Peter Lawrence from Human Capital Department gave a talk to Norfolk Cyber Security Cluster on Monday 18th Sept on “GDPR and the Human Firewall“.
Slides from the presentation which focussed on the Training & Development Implications of GDPR will be made available on the Human Capital Departments website – www.humancapitaldept.com
‘Never work with children or animals’ they say, but they probably haven’t shot a video with a spaniel called Bella. With less than a week in which to produce a product demonstration for one of Europe’s largest pet product specialists – Suffolk-based Beaphar – what are the chances of happening upon one of the most perfectly behaved, good natured, telegenic animals on the planet?
For half a day this delightful creature ran, stood still, rolled over, in fact anything our director wanted her to do without complaint (human performers please note!). And she was even unfazed when we rummaged through her fur, paws and ears simulating an examination for ticks, which was the point of the production. Dog owners are sometimes unaware how easily ticks can be picked up on a dog’s fur, with possible severe health problems, for pets and humans. A short video with a big message delivered in days, thanks to beautiful Bella.
Guess that’s a large tick then.
Arena Partnership will be launching their new TPTracker BUSINESS software at the forthcoming Norfolk Chamber B2B Exhibition.
This is a cloud-based software package for small- and medium-sized businesses, to securely store their database of customers, clients, prospects, suppliers and other contacts, linked to a range of functionality for lookups, profiling, task management, communication and engagement tracking.
Arena has been providing TPTracker software to the UK Social Housing sector (mainly Housing Associations and Local Authorities) for more than 10 years from their base in Hethersett.
In partnership with local software developers Net Matters, they have now adapted TPTracker so that users can select just the functions they need and name the fields to suit their own terminology, making it extremely flexible and easy to use.
But perhaps the most surprising feature is the pricing and support offered:
Come and see us on Stand 78 (Top of the Terrace)
Or beat the queue by finding out more NOW.
See you there!
The Arena Partnership Team
01603 813932
We are pleased to announce that we are working alongside Hyphen marketing on South London estate agents James Pendleton across their search engine optimisation (SEO). James Pendleton are a well-established agency providing a vast range of homes and rented properties throughout South and South West London. Covering both commercial and residential properties, James Pendleton have been working on their online presence and expanding their exposure online.
With locally placed agents throughout the southern parts of London, James Pendleton provide a professional, expert and personable service that is difficult to find nowadays. However, with marketing changing and with the online world and that of estate agents and their customers evolving, it has been important for James Pendleton to adapt to the market and the changes afoot.
The Challenges
Having previously undergone a degree of SEO work, James Pendleton came did have their website partially optimised. However, having undertaken the work quite some years ago, there were a few now potentially ‘dark-hat’ SEO techniques that have been used. Previously and as per old fashioned SEO practices, James Pendleton had been signed up to a number of now defunct online directories. Whilst at the time this meant that their backlink profile grew, with additional links and domains pointing to their site, it has meant that in recent times their online results and rankings have somewhat dipped.
Since late 2016, Google rolled out their Penguin algorithm update which devalues links of low quality. Whilst in previous times websites would be penalised until they removed spammy links and resubmitted their site, Google’s update means that the links in question become devalued and so become effectively worthless. This has meant that numerous sites, including James Pendleton have seen their organic rankings dip. As part of their SEO progress, we have also assessed their on-site SEO and this has included their meta data, internal link structuring and on-site content utilisation. This is required in order to link their on and off-site SEO ranking factors and results.
What We Have Done
Initially, we have carried out extensive keyword and industry research for James Pendleton in order to identify and effectively target their chosen targets and keyword and search terms through all subsequent SEO and online work with their website. We have also gone through James Pendleton’s extensive backlink profile, identifying spammy links, devalued links and those that may be causing them more harm than good. We have also identified the links in their backlink profile that are strong, making sure to keep them pointing at James Pendleton. Subsequently, we have disavowed the spammy and dark-hat links from their backlink profile by submitting them to Google to be removed from consideration of the backlink profile of the website. This has led to the strong and reputable links being taken in to consideration by Google without being ‘diluted’ by the weak and spammy links accrued over the years.
In addition, we are now also working to build them a strong, clean and carefully considered backlink profile; making sure they receive high quality links from relevant websites, property-related publications and other websites that will boost their online standing and increase the strength of their domain in order to improve their organic results and traffic.
We look forward to working further on this budding partnership over the coming months.
Leading East Anglian gas company, Gasway Services Ltd (part of Flagship Group), is urging people to ensure their gas appliances are fitted correctly and checked annually as they support Gas Safety Week which launches next week (18-24) September.
Poorly maintained appliances can be dangerous leading to gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning known as the ‘silent killer’ as you can’t see, smell or taste it. Children under 14 and adults over 65 are most at risk.
Latest figures from Gas Safe Register show that in East Anglia, one in five homes inspected had unsafe gas appliances.
With the rise of Carbon Monoxide poisoning in the UK, the Gasway is using Gas Safety Week to encourage people to check their appliances to make sure they are working correctly and efficiently.
If you have a gas boiler and/or cooker, some top tips are:
Liam Betts, Managing Director at Gasway said: “It’s important we support Gas Safety Week and work together with other similar companies to help people become more aware of the potential dangers of gas appliances.
“As a gas company, we have a responsibility to educate and give advice to our customers on how they can reduce the risk of potential incidents from happening. Just one quick check could save a life.”
For more information on how to stay safe, visit the Gas Safety Week website: https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/gassafetyweek/stay-safe/top-tips-to-stay-safe/
We’re very excited to be exhibiting at Norfolk’s premier tech event, Talking Technology, on 20th September. This Norfolk Chamber event is packed with great speakers (Facebook, Microsoft, Aviva, Ubisend) and interactive workshops. The event runs from 08:30 until 14:00 and is at the www.bigfork.co.uk
Bigfork have designed and launched the brand new website for TW Gaze, the leading auction house and estate agent. Our brief was to design a new website to increase enquiries, improve the user experience and integrate with their back end auction and property systems. You can see more here.
Bigfork – Intelligent Website Design
01603 513080
Tudor Lodge Consultants are thrilled to have started work on TOTEM Function Band’s website, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and online presence. TOTEM Function Band are a North London Based events production company and function band. Having been born in 2011 by their founders James Alexander and Brett Warren, TOTEM have been going from strength to strength ever since and have performed across the globe including in London, Hong Kong, Italy and many other locations.They have numerous well-renowned singers, instrumentalists and musicians as part of their repertoire and have seen their popularity grow over the last few years throughout the UK as well as across the world, opening up branches worldwide.
The Challenges
TOTEM Function Band approached the SEO team at Tudor Lodge Consultants with a website that was not being crawled [read] at all by Google and other search engines. In addition to this problem, their website lacked functionality, relevant content, strong calls to action and various other crucial SEO and online ranking factors.
The results of this have been that although they have seen increases in their popularity, with more and more clients using them for functions and corporate events, their online presence had fallen way behind.
Their website also did not properly showcase what they do, who they are, how they do what they do and why they are some of the best event organisers and producers and corporate event entertainment providers. Furthermore, whilst being a phenomenal function band, this has not been made clear enough on TOTEM’s website.
What We Are Doing
Being in the position they were, there has been (and continues to be) a lot of work to be done with TOTEM’s website and online presence. Firstly, we removed their existing Robots.txt file, which was instructing search engines to ignore the website. This alone has seen TOTEM start ranking for terms such as ‘function band’ and ‘TOTEM.’
We have also commissioned our design and development team who working with the team at TOTEM are in the process of creating for them a brand-new WordPress-based site with hugely increased functionality and opportunities to rank better online and be found by prospective clients and customers.
Furthermore, the content and SEO teams at Tudor Lodge Consultants are working hard on fresh and new content as part of the strategy for TOTEM’s website. Having carried out extensive keyword and competitor research, we have discovered the best keywords and search terms for TOTEM to target online in relation to their services and unique selling points (USPs). Moreover, with an initially weak domain authority we are working across our network of online PR providers to expand TOTEM’s online PR and reach across the board.
We will also be working on the technical aspects of their SEO such as fixing their meta data, ensuring their link profiles are clean and strong and their URL structures amongst the many other aspects of their site to be worked on in tandem with the development teams at Tudor Lodge Consultants. We are looking forward to continuing this budding relationship and we look forward to further progress and positive results for TOTEM online for the future.
Leathes Prior today welcomes three new members of staff with the recruitment of Trainee Solicitors Melissa Willrich, Lily Beel and Stefan Donnelly. Melissa graduated from the University of Sussex in 2016 with a law degree before completing her Legal Practice Course (LPC) at BPP University in Cambridge, where she achieved a distinction. Lily graduated from the University of Leeds with a law degree, before travelling to South East Asia after finishing University. Lily worked locally for a year and a half before joining Leathes Prior as a Paralegal in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Team in November 2015. She finished her LPC in June 2017, achieving a distinction. Lily now commences the next stage of her legal career, as a trainee solicitor. As an undergraduate, Stefan studied Sport and Exercise Science combined with Geography at Loughborough University, graduating in 2014. He then went on to complete a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at the UEA in 2015. Stefan also had a spell at Leathes Prior as a Paralegal working in litigation and personal injury, before taking time out of studying to travel. He will be undertaking his LPC alongside his training contract. Dan Chapman, the Partner at Leathes Prior responsible for trainee solicitors, said “The firm is delighted to welcome all three trainees to the firm and I wish them the best of luck in their careers at Leathes Prior. This year’s intake shows our diverse approach to recruitment; Melissa has progressed through what is considered to be the more traditional route to becoming a trainee solicitor, whereas Lily took time out after her law degree to excel as a paralegal. Stefan is combining the final stage of his legal study with his training contract, and we recognise the importance of a flexible approach to recruiting the best solicitors of the future. We have high hopes for the three of them.”
OPEN Youth Trust, has appointed Karl Sandall, Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive of The TaxAssist Direct Group, to its Board of Trustees.
City centre charity, OPEN Youth Trust (OPEN), whose mission is to make a positive difference to the lives of young people in Norfolk has appointed Karl Sandall, Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive of The TaxAssist Direct Group, to its Board of Trustees.
Karl joined The TaxAssist Direct Group in 2000 after 26 years of working with Midland Bank/HSBC in Norwich and Cambridge. He is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Bankers and an Honorary Fellow of The Association of International Accountants which was awarded to him for services of merit to the profession of accountancy. Karl is also heavily involved in the local business community and is a member of the Westminster Club (run by Chloe Smith MP), the Norwich Castle Round Table 41 and the Strangers clubs as well as being a Governor of Wymondham College.
TaxAssist Accountants was founded in 1995 by a group of dedicated professionals and based on a concept that was, and still is, fundamentally simple: to bring first class professional services to the small business owner. Today there are over 200 franchise operations in the UK employing well over 500 people and looking after over 60,000 small businesses. There are a further 25 franchisees in Ireland and the Group is now expanding across Australia and Canada.
OPEN’s Chief Executive, John Gordon-Saker said: “We are honoured to have Karl on our Board of Trustees as he comes with a wealth of expertise having previously been involved with other children’s organisations (The Princes Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital and East Anglian Children’s Hospices). I have known him for over 40 years from our time together in Midland Bank (now HSBC) and since then he has gone on to run one of the country’s most successful franchise groups and is a respected and well-connected leader in the local business community.”
Speaking of his appointment Karl said: “As a family man of three teenage children I appreciate the importance of the work that OPEN offers to children and young people in Norfolk… they are after all the future of our community.”
Photo caption: OPEN’s CEO John Gordon-Saker (left) with Karl Sandall (right)
Professional recruitment specialists Pure has successfully completed the ultimate office cycling challenge to raise funds and celebrate the Papworth Trust’s centenary.
To mark its 100th anniversary, Papworth Trust has challenged business teams to go head-to-head in in its 100 Care Miles fundraising initiative. Organisations are challenged to cycle 100 care miles in one day, between just 10 people, raising money through sponsorship. The team which raises the most funds, or completes the 100 miles in the fastest time, will be crowned Care Mile Champions.
Teams from all four of Pure’s offices, in Norwich, Cambridge, Chelmsford and Ipswich, have now completed the challenge on the custom-built, stationery bike which is touring businesses across the UK. Together, the four offices have raised over £350 for the disability charity. Pure’s Ipswich team not only beat their colleagues in other offices, but is also currently top of the overall business leader board for the fastest time, having completed the 100 miles in an impressive three hours between just eight people.
Lucy Plumb, Executive Assistant at Pure, and one of the Ipswich team’s cyclists, said: “There are a lot of keen cyclists at Pure, so we thought it would be a great inter-office competition as well as an excellent fundraising opportunity. As well as going head-to-head with other businesses, there was a lot of friendly rivalry between our own four offices in the Eastern region as to which team would complete the gruelling challenge in the fastest time and raise the most money.”
Pure’s Norwich team was the first to take on the challenge on 14 August, the Ipswich team cycled their 100 miles on 30 August, the Cambridge team took part on 5 September, before the bike arrived at the Chelmsford office on 7 September.
The £350 raised by all four Pure teams will be donated to the Papworth Trust, based in Papworth Everard, Cambridge. The Trust supports disabled and older people, plus their families and carers, with disability advice and a huge range of essential services.
The next business to take on the challenge will be SEN Legal in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
BUSINESSES will have access to a wealth of advice and opportunities at a free business surgery at Beacon Park on Tuesday, September 19. The event is open to all businesses in the Great Yarmouth borough and those interested in moving to the area.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s Economic Development Unit has organised the drop-in event, at the successful Enterprise Zone, as part of its commitment to working closely with partners to support economic growth and job-creation.
Taking place between 11am and 2pm, at Unit 3, Malory Road, one of the highlights will be the opportunity to find out more about exporting from the Department of International Trade’s Export Hub, an impressive exhibition truck which is touring the region.
Alongside this, the advisors from New Anglia Growth Hub will be on hand to provide details of grants of up to £500,000. Groundwork will be on hand to offer guidance about BEE Anglia Business Energy Efficiency Grants of up to £20,000, in addition to providing free guidance on business resilience, with a particular focus on flooding.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council will be showcasing the brand new office and industrial units at Beacon Park, which offers business rates discount of up to £55,000 each year for five years for eligible businesses that can move in by March 31, 2018. Visitors will be able to view the available units.
Healthy workplace provider, Thriving Workplaces, will offer free support for employee health and wellbeing. Businesses can find out more from Norfolk County Council about Great Yarmouth’s proposed Third River Crossing and have their say in the public consultation.
In addition, the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR), Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses will be on hand to offer advice and promote local business networking events.
enterpriseGY, the borough council’s business support service, will be available to help businesses with their applications for the Spirit of Enterprise Awards, which are now in their 10th year and offer the opportunity for businesses to raise their profile in the borough.
Cllr Paul Hammond, vice chairman of the economic development committee, said: “There is a significant amount of support available in the borough for businesses, including grants and expert guidance, offered through various different organisations.
“This free drop-in surgery is really useful because it enables businesses to meet all these organisations under one roof, discuss the full range of advice and opportunities available, and really reap the benefits.
“This is all part of the borough council’s important work to support and encourage businesses to invest in, grow within and relocate to the borough. It is also fitting that we are staging the surgery at Beacon Park, an energy hub and top Enterprise Zone site.”
The surgery is a drop-in event, but businesses are encouraged to register in advance by emailing Kirsty.weavers@great-yarmouth.gov.uk