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Passing the Baton – Making a success of succession

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The session will start by looking at how you can build a business someone would want to buy, ways in which you can maximise the sale value and the sale process itself. After a short break we will look at personal succession planning and how you can create personal wealth alongside your business development. We will consider how much money is enough for retirement and how you can build security for future generations. Finally we will uncover the new opportunities that the recent announcements have created.

Ipswich Suffolk Food Hall, Wherstead, Ipswich IP9 2AB

Monday 3rd November

Sessions at 8.15am and 12.15pm

Norwich Henderson Business Centre, Ivy Road, Norwich NR5 8BF

Wednesday 5th November

Sessions at 8.15am and 12.15pm

Great Yarmouth Beacon Innovation Centre, Camelot Rd, Gorleston-on-Sea,NR31 7RA

Thursday 6th November

Sessions at 8.15am and 12.15pm

Each Masterclass is expected to last 2 hours including questions and will qualify for 2 hours of SRA accredited CPD. Light breakfast or lunch included.

These Masterclasses are free of charge but early booking is recommended as places are limited.

BOOK YOUR PLACE – www.chadwicks.co.uk

Fast-paced multiplayer & Stories of British-based Robotics Start-ups

What:Fast-paced multiplayer & Stories of British-based Robotics Start-ups

When:Wednesday, July 6, 2016 @ 6:30pm

Where:The King’s Centre, King Street, Norwich, NR1 1PH

How much:Free

RSVP:https://www.meetup.com/Norfolk-Developers-NorDev/events/231093858/

Fast-paced multiplayer: an introduction to client-side prediction and server reconciliation. Gabriel Gambetta

Creating multiplayer games is hard. One of the reasons is that networks are unreliable and laggy. In this talk we’ll discuss several techniques to give players a smooth experience even under suboptimal conditions.

Gabriel Gambetta

Gabriel was a senior software engineer at Improbable for a year because turning into its Head of Marketing for some reason. Before Improbable he had spent four years as a software engineer at Google, and nine years running Mystery Studio, a small indie dev studio, where he started researching networking techniques for multiplayer games after making yet another match-three stopped being challenging.

Transforming the Status Quo: Stories of British-based Robotics Start-ups Dominic Keen

Autonomous robots open up amazing possibilities for highly productive one-to-many modes of human-machine operation. Rather than needing to push your vacuum cleaner around the house, you’ll soon just get it started and tell it whether it has done a good job at the once it has cleaned up all the dust. These new types of autonomous machines will allow us to reclaim much lost time and will usher in new paradigm of hyper-performance that entirely transforms the status quo for both the users and creators of technology. Through telling the stories of the foremost British-based robotics start-ups, Dominic will demonstrate the breadth of robotic invention and the hope it gives us all for the future.

Dominic Keen

Dominic Keen started Britbots to helping British robotics start-ups flourish by providing access to capital and opening up new commercial opportunities. He brings a wealth of experience to rapidly growing early-stage businesses, having previously floated the software business he created on the London Stock Exchange. Dominic has been a member of the Great Britain judo team and graduated in Engineering from Cambridge University. He is a passionate advocate of the societal and economic benefits of widespread robotisation.

“I am a successful British entrepreneur. Having previously floated the software business that I founded on the London Stock Exchange, I now help exciting ventures to maximise their growth potential. My fascination with all things robotic drives an impassioned evangelism of the field.”

Work at Height – The do’s and don’ts

Work at Height Regulations Do’s and Don’t s

Firstly what do the Work at Height Regulations cover?

There are many myths around Health and Safety- and the most commonly quoted is that Ladders are banned, or that the Work at Height regulations only apply to work above 2 metres: both are wrong.

The Regulations do have a code of practice/ guidance document that explains their meaning in more straight forward terms; but essentially under the Regulations, you must ensure:

all work at height is properly planned and organised- Risk Assessment is key!
those involved in work at height are competent- not just trained, but have the right knowledge and attitude to work safely, and are able to protect those who may be affected by the work at height
the risks from work at height are assessed, and appropriate work equipment is selected and used; the equipment needs to be fit for purpose and used correctly
the risks of working on or near fragile surfaces are properly managed- whether roofs, loft spaces or sky lights
the equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and maintained- a simple checking regime is essential

We have compiled some simple Do’s and Don’t based on the Code of Practice

Do….

* as much work as possible from the ground- this is safer – take advantage of new technology & equipment

* ensure workers can get safely to and from where they work at height- this is often forgotten – the whole task needs to be planned

* ensure equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job, maintained and checked regularly- User checks are essential.

* take precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces

* provide protection from falling objects

*consider emergency evacuation and rescue procedures; things can and will go wrong, so plan for this

Don’t…

* overload ladders – consider the equipment or materials workers are carrying before working at height. Check the pictogram or label on the ladder for information, Use team members, tool belts etc

* overreach on ladders or stepladders- a common cause of injury; it takes a few seconds to step down and move the ladder

* rest a ladder against weak upper surfaces, eg glazing or plastic gutters; plan safe work at height- generic assessments will not suffice

* use ladders or stepladders for strenuous or heavy tasks, only use them for light work of short duration (a maximum of 30 minutes at a time) Longer periods of time would suggest that a safe system of work is available

* let anyone who is not competent (who doesn’t have the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job) work at height- or who is suffering from a medical condition which affects their balance – or has a habit of working with their shoe laces untied!

To conclude- Work at Height needs to be planned, in simple terms you need to think of the Environment where the work at height is going to undertaken, the task that is going to be undertaken,and all the equipment that will be required, and who will be doing the work, and who could be affected by the work that is being undertaken.

Dependence modeling using multivariate copulas with applications

Multivariate data abound in many applications including insurance, risk management, finance, biology, health and environmental sciences. Copulas are a currently popular way to model multivariate data as they account for the dependence structure and provide a flexible representation of the multivariate distribution. They allow for flexible dependence modelling, different from assuming simple linear correlation structures and normality, which makes them particularly well suited to many applications in finance, insurance and medicine, among others.

Course objectives This 2-day short course:

Introduces and develops the theoretical aspects of dependence modeling with copulas both for continuous and discrete multivariate data.
Presents real-data applications of multivariate copulas describing features of existing copula software.
Presents the latest developments both in theory and practice.

Target Audience The course is intended for actuarial practitioners, risk professionals, consultants and academics. Course Outcomes After the course, the participants will have a firm knowledge on the theory of copulas and the use of copulas for dependence modelling in finance, actuarial science and medicine. The course is worth 10 CPD hours.

Course Leader Dr Aristidis K. Nikoloulopoulos has worked extensively with copula dependence modelling for discrete data with applications in biostatistics and his research has also included work on copula dependence modelling for continuous data with applications in finance, and environmental studies. His work on copulas has appeared in some of the most prestigious journals in Statistics and he has been invited speaker to numerous international and major conferences, workshops, and seminars all over the world. He has also been invited to give copula courses in other international institutions such as the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Course Delivery Dates: 17-18 September, 2012 Cost: £575 + VAT Venue: UEA London There is a 10% discount for UEA alumni, 30% discount for academics and 50% discount for postgraduate students.

This includes course materials, refreshments and lunch.

Registration You can register your interest for this course online, or by returning a completed booking form, or by phone on 01603 591578.

More Information We can also deliver this course at an employer’s premises and would be happy to discuss details of this and any customisation.

For more information on the courses and services we can offer please contact:Sue Johnson Centre for Professional Development Tel: +44 (0) 1603 591578 Email: professionaldevelopment@uea.ac.uk

Oktoberfest Norwich

It’s On! Oktoberfest is returning to Norwich in October 2019!

OPEN Norwich is celebrating Oktoberfest! Their iconic building at the heart of Norwich on Bank Plain will again be transformed into a German themed Bierkeller bring to the city the only large scale indoor Oktoberfest to be taking place in Norwich this year. Complete with authentic Bavarian beer, food and entertainment the venue will become one of the biggest celebrations ever seen in our Fine City.

Early Bird & Standard price includes unreserved seating and Beer Stein.

Individual VIP tickets are also available for each session, as well as a limited number of VIP tables for eight people. As a VIP you will get the following:

Reserved seating stage side on trestle tables of eight
Beer stein
Food voucher
First drink voucher
Table service for food and drinks

On offer will be a range of authentic German beers and quality food – including the world famous Bavarian bratwurst. There will even be a Gin and Prosecco Bar for those who would like a glass of fizz. Entertainment will be provided by the UK’s Premier Bavarian Oompah Band The Bavarian Strollers and Euro-Pop band and much, much more.

Energy Supply Chain Roadshow – Imperial Hotel,Great Yarmouth

Come to the EEEGR Supply Chain Development Roadshow and find out how we can help you grow with the Energy Industry!

THIS EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND!!!

There are huge opportunities mapped out for the future of the energy industry in the East of England and EEEGR have the resources to help your business develop within the supply chain and make the most of those opportunities through their Supply Chain Development Programme.

Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund this programme gives you the opportunity to meet with industry and business development specialists who can offer guidance, assistance and the contacts to help you grow within this ever enlarging industry.

This non-prescriptive programme can look at any aspect of your business and produce tailor made plans to enhance your business development; Whether it’s an open discussion to get a fresh perspective on your business; getting support and possible investment for your latest idea or technology; or if you want to undertake a full and in-depth review of your business and develop a completely new growth plan, then EEEGR’s supply chain team can support you.

We’re focussing upon three complementary approaches to develop our supply chain.

Support businesses that have already secured opportunities within the sector, and build on these strengths. Engage with businesses planning to enter the market and help them to understand the industry. Explore opportunities for companies unaware of the sector, matching gaps in the supply chain to the capabilities of businesses. These events will allow you to find out more about the programme, how it works and the teams behind it, meet with other industry businesses and network over an informal business breakfast at one of 8 locations across the region, view the full schedule below:

7th September 2012 – Imperial Hotel, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 14th September 2012 – Suffolk Enterprise Centre, Ipswich, Suffolk 21st September 2012 – Henderson Business Centre, Norwich, Norfolk 28th September 2012 – Essex Technology Innovation Centre, Ongar, Essex

5th October 2012 – Leiston Enterprise Centre, Leiston, Suffolk 12th October 2012 – St John’s Innovation Centre, Cambridge 19th October 2012 – OrbisEnergy, Lowestoft, Suffolk 26th October 2012 – Colchester Business Centre, Colchester, Essex

16th November 2012 – Harwich International Port, Harwich, Essex

For more information and to book please visit https://www.eeegr.com/events/supply-chain-roadshow-1055.html

Important Changes to “08” Telephone Numbers

Consumer Contract Telephone Helpline Changes If you are in business selling goods and services or digital content to a consumer – these regulations will on the whole apply to you. Whilst there are some exemptions we would recommend that you study the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and plan accordingly for the 13th June 2014.

What Does This Mean? By the 13th June 2014 all telephone numbers which you provide for Post Contract queries (customer services, payments etc.) must cost no more than “Basic Rate”

• Basic Rate means not more than a geographic or mobile rate, the following number types wouldcomply:

– Geographic numbers starting 01, 02 or 03 – Mobile numbers starting 07XX – Free to call numbers such as 0800 or 0808 • Sole use of Premium rate (09XX) and other revenue sharing ranges (e.g. 0844, 0871) for postcontract lines will no longer be legal.

• Reduction (or complete loss) in revenue share when using 0844/0871

What Can I Do? • Issue new “Basic rate” numbers for use on Post-Contract calls and ensure they are advertised as prominently as the normal ones. These “basic numbers” can run in parallel with your existing numbers but remember you will need to tell customers who ring the old number, that a cheaper number is available.

• Companies using numbers starting 08XX, can apply for an equivalent 03XX number from their service provider. There’s no need to remember new numbers just substitute the 8 for a 3.

• Where calls are answered using Automated Attendant or IVR type systems, messages can be played to the caller telling them of the alternative number to ring for post- contract queries.

• Separate post sales calls and allocate new numbers ensuring you advertise these

• Choosing 0800 numbers for post contract calls may result in mobile customers being charged and then customers requesting a refund of the additional costs. This is due to change in 2015 when OFCOM change the mobile rates for 0800 and calls to such numbers from mobiles become “free to caller”.

For further guidance on these changes visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/fil…

5 Steps to Getting Your Website Ranked on Google – 2015

Getting listed on Google’s first results page can be very difficult. There are many tools and services that promise to get your website listed. What exactly will help you to get the results that you want? There are five things that will get your website on Google’s first results page. Guaranteed.

The key to high rankings:

Step 1: You have to know what you’re doing

Don’t just blindly follow the advice of gurus and self-proclaimed ‘SEO experts’. Don’t believe everything that you read. When it comes to search engine optimisation, most things are opinions instead of facts.

Do your own tests. Create a website just for testing purposes and find out what works and what doesn’t. Educate yourself and keep current. That is very important because ‘SEO’ changes rapidly.

Step 2: You have to work with your web pages

Some people think that search engine optimiszation is a one-shot thing, or that ‘SEO’ can be done on auto-pilot. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work.

If you want to succeed, you have to invest a lot of time and effort in your search engine optimisation activities. There are several things that you have to do to make sure that your website becomes a success: keyword research, optimising pages, fixing technical errors, etc.

Without investing time and work into your web pages, you won’t get the best results. Fortunately, there are tools that will help you to get things done as efficiently as possible.

Step 3: Show search engines that you’re serious about it

Google wants to rank high quality websites in the search results. This is the mysterious “authority” that is often mentioned in SEO articles.

To build a website that has ranking authority, you have to do several things: create web pages that have good content, present that content in an attractive way and engage with your audience. Basically, your website has to deliver what the web searchers wants.

Step 4: Be smarter than your competitors

Everybody wants to be listed on Google’s first results page. The person who does more, will get better rankings. If your competitors invest more time in search engine optimisation, they will get better rankings.

It’s also important that you invest your time in the right things. A person who is working a lot on the wrong things won’t get good results. If you work smarter than your competitors, you will get better results. If you do the right things in the right order, you will get results more quickly. Here’s an easy to understand step-by-step tutorial.

Step 5: Be patient

Website promotion takes time. It is possible to get some quick wins but lasting results that will deliver a steady stream of new visitors to your website take some time.It takes time to research the right keywords, it takes time to optimise your web pages, it takes time to fix the architecture of your website, etc. Be patient, do the right things, and your website will get the rankings that it deserves.

Website promotion isn’t rocket science. The five steps above are a sure way to get in Google’s search results.

Energy Supply Chain Roadshow – Henderson Business Centre, Norwich

Come to the EEEGR Supply Chain Development Roadshow and find out how we can help you grow with the Energy Industry!

THIS EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND!!!

We’re focussing upon three complementary approaches to develop our supply chain.

16th November 2012 – Harwich International Port, Harwich, Essex

For more information and to book please visit https://www.eeegr.com/events/supply-chain-roadshow-1057.html

October ILM Training Course: “Developing Effective Facilitation Skills”

RPA Ltdishostinga 2-day “Developing Effective Facilitation Skills”workshop to bepresented by trainers fromthe Institute of Leadership and Managementon 22/23October 2012andwe have a fewspacesleft on it which we would like toofferto otherChamber members.

This Workshop, to be held at ourconference facilities in Loddon, Norfolk,providesa basic introduction to facilitation and is the core module for any organisation wishing to introduce and manage change. The workshop will examine: •Listening and Intervention Techniques •Process and Creative Thinking techniques •Learning how to apply the approach to situations

The course will cover the use and application of the following tools and techniques and Process Skills including: •Four Level Model of Feedback •Summarise, Propose, Output (SPO) •Braindump and Clustering •Relative Importance Grid •Four Box model •Going Dotty •Fishbone •Analogy •Values Chain •Matrix Charting •Five Questions

Workshop Structure The Workshop begins with an introduction to the underpinning theory and an explanation of the framework which guides the facilitator. Participants then learn to use some of the key facilitator skills and practice some techniques.

On Day two the participants practice some more techniques and then try them out in exercises and a ‘real’ topic (relevant to the business). In this way the participants will have understood the rationale behind the theory, practiced using the techniques and tested their use in a pragmatic context.

As a result of participating in the Workshop they will be able to: •Identify how to make quality improvement and problem solving activities more productive •Use a range of creative thinking and process techniques at the appropriate time to improve the way in which a group is working together

Each delegate will receive a copy of the book: Facilitation – an Art, Skill, Science or All Three? and the manual: Facilitation – Models, Tools and Techniques for Effective Group Working.

If you are interested in joining us and would like more information, please contact Esther Reeve at RPA Ltd atesther.reeve@rpaltd.co.uk.

How we did SEO for Quiddi Compare

We have been working on the Search Engine Optimisation forQuiddi Compare (https://quiddicompare.co.uk/) for just over 6 months. Seach Engine Optmisation, also known as SEO, involves using a host of techniques toboost one’sposition on Google for hundreds and thousands of relevant keywords. After implementing ourSEO changes, it usually takes Google around 6 months to show your true results. You may find that your rankings flunctuate a lot in the early days but by 6 months, Google has a better indication of your site’s worth and can rank you accordingly.

So now that we’ve done our 6 months for Quiddi, one of the leading loan comparison sites in the UK,we can finally see the results of our hard work which include a first page position for ‘compare payday loans,’ ‘payday loan comparison’ and ‘best payday loans.’

Our Approach

We had to be careful. The SEO techniques in the UK for the payday loans industry are notoriously spammy, something that actually caused Matt Cutts, the head of Search at Google to issue a specific Payday Loan Algorithm to tidy things up (find the video below). This algorithm means companies trying to rank for payday loans receive special attention. Accordingly,your SEO techniques need to be whiter than white to provide sustainable results. If you plan to use thin content which is duplicatedor generate unnatural links, you will be penalised. With this in mind, we executed the following strategy:

Content –We created useful and resourceful information surrounding all the different types of loans, credit cards and mortgages. We created a source of information so whether it was in the main body or on the sidebar, you could find every bit of information that you need. This achieved to keep users on the site for longer because the information was relevant to them.

Links –The SEO for loans can be very spammy. So rather than buying links from unknown and irrelevant websites, we made a relationship with every company we got a link from so it looked as natural as possible, including PR in news articles and money guides.

User Experience –The user experience is more and more important in Google’s eyes. To emphasize this, we put the site on a secure service (https), made the site responsive (and mobile friendly) and included a host of images and videos to create an overall great experience for customers.

Social –We worked on the social media following for the website to follow the premise that a site with more tweets and shares looks more relevant than one without. We ran competitions on facebook and twitter and included iPad giveaways to generate social traction.

Looking further ahead, we are creating various tools and widgets for users to play around with and find the best loan product for them. We want to show the search engines that we are more than just content and loans but somewhere you can get advice and insight that you won’t find anywhere else.

Do you smell piña coladas? The interesting question of scent marks

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal addresses the fascinating topic of scent marks. While the marketing world is increasingly exploring the possibilities of advertising through appeals to our senses other than sight, among them touch and smell, the question arises as to whether scent marks can be protected legally – and hence carry value for their holders.

While in the US some scent marks have received the USPTO examiner’s approval, and descriptions such as ‘the mark consists of the scent of’ bubble gum, oranges, piña colada, vanilla, and so on can be read in the Register, this is not the case in the EU or in Switzerland. Indeed, for a mark to be registered in those jurisdictions, it must first be capable of being represented graphically. Failing that, a mark can simply not be registered in a paper or electronic Register.

Capturing the scent There is a reason for this. Indeed, the problem with scent marks may be more technical than legal, as the case of the Eddy Finn Ukulele Company’s piña colada-scented ukuleles shows. This company, which sells ukuleles smelling of piña coladas, discovered that ukuleles they had shipped to overseas markets had lost their scent during the trip.

The volatility of scents is not the only issue, however. As any perfume-wearer would know, scents also evolve with time and moreover are perceived differently from one person to another. And these problems also have implications for the registration process. What should be filed? Bottled samples, whose content will change over time, and which two different examiners will perceive in different ways? Chemical formulas?Descriptions? The answer has yet to be found. Moreover, if we keep in mind that the function of a mark is to distinguish brands from each other, this might prove to be quite the challenge when dealing with two marks ‘consisting of the scent of oranges’, for example.

That said, scents remain a wonderful marketing tool worth exploring. When we recall that smell is the sense that conveys the strongest emotional value of all and that emotions play a crucial role in consumer behaviour, the massive potential of scents in the market becomes clear. We all have our madeleine of Proust, and smell can bring to the surface feelings and sensations that were deeply buried within us and thought lost forever.

Similarly, studies have shown that the smell of vanilla has a calming effect on cattle, and this has led to the wide use of this scent in the feed industry. A pleasant scent could have the power to blur the sensation of time for consumers and modify their visual or taste perceptions in ways that may encourage them to purchase more. This power is already being harnessed in boutiques and malls around the world: Abercrombie & Fitch, with its signature scent ‘Fierce’, and Verizon Wireless, with the ‘flowery musk’ that perfumes its stores, are two major players that use scent marketing with flair.

Anca Draganescu is IP counsel at Novagraaf in Switzerland