Diamond Rough Cut October 2021
Hello from Jeff Welcome to your latest Diamond Rough Cut.
Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2022 get off to a great start!
We were very pleased to launch GDBA 2022 at our Diamond Alumni lunch at The Grand Hotel, Brighton on 1st October. The Awards dinner and ceremony, also at The Grand, will be held on 17th March 2022. The Awards are open to all businesses located or operating in the Gatwick Diamond, and we are now promoting to attract entries from a wide range of businesses of all types and sizes. The best place to start is our free online seminar, ‘How to Win Awards’, on 20th October led by Donna O’Toole, CEO of August (The Awards Consultancy). Donna is herself a Queen’s Award winner and recognised as one of the UK’s top experts in her field.As well as hearing about how to win awards, you will find out from a real expert why simply entering for the right award can benefit you and your business. You can book your place at ‘How to Win Awards’ .
For more information on award categories, sponsors, how to enter and key dates, please visit our dedicated Awards website - GDBA2022.There are a few remaining sponsorship opportunities which I’d be very happy to discuss with you. We have received excellent feedback from our in-person events so do look at your events calendar to see what is coming up, including the October Members Meeting at the Roffey Park Institute sponsored by EMW. I look forward to seeing you then if not before!
How to be the Greatest Networker! Do you turn up at a Networking Event armed with a Clipboard ready to get lots of leads? Are you that person handing out your business card before anyone asks for one? Do you follow up with an email pretending you met a person at an event when really you were never there? Are you a talker without listening? Are you consistently scanning the room whilst in a conversation? Are you a taker not a giver?
If you want to avoid being that person………..here’s how:
Turn up to a Networking Event with an idea of who you would like to connect with. It’s good to have a focus to your networking, it stops you chatting to the same old faces and allows you to build your connections organically rather than a “pushy” “forced” lead generation exercise. The gdb Team are always willing to help you make those connections, always ask us if a particular member has arrived or if you didn’t get a chance to speak with them email us and we will be happy to pass it on.
Strike up a conversation. No one wants a business card thrusted into their hand without speaking to that person first and then witness that same said person doing it to everyone else in the room. A good networker spends time finding out about the person they are chatting too, identifying some common ground to build a relationship before “striking” up the conversation of “let's work together".
It’s great to connect. There’s nothing wrong in connecting with event attendees before you attend the event, LinkedIn is great for that. But always remember to add an invitation note like; “Hello I am attending the XXXXX network event, and it would be good to connect. I am the XXXXXX for XXXXXXXX” and perhaps add your email address. It’s also fantastic after you've met someone to follow up, after all they have given you their details, so they want to connect! Never ever pretend you have previously met someone just to get a foot in! That never builds trust, also you have got their information page 3 without their permission.
Listen! and ask Questions? The best way to grab attention is to ask the questions, listen intently and reply with genuine responses. That’s all you need to do….no one likes the “Me” show! The best networkers are those who attend events with the attitude of “who can I help today”.
Stay interested. There is nothing worse that talking to someone and they are looking around to see who else they can chat to! It means they don’t value what you are saying. How would you feel to be on the receiving end of “looking for something better”? When you do have to leave a conversation, be polite and leave at an appropriate point, never cut someone off!
Give more. We all love the feeling of leaving a networking event having made good connections or having had real fruitful conversations. But before you ask for something from someone or first ask yourself; “what can I offer them” – ask the simple question, “is there any way I can help you today”. It’s about interactions rather than transactions. The gdb hashtag #communityofbusinesses isn’t by chance. The dictionary defines “community” as the people living in one particular area or people who are considered as a unit because of their common interests, social group, or nationality. And that sums gdb up
Put these tips to the test by coming along to the events below Events Calendar
If you want more from your Membership, Networking, or just a Chat
Book a Call with Mandi
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ISO 14001 User Survey 2021
Does your business have an Environmental Management System using the standard ISO 14001? Anya Ledwith from Eshcon is calling all users of ISO 14001 to take part in the survey, taking place across the world. We’re seeking your views on the standard – how it works for you, what you like about it and what future challenges do you expect in relation to changing business practices? Survey should take 20 mins to complete. Your input will help with the revision of ISO 14001 next year (that I am leading). www.eshcon.co.uk/iso14001-survey Thanks for your feedback! Anya Ledwith Eshcon
Loch Associates Group one-liners
Working in HR services and Employment Law, we can often tell early on from what’s said in the very first meeting how an employee issue is going to work out. Here are some of the best (or worst!) one-liners our HR Consultants have encountered: “I’m leaving because you never gave me a tea break and made me look after your dog for 10 years” On a Zoom meeting – “I’m not going to listen to anything you have to say, you can’t make me stay in the room anyway so goodbye” Employee states – “Just so you know, I’m recording this meeting” An old favourite – “I’ll see you in court” On a serious note, with the increase in employee disputes, it’s important to try to control potential negative exits as it could result in costly litigation. If you don’t have Employment Tribunal insurance cover, it may be time to think about contacting us to get it sorted out for you. Also including restrictions in your contracts to prevent negative online posts is a good idea too! www.lochassociates.co.uk
Increase your career potential Whether you’re looking to start a completely new career, or you want to advance in the career you already have, our employmentfocused Higher Education courses provide the skills, knowledge and experience needed to fulfil your future potential. There are many benefits to studying a Higher Education course with Chichester College Group. Want to find out exactly what they are? We’ve listed them all for you below Save more, stay local with university level courses delivered on your doorstep Delivered by experienced, industry specialists Degrees awarded by leading universities Tuition fee loans with flexible ways to pay Working with more than 1,500 employers Smaller class sizes for quality learning Condensed study to fit around your life Learn in industry-standard facilities Graduates typically earn between 20% and 30% more than those with lower-level qualifications. Find out more at https://www.chigroup.ac.uk/HE or email our HE team at HE@chichester.ac.uk
Shout the Sun Applications By Louise E. Taylor, Creative Leadership Coach, Performance are Open Poet & Comedian Celebrating National Poetry Day, 7th October. I was inspired to write this for my friend Liam, aged 11, who was having a tough time. It’s just as relevant for the grown-ups! When life is tough and full of stuff not wanted, scheme a dream! Hullabaloo! Yip yap! Rip rap! Twist and shout! There’ll be no doubt you’ll win through.
When you’re stuck in a rut with a belly full of jelly that turns you inside up, take a drop of joy, become your favourite toy. Leap and lark from dawn til dark, look up not down, be the clown.
Wander barefoot in the sand, feel the fun inside your hand! Plick pluck it, tuck it under your chin, take a break, be a snake, wiggle your toe, then let go! Shout the sun! Be your fun! Sparkle star on the beach, nothing is ever out of reach.
www.louiseetaylor.com
Applications for the next INSPIRE programme start in November are open now! The INSPIRE innovation programme is a unique, five-month one-to-one coaching programme developed by the University of Brighton is based on world-leading research, informed, and shaped by SMEs. The innovation programme supports growing businesses to identify key partners, develop a bespoke innovation readiness review and action plan, and pairs them with their very own innovation coach.
To find out more about the INSPIRE and BRITE programme head to our website briteinnovation.co.uk or get in touch via email hello@briteinnovation.co.uk
A growing team at MCA
“As part of MCA’s Core Values, we believe it is important to the Construction Sector that we play our part in training up the next generation. Our industry is suffering from a skills shortage that requires help from businesses to futureproof young engineers. Therefore, MCA are proud to welcome three new trainee Engineers, Kyle, Adam and Sebastian.
At MCA we are keen to recruit locally and all three Apprentices are from Horsham and Crawley. They will be starting their training in September whilst studying Building Services Engineering Technician Apprenticeships in London. We’re excited to offer them the opportunity to kick-start their careers and gain new skills that are relevant to MCA and the construction sector. By developing new talent under our wing, we can instil and nurture our culture and ways of working so up and coming talent understand our business, our sector and the need to build better buildings”. www.mcaltd.co.uk
Join the conversation
Last year SME business owners from across the country shared their challenges and thoughts with us as they faced one of the most difficult environments we've ever experienced. A year on, and we’re inviting business owners and leaders to share how they’re doing once more. From what’s working well; to new challenges as we navigate the ‘new normal’. By completing the survey you’re helping to shape the picture that emerges. We’ll be sharing the results over the coming weeks and working to share our knowledge further to help address your concerns. By completing our short survey, you’ll also receive an advance copy of the results and will be in with a chance of winning a £50 gift voucher or donation to a charity of your choice. Join the conversation and share your thoughts by scanning the QR code or visit yourrighthand.co.uk
Access2Funding bag
business award and in running for four more
R&D tax specialist Access2Funding has recently won the award of ‘Financial Services Firm of the Year 2021’ in the City of Manchester Business Awards (COMBA) and has been shortlisted for four other prestigious business awards. The Growing Business Awards honour the UK’s most outstanding entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses and Access2Funding is a finalist in the ‘B2B Business of the Year’ category. In the Enterprise Vision Awards, Access2Funding’s CEO Dawn Coker is a finalist in the ‘2021 Businesswoman of the Year’ category. The Women in Finance Awards 2021 promote the importance of an inclusive finance sector and Access2Funding is a finalist in the ‘Employer of the Year up to 250’ category.
Don Haymes & Dawn Coker
Finally, the tax specialist is a finalist in the City of Liverpool Business Awards (COLBA) ‘Employer of the Year 2021’ and ‘Business of the Year 2021’ categories. Dawn Coker, CEO of Access2Funding, said: “Receiving recognition for our growth and success during the last 16 months feels more poignant than ever as I have been so inspired by the resilience and innovation of our clients across the UK amidst such a difficult backdrop.” Visit Access2Funding.
New Team Member for Control Energy Costs
Joana Pereira Martins joins the team as client manager A results-oriented Client Manager with the proven ability to collate information & data, co-ordinate signed metering agreements, conduct and provide project updates and ensure accurate data entry which allow a seamless working operation. As an active team player, Joana has experience with working alongside internal teams to solve issues and problems that may arise. Her daily responsibility is to ensure any data errors are resolved effectively.
In her spare time, Joana enjoys visiting her friends and family, and believes it’s important to maintain such relations, holding this in high regard in her principles. A keen learner, she also stays on top of current fashion trends that often help inspire her personal designs. With that being said, Joana is currently in the process of starting her own brand. How exciting! Her other interests involve travelling; with the hopes of exploring Europe more and also her love for dogs. Joana can’t wait to have her own furry best friend. https://cec.uk.com/
Furlough is Ending What Now? It’s the moment we’ve all been anticipating since March 2020; the furlough scheme is entering its final weeks, and employees have some big decisions to make. As of Thursday 9th of September, 1.6 million Britons were still on furlough, and many will be concerned about re-entering the workforce eminently. Some individuals will be returning to their old routine, whilst others will be kickstarting a new career. Which route are you, colleagues, or family members taking? As we approach the fourth quarter of 2021, we want to remind you about the ‘Back on Track’ initiative, a platform to help those looking for support on their next steps. It could be within employment, social responsibility, or training courses. It’s no secret that companies are struggling with staff shortages across different sectors, and evidently, we know this will have a detrimental effect. However, we work with fantastic organisations that can help you right now. Find out more here: https://www.rpdfoundation.co.uk/.
Art for art’s sake Senior figures at DMH Stallard play key roles with various creative organisations in the region. Heidi Copland, head of Planning and Environment, has recently become a trustee of the Phoenix Art Space, a Brighton venue that provides a range of creative opportunities including 100 affordable artists’ studios, two public galleries, 15 free exhibitions throughout the year, talks and presentations, short courses and variety of workshops. Senior Litigation Partner, Tim Ashdown, has been a trustee of the award-winning Towner Eastbourne contemporary gallery since it became an independent charitable trust in 2014. Construction specialist, Kerry Beattie, sits on the board of HOUSE Biennial, a curated programme of contemporary visual arts events, and former Managing Partner, Tim Aspinall, is a board member of the Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust.
HCB welcome Louise to the Team HCB are proud to introduce Louise Trist, who recently joined us to build and promote a new Commercial Property Department servicing business and corporate clients within the Gatwick Diamond, Surrey, Sussex, Kent and beyond. Louise is an accomplished Solicitor with experience in a broad range of commercial services, including landlord and tenant matters (along with new leases and lease renewals), business sales and purchases and commercial contracts, option agreements and overages.
Tim Ashdown said: “I’m very proud of our longstanding support for the arts; this commitment is something that the firm values greatly.”
Louise acts for developers of small sites dealing with option agreements and/or conditional contracts all the way through to the plot/unit sales after development. She also acts frequently on residential portfolio purchases, with or without tenants in situ.
dmhstallard.com
Louise has a varied client following including agents and corporate clients and is highly regarded in the Commercial Property Sector. Her reputation is evidenced in the 5 star reviews she regularly receives from clients, who quote that Louise goes “above and beyond”.
www.hcbgroup.com
Random Three word passwords are best We have been told for years that our passwords for emails, online banking, shopping etc. need to be long, contain capitals, numbers, and special characters. These can be a nightmare to remember, and many people end up using the same one for everything or just replacing letters with special characters. Such as C0mput3r or some other word that is recognisable. It is possible to search the internet and find lists of many of the permutations. Cyber thieves use these within programs to attack sites such as Banks, Email hosting companies etc. to see if anyone’s account cracks. Of course, they don’t have every permutation but then they don’t need to. They only have to guess correctly once. The alternative is to use even stronger more random passwords and have different ones for all accounts. But to do this you need a Password manager (1Password etc.). which a lot of people can’t be bothered to implement. According to the Government site of National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) the most effective password is made up of 3 random words (NCSC lifts lid on three random words password logic - NCSC.GOV.UK). By using 3 random words the password usually ends up being fairly long but with careful choice they can be strong and easier to remember; DogBonioMess! HouseKidsToys SchoolLovedDrama And so on. optima-systems.co.uk
The Plan Group wins Best Employer Award 2021 The Plan Group are celebrating being named Best SME Employer at the recent British Insurance Awards. Managing Director, Grant Georgiades collected the trophy from comedian, Rob Beckett at a prestigious ceremony hosted at the Battersea Evolution Centre. The judges recognised the Redhill based firm for their investment in training and development as well as their employee relations strategy. Putting their staff first, The Plan Group foster an environment where people enjoy coming to work, and have provided an extremely attractive workspace for those coming into the office. Grant reveals what the award means to him: “We work in an incredibly competitive industry, yet we’re managing to stand out from the crowd. That can only come from a shared desire and drive to deliver excellence. I’m proud to work with such a great team and thank our employees for nominating us”. The Plan Group are currently recruiting, please visit their careers page at https://www.theplangroup.co.uk/careers/or email them at jobs@theplangroup.co.uk
John and Grant
Congratulations
Creative Process Digital celebrate the Apprentices starting new jobs Creative Process are welcoming a new group of 25 digital apprentices as they start new jobs with a wide range of employers who are committed to supporting young people and embedding digital apprenticeships and skills as a part of their growth strategy. More than ever employers understand that digital skills and capabilities are critical for effective working in the 21st century and for staying ahead of the game. Creative Process would like to say a special thank you to all of our employers who've just hired a new digital apprentice and are empowering the next generation of digital talent! Find out how you can sure up your business with a digital apprentice at our next Employer's Briefing Webinar - Register here or contact philip@creativeprocessdigital.com
What was the first thing you did at work? What was the first thing you did after you went back to the office when lockdown was lifted? I sneaked out of the office, for two days, to visit Subcon 21. I couldn’t wait any longer to find out what’s new in the innovation world. I personally find these events inspiring and fulfilling. Conferences draw a large and diverse crowd of innovators to showcase their latest achievements and ideas. You never know what you might see, and you are definitely hardly prepared for the wow effect it never fails to produce. I love innovation and I love that now, innovation is no longer only seen as ground-shattering breakthroughs meant to revolutionise the world. We have become aware that sometimes to achieve big results, we need to think small. I believe that focusing on a series of small ideas will surely get the innovation ball rolling which will have an appreciable impact over time. www.randdtax.co.uk
Disability Matters
Martin Searle Solicitors launch Disability Matters Their October 2021 campaign to stamp out Disability Discrimination in the Workplace. Their campaign coincides with World Mental Health Day on 10 October. They have found that the pandemic and numerous lockdowns have resulted in a notable increase in people seeking employment law advice about disability discrimination at work. This increase has been widespread among workers struggling with mental health disabilities such as depression and anxiety. The campaign includes a virtual seminar for charities and non-profit organisations on Managing Ill Health and Disability, run in partnership with Community Works. This will take place on Wednesday 20 October at 10.30am. They are also running a free 30 minute confidential advice line on disability rights and employer duties. Employers, employees and workers can call 01273 609911 from 3.30pm - 5.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout October. For more details about the campaign, visit www.mssolicitors.co.uk/disability-matters
Top Tier ISO27001
Information Security Management from Extech Cloud
Information security is a serious concern for any business owner. Extech Cloud, which works with many different types of business in the South-East, including within the financial and legal sectors, has recently achieved recertification for the international standard, ISO27001 for Information Security Management. “This accreditation helps reassure our clients that we can provide a high level of security, and has given Extech Cloud staff the confidence to detect security risks for clients, providing an extra level of protection” explains Extech Cloud Director, Andrew Hookway. The BSI (British Standards Institution) auditor was very happy with found Extech Cloud’s security management system to be “extremely robust, well maintained and managed”. When compared with others globally, it was found to be in the Top Tier for this accreditation. For support with your IT Security, or to learn more about Extech Cloud’s ISO accredited Information Security Management system, contact the company on 01444 443200, info@extech.co.uk, or use the contact form on the website.
Auctioned cow for Childline TV antiques star presents cheque
Tim Wonnacott has presented £1,000 to the NSPCC’s Childline for a ‘cow’ at Summers Place Auctions near Billingshurst. Mr Wonnacott, presenter of Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip, obtained the resin model of a Friesian cow in 2002 as part of the first animal model parade in which ‘cows’ were decorated by different artists across the country, raising more than £600,000 for Childline overall. The ‘cow’ has now been auctioned once again, fetching £1,000 in aid of Childline, with no buyer’s premium charged. Mr Wonnacott said: “The cow had previously been in my field for 20 years in West Sussex getting fattened up waiting to be taken to market! I can’t think of a worthier cause to contribute to.” https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
The End of Server 2012 is Nigh! You know when your PC or smartphone is due an update – But what about your server? Old servers cause poor performance and put your business and data at greater security risk.
Support for Windows Server 2012 finishes in October 2023
By this date you must have planned, budgeted, approved and finished implementation of any Server 2012 migration. I am on Server 2012, what should I do? Realistically you have two choices: 1) An Expensive Shiny New Server – Purchasing a new server with an updated Operating System is the traditional option. Top of FormHowever, this is expensive, inflexible and requires ongoing support, and power. Bottom of Form 2) A Brave New ‘Cloudy’ World - Migrating your server functions into the cloud, can be the ideal solution for businesses looking for flexible and financially agile options. To discover the 7 reasons why you should migrate to the cloud visit https://itgenie.com/category/blog/
Events Thursday 14th October – gdb Business Breakfast – October 2021 8.30 - 10.00 Join us for a morning of networking and hear from a guest speaker whist enjoying a delicious full English breakfast £15.00 + VAT for gdb Members £17.50 + VAT for non-members Wednesday 20th October – The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards: How to Win Awards Seminar 14.00-15.00 Stay informed and learn from previous winners and judges to help you achieve an Award Free of charge Thursday 21st October – “Making networking work” 10.00 - 11.30 Learn how to maximise your ROI form your networking Free of Charge - gdb Members Only Friday 29th October – gdb October Members Meeting at Roffey Park with EMA Law LLP 12.00-14.30 Join us for our monthly Members Meeting and stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free for gdb Members £25 + VAT for non-members/Guests
Tuesday 2nd November – gdb Virtual Elevenses & Networking 10.30 - 11.30 Stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free for gdb Members Only Thursday 11th November – gdb Business Breakfast – November 2021 8.30 - 10.00 Join us for a morning of networking and hear from a guest speaker whist enjoying a delicious full English breakfast £15.00 + VAT for gdb Members £17.50 + VAT for non-members Friday 26th November – gdb November Members Meeting at South of England Event Centre with 12.00 -14.30 Join us for our monthly Members Meeting and stay connected with the gdb Team and your fellow Members Free for gdb Members £25 + VAT for non-members/Guests