unLTD. Connecting business across Sheffield City Region #31 by unLTD magazine

OCTOBER 2020 | ISSUE 31 | FREE | UNLTDBUSINESS.COM

CHOOSE

LIFE

Future Life Wealth Management founder Jill Thomas shares her emotional and engaging story, revealing how she tackled personal challenges to empower herself and start her business

SHEFFIELD CHAMBER – ‘MAKING THE CITY THE BEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS’

RY: O T S S S E C SUC

L A T S CRY N CLEA SERVICE

SYPTE ACTIVE TRAVEL ● RE-OPENING HOURS: SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE ● SKILLS FOCUS unLTDBUSINESS.COM

Albion Detection Systems With decades of experience, we have developed a well respected reputation for supplying fire and security systems to a wide and varied client base, including the NHS, Sheffield Hallam University and the DFEE. Your complete security is our priority and we will endeavour to ensure your property, people and assets are meticulously protected at all times by tailoring your security system to meet your exact needs. Whether you have multiple large premises or a single shop, we can install detection systems to cover almost any space to ensure your complete security.

Fire Protection

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Assisted Living

Emergency Lighting

To completely secure your property against the risk of fire, your premises requires methods of fire detection, protection and suppression.

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With an aging population, assisted living is becoming a more popular option of care for those that need extra support and in later life, both personal and medical.

Should a fire break out in an occupied building the main lighting supply is often the first thing to fail, which means that those inside need help to guide them to the nearest exit.

For further details, contact Mark on 0114 236 9640 or visit www.albion-detection.co.uk

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CONTENTS

22 COVER STORY: JILL THOMAS, MD OF FUTURE LIFE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

38 SHEFFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

58 AFTER HOURS: SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE 4

40 SUCCESS STORY: CRYSTAL CLEAN SERVICE unLTDBUSINESS.COM

CONTENTS

INSIDE... 6-9: News A round-up of news in the region, including award wins, local author publishes debut novel, and launch of new SME support service. 10-11: Appointments All the latest appointments from around the Sheffield City Region.

HAVE YOU SEEN OUR NEW LOOK WEBSITE?

PLANNING + PASSION = (EM)POWERED 35: Skills Focus The Source on how training is helping an apprentice climb the career ladder. 45: Launchpad How the ‘incredible’ support from Launchpad helped set up Doncasterbased media agency UKNO.

46-49: Sheffield Cathedral An update on plans to unite the business community during the winter months

EVERYTHING ELSE: 13: The Diary 15: Financial Health 17: Entrepreneur Support 19: Evolving Technology 21: Legal Matters 33: SYPTE 36-37: Technology 70: Charities

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We’ve interviewed a lot of passionate professionals for our unLTD cover story over the last 30 magazines and many of them have opened up about their personal back story and how it has played a major part in their success as an entrepreneur or business owner. Our October cover star is Future Life Wealth Management founder Jill Thomas and hers is a story you will want to read as it does all of the above – and then some. In her own personal and powerful words, Jill shares her emotional and engaging back story, revealing how she tackled personal challenges and escaped Thailand during the tsunami in 2004 to empower herself. Jill tells unLTD how she used those traumatic experiences to become a successful business owner (following a recession) and the feature is packed full of words of wisdom, emotion and, ultimately, empowerment. Our features writer Jill Theobald and the whole unLTD team are thrilled Jill chose and trusted our magazine to share her story – turn to page 22 to read it and find out why she is encouraging wannabe entrepreneurs to follow her lead, despite COVID, by turning planning and passion into empowerment. There’s inspiration on our news pages, too – read all about nine-year-old Sheffield fundraising hero ‘Captain’ Tobias Weller completing another incredible mission. It was at unLTD’s Virtual Social in May that Tobias’s mum, Ruth, was first introduced to Jiraffe director, Holly Jenkins – leading to Jiraffe stepping in to provide a bespoke Rifton Tricycle for his latest fundraising challenge. That’s the (unLTD) power of networking with our event host Andy Hanselman right there! And as for passion and power – check out our Success Story with Crystal Clean Service on page 40. Owner Hayley Koseoglu set up the business fresh out of college as a ‘temporary job’ in 2007 but has grown it to a 130-strong team, with further expansion plans in the pipeline. She tells unLTD’s Chris Coates how she did it – and how she’s now using her experience to help others. Finally we've recently redesigned our website. Check it out at unLTDbusiness.com.

@UNLTDBUSINESS UNLTD BUSINESS UNLTDBUSINESS EDITORIAL Richard Fidler richard@unltdbusiness.com Jill Theobald editorial@unltdbusiness.com General hello@unltdbusiness.com 0114 252 7781 ADVERTISING Dan Laver dan@unltdbusiness.com 07867 313995 Phil Turner phil@unltdbusiness.com 07979 498034 General advertising@unltdbusiness.com FINANCE Michael Johnson accounts@exposedmagazine.co.uk DESIGN Simon Waller and Simon Garlick CONTRIBUTORS Joe Bamford Chris Barr Chris Coates Matt Crowder Jo Davison

Dax Keeling Sasha Mossman Raj Shah Helen Williams Ash Young

unLTD is published monthly by Blind Mice Media Ltd Unit 1B Rialto, 2 Kelham Island Square, Kelham Riverside Sheffield S3 8SD and HRM | PR & Creative Unit 1A Speedwell Works, Sidney Street, Sheffield S1 4RG The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and HRM 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 HRM cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific listings.

AGENDA NEWS

CAPTAIN TOBIAS COMPLETES ANOTHER FUNDRAISING MISSION FAYE AND ANDREW HONE

New PR agency, Peak Results PR, launches Peak Results PR, a new creative agency that specialises in PR, digital and content marketing, has launched to provide support to local independent companies and SMEs. The company was founded by husband and wife team, Andrew and Faye Hone during lockdown, who have worked in the PR and marketing industry for over 16 years on some of the UK’s most recognised brands in Sheffield and London. Prior to setting up Peak Results PR, Faye and Andrew worked as independent PR consultants in Sheffield on campaigns for a variety of brands in the beauty, retail, corporate and manufacturing sectors. Co-founder Faye Hone said: “We’re excited to launch Peak Results PR. We really want to support local independent businesses and SMEs to help them succeed and make a difference during this challenging time." Co-founder Andrew Hone added: “We want to support local companies wherever we can to help them stand out, improve their brand visibility and online presence to help them to move forward.”

unLTD played its part as nineyear-old Sheffield fundraising hero ‘Captain’ Tobias Weller completed another incredible mission to raise funds for a specialist centre, school and charity. Tobias lives with cerebral palsy and autism and was part of a team from Converse Store at East Midlands Designer Outlet which took on a sponsored 480-mile virtual bike ride – the equivalent distance from the store to the firm’s head office in Hilversum, Holland – to raise £1,000 for his school, Paces.

Sheffield postural support specialist, Jiraffe, played a key part in Tobias‘s latest challenge. It was at unLTD’s Virtual Social in May that Tobias’s mum, Ruth, was first introduced to Jiraffe director, Holly Jenkins by event host Andy Hanselman – leading to Jiraffe stepping in to provide Tobias with a bespoke Rifton Tricycle for his latest fundraising challenge. Jiraffe has since gifted the trike to the youngster permanently to use at home or at school. Ruth said: “Tobias really

enjoyed joining in the sponsored bike ride and we really appreciate the fundraising efforts from the staff at Converse. For Jiraffe to donate the tricycle to Tobias is brilliant too – they have been so generous and, as you can imagine, he’s chuffed to bits!” Holly Jenkins, director at Jiraffe, said: “We’re so proud to have played a part in enabling Tobias to take on his latest fundraising mission and I’m over the moon that we’ve now been able to gift the speciallydesigned Rifton Tricycle to Tobias for him to use in future.”

TOBIAS TAKES TO RIFTON TRIKE TO TACKLE VIRTUAL BIKE RIDE

DJB RECYCLING LAUNCHES NEW WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES Sheffield-based waste management provider DJB Recycling is now offering glass recycling and food waste collection services. The new services are aimed at hotels, bars and restaurants which generate large amounts of food and glass waste. The glass is moulded together and recycled into bottles and jars, while the

food waste is broken down and turned into electricity and heat. The company is offering free glass collections for three months to customers if they sign up for one of their other collection services. Managing director of DJB Recycling, Darren Bland, said: “We are proud of the fact that none of the waste we collect

is sent to landfill, and that continues with these new services. “Considering that we are mainly targeting the hospitality industry which is still suffering from the effects of COVID-19, take-up has been good so far. When things do recover properly, we are expecting demand to increase.”

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AGENDA

B2C CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR FISHTANK AGENCY AND CITY TAXIS

FISHTANK'S OLA TAMBOR, DAMIEN FISHER AND GEMMA CURRY

Fishtank Agency, a leading Yorkshire digital agency, has been presented with a ‘B2C Campaign of the Year (under £50k)’ award for the multilevel launch campaign prepared for Sheffield’s City Taxis. Fishtank works with clients in many sectors, supporting companies such as BHP, Britvic and Bedworld in all design, web development and digital marketing. The agency started working

with City Taxis in October 2019, proposing a complete overhaul of the company’s visual identity and digital presence. The multilevel B2C campaign awarded by Prolific North was centred around giving a new identity to City Taxis’ core service and launching their exciting sub-brands in an engaging, integrated way. Prolific North judges commented: “Fishtank stood

out for all the right reasons… Not only did Fishtank deliver it (the campaign) beautifully with numbers to back it up, they did so by not settling with the old and going the extra mile of creating a new brand and other sub brands... Impressive cross channel and cross functional project delivery…very well done.” Prolific North is the leading news hub for the media, marketing and creative sectors in the north.

LOCAL AUTHOR PUBLISHES DEBUT NOVEL FOR FANTASY FANS Sheffield-born author Lyndsey Hall has published her debut novel, a young adult fantasy book. Lyndsey started writing the novel in 2016 and after a break from writing to have a baby, picked the story back up in 2019 and made the decision to publish it independently. The Fair Queen is the first in a planned trilogy aimed at fans of fantasy novels and follows 17-year-old Aria, who lives in the fictional village of Hartwood. She is shocked to discover a portal into another realm where the Fair possess magical abilities linked to the elements, and dark creatures stalk the woods. Lyndsey who

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Driving the Doncaster apprenticeship agenda Doncaster Chamber has announced a strategic collaboration with the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, an employer group which champions apprenticeships, raises awareness and increases engagement to meet the needs of employers, communities, and individuals across the country.

Trebor/Hillwood agree Atomic letting Trebor Developments and partner Hillwood has agreed terms with DLH Parcel UK Limited for the 78,458 sq ft letting of Atomic at 31 East, in Dinnington.

AMETEK Land delivers buildings and facilities screening system AMETEK Land has delivered a market-leading screening system to accurately detect elevated temperatures, which can indicate a fever – a COVID-19 symptom.

Wigfield Farm undergoes makeover Barnsley family attraction Wigfield Farm has undergone refurbishment, making for an enhanced student and visitor experience.

Doordeals announce headline sponsorship works full time as a marketing manager for a Sheffield accountancy firm, is also an alumnus of Mount St Mary’s College in Spinkhill. The Fair Queen is available

now in eBook and paperback from Amazon, with an audio book coming soon. The next book in the series, The Solitary King, will be released in 2021.

South Yorkshire-based Doordeals will be the headline sponsor for Sheffield United Women for the upcoming 2020/21 season.

AGENDA BHP launches innovative support service for SMEs Leading accountancy firm BHP is launching a free and innovative support service to help SMEs drive post lockdown growth, tackle challenges and pioneer new approaches to help them get to the next level. BHP’s experienced consulting team is offering SMEs the opportunity to meet virtually for a free of charge appointment, which will provide invaluable one to one business support. BHP Consulting provide businesses with access to high quality solutions and expertise. Using their knowledge and experience, they work with business owners and senior managers to further develop skills and confidence.

MARK ROBERTS

Mark Roberts, head of consulting at BHP, said: “We believe that every business challenge is unique and what has happened over the last few months is something that businesses will have never experienced before.” “From mobilising dispersed teams, maximising productivity and employee engagement, generating leads remotely, to attracting new talent, the to do list for business owners has been, and is, relentless.” To book your virtual coffee, please either visit www.bhp-consulting. co.uk or contact jemma. houseman@bhp.co.uk

MP VISITS ENERGY FIRM TO DISCUSS GREEN HOMES GRANT A Sheffield home energy efficiency business welcomed Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford to its headquarters to discuss how the government's new Green Homes Grant is set to benefit households across the region. Alexander Stafford met staff at All Seasons Interiors at their head office in Waleswood and toured the premises to find out how All Seasons Interiors – founded in 2017 by business partners Richard Moule and Kevin Oldfield – are helping homeowners access the Green Homes Grants and deliver energy saving improvements including insulation, central heating, and air source heat pumps. Director Richard Moule said: “It was a pleasure to welcome MP Alexander Stafford and discuss the funding that’s available to homeowners in England for home energy improvements. The government’s new Green Homes Grant is set to benefit many people and we’re proud

MP ALEXANDER STAFFORD (CENTRE) WITH ALL SEASONS' KEVIN OLDFIELD (LEFT) AND RICHARD MOULE (RIGHT)

to be one of the accredited businesses involved in delivering services.” The Green Home Grants up to the value of £5,000 will be available to homeowners in England to cover at least two-thirds of the cost of eligible measures. In addition, those on lower incomes could get vouchers of up to £10,000. MP Alexander Stafford

commented on Facebook following the visit: “We discussed the new Green Homes Grants that has set aside £2billion to improve people’s homes – and is especially targeting low quality housing stock. Under this scheme people could get up to £10k for their homes and would benefit many areas in Rother Valley, including parts of Maltby.”

First UK hip-replacement patients benefit from new B. Braun CoreHip implant The first UK patients are benefiting from a next generation hip replacement system developed by B. Braun Medical Ltd and a modified operating technique which is helping to deliver rapid recovery and low infection rates. B. Braun developed the new CoreHip stem system in Germany, with orthopaedic surgeon Dr Kristian Kley using the prosthesis with a modified antero-lateral approach meaning he can complete surgery and have patients out of hospital within 24 hours. Due to the short operating

time and minimally invasive technique, Dr Kley has recorded zero infection and dislocation rates and patients

are recording much lower post-operative pain and quicker recovery. Dr Kley has brought the technique and the prosthesis to Orthopaedic Specialists (OS) in London ahead of a planned national launch by Sheffieldbased B.Braun Medical Ltd in the autumn. He said: “Because the implant can be used through a completely muscle-sparing approach, the patient has full muscle function immediately after surgery. This allows much earlier mobilisation and can lead to a significantly faster recovery.”

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AGENDA

Frenchgate welcomes two new stores in a month Doncaster’s Frenchgate Shopping Centre is celebrating having opened two new stores in the centre. In a period of growth, the centre has seen sports store Elite Pro Sports and nail and beauty bar Brows open recently. Based in Yorkshire, Elite Pro Sports are a sports retailer specialising in sporting franchises, e-commerce and distribution. The store features items from all Doncaster-based clubs – including Doncaster Rovers, Doncaster Knights, Doncaster RLFC and Doncaster Belles. The Elite Pro Sports store is located on the Upper Mall next to Schuh – in the unit previously occupied by New Look Men.

Off the Shelf festival returns The 29th annual Off the Shelf literary festival will run from 9-31 October with a mix of live and pre-recorded free online events, and ticketed in-person and streamed literary events and workshops.

New £250,000 development for Hillsborough Park Brows, which is a one-stopshop for all beauty needs, offers affordable, highquality treatments including threading, tinting and waxing, as well as lash and nail treatments. Brows is located on the Upper South Mall, next to The Perfume Shop.

Karen Staniforth, assistant general manager at Frenchgate said: “We are thrilled to have welcomed both Elite Pro Sports and Brows to the centre. “They are already proving extremely popular with our customers.”

Hillsborough Park is set for a £250,000 all wheeled bike park after funding secured by Sheffield City Council in partnership with Access Sport, Move More and Sheffield Hallam University.

BHAYANI HR & EMPLOYMENT LAW OPENS LEEDS OFFICE

BHAYANI LAW ARE EXPANDING BY OPENING AN OFFICE IN LEEDS

Sheffield-based firm Bhayani HR & Employment Law are celebrating the success of their expansion plans with the opening of their Leeds office.

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Established five years ago by Jay Bhayani, the firm has seen a significant increase in turnover year on year since set up.

The importance of expert, practical and cost-effective support during COVID-19 has put Bhayani Law at the forefront of much of the advice to companies in the Yorkshire area and beyond. The team offers an award-winning fixed fee outsourced HR service for businesses. The Watertight plan gives expert support on HR, employment law and H&S at a small fraction of the cost of inhouse provision. Bhayani is looking to expand its services across the region. Managing director, Jay Bhayani (pictured, front centre) said: “We are excited about our move into Leeds, where we can better serve existing clients in West Yorkshire, whilst also building relationships with new clients and the local community.”

Health trust shortlisted for diversity award

Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) has been shortlisted in the Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice category at the 2020 Nursing Times Workforce Awards for building staff networks.

Guardian Guide ranking for University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield has named as one of the top 10 places in the UK to study subjects including journalism, engineering, and architecture by The Guardian University Guide 2021.

AGENDA APPOINTMENTS Sky-House Co appoints new operations director Sky-House Co, the Sheffield based housebuilder, has recruited a new operations director. Ryan Ratcliffe previously ran his own contracting business in Leeds and latterly worked for Gleeson Homes. His appointment comes as Sky-House Co is forming a new HQ for the business at Centenary Works on the River Sheaf, with plans to grow the head office and technical teams to support its expansion.

RYAN RATCLIFFE

Work on Sky-House at the Waverley Regeneration site, close to both Rotherham and Sheffield, has continued throughout lockdown with the completion of 44 Sky-Houses, the acclaimed 21st-century take on the traditional back-to-back Victorian house. The Sky-House Co was founded by architect David Cross and accountant Philip Prince. “Ryan adds a new dimension to the team to help us grow the business and deliver our pipeline in full control,” said Philip. “It’s an exciting time for us after a slow and frustrating start but strong sales and new projects are testament to our brand positioning.”

DAVID WILKIN, SIMON HILLS AND JON LISTER

BLUEBELL WOOD WELCOMES NEW CHAIR OF TRUSTEES Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice is bidding a fond farewell to a number of its trustees as several new faces join the team. Chair of trustees Jon Lister is moving on after six years, alongside Keith Metcalfe and Tricia Seymour, who have shared their extensive professional experience in management, HR and

paediatrics during their time at the charity. Jon said: “I can honestly say my time at Bluebell Wood has been humbling. It really is a life-changing charity and it’s been an honour to be a part of.” Bluebell Wood has welcomed several new trustees on board – chartered accountant Claire Davis, HR professional Stephen

NEW DUO FOR ACTUS Actus founders Sam Leeder and Paul Taylor have announced an enhanced team including new starters. Sam said: “September was a fantastic month for Team Actus as, not only did we welcome back Karen Leeder and Katie

Taylor to work after a long six months, but we also welcomed two new members of staff, too! “Rieves Boocock and Tom Croggon join us as trainee commercial brokers and both of the guys will be working closely with Paul and I and

Hall, paediatric critical care consultant Rum Thomas and solicitor Allan Skelton. Picking up the Chair of Trustees baton from Jon Lister will be David Wilkin. Semiretired David started out as an engineer and has since held senior roles at international companies in a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, marketing and events. visiting clients once safe to do so. “We wish them every success in their new roles.” Based in Deepcar, Sheffield, Actus provide integrated insurance and risk management programmes to businesses in a variety of sectors across the North of England.

Wake Smith recruits private client paralegal Paralegal Jennifer Robinson has joined Sheffield based Wake Smith Solicitors’ private client team. Jennifer (24) joins the sixstrong team from specialist estate lawyers April King Legal where she spent the

last two years assisting clients throughout the UK with Wills and Powers of Attorney matters. She said: “I am thrilled to have joined Wake Smith. The calibre and experience of the private client team is

impressive and was one of my many reasons for joining the firm.” Head of private client team Suzanne Porter said: “Jennifer is a really strong addition and will be a real asset to the department.”

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AGENDA SPONSORED BY

TRAVELSOUTHYORKSHIRE.COM/BUSINESS

HENTONS GROWS DIGITAL TEAM

DENISE MATTHEWSON

Albion secure services of duo Albion Detection Systems have welcomed Denise Matthewson to their team as she begins working from their new base at Globe Works in Kelham Island, Sheffield. Denise has been appointed as sales administrator. Albion director Mark Slatter said: “2020 has seen us launch new services to complement our long-standing offerings in fire protection, security and assisted living. The role that Denise is taking on will allow us to work more closely than ever with our existing clients, and reach out to introduce our new lighting, electrical and data services to brand new ones.” Service engineer Rob Jones also joined Albion in September, enhancing the experienced team. Mark added: “As a business, we have been able to invest and grow in a difficult year, and we are proud to welcome Denise and Rob to our new home at Globe Works.”

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Accountancy and advisory firm Hentons has boosted its digital team with the appointment of Stefanie Cooper as assistant accountant. Stefanie is an experienced accountant who has worked for several years at an outsourced accounts provider in Sheffield, where she specialised in bookkeeping, management accounts, month-ends, payment processing and credit control. Her new role will see her based in Hentons’ Sheffield office, where she will support contractors, micro-businesses and SMEs with their accounts, payroll, and tax requirements. Stefanie said: "I'm excited to join a rapidly growing firm with clients that range from the music industry to the

STEFANIE COOPER

manufacturing sector. The digital team is growing and investing in both expertise and new technology to ensure clients have the tools and insight they need to thrive." Tim Baum-Dixon, head of digital, said: "Stefanie

brings a wealth of experience in the sector and a passion for the role of technology in enabling businesses to operate more profitably. She is a great addition to the team as we continue to expand nationwide."

Start-up more than doubles workforce JAMES HOUSEMAN

JAMES 'GLAD TO BE BACK' AT BHP IN A NEW SENIOR ROLE Award-winning Yorkshire and Derbyshire accountancy firm BHP has bolstered its tax team with the appointment of James Houseman as senior tax manager. Boomerang employee James joins from McLaren Automotive Limited where he worked for the past four years in the positions of Finance and Tax. He previously worked for BHP in 2013 as well as KPMG. James will work across all areas of the BHP tax

department and will look to expand the provision of customs and Brexit-related advice. Dean Pearson, tax partner at BHP, said: “We are thrilled that James has joined the team and we know that he will enhance our offering even further.” James said: “BHP is Yorkshire’s largest independent firm and it has a really friendly team, a wide mix of clients and an excellent wellbeing programme – I am delighted to be back.”

Ed tech start-up Natterhub has more than doubled its team in the last six months, growing from three full-time members to 11 during the global pandemic. The company has seen exponential growth since its launch in April and as a result, has hired eight new full-time team members: marketing manager Gemma Exelby, content writer Phil Bayles, software developer Sam Harris and senior developer Peter Millard. Kitty Crowther also joins as a teacher support advisor, Ruby Qaimkhani as a business development consultant, and Rio Athwal as an intern. Junior developer Thomas Woodward will also join the team this month.

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AGENDA

THE DIARY BY RICHARD FIDLER

Our editor asks what the new normal might mean for collaborative working

unLTD support for Team Tobias

THE (LONG?) ROAD BACK TO THE NEW NORMAL The commute down the Parkway into Sheffield, or on the return journey home, fills people with a particular kind of dread. Or at least it used to, as in recent months it has been a breeze with traffic levels during peak periods pretty much like they’d be on a steady Saturday. For those of us who made the trip twice a day before the Prime Minister’s latest guidance about working from home, you’d be forgiven for thinking we relished the open road and a quicker journey in both directions. To a point I did, but there was a nagging worry at the back of my mind wondering where all these extra commuters were. When I’ve raised this on social media I have, quite rightly, received responses

that as part of the ‘new normal’ more people are working from home permanently or splitting their time between the office and their home desk. I get that. And I also think it’s great that people have the flexibility of working from home. Some jobs require zero interaction with other people in terms of the processes of getting the job done, so why bother travelling to a communal working environment. My worry is something that can only be proven over the long-term, though. As a species we are social. We need human interaction to thrive, to communicate better, to learn, to develop our skills. This has been proved over thousands of years. Over a few months we may enjoy the peace and quiet of

home working. Technology makes it easy too, to have meetings and to keep in touch with colleagues. What we shouldn’t do though is kid ourselves that this experiment is conclusive in that this is now how we do things – forever. If we imagine all the experience we have gained by asking throwaway questions or simply listening to older, more worldly-wise workmates as they chat to clients on the phone then we quickly realise that this gradual build-up of knowledge will be lost. Now, like I’ve said, I appreciate that not all jobs require collaborative working but surely, collectively, we’ll lose more than we gain by not getting a bit of the old normal back in our lives. Even if it means a few queues on the Parkway…

Even during lockdown, the power of business networking was on display. You may have heard of eight-year old Tobias Weller, who lives with cerebral palsy and autism, and who raised £150,000 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital and his school, Paces. At an online unLTD social in June our host Andy Hanselman introduced Tobias’ mum Ruth to Holly Jenkins, director at postural support specialists Jiraffe who are based in Hillsborough. The pair got together and talked about Tobias’ amazing fundraising efforts during lockdown. The upshot of the conversation was that Jiraffe very kindly permanently donated a specially designed Rifton Tricycle for Tobias to use at home or at school. Of course, Tobias being the magnificent young man he is also used the tricycle during his latest fundraising exploits – being part of a team doing a 480-mile virtual bike ride in aid of his school. Jiraffe is a brilliant Sheffield firm and I know how proud they are to be part of Tobias’ – and his friends and family’s – fundraising. We are also delighted to have played our tiny part in this inspiring story.

Got views of your own? Let me know: richard@unltdbusiness.com LinkedIn: Richard Fidler

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FINANCIAL HEALTH

BY RAJ SHAH, DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPAL OF BLUE WEALTH CAPITAL Our finance expert on the real reason behind wealth planning

IS FINANCIAL ADVICE PRIMARILY ABOUT MONEY?

ke he nt, 2* in 30

In last month’s article, I shared my thoughts on the wisdom (or rather, not) of investing in gold. This month, to coincide with Financial Planning Week from 5-11 October, I discuss the importance of having a financial plan and what a financial plan really is. Hint – the clue is in the title. When people ask me what I do, some of the most common questions I am asked are ‘what rate of return can you get me?’ and ‘what’s your track record? My answer is that before I can start to even think about rate of return, the first, most important thing for both of us is to get a complete understanding of your most cherished goals. In other words, what and who you are investing/planning for. Next, we work out how much capital you are going to need in order to achieve those goals. Then we begin to create a financial plan appropriate to those goals. Many advisers produce a ‘financial plan’ when engaged

to deal with something specific by a client such as sorting a pension or investing some money. Very often such a document is not a ‘financial plan’ in the true sense, rather it is a product recommendation prepared once the adviser has gathered some data and carried out a ‘risk level’ assessment. This type of ‘plan’ will explain why the (usually a) product being recommended is suitable. The distinction between these two types of plan is critical. A high-quality financial planner will craft (and continue to work on) a plan tailored to your individual goals. Such a plan should cover: main earner and/ 1 Iforthe house person dies prematurely or suffers a serious illness, your family's lifestyle will not be fatally compromised. They will remain in the family home, education plans will remain financially on track, your

family's business, if there is one, won't have to be sold at a disadvantaged price. You will be able to meaningfully support your children (education, property ladder etc) without sacrificing your own standard of living.

You will be able to retire (or when work becomes optional) in your own time and on your own terms. Your dignity and independence will not be undermined by up to three decades of rising living costs.

will be able to look 4 You after your parents and

the planning will ensure you don’t become a financial burden on your next of kin.

You will be able to leave a meaningful legacy for your next of kin.

inheritance tax 6 Lastly, will be mitigated as

much as possible – to ensure as much of your hard-earned wealth passes to the next generation or to the entities of your choice rather than the general coffers of HMRC. A true financial plan is much more than a product recommendation report - it is a bespoke document covering most eventualities and ensuring that those you care most about will be well catered for should anything adverse happen and that you remain on track to achieve your most cherished goals. A high-quality financial planner understands that financial planning (and subsequent advice) isn’t primarily about money – it’s about love. Raj Shah is founder of Blue Wealth capital and has been shortlisted for Financial Planner of the Year and Investment Adviser of the Year. www.bluewealthcapital.com

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Five reasons for signing the Armed Forces Covenant • To show support for Britain’s Armed Forces. • To display the Armed Forces Covenant logo on your marketing material. • To access military-run leadership and teambuilding training. • To get help to advertise your vacancies on free jobs boards aimed at service leavers. • To be more attractive to high-quality service leavers and reservists.

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AGENDA

ENTREPRENEURSUPPORT BY HELEN WILLIAMS

Our columnist on taking control when stress threatens to take over

OVERCOMING OVERWHELM Overwhelm is a feeling none of us like to admit to having but will have most certainly felt at some point. It happens when there is a lot going on and we feel like we have lost control. Stress takes over us and creates the feeling of overwhelm which is essentially the emotional response. Sometimes there isn’t a set trigger that you need to figure out – it can purely be brought about by the sheer volume of things to do and the sense that it never rains it pours, and everything happening at once. Our body and mind go into fight, flight or freeze mode with flight and freeze often being the default settings. It’s not a weakness when this happens, it’s a protective setting that kicks in. Unfortunately, though, while this nurturing protective

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comfort blanket comes out to play, this is the very thing we must not succumb to hiding under. We need to fight it off so that we can overcome the emotion, relinquish control, and get back to our performance levels. I know, I know – that’s often easier said than done when everyone wants a piece of you, deadlines are looming, and you feel like you’re freewheeling down the fast lane with your hands tied behind your back. So, here are our top five tips for overcoming overwhelm: Stop. Put the foot on the brake and pull over. The worst thing to do is to continue fudging your way through tasks and carrying on regardless. The emotion will continue to manifest and erupt causing a huge pile up in your tracks.

Do a brain dump. Write everything down that is currently outstanding, your ‘to do’ lists of a thousand categories, and the open tabs in your mind that are causing you to change lanes of thought and application. Get it all out of your head and onto paper.

Set boundaries. Create a framework of expectation for yourself and for those around you. Be precious on your time. This will include you removing distractions. And don’t be afraid of saying ‘No’. There is a lot of power in those two little letters!

Prioritise like a pro. Be completely honest and ruthless. What is important, what is a critical essential, what is a nice to have/do/ be? Identify timeframes and what really needs your undivided attention right now.

As with all tips and advice, it’s alright reading them and even nodding your head along to them, but the real difference is in the application. Remember you aren’t a machine, but you do have more control than you think – especially when you take hold of the wheel again after following the above steps in your time of need.

rational and 4 Apply logical thinking –

what is in your control, what additional help do you need, what are the steps to take? Gaining perspective is key here.

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AGENDA

EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY BY ASH YOUNG

Our tech expert with some tips on getting your Google ranking to the top

HOW TO WRITE CONTENT THAT WILL

RANK ON GOOGLE SEO content is designed to rank in Google. Being at the top, or as near as possible, means your site will generate more traffic, and that can also lead to those all-important conversions and sales. So, how do you get your content to rank in position one on Google?

Conduct keyword research In order to know what content to create, put yourselves in your potential customers’ shoes. That way, you can create content that’s not only relevant, but also timely. What do they want to know about? What is their intention? You can use several tools to do this such as Ahrefs, and we often use Google Keyword Planner in Google Ads.

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Once you have a list of keywords to target, you can write content around these topics. You’ll need to optimise the content for the keyword, such as using this in headings. However, it’s very important that this doesn’t appear unnatural to the reader – keyword inclusion shouldn’t disrupt the content or appear stuffed in.

Research the type of content that already ranks For the keywords that you want to rank for, take a look at what type of content appears at the top currently. Is it a video, blog page, category page, a news article? This will give you an idea of the optimal content format for this query on Google.

Include visual assets You can improve your chances of ranking in Google by adding in visual assets, giving you the opportunity to rank in Google’s image and video tabs, too. Not only that, but visuals help people to understand and digest your content, and user satisfaction is highly important to Google.

Build links to your content Link-building should underpin every search engine optimisation strategy. Google’s algorithm looks at the quality and trustworthiness of inbound links to dictate what pages rank and which ones don’t. Outreach is a strategy to promote your content on external sites or platforms to

gain backlinks that can help to improve search rankings. Focus on outreaching your pieces to relevant, authoritative sites such as industry publications and news sites. You can ask yourself the following questions to help guide your strategy: • Where do your competitors get links? • Which publications share the same target audience as you? • Who is looking for content related to your field? • Who is the best person to reach out to with your content suggestions? If you’d like help with a content marketing strategy and implementation, get in touch with the Evoluted team.

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AGENDA

LEGAL MATTERS

BY DAX KEELING, COMMERCIAL LITIGATION SOLICITOR AT BELL & BUXTON Our columnist on areas for employers to consider with furlough ending

Rodgers

BEYOND FURLOUGH – FOR EMPLOYERS’ CONSIDERATION At the time of writing, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is to come to a close at the end of October. From November 1 the scheme implemented by the Government will no longer provide financial support in respect of payment of salary to furloughed staff. This leaves employers with important decisions to make regarding the future of those staff who remain employed but who are currently on furlough leave. Some employers will be able to bring furloughed staff back into their business on the same employment terms as applied pre-COVID-19. In that instance, employers will be required to co-ordinate the reintegration of furloughed staff back into the day-to-day running of the business. This

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will bring its own tensions and challenges and may require careful handling. The need to manage personnel issues along with the practical, health and safety considerations may be challenging and also timeconsuming. Sadly, some employers will make the decision that they have no choice but to make posts within their organisation redundant. The normal rules and considerations apply when employers decide to go down the route of redundancy, even in the current unusual times. The fact that an employee is on furlough leave should not of itself be the reason for making someone redundant. Employers should follow a fair, transparent procedure and be seen to take a balanced approach when considering making redundancies.

It may also be that some employers find that, if staff are to return work in the coming weeks, the only viable way for this to happen is if staff return on the basis of reduced hours and/or salary. It can be possible to agree new terms of employment (on a temporary or permanent basis) with staff, and it can be possible to effectively impose new terms of employment on staff. There are of course risks involved in taking this approach and there are many traps for the unwary. We may be in uncertain and unprecedented times, and most of us understand that, but the fact remains that requiring an employee to drop hours and/or salary as a condition of keeping their job is an issue that must be handled sensitively. Whatever decision is to be taken by an employer

as we approach the end of the scheme period, plenty of time should be allowed for consideration and implementation for that decision. Preparing for life post-furlough is likely to take weeks rather than days. It will almost certainly need some degree of consultation with staff. Do not leave it too late. Bell & Buxton provide a redundancy factsheet for employers and are able to provide assistance on any of the issues identified in this article – please email d.keeling@ bellbuxton.co.uk to request a copy. Dax Keeling is the commercial litigation solicitor at Bell & Buxton d.keeling@bellbuxton.co.uk www.bellbuxton.co.uk 0114 2495969

COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

CHOOSE

LIFE Future Life Wealth Management founder Jill Thomas tells Jill Theobald her emotional and engaging back story, revealing how she tackled personal challenges and escaped Thailand during the tsunami in 2004 to empower herself. In her own personal and powerful words, Jill shares how she used those traumatic experiences to become a successful business owner (following a recession) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and why she is encouraging wannabe entrepreneurs to follow her lead, and their enterprising dreams, despite the economic challenges of COVID

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L I M I T E D

The evolution of change Future Life Wealth Management offers a bespoke financial planning service to Generators of Wealth, including business owners, executives and professionals and also to Receivers of Wealth, such as inheritors, divorcees, widows and retirees. You may be at the beginning of your financial journey and need to establish your future life financial plan, or be heading towards your golden years and wishing to consider tax efficient ways in which your estate can be distributed. Future Life Wealth Management Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate taxation & trust advice. We are entered on the FCA Register No 509960 at http://www.fca.org.uk/register.

Tel: 01246 435 996 | Fax: 01246 435 629 Email: info@wealthmanagement.uk.com www.wealthmanagement.uk.com Future House, 54 Ravenshorn Way, Renishaw, Sheffield, S21 3WY 24

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COVER STORY “I was just different and different was absolutely fine, but I had to find my way... You still want to get to the same place as everybody else, but you might need to take a different route – that’s okay as long as you get there.” The above is one of just many standout quotes and words of wisdom from Jill Thomas, founder and MD of Future Life Wealth Management, during our engaging, at times emotional, and ultimately empowering interview for unLTD. Because Jill is keen to share the lessons she has learned along the way from being a student with poor health to the hellish journey of getting herself and her mum back to the UK after being in Thailand during the 2004 tsunami – and the long-last effects on her physical and mental health. But she also reveals how those challenges helped inspire a new perception and outlook on her personal and professional life which led to her setting up her own business following the banking crisis in 2008 – after ‘choosing not to participate in the recession’. And she has a strong message for aspiring entrepreneurs to follow her lead – by using the current economic situation and challenges of COVID-19 in a positive and proactive way to embrace their business dreams, ‘plan, plan, plan’ and prepare to make them a reality. So let’s go back to the beginning of Jill’s journey. “At school I had glandular fever and I lost education

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for a year. Then aged 21 – which was late – I found I was dyslexic. I knew I was bright, but everybody said I was thick because I couldn’t spell and had lost out on some education. You start to think ‘what’s wrong with me?’ But it made me realise there was nothing wrong – I was just different and different was absolutely fine, but I had to find my way within a framework that worked for me. “That might not necessarily be a way that worked for everybody, but it did for me and that was a very cathartic thing to realise in

I didn’t know then that decision, and within 36 hours of me saying that to my mum, actually saved our lives.

my early 20s. You still want to get the same place as everybody else, but you might need to take a different route – that’s okay as long as you get there. “That meant from an early age I worked out stuff would be put in front of you that might not be particularly nice but you managed it, handled it and did it in your own way. I found a spine because of that. In life there are always obstacles, but I think a lot of the passion I have and that ‘never say die’ attitude comes from being 14 or 15 sat at home not very well.” That attitude was tested to the maximum in 2004 – but ultimately renewed and reinforced. Here Jill shares her traumatic experiences of being in Thailand during the tsunami – a time that she ultimately describes as the ‘main crux’ of what forged her success as a business owner later on. “I remember travelling to Manchester Airport on 24 December 2004 and my mum and I flying to Dubai and I bought a watch. We got to Krabi Airport and were waiting for our luggage and I was looking at the walls and all these pictures of magnificent beach scenes with azure water and beach front hotels and I said to my mum: ‘I’ve made a dreadful mistake. I’ve booked us in a hotel halfway up a hill for the view.’ “I didn’t know then that decision, and within 36 hours of me saying that to

COVER STORY my mum, actually saved our lives. The other hotel I had been viewing in the holiday brochure was decimated, blown away by the tidal wave. “The specifics of what happened I still struggle with to this day. I remember going down to the police station to report I was safe and outside there was foolscap after foolscap of the names of missing people and the bizarre thing – I actually looked to see if my name was there. “But that was literally the moment where a lot my passion comes from. There was no power, electricity was limited, Norwegian and Scandinavian jets were being flown in to take their people home. Sky News was my link to the world. We didn’t have it on all the time with the electricity going on and off but that Sky News tickertape to this day still gets me – when you have a disaster flashing up along the bottom of the screen. “I would power my phone when I could and contacted the British Embassy in Bangkok and it would ring out for 55 minutes before being cut off, nobody would talk to me. I tried any time I could, night or day, and it was that realisation – you’re actually on your own thousands of miles away. “We’d recently lost my dad and it was the first time my mum and I had been away after losing him and she turned to me and said: ‘Are we going to be okay?’ I said, ‘absolutely fine’ – and then thought ‘how the hell do we get ourselves out of this?’ I felt abandoned – whether we were or not, that was the perception. I went out onto the balcony because I couldn’t face telling her a lie and thought ‘I’ve got to plan to get out of this’. “I sat there for an hour and a half thinking ‘don’t rely on other people, get yourself out of the situation’ – it was that process. I was fighting off the demons of what was going on while still being mentally and physically in a pea soup but

SPEND LOCALLY, HELP THE RECOVERY “I love the independent shops in Sheffield, pootling down Sharrow Vale Road towards Hunters Bar – where you get real personal service, are remembered and can have a nice chat. If I am in the city centre, I may go to Norfolk Row to one of my absolute favourite cafes, Marmadukes. “But during lockdown, like most people, I had to switch a lot of my shopping habits online. I joined the ‘click culture’ to get my provisions and went without trips out for coffee and cake. Going online was easy – just clicking on a website and getting what you need from some big faceless retailer, who probably pays little, if any taxes, and employs people on minimum wage to scurry about a massive warehouse. But that is what we were forced to do, when our nonessential shops closed and ‘popping down the shops’ felt like going out on army manoeuvres. “Now we are getting back to some sort of normality, we need to return to the good habits of going to local shops. They need us and we need them. “Spending locally doesn’t just help that particular shop, it also helps the local economy. The theory is for every pound spent locally in a small business 63p stays local, for a bigger company that figure is only 40p. “Also, local traders will often trade with other local organisations, so you are supporting a local business network, all of whom pay rates, taxes and employ local people. You might think that supporting businesses which only employ a handful of people won’t make any difference to unemployment. But they are part of the 80 per cent of businesses employing fewer than 20 people, and when added together they become the biggest employer in the country. “All of this is true for those of us in business, too. We need to support each other. We need to use other local firms to get our stationery supplies, carry out our maintenance work, sort out our accounts, develop our website or supply a new printer. “Whether it’s coffee, cabbages or marketing collateral, let’s all buy from each other and help Sheffield City Region recover and rebuild.”

realising there is only one way out of this – by taking control. “I phoned Thai Airways to ask about flights from Krabi back to Bangkok – because I realised if I could get to Bangkok I could get to Dubai and then somehow back to the UK. They told me they had only two seats in business class the next day and we would have to get ourselves there, they didn’t know how much it would cost but the tickets would be there. I walked up to the counter, credit card in hand the next day and they were £3.47 each. That was the best £3.47 I have ever spent. “Sixteen years on, I remember getting those

tickets and walking through the carousels and seeing those beach pictures still on those walls – and then walking across the tarmac to get the flight and seeing the coffins of people who weren’t as lucky as me. I remember the reassurance of the banks of telephones and the Consulate presence in the airport, but also a field hospital near the escalators – the smell of gangrene was unbearable. I will never forget it. “People often say to me ‘how can you be so positive?’. That’s why – the reality of it is I could have been in one of those coffins. “We got back and my watch

and ring I bought in Dubai are never taken off now. My mum calls it a survival ring. It’s astonishing, that time on the balcony and the fight I found from somewhere – and I ain’t got a clue where – but it’s never left me.” That’s not to say once safely home there weren’t some tough times – Jill admits it was ‘a slow process’ including a less than understanding practice nurse at her doctor’s surgery after she shared how physically and mentally unwell she felt. “After her reaction, I phoned 111 who put me in touch with (bereavement charity) Cruse. I left a message figuring they wouldn’t support me, like everyone else. But a woman rang back who spoke the most intelligently that anyone had ever done to me and I wish I knew who she was because she put me on a track mentally. She said: ‘you’ve survived this and you’re either going to wallow in that environment behind you or get on with life, dust yourself off and sort yourself out’. I’d love to know who she was and thank her for what she did – giving me a kick up the backside in a way that was so discreetly done. “Slowly from there I physically started to get better, mentally took a little longer maybe 18 months. But I started to realise the things I didn’t like in life. I didn’t like some of the people I worked with, didn’t like my boyfriend – he went very quickly! Slowly but surely you challenge things – even your mortgage deal, is it good enough? If not challenge it. It was a process like an onion – you take off a layer and another appears. Every facet of life was challenged, without realising it at that time, in order for you to get better and progress.” And Jill had a key question for herself, too. “Early 2009, immediately after the banking crisis I kept thinking ‘just how good IS Jill Thomas?’ She’s dyslexic, she lost education, she isn’t the brightest with exams

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COVER STORY behind her but education doesn’t breed intelligence. I wondered if I could start a business and succeed. It was just a little concept in those quiet moments when you sit and think. “But you can sit for the rest of your life and think ‘what if’ or you could get off your arse and go and do something about it – and after the banking crisis I did do something about it! Which in the financial services role may not have the brightest thing to do! But someone said: ‘Jill we’re heading towards a recession, you shouldn’t start a business’ and I said: ‘I have decided not to participate’. “In many ways that was the bravado that I had – if I had got through an incredibly lifechanging event, learned from it and progressed then something like the banking crisis wasn’t going to take me down. Naïve, maybe. But that’s entrepreneurship – you handle the bad things and find a way forward with solutions. “I left a very secure, comfortable job to start up my business. The company grew slowly, surely and organically, I’ve never bought business, but very early on I knew we needed to create a brand and spent time on PR,

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COVER STORY media training and comms which meant we were out there doing things that were competing really favourably with people who had been doing it for 30 years and I found myself in the studio, on Newsnight and BBC Breakfast offering expert commentary. “I invested £30,000 of own money in my business – the best investment I made; I was prepared to back myself. It was an investment in me and now I have a business that’s worth between £3.5 and £4million in a 10-year period. “This scenario takes me to the balcony and thinking ‘what the hell do I do?’ It was plot, plot, plot and plan, plan, plan – if I can get to Bangkok I can get to Dubai and I can get to the UK. In many ways building a business and a lifestyle are the same process – it’s compartmentalising those situations then joining them together. It’s your onion, peeling those layers.” That’s not to say that starting a business was easy. “I didn’t pay myself for 18 months – I was freewheeling down the hill to save petrol and worked out when the highest discounts were in supermarkets, stocked up and froze food to eat for the week. Did I need to do that? Probably not. Did I feel better for doing it? Absolutely.

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“I was planning and preparing all the time three months in advance – forecasting workload and then staffing levels so they could be trained and working by the time I needed them. The staff I wanted would often appear when I didn’t have the cashflow – so I didn’t pay myself and they got paid. You take the hit, they don’t. When you are a business owner the buck stops with you.” Today Jill, who just last month was shortlisted in the Entrepreneur of the Year category in the East Midlands Chamber Business Awards, believes she is one of fewer

than three per cent of women running their own financial planning business in the UK. “It was another milestone. Do I see myself as a woman in business? No, I see myself as a professional. Put yourself forward as a professional and you will be accepted as one. I’ve always portrayed that.” And she’s determined to encourage the next generation – and welcome established professionals, too. “I’ve taken on apprentices and paid for their training because to bring in the next generation the likes of me need to be out there saying ‘I will support you and bring you along’. Equally I have no problem hiring

AND A TIMELY REMINDER FOR ESTABLISHED BUSINESS OWNERS DURING COVID “Businesses are currently facing a twofold scenario – furlough finishing in October but also the repayment of loans as well as tax money that has only been deferred, this has not gone away. “Businesses need to ensure monies are available for those repayments. We are in a new world where we need to recognise the cost of COVID is significant and there will be a day of reckoning to pay back as a nation. “This will be higher taxes in some shape or form, so businesses need to have a robust plan to accommodate which looks at all the risk and where the threats are coming from. This includes furlough finishing, repayments of CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) and understanding tax and VAT are there to be paid come January 31st when HMRC will be actively seeking money for (Chancellor) Rishi Sunak’s begging bowl and making allowances for that now.”

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COVER STORY established financial planners and training them – people who are better than me sometimes – on the basis that makes the business better. If they don’t want to be an entrepreneur and have the risk premium that I did, why shouldn’t I give them the opportunity and take them on the journey? “We work with a variety of different people and organisations but am proud to say we will tackle the hard stuff. If you play in a little pond with everyone else not much changes. Go into the deeper waters where it’s a bit choppy, it can be more difficult to secure business and also clients are likely to be more demanding,

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but that’s where the richer pickings are. “I learned to go out into the deeper water very early on – interesting I am using that terminology with what I’ve been through. But just today three new enquiries have come in. They will be massive jobs, but I am prepared to invest the time for the longerterm rewards. “All of this takes me back sadly to what happened, but I invariably look back now and view it as the best and worst day of my life, and I see an incredible journey. If I hadn’t had that experience, I wouldn’t be sat here today with my own business. “And I’d still be wondering how good Jill Thomas is!”

WANNABE ENTREPRENEUR? WONDERING HOW GOOD YOU COULD BE? HERE’S JILL’S ADVICE… “There’s never a good or bad time to start a business. There is a time that’s YOUR time to plan for the outcome you want. But times like this with COVID, you can negotiate better deals than when times are good. If I had my time again with the knowledge I have now would I start a business? Yes. I wouldn’t be frightened to, provided you’ve got the confidence to invest in yourself and the right planning in place. “Lockdown has meant a lot of people are reconsidering their future and reassessing work and life. The reality is the rich pickings will be very rich when we get through this – weaker positions and companies will have failed or gone backwards which leaves opportunities to go and fill. “There’s also a rich seam of talent out there now on the market. When I started a business, I’d find applicants, understandably, wanted experience and a track record from an employer. But we’re in a period where there is talent out there that normally wouldn’t be so anyone starting up has a leg-up when it comes to recruiting. These opportunities don’t come along often in a lifetime so grab them with both hands. “Plan, plan, plan – get your cashflow in place, your website, PR and comms and understand what your offering is. COVID means there is no better time than now to consider your future. If that means taking a step back from the lifestyle you’ve enjoyed for the last few years to elevate yourself significantly beyond where you were before in the future, go for it – if you have the stomach for it, if not work for someone else.”

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TRAVEL SOUTH YORKSHIRE

GET ACTIVE, GET WALKING Travel South Yorkshire’s Active Travel team are urging workplaces of all shapes and sizes to rediscover walking. Richard Pilgrim tells unLTD’s Chris Coates how the team can help get businesses moving more actively at a time when it can feel less fun to be outdoors Before COVID-19, our work would involve lots of face-toface activity such as talking to decision makers and individuals within workplaces about travel options. Our key motivator is to reduce the number of car trips being taken. We’ve delivered a number of programmes which have given more people the chance to try alternative ways of moving, whether that’s through trials of public transport, access to cycling services or even supporting workplaces to introduce walking schemes. We’ve been delivering workplace walking programmes for a couple of years now and had a weekly lunchtime walk group in Sheffield city centre. Groups of this kind can be difficult to keep going, but with persistence and a real team ethic we were able to establish and grow the

group. Inevitably the pandemic brought the group to a pause. Back in 2018 we put our team through their Walk Leader programme thanks to support from The Ramblers Walking for Health programme and the local walking networks – Walk Well Barnsley, Doncaster Health Walks, #WalkRotherham and Step Out Sheffield. It was a really positive experience and changed our idea of what a walk was. Route plans, walk leaders and even the dreaded risk assessment quickly became part of our walking experience. The benefits of walking for our physical and mental health are well known and have been widely publicised. Walking is a great way to get our recommended weekly activity in, has a very low impact on the local environment and it’s also a great way to get from A to B.

In the early stages of lockdown, we tried to bring the team together by implementing ‘virtual walks’ using Microsoft Teams. With a team of ten people, six full-time and four part-time, getting us together without the need for a laptop really appealed. It meant we could connect together – through audio and/or video – and have conversations about anything and everything, work and nonwork. The virtual walk idea worked well for a few weeks, but as the traffic volumes began to grow, it became more difficult to have these online, outdoor interactions. Fast forward to September and we’ve been able to take our first tentative steps back to face-to-face walking meetings and these have gone well. It’s been great to meet up again

in smaller teams and have some of that much-needed engagement. Better still, we had an armoury of ready prepared routes to play with. We recently produced a handy little employer guide detailing the areas where we can help to re-think travel. At a time when we’re inevitably moving around less, there’s never been a better time to actually think how we can all move around just a bit more – whether your team are back in the workplace or working remotely. To find out how Travel South Yorkshire’s Active and Sustainable Travel team can help your workplace and offer practical support with things such as setting up walking schemes, contact sustainabletravel @sypte.co.uk or visit travelsouthyorkshire.com/ workplace

TRAVEL ADVISORS NICOLA BLADEN, LAURA FISH AND GAIL PARKES (LEFT TO RIGHT)

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An inspirational, flexible and spacious venue for all your business needs. • Meeting rooms, conferences and catered events, celebratory diners • Visit our website and watch our NEW 360° virtual tour for more information. • FREE Wi-Fi in our award winning coffee shop 1554 Coffee • Open 10 – 4 Monday to Sunday throughout October

Leaves of the Trees 3 – 29 October FREE Entry For more information visit www.sheffieldcathedral.org Photo credit: Mark Pickthall

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SKILLS

SKILLS FOCUS

SPONSORED BY THE SOURCE SKILLS ACADEMY 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 you develop your staff.

CHARITY HELPS LAURA GET HER LIFE BACK ON TRACK Thanks to Sheffield charity Nomad Open Doors, after years of homelessness Laura Fieber is buying a house and growing a career via an apprenticeship with The Source. “I was one of the hidden homeless, sleeping on friends’ sofas and constantly on the move,” said Laura, now 27 and a housing officer with the charity she was referred to aged 21. Laura, who lives in Barnsley with her fiance, had a difficult childhood and left home at 16. Laura’s support worker at Nomad, Karen Awdhali found her accommodation and encouraged her into volunteering. Her abilities shone, she was offered a

APPRENTICE LAURA FIEBER AND HER TUTOR NICK BELLAMY

job with Nomad and is now building her future through study. During Covid-19 lockdown

she completed an NVQ Level 2 in Challenging Behaviours online with The Source Skills Academy and is starting

a Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship. “We are so proud of Laura,” said Karen, now Nomad’s head of services. “She asked to study for a team leader qualification and The Source suggested an apprenticeship, which helps Nomad as 95 per cent of the training costs are funded.” Said Laura: “Progressing my career gives me self-esteem and a future. I can buy a house and plan my wedding while helping people who are where I was in life.” Vernon Tolson, The Source’s business development officer, said: “We help many charities develop staff through training and apprenticeships and are proud to tutor Laura while she helps homeless people.”

UPSKILL YOUR CURRENT STAFF WITH APPRENTICESHIPS AND ONLINE COURSES More than 400 workers used lockdown to boost their job skills with The Source’s innovative online training courses. Now the Skills Academy is helping employers make their workforces even stronger and more versatile as they strive to do business under COVID-19 restrictions – via higher-level

apprenticeships for existing employees. “Apprenticeships are not just for new hires and are a very cost-effective way of up-skilling, as all of the training cost can be met by the Government,” said Vernon Tolson, business development officer. “Your talent can be upskilled and go on to take

on more responsibilities or widen their scope of work.” Any existing employee can be enrolled for apprenticeship upskills as long as the qualification doesn’t duplicate a similar qualification they already hold. Popular apprenticeship courses for existing employees include Level 3 Team Leader

Supervisor, Level 3 Business Administrator, Level 4 Improvement Practitioner, Level 3 Digital Marketer Standard and Level 5 Operations Departmental Manager. Ask The Source for a bespoke support and training plan. Call 0114 263 5722 or email vernon.tolson@ thesourceacademy.co.uk

FLEXIBLE OFFICE SPACE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE SOURCE The Source is providing COVID-19 compliant, highly flexible workspaces and meeting places to businesses at its site on Meadowhall Way. Offices can be set up for a sole trader and teams of up to 12 for a day, a week, a month or longer. Government hygiene and social distancing guidelines are adhered to throughout. Enquire on 0114 2635600 or at roombookings@thesourceacademy.co.uk

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TECHNOLOGY

THE

FLEXIBLE FUTURE OF THE HYBRID WORKPLACE Chris Barr, technical director at CT, looks at why the emerging ‘hybrid workplace’ needs the right technology foundations to prosper and stay secure

As COVID-19 continues and elements of daily life remain in flux, companies are looking to plan for the future. The prospect of returning to the office will feel challenging to many as they would like to continue working from home for reasons including health concerns, childcare and work-life balance. Others, however, are keen to get back to the office to be among colleagues for a shared work experience and all the social and learning benefits that this brings. With this in mind, many businesses are looking to adopt a long-term hybrid workplace model to ensure a flexible future for the business and its employees. We are all familiar now that remote working brings additional cybersecurity challenges as employees log on through their home networks or with personal devices where the organisation has no control over security measures and the protection of their data. It is imperative that the right technology is in place to future-proof hybrid business operations and facilitate staff working in a flexible manner that doesn’t compromise security. Every business has different requirements, but we commonly recommend the following three services and three additional security measures that are simple to implement.

1. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure VDI is a solution favoured by organisations that handle very sensitive data such as those in the legal and healthcare sectors. By allocating a ‘virtual desktop’ to users, all the processing of data is completed securely inside the organisation’s infrastructure removing the need for data to be processed on the user’s local device. 2. SharePoint Online Microsoft SharePoint is a cloud-based service that helps organisations share and manage content, knowledge, and applications wherever they are. SharePoint Online has become the most commonly used document management system used worldwide. As organisations migrate services such as email to cloud based services, we are seeing that the traditional network shares are becoming the last remaining on-site service. By utilising SharePoint we have enabled many customers to make the jump to a fully cloudbased solution. 3. Virtual Private Networking The use of VPNs is a great way to provide

an extension of your organisation’s network to mobile devices – this can then be used to ensure that internet traffic from mobile devices is routed through a centralised security gateway to provide the same level of secure internet access for users as when they work in the office. Key additional security measures 1. Multi-factor Authentication E-mail, file sharing applications such as OneDrive, methods of remote access such as VPN – all of these allow access to your organisation’s data and are usually just secured by a single password. Microsoft carried out a study last year and found that 99.9 per cent of breaches could have been averted simply by enabling Multi-factor Authentication – a security mechanism that requires an individual to provide two or more credentials in order to authenticate their identity. 2. Bring Your Own Device Policy All organisations should have a BYOD policy. This could be to ensure staff only use devices issued by the organisation or that

when they use their own device it is appropriately secured. If a member of staff used their own mobile device to send and receive e-mails, a copy of the user’s mailbox is stored on their device. If that device was stolen, what would happen to the data? When the user backs up their mobile device, where does your organisation’s data get copied to? Mobile Device Management solutions can enforce policies to ensure your organisation’s data is protected. 3. Internet Access Policy All organisations should have an Internet Access Policy and provide secure internet access to their staff. Most organisations enforce policies on the types of content that staff can access. However, secured internet access also provides an additional level of protection for staff from inadvertently downloading and installing malicious content on their device.

For more information about solutions to facilitate efficient and secure remote working and how they could benefit your business, get in touch with our team here at CT on 01246 266130.

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TECHNOLOGY

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SHEFFIELD CHAMBER

WHAT IS A CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE? WHO KNOWS? WHO CARES?

DOESITMATTER?

Think you know what a Chamber of Commerce is? Sheffield Chamber interim executive directors Benchmark MD Louisa Harrison-Walker and Counter Context MD Alexis Krachai share the organisation’s role in making Sheffield ‘the best place to start, grow and run a successful and sustainable business’ in 2020 – and beyond

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SHEFFIELD CHAMBER The Chamber of Commerce. It’s irrelevant. It’s a bit old fashioned. Grey men in equally grey suits. Over the last 156 years these questions and challenges have been thrown at Sheffield Chamber at one time or another. Sometimes the challenges have been fair. Other times not. Either way, 2020 is a year everything changed. The Chamber started to think meaningfully about the bigger role it must play in making Sheffield a better place to do business. If a Chamber of Commerce did not exist why would you create one? This is the question our Board and

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Directors have been thinking about during the pandemic. Our answer is simple. Because no city can thrive without a strong and well-represented business community. Sheffield Chamber wants Sheffield to be the best place in the UK to locate a successful and sustainable business. Achieving this vision requires real leadership. Some of that leadership can only come from politicians but the business community also has an important role to play. That is why our mission is to lead the way in making Sheffield the best place to start, grow and run a successful and sustainable business. Leading the way involves

delighting our members and growing our membership. We must also articulate a strong and thoughtful business voice to help politicians make the right decisions. We must also be honest. We need to change the perception of the Chamber amongst those who think it is outdated and dusty. We are building the Chamber of the future. We will not rest until we are the strongest Chamber of Commerce in the UK. We will not rest until every business in Sheffield sees the benefit in joining. If this seems fanciful or if you are not persuaded – keep an eye on unLTD over the next 12 months. We are teaming up to share some amazing business

stories from our members. Stories you have probably not heard. Stories that will inspire and encourage you. Stories with powerful lessons about the mistakes all of us make in business. We will also be keeping you updated on what is going on behind the scenes as we start to build the strongest Chamber of Commerce in the UK. There are bound to be ups and downs. Not every adventure is the same. So, what is a Chamber of Commerce again? It is a place for dreamers, disruptors, innovators and explorers. The question is, what are you?

SUCCESS STORY

SUCCESS STORY:

CRYSTAL

CLEAN SERVICE After setting up the business when she left college, owner Hayley Koseoglu has grown Crystal Clean Service to a 130-strong team, with further expansion plans in the pipeline. Chris Coates spoke to Hayley about her business journey, and how sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now using her experience to help others

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SUCCESS STORY Tell me a bit about the business Crystal Clean Service is a multi-award-winning commercial cleaning company based in Sheffield, serving the areas of South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. We offer flexible commercial cleaning contracts and have a broad client base of offices, showrooms and industrial properties. As well as the daily contract cleaning services, we also offer commercial carpet cleaning, glass and window cleaning, computer and phone sanitisation, washroom hygiene solutions and tea towel laundering. I set up the business in late 2007. I was 18, fresh out of college and it was only supposed to be a temporary job to keep me occupied. I was very enthusiastic about cleaning and I’m a bit OCD so that’s where the idea came from! How has it developed over the years? When I started, it was just me with a few bits of cleaning equipment and a car, but

by April 2008 I had enough commercial work to start taking staff on. That was when I started recruiting cleaners and built the business from there. For the first four years it grew very gradually, and I was learning as I went along. I went on to learn more about how to run the business more efficiently,

started putting more systems in place and now we employ 130 people across South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. What are the key milestone achievements in recent years? The biggest change we’ve made

recently is we’ve moved all our systems and processes onto a new online platform built by Sheffield software developer The Curve. That has meant that we’ve gone almost paperless and it has significantly improved the efficiency of the organisation overall. The new system also means there’s a shorter lead time from an employee coming on board and completing the initiation process which makes the senior team’s lives a lot easier. We were doing some things electronically before, but it’s only in the last two years that we’ve really transformed everything to using a slicker and more efficient system for everything that we do internally. What sort of feedback do you get from staff about the company culture and workplace environment? We get really positive feedback from our staff because unlike some

The biggest change we’ve made recently is we’ve moved all our systems and processes onto a new online platform.

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DO YOU NEED A BUSINESS COACH? NO

YES

Are you looking to make changes in your business?

Y E S

NO Would it be useful to talk to a sucesssful business owner for FREE?

At iekos, we can help you focus your efforts to achieve success in your business. FREE Discovery calls now available at www.iekos.co.uk

Y E S

0300 030 2307 hayley@iekos.co.uk

Reliable Cleaning Services Office and Business Centres Industrial Sites and Warehouse Showroom Cleaning Schools, Colleges and Universities Deep CleansÂ Carpet Cleaning Computer and Telephone Sanitisation Disinfecting Fogging Cleaning Supplies If you are looking for a cleaning company that can provide a safe and clean working environment, get in touch with Crystal Clean Service today.

INFO@CRYSTALCLEANSERVICE.CO.UK

0114 4010 550 WWW.CRYSTALCLEANSERVICE.CO.UK

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e k

SUCCESS STORY companies in our industry, we pride ourselves on the way we look after them. We have really strong internal core values around quality, reliability, relationships and service, but the key element of the business is the people. They are our product, so it’s vital that they have all the training and support that they need to do the job to the best of their ability and to look after the client in the best way they can. Our employee handbooks and training procedures are designed to meet everybody’s needs – for example, we’ve had cleaners who struggle with reading and writing or have severe disabilities so everything we do is designed to tailor to each individual and their needs. We have a staff benefits programme and support workers who can help with things like mental health awareness, and additional training for those who need

it. In that respect we do quite a lot more than our industry counterparts. What are your plans for the future to drive further success? We are continuing to grow in our existing cleaning areas like industrial engineering and offices, but we have also started working with schools and the leisure industry. In the last two years we have got waste carrier licenses, enabling us to offer additional services such as removal of offensive hygiene waste and clinical waste. We’ve also launched a new website with an online shop so people can buy the tried and tested products we use on a daily basis. We often get people asking us what products we use but many of them aren’t available to buy from shops or supermarkets so now they can buy them directly from us.

IEKOS Having moved away from the day-to-day workings of Crystal Clean Services, Hayley’s main role is now a business advisor. She set up IEKOS (Improving Efficiency using Key Operational Systems) 18 months ago and now provides support to other small business owners who are looking to grow their brand. Hayley told unLTD: “When I first started Crystal Clean, I tried to be the accounting, marketing, HR and health and safety person for too long. I made a lot of mistakes and spent a lot of money unnecessarily, largely because I didn’t have a mentor. I struggled to find someone that I was able to work with who understood my vision and what I was trying to achieve. That’s why I want to help other people avoid falling into the same traps that I did. “Being a jack of all trades and master of none can be really straining and it’s the quickest way to lose the passion for your business when you don’t focus on the areas you enjoy. I’m a big believer in sticking to your strengths and getting other people in to do the things you aren’t as good at. “There are a lot of consultants out there who will offer a one-size-fits-all package but in my opinion it’s not in the best interests of the client. I’m more about working one-onone with the client to get the best for their money, business and what they want to get out of it. Everyone’s idea of success is different which is why everything I do is tailored specifically to the person and business I’m working with.”

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LAUNCHPAD

UKNO MEDIA AGENCY Joe Kingham, technical director at UKNO, tells unLTD how the ‘incredible help’ from Launchpad helped set up the Doncaster-based media agency Tell us about your company? UKNO is a media agency that was formed with a mission to bring creative advertising, marketing and digital growth services to SMEs and sole traders. Having a presence online has become a necessity for every business that wants to continue to thrive. We can help create an effective presence online and offline for businesses of all sizes. When did you first decide to start up on your own and what inspired you? My business partner and UKNO creative director Jag Singh and I have been friends since secondary school. We have always wanted to work for ourselves as we’re both from small business families After taking on some projects in our early 20s and seeing their success – and seeing how well-balanced our working relationship was – we decided to go full-time. We are both inspired by independent creators online who found success doing what they love, which is exactly what we are doing, too. How has Launchpad helped you? Launchpad has been an invaluable resource for us. Their free classes and workshops have given us tools we need to wrangle the admin side of our business, as well as helping with things we hadn’t

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and products are just as good, if not better. We want to change that. This year we hope to grow and continue to take on a diverse portfolio of challenging projects.

JOE KINGHAM, LEFT AND JAG SINGH OF UKNO

considered, such as looking after our mental health. Launchpad has introduced us to our inspiring local community of entrepreneurs. Setting up on your own can be a lonely endeavour at times, but being alongside others who are going through a similar process gives us a lot of reassurance and motivation to push further and harder. A special thank you to Craig, our Launchpad adviser, who has been incredibly helpful at every point in our journey!

What are your hopes and aims for the business? We want to give small businesses and sole traders the tools they need to compete and grow in this new business landscape. We want to help South Yorkshire and its businesses be at the forefront of the digital revolution, just as they were for the industrial revolution. Too often, smaller firms are out-matched by companies with massive media projects and struggle to compete – even though their services

Launchpad advisor Craig Atkin said: “It was a pleasure to work with Joe and Jagraj on the Launchpad programme – as young entrepreneurs, they were very keen to take and use the advice available to help them grow their business. By looking at where they currently are and their vision for the future, I am pleased we have enabled them to plan a strategy to enable them to grow and develop their business through the programme. “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@ sheffieldcityregion.org.uk.”

SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL

LENDING A

HAND

Businesses across the UK are still recuperating from the effects of the pandemic, and Sheffield Cathedral want to reach out a helping hand. unLTDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sasha Mossman spoke to Ben Rossi, development manager at the Cathedral, to find out their plans to unite the Sheffield business community during the upcoming winter months 46

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SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL

As one of the city’s most iconic and most-visited landmarks, Sheffield Cathedral has always welcomed both locals and visitors, day-in and day-out. For many, it’s a staple for any trip to Sheffield – whether this be for a coffee and a browse around the gift shop, or for a moment of contemplation and prayer. Like all visitor spots in the UK, Sheffield Cathedral has felt the massive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – losing the masses of tourists it usually attracts during its closure through the lockdown. A lack of visitors means a lack of funding – a problem which has affected businesses of all natures, shapes and sizes – however the team behind the day-to-day running

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of the Cathedral are working to find a solution to benefit both themselves and the local business community. In an effort to simultaneously encourage people to take a visit during the colder months and support Sheffield businesses, the Cathedral will be hosting three events during October, November and December, completely free of charge for the public to enjoy. All the events will offer sponsorship opportunities for business across the Sheffield City Region, and the expected footfall would bring a mass of exposure to these. Ben Rossi, development manager at Sheffield Cathedral, said: “We are all things to all people, and so

We are all things to all people, and so people use the building for however they see fit.

people use the building for however they see fit. Whatever their background, we welcome them, and in doing so, we are able to bring people into the city centre. “Once they’ve finished their visit to the Cathedral, people often browse the wonderful things the city has to offer – so for us, we find that driving that footfall into the city benefits the local community, too. “Supporting the local community is essential to us. Our gift shop and coffee shop have always sourced local produce, such as Our Cow Molly, The Heavenly Coffee Company and Henderson’s Relish. The Cathedral is also a flexible and inspirational venue for events and celebrations, for example,

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SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL PHOTO: MARK PICKTHALL

PETER WALKER SCULPTOR’S LEAVES OF THE TREES INSTALLATION AT EXETER CATHEDRAL

graduation ceremonies for Sheffield College. “During lockdown, the situation forced the Cathedral to become more innovative, which included working with View3D from Barnsley, to create an amazing virtual tour of the Cathedral. We also worked with ETICloud to improve the IT infrastructure in the Cathedral to offer livestream services.” The first event, which will span 3-29 October, is named Leaves of the Trees: Reflective Coronavirus Memorial and will be dedicated to those lost to the pandemic. Created by sculptor Peter Walker, the memorial features 5,000 steel sycamore maple leaves appearing like naturally fallen autumn leaves – all featuring the same message: HOPE. Steel, the choice of material for the leaves is especially appropriate to Sheffield, and reminds us all of our resilience and collective strength. Following this event, from 23 October to 19 November,

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THE CATHEDRAL’S INNOVATIVE VIRTUAL TOUR

the Cathedral will be hosting an exhibition called ‘The Foundry’. This is a rescheduled event that was intended to take place this summer and is a nod to Sheffield’s steel history. The Foundry includes historical Pathé film footage of the illustrious steel industry and features a wide range of dedicated steel sculptures. Ben continued: “The part the steel industry has played in pulling the city together, not least during difficult times, is something worth honouring and we wanted to be able to do that.”

Similar to the Son et Lumiere light show that took place during the festive period last year, the Cathedral will be hosting another outdoor light show this December named ‘In the Beginning’, with a huge host of small Christmas trees staged inside. Interested schools, charities and businesses are invited to sponsor a Christmas tree. Ben continued: “The Christmas lights will be a gift to the people of Sheffield, to say; ‘come along and enjoy the show after a long and challenging year, for no extra charge.’

“We just want to help bring joy back into people’s lives. If it’s successful, we’d love to make it an annual event.” All three events come with the opportunity for local businesses to take part in sponsorship in order to support the Cathedral and there’s also the chance to join their Corporate Patrons scheme. Ben added: “We’re encouraging people to collaborate with the Cathedral as we see it as the main hub for the city – we help to put Sheffield on the map. “The Cathedral is such a massive draw for people visiting Sheffield – the building itself is nearly 1,000 years old and we see more than 250,000 people come to visit us each year, which is why we put on the events. “We support businesses, not only by the footfall we bring into the local community but the promotional opportunities we hold across our networks. “The Cathedral has a platform like no other.”

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ADVERTORIAL

UNSECURED LENDING – WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO BUSINESSES? Continuing the theme of finance support to SMEs across the Sheffield City Region, Jamie Baggaley director at J&J Commercial Finance takes a look at the unsecured lending options available • Latest full set of accounts • Management information • Business plan & cashflow forecast (start-ups) • Assets, liability, income and expenditure form Its also worth noting that for Limited Companies all directors and shareholders with a holding over 20 per cent would need to be named on an application, and when shareholders are other entities then these are traced back to ensure the correct individuals are named.

With the government COVID-19 finance support schemes starting to come to end there is still a wide range of lenders and products available for SMEs to help with working capital, cash flow or investment and growth plans. Having looked previously at invoice financing and asset finance, we turn our attention to the unsecured lending options available. Business Loans Unsecured business loans enable quick access to funding, allowing businesses to spread the cost over a maximum term of generally five years. As with personal loans, business loans rates are specific to the business and individuals, so the rates vary from lender to lender, along with the associated fees. We will generally present to the client a few solutions, looking at the combination of rate and fees and comparing the overall cost of the lending to identify the best solution. With open banking, the application can be sped up. Instead of having to provide bank statements physically or in downloaded files, lenders can connect directly with open banking. Merchant Card Advances With the increase in card payments – especially during COVID-19 when more businesses started accepting

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card payments – merchant card advances are a great flexible way to gain an advance on your monthly takings. Lenders will look at your card terminal usage over a period of generally 12 months, some as little as six, to give an average taking for that period. This enables them to advance a payment, giving a cash boost into the business. The best part is repayments are flexible and are a percentage of your card payments so for seasonal businesses, for example, if you have a quiet spell your repayments also reduce. It’s even more reassuring that some lenders are taking a sensible approach to review card taking and are ignoring COVID-19 lockdown periods – so as long as you’re back up and trading with recent transactions, this could help with extra cash.

Trading History Business loans and merchant card advances usually need trading history for the business, but it’s also possible for start-ups and early trading business to obtain finance. The lending market really opens when you have two years’ trading but don’t let this put you off as lenders operating in the start-up space do exist. Application Process Let us take care of the application process for you. Knowing the lenders’ criteria, we can approach the lenders most appropriate for your needs and help collate supporting information – several clients give us authority to liaise with their accountant directly to gather the information needed. Generally, you will need: • Last three months’ bank statements

Protection As with any lending, it’s important to understand what could happen in the future and to protect both yourself and the business. From personal guarantee insurance through to Key Man and Business Protection, there are a range of solutions available to help support the business, directors, shareholders, and your family. Next Steps To find out about the full range of products available, book a free initial consultation to review your businesses cashflow position and see how the range of lenders and products can help with additional working capital for your business. Contact me on 01709 805 624 or email Jamie.Baggaley@ JJCommercialFinance.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL

BARNSLEY & ROTHERHAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

LAUNCHES TWO

NEW SCHEMES TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce continues to support businesses throughout the South Yorkshire region with the launch of two new schemes designed to help organisations through the recovery process. The Member Mentoring scheme aims to connect industry leaders from within Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber with businesses and individuals who are looking for highly skilled business mentors to help improve their business knowledge and processes. The Kickstart Scheme hopes to facilitate shortterm government-funded placements to help young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The pandemic has caused disruption to many businesses and individuals, who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without meaningful employment. Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce is

working alongside the British Chambers of Commerce and is a recognised intermediary for the newly launched government Kickstart Scheme.

& Rotherham Chamber members and non-members can register for the Kickstart scheme with the Chamber as their Kickstart representative.

Businesses of all sizes looking to create quality jobs for young people can apply to create new six-month job placements – to apply for the scheme requires a business to provide a minimum of 30 placements.

The Government will fund 100 per cent of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. In addition, businesses taking on a Kickstart candidate can apply for £1,500 per job placement available for setup costs, support and training.

However, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber as an intermediary can help combine placements from multiple businesses to reach this minimum requirement which opens up the scheme to small and medium sized businesses. It is hoped that the job placements will support young people in developing the skills and experience they need to find work after completing the scheme. Businesses taking part in the scheme can also employ the placement participant in their own business after the six-month placement is completed. Both Barnsley

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber is ideally placed to help register businesses and provide training opportunities to ensure the requirements of the Kickstart placements are met.

Shane Young, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber head of membership, said: “The Kickstart Scheme is a fantastic opportunity for businesses within our region to support individuals in our local communities who unfortunately find themselves out of work through no fault of their own. “By accessing high quality, fully funded placements with further funding available for training, this is a shot in the arm for businesses seeking to boost to their workforce and support their local economies in the process.” For more information and to register your interest visit: www.brchamber.co.uk/ kickstart-scheme

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MEMBER MENTORING The new Member Mentoring scheme has been developed by the Chamber in a bid to help the local business community respond to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Member Mentors are leading voices in their industries who, with their own careers and personal experience, have the knowledge to help mentees fulfil the potential of their businesses. Mentors have no agenda or bias which means they can give independent, professional advice to help guide Mentees to business growth and success. Mentors have been organised

into different categories to provide a selection of skills and experience available to the Mentee to choose from. Mentors will help Mentees develop their ideas for growth by sharing their experience, skills and expertise to enhance their business strategies and operations.

“COVID-19 has impacted upon almost all businesses in the Sheffield City Region. Many are suffering in silence, simply because they are unsure where to turn for help.

During such a turbulent time with COVID-19 affecting every aspect of business, having an experienced mentor on hand for guidance and mentoring is an invaluable resource.

“We felt the best way of delivering a mentoring programme was to create opportunities for our members to connect and collaborate with each other and, judging by the positive response we have received, it’s clear that many of business owners are keen to play their part in helping to aid the recovery of the local and regional economy.

Carrie Sudbury, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber deputy chief executive, said:

“There are many reasons why business leaders turn to mentoring. For some, it’s all

about using their skills and knowledge to give something back. For others, it’s a way of helping to encourage best practice. “Ultimately, it’s a win-win for all concerned, and I’m hopeful that – by creating a platform which enables our members to reach out and access support – many more businesses will not only survive, but will be able to transform adversity into new opportunities for growth.” If you are a member of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber and would like to request mentoring, visit: www.brchamber.co.uk/ member-mentoring

PROMOTING HEALTH AWARENESS Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber is pleased to announce the launch of the Barnsley & Rotherham Health & Wellbeing Forum. This working group aims to promote mental health and physical health awareness to Chamber members through a series of workshops and training seminars. Taking care of your physical as well as your mental health is

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important, especially for those who now find themselves working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Chamber members can expect to receive relevant, up-to-date information on all things concerning health and wellbeing. Furthermore, the forum will actively assist Chamber members in helping them create a Health and Wellbeing strategy which they can

implement in their business or and overall productivity. workplace. The Health & Wellbeing Forum will be launched A Health and Wellbeing throughout October 2020 and strategy will play a crucial will be headed by Chamber part in helping Chamber member, Mike Lawrence of members introduce policies Mike Lawrence Health & and procedures to ensure their Wellbeing Consultancy. employees are healthy, well and at work. By implementing a solid strategy, businesses can increase their levels of staff engagement, company morale

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INSURANCE: THE KEY TO CONTINUITY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Jamie Harvey, of IFM Insurance Brokers, looks at the importance of keeping local firms up to date with how insurance can help their business survive and thrive in these uncertain economic times

The central part of my new role as marketing director at IFM is to develop an honest and open channel of communication with local firms about the current and future threats that face their business. Insurance brokers are a great barometer for measuring what is happening within the small business community. Every day we speak with business owners from all industries and sectors, so we know what is giving business owners sleepless nights and how insurance can help. Our new website (www. ifminsurance.co.uk) provides useful information on how insurance can help. In some cases, having the right insurance in place can be the difference between a firm staying solvent or going out of business altogether. Coming out of lockdown As we slowly come out of lockdown, many local firms are grappling with government guidance on how to make the workplace safe for their employees. Whilst there is an array of information and advice available, firms should consider implementing some simple measures to keep their staff safe. 1. Carry out a risk assessment in consultation with staff or trade unions to agree what guidelines to put in place. Firms with more than 50 staff should publish the results on the company website. 2. Maintain social distancing and ensure there is sufficient space between staff where possible. Staff can help with

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landlords combat the threat of flooding. FloodFlash provides a way for customers to insure their property for flood risk, even in high risk areas, by employing an internet-connected watersensor. What’s great about FloodFlash is that it pays a fixed amount to a client as soon as the sensor detects that the water level at their property has risen above a specified level. IFM has partnered with FloodFlash, so we would be delighted to speak with firms and landlords about how it could provide cover that is fast and easy to implement.

redesigning the workplace, changing seating plans and agreeing staggered start times. 3. Where staff cannot be two metres apart, firms should look at mitigations, such as side by side or back to back seating or by placing barriers in shared spaces to minimise the risk of transmission. 4. Implement a cleaning process especially for high contact objects such as door handles and keyboards. It’s also important to position hand washing facilities or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points. Combatting the flood risk One of the major concerns for

many of our small business and landlord clients remains the inability to obtain any form of flood insurance, exposing them to significant financial risk. The problem is that they are often denied insurance because insurers just won’t take on the risk. What’s more FloodRe, the national scheme for providing affordable flood insurance to homeowners, excludes businesses and landlords. Sheffield has suffered its fair share of flooding over recent years and it’s questionable whether new flood defences built in Sheffield are up to the job of protecting properties. The good news is that there is a bespoke insurance solution available to help local firms and

The cyber threat Local firms may still be unaware of the threat of cyber crime towards their business and many have no protection in place to combat being the victim of a data hack. A number of our clients have been subject to phishing attempts and there have also been incidences of malware, telephone hacking and ransomware. There is no doubt that cyber crime is a growing threat to all businesses in Sheffield and the tactics employed by hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated. Clearly it’s important for local firms to evaluate their IT security and protection requirements to ensure they remain secure. At IFM we can also help provide robust and affordable cover for local businesses to help protect themselves against being a victim of cyber crime. This is especially important if your business holds customer data, which is a key target for cyber hackers.

The Office Heroes Awards are back, and we need your nominations! The office hasn’t been the same this year, has it? The pandemic has thrown all sorts of challenges the way of most businesses in the Sheffield City Region, but, despite the current situation we all find ourselves in, the office still plays a huge part in our working lives. It might be at more of a distance this year, but the heartbeat of any office remains the same – its people! That’s why we are still holding our annual Office Heroes Awards, as this year – more than ever – we should be celebrating the office heroes behind every business. What is an office hero? It’s a colleague you couldn’t do without, a person who goes above and beyond day

after day to support you, your team and your business. It’s someone that keeps everything running smoothly and adds that extra value to make a real difference in your organisation. In 2020, this could be the person that has helped your teams tackle remote working, the person behind those Zoom meetings, or quite simply the person who has been at the other end of the phone offering emotional support to business leaders across the region. We have all had to adapt to different ways of working, so we want to hear about those employees who are not necessarily in the limelight, who have become the lynchpin of the office as we slowly return to a more normal working environment.

Deadline for entries: 13th November | Shortlist to be announced: 20th November 56 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

So, we want to hear about who has gone the extra mile for your business this year – whether they are hard workers, morale boosters, team players or generally just great to have around! It’s not about job titles or turnover figures, it’s about the human side to the workplace. What’s in store at this year’s awards? As we enter the third year of the awards, we have teamed up with unLTD business once again to celebrate the region’s unsung heroes, but, as you would expect, we need to do things differently this time. So instead of a physical event, we are running the awards virtually! There will still be ten finalists, selected from the nominations by our panel of judges, who

will also choose the overall winner, highly commended finalists and special mentions. As ever, some fantastic prizes are also up for grabs! So, if you think it’s about time that someone in your office deserves a little recognition for the work they do, fill in our online form or drop us a line on 0114 321 1873. The deadline for entries is 4pm on Friday 13th November, with the shortlist announced on Friday 20th November. The virtual awards ceremony will take place on Friday 4th December 2020. www.glurecruit.co.uk

Enter your unsung hero into the 2020 Office Heroes Awards! We’re opening up nominations for the third Office Heroes Awards in order to recognise those who do so much for Sheffield City Region based companies. To enter your office hero into this year’s awards, fill in our online form at www.glurecruit.co.uk/office-heroes-2020

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or drop us a note to officeheroes@glurecruit.co.uk Don’t forget to include your contact details, and we will be in touch with further information on how they could be crowned our 2020 Office Hero of the Year!

Virtual ceremony to be held on Friday 4th December

AFTER HOURS

RE-OPENING

HOURS E R T N E C Y T I C D L E SHEFFI

Our August issue had an editorial takeover from the Make Yourself at Home campaign â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all about helping staff, visitors and customers feel as safe and confident as possible about returning to the city. With more customers heading back to the shops and amenities and students returning to their university accommodation, for this issue we turn our attention to the re-opening of Sheffield City Centre. unLTDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beth Richardson and Jill Theobald chatted to a town planner, hotel MD, retailer, gym owner and property developer to get their views on how the reopening has gone so far, changes to the way customers are behaving and what would restore further confidence to our high streets

@visitSheffield | @marketingSheffield | welcometosheffield.co.uk/makeyourselfathome

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AFTER HOURS ADAM MURRAY MANAGING DIRECTOR, URBANA The centre of any city is its heart. It’s where everything comes together, our social side can thrive, and our intrigue can be fulfilled. From a planning angle, it’s the most appropriate and sustainable place for jobs, amenities, services and cultural/sporting/leisure provision. COVID put the brakes on that, and our city centre has still not fully recovered. The city is a-buzz again, but not to the same levels. People are returning in most scenarios, though not all. We’re missing live sport, theatre and other live events, too. Sheffield is big, successful, and growing, though does not reach its full potential from an economic perspective – but we believe it can start to. We have an opportunity to build back from the pandemic with more purpose and direction than ever, concentrating on what makes our city special. It’s great to see development still powering ahead, delivering much needed homes and businesses, and there’s a need for more. We need to build more family homes, and this isn’t going to be all provided in the city centre. However, we do believe there will be an emergence of a city centre offer for families, and the continuation of developments for young professionals. Better quality design is needed, and we’re seeing it in recent schemes, incorporating better amenities and more appropriate living spaces. We have seen significant levels of work throughout

FARM ROAD DEVLEOPMENT (TOP RIGHT) AND SHU CAMPUS MASTERPLAN

lockdown, but have seen this grow much quicker and stronger since our return to the office. The economy is starting to bounce back, and we should take comfort from this – but with an eye on how (virus-based) restrictions may impact on the next months. We still see city centre office work as key to moving forward – the need to be social within

these environments is, in our experience, critical. In addition, the sustainability of businesses relies on face-to-face interaction, for building

networks and careers, including graduates or new employees who cannot be expected to learn and fit into a team in the same way if they barely ever meet their colleagues. It’s great to have the flexibility with some home working, especially in current circumstances, and while ‘the office’ may evolve, I believe it’s here to stay and helps to keep our city thriving. Urbana work all over the country, with investors and developers big and small, and one theme that is encouraging us at the moment is the appetite for Sheffield. Whether in our London office, or clients all over the UK, the enquiry we hear more than most is ‘we’ve been looking at Sheffield, it has huge potential, we want to do something there’. This is translating into work for us, and benefits for the city – such as Godwin Developments on Queens Road/Farm Road. There are also huge schemes which will transform the way our city centre looks and how we use it – Heart of the City II, New Era, West Bar and Sheffield Hallam University’s new city centre campus masterplan, that we’re lucky enough to be working on with SHU. Urbana also gained planning permission for Hoyle Street at Shalesmoor and Great Central in Kelham in the past year. A big part of what is helping to ‘unlock’ Sheffield is more confidence that Sheffield City Council have the appetite to support and approve large, financially viable schemes. There has been growing positivity from the Council for supporting such development and we’re confident this will continue within the new Local Plan currently being consulted on.

@visitSheffield | @marketingSheffield | welcometosheffield.co.uk/makeyourselfathome

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AFTER HOURS DANNY PILKINGTON, DIRECTOR OF PRIME MOVER

of each other and of what we are trying to provide as a business, with the safety of our customers remaining our top There is clearly still some priority. uncertainty surrounding None of our members have visiting the city centre, but I complained about shorter have witnessed many positive class times with less capacity people wishing to find their – they are excited to be back ‘new normal’ and get back out in the gym, keeping fit and doing all the things they used enjoying the social aspect of to before lockdown. Within exercising. Our most recent the city centre there are clear marketing campaign has been safety measures in place in one of our most successful to regard to one-way systems, date – it seems the people of maintaining a social distance Sheffield are truly seeing the and using hand sanitiser to value of fitness post-lockdown. ensure the safety of customers. I personally believe During lockdown we kept communication is key – up the momentum of our we have found the most usual service, providing our effective way to explain to our members with online classes. customers why we are putting For reopening, we completely such tight measures in place overhauled the layout of the is to be as clear and concise as gym, as well as reducing the possible. numbers and shortening the I feel this is what is needed duration of each class to allow to restore confidence to the our instructors time to sanitise city centre, by communicating all equipment after use. Each a clear message and member now has an allocated reminding people of the 2m x 2m square when training positive aspects of going into and we provide cleaning the city centre, such as getting supplies for the equipment. fresh air, walking around and We are very fortunate to seeing people out and about, have a fantastic customer for both mental and physical base who are very respectful health.

KARL HALLAM, EYEYE

Insights (sorry) from an optometrist A remarkable number of people coming in for an eye test keep saying it is their first trip to town since March. Partly I am proud they feel safe coming to us and partly I am thinking could they have perhaps warmed up with a less intense first trip? Before the eye test I explain our COVID-19 protocols and then ask how they feel about it all. It’s useful to know whether they are anxious or too relaxed! Luckily, our customers are overwhelmingly sensible, patient and understanding. They have to be, as controlling the numbers in our store is not easy for them or the staff. Everything has to be done by appointment and we can’t accommodate ‘popping in’. This leads to some slightly socially awkward conversations at the

door – which we have to have locked. We have introduced Saturday browsing – making sure all touched products are cleaned keeps us all on our toes – as that is the one day where there appears to be any daytime footfall at all on Devonshire Street. The other days it is still very quiet – a lot of our customers continue to work from home and have no plans to do otherwise. Like many businesses, we can carry on with reduced numbers for a while, but most of our rents were set in a different context and our costs are up, so it is quite stressful. Sheffield people like supporting independents, but even so the number of non-chain opticians in the city has reduced by two this year. Happily, the alternative of a drive to Barnard Castle for an eyesight test is not for everyone.

@visitSheffield | @marketingSheffield | welcometosheffield.co.uk/makeyourselfathome

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AFTER HOURS ANDREA MARSDEN, WEST ONE STUDENT ACCOMMODATION Student accommodation in a COVID-restricted world There’s been a lot said about students returning to university amid COVID-19, and though there’s been plenty of pessimism surrounding university life during a pandemic, we’re still very excited to have students back in our wonderful city. With both Sheffield universities reporting record admissions for the 2020/21 academic year, it’s been a challenge keeping up with demand for student accommodation while keeping everybody safe – but one which our team has proudly risen to. While shared student accommodation remains in high demand, trends have understandably changed over the years. However, our (pre-COVID) decision to reconfigure our Sellers Wheel site on Arundel Lane from larger cluster apartments to deluxe studios and two/ three-bedroom properties is

now paying dividends, with demand for smaller properties understandably growing hugely in recent months. Larger shared houses and apartments have still remained popular, with occupancy across all our sites at an impressive 95 per cent at time of writing – a figure expected to rise to 98 per cent by the time of publication. This is testament not only to our

team, but also the unwavering enthusiasm of young people to continue with their university lives as best they can. Our commercial tenants in the hospitality and leisure sector have also been able to take stock of the situation and many have emerged with a fresh outlook – and with students returning the Sheffield economy will be given a much-needed shot in the arm. The pandemic has hit us

all hard, including students and young people. And though Freshers Week was unrecognisable from previous years and the 2020/21 academic year will look a lot different, clearly the Sheffield student community is as determined as ever to carry on with their studies here.

@visitSheffield | @marketingSheffield | welcometosheffield.co.uk/makeyourselfathome

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AFTER HOURS

HERMANN BECK, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR THE CROWNE PLAZA ROYAL VICTORIA AND HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS SHEFFIELD There is little doubt the pandemic has created enormous challenges and difficulties for most organisations – dealing with COVID-19 is so very different from anything any of us have encountered in our lifetime. This article reflects both a combination of our own views, but also those expressed directly to us by our customers. In sharing our views, we’re mindful there is no play book for this pandemic, and it is evident that as the scientists learn more about this virus, plans will evolve which can be challenging for us all. But we are also mindful that most organisations are genuinely trying their utmost to do the right thing. Our view is that the

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opening of the city centre appears to have gone well, however the same level of focus doesn’t appear to have been given to the wider area. Indeed, our customers have been very critical of the difference between the city centre and areas like, for example, the Wicker. Both of our hotels are part of the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG). As such, we were able to leverage a range of excellent, well thought out operational programmes, designed to systematically examine every client touch point, thus ensuring our business was ready to manage client expectations and interactions in what is a very different environmental marketplace. Being part of a larger organisation, we were able to access first class online training programmes, which verified / certified that our staff complied with the new required operational standards. Our business invested heavily in new

safeguarding equipment to copper fasten our COVID-19 protocols. The IHG brand was excellent at publicly communicating the changes, ensuring our customers knew what to expect when they arrived. Client feedback regarding our investment in safeguarding equipment is encouraging, with customers telling us our investment is appreciated and that apparently our protocols are better than many other businesses they encounter. The differing views of our customers’ attitudes to COVID-19 is probably the most challenging aspect of operating our business. Broadly, there appears to be two schools of thought. One group believes that Government and organisations have completely over-reacted to COVID-19, and they object to the new safeguarding policies such as face masks, and social distancing provisions. For the other group, it is easy to see they are worried

and therefore very critical of any guest that from their perspective is circumventing the rules. Some guests do have medical conditions, and letters from Consultant Hospital Doctors exempting them from wearing a mask so it is about communicating that some guests are exempt for good reason. Viewpoints appear to be stridently held. We are also being told that some businesses are excellent at following COVID-19 protocols, while others aren’t as good, and we have been asked why regulatory bodies aren’t out checking more on how hotels, restaurants and pubs are operating. Finally, we have seen heightened business from walkers who are staying to enjoy the Peak District. With the Peak District on our doorstep, the city should look to develop a marketing strategy to communicate the benefits of basing yourself in Sheffield – and enjoying all the benefits of the surrounding areas.

ADVERTORIAL

NEW LOOK FOR SHEFFIELD SPECIALIST It's a whole new era alongside a commitment to continued outstanding high-level service. That's the message from Sheffield-based national distributor of electrical control and automation products BXH – formerly Burnand XH. The company is part of the SCE Industries Group which has just invested more than half a million pounds in expanded and modernised offices at Tyler Street, Wincobank, Sheffield. BXH, which also has branches in Hull and Scunthorpe, as well as a comprehensive e-commerce offering, serves customers across the UK. Its focus is in electrical control and automation solutions, with a particular emphasis on Schneider Electric products. BXH director Mick South, part of the three strong management team at The SCE group, said: "Rebranding is a proud reflection of the

MICK SOUTH

group’s 50 years of progress and growth, as well as our continued passion to drive the company forward. "In the past ten years, we have broken into multiple new industries, become a certified Industrial Automation Distributor of Schneider Electric and launched a brand new e-commerce site that is growing daily and extending the company’s reach to all corners of the UK. "Our new brand identity

represents who we are, the industries we enable, and more importantly, the OEMs, factories, workshops and plants across the whole of the UK, who trust us to advise on and supply industrial automation equipment," added Mick. The SCE Industries group has emerged following changes earlier this year when SCX Special Projects – the company which designed the Centre Court and Number

One Court at the All England Tennis Club, Wimbledon and designed and installed the retractable pitch at Tottenham Hotspurs’ new stadium – was acquired by Elysian Capital. At the helm of the 100+ strong team are chairman Simon Eastwood, managing director Ray Fletcher, operations director James Eastwood and Mick South. “This is a very exciting time for us,” said Ray Fletcher. ”The investment in the building and our staff means we now have significantly larger and better equipped premises with the essential resource levels to match." Street Cranexpress, which has a 50-year association with Street Crane Company providing after sales customer service, undertakes crane service maintenance and inspection as well as offering an unrivalled range of overhead lifting equipment installation services.

Keeping British manufacturing moving since 1972 SCE comprises two complementary businesses that specialise in overhead crane asset management and maintenance, as well as industrial control, drives, and automation products. Our new brand identity better represents who we are, the many key industries that we support and more importantly, the customers we continue to serve.

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SAY THANK YOU TO THE NHS THIS CHRISTMAS AND SPONSOR A SNOWFLAKE ON SHEFFIELD CHILDREN’S It has been a difficult time for businesses across the region, and we are so grateful to you all for continuing to support our special hospital during this time. Whether it’s through donations, taking part in virtual events or showing your support by sharing our stories on social media, we are so grateful. This year the charity will face a huge drop in income of up to £3million. These funds are still urgently needed to help us transform the Cancer and Leukaemia Ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. During these tough times Sheffield Children’s has remained open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with our incredible NHS staff going over and above for our children and families every day During the pandemic our patients have still been receiving treatment for cancer, they have still visited our Cancer and Leukaemia Ward for chemotherapy, transplants

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TCHAD WESTERN OF THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CHARITY

and regular check-ups. Many of us have experienced for the first time in our lives the difficulties of social distancing, shielding and isolation. For young patients staying on our Cancer and Leukaemia ward, these are daily necessities of their treatment. We are looking to the future for Sheffield Children’s and we want to make the new Cancer Ward project a reality as well

as giving everyone something to look forward to and making Christmas even more magical this year. Each year businesses, schools and individuals come together to sponsor snowflake decorations on the side of our hospital, and we would love your business to join them! Snowflakes start at £500 and this can be made as a donation or fundraised for within your

company. Your snowflake will display your company name or chosen name on the tag next to it proudly and be on the side of our hospital for everyone to see. To book your snowflake or find out more about supporting Sheffield Children’s please contact me by e-mailing tchad@tchc.org. uk or call 07976 450064. Thank you so much for your support – together we can make the new Cancer Ward at Sheffield Children’s a reality. Tchad Western Corporate partnerships manager at The Children’s Hospital Charity

CHARITIES

HENRY BOOT ANNOUNCES EXTENSION TO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHARITY PARTNERSHIP Henry Boot PLC has confirmed that a partnership with The Children’s Hospital Charity (TCHC) in Sheffield will continue into 2021. The company, based at Banner Cross Hall in Sheffield, announced in January TCHC would be its charity partner for 2020. However, with the majority of fundraising events cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, the company has reaffirmed its commitment to the charity. Darren Littlewood, group finance director, said: “It’s paramount for us to be supporting great causes

THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS CHARITY’S TCHAD WESTERN (LEFT) AND HENRY BOOT’S DARREN LITTLEWOOD (RIGHT)

during such a crucial time, and we’re more committed

than ever to doing our bit.” The firm’s fundraising is set to

continue taking a ‘virtual’ turn for the remainder of 2020. More than £900 has also been raised for the charity by the company’s communications assistant, Tom Cooper, after he shaved his head during lockdown. Tchad Western, corporate partnerships manager at TCHC, said: “It is fantastic to have this partnership and I love the way both Henry Boot and the hospital are two local success stories which have national reach. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over this year.”

GET CREATIVE WITH SHEFFIELD ARTOGETHER FOR CAVENDISH CANCER CARE Cavendish Cancer Care has launched a new creative fundraising campaign to celebrate everything Sheffield has to offer and bring together the community. Demand for the service is increasing and the charity is determined to be there for anybody affected by cancer

in the region – just £27 pays for an hour of therapy for someone struggling with the mental impact of cancer. The Sheffield-based charity is introducing Sheffield ARTogether – an opportunity to ‘get creative and give Sheffield the love it deserves’. To get involved:

1. Draw or paint your favourite place in Sheffield or your favourite thing to do in the city. 2. Photograph or scan your artwork and email it to h.williams@cavcare.org.uk 3. Visit www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/sheffieldartogether and make your

Sheffield ARTogether donation. Cavendish Cancer Care supports anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis, including carers, loved ones and children as well as patients themselves in South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Mission Christmas to return to lift festive spirits Hallam FM’s Cash for Kids charity has revealed that their flagship annual campaign Mission Christmas WILL be going ahead this year. With so many cancelled events and activities across 2020, it’s been an incredibly difficult year for charities. Charity manager Allan Ogle said: “The economic impact of this year has had added even more pressure to families who are struggling to provide the basic essentials like food and heating for the home. We know how much Mission Christmas means to our supporters and it provides a fantastic opportunity to lift spirits during a difficult time for us all.

“Social distancing will impact our operation massively, so we’ll need more help than ever to make it happen. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes with all the necessary precautions to keep our volunteers safe. “We will do our absolute best to help as many local children as possible get gifts in time for Christmas and remind the families who are going through the worst that your community hasn’t forgotten about you.” Mission Christmas launches in early November. To see how your business can help, email cashforkids@hallamfm.co.uk

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