like to offer me a job as their content manager, drawing on my experience as a journalist and my SEO knowledge.

I was also told I would be working on producing copy and content for unLTD magazine, meaning I would get to keep up with my writing, something I have always been passionate about.

I have now been in my role with Chapter II, formerly HRM, for nine months and feel I have gained so much expertise, knowledge and confidence during that time.

My job title has evolved slightly since starting with the company and I am now the editor of unLTD, as well as being heavily involved with our digital PR offerings.

Being part of the recent rebrand has been a huge career highlight for me and it feels amazing to be at the heart of something so new and exciting.

It’s also been great to learn so much about the fantastic businesses in our region, work with so many clients and get to attend – and host – so many wonderful networking events, something I never got to do in my previous jobs but something I absolutely love.

Making the leap from local news into PR and content management was absolutely the right choice for me but I couldn’t have done that without Andy’s agency.

They helped me to really home in on what I wanted, find the right contacts in the industry and land a job role that utilised all my skills and talents.

For that, I will always be grateful to Andy, Debra and the whole team at Andy File Associates.

When 27-year-old then-mechanical engineering student Joshua Banton first reached out to Andy File Associates back in 2019, he was looking for some casual short-term work to fit around his studies. Fast forward three years and he is now in full time employment with a company he loves, progressing through the ranks and looking ahead to an impressive future. He told unLTD about his experience with Andy and how it has shaped his career path.

How did you first find out about Andy File Associates?

Towards the end of 2019 I was looking for some short-term work to plug a gap in my studies and I noticed an advert for some casual labour that had been posted by Andy’s company. After applying, Andy reached out to find out what it was I was specifically looking for and always got in touch with me whenever there was an appropriate vacancy. Throughout the rest of my studies, we kept in contact and he helped to find me work that fit around my timetable.

How has using Andy File Associates helped your career?

During that same period in 2019, Andy explained there was a temporary position available at a local company called Vitritech, an SME manufacturer of speciality glasses for biomedical, photonics and mineral stabilisation applications.

With my engineering background and skillset, he thought I would be a strong candidate, but he felt I would have a better chance with a more tailored CV, so he invited me in for a chat. While I was there, he worked with me on reformatting my CV, deciding what was relevant and what wasn’t, and giving me advice on getting work in the sector.

As I’ve been in and out of work since the age of 14, I’ve met lots of recruitment agents, but I’ve never worked with one as friendly, helpful and passionate as Andy.

After that, I got the job at Vitritech and had a really enjoyable month. I got on so well with the team and felt like the work they did aligned with what I was studying and what my skills were. When I left, they told me they’d be in touch when I finished university if there were any full-time positions available, but as I was still 18 months away from graduating, I didn’t expect much from it.

However, after staying in touch with Andy throughout that time, I received a phone call around a month before my final exam to say there was a position opening up at Vitritech and they’d like me to go for it.

The position was for a trainee process engineer and following a successful interview I got a call from Rebecca in Andy’s office to tell me I had got the job – at the top of the salary range, no less!

That was in May 2021 and I have now been with the company for 18 months.

In that time, I have become a fully qualified process engineer and the experience I have received has been invaluable.

Vitritech are amazing at helping us to continually improve, putting us on training courses and giving us skills we can use in all aspects of our work.

I am so lucky I’ve been given so much autonomy so early in my career and have been able to oversee projects from start to finish, including a full relocation of our factory from Sheffield to Rotherham.

I’m so excited to see where my future with the company goes and I am hugely grateful to Andy for all the help he’s given me over the years – I wouldn’t have found my perfect job without him!

I have recommended him to multiple people since that first meeting in 2019, who are all now in jobs they love and can’t sing his praises loud enough.

unLTD’s Brogan Maguire on her career journey with Andy File Associates:

PREGNANT PICKLE

Tell us about your company?

Pregnant Pickle provides support, resources and guidance to new and expectant parents who are struggling to understand their rights in the workplace while pregnant or after birth. We support pregnant and new parents to access free legal advice, as well as supporting them to challenge discrimination and to take legal action against an employer when it is deemed necessary, but ultimately our goal is to avoid all this by also working with the employer to identify the route cause.

When did you first decide to start up on your own and what inspired you?

I founded Pregnant Pickle Ltd in early 2022, following my own experience with pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace, which as a result ended a 12-year career.

The experience affected my mental health and wellbeing in such a way that I could not think about anything else. I was determined to do something positive by setting up Pregnant Pickle and supporting others who may be facing discrimination in the workplace.

I feel very strongly about sharing my experience so others in a similar situation feel empowered knowing they too can navigate the legal minefield with support from Pregnant Pickle. My own experience allows me to support businesses so they understand where improvements can be made, resulting in a positive impact for them also.

The work I have been doing with Pregnant Pickle has been recognised and resulted in us being nominated for an online Mental Health Blog Award and I am absolutely delighted to have received runner-up in the Micro Influencer of The Year category.

How has Launchpad helped you?

From the very first conversation

I was supported and encouraged to achieve my vision, and I felt the Launchpad Team truly believed in

what I wanted to do and why. I was enrolled on a number of courses and Launchpad also helped me source a £1,000 grant from the Community Renewal Fund. The funding covered the cost of a website, which has generated a lot of interest and requests for support. Without this funding, I would not have been able to promote Pregnant Pickle in such a way and therefore would not have achieved my goal of being able to support others..

What are your hopes and aims for the business?

My aim over the next few months is to seek funding, so I can create an e-learning module designed to educate and empower both employer and employee. I want to help them establish an open and supportive relationship during pregnancy and beyond, as well as workbooks for new and expectant mums and their line managers to utilise during the employee’s journey of being pregnant while working.

www.pregnant-pickle.co.uk

Advisor statement by Gary Brocklesby: “It has been a pleasure working with Nicola on the Launchpad programme. Nicola had a fantastic idea for a business based in her own experiences and was very keen to learn how to get her idea off the ground. We are delighted to see how well the business is doing and helping others.”

Starting and growing a business is not easy and that’s why the Launchpad programme was created. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and our partners means there is no cost to the entrepreneur, so we can get straight to work on turning those dreams into reality. Stop dreaming and do it. Contact us for information now on 03330 00 00 39 or email growthhub@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk.

Nicola Hinds from Pregnant Pickle explains how Launchpad were instrumental in her business journey

Now’s the time to get to grips with some easy wins

As we emerge from a two-year hiatus of being able to get ‘out there’ socially, yet another economic crisis looms on the horizon. It’s looking likely to be a pretty bleak and cold winter ahead.

Now’s the time to get to grips with some ‘easy wins’ you can get to improve your profile and generate more business.

Owner/founder of The Thinking Cap, Lisa East, has developed a training programme, LINGO, in order to help businesses get sales in these highly uncertain times. She asks: “Have you adapted your sales strategy to meet the seismic shift of the last few years? More importantly, are you ready for what’s yet to come? The fact is, most SMEs don’t have a sales strategy at all, never mind being prepared to navigate the financial, political and social chaos that

lays ahead. So, if ‘social selling’ isn’t part of your sales strategy, it needs to be, before it’s too late.”

Developed by Lisa, LINGO was designed to generate business and sales using social selling principles. A fusion of her many years’ marketing, sales and business thinking that is boileddown into bite-size chunks that are easy to understand and digest. Lisa says:, “I’ve lived in the sales and marketing trenches and have many well-earned t-shirts to prove it. LINGO is the distillation of all my experience, proven methods and sales know-how.”

From start-ups to larger

corporate business training, LINGO gives you the direction, momentum and vision to achieve your desired outcomes. A strategic plan of action, tailored guidance and imaginative content creation that is bespoke to your business needs and goals. This isn’t LinkedIn training, it’s LinkedIn 2.0.

LINGO has even been effectively used in Australia to generate new business when other, locally ‘proven’ methods had failed. Lisa also used it to train sales teams in replicating the same methodology that helped her surpass her targets in completely unfamiliar territory.

So, forget everything you think you already know about using LinkedIn to generate business leads. On its own, LinkedIn is just a vehicle. With LINGO, you get the keys, the fuel and satellite navigation to guide you to your desired destination. Don’t wait for the economic downturn to happen to you. Pivot, adapt and make life easier for yourself and your sales team.

Contact lisa@thethinkingcap. co.uk to find out more.

I’ve lived in the sales and marketing trenches and have many well-earned t-shirts to prove it. LINGO is the distillation of all my experience, proven methods and sales know-how.

What do Bhayani HR & Employment Law do?

The SRA regulated firm provides expert professional advice to help employees, businesses, and charities navigate employment law and HR, in a straightforward and accessible way. Their approach is founded on their belief that people are your business, an area often not heavily focused on in the early days of a business. Through working in partnership with their clients, they raise awareness of businesses’ responsibilities and how to maximise productivity through effective people management.

What makes them different?

By offering a combination of HR and employment law, businesses can access the right advice at the right time, from the right people. As a registered law firm, there is the added advantage that clients are covered by legal privilege. Bhayani HR & Employment Law spend time getting to know their client’s business, including their current and future priorities. They are used to working with startups, scaling, and enterprise businesses so have a wealth of knowledge in the complexities of people management and the most appropriate solutions to recommend.

More than just a law firm…

What do they offer tech businesses?

As a business founded and grown in Sheffield, they already work with several businesses in the Sheffield digital community. Jay and the team are committed to understanding the nuances of the tech industry and the challenges and opportunities for people management in this space. This includes attracting and retaining talent and creating inclusive workplaces where everyone can flourish.

What is their core offer?

They offer a range of solutions including fixed

fee packages that make people management work for you. This includes their Watertight offer, which provides seamless and consistent advice to meet your needs, at a manageable cost. There is also a Watertight Light offer, which provides access to a policy and contract portal aimed at the start-up business. So whatever your business faces, Bhayani HR & Employment law can help.

They also run a number of events, seminars and training, which you can view on their website: www.bhayanilaw.co.uk

Bhayani HR & Employment Law is an award-winning, independent employment law firm, founded by Jay Bhayani in Sheffield in 2014. Jay and the team are on a mission to demystify what is often regarded as a challenging area of the law and provide a complete people-management solution for businesses.

Their approach is founded on their belief that people are your business, an area often not heavily focused on in the early days of a business.

KitchenEX Ltd announce

re-launch of ILVE & Faber appliance showroom in She eld

In December, KitchenEX Ltd is celebrating 10 years of being in business. As part of this milestone, KitchenEX have rebranded and renovated their showroom in She eld. KitchenEx are the proud suppliers of 2 world renowned brands of Italian kitchen appliances - Faber cooker hoods and ILVE range cookers. The company was started by directors Vicky and Jason Harris in 2012, along with their son Tom, who has worked from the ground up, now leading the sales team in the role of Sales Director.

From KitchenEX HQ in She eld, KitchenEX supply some of the most prestigious and well-respected retailers across the UK. From creating brand awareness to importing these luxury appliances and ensuring their safe delivery out to customers, KitchenEx are responsible for the end-to-end supply of fabulous cooking appliances into some of the most beautiful kitchens in the country.

“As the UK centre for training and product demos for both ILVE and Faber, we hope to attract retailers and consumers from all over the UK to She eld.” said Laura Gardiner, Marketing Manager.

“Within the last 10 years, the business has grown rapidly. The industry has developed and ways of communicating with customers has changed. We have a committed management team that are passionate about what they do. Over the last 18 months, we have already seen huge growth. Fresh ideas and innovation are key to future growth, and we are both excited about the future.” said Vicky Harris, Director.

To follow KitchenEX on their journey, please visit: www.kitchenex.co.uk.

Alternatively, to book an appointment to view the showroom please email: o ce@kitchenex.co.uk.

Sales Geek - Changing the way the world perceives sales

You are brilliant at what you do, we will help you sell more of that brilliance in the right way. Affordable, low risk access to a part-time sales director who has been there, seen and done it.

I know what you think of the sales profession – the secondhand car salesperson stereotype –and that’s okay. Only 13 per cent of people believe salespeople truly understand their needs. We relish the challenge of changing this perception. Not only will you view salespeople in a different light, but you will also start to see yourself as a salesperson and you will be proud of it.

I am Hayden Fox, an experienced sales director and sales enthusiast. After a prosperous 20-year career in sales producing record results, I decided it was the right time to use what I have learned over the years – and the 700+ years’ worth of experience in my Sales Geek network – to help businesses across South Yorkshire achieve sustainable

As Your Sales Director™ we get sh*t done – it is one of our company values. And of all the Geek values, it is the one that resonates with me the most. We are not your average sales consultant. You need a parttime sales director who will knuckle down and ensure the winning sales structure and strategies created are

We will leave a positive sales legacy, supporting you to develop long-term habits to ensure you benefit from our working together for years to come. This will involve upskilling your team so they can execute your growth and ambition, and have it become embedded in your culture.

We can work within your business as a sales director from three hours per month to multiple days per month - whatever works for you. I will always be available outside of these hours to ensure we are on track and have your back –

As Your Sales Trainer™, Geeks are always learning, and part of that process is passing knowledge to others to stay ahead of the competition. According to Forbes, 55 per cent of those who are trying to make a living from sales do not have the expertise to do it successfully. We want to change this in the region and help grow the local economy.

Creating a consistently high performing sales team is key. A programme developed and

executed in line with your business needs will show you how to communicate your why and successfully move through your sales process to convert more opportunities faster. Multiple cohort courses are also available to support the needs of smaller businesses.

We also work with networking organisations and professional bodies. Give your members a training programme that will provide real value for their membership fee. Let us get started! Geeks make it fun. I want you to enjoy our work and re-ignite your passion for your business. It is time to get excited about the future.

Check out www.salesgeek.co.uk for more information and contact Hayden direct at hayden.fox@ salesgeek.co.uk or call 07532 775937 for an initial chat.

Keeping your business safe from the cybercriminals

Latest research by insurer AVIVA has recently revealed that 21 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have suffered a cyber incident or attack in the past 12 months, yet 34 per cent have no cyber insurance cover. The survey also showed that the most common cyber incidents described by businesses comprised major system failures or outages, theft of funds or phishing, malware infections and ransomware or extortion attempts.

Are small businesses in Sheffield underestimating the threat cybercrime poses to their profitability and corporate reputation? Sadly, I think the answer is yes, and the problem is here to stay. With all the other pressures of running a business, many owners just don’t have the time to address this real and present danger.

Faced with this growing threat, local businesses can help themselves by adopting some appropriate preventative measures. As with most insurance issues, prevention is better than a cure. Moreover, business owners need more help and a greater understanding of how online security and fraud issues can affect their livelihood.

Many cyber attacks occur because small businesses use the latest technologies, such as mobile devices, tablets, and laptops. Worryingly many firms are not taking the proper precautions to ensure the information stored on them is protected. There are plenty of steps local firms could be taking to improve security. These include measures such as anti-virus software, firewalls and the encryption of sensitive data. Many small businesses also run antiquated operating systems,

which are often more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

One of the most obvious concerns for small firms is data hacks from inside the business. It isn’t unusual for criminals to find positions within a business to gain access to client financial information or former employees having knowledge of systems, so different multi-faceted solutions need to be found.

The insurance industry has risen to the challenge of cybercrime by offering a range of policies that mainly cover data breaches rather than hacks that cause physical damage or production delays. Increasingly, businesses are buying specialised cyber risk policies to supplement their existing insurance cover. Affordable cyber risk insurance normally covers the cost of restoring loss to business income or reputation caused by damage to computers and computer networks. Policies

usually include assistance with and sometimes the management of the incident itself, which can be essential when faced with reputational damage or regulatory enforcement.

Help is at hand from the insurance industry to help combat the cyber threat to profitability, cash flow and reputation.

Importantly improved knowledge and understanding of the threat posed by cybercrime will go a long way when it comes to keeping your business safe online. For any small business being safe against the threat of cybercrime could be the difference between staying solvent or going out of business altogether.

Mark Barlow looks at the steps you can take to ensure that your business is prepared for the threat of cybercrime

Mark Barlow is a director at Sheffield-based chartered broker IFM Insurance.

Leveraging overseas talent to grow your business

One of the key themes we are seeing in the Sheffield City Region and beyond is the skills shortage–and specifically how the limited access to ongoing challenges accessing qualified talent have has significantly mpacted businesses.

Fragomen can help you navigate the UK immigration system, allowing you to hire the people you need with the right skills. The following is a list of questions we frequently receive from clients. If you have these or any other queries, please email sheffieldinfo@fragomen.com and we will be happy to discuss how we can help you.

How can I recruit foreign graduates from the local universities and colleges?

How can I hire foreign nationals on internships and work experience programmes?

Can these individuals stay on with our firm afterwards?

How can I hire someone who has a visa for another UK employer?

How long can a sponsored worker stay with me for?

How can I send employees overseas to work or conduct business trips?

Can dependants of visa holders live and work in the UK?

What are the options for setting up my own company in the region as a foreign national?

How much do UK Sponsor Licences and visas cost?What permission do I need to study in the UK?

Fragomen, has more than 5,700 immigration professionals and support staff in more than 55 offices across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. We offer immigration support in more than 170 countries.

The firm supports all aspects of global immigration, including strategic planning, quality management, compliance, government relations, reporting, and case management and processing. These capabilities allow Fragomen to represent a broad range of companies and organizations of all sizes as well as individuals, working in partnership with clients to facilitate the transfer of employees worldwide.

Sheffield Chamber of Commerce champions local business and diversity

For over 150 years, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce has supported, connected and represented businesses of all sizes in Sheffield, a vibrant and innovative city. Our vision has always been to make our great city the best place in the UK to start, grow and run a successful and sustainable business.

We take our responsibility to be a strong and thoughtful voice of the business community seriously, but to do this we need our team to be strong and thoughtful too.

For those paying attention, you will have noticed that we recently welcomed our new permanent chief executive Louisa Harrison-Walker and with this appointment, it’s been great to announce that our leadership team is complete.

The Chamber is made up of a community of board members, council members, patrons, and champions. Being a part of this community is where the action is and its where businesspeople from around the region can share their expertise and insight to shape what we have to say on prominent issues impacting the very businesses that they’re a part of.

Decades ago, to be part of a Chamber of Commerce you had to be comfortable with a grey suit and tie, but over the years Sheffield Chamber has drawn together a more

diverse range of business leaders and is now far more representative of the wider business community.

We’re excited to celebrate our amazing group of leaders. Following our recent AGM, we’d like to take this opportunity to give thanks to James Needham who has completed their term as Chair of Board and Antony Davis who has completed their term as Chair of Council.

Going forward, alongside Louisa, we welcome Rachel Storey as Chair of Council and Emma Marshall as Chair of the Board with Grace Brierley as Chair of the Nominees Committee and Karen Mosley as Chamber President. What a way to end the year – but there’s still plenty going on as we head into 2023.

We are introducing strategic cabinets to the Chamber to bring together expert voices to discuss vital topics such as transport, health and wellbeing, investment and innovation to encourage real change in the region.

These cabinets will not stand still.

They will proactively strive not just to be a place to talk about what’s going on in our region but be a place for action too, driving real change to support business.

There are over 30,000 businesses in the city. We want to ensure every business sees a reason to join our community of members. Being a member of Sheffield Chamber ensures your voice is heard and that we are representing your views. Chamber Council is rapidly becoming the place where business leaders gather to shape the voice of Sheffield’s business community and this isn’t going to stop as we enter the new year.

Join us. You would be more than welcome. Call us on 0114 201 8888 or send us a message here www.scci.org.uk/ contact

The Darnall Education and Sports Academy (DESA) has forged a strong relationship with the Trust over the past two years which has provided hundreds of children and teenagers with access to facilities and coaching at a subsidised price.

Every Friday evening more than 200 young people, who live close to the English Institute of Sport Sheffield (EISS) in Attercliffe, visit the venue to take part in sports such as football, cricket, badminton, athletics or basketball.

Abdul Malik, director and lead sports coordinator at DESA, said: “This is a fantastic example of how a community group such as ours can grow and flourish with the support of partners who have the best interests of the city and its people at heart.

“Sheffield City Trust has given us the ability to work with some of Sheffield’s most underrepresented young people in an environment that is truly inspiring.

“There is far more to it than just a ‘pay for hire’ transaction, it is a relationship in every sense of the word and we are very grateful to be working with them. Hopefully this is something that can continue for the long term as it is something our community needs.”

David Bly, sports programme and engagement manager for Sheffield City Trust, said: “Our partnership with DESA is everything that we stand for. We are able to make use of the EISS and offer sporting provision for a group who may not ordinarily be able to access such a facility.

“The most pleasing thing is that it has led on to further opportunities for the community. We now have children learning to swim at Ponds Forge for instance, which has come directly through

Darnall community group praises support of Sheffield City Trust

our relationship with DESA.”

Sheffield City Trust, which will return facilities including Sheffield Arena, Ponds Forge, Sheffield City Hall, the EISS and iceSheffield in April 2024, currently works with more than 170 community groups across the city.

Chief executive of the Trust, Andrew Snelling, said: “It is important that whatever happens in a couple of years’ time with

leisure provision in the city there is thought given to working with community groups going forward.

“The success of relationships we have with the likes of DESA is clear to see, so it would be a shame for that to not continue. Sheffield City Trust is rightfully proud of the work we have done with numerous community groups in Sheffield who have benefited from access and staffing expertise at our venues.”

A leading local community group has praised the work of Sheffield City Trust in helping to keep young people active and engaged through sport.

Sheffield City Trust has given us the ability to work with some of Sheffield’s most underrepresented young people in an environment that is truly inspiring

First IntuitionCelebrating five years of finance

September 2022 marked five years since First Intuition started delivering accountancy and tax courses in South Yorkshire.

This month, they celebrated with several of their clients with a celebratory lunch at Browns Sheffield.

Managing director Lucy Parr, Sheffield director Chris Cain and client liaison manager Kate Cockroft (pictured) welcomed partners, directors and managers from business across the region to mark the occasion and say thank you.

First Intuition (Leeds Ltd) was incorporated seven years ago, from where it has been successfully delivering professional accountancy and tax qualifications out of its Leeds city centre premises.

In 2017, Lucy and Chris were part of a team who made a promise to a group of six employers that they would commit to delivering excellent training, outstanding

customer service and student support that is second to none. That group of employers put their trust in Lucy and her team and have been training students with First Intuition ever since. The six employers have grown to over 50 organisations across South Yorkshire who now use the Sheffield centre, and from the first group of 16 learners, there are now over 200 learners currently using First Intuition to further their careers.

Putting people first is at the heart of what First Intuition do.

A high-quality professional training provider, dedicated to helping aspiring professionals to find, start and build amazing careers.

First Intuition specialises in delivering AAT, ACCA, CIMA and ICAEW training from its new permanent premises at Pennine Five in Sheffield where the team have just celebrated their first year in the centre. Courses are delivered either commercially or via apprenticeships at levels 2, 3, 4 and 7 with classroom-based courses offered across all qualifications.

If you would like to find out more about the courses offered, email: sheffield@ fi.co.uk

BCL Accountants merge into SMH Group

The merger took place on November 1, with the firm continuing to operate from its office on Pavilion Business Park in Leeds.

The new company, called SMH BCL Accountants Limited, sees existing managing director, Chris Nunn start a phased retirement over the next three years, with current co-director, Stacey Pocklington stepping up into the partner role. James Hartley and Jonathon Dickens, who lead all operations within the SMH group, also join as directors

The SMH Group offers a full range of business and personal financial services, including accountancy, financial advice, commercial finance, wills & probate, and mortgage advice, to businesses and individuals across region.

Chris Nunn, managing director of BCL Accountants Ltd said: “Having joined BCL Accountants Limited in 1993, and becoming managing director in 2002, it is the right time to start phasing in my retirement. We’re delighted to join forces with the SMH Group, a regional firm that has a similar ethos and client focus to ourselves. They’re the perfect fit to ensure we can take BCL Accountants to the next level.

“It is very much business as usual for us - all the current staff will still be on hand, but we now have the resources of a larger firm to ensure we can offer the best all round service for all our clients’ business, personal and family financial requirements.

“Myself and fellow director at BCL Accountants Limited, Stacey Pocklington will be continuing, so will be on hand to ensure there is consistency for our clients going forward.

“SMH Group has the expertise to continue to deliver the highest quality service to our clients, as well as introducing their full-service offering meaning they can access all their financial requirements under

one roof. I am confident the merger will be of benefit to all our clients and staff alike.”

Jonathon Dickens, partner at the SMH Group, added: “This latest merger into the SMH Group is an excellent opportunity for both firms - it provides long term security and more added value services for clients of BCL Accountants and allows us to expand the SMH Group into a new area in Leeds, which has been a long-term objective of ours.

“Our thanks go to CMP Legal and Mason Thomas Law, who advised on all the legal aspects of the deal.

“We would like to offer a warm welcome to Chris, Stacey and all

staff

BCL Accountants specialise in providing accountancy services to a range of businesses, in particular the licensed trade, engineering and building trades. The addition of BCL Accountants Limited into the SMH Group is the sixth merger to take place since 2018, and the second in quick succession with Matlock based Malcom J Harris Ltd joining the group in September 2022.

and clients into the SMH family.”

Leeds-based accountancy practice, BCL Accountants Limited, has merged into the SMH Group, allowing the firm to offer an increased level of service to its clients backed by the strength of the Yorkshire and Derbyshire based group.

From left to right, Jonathon Dickens, Stacey Pocklington and Chris Nunn

Homemade rosemary and pumpkin seed bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Starter

Salmon Ballotine, tomato caper salad and tartare sauce (GF, DFR, LFR)

Spring vegetable soup with parsley yogurt (V, VER, GF)

Caramelised onion and goat's cheese tart with dressed rocket and tomato salsa (GFR)

Guineafowl and wild mushroom terrine with golden beetroot pickle (GF, DF, LF)

Main

Chicken stuffed with mozzarella and basil served with a chorizo and bean stew (GF, DFR, LFR)

Braised beef daube with silverskin onions, pancetta and red wine and root veg mash (GF, DF, LF)

Roasted fillet of cod with wilted greens and a garlic prawn butter sauce (GF, DFR, LFR)

Sweet potato and red pepper cake with a rustic tomato sauce (GF, V, VE)

All served with seasonal vegetables and potatoes

Dessert

White chocolate and raspberry blondie with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream

Pear frangipane tart with chocolate sauce and sweet cream

Brie with hazelnuts and figs (GFR)

Lemon posset with rhubarb and ginger biscuit (GFR)

Reflecting on the past year

director of CODA Matt Bowker tells unLTD readers about what 2022

brought the Sheffieldbased architectural design studio, and what they can expect going into 2023.

It has been a big year for CODA as we have moved our office into the heart of the city centre from Kelham Island, where we have always been since moving to Sheffield in 2006, so this was quite a big move for us. Now all our team are on one floor, allowing for a much more collaborative way of working and we’re seeing the benefits already. We’ve had a great response from clients and we’re enjoying being in the heart of the action with so much new and positive development taking place in the city centre.

I’m very proud of our team and the way they have risen to the challenges of the past year. We’ve had a number of successes including two team members passing their part three exams to become fully qualified chartered architects, while another has become an accredited Passive House consultant.

Recently we secured successful planning consent on a net zero carbonready building in the city centre after a long and very contentious planning process which I was delighted about. To top it off my fellow director and business partner, Abel Hinchliffe, has been shortlisted in the Insider Yorkshire Young Professionals Awards for Young Property Professional of the Year. So, we are having a very positive end to the year!

That’s not to say 2022 hasn’t been a challenging year in our industry. Rising inflation and build costs have raised significant issues on some projects

that were moving forward onto site. Despite these challenges, we have very strong and trusting relationships with our clients and stakeholders and are working proactively with them to find solutions.

Our enquiries are high, we are very busy in planning, and we are seeing many of our projects make positive progress towards heading to site as well as a significant pipeline of potential work. We are focused on doing everything we can to help our clients secure successful planning consents and deliver their projects on-site.

I am passionate about the work we are doing to help make Sheffield and South Yorkshire a more successful place to be, from our many city-living schemes and the work we are doing at Stocksbridge, Waverley and elsewhere to help improve communities and deliver more homes in a housing crisis. You can expect to hear me talking a lot more about this and banging the drum for the region in 2023!

Despite the doom and gloom in the news, there is a lot to be positive about in Sheffield and I am very much looking forward to what 2023 will bring.

With the new year just around the corner, managing

has

Recently we secured successful planning consent on a net zero carbon-ready building in the city centre after a long and very contentious planning process which I was delighted about

To celebrate this major milestone and outline its vision for the future, Central Technology (CT) has announced a major rebrand, new website and a major offer to its customers.

The rebrand has given CT the opportunity to reflect the changing times, the firm’s growth, approach, achievements and innovations over the past two decades and to demonstrate why it is different to other IT providers.

The company’s new website offers the same messaging and gives visitors more insight into why people love to work for the company and how its IT solutions are making a big difference to customers.

Ian Snow, managing director of Central Technology, said: “Continuing to succeed after 20 years in the IT Support/MSP industry is no mean feat. Our success and growth is down to our committed and brilliant team who continue to provide the support our customers need. Being in IT can be pressurised at times, but the culture that we have grown here at CT has created a relaxed, supportive and friendly working environment which we are very proud of and continues to drive the success of the company.

“With over 70 people based in our HQ in

Chesterfield, we are set to continue to grow substantially over the next few years as we continue to expand our services nationwide. To mark this milestone, we have rebranded to reflect how far we have come, our approach, achievements and innovations over the past two decades and importantly to demonstrate why we are different to other IT providers.”

To celebrate this major milestone, the business will be offering 20 per cent off professional services until the end of 2022.

To find out more about this offer and see the brandnew look, visit: www.ct.uk

Central Technology, which provides IT support, cloud, telecoms and cyber security solutions nationwide, has celebrated 20 successful years in business.

To mark this milestone, we have rebranded to reflect how far we have come, our approach, achievements and innovations over the past two decades and importantly to demonstrate why we are different to other IT providers

FRENCHGATE’S TOP FIVE SECRET SANTA GIFTS

December has arrived before you knew it, and you’ve not got a clue what to buy for that colleague whose name you pulled out of a hat a while back. Fear not as Ian Leech, marketing manager for Doncaster’s Frenchgate shopping centre, has put together his top five Secret Santa gifts under a tenner for unLTD readers that will put a smile on your colleague’s faces this Christmas.

1. FAUX FUR HOT WATER BOTTLE Wilko £7

We all have that one colleague who feels the cold, even when the boss has eventually caved and put the heating on. Perfect for those who are always nesh is Wilko’s cuddly faux fur hot water bottles that can be easily kept close while sitting at your desk. You can even choose whatever colour you think suits them best from pink, grey or green.

2. DESKTOP GOLF KIT

Waterstones £5.99

Do you have the next Ian Garbutt in your office? Chances are if you don’t know who that is then this wouldn’t be a great Secret Santa gift for you. However, if someone in your office does know who it is, then they will be sure to love this desktop golf set from Waterstones so they can keep up their passion even sitting at their desk.

3. POP TARTS

American Candy £7

Is your Secret Santa recipient known for having a sweet tooth?

You can’t get much sweeter than the vast range of candy, treats and sweets from across the pond found in American Candy. Make sure they get their working day off to a great start with a delicious box of PopTarts with flavours that they wouldn’t be able to find on supermarket shelves. You can get them in hot fudge sundae, red velvet, confetti cupcake or a combination with boxes at £7 each.

4. CHRISTMAS EVE COCOA CANDLE Yankee Candle £9.99

Get your colleague in the Christmas spirit nice and early by gifting them with the festive scent of Christmas Eve Cocoa from Yankee Candle. It’s impossible not to love a Yankee Candle, and what better time to purchase these seasonal fragrances that will burn for between 20-30 hours.

5. CHRISTMAS CHEESE TRUCKLES Chuckling Cheese £4.95

What is Christmas without a cheeseboard? It’s the one time of year when everyone finds themselves piling lumps of cheddar and stilton on top of crackers.

The Chuckling Cheese Company has special Christmas cheese truckles which make the perfect Secret Santa for those cheese fans. For £4.95 per truckle, you can get festive flavours such as Christmas pudding, pigs in blankets, and orange and whiskey.

SHEFFIELD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

My name is Freddy, I’m 11 years old and this Christmas I wanted to tell you about how much of a difference your donations will make to children like me.

I’m from Dorset, more than 235 miles away from Sheffield Children’s, but this Easter I was staying on a farm in Derbyshire with my family. I was enjoying being a trainee sheep farmer with my dad and brother Billy and having a great time. Then, on Good Friday at around 4pm, I was travelling in a trailer being towed by a quad bike. The next thing I remember was being under the trailer and my dad running over to lift it off my neck. My dad later explained that the quadbike and our trailer had disconnected, which caused the trailer to become out of control. It hit the verge and twisted, throwing my dad clear but trapping Billy and me underneath. I was very badly injured and my dad was worried I might die.

The first road ambulance took around 25 minutes to arrive and I remember the paramedic promising me he’d buy me a new Ninjago t-shirt after he had to cut mine off! As my brother was also hurt, my dad stayed with him and an air ambulance arrived to take me to Sheffield Children’s. Unfortunately, there’s no helipad at the hospital so we landed in the park opposite, had to wait for the traffic lights to change and then I had to be stretchered across the busy road. I was just lucky the delay for me wasn’t that long or who knows what might have happened. When I arrived at the hospital, I was given pain relief, oxygen to help me breathe and lots of scans. These showed that I had some really bad internal injuries and I went into Intensive Care.

The last day I was at Sheffield Children’s, I started to feel unwell. At 3am the next morning, I was rushed in an ambulance to Leeds, where I spent the next 42 days. My mum and I were really sad to leave in such a hurry and not be able to thank everyone in Sheffield that had done so much to help me. I’d like to say a massive and heartfelt thank you to everyone who looked after me. The staff at Sheffield Children’s really did feel like a family, and although it sounds strange, I often reminisce about my time there with my mum.

I’m telling you my story this Christmas because The Children’s Hospital Charity is fundraising to build a new helipad at the hospital. It’s already really close to happening - they’ve raised over two-thirds of their £6 million target - but they need your help to get them over the line.

If there is anything you can spare this Christmas, or if you could do some festive fundraising like taking part in Christmas Jumper Day, please visit The Children’s Hospital Charity website at www.tchc.org.uk/christmas to help make the helipad a reality.

Welcome to the Sheffield Business Awards 2022

CELEBRATING THE VERY BEST IN SHEFFIELD BUSINESS

The countdown is on! The Sheffield Business Awards 2022 take place on Thursday, December 8, promising an incredible evening of comedy, celebration and fabulous food and drink.

The event, held at Peddler Warehouse in Neepsend, will bring together the very best of Sheffield business and announce the winners of the 15 award categories.

With so many wonderful entries this year and so many worthy businesses, judges have had a tough time making the final decisions but are excited to celebrate with all the people who make the Sheffield and South Yorkshire business community such a great place to be.

The ceremony will be hosted by comedian Tom Wrigglesworth and the food will be provided by Michelin Guide-recognised Jöro, an example of a local business success story.

Each category has been whittled down to a shortlist of the three best entries, with the overall winners announced on the night.

Here, we’ve pulled together a list of the shortlisted businesses for each award, along with some information about them and their application.

unLTD would just like to extend a huge well done to all applicants, everyone on the shortlist and all the winners – we think you’re all amazing!

CREATIVE IMPACT AWARD The Visionary

This award recognises a business or organisation specialising in creative services, such as design, marketing, film, architecture, and the arts, which has delivered a creative project or campaign that has made a true impact on their client, the target market and/or overall commercial performance.

HJC DESIGN LTD

HJC is an industrial design consultancy based in the heart of Sheffield, at the edge of the Cultural Industries Quarter. It is a service-based company which has successfully designed award-winning physical products for its clients for over 19 years. Its offerings are far reaching, from market landscaping, reverse engineering and client workshops through to concept ideation/ mechanical design and 3D CAD creation, physical prototyping, design engineering and the supply and delivery of manufactured parts.

This application was shortlisted due to the innovative and impressive product designed for the client and the execution of this which led to impressive sales numbers.

LITTLE MESTERS AGENCY

A social media agency based in Sheffield’s Kelham Island, Little Mesters creates content plans and strategies to get clients noticed. Experts in both paid and organic social, the Little Mesters team work with clients including the world’s first football club, Sheffield FC. The agency was born in 2020 and has worked on a number of leading campaigns in that time.

Judges were particularly impressed by the creativity and toneof-voice used in the social media campaign for Sheffield FC and the engagement numbers this produced.

OPEN HOUSE PICTURES

Open House is a young video production company, formed in 2018 to meet the demand for commercialised video content. Its services include promotional videos, social media content, event filming, video marketing consultancy and strategy, aerial video production and photography. The team specialise in producing innovative and creative content on a budget and its main work has been within the educational and retail sector, with clients including the Cabinet Office, University of Sheffield and Atkinsons.

This shortlist-worthy application showed the impact Open House’s video campaign had on sales at Atkinsons and how it was used as a tool to drive business and sales.

SPONSORED BY SBD APPAREL

THE PLANET SAVER Green Business of the Year

This award recognises and rewards a business that has shown an outstanding commitment to managing its environmental impact.

ALL SEASONS GROUP

All Seasons Group provide energy-efficient measures and renewable energy technologies to UK home and business owners, installing a range of home insulation, renewable power and energy-saving technologies for residential and commercial customers. With over 50 years of combined experience in the renewable and energy efficiency industry, All Seasons is widely recognised as one of the UK’s most trusted installers of energy improvements and has a team of over 90 office staff and installers.

Judges were particularly impressed by the business’s dedication to fighting the climate emergency and how it is using its influence to drive positive change.

SKY HOUSE CO

House builders, designers and community curators, Sky House Co are on a mission to create high density developments that will enable efficient brownfield development to ensure greenbelt and green field land is protected. The award-winning developers aim to create sensitively compact and blended communities that are naturally sustainable and durable. This application was shortlisted as it gave clear evidence that all Sky House Co developments are created with the environment in mind, creating communities with local and accessible amenities that reduce the need for cars.

LAVANG/THE PRIVATE DINERS CLUB

Lavang is a food, drink and service establishment on the outskirts of Sheffield in Fulwood. As well as operating as a restaurant, the business offers a takeout service and has multiple sources of sales, including offering catering services and a catalogue of products sold through online platforms. Lavang is the first hospitality business in Sheffield to achieve certified carbon neutral status and the winner of the inaugural South Yorkshire Sustainability Awards 2022 for Best Hospitality or Retail Sustainability Initiative.

Judges felt the awards the business had already won and its commitment to minimising food waste and reducing energy consumption were clear indicators of its worthiness of being shortlisted.

SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 SPOTLIGHT ALL SEASONS

Nominated for The Planet Saver – Green Business of the Year, All Seasons are trailblazers in energyefficient solutions that are directly impacting the lowering of carbon emissions, fuel poverty and the world of renewable energy. The company provides and installs a range of energy-efficient measures through the government’s ECO scheme and the able-to-pay market.

Living and breathing its mission to manage environmental impact, All Seasons specialise in heating systems, renewable energy and insulation across all aspects of business. Being the perfect example of how passion can fuel success, All Seasons’ commitment to the environment is clearly at the heart of everything they do.

The company is helping people through rising energy costs at a time when heating the home is a serious struggle, tackling energy efficiency in thousands of properties and creating honest and tailored services for each customer regarding energysaving measures.

Being shortlisted for the award is a massive achievement in All Seasons’ mission to lower carbon emissions one property at a time. Practising what it preaches, the company uses the very same technology to heat and power its own business.

At a time when practical environmental intervention is needed most, All Seasons has stepped up to do their bit. With a buoyant energy market, the company has experienced great expansions across the business in the last five years thanks to its strategic planning.

Its growth is something to watch as the team plans to grow the company and expand their already incredible efforts for the benefit of the planet.

SPONSORED BY OEC

SCALE-UP AWARD Best Business Growth

This award recognises a business that has experienced exceptional growth in the past year, positively contributing to the economy of Sheffield. Our shortlist have demonstrated the highest levels of growth underpinned by a sustainable business model for future expansion and stability.

COMMS INSTALLATIONS LIMITED

Offering a wide range of services to the IT and Telecoms industry both commercial and domestic, Comms Installations now work with some of the largest companies in the industry across the UK and Europe. The team aim to deliver an exceptional service to all of their customers and hold a host of accreditations.

Comms Installation Limited were shortlisted for this award following a comprehensive and detailed award submission outlining their incredible efforts over the last two years to make their business a success.

MAGNETIC SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

Founded in 1992, Magtec are the UK’s largest supplier of electric drive systems and specialist hybrid solutions. The business designs, manufactures and installs both electric and hybrid drive systems for a range of vehicles, including HGV’s, defence vehicles and buses. Recipients of the Made in Sheffield mark, Magtec produce a range of products including HVDC battery systems, power controllers, transmissions, and telematics.

Magnetic Systems Technology were shortlisted for this award after the judges were impressed with not only how they have scaled-up, but also their vision for future growth.

NIMBLE APPROACH

Nimble are a technology consultancy who have been operating in Sheffield since 2016. The team work alongside businesses to provide support with data analysis, product development, full-stack engineering and much more. Nimble pride themselves on being a people-centred, trustworthy and rewarding business to work for and focus on delivering high-quality products and services to every client.

The judges shortlisted Nimble Approach for this award due to their fantastic attitude towards growing the business, plus their ability to demonstrate how they have significantly increased their business since 2020.

SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 SPOTLIGHT REDBRIK

Redbrik Estate Agents is a dynamic, independent organisation offering sales, lettings and new homes services across the wider Sheffield and Chesterfield region. Approaching their 10th year in business, they have recently celebrated a flurry of awards.

Redbrik is now the 50th Best Small Company to Work For in the UK and the fifth Best Property Company to Work for In The UK. Also topping the charts for industry standards, they have been listed in the UK’s Best Estate Agent Guide for six consecutive years, putting them in the top two per cent of agents in the country.

Renowned both locally and nationally for impeccable customer service, innovative and effective marketing, and first-class local property knowledge, Redbrik’s team have helped move over 8,100 households to the next step in their property journey.

The team established the Redbrik Foundation in 2020 to consolidate its fundraising efforts for local causes and increase its impact. Having raised tens of thousands of pounds in just two years, the Foundation continues to form a major part of the company’s operations, building even stronger relations between Redbrik and its community.

Redbrik have been shortlisted for the Innovator; Best Use of Technology Award, thanks to its adoption of cutting-edge PropTech, and the Best Employer Award. Winning these categories would reflect the company’s dedication to its customer experience, both in the face-to-face service they offer and the digital experience required by customers in today’s property market.

THE ABOVE AND

BEYONDER

Start-Up Business of the Year Best Professional Services Company

The Start-Up Business of the Year award recognises a new business that has turned an idea into a successful business venture, disrupting the industry in which they operate and are already making a positive contribution to the economy of Sheffield.

ALTITUDE PR

Specialists in B2B PR, Altitude work across eight sectors; retail & FMCG, property, professional services, renewable energy, community & not for profit, public sector, leisure, and engineering & manufacturing. The team at Altitude have worked on a range of projects, from a tennis-themed publicity stunt with Barnsley Museums, to the launch campaign for New Era square in Sheffield.

Altitude PR were shortlisted following their successful launch and for demonstrating within their application a solid plan for future growth.

HIPPIE TURTLE HERBAL COMPANY

On a mission to provide top-quality natural supplements and CBD products, the Hippie Turtle Herbal Company is a promoter of mental, physical and spiritual well-being. The business was founded by Ash, who, after being diagnosed with a rare form of arthritis, was determined to learn as much as possible about natural forms of pain relief and now offers a range of products. The judges were very impressed with this award entry. Hippie Turtle Herbal Company have some very exciting future plans and a clear vision for the business.

REVIVE SNEAKER LAUNDRY

Specialists in deep cleaning and restoring footwear, caps and handbags, Revive Sneaker Laundry offer repainting, scuff repairs, lace repairs and much more. The brand was founded in 2019 by James Rolley, who saw a gap in the market for a cleaning and repair service. Revive work on a range of brands from high-end designer items like Gucci and Dior, to Adidas and Nike. Revive Sneaker Laundry were shortlisted after the judges were impressed with the success of their business and their knowledge of the market.

This award is all about delighting customers. Entrants had to outline how they have shown excellence in their specific sector and demonstrate how they have planned for future growth.

ACTION COACH SHEFFIELD

Action Coach Sheffield was established in 2019 by Jon Asquith and has become a multi-award winning, leading provider of business growth, mentoring, strategic advice and coaching to SME business owners in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. The company provides 1:1 coaching and group coaching sessions each week, delivers focused business planning events with guest speakers, facilitates strategic networks and connections among members and trains clients in every aspect of running a successful business.

Judges felt Action Coach provided strong growth evidence and demonstrated excellent customer retention rates in their application.

HLM ARCHITECTS LTD

Founded in 1964, HLM Architects are rated by Best Companies as a World Class company to work for and are currently ranked as second in the architecture and surveying sector, the ninth best company to work for in Yorkshire, and the 24th best large company to work for in the UK. This year, HLM has also won numerous industry awards, including the AJ100 Sustainability Initiative.

HLM was shortlisted due to the strong sense of culture at the heart of its growth strategy and previous industry recognition.

STEEL CITY MARKETING

Steel City is a long established and trusted UK promotional merchandise distributor with over 50 years of promotional expertise in its team. The company offers creative branded gift ideas for its clients, to raise brand awareness at events, trade shows, exhibitions or conferences, or for use in direct mail campaigns or to celebrate incentives/achievements.

Judges were particularly impressed by Steel City Marketing’s resilience and bounce-back after the pandemic, as well as its high customer service scores.

SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 SPOTLIGHT

HIPPIE TURTLE HERBAL CO.

The Sheffield-based health and wellbeing brand, Hippie Turtle Herbal Co., shortlisted for Start-Up Business of the Year, has made quite the impression when it comes to the fast-growing world of natural supplements and pharmacy-grade CBD products.

The company has been busy in the last year, with tireless work resulting in a successful first crowdfunding campaign, partnership development, relaunch of its website and the launch of several new products.

As a small team with big ambitions, Hippie Turtle began as a passion project that spawned after discovering a gap in the market for environmentally sustainable, high-quality CBD oils and supplements.

After its founder, Ashley Heeley, experienced his own health issues that affected his ability to be active and carry out simple everyday tasks, he took matters into his own hands by exploring and learning about natural pain relief. Experimenting in his own time, Ash developed his own pain relief solutions through the natural healing properties of CBD.

Today, Hippie Turtle Herbal Co. develops an extensive range of products made to help people suffering from anxiety, stress, chronic pain, troubled sleep, or aches and pains. The brand puts its customers first to offer solutions that don’t cost the earth - and won’t damage it either.

From supplement powders and muscle rubs to CBD oils and herbal gummies, Hippie Turtle is aiding in the transformation of the alternative

health and wellness scene. The brand truly understands its customers and their needs, with the company interweaving its own values, extensive knowledge, and in some cases, first-hand experiences, of pain management throughout the business model.

Hippie Turtle is in the exciting process of launching as a new partner with the wellknown gifting company Not On The High Street. Continuing its efforts into 2023, the company plans to tap into nationwide retailers to grow the business further. Not only is the company looking to expand its business prospects, but the team is also working on an impressive initiative to remove plastic from the ocean, aiming to remove 500 plastic straws for every Hippie Turtle order.

As well as this, Hippie Turtle has its sights set on a new partnership with businesses and clubs in the world of health and fitness, including yoga, cycling and climbing, to create its Ride, Relax & Adventure club. Directly working with like-minded businesses, the Ride, Relax & Adventure club will integrate Hippie Turtle products into health and wellness across the sport and fitness market.

The prospect of winning Start-Up Business of the Year would be the icing on the cake for Hippie Turtle, with the team being overwhelmed by the recognition for all their hard work. As the brand has developed and with much to celebrate in 2022, Hippie Turtle Herbal Co. is one to watch in the world of health and wellness.

The company has been busy in the last year, with tireless work resulting in a successful first crowdfunding campaign, partnership development, relaunch of its website and the launch of several new products.

Cultural Vibrancy Award Employer of the Year

This award recognises an individual, business, organisation, community group, or initiative that has made a significant impact on Sheffield through arts, culture or events. The award gives recognition to those who have played a part in promoting the narrative of Sheffield as a fantastic place to live, work and invest.

GUT LEVEL LTD

Gut Level is a collective that focuses on dance music, club culture and workshops for individuals who are underrepresented in the music industry, namely LGBTQ+ people. They believe in keeping event spaces affordable, championing local talent and grassroots promoters.

Gut Level was shortlisted due to its worthy cause in supporting marginalised groups in Sheffield, championing local talent and showcasing the city to the world.

THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHARITY

The charity arm of Sheffield Children’s Hospital, TCHC works with the hospital as one team to deliver over and above the NHS provision and enhance the patient and family experience, ensuring children and young people receive the best care in the best possible environment.

The Bears of Sheffield trail was an intergenerational art project which was successful in bringing people into the city centre following COVID-19 lockdowns and boosted the wellbeing of Sheffield residents, as well as providing artists with commissions when many had been cancelled over the course of the pandemic.

THE LEADMILL LTD

Sheffield’s longest-running live music venue first opening its doors in 1980, the Leadmill has been a creative hub in Sheffield for over 40 years. It’s not just live music that revellers can see on the Leadmill stage, they currently run 100 live gigs, 150 club nights, 50 comedy nights and a number of other events throughout the year.

The judges were impressed with the Leadmill’s continued contribution to Sheffield as a venue that displays strong visitor numbers across music, comedy and other creative disciplines.

This award recognises an organisation that excels in offering the most comprehensive work environment, either through the implementation of a learning and development culture, staff incentive schemes, recognition/remuneration & retention packages or health and wellbeing initiatives.

HLM ARCHITECTS

Founded in 1964, HLM Architects are rated by Best Companies as a World Class company to work for and are currently ranked as second in the architecture and surveying sector, the ninth best company to work for in Yorkshire, and the 24th best large company to work for in the UK.

HLM Architects were shortlisted by the judges following a comprehensive and compelling entry which gave the feeling that everyone within the business is valued. Their application also showed a clear strategic intent behind their initiatives.

NIMBLE APPROACH

Nimble are a technology consultancy who have been operating in Sheffield since 2016. The team work alongside businesses to provide support with data analysis, product development, full-stack engineering and much more. Nimble pride themselves on being a people-centred, trustworthy and rewarding business to work for and focus on delivering high-quality products and services to every client.

Nimble Approach were shortlisted for this award following the judges’ praise of their staff-first approach to business.

REDBRIK ESTATE AGENTS

Listed in the Best Estate Agent guide for six consecutive years, Sheffield and Chesterfield estate agents Redbrik offer a comprehensive sales and lettings service alongside a dedicated new homes department. Redbrik was recently named as the fifth best company to work for in the property sector, the 28th best company to work for in Yorkshire, and the 50th best small company to work for in the UK in the Best Companies awards. These high-profile business awards were a key element to Redbrik’s application making the shortlist.

SPONSORED BY UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

SPONSORED BY THE SHEFFIELD COLLEGE

Best Entrepreneur Award

This award recognises enterprising and visionary individuals who are making waves in their industry and achieving high levels of commercial success through a culture of innovation and inspirational leadership.

CHRIS MILLARD, BARMY ARMY LTD

The Barmy Army is a world-famous supporters club of England’s national cricket team formed during England’s 1994/95 Ashes tour of Australia. Chris joined the Barmy Army straight from university in 2015 as a part-time marketing assistant and within seven years has raised through the ranks to managing director at age 23.

Judges were impressed by the quick succession of Chris to his position today, as well as strong figures to support his application whether they be financial or marketing data.

DOM BROOK, BROOK CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS

Brook Corporate Developments have been providing consultancy and training services for 12 years, supporting over 1,500 local businesses through bespoke solutions and training requirements. Since Dom formally purchased the business there has been continued growth, investment, an improved in-house system and the introduction of a customer engagement portal.

Dom impressed the judges with his evidence of a clear vision for the business, as well as his determination and high-quality well-thought-out plan for the future of the business.

ROYALE JOHNSON, PRYA LTD

Prya is a retailer of high-quality women’s jewellery, including personalised items. Shipping to over 100 countries across the globe, they have built an international community of jewellery lovers with a loyal customer base.

Judges were impressed with Royale’s entrepreneurship starting the business from his bedroom just three years ago to turning over a profit and now employing eight staff.

Operating for over 12 years, Brook Corporate Developments is a business support provider delivering consultancy and training-related services to the region’s SME community, headed by managing director and Entrepreneur of the Year award shortlisted Dom Brook.

Providing support to its customers via its specialist support team, Brook becomes an integral part of its client’s operations, supporting growth, productivity and change in ambitions as well as project managing funding applications for cost-effective solutions.

On being shortlisted for the Entrepreneur of the Year award, Dom is ecstatic to be in good company among two other of the region’s forward thinkers. As well as this, the fact that the innovative solutions he has embedded across his businesses are not only recognised internally but externally as well.

Having faced several challenges throughout his career, winning the award would be an unbelievable achievement for Dom, demonstrating that each setback has strengthened his ability to run a successful business and instil a strong mindset to achieve results in a forever-changing market.

Looking towards to the future, Dom plans to continue the growth of Brook Corporate Developments and work with his valued clients from across the region. 2023 will see continued reinvestment into the business’s internal infrastructure with further innovation and automation planned to ensure the team is working on the latest technology platforms so they have the capacity to engage more local businesses. As well as Brook Corporate Developments’ continued success, Dom is ready to launch his new business MyNexo next year. With this new venture for the freelance market, Dom sets to make waves across the industry.

BANNER JONES

THE

Best Use of Technology

This award recognises a business or organisation that has made exceptional use of technology to enhance workplace productivity and has positively impacted employees, customers, and overall commercial performance.

BANNER JONES SOLICITORS

The leading law firm Banner Jones Solicitors offers legal services to individuals and businesses across the region. With 130 staff across six offices, the team use technology to have a lasting effect on customer relationship building. Having always invested heavily in IT, Banner Jones isn’t your average law firm.

As a legal services provider across a spectrum of areas, the company’s investment in its onboarding system for customer relationship management has had a significant impact. Banner Jones uses technology to create as smooth and efficient a process as possible for individuals and businesses across the region, making them a worthy finalist for Best Use of Technology.

The forward-thinking, innovative law firm is always striving to seek new ways of doing things to meet its maximum potential, with business development playing a key factor in its shortlisting for Best Use of Technology. With the whole team playing a part in the process, Banner Jones’ technology use has driven significant change in its biggest department, residential property.

Streamlining its services, Banner Jones offers gamechanging online services for clients, and the team look forward to continuing this technology expansion across other aspects of business in 2023. Creating an optimised and personalised approach for its customers, Banner Jones is a true believer that technology is synonymous with efficiency. Not to mention, the transparency it provides its customers with is a much sought-after feature in within the sector.

Banner Jones is delighted to be shortlisted for the award, with the prospect of winning being amazing recognition of their innovation and desire to be different.

Banner Jones Solicitors is a full-service law firm which provides legal support to around 9,000 private and business customers every year – offering advice on personal matters such as personal injury, divorce, wills and probate, residential property and dispute resolution, through to business advice on company formation, commercial property, company finance, partnership agreements, debt recovery and employment issues. Judges felt its new client portal transformed the customer experience and showed strong evidence of increasing efficiency within the business.

FOURJAW MANUFACTURING ANALYTICS

FourJaw delivers accessible technology that empowers manufacturers to achieve their productivity potential. Described as a fitness tracker for manufacturing machinery, FourJaw’s ‘plug-and-play’ machine monitoring technology is connected to factory equipment and uses the shop floor wi-fi network to show the health and performance of the machine on a tablet device installed conveniently on – or next to – each machine in a factory. This application was praised for being on the cutting edge of technology within the manufacturing sector and creating something which saves time and money for clients.

REDBRIK ESTATE AGENTS

Listed in the Best Estate Agent guide for six consecutive years, Sheffield and Chesterfield estate agent Redbrik offers a comprehensive sales and lettings service alongside a dedicated new homes department. Redbrik was recently named as the fifth best company to work for in the property sector, the 28th best company to work for in Yorkshire, and the 50th best small company to work for in the UK in the Best Companies awards. Its partnership with Street, which allows it to come up with bespoke software to tackle the challenges of purchasing a home and improve customer experience, was looked on fondly by judges.

Team Molly’s are proud to now offer outside catering options, Whether its small and intimate or a larger event including business and corporate launches, we’ve got you covered - from freshly prepared, sharing boxes and catering platters, to larger grazing tables.

With multiple awards and a famous cheese board to its name, Molly’s Café and Deli is one of the brilliant businesses shortlisted for the High Street Hero award. The coffee shop and bakery in the heart of Hillsborough has experienced impressive growth and expansion in the last few years, with popular demand for its services developing a strong client base.

From banqueting graze tables and boards to deli ranges, Molly’s Café and Deli caters to large events, corporate lunches, parties and training days. Not to mention, the markets for weddings, funerals and celebration events.

Being big advocates for its local area of Hillsborough, Molly’s Café and Deli puts Sheffield first. Having seen Hillsborough grow from strength to strength in the last three years, Molly’s is proud to be a part of the ‘mini-revolution’ that has seen the community embrace shopping locally to keep the area thriving.

Molly’s Café and Deli has contributed further than the high street, with its founders, staff and community raising money for those displaced in the Ukraine war. A testament to local businesses, Molly’s works selflessly to serve beyond the local community with the help of its own customers and clients. Molly’s Café and Deli is an example of a true community hub, even going as far as crediting its loyal customers for its success with the prospect of winning High Street Hero being dedicated to hard-working staff and customers themselves.

Looking to 2023, Molly’s already has bookings up until the end of the year! With exciting times ahead, the café and deli hope for expansions to a second unit to cater – pun intended – to its beloved customers, as well as expansions of its popular products and services.

High Street Hero Award

This award recognises an independent retail, hospitality or leisure business that is playing a vital role in supporting the high street experience in Sheffield.

LAVANG / THE PRIVATE DINERS CLUB

Lavang brings the people of Sheffield and beyond unique flavours of Asia via a thoughtfully crafted menu either in their Fulwood restaurant or via their takeaway service. Their Private Diners Club allows private hire for meetings, birthdays, weddings and more.

Among the reasons for shortlisting were Lavang’s green credentials, showing strong evidence of their efforts to reduce waste and use eco-friendly choices in many areas of the business.

MOLLY’S CAFE AND DELI LTD

Opening their doors just days before the first lockdown in March 2020, Molly’s Café and Deli had to amend their intended offering to adapt. Now in 2022, they are an independent family-run café and deli that prides itself in providing high-quality locally sourced food and takes inspiration from its Anglo-Polish heritage. The judges were impressed with their resilience and adaptation following their opening at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their continued customer loyalty within Hillsborough and surrounding areas.

THE TREEHOUSE BOARD GAME CAFÉ LTD

The Treehouse was the first board game café to open in Sheffield back in 2017 providing a space that welcomes gamers old and new to explore their library of over 800 board games. Alongside the games, visitors can also enjoy a wide variety of drinks and café-style food.

The board game café impressed the judges by highlighting its unique offering within Sheffield, as well as the wider region. They also showed their ability to adapt their business model in difficult circumstances.

SPONSORED

SHEFFIELD MAKER Manufacturing Company of the Year

This award recognises a company demonstrating an efficient and innovative approach to manufacturing. Businesses in this category have exhibited growth, improved commercial performance, and increased market share and operational effectiveness.

EXHAUSTS UK LTD (T/A COBRA SPORT)

This family business specialises in manufacturing stainless steel and performance exhausts, which are shipped to their customer base worldwide. Cobra Sport has a long history in the city, dating back to 1974 and in 2013 they were awarded a Made in Sheffield mark to acknowledge the company’s manufacturing excellence. The judges shortlisted Cobra Sport after their award submission clearly demonstrated the journey they have been on to keep ahead of the market.

MAGNETIC SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

Founded in 1992, Magtec are the UK’s largest supplier of electric drive systems and specialist hybrid solutions. The business designs, manufactures and installs both electric and hybrid drive systems for a range of vehicles, including HGV’s, defence vehicles and buses. Recipients of the Made in Sheffield mark, Magtec produce a range of products including HVDC battery systems, power controllers, transmissions, and telematics. Magnetic Systems Technology demonstrated impressive growth in a vital area for the region. The judges shortlisted this business as a potential future star in the green automotive business.

THE LABLOGIC GROUP

With over 40 years of experience in the industry, LabLogic is a leader in the manufacturing for the life science, nuclear medicine and radiation safety sectors. A wide range of products manufactured by LabLogic are now the industry standard. Currently, LabLogic has 18 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies as customers, alongside world-renowned universities. The LabLogic Group were shortlisted for this award following a comprehensive entry that successfully demonstrated all of the required criteria.

THE INNOVATOR Best New Product or Service

This award identifies and rewards the company which has launched the most innovative product or service within the last 12 months. Judges will consider all aspects of an innovative new product/service, including its USP, market disruption, the potential for further growth and profitability.

BEHAVIOUR SMART LTD

Behaviour Smart is a new incident recording, reporting and behaviour management tool, developed by staff working in education, health and social care. The software helps services meet their obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by producing accurate incident reports and smart behaviour plans that aim to improve behaviour and consistency. The incident reports and plans can be shared with key people such as parents, carers, other professionals, and service users.

Behaviour Smart made it onto the shortlist in light of its unique, joined up approach to behaviour management and its potential to revolutionise the system.

THE SHEFFIELD COLLEGE

The Sheffield College is a general further education college in South Yorkshire, providing high-quality academic, technical and vocational training to enhance qualifications, skills and employability across the region. The College is at the forefront of using new learning technologies to enrich and enhance its education, work placement and apprenticeship offer to the city’s young people, including the use of VR to both enhance students’ learning and work placement experiences.

Judges were impressed by the positive impact this new technology was having on students at the College and the plans to expand these services over the next three to five years.

DEEPER THAN BLUE

Deeper Than Blue is a company with over 20 years of experience in helping organisations excel both online and offline with their digital propositions, growing revenues and providing engaging customer experiences. The business has over 47 employees, providing market-leading digital solutions in areas of ecommerce, public and private cloud, systems integration, automation, insights from analytics and QA & DevOps.

Deeper Than Blue’s application impressed judges as it showed clear results from the strategies implemented for clients and included great user reviews.

SPONSORED BY WAKESMITH SOLICITORS

SPONSORED BY KITCHENEX

SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 SPOTLIGHT

DEEPERTHANBLUE

DeeperThanBlue is celebrating its implementation of CXOne, its integrated application programme interface (API) management engine. As part of its mission to equip businesses for the future, DeeperThanBlue offers essential insights into how businesses can make operations more efficient and scalable through digital transformation.

The impressive CXOne service has certainly taken efficiency and scalability to another level, with the API management engine allowing the businesses DeeperThanBlue works with to migrate complex, monolithic, on-premises applications into the Cloud using Kubernetes. In other words, DeeperThanBlue’s innovation transforms clients’ digital offerings both on and offline to better engage with customers, help staff perform more efficiently and grow revenues.

A prime example of Sheffield’s cutting-edge technology, DeeperThanBlue’s pioneering solutions achieve incredible results for clients. The company thrives on the success of its implementations with its approach being a bespoke process tailored to the client’s needs. Working hand in hand with the team’s extensive technical knowledge creates a smooth, efficient process for customers and helps to build stronger connections and relationships.

Quality is at the heart of everything DeeperThanBlue does, with its incredible team working tirelessly to deliver services that give the company its stellar reputation. Care and

attention to detail are incorporated throughout their star product CXOne, which is the product behind this brilliant business nomination. With CXOne elevating DeeperThanBlue’s service offering, the innovation has transformed how they implement user journey solutions amongst their other services of tech development, infrastructure architecture design and implementation, testing, programme management, support and managed services.

The DeeperThanBlue team’s passion stretches beyond technology to their muchloved location in Sheffield. Proud to be located in one of the country’s most innovative cities, the company is honoured to be shortlisted amongst other incredible local innovators. DeeperThanBlue is committed to the city and regularly gives back by holding free networking and education events.

Looking to the future, DeeperThanBlue is excited to see the continued success of CXOne throughout 2023 and the different projects that can be upgraded by the API layer CXOne offers. As part of the company’s commitment to each client and their needs, it adapts CXOne to the right scale for them. Whether this is at an enterprise level both nationally and internationally or for smaller, local Sheffield businesses. DeeperThanBlue is happy to accommodate and always looking to give back to the ‘amazing’ city – DeeperThanBlue believes CXOne is an innovation that can be used to help everyone.

A prime example of Sheffield’s cuttingedge technology, DeeperThanBlue’s pioneering solutions achieve incredible results for clients

Small Business of the Year

This award will recognise a Small or Medium Business with an annual turnover of up to £15 million, that has achieved consistent growth backed by a strong financial performance.

KITLOCKER.COM LTD

Born out of two Sheffield graduates in 2005 who wanted to improve service levels in the university teamwear industry and making the kit ordering process easier for clubs and organisations. Kitlocker.com holds a significant presence across all sectors of the sportswear marketing including education, grassroots sport, semi-professional sport, national governing bodies and online retail.

Kitlocker’s utilisation of the local universities and their use of technology to enhance efficiency impressed the judges gaining them a spot on the shortlist.

PHARMACY MENTOR

Helping the pharmacy sector to embrace the digital age, Pharmacy Mentor uses digital solutions, transformational online courses and high-quality learning modules to propel community pharmacies into the future by harnessing new technologies and digital tools.

They demonstrated to the judges their commitment and support to their staff, providing a good working culture and benefits, as well as their innovative in-house software approach.

ROBERT SORBY LTD

One of the world’s premier manufacturers of specialist woodworking tools and sharpening equipment. The business has a heritage of nearly 200 years in which they have built a global reputation for manufacturing quality tools which sees them embrace modern production methods.

The judges were impressed with the evidence of their solid growth, strategic vision and their clear commitment, support and investment in their staff.

Large Business of the Year

Open to organisations with an annual turnover of +£15 million, this award will go to a business that has achieved consistent growth backed by a strong financial performance.

SBD APPAREL LIMITED

Manufacturing products and support accessories for strength sports such as weightlifting and powerlifting, SBD are a 130-person strong organisation that will be celebrating 10 years in business next year. They sponsor the World’s Strongest Man every Christmas and work with hundreds of strength sports athletes from around the world.

SBD Apparel showed the judges evidence of good growth and a good business model, as well as their support of their workers at every level within the business and a clear commitment to the region.

SHAKESPEARE MARTINEAU

A full-service law firm that offers expertise, commerciality and relationships with their clients. As well as Sheffield, they work in 9 other locations throughout the UK and employ over 900 people nationwide.

They showed evidence of a strong business model and consistently improving returns with a strong commitment to their employees.

THE LABLOGIC GROUP

With over 40 years of experience in the industry, LabLogic is a leader in the manufacturing for the life science, nuclear medicine and radiation safety sectors. A wide range of products manufactured by LabLogic are now the industry standard. Currently, LabLogic has 18 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies as customers, alongside world-renowned universities. The judges were impressed with LabLogic’s impressive growth through a challenging period and their commitment to building a local supply chain.

SPONSORED BY SHORTS

SPONSORED BY SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY

SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 SPOTLIGHT

SHEFFIELD BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 SPOTLIGHT

SBD SHAKESPEARE MARTINEAU

Taking pride in its products, SBD manufactures its supports, apparel and accessories from start to finish – and impressively, most of the manufacturing takes place within South Yorkshire. It’s no surprise that SBD has been shortlisted for Large Business of the Year, being a market-leading company that has achieved so much since it was established in 2013, winning the Business Growth Award and Business of the Year at this year’s Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards as well as being the main title sponsor for the popular World’s Strongest Man competition and the official sponsor for the International and European Powerlifting Federations.

Looking to the year ahead, March 2023 will see Sheffield City Hall host its first international powerlifting competition in history thanks to the investment SBD has committed within South Yorkshire. Here, the world’s strongest athletes will come together to compete in a sell-out venue, attracting a global audience.

Rooting its new global HQ on the AMP in South Yorkshire, SBD has an exciting future ahead with its own state-of-the-art 100,000 sq ft multi-millionpound manufacturing facility in Rotherham fully operating from 2023. The facility will enable the manufacturing capacity to increase significantly compared to current production levels, enabling SBD to continue to deliver continued sales growth to meet its global demand.

SBD’s new HQ places its employees at the forefront with a modern production facility including a staff gymnasium, employee canteen and a market-leading creative centre. The company attributes its success to the hard work, dedication and commitment of its talented employees, with the prospect of winning the Large Business of the Year award being a huge privilege to the team.

Displaying a firm commitment to its employees, it’s quite obvious why Shakespeare Martineau has been shortlisted for Large Business of the Year in this year’s Sheffield Business Awards. As a full-service law firm, the company works with businesses and organisations of all sizes as well as offering bespoke services for families and private clients.

As it continues to invest in the Yorkshire market, Shakespeare Martineau’s purpose is to unlock potential in not only its clients but its people.

The company strives to inspire confidence, growth and development in employees, being an early adopter of the better business act campaign, B-Corporation status pending and a Best Company to Work For in 2022 as part of the legal and professional services group Ampa. And Shakespeare Martineau isn’t stopping there, it’s also aiming to become one of the most admired top 30 legal and professional groups by 2025.

Being shortlisted amongst major players in Sheffield, Shakespeare Martineau feels being shortlisted for the Business Awards is a major achievement in itself, with the prospect of winning the award being dedicated to the hard work of the South Yorkshire team.

Having developed a full-service office in Sheffield, Shakespeare Martineau has an outlook of growing its Sheffield presence and client base at the forefront for 2023. The firm has big plans for investing in its people after having developed a full-service office in the city. The upcoming redesign and renovation of its Sheffield office on Cemetery Road will reflect its modern, new ways of working to the benefit of its valued employees.

This Social Impact Award recognises a non-profit organisation, charity or social enterprise that has significantly contributed toward positive social impact in Sheffield.

BLEND KITCHEN

Located on Ecclesall Road, Blend Kitchen is a not-for-profit restaurant and social enterprise providing hospitality training and paid work experience to individuals with a lack of access to rights, resources and opportunities. Blend Kitchen are able to change the lives of some of Sheffield’s most vulnerable residents. Blend Kitchen provided a very strong application, demonstrating the diversity of its staff, as well as showing how they engage the wider community of Sheffield.

SHEFFIELD CHURCHES’ COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY CARE

SCCCC is a fantastic local charity that has been working to provide essential services to older people within the Sheffield area since 1965. Referrals to SCCCC can help people access a huge range of support including, but not limited to, emergency food shops, the hospital-to-home service, environmental assessments, equipment delivery, and key safe loans. SCCCC was shortlisted for this award by the judges following the submission of a very strong award entry. SCCCC was acknowledged as a brilliant charity which has engaged with the Sheffield Community for 56 years and is an excellent example of social cohesion and social impact.

THE SNOWDROP PROJECT

This Sheffield-based charity provides long-term support to survivors of human trafficking. The charity aims to empower trafficking survivors to live free from their past. The Snowdrop Project works alongside local authorities, the government and other NGO’s to provide the most effective and comprehensive support possible and are one of the first charities to provide longterm support in the UK.

The judges shortlisted The Snowdrop Project because their application clearly demonstrates the work they have done within the Sheffield community and the feedback from service users is a testament to how hard the people at The Snowdrop Project work.

SCCCC is an award-winning charity that supports older, vulnerable adults in Sheffield suffering from isolation and loneliness by providing a helping hand when they need it most. The people supported by the charity often have wide-ranging health issues, including heart conditions, dementia, impaired mobility, and mental health issues.

SCCCC’s Hospital to Home and Hospital Aftercare schemes support hospital discharge, working closely with statutory organisations to plug service gaps and ensure service users have all the equipment necessary to support their care needs and independence. This includes working alongside Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield City Council’s Short Term Intervention Team, the Integrated Care Board, district and community nurses, Integrated Care Therapy, adult social care, older adult mental health teams, and St Luke’s Hospice. The charity also runs a good neighbour scheme which is supported by nearly 200 volunteers. This includes face-to-face befriending, telephone support and a pen pal scheme to keep people socially connected.

2023 will see the charity develop new services that focus on marginalised groups as well as those with additional needs. They aim to achieve this by working in collaboration with the older people they support, ensuring that they are delivering services that people want and need. As a charity, SCCCC are committed to being socially accountable to older people, their families, volunteers, health and social care professionals, and their funders across the city.

Winning the Social Impact Award would provide recognition to staff and volunteers within SCCCC and help the charity further raise its profile within Sheffield, shining a light on the important work SCCCC does.