Member News

Charlie Walker has opened a new walk-in small business tax and accountancy shop on 129 High Street in Huntingdon, to operate alongside his existing one in Bedford.

Charlie Walker, like all TaxAssist Accountants, has been incredibly busy over the last six months, helping his over 200 clients to navigate their way through the coronavirus pandemic. However, keen to continue with his planned expansion, he has now opened his second shop in Huntingdon. “It really was the perfect shop in the perfect location and will provide the ideal environment for me to meet with potential and existing clients,” explains Charlie.

“Both of my shops are open for clients to walk-in and we provide hand sanitiser, wear masks and have installed protective screens for face-to-face client meetings, although we also offer telephone and online meetings for those clients that would prefer this method at this time. Our aim is to be as flexible and helpful as possible. Do get in contact if you’d like a free initial consultation.” Charlie is looking positively on the future for his and his clients’ businesses. “Clearly the pandemic has caused a huge global shock, but with my services very much in demand, I believe now is the right time to expand, so that more businesses can benefit from our expertise.”

Knowing that there is a desperate need for guidance and support right now, Charlie recently jumped at the chance when he was offered his own monthly, one-hour radio show on Huntingdon Community Radio after a number of appearances as a business contributor on BBC Three Counties Radio last year. He hopes to have a local business section, as well as a national business update and special guests each month. The show is due to begin in the Autumn. “I’m passionate about helping the businesses in my area and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to offer the benefits of my business and accountancy experience, face-to-face, online and now via the air waves!”

If you are interested in finding out more, Charlie’s website is www.taxassist.co.uk/Huntingdon

Staff safety solution Safepoint has announced its new partnership with the Anglia Farmer Group (AF Group) – the UK’s leading farmer-owned buying group – to offer a tech-based safety solution to protect their members working within the farming sector.

Supported by Comm-Tech, a leading supplier of business communications, who are assisting with the sales and support, members who will now be able to sign up to Safepoint’s service directly through their AF Group account.

Michael Simnett, Communications Projects Lead for the AF Group, says:

“We have been looking for a system that gives farm owners and farm managers the ability to look out for the welfare of their staff, especially during tasks undertaken whilst working alone. Mental health and farm safety are key areas within the farming industry with owners looking out for the wellbeing of their staff. The Safepoint system is very user friendly, easy to navigate and a perfect for all types of memberships of our AF members”.

This month also sees the launch of Safepoint’s GuardianPlus service providing a dedicated 24/7 emergency response team on hand to manage any emergency situations for those businesses that have signed up to the plan. Based in East Anglia, Safepoint’s GuardianPlus Response Centre is a fully accredited state-of-the-art monitoring and alarm receiving centre (ARC), manned by a team of highly skilled and qualified experts, trained to deal with emergency situations.

Callum Coombes, CEO, says:

“Our goal at Safepoint is to make protecting your staff so easy and accessible that there’s no reason not to do it. Up until this point, businesses were responding to emergency alerts internally when using Safepoint, so we wanted to take this responsibility off their hands. This makes 24/7/365 real-time staff protection as easy as just downloading an app to your phone, there’s really nothing else that you have to do”.

Since 2019, Safepoint has successfully raised nearly £300,000 of investment with new funding secured this round through SFC Capital, University of East Anglia and New Anglia Capital. Officially launching a year ago. Safepoint’s innovative technology has helped hundreds of workers stay safe across a number of sectors including agriculture, health & social care, property and offshore / shipping.

For more information about Safepoint visit www.safepointapp.com

One small step for your organic order, one giant step for Goodery

July was a BIG month for Goodery as we took a huge leap forward in our journey with a new fulfilment centre. Exciting times – we wanted to share how it all came about.

We did it!

On the 20th July 2020, Goodery started up in a commercial unit in north Norwich. This followed a six-week sprint to find a suitable location, and then procure and assemble the essentials for our new fulfilment centre. It began with us striking lucky in meeting Jerry Fuller from Dencora, a commercial property company who like to see startups get going. So, we got a great deal in the leasehold and set to work getting the other things we needed in place.  

Setting-up a fulfilment centre in record time is a bit like doing a jigsaw against the clock, where the pieces are not only unfamiliar but there is no exact picture to fit them to. Everything we did was visualised on a piece of paper, checked against the physical dimensions of the available space and estimated to give us a starting shot at the best layout to optimise the processes we would encounter once we started running.

Keeping your organic fruit and vegetables fresh

The first major piece to be designed was our cold room. This is a critical part of our infrastructure and it took a few iterations to get a layout. Again, we were very fortunate to work with Darren Page from Coldlink to resolve the design.  Our cold room is now big enough to accommodate 4 pallets-full of produce as well as shelving for loose goods and have an overall footprint that allowed easy access from other parts of the operation. Those parts include a goods-in area, goods-out area, box storage, wholefoods storage, packing area, coffee area and office. Yes, we built an office in there too, in three days!

Getting the basics right – always focused on sustainability

There was also the need to rewire the electrical mains distribution board to accommodate our requirements which will include charging points for our soon to be delivered electric delivery vans. Yes, Goodery is living up to its aim to do zero emission ‘last mile’ deliveries to all our customers. We’d like to give a big thanks to all those that helped us get there including the great service offered to us by all the trades we employed, including DJ Electrical, AFR Plumbing and L&S Ceilings and Partitions.  

We searched the country for the things we needed and made a roadtrip to collect them from places like Kings Lynn and Coventry just to save time. In all, there were about 100 pieces of the jigsaw that had to fit together as seamlessly as possible to achieve our targets.

Let’s grow together

In other words, we are working to become as efficient as possible in order to deliver the freshest organic food in the most affordable way to our customers. We hope you are as excited as we are about doing all this in an ecologically positive way and we look forward to a collaboration that also builds a resilient local economy.

Martin Murray has opened a new walk-in tax and accountancy shop on 7 Memorial Road in Walkden, Worsley.

FCCA-qualified Martin Murray has been incredibly busy over the past six months assisting clients with furloughing claims, grant applications and advice from his home. He is now pleased to advise that he has opened a new TaxAssist Accountants shop servicing the Manchester, Bury, Salford and Wigan areas.

Martin explains: “It’s been challenging to finalise the shop fit out during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it looks fantastic and I’m pleased to be able to welcome new and existing clients to the shop, which is in a central location with parking close by.

“We provide a comprehensive tax, accountancy and advisory service and can talk through a range of software solutions to help clients select the right package for their needs.

“In the shop we provide hand sanitiser and wear masks for face-to-face client meetings, although we also offer telephone and online meetings for those clients that would prefer this method at this time. I’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more about our services to contact us for a free initial consultation.”

A COVID-19 hub has been created on the TaxAssist website with all of the latest news and guidance, and clients are kept up-to-date via text messages, emails and webinars, explaining the latest government announcements and how it affects them.

For more information about Martin’s services, visit his website https://www.taxassist.co.uk/walkden

Register your place here!

In this week’s episode James and Mark consider what differentiates great businesses from good businesses. In their usual informal but informative style they come up with 3 valuable tips drawn from the likes of Gary Player, Sir Clive Woodward and Roy Keane, whilst Mark confesses to a mild case of Tsundoku. 

Listen here, or download on Apple Podcasts!

Businesses in King’s Lynn town centre are being invited to help to shape plans for the town at a virtual Vision King’s Lynn workshop taking place from 5.30pm – 7pm on Wednesday 9th September.

The workshop, organised by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and Discover King’s Lynn, will see businesses asked to share their ideas on topics such as making use of empty units and enhancing the town centre offer.

The feedback in the workshop will help to inform activities and improvements in the town centre, including the Town Investment Plan. The Town Investment Plan is currently being developed and through it, King’s Lynn has the opportunity to potentially access £25M in investment from the Town’s Fund.

The workshop follows on from recent Vision King’s Lynn consultation to understand consumer and business confidence in the town centre. The findings from these surveys will be shared shortly, and there will be an opportunity for businesses to discuss some of the emerging themes at the workshop.

Graham Purkins, Chair of The Town Board which is overseeing the development of the Town Investment Plan said: “We know that businesses in the town centre, like so many others across the area, have felt the impact of Covid-19 significantly over the last few months.

“That is why it is so vital that we get their views. We want to hear their ideas for what we can do to help the town centre to bounce back from the difficulties caused by the pandemic and thrive into the future.”

“I would urge businesses in the town centre to please do join us at this important workshop and tell us what you think – your views are vital.”

*If you’re a King’s Lynn town centre business, don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the free workshop. Register your attendance today by emailing michelle@engaging-people.co.uk or get in touch via the website www.visionkingslynn.co.uk or the social media channels – Twitter: @vision_lynn or Facebook: Vision King’s Lynn.

The closing date to register a place is Friday 4th  September 2020.  

Communities are invited to take centre stage in shaping an exciting bid for major Government investment that will drive economic regeneration, recovery, jobs and growth across the main urban areas of the Great Yarmouth borough.

With lots already underway, including major seafront and town centre regeneration, the area now has the opportunity to apply for up to £25m of Government investment known as a ‘Town Deal’, covering Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Bradwell.

A diverse Town Deal Board of local ambassadors from private, public and third sector organisations is writing the Investment Plan of ideas about how that money could be spent, in order to attract further investment and stage the revitalisation of our place in the wave of coronavirus.

After careful consideration of public feedback from the initial My Town survey, the Board is developing ideas for investment across four themes: Regeneration & Business Development, Skills & Aspiration, Arts, Culture & Tourism, and Connectivity & Sustainability.

Now they are inviting residents, businesses and others to take centre stage and to share their priorities for investment through a short survey entitled Our Place is Your Stage. By doing so, you will be part of shaping the Investment Plan, supporting a vibrant, attractive and unique place where more people choose to live, work, visit, do business and create.

The survey can be completed until Thursday, September 10 online at www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/town-deal Paper survey forms are also available in Great Yarmouth Library. #OurPlaceYourStage

Chris Sargisson, vice chairman of the Town Deal Board and chief executive of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, said: “Our ambition is to take our place to the next stage: to re-invent public places, to tap into and grow a thriving arts and cultural scene, to support new homes, nurture new jobs, businesses, new opportunities to learn and grow, to make our people, businesses and visitors proud.

“These are really exciting times for our place. We are Norfolk’s biggest seaside resort and England’s offshore energy hub, with an incredibly rich cultural heritage. We have some great strengths and opportunities, which we’re doing everything we can to maximise, and we’re keen to put the community centre stage and hear your views as we take the next steps on this exciting journey. If you had £25m to invest in our place, what would you do?”

Cllr Carl Smith and Cllr Trevor Wainwright, leaders of the council’s main political groups, said: “As a council, we’re doing everything we can to invest in our place. We’ve already seen the lovely Waterways restored with the help of volunteers, the exciting new Marina Centre is taking shape, and soon we’ll have a welcoming new Market Place as part of the town centre regeneration.

“We’re lucky to have such a high calibre and diverse membership of professional sector and place leaders on our Town Deal Board to write the Town Investment Plan, including strategic thought leaders, investors and entrepreneurs, academics and creatives. 

“The prospect of £25m Government investment, along with this fabulous partnership working, is a huge opportunity to support further investment and job prospects for communities, and we’d like as many people as possible to take part in shaping that Investment Plan by taking part in the survey.”

Due to population rises, prime areas for TaxAssist Accountants shops have been released for new franchisees.

London has always been a major draw for people interested in taking on a TaxAssist Accountants franchise, with prime areas quickly snapped up. As populations and commuting footfall have risen over recent years, some franchise territories were not being fully utilised in all locations due to size. Through negotiations with existing franchisees, key areas have now been rescoped and released for new franchisees to purchase.

Seth Brown, Senior Manager, UK Recruitment explains: “We always receive a large number of enquiries from potential franchisees interested in taking a franchise in London, but once they are taken, territories do not get released again for many years, due to franchisees successfully building up substantial practices.

“I approached London franchisees to ask if there were any locations they weren’t operating in within their territories, which they would be happy to release, and I am pleased to report that a number of prime locations and territories are now available.

“I have tried to create the new territories in a structured way, so that they have clear identities for a new franchise to operate in, with plenty of good options for shop fronts.”

The locations which have been made available include:

• Earls Court and South Kensington • Chelsea Central & Battersea West • Part of Walthamstow • Whitechapel South • Bow If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities above, please contact Nikki Haythorne the UK Franchise Recruitment Manager on 0800 0188297.

Last week, Delia’s Canary Catering at Norwich City Football Club confirmed that we will re-open our doors to the Conference and Meeting spaces available at Carrow Road from October 1.

To get a taste of what we can offer, we are thrilled to release our bespoke video showcasing our state-of-the-art facilities.

At Carrow Road, a wealth of space is available with 17 function rooms of varying sizes, and 41 executive boxes ideal for breakout sessions, small meetings, or even temporary office space.

Our unique venue means we have a suitable space for all requirements. As a reminder, under the Delia’s Canary Catering brand, all of our menus are created from Delia’s very own published recipes, and everything is freshly prepared in-house to ensure that dining at Carrow Road is not only a safe experience, but a truly memorable one.

Please note, this video was produced before the COVID-19 pandemic. Your safety is our priority, so we have carried out a number of precautions to ensure you are in safe hands with us. These can be found here. To book, visit the Delia’s Canary Catering website or call 01603 218704.

We’re very excited to announce the launch of our newest and most powerful feature yet, GuardianPlus. This allows you to give your staff 24/7/365 protection through our fully accredited Safepoint Response Centre!

This means that to protect your staff every second of every day all that you need to do is download the Safepoint app and sign up, that’s it! What’s more, this process only takes around 5 minutes!

Protecting your staff has never been simpler. Check out our 14-day free trial – you don’t even need a credit card to get started!

Find out more at www.safepointapp.com

Please click onto the document to read this week’s Market Summary.