Businesses on average will spend upto 11.4% of their total company budgets on marketing.
With statistics as high as this it is essential that you ensure your company that your marketing budget is optimised to your business objectives and goals.
At Netmatters, we have created a handy new tool to help businesses review their current marketing budget.
Our Marketing Budget Calculator
We have created our free to use marketing budget calculator. This has been created to help provide guidance on what budget your business will need, to align your marketing budget with your specific business goals and targets.
We’ve made it easy for you to determine whether you are getting long term value from your current marketing budget. All you need to do is fill out the fields in the marketing calculator with information about your values and goals and it will provide you with figures you should be considering for your marketing spend to achieve the amount of new customers from your marketing efforts.
Visit our Marketing Budget Calculator today and see what your current budget will potentially bring to your business, you can find our calculator on the following page https://www.netmatters.co.uk/marketing-budget-calculator
Small businesses are one of the success stories of the UK and are arguably the envy of many other countries.
Because of that apparent success, business owners can be unwilling to engage with financial advisers as they feel that they can make better returns by investing in their own business. Some will profess that ‘their business is their pension’.
Whilst investing in your own business should give better returns than those from a well-diversified investment portfolio, this isn’t a free lunch due to the risk of the business failing.
We aim to help business owners achieve financial independence, i.e. having sufficient resources outside, and separate, from their business so that the client is completely financially secure, and their future can be funded entirely independently from the business.
Death or ill health can hit at any time, and that can devastate not only the client and their family but also the business.
So, financial independence is crucial regardless of the client’s plan for the business as it enables the client to have much greater freedom. Whether they want to retain the business, sell it, or pass it onto their children, there is almost no scenario where acquiring financial independence by building up assets outside the business is a bad idea.
Our aim is to help you work out what your aspirations and goals look like; -thus coming up with that all important strategy to get you there.
If you would benefit from understanding how we can help you achieve the above, then please register to attend the FREE Finance webinar and join our panel of experts on 28th October. We are pleased to announce we are partnering up with Bright Business Advice, Saffrey Champness Accountants and us at Ascot Lloyd, the home of Independent Financial advice. The link to register is :- www.brightbusinessmasterclass.com
Chief Executive of accountancy training firm First Intuition, Gareth John, has commended the government for their plans to extend the apprenticeship incentive scheme and thereby support more career opportunities for young people at a time when they need all the help they can get.
In his Autumn budget statement Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged increased apprenticeship funding in England to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, this is on top of an extension to help and support employers who recruit apprentices.
The government confirmed that employers who recruit apprentices between 1 October 2021 and 31 January 2022 are entitled to incentive payments of £3,000 per eligible learner. This is the second extension to the financial incentives offered to businesses who take advantage of the wide range of benefits of using apprenticeship programmes to develop and retain talent.
Speaking about how the scheme has helped young adults into work since it was first implemented in early 2020, Gareth John said:
“The first round of apprenticeship incentives offered during 2020 and early 2021 did a great job of giving employers of accountants the confidence to continue with their entry-level recruitment plans during a period when they were balancing increased workloads with high levels of economic uncertainty. This recruitment has really helped them with resourcing rising demand now that the economic recovery is in full swing.”
Furthermore, Gareth talks about how the extension and increase to the incentives in early 2021, prompted by the ongoing pandemic, has had an even more positive impact:
“Given the growing difficulties employers in the accountancy and finance sector have been experiencing retaining talent, the extension and increase of the incentives for new apprentice hires through to 30 September 2021 was extremely welcome. It seems clear that at a time when a cohort of young adults leaving education needed as much support as possible in securing their first professional roles the increased incentives stimulated a record number of entry-level vacancies. Well done to the Chancellor for this well-targeted and timely support for job creation!”
Employers are reminded that those who recruited apprentices between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021 and who will have started their apprenticeship programmes by 30 November 2021 need to apply for their incentive payments via the Apprenticeship Service by 30th November 2021.
In the Autumn 2021 Budget the Chancellor confirmed a further extension to the apprenticeship incentive scheme which is likely to prompt further recruitment. Employers will be eligible for a payment of £3,000 per apprentice with an employment start date from 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022. Applications will open via the Apprenticeship Service on 11 January 2022 and close on 15 May 2022.
Gareth comments on this further extension to the scheme: “After seeing first-hand the beneficial impact that the previous two phases of apprenticeship incentives have had on employment opportunities being offered to young adults, it is great to hear the Chancellor has used the Autumn budget to further extend these incentives to the end of January 2022. On top of record intakes of new accountancy trainees being taken on this Autumn I already know of a number of firms whose continued workload growth is now driving a second intake in early 2022. Even more great career opportunities available for even more ambitious individuals.”
Successful business-to-business (B2B) marketing agency Full Mix Marketing has expanded their team by welcoming experienced marketer, Karina Zimmermann.
Karina joins the team with over 11 years’ experience gained delivering marketing for one of Norfolk’s most iconic businesses, Bernard Matthews Foods.
“From strategy to digital marketing, I’m so keen to apply my skills in such a fantastic new environment. It’s slightly different to marketing Turkey Dinosaurs but the fundamentals are the same! It’s about delivering effective marketing which really communicates to our client’s customers” says Karina of her new role.
Originally from Koblenz in Germany, Karina arrived in the UK as a teenager partly through the German city’s twinning with Norwich and went on to study business management at the University of East Anglia.
In over a decade as Marketing Manager for Bernard Matthews, Karina led many significant projects including two rebrands, nationwide multi-channel advertising campaigns and a number of packaging redesigns.
Karina’s new role at Full Mix Marketing sees her swap the leading brand of turkey-based family foods for a wide range of clients in sectors as varied as flow chemistry equipment, intellectual property law and lorry tension curtains.
Karina adds: “Having taken a break to have my daughters, I’m eager to rekindle my love for marketing. I can’t wait to make a positive difference in the team that has already made me feel so welcome!”
Full Mix Marketing has become East Anglia’s leading B2B marketing agency, delivering strategic, digital and creative marketing for a growing number of clients across the region and beyond.
The agency often acts as another business’ marketing department, delivering a comprehensive range of marketing including strategy, PR, website development and social media.
“Karina joins us with a wealth of experience, gained in a large and well-respected company. We can already see the big benefits it will deliver our clients” says Full Mix Marketing’s Managing Director, Sarah West.
Karina is the third member of Full Mix Marketing’s growing team to have been born outside the UK.
“The great benefit of a diverse team is that it provides different perspectives. It undoubtedly makes us even more effective at delivering the best results through marketing for our clients” concludes Sarah.
Having moved to larger city-centre offices in 2020, Full Mix Marketing now has a team of seven and has recently doubled its number of clients, many of which have worked with the agency since it began in 2016.
Karina’s role as Marketing Executive sees her take responsibility for delivering key aspects of marketing for clients including the UK’s largest supplier of gift cards, the designers of innovative new cleaning technology and one of the country’s leading contract electronics manufacturers.
We finished off lastweek by welcoming Regency Security Groupto our digital signage networks across Norfolk! The ad was created by Impact Media Group using a combination of static imagery, a clever use of personal messaging targeted to the audience and some basic motion graphics to draw the eye.
Established in 1993, with commitment to both customers and staff alongside a strong ethos of a standards driven approach, Regency Security has grown to become one of the premier security companies in the UK providing a complete range of security services to an ever changing marketplace. These services include; Door Supervision, Close Protection, Event Security & Stewarding, Guarding, Mobile Patrols, Key Holding , Alarm Response and tailor-led Training Courses from an award winning, fully accredited Training Company.
Digital-Out-Of-Home, synonymous with new creative options for your communication: Modern and innovative, DOOH is the new communication solution for advertisers looking for a means of communication with a high level of proximity, impact and attraction. Thanks to the great flexibility of its utilisation and content, digital advertising can be adapted in different environment. Well used, it becomes an inevitable venue that enhances the recognition, reputation and allocation of the brand.
East Anglian based chartered accountants, Larking Gowen, is proud to be announced regional winner of the Workplace Wellbeing Award in the British Chambers of Commerce ‘Chamber Business Awards 2018’, it has been announced today.
“Attitudes to workplace wellbeing are rapidly evolving. I’m proud to be seen at the forefront of that in this region,” says Jon Woolston, Managing Partner at Larking Gowen. “For us, the wellbeing of all of our team isn’t just a desirable ‘add on’, it’s a fundamental part of our business culture, with positive impacts right across our business.”
Since launching its wellbeing programme, which is being continually developed through engagement with employees and Wellbeing Champions and covers physical and mental wellbeing, as well as wider career, financial, social and community aspects, the firm has seen increases in employee retention and productivity, as well as a reduction in sickness absence.
“We monitor the impact of our wellbeing measures closely,” says Amanda Ninham, Head of Human Resources at Larking Gowen. “We operate in a competitive sector where we have to work hard to attract and retain people. If our employees feel happier at work and are staying with us for longer, that’s a clear indication our approach works”.
“The partners at Larking Gowen are owner-managers,” continues Managing Partner, Jon Woolston, “and this means we still have a personal interest in and can directly influence the kind of environment we want to work in. The nature of our business, with strict submission deadlines, results in periods of intense pressure. It’s particularly important to create a culture where all employees are as happy to discuss mental health and wellbeing as they are to talk about physical health.”
Larking Gowen will now go forward to the national finals of the Chamber Business Awards. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner at Tobacco Dock in London on 29 November.
A multi-disciplinary construction consultancy with head office in Colchester, Essex is celebrating 75 years in business this year with a ‘charity challenge’ for staff launched this month.
Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP), with offices in Norwich, Colchester and London, launched their one-year challenge on Friday 24 September 2021, in an effort to ‘give something back’ as a lasting legacy.
The team of up to 30 DCP staff is aiming to raise £7,500 for Young Minds Trust (www.youngminds.org.uk) by walking, running, cycling and/or sailing 7,500kms over the coming 12 months – as a combined team effort, all logged on the Strava app.
Young Minds Trust is a leading UK charity fighting for a future where all children and young people have access to the best possible mental health support. They work to provide young people with tools to look after their mental health, building resilience and confidence. The Trust also works to empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives.
Commenting on the launch Robert Dale, Senior Partner at Daniel Connal Partnership, said: “We wanted to do something special to mark our 75th anniversary and with a few keen cyclists, runners and walkers among our staff we do like a physical challenge for a worthy cause!”
“Supporting the next generation is very important to our DCP family. With recent challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown having a particularly heavy impact on young people, we feel that the work of Young Minds needs to be supported now more than ever,” he added.
The 75th Anniversary Challenge will run for a full calendar year. At the launch event last week 25 members of the DCP team - 6 from the Norwich office – walked, ran or cycled around beautiful Dedham on the Essex/Suffolk border. The brilliant blue skies and blazing sunshine on the day really added to the occasion, which saw participants total 383km of the 7,500km total target.
Established in 1946, Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP) offers a range of specialist construction services right across the UK, with key expertise in education sector builds and public interest projects as well as specialist Health and Safety training. Find out more at www.danielconnal.co.uk
As a new business, it can be hard to make your brand known, get your name out there and start seeing that initial growth in customer base.Rush Removalsoffer a fast and reliable service on jobs big or small starting from as little as £40. Taking full advantage of our design team and taking out a long term campaign Rush Removals will soon be a widely recognised company across our Norfolk screens.
BBA are excited to be showcasing an exciting new Norfolk removals company, who share our passion and enthusiasm for providing the county with A*** quality services.
Captain Fawcett is simply delighted to announce that irreverent internet sensation Thomas Benjamin Wilde Esq will be coming to King’s Lynn for a very special one-off winter show LIVE at Captain Fawcett’s Emporiumon Saturday 11th December 2021.
To celebrate the imminent release of his 3rd album, Making Friends at 40, banjolele-playing, tweed-clad troubadour, will be playing fan-favourites and brand new humdingers against the truly extraordinary backdrop of Captain Fawcett’s ‘Marvellous Barbershop Museum’, surely one of the UK’s most unusual private collections, a tonsorial treasure trove celebrating centuries of craftsmanship, located at the Captain’s Emporium.
Thomas has been a wandering minstrel, delivering his most distinctive, racy brand of comical musical merriment in live performances far and wide across the UK since 2016.
His online videos go viral (and what, chums, could be more topical than that, Egad?!) In fact, the video for his X-rated, very sweary anthem I’ve No More F***s To Give went absolutely bally bonkers across social media sending his debut album to number 3 in the Billboard Comedy Album Chart and clocking up over 10 million views on YouTube alone. It has even been used by peeved personnel as a somewhat unambiguous resignation message. Jiminy Crickets!
In 2020, he released the follow up A Quiet Night In, which features the delightfully naughty singles Pants Drunkand Smile And Nod (A Christmas Song), and his eagerly anticipated third album, Making Friends At 40 is set for release just before the Captain Fawcett show.
Thomas, who is a Brand Ambassador for Captain Fawcett, said “I was looking for a way of doing a special collaboration with the lovely folks at Captain Fawcett for a while, and when considering venues for the album launch, I could not think of a more splendid location!”
A madcap, mellifluous maestro, harmonious hero of the hirsute right here at Captain Fawcett’s Marvellous Barbering Museum? I should coco!
Tickets are priced £16 in advance and available through Seetickets.com
Limited spaces available for this most splendiferous occasion! And yes, there will be a bar. Huzzah!
Norfolk based ISP, FreeClix, have recently launched SimRush 5G, a unique 5G broadband product that is perfect for businesses who need to improve their broadband’s speed and reliability. It is capable of providing download speeds of more than 300 Mbps in and around Norwich. The professionally installed system comprises an external broadband router with multiple long range antennas to ensure an ultrafast service is delivered where 5G is available, and an internal router with the best dual-band WiFi built in for extremely high-speed wireless access.
But that’s not all.
Not only is SimRush 5G compatible with all UK 5G mobile networks, it is also backwards compatible with the 4G LTE network. When on 4G, SimRush 5G can still produce amazing broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps. These high-speeds are possible because of the CAT 20 4G LTE chipset on the external antenna, which provides much faster speeds compared to previous SimRush hardware.
This gives two brilliant advantages of using SimRush 5G:
If you’re lucky enough to get 5G but unfortunate enough that it fails, you have automatic failover to 4G built into your broadband set up so you won’t go offline.
If you only have 4G network coverage in your area, you can still use SimRush 5G to get you excellent speeds using just the 4G network.
So, what does this really mean?
SimRush Co-Founder, Peter Freeman, discusses the benefits of using SimRush 5G for Norfolk based businesses.
“SimRush 5G is a fantastic way of getting exceptional broadband speeds in rural areas. We recently upgraded our customer, The Gunton Arms, who are over 8 miles away from the nearest 5G area, to SimRush 5G and saw huge improvements in their internet connection. They can now achieve much faster average speeds of 90 Mbps download!”
“We are extremely pleased with the performance of SimRush 5G across the UK. But as a Norfolk based company, we are even more delighted to see that it is also benefitting businesses in the local area. For those with 5G coverage the improvements are vast. 5G mobile technology offers extremely low average latency, meaning the amount of lag experienced when using the internet is minimal. It’s ideal for businesses who are reliant on a reliable broadband connection to keep their business functioning and productive. The built in 4G failover provides an extra layer of security and reduces the likelihood of downtime.”
“We’ve seen a big increase in the amount of enquiries from businesses with leased lines who cannot afford to risk the potential loss of money from an internet outage, particularly from professional services firms, the care sector and hospitality outlets. SimRush 5G is the perfect solution for these businesses. We recently proved this by helping a business that had a prolonged leased line outage to get their 25 staff and connected devices back online within hours of the initial request by rapidly deploying SimRush 5G.”
SimRush 5G has additional appeal for business users due to the unique Static Public IP addressing service that’s available. This cost-effective fixed IP solution enables remote access to CCTV, web servers or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service which is a must for most businesses.
SimRush 5G is available to buy now from FreeClix, the UK SimRush Master Distributor. Please click here for more information regarding the product range and a comprehensive guide to everything 5G.
“5G network coverage is growing all the time and we are seeing more and more incredible speeds that are rivalling those of traditional broadband services. SimRush 5G enables businesses to get faster broadband speeds and improved reliability, whilst also future proofing their connection for years to come.”
Use a coverage checker to find out if you’ve got 5G network coverage in your area now!
I would like to share my story… I am the founder of Globally Onward, a not-for-profit organisation based in Norwich, which supports and empowers highly skilled immigrants and refugees to restart their careers here in the UK. We also exist to encourage businesses to value diversity and inclusion, and we aim to become an organisation that can bring employers and professional immigrants and refugees together to meet each other’s needs. In the initial phase we will be concentrating most of our effort on East Anglia and we are interested in working with local employers for talent acquisition, get in touch with us at [email protected]
Delta Fire was honoured to attend a special The King’s Awards for Enterprise Reception at Windsor Castle, hosted by His Majesty The King.
As recipients of two King’s Awards, for Innovation and Sustainable Development, this event was a celebration of 35 years of continuous improvement and a moment of immense pride for our team.
Ian Gardner and Jordon King attended on behalf of the team and had the honour of meeting His Majesty, and HRH The Princess Royal.
To be recognised on a national stage for both our technical innovation and our commitment to sustainable manufacturing is a testament to the hard work and vision that drives Delta Fire forward.
We remain dedicated to helping protect lives, communities, and the planet by innovating the best products to meet the needs of modern firefighters. We are proud to lead globally in sustainable active fire suppression technology.