In what has been a very challenging year for so many businesses, Credo is delighted that it’s work to support a wide range of companies and SMEs has seen them honoured with three prestigious awards in quick succession.
It is not purely by chance that Credo has won these awards.
Credo Asset Finance is in it’s 15th year of trading and at the heart of our activities has been a real focus on customer service and listening to the needs of our clients. This has led directly to the development of a range of unique products and access to a wide-ranging portfolio of lenders which ensure we can tailor a finance solution whatever the individual or businesses circumstances.
If you’re considering a major purchase or interested in ways to improve cashflow, you can be confident that when you talk to Credo, you’re talking to one of the best in the industry.
Contact us today at [email protected] quoting Norfolk Chamber to experience our award winning service!
This year is proving to be an exceptional time for Right Angle Corporate who have been delivering fun and engaging team building events not only across the UK but in exciting locations including Crete, Frankfurt, Vienna, Barcelona, Lisbon, Croatia and Amsterdam. The company has expanded again after a brilliant year in 2017 with an exciting promotion and a warm welcome to new members joining the team. Tess Ashwin has been promoted to Sales Manager and her skills and background will stand her in great stead for this new, challenging and exciting role. Whilst keeping her own high profile FTSE 100 clients, she will also manage the sales team and support staff. Director Kate Gaskin said “we are so happy that Tess is now managing the team, her drive and enthusiasm, coupled with her analytical ability is bringing new dimensions to our ever growing sales team”. Tess is introducing innovative KPI’s, team rewards and incentives whilst enhancing the training and encouragement to the team. Joining the team as Marketing and Events Assistant is Molly Hindle, a graduate in Event Management from Sheffield Hallam University. Molly has been very busy working at events across the UK and is excited to be part of the team at Right Angle and to utilise and develop her skills in marketing. Right Angle have also had the pleasure of welcoming Anaïs Vernageau from Vendee in France for a three month internship. Anaïs has been supporting the sales team throughout this busy period and said “I have had a great experience with Right Angle. Being given responsibility, learning to communicate and work in a team have been highlights of my internship”.
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”.
In celebration of Scale Up Week, Scale Up New Anglia have created a series of online events giving you the unique opportunity to learn about the support, programmes and development opportunities available to you and your business across our region.
Hear from the people that not only deliver the programme but from those that have lived it as well. These events offer the unique chance to ask questions and truly gain an understanding of what the programme can offer you and your business and compare and discuss them in an open and honest forum with other like-minded businesses.
Aimed at established businesses facing big decisions, this is your chance to find out about this unique support opportunity that goes beyond peer-to-peer engagement. The Sounding Board will introduce to your ecosystem people who have taken businesses to the next level and beyond – think of it as peer-to-peer on steroids!
In this session, Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist and Scaleup Director, Chris Ellis, will introduce you to the St John’s Innovation Centre Cambridge team and talk through the eligibility criteria for the portfolio of fully-funded support available to businesses driving growth and internationalisation through innovation.
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme is designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country. Designed by business education experts and run in partnership with leading UK universities and business schools, the programme is fully funded for all participants.
ELITE is the largest international SMEs network and private market connecting companies with capital and AIM, part of London Stock Exchange, is the world’s most successful growth market – empowering companies, investors and the economy. In this session, they will each present how they help founders and entrepreneurs fulfil their growth ambitions and potential.
Silver to Gold and Mastermind are SUNA’s dedicated fully-funded learning and development pathways for local businesses looking to scale up. In this session find out how both pathways, which are a mix of peer to peer and structured learning sessions, can give you the ability to expand your business and network with like-minded people in our region.
Tech Nation is the UK network for ambitious digital tech entrepreneurs and our vision is to make the UK the best place to imagine, start and grow a digital business. Lead by Entrepreneur Engagement Manager, Thea Goodluck, find out how Tech Nation supports entrepreneurs to grow faster through knowledge, connections and structured growth programmes, having supported the likes of Zoopla, Monzo and Deliveroo.
Are you an innovative company? Are you Growing? Are you interested in expanding internationally? Would you benefit from impartial, external innovation and growth support to help you reach your goals? If so, this is the seminar for you!
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.
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Whilst you are there, we would really appreciate a 5* review, as this helps other people find our podcast!
This Friday 21 May, marking the end of Action for Brain Injury Week and Hats for Headway Day, Headway will attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the most hats thrown in the air, at the same time, online.
They’re aiming to get 200+ people to participate online (Zoom).
Would any of your team dig out a favourite hat and register to take part? And share a pic / video clip on social media in advance, to encourage others to sign up? Here’s all the info…
The charity is also asking a few businesses/organisations to shoot a short video, of their teams throwing hats in the air, to be used online on the day of the attempt. (Short clip, shot landscape). Could you help?
Further details below.
HATS FOR HEADWAY – GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT ONLINE, 21 MAY 2021
What’s happening?
On Friday 21st May 2021 at 4pm, Headway staff and supporters will set out to break the Guinness World Record for the ‘Most People Throwing Hats Simultaneously Online’ – hosted on Zoom. It’s all part of the charity’s Hat’s for Headway day (21 May) and aims to spread some laughter across Norfolk whilst raising awareness around living with the after effects of brain injury and stroke.
Want to take part? Join Headway Norfolk and Waveney and be a record breaker! Take part from the comfort of home or from work. All you need is access to a computer screen, a Zoom account, a hat and bundles of excitement.
Next steps
To register, simply email [email protected] ASAP with the name and individual email addresses of each participant.
Headway Norfolk and Waveney will send everyone the next steps via email. The Zoom invite will arrive before 20 May.
There’s no fundraising involved, no fee to take part, but any kind voluntary donations can be made via Headway’s Just Giving page.
Sign up and share on social
If you would like to be part of this record-breaking attempt, please tell everybody about it! And help Headway spread the word on social media.
Send [email protected] (communications officer) a photo of you wearing a hat, or even better, a short video clip of you throwing your hat up in the air.
Share your photos and videos on your social channels, and tag Headway Norfolk and Waveney – using #recordbreaker and #hatsforheadway. FacebookInstagramTwitter
Greatest Hits Radio and BBC Radio Norfolk have already booked interviews to get everyone talking about the world record attempt, and it has been in the EDP too.
This will help raise awareness about the incredible support Headway delivers to people and their families, after such a life-changing event. But; it’s also an up-lifting, feel-good charity event, and fun way to mark 4pm on a Friday!
The underlying theme of our first series of Tourism Business Chat, was reflection. The guests looked back on 2020, and how the sector was weathering the COVID-19 storm. Series two launched as we were approaching the road map into recovery, so naturally, presenter, Chris Scargill, noticed a subtle shift towards a refreshed optimism, and guided the conversations around other aspects of working in the sector.
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. This is the story of Karen’s personal journey into the world of business, and of her successes along the way; from suing the Ministry of Defence for sexism, to her supervision of the ground-breaking, multi-million pound, sustainable rebuild projects at Adnams.
Chris also chats to Geoff Bligh, co-owner of the hugely popular Hank’s Deli and Pub in Ipswich. Geoff left his successful career in the City to bring his passion for vegan food to Ipswich and was taken aback by the demand! Now with a supermarket, two take-aways and the region’s first fully vegan pub, Geoff speaks honestly about how they were able to turn the initial worries of lockdown into opportunities to expand.
Oliver Brown, from Wivenhoe House Hotel in Essex, discusses the role that Hospitality Action plays in supporting those with mental health issues and why their work is more important than ever. They discuss the Edge Hotel School, and how its students have overcome the challenges that the last 12 months have put on the shoulders of those studying hospitality, and indeed the hotel, whose job it is to train them, with no customers!
We also get a behind-the-scenes look at Thursford, home of the famous Christmas Spectacular. Brothers, George and Charlie Cushing, talk about how they set about creating a new theatre-esq show for 2020. Their enthusiasm is not just for Thursford itself, but in supporting the local economy, which relies on their thousands of visitors to the area, as well as the arts industry, within which so many professionals rely on them for seasonal work.
Judy Randon, a customer experience director from insight6, speaks clearly about what businesses need to be doing now in order to protect their brand, which is at risk coming out of lockdown. She also gives great advice on what businesses need to focus on and prioritise, including a re-evaluation of their values.
“I have found so much inspiration in these podcasts, listening to experts within the industry who have spoken so openly with Chris about their experiences” Judy said; “whether you’re interested in learning about strategy, culture in the workplace, planning for growth or the impact stay-cations will have, there is so much covered!”
There’s so much inspiration in this series; whether you’re interested in learning about strategy, culture in the workplace, planning for growth or the impact stay-cations will have! By the time we return for series three, businesses will be opening up again, and we can’t wait to hear how they are coping and, hopefully, thriving!
Howes Percival are celebrating being named Corporate Law Firm of the Year in Insider Media’s Central & East Dealmakers Awards 2020. Howes Percival was also shortlisted for two deals in the ‘Deal of the Year (above £10m)’ category and for another two deals in the ‘Deal of the Year (below £10m)’ category.
The annual awards recognise high-quality work from the top professional services firms in the central and eastern region – corporate finance firms, banks, funders, private equity houses and individuals – who have excelled in dealmaking over the past year. The awards are judged by a panel of independent experts, each with in-depth knowledge of deals processes and structures. This year’s awards ceremony was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, and the winners were announced online.
Howes Percival was named ‘Corporate Law Firm of the Year’ for its involvement in deals across the whole region and praised for its proactive and client-focused services. The judges highlighted the sale of Metrol Springs to Lesjofors AB and the acquisition of Norfolk Broads Holdings by Craft Leisure.
In the category ‘Deal of the Year (above £10m)’ Howes Percival was shortlisted for the acquisition of Norfolk Broads Holdings by Craft Leisure, where the other advisers included MHA Larking Gowen; Barclays; Lees Accountants and Leathes Prior and the sale of Innotrade to The Libman Company, where Howes Percival worked with Grant Thornton.
Howes Percival was also shortlisted in the ‘Deal of the Year (below £10m)’ category for the sale of Metrol Springs to Lesjofors AB with Grant Thornton, Harris and Co Accountants, PM+M, FMGS Law and the sale of Digital Post Solutions to The Mailing Room, with Fortus and Bevan Kidwell.
Andy Harris, Corporate partner at Howes Percival, commented,
“We are thrilled to have been named Corporate Law Firm of the Year and to have been shortlisted for four deals in total. We aspire to be the ‘go-to’ firm for corporate, commercial, and banking work in the Central and Eastern region and this prestigious award and the shortlistings show not only that our team is more than capable of handling some of the most complex and high-profile deals in the area, but also that the team is being recognised for doing so.”
“2020 was a breakthrough year for us, with what is still a relatively new team. We’ve invested heavily in the last couple of years and expanded our services significantly. As a result, we’ve also started 2021 with a real bang, completing 32 deals in the first quarter, with a combined value of £263 million. We are becoming known as a team to talk to in relation to larger transactions and are receiving more referrals from existing customers and other advisers. We’re confident that 2021 will continue to be a very busy year for us.”
Rostrons are very excited to be one of the first accountants in Norfolk to launch a mobile taxapp.
We are always thinking of ways to supportgrowing businesses in the region and and make their lives easier.The new Rostrons App will help you in a number of ways.
Information at your fingertips The App is packed full of really useful tax tables, calculators and important dates. You can access the Appfor free, anywhere you have an internet connection on your iPhone, iPad or Android phone.
Special Rostrons’ App features will save hours of your time:
Never lose a receipt again with the receipt manager
Track your daily, weekly and monthly income using the inbuilt income tracker
Manage your mileage on the go with the GPS mileage tracker
For Rostrons’ clients the App has the added bonus of giving direct and secure access to your financialrecords and key financialinformation at any time.
How do you download the App for free?
We are listed in the Apple and Android stores under Rostrons and you can find more information and links on our web site on https://www.rostrons.com/useful-info/
We have enjoyed overwhelminglypositive feedback about the App from our clients and professional contacts who are finding the information it provides invaluable. We think it will benefit many growing businesses in Norfolk. We would like to share it with you and please do recommend it to anyone you think may find it useful.
As part of the ongoing recognition of the importance of equal opportunities in the workplace, Howes Percival has produced a new strategy to help ensure equality and diversity remain ‘key strategic and business priorities’ and are given renewed focus going forwards.
The firm has appointed three partners – Jahid Ali, Katharine Danks and Alex Payton – to lead the new initiative. In addition, these leaders are supported by a dedicated Equality & Diversity Committee, which is made up of employees from across the firm.
The initial focus of the committee will centre on race and ethnicity, gender and gender pay and social mobility, although the firm will continue to recognise and deal with the full spectrum of issues and challenges related to diversity and inclusion.
Under the renewed strategy, the firm will also seek to undertake a comprehensive equality and diversity survey and review all of its processes and policies, including recruitment, promotions, appraisals and equality and diversity training, to ensure that they continue to align with its aims.
Equality and diversity partner, Jahid Ali said,
“While the firm has shown its commitment to equality and diversity for many years, we recognise that we need to constantly review what we do and double-down on our efforts to ensure this remains a top priority. We believe we can attract the best talent by recruiting from a diverse pool and we want Howes Percival to be the place where all talented individuals can flourish. By announcing our renewed strategy, we are holding ourselves accountable to achieving our aims and we will continue to challenge ourselves as the strategy develops.”
The committee has already taken forward a number of employee-led initiatives including celebrating Black History Month, launching a book and film club, initially focusing on race and ethnicity issues, and taking part in International Women’s Day in March.