In this week’s episode of Impromptu Business Chat, James and Mark chat about the challenge for businesses and their people returning from furlough, including changes to anxiety, confidence and motivation levels. As always they end with 3 top tips, and along the way they take inspiration from Motivational Maps, Sir Clive Woodward and Mohammad Ali.
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Ashtons Legal has advised easyProperty on an £800k fundraise to secure finances for its future growth.
easyProperty is part of the well-known easy family of brands owned by easyGroup. easyProperty is seeking to transform the way people sell their properties with technology and agents throughout the UK and is planning significant growth over the next 12 months through its franchised business model. This recent funding secures the funds required for this planned expansion of the business.
The team at Ashtons who advised easyProperty on the legal issues surrounding raising of funds was led by partner James Tarling and included members of the firm’s specialist franchise team. Investors came on board through the Seedrs crowdfunding platform with matched funding coming from the Government-backed British Business Bank Future Fund loan scheme.
David Brierley, easyProperty CEO, comments: “Working with James and his team was a pleasure and nothing was too much trouble despite the very tight deadlines we ended up working to and the need for calls with multiple participants dotted around Europe“.
James Tarling from Ashtons adds: “It has been great working with David and his team as they take such an iconic brand into a new market. We have worked with many businesses as they scale their business for future growth despite the significant challenges in the corporate marketplace over the last year. We look forward to continuing to work with the easyProperty team as they expand their business over the coming months and years”.
At St Edmunds Society we know that every person is different. We know that mainstream education isn’t for everyone, and we pride ourselves on doing things a little differently. We support young people who may have felt challenged or out of place in a mainstream environment. At St Eds we offer a range of exciting vocational training courses such as Catering and Hospitality, Hair and Beauty, Carpentry, Tiling, Construction, Painting and Decorating and Mechanics.
As you can imagine work experience is very important to us here at St Eds, as it is another way for our young people to gain direct hands-on experience in the workplace. We are connected to many amazing businesses in the community that have seen lots of benefits from working with us such as:
Recruitment strategy – getting ahead of competition by bringing enthusiastic young people with fresh ideas into the business.
Helping business to develop a loyal and talented workforce.
Shaping the skills of young people from the local community.
Generating good PR for business, and brand loyalty.
Giving established members of staff the chance to develop their skills in mentoring and coaching young people.
If you are able to offer work experience opportunities for any of our students, please contact Megan Howitt, Study Programme Officer.
The series finale is a chat with Karen Hester, Chief Operating Officer of Adnams brewery in Southwold. Karen describes her story as ‘from mop to top’ – starting her career at Adnams as a cleaner, she’s now an award winning, glass ceiling breaking COO.
She chats to Chris about all things lockdown, pivoting, the digital revolution, stay-cations, the importance of wellbeing coming out of the pandemic, and much more, but this episode is really about the story of Karen’s personal journey into the world of business, and of her successes along the way.
Karen started her career, as a young woman, in the army, in part to help escape a turbulent childhood home. When she became pregnant, she was forced to leave, whilst her husband, also in the army, could stay. So, she sued the MOD, and won! Her case is still cited to this day in reports and teaching, and this experience also led to her personal pursuit of justice for all, and her current role as a magistrate.
Karen later joined Adnams as a part-time cleaner, where her potential and work ethic was spotted. She began working her way up, gaining experience in all areas of the business, including logistics, and has spent decades breaking down the barriers that society puts up around women in business, and smashing stereotypes, particularly around executive roles for working mothers.
During her trailblazing career, she has overseen multi-million pound rebuild projects with a focus on sustainability; has been voted East of England Businesswoman of the Year; and has been given an honorary doctorate from the University of Suffolk.
Despite all of the focus on her success as a woman in a male-dominated world, she does not believe that women should be given roles they don’t deserve, believing that giving a woman the role of a director BECAUSE she’s a woman is just as insulting as NOT giving it to her because she’s a woman! She speaks candidly about the challenges women need to overcome in order to reach their potential, including resisting imposter syndrome, and combating emotional bias in decision making.
This episode is a must-listen, not just for business leaders, but for anyone interested in the role gender plays in the workplace, and anyone in need of a little bit of inspiration, and motivation to succeed!
If you are enjoying Tourism Business Chat, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss out on series three which launches soon!
Leading business-to-business marketing agency Full Mix Marketing have settled into city-centre offices as they look to support more businesses in 2021 and beyond. Following a move to offices in the centre of Norwich in September 2020, the successful full-service marketing agency have reported a positive start to the year as they help businesses promote themselves through and beyond the pandemic. “Though the easing of restrictions has taken longer than many hoped, even businesses relatively unaffected by the lockdowns appear keener than ever to get going. It’s exciting working with new and existing clients to ensure their marketing makes the best of the recovery” says Sarah West, co-founder and Managing Director. Full Mix Marketing’s new offices on Thorpe Road in Norwich have given them more space and made it easier for clients to visit. The move from their previous location in Cringleford, Norwich, was prompted when their lease became due for renewal. “At the time we were helping our team return safely to working part-time in our offices following the first lockdown. It’s hard to focus on the future during a crisis but it was something we saw as essential. We’re glad we did as it’s put us in an even better position to support businesses with their marketing” say Sarah West. In March 2020, as the restrictions on businesses required their team to work from home, Full Mix Marketing unveiled a new website and rebrand focusing on their expertise in marketing for businesses who work with other companies (known as business-to-business or B2B). “Most agencies focus on consumer marketing, but we’ve always wanted to work with the fantastic businesses who make or supply the goods and services other businesses rely on. Businesses behave differently to consumers, so we focus on delivering a full-mix of marketing which turns this to our clients’ advantage” adds Sarah. Full Mix Marketing was founded in 2016 with the aim to deliver the right mix of marketing to create meaningful results for their clients. This ranges from creating marketing strategies and brands, to delivering marketing including social media, websites, search engine optimisation, graphic design and content marketing. The company has subsequently become one of East Anglia’s leading business-to-business specialist, providing marketing for companies in sectors including manufacturing, engineering, technology, business services and logistics. The agency’s rebrand and move to larger premises has created the opportunity to put their stamp on their offices with a client meeting room, staff breakout area and new signage. “It was a proud moment when the roadside sign went up! The team celebrated with socially distanced sushi. However, we really feel for all those businesses forced to close or downsize during the pandemic. Both as a business and individuals, we feel we all need to play our part in helping them recover” adds Sarah. Now in their fifth year, the agency has long-term relationships with a number of clients who lead in their fields, including an increasing number of businesses from London. Key members of their team will also soon celebrate similar anniversaries with the agency. “Nothing would be possible without our team. They’ve all been outstandingly supportive throughout the last year and a real rock for our clients. It’s important to state just how important they are” concludes Sarah. More details of full mix marketing, the marketing they deliver and the sectors they serve can be found at https://www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk/
East Norfolk Sixth Form bring a new Level 4 course in Business Administration that targets both existing learners and those already working that wish to increase their qualifications.
This is a ground breaking qualification that is affiliated with four Universities, Lincoln, Birmingham, University of Suffolk and University of Sunderland. This gives direct entry onto their Business related Degree courses into year 2 and saves learners 33% of the University tuition fees. This is a brilliant opportunity for those learners in the region that would find University prohibitively expensive.
Carrow Road is set to fully re-open for conferences, meetings and events from Monday, May 17.
The facilities at Carrow Road officially opened on a smaller scale on Monday, April 12, hosting small business meetings, weddings and wakes for a maximum of 15 people.
The next step on May 17 will see Carrow Road able to host larger numbers for business events as part of step three in the government roadmap out of lockdown.
With Delia’s Canary Catering available, flexibility and vast spaces, onsite complimentary car parking and a robust safety policy in place, our unique venue is the ideal place for all conferences, meetings and events needs.
All of our menus are created from Delia’s published recipes and her team of chefs work tirelessly in recreating these recipes to Delia’s exacting high standards.
Everything is freshly prepared in-house to ensure that Delia’s Canary Catering is truly memorable and a very important part of the overall special and unique event experience.
Carrow Road is a COVID-secure venue, with social distancing and other measures in place to keep all guests safe throughout their visit.
For our conference, meeting and events information guide, click here.
To find out more about our venue, visit the Delia’s Canary Catering or call us on 01603 218704.
Businesses, residents and visitors are being invited to have their say on the future of Downham Market. An initial three-week consultation has been launched today, to get some general views about Downham Market and also to gather some specific ideas about future uses of the historic Town Hall. Opportunities Downham Market will be the route for consultation, engagement and communications around plans, investment and potential improvements for the town. Opportunities Downham Market hopes to encompass various funding programmes and schemes that could benefit the town. These include, but are not limited to, the Welcome Back Fund, the Community Renewal Fund/UK Prosperity Fund and the Levelling-up Fund. Opportunities Downham Market will bring together various partners, including the town, borough and county councils, business representatives, health representatives, and young people. Cllr Jenny Groom, Mayor of Downham Market, said: “I am delighted to say that we have been working in conjunction with the borough council and other partners to give the people and businesses of Downham Market a chance to have their say on the way Downham Market develops in the future, particularly in response to the impact of Covid-19. “Today, we launch our first consultation with business residents and visitors to give everyone a chance to put their ideas forward.” To take part in the consultation visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QRVSQLS. The survey closes at midnight on 28 May. Cllr Groom continued “It has been so refreshing to work with the borough council and we hope to come up with some great initiatives and ideas that will not only attract funding into the area, but will benefit Downham Market and its economy.” A Downham Opportunities Partnership is being established, to review feedback from the consultation and to start to pull together plans for the future development of Downham Market as a place to live, work or visit and of course invest. The results from this survey will support the development of a strategic plan for Downham Market, to address and reverse the long-term impacts of Covid-19, particularly where they relate to the high street and town centre. A website is being developed to ensure ongoing engagement with anyone who wishes to be involved in shaping the future of the town. The initial phase of consultation is being funded through the government’s Welcome Back Fund. Cllr Jenny Groom concluded, “We really want to hear from people, to see what they think of the town, what the positives are and where the areas for improvement might be. There are lots of opportunities to explore as we look for ways to encourage people back to the town centre, to capitalise on the opportunities presented by people who are now home-working rather than commuting, and of course to develop our tourism offer as more people are likely to be holidaying in this country for a while. We also have a fabulous, historic town hall, which is currently underused. We want to hear people’s ideas for how that valuable asset can be put to better use. We need to have plans ready so that we can secure any funding that might be available.”
Huxley Events are delighted to announce the launch of a fresh, new virtual team experience “Property Empire”! Perfect of groups from 10-100+ Guests wanting to immerse themselves into something completely new!
An exciting, unique and never done before, realistic glimpse into the complex world of real estate investing
Created by real life investors who are walking the walk and talking the talk
If you’re looking for a new experience to get your team talking and their hearts racing then this is the one for you.
The aim of the game is for teams to build a property portfolio, accumulating as much wealth as possible.
The winning team are the team with the most money at the end. They do this through three rounds and during each, they acquire varying amounts of investment properties and cash. Their choices at the start of each round, and their success in navigating the different challenges that await, will determine their position at the end.
After a short introduction into the world of property investing, teams will be given the choice of what investment strategy they want to follow first. Their choice will determine their possible score, which will add to their wealth.
The first round is a series of property-themed multiple-choice riddles and brain teasers, with questions designed to engage all participants, varying from mathematical puzzles to wordy brain teasers (no prior knowledge of the property world required).
Round 2 then takes teams to their second choice of strategy. After they have decided their investment route, they must work through a series of light hearted but realistic, hypothetical property-based scenarios (scenarios range from tenant issues to moral dilemmas, to how to deal with shady investors). With each scenario teams must decide what kind of investor they want to be, and how much risk they are willing to take. This will really test a team’s communication, risk analysis and decision-making skills, whilst giving them a glimpse into the ever surprising, and sometimes murky world of real estate.
The final round is a series of fast paced questions and challenges, where a team effort is required if they are to answer all the questions in time. The questions are fun and interesting, and are based on wealth and real estate.
In between rounds, teams will see their wealth increase or decrease before their very eyes, based on their decisions and scores, encouraging competition and excitement. In addition, throughout the event, teams will have the opportunity to boost their wealth through bonus questions, and other surprise elements. However, as is true in the real world of property investing, teams’ journeys won’t always be plain sailing. There will be curve balls and setbacks, which could damage their investments, and ultimately jeopardise their position on the leader board. It will be down to each team to decide how to respond!
Are you brave enough to build your empire?
Contact the Huxley Team to chat about your event, or event for your client! www.huxleyevents.com or call 01953 308386
What is customer experience? It’s the emotional connection that the customer has with a business. Better known as customer service, it’s more than just functionality – experience is about how people are made to feel. Judy is here to explain why this is incredibly important for tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses to focus on, moving out of the pandemic, and to secure their future past the initial frenzy of ‘being let out again.’
Judy has worked with food and beverage-based businesses for decades, from accountancy to marketing, from secret shopping to research & development (R&D). She is currently helping advise businesses on their brand reputation, which is the biggest risk to them moving out of lockdown. You don’t normally get a second chance at making a first impression, but for many leisure businesses, this is the opportunity they now have!
Judy walks Chris through exactly what the customer experience really is; how staff need to be encouraged to take ownership of this experience; and how a business’s values and strategy must be key in all decisions.
She highlights the need for a tweak on your USP – unique, small and personal; a focus on the three P’s: people, process and performance; how product knowledge is key; and remembering that your people are your biggest and most important asset! There is a difference between having a task and a role, and investment in your staff might be key for your good reputation!
Judy’s overall insights for, and message to, businesses in the sector is an important one not to be missed and is essential listening for anyone working at any level within the sector.
Learn more about the work Judy does with insight6 here.