PestEx is the UK’s largest trade exhibition and conference for the pest control industry and attracts over 2,500 attendees over the 2 days. Abate Pest Management Services will be exhibiting and talking to pest controllers and businesses about looking at ways to either start a business in pest control or ways to grow an existing business using the franchising model.
Creating a business is not always about starting from scratch. Buying a franchise is one way to own a business and start benefiting from it quickly. With an Abate Pest Management Services franchise, the key benefits come from the complete turnkey business package which has excellent opportunities for growth throughout the UK.
Jon Blake said “we are now in our 20th year of operations and have developed into a very successful business. Last year we put the wheels in motion to build a network of franchises to offer clients a first class service throughout the UK and at the same time the opportunity for others to run their own business supported by us.”
It was also announced this week by the franchising team at Lloyds Banking Group, that they would be delighted to consider banking and financial support to prospective franchisees looking at joining the Abate Pest Management Services franchise opportunity.
PestEx is the trade show and exhibition for anyone involved in the pest control industry. From pest management business owners to pest control technicians out on the road. The exhibition runs between 20-21 March 2019 at the London ExCeL exhibition centre in London. You can find out more by visiting https://pestex.org/
The Business Basics Fund is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and administered by Innovate UK (IUK) on behalf of BEIS, in partnership with the Innovation Growth Lab at Nesta.
The overarching Fund supports a range of projects that test innovative ways of encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take up productivity-boosting ways of working and technology. Through this second version of the programme, IUK is funding two types of project: trials and proof of concepts.
Trial projects will test different approaches to encouraging SMEs to adopt existing technologies and/or management practices that can boost firm level productivity. Proof of concept projects cover ideas that are in early development.
Proposals must relate to the actions SMEs can take to become more productive by:
adopting tried-and tested technologies, accountancy, CRM or HR software or payment systems;
adopting modern business practices;
improving their use of such tried and tested technologies and management practices already active within the business; or
or a combination of the above.
A share of up to £2 million is available across the trial and proof of concept projects. Individual levels of support for each project vary according to the competition strand:
Business Led Trials/Non-business Led Trials: Applicants can apply for a total of up to £400,000 grant funding for a trial project in these competitions.
Proof of Concept: Applicants may apply for up to £60,000 in grant funding to run a proof of concept project.
For the Business Led Trials Competition, the lead applicant must be a UK based business of any size. They can work alone, or in collaboration with other organisations. For the Non-business Led Trials Competition, the applicant must be a UK-based public sector organisation, university or research and technology organisation (RTO), or not for profit company. For the Proof of Concept Competition, the applicant must be a UK-based public sector organisation, university or research and technology organisation (RTO), charity, not-for-profit company or business of any size.
All three competitions will open to applications on 28 January 2019 with a deadline for the receipt of applications of 17 April 2019.
Who Can Apply
To lead a project, the applicant must be a UK based business of any size. Lead applicants can work alone, or in collaboration with other organisations.
IUK welcomes projects involving diverse organisations. To be a funded collaborator, the applicant must be a UK based business, academic organisation, charity, not for profit company, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO).
Last year we celebrated 40 years in business and our celebratory £40 off offer was so popular we thought we would run it again. Why not celebrate being in business for OVER 40 years!
So, if you order domestic blinds, curtains or shutters by the end of February, you can get £40 off.
We offer free measuring and fitting as standard, plus all products come with a 5-year guarantee.
Volunteering Matters, formerly known as CSV, is a national charity leading UK volunteering in policy and practice. The organisation has over 50 years of experience running volunteer programmes which support families, young people, disabled and vulnerable adults and isolated older people.
Funded by the Department for Education through Norwich Opportunity Area, Norwich Community Mentors help young people and their families to look beyond existing barriers and raise aspirations to achieve both educational and career goals.
Our project staff pair volunteer mentors with young people at three key transition stages:
Year 6 moving to secondary school
Year 9 selecting GCSE options
Year 11 transitioning from full-time education to employment, education or training
Volunteers receive full training, support and expenses from a dedicated project officer throughout.
For more information, get in contact with Dionne Walton: dionne.walton@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or 01603 273534
The Benjamin Foundation, a charity who supports over 2,500 young people, families and children in Norfolk and Suffolk each year, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2019.
The charity is looking for volunteers to help make the events it has coming up as successful as possible.
Could you or your colleagues give your time, or perhaps use your allocated CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy hours, to help out at one of the following?
Winter Beer Festival Norwich
Norwich hosts the Great British Beer Festival Winter for its third and final year in 2019 and it takes place from Wednesday 19th to Saturday 23rd February at The Halls, St Andrews St, Norwich.
Could you help The Benjamin Foundation by volunteering at this event? If you would like to help their team with bucket collections, they would love to hear from you.
There will be a rota with shifts of 2.5 hours throughout the afternoon and evening and volunteers are able to take advantage of limited free beer after their shift.
King’s Lynn GEAR 10K
The Benjamin Foundation are looking for runners who would like to take up the challenge or volunteers to help out at the 2019 GEAR 10K event in King’s Lynn.
Each year thousands of runners take part in the Grand East Anglia Run (GEAR) 10K, attracted by a scenic route that features the pretty town centre, River Ouse pathway and The Walks. This year’s event takes place on Sunday 5th May 2019.
There are limited free charity spaces if you pledge to raise at least £150 for The Benjamin Foundation. A branded running vest is included. You will be supported with a cheer station and at the marquee in the Charity Village after the race.
The charity is also in urgent need of volunteers between 7:30am and 12 noon to help marshal their section of the race.
If you can help out with either of these events, or if you would like to register to volunteer at other events in 2019, please email events@benjaminfoundation.co.uk or telephone 01603 886932
We are really excited to announce we’ve been nominated for five Royal Television Society East Awards this year, in Best Digital Content, Factual Programme, Production Craft Skills and Promotional Film. Thanks, as always, to our wonderful and creative team!
Here we have snippets of two of our nominated films, the first, a film for our client Humphries Weaving “The Quest for His Majesty’s Silk”, in the Factual Programme Category and in Production Craft Skills.
The second is a nomination for Best Digital Content, Tia’s Story, a series we made for The Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologists. It tackles the difficult subject of birth injuries that isn’t talked about, but where detection and awareness can make such a difference. We created animations highlighting the experiences of three brave women who have anonymously spoken out about their experience of suffering from the effects of an OASI.
Congratulations to all the nominees. The winners will be announced on the evening of 14th March at a ceremony which will be held at Norwich University of the Arts. Fingers crossed.
Local children’s charity Break wishes to recruit new Trustees to join its Board in 2019. Break believes every child and young person has the right to a home where they feel safe and loved, so they can grow in confidence and look to the future with hope. For over 50 years Break has been working tirelessly to help young people in care and moving on, children with disabilities, families in need of support and children at risk. Hilary Richards Break’s CEO said “As Break continues to grow and diversify to meet changing needs, this is the perfect time for us to recruit. We are looking for a variety of Trustees that want to help improve the lives of young people in our community. We look forward to welcoming our new Trustees who will join our experienced skilled managers and longstanding Board.” Frank Shippam, one of Break’s Trustees said “Being a Break Trustee has been a fascinating, challenging and hugely rewarding experience for me. I have learnt many lessons from the charity’s employees and fellow Trustees and am proud that I have made a contribution to the brilliant work Break undertakes in changing young lives.” Break welcomes CV applications from individuals with strategic and clear thinking skills, the ambition and dedication to drive Break forward, and ability to contribute effectively as part of a team and with innovative ideas.
The Trustee positions are on a voluntary basis with appropriate expenses reimbursed. For further details or to view the full job description visit www.break-charity.org/join-us/become-a-trustee/To find out more about becoming a Trustee email Sally Butler for an applicant pack sally.butler@break-charity.orgThe closing date for applications is midnight on Monday 18th February 2019. Interviews will take place on Thursday 7th March 2019.
In our work here at ImportExportSupport, it’s clear that not every business knows that, in the event of no-deal with the EU on March 29th, for all movements into and out of the EU they will need to have an EORI number. They will also need to submit customs import and export entries. Here’s the ImportExportSupport guide to dealing with this issue.
1. Does this apply to my business ? If you trade with the EU, and we leave without a deal, you will need an EORI number. Without it, from 31st March, your goods will be stuck at port 2. What is an EORI number? Economic Operator Registration and Identification number, required by HMRC to allow you to: Trade goods into or out of the UK Apply to be authorised for customs simplifications 3. How do I get an EORI number? Apply online here4. What Information will I need? The information you’ll need to make the application depends on the structure of your organisation, but it’s not onerous. Details here5. Will it take ages? HMRC promise the application takes 10 minutes to fill in. You’ll get your EORI number by email within 3 working days. Our advice in a nutshell Don’t let your customers down by having their goods stuck at port, apply for your EORI number now. And find agents who can submit your customs entries before it’s too late. If your business depends on customers or suppliers trading with the EU, check they have an EORI number too. Please pass this information on to any colleagues in other businesses that may need the reminder. I regularly blog about important news and informatuion for import export professionals here
Have you decided that 2019 is the year to make a career change? Or simply to change the way in which you work? Professional recruitment specialists Pure explain how becoming a temp could open up doors into a new industry, help you to discover what you would really like to do or provide you with the variety, flexibility and work-life balance you are looking to achieve.
In an age of increasingly agile and flexible working, fixed term roles are becoming progressively popular among workers and more employers are looking to hire temporary talent into their organisations – at every level.
Working as a contract employee, freelancer or consultant can bring numerous benefits, whether you are looking for a career change, lifestyle change, or both.
Find the work you want to do
Working as a temp is a great way to explore a new industry, find out more about the different types of roles available and still earn an income. If you know you would like to make a career change but are not yet sure what you would like to do, then temping can give you a wealth of experience in different roles, industries and organisations to help you to narrow down what really interests and engages you. By experiencing different workplaces, you will also get to understand more about the type of company culture and workplace environment you most enjoy working in, helping you to make more informed decisions about future positions. At a senior level, working on a fixed term contract can give you the opportunity to offer your skills and experience to a particular project and gives you the freedom of choosing the work you want to do. Whatever level you are working at, you may even discover you are a great fit for a particular role, field, specialism or organisation you had not even heard of before!
Use or develop your practical skills and experience
Temp assignments also provide the opportunity to boost your CV with a wide range of new skills and experience, which could make all the difference when it comes to securing a permanent position in the future. By working across a variety of organisations, even if they are in the same industry, you will inevitably learn about a range of different systems, processes and software used, this knowledge will make you far more employable either as a permanent or fixed-term employee. For those looking to offer expert consultancy on a short-term basis, temporary fixed term assignments will help you to build up a portfolio of project examples to demonstrate where you have used your extensive experience and skills to provide specialist support.
Increased flexibility
Working on fixed term contracts can give you more control as to when you work and when you need time off, making it easier to balance work and home life. If you are looking to change career, then working as a temp could give you the flexibility to study for new qualifications while also working part-time or on fixed term assignments between projects. It can also be a great way to transition into retirement by taking on fixed term projects rather than working as a full-time employee and potentially choosing to apply your extensive experience to charitable organisations or to take on Non-Executive Director roles.
Pathway to a permanent job or regular assignments
Many temporary positions can lead to full time positions or regular fixed term assignments. It can be a great way to get a foot in the door and gives both the employee and the employer the chance to ‘test drive’ the relationship. Treat every temp role as having the potential to lead to a permanent job or an ongoing relationship and give your full effort to show your value and cultural fit. Let your employer know if you are enjoying working in the organisation and ask to be considered for any potential jobs or projects in the future.
Networking
By working across different organisations you will get to meet a lot of new people, building your network and increasing your chances of hearing about other temporary or permanent positions which may interest you. If you are seeking a full-time role, the company you are placed with may not have one available but they are likely to know about other openings within the industry and the organisations they collaborate with. If you prove to be reliable, enthusiastic and keen, the people you meet will become your advocates and recommend you to other employers.
Variety
You may even find that the variety and the different challenges and activities of working as a temp suits you. More and more people are choosing to work on a contract, freelance or consultancy basis and with many employers looking for excellent temps and contract workers at all levels, it could become something you consider long-term.
At Pure, we work with companies who are looking to take on temporary workers for all sorts of reasons, whether it is covering staff leave, planning extra resources during particularly busy periods, finding additional skill sets to assist with special projects or as an interim appointment until a permanent employee is recruited. We can match you and your experience to employers looking for temporary recruitment solutions at all levels, and we will support you every step of the way by managing the contracts and placements and ensuring you have access to all the entitlements a temp is eligible for. Contact Pure for more information about working as a temp and the potential opportunities available.
Shoot days are usually very busy – you rarely get time to sit down… except on this one!
We were asked by advertising agency Brazil Street to create a daytime TV campaign for Grosvenor Mobility. The subject? Rise and recline chairs. The target audience? The over 65s.
Grosvenor Mobility products are all made bespoke. There are many designs and add-ons to choose from, resulting in hundreds of variations of the product. Therefore the client opted not to focus on one particular design but instead to concentrate on the comfort and movement of the product. After all, with these chairs the function is just as important as the style.
As the chairs are handmade why not treat the commercial with the same approach? We settled on an animation style that gives the visuals a hand drawn effect. For this concept we filmed one of the chairs to provide the base for the animation. The chair was delivered to our onsite television studio where we filmed a few test shots to assess how long the chair movements took and iron out any other issues – like ensuring our actress would be wearing clearly contrasting colours to that of the chair material. Our Motion Graphics Designer then took the captured footage and began creating the final hand drawn effect.
Due to distance the client was unable to attend the shoot in person. However, we have plenty of experience working remotely and were able to keep the client fully informed at every stage of the production process.
From filming in front of a green screen, to completing the graphics, to recording the soundtrack, to delivering to the TV stations, JMS were able to handle the entire project in house. Look out for the commercial airing soon on Sky News, BT Sport, Yesterday, True Entertainment, and various other channels.
So – that’s another shoot wrapped! Not that we can put our feet up for long. More briefs incoming…
Figures just published show that more new businesses were established in Norfolk during 2018 than in any previous year – despite the challenges of political and economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
In terms of new companies, 4,542 were registered in the county compared to 4,399 in 2017 which represents an increase of 3.3%.
This brings the total number of registered companies in Norfolk to 37,466, up from 36,459 at the end of 2017, which equates to 2.8% growth.
The statistics come from the Inform Direct Review of UK Company Formations using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.
Norwich formed the most new businesses (1,092), followed by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (733) and Breckland (645).
John Korchak, Director of Operations at Inform Direct said: “These record high figures for new company formations in Norfolk show a very positive picture for business against a background of political and economic uncertainty. It is clear that the county continues to provide a supportive environment, both for new business ventures and existing enterprises.
“It is heartening to see entrepreneurs making their mark with increasing numbers of new businesses being formed. This picture is mirrored elsewhere in the UK, with a number of regions seeing more new formations in 2018 than at any time in their history and the UK as a whole achieving a new record total of registered companies.”
Across the UK as a whole, a record number of new companies were formed- 669,855 compared with 634,116 in 2017.
The number of registered companies in the UK also continued to grow, finishing the year with a total of 4,308,022.
To see a more detailed picture of company formations in Norfolk – including a full local breakdown, visit:
Inform Direct is a company secretarial and formation specialist. Its award-winning company secretarial and formations software currently supports more than 100,000 UK companies.