member

Dr Kevin Stannard, MA PhD., Director of Innovation and Learning at the GDST

• Gender affects the way that students experience education
• Girls face pressures to conform to gender stereotypes – pressures which are stronger in the presence of boys
• Girls need and deserve space in which to develop their full potential, and to make informed and unconstrained choices about interests, subjects and careers
• In girls-only schools their needs and preferences can be fully accommodated within a dedicated learning environment
• Successful girls’ schools are those in which a dedication to girls’ education is reflected in their physical design, curriculum and co-curriculum offer, teaching and learning approaches, and in their whole-school culture
• Today’s girls’ schools serve to subvert, rather than support, gender stereotypes and a priori assumptions, by offering an education designed for and dedicated to the development and empowerment of successful, confident and adventurous girls.

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Yes, I have an affinity to film. This is not the next version of Gerard Butler’s 300 or a modern version of the original.

In February, there were over 2million pieces of stolen data released on the Dark Web. It comes from all over the globe, as Cyber Crime is not bound by borders. The fact that we are connected to the internet for the majority of the time, means we are connected to people worldwide all of the time.

Whether it is connected to friends in America on Facebook, or emails with family in Australia, we are connected. In Business we work with people from all over the world, having meetings are strange times, to fit in with everyone. We are emailing and passing content, asking people to click on links and book meetings or register for a webinar. As businesses, we store lots of data on our customers, whether personal or business-related.

In February, there were 3 data breaches in the UK worthy of note. Npower had to take its Mobile App offline because hackers had gained access and been gathering data from its users. The App is currently still offline without a date for it to go back online. Oxford University confirmed a breach of its systems in the Division of Structural Biology. The level of this breach is also unknown at this point. One where we do know the scale is Foxtons Estate Agents. They are a bigger Estate Agent, but they are not a huge global power like some of the others we speak about.

Foxtons breach happened in October, with very few people knowing about it. They did not report the breach to the ICO, which will lead to bigger problems down the line, and Foxtons didn’t know until January. In February, 16,000 card details, addresses, and correspondence were found on the Dark Web, and still Foxtons have not told their customers. The hackers are reporting that this only about 1% of the stolen data they have, meaning this could be just the start of what is to come.

This is very much the approach of SMEs in regards to their customer and business data. What does it mean for Foxtons? The likely hood is that the ICO will investigate and fine them for the breach, and also for not complying with UK Law on the reporting of such a breach. Foxtons Customers will be entitled to compensation and legal firms are shouting about this and actively encouraging people to get in touch to start proceedings. That’s the physical monetary cost to their business. But what about the negative publicity, the damage to reputation, The people that won’t sell their property with them, or want to give them details to pay rent? This will affect them deep into the future. We have seen this before with other businesses, such as Travelex, who fell into administration after their cyber attack. Now the Pandemic has played a part, but Paying such a huge ransom, and still taking 2 and half weeks to become operational was the starting point, and money paid out for nothing.

There are ways to protect your business and your personal data. Having the correct tools in place, with the right support is a start. making sure you have a backup set up is also helpful. Thinking that using a cloud service such as 365 or Dropbox, is a backup is wrong. Those tools are syncing with your devices at all times they are connected to the internet. So a compromised or deleted file on a device is the same in your cloud setup within nanoseconds. 365 will say there is a backup you can roll back to, but do you know how to get there?

Antivirus is getting more advanced, and they are starting to add extra features, and to become Endpoint Protection. But there is an old saying ‘you buy cheap, you buy twice.’ but in terms of your data, the cost can be much higher. Having real enterprise tools will allow you to protect your data and your business.

We have helped SME’s, including Estate Agents, protect their data, become more productive and profitable, whilst taking the IT pain points away. We work with these businesses as part of their team, working on Strategic Business Outcomes, not just keeping the lights on.

Take a look and think, What would it mean to you if you couldn’t access your data for days? Or your IT not working for a week or more? Would you be able to bounce back?

If you would like to discuss this more, get in touch or come along to one of IT Surgeries.

One of the most important partnerships your business will ever make is with your IT support company.

Just think how reliant you and your team are on technology. When everything works as it should, it’s great.

But when you’re constantly tackling big problems and small frustrations, it’s exhausting. And it impacts everything.

Coronavirus taught businesses just how important their IT partner can be. We’ve been inundated with new enquiries over the last year.

So we have written this guide. It’s not about us; it’s about all IT support companies and how to choose the right one for you. Inside, you’ll find out:

1. Why you want a partner that thinks strategically.
2. The reasons business owners and managers like you switch IT support providers
3. How to protect the most important asset your business owns
4. And why you should be highly sceptical of all IT support businesses (yes, including us)

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We met 11 years ago in London and came together over our love for dogs, both pet and working. Chris was already working as dog handler with his two general purpose dogs Rebel and trainee pup Titan for a parks unit in London and Ruth was a dedicated pet dog owner. The relationship developed and in 2014 we decided to reform Alpha Canine Specialists which was a company Chris formed and had been a director of in the mid to late 1990’s. Although Ruth had not previously worked within the industry, she quickly fitted in and developed as a drug detection dog handler and along with Chris achieved her level 3 NASDU qualification in 2015 with Labrador Stanley and Chris with Labrador sisters Nell and Mabel. In 2016 the company moved into the specialist role of explosive detection when Chris qualified with his first EDD Riley and Ruth followed suit in 2018 with her Labrador Flo.

The company has quickly developed into a small but bespoke specialist canine security organisation maintaining the company’s principles of Quality over Quantity.

We both have established a reputation within the industry which has led us to work at some of the country’s best known events and stadia. The strong foundation that we have laid down over the past years has been aided by the close relationship we have and the understanding both as business partners and a husband and wife team. The roles and responsibilities have been clearly defined which removes any misunderstandings when running the company together and the success of Alpha Canine draws on the greatest of understanding and ambition to succeed in a large and at times flooded sector of the security industry. The daily running and operational requirements are at times stressful and difficult but are easily overcome and managed because of the strong and self motivated unit that we have achieved.

The Passion for our four legged partners has only increased since we first met as has the number of dogs we personally own and continues to drive us on to greater things in the future.

Mobile manufacturers have been advertising “5G ready” mobile devices in recent months, so where does this leave 4G connectivity solutions? How has mobile technology evolved in recent months?

Understanding the G in 4G

The G refers to the “generation” of a mobile network. The first generation was the 1G network which started in the 1980’s in Japan. Subsequent generations have followed which are 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G.  

Ten years on from the launch of 3G, in 2008 the ITU-R International Telecommunications Union-Radio communications sector set the requirements for the 4G standard. The peak speed requirement for 4G services was set at 100Mbps for mobile connectivity and up to 1Gbps for static deployments.  

This 4th generation network supports internet access for services such as HD mobile TV, HD video and video conferencing as well as gaming services, which all require high speed connectivity. This is the current standard which is openly available on most mobile devices throughout the UK. 

What is 5G?

5G is the next generation connectivity network for mobile devices. Several 5G ready mobile devices have recently launched. The 5G network is suited specifically to high density areas as the data signal can only travel across shorter distances. Therefore, 5G is currently only suited to cities and has been rolled out in London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Belfast, Manchester and Cardiff. More cities will become 5G ready by the end of 2019 including Bristol, Coventry, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. 5G intends to improve on the speeds of 4G LTE with download speeds of up to 20Mbps being promised.  

What’s the difference between 4G and 5G?

The 4G network is still the primary mobile network used in the UK. 4G and 5G are on different network frequencies, meaning if you wanted to connect to either a 4G or 5G network, your mobile device will have to have the correct chip for that frequency. 5G frequencies for the UK are 3.4 to 3.8 Ghz.  

Essentially 4G is the best network for people who don’t live in London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Belfast, Manchester or Cardiff. 4G is still the best network for anyone that doesn’t have a 5G device or whom doesn’t live in the current 5G ready cities.  

Will 4G become irrelevant?

Not anytime soon! 4G and 5G will coexist alongside each other for a good while. Many devices will be using the 4G network for at least another decade especially IOT and smart home devices. Devices that need a lot of battery life will struggle on the current 5G network as it guzzles battery life. 5G is currently only suitable for people in the five cities mentioned that have a 4G enabled device.  

What does it mean for internet and broadband services?

4G isn’t going away. 4G will remain the most prominent data network for a long time. 4G will remain what people connect to in rural locations. The 4G network remains a quality network and it is being expanded upon and getting faster all the time.

If your online business is not taking advantage of live chat software, you are missing out on gaining new visitors, converting traffic, and building a solid trustworthy reputation. Here is a more detailed look at how live chat software can benefit your business.

Live Chat Enhances the Customer Support Experience

The most successful online businesses provide excellent customer support. By being on hand to answer questions and solve issues quickly, companies can ensure customer satisfaction. In turn, that leads to repeat customers and higher revenue. Customers typically prefer live chat over other communication options because they can get questions answered immediately instead of having to send an email and not knowing how long it will take to get a response.

Furthermore, live chat reduces repetition for your customers. No one wants to have to repeat again and again the issues they have been having, but that is typical of normal customer support methods. But with live chat software, customer service agents can read archived details of the customer’s issue to speed up the process.

Some Business Can Use Live Chat to Enhance Their Products or Services

Live chat is not just beneficial for customer support reasons. Some businesses are able to adopt live chat as part of their products and services. For example, online live casinos enable players to play games like live blackjack or roulette in real-time with actual dealers. By including live chat features, live casinos allow players to interact with the dealers in real-time for a much more immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.

Live Chat Can Increase Sales and Conversions

Providing excellent customer service is a great way of backhandedly making sales, but a live chat function also enables you to increase sales and conversions directly. According to the American Marketing Association, B2B companies that use live chat software see an average 20% conversion increase. Furthermore, according to eMarketer, 35% of people who use live chat end up making a purchase. Live chat is basically like having a ready-made sales assistant continually on standby, so it is no wonder live chat software is increasingly being used by online businesses of all types.

Live Chat Can Contribute Toward Increasing Average Order Values

Live chat cannot only help your business to increase sales. It can also help to increase the value of each sale. Because live chat enables customers to talk about their needs, you can recommend similar products and services better and cross-sell to increase the average order value. For example, if a customer makes use of live chat to talk through their needs for purchasing a new laptop, you could sell the customer not only the right laptop but also accessories like a carry case and a portable disc drive.

Live Chat Enables You to Reduce Customer Support Costs

Traditionally, customer support services are expensive. Call centre staff can handle both phone and email requests, but they can only handle one customer issue at a time. On the other hand, live chat software enables customer service agents to engage with up to six simultaneous chats. By being able to handle more customers, you can reduce your customer support costs.

Live Chat Enables You to Build Trust with Your Customers

People are naturally sceptical about buying things online from companies they do not know. But a live chat function can drastically alter how customers feel about a platform. With live chat, customers are able to have immediate chats to find out more about your company and its products or services. By having access to a customer agent in the same way as a customer would in a brick-and-mortar shop, visitors to your website will have more trust in your company and they are more likely to convert into customers.

There is no doubt there are innumerable benefits to drinking water, but did you know that your organisation can benefit from having a water dispenser at the office? Here are five advantages of having one:

It shows that your organisation supports sustainability

There are many ways to make your business more sustainable. By adding a water dispenser, you will be helping your employees lower their plastic usage, since they won’t have to buy bottled water. This is good for the environment, as there are many issues associated with high plastic usage.

It can save you money

In 2018, an estimated 141.4 million working days were lost in the UK due to injury or sickness. By providing your employees with fresh drinking water, there is a chance to decrease that number. Even a small margin would make a huge difference. A decrease could also translate to lower insurance costs.

Additionally, if you chose to get water dispensers from the right company, you may be able to have immense savings in your energy utility costs. For example, if you install a Cooler Sense water cooler, you would be able to keep your employees cool in the heat of the summer while using significantly less energy.

It can encourage employees to be more active

You don’t want your employees to be sitting at their desks all day. While there are many ways to encourage them to be more active, a water dispenser would easily serve the same purpose, since your employees would have to occasionally leave their desks to get some water and take a break.

It can help employees relax

Next to the water dispenser, your employees get to relax, have a drink, and chat. Small talk made away from the desk will help your employees take a mini-break from work pressures, allowing them to return to their desks feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Additionally, there are many negative effects of staring at screens for too long, so it may also be beneficial for their eyes to take a break from the glare of their computer screens.

Your dispenser as décor

What is the first thing your visitors see when they come into your office? Imagine how a sleek-looking water dispenser would add to your reception décor. Depending on what company you choose to provide your water dispenser, you may also have the choice to design your own custom dispenser for the office, complete with your company’s logo. Not only will this look great, but it will help give your office a professional feel for any visitors. Having a water dispenser in your office is beneficial for both your employees and your office as a whole. You will be able to save a little more at the end of the month effortlessly, promote more casual face-to-face engagements and get a new way to market yourself, all while ensuring that your employees get clean, uncontaminated water in line with the UK law on hydration and work.

The law surrounding VAT on gift cards changed recently to align legislation with the EU. That’s why we’ve put together everything you need to know about selling gift cards and/or vouchers as a business.

Hearing of this legislation change, one of our clients posed an interesting question. This client owns a very lovely bookshop in Norfolk and they wanted to start selling gift cards. The question asked was whether VAT must be declared at the point of sale of the gift cards, or once they have been redeemed for goods.

On the face of it, this seems like an easy question to answer because books are zero-rated, meaning VAT wouldn’t need to be declared at any point. It isn’t quite as simple as that though, because it isn’t just books that are sold in the bookshop. There is also a vast array of book-related items on offer such as bookmarks and bookends, as well as merchandise such as mugs and bags.

This is where it gets a little more complicated. Many of the non-book items aren’t zero-rated, so VAT must be paid on them. The question remains then, does our client need to declare VAT on the sale of gift cards or at the point where the goods are redeemed?

In this instance, the answer is that VAT only needs to be declared on VAT chargeable products at the point they are redeemed with the gift card. We advised and supported our client through the process of rolling out gift cards so that now, she is selling them comfortably and compliantly.

However, if you, the reader, approached us about gift cards, we might give you a very different answer. This is the point of this blog, to highlight that the rules vary depending on your business and the products you sell.

The point at which VAT is declared for gift cards depends on whether it’s a single or multipurpose gift card. A single purpose gift card is one that allows the holder to receive goods or services of one type which are subject to just one rate of VAT. With these types of gift card, VAT is paid at the point of sale, not when it is redeemed.

Multipurpose gift cards are exactly the opposite. These are used when your business is selling a variety of products that don’t all fall under the same rate of VAT. When using these gift cards, VAT is paid once the goods are redeemed.

If, for example, you own a company that delivers one type of service, everything you do will be subject to the same rate of VAT. You would, therefore, be issuing single purpose gift cards, meaning VAT would be declared at the point of sale.

If, on the other hand, you own a general goods shop selling an array of different products from vegetables to toiletries, you would be issuing multipurpose gift cards and VAT would be paid at the point the gift card is redeemed. The appropriate rate of VAT would be charged on a product-by-product basis. Why someone would use a gift card to purchase vegetables or toiletries is a question for another blog.

It is worth pointing out that it isn’t always as simple as this though. Different rules apply when gift cards are sold at discounted rates. Matters are complicated further when one business sells gift cards that can be redeemed at other establishments. In these cases, more specific advice is necessary.

With the way things are right now, we’re all looking long and hard at our outgoing expenses and what they bring to our businesses. The Coronavirus pandemic has had a brutal impact on businesses of all sizes while we wait for things to bounce back, and it’s made every single decision with a price tag attached to it a lot more difficult. Is this really essential? Is this something we can do ourselves? Is there a way we can do this without spending any money?

With so many free translation software tools available, it might be tempting to cut corners and avoid using budget on a professional service, but there are plenty of reasons why this is an investment you will not regret. Here are just a few.

You Are Paying For Professionalism

This may sound a little obvious, but when we’re paying for a service, of course we have certain expectations. We expect a level of expertise that we don’t have ourselves. We expect to be kept updated on every stage of the process should we find it necessary. We are also paying for speed and efficiency, and these are some of the most important things that a good translation service will offer.

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This isn’t a situation where you feed a block of text into a processor and get immediate results of uncertain quality. A professional translation service will be able to offer a quick turnaround, but they will not do so at the expense of the quality of their work. Any business owner knows that the balance between speed and quality is the hallmark of a service worth paying for.

You Are Paying For A Guarantee Of Accuracy

We are fully aware that there are free translation software options out there. While we might be comfortable using a quick free search to translate a menu, or to remind ourselves what a foreign movie’s original title means, you need a lot more expertise if you require translation for business purposes.

You need a stamp of authority, and a good translation service will offer you a legally verified translation. Certified translation services help both parties rest easy knowing that nothing has been overlooked and no mistakes have been made. London Translations can offer certified translations for a range of documents from business and legal to passports and driver’s licenses.

You Are Paying For Native Speakers

With all due respect to the language skills you may have, if you’re not a native speaker, there will always be something that you will miss. Think about the English language and all its double-meanings, eccentricities and nuances that must be an absolute nightmare for people from other countries to get their head around. Language is about more than a word’s meaning, it’s about phrasing, tone and style. A native speaker will be able to get far more out of what they are given than just what’s on the page. Say you’re looking to translate Italian into English, there are several Italian words that don’t really translate!

As we at PlantGrow know, soil health is vital to protecting the environment. We’ve teamed up with Derek from @fiveminutegardener to show you the simple steps you can take in your garden to help reduce carbon emissions.

“I work in a busy finance job which can often be very stressful, so getting to stop off at the allotment either before or after a day in the office really helps to give my mind that little bit of a break and lets me unwind. Over the past year my son has really taken to gardening and now at two (and three quarters), he sees going up to the allotment as a real treat. Until I bought a house with my wife, we had gone many years without a garden of our own. Having a lawn that needed to be cut gave me 45 minutes to switch off from all of life’s worries. From that point, I was hooked on gardening. I then learnt to grow food that is not only better for my family than shop bought produce, but better for the environment too.   For this reason, I believe it is so important to grow organically and to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. By growing organically, you can truly benefit your plants simply by looking after the soil. The idea is to try and give nature a helping hand to do exactly what it wants to do. An estimated 45% of waste sent to landfill in the UK is compostable, and when it begins to decompose it will release methane gas which is over 85 times worse for the environment than carbon dioxide (CO2). If the same items were correctly composted down, we could avoid any carbon being released into the air and lock it into the soil. We can fix a lot of our climate change problems by locking down more carbon into the soil.   Climate change is largely impacted by having too much carbon in the atmosphere. 40% of the CO2 is pulled in by plants as part of the photosynthesis process and is pushed through to the soil to feed the micro-organisms that in turn feed the plants and create topsoil. A thin layer of compost can bring more carbon into the soil each year. Combine this with no-dig methods, mulching, use of green manures and growing more trees can not only slow down climate change but it can reverse it. If it sounds too simple, that’s because it is: we can all support the regenerative loop of life.”

Derek’s simple steps to using your garden to help the environment

Watch Derek and his son explain how you can play your part in reversing climate change. If your soil is healthy, it can pull in three times as much carbon into the ground. There are two easy things that Derek recommends to help keep your soil healthy and help the environment.

Use the no dig method to lock carbon into your soil

The no dig method is exactly what it sounds like – don’t dig or till your soil! When you do, it releases carbon back into the air and disturbs the micro-organisms so undoes all your hard work of making your soil healthy. It also reduces weeds, so it’s a win-win! If you do get weed growth, you can control them with shallow hoeing, hand weeding and mulching.

Compost your food waste

Composting your food waste is so easy to do if you have room for a composter in your garden. You can compost your grass cuttings and any other materials that will break down (like certain types of cardboard), and within a couple of months you’ll be able to use that compost over your raised beds. It will feed the soil and lock in the carbon to help reverse climate change.

Boris Johnson has announced a potential lockdown roadmap for England regarding the easing of lockdown restrictions. We know what this means for us as individuals, but what should you be doing if you are a business owner?

The lockdown roadmap will allow a slow and steady easing of restrictions, with the hopes of all UK businesses to eventually reopen in 2021. Companies are therefore preparing to open their doors to customers again, ensuring they understand all of the necessary precautions and are aware of which dates are applicable to their industry. 

This roadmap indicates estimated dates in which we may expect to have some restrictions being eased. The dates suggested are preliminary and are subject to change in line with the developments of the virus and the data collected over the coming weeks and months.

From 12th April, a large list of businesses will be allowed to reopen. This includes all retail, personal care premises such as hairdressers and nail salons, outdoor hospitality with no ‘substantial meal’ requirements and no curfew, domestic overnight stays in self-contained accommodation (for those in the same household only), indoor leisure such as gyms and spas (not including saunas and steam rooms), outdoor attractions such as zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas, and libraries and community centres.

From 17th May, other areas of businesses will begin to operate again. This includes indoor hospitality with table-ordering services and no curfew, indoor entertainment and attractions such as cinemas, museums and theatres, remaining outdoor entertainment such as performances, organised indoor adult sport such as badminton, and remaining accommodation such as hotels, hostels and B&Bs. At this time, international travel will be subject for review.

From 21st June, there will no longer be any legal limits on social contact or life events, meaning that all remaining closed settings (including nightclubs and large theatre performances) can be reopened.

These steps, of course, are subject to the vaccine deployment programme continuing successfully, along with evidence to support the effectiveness of the vaccines. Another determining factor is the rates of infection, providing that they do not risk hospitalisation at a level that will put too much pressure on the NHS. New variants will also be monitored as they risk fundamentally changing the government’s assessment of possible lockdown lifting.

Details on the future of the government furlough scheme for both businesses and workers have not yet been clarified, however we are expecting more on furlough updates in the coming weeks.

If your business is preparing to reopen, ensure that you have completed the following:

• Un-furlough staff
• Cancel any out-of-office messages, such as phone and email
• Reinstate essential services, such as waste removal
• Ensure you have adequate stock of hand soap, hand sanitiser and paper towels
• If not, make sure to purchase consumables (paper towel, facial tissues, bin bags, hand sanitiser, wipes, gloves, PPE equipment etc)
• Arrange contract cleaners
• Ensure you have adequate floor signage, such as 2m markings
• Wall and message signs
• If your business premises gets busy, you may want to install barriers for customers for safe queuing and social distancing
• Separation screens for areas where social distancing isn’t possible
• Check heating utilities such as gas and electricity
• Reinstate your Emergency Action Plan. This is in place should someone an employee develop coronavirus symptoms

It is important to note that, even with lockdown restrictions easing, businesses and individuals must still adhere to social distancing and regular hand washing to help prevent the spread of infection. Laws on social distancing still remain throughout, up until the government officially announces otherwise.

For a complete list of lockdown roadmap details, please consult the gov.uk’s article, and a full list of working safely during coronavirus can be found here. This is once again subject to change, and guidance will be updated accordingly.