Partner Ian Fitch talks to Oliver Paul, co-owner of the hugely popular Suffolk Food Hall. Oliver looks back on how the idea for the food hall came about; discusses the learning opportunities that came from expanding in the early days; and how he believes there is now a strong place in the market for small businesses and owner-managed businesses.
Oliver is a strong advocate of how listening to your customers is key. He speaks passionately about his team, and how their resilience and commitment to the business has helped them weather lockdown and the fatigue this can bring. He also talks about the ‘Venus and Mars’ approach to building a team.
In his own business, Oliver explains how he and his team are constantly learning and changing. He reflects on the positives that lockdown has brought, and the opportunities it has opened up for the future. He believes adversity can really help a business, and how we should always be ‘challenging the norm.’
Oliver’s passion for his business, and its location (Oliver is a key tourism ambassador for Suffolk) make for an engaging listen. This episode offers valuable insights, particularly to others in the retail sector, and anyone thinking of starting up their own business.
You can listen to Business Insights Chat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss out on next week’s episode with Susannah Rendall, Group Managing Director of The Boxford Group.
Newly designed printed travel information has been installed inNorwich city centre.We have also created an accessibility guide and short animation whichis availableto viewonline here.
Travel information at Norwich Rail Stationhas alsobeen improved as part of this scheme and offers rail passengers onward travel options including travel to key destinations such as Norwich Airport, UEA, N&N Hospital and Broadland Business Park.
Barclays has issued security tips for farmers after research shows that cybercrime has become a major threat to the industry.
New research from the National Cyber Security Centre and the NFU shows that in 2019, more than 60% of farm businesses reported one or more digital attacks.
This number is set to continue rising, as more farmers have switched to the digital world during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the back of this news, Barclays has issued a scam warning for farmers to remain vigilant following Brexit, which may well be requiring new or additional paperwork and agreements – presenting new opportunities for hackers.
Of the tactics most commonly employed by criminals, phishing scams pose the greatest risk to farmers, the bank explained.
Phishing uses emails and text messages impersonating organisations such as banks or the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) as a way to trick people in to handing over bank details.
In this series of insight webinars, local business leaders talk about how they’ve coped during the pandemic. The guests will be sharing their views and experiences on recent months and how they are looking forwards.
Aimed at other business leaders across all sectors, these FREE to join webinars will give you powerful and bite-sized information to take away to your own business.
Join us for our third chat in the series, hosted by Becky Ames who is joined by Michelle Pollard, Managing Director of Spider, an award-winning online job advertiser based in Ipswich.
Freebridge welcomes tenants to new homes in North Wootton
Freebridge Community Housing are delighted to have handed over the keys to nine brand new homes in North Wootton, following the completion of a second phase of work to replace a number of prefabicated houses with modern, thermally efficient properties.
This second phase of work, which follows on from the first finished last year, includes one 3 bedroom house, four 2 bedroom houses along with four 1 bedroom flats.
Lewis Pratt and Georgia Long, along with their one-year-old daughter Harper, are among those tenants who’ll be making one of the brand new two bedroom properties their home.
After coming from a one bedroom property on Anmer Terrace the location and size of the new property was a blessing for a young family.
Lewis said: “Once we had Harper everything had to change. When this home came up it was a shock, from where we had come neither of us ever thought we would be so lucky to end up in a place like this.
“I used to live on Blackthorn Road when I was younger and knew of Priory Road, I can’t believe how much better it looks now. It’s a better area for families, we’ve already been able to take the buggy out on walks in the woods.”
Freebridge Community Housing Chairman, Andy Walder, was on hand to pass them their new keys and officially welcome the family to Priory Road.
Andy said: “Having the chance to meet Georgia, Lewis and Harper, and hearing what it means to them to have such a fantastic new home, really does do so much to highlight the importance of the work we do at Freebridge.
“It’s a real pleasure to welcome all of the new tenants here to North Wootton. Freebridge are passionate about developing homes and creating opportunities for people within West Norfolk and we will continue to support the needs of the community by providing this much needed housing in a place where people want to live.”
As with the previous work completed the new homes were built in conjunction with a number of partners including local construction and building maintenace firm TM Browne.
Hopestead and Your Own Place CIC have joined up with a goal of preventing homelessness and supporting people to thrive in their tenancies;
Through their partnership, bespoke and engaging TILS+ training will be offered to Flagship Group customers from April;
The training has been designed collaboratively with the aim of empowering individuals to overcome barriers and thrive in their tenancies.
A new partnership between charity Hopestead and social enterprise Your Own Place CIC will seek to prevent homelessness and support people to thrive in their tenancies.
The two organisations have teamed up to create bespoke training courses – called TILS+- for Flagship Group customers, that will allow trainees to sustain a tenancy, gain additional independent living skills, and develop financial resilience.
Hopestead, a new charity and part of Flagship Group is offering the sessions, which will begin in April. The sessions will be open to all Flagship Group customers.
The interactive, engaging, and – above all – fun workshops have been developed over the last year through close collaboration between the Hopestead and Your Own Place CIC teams. Themes covered by the training will include tenancy responsibilities and money management.
The training – called TILS+ (Tenancy and Independent Living Skills +) training – has been tailored specifically for Flagship Group customers and will combine both face to face and digital learning, in line with any government restrictions at the time due to the pandemic.
It is suitable for people of all ages and in the many different situations that people find themselves in needing help in their tenancy, particularly with the challenges that many of us have faced over the last year.
Hopestead’s vision is to end homelessness in the East of England and central to that is taking steps to mitigate homelessness, long before it becomes a threat. Marie-Claire Delbrouque, MD of Hopestead explained:
“We believe that we need to do more to prevent homelessness, taking action before it becomes a risk. By tackling the root causes of homelessness and empowering people to take control and overcome the barriers that are in their way, we can stop homelessness becoming a reality for so many.
“And, a fundamental aspect of prevention is working to ensure homes are not lost due to rent arrears or a sudden change in circumstances, like so many have faced during the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Which is why our new partnership with Your Own Place CIC, a fantastic organisation with which we share common goals, is so crucial. Together, we can offer targeted support to empower people take control of their lives and sustain their housing in the community. Because we believe everyone deserves a place to call home.”
Your Own Place’s goal is to seek new solutions to old homelessness problems, and prevent homelessness. Rebecca White, Chief Executive, said:
“Sometimes an organisation comes along that just chimes with your approach. This was the case with Hopestead. Together we aim to end homelessness. We couldn’t be more delighted to be working with Hopestead for the benefit of Flagship tenants.
“Now more than ever, ending homelessness matters. Now more than ever, people are finding themselves in incredibly precarious situations not of their own making. Through our uniquely innovative and engaging digital and face to face Tenancy & Independent LivingSkills Training, we will see tenants feeling more confident with their money, better able to get help, make new connections, feel empowered to solve their own challenges and take steps forward.
“They will know that they are not alone, be able to get things like finances on track, keep their home and avoid future evictions and homelessness.”
Flagship customers interested in finding out more about the workshops should get in touch with their Housing Officer at Flagship Group in the first instance or email Weare@hopestead.org for more information.
OrbisEnergy welcomes another tenant onboard their virtual office offering as remote working continues to dominate the country. The company, which provides both physical and virtual office spaces with a focus on the clean energy sector, is seeing more businesses embracing the virtual way of life – and at a fraction of the cost. The latest tenant to join OrbisEnergy’s worldwide centre of excellence is A3D, specialist engineering surveyors who have almost 50 years’ worth of experience in their field. Providing engineering, design, draughting and surveying services to a range of major oil refining and distribution companies as well as gas, pharmaceutical, detergent and building constriction businesses, A3D’s move into virtual offices is the latest example of their innovative and dynamic approach. Colin Pittman, Director of A3D, said: “We are really focused on providing innovative, cost-effective and time-saving solutions for our clients.” “Joining OrbisEnergy on a virtual tenancy aligned with our goals, saving us costs on physical office space whilst also giving us access to a number of tenant benefits all under the umbrella of an environmentally-minded space.” OrbisEnergy provide both physical and virtual tenancies at their cutting-edge, environmentally friendly building at Great Britain’s most easterly point in Lowestoft, Suffolk. As more employers see the benefits of working from home but still require access to professional spaces as well as services including mail and telephone handling, OrbisEnergy are welcoming an increasing number of virtual tenants onboard. Alongside this, OrbisEnergy also provides sector networking opportunities, business support initiatives and sources of funding advice. Angela Grey, Building and Tenant Manager at OrbisEnergy said: “We are delighted to welcome A3D to the building as our newest virtual tenant.” “We are seeing more and more companies consider the switch to remote working but still requiring occasional access to professional spaces such as offices and meeting rooms. With our virtual tenancies, we are able to offer this access in a cost-efficient way whilst still offering benefits such as mail and call handling which is essential to many business’ operations.” OrbisEnergy is based in the UK’s most easterly point, Lowestoft in Suffolk. A hub for the nation’s clean energy operations, the building has been home to established names in industry including ScottishPower Renewables, Global Wind Service UK Ltd and 4C Offshore.
We’re on the hunt again, this time for a talented and hungry Digital Project Manager who desperately wants to get Naked. We’re looking for someone that can create, shape and run digital projects.
The offer:
You’ll get £23,000-£26,000 a year dependent on experience, holiday and pension. Plus, the money-can’t-buy experience of working with the legend that is Naked Steve.
Ideally you:
Are passionate about all things digital
Have worked previously in a digital role – and even better if that’s within an agency
Have experience of website project management. You’ll know how to wow clients, tell designers they are wrong, speak on a technical level with the codey types and manage to a tight deadline.
If you have a handle on SEO, Google Ads and Google Analytics then that’s a bonus
Get social media – but not so much that you can’t enjoy a sandwich without needing to take a photo of it
Take an interest in the world of brands and marketing
Are a team player with excellent initiative
Have a desire to make a positive impact
Value honesty and transparency
Are nice to people and don’t mind working with a mannequin called Steve
If that sounds like you, come and add your talent and help grow the Naked family. Please send your CV to james@nakedmarketing.co.uk with a brief note of why you would like to work with Naked Steve.
There was an outpouring of gratitude as people said ‘thanks west Norfolk’ on this year’s Love West Norfolk day.
After the difficulties of the last year, and in recognition of the difference people have been making for others, campaign organisers decided to theme this year’s Love West Norfolk day – the fourth – around the theme of saying thanks west Norfolk.
On the day, individuals and organisations – such as Fairstead Community Shop, King’s Lynn Samaritans, KES Academy Sports, King’s Lyn Park Run, Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, and the College of West Anglia – all got involved, sharing their gratitude online.
T/Superintendent Lou Provart, the Mayor of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Councillor Geoff Hipperson, Father Adrian Ling, Councillor Brian Long, and Lorraine Gore were amongst those sharing filmed messages to the community throughout the day.
And, the borough council, the QEH, Freebridge Community Housing, and Visit West Norfolk all took over the campaign’s social media Twitter account to convey their own messages of thanks to the community.
Prior to the day, members of the public were invited to submit their own messages of thanks which were unveiled on a wall of thanks: Thank You Wall – Love West Norfolk And, throughout the day, the Love West Norfolk heroes – who were all nominated by members of the public last year – were once again highlighted online.
The day culminated in a thanks west Norfolk film which featured the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk Lady Dannatt MBE, Liz Truss MP, and James Wild MP, alongside local and community leaders: https://youtu.be/MG3UfH_TrmA
James Bagge, Love West Norfolk’s Ambassador said: “Thank you to everyone who got involved in Love West Norfolk day. It offered us an opportunity to reflect and think about those who have lent a helping hand at such a difficult time, and there was so much heartfelt gratitude expressed for others.
“It was a pleasure to read the many messages, and it is clear that people in west Norfolk have gone above and beyond to support others.So once again, I would like to echo those words and say – thanks, west Norfolk.”
Follow the Love West Norfolk social media channels to get involved: Twitter: @LoveWestNorfolk Facebook: Love West Norfolk and Instagram: love_west_norfolk
Local accountancy firm Aston Shaw, provided its staff with free lunches throughout January in an attempt to keep the winter blues at bay.
Staff based at Aston Shaw’s Norwich office in The Union Building, Rose Lane have been enjoying hot, freshly prepared meals at the Rooftop Gardens restaurant recently, courtesy of their employer. Mark Noakes, the firm’s Director behind the initiative, commented: “January can be a tough time of year for many, it’s cold, dark and summer feels a long way off. We wanted to keep spirits high, and what better way to do that than with good food? We have a restaurant on the top floor of our building, so it seemed a shame not to make use of it.”
Just some of the hearty winter meals to be had by staff included Steak & Ale Pie, Beef Stew and Bangers & Mash. As staff looked forward to tucking in to a delicious free lunch each day, Director Mark Noakes quickly noticed a positive change in the office atmosphere: “Our offices have always had a positive energy about them, a unique vibe I think you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. This energy has been amplified over the past month and I think I speak for the majority of business owners when I say there are few things as satisfying as seeing your employees feel good about coming into work.”
The free hot lunches proved such a success that Aston Shaw have decided to continue providing meals for staff at a subsidised rate, branding it the ‘Aston Shaw Staff Canteen’. Mark Noakes, added: “The response was so positive that we’ve decided to make the initiative a permanent staff benefit by continuing to offer meals at a subsidised rate, allowing staff to have a healthy, filling and nutritious lunch for around the same price point as a supermarket meal deal”.
Congratulations to Alison, who was randomly selected as an Empresa winner from those that completed our game at the Norfolk Chamber B2B Exhibition on the Norfolk ShowGround. We hope you enjoy the Echo Dot and other goodies included in the bag!
KLM UK Engineering & Finnair Sign Line Maintenance Agreement
Paris, Amstelveen, Norwich – January 2018 – AFI KLM E&M subsidiary is delighted to announce the signing of a line maintenance agreement with Finnair.
A European leader in the regional jets & narrow body aircraft market and having an internationally acknowledged expertise on the Boeing 737, Embraer 170/190, BAe146/Avro RJ, Fokker 70/100 & Airbus A320 Family, KLM UK Engineering is delighted to confirm its contract with Finnair.
KLM UK Engineering will be supporting Finnair with their Embraer E190 & Airbus A320 Family aircraft providing line maintenance support in Edinburgh commencing early 2018.
Ian Bartholomew, Director Business Development & Sales – ‘KLM UK Engineering Limited will be supporting both Embraer & A320 aircraft for Finnair at our established line maintenance station in Edinburgh. Having been operating at Edinburgh for over 20 years, we are delighted that Finnair are part of our growing customer base and look forward to our future working relationship.’