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Edition 13 March & April 2022

The magazine for Gatwick Diamond Business members

Roffey Park Institute An International, Independent voice in the World of Work Dr Robert Coles, CEO of the Roffey Park Institute

Cleankill increases foothold in West Sussex Freedom Works Announce a gdb Special Offer Zero Emission Hydrogen Buses The Great Resignation Family Barcode Business Celebrate 50th Birthday Thakeham & St Catherine’s Hospice From Virtual to Back in the Room GDBA 2022 The Finalists are announced

Featured Article

Bluebell Digital are Google Partners Bluebell Digital are proud to have maintained their Google Partner status. The Google Partner programme is reserved for companies who can demonstrate the relevant expertise and experience to get the best from Google ad products. Google has recently relaunched its partner programme, introducing more onerous qualification standards for partner companies, including examinations on Google Ads, Google Display, Google Shopping and Video advertising. Partners also need to show that they have a certain level of Google ads business, so can draw on well-honed skills to make the most of client campaigns. Alongside offering a higher level of

knowledge of Google’s advertising, Google partners have access to ad vouchers not available outside of the programme, plus exclusive training events and regular one to one catch ups with Google staff. All in all, qualifying for the Google Partner programme means Bluebell Digital is able to stay on top of the latest ad products from Google and tap into Google’s own product expertise. Our knowledge of Google advertising allows us to effectively translate your commercial goals into effective campaigns that reach more customers and grow your business.

The goals that you set should be achievable and realistic and divided into those that you want to make happen in the next 12 months and those that could take a lot longer, say up to five years.

Consider culture and people Think about whether you feel properly supported in your workplace, whether you have access to mentors and coaches who can steer you and what kind of atmosphere there is in your workplace - does the culture there breed positivity and proactiveness or negativity and unhappiness?

http://www.bluebelldigital.co.uk

Know your career goals Having an awareness of your goals can make you feel empowered to start working towards them, help you focus on areas for improvement and generally motivate you to make progress. So, what do you need to do to know your career goals this year? Assess your current situation The first step is always going to be to look at where you are right now. This is the starting point from which you’ll be able to determine what you want to gain from your career this year; whether that’s a promotion, pay rise or moving roles completely. Stay on top of the cutting edge of your industry What are the most recent emerging skills in your sector? Given the speed of digitization and the way many industries have changed in recent years, staying on top of the latest skills you’ll need to have to make your career objectives a reality is going to be a vital part of establishing the right goals. Set realistic goals

Ensure that you know what you’re worth Any career goal is probably going to involve a financial incentive, so it’s well worth looking into salary benchmarks within your industry, including whether you’re being paid what you’re worth now and what you could aim for in the future.

Contact Volt: Enquiries@VoltInternational.com

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How Extech Cloud helped a start-up business in the financial sector When financial services provider, Verdant Financial Planning was founded in 2020, the founder recognised the importance of choosing a dependable, flexible and easily accessible IT solution, which has supported the company in getting to where it is today. IMG ALT – Case study about how Extech Cloud has supported Verdant Financial Planning Putting its IT system completely in the Cloud with Extech Cloud from the start has not only helped Verdant Financial Planning to run smoothly and effectively, it has also enabled successful growth. The business began with just one employee, growing to a team of eight staff, just eighteen months later. Verdant Financial Planning originally approached Extech Cloud for expert advice because we have experience working with start-up businesses in the wealth management industry. On the guidance of the highly experienced and professional Extech Cloud team, Verdant Financial Planning opted to position its IT network completely in the Cloud.

As the team today is based in different parts of the country, the flexibility of the IT solution provided by Extech Cloud has also been valuable, enabling collaboration across multiple locations. Being established in the Cloud is a step towards one of Verdant Financial Planning’s long-term goals, which is to become a carbon neutral business. Extech Cloud has also helped with specifying suitable hardware, providing support in backing up valuable data, and ensuring compliance and cybersecurity, along-

side day-to-day support as needed. Find out more about how we helped Verdant Financial Planning, by reading the case study on the Extech Cloud website. If you are starting up a new business or you are interested in transforming your existing business in the Cloud, talk to us about a feasibility study by calling 01444 443200, emailing info@extech.co.uk, or visiting www.extechcloud.com.

Love Water – Helping to save approximately 7,500 plastic bottles being recycling Love Water recently installed five touchless water machines in the prestigious London Clinic in Harley Street, taking their overall mix of bottled and mains fed water dispensers across the seven sites to over 70 units. The touchless water machines were placed in high traffic client areas throughout the Cancer Centre building. Visitors either fill their own reusable bottles by simply holding them under the sensor, or they can use corn starch PLA paper cups provided to fill with water in the same way. Love Water also completely branded the machines in London Clinic colours, logo and message. Over a three-month period, from just one of the units, there has been a potential saving of 1,748 plastic bottles, and

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over 7,500 bottles from all five machines. Client, Jack Davies, Hotel Services Project and Change Manager at The London Clinic; “Love Water are a great asset to our business, growing with, and supporting us throughout our business changes...” They have adapted their business to suit our needs, including a bespoke online reporting system to decrease downtime of units, and speed up communication and visibility across the business. On top of an open and honest corporate relationship, they are pleasure to deal with. You are always a priority when trading with Love Water.” https://www.lovewater.com/

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How automated video interviews effect young jobseekers The role of artificial intelligence in the hiring process has increased radically. There is a growing demand among employers for video interviewing services offered by digital hiring platforms, especially in recruiting young jobseekers. Whilst these new technologies aim to bring greater efficiency and objectivity into the hiring process, little is known about their impact on young job candidates. New research led by Dr Zahira Jaser at the University of Sussex Business School reveals a complex picture of the use of AI in hiring. It highlights a lack of transparency about the processes involved in AI interviews and a lack of understanding about how young jobseekers are affected. Young people, careers advisers and employers often don’t fully understand the implications and the effects of these new technologies. Jobseekers such as 21-year-old Elliott, a first-generation scholar and recent gradu-

ate, find the experience disorientating and stressful. When asked how he feels about this kind of interview he said: ‘It might be a bit of a strong word, but maybe a bit of dread, just because they're, they're just so awkward. I don't really like doing them because you're just talking to a camera... I just find it stressful.’ The authors have put forward a series of recommendations for employers, hiring platforms and policymakers. These include:

• greater transparency and accountability • appropriate prompt feedback • creating a culture of privacy and informed data consent. • a robust support system for candidates. They conclude that AVIs should not be a candidate’s only interaction with a company. Instead, platforms and employers need to properly balance any use of AI tools with a human approach. Read: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the job interview process toolkit at https://www. employment-studies.co.uk/resource/ artificial-intelligence-ai-job-interviewprocess Watch: Animated videos on why young people feel disorientated by new jobinterview technologies: • https://bit.ly/3ozTOAO • https://bit.ly/3B9KtVt

Reigate Manor nominated as a finalist Reigate Manor are delighted to announce that we have been nominated as a finalist in this year’s Reigate & Banstead Borough Council Business Awards for Employer of the Year. These Awards, initially set up in 2019, are to highlight the diverse range of successful businesses in the East Surrey borough. Including the towns of Banstead, Horley, Redhill and Reigate. Hotel Director Giles Thomas said “Being a Finalist for Employer of the Year at the RBBA awards is such great recognition for the hard work our team at Reigate Manor have put in over the past 12 months. With all of the challenges with Coronavirus, opening and closing, their resilience and commitment makes the hotel the success it is. I wish the best of luck to all of the other finalists nominated and I look forward to seeing you on the night.”

Hosted by TV presenter and broadcaster, Ortis Deley, the Reigate and Banstead Business Awards will be held at Reigate Manor on Tuesday 22nd March 2022. Further information on the Awards

can be found at www.rbbawards.co.uk. To book tickets for the event, contact Georgie Chappell at functions@reigatemanor.co.uk.

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Cleankill increases foothold in West Sussex South London-based Cleankill Pest Control is strengthening its operations in West Sussex and Hampshire with the acquisition of privately owned family company Des Bone Ltd. Owners Ann and Richard Bone approached Cleankill when the couple decided to retire as they wanted to sell the business to a company with a similar ethos and working practices. Richard has worked in the pest control industry for around 40 years. His career included a spell at well-known, quality pest control company Boxhill and Headley, owned by Tony Harman, after which he launched his family business. Des Bone Ltd is well established in West Sussex where the company looks after several high-profile heritage sites. Des Bone Technician Deborah Boulton will join the Cleankill team, becoming the company’s first female technician. Richard Bone will stay on as technician consultant to ensure a smooth transition of work to Cleankill and to help develop the portfolio in the area. Other steps to strengthen the service in West Sussex include the promotion of Cleankill Technician Sam Boylett to Surveyor for the area and the appointment of two new technicians to

Award-winning Cleankill Pest Control now employs more than 50 staff and deals with the full range of public health pests, such as mice, rats, cockroaches, and pest birds

Sam Boylett cover West Sussex who have joined from a larger household name company. Cleankill Managing Director Paul Bates explains: “This significant investment in our operations covering the RH postcode and Hampshire area follows on from our purchase last year of TotalCare and completes another piece of the jigsaw in the area between Surrey and Bristol. “As well as bringing in some excellent customers with general pest prevention contracts for things like rodents and insects, there is an exciting opportunity to introduce our excellent bird work services to these clients. “In addition, we are delighted to welcome Deborah to the Cleankill family as well as two new experienced technicians. Sam was an excellent technician in the area and is looking forward to his new role as a surveyor.” Award-winning Cleankill Pest Control now employs more than 50 staff and deals with the full range of public health pests, such as mice, rats, cockroaches, and pest birds. Cleankill believes in prevention rather than destruction and within the industry is recognised as leaders in the delivery of effective, innovative and ‘green’ pest control solutions. Launched in 1995, Cleankill Pest Control has grown year on year and now has several thousand clients throughout London, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, the South East and across the UK. The company’s head office is in Croydon, Surrey, with local offices in Hove and Seaford, East Sussex. It is the only pest control company in England with the Gold Investors in People accreditation. For a free survey or cost comparison go to www.cleankill.co.uk or email infor@cleankill.co.uk

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Celebrating 30 years! 2022 is a special year for WS Planning & Architecture as we turn 30 years old. We are extremely grateful to our Team, Preferred Partners and wonderful clients for helping us along the way. As we continue to expand, we welcome two new team members. Sofia Serra is our latest Architectural Technician to join the Team. She has an excellent pedigree from working both in her native Portugal and in the UK. She has a degree in Architecture from the Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa and spent a three-year apprenticeship gaining experience in residential & commercial projects. Since moving to the UK in 2013, she has continued to broaden her experience in residential & concept design, planning and structural details by working for a practice based the Reigate area for the past seven years. Sofia loves travelling and enjoying architecture and culture from around the world and is an avid SL Benfica supporter.

Our second addition to the team is Robin Segal our Business Development Manager who joined to help with WSPA’s business development and marketing plans. He has over 30 years of experience working in a commercial environment. Robin headed the Jersey Tourist Board trade development department devising and delivering an annual strategy to meet target driven objectives within budget. He offers his time voluntarily as Membership Secretary for the Reigate Business Guild and supports its Chairman, Spencer Cop-

ping – Planning Director. Robin resides in Reigate. He is a keen golfer and a member of Reigate Hill Golf Club. Brian Woods, Managing Director quoted “I am tremendously proud of the all the hard work my team, past and present, have put in for us to achieve this landmark anniversary. Of course, it could not have been achieved without the support of our loyal clients and the reliability of our Preferred Partners” https://www.wspa.co.uk/

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF UNLOCKING POTENTIAL Surrey Office

London Office

www.wspa.co.uk

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Featured Article

Roffey Park Institute – An international, independent voice in the world of work Roffey Park’s CEO – Dr Robert Coles – recently won CEO of the Year with CEO Monthly. Having been the CEO that is pulling the Institute through the tumult of Covid-19, he has proven his diligence and professional acumen in meeting the challenges presented to him and is excited to welcome more clients in through the Institute’s doors in the future to continue providing expert business education. Roffey Park Institute, based in Horsham, provides a blend of digital and face-to-face learning underpinned by 75 years of research and practice, provides business education for individuals, teams, and organisations, focused on developing sustainable, healthy work cultures. From leadership and management development, organisational development and HR, executive team coaching, change and resilience, and organisational learning, Roffey Park Institute has continued to work with and enable its clients during the pandemic crisis. After all, during its founding, the world was handling the tail end of World War 2. Fundamentally, this saw its first few years being focused on working with returning war veterans and civilian factory workers and had to assimilate themselves once again into a normal, peaceful working world. Roffey Park became the centre of excellence in helping these people manage and overcome PTSD and stress, enabling them to lead successful, active working lives, emboldened by the constant support of Roffey Park Institute and its outstanding staff. The empathy, sensitivity, and client-first mentality that was developed in those early years has remained central to the values of the organisation and in the 1980s, it used this beating heart to fuel its transition into a management school

Roffey Park Institute is often a client or learner’s stepping-stone towards reaching their next big milestone

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that develops leaders, managers, teams, and organisations to find better ways of working together in a changing, dynamic world. It accomplishes this through its suite of executive education offering, including short courses, tailored programmes, and post-graduate mid-career post- graduate qualifications, as well as OD consulting services. Moreover, being an educational charity, it is one of the last WW2 executive skills schools that remains entirely independent, working with clients from the UK, Europe, and Asia, as well as the wider Asia-Pacific region. With offices in Ireland and Singapore, it takes pride in being able to respond to client needs and priorities quickly and effectively. With clients across a myriad of sectors, its programmes have aided individual learners, corporations, mid-size organisations, charities, and social organisations to change and grow. Attracting learners from all over the world to its

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The world needs an independent voice, a personal, sustainable approach to executive education. We want to be that choice

varied and incredibly well- designed curriculum, Roffey Park Institute is often a client or learner’s stepping-stone towards reaching their next big milestone. It has a learning approach that priorities impact, results, and best practice, making it distinctive from business schools. Over 75 years, Roffey Park has grown and developed as an organisation with the help of its loyal clients and dedicated staff; each of them have responded well to the transformation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, coming out the other side with hugely enhanced collaboration skills, curiosity, and flexibility. Because of this commitment to change, and despite the higher education sector being one of the worst hit by the pandemic, it was able to successfully pivot rapidly to a virtual classrooms approach, building new learning for the new world of work that everyone was facing. Dedicated to continuing to lean into this digital revolution and embrace the world’s movement towards digital transfor-

mation with all its opportunities, it is led by exemplary CEO Dr Robert Coles and the love of teamwork that he has fostered throughout his ‘portfolio career’. In the past, Coles has worked in theatre, retail, insurance, consulting, audit & accounting, executive education, and OD, and led organisations big and small in order to curate his depth and breadth of knowledge in organisational health. He seeks to encourage a everyone’s commitment to their personal and professional growth and to the growth of their organisations, working with pride to keep Roffey Park Institute’s illustrious past as part of the core of the modern institute. Facing the new world of work and work skills, ‘the world needs an independent voice,’ Coles told us, ‘a personal, sustainable approach to executive education. We want to be that choice.’ www.roffeypark.ac.uk or email hello@roffeypark.ac.uk

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What is a BNO? What is a building network operator (BNO)? A building network operator (BNO) is the organisation that operates or owns the electricity distribution network within a multiple occupancy building, between the intake position and customers’ installations. A BNO may be a developer, building owner, landlord or similar function in control of a building infrastructure at that given time. At Control Energy Costs, we work with independent utility connection specialists who specialise in BNO network delivery. These specialists can guide clients who have large mixed occupancy buildings and help them identify that they are indeed a BNO, whilst letting them know what responsibilities they have. Across the country, many building owners remain unaware that they are a BNO, due to the lack of knowledge within the industry. If you own a mixed occupancy building

with several different electricity meters in it is important to seek guidance to ensure you are covered legally, making sure your building is operating as it should. Duties as a BNO? If all your organisation’s duties as a BNO - including safety considerations - are not fully discharged, there is a genuine risk of electrical fault including fire or even risk to life, complete with attendant

legal exposure. The BNO design standard does also offer flexibility as well as risk. If you are a BNO, you can reconfigure the installation within your building internally with the right support. As a business, you will have a certain degree of autonomy over the management of your electricity supplies. https://cec.uk.com/

Award-winner joins Vail Williams Property consultancy Vail Williams has bolstered its Gatwick region with the appointment of an award-winning surveyor. Elise Thompson, RICS Young Surveyor of the Year – Commercial Property 2021, has joined the Crawley-based team as a Senior Surveyor (Valuation). She previously spent six years at BPS Chartered Surveyors in Dorking, Surrey, rising from graduate to Associate Director. Her key specialisms include the valuation of commercial and residential property, including affordable housing, development appraisals and financial viability assessments for planning purposes. Elise has worked with many public sector clients, including more than 40 boroughs, 20 of them London boroughs, across viability assessments,

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rent reviews, lease renewals, local plans and CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) assessments. Since passing her RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) qualification last year she has gone on to mentor other candidates as well as being an ambassador for Lionheart, a charity aiding surveyors in need and their families. She said: “I am excited to be joining Vail Williams as the Gatwick region is about to take off. Being part of a close, friendly team gives me the greatest sense of achievement. “The most important thing to me when advising a client is that I give them confidence in their decision making by providing a personable and comprehensive service. I look forward to bringing this to my new role.” Danny George, Regional Managing

Elise Thompson Partner for Vail Williams’ Gatwick region, said: “We welcome Elise to the team. She is a confident, professional, loyal and hard-working operator with many strings to her bow and will have a significant role to play here.” https://vailwilliams.com/

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The gdb Family – Literally! gdb are pleased to have a father and son from different organisations in membership at the moment. Nathan Wilkins is a 23 year old video producer and co-Founder of Hove-based Igloo Media, and his Dad Ian has worked at local homelessness charity Crawley Open House for 18 years. ‘It’s weird and lovely to walk into a gdb meeting and see your son there chatting away to someone, and I’m very proud of him and the thriving little business he has created with Emily’ said Ian. ‘Nathan used to make little stop motion films with plasticine figures on a camera borrowed from Forest Row Primary School from about the age of 6, and to see him now doing what he has always loved and is very talented at commercially is fantastic.’ Nathan commented ‘despite dragging

me into things like being a Palace fan, one thing Dad did get right was introducing me to gdb. We love attending the events, collaborating with likeminded businesses and seeing all of the support that they give to local charities. My Dad and the rest of the Crawley Open House team do so much to help the most vulnerable in our area, so it’s great to know that they are so well supported by gdb and its members. It’s really nice to be a part of the same business community as my Dad, and we’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with Open House on many video projects, often hearing stories of how their services have not only transformed lives, but saved lives as well.’ www.igloomedia.co.uk www.crawleyopenhouse.co.uk

Nathan Wilkins & Ian Wilkins

How student placements can promote your business Your local universities and colleges are paying small firms to take smart energetic people of all ages and abilities. My own business has been taking fully subsidised students since 2014 so I’d like to share with you how I helped them to help me. Step 1: I looked at my local University website careers section. This showed me they subsidised year 3 Business Studies graduates who wanted work experience. I registered as a local employer online and posted a one-page job description with online links to my business. Step 2: Within 6 weeks I received CV’s and letters expressing interest. Three weeks later I had the right person and I gave them an initial project to plan their time with me before they came on board. Step 3: Day one we reviewed the plan of work and agreed how and when we would liaise weekly to stay on track and motivated. At the end of every week they drafted a graphical “Learning Log” to show their progress and results.

Step 4: At the end of Internship their learning logs surprised them, their college tutors and their friends and family. They had created a portfolio of multiple business skills to show future employers and lots of real world evidence for their final degree dissertation. Some of my students learning logs can be seen below: https://consult-smp.com/archive /2014/10/smp-takes-graduate-internpart-uob-green-growth-platform.html

https://consult-smp.com/wp-content/ uploads/2020/12/Lewis-learning-log.pdf https://consult-smp.com/wp content/uploads/2020/12/Heatherlearning-log.pdf These show how they promoted my innovation support services including business continuity planning, intellectual property protection and Responsible Business Standards. We need to support the next generation of entrepreneurs with real life work experience in small firms. My 2020 student even created free press coverage. https://www.brightonandhove independent.co.uk/business/sussexuniversity-student-is-giving-businessesa-boost-2925318 If you’d like me to help you make the most of this wonderful partnership opportunity please contact me Clive Bonny at Strategic Management Partners, Brighton. Clive@consult-smp.com 07973 799 153

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Meet Hannah, Corporate Fundraiser at Chestnut Tree House Wow, what a fantastic start to 2022! I started my role as Corporate Fundraiser at Chestnut Tree House in November, and I am looking forward to the year ahead. From new corporate partnerships to team building volunteering days at the hospice and exciting networking events planned, we have an exciting year ahead at Chestnut Tree House working with local businesses. For those of you who don’t know, Chestnut Tree House is your local children’s hospice. We’re here for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families, every step of the way. We aim to make every day count – the good days, the bad days and the last days. It costs over £4 million every year to provide our care services and we receive very little government funding. Families are never charged for their care, so we rely heavily on the support of businesses like you!

It’s hard to describe a ‘typical’ day for a fundraiser – I am always here, there, and everywhere! I have very little time sat at my desk and am often out networking with local businesses, doing presentations about the hospice, speaking to our incredible supporters and all sorts. I’m looking forward to what the year ahead holds, and I can’t wait to connect and meet new businesses that want to make a difference to children’s hospice care. I’m particularly excited to hold some exclusive events for all the Gatwick Diamond Business members to get involved with! I’d love to chat to you about how we can work together moving forward, please contact me at Hannah.Seltzer@stbh.org. uk or call me on 07711 085491. If you’d like to find out more about Chestnut Tree House, please visit www.chestnut. org.uk

Google My Business Posts – what they are and how they can help your marketing Most businesses have a Google My Business profile, a free listing which appears to the right of the search results when someone Googles your company name. What many don’t realise is that you can add posts to this profile, to keep readers up to date with your latest news, offers and services. There are five types of post you can create: 1. COVID-19 update – business changes as a result of the pandemic. 2. Offer – sales and other promotional offers. 3. What’s new – general news about your business. 4. Event – about events you’re running. 5. Product – information about your products (these posts will also appear in the ‘Products’ section of your listing). Most posts, except offers, include the option of a “call to action” button, which

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can help to drive traffic to your website or social accounts. You can add new posts as often as you want and access insights information which will tell you how many people have seen the post and how many clicked on the post’s button. So what are the benefits of these posts? If your Google My Business profile gets a good number of visitors, then this is a great opportunity to put your key messages in front of them. The call to action button is a useful way to increase traffic to your website and, so long as it takes them to a page which is optimised for conversion, a good way to increase enquiries. What Google My Business posts won’t do is improve your Google ranking. However, they do still support your overall SEO objectives by making your profile more eye catching and up to date.

For more information on using Google My Business posts, including step-by-step instructions for setting them up, please visit our website: https://www.tomango. co.uk/blog/what-are-google-posts/

Featured Article

Zero Emission Hydrogen Buses for Gatwick and Crawley

Twenty new, zero carbon emission, hydrogen fuel cell electric buses will begin their journeys from June on Metrobus’ Fastway routes 10 and 20 in the Crawley, Horley and Gatwick area, emitting no more than harmless water vapour. What's more, they have long range capabilities and can be refuelled quickly in depots. The hydrogen will be fuelled directly at Metrobus’ depot in Manor Royal. These single-decker buses are part funded by UK government and European Union zero-emission bus schemes, alongside a multimillion pound investment by Metrobus. Passengers will also benefit from quieter journeys, greater accessibility and a more consistently comfortable climate as there are no engines on board. The arrival of the buses from Northern Irish manufacturer Wrightbus means we can move some existing ultra-low emission buses elsewhere, retiring our oldest buses. But the good news doesn’t stop there. Metrobus is working with other local authorities to potentially introduce another batch of hydrogen buses to other Metrobus services operating between Crawley, Manor Royal and Gatwick and on to destinations in Surrey. If successful, this could be Europe’s biggest local fleet of hydrogen buses and will mean the ma-

jority of services operating through Gatwick Airport become zero emission. Crawley’s rapid transit service, Fastway, is a network of guided busways and dedicated bus lanes designed to speed buses past congestion hotspots. It’s one of many examples of excellent partnership work between Metrobus and local councils, including introducing bus priority measures to speed up bus journeys for passengers. Little wonder that Fastway was selected to deploy the fleet of the future. Go-Ahead, Metrobus’ parent company, is the UK’s largest operator of zero-emission electric buses, with a fleet of nearly 300 nationwide, but this is the group’s first venture into hydrogen. The contract is part of Go-Ahead’s commitment to a decarbonised bus fleet by 2035. www.metrobus.co.uk

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The Great Resignation UK resignations are at their highest point on record and come at a time when many employers are struggling to recruit staff. The CBI has predicted that UK businesses face up to two years' of labour shortages. The combination of world-wide supply chain problems, additional 'red tape' caused by Brexit and the loss of many EU workers make this a particularly challenging time for many employers. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why employees are actively looking for new jobs. But, the pandemic has certainly played a part and seems to have changed the way many workers think about where and how they work. The ongoing wave of resignations has exacerbated skills shortages as people move to roles that offer them better terms and conditions. Many employers are facing a ‘double wammy’ – they’re losing valuable existing staff and falling to attract new ones. What can be done? 1. Find out why people are leaving If you're seeing an exodus of people from your workplace, do you know why they are moving? Is it about pay? Or are they unhappy with other elements of the working environment? You won't know the answers to these questions unless you ask. Exit interviews are helpful but not everyone is willing to be honest about their reasons for leaving during a face to face interview and it can be helpful to ask them to complete a short survey as well as, or instead of, having a meeting. Once you have this information, you can ascertain whether there are any trends emerging and decide whether you can do anything to reduce the numbers of people leaving. 2. Conduct employee surveys Conducting regular surveys is a good way to test the pulse of your organisation and may help you to identify and resolve issues at an early stage. Staff will usually only answer surveys honestly if a) their responses are confidential b) you don't ask too many questions and concentrate on the important stuff and c) they have faith that the business will actually listen to what they say. You must be willing to share the results and explain what steps your organisation will take to make changes and how long you expect this to take. This requires open communication.

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Charlotte Sloan

The ongoing wave of resignations has exacerbated skills shortages as people move to roles that offer them better terms 3. Invest in training Make sure that your staff know how you can help them improve their skills and progress within your organisation. Upskilling staff through training and development courses will help them to keep up to date with new and emerging technologies and the skills required in their role. Investing in comprehensive training programmes is also a great way to educate new employees who might lack experience in your sector. If you pay the Apprenticeship Levy, make sure that you are using your fund and that staff know that it's available to experienced and older members of staff and isn't limited to school leavers or new graduates. It might be helpful to also set up a mentorship scheme which matches experienced workers with new recruits. This can help bridge knowledge gaps and help more inexperienced staff feel supported.

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Interviewers need to base their decisions on evidence rather than generalising and learn to recognise their own unconscious biases

4. Up-skill line managers Line managers have an important role in setting the tone of the organisation. Some are naturally good at handling people and having difficult conversations, but many aren't. If you help them to improve, they will be better placed to deal with issues promptly and prevent many from escalating. 5. Improve your recruitment process Businesses are competing against each other to fill vacancies and you need to think carefully about what your organisation can offer that others don't. Attracting staff isn't just about the amount you pay them. What other benefits do you offer? Do staff get subsidised meals in your canteen? Do they receive discounts on your products? Do you provide additional paid days off (such as wellbeing days)? Is the training you provide head and shoulders above that provided by most of your competitors? Make sure that your recruitment process is efficient and friendly. If it isn't, candidates may be put off working for you and may turn down your offer if they already have another one on the table. Good candidates are always in high demand and will often have more than one job offer to consider. Your offer letter should be modernised and written in plain English. Aim to combine the basic facts of the job with a

welcoming tone. Let the candidates know when you expect to make a decision and get the offer letter out quickly and delivered by email. Invite the candidate to come back to you if they have any questions about the offer or anything else about the role and make sure that you are available to discuss any issues they do raise promptly (and preferably by telephone). One other point is to recognise that we all have biases and personal experiences that lead us to think in ways that are automatic. We tend to gravitate towards people who are like us (affinity bias) and look for evidence that tends to confirm what we already think (confirmation bias). That's a problem when it comes to recruitment. Interviewers need to base their decisions on evidence rather than generalising and learn to recognise their own unconscious biases. The employment team at Irwin Mitchell are planning a webinar on the subject of the great resignation to help employers facing challenges of recruitment and retention. Please get in touch with Charlotte for further details. www.irwinmitchell.com Author: Charlotte Sloan, Senior Associate, Irwin Mitchell Charlotte.sloan@irwinmitchell.com

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Richard Place Dobson’s Annual Quiz Night Returns, Supporting St. Catherine’s Hospice The much-anticipated annual Quiz Night hosted by Richard Place Dobson (RPD), Crawley based Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, returns on Wednesday 11th May. It will be held at The Hawth in Crawley to raise money for St. Catherine’s Hospice. St Catherine’s Hospice is a local charity providing expert hospice and end-of-life care for people in West Sussex and East Surrey. They help around 2,100 terminally ill people, family members, friends and carers each year in their homes, at their day Hospice, and on their wards. RPD’s Quiz Night has always been a popular event with local businesses in Crawley who want to show their support for the chosen charity. Teams of four get together and show their competitive side amongst fellow friends and peers as they compete to win the trophy (and have a good time!).

The ticket includes a fish and chip supper, and guests are encouraged to join in a raffle and participate in a ‘Heads and Tails’ game on the night too. Due to the pandemic, RPD were unable to hold the event last year, so they are hoping to sell out this year! Already they are seeing teams fill up fast. Matthew Tyson, Managing Director, said: “We are excited to rerun our annual quiz night this year (covid permitted). It’s great to see teams coming together to raise money for such a great cause, and we look forward to seeing some healthy competition on the night between peers and teams.”

If you would like to attend the quiz, please RSVP to Christine by Wednesday 20th April at christine@placedobson. co.uk. Tickets are £20 per head or £75 per team (max four per team). The event will follow all Covid requirements in line with Government guidance at the time.

Midnight wins Mayo Wynne Baxter Midnight Communications, an award-winning PR agency based in Brighton, has started the year with three new clients, including leading Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter. Midnight will support Mayo Wynne Baxter with a regional and national PR campaign following the announcement that the firm has joined national

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legal and professional services group, Ampa, to enhance its ambitious plans for growth. “We are delighted to be working with Mayo Wynne Baxter, especially at such an exciting time for the firm” said Midnight’s joint managing director Flo Powell. “We’ve got great experience in the legal sector and one of our aims was to increase our professional services clients, so this is fantastic news for our agency. We’re looking forward to smashing our targets for the firm.” Martin Williams, Partner and Head of Employment at Mayo Wynne Baxter, added: “We’re excited to be

working with Midnight. We were looking for a team to support our growth following our recent merger with Ampa - Midnight has a long history of working successfully with law firms and have been on my radar for a while. They have already been a great help and we’re delighted to be working with them.” Founded 150 years ago in Lewes, East Sussex, today Mayo Wynne Baxter LLP (MWB) is considered one of the best law firms in the South East. The award-winning and progressive law firm has seven hubs across Sussex, in Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne, Storrington, Lewes, Seaford and East Grinstead. It has ambitious plans to grow further into Kent and Surrey. For more information, please visit: www.midnight.co.uk www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

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Family Barcode Business Celebrate 50th Birthday On 10th April 1972, business partners Bill Smith and John Parr founded Kelgray Products Ltd. The company name being a fusion of the two founders’ eldest sons, Kelvin and Graham. Starting in Bill’s loft in South Godstone, they both worked tirelessly to get the business off the ground, originally providing weigh scale solutions to various customers. Two years after the company’s inception, on 26th June 1974, the “barcode” was used for the first time in a US supermarket. In the years that followed, the technology started to gain traction and by 1980 it was being widely implemented across the globe. Kelgray saw an opportunity to diversify their business and took the plunge into this rapidly expanding and emerging market. In 1999, original co-founder John Parr sold his shareholding, and the company came under full ownership of the Smith family. Bill’s sons, Kelvin and Trevor currently own the business, with three grandsons; Daniel, David and Alex also working for the firm. Based in Spindle Way, Crawley for over 35 years, the company sees continued success, with twenty-two employees and revenues in excess of £5 million per annum. Clients span a multitude of different industries and vary from sole traders, right through to some of the world’s most recognisable brands, including Weetabix and Yeo Valley. Widely recognised as the UK’s leading barcode solutions company, Kelgray provide barcode scanners, barcode label printers, mobile computers and associated software. They also specialise in high-tech, fully automated labelling machinery, which print and apply labels in high volume environments. Underpinning and complimenting all of this is the conversion of self-adhesive labels, manufactured on site at their Crawley facility. The company remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as a key supplier to the food, beverage, hygiene and healthcare sectors. They played a vital role in conjunction with ventilator manufacturer Penlon Ltd as part of the Governments Ventilator Challenge and received recognition for their contributions from the Cabinet Office. General Manager, Alex Smith comments: “50 years is an incredible milestone for any business to reach, however, being family owned for the entirety of that period, it means so much more to us. We actively encourage a family ethos within the company on a day-to-day basis and it is our employees that

A massive thanks must also go to our longstanding and loyal customers really make our business so special. When my grandfather, Bill Smith and John Parr founded this company in 1972 in my grandfather’s loft, they could never have imagined the company reaching 50 years old and growing into the third generation of the Smith family. Unfortunately, neither of the original founders are alive to see this anniversary, but I know how proud they both would be. A massive thanks must also go to our longstanding and loyal customers. We continue to be enormously proud of the company’s history and to be able to continue this legacy. Here’s to the next 50 years!” For more information on products and solutions that Kelgray offer: Call: 01293 518733 Email: sales@kelgray.co.uk Visit: www.kelgray.co.uk

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COVID and chip shortages (not the potato kind..) – a success story The last couple of years have been a tough one for a lot of companies, us included. But here at Commtel, a British manufacturer of telephone-based intercom solutions, we kept a stiff upper lip and ploughed through, in true Brit style, without too many complaints. Our team ethos and ‘can do’ attitude, even if we did have to force it at times, meant that we were able to keep supporting our customers throughout numerous lockdowns and various shortages (toilet roll, fuel, semi-conductors, etc..), with minimal interruption. 2020 turned out to be our best year in history, with a further growth of 36% in 2021! Our focus over the last couple of years has been on team training, internal process, and self-improvement through different schemes such as Manor Royal BID Training, which has resulted in a number of our staff members growing within their roles and taking on more re-

sponsibility. The growth of staff and our business meant that we also expanded our team and welcomed another 5 people to our Commtel family! All this on top of securing a new, larger premises in October too – phew! In 2022, despite the on-going chip shortages, which have pushed our inhouse R&D team to their limits, we are still growing! We recently partnered with VOLO which has enabled us to target markets outside our comfort zones and

we’re working on new products which will be launched this year! This means that we’re now looking to grow our sales team, as well as growing our production team to support them. These are just the highlights from a less than perfect couple of years, but we feel that this reinforces the importance of team playing, positivity and collaboration within our small team!

Scaramanga type makeover, with the goal to make it more modern with a better visual impact. The Southwark Music Service’s old user journey was not particularly clear or smooth, so we took it upon ourselves to develop it from the very beginning. The main focus of the new site was to make it accessible and to have an

e-commerce platform where users could purchase products and pay for services. It was important for us to research the different user persona and journeys, to then design the website around our findings. In addition to the website design, we also went on to refresh their old logo to make it more impactful. Considering that Southwark Music Service is within the public sector, it was crucial their new website was fully accessible, as that has been a requirement since September 2020 for local authorities’ websites. People from all walks of life and with disabilities can access the new website with ease. The website went live right in time for the new academic year in August 2021. Gordon Maguire, Assistant Head said “the end product was very good and we’re very pleased with it. Their entire team is really friendly and pleasant to work with.”

https://commtel-uk.com

Rebuild and launch We had the pleasure of working with the Southwark Music Service to completely rebuild and update their website which was over 12 years old. They are an organization under the London borough of Southwark council that provides music education to children and young people in London. Outdated and in need of rebranding, we stepped in to give the website a

scaramanga.agency

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How To Increase Brand Presence and Customer Retention Post-Purchase A recent study predicts that ‘80% of a company’s future revenue will come from 20% of its existing customers’, which really highlights the importance of customer retention and brand presence. Building customer loyalty for your brand is no dark art, and can be straightforward with the right tools – but how do you do this post-purchase? The unboxing experience Spending time on your packaging can

keep your brand exciting and memorable. An exclusive promotion, branded stickers, reusable packaging or a simple thank you card can go a long way in creating an engaging experience. Choice of delivery Slow delivery or unreliable performance could cost you a repeat customer if you operate in a crowded market, so it’s essential to offer a range of delivery options. Can customers upgrade their shipping speed to next day or even same day to put yourself ahead of the competition? Branded tracking How about providing a consistent customer experience from sale to delivery – keeping your brand at the forefront while informing them on the location of their goods post-purchase. You wouldn’t exclude your branding from your website, so why have unbranded tracking?

Interparcel helps businesses improve their customer journey and retention rates by offering all businesses, big or small, free business shipping tools and access to industry-leading, reliable couriers at the cheapest prices. The free Branded Tracking portal allows businesses to create a tailored tracking page with a subdomain unique to their brand. You can upload your brand logo, colours and even a promotional banner to engage with customers post-purchase. Free shipping notifications are also available, to keep your customers informed every step of the way. We even have free eCommerce integrations along with industry-leading customer support! Visit https://uk.interparcel.com/ to build your brand, increase your retention rate, and access low-cost shipping services.

How to rollout a new brand identity 8 years ago we rebranded, changing our company name to Tomango. Finding the perfect name and brand identity was difficult enough, but then we had to deal with the complexities of implementing that change. Once the dust had settled, we reflected on what we’d done right and wrong, and wrote it all down in our blog. Creating a useful checklist for other companies undergoing similar changes. We’ve recently revisited the article, to improve it and ensure that all the information is up to date and relevant. In addition, we’ve added a handy checklist which you can download and amend. Hopefully this will help you avoid missing anything – such as taking weeks to realise you haven’t updated your phone messages to your new company name (we speak from experience on this one). The article covers all aspects of a

brand identity rollout, including your: • Team • Website and email • Online listings • Social media • Operational stuff • Business stationery and systems • Other marketing materials • Clients

• PR Read the article here: https://www.tomango.co.uk/blog/branding-and-rebranding-how-to-roll-out-a-new-brandidentity/ And, if you need help creating that new brand identity, you know where we are. www.tomango.co.uk

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Thakeham raises £11,973 for local charity partner St Catherine’s Hospice Billingshurst-based residential developer Thakeham has raised a grand total of £11,973 in the last year for St Catherine’s Hospice, a longstanding local charity partner.

A busy fundraising schedule for 2021 concluded with Thakeham donating furniture and interior décor accessories from its range of show homes across Sussex and Surrey for resale in St Catherine’s local shops. Thakeham is working in close collaboration with St Catherine’s Hospice to support the delivery of the charity’s new hospice building at the developer’s flagship Woodgate development in Pease Pottage in 2023. Thakeham has gifted over £2m in total towards its construction, including an essential boost of £600,000 in a joint donation by Thakeham and housing association Abri towards securing family facilities. The new hospice will have 24 beds and allow for the provision of enhanced services across West Sussex and East Surrey. Thakeham has taken part in many fundraising events over the years on behalf of St Catherine’s. The developer was previously the Headline Sponsor of the HeART-to-Heart trail and has taken part in the Dragon Boat Race on behalf of the organisation. Giles Tomsett, Chief Executive of St Catherine’s Hospice, comments: “Our sincere thanks go to Thakeham and their fantastic team for supporting St Catherine’s, especially throughout this challenging year. Their help makes a real difference to local people and their families, and to our own teams – who are comforted to know we have supporters like Thakeham standing together with us.”

Our ambition is not just to deliver homes, but to enhance existing communities and create thriving new ones

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Rob Boughton, CEO of Thakeham Group, comments: “Supporting local businesses and charities is really important to Thakeham and we’re very proud to continue our partnership with St Catherine’s Hospice. Raising much-needed funds through the sale of furniture and accessories from our show homes is a fun and effective way to raise money, but it also means that our furniture is recycled and used again in line with our commitment to sustainability. Making this donation has been a real highlight to round out 2021! “Our ambition is not just to deliver homes, but to enhance existing communities and create thriving new ones. St Catherine’s Hospice is at the heart of the local community – often hidden from the public eye but each day providing incredible care and support to many families. We look forward to welcoming the St Catherine’s team and their residents to Woodgate next year.” Other on-site facilities and amenities at Woodgate include a primary school which opened in September 2021, and forthcoming community hub, café and village shop. Residents will further benefit from ample open space including a new village green with surrounding play areas, trails, pathways and cycle routes linking the development to 370-acre Tilgate Forest. To visit Woodgate and find out more about the homes available now and in the future, call 01293 225615 or visit mywoodgate.co.uk.

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Martin Searle Solicitors launch their campaign “Diversity Matters” to Promote Sex Equality and Stamp Out Discrimination in the Workplace Their month long campaign coincides with International Women’s Day on 8 March, #BreakTheBias. Martin Searle Solicitors’ Employment Law team have found the pandemic resulted in a notable increase in women seeking advice about sex discrimination at work. The Women’s Budget Group reports twice as many women than men in the bottom 10% of earners, leaving them vulnerable in a faltering economy. In December 2021 the Institute for Fiscal Studies reported wage inequality increases vastly after parenthood, implying unpaid care work associated with motherhood is shaping inequalities at work. Sexual harassment at work remains an issue. In 2020 the Government Equalities Office found 30% of women had experienced sexual harassment, whilst only 51% thought their employer was

tackling the issue.. Women also experience discrimination when they reach menopause. A 2019 survey by BUPA and CIPD found 3 in 5 menopausal women were negatively affected at work and almost 9 million women left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms. Fiona Martin, Director and Head of Employment Law, says: “Women continue to be discriminated against in the workplace due to stereotyped notions about women’s abilities and their worth. Presenteeism remains a huge problem

in the UK and taking time off to have children is seen as a lack of commitment. And we see that pregnancy and maternity discrimination is still rife. There needs to be a huge cultural shift for this to change as well as access to affordable employment law advice so businesses meet the legal obligations.” Martin Searle Solicitors have a series of factsheets, case studies and FAQs for employers and employees covering sex equality on their website. www.ms-solicitors.co.uk/diversity-matters

Tips to save you time in Microsoft PowerPoint As well as the obvious benefits of learning great software features that help you to become more effective in your work, it’s often a seemingly little thing that makes a big difference to my clients in their day-to-day activities. As some you will know first hand, I share lots of productivity tips during training and here a few of my favourites in PowerPoint. Working with drawn objects • Hold the SHIFT key on the keyboard to draw a perfectly straight line, square or circle. • Hold the SHIFT key when resizing shapes to keep the same ratios. • Remove the outline from shapes for clean, modern look. Ensure consistent formatting • Use the FORMAT PAINTER to copy formatting from one object to another.

• Use the RESET button on the HOME tab to reset a slide from the slide master. • Use the ANIMATION PAINTER to copy the animation settings from one object to another. Useful keyboard shortcuts when running a Slide Show • HOME – to go to the first slide. • END – to go to the last slide. • Type the SLIDE NUMBER and press ENTER to go to that slide. • Type B to show a black screen and then B again to bring the slide back into view (useful if you want to hide the slide while a discussion is taking place). Jane Hames jane@glidetraining.com https://www.glidetraining.com/ 01273 956200

Jane Hames

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From Virtual to Back in the Room We had closed the last flight case after a successful Re-Energise conference and everyone seemed very happy. It was our first event for gdb and it had gone well. We started AV8 in 2010 and it had been a long haul to develop the business, but we felt like we had turned a corner. It was January 2020, and the diary was full. Our next challenge was for Warner Bros TV at Abbey Road Studios followed by various events in London and then a large event in a castle in Germany. It was shaping up to be our best year ever. I had decided to purchase new laser projectors based on upcoming work and continued booking freelance staff to make sure we were covered. In the background I had heard rumours about some virus, but it was lost in the ether of general news and a very busy schedule. I remember the first call as if it was yesterday - it was the 26th of February and I was standing in the reception of a London hotel. By that stage I knew what the call was going to be about…“we are really sorry but we are going to have to postpone the event in Germany”. That was the start, the first of many calls and emails. I spent the next few weeks closing down projects and trying to agree cancellation fees with staff and suppliers. This continued until almost every event had been erased from the diary. Along with many other businesses we lost everything in the space of a month as the entire events industry shut down. Like so many others I thought it would be over by the summer and that live events would return once the first lockdown finished, but they didn’t! They say “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” but we had to do something…to look elsewhere… AV8 had to stay relevant, our clients and competitors start-

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We either had to be fully invested in the virtual world or bury our heads in the sand and hope things would return to normal ing to talk about virtual events, platforms, streaming, RTMP, embed codes. I pretended I knew what they were and tried to pass myself off as an expert, but I had little idea. I was frantically reading everything available on the internet and asking the advice of my more IT savvy peers. I quickly realised the more I knew the more there was to know. It was at the tip of an iceberg. It was like starting from scratch again. All the live event equipment was pushed to the back of our unit, and I had to make a decision. We either had to be fully invested in the virtual world or bury our heads in the sand and hope things would eventually return to the “old normal”. Firstly, we had to decide which technical route we would follow. It seemed there were two options. Either have multiple laptops running zoom or teams connected to a multi “picture in picture” switcher and then to a streaming computer or, purchase the Vmix software that will mix, stream, and

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There have been funny moments. Naked presenters, dogs and cats wondering into shot. A presenter’s wife coming into the room to do Zumba unaware of the camera

connect individual virtual presenters internally while also recording everything. We chose Vmix which also simplified the audio routing. We started working with a company who designs gaming computers and flight simulators. Together we tested high power PCs to check they could handle the Vmix software and capture cards. I learnt about motherboards, PCIE lanes, Graphics cards, Gigabit networks and much, much more. Once testing was completed, I purchased two super computers with software and streaming licences. Our first virtual event was almost a disaster. No matter how much you test in the warehouse nothing can prepare you for the technical complexity of onboarding 100 plus virtual presenters from around the world all simultaneously translated into Japanese and streamed on different platforms. The computers started to bottleneck and slow down. We got through it, but it wasn’t pretty. The computers had to be redesigned and eventually we had systems capable of running everything we could throw at them. As our experience increased things became less stressful and virtual events became part of our comfort zone “the new normal”. We built pop up tv studios into our client’s offices and eventually got the opportunity to stream the Warner Bros Creative Exchange again. This had previously been a live event which we used to produce but which we’d lost to more experienced streaming dedicated competitors during lockdown. We broadcast this to TV producers around the world. I often ask myself why virtual events are so stressful, and I

think it comes down to control. It only takes one small failure with equipment or internet connection and the transmission is finished. Tech companies are also responsible for ensuring all virtual presenters can connect to the system and that streams are live on the client’s webpages or platforms. We now have backup systems for backups and test, test, test… There have been funny moments. Naked presenters, dogs and cats wondering into shot. A presenter’s wife coming into the room to do Zumba unaware of the camera. A colleague of mine said he had learnt more in the last 2 years than he had in the previous 20 years, and I agree. We have been pushed at great speed into a place we would not have reached for another 10 years or so if it hadn’t been for Covid. We are very proud to have met our challenges head on and I do believe the events industry will be richer for the experience. Our first truly hybrid event is in March at BAFTA bringing together live and virtual presenters in front of a live audience. The local audience will see presentations and videos on a local 360-degree screen while being filmed this will then be steamed to home viewers who will log onto our client’s website to watch. We will cut between live camera and full screen graphics and videos for those at home with presenter titles and a rolling ticker with any relevant information. Last week we closed the last flight case for Re-Energise 2022, our second for gdb. It went well. http://av8.events/

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Menzies LLP makes record number of partner promotions At Menzies we are proud to announce a record number of partner promotions to kick-start 2022. A total of six employees have been promoted to the partnership, enriching the depth and breadth of skills and technical experience available to the firm’s clients, across a range of sectors. At our Leatherhead office Anthony Lalsing has become a tax partner, Anthony joined Menzies as a trainee back in 2005, working in accounts and audit before moving across to Corporate Tax in 2009. He currently heads up the Innovation and R&D service line. Anthony has a passion for ensuring businesses benefit from the significant tax advantages available under the R&D tax relief and Patent Box regimes, working with clients across all sectors to maximise their tax reliefs and support them through their innovation lifecycle. Anthony said: “I am delighted to be-

come a Partner at Menzies and grateful for this opportunity. The Innovation and R&D team is an integral part of the tax team at Menzies and plays an important role in the Firm’s overall goal of delivering a Brighter Thinking approach that delights our clients.”

The further five partner promotions include Sam Goodsell (Advisory team), Janice Matthews (Charities and Notfor-Profit), Sophie Said (Audit and Assurance), Sarah Hallam ((Audit and Assurance) and Oliver Finch (Outsourcing and Systems Advisory) Simon Massey, managing partner at Menzies, said: “We are proud to be making a record number of partner promotions this year. It is noteworthy that all the new partners have had continuous service at Menzies since the start of their careers and each of them has excelled and grown with the business. I look forward to seeing their careers develop further, bringing them and the firm continued success in years to come.” Contact Anthony at: Alalsing@menzies.co.uk www.Menzies.co.uk

Creative Process’ Social Impact Success Story – Transforming Lives in Digital 2021 was a huge year for Creative Process Digital with our audiences growing, our team expanding, our work accelerating, and exciting new partnerships developing. Despite restrictions, the human element remained incredibly important. So much of our work revolves around ensuring connections are built on, audiences engaged, digital skills training delivered and opportunities maximised for everyone we work with. As technology continues to play a vital role in addressing key societal challenges we face, we are proud to share an update on how we’ve been supporting businesses and helping transform lives. In the last 5 years Creative Process has welcomed more than 3000 young people on to our digital programmes, supported over 500 employers, delivered a whopping 961 digital skills diplomas and created 486 apprenticeship jobs We look forward to 2022 and contin-

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uing to create meaningful connections, inspire and engage our employers and apprentices and ensure the incredible world of apprenticeships continues to be all it possibly can be. Together with employers across Brighton and Sussex we are raising the digital skills bar, creating new jobs, supporting recovery and building a more robust economy. We believe that in partnership with employers our area can become a world-class, creative, digital and tech economy that works for

everyone, and that everyone can have the digital skills they need to reach their full potential in society. Our social mission is at the heart of our business, so if doing good is as important as building a commercial business to you, you will find working with Creative Process a rewarding experience. www.creativeprocessdigital.com david@creativeprocessdigital.com 01273 232273

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Business Football Charity Challenge Samantha Norgate, Business, Community and Events coordinator from Local disability charity Kangaroos is excited to announce their next big fundraiser of the year and is seeking local businesses to take part in a fun football challenge. In collaboration with local businesses, Kangaroos are organising an exciting 24-Hour Football Charity event on 23rd24th June at the K2 Centre in Crawley with the goal of raising £24,000 If, like many businesses, you’ve not been able to spend much time with each other, either at the office or at in person events, then this could be the event for you. Especially if you and your colleagues enjoy playing football. The event will involve students from

the Thomas Bennett Football Academy, run by Chris Jones (Academy Director), who plan to play football for 24 hours against teams from local businesses from the Mid Sussex and Crawley area. Businesses are being asked to buy a “package” to enable their team to play as part of this event. This is a great opportunity for businesses to pull their staff together in a great team building activity and at the same time raising funds for such a great charity. The event is open to absolutely everyone and if you don’t think you can quite manage a team, but are really keen to play, then the students of Thomas Bennett Football Academy can supplement a team.

If you are part of a business that would like to take part, please email the football fundraising team email: 24kangafootball@ gmail.com for more details and the sponsorship packages available. Head to www.kangaroos.org.uk to their events and news page for more details and a great video explaining more.

Your Microsoft licences will be changing, are you prepared? If you’re a Microsoft Office 365 user, you’ve likely noticed that Microsoft have been adding new apps to the suite over the last few years. In the early days, the only apps available were email, calendar and contacts but this has been expanded to include planner, Teams, a calendar booking system, lists and much much more.. Over the past 10 years or so, Microsoft

haven’t increased their pricing. This year, however, they’ve decided to make small increases to some of the products and change how license counts work. They’re calling this the New Commerce Experience (or NCE for short). There’s a lot of moving parts to their changes and it’s a very deep rabbit hole to try and understand it all. Do a Google search for “Microsoft NCE” and you’ll

see the huge amounts of chatter that’s happening around the world right now. What does this mean for your business? If you use Microsoft 365, then NCE will directly affect your renewal when it comes into effect on the 1st of March. You’ll be faced with some options… 1. Commit to an annual or 36-month contract. No price increase, but you cannot downsize your license count during the term under any circumstances. Or: 2. Pay monthly, with around a 20% increase but retain the flexibility to downsize your license count monthly. There are some incentives to renewing early. We also understand that 365 licensing can be confusing, so If you have any questions or would like to know more about Microsoft NCE from Microsoft 365 experts, then contact us and we’ll be happy to advise. https://www.ingeniotech.co.uk/

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Rockinghorse Children’s Charity – Helping children be children Rockinghorse Children’s Charity makes a difference to the lives of poorly children and their families across the whole of Sussex. Whether its funding state of the art equipment to help premature babies, toys and activities to help distract children being treated in hospital, or psychotherapy to help young people with cancer, our support helps thousands of children and their families every year. A hospital stay can be a scary experience for anyone, let alone for a child, so we work hard to make that experience is as good as it possibly can be. And we have been providing this support since we were set up in 1967 by Dr Trevor Mann as the official fundraising

arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton. We raise money to provide live-saving medical equipment and additional services with the aim of improving

the lives of sick children throughout Sussex. Along with the Royal Alex and the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, Rockinghorse also supports the Special Care Baby Unit in the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath along with paediatric wards, specialist neonatal units, respite centres and children’s services across Sussex. As we receive no government funding, we rely on the generous support of individuals, community groups and companies, in fact people just like you. To find out more about what we do and how you can help, get in touch: Website: www.rockinghorse.org.uk Telephone: 01273 330044 Email: enquiries@rockinghorse.org.uk

Crawley Wellbeing – The Year so far January and February traditionally have been a really busy months for Crawley Wellbeing as we support the needs of most of the habits people want to break in the New Year….Weight Loss, Drinking and Smoking. Many businesses are now returning to the office increasing the need of Workplace support we can offer. Many local companies have used our workshops around sleep and relaxation, alcohol reduction and happiness to help their employees be happy at work. Due to our extensive wellbeing programmes, we can tailor your business’ wellbeing needs and have many workplace and outreach events planned for the next couple of months to assist your business, and your team. Please email us for more details as to how we can support your staff. We are also pleased to announce we are now offering NHS Health checks which are available for anyone aged 40-74 with no pre-existing medical conditions and live or work in Crawley. We will check your height, weight,

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BMI, cholesterol as well as conducting lifestyle questionnaires to develop a strong picture of your overall health and offer recommendations based on the outcomes. We are currently offering these at K2 Crawley, and can be booked by con-

tacting us directly on 01293 585317 or at wellbeing@crawley.gov.uk and they will be offered on site at Workplaces in the near future to complement our Workplace package, so again, if you would like to register your interest or arrange workplace support for your staff, please get in touch.

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Would Losing Vital Files, Really Get Your Backup? We all know the sickening feeling of an application crashing losing your last hours’ work, accidentally overwriting an important file with unwanted changes, attempting to open a key presentation just before that major pitch only to get a “File Corruption” error. Now imagine if you lost days or weeks of work – or imagine losing your client database, financial records, and all of the work files your company has ever produced or compiled. IT Genie were recently referred to a company who had their systems encrypted by ransomware, including all their backups. Their most up to files were found on an old hard-drive from 2015!

2: The two backup copies should be on different media, disconnected from the original. Should one backup be corrupted or destroyed, the other would be available. 1: One copy of the backup should be in a different geographical location. So should a disaster such as a fire or flood occur, it would hopefully not affect the third. “But my data is safe in the cloud,” you say… But are sure about that? There is a common misconception that cloud-storage providers (Microsoft, Google etc.) fully back up your data on

your behalf - but the reality is this is YOUR responsibility. Unless your cloud-agreement states otherwise, the provider is only responsible for keeping the cloud services available, not the data on it: “We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data.” Microsoft Services Agreement Do not want to wait until your data has been wiped out to test your backup. Ask IT Genie to review your systems and backup solutions – call 0345 0945 353 or email info@itgenie.com

The 3-2-1 backup rule 3: There should be three copies of data. The original and two separate copies.

gdb has great strength and a vast array of experience in its membership and the Diamond Experts, Diamond Mentors & Diamond Training will support your business growth

#BuildingBusinessConnections

Wild Work Days with Sussex Wildlife Trust Are you looking for a fun and engaging teambuilding event to reconnect your team whilst you’re still working remotely or transition back to the office? From Beach Cleans to Digital Detox sessions Sussex Wildlife Trust have opportunities for every size of business. Taking part in our corporate environmental days will give you a great sense of achievement of working outdoors and help bring your team together. You and your team will undertake important conservation tasks and surveys, knowing you are making a positive impact for wildlife and the local community. It is proven that spending time connecting with nature can also help your team's productivity, creativity and most

importantly their wellbeing. Following a national partnership with The Wildlife Trusts Siemens reported that after just one day with their local Wildlife Trust, 81% of staff returned to work stating that they felt happier and healthier as a result. Many have gone on to become regular volunteers with their Trust, sustaining the benefits in the long term. Happy, healthy employees are more productive and stay longer with their employer. Come and join Sussex Wildlife Trust for a wild experience! If you would like to find out more about our corporate environmental days contact Louise on louisecollins@sussexwt.org.uk

Holiday Inn Gatwick Worth’s Fresh New Look

The last few years have been a very different time for us all! Through these challenging times, here at Holiday Inn Gatwick Worth, we have been busy with our £9 million fabulous and exciting refurbishment. We look forward to welcoming back all of our leisure and corporate guests to our 4* AA accredited hotel from 28th March, to see our brand new reception, bar, restaurant and bedrooms. Our new restaurant, Meadow - Kitchen | Bar | Terrace will serve classic and favourite dishes from around the world. Whether it be for dinner with work colleagues, afternoon tea with friends or

Diamond Magazine

Sunday lunch with family, we welcome you! The name, Meadow, was inspired by the history of the land, Crabbet Park, which was an Arabian horse breeding farm. Still to this day, there are horse stables and fields nearby so the land surrounding the bar/restaurant is described as a meadow. The bar has bi-folding doors that fully open and lead out to an alfresco terrace area with BBQ and pizza ovens – perfect for a summers evening! If you are looking for a meeting venue in the Crawley/Gatwick area, from May this year our five brand new event rooms will be ready for use. Our rooms range in

capacity, with our largest room now able to hold 350 guests. With state of the art technology and comfortable style, our rooms make the ideal location to host a conference. After the meeting, get some fresh air in the outside courtyard area, found directly from the meeting room. If you are interested in making a booking with us or for any other queries, please do not hesitate to get in contact. Louise Russell, our Sales and Marketing Director, can be contacted on louise@ higatwickworth.co.uk or 01293 884 806 ext 2006.

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Upcoming Events www.gatwickdiamondbusiness.com/events Networking

Thursday 10th March: 08.30 - 10.00

Friday 25th March: 11.00 - 12.00

Friday 1st April: 12.00 - 14.30

The gdb Business Breakfast

gdb Educational Seminar at Malmaison Brighton

Networking at Ease at Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club

• Brought to you in partnership with Crawley College, this monthly breakfast will provide a friendly, relaxed, and informative environment for local businesses to network. • £15 + VAT for gdb Members • £17.50 + VAT for Non-Members Thursday 17th March: 18.00 - 01.00

Gatwick Diamond Business Awards at The Grand Hotel, Brighton • We are delighted to be celebrating the 13th Awards at a NEW VENUE for 2022, The Grand Hotel 2022 with our celebrity host, Sally Phillips.

• Daring local young people to dream • Presenters: • Jack the Lad, Dare to Dream programme lead • Paul Scrivens, Chief Executive of The Love Local Jobs Foundation • Jake Standing, Partner and Head of Business Advisory at Kreston Reeves • Greg Burgess, Partner at DMH Stallard

Tuesday 5th April: 10.30 - 11.30 Friday 25th March: 12:00 - 14:30

gdb March Members Meeting at Malmaison Brighton with DMH Stallard • Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members • Free for gdb Members • £25 + VAT for Non-Members Tuesday 29th March: 08.30 - 10.30

CONNECTED CRAWLEY Get Connected with your Business Community through the Events Programme

• Network and build a range of business contacts, whilst enjoying a delicious three course lunch at this seafront hotel. • £37.50 + VAT for gdb Members • £47.50 + VAT for Non-Members

• Manor Royal and Crawley Town Centre BIDs, Freedom Works and Gatwick Diamond Business are delighted to invite you to the inaugural Connected Crawley collaborative networking event at the Astral Towers. • FREE for companies in the Manor Royal and Crawley Town Centre BIDs, and for members of Freedom Works and Gatwick Diamond Business.

gdb Virtual Elevenses & Networking • Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members • Free of Charge – gdb Members Only

Friday 8th April

Sponsors & Winners Celebration Breakfast Friday 29th April: 12:00 - 14:30

gdb April Members Meeting hosted by Sodexo Prestige at American Express Community Stadium • Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members • Free for gdb Members • £25 + VAT for Non-Members

#BuildingBusinessConnections

gdb welcomes new members Membership of gdb will help you raise your organisation’s profile within the Gatwick Diamond and build your business connections.

ADAVIRTUAL Business Support

www.adavirtual.com

ADAVIRTUAL Business Support offers administrative and operational support to fast growing start-ups and small businesses so they can focus on the key elements of their business. Their services range from back office administration to full streamlining of business processes. ADAVIRTUAL understands that as a new business, workload

can vary and so they are extremely flexible and work as business demands. ADAVIRTUAL work on a remote basis but prides itself on not losing the personal touch. Businesses are supported by a dedicated team assistant who will work with them, learn the business and integrate with their existing team.

Clive Wilson Marketing

www.clivewilson.com

Clive Wilson Marketing works with SMEs to solve a common problem; how to know if their marketing activities are working for them, not against them. With more than twenty years' experience in marketing, from web technology to social media, email marketing, print and digital media, Clive carries out a detailed marketing audit, investigating every aspect of a company’s marketing activities across multiple platforms and

channels. A full audit reviews their website, social media, paid advertising, email newsletters, articles and printed brochures. The results, compiled in a report, frequently include brand inconsistencies, website visual, technical and customer journey failures, poor or inconsistent messaging, misinformation, GDPR breaches, etc. A range of solutions is offered to bring the marketing back on track.

Data Mail Solutions

www.datamail.co

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From a few personalised transactional letters, to marketing mailings of over five million, you’ll find everything you need to produce a successful mailing campaign at Data Mail Solutions. From printing to attention grabbing envelopes, automated enclosing and the delivery of complex variable data briefs, means our in-house mailing solution makes

getting your message from desktop to doormat seamless. We offer advice on all critical elements of the pack from size, weight and quantities, to the myriad of postage options available as they all impact the effectiveness of your campaign. With Data Mail Solutions, you are in safe hands!

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Detail

www.wearedetail.co.uk

Detail creates inspiring brands that change perception, engage audiences and help businesses flourish. Breathing life into every element across design, websites, print and marketing communications. We are a multi-disciplinary design agency helping to create compelling brands with a voice that is heard in

an evolving and connected world. We’ve won awards for our clients too, based on results they have achieved. We are a friendly team and look forward to speaking with you about how great design and strategy can help get your business noticed. Please contact Ginetta George for those next steps.

Interparcel

uk.interparcel.com

We are one of the UK's leading online parcel comparison websites for businesses and individual senders. Working with the very best couriers in the industry (UPS, FedEx, DPD etc) we offer low-cost parcel delivery within the UK and worldwide. Fee-free and with no minimum spend, we help business customers grow their

brands with a wide range of account features and CMS integrations designed to streamline and simplify the shipping process. Bucking the trend of other delivery comparison sites, we have a local team of parcel experts, based in Crawley, available seven days a week, to deliver helpful and friendly support.

Merceric

merceric.co.uk

I provide Executive Coaching at affordable prices for managers in SMEs to help with challenges, career and leadership. I have experience in a wide range of organisations (engineering, education, healthcare, financial services, charities etc) and I am based in Sussex, but I deliver nationwide via Teams/Zoom or face-to-face.

I am accredited by the Association for Coaching, I am Masters qualified and have been coaching for over 10 years. My aim is to help managers to help themselves - and I don't tell you how to do your job! A free taster session is available, just get in touch.

Speakers for Schools

speakersforschools.org

Speakers for Schools is a youth social mobility charity, founded in 2010 by ITV’s Political Editor Robert Peston, and supported by the Law Family Charitable Foundation. The charity’s aim is to end educational inequality by giving all young people access to the same networks available

to fee-paying schools. It provides talks from influential figures as well as work experiences linking students to hundreds of the UK’s leading employers. It also includes Youth Card, a personalised app that brings work experience, inspirational talks and discounts into the hands of young people across the UK.

#BuildingBusinessConnections

Diamond Listing Directory Welcome to your Diamond Listing Directory The gdb member companies listed below have a Diamond Listing in the online gdb Members Directory. For a full list of gdb members please go to www.gatwickdiamondbusiness.com/68-diamond-listing.html And contact us to find out how to enhance your listing and raise your profile in PINK!

Accounting / Financial Services

Airport / Airline Services

Brewin Dolphin https://www.brewin.co.uk/ individuals/our-offices/gatwick paul.cannons@brewin.co.uk 01293 661323

Gatwick Airport https://www.gatwickairport.com/ richard.lennard@gatwickairport.com 0844 335 1802

Carpenter Box https://www.carpenterbox.com/ info@carpenterbox.com 01293 227670 Kreston Reeves https://www.krestonreeves.com/ tracy.morrison@krestonreeves.com 01293 776152 mnAI https://www.mnai.tech/ sales@mnai.tech 020 31516624 Servo Private Wealth https://www.servoprivatewealth.com/ info@servoprivatewealth.com 01444 715200

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd https://www.virginatlantic.com/ 01293 747747 Architectural / Construction / Maintenance Bill Solutions Ltd http://bill-solutions.co.uk/ enquiries@bill-solutions.co.uk 01293 553221 Banking HSBC https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ sarah.k.milligan@hsbc.com 07717 690813 NatWest https://personal.natwest.com/ personal.html Andrew.Kettle@natwest.com 01293 643096

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Environmental Services

IT Services / IT Support

Cleankill Pest Control https://www.cleankill.co.uk/ enquiries@cleankill.co.uk 0208 668 5477

Cloud9 Insight Ltd https://www.cloud9insight.com/ accounts@cloud9insight.com 01273 921510

Food & Drink Love Water https://www.lovewater.com/ nick.swan@lovewater.com 0345 5200820 Nestle UK Ltd https://www.nestle.co.uk/en-gb 020 8686 3333

Hotels / Venues / Events Ashdown Park Hotel https://www.ashdownpark.com/ conference@ashdownpark.com 01342 824988 Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Plc https://www.millenniumhotels.com/ torsten.puck@millenniumhotels.com 01342 348800 The Grand Brighton https://www.grandbrighton.co.uk/ info@grandbrighton.co.uk 01273 224300

Insurance / Risk Services / Compliance First Central https://www.1stcentralinsurance.com/ jo.harrison@1stcentral.co.uk 0333 043 2066 Plan Insurance Brokers https://www.planinsurance.co.uk/ marketing@planinsurance.co.uk 0203 004 5572

E-mpower IT https://e-mpower.it/ sales@empower.IT 01444 250404 Extech Cloud https://extechcloud.com/ info@extech.co.uk 01444 443200 Lucidity https://www.getlucidity.com hello@getlucidity.com 01273 830011 Red River http://www.river.red/ info@river.red 0844 8802357 Legal Services DMH Stallard LLP https://www.dmhstallard.com/ enquiries@dmhstallard.com 01293 605000 HCB Legal Limited https://www.hcbgroup.com/ victoriahazell@hcbgroup.com 01293 602892 Irwin Mitchell https://www.irwinmitchell.com/ Lee.Harding@irwinmitchell.com 01293 742700 Loch Employment Law Ltd https://www.lochassociates.co.uk marketing@lochassociates.co.uk 0203 667 5400 Mayo Wynne Baxter https://www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/ info@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk 01273 477071

#BuildingBusinessConnections

Manufacturing / Engineering Local Government / Public Sector Crawley Borough Council https://crawley.gov.uk/ 01293 438000 Logistics / Travel Services Cmac Group UK Limited https://www.cmacgroup.com/ paul.wait@cmacgroup.com 0333 358 0156 Cubic Transportation Systems https://www.cubic.com/transportation krishna.desai@cubic.com 01737 782200 DNA https://www.dna2b.com/ info@dna2b.com 0333 335 8585 Gatwick Express https://www.gatwickexpress.com/ Angie.Doll@gtrailway.com 0345 850 1530 ILG https://www.ilguk.com/ info@ilguk.com 0844 264 8000 Interparcel https://uk.interparcel.com gatwickdbusiness@interparcel.com 0333 3000 700 Metrobus https://www.metrobus.co.uk/ kevin.carey@metrobus.co.uk 01293 449191

Commtel https://commtel-uk.com/ sales@telguard.co.uk 01306 710120 Pentagon Plastics Ltd www.pentagonplastics.co.uk sales@pentagonplasitcs.co.uk 01403 264397 Medical / Health / Wellbeing Elekta https://www.elekta.com/ Crawley.Accounts@elekta.com 01293 654378 Varian https://www.varian.com/ steve.pullen@varian.com 01293 601200 Welland Medical https://wellandmedical.com/ SamJackson@WellandMedical.com 01293 615455 Motoring / Vehicles Bluelite Graphics Ltd https://bluelite.co.uk/ info@bluelitegraphics.com 01444 232366 Office Services Benchmark Reprographics Ltd https://www.benchmarkrepro.co.uk olliehall@benchmarkrepro.co.uk 01293 922500 IT Document Solutions Ltd https://itdocumentsolutions.com/ jermaine.weeden@ itdocumentsolutions.com 0207 101 0096 Regency Grove Communications http://www.rgcltd.co.uk/ enquiries@rgcltd.co.uk 03300 022222

Diamond Magazine

Property / Planning Services

Utilities

Thakeham Group https://thakeham.com/ info@thakeham.com 01403 787300

Control Energy Cost https://cec.uk.com/ sales@cec.uk.com 01737 556631

Recruitment / HR

Southern Water https://www.southernwater.co.uk/ 01903 272776

Mekeda HR Limited https://www.mekeda.co.uk meryl@mekeda.co.uk 07710 998291 Volt https://www.volt.eu.com/ Charlotte.Gurney@volt.eu.com 01737 774100 Training / Education Chichester College Group https://www.chichestercollegegroup.ac.uk/ info@chichester.ac.uk 01243 786321 East Surrey College https://www.esc.ac.uk/ employerservices@esc.ac.uk 01737 788316

Follow @gdbmembership and keep touch with latest news from the gdb community

Rewards Training https://www.rewardstraining.co.uk/ enquiries@rewardstraining.co.uk 01293 562651 Roffey Park http://www.roffeypark.com/ enquiries@roffeypark.ac.uk 01293 854020 University of Brighton https://www.brighton.ac.uk/businessservices/index.aspx enterprise@brighton.ac.uk 01273 641039

Go to the Events Page on the gdb website for full details on our upcoming events

University of Sussex https://www.sussex.ac.uk/ information@sussex.ac.uk 01273 606755

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