Member Blog

How can company values help people be their best selves at work? An organisation’s company values can play a significant role in creating a workplace culture which enables employees to bring their best selves to work and therefore be more engaged, motivated and productive. Using her own experience as a co-founder of Pure, a values-led organisation, Chief Operating Officer Gill Buchanan has shared some of her top tips on embedding values into a business and the reasons why this makes a positive difference. Gill said: “In our day-to-day work as professional recruitment specialists for the eastern region, we are increasingly seeing just how much importance candidates place on finding an organisation which genuinely cares and which has a set of values they can really relate to. Companies with clearly communicated values are often the most successful when it comes to competing for top talent and having high levels of employee engagement. Supporting vision and purpose A company’s vision and purpose can be used as the inspiration and guidance to set company values. This will help to ensure that they are authentic and can successfully form the basis for the organisation’s culture. For example, when we established Pure, our vision was to create a company which was different to others within the recruitment industry. We wanted our business to focus on developing long-term client and candidate relationships rather than being driven by numbers and KPIs. Having a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve helped us to choose our values. We wanted them to represent everything we believed was important about the way we wanted to work and achieve success. Our six values are: Pure Quality, Pure Teamwork, Pure Supports, Pure Delivers, Pure Rewards and Pure Innovates. Bringing people together Employees who feel a sense of belonging are far more likely to be engaged and motivated to go the extra mile for themselves, their colleagues and the business as a whole. Shared values can bring people together whatever their background, interest, age or level of expertise. They enable businesses to celebrate and encourage diversity while still uniting people in day to day behaviours, standards and attitudes. We recognise that our business is a people business. We want to bring our people together and look after them as they are our ambassadors and the ones engaging with our candidates and clients. Our values have helped us to create a culture where great work is rewarded, teamwork is celebrated and everyone is supported to deliver high quality. Company culture foundations People spend a lot of time at work, so it is understandable that they will want to be in an environment which is a positive place to be. An organisation’s values can help to achieve this as they set the foundations for a company’s culture and the attitudes and behaviours to develop and maintain it. For example, we have a people-first culture and our Pure Supports company value helps us to achieve this. As well as supporting each other, and our candidates and clients, we want our employees to have the support they need to do their job well. It helps us to shape everything from the equipment and training we provide to the initiatives we put in place to support the mental and physical wellbeing of our team. Embedding values into day to day business For company values to make a real difference they need to be brought to life and embedded in day-to-day working practices. This means more than just displaying them as part of the office branding, although that is still a very positive thing to do! They also need to become foundational to the business and genuinely underpin everything. Values can be embedded by making them a part of every aspect of your business from recruitment and onboarding through to referencing them in staff reviews, reward and recognition schemes and L&D plans. They also need to be reinforced and authentically displayed by the leadership team to ensure they flow from the top down. As part of the leadership team at Pure, our values have given us the basis of establishing a consistency of how we want to do things. Because we all really believe in the values, we can live them while still being our true selves, we don’t have to robotically try and demonstrate them. They have also become a key part of the language we use when talking about our business, from updating our teams internally through to our external communications. We believe that being able to share our values with our clients and candidates helps to give them a real understanding of what it is like to work with us. The same goes for potential new recruits. Our values help us to explain more about how we have created a culture which differentiates us from other recruitment firms. To help share this with prospective employees, and new recruits, we have put together a Pure book to explain more about our company in a fun, easy and tangible way. After a few months of being part of our team, we also ask new employees to deliver a presentation which includes sharing examples of when they have seen our values being demonstrated day to day. This really helps people to understand why they are so important to us and how they benefit everybody.”

Norfolk’s tourism economy brings in approximately £3.3 billion annually and provides over 67,000 jobs (that’s 18.7% of all employment in Norfolk). That’s a healthy economy and a lot of revenue your small business can draw from. That’s why every small business in Norfolk should have a marketing strategy that targets tourists. Marketing is an important skill to master if you want your small business to grow. So much so, that marketing skills rank among the top 10 in-demand skills on LinkedIn. Segmented marketing targets specific groups or demographics, like tourists. Marketing to tourists doesn’t have to involve big budgets or elaborate campaigns. Here are five easy ways to market your small business to tourists.

Get listed on online business directories

Joining the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is a great way to network with other businesses. There are also several online business directories you can join to target both local residents and visitors to Norfolk. Some directories charge a listing fee but others are free to join. Here are a few to start with:

The Business UK directory offers its members free advertising. Local Business Forums lists businesses across three districts in Norfolk, covering the towns of Attleborough, Snetterton, Breckland, Broadland, South Norfolk, and Thetford. On Yell.com, you can place sponsored ads and purchase digital marketing packages that run pay-per-click advertising campaigns. They also have a smartphone app that allows customers to easily find your business, get directions, and leave a review. Buy Local Norfolk is passionate about local sustainability. If your business uses products and materials sourced locally in the making of your goods, this is a great directory to join.

Place marketing material at tourist hot spots

One of the easiest ways to reach tourists is with old-fashioned print marketing. Think of how many times you’ve browsed the leaflet rack while waiting to check-in at a hotel. Plenty of other tourists do the same thing. Print a batch of leaflets, brochures, or business cards and distribute these at airports, hotels, car rental offices and any other tourist touchpoints you can think of. If your design skills are lacking, Norwich Print Solutions can help design your promotional material.

Advertise online

Technology and travel have converged. Today, tourists do most of their travel research and planning online. According to Google Travel, 74% of travellers plan their trips online compared to only 13% who still use travel agencies. That’s why online marketing is a must to draw tourists.

Paid advertising on platforms like GoogleAds and Facebook ads allows you to fine-tune your target market. You can create campaigns that target a specific demographic, location, and even time of day. It also lets you choose the best keywords to attract the right customers. If budget is a concern, pay-per-click advertising allows you to control your ad spend by setting an affordable campaign budget.

Approach bloggers to highlight your business

Influencer marketing has exploded over the last few years and for good reason. Having your product or service mentioned on a high-profile blog can boost your business’s reputation. Successful bloggers have built up a loyal following who trust their opinion. If they mention your business, their readers are likely to trust you too. It also helps you acquire valuable backlinks to your website. All of this increases the chance of tourists finding your business when searching for travel information.

When working with bloggers, it’s important to find the right fit. Put together a list of suitable travel bloggers and local bloggers who focus on the Norfolk region. Before approaching the blogger, do some research on their criteria for sponsored posts. If they are open to a sponsored post, offer to send them a product sample or invite them to experience a service you provide. Most bloggers will only recommend a product or service they have used and like.

Book your spot at local events

If you sell crafts or food, having a presence at local events, markets, and fairs is a great way to take your business to the customer. If there are events taking place during school vacations or over the Christmas season, like the Norfolk Creations Christmas Fair and Holkham Festive Food Fair, book your spot as a vendor. At these times of the year, there are more visitors to our shores and many of them attend these festivals.

Marketing your small business to tourists can be accomplished on a small budget yet boost your annual turnover in a big way.

The regeneration project at Freebridge’s Hillington Square estate in King’s Lynn has won another award in the Design & Craftsmanship Awards last night inNorwich, winning jointly alongside East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ The Nook.

The award which was given in the new Civic and Community category waspresented to Freebridge Community Housing, Fielden + Mawson LLP – the architects currently working on the project, Mae – the architects involved in the original phases, Hemingway Design – design consultants on the project, Lovell Partnership – the construction firm who completed work on the first four stages, and Rossi Long Consulting Ltd and ALH, respectively the structural and mechanical & electrical engineers.

The Civic and Community category is supported by national charity Civic Voice, with the award seeking to recognise examples of high quality design and projects that make a positive contribution to the local area. As a winner of the award the regeneration project is now put forward to the Civic Voice National Design Awards in 2020.

Judges for the award were looking at “not just a well-designed successful end product, but also the community story and collaborative process which lies behind it”.

Tony Hall, Freebridge’s Chief Executive, said “We are delighted that the Hillington Square project has won another award, and are particularly pleased that it has won in a category that looked at the wider work of what we’ve achieved so far. In the next few weeks we’ll be confirming our plans in respect of the what we still need to do to complete the project and I look forward to seeing the work on the site start again next year.”

The entire team at Tudor Lodge Consultants are thrilled to announce that we are working with the well-renowned and very well-established team at Robert Quinn Consultants on their new website and offering, SMCR Compliance (https://www.smcrcompliance.com/).

With so much going on in the world of finance and all the compliance that goes hand in hand with the UK’s huge financial services sector, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have in recent years rolled out a range of different regulation for different sub-sectors of the financial market to keep things fair and safe for users of these services throughout the UK.

One such type of new financial regulation is the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR), which has replaced the Approved Persons Regime for all FCA registered companies and firms in the UK. in short, this regulation makes more members of management and staff in qualifying businesses responsible for the regulatory compliance necessary.

As part of this process, Robert Quinn’s regulatory team have created their SMCR Compliance brand which features a plethora of e-learning and tools for managers and qualifying people to utilise and undertake to make sure that their businesses are fully compliant with UK regulations. Working with their team, we are using our search engine optimisation (SEO) team to overcome the following challenges in the industry and help them with:

• Awareness of the Regulation – Many businesses who easily qualify for SMCR and all it entails are not fully aware (if at all) that they qualify for this regime. Hence, when the regulation comes in and takes effect, they may be in a vulnerable position. By helping the SMCR Compliance brand climb higher up Google, we are helping get them in front of the audiences that matter
• Promoting E-Learning – Part of the SMCR programme required to be undertaken by firms and financial companies, is the relevant people within the businesses in question learning the relevant regulation. Hence, we are helping SMCR Compliance to increase their online visibility for their e-learning offering through the organic rankings of Google
• User Experience – The user experience for those that reach the site is a crucial aspect of any online marketing. When it comes to SEO, it is that extra bit important. SEO allows the capturing of relevant users to the website in question. However, if the website isn’t appealing and if it doesn’t perform to a high level and at the optimum speed, users will leave. Hence, we are working on the site speed of the SMCR Compliance website
• Crawling and Understanding – Helping Google to fully understand and comprehend everything on the SMCR website is key. Ultimately, if Google doesn’t understand and fully register the content and offerings on the website, nothing will rank currently if at all. Hence, we are working on the fundamental ranking factors to ensure Google can understand, read and register everything on the SMCR Compliance website properly

We are always gifting each other for different things. Sometimes, it is a just-because gift. Like just because you mean the world to me, here is a necklace, mum. Or it could be an occasion such as a graduation. You need to get something that shows how much you honour a loved one for such a great accomplishment. And sometimes it is the holidays, and you need to think about fantastic Christmas presents for her. With all these instances, it would help if you had a guide that you could follow time and again. The good news is that you can use a few simple steps to get everyone a gift they will treasure. Here’s how:

How much can you spend?

Sometimes, it is not how much you would like to spend, but rather how much you can afford. Let’s suppose you are working with a budget of fifty dollars. It would help if you used this as a parameter for the gifts. That way, you would walk into a shop and state that you need a gift that is around that price range or below that. For online shopping, you can put this as one of the determinants. Having a budget helps in narrowing down the choices. It also keeps you from spending too much money on a gift, only to realize that you dented your savings by a significant percentage.

What is the occasion?

Now that you know how much you can spend on the gift, you need to narrow down the options further. And you can do this by considering the type of occasion you will be attending. Here is an example of this. For a bridal shower, you could get an item from an adult shop, if you get the drift. This gift would be one that would not lead to cringes and side looks when opened in front of people. But take the same gift to a graduation party where family members are present, and it will be out of place. The host may not mind the gift and may inwardly be itching to take it home immediately, but the attendants may feel put out. So you can save this for another time. But that does not mean that your gift should be dull. You know what the host would like, and you can get a gift in line with their personality. As long as it is mindful of other people in the party.

Also, other than appropriateness, you should think about the use of the gift. Take the example of a wedding or a house-warming party. It is the start of a new life and calls for gifts that aid in the same. While you could show up with a bottle of chardonnay, it would be great if you presented them with something practical. However, if the hosts insist on simple items, you do not have to go out of your way. You will find that in some cases, the hosts may state that they have a register in place with their preferred selections. You can have an easy time shopping for them by going through the list and choosing what would work with your budget.

Do they have a colour preference?

While some people may not openly admit it, we are all drawn to some colours more than others. Other people may state that they have a favourite colour. You can use this information when getting a gift. Suppose you have a friend who loves pink, and you are getting a bathrobe for them. Getting one in pink would delight them. Then some people do not like colours much. Or you could be unsure of what they would like. In this case, it is best to go with neutral colours as they will rarely be out of place.

What do they like?

We all have different interests. Some people are all about photography, while others have a keen interest in collections. Maybe you have a friend who loves trying out new cuisines and even has a channel on the same. Getting them a cooking set, recipe book, or something related to this would be great. It might feel challenging to get something in a field in which you are a newbie. But the results will be well worth it.

Online shopping has opened up a new realm of possibilities. And you can get a lot of creative gifts for your loved ones at the touch of a button. So don’t shy away from being creative in this process. Have fun!

AI software firm Optalitix is now working with the Tudor Lodge Consultants team to boost its SEO rankings. We are dedicated to helping the startup to develop their SEO practices and increase its online presence to a much wider audience.

Who are Optalitix?

Optalitix provides an AI machine learning solution to startups, with the aim of removing the complexity than can surround business analytics and data modeling. The company allows companies to see measurable advantages across key business metrics, regardless of the industry they are in.

How we are helping Optalitix?

Keyword ranking: The main task we are carrying out for the AI machine learning startup is focusing on keyword research, ensuring that they rank highly on SERPs for terms that relate strongly to their field of expertise.

This includes terms such as ‘ai companies’ and ‘data analytics companies’.  We make sure that content that is created relates to these keywords, as well as ensuring that links to Optalitix feature these terms too.

Market positioning: We wanted to use our knowledge of SEO to position Optalitix in the industry and hopefully when people type anything relating to AI into Google, that they will come up. This includes any “Top 10” lists or “AI Startups to Watch” and working with the publisher to put Optalitix at the top of the tree.

We appreciate that in b2b marketing, conversion rates can be quite low – but if we can establish Optalitix now as a key player in the industry and keep them ranking on different sites in the future, it will maximise their chances of getting a good enquiry.

Content creation: To position the brand further, we are conducting interviews with the company founders across different IT and tech sites and also on Linkedin, to further cement their position in the industry

Our team is delighted to reveal that we have teamed up with health insurance firm Equipsme. Tudor Lodge Consultants has been working hard to improve the firm’s online presence through implementing a thorough white hat SEO strategy, using an array of tools that we have acquired.

About Equipsme

Equipsme makes purchasing health insurance for businesses in the UK simple and easy to do.  The health insurance company provides an alternative, cost-effective solution for firms so that they can insure the health of their employees straightforwardly at a low price. Equipsme’s healthcare plans involve no medical jargon, no medical questions and an easy to understand pricing structure and the same premium for those aged between 16-69 years old.

What we have achieved for Equipsme

Improving functionality: one important aspect of SEO strategy is ensuring that a website is running as fast as possible – if it does not, this can impact bounce rates and its Google ranking. As a result, our team has been working hard to improve Equipsme’s site speed. We have also been working on the functionality of the mobile version of the site to ensure it is user friendly.

Keywords: we have also been carrying out keyword research to make sure that the health insurance firm is ranking high for terms related to the health and medical sector, so that Equipsme ranks higher in SERPs.

Links: Tudor Lodge Consultants understands just how vital having strong links can be when it comes to having an excellent SEO strategy. That is why we have been working on making sure that we have been finding Equipsme reputable and trustworthy links within the health and medical sector, as well as carrying out link reclamation. This also helps make the site easier to crawl for Google indexing.

Site fix: making sure that response codes have been fixed, as well as meta descriptions and titles are of an adequate length with relevant keywords, is important for SEO. This is something the team has been changing on the Equipsme site.

Norfolk is home to an entrepreneurial spirit that’s the envy of the United Kingdom. We’re a county that loves business, and that knows how to do business, but like the country as a whole, we’re having to deal with economic uncertainty. The impact of Brexit on Norfolk is yet to be seen, of course, but it’s sure to bring opportunities as well as challenges for its business leaders. One way our businesses can keep ahead of their corporate rivals is by avoiding wastage and saving money without impacting on their products or services. With that in mind, here are three simple yet effective ways for Norfolk businesses to save money.

Don’t Pay Too Much for Your Energy

All businesses should know exactly what their overheads are, and use this to ensure that there are no areas which leak money. One of the biggest overheads that most businesses face, whatever sector they operate in, is their energy costs, so it’s important that you don’t pay more than you really have to. The best way to get the best deal is to compare commercial gas suppliers and electricity suppliers via a specialist comparison website like Utility Bidder. You’ll be able to see which suppliers offer the best service at the lowest price, and make an informed decision about who to sign up with. Don’t forget to compare energy suppliers at regular intervals, as prices and deals can change rapidly.

Use Modern Marketing Methods

The world around us is also changing rapidly, and that means that traditional forms of advertising and marketing may not be as effective as they once were. We consume media differently, so adverts on radio, television and radio may no longer be seen or heeded. An increasing number of businesses in Norfolk and beyond are using the opportunities that social media brings to promote their products, and this can allow you to reach a much larger audience for a significantly smaller outlay. You’ll need to have an active presence on all the main social media platforms, and remember that your posts should be vibrant, eye catching and entertaining as well as informative. Social media marketing can bring rich rewards, and it can also be an effective way to reach Millennial customers.

Make the Most of Outsourcing

Outsourcing some of your business functions can allow you to obtain high quality work at a very competitive price, so look for areas of your business where you can outsource tasks rather than recruiting directly into your company. This not only gives you added flexibility in that you can hire people nationwide, it also cuts down on the time and expense that a recruitment campaign can cost. Typical areas where you may be able to outsource include design, customer support, event management and accounting.

Don’t Use Overtime Unless Absolutely Necessary

Plan for the business so that overtime work and overtime pay is not required. While it’s commonplace to see companies resort to offering overtime to cash strapped employees in place of taking on someone part-time, it’s a bad idea. Having already completed their normal day’s work, the extra hours are sub-optimal. The overtime worker cannot perform at the same level and will likely be working early mornings or evenings to get work done. The altered hours lead to an increasing number of mistakes which may exceed what is gained. Also, their regular work will eventually suffer too when they don’t get enough rest.

Use Co-Working Arrangements to Save Money

Co-working is the idea of allowing full-time employees to work from their home office. It cuts out the commute and the need for a permanent desk for them. When either used as a strategy to reduce the office space required, or to manage rapid expansion without requiring an office move too soon, it can be a cost-efficient move.

Using co-workers is different to outsourcing because the staff still work for you. They’re under contract, receive most of the same benefits and can be expected to deliver when needed. Freelancers receive much less commitment from you or commitment to you. By mixing a little of both, companies can manage their costs and office footprint better while not sacrificing control of their operations.

Creating a lean, efficient company with the help of outsourcing, adopting social media marketing, and using a comparison website to find the best business energy supplier can save you significant amounts of money, year on year. That means that you’ll be competitive whatever Brexit and other economic factors may bring our way, so that you can continue to contribute to the Norfolk business success story.

Gas boilers have been the staple of our households for generations – providing heat and hot water at a relatively low cost. Despite the great functionality of gas boilers, recently, they have been under intense scrutiny. While they are useful, their use comes at a cost. Widespread use of gas boilers poses a dangerous threat to our environment with their ability to contribute to the greenhouse effect and to produce carbon monoxide.

Present Day Gas Boilers

It’s not going to come as a surprise to hear that due to our production and consumption as humans, our world is undergoing some very harmful environmental events. Specifically, in the case of gas boilers, their use of fossil fuels and release of toxic carbon monoxide have not helped in our mission to better the planet. Despite their mass use, if we want to progress in decreasing our negative environmental impact, we must at least plan for a replacement in the future.

I know what you’re thinking. If you don’t have a gas boiler you might be asking yourself, how are you going to take a shower or heat your home in the winter? These are all valid questions that can be answered using alternative heat sources. It all starts with creating and enhancing policies that cultivate healthy environmental practices. Fortunately, countries like the UK have already gotten a head start in this department. In 2008, we passed the Climate Change Act that places the duty of the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to ensure that the UK’s carbon emissions are at least 80% lower than the 1900 baseline by 2050.

Furthermore, this policy goes on to introduce new measures to achieve these targets. Following this policy, the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) set the objectives to ensure that sustainable goals were being met. The goals set out by BEIS include the following:

Keeping the energy bill as low as possible: ensuring that The UK has a secure and resilient energy system: reducing carbon emission cost-effectively at home; and avoiding unreasonable upfront cost for consumers which could discourage home improvements. Additionally, to observe if these goals are being met, the Climate Change Act carries out an assessment tracking to see whether or not the UK is on course to meet its carbon reduction targets While factors, such as the first carbon budget and marginally changes in carbon change have been met, now, it appears as if our carbon emission has stalled. This means that it is, now more important than ever to grasp alternative methods of heating our homes before it is too late.

The Future of Gas Boilers

Fortunately, for us and our planet, alternative appliances to gas boilers have already started to be invented and even used in real-life situations. Particularly, hydrogen, heat pumps, and hybrids have been undergoing development to tackle this new challenge.

As opposed to carbon, hydrogen is more environmentally friendly and does not produce a toxic gas when it is burned. In terms of being used to heat our houses, researchers are looking to design a Hydrogen for Heat system that has the same functionality of fossil fuel in gas boilers but is much safer. Next, heat pumps are also being crafted because, as opposed to hydrogen, which can be quite pricey and difficult to store, this alternative form of heating is one of the only ones that maintain heating quality and cost-efficiency. Finally, hybrids that are classified as developments in heat pump technology are now becoming available.

Gas boilers are inevitably harming our environment. Nevertheless, despite their mass use, by the year 2025, the Committee on Climate Change estimates that no new-built homes will be equipped with boilers using gas grid system as power source. We must invest in alternative forms of energy that not only keeps costs low but also preserve our environment.

When it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital marketing in general, we often hear the term ‘website crawling’ and similar terms. However, what does this actually mean and how can you ensure your website or that of any of your clients is crawled?

What is ‘Website Crawling?’

Website crawling refers to the process by which search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo and Baidu can read, process, understand and therefore rank the website in question. ‘Crawling’ is often used by those in the SEO and website marketing industry; it is fundamental to the very essence of what SEO is and how search engine marketing functions.

All search engines function through algorithms, which automatically read and understand [crawl] websites; their content, the words on the website(s) in question and the overall theme and focus. For example, if you are running a website in Brighton as a psychologist’s practice (find out more), you wouldn’t want search engines to misunderstand the site and rank you as if you were a website in France selling mobile phones.

Does Website Crawling Affect My Website’s Rankings?

The short answer here is yes. Ultimately, if Google, or indeed any other search engine is unable to understand and crawl your website, it will not be ranked properly if at all. Hence, this is one of the first factors which should be taken care of when revamping or just looking to improve your website’s online standing.

What Can I do to Improve my Website’s Crawling?

There is no single thing which you can do to improve and increase your website’s funding. However, there are a number of practices which undertaken, certainly increase your chances f being crawled and may even improve your rankings and positioning online. These include:

• Meta Data – This refers to the specific data [meta title and description] which should be assigned to each and every page on your website. Optimising your meta data helps search engines to read and understand pages on your website and therefore help rankings
• Website Speed – The speed and overall performance of your website is another important factor which implemented properly, can help search engines favour your website in rankings more than others who do not pay attention to their speed
• Errors and Broken Links – By ensuring there are no 404 errors or other error response codes across your website, you allow the algorithms and specific search engines to follow an unbroken path through your website, helping ensure it will be better understood

In an ever more competitive employment market, employers are looking closer at the overall benefits they offer, beyond just salary. This can be made up of several things including; healthcare cover, income protection and life insurance. These additional benefits can be a big factor when recruiting new staff and can also help with retaining existing employees.   One of the most cost effective benefits for an employer to provide is often life insurance, specifically a Relevant Life Plan.   A Relevant Life Plan is a term assurance plan available to employers, to provide an individual death in service benefit for an employee (including directors). It’s designed to pay a lump sum if the person covered dies or is diagnosed with a terminal illness, whilst they are employed during the term of the policy. A Relevant Life Plan is paid for by the employer.   The key point is that there has to be an employment relationship for the plan to be available. Therefore the plan would not be available for partners in a partnership or sole traders.   On death of the life insured the benefits are paid into a Trust, meaning the proceeds are paid free of Inheritance Tax. It is important that the Trust is set up correctly as there can be big consequences on both the premiums being paid in and more importantly when the benefits are paid out.   For employers the premiums are usually allowable as a business expense meaning the business gets tax relief on the premiums paid. This makes the premiums very cost effective.   Several providers also offer an additional valuable benefit. The life insured will have access to a network of medical practitioners who can answer any questions that they may have. So when faced with a medical problem, they’ll have all the information that they need to help them make the right decisions for their treatment and recovery.   Lovewell Blake Financial Planning Limited can assist with all forms of group and business protection, including shareholder protection and loan cover. Should you wish to discuss this further please contact us.

In just a few years, gaming has gone through a massive, unpredictable revolution. This has left gamers with numerous options at hand when they want to enjoy their favourite pastime. In addition to a sea full of games and other perks, gaming enthusiasts can now choose the ideal destination to have fun or try their luck at winning some cash. They have the option of walking into a real casino or staying put and exploring the games they love online. This brings us to the huge debate on online vs. real casinos in the UK. Below we will highlight some of the differences these two options have.

Play Time

Online casinos have made it possible for gamblers to play the games they want anytime at any place. This is because all a person needs is an internet connection to play online. Additionally, a majority of online casinos are optimised for mobile play, permitting round-the-clock play regardless of the amount of time you have to spare. This is not true for brick and mortar casinos because you have to look for a casino nearby and probably dress up to game. This implies that you need to spend a lot of time and be ready to spend some cash in traditional gaming destinations.

Pomp and Glamour

This is one of the areas real casinos in the UK continue to score major points. There is an exciting appeal that the traditional gaming houses offer thanks to flashing lights, insistent gaming sounds, gorgeous architecture, glamorous layout, etc. Top land-based casinos have enticing gaming halls that draw players in so that they just want to jump into action. Most of these gaming clubs will also offer food, drinks and other forms of entertainment to ensure that you are as happy and comfortable as possible when gambling. 

Online casinos have not yet reached these levels. However, a majority of casino operators work on their sites to present them in such a way that gamblers will want to spend loads of time on the site without logging out.

Security

Premium online and brick and mortar casinos take security very seriously to protect gamers and the establishments as well from fraudulent activities. When it comes to the land-based UK casinos, security measures are put in place from the second you enter the house. Cameras capture the faces of the revellers and countercheck with the ones on their database so that they can pick the ones who are no longer welcome for one reason or another. The casinos also embed their lobbies with RFID (radio frequency identification device) so that people do not steal them. Playing cards also have a unique identification.

Online casinos are not left behind when it comes to ensuring players feel safe on their sites. They employ various security measures like:

• High-end encryption- this secures passwords so that other people do not access your account.

• Regulating authorities- the best internet casinos are under licensing authorities and gambling commissions. These ensure that they operate legitimately, following all the rules and regulations.

• Advanced software and hardware systems- they allow players to place bets in peace, knowing that their bank transactions are secure. An example is SSL that many use for data encryption to keep money safe.

• Random Number Generator- online casinos use it to make certain the games on their websites are free and fair.

Payouts

Another area that real casinos thrive is that they pay winnings instantly. When you are gambling in such a casino, you will instantly walk away with your winnings. This is not something that online casinos have mastered due to different payment methods and processing times. In some instances, it may take days for your winnings to reflect in your bank account. Although this may not be a major inconvenience, it is one of the areas that brick and mortar casinos score better than the online ones.

Bonuses and Promotions

hanks to the competition of the online casinos, they are always trying to score new players and keep existing ones by offering a myriad of generous promotions and bonuses. Signing up at an internet casino can earn you rewards like:

• Free spins;

• No deposit bonuses;

• Match bonuses;

• Sign-up/welcome bonuses;

• Reload bonuses;

• Refer- a-friend bonuses;

• VIP promotions; 

• Loyalty programmes, etc.

It is not to say that land-based casinos do not have a variety of promotions for their clients. Most of them, however, are not as lucrative as the ones from online gaming operators.

Social Interactions

Land-based casinos are a great gaming destination for social butterflies. They give gamers a chance to meet other people who have similar interests. This is where you can end up meeting friends for life as you have a good time gambling. Some people are even lucky enough to meet their spouses there. 

While online casinos, do not offer high levels of social interaction, they feature live games that allow gamers to interact with human croupiers and other players from the comforts of their home, office, or while travelling. Virtual reality is also bound to offer a more realistic gaming experience to online players. This will let you feel like you are in Macau or Vegas right in your house.

Wagering Limits

Most gamers will admit that going to land-based casinos can be a costly affair. Online casinos in the United Kingdom come in to solve this problem by offering a huge range of betting limits for all types of players. In low deposit casinos, you do not need a huge betting budget. An example is £3 minimum deposit casino UK – a great option for players who are not keen on spending large amounts of cash.

Legislative Restrictions

Age is one of the restrictions that both online and land casinos stipulate as a restriction. A majority will only allow members who are above the age of 18 with some raising it to 21 and above. 

Online gambling operators are stricter when it comes to restrictive rules. To operate in certain jurisdictions, you will find that an online gambling platform must get a licence from the right governing body. For instance, UK residents can only play in the casinos licensed by the UKGC. In contrast, most brick and mortar casinos will allow visitors from other countries without too many complications.

Closing Thoughts

Both online and real UK casinos have their distinct features offering players a fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Although land-based casinos seem to be losing their popularity, there are still some gamers who prefer to go out to establishments when they have an urge to gamble. 

Going by recent developments, the two types of casinos will continue to strive for sovereignty and excellence in the gaming world. It all boils down to preference when it comes to individual players. Comparing what the two branches of a gaming business have to offer will give you a better idea on the one to choose, depending on what you prefer. 

Worth noting is that brick and mortar gambling houses majorly charm old-school gamblers who love an authentic gambling ambience/environment. Online casinos, on the other hand, favour gamblers who prefer a more “home-like” gaming to what the traditional brick and mortar casinos offer.