Member News

On Friday 20 March 2020, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced significant support for businesses in the UK to deal with the effects of COVID-19.

The most significant from an employment perspective is the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The details of this scheme can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses

The scheme will be available for all employees currently paid via PAYE and will be backdated to 1 March 2020. he scheme will be open initially for three months but the period may be extended if needed

As a business, the guidance states that you will need to:

1. Designate affected employees as ‘furloughed workers,’ and notify your employees of this change. We consider that ‘furloughed workers’ means keeping the employees on the payroll rather than laying them off or making them redundant. Changing the status of employees to ‘furloughed workers’ is subject to existing employment law, therefore, you would need to agree to any changes with your workforce (unless you have set lay off, etc provisions in your contract of employment). The workforce would be likely to agree to any changes if the alternative is redundancy or lay off. If you have more than 20 employees affected by any changes to terms and conditions or proposed redundancies, our team would be happy to speak to you about collective consultation obligations.
2. Submit information to HMRC about the employees that have been furloughed and their earnings through a new online portal (HMRC will set out further details on the information required).

HMRC will then reimburse 80% of furloughed workers wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. HMRC is working urgently to set up a system for reimbursement. Although it is not clear yet, it is likely that the £2, 500 per month will be a net figure to be placed into the hands of employees and include pension etc. However, we will need clarity on this point.

Please note that it will be the employer’s decision on whether to designate employees as ‘furloughed workers’ therefore employees cannot just be given this status without the agreement of the employer.

Further information

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.

For all of our COVID-19 (Coronavirus) advice, please visit https://www.ashtonslegal.co.uk/coronavirus/

Our partners at Ashtons HR Consulting may also be able to assist you.

This information is correct at 10.30am on 23 March 2020.

I have been so touched at the level of #coronakindness over all socials and the kind offers of support in our region – it is heart warming at such a difficult time.

We would like to extend our support  to colleagues and and are in a great position as a business to help you reach out to your most important asset – your teams. We have designed a bespoke team survey for your use (free of charge) which has been written following conversations with businesses across many sectors to ascertain the type of insight that will be of use. Questions such as how you are communicating with teams and your customers and do they have the right tools for their roles in the current circumstances requiring new ways of working for some. The survey is anonymous for participants.

Understanding how your teams feel at this current time will be crucial in making sure you are making the right decisions for them and your business, as we ride out the pandemic.  Having vital colleague insight at this time will enable you to make decisions quickly. 

It is totally FREE of charge including the outputs from the report.  To sign up and receive your unique link please follow this one.

 https://www.insight6.com/form/coronavirus-team-survey/

Stay safe everyone.

Judy

judy.randon@insight6.com – 07909 542737

With businesses suddenly having to manage a considerably more remote workforce due to the impact of coronavirus, we asked ourselves, how can we at Safepoint help?

To help support businesses in these tough times we’ve put together some free resources, as well as providing Safepoint completely free to anyone that needs the extra support.

Did you know that staff who work from home are considered ‘lone workers’ by the government? If self-isolation is your first experience with hiring lone workers, it’s recommended that you create a ‘lone worker policy’. Don’t worry, you can make one using our free document builder here: https://www.safepointapp.com/lone-working-policy-builder

We also know that, despite Covid-19, some essential services can’t operate from home. To help, we’re offering a completely free month of Safepoint for anyone who needs it. Sign up at https://www.safepointapp.com/ and use the code PROTECTMYSTAFF at checkout.

Fifty HR professionals from across the Eastern region attended the latest HR Energy event hosted by Pure and Mills and Reeve.

The HR Energy breakfast sessions, founded by Pure’s Senior Managing Consultant Becky Wilson and Mills and Reeve’s partner James Kidd, provide learning and networking opportunities for those in the HR sector.

The latest session, held on Tuesday 10 March at Mills and Reeve’s offices in Norwich, was based on the topic of Relationship Intelligence.

The aim was to explore how HR professionals can enhance alliances across organisations by building stronger relationships and how to maximise the impact and influence of HR to positively influence people and engage action.

Guest Speaker Joe Mills, MD and Founder of consultancy firm The Tree Academy, helped to bring the subject of Relationship Intelligence to life. Joe explained how Relationship Intelligence is the applied awareness of people’s motives and strengths to communicate in the right style and achieve goals faster.

Becky, who specialises in HR recruitment, said: “This was another fantastically inspiring event and Joe was a really engaging speaker. Understanding people’s emotional responses and their main motivators is a powerful tool for maximising the impact of HR. It builds more effective communications, as well as helping to create and maintain a culture of psychological safety and trust which increases employee engagement. This resonates even more in our current challenging times.”

Joe explained how understanding the motivations and reasoning behind someone’s decisions enables people to communicate more effectively, and more emotionally, leading to faster results and stronger relationships. Delegates also explored the three main motivators which influence people’s emotional responses; people and wanting to help others, performance and wanting to achieve results or process and wanting to establish order.

For more information about future HR Energy events contact Becky Wilson on becky.wilson@prs.uk.com or 01603 216 450.

Please note that Trading Standards have received details of Coronavirus (COVID19) related community scams. We are continuing to issue our alerts and post messages via social media of any scams or information we receive. For more information about the current scams or rogue trading in Norfolk sign up to Trading Standards Consumer or Business Alerts at: www.norfolk.gov.uk/scams or follow us on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/norfolktradingstandards Twitter: twitter.com/NorfolkCCTS You can report scams to us via our partners, the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 or via their online reporting form

MHA Larking Gowen Corporate Finance Partner, and business coach James Lay discusses how to ‘keep things in perspective’ amidst current uncertainties.

There’s no doubt about it, the COVID-19 pandemic is deeply concerning for everyone. And it is everyone!

Other than World Wars, it’s difficult to think of anything which has or ever will affect so many of us across the world simultaneously. Although a glib comparison, even when global sporting events take place, there are huge swathes of the global population who pay absolutely no attention. But this is clearly different and hugely important. For those who aren’t affected by the virus directly, there’s little way of avoiding the restrictions being put in place across all of our societies. 

Who could have possibly seen this coming? Well, anyone who has seen Bill Gates’ TED talk from 2015 will see his alarmingly accurate warnings. Clever chap that Bill! But there’s little point looking back with hindsight at the ‘if onlys’. We must all pull together and support those who are directly affected by the virus. And for everyone else, we must take responsibility for how we choose to respond to the 24/7 rolling media coverage which is creating understandable anxiety across the globe. 

The American Psychological Association (APA) has put out some tips to manage this anxiety which are more grounded in reality, compared to much of what we are reading in the general media.

The five tips are:

Keep things in perspective. Most people should not get seriously unwell; even those over 70 can take steps to minimise the likelihood of getting the virus. As more data becomes available the analysis suggests the death rate is relatively low.

Get the facts. Avoid getting caught up with sensationalised media coverage and focus on reports from the relevant authorities.

Communicate more. Share qualified data with others. If we remain calm, it builds confidence and reduces anxiety in others.

Keep connected. Maintain a sense of normality with all your personal and business connections ‘electronically’ using face-to-face technologies like Zoom, Skype and Facetime. Use texts, emails and social media if you must, but they don’t create the same level of connection. Of course, there’s always the phone and hand-written letters too!

Seek help. We’re all in this together. No one is alone. Let’s look after ourselves and proactively support other people. In working relationships this should be true both up and down the chain of command. Leaders should be supporting their team members but, just as importantly, team members should be looking out for their leaders. And, if anyone is feeling an overwhelming nervousness, sadness, or other reaction, then they really ought to consult a mental health professional to manage their stress. 

In terms of businesses, of course, they are all currently dealing with a short-term heightened level of disruptive change associated with potential working from home changes, new policies, home pressures and concerns, disrupted customers and new technologies that need to be implemented quickly. What we are seeing is that around one third of businesses are now exceptionally busy (and doing OK), for the next third it is roughly business as usual, and the final third are experiencing significant trouble. Of the final category, maybe half of those businesses may prove difficult to save. So, as you can see, the impact of COVID-19 is maybe not quite how it is being portrayed in the media, and in truth every business will need help and support in differing ways. 

Watch out for a series of further posts and videos over the coming days with practical business tools and advice to support people and businesses. We are also available through Skype to provide business coaching to businesses – please just get in touch – james.lay@larking-gowen.co.uk.

Stay safe. 

James Lay

Partner

A message from Andy;

Hi.

I know it’s concerning for most people at the moment in these rather surreal times of uncertainty. It’s no different for me either. I’m seeing first hand what’s happening to the job market and in the local business community.

I’m speaking to employers and job seekers every hour of the day and I can feel the frustration and concern from all areas, but I can also feel a positive ‘carrying on’ vibe out there too, which is great to hear! We all need reassuring positive news in our lives, no matter how small it is.

Thinking about what’s happening and how unpleasant it is to be potentially thrust into a scary and volatile job market, or be living with the threat of possible redundancy hanging over you (I’ve been there myself several times throughout my working years!), I want to shout out to those that might be facing uncertain futures in their careers.

Those that might be worried about the job market. Those that think their CV looks dated or wondering if it represents them in the right light. Those that just want a bit of reassurance or advice or simply just a chat with someone that can give an honest overview of this side of business.

I want to let them know that I’m happy and free to have a chat. I can give you an idea of what might be out there, who was recruiting before this virus happened and who will probably pick up their recruitment process again when we get in the clear, or even who is still recruiting at this very moment (things are still happening out there…there are shafts of positivity poking through!) My team and I can have a look at your CV, make some recommendations about it, improve it (not that it’ll need it, I’m sure) or just give you some reassurance that we are here to help if you need us.

If you are worried or just want to have a chat, do give us a call on 01603622667 or email me at andy@serviceservice.co.uk

I do hope that you don’t need to talk to us though and also that you all keep safe and well.

Andy Pitt, Business Owner

During uncertain times it’s essential that business owners can keep track of their business’s financial performance in order to instil stability and minimise disruption.

Over the coming weeks, we’re expecting many offices to close and work patterns to be adjusted due to Covid-19. This is likely to include most professional firms. Fortunately, MHA Larking Gowen has a robust business continuity plan and all our teams can work remotely with no interruption to their day to day working. This means our teams can support our clients regardless of location.

As business owners, I’m sure that you will be requiring frequent contact and advice from your trusted advisor over the coming months. However, the challenge is – how can you provide them with access to your up-to-date business records if restrictions are in place?

Cloud Accounting

MHA Larking Gowen has Platinum Partner status for cloud accounting platforms Xero and QuickBooks.

If you haven’t heard of Xero and QuickBooks before, these are online cloud accounting software packages designed to make life easier for small and medium sized business owners. Most importantly, these are cloud based so can be accessed by both you and your trusted advisor anywhere, if you have access to the internet.

Not only can these be accessed anywhere, they also both provide essential efficiencies which will relieve you of mundane bookkeeping tasks and allow you to concentrate on minimising any disruption within your business.

Integrated features

Both Xero and QuickBooks have amazing integrated features to help with everyday bookkeeping tasks.

The main ‘time saving’ feature is the live bank feeds. Bank feeds automatically import transactions from your bank, directly into Xero and QuickBooks. Therefore, eliminating the need to enter bank transactions manually into your cloud accounting software.

We make sure all our cloud accounting clients are set up with Receipt Bank https://embed.vidyard.com/watch/x5coA6aEWFUK5wB8pW7nPe This third party application allows you to take photos of your sales and purchase invoices using an app on your phone or tablet. It then extracts data from these invoices before they are published through to Xero or QuickBooks, avoiding any manual data entry of sales or purchases.

Real Time Information

As business owners, I’m sure many of you will be required to make some vital business decisions in the coming months but how will you be able to do this if you don’t fully understand where your business’s finances are at, right now?

Technology can be used to provide Real Time Information, to help business owners understand exactly where they stand.

It is essential that business owners have all the tools in place to enable them to provide their trusted advisor with information instantly. In return, bookkeeping can be updated on a daily basis, providing business owners with Real Time Information. This gives business owners the detail they need to make informed business decisions.

Cashflow is going to be key in the coming months and third party applications such as Futrli (https://www.futrli.com/) can be used to further help business owners with decision making.

Futrli integrates with Xero and QuickBooks and enables you to create budgets and forecasts based upon multiple scenarios. This is essential to enable business owners to gain a real insight as to what the future of their business will look like and so they can ensure they are on track to achieving their objectives.

In this current climate, it is essential that business owners have the resources required to utilise technology to their advantage.

Click here to read our client testimonial

If you’re worried about the impact Coronavirus will have on your business performance and would like to know more about your business’s current financial position, please call Jessica Rafferty-Smith on 01603 624181.

SOUL Church will now be streaming its Sunday services on Facebook and YouTube. In line with the latest health advice, the church is temporarily moving online and invites all those who are social distancing or self isolating to tune in for worship and Biblical teaching.

Pastor Jon explains, “In times of uncertainty and fear, the church has an opportunity to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to share hope with those around us. We won’t be gathering in person for Sunday services for a while, but we will stream two live services online each Sunday so that people can tune in for an uplifting message of hope.”

From 25 March, Pastor Jon will also be sharing weekday ‘Good News at Noon’ updates and a weekly chapel session every Tuesday at 10:30am until the church can open its doors once more. It’s hoped that offering services online means those who may not be able to get to their own church can still share in a Bible-based service each week.

This Sunday, for Mother’s Day, the church will stream live at 10:30am. After that, services will stream at both 10:30am and 5pm each Sunday.

You can find out more at soulchurch.com

Live Streaming Sessions:

Wednesday Nights 20:00

Sunday Services: 10:30 and 20:00

With the current situation, your online presence is more important than ever. A good, visible website could be your only contact point for potential customers for the foreseeable future.

We are offering 20% discount for members off any website development including ecommerce and 20% discount for the first three months off our Small Business Booster Package which includes, SEO, PPC, Facebook and digital advertising.

Find out more at: www.mediainabox.co.uk or email: info@mediainabox.co.uk

Hello, I am Neil Hogg and my company is Paper Convertec Ltd

With my technical and manufacturing knowledge I am in a position to support local business that need technical technicians to either change or improve their production at this critical time. It maybe I can assist companies that would usually rely on overseas technicians for support. Therefore if you or your colleges know of any business that is critical, either medical or food production or distribution etc that needs technical, mechanical, automation support at this time to put them in contact with me to see if I can assist them at this time as I am free and available.

Please get in touch with me either of the following ways

Landline – 01953 2020000

Mobile – 07739 096768

email me: neil@paperconvertec.co.uk

AF Group Limited – the largest agricultural buying group in the UK and independent provider of advice, insight, and services to the farming community – have confirmed that David Horton-Fawkes will join them as their new CEO this winter.

Commenting on the appointment, AF chairman Nigel Savory said, “David is a proven leader with an enviable track record of business growth. Having someone at the helm of our business who not only understands farming but can also help navigate the headwinds the industry is about to face was hugely important to the board. Therefore, we are incredibly excited about the future of AF and the value we can offer to farm businesses across the UK under David’s leadership.

David is currently the chief executive of Gascoyne Estates and his previous roles include Estate Director at Holkham Estate and Lowther Estate, giving him a strong understanding of both large and small farming businesses as well as the increasingly diversified rural economy.

David says, “I am grateful to the Chairman and the Board for giving me the opportunity to lead AF at a time when farming is facing a turbulent future and when all businesses must be alert to change driven by technology, climate and social attitudes. The role is a huge and exciting challenge and I am determined to make a positive difference for AF, its employees and its Members”.