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You may already be involved in philanthropy, even if it’s not something you’ve really thought about in those terms before, as it’s about having a genuine concern for humankind and being motivated to do something to help others. This could be your family, friends, neighbours or the communities you are part of – acting in ways that makes life better for others. Philanthropy and good causes go together, because helping others by giving to charities has a long tradition. Family trusts, foundations and legacy gifts have well-proven traditions in philanthropy and will always have their place, but there are new ways to giving too that can suit some peoples’ needs better. Giving circles bring like-minded people together to boost the impact of their individual gifts and can be a really good starting point for philanthropy too if you are not sure about where to begin. As there are so many ways to give, your independent financial advisor can make sure you are able to do so in the most tax-efficient way to meets your needs and the future plans you have. There are more opportunities now for people to get more closely involved with the causes they choose to support, perhaps by offering their skills and expertise as well as financial help. But it can be daunting to navigate your own way through the more than 160,000 registered charities in the UK – knowing which ones are the most effective, or where your support will make the most difference. And it’s equally difficult for the excellent small, local charities to get their name and work known when they just don’t have the teams of people employed to market and promote themselves in the way that the big national charities can. This is where Norfolk Community Foundation can help. We connect the people who want to make a difference with the causes that matter to them and their families. We know the local charities, their strengths and what they are capable of achieving if they get the support they need – support that you may well be best placed to give. We do all the due diligence to give you the assurance that your gift will hit the mark and pride ourselves on reaching right down into those local communities. You will know that the impact you are making will stay with local people and local places. So, if you want to think about making your giving really impactful, we would be delighted to talk to you about the opportunities that are ready and waiting for you. Contact us on 01603 623958 or info@norfolkfoundation.com   *A version of this article originally appeared in SG Wealth Management’s Vision Magazine (Winter 2018 issue)

New research, led by the University of East Anglia (‘UEA’), reveals how being the target of workplace bullying can cause victims to behave badly themselves.

The study has confirmed that “the greater the intensity of bullying and the more the exposure to different types of bullying, the higher the likelihood of engaging in counterproductive workplace behaviour”.

In addition, the results show that “health-related symptoms are not always associated with experiences of bullying” and therefore misbehaviour may result from health problems even where bullying has not occurred.

Full investigation

This highlights that employers should always fully investigate apparent conduct or performance issues in the workplace, as it may be that these are a product of the employee’s health and/or the fact that they are experiencing bullying by colleagues.

Whilst employers sometimes decline to follow a formal disciplinary procedure in relation to employees that have less than two years’ service (as the risk of an unfair dismissal claim is much reduced), there are significant benefits in doing so. Not only does it perpetuate a more positive workplace culture, by ‘doing the right thing’, it could enable employers to uncover the real problem in a situation and also reduce the potential for alternative claims arising, such as disability discrimination.

Bullying characterisation

ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) characterises bullying as “offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient”. This can include seemingly trivial behaviour such as eye rolling and sarcasm, to more serious actions such as ostracism. Unfortunately, it is often the case that employees feel that they are being bullied by a colleague in a more senior position, which can prevent the victim from reporting concerns, for fear of reprisals.

Workplace culture

In view of the potentially critical effects that bullying can have on an individual’s own conduct, performance, health and well-being, plus the impact on business from days lost due to absence as a result, it is crucial that employers foster a workplace culture in which any form of bullying is unacceptable and addressed appropriately.

For advice relating to all aspects of Employment Law, contact Solicitor Carla Gowing at carlagowing@hatchbrenner.co.uk or call 01603 660 811.

The state of the car industry can be summed up in two words: fiercely competitive. In 2016, 44 automotive brands offered over 400 different model types to UK customers. Keeping up with consumer expectations in a crowded market can be difficult, especially when the industry in question is plagued by long production cycles. A vehicle that looked perfect two years ago might be a market dud once it comes off the production line. Not just that, but the mistake can last years as manufacturers can’t roll back production as other industries can.

Despite this, the automotive industry has enjoyed growth over the decade, and so far remains immune to disruption experienced by other sectors like the hotel industry with Airbnb, or Blockbuster and Netflix. The biggest change however, is the way consumers choose to go about purchasing and using cars.

For example, the growth of online car marketplaces like Autovolo, WeBuyAnyCar and WeWantAnyCar are empowering the consumer by letting them choose and streamline the process of selling cars. The Autovolo website takes you step by step in this process, and offers to pick up your vehicle and take it to their warehouse.

Social media and technology have given the customer more freedom. With just a few taps on their smartphones, customers can get all the information they need from a vehicle. Gone are the days of the salesman knowing what’s best for you, the consumer can now decide what they want, when and how.

More informed customers mean more factors that come into a purchase decision. Aligning product positioning, marketing messages and the needs of the consumer are apparent and visible online. Customers now prefer a relationship with what they’re buying, and with so many competing car companies on the market being informed on a significant choice, like a vehicle, is more crucial than ever.

By 2020, 40% of new car owners will be millennials, 88% of which use the internet to research a car purchase. It’s evident at this point that a robust online presence is necessary to connect with the next generation of buyers. Knowing your buyer beforehand will set up the UK car industry up for success in the next coming years, but it goes beyond being visible during the buyers’ research process.

Monitoring online conversation about the competition will help the industry understand what influences future purchase decisions. Although certain brands have a positive association that makes them stand out from the rest, (Honda is reliable, Volvos are safe, Jaguar and luxury) car manufacturers will need to also be approachable in the years to come.

The biggest threat to the automotive industry remains to be themselves; if they don’t change to the current trends, they could fail and become a thing of the past. Technology-driven trends like self-driving cars, electric cars, and rideshare apps are giving us a glimpse of how the UK car industry will look like. It will be automatic, and it will be fast. Listening to the new generation of consumers will drive the UK car industry into the future.

For a long time prepaid cards had a bad reputation. They were the sign that you weren’t good with money. It doesn’t necessarily reflect the truth. They can actually be a great way to budget, especially for business expenses. You can give these cards to specific employees and use them yourself for certain costs. They are a nice way to know what’s happening as far as spending goes and as a way to avoid overdraft, overspending, and financial negligence. There are many ways to use prepaid cards to your advantage as a business owner, take these ones into account.

Use Specific Cards for Specific Things

Since there are a wide variety of prepaid cards, you should understand the differences between them and how each can be used to your advantage. Using pre-loaded cars with a set amount is good for lower-level employees who you may not yet trust with larger amounts of money. They will be able to use the funds you give them for the things you need, and they won’t be able to go over.

Open-loop cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo are popular for paying wages and spending on expenses that have to do with payment. Some employers deposit wages directly to a prepaid card. Another popular way to use prepaid debit is to utilize them as travel cards. Some of these pre-loaded options have some of the best international rates and allow the user to take out money from ATMs around the world. According to the specialists at MoneyPug, a site used to look for UK prepaid cards, they are available in various currencies, including the Pound, Euro, and US dollar.

Different cards have different fees, after all, and you should be careful to find the ones that are the lowest. Determining what cards are good for your business can be difficult, but it will be worth it in the long-run. Since these cards are not linked to existing accounts, you will usually have to pay to activate them. Sometimes there are insurance, management, transaction, and ATM fees. Figure out which ones apply to which cards and find the one best suited to your business.

Allocate Funds

Prepaid debit cards are also a method for separating funds. If you have complicated expenses and need to know how much money you have for specific things, you can use prepaid cards to keep money sequestered. You can also give them to different people who handle those expenses, all while monitoring the spending, balance, and fees on each one. If you need to delegate certain amounts of money, prepaid cards can help you out.

Expand your Business

Some prepaid cards are designed with scalability. This can help you imagine how the company will grow and what will happen to the expenses when it does. If your business is growing, you can look into cards that will have this feature. You can also use them for remote employees and off-site contractors. Whether or not you need more than ten cards, some options cater to small businesses and are designed with expansion in mind.

Utilise Spending Limits

Normally spending limits on debit and credit cards of all kinds are not preferable, but prepaid cards can actually help you keep spending down. For example, if you are struggling to keep spending low, utilize the spending limits to help employees, the business, and yourself be more careful with funds. Some have daily limits and others have limits every month. There are also limits on withdrawals, which will help managers know how much money people are taking out. With caps on spending, everyone in the business will be more careful how they spend, when they spend, and why.

When you are a business-person, controlling spending and allocating funds is much of the job. Like every business owner, you probably want to expand. You can do so by utilizing spending limits and using the safety features that don’t allow for overdraft, excessive withdrawal, or overspending.

Spending doesn’t have to be a headache. Understand what these prepaid cards offer and you will get to use them to your advantage. Whatever field you are in, prepaid debit can help every business pay for expenses, save for specific needs, and allocate the funds in the right places.