On this week’s episode of Impromptu Business Chat, Mark and James welcome special guest, TEDx Talk presenter and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) legend, Owen Fitzpatrick! They chat about the language of leadership, the science of decision making, reframing the language we use to motivate and positively influence ourselves and those around us, and how this applies to businesses!
As a qualified psychologist, Owen has coached more than 10,000 clients and worked with numerous large global corporate brands to help them perform more effectively, including professional sports stars, Olympic athletes, and billionaires!
Owen shares a fascinating insight into self-talk, practical neuroscience and the world of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). This chat really encourages you to think about your own strategies and which words and phrases work for you personally and professionally. Understanding how these language patterns can motivate us also applies to how your team operates and can even be used in your sales and marketing strategies.
This is a must-listen for all business owners, or anyone wanting to learn more about how understanding ourselves better can help us work smarter!
Paralympic swimming champion, Jessica Jane Applegate MBE, has become a keen cyclist during the pandemic lockdowns and is urging local cyclists to sign up to the Norwich 100 which takes place on Sunday 6th June. This year funds raised for Big C will go towards the charity’s new cancer support and information centre in the heart of Norwich.
Jessica-Jane who lives at Burgh Castle near Great Yarmouth, said, “I am a local girl and I love supporting local causes. Big C is a great charity doing so much to help those in our community with cancer and their families. The new centre in Norwich will be a fantastic facility that will provide support for many. Depending on my training commitments, I am hoping to ride the Norwich 100 on their behalf and I would encourage any keen cyclists to do the same and raise much needed funds for the charity.
“I am new to cycling and it will actually be my first cycling event! I have discovered that Norfolk has a wonderful cycling community, I didn’t know it could be so much fun! What I like about the Norwich 100 is that it is a fun challenge and you don’t have to push yourself too hard if you don’t want to. It’s a lovely scenic route too.”
The Norwich 100 starts from Norwich City Hall, taking riders on a mighty 100-mile journey through picturesque countryside, passing landmarks such as Horsey Mill and Blickling Hall. There is also an adventurous 60-mile option or more relaxing 30-mile route available. The finish is located at Norwich Cathedral where they’ll be music, a beer tent and delicious food options to help everyone refresh, replenish and celebrate! All cyclists will receive a medal at the finish.
The cycle ride is fully Covid compliant and supported with clearly signed routes, marshals, medical cover, cycle mechanics and pick up vehicles.
Tom Holmes, Events and Engagement Manager at Big C, said, “The Norwich 100 is one of our first in-person events taking place since Covid restrictions have started to lift and we couldn’t be more excited! A big thank you to Jessica Jane, our wonderful sponsors and everyone else who is supporting Big C. We are extremely grateful to anyone who signs up and decides to fundraise for our charity and those affected by cancer locally. Whether you sign up for the 30, 60 or 100 mile ride every pound you raise will go directly towards the build and development of a vital new cancer support centre in Norwich.”
The main sponsor for the event is Loveday and Partners Independent Financial Planners. Mark Loveday, director of the company, said, “We chose to sponsor this event and continue our support of Big C because they contribute significantly to the improvement of cancer prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment in our county. Proactively working to improve these areas is essential and Big C funds a significant amount of scientific research, whilst also providing practical support in our community when it is most needed. We also chose to support Big C this year in memory of Ted Hare, a trustee of Big C who recently passed away.”
Also sponsoring the event are long term supporters of Big C, Norwich Accountancy Services. Jon Hook, Director of Norwich Accountancy said, “It’s a privilege to sponsor Big C cancer charity and the Norwich 100! I’m supporting this event in memory of a great man, Michael Hook, my Dad who sadly passed away from cancer earlier this year. He was my hero and will be greatly missed.”
St Edmunds Society recently spoke to the EDP about the wonderful work they are doing in our local community. Helping young people get valuable work based skills ready for employment.
Please read the feature HERE and watch the video attached.
TaxAssist Accountants, the UK’s largest network of accountants, founded in Norfolk, is celebrating another landmark in its success story – the opening of its 250th shop.
While many brands have been forced to close stores over the past year, TaxAssist Accountants, which last year won ‘Business of the Year’ at the Norfolk Business Awards, has continued to grow its network by opening 20 new tax and accounting shops across the UK between July and December 2020, and seven so far in 2021.
Since the very first shop opened on Aylsham Road in Norwich in 2002, their branded offices have continually proven to be one of the largest sources of client growth for the network, because of their highly visible locations and their open and welcoming atmosphere along with décor designed to reflect the friendly, modern service on offer by the accountant.
Each practice is independently owned by over 240 franchisees across the UK and in the last few years, further shops have opened up across Norfolk, in Attleborough, Kings Lynn and the latest on Ber Street in Norwich in 2019.
The network’s 250th shop was opened by Caterham-based Karthik Vasanthakumar, who only launched his accounting practice in October 2020, having quickly found and fitted out his shop, and is already making a real difference in his local community.
“It has been a long-held dream to build my own practice and I’m really enjoying the client interactions I’ve had so far. With footfall now increasing, and lots of positive comments from clients on the look and feel of the shop, I’m confident it will continue to be a draw as I look to grow the business.”
James Mattam, Group Business Development Director, said: “It is fantastic news that we have been able to continue to open many shops especially during such an unprecedented year, and that more businesses will be able to benefit from our first- class service offering.
“With growing interest in joining the TaxAssist Accountants network and an increased demand for our services from clients, the indications are that the network is set for further substantial growth through our unique shop model.
“Our entire business model has always been centred around what clients want. We decided nearly 20 years ago that clients want a retail experience where they could get away from their own business and focus on their finances with our advisers. They often take comfort from the fact that their TaxAssist Accountant is on their side and a part of their team to ensure their finances are managed well and their tax bill is reduced wherever possible and our shops provide that safe space to address these matters.”
The network, which was founded 26 years ago, has grown consistently year on year since opening their first shop in Norwich. Globally, it now services more than 83,000 business clients with a fee bank of more than £57 million from 435 shops and offices. As well as operating in the UK, TaxAssist Accountants has successfully launched in the Republic of Ireland, Australia, Canada and the USA, with further expansion planned in the short term.
If you have a background in finance and share a passion to help local independent businesses, a TaxAssist franchise provides the systems and support you need to be successful. Regular Virtual Discovery Days are available to attend, where you can find out more about the technical, marketing and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 for an initial conversation or submit an enquiry here, to register your interest.
The online service to make a claim through the fourth Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant is now open.
The eligibility criteria for the fourth grant are notably different from the SEISS grants that preceded it, specifically the requirement to have a ‘reasonable belief’ that there will be a ‘significant reduction’ in trading profits.
Without proper assessment of these requirements, claimants risk exposing themselves to HMRC penalties if it is later determined that the criteria have not been met.
With the very specific eligibility conditions required by the fourth SEISS grant, it is important to be aware of the procedure for reporting overpaid grant amounts and the process HMRC will action in recovering these amounts.
Informing HMRC about overpayments
If a SEISS grant has been overclaimed and not repaid to HMRC, they must be informed within their notification period – this is 90 days after the overpaid SEISS grant is received.
To recover the full amount of an overpaid grant, HMRC will make a tax assessment. If an assessment is made, the claimant will be notified by HMRC and payment must be made within 30 days of the assessment.
Interest will be charged on any late payments and HMRC may also charge late payment penalties if the amount remains unpaid 31 days after the due date.
Overpayments and Self Assessment
If the overpaid grant is repaid, or HMRC have made an assessment by the date the tax return is submitted, it does not need to be included in the Self Assessment tax return for 2020 to 2021.
If the overpaid grant is not repaid and HMRC have not made an assessment by the date the tax return for 2020 to 2021 is submitted, details of the overpaid SEISS grant must be included in the return.
Penalties
A penalty may be charged if HMRC are not informed, within the notification period, about an overpaid grant that the taxpayer was aware they were not entitled to.
The penalty could be up to 100% on the amount of the SEISS grant that the claimant was not entitled to receive or keep.
If the taxpayer was not aware they were not entitled to the grant, a penalty will only be charged if the grant has not been repaid by 31 January 2022.
The HMRC Payment Support Service can be contacted on 0300 200 3835.
Email scams
It is vitally important to stay vigilant and mindful of all requests that you receive asking for personal information or any contact from someone purporting to be from HMRC.
Increasingly, some of the fraudulent campaigns in circulation are extremely convincing and persuasive. There is a current email scam targeting claimants of the fourth SEISS grant, the email has the subject line “HMRC SEISS Tax Refund Notification” and uses an official GOV.UK logo.
Below is an example of the scam
There are grammatical errors within the email, highlighting it as a phishing scam, in addition to the fact it refers to the grant as a ‘tax refund’ rather than a grant.
The email asks the recipient to click on a hyperlink to make their claim and then advises them that their passport and driving licence details are required in order to complete the claim.
Due to dramatic growth, Shield Health & Safety Ltd, are currently looking to recruit experienced and qualified forklift instructors to join our busy and dynamic team based in Norwich.
Successful applicants will be involved in delivering Accredited training throughout East Anglia and at multiple locations.
All course presentations and paperwork will be provided.
We are offering the benefits of a full time employed position to the right candidate.
Included in the package is a company vehicle and enrolment on our pension scheme.
The applicant should:
Hold Instructor RTITB or AITT qualifications
Ideally have experience in delivering multiple forklift courses
Be willing to travel to various locations throughout East Anglia.
For any addittional information or to enquire about the position please contact [email protected]
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.
We’re sharing an exciting update on the evolution of <a as a water industry.
We know that the global challenges we face can feel daunting, but we also know that when we work together, towards a common goal, we can do anything we set our minds to. We want to make the east of England the healthiest, happiest, and most prosperous place to live in the UK, resilient to climate change and with a landscape rich in wildlife.
To do this we are challenging ourselves to innovate constantly and to deliver ever better services.
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/
Book a place on our next two day video training course running in Norwich on 8th and 15th June, 9-5.
Our courses and bespoke training packages will help your business/organisation to utilise the power of video marketing, developing your skills and teaching you to produce quality videos for your business.
Email: [email protected] to book your place on our next two day course: 8th/15th June 2018, 9-5, in Norwich.
The cost of the two day course is £500+VAT.
Two Day Course:
On day one, you will learn how video can be used as a powerful tool for your business or organisation, what types of videos can be produced within your timeframes, what works and what doesn’t, and the basics of camera work, sound, editing, and equipment. You’ll get hands-on with equipment as to practice these techniques and begin editing the footage as well.
We usually offer the two days with a weeks break to allow you time to capture footage that will be useful for your final film, using the knowledge you gained from day one.
Day two is the chance to edit and upload your very own video for your business or organisation to use. We will guide you through the editing process, from cutting interviews to building a story and adding titles and graphics.
At the end of the two days, you’ll have a finished film and the skills and confidence to keep on producing.
If you or your organisation would like to talk to us about creating bespoke training to meet your needs contact [email protected] or call 01603 727750, we would love to hear from you.
“A great course! Charlie and his team were able to patiently show the basics of how to create a short video. A fabulous day. I can’t recommend Eye Film for their video training highly enough.”
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!
Archant Local Impact is a new marketing services business brought to you by Archant in partnership with Hearst.
Local Impact aims to offer small businesses a full marketing service. It will offer customers everything from simple advice to a complete marketing campaign. With a range of products including print advertising, digital display, content marketing, social media, search engine optimisation, email marketing, pay per click and digital presence management, Local Impact aims to help local businesses to improve their marketing presence across a range of platforms.
Local Impact customers also have access to a unique, easy to use, reporting portal. This portal allows clients to track how each element of their campaigns is performing in real time, providing measureable and accurate results and allowing companies to simply and quickly see how ads are performing. It also allows them to make changes to their campaigns and elements all within one simple tool.
Archant have partnered with Hearst, who are one of the world’s major media and information companies and whose portfolio includes worldwide magazines and numerous newspaper titles in the US. Hearst is the parent company of Local Edge, its internet and marketing services business. Local Edge has been in business since 2004 and has helped thousands of customers in the US, Australia and Canada to grow their businesses. This new partnership with Archant means that UK SMEs are now able to benefit from the same service and level of experience exclusively through Local Impact.