Member News

We are delighted to announce that James Groves, our current Commercial Director, has been promoted to Managing Director effective from 1st May 2019. I’m sure everyone at Indigo Swan will join me in taking this opportunity to congratulate James and we couldn’t be happier to see you in your new role. 

James said: “To become Managing Director of Indigo Swan is the single greatest achievement of my life so far, other than my wife saying yes to marrying me! I am extremely honoured and proud that Emily has entrusted me with the future success of the company and the continued growth and development of the swan family.”

James’ promotion will also see Emily, Founder and original Managing Director, move to Executive Chair. She said: “Almost 10 years ago I founded Indigo Swan and it has been an exhilarating journey so far.  With a very clear sense of who we are, what matters most to us and a desire to do our best every day I am incredibly proud of the organisation we are today and our bold ambitions for the future. James’s passion for Indigo Swan has fuelled our success and empowered our Swans.” 

Emily added: “The culture we’ve purposefully nurtured at Indigo Swan has made it possible that this transition feels completely natural and exciting. I’m delighted that, whilst I’ll continue to work in partnership with James to guide the strategic direction of Indigo Swan, I will also have the opportunity to devote time to my wider enthusiasm for awesome company cultures.”

To find out more visit our blog.

Join us for our 2019 Employment Taxes workshop, as part of our On Top of Tax series.

The workshop will focus on recent changes to key areas of Employment Taxes together with an analysis of the areas commonly reviewed and challenged by HMRC. This will include; termination payments, proposed new rules in respect of off-payroll workers, and common National Minimum Wage pitfalls.

Additionally, we will focus on key international employment tax and social security matters which employers need to consider.

​Agenda

• Off-payroll workers
• Payments in respect of Termination of Employment
• National Minimum Wage
• International matters
• Other news and key Employment Taxes changes

This is being held on May 16th at our office, 2nd Floor, Yare House, 62-64 Thorpe Road, Norwich, NR1 1RY. From 4pm – 6pm.

To register for this event please click here. 

This event is free to attend

Small and medium businesses are everywhere and are vital to the success of the UK economy. There are many threats agaisnt them including being susceptible to fraud. SME’s may be vulnerable to fraud because they have to focus on other aspects of the business.

The Norfolk Against Scams Partnership (NASP) is a partnership of organisations committed to taking a stand against scams and aims to make Norfolk a scam free county. We are working together to protect and support residents and businesses in Norfolk from scams, doorstep crime and fraud.

We are encouraging as many businesses as possible to sign up to the scheme. They will get the latest information about business scams, be able to share best practice and to find support.

The attached leaflet gives information about how to sign up to the scheme.

Full Mix Marketing’s founder and managing director, Sarah West, is celebrating eleven years as a Chartered Marketer with the CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing).

The CIM say “Chartered Marketer status recognises those marketers achieving the highest level in our profession. It demonstrates commitment to keeping up-to-date and is awarded on a combination of experience and qualifications. In 1998, The Queen’s Privy Council granted us the authority to award Chartered Marketer status – the mark of an up-to-date, experienced and qualified marketing professional.”

Sarah comments “It’s amazing to think its over a decade since I completed my post-graduate marketing diploma and first achieved Chartered Marketer status. So much has happened in the intervening years but the fundamentals of effective marketing remain the same! Starting my own agency has been the perfect way to use everything I’ve gained and help the businesses we work with to benefit from the results.”

Full Mix Marketing is a results-focused marketing agency in Norwich, Norfolk, East Anglia, which delivers all the strategic, digital & creative marketing businesses need to grow.

Contact us at www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk to find out more

FibreCRM has compiled a list of the Top 100 accountancy firms for digital marketing, placing Aston Shaw at number one in East Anglia and in the Top 20 across the UK.

Aston Shaw is the highest ranked accountancy firm in East Anglia for digital marketing. The firm are also within the top 20 on a national level, placed at the enviable position of 17th.

Aston Shaw states that a key part of their brand’s ethos is to be at the forefront of technology and at the cutting edge of innovation, their place on this list helps to solidify this position.

Mark Noakes, Director at Aston Shaw said “digital marketing chimes with our brand values, it’s the perfect medium for us to demonstrate that we are progressive, modern and forward-thinking. It’s great to see that our digital marketing efforts have been recognised in this way”.

In order to assess digital marketing performance, FibreCRM pulled in data from five primary digital marketing platforms:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Video – YouTube & Vimeo

As a firm, Aston Shaw are committed to leading the way for digital innovation. Whether this is through their digital marketing strategy, advocacy of cloud accounting software or proactive approach to Making Tax Digital, they strive to be ahead of the curve.

For more information on how the Top 100 Digital Marketing Performance List was created, please visit: https://www.fibrecrm.com/2019/04/23/top-100-accountants-digital-marketing-performance/

East Anglian accountancy firm, Aston Shaw have been warming up and doing their stretches in preparation for Run Norwich, a 10km run through the fine city! As proud sponsors of Run Norwich, the comapny has been busy planning for this highly-anticipated annual event.

Aston Shaw has been sponsoring Run Norwich since the inaugural race in 2015. Now in its fifth year, the event has gone from strength to strength. This year, places sold out within just four days and seven hours!

Run Norwich returns to the city on Sunday 21st July 2019. And as usual, Aston Shaw will be at the halfway point to cheer on the runners. The run itself promises to be bigger and better than ever and so too does Aston Shaw’s cheer station. Music will be played by a live DJ, to help you give that much-needed boost at the 5km mark! If the music isn’t enough to make their presence known, keep an eye out for the signs, flags and balloon arches & columns!

Just as with previous years, Aston Shaw will be live streaming the whole thing in glorious HD on their social media channels, the footage will later be made available to watch on the firms website, so be sure to keep an eye out for the camera if you’re running!

Run Norwich is a major date in the city’s calendar, it attracts all kinds of people from all over. You’ll find both novice runners and seasoned professionals here, residents as well as international participants. The race itself will take runners on a scenic journey through Norwich, passing some of the city’s most iconic landmarks such as Norwich Castle, Cathedral and Norwich City Football Club.

https://www.astonshaw.co.uk/

Breakwater IT are delighted to announce that they have achieved their Microsoft Gold Cloud Productivity competency.

What is the Microsoft Gold Cloud competency?

The Gold competency shows Breakwater’s capabilities in building, integrating, securing and deploying Microsoft Office 365 solutions – including Exchange, SharePoint, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams and Yammer.

It is hugely important to continuously develop technical expertise and, at Breakwater, Engineers are supported through additional qualifications, including completion of the Office 365 exams required for the Gold competency.

What it means for organisations

Breakwater IT are able to provide the highest level of technical know-how when it comes to advising on and integrating Microsoft Office 365 solutions.

Part of the accreditation process involved the completion of assessments, demonstration of technical competency and the provision of positive client feedback – ensuring an excellent quality of service and effortless transition to the cloud.

Stuart Moll, Technical Director commented that: “Achieving our Gold Cloud Productivity competency is a fantastic accomplishment for the team and demonstrates the dedication each of our Engineers has to expanding their skills set and employing this knowledge to deliver excellent client service. Office 365 provides the security and productivity tools clients need to operate effectively in the cloud and we look forward to helping more organisations utilise all it has to offer.”

Producing a robust business plan with a good chance of achieving success!

Join Rachel Blackburn on Tuesday May 7th at 18.30 for an opportunity for entrepreneurial women to develop their business plan in a supportive master class environment.

Rachel is the Director of US2U Consulting Ltd, a forward thinking Management Consultancy offering an enormous range of key solutions to develop and manage your organisation. 

This event is free to attend, please register your space here

The Agenda for the evening event is as follows, beginning at 18.30 and ending at 20.30: 

• Producing the vision, values and your unique selling proposition

• Identifying clear goals

• Deciding priority actions for the short term, medium term, long term

• Review of the external environment

• Compiling competitor analysis

• Understanding your company Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

• Producing the marketing plan

• Developing your elevator pitch

• Creating key job descriptions and processes

Please bring pens/paper/tablet etc so you can develop your own strategic recipe during the 2 hour session

The event will be held at No.8, 8 Thorpe Road, Norwich NR1

This event is kindly sponsored by Sarah Daniels at No.8  Please note this event is Free to attend 

Vision Va va voom! 

Whilst running an independent, family run busy Coleman Opticians David Tuthill and his amazing team found time to collaborate with us, and host an open evening to share and celebrate how fantastic their patients, team and community are. 

Recent winners of the Family Optician of the Year 2019 – there is alot to celebrate! 

With an important message from David on the damaging effects of blue light, a tour of the inner workings of the practice, and a stunning array of Neubau eyewear glasses – it really was a fantastic evening.  The delightful Spring evening was toasted with sparkling fizz and delicious canapes from The Feed.

Whilst blue light may be the sabre of choice of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, the blue light that emanates from every single electronic device we use, has as we discovered on Thursday far more serious repercussions.

What is blue light?

As technology advances, so our working day evolves to incorporate the latest  gadgets and gizmo’s, all to make our jobs themselves easier but it doesn’t, and shouldn’t, need to be at the cost of our health. The impact of blue light on melatonin production was only confirmed in 2001, when scientists discovered that light in the blue spectrum-the 415 to 445 nanometer range-disrupts melatonin production.

Because it’s so bright, blue light is used widely in pretty much all LED devices, including phones, tablets, laptops and TVs.

It’s also very hot, and it appears to be wreaking all sorts of havoc on our eyes, melatonin, and consequently, on our health!

Anyone who uses a device is at risk, regardless of age.

Being in the presence of light at night disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythms by suppressing the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone. But melatonin does more than just make you sleepy, it’s also an antioxidant that appears to play a pivotal role in slowing the progression of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even cancer. 

Findings from latest research

Research shows an undeniable link between blue light exposure and migraine headaches. In some cases, optometrists are even seeing high levels of retinal stress in children that could lead to early onset macular degeneration, which can lead to near blindness!

What doesn’t need research: 415-445nm is super-hot light, and if focused and brought up close, say a tablet screen 6 inches from a child’s face, the long term damage will be significant.

An ophthalmologist says he’s recently seen a few 35 year old patients whose lenses, which are typically clear all the way up until around age 40, are so cloudy they resemble a 75 year olds.

A consultant says children as young as 2 are suffering from chronic insomnia, which in turn affects their behaviour and performance at school and day care.

A scientist finds that women who work night shifts are twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who sleep at night.

Blue light is considered a ‘carcinogenic pollution’ that in mice correlates with higher cancer rates. A lack of melatonin is linked to higher rates of breast cancer, while blocking those blue rays with amber glass or a ‘blue blocker’ is linked to lower rates. Exposure to blue light in people seems to have a direct link to depression. Blue light exposure, along with poor UV protection compliance, may be playing a role in the higher incidence of cataracts and macular degeneration seen today. Too much exposure can cause retinal toxicity.

Follow these hints and tips to minimise the damage For those using DSE, occupational lenses are available to help the eyes focus at an intermediate and near range for prolonged times, available with a blue-light filter to reduce exposure and drastically reduce the harm done to your eyes and health.

Clean your screen: A dust, smudge free screen reduces glare. Dim surrounding lights: To reduce the amount of light competing with your screen. Increase font size: Try increasing the text size to help better define screen content and to make reading more comfortable. Limit screen time: Especially for children and especially within 2 hours of bedtime! Blink more often: Staring at a screen can effect the number of times you blink, causing dry eye.

No matter your age, vocation or occupation, limiting your exposure to blue light and protecting your eye sight by making a few slight adjustments to your day will ensure that you enjoy many more years of vision health.

Norwich law firm Hatch Brenner has appointed Solicitor Varsha Goyal-Wright as Head of Residential Property.

Ms Goyal-Wright is a Residential Property specialist, with expertise including purchases of freehold and leasehold new build properties, Help to Buy equity loans, sales and purchases of part of land, sales and purchases of freehold and leasehold properties, dealing with unregistered titles, transfer of equity, re-mortgages, right to buy and first registrations.

In addition to working with clients on their conveyancing transactions, she will oversee the Residential Property team, and help to strengthen local relationships with Estate Agents, mortgage and financial advisors and other professionals.

Hatch Brenner Managing Partner Dawn Parkes commented: “We are delighted to welcome Varsha to Hatch Brenner. Her extensive experience combined with her outgoing and friendly nature will ensure she fits in well with our focus on developing strong interpersonal relationships with our clients and contacts.”

Varsha has a special interest in Human Rights and has worked with NGOs and Academic Institutes. She is fluent in English, Hindi and Punjabi.

Scam Alert – Telephone cold callers offering advertising including ‘online listings’ – April 2019 We are warning businesses about telephone cold callers claiming to be offering advertising including ‘online listings’. This approach is a typical scam targeted at businesses and often, following the call, a demand for payment for the proposed advertising will arrive even if no agreement has been made during the call. We would remind all businesses to ensure that all employees dealing with telephone contacts are aware of this type of cold calling scam. If you or anyone within your business receives one of these calls, do not give or confirm any information about your business. Hang up and report it to us via our partners the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

Tuesday, April 23 was the Maids Head Hotel’s quarterly Vision and Values staff awards day. The hotel’s vision is to be known as the finest for hospitality in Norfolk and staff receive awards for being nominated by fellow team members, for work that has supported achieving that vision.

Simon Dean, Junior Sous Chef, was named Employee of the Quarter, awarded to the member of staff who receives the most nominations. Simon has been at the Maids Head for six months. He is a graduate in Culinary Arts Management from University College Birmingham, a four-year course, which included a work placement in the United States. Simon moved from Cambridgeshire to Norwich for his new role; his third job since leaving university.

He won the award for brightening the mood of the kitchen, for constantly being cheerful and friendly, for being a team player and very approachable and always being willing to help staff and answer any question.

Simon said: “It is great news for me to be Employee of the Quarter. I would like to thank my colleagues for their nominations. It can be quite stressful in the kitchen when we are very busy and I do my best to keep the mood up. I also think it’s very important for the kitchen brigade to have a good working relationship with the front of house team and I work hard to ensure that our communication is as smooth as possible.”

Some 150 awards were presented to staff on the day by Andy Orchard, Sales Director, Eastern Daily Press and Edward Doe, Director of John Doe. Staff ‘cash’ in their award vouchers for a reward and can also save them until they have enough vouchers for a particular reward e.g. an overnight stay at the Maids Head’s sister hotel, The Gonville in Cambridge.

Examples of award nominations:

“Staying behind after completing to shift to help at a wedding.”

“Excellent feedback for service at the 74th Squadron dinner.”

“Covering the desk when reception was busy.”

“Getting a mention in the groom’s speech at a wedding.”

“Coming in outside of work hours to fix the water supply in rooms with no water.”

Andy Orchard and Edward Doe, who had been the judges for the Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards Investing in the Future category, also officially presented the Investing in the Future award and the Best Independent Hotel award to Maids Head Chairman, David Chaplin.

Edward Doe said: “I can tell by the atmosphere today, how engaged staff are with the Vision and Values Awards. They are an excellent incentive, getting everyone involved and heading in the same direction”

Andy Orchard said: “When we visited the hotel to judge the Investing in the Future category, the dedication of staff throughout the hotel shone through. It was a genuine pleasure to spend time here listening to the hotel’s story of evolution rather than revolution.”

David Chaplin, Chairman of the Maids Head Hotel said: “Congratulations to all our team for their passion and commitment in helping us achieve the two Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards, along with the Employer of the Year category at the Norfolk Business Awards, and for all you have done to make Norwich a great place for hospitality.”