In this weeks episode of Impromptu Business Chat James and Mark share their professional experiences on the key traits of successful family businesses. They reflect on the recent Meghan and Harry “debacle” and end with 3 top tips whilst drawing inspiration from industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, thrash metal band Anthrax and US comedy smash Modern Family.
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Applied Acoustic Engineering (AAE) has announced the launch of their next generation USBL system, Pyxis USBL. Taking its name from the constellation Pyxis Nautica – the mariner’s compass – Pyxis USBL takes the best of AAE’s subsea acoustic tracking technology with a highly advanced inertial navigation system (INS) from one of the most respected names in the industry, to create a state of the art, inertially aided Ultra Short Baseline system capable of accurate subsea tracking with survey grade performance.
The combination of AAE’s Sigma 2 acoustic protocols and SBG Systems high precision Navsight Apogee Marine INS brings together two leading names in the field of marine technology, resulting in AAE’s most accurate and long range positioning system to date, and in the process providing many time, cost and performance benefits to global survey operators.
As a tightly coupled, factory fitted package, Pyxis USBL is a portable, calibration free system able to immediately operate from any vessel as soon as the work site has been reached. The MEMS based INS does not fall under ITAR regulations, and the range restricted option means the whole system can be shipped unhindered and without export control to almost anywhere in the world. A feature of the Pyxis system is the ability for the operator to deactivate the range restriction in the field under an export-controlled regime.
A spokesperson for SBG Systems commented “AAE and SBG Systems have collaborated for several years on different projects and have established an excellent relationship. We are thrilled that Applied Acoustics has selected our Navsight Apogee OEM high performance system to be integrated into the first-ever USBL to embed a MEMS INS”.
Available with short range omni-directional or long range directional transceiver options, the versatility of Pyxis USBL makes it ideal for very shallow operations such as diver monitoring, for deeper applications where ROV’s and AUV’s might be deployed, and for tracking short or long range towed sensors such as magnetometers and side scan sonars.
TaxAssist Group directors hosted a series of nine virtual interactive meetings to update franchisees with network developments.
With COVID-19 still preventing face-to-face regional meetings, Group Operations Director, Sarah Robertson; Group Commercial Director, Daren Moore and Group Business Development Director, James Mattam recently completed a second series of virtual regional meetings.
Regional meetings are a chance to provide a network update, detail new initiatives, discuss future plans and opportunities and receive feedback, to ensure that every franchisee is engaged, informed and supported, so that they can take full advantage of all of the help and services on offer to them through the Support Centre.
James explained: “It was great to catch up with the network, and we’ve had productive questions and comments plus some good feedback that has really highlighted how effective these events are.”
The following key topics were covered during the meetings:
Software and Practice Management – The continuing move to full digitalisation and automation, as well as the opportunities that are available to the network coming from the next phase of HMRC’s Making Tax Digital initiative.
Future service lines – Supporting clients with our expanding range of services including the introduction of ‘Business Insights’, which provides valuable help and advice to businesses as we start to move past Covid-19 and look to the future.
In-House teams – Development of existing payroll and tax insourcing teams to support the network – and the imminent roll out of new services including, Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and personal tax.
Winning new business – The increase in new business start-ups and established businesses looking to switch accountants due to lack of service and reinforcing the plans for marketing spends for the year ahead.
Amersham-based TaxAssist franchisee Bari Singh, who attended the South East meeting said: “The regional meeting was an eyeopener. I was particularly interested in ‘Business Insights’ to help clients. This combines the three accounting activities for a good modern finance function, Compliance, Business Partnering and Financial Planning Analysis. I can see all three elements in the way we have bundled our services in this offering. This is the best way to help businesses achieve long term success.
“The overall takeaway for me, is that change is coming, but that if we can work together and adapt and use the change to our advantage, then there is a great opportunity to come out of what is an uncertain future, better than we went in.”
If you share a passion to help local businesses, a TaxAssist franchise provides the systems and support you need to be successful. Regular Virtual Discovery Days are available to attend, where you can find out more about the technical, marketing and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 to register your interest.
Karthik Vasanthakumar has opened a shop at 58 Croydon Road in Caterham
Karthik Vasanthakumar joined the TaxAssist Accountants network in October 2020 and has now opened his first shop in Caterham.
Running his own practice has always been a goal for ACMA-qualified Karthik, who is now relishing meeting with clients and being his own boss.
“I had more than 13 years’ accountancy experience before I joined TaxAssist, in both industry and practice and worked with a range of clients from different sectors. I have a real understanding of the needs of small businesses and am looking forward to sharing my expertise and making a difference to the lives of individuals and businesses in my local community,” said Karthik.
“I enjoy networking and meeting with existing and new clients, explaining what services we offer and how I can help them. I’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more to contact us for a free initial consultation, either by telephone, zoom or face-to-face – whichever is preferred.”
Karthik recently had his car liveried in TaxAssist branding, further advertising his services within his local territory and has already been contacted by interested observers.
“The car is incredibly eye catching and I always get a lot of positive comments when I arrive anywhere, and it’s generated a number of enquiries,” added Karthik. “Do come over and have a chat to me if you see me out and about!”
If you share a passion to help your local small businesses, a TaxAssist franchise can provide the systems and support you need to be successful. Regular Virtual Discovery Days are being held, where you can find out more about the technical, marketing and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 to register your interest.
As applied acoustic engineering (aae) has always known, industry diversification and changes in standards and practices, often necessitate an adjustment in the outputs of associated technology providers. The award winning manufacturer of marine geophysical survey systems long ago identified the shift in business activities of its core customers from traditional offshore oil & gas projects to the burgeoning global offshore wind industry, and has spent time channelling their experience in marine survey practices to remodel and enhance their product portfolio to better serve the needs of this industry. Realigning the highly regarded range of Dura- Spark geophysical sound sources, the UK based company now offers a complete array of systems in tune with the specific requirements and demands put in place by the offshore wind operators.
New for 2020, two lightweight sparkers have been added to the Dura- Spark product line, complementing aae’s existing systems and creating an extended family of negative discharge sparkers. Featuring twin banks of 40 electrode tips, the Dura- Spark L80 can operate in 40 or 80 tip mode, offering energy outputs of either 100 Joules or 200 Joules per shot; ideal for very shallow areas, and coastal & estuarine surveys. Its uniquely small footprint and low power consumption makes it particularly useful on board smaller survey craft with limited deck space and minimal lifting equipment.
The Dura- Spark L200 features twin banks of 100 electrode tips that can be fired at up to 500 Joules per shot concurrently, independently, in flip-flop mode or with a combination of fire delay or split fire delay. This flexibility, together with selectable source depth, allows the sound source to be used in both shallow and deeper waters for multiple marine geophysical data gathering applications.
In service since 2016, the workhorse of the Duraspark range of sparkers continues to be the Dura- Spark UHD 240/400. These proven sound sources can be found across the globe, acquiring the high resolution seismic data required for renewable energy installations, offshore oil & gas surveys and for the research and study of areas of scientific interest. With the ability to operate at energy levels of up to 2000 Joules per shot, these are extremely flexible tools with the capability of working within many project scenarios.
Making its first appearance during the second half of 2019, the Dura- Spark UHD 400 + 400 sits at the head of the Dura- Spark family and is the most sophisticated system in the range. Consisting of twin decks of 400 electrode tips, the operator is able to tune the source from the vessel to fit the required function and data requirements. Each deck can be fired independently from the CSP power supply, in flip flop mode, combined with fire delays or a split fire delay. Utilising the fire delay functions, the signatures from the 2 decks can be combined to bubble form the acoustic signature, creating an extremely clean pulse at high energy outputs, resulting in sparker data of the highest quality and resolution.
All Dura- Spark systems from aae feature negative discharge, long life electrodes designed to provide the consistently stable, repeatable sound pulses required for high resolution sub-bottom geophysical surveys, while keeping operational maintenance to a minimum.
Jugdev Dhillon has opened a new shop at 57 Foregate Street, Stafford.
It’s been a busy few months for TaxAssist Accountant Jugdev Dhillon, who only joined the network in October 2020, but has already opened a shop and bought out a neighbouring practice.
“I’ve certainly hit the ground running, and experienced the busiest part of an accountant’s year, the tax return season, which has been a great introduction to running my own practice,” said Jugdev.
“I’ve really enjoyed meeting and getting to know clients, including many new business start-ups, to explain more about how we can assist them with a whole range of business services, and let them know we are here for a lot more than just tax returns. We also talk clients through a range of software solutions to help them to select the right package for their needs. I’d urge anyone interested in finding out more, to contact us for a free initial consultation.
“I’m so pleased with the new shop, which looks superb and will act as a showcase for the practice for which I have ambitious growth plans. To help facilitate this, I’m currently advertising for a bookkeeper as I’m keen to expand our friendly team of staff.”
If you share a passion to help your local small businesses, a TaxAssist franchise can provide the systems and support you need to be successful. Regular Virtual Discovery Days are being held, where you can find out more about the technical, marketing and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 to register your interest.
Middlesex-based Khaliq Rahman runs his practice alongside daughters Sadia and Nabiha, son Sami and son-in-law Owais Saad.
Khaliq Rahman joined TaxAssist Accountants in 2001 and now works in the franchise alongside daughters Sadia and Nabiha, his son Sami and son-in-law Owais, who collectively look after the needs of more than 850 clients from four premises across Middlesex.
Khaliq opened his first shop on Bell Road, Hounslow in 2001, his Teddington office on Church Road in 2012, his Twickenham shop in 2016 and his latest shop at 29 Belmont Road in Uxbridge in January 2021.
Khaliq said: “I’m really proud of the level of service the team has provided to our clients over the years, but particularly during this pandemic. We have worked tremendously hard since last March to ensure every one of our clients was well looked after, and we’ve had some great feedback.
“We saw a gap in the market-place in Uxbridge for our services, and we’re looking forward to assisting the small businesses in the area through the economic recovery and beyond.
“The practice has continued to grow over the past two decades as we are a business based on relationships, expertise and offering jargon-free advice and support, so this growth has only been possible through the trust and confidence of our clients and I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their on-going support.
“I’d also like to thank the Norwich Support Centre for its 20th anniversary gift and guidance and assistance over the years. I’ve very much enjoyed my time with the franchise and am so pleased that the business has blossomed to enable me to bring both of my daughters and son into the practice too, which has enabled me to take more of a back seat in the business.”
If you share a passion to help your local small businesses, a TaxAssist franchise can provide the systems and support you need to be successful. Regular Virtual Discovery Days are being held, where you can find out more about the technical, marketing and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 to register your interest.
After an extremely successful year with more garden centres stocking PlantGrow products than ever, we’re thrilled to announce that our first national TV campaign goes live!
In partnership with Happy Hour, an award-winning creative agency based in the heart of Bristol, we’ve come up with a creative and thoughtful TV campaign that highlights the importance of organic gardening.
“We’re very excited to bring PlantGrow to TV. It’s a quality, eco-friendly product and we’re proud to work with them on their first response TV campaign.” Says Tom George, Creative Director at Happy Hour. “PlantGrow came to us with a specific brief, to reach organic gardeners and land the important organic and ecological benefits of their product vs chemical and peat-based fertilisers.
“Working with Chase Media, the combined direct response media and creative strategy targets the eco-conscious gardener and provides cut-through in ad breaks, using silence to emphasise the natural characteristics of PlantGrow. Creatively, we felt the quality of the product speaks for itself, so we decided to use that to our advantage to communicate how quietly and naturally PlantGrow works in harmony with your garden.
Since we’re known for winning the Breaking Boundaries awards we wanted to create something unique that showed our innovation and dedication to an organic, plant-based future.
Laura Ruddock, Producer at Happy Hour, says “We had an opportunity to do something different for PlantGrow and we were happy to rise to that challenge. The heroes of the creative are really the sights and sounds of the garden, which speak to the enjoyment we get from our connection to the natural world and underscore the benefits of using PlantGrow to garden sustainably.”
We’re delighted that more and more people are going to see PlantGrow and how it can benefit their gardens, whether they have a small vegetable patch or a whole plot of land.
Chartered accountants, M+A Partners, are delighted to announce the appointment of two new partners – Alice Lynch and Emma Hunt. Both Alice and Emma have significant experience within their respective areas of expertise, and these promotions further strengthen the firm’s audit and tax services.
Alice has been with the firm for over ten years, having joined as a graduate trainee in July 2010. She is a member of the audit team, specialising in the not-for-profit and education sectors. Alice’s professional knowledge of academies and their audit and accounts requirements are highly regarded, and she is part of the Academies User Group, a forum facilitated by Norfolk County Council to assist and advise academy trusts.
Alice commented “In the ten years I have worked at M+A Partners, I have built up strong client relationships with a focus on delivering a high-quality service. I look forward to using my experience and knowledge to continue to develop the firm over the next ten years and beyond.”
Emma joined M+A Partners in 2017 as a Private Client Tax Manager and has helped enhance the firm’s growing probate and estates specialism. She is highly respected within the firm for her expertise in managing the complex tax affairs of individuals, trusts and estates as well as running tax planning and advisory projects. She also plays an active role throughout the wider professional community in her role as a committee member for the East Anglian branch of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Emma commented “We have a multi-talented group of individuals within our tax team, and as a newly appointed partner it is exciting to be in a position to help instigate our future growth and build-on our existing expertise to deliver an excellent level of client service.”
Managing Partner, Jeremy Robson commented “The ongoing professional development of our team at M+A Partners continues to be a priority for the firm. I am delighted that we have developed a framework that enables us to identify the potential of high-calibre candidates like Alice and Emma, ultimately resulting in promotion to partner. Both Alice and Emma have the personal and professional attributes needed to support our clients and contribute positively towards the long-term growth of the firm and the team within it.”
This episode can best be summed up by the word’s ‘inspiration’ and ‘perspiration’! James and Mark chat to special guest, and professional adventurer, Freddie Bennett. Listen to how Freddie uses the lessons he’s learnt in life to advise and inspire businesses on how to motivate their teams and embrace change.
Freddie worked for many years in management consultancy, in London, but felt like an imposter in the corporate world. His talent was socialising! He grew to understand that it’s important for businesses to nurture and support their people. He’s worked with companies such as Coca Cola, Heineken, BT and Microsoft; advising on building confidence, changing behaviors, and how they do business. Freddie describes his work with teams as, “Helping everyday people do extraordinary things”. His personal achievements include ultra runner; iron man; Spartan; fire walker and Guinness world record holder for world’s fastest runner dressed as a fisherman!
Freddie’s back story makes for a fascinating listen. Coming from an insecure upbringing, with a grandfather who sold horses to the Peaky Blinders and a father who worked with Steve Jobs, his experiences have taught him that change is the only ‘permanent’. In this in-depth conversation, Freddie talks about how to overcome self-doubt and eliminate negative self-beliefs. Businesses and teams need to learn how to build inner strength, go the distance, and perfect decision making or, as he sums up, “Dream, disrupt and deliver”.
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Whilst you are there, please like us, and leave a comment. We would love to hear what you are enjoying about the podcast, and it helps others to find us!
This year has clearly been a difficult one for many businesses, and many organisations have had to make significant changes in order to survive and prosper.
With changes to business operating models such as more remote working and increasing reliance on technology to support working practices and digital sales channels, sometimes implemented quickly through necessity, come new and increased risks. It’s evident to us that more and more businesses are understanding the need for additional focus on Cyber Security & Resilience, and the value of specialist security advice and support from companies such as ourselves.
As this need increases, our role at CyberScale is to ensure that:
Organisations that need help know that we’re here, and how to find us
We offer the best portfolio of services to help businesses reduce risk, increase resilience and continually improve
We continue to have the expertise and capacity to meet the needs of our clients
In order to ensure that we can meet these challenges of our current and future clients, CyberScale have made a number of strategic investments.
Earlier this year we moved our HQ to a new, larger office based at the Royal Norfolk Showground to allow us to accommodate a larger team, and we are now delighted to announce a number of key hires.
Firstly, Graham Duckworth, former MD and co-founder of Suffolk based IT company Green Duck and security company Labsec, joins the Senior Leadership team as Commercial Director. Graham has a proven track record having grown Green Duck from a small start-up to a well-established and respected multi service IT and Security provider.
Graham will help shape our commercial offerings and go to market strategy, build Alliances with key partners and provide us with the benefit of his many years of experience building a customer focused business.
Jane Clements, who has been with CyberScale since 2019 in a Consultant capacity joins us on a permanent basis. Jane has proven to be a key asset to CyberScale and has been particularly instrumental with our policy frameworks, as well as Cyber Security Assessments and other consulting engagements.
In addition to Jane, Elliot Kemp joins CyberScale on a permanent basis following the successful completion of his Internship where he has helped spearhead development of our Security Policy Automation platform, further details of which will be released over the latter part of this year. Elliot will work alongside Jane as a Junior Cyber & Information Security Consultant. Elliot has recently graduated from UEA with a MSc in Cyber Security with distinction, a fantastic achievement, and is a great addition to the team.
These strategic investments will enable us to continue to provide our clients, existing and new, with critical security advice, training and a superior level of service.
Howes Percival has been ranked ninth in Planning Magazine’s 2021 Planning Law Survey. The prestigious survey of the UK’s leading planning law firms and barristers also places Howes Percival’s Jay Mehta as the sixth highest rated planning solicitor in the UK.
The Planning Law Survey is an in-depth report highlighting the solicitors, law firms and barristers that are considered the leading planning law specialists in the UK. The results of the survey are based on responses from consultants, developers and local authorities that were asked to identify individuals and firms they regard as exemplifying best practice in planning law.
Howes Percival, which has offices across East Anglia and the East Midlands, has seen its ranking rise dramatically over the last two years. Its 2021 ninth place ranking is a rise of 7 places from its 2020 position at sixteenth and, 21 places from its 2019 position at thirtieth.
The team act for major housebuilders, land promoters, developers and local authorities and in the past year work includes advising Breckland District Council on a planning application for a 4,000 dwelling mixed use urban extension in Norfolk; advising Turnstone Estates on two £50 million leisure developments in Colchester and Southend respectively; advising Code Students in relation to a 40 storey student scheme which will be the tallest building in Nottingham and probably the East Midlands and acting for Hampton Brook in relation to a two million square foot strategic employment site to the south of Milton Keynes, with planning permission secured following a public inquiry.
“We are delighted to be recognised as one of the top 10 planning law firms in the UK. London-based firms usually dominate the Planning Law Survey – so we’re punching well above our weight. The fact that the rankings are based on peer-led interviews and feedback makes our ninth place ranking especially pleasing. We are also thrilled that Jay’s skills and expertise have been acknowledged with his ranking as one of the UK’s highest rated planning solicitors.
“The commercial property sector is at the heart of Howes Percival’s business strategy. Over the last few years, we’ve expanded our offering, recruiting senior level experts to ensure we have the specialisms and depth of expertise to service the planning law requirements of our clients and, to attract high-quality work. We now have specialist Planning Partners in our Leicester and Norwich offices, servicing all of our client needs across the East Midlands, East Anglia and beyond.
“The rankings are testament to the tremendous amount of hard work the team puts in, their breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as the fantastic clients we have.”
Paul Wootton continued,
“Working as a single, cohesive team, we offer developers a comprehensive ‘cradle to grave’ commercial property proposition. As well as securing repeat work from existing clients, we receive many referrals from planning consultants because of the strength of our profile and reputation in the market. Despite the upheaval caused by the pandemic, workloads have held-up well during the last year. We made sure our clients knew that we were here to support them and embraced new ways of working smarter and closer with clients.”
Howes Percival’s property experts act for major housebuilders, retailers, construction companies, landowners, housing associations, developers, and public authorities as well as private individuals and businesses. The firm’s comprehensive commercial property service covers planning and environmental law, minerals and waste, compulsory purchase, village greens, development including strategic land acquisitions, the management of real estate portfolios, property finance, leases and other landlord and tenant matters, property litigation and construction contracts and disputes.
Howes Percival is ranked as a top-tier firm for Planning and Environment in the UK’s leading guide to law firms, the Legal 500.