The Norfolk Mead have refreshed their popular takeaway Afternoon Tea menu for June.
The summer-inspired menu now includes a strawberry and ruby chocolate pot, lemon drizzle cake with lemon curd, alongside owner Anna’s famous chocolate brownie with salted caramel banoffee topping. The full cream team also includes fresh sandwiches which have been refreshed to include smoked ham with Dijon mayonnaise, mature cheddar and chutney, and egg mayonnaise with mustard cress. For savoury fans, there is a sausage and apple roll, and of course, the amazing plain and fruit scones with clotted cream and fruit jam. James Holliday, Owner of the Norfolk Mead commented: “It has been really fun working through ideas to refresh our Afternoon Tea menu for June – inspired by summer flavours of strawberry and lemon, we are so pleased with the new menu. A cream tea is a real treat – very celebratory, and our customers are enjoying laying everything out at home to enjoy in the garden whilst the weather has been so gorgeous. “Now the lockdown measures have been eased to allow larger groups to meet, we’ve heard from customers who are planning to meet friends and family outside who they haven’t seen for several months, with the cream tea something everyone can enjoy to make the occasion really special and memorable. As we offer cream tea delivery, it’s also a great option for people who can’t get out and about yet so we’ve had orders from people who want to treat their neighbours or elderly relatives. We’re so grateful to the local community for supporting our business during this time, and have heard of lots of people trying us for the first time which is fantastic.” Priced at £15 per head, delivery is £3 within 18 miles of Coltishall (NR12 7DN), and the team will consider further deliveries – although this may be subject to an additional delivery charge. Afternoon tea can also be collected directly from the Hotel in line with the most recent social distancing and Covid-secure guidelines. The Takeaway Afternoon Tea Delivery and collection is available every weekend throughout June. Order Norfolk cream tea delivery here, or email info@norfolkmead.co.uk
Green Duck on Western Way in Bury St Edmunds has taken cyber security company Labsec under their wing, expanding their IT offering for businesses into the realm of network, application and data security.
With UK small businesses targeted with 65,000 attempted cyber attacks each day and the average cost of a data breach clear up standing at £25,700, according to insurance firm Hiscox[1], it has never been more essential to have robust security measures in place especially as workforces enter into a more remote way of working.
The incorporation of Labsec into Green Duck’s operations enables the IT collective to provide invaluable cyber security consultancy including strategy and planning to protect against and identify risks of data breach, incident response planning for effective action, and cyber security awareness training for employees.
The acquisition of Labsec comes just over two years after Green Duck joined forces with website and app development company Source Code Studio, seeing the Bury St Edmunds based business continue to expand and grow.
A relaunch of the newly branded Source Code Studio and introduction of expanded website design and app development services is also coming imminenly.
“We never want to stand still,” explained Green Duck CEO Rod Jackson. “We’re ambitious. This means we strive to continually learn, develop and innovate in order to offer exceptional products and services to our customers.
“By joining forces with Labsec and Source Code Studio, Green Duck can operate as an IT collective, which means clients benefit from a single point of contact for all their IT infrastructure, support, software and security needs. Gone are the days of a business owner or IT manager acting as a go-between for multiple providers – now you have access to experts all in one place.”
To discover more about Green Duck and new additions Labsec and Source Code Studio, visit greenduck.co.uk or call 01284 700015.
We take a look at one of the many ways you can assist the implementation of social distancing measures in an office environment, by using zonal flooring.
Open plan offices may struggle to find adequate ways to keep employees distanced when returning to work, following the adjustments to current coronavirus rules. Zonal flooring is one effective way to keep continuity with a new spatial design, and clearly divide large open plan spaces into concise, targeted areas.
On 12 May, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention, or “furlough” Scheme was to be extended, providing additional support for wages until October.
In that announcement, he said that the scheme under current rules would be extended until the end of July, but thereafter there would be a winding down of the scheme, with employers required to contribute and part-time working being a possibility.
On 29 May the Chancellor added a little more meat to the bones of this announcement, and also changed it slightly in response to pressure from business groups.
The headline points are as follows:
the last day for employers to put staff onto the furlough scheme is 10 June 2020 if they haven’t furloughed that particular staff member for at least three weeks previously – please be mindful of this if you are rotating staff or still unclear of whether you will need staff moving forwards. This is because the scheme is closed to new entrants from 30 June, and the individual will need to have been furloughed for at least three weeks prior to this at some stage
the flexibility to the furlough scheme has been brought forward, to commence from 1 July 2020 – from this point staff will be able to work part-time and be furloughed part-time, and businesses will decide how to effect this in practice. This is likely to be of real benefit to businesses who are trying to operate again but either don’t have a need for a full cohort of staff or cannot have everyone in for safety reasons
the furlough scheme will close on 31 October 2020.
From 1 August 2020, the furlough scheme’s support begins to be wound down:
in August, businesses will take over the responsibility of paying employer’s national insurance contributions and pension contributions and will no longer be able to reclaim them through the scheme
in September, the reimbursement will drop to 70% of salary (to a cap of £2,190 per month). In order to be eligible for the grant, businesses must top up to at least 80% of salary
in October, the reimbursement will drop to 60% of salary (to a cap of £1,875 per month). In order to be eligible for the grant, businesses must top up to at least 80% of salary.
We are still awaiting the updates to the Treasury Direction and the Employer’s Guidance which are expected by 12 June.
Further advice and free webinar
For an in-depth look at the extension to the scheme, the rules that will apply and how things have changed following the release of that guidance, please JOIN US for a FREE webinar on Monday 15 June at 2pm where we will be considering the changes to the scheme. For further information and to book your place, please click here.
For specific advice for your business, please get in touch with our specialist Employment Law team through this website or by calling 0330 404 0778.
The planned changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme have been confirmed by the Chancellor and set out in a factsheet. Further guidance on flexible furloughing and how employers should calculate claims is expected from HMRC on 12 June.
Flexible furloughing Employers will be given the flexibility to bring furloughed employees back part time from 1 July 2020, but will be responsible for paying the employees’ wages for the hours/days worked. Employers will be able to continue to claim under the scheme for the balance of an employee’s normal hours and will be required to confirm the usual hours an employee would be expected to work in a claim period and the actual hours worked. Scheme closes to new employees from end of June From July onwards, claims can only be made by employers already using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in respect of previously furloughed employees. The scheme will close to new entrants on 30 June, which means that the final date by which an employer can furlough an employee for the first time will be 10 June, in order to have met the three week minimum period of furlough. However, employers will have until 31 July to make any claims in respect of wages for June. Employer contributions The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is to be slowly tapered from August 2020, resulting in employers being required to gradually increase their contributions towards furlough pay. The tapering will take effect as follows: June and July: The Government will pay 80% of wages, up to a cap of £2,500, plus employer National Insurance and pension contributions. Employers are not required to pay anything. August: The Government will pay 80% of wages, up to a cap of £2,500. Employers will pay employer National Insurance and pension contributions. September: The Government will pay 70% of wages, up to a cap of £2,187.50. Employers will pay 10% of wages to make up 80% total, up to a cap of £2,500, plus employer National Insurance and pension contributions. October: The Government will pay 60% of wages up to a cap of £1,875. Employers will pay 20% of wages to make up 80% total, up to a cap of £2,500, employer National Insurance and pension contributions. We await the further details from HMRC on 12 June. Speak to the specialist Employment Law team at Hatch Brenner Solicitors for Employment law advice via 01603 660 811, or find out more in our Employment Law for Employees and Employment Law for Employers web pages.
We’re hosting a charity quiz night on Friday 24 October at the New Bury Community Centre in Bury St Edmunds.
You can enter a team of up to 6 people and it costs £30 per team. There will also be a raffle on the night.
The event will raise money for Just George, which is a special name fund at the Children’s Cancer Group (CCLG) raising money for research into rhabdomyosarcoma in memory of George.
Doors will open at 7pm, with the quiz starting at 7:30pm.
To take part in the fun, simply email fundraising@gascoynes.co.uk.
TaxAssist is championing a Buy Local campaign to help business communities thrive by encouraging consumers and local businesses to come together and support each other.
The Buy Local message has never been more important, with businesses needing all the help and support they can get post coronavirus lockdown. TaxAssist Accountants is keen to champion their cause and its network of accountants are pushing out the message nationwide across their shop windows, websites and social media channels.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of small businesses including retailers, barbers, restaurants and cafes have temporarily closed and these businesses in particular will need support to help to keep the local economy thriving once they are given the green light to re-open from 15th June for non-essential shops.
There have though, been many examples of innovation from the small business sector, which has embraced technology and ingenuity to adapt to the conditions imposed by the pandemic and TaxAssist has created a dedicated Buy Local hub on its client site to highlight many positive stories.
Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive at TaxAssist Accountants, said: “I am really impressed with how businesses have shown tremendous energy and innovation in adapting how they operate during these difficult times and we must all do what we can to help them. This is because the local business owners you are spending your money with will, in turn, put that money back into the local community by using local suppliers and employing people which all helps to keep the local economy thriving. The Buy Local message is key and one which TaxAssist Accountants is proud to spearhead.”
During the pandemic, TaxAssist Accountants is holding Virtual Discovery Days and has continued to receive a steady stream of enquiries about its franchise opportunity as people evaluate their future career and lifestyle choices.
“I think that lockdown has really forced people to rethink what they want from their life and what’s important to them,” states Karl. “Certainly, from people we have spoken to recently who are interested in joining TaxAssist, we have heard that they want to cut out their commute and fulfil a wish to take on a more rewarding role, by working with local businesses and integrating more closely in their communities.
“TaxAssist Accountants is a people-based business, operating from shops and offices, but our strength is that by fully adopting market leading software, the network has proven itself to be remarkably resilient, able to continue to offer a first class service to over 77,000 clients remotely. The timely advice, guidance and support our accountants have been able to offer during the COVID-19 pandemic has been very well received and will make a real impact on the survival and recovery of independent businesses across the UK.”
If you are interested in joining TaxAssist Accountants, we are holding monthly Virtual Discovery Days where you can spend a day with the team and find out more about the business opportunity and support on offer. Click here for more information.
There aren’t many silver linings to be found in the midst of a pandemic, but the way local businesses were able to rally round for their communities is one of them. Many consumers, who’d never shopped with their local suppliers before, turned to those businesses for supplies and services when big brands couldn’t reach them. For the community, they became a lifeline, and for the businesses themselves, it meant boosted sales and visibility.
So, as the UK begins to ease lockdown and some kind of normal life resumes, the local businesses who found new customers want to keep hold of them. But with the national and global players in all sorts of different industries gearing up to win back their customers, what can they do? Your farm shop might not have the marketing budget of Sainsbury’s, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay at the forefront of your new customers’ minds. Instead, you need to find the right tools, create good content and reach those people directly.
Email marketing is an affordable solution for businesses who want to stay in touch, build brand loyalty and entice buyers back. It doesn’t cost a lot to use a professional email marketing platform like Smart Messenger. So, you don’t need to blow your budget, you just need to get the right messages to the right people. Find out how much email marketing costs.
Here are some suggestions of content to include when you are using email marketing to build connections with new customers.
1. Storytelling.
All businesses have stories and the ones from the past three months are particularly interesting. How did you serve your community during the lockdown, what did you do to reach customers who desperately needed your help and what response did you get from the people where you live and work? Tell those stories and thank the community for turning to you and buying local. It’ll engage their hearts and minds as they read your email.
2. Showcase
Remind your customers of all the reasons why your product or service is the best choice. It might be the way you make it, a bespoke element, a genius solution or a sustainable supply chain. Identify the things that make your most loyal customers come back time and again, then tell the new ones what they can expect from you.
3. Promote Local
Champion the ‘buy local’ cause for yours and other businesses. Remind your new customers that you were there for them when they needed you and will be again. Share the local suppliers you work with to produce your goods or service, then shine a light on those companies you buy from. Show customers that buying from a local supplier means the money goes back into the local economy, which benefits everyone.
4. Offers and loyalty plans
Got something to give? Send it through email marketing. Smart Messenger customer Panther Breweryserved their community during the lockdown and sent a ‘thank you’ voucher to new customers. The result? A fantastic email open-rate and more sales.
“As email marketing newcomers, we wanted to choose a service where we could rely on support throughout. Our Account Manager advised us on how best to structure our first campaign and what to offer our clients. The results were brilliant – we achieved a 68% open rate and a 42% click through rate! We’re absolutely delighted with the service.”
Martin James, Owner & Head Brewer at Panther Brewery
5. Highlight change
Your business practice might have changed due to the new rules, or perhaps you’ve diversified your product range to meet a new need. Whatever changes you’ve made, tell your customers. Our client Office Water Supplies became incredibly busy after diversifying into sanitation supplies early on in the pandemic. They came to us, we created a managed campaign for them, and now their customers know their business has expanded. It was easy for them; despite the fact they were snowed under with demand.
“We learnt of Smart Messenger and their services via Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and the member training sessions. Further to the outbreak of Covid-19, we felt it was imperative we reached out to our network to keep them updated with new products and services that had become available. In addition, we wanted to reassure existing customers that we could continue to serve their requirements. The feedback has been excellent, really clear decisive designs with minor alterations never being an issue and instant customer response. We look forward to continue working with the team at Smart Messenger moving forward.”
Paul Mitchell, Business Partner at Office Water Supplies
These are just a few of the ways that you can engage with your new customers and encourage them to keep using your local business. If you’d like to know more, get in touch with our friendly Smart Messenger team on 01603 858250.
Pure hosted its annual Norwich charity quiz night on Thursday 13 April, bringing local businesses and clients together for a fun evening which raised over £2,700 for Norfolk’s cancer charity The Big C.
The battle of the brains, organised by professional recruitment specialists Pure, saw 36 teams of four from organisations across the county pitting their wits against each other. The teams included people from Age UK, Tax Assist, Price Bailey and Kaplan Financial, and there was plenty of friendly rivalry on the night. The overall winners were a team from Anovo, with each team member presented with £20 Cinema City gift cards.
The event, held at the Sprowston Manor Hotel, also included a raffle to help raise further funds with prizes all kindly donated by local businesses.
Joseph O’Sullivan, Manager of Pure’s Norwich Office, said: “We’ve been running our annual charity quiz nights for eight years and they’ve always been extremely well supported. It’s a fantastic way for local businesses to come together, support a good cause and to have fun at the same time. This year our Norwich team has pledged to support The Big C for all our charity activity and we’re delighted to have raised such a wonderful amount for this exceptional organisation. I would like to thank everyone who attended, donated and contributed so generously to the event. We hope to see you all again next year.”
The Big C provides drop in support and information centres across Norfolk and Waveney. These are used by thousands of people affected by cancer every year and provide valuable information about diagnosis, treatments, side effects and recovery. The support also includes trained staff who can provide emotional help, support and complementary therapies.
Last year’s Norwich quiz night also raised over £2,000 for EACH. Pure’s annual quiz nights, held at all four offices throughout the year, are just one of the many charity events the professional recruitment specialists for the East of England run throughout the year.
Fears of impending job losses in the wake of the Coronavirus lock-down have triggered rising interest in Start Up training according to business training and business support specialists MENTA.
Would-be entrepreneurs can now receive advice and support to get their ventures off the ground from the comfort of their own home from MENTA trainers via Zoom and its new MENTA LIVE training sessions.
MENTA switched its face-to-face Start-up training to new online workshops within days of the lock-down announcement in March, has found that far from curtailing ambition, the enforced time at home was encouraging many clients to pursue their long-held start up dreams.
Participants from across Norfolk and Suffolk can sign up to three fully-funded training sessions covering business basics and viability, marketing, and bookkeeping and taxation.
Each interactive session will walk you through what you need to know about starting and running a business and there are also spreadsheets to help with financial forecasting and bookkeeping – all designed to ensure you stay on top of the numbers.
John Neild, Enterprise Programme and Contracts Manager at MENTA, said: “We are seeing a lot of interest in the new Workshop Live format including among people currently being furloughed by their employees or facing redundancy because of the pandemic.
“Many who are signing up are telling us that they want to use the time available during lock-down to work on their business ideas. The beauty of Workshop Live is that you only need a laptop or a mobile to sign in and take part.
“We’re delighted to have been able to turn these sessions around so quickly and help as many people as we can make the best use of their time during the lock-down. The feedback we have had so far has been fantastic, with many of those taking part telling us that they are delighted to receive this free help at what could otherwise be a very worrying time.” John Neild said.
MENTA training sessions are being run on an ongoing basis – to find out more and find the next available details click here
From loaning our MINI to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Charity (NNUH Charity) to help with the deliverance of vital chemotherapy drugs to oncology patients at Spire Hospital, to raising an incredible £837 for the charity as well as launching a Mini Roof Competition to lift spirits and provide the opportunity for families and individuals to get creative…Chatsbrook have made a monumental and positive impact on our community.
NOW, after receiving a total of 36 entries from a variety of ages, we are excited to reveal the winning MINI Roof Design and its creator!
CONGRATULATIONS TO DANIEL HORNBY– A local Artist, Illustrator and Graphic Designer- it’s no wonder his design is incredible!
His vibrant design perfectly captured the industries Chatsbrook support AND we loved the vibrant and abstract inclusion of the NHS rainbow.
We invited Daniel to see his winning design on the MINI for the FIRST TIME…
“I am really happy to have won this competition! It looks even better than I imagined in real life!”-Daniel Hornby.
Scarlet Francis, at Chatsbrook, articulated “Daniel’s design won us over. It was a pleasure to be able to invite him to see the fruits of his labour! The bright design has already put smiles on lots of people’s faces- certainly making any future #MINIAdventure very exciting!”
The winning design incorporates the NHS rainbow- a symbol that will forever be embedded in our minds. Our Chatsbrook MINI completed a total of 137 runs, clocked over 437 miles and delivered treatment for over 2220 patients! It is our way to symbolize our continued support of key workers. If you happen to spot the Chatsbrook MINI on its travels, don’t forget to #ChatsbrookMINI for a chance to be featured on our page!
Jamie Goodman, Volunteer Driver Co-Ordinator at NNUH Charity, relayed “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the trust had to take alternative measures to effectively treat our patients safely working in partnership with the Spire Hospital. It is only with the generous donations from Chatsbrook that we have been able to support the oncology team in delivering care off-site.”
It has been fantastic to see the extent that collective efforts can have on a local community-Thank you to everyone involved!
I’m sure we can agree that the past few months have affected us all in some way or another, myself being included.
Being a recruiter it’s my job to be in charge of the recruitment process which I’ve been used to for the past 8 years, until it was my turn to be recruited and this was taken out of our hands by Covid-19.
After working for a national recruitment agency for the past six years I decided I wanted to be a part of the Atkinson Moss team, a team that has built a fantastic reputation in the local market and reflected my values in the industry. I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity that matches my expertise of joining the Office Support division with the added bonus of working alongside Claire Pitt.
With the world of recruitment changing in a matter of weeks, I found myself caught up in an unprecedented situation with the job market changing overnight. My faith and belief in Atkinson Moss and what they stand for was strengthened further when Angie and Graham took the time to call me to reassure me that they still wanted me and my job was safe.
This was a huge relief and my excitement was reignited, I couldn’t wait to be a part of the AM team (whenever this could be possible).
My start date was confirmed shortly after, however my first week wasn’t exactly how any of us would have imagined! My laptop, essentials and a thoughtful welcome gift were delivered to me by Graham (albeit at a distance) the weekend before my first day. I immediately set up my make shift working from home office – not quite the lovely St Georges works offices I expected but I made do.
Monday morning came and it felt like I was sat next to Graham undertaking my first day in the office, (Thank goodness for Zoom) we spoke all day as he navigated me virtually around the system, database and tools I would need to hit the ground running. I feel that I have been able to pick up everything that is required and have been able to very quickly get on with my new job as if I were physically in the office. All that was missing was the direct contact with people I was so excited to work with.
In my few weeks out of recruitment a lot had changed, more than anyone could have predicted and I found myself being educated around the state of the current market by colleagues, candidates and clients, each of whom had a different experience. I was learning about the different ways it had affected them and importantly how they adapted and overcame the ‘new’ normal.
Although my onboarding process wasn’t exactly how we had planned, it was supportive, seamless and most importantly it worked. I know from my personal experience that with technology, a positive attitude and planning it can work for clients and candidates who need flexibility during these uncertain times. Being open to new ideas and utilising the technology available to us is not something that should be resisted when looking to welcome new recruits. It can be hugely effective and gives the flexibility to start a new employee from home which can be a benefit to all.
At Atkinson Moss we have proven experience of how this has worked for us and we are happy to share our experiences to help make it work for you.