Here’s the latest update from Greater Anglia, including news about changed guidance on travel on public transport, performance, new trains and further station improvement projects.
As you may have heard, late last week, the government lifted the guidance on only using public transport if necessary. That means anyone can take the train and other public transport for any purpose – commuting, business and leisure – from now on, which is good news. We’re fully focused on providing a convenient and safe service, as we start to see more passengers travelling with us again.
We are a running a full service on most routes, with almost 93% of the normal service now operating again, including more Norwich to London intercity services. Only the Stansted Express (currently operating with a half hourly frequency) and the Norwich to London intercity services are not yet back to a full service, reflecting current travel patterns. We’ll continue to monitor demand on a daily basis and plan for the phased re-introduction of the remaining intercity and Stansted Express services when appropriate.
As a reminder, it is mandatory for customers to wear a face covering when using public transport, to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or medical condition which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them.
It’s also still important to observe social distancing. We’ve introduced a wide range of measures to make it easier for customers to do so at stations and on trains – including floor markings, one-way systems, new signs and queuing systems. We have also now installed hand gel dispensers at 20 of our busiest stations.
Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) wants to help businesses re-purpose their waste to create new resources. Norwich is one of 2 locations in the UK working on the European ‘Interreg 2 Seas’ project: an EU funded initiative which aims to ‘upcycle’ 20% of all the waste produced by businesses in the 6 participating locations.
On June 24th Norwich BID launched this ambitious project, aiming to establish a working circular economy for the city. The ‘Upcycle your Waste’ programme will run over 3 years, and aims to support Norwich’s SMEs in reducing their running costs, by handling and transforming their waste into new resources for the community. The project is entirely free for businesses to participate in, and is a truly ground-breaking piece of work when it comes to creating a more sustainable future for Norwich.
Stefan Gurney, Executive Director of Norwich BID said: “Norwich BID is excited to be launching this project in Norwich, and to be one of only 2 locations in the UK involved in the Interreg 2 Seas programme. We’re pleased to be able to offer SMEs in the city ways to save money and time when it comes to handling their waste, but – more than that – we’re exceptionally proud to move the city further towards a more sustainable future. This project is the first of its kind here in Norwich, and has ambitious targets for the future. Over the next 3 years, we want to help our businesses create new systems for waste management that will keep resources working within the community for years to come.”
How the project will work
In the first stage of the ‘Upcycle your Waste’ project, Norwich BID is engaging with businesses in the Norwich area to interview them about what would make it easier for them to participate in the project, and what challenges they might face when it comes to re-purposing their waste. Before the end of summer, Norwich BID aims to interview 100 businesses of all types.
The second phase of the project will take place in the Autumn, until early 2021. During this time, the goal is to analyse the various types of waste that 300 businesses are producing.
Throughout 2021, Norwich BID will be building a business case for the city’s upcycling, and provide support and capacity for every business involved to re-purpose their waste.
At the end of the project in 2022/23, we want to have put in place methods and means for businesses to put their waste to better use. Norwich BID is aiming to create something positive for the environment and the economy, by ensuring that resources can be re-purposed and the city’s contribution to landfill is significantly reduced.
Project benefits
The project is completely free for SMEs to participate in, and ultimately should save businesses money by identifying new sources of income from their existing rubbish!
Resources from SMEs will be upcycled and put straight back into the economy. Things that are normally thrown away will be put to good use to benefit people and businesses.
This project is a huge leap for the city in creating a more sustainable future for Norwich. A ‘circular economy’ means that resources are constantly in use and waste is kept out of landfill, which is vital in ensuring society’s impact on the environment is minimal.
‘Upcycle your Waste’ also aims to improve the efficiency of waste-handling, especially when it comes to production and manufacturing. Businesses will benefit from easy-to-access means for upcycling, as well as professional advice on their waste throughout the project term.
Norwich BID wants to create a collaborative community when it comes to creating a circular economy for the city. Partners will be part of a pioneering new movement for their city, which should have lasting impact for years to come.
The project is currently in its first phase, and Norwich BID is asking businesses in greater Norwich to get in touch for a 20 minute conversation about what will make the project work for them.
Norwich BID projects officer Victoria Nieto Felipe said: “Over the past 4 months we’ve seen some powerful examples of how our community can pull together in the face of big challenges. As Norwich – along with lots of towns and cities – plans for the future, we want to do everything we can to make sure the way we use our city is sustainable. I’m excited to be working on such a meaningful initiative and encouraged that other cities across the world have seen really positive results from projects like this one.”
Norwich is working with six other partners in four countries across Europe (Economisch Huis Oostend, Kent County Council, Katholieke Hogeschool Vives Zuid, OD IJmond, City of Roubaix, Technische Universiteit Delft) with the aim of getting 20% of our collective pre-existing waste stream upcycled.
Norwich BID is still in the process of interviewing 100 businesses across the Greater Norwich area. Any business who would like to be involved in the Upcycle Your Waste project can do so by sending an email to projects@norwichbid.co.uk.
TaxAssist Accountants has been shortlisted for the Franchisor of the Year accolade at the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards, to be held at the Vox, Birmingham, on 30th November.
TaxAssist Accountants is the UK’s largest network of small business specialist accountants, with more than 385 shops and offices servicing 76,000 clients. It is also the UK’s leading tax and accountancy franchise, with previous British Franchise Association (bfa) successes including winning Franchisor of the Year in 2010, as well as Bronze in 2015 and Silver in 2008 and 2009.
It will be competing with five other well-known franchise brands before a judging panel of industry experts and receiving a nomination is an achievement in itself, proving the business works ethically and in the best interests of franchisees and staff.
Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive said: “At a time of such economic and social turmoil, it is very welcome good news to have once again been shortlisted as a finalist for this prestigious award, and very rewarding for the 60 strong Support Team to have their hard work and achievements recognised in this way.
“We received fantastic feedback from our franchisees and their clients on the support provided prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to putting forward a very strong case as to why we should win to the judging panel.”
Pip Wilkins QFP, CEO of the bfa, said: “TaxAssist Accountants has been a long-serving member of the bfa, adhering to an airtight, ethical operation. In 2019, network sales grew by 9%, as did client numbers and recruitment figures as, despite a struggling high street, the business excelled.”
Andrew Brattesani, Head of Franchising, HSBC, said: “TaxAssist’s initial training for new franchisees and ongoing support is rigorous, with other courses available and optional for franchisees and staff, such as the Management Development Diploma, which has had a very good take up.”
If you are interested in joining TaxAssist Accountants, it is holding monthly Virtual Discovery Days where you can spend a day with the team to find out more about the business opportunity and support on offer. Visit the website www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk for more information.
Tiger Eye Consulting Ltd, experts in Document, Email and Knowledge Management, are delighted to announce that they have been awarded with the silver ‘We invest in people accreditation, an accreditation awarded to only 20% of organisations assessed by Investors in People.
The award recognises that principles of wellbeing, workplace support and work life balance are in place, but also that those within the organisation are making active efforts to ensure that everyone in the organisation feels the benefits of Tiger Eye’s investment in people.
The team of 23 at Tiger Eye are delighted to receive recognition for their wellbeing and employee support scheme ‘PAWS’ which they have worked hard to design over the past few years. The award recognises the work Tiger Eye have carried out to achieve the second of Tiger Eye’s three company objectives, which is ‘to provide a work environment that actively seeks to mentor and grow local talent, giving them the chance to learn and develop their skills’.
Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, commented: “We’d like to congratulate Tiger Eye. Silver accreditation on ‘We invest in people’ is a remarkable effort for any organisation, and places Tiger Eye in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”
Commenting on the award, Tiger Eye’s Managing Director Dave Wilson said: “With their pride, passion and positivity, it’s our team that sets us apart from other businesses. We believe that the success of our organisation is down to those who work within it, so we’re really invested in supporting our staff in every way we can. We’re thrilled that we’ve been Investors in People have recognised our achievements and we look forward to continuing to develop and improve our approach.”
About Investors in People Most of us will spend around 80,000 hours at work in our lifetimes. For something that takes up that much of our time, we think people deserve to get more out of it than just a regular pay cheque. That’s why we’ve already helped more than 11 million people across 75 countries to make work better. And you know what, we’re just getting started…
Can you afford to spend £6500 dealing with the impact of a cyber attack?
According to Techradar that is the average cost of a breach in the UK. Whilst we hear most about hackers targeting big businesses the majority of targets are SME’s. The reason hackers prefer them is because they often don’t have the resource or the know how to adequately protect themselves.
That’s where we come in. To help SME’s from falling victim to cyber crime we are now booking 15 minute no obligation Cyber Surgery calls with one of our Security Consultants. We are happy to answer any Cyber Security questions you have, even if you aren’t sure where to start!
Did you know that nearly half of all care workers leave within a year of starting? Care work can be incredibly challenging – both physically and mentally.
The team at Safepoint have analysed this sector to answer the question: How safe is the health and social care sector?
The Norfolk Mead, which reopened to guests on 4 July, is delighted to have received two industry standard accreditations for their Covid-prevention measures.
Firstly, the Norfolk Broads National Park-based destination venue has been certified as AA ‘Covid-confident’ following an assessment by the AA Hotel and Hospitality Services. The Norfolk Mead successfully passed the AA’s stringent criteria including: – Supplying evidence of a completed risk assessment document. – Providing clear evidence that relevant safety procedures and measures are in place. – Showing that staff training has occurred. – Signing up to the Covid Confident Charter, a code of conduct that will include a commitment to update procedures and measures as guidelines change, and to submitting to future audits as required. Secondly, The Norfolk Mead was one of the first hospitality establishments in the East of England region to sign up for the VisitEngland ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry standard mark demonstrating that they had quickly made the necessary changes to their day-to-day workings, including social distancing measures and staff training. James Holliday, Owner of The Norfolk Mead commented: “We are very proud to have received both the AA and VisitEngland accreditations to recognise the measures we have and continue to take to ensure the safety of our guests and staff. We welcome these schemes as an easy way for guests to identify the businesses which are taking the threat of covid-19 seriously, and hope they help provide reassurance and confidence. “From cold fogging of rooms, through to Perspex screens and staff temperature checks and PPE, we are providing both a safe environment, but also one that continues to deliver our high quality, luxury home from home level of customer service, despite circumstances being slightly different from normal. Our staff are so happy to be back at work, and it is a complete delight to see the Hotel welcoming guests once more. This has been reflected in the joy our guests have shown when coming in for drinks, a meal, or a trip on our boat. “We also welcome the government scheme offering reduced VAT on hospitality and tourism services and the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme for August. We have reviewed our prices accordingly and will be offering three courses for £36 in our two star AA Rosette-standard restaurant. We will also be delighted to offer the Eat Out scheme in addition to guests once it is up and running … meaning diners can also save 50% of their bill up to £10 per person on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout August.” The Norfolk Mead are taking bookings for Hotel Rooms, Dine and Stay packages, Lunch, Afternoon Teas, Dinner, Spa Treatments and Day Boat Hire. Call 01603 737 531 or email info@norfolkmead.co.uk
After our recent briefing on the future of trade in Northern Ireland (NI), a new policy document has emerged with more on the Government’s plans. For exporters in the East of England, below is our summary of the key points.
Freight travelling from the UK to NI Firstly, the document makes it clear that for freight travelling from the UK to NI:
All goods must be declared to customs
HMG has the opportunity to carry out checks at NI ports and airports before the goods are released
No tariffs on goods remaining within NI
There will be tariffs on goods which are at risk of entering the EU, eg crossing the border into Eire. The tariffs applicable may be 0% or lower than mfn (most favoured nation) dependant on the outcome of the UK/EU free trade agreement negotiations
How the new arrangements will work
NI port and terminal operators have been asked to choose between two models to carry out customs processes: Model 1: Temporary Storage For businesses who currently export to the Rest of World (RoW), this system will be familiar, as it is used in existing ports handling RoW traffic. It provides storage for goods while customs declarations are made and customs clearance is given. Goods can be stored at the location of arrival for up to 90 days before they are declared to free circulation or other relevant procedure. Model 2: Pre-Lodgement This model uses a new system developed by HMRC to carry out customs processes, and the Government is hoping this will become the preferred system in NI. It is designed to speed the flow of goods through NI ports by requiring customs declarations to be pre-lodged prior to goods departing for NI. Traders will have to:
Ensure all goods have the appropriate declarations before they board a ferry or plane to NI
Communicate to the person in control of the goods (e.g. the driver of a lorry for accompanied goods or the carrier for unaccompanied goods) by the time they arrive in NI whether goods are cleared to proceed on their journey or need a check
How Pre-Lodgment will work To facilitate pre-lodgement, the Government will introduce a couple of new acronyms into the exporter’s vocabulary GMR
Every consignment will need a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), the single declaration that will be the key to goods moving smoothly through NI ports. The GMR pulls together three documents:
Import declaration with customs codes
Safety and security declaration
Transit Accompanying Document (TAD) which will remain with the vehicle at all times
GVMS The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is the new IT system that will support the pre‐lodgement model:
GVMS will handle all GMR declarations. The person moving the goods (e.g. a haulier) will present one single reference before boarding to prove that their goods have pre‐lodged declarations
As soon as the goods board GVMS will link up the movement of the goods with the declaration and process the declaration whilst the goods are en route
By the time the goods arrive at the NI port, GVMS will notify the exporter whether the goods are cleared or uncleared, so they know what they need to do as goods disembark
The document indicates most trucks will be green-lit to proceed, some will require further checks or processing.
We have seen rumours that the pre-lodgement system will be trialled in November, but we have no confirmation of this yet. The system is scheduled to go live in January Importing goods from NI If you currently buy goods from businesses in NI, the information is much simpler. The policy document says: In the majority of cases, there should be no additional processes or paperwork and there will be no change to how Northern Ireland goods arrive in Great Britain ports compared to today. Click the button to read the full document HMRC plans for NI We can expect further developments on this and other import and export systems, we will endeavour to keep you updated. As always, please call or email me with comments or questions, we’re always happy to discuss individual issues.
We are pleased to announce that Tudor Lodge Consultants is now working with Playfair Capital (https://playfaircapital.com/). Helping to improve the online presence and search engine optimisation (SEO) of the Playfair Capital website and brand, we are working to ensure the brand and the company gets the exposure it needs.
Playfair Capital are leading, London-based seed stage investors, having worked with dozens of ambitious brands and companies offering a wide range of products and services.
Why SEO?
Although many people perceive SEO as only being perfect for product-based businesses and offerings, this is in fact not the case. SEO is remarkably effective at helping service-based businesses too. Helping company websites climb the search engine rankings allows for a great deal more exposure to one of the most engaged audiences out there; those that are already searching for your services.
By climbing the rankings, companies can expect to receive increased traffic to their website as well as increased engagement and much more time spent on the website generally. By increasing the numbers of engaged users and those that interact with a website, a brand and its offering, companies can reasonably expect to increase business and importantly, profits and sales.
As a medium to longer term strategy, SEO is also a lot more cost-effective than other marketing channels including pay-per-click (PPC) and traditional methods of advertising like radio, TV and billboard advertising campaigns.
Unlike PPC which charges advertisers based on each click, SEO is an investment in the ongoing presence of a website and contributes most strongly to the earned or ‘organic’ positions via Google and other search engines.
Key Elements of SEO Covered
Rather than a product-related offering where the key point of sale and conversion relies purely on individual and collective sales, service-based companies and businesses require a great deal more awareness online. This means that although ultimately offering a commercial or busines product or service, it is not just about ‘straight up sales,’ but is, in large part about ensuring they are seen and engaged with above and beyond their competitors in their target areas online.
There are a number of key areas within SEO which we are covering for Playfair Capita which include:
Crawling and Understanding – Key to how and where a site is positioned on Google is the ability of the search engine algorithms or ‘spiders,’ which crawl websites to discover and understand what is on a website as well as each webpage. Thus, we are working on ensuring Playfair Capital’s website is not just filled with content, but is understood in the context of the offerings, aims and their wider industry.
Online PR – The online reputation and therefore PR in SEO is important to websites. Acting a strong trust signal to Google and other search engines, online PR in the form of strong, clean and relevant backlinks are a key tenet to the SEO works undertaken.
User Experience (UX) – Although content used to be king when it came to SEO, in more recent years, it is a lot more user focused. This means that rather than having to fill up websites with inordinate amounts of content for the sake of it, it is the user experience and their interactions with a website which play a far more important role when it comes to where a given website should rank. Moreover, good UX allows for better experiences for the users that will inevitably reach the website in question.
Recently, many businesses have seen a massive overhaul of how they work, with new challenges arising every day. If you’re struggling, consider a dynamic risk assessment. DRAs empower staff to understand new risks and help build safer methodologies.
Now that you’ve trialled remote working for your staff, are you thinking about offering it as a long term solution?
Many employers once feared staff working from home but since COVID-19 forced companies to take the plunge those employers are seeing the benefits remote working offers. Video calls, cloud-based collaboration and chat platforms are helping companies continue to run efficiently despite not being in the same building.
Having people work from home does, however, pose many questions around data security and privacy, and that’s where we can help. We don’t want to give people generic advice about best practice though, we want to give you the opportunity to ask us, IT experts, how this will work for YOUR business so we’ve set up a 15-minute surgery to help you out.