Member Blog

There are a number of things employers will need to keep in mind as a large proportion of their workforce send children back to school and to return to work.

As with any other employees who were furloughed for a considerable amount of time, a return to work can mean employees have concerns about returning to the workplace. This could be for a number of reasons such as whether they are returning to a Covid-19 Secure workplace or general anxieties about being away from work for so long and how effective they will be when they return. Whether employees have been furloughed or have been working at home and will now return to the physical place of work, they should be re-inducted and provided with information about new procedures and provided with training for any new systems that have been implemented in their absence. Employers should be mindful that those returning will need time to adjust and that regular communication and support will help with this.

It may not be long before an employee receives a call telling them they need to collect their child from school due to coronavirus and they have the statutory right to take the time off to either collect their child or make other arrangements. Time off for dependents means providing or arranging the care in the event of normal planned childcare falling through i.e. the example of needing to pick a child up promptly from school especially as the option of grandparents/friends collecting in the event of suspected Covid-19 symptoms will not be permitted. Usually the time would be a day or two at the most and the entitlement is unpaid, employers must remember that an employee should not suffer a detriment for exerting a statutory right and therefore should not look to impose sanctions or treat an employee unfavourably because they have taken the time off. Any ongoing time off to continue to care for children would also be unpaid however it could be taken as holiday too.

The rules around self isolation remain similar to what they have always been so if someone in the household develops symptoms those who live with them must self isolate for 14 days. Where a parent collects their child because of suspected symptoms then the likelihood is that they will have to self isolate too. In this instance their time would be taken as sick leave and SSP may be payable from day one, unless the parent can work from home in which case, if they are well enough and childcare requirements permit it, they can continue to work from home as opposed to take sickness absence. SSP would not be payable for any days where work was undertaken. Small employers can claim SSP back from the government where it is Covid-19 related.

Keep in mind that local lockdowns could be imposed and depending on how strict the lockdown is, it may mean that children cannot attend school, or childcare arrangements before and after school may be restricted. In these instances working parents will need flexibility to manage the situation. There may be scope to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme again (if both parties are eligible) and place them on furlough/flexi furlough but this will only last until the end of October, employers should take the opportunity to identify those employees who may find it difficult in such a situation and give consideration to what extra support can be given to them.

Flexibility is key, where work can be undertaken from home then employers should do all they can to accommodate this. It may mean a temporary adjustment to working hours so the normal ‘9-5’ does not apply and time could be made up in an evening or weekend. Measuring productivity based on tangible outputs rather than being present will give confidence to employers and employees that a remote, flexible arrangement can work for both.

Employers may experience an increase in flexible working requests, it’s important to remember that for those with 26 weeks’ continuous service, making a request for flexible working is a statutory right and has a formal procedure which should be followed to agree or reject the request. Requests can only be rejected for eight stipulated reasons and must be objectively justified by the business to ensure any rejection of a request does not fall foul of the legislation. Trial periods can be really beneficial if an employer is not sure about the proposed arrangement, they allow for the working pattern to be tested and can also be extended if more time is needed to find the right arrangement.

A reluctance or inability to provide flexibility to working parents will not only cause productivity issues for companies but could also find them on the wrong side of the Equality Act 2010 too. The majority of those with caring responsibilities are women and not providing flexibility to assist with childcare could result in indirect sex discrimination resulting in tribunal claims and reputational damage.

There is no doubt that coronavirus has shifted the way the country is working and each employer has a responsibility to do all they can to help employees manage their childcare responsibilities alongside work. Doing this successfully means valuable employees can continue to work and be engaged with the organisation resulting in a win-win situation for both employers and employees.

For assistance with any of the points raised, please do get in touch.

There is nothing new about getting home insulation, nor about the importance of acquiring the ideal type of insulation for your property. However, in recent months and years there has been an increased drive by the UK government to help homeowners and leaseholders get access in the form of vouchers, to property insulation and various schemes to assist with doing so (source: Homesun).

There are many well-established reasons as to why you should consider getting both insulation for your home as well as additional features which will assist in the insulation of your property altogether. Common reasons for insulating one’s home include:

• Better energy efficiency
• Better heat retention through the colder months
• Sound proofing
• Reduced bills
• Increasing your property’s resale value

The type of insulation and precisely how you go about getting and fitting it will depend on a number of factors including the type of property in question, where your property is located (for example near the sea or in an urban city centre) and the resources at your disposal.

If you are a tenant in a property that you do not own, you will be less able to implement measures to improve the insulation of your property. You may however, be able to speak to your landlord or leaseholder to point them in the direction of government schemes and other ways in which to insulate the property.

Common Ways to Insulate Properties

Although there is no ‘perfect’ way in which to insulate a property, there are various well-established ways in which you can go about insulating and improving the status of a property which include:

• Double Glazing – Many properties in the UK have double glazing which is a tried and tested way in which to specifically insulate the doors and windows (which often cause a great deal of leakage) of the property
• Cavity Wall Insulation – Some properties have a cavity wall, which is a wall that has a gap [the ‘cavity’] between the interior and exterior walls of the property. filling this cavity with insulation can make a huge difference to the insulation of the property, stopping cold air entering and warm air leaking out via the cavity
• Loft and Basement Insulation – For those with a basement, it can be a huge source of heat loss, not being properly insulated. For most properties however, the loft, or loft room(s) will often allow a great deal of heat to escape through the roof and as heat rises, this can be one of the largest sources of air leakage for properties
• Use Draft Excluders – A cheaper alternative and one that is certainly one for tenants who cannot make any significant changes to their property. draft excluders, fitted to doors and windows can have a dramatically positive effect on stopping air leakage from properties and will also reduce drafts around your property, making for a more comfortable living environment too
• Check Your EPC – An EPC, or energy performance certificate is a document that in short, will detail the property’s energy efficiency. It may also allow you to understand where and how to improve the property in questions to ensure better insulation

On 13 October 2020, Microsoft will end support for Office 2010. This means any devices running the software after this date will put your business at risk. What does this mean for you?

• Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes or security fixes for Office 2010
• You’ll no longer receive Office 2010 software updates
• No further updates to support content will be provided and most online help content will be retired

Running outdated software not only makes your devices vulnerable, but it means you’re not taking advantage of modern software upgrades which could help the efficiency of your business. Although the software will still function, eventually you will see difficulties performing daily tasks.

What is the risk? With Microsoft no longer providing bug fixes or security patches, your devices could be vulnerable to attacks. Security updates help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Without these updates, attackers will be able to easily penetrate your devices. How do I upgrade? We’d strongly recommend upgrading to the latest software as soon as possible. Our technicians can look at the options available to you, and support you in transitioning between the software. If you’re a Breakwater client still running Office 2010, we’ll be in touch before the October 13 deadline. If not, get in touch to see how we can further support your business with our services. E: [email protected] T: 01603 709300 Visit our website

From the coastal casinos of Great Yarmouth to gambling nights in Norwich, it’s no secret that Norfolk knows the thrill of a flutter. The earliest records of gambling date back from 1715, when Great Yarmouth’s famous racecourse first opened its doors – and whether we’re betting on horses or finding offers available for blackjack, our love of trying our luck doesn’t seem to be slowing down.  

But behind gambling’s fun façade, we can also glean some strategic tips. In a world where the gambling industry is being transformed by tech, what can we learn from the success of Norfolk’s bricks-and-mortar casinos?

This post will explore the top three business lessons we can learn from Norfolk’s casinos. If you’re taking a chance on a business venture of your own, read on to find out how you can maximise your shot of hitting the jackpot.

1. Know your audience

This is probably the golden rule of any business – and one which Norfolk’s casinos know well. Although many land-based casinos are starting to struggle as customers shift towards the convenience of virtual offerings, Great Yarmouth’s casinos have remained resilient. In fact, 2019 figures found that tourist attractions (including casinos) bring a whopping £635 million to the Norfolk borough every year!

Thanks to Great Yarmouth’s long history as a pleasure destination, its casinos are more secure of their customer base than many others around the country. That’s because visitors want a physical experience – a night out as opposed to a quick spin on their phone. The result? Norfolk’s casinos know they don’t need to get sucked into the industry pressure to digitalise in order to keep their clients.

1. Appearance is everything

Whether your business is online or off, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of an attractive shopfront. It could be a great homepage that’s eye-catching and easy to use, or it could be a physical store that calls to passers-by on your local Norfolk high street.

The neon signs, luxe carpets, and colourful machines we associate with Norfolk’s casinos don’t just create an entertaining atmosphere. They also play into a long tradition of what we expect casinos to look like. This appearance is so iconic that online casinos attempt to recreate it, often using red, gold, and black branding.

Make sure the appearance of your business complements the type of service you’ve offering. Your use of colour, imagery, and design can all influence the way potential customers view your venture – so give it the best chance you can by playing with their expectations.

1. Turn traffic into customers

Most successful businesses use a variety of marketing channels in order to attract traffic and turn it into customers. There’s no point launching a business if you don’t know how your clients will find you – you have to create open channels to facilitate engagement.

Just look at the Grosvenor Casino in Great Yarmouth. Situated on the iconic (and very high traffic) Marine Parade, this casino is a lesson in the importance of location. Even – or especially – if your business will be web-based, it’s important to have a great customer acquisition strategy. If you can’t rely on having premises on one of Norfolk’s most iconic streets, then social media marketing, online reviews, and referral programmes can all be excellent ways to gain traction.

Recruiting apprentices can be a great way to feed your talent pipeline. It allows you to assess not only your prospect’s talent, but also how they would fit within your organisational structure. You’ll also be able to tell if they would be a good fit with your company’s culture. Apprentice recruitment can turn to disaster in some rare cases, however, and hold your company back more than it can help. Let’s take a look at some of the do’s and don’ts when recruiting apprentices.

Do – Make Job Descriptions as Detailed as Possible

The job description will be the most important part when searching for the right candidate. You want them to know exactly what will be expected of them, and avoid wasting time with unqualified people. You also don’t want apprentices quitting because they’re way over their heads with what you’re asking.

Don’t – Go into the Process Uninformed

You want to be well informed about the apprentice recruitment process before you even start. For instance, you want to find out about different programs that could benefit you or different government schemes and funding opportunities.

If you want to learn more about these, we strongly suggest you check out the site employinganapprentice.com. This a great resource for both employees looking for apprenticeships and employers looking for apprentices. They have a section specifically on funding with information on various grants and government programs that will cover the cost of hiring apprentices. They can also connect you with local assistance if you need help specific to your own jurisdiction. By informing yourself through websites like this, you’ll be able to ensure that you follow the right steps.

Do – Go with a Specialised Training Provider

You want to go with a training provider that will be able to refer to apprentices that are relevant to your business. You can find apprenticeships for everything from auto repair to cybersecurity. Not all companies will be able to refer you to top talent in every sector, so you have to know in what area they specialise if you don’t want to end up wasting your time.

Don’t – Put too Much Emphasis on Qualifications and Experience

Yes, you are supposed to treat your apprentice just like any employee, but they’re not. Remember that they’re here to get experience first and foremost, and you will need to accept that they might not have much to show besides what they did at school. So, try to focus on personal qualities and potential before putting too much weight on their experience.

Do – Work with Passionate Apprentices

Speaking of personal qualities, one of the most important things you should look for is passion. You also want someone eager to learn. They might not have been top of the class, but you’d rather have someone dedicated and loyal than someone who thinks they know it all who might end up either leaving or alienating themselves from others.

Hiring apprentices can be a real asset to any organisation. However, it has to be done with the right vision in mind and realistic expectations.

COVID-19 made some serious changes to how we live and work, and for many businesses, it has meant a complete overhaul of how things are done. Some businesses that were already toying with the idea of allowing staff to work from home were forced to switch to home-working on a full-time basis, while others were already well-accustomed to remote working and found making the switch easy. Some businesses have decided that after everybody has gotten used to working from home over the COVID-19 lockdown period, they are going to make it a permanent feature. So, what do you need to ensure that you can make the switch easily?

Understanding the Benefits of Remote Working

It’s important for businesses to have a grasp on the many benefits that allowing staff to work remotely can provide. Employees who have the option to either work from home or from the office tend to be happier and more satisfied in their roles, more productive, and more loyal to the company. Working from home allows employees a degree of flexibility that cannot be achieved while working solely from the office, along with giving them a greater level of choice and autonomy over their work and how it is done.

Phone Software

As you are probably well aware after having employees work from home over the COVID-19 lockdown period, phone calls are going to be made more often when employees are not in the office to speak to in person. Choosing the right phone software is crucial, as it’s likely that this will tend to be the chosen method of communication. VOIP calling is a popular choice among companies that allow home working since it can be easily used from any device and cheaper with calls being made through the internet. Read some reviews and comparisons of different VOIP phone software programs before choosing the right one for your business. PieSync has some great resources on RingCentral v AirCall; the PieSync blog is an excellent source of information on a wide range of software programs and tools that can help your business make the transition to remote working.

Video Call Software

Video calls have become the new normal with so many people working from home, and you will want to choose a software program for your company that is fast, reliable, and able to keep up with the demands that you put on it. Many VOIP software programs like Skype also offer video calling options, or you could go with a popular choice like Zoom, which everybody seems to be using these days – but bear in mind that you only get so much with the free version. Google Hangouts has been another top choice over the COVID-19 lockdown since it is free, easy to set up for anybody with a Gmail account, and does not require any additional software to be downloaded.

Employee Equipment

Don’t make the mistake of simply allowing your employees to work from home and expecting them to come up with all the equipment that they need. As an employer, you will need to ensure that each remote employee is provided with the adequate equipment needed in order to do their job well. This could mean providing them with hardware like a computer, smartphone, tablet, headphones or design tools, and giving them access to the software programs that your company uses if they are going to be working from their personal device.

Security

Since remote working means that employees will be accessing work systems from personal devices on home Wi-Fi systems, it’s important that high levels of security are taken very seriously. All employees should be provided with access to the anti-virus software of your company’s choosing while working from home, and it’s important to provide training so that they don’t inadvertently end up putting business or even customer data at risk. For example, you will need to ensure that each employee knows how to properly secure their home Wi-Fi network, and if using a personal device, it should be properly password protected. Since coffee shops and other choice places for working are now beginning to reopen, it’s not unusual that some of your employees might choose to work outdoors, so ensure that they have access to a good VPN that they can use to protect themselves if going online via a public Wi-Fi network.

Ground Rules

Chances are, your company already set some ground rules when employees had to quickly make the switch to working from home due to the coronavirus, but if you have decided to make this a permanent feature, it’s worth going over them again and potentially adding some new ones, particularly if you were rushed the first time around. Make sure that all employees who are working from home are fully aware of what is expected from them at all times and what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This will vary from company to company and even between departments. For example, you may have a team that you can simply leave to get on with their work throughout the day, while employees working on different projects might need to check in with yourself and the rest of the team more often.

Communication

Finally, the key to a successful remote working strategy is strong two-way communication between both parties. Not only should you be clearly communicating needs and requirements to your home-working employees, but you should also be encouraging them to communicate back to you with anything that they are concerned about or need in order to do their job better. Being clear about what is required will ease some of the anxieties that employees might be having about working from home and make it easier for them to perform well. And on the other hand, when employees are able to quickly bring any concerns to you, you can act on them quickly and ensure that remote working is a pleasant and hassle-free experience for everybody involved.

After the COVID-19 crisis, we are seeing many businesses switch to allowing working from home permanently. If remote working went better than you expected and you’d like to continue doing it, make sure that you and your employees have everything you need to make it successful.

There is a huge market out there for business application development, but recently, the trend of developing mobile applications for businesses is also catching on. If it were only a passing trend, wise business leaders know better than to invest in it, but that does not seem to be the situation in this particular case. Every big name out there seems to have at least one, if not multiple mobile apps ready and available on all major mobile platforms, indicating that it’s not a trend, but a profitable venture.

Beyond a Trend: Business Mobile Apps are a Profitable Investment

As is the nature of business, trends are not followed without a set goal. Even if a company’s decisions turn out to be wrong in that regard, it doesn’t take away from the fact that they did have a plan that hinged on certain aspects of the investment which did not work out as planned. However, as we are discussing mobile business apps, it should be well understood that this is not a trend at all, but the next step of evolution in business mobility.

Every business should have customised, relevant apps today in order to improve mobility, accessibility, ease of use, marketability and several related aspects of their trade. While it is an advisable step today for some segments, having a mobile application is going to become the de facto standard for every industry in the very near future. It has become the default standard in multiple industries already of course, as the companies working in those segments (manufacturing, supply chain, public transportation, retail, etc.) are now looking for special features in their apps to give them the competitive edge over others.

For example, Appetiser Apps from Australia is an app development team associated with developing unique apps for the likes of Lego, Europcar and even Samsung. The reasons why international MNCs choose to work with them is because their adoption of agile project management and continuous customer support provides clients with that much-needed edge over the competition.

Identifying the Specific Advantages of Having a Dedicated Business Application

It is somewhat complicated to identify and enlist the various advantages of investing in a mobile business application without being specific towards any particular industry. Therefore, there will be references from time to time towards a few key sectors which stand to benefit the most from business apps, with a general focus on universal advantages of the natural, evolutionary step for business mobility.

Online Retail Businesses Rely Heavily on Mobile Apps for Sales

A large section of the market thought that desktops and laptops are going to become obsolete, only to be overtaken by their mobile counterparts running on Android and iOS. Such predictions from a few years ago, did not turn out to be true as desktops and laptops continue to hold their own positions in certain sectors as irreplaceable devices that must also be taken into account while creating a marketing plan. However, there is also no denying the fact that mobile devices did take over a huge portion of the market from their less mobile counterparts. Due to that, a number of retailers or eCommerce websites do not just find mobile apps to be convenient, they are highly dependent on them for meeting a large section of their total revenue target.

The mobility factor enables eCommerce websites to identify, target and market to the right customer base pretty much all the time. If the customer wants to buy something while he/she is on the move, they do not have to wait but can simply use the retailer’s mobile app to order what they need or want. This enhanced ability to never lose sight of your target customers or lose a sale due to their location has proven to be a tremendous advantage in retail.

Some Businesses Rely Entirely on Mobile Apps

How would Uber or any of the multiple app cabs available today, function without their respective mobile apps? They won’t be able to function for obvious reasons, and that is why all app-based private/public transport facilities are entirely dependent on their respective mobile applications.

Every Business Can Use the Increased Exposure

As far as marketing and branding is concerned, just the presence of an application alone is enough to bolster that, even if the app does not serve any direct purpose in revenue generation. The applications can also collect target customer data, provide them with the right push notifications the right time and help the customers stay in touch with the company via their app.

The features and the specific advantages of having a dedicated business application must be sufficient enough to justify the investment necessary as well. On the flip-side, if the necessary investment feels too high in respect to the expected ROI, then the project will need to be scaled down in order to match an appropriate budget. Cost-efficiency never loses meaning in business and that applies to app development as well.

Throughout the pandemic, business owners have had to be incredibly agile in making quick decisions to maintain business continuity. However, there is a risk that these decisions could, without careful consideration, expose them to costly compensation claims. We spoke to Directors’ and Officers’ insurance specialist, Sam Brown, to find out why now is the time for business owners to make sure they’re covered.

In a nutshell, what is Directors’ and Officers’ insurance?

“Directors’ and Officers’ (D&O) insurance is protection against claims or “wrongful acts” made against directors and management team in steering and managing their business. This includes allegations following regulatory investigations and it can be extended to cover employment issues as well.”

What is a ‘wrongful act’?

“A ‘wrongful act’ is what is needed to trigger a claim. To put it simply, it means an action or decision that is deemed to be wrongful by another party. It can take the form of an allegation made against the company or directors – whether founded or unfounded. Something like an accusation that the director or the company has made the wrong decision, or it could be a breach of regulations such as the Health and Safety Act or environmental regulations. It can come from various stakeholders – employees, shareholders or the regulators themselves, so it’s a very wide definition.”

The policy is called “Directors’ and Officers'” insurance, does that mean it only covers people in a director or officer job role?

“The definition of the policy is very wide generally, and you don’t have to be a formally appointed director or an officer for it to apply. It will cover anyone in a management position, anyone with seniority or a position of authority over someone else. One of the extensions of cover is employment practices liability that will pick up any employment disputes. If a team leader was to incorrectly manage an employee, it would respond to that as well.”

What kind of business should have a directors and officers insurance policy?

“Every business and its directors & officers has an exposure to this risk, so every business should consider having this cover.

“If you manage the company or are a director, you can be held personally liable in certain circumstances. So whilst you might have a private limited company, where the liability is limited to the value of the shares issued, a director’s personal liability is potentially unlimited. Director’s personal assets are therefore at risk if they are personally pursued. By way of an example, amendments to the Privacy and Electronic Regulations which came in to force in December 2018 allows directors to be fined up to £500,000 for breach of the rules on unsolicited direct marketing.”

Is the cover mandatory – do people have to have it?

“No, there’s no obligation or legal requirement told the cover. However, some non-executive directors will insist upon a D&O policy being in place before they’ll join the board, for the very reason they could be held personally liable if something goes wrong.

“Although it’s not mandatory, the unlimited personal liability alone is why all businesses should consider taking out a policy.”

How much cover do businesses need?

“It varies depending on the area or sector of the business. It also comes down to risk appetite and how much potential exposure to risk a business may have. A small SME business with more part time or temporary staff may be more comfortable with a lower limit than that of larger multinational organisation.”

How has directors and officers insurance been affected by the current situation with COVID-19?

“COVID-19 has, and will continue to, have a big impact on insurance cover. Insurers were already seeing increasing claims frequency and severity and the pandemic will only increase this further. Cover is likely to be restricted moving forward which could make it more difficult to get cover.

“The pandemic has brought a new set of challenges for senior management, as well as the usual day-to-day challenges. Regulations are changing all the time, which all increases exposure to directors. So now more than ever, there’s a need to think about what if something went wrong? What if we weren’t up to date with regulations? That’s where a D&O policy could help.

“Redundancy is obviously a big issue at the moment and, if you have the employment practices section of cover under the D&O policy, it would respond if an employee brought a claim of unfair dismissal. Insurers expect to see a lot of those types of claims over the coming months, so they will respond accordingly and potentially cover will become more difficult to obtain.”

What would be your overriding message to anyone who is maybe on the fence about taking out a Directors and Officers Insurance policy?

“Get it now while you can and while it’s affordable. Exposures to these risks are increasing and the policy caters for a lot of different challenges. No-one is perfect and not everyone will be up-to-date on all of the regulatory changes that are coming in fast. It would be easy to fall foul of something and leave yourself open, so make sure you’re not in that position.”

You can find out more about Directors’ and Officers’ insurance here or by calling our team on 01603 21800.

If like many, part of your ‘new normal’ is spending more time working away from the office then you are likely being asked to take more responsibility for keeping your company’s devices and data secure when working remotely. So what can you do to make sure you keep working securely?  Here are some top tips and best practices to help you play your part in keeping you, your colleagues and your company protected.

Your Leadership team and IT department can do so much with technical solutions, but you can play a huge part too;

• Be aware of your surroundings

If you’re working in a public area or even in a shared house, you can never be sure who is watching or listening-use a screen filter to stop “shoulder surfers” and use a headset when on calls. Even when working from home you need to be aware-if using a webcam, what can be seen on your desk or around you?

• Be aware of your desktop

Sharing your desktop is a great way to present or collaborate via video conference calls-but take steps to ensure you don’t accidentally share too much!  Aside from potentially being rather awkward, this could be a huge security risk.  Close applications you’re not using and try to share specific applications rather than your entire desktop where possible to make sure nothing sensitive is exposed.

• Keep Business and Personal separate

If you have a corporate laptop then use it solely for work-similarly keep your personal devices personal.  If you don’t have a dedicated work device try and differentiate your use-use a VPN if  directed to do so to keep business communications private and disconnect when using your device for home use.  If you have a shared device take extra care-don’t store any work documents on the device if you can help it, use separate password-protected accounts for your work and make sure you lock the screen, or log out when not in use.

If you can, keep your Business and Personal devices on different WIFI networks by setting up a separate SSID just for your work kit to prevent access to work resources from personal devices.

• Choose your networks carefully

Be cautious when connecting your business devices-laptops or smart phones -to any WIFI networks.  Whether a home or public network, there’s no way of knowing what other users connected to the same network might be accessing on their devices, or how protected their devices are. Malware on someone else’s device could easily spread to your work device on the same network so choose carefully, but always assume it’s insecure and take appropriate steps to protect your device regardless. Public networks are commonly compromised to enable intercepting network data -make sure you are using your company VPN if on a public network.

• Be aware of company policies

Your company should have made available to you all relevant security policies, and these may be different now as they are when working from the office.  It’s up to you to make sure you understand and comply with all policies-there may be repercussions if you don’t so if you can’t comply with any written policies for whatever reason, speak to your manager and let them know.

• Secure your home network

You should make sure your home WIFI network is encrypted, and also check the password used to access your internet router-if you haven’t changed it then chances are it could be a default or weak password leaving it wide open to attack.  A breach could expose all your devices and all communications in and out of the internet, and a default or weak password is like leaving the key in a locked door.

If you are unsure if or how you should change the password speak to your company IT contact or your Internet Service Provider directly who should be able to assist.

• Install and update anti-virus software

 Anti-virus software is important to have on all of your devices regardless of what you use them for, but if you are using your own device for work then it’s critical. Prevent malware from compromising your own and your employer’s systems by installing Anti-virus software and keeping it up to date.

• Beware Covid-19 related scams

You are probably constantly inundated with phishing emails and other scams, even if you don’t realise it, but cyber criminals are exploiting the current situation with Covid-19 to make their scams seem more realistic. If you get emails with any suspicious links or attachments related to Covid-19, don’t open them or click any links-contact your IT resource to check it out if you’re not sure.

• Make sure your programs and systems are up to date

Programs and operating systems are updated regularly to fix bugs and make them more secure. Make sure your operating system is running the latest version-enable automatic updates to make sure your systems are as safe as possible-and don’t forget your Internet router, this also needs updating with the latest firmware to help keep it secure

As we enter our 30th anniversary year, this year’s Norfolk Business Awards will be dedicated to celebrating the achievements from a range of outstanding local businesses. With the many challenges that the businesses in our region have faced during 2020, it is more important than ever to come together and recognise the sheer resilience, creativity and innovation of our business community.  

Nobody could’ve predicted the impact that the pandemic has had on local businesses across the region and worldwide. However, despite the disruption that Covid-19 has caused, businesses and organisations across Norfolk have gone above and beyond to support our communities and key workers. So, amidst tough times we want to thank those businesses for their efforts and recognise their achievements before, during and after the pandemic.  

Every year the Norfolk Business Awards is a highlight in the business calendar, it offers an exclusive networking opportunity amongst industry leaders and our handpicked judging panels. This year is no different, our nominees reflect the very best of what our industry has to offer – so we will be taking this moment to celebrate the business excellence and emerging talent from across Norfolk.  

With ten categories to choose from, whether you’re a start-up or long-established enterprise, there is a category for everyone – these awards are open to any local business with an inspiring success story worth telling. Once the entry period has closed, all entries are put to a panel of expert judges from the Norfolk business industry. Once the businesses have been shortlisted, judges will select their four deserving finalists per category.  

Alongside our entry categories, all businesses who enter these awards will be put in the running for the non-entry category: Business of the Year award, proudly sponsored by our headline sponsors – Barclays. This accolade will go to a business handpicked by our judges, so it is very important that businesses take time to make their submission stand out.  

As businesses begin to think about entering this year’s awards, they may be wondering why enter? It may seem like a daunting process putting your business forward for a prestigious awards ceremony, but there are many reasons and long-lasting benefits to entering the 2020 Norfolk Business Awards. From raising your business profile by showcasing your work and credentials to industry leaders, to boosting employee morale and motivation by demonstrating that you value their hard work and efforts, to increasing brand exposure and engagement beyond the awards ceremony by differentiating and benchmarking your company against your competition. There are many reasons why businesses should consider entering the 2020 Norfolk Business Awards, read the full list here.  

We hope that Norfolk Businesses will take the time to put their business at centre stage and share their stories with us. Entries must be submitted by Sunday 6th September to be in with the chance of becoming a 2020 Norfolk Business Awards winner.

We look forward to celebrating our nominees and sponsors in November 2020! 

Find out more and enter for free at https://www.norfolkbusinessawards.co.uk/ 

Paolo Aliatis has moved through life at a pace most people will never know. Building up a successful business and property portfolio in the UK, working with entrepreneurs, investors and property tycoons, Paolo Aliatis‘ rise has been as remarkable as it has been hard work. Hearing the story from Aliatis himself is intriguing…

I started young when I ventured into entrepreneurship. I want to tell you my story so you can understand how I ended up in the flat-share industry and how this industry changed my life.

From my youth, I have always found a way to make what I want happen. Most of my business ventures before my 20’s were lifestyle-based and often caught the attention of people in an elite society in which I did not belong. My friends had my back as I had theirs.

“We roll where we control, and we control how we roll”; that was the only rule we followed.

Paolo Aliatis: Brimming With Business

My first bright idea was to try to replicate a successful restaurant model that started in a neighbouring city. However, having little understanding of how to run a restaurant chain, control costs, waste management, maintain standards etc. it ended up a failure. The business barely sold for enough to cover the debts that I had incurred in the process of setting it up. 

I later moved to Barcelona with my then-girlfriend and started a pharmaceutical distribution company which collapsed during the 2008 recession. I then decided to rent the spare rooms in my apartment, which ended up covering the cost of the whole apartment. That meant that I lived rent-free and when I moved in with my girlfriend, where I rented out the entire apartment and was making 600 euros a month.

Paolo Aliatis’ Flat Share Empire

I heard stories of a friend’s cousin who was running flat-shares, once we were introduced a partnership was born and we went from having just a few properties between us, to having 250 across 4 different cities. In 2009, we started to get calls from agents in Barcelona and London offering us their properties, acquiring properties wasn’t the challenge, renting the rooms was. At that grassroots period, I was even agreeing to pick clients up off their trains in the early hours of the morning just to secure a deal.

Portfolios grew and time flew by. Profits multiplied and workforces expanded. My role in the game began to change dramatically. No longer was I preparing and showing rooms to people fresh to London or waking up at all hours to chase tenants withholding rent who had been dodging us during working hours. My challenges then were managing teams, finances, lawyers, accountants, contractors etc. The game changed and a whole fresh ecosystem started to flourish around us.

Eventually, everything fell into the right place, people started doing their jobs, international expansion followed, in-house software was developed and new acquisitions became a priority. 

With every positive or negative experience encountered, our foresight expanded. As time passed, our contracts grew to include every possible eventuality, giving us complete legal coverage against troublesome tenants, landlords and contractors. 

Working with such a diverse type of landlord, from established property tycoons to former gangsters, Jewish to Muslim, those with 1 flat to those with 100 flats in their portfolio, we have been through it all, but most importantly, we have seen and solved it all. 

Moving Up: Paolo Aliatis’ Progression

Now I am no longer involved in the day to day activities of flat-shares, my focus lays on how to take portfolios that are yielding a 5% return, to a 12% return. From time to time I will have a former competitor contact me with properties to take on. It doesn’t take long to see why they are trying to offload with most of them being structurally flawed and unprofitable. Timing and knowhow is everything, especially in the flat-share business.

During the past years, I have made lots of mistakes that have cost me time and money, millions sometimes. Yet I have also realised that most of the mistakes made actually added value to my understanding of business and in the long run, that knowledge will save me 10 times more than any simple loss of profits would.

When we started to run flat-shares, you could barely say the industry actually existed, it was still operating in the shadows. We learnt the hard way, trial and error. The industry was still a grey area where subletters or people running flat-shares were considered crooks whilst conventional estate agencies saw us as amateurs.

I am still surprised by the level of business and industry knowledge that I have managed to acquire, which is especially evident when I am talking with people that previously used to be my idols. I feel a lot of pride in the fact that I am now in a position to often teach them on aspects of our business they were not aware of.

Finding an income stream online is probably easier than it’s ever been, for two overlapping reasons. First, there’s a demand for it! And where there’s demand, resources will follow. Secondly, success begets success. As new people enter the online workforce, the demand for people to support their virtual efforts increases as well. 

That being said, making it work is still a challenge, and you’ll likely need to consider a wide range of avenues before settling on the right approach for you. Let’s see what options are there, shall we?

1. Affiliate Marketing

In the interest of sparking off new ideas, a good starting point to make money online is to get involved in affiliate marketing. Yep, we had to go there! The thing is, affiliate marketing has been generating a lot of buzz in recent years, and there’s no denying that, done right, it’s one of the more scalable and sustainable ways to make money online. 

Here’s a vastly simplified version of how affiliate marketing works: 

Choose the thing you plan to sell – it can be anything really, from cat laxatives to shoelace dongles.

Build a decent, SEO-optimized website around it.

Make money every time your site visitors purchase that thing through your site. 

If you are thinking, surely it can’t be that easy? Well, yeah. You’re right. The concept is simplicity itself. Making it happen is hard, not least of which because you’re competing with millions of other people trying to do exactly the same thing. 

One way some pundits are successfully getting ahead of the curve is through skilling up via a dedicated affiliate marketing community. Wealthy Affiliate is one such resource, and many affiliate marketers swear by it as the easiest place to begin. 

Wealthy Affiliate offers hundreds of hours of training and accompanying resources. That said, you’ll definitely want to go in with your eyes open. 

2. Know Stuff, And Write About It

Making money through writing is one of the first suggestions you’ll likely encounter. Opportunities abound for wordsmiths. While workaday copywriting is always an option, a more potentially lucrative option you might want to consider is to become a subject-matter expert. 

Here’s how it works. 

Build (or harness your existing) knowledge, find marketable angles on that corpus of know-how, pitch it to industry sites. 

If seeking depth and clarity excites you, becoming a subject-matter expert can be intensely satisfying. Moreover, if you find the right market for your work, it can pay surprisingly well!

If this is your path, ditch lesser freelance sites like Upwork. Opt instead for websites specializing in your subject area. Or join an industry side like N-Dash (which is completely pitch-driven) to carve out a name for yourself. 

And remember. Be patient!

3. Help People For A Living

Virtual Assistant work is not sexy. 

It isn’t about boldly carving a new niche, so much as it involves being a reliable, competent, dedicated backstop to someone else. But you know what? Good virtual assistants are incredibly successful, simply because that positive, supportive energy is hard to find in people. 

If being helpful is your buzz, you may well be perfectly positioned to build up a name as a VA. 

Here’s what you’re going to need:

A solid understanding of communication technologies.

An organized noggin with a business slant.’

An upbeat, supportive attitude. 

If that describes you, you’ve got what it takes. The bigger trick is separating yourself from the poseurs who claim to have your skills but actually don’t. I won’t lie, there are many such people. 

But here, time and persistence are your greatest weapons. Based on many conversations with successful EAs, the trick is starting small on a standard freelance site like Upwork, working for reputation points more than money while you’re starting out. 

Once you have those first few successful jobs under your belt, you can begin strutting your stuff on LinkedIn, Monster, and Indeed. Your goal is to dazzle a busy C-suite type who desperately needs someone to make their life easier! 

Keep them happy, and you keep making moolah. 

4. Earn Money Through Research

Good researchers are a bit like good virtual assistants – they’re hard to find. 

Perhaps counter-intuitively, Google is a big culprit for the dearth of research nous. These days, many folks assume deep research consists of delving past page three of a Google search.

If you are one of the few people who’ve figured out how to delve deeper, plundering white papers, technical reports, statistics, and peer-reviewed research to deliver unique insights, then you’re in a great position to sell those skills. 

So what kind of research are we talking about?

It can, literally, be anything. A real estate agent may want to know the three biggest factors affecting condo prices in Dallas. A biotech startup may want to know what their competition is doing to attract investors. A pet food company may want to gain an insight into changing pet food trends over the past five years.

The common factor? The data isn’t easy to locate and analyze. 

If this kind of sleuthing sounds like your thing, start by looking for researchers on major recruitment sites like Monster or Indeed. You may also want to look at dedicated research services like Ask Wonder. 

Quality research will always be in demand. 

The Bottom Line

Working online is not an easy path, and you are unlikely to land in green pastures overnight. If anyone tells you working from home is an easy transition, be suspicious, and look for the fine print!

However, if you really want to make it happen, provided you play to your strengths and treat your skills as a business, you stand a very good chance of getting there eventually. 

Giving up your office job may be an incremental process, but we all have to begin somewhere. Good luck!