Adept Supply Chain Solutions are pleased to offer a free no obligation ‘Business Vitality Health Check’.
Our ‘starter-for-ten’ document generates an overview of your business’s current status and our criteria differs according to the market sector your business operates in. Adept’s takeaway from the business review is an understanding of your business goals and objectives and an overview of your key operating processes. From this, we then generate a scope of work and quotation. Our solutions are bespoke to you and we adopt the most appropriate problem-solving tools and implement effective counter-measures to improve levels of productivity and profitability.
We don’t compile glossy reports and then leave you to sort the issues for yourself!
Instead, we have a ‘learn by doing’ approach. We go straight to the coalface and start implementing measurable improvements immediately, primarily focusing on Quality, Cost and Delivery (QCD) metrics. However, our approach is structured and some of our tools such as a Continuous Sustainable Improvement Plan (CSIP) and improvement Project Charters are generic to every improvement activity that we undertake, regardless of the business type.
We focus on all aspects of your value-chain(s) to ensure alignment of products, processes and people to your strategic plan and that all processes are efficient as possible.
The key to success is ensuring that everyone understands their place and contribution as an internal supplier and/or customer!
For more information contact Steve Grace at enquiries@adeptscs.co.uk or 07890 657047
Six Weeks of Summer Special – just £49 for two players! Includes:
18-holes of golf on the Hill course for two people
Use of golf buggy
Voucher for two bacon rolls in the Sports Bar
To reedem this fantastic offer, simply visit the post on Facebook (click here) like this post, tag the person you would bring with you and quote on booking the code. *HILLB2B* To book call 01603 757505, email golfshop@barnham-broom.co.uk or pop into the shop! Valid Monday-Thursday from 10am until Sunday 8th September 2019. Terms and conditions apply. Subject to availability.
Last week’s record-breaking temperatures were welcomed by some but for others the unprecedented heat created serious problems.
For local charity, The Benjamin Foundation, it threatened to destroy a ground-breaking art installation, called Flight for Youth, which consisted of thousands of glazed pottery butterflies which had been put in place at The Assembly House to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary.
Every single butterfly was attached to the structure with a glue backing but thanks to the extraordinary hot weather a few butterflies decided to try and escape the installation when the glue melted causing the fixings to come away from their ceramic backs. Which is where Abate leapt to the rescue…
We went to site to install a giant butterfly net measuring 22 metres by 7 metres to capture any falling butterflies and prevent further damage.
Colin Lang, Project Manager for the Benjamin Foundation said “We needed to act very quickly to secure the butterflies and I thought netting would be an ideal solution. I contacted Jon Blake the MD of Abate Pest Management who dropped everything to assist. Within hours, Abate carried out a survey, they then sourced specific netting from one supplier, ties from an electrical contractor and was ready to implement a solution to completely secure the butterflies and remove any safety issues.”
A team of three people from Abate between them carried out 11 hours of work in-between a wedding and the Run Norwich 10k race. Jon Blake from Abate said “We suspended and cable tied bird netting to the pre-existing scaffolding to create a barrier to prevent any further butterflies from falling. We were delighted to help, especially as the charity has done such a great job with the amazing spectacle of colour.”
Colin added, “Abate were heroes in my eyes, they went to all the trouble of helping in true community spirit and to top it all, Jon said that Abate would pay for all the works and materials. Sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, with the temperatures continuing to soar and more butterflies falling, it was felt that the installation was a potential danger, so it has been moved to ground level but we remain so grateful to Jon and his team for leaping to our rescue at our time of need. I would personally like to thank such a great company for their support.
The Benjamin Foundation is an independent charity operating in Norfolk and Suffolk. They bring hope, opportunity, stability and independence by supporting people through the challenges that life may bring them, including homelessness, childcare, bullying and abuse. They have a team of over 200 staff and each person plays their part in helping around 2,500 children, young people and families each year.
Abate Pest Management is an award winning pest control company based in Morley near Wymondham. They provide domestic and commercial pest control, including audited food grade premises, hotels, schools and for Housing Associations. Abate has multiple accreditations and certifications including CEPA, BPCA, Triple ISO, SafeContractor and CHAS. They were awarded the small company of the year at the 2019 British Pest Management Awards and recently became a local Future50 company. Visit www.abatepestmanagement.co.uk, email sales@abateltd.co.uk or call 01953 603390.
We are seeking a confident, hard-working, self-motivated team player to be responsible for sales and support of our email marketing service Smart Messenger. No industry experience necessary, full training provided.View Job Description
We are a small, passionate team based in Taverham looking for a hard-working, self-motivated team player who is ready to learn more about the business world.View Job Description
The role will be primarily web development & programming. You will learn to use a large variety of tools to develop websites and applications that require a keen, enquiring and logical, mind to succeed.View Job Description
The children of Ingoldisthorpe Primary School became nature detectives for the last day of their summer term on a visit to Anglian Water’s new natural wetland at Ingoldisthorpe near King’s Lynn, which they helped to plant a year ago.
Stocked with native flora, the wetland is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. It has been created in partnership between Anglian Water and the Norfolk Rivers Trust as a simple, natural solution to remove unwanted chemicals, including phosphates and ammonia, from water treated at Anglian Water’s water recycling centre there, rather than needing to rely on a traditional built facility with the associated energy consumption and carbon production.
After passing through the water recycling process, millions of litres of water every day filter through four large, interconnected pools, planted with a range of native plants. The plants remove the chemicals before high-quality water is returned to the River Ingol.
The children, aged between five and 11, were on site not just to learn about the wetland and its role in the water treatment process, but to help with Ingoldisthorpe’s first ever Bio-Blitz, which saw experts from Anglian Water’s biodiversity team, the Norfolk Rivers Trust, the British Dragonfly Society and wetland plant provider Verdant Solutions spend the day surveying the species which have made the site their home.
After just a year, the wetland is already a haven for wildlife, including bees, breeding birds, amphibians, dragonflies, bats and water voles. More than 120 species were spotted on the day, with the final tally still being calculated. It’s hoped that the number of species to be found at the site will grow over time, with the 2019 Bio-Blitz providing a benchmark for future years’ measurement.
This ambitious initiative exemplifies Anglian Water’s commitment to making a positive difference to its local communities and the environment, recently enshrined in a ground-breaking change to the company’s Articles of Association which ensures that public interest is embedded in the heart of the company’s constitution.
Following the success of this flagship site at Ingoldisthorpe, Anglian Water hopes to build more than 30 similar wetland sites across its region in its next business plan, which will take the company through to 2025.
We are so pleased to be able to showcase this amazing lady, Zoe Green at NCFE, who studied with us for the MRS Advanced Certificate and not only achieved a Distinction but then went on to be awarded the MRS Excellence Award for her qualification achievement and her commitment to the industry.
This is thoroughly deserved and Zoe will be presented with her award on 6th June at the MRS Excellence Awards lunch at the prestigiousSmith & Wollensky venue in London to recognise her.
She also studied with us for her Apprenticeship in Level 4 Market Research and achieved a Distinction on that course too!With apprenticeship success under her belt, Zoe not only had the foundational knowledge but had also developed a thirst for more Market Research training and took on the Level 5 qualification.It’s not essential to do the Apprenticeship before the Advanced Certificate and both can be done independently.We recommend starting with the Apprenticeship if you are new to Market Research or go straight to the MRS Advanced Certificate if you are more, well, advanced!What worked well for Zoe though was that because she achieved a Distinction on the Apprenticeship, it meant that she didn’t have to do the written “Integrated Assignment” part of the Advanced Certificate and could just study for and sit the exam.We’ve loved watching her progression as she’s grown in expertise and confidence.
Her tutor, Suzanne, said… “Zoe has been a pleasure to teach, she works hard and is committed to progressing her career in Market Research.The result is a very fitting one for both her Level 4 Apprenticeship and Level 5 Certificate. We have every confidence that she will have a very successful career”
Zoe very kindly gave us a testimonial to sum up her experience studying with us:
———————————— I have recently completed my Market Research Society (MRS) Advanced Certificate with Swarm Bluewater. It was a great opportunity to continue learning and progress on from the Level 4 Market Research Executive apprenticeship. I was taught by Suzanne who was incredibly supportive and knowledgeable throughout the whole course. The learning was engaging, I had plenty of opportunities to practice mock exam questions and received helpful feedback.
In my current role as a Research Analyst I work on a variety of different projects that require using various research methods. I am using the skills and knowledge I have gained from the qualification on a daily basis in my current role. I have not only developed new skills, but the course has also helped me to solidify my knowledge making me more confident in decision making and taking on new projects.
Zoe Green, Research Analyst, NCFE MRS Advanced Certificate Graduate
————————————
If you would like to study for the MRS Advanced Certificate or would like to offer the opportunity to an employee so they can turbo-charge your marketing strategy, it can really open doors for both learner and employer.For a brochure please contact Sally Harris on 07434 947944 or email her on sally.h@swarmgroup.org.uk.Feel free to request a meeting with one of our tutors if that would help you to get more insight into the course.
With cyber security a hot topic on board agendas, the appetite has never been stronger for a safe space to learn and engage with fellow business owners on this ever-changing topic.
The vision for the cluster is to become a trusted source of advice on cyber and information security matters.
By providing a ‘safe forum’ for members to discuss issues, challenges and security incidents and helping to enable and empower businesses and business owners to take their cyber security in hand, the cluster members hope to promote the cause across Norfolk, Suffolk and beyond.
Bi-monthly regional events are being planned to provide useful, actionable insight as well as a chance to network with other, similar businesses to yours.
Other events will include annual half-day workshops which will give access to free training and a chance to meet experts and security vendors.
How to get involved The cluster is looking for new members – sign up on the website and follow on Linked In.
They would also be keen to hear from potential sponsors and supporters as well as speakers – share your expertise, knowledge or experiences. In particular, if you feel able to share your experiences of a data breach, ransomware attack or similar please do get in touch.
A Norwich based IT expert has won an international award for his work within the software development community.
Chris Sainty, Lead Software Engineer with Flagship Group, has been recognised for his outstanding contribution by securing the prestigious ‘Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award’ run by the software giant.
The award is given by Microsoft to ‘technology experts who passionately share their knowledge with the community.’ The scheme has been around for 20 years and is extremely exclusive – there are only around 2,500 MVPs worldwide with just 153 in the UK. This is out of a technical community of over a million.
Chris’s achievement is due to his work on a Microsoft product called Blazor. He has been blogging about the product for the last 18 months and he has even written about it for a number of high-profile technical publications.
He also offers support and expertise online to fellow software engineers, and more recently, he was invited to take part in a podcast and present at a software development event in Cambridge.
“I’m delighted to have won this award, I still can’t quite believe it, it’s like signing for a football team like Real Madrid in the software world” Chris explained. “From a professional perspective at Flagship, I hope having an MVP will help us attract more like-minded people that are passionate about technology and inspire others to work towards the award”.
For Chris, this recognition gives him the opportunity to work with the teams at Microsoft. All MVPs are invited to the annual MVP Summit at Microsoft’s HQ. “Having the opportunity to give feedback and help shape the products you love is pretty cool.” Chris said.
This award is highly celebrated at Flagship, an employer who encourage their staff to do great things. Matt Brazier, Director of IT & S at Flagship said: “We are thrilled to see Chris getting this recognition. He is committed to developing his knowledge and technical expertise to meet the needs of our colleagues and customers. Having such expertise in-house is a major benefit to Flagship and winning this award from Microsoft is a huge endorsement for Chris – we are very proud of all that he has achieved”.
MVP status is awarded for 1 year after which MVPs must re-submit for the next year.
We often get asked how to create a secure password. There are many different ways, but one option is to do the following:
Create a short sentence which is personal to you, which you can remember, e.g. At the weekend, I love to paddle in the sea.
Take the first 2 letters of each word in the sentence: Atthwe,Ilotopainthse.
Change at least one character to be a symbol: Atthwe,Ilotopainth$e.
Change at least one character to be number: Atthwe,Ilotopainth$3.
This provides a really secure password which will make perfect sense to you but appears completely random to on-lookers. Remember, if your password can ever be recovered, rather than being reset, it has not been encrypted correctly! This is therefore a security risk as your password could be exposed to hackers if they gained access to that system. For added security, always utilise a different password for every system or website you use!
Spire Solicitors LLP and the Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals Charity are pleased to announce a partnership to increase the charitable aims of the Charity, as well as provide benefits to the valued members and staff who are the influential front-line of the NHS service in Norfolk & Norwich.
The partnership will allow for the N&N Hospitals Charity to continue with projects that make the hospital experience a better one for patients, visitors and staff. Donations raised by the charity are used in many ways, from funding toys on children’s wards to lifesaving equipment in various departments or wards. More recently, the Charity launched the Boudicca Appeal to fund the much-needed development of the Breast Cancer Unit at the NNUHFT.
Spire Solicitors LLP will be delivering a series of events and opportunities over the coming months to raise money for the Charity & Trust. The first event will take place in September and will be an open-forum seminar held for the 17,000 strong members of the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust. It will cover the basics of inheritance tax, estate planning, wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and later-lifetime planning to ensure wishes are met appropriately.
Kristian Tangen-Sorgendal, Head of Marketing at Spire Solicitors LLP, commented: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work closely alongside this instrumental charity and parent organisation to help them augment their charitable goals and objectives for members & staff.
Our first event in September is only the start of our long-term plans and we look forward to delivering a comprehensive fundraising and support strategy to all involved under the partnership.”
Louise Cook, Head of Fundraising at N&N Charities, commented: “We’re delighted to be working with the team at Spire Solicitors LLP, whose invaluable knowledge will help support our main aim of improving patient, visitor and staff welfare at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.”
Five new franchisees have recently completed their initial training and have begun trading as TaxAssist Accountants in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Mark Gibbs (Southend on Sea), Martin Murray (Swinton), Salmaan Shaikh (Surbiton) and Prav Tyagi (Manchester South), along with Declan Browne (Newbridge, County Kildare) are the latest franchisees to become part of the TaxAssist Accountants network in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Martin Murray, a FCCA qualified accountant with almost 30 years of experience, said: “Having followed TaxAssist’s progress over a number of years and long history of continuing success and development, I feel confident it will accelerate my practice development beyond what I could achieve on my own. The TaxAssist Brand and operating framework is modelled to give the most efficient working processes which are essential in a very competitive and vibrant sector of the market. I believe this translates into the best value for money a small business can get from their accountant.”
Before joining the TaxAssist network, Prav Tyagi gained more than 20 years’ experience in the finance, risk and regulatory world of UK national and global banks.
“What attracted me to TaxAssist Accountants is its unique approach of ‘retail’ accountancy shops use of scalable integrated software suite, active use of social media, and a strong technical, marketing and operational support team backing you and your business to grow,” explained Prav, who is a Fellow member of both the Association of Accounting Technician (AAT) and Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA), “I am confident of TaxAssist franchise model and look forward to build up a successful accountancy practice.”
Salman Shaikh, a Fellow member of ACCA, worked in a variety of accountancy practices for 15 years before being attracted to the TaxAssist franchise opportunity and praised the initial training he received at the Support Centre at Norwich’s Broadland Business Park. “All the staff have always been supportive, and the organisation culture is professional, progressive, friendly and positive. To work in an accounting practice is one thing, and to run one of your own is entirely another one. With TaxAssist I always get personalised continued support, which really a great thing. Joining the network as franchisee has been a wonderful experience.”
Karl Sandall said: “We were delighted to meet such a fantastic group of new franchisees and we look forward to helping them to grow their practices. They were joined by four other new franchisees who also completed their training and will be shortly be taking the reins of existing practices.” If you would like more information about becoming part of the TaxAssist Accountants network, please email our Franchise Recruitment Manager Nikki Haythorne by clicking the link at the top of this page or call 0800 0188297.
Group Business Development Director James Mattam has recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with The TaxAssist Group
It was 26th July 1999 that James Mattam joined the fledgling franchise TaxAssist Accountants to be part of a team of just four staff and a network of 41 franchisees.
Having just completed his honours degree in Business Information Systems, James was recruited as IT Manager to build websites and provide support to franchisees. Promotions to Marketing Manager and Senior Business Development Manager followed, before joining the Board of Directors in 2016.
Reflecting on his experience with The TaxAssist Group, James said: “I’ve had a fantastic 20 years working with TaxAssist. I feel very fortunate to have found such a forward thinking and supportive employer which has enabled me to grow both on a personal and professional level and one which I am proud to represent at Board level. I am very much looking forward to the next 20 years!”
To celebrate James’ special anniversary, Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive of The TaxAssist Group presented him with a cake and a card and thanked him for his hard work and dedication.
Karl said: “Many congratulations to James for reaching this milestone anniversary and also for dedicating himself so enthusiastically to helping to grow the network so successfully.
“Having spent his entire full-time career with TaxAssist Accountants, James has witnessed and embraced huge changes in technology and software over the years and he has played a fundamental role in delivering record client leads to the network, developing new marketing, brand and business development strategies and the expansion of our network of shops.
“James’ recent achievements have involved the launch of a national television brand campaign – the first of its kind in the UK for the accounting sector – and expanding the social media programme for the UK franchise network to drive more awareness in each local territory.
“The TaxAssist Accountants Support Centre in Norwich, which has recently expanded to allow for anticipated growth, has 51 members of staff with 359 years of experience between them. If you combine this figure with the 1,086 years of combined service of our network of 215 franchisees, this really highlights the stability of support and the experience of the accountants around the network.”
Karl Sandall himself heads towards 20 years in franchising in 2020 which also marks the 25thanniversary of the founding of the TaxAssist Accountants franchise.