Avanor Healthcare Ltd, manufacturers of the Perspi-Guard® range of antiperspirants and deodorants, are pleased to confirm that AVEPHARMA s.r.o are appointed exclusive distribution partner for Slovakia.
Scott Duffy, Managing Director of Avanor Healthcare Ltd, said: “We are confident that the AVEPHARMA team have the expertise, professionalism and dedication to consumers needed to successfully integrate our brand into the Slovakian market and uphold our brand’s ethos of providing excellence in terms of efficacy and value.”
He continues:”Their commitment to our brand has been shown in excellent product sales achieved since launching in 2015. We look forward to continuing to work with AVEPHARMA and build on the success of the past 18 months.”
AVEPHARMA s.r.o are leading Slovakian distributors of pharmaceuticals, FMCG, OTC, Veterinary and Medical products.
Setting up a business might not be the first activity people would associate with being an undergraduate, but it’s a growing phenomenon amongst students. In fact, 113 UEA graduates became self-employed and 19 started up their own businesses in 2014/15. With an increasing demand from students and graduates, UEA are seeking help from like-minded entrepreneurs.
“We’ve a strong culture of enterprise here at UEA. We are looking for mentors to help us support the journey of our student and graduate entrepreneurs,” said Finbarr Carter, Enterprise Development Officer. “We provide a variety of services such as coaching, access to funding and connecting them with networks. However a one-to-one relationship with a mentor can make a huge difference to their chances of future success, opening their eyes to the challenges and rewards of running their own business.” Research shows that small businesses that receive mentoring are 70% more likely to succeed.
UEA has a growing Mentoring Programme and we are looking to increase our diverse range of mentors to reflect the backgrounds of their students, particularly in the fields of product development, technology, retail, catering and art. Finbarr explains “They can be from large or small organisations and don’t need previous mentoring experience. They just have to be passionate about what they do and keen to share their enthusiasm and expertise with the next generation of business owners.”
Elaine Reilly, owner of the Mustard Coffee Bar in Bridewell Alley, Norwich, and Mustard at UEA’s Enterprise Centre, has been a mentor for two years. “I find it extremely rewarding,” she said. “Mentoring is a two-way experience because every person you encounter brings knowledge and ideas. It’s a great way of making you review your own business practices.”
We currently have 90 mentors across the whole mentoring programme working with students and graduates and we’d love to have you join us. The mentoring can be one-off or ongoing over six months and can be in person, over the phone, by email or over services like Skype. Mentors get to choose how much time they commit and what kinds of topics they discuss with mentees.
Tiger Eye have announced that 2016 has been their most successful year to date. Launched by Dave Wilson in 2005, over the last decade Dave has grown the business to currently 12 members of staff. Tiger Eye are a niche IT consultancy, specialising in document and email management for professional services firm. Tiger Eye are one of only a handful of official UK iManage Partners- iManage is the global market-leading software solution for document and email management. In 2016 Tiger Eye have taken on a growing number of customers, and a significant number of large support contracts.
To support this growing customer base, several new staff have joined the team this year in the support team and in project management, handling the day-to-day project co-ordination of new customer roll-outs. Among them, Cerys Burcher is managing Tiger Eye’s recently launched legal knowledge management software Blueprint, as well as looking at expanding both thelocal and European customer base. “It’s fantastic to be working with such a genuine and friendly team, in such an exciting and innovative sector,” she enthused.
Asked what has driven the growth, Managing Director Dave Wilson comments, “Our new customers talk about how they are drawn to our partnership approach. Matt Cleverdon (Strategy & Innovation Director) and I take the time to really get to grips with what people are looking to achieve in any new implementation, and what they expect from their support partner. People come to us for solid, professional advice, based on decades of experience in the industry.”
About Tiger Eye
Tiger Eye is a niche IT consultancy, specialising in Work Product Management, and a UK iManage Partner implementing iManage solutions across Europe. We focus on providing high calibre consultancy from an experienced, senior team, working in close partnership to plan bespoke solutions that meet all our customers’ business needs, and provide expert technical support and customised development solutions to our iManage customers.
Finn Geotherm – the leading heat pump installer in Norfolk, has won the Rural Enterprise Award in the prestigious Eastern Daily Press (EDP) Business Awards 2016.
The Rural Enterprise category, sponsored by West Raynham Business Park, celebrates rural businesses who are innovating and creating jobs and opportunities across the county. From artisans to start-ups, to companies who have found new opportunities through innovation and diversification, this award recognises the dynamic individuals and enterprises who are passionate and proud to be rural, but whose ambitions are not limited by their location. Winners of the EDP Business Awards were chosen from hundreds of entries received from companies across Norfolk, Waveney and Fenland.
Celebrating its 10th year in business, Attleborough-based Finn Geotherm has grown from three employees installing 6kW heat pumps to a 20-strong team designing, specifying and installing 350kW systems for pan-European companies.
Guy Ransom, commercial director of Finn Geotherm, said: “We are very proud to be located in rural Norfolk. This location is our heartland and one where renewable energy systems provide the best possible alternative to hard-to-access fossil fuels for both domestic and commercial customers in all types and sizes of homes and premises. We are absolutely over the moon to have been awarded the Rural Enterprise Award. The EDP Business Awards are one of the region’s most prestigious business award schemes and to win this award, especially in our 10th year of business, is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team here at Finn Geotherm.”
For more information on Finn Geotherm and ground and air source heat pumps, visit the website or call 01953 453240.
TaxAssist has been named as one of three finalists in the Best Franchise £25k – £99k Investment category at the 2016 Best Franchise Awards to be held on 30th November
The accountancy franchise was selected for the Royal Bank of Scotland-sponsored awards as a result of feedback from its franchisees, which was gathered by research specialists Smith & Henderson.
To be shortlisted, a company must have previously taken part in the Franchise Satisfaction Benchmark survey. Franchisees are asked to anonymously provide scores for categories including initial training, ongoing support and whether they would recommend their franchise to a prospective franchisee.
TaxAssist Accountants hopes to continue its string of successes, having received awards at the Best Franchise Ceremony every year for the last five years.
Sarah Robertson, Group Operations Director at TaxAssist Accountants, said: “Being nominated yet again for a Best Franchise Award is fantastic news, and follows hot on the heels of being awarded Five-Star Franchisee Satisfaction by Smith & Henderson.
“These awards are based on how pleased our network is with the TaxAssist business model and the comprehensive support we provide, which makes them extra special.”
Steven Frost, Director of Smith & Henderson, said: “We would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to these franchisors who have already shown themselves to be among the very best in the country.
“All the finalists have received outstanding feedback from their franchisees who completed our independent and confidential Franchise Satisfaction Benchmark survey, which uniquely identifies the franchises that live up to their franchisee’s expectations.”
The winners of the 2016 Best Franchise Awards will be announced at the Best Franchise Conference in Milton Keynes on Thursday 30th November 2016.
Norwich small business specialist, TaxAssist Accountants on Aylsham Road, is celebrating a double appointment to its five strong team. The practice, part of the Norwich-based franchise of independently owned businesses providing tax and accountancy advice to small businesses across the UK, has made the appointments follow a period of significant growth.
Robin Johnson took over TaxAssist Accountants in Norwich in 2012 and, in the face of challenging economic conditions, has seen a ten per cent rise in business year-on-year and client numbers top 400. In response, he has appointed Jennie Douse and Liz Andrews, who each have a wealth of knowledge in the industry, to join the team as accountant and bookkeeper respectively.
“At a time when demand for our services continues to grow, I am delighted to welcome Jennie and Liz to our team – they are already proving to be real assets and we’ve had great feedback from our clients,” said Robin.
“Alongside the new staff members, we’ve also introduced a cloud-based solution for clients which allows us to do things quicker and provide real time information, as well as quarterly and annual reports. It’s proved really popular with many of our existing clients and I’m confident more and more clients will come to us with the new technology in place.”
With the new staff appointments and technology, Robin is looking to recruit further in the new year and is also planning to open a second shop in the city.
TaxAssist Accountants Norwich is a local business itself, operating across Norwich providing tax and accountancy advice and services to over 400 small businesses.
Proeon
Systems, a leading systems integrator provider within the global energy sector,
are proud to announce that as a result of our growing operations and expansion,
we are relocating to a new, larger premises within the Norwich area. This strategic move underscores the company’s
sustained growth and commitment to better serving its clients and employees.
This
provides us with an expanded space and state-of-the-art facilities, doubling
the footprint of our current operating base.
Providing us with larger manufacturing / engineering / office space and improved infrastructure to
support the company’s increasing workforce and business operations, the
building is situated 3 miles to the East of Norwich City Centre, providing easy
access to the A47 and the A11, as well as local infrastructure and services.
Proeon
has experienced unparalleled growth in recent years, solidifying its position
as a key player in the Control and Automations systems sector. As a result of winning several
multi-million-pound projects with clients across Europe in renewable energy, in
particular the offshore wind sector and experiencing a strong market demand for
its services providing bespoke control solutions for highly regulated and
demanding applications across the globe, including oil & gas, nuclear,
utility/national infrastructure and defence, this has led to our need to secure
a larger purpose-built facility.
The
relocation reflects Proeon’s dedication to innovation, excellence, efficiency,
and a dynamic work environment for its people, Proeon’s Managing Director –
Richard Miller commented:“In
response to our rapid growth and increasing client demand, moving to a larger
facility was a natural next step. This
transition marks an exciting milestone in our journey and positions us for
further expansion and success.”
Our
new headquarters provides us with enhanced resources to support the company’s
mission and long-term vision. The
company is excited about this new chapter and looks forward to welcoming
employees, partners and clients to the new location.
One way to grow a business is by spotting a new niche and diversifying. That’s exactly what one local forward-thinking marketing agency has done with the launch of their new website inkonfabric.co.uk.
For the past three years, Example Marketing and Web Design has been working with businesses across Norfolk to help get them noticed by potential customers. One aspect of that work is helping business owners get the most from exhibiting at trade fairs and events. Owner, Emma Raines, explains more:
“We’re often contacted by businesses who’ve booked space at a trade show, but have no idea how to make the most of the opportunity. One of the things we help them with is making sure their stand has impact and looks great – first impressions are really important. Through researching options available for good value exhibition kit that can be reused at a number of different events, we identified the Ink on Fabric range as one of the very best solutions.”
Fabric exhibition stands are fairly new to the market. The basic design is a lightweight aluminium frame with a printed fabric cover that’s simply slipped over the top and zipped in place. They’re proving to be an excellent alternative to traditional pop up curve stands and roller banners.
“The fabric scheme addresses a lot of the downsides of more traditional reusable stand options. They’re easy to store and transport and are really quick to assemble. The covers can be easily replaced, or you can shove them in the washing machine to keep them fresh.A really practical solution for small and medium sized businesses who exhibit at several events each year.”
The new inkonfabric.co.uk website enables business owners to purchase the range of products online. Customers can either upload their own artwork, or request design as part of the package. Emma continues:
“We’ve tried to make the process as simple as possible. We’re hoping that by creating a site which specialises in the fabric range we can make more people aware of the options available to them. We think switching to fabric could really boost businesses’ exhibiting power.”
Are you approaching the staging date to have your company’s workplace pension scheme in place?
Business owners and Management have enough to deal with, without the deadlines and the consequences of non-compliance for Automatic Enrolment.
Combine this with the requirement to pay the contributions and you can see why many employers view this as burdensome.
However, if you approach it from another angle it is a fantastic opportunity!
Regardless of your company size and structure, if you consider our tips, the associated costs with Automatic Enrolment won’t be wasted, and instead can be viewed positively.
During the week commencing 10th February, organisations across the UK will be celebrating National Apprenticeship Week looking at the opportunities available and the successes already achieved.
At Swarm we will be running online events to help the business community understand how to tap into this Government funded Apprenticeship system, and also to help secondary schools support students 16+ as they assess career choices and apprenticeships in their options.
Upcoming NAW2025 Events at Swarm
We are aware from a recent poll we conducted that Retention and Recruitment is a big concern when considering the decision to hire an apprentice. Two members of our recruitment team, Sophie Duffy and Paul Riddock, will be broadcasting their discussion around this topic Live on LinkedIn talking about how to dramatically reduce any challenges in these areas whilst significantly enhancing the chances of achieving a successful and long term hire.Please join them for this event where you can watch online whilst also typing specific questions to them to answer as they chat:
Solving the Challenges of Recruitment and Retention 10th February @ 11am-11.30am (extending up to 12pm if we have lots of questions) READ MORE AND ATTEND (Online via LinkedIn Live)
You may be close to employing an apprentice or you may just be curious to know more about apprenticeships as they gain greater and greater coverage in business talk.Either way, we want to invite you to join us for this online event to gain a greater understanding of business apprenticeships and ask questions of our panel of experts, apprentices themselves and an experienced employer:
Employer’s Forum on Understanding Business Apprenticeships 11th February @ 10am – 11.30am REGISTER HERE (Online via Google Meet)
To support young people as they consider their career and their options, we obviously want to encourage school leavers to consider apprenticeships, but we also want to introduce them to a career in Market Research – one of our specialised subjects – and one which not many school leavers or careers departments are familiar with.If you are connected with a secondary school, maybe as a parent or governor, we’d like to encourage you to register for our “open evening” event or pass this opportunity on to the careers advisor or headteacher at the school.We would love to reach as many young people as possible to hear about Market Research as a career but also to hear about the upcoming recruitment drive which the well know Market Research company, Ipsos, will be running to attract school leavers for their new apprenticeship intake in September:
Careers in Market Research and the Apprenticeship Opportunity – An “Open Evening” for Secondary Schools 12th February @ 7pm – 8pm REGISTER HERE (Online via Google Meet)
Renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has become accredited by Constructionline – the leading provider of procurement and supply chain management services.
Constructionline is a resource for public and private organisations, such as health trusts, housing associations and private companies, looking for high quality suppliers and contractors. In order to qualify under the Constructionline scheme, contractors must complete rigorous health and safety compliance and provide details of its business competence. The accreditation provides reassurance for public and private organisations that they are dealing with the best suppliers in the industry.
Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm, said: “We are very pleased to become Constructionline accredited. Having already been working with a number of public and private organisations, Constructionline will simplify the tender and appointment process, enabling us to continue installing more great energy-saving, heat pump systems for our customers.”
In addition to our range of freshly made sandwiches with your choilce of filing and choilce of bread, we also have Salad Boxes of your choice. Our Special Salad this month is the Mediterranean Sald Box. Roasted Red Peppers, Plum Tomatoes, Lettuce, Cucumber, Onion, Olives, Hard Boiled Egg, Feta Cheese.. These are made to order so if there is something you do not like we can adjust the receipe for you.
You can pre-order to collect to save time on youre lunch break by calling 01603 619094