Ways to increase employee productivity in 2022
It’s unavoidable that profits are a priority for businesses, which means you need your staff to be productive to keep the wheels turning. However, some traditional employment approaches may be counterproductive or even harming employee wellbeing.
It’s well known that employee productivity increases when wellbeing is prioritised. That means looking after your staff is a sustainable method of boosting your output. With so much talk of ‘company benefits’, what will really make the biggest difference? Read on to find out what you need to do to increase employee yield in 2022.
Learning
How can you expect your employees to become even better at what they do if you don’t offer them the chance to learn?
If you devote time, effort and resources to providing training opportunities, you’ll reap the rewards with a more effective and satisfied workforce.
Agile working
Under an approach which incorporates agile working, employees have the flexibility to decide the conditions of their work, i.e. where, when and how. Forcing everyone to work the same hours in a day or days in a week could reduce productivity if it doesn’t suit who you’ve hired.
Given the variety of circumstances people may have in their private lives, agile working is a very inclusive policy to attract diverse talent. Working parents, disabled colleagues and international employees are just a few examples of individuals who may perform better with the ability to take charge of their professional conditions.
Technology
It’ll be tough for your team to perform flexibly at its best without good technology. Now that working from home is a priority for potential candidates, you’ll need to invest in good portable solutions. However, this is clearly very costly. If you’re struggling to invest in it all upfront, you could consider an unsecured business loan so your employees can work unhindered.
The use of cloud services may increase productivity by allowing better access to all information employees need, allowing for a centralised source of truth. Likewise, it’ll be easier to share and collaborate between employees, increasing teamwork along the way.
Realistic goals
Your employees will not perform well if they’re tired and overworked. The major way to prevent this is by ensuring everyone’s workload is manageable and doesn’t lead to burnout.
Check in with people in one-to-one sessions to see how they’re feeling and listen to their assessment of their role to make sure you’re setting realistic goals.
Pedal power of BB&J partner reaps rewards for charity
Commercial property specialist Mark Richardson, who is a partner at BB&J Commercial in The Wyvern, Derby, has raised more than £1,000 for local specialist child exploitation charity Safe and Sound.
Mark is the charity’s chair of trustees and pledged to cycle the 150 mile coast to coast route in one day as part of BB&J Commercial’s support for Safe and Sound’s 20th anniversary year.
The challenging route from Seascale on the west coast, through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Vale of York and North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby on the east coast took Mark 10½ hours to complete in blistering heat.
Mark said: “As well as heading the board of trustees who all bring professional skills to the table and raising awareness across our networks of the dangers facing children and young people in our local communities, I am glad that I have been able to put my love of cycling to good use and raise money for this great charity.
“I have been cycling for about ten years and, during that time, I have done some memorable endurance rides in the UK and Europe including three road routes in one day up Mont Ventoux in France to celebrate my 50th birthday.
“This time, it was far hotter than forecast and there were some tough climbs but my companions and I had done a lot of training in the Peak District which held us in good stead.
“People are still pledging money and I hope to hit my £1,500 target in the coming weeks. This will be put to great use by the team at Safe and Sound who are doing a fantastic job supporting and protecting young people and their families whose lives have been affected by child exploitation.
“I am now looking forward to planning my next fundraising challenge which may involve two wheels – or something totally different.”
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison added: “We are very grateful to Mark for his commitment to the charity both with his business hat and cycling helmet on!
“We depend greatly on the generosity of individuals, organisations and businesses to raise money for our work so that we can keep pace with the rising demand for our help and support across the city and county due to the increase in online and in-person child exploitation.”
Survey highlights vital importance of manufacturing to East Midlands as sector recovers from COVID
A new report from Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, and accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP shows that manufacturing remains central to the success of the East Midlands, with the sector accounting for 16.3% of the region’s economy (an increase from 15.9% in the year to June 2021), way above the national average of 10%.
According to the report, which analyses the overall status of industry in the region over the last twelve months, the East Midlands was initially slower than other UK regions to begin recovery due to the exposure of the region to the automotive and aerospace sectors.
However, growth in the region is now picking up strongly due to the importance of the food and drink sector (the second largest in the UK), which has been driving the region’s performance as hospitality and retail sectors fully re-opened in the first half of the year.
In addition, both investment and job prospects have improved significantly since the turn of the year as firms hire to meet increased demand.
Three subsectors account for almost half of regional manufacturing output. Food and drink remains the biggest manufacturing sector in the region accounting for almost a quarter of output (22.2%), followed by transport equipment (13.8%) and fabricated metals (10.5%).
The East Midlands also continues to be a strong export performer, accounting for 6% of total UK manufacturing exports. The EU is the region’s main export destination where its dependence has increased (51% from 48%) followed by Asia & Oceania, which at 22% is a significantly higher exposure than other UK regions. North America is the third largest market, accounting for 14% of the region’s exports.
Charlotte Horobin, region director for Make UK in the Midlands, said: “Despite the talk of ‘Global Britain’ history shows that geography is always the main determinant of trade. The EU was always going to remain the main destination for manufacturers in the East Midlands who appear to becoming more, not less, dependent on it as a market. As a result, it is vital the Government now takes steps to reset the trading relationship with the bloc and, wherever possible, eases and simplifies trading to boost exports for SMEs in particular.”
Jon Gilpin, head of manufacturing at BDO in the Midlands, added: “Manufacturers across the region support hundreds of thousands of jobs and make a significant contribution to the local economy.
“The increasing dependence on EU export markets shows that local businesses have done a good job in adapting to new post-Brexit rules, but ongoing Government support may well be required, particularly for firms at the smaller end of the spectrum.
“It’s vitally important for the region’s exporters that good trading relationships with our European neighbours are maintained to ensure that trade remains as frictionless as possible. We also hope to see further progress on free trade deals which could offer new and exciting opportunities for East Midlands businesses.”
Ringrose Law launches industry leading technology to enhance their client experience
Earlier this year Ringrose Law launched Perfect Portal to enhance and improve their client experience.
Perfect Portal is the industry’s leading digital onboarding and client-centric technology solution for law firms and is used by a number of client focused law firms across the country.
The technology includes a brand-new client onboarding software, allowing the firm to centrally deal with all enquiries coming into the business, creating a personal service to clients, understanding their needs and ensuring they are dealt with by the right person.
The technology also includes a Ringrose Law app for clients to download at the start of their matter that supports every area of law, with integrated features from electronic verification of identity, open banking for verification of funds, payment on account, document completion, digital signing of documents, matter updates and more. The app allows clients to upload and access documents and receive updates on their file 24/7, whilst still receiving a personal one to one experience with their legal adviser.
The firm launched the software earlier this year for their Personal Injury & Medical Negligence Teams and their Residential Conveyancing Team and hopes to have integrated it into all departments by the end of the year.
John Knight, senior director of the firm, says: “We are a personable legal practice that puts our clients and their individual needs at the forefront of what we do. Whilst we still maintain a very personal client experience, the new client App, should clients wish to use it, sets us apart from our local competitors, the App looks fantastic, is easy to use and provides our clients with access to their file at their own convenience.
“Our new client onboarding process allows us to track every enquiry into the firm, gain valuable insight and feedback information at a level that we haven’t had before, and helps us improve our client service all the time.”
For more information or to speak to a member of the team please contact wecanhelp@ringroselaw.co.uk
BDO expands Expat team with Midlands hire
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP has strengthened its Expat team with the appointment of Mark Allsopp as associate director.
Mark is an experienced dual qualified UK/US tax advisor with over 14 years’ experience in expatriate areas, including inbound/outbound advisory US to UK and UK to US, UK/US resident considerations, and streamlined filing for non-compliant US individuals.
At BDO, he will primarily be responsible for assisting US individuals who are moving to, or who are based in the UK, to navigate the complexities of both the UK and US tax systems, allowing the individual to be tax efficient in both countries.
Mark will be based at BDO’s new Nottingham city centre office, but will be part of the firm’s North Region Expat team.
Ben Tarry, tax partner in the Midlands, said: “Mark is a fantastic addition to our Expat team – not just in the Midlands, but across the North region too.
“His appointment marks an exciting opportunity for the firm, as we look to unlock significant potential in the regional markets. Mark’s experience in areas such as expatriation of US individuals and relevant tax compliance, will be vital in helping us to build our presence outside of London.”
Mark said: “I’m delighted to be joining an ambitious and enthusiastic team, as we look to enhance our US personal tax and Expat offering, both here in the Midlands and across other key UK regions.”
G F Tomlinson donates £35,000 in services to charity partner Treetops Hospice
Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and its partners Arc Partnership and Perfect Circle have donated more than £35,000 in services to end-of-life charity partner Treetops Hospice, as part of its Local Communities Partnership Programme.
During the last 12 months, G F Tomlinson has been working closely with the hospice to provide advice and project management services on a pro bono basis, to aid in Treetops’ aims to improve its estate, including staff offices and external landscaping at its main site in Risley, Derbyshire.
The Local Communities Partnership Programme is a collaborative initiative developed by G F Tomlinson, which is aimed at supporting communities and charitable bodies within the region. It is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering social, economic and environmental benefits to the local communities in which it works through the SCAPE Regional Construction framework, a direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings.
Treetops Hospice, which provides care and support to more than 3,000 local people every year, was selected as the finalist following a ‘Dragon’s Den’-style event last year.
G F Tomlinson and its partners, Arc Partnership, a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE, and Perfect Circle, have provided over 325 hours of time and expertise to the hospice, equating to £35,000, and is the equivalent cost for Treetops Hospice to do one of the following:
- provide an at-home nursing service for five weeks
- allow for nurses to be at the bedside of 324 terminally ill people
- allow for roaming nurses to respond to 515 calls for help during the night
- allow for its counsellors to be there for more than 90 children when someone close to them passes away
Working together, the partners have provided Treetops with designs and budget advice for landscaping and boardwalk improvements to increase safety and accessibility of their grounds.
They have also provided professional services for structural assessment, design and costing to enable the reconfiguration of hospice offices and backroom spaces to provide improved working areas for their dedicated and caring staff.
Architecture, mechanical and electrical design were provided by Arc Partnership. The landscape architecture and structural engineering services were delivered by built environment consultancy Pick Everard – operating under Perfect Circle’s unique collaboration.
Treetops Hospice will now use the information provided to prioritise the works and secure sufficient funding to make the improvements.
To support the Treetops Hospice’s master planning for the wider estate in Risley, supply chain partners Gleeds and Amptron have provided condition surveys for the buildings and M&E systems. This will enable the hospice to plan ahead for future maintenance requirements to ensure facilities remain safe and functional.
As an evolution of G F Tomlinson’s partnership with the hospice, the firm is also supporting Treetops with the refurbishment of its charity shop in Sandiacre, providing costing and project management services to ensure the condition of the building is fit for purpose.
In preparing for the work G F Tomlinson sourced competitive quotes from specialist sub-contractors and programmed the works around the live shop environment. Mechanical contractor Miller Freeman was kind enough to carry out its work free of charge bringing further benefit to Treetops.
Works on the shop refurbishment are currently underway and are being overseen by one of G F Tomlinson’s site managers. The works will complete later this month.
Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are very proud to be continuing our partnership with Treetops Hospice 12 months after the leading charity were selected as the finalist of our Local Communities Partnership Programme.
“With dedication from the team at G F Tomlinson and our partners Arc Partnership and Perfect Circle, we have been able to provide advice, design and costing work to help bring Treetops’ plans for its hospice facility and grounds to life. As a Derbyshire-based business that is highly active in the East and West Midlands, we feel it is extremely important to give back to the local communities in which we operate.
“Social value is a cornerstone of our business, and a fundamental part of our ongoing relationship with SCAPE through its Regional Construction framework, so we wanted to partner with other like-minded regional organisations in the industry to collaborate on and contribute towards a highly beneficial outcome for a local charity that provides support and care to thousands of patients and their families every year.”
Julie Heath, Chief Executive Officer at Treetops Hospice, said: “We know we face challenging financial times ahead as the cost-of-living increases. It’s going to be tough. The support and technical information provided by G F Tomlinson and their partners will help us to apply for funding to undertake major and much-needed maintenance projects. Their help is also helping us to keep the hospice in an excellent state of repair for all our patients.”
Managing Director of Perfect Circle Victoria Brambini said: “We are proud to continue to support this joint partnership with G F Tomlinson. Community-focused initiatives sit at the core of our ethos, with Treetops Hospice benefitting from a collaborative model that creates value at the heart of the public sector. Together with SCAPE, our aim is to help deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Local Communities Partnership Programme.”
Sara Williams, head of pre-construction at Arc Partnership, said: “At Arc, we pride ourselves on delivering real value together and supporting our local communities. Not for profit organisations like Treetops Hospice play a vital role supporting people in the region at the most challenging times of their lives, and we are delighted to have been able to collaborate with our partners, G F Tomlinson and Perfect Circle to develop improvement plans for Treetop Hospice’s estate and support them in providing these crucial services.”
Remaining Trent Gateway units snapped up
Demand for logistics real estate in the East Midlands is showing no signs of slowing, according to the leasing agents of Trent Gateway, which is now fully let.
Due to the especially high demand for industrial properties, particularly those that possess green credentials, the property’s landlord Northwood Urban Logistics has seen five units let in five months.
The final deals, brokered by JLL and FHP, have included MMC Materials UK Ltd which manufactures sustainable and compositable packaging and has taken 10,488 sq ft, and Upperton Pharma Solutions (Upperton), a UK-based specialist contract development and manufacturing organisation. Confident in the location, Upperton is investing circa. £15m in the design and bespoke build of its new 50,000 sq ft facility on the estate.
MMC Materials UK and Upperton join a range of other established businesses based on the 18-unit industrial site, including BW Flexible Systems, RSK Group and SRL Traffic Systems Ltd.
Northwood’s success is reflective of the high demand for space in the region. JLL’s own research has revealed that prime headline rents have risen by an average of 25.5% across the Midlands. The multi-let and mid box industrial market Spring 2022 report revealed that, in the East Midlands specifically, there remains eight months’ supply of space available, but is seeing comparatively little new speculative development. Regional demand for small units is particularly strong in the 3,000 sq to 5,000 sq ft and 10,000 sq ft to 20,000 sq ft range, with local and regional occupiers driving the majority of demand.
Trent Gateway’s sought-after green credentials include the likes of electric vehicle charging points; low air permeability design; warehouse skylights making up 15% of roof surface area increasing natural lighting; high performance insulated cladding and roof materials; and secure cycle parking all provided as standard.
Iain Taylor, director at Northwood Urban Logistics, said: “We are very pleased to welcome our latest occupiers to the scheme. Trent Gateway has been proven to accommodate a wide range of occupiers who have been able to adapt the units for a variety of uses.”
Gemma Constantinou, industrial director at JLL East Midlands, said: “Trent Gateway has benefited from having high-quality units in a market that is increasingly calling for more space. Crucially, though, this market also understands that the need to make greener choices, in the push towards Net Zero, is only intensifying.
“The speed in which the entirety of Trent Gateway has been snapped up should be a clear, green light for developers to invest further in the East Midlands. We expect take-up to remain at a consistently high level for the next few years while the battle for availability continues at such a pace.”
Mark Tomlinson, director at FHP, said: “We are delighted to have delivered full occupancy and such a strong Tenant lineup at Trent Gateway, which was delivered to service a pent-up demand from occupiers who have been hampered by an undersupply of industrial property in the region.
“The East Midlands still has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country, so we were not surprised to have brought forward such strong demand for the scheme.”
Located within Beeston Business Park and just one mile outside of the town centre, Trent Gateway is a 40-acre hub providing a mix of industrial and office space, all overlooking the Attenborough Nature Reserve.
D2N2 LEP “enthusiastically supports the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022”
With the nomination deadline drawing nearer, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has voiced its “enthusiastic support” for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, Business Link Magazine’s prestigious annual event celebrating the property and construction industry.
Will Morlidge, CEO of D2N2 LEP, said: “The Construction and Real Estate sector is a vital partner in helping us achieve our growth ambitions, generating over £5bn GVA through 13,000 businesses and employing over 7% of the region’s workforce.
“More than this, the sector leads with vision and energy, transforming both our economy but the D2N2 area as a place to live, work and prosper. D2N2 enthusiastically supports the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, celebrating the achievements of such a vibrant sector and inspiring future regeneration.”
Thanks to our sponsors:
If you haven’t submitted your nominations yet, now is the ideal time, with entries closing on Friday 19 August.
Shine a light on your team, reward their hard work, and boost morale. Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of time to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region. To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker, as well as award-winning mind reader, magician, and professional mentalist Looch, who will bewilder and astonish guests during the evening’s networking. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
Leadership hopefuls must show pro-enterprise credentials, say small firms, as confidence nosedives
Surging operating costs, a high tax burden and struggles to fill vacancies are threatening the futures of hundreds of thousands of small firms and sole traders across the UK, according to the latest Small Business Index (SBI) findings from Federation of Small Business (FSB).
The UK headline small business confidence measure has tumbled to -24.7, down more than 40 points on the same quarter last year (+18.6).
The figure is the lowest recorded outside of periods when significant trading restrictions aimed at halting the spread of Covid were in place. It stands on a par with that posted in Q3 2020 (-32.6) and is lower than the level seen in the final quarter of last year when the omicron variant was rapidly spreading (-8.5).
Among the more than 1,300 firms surveyed for the study, the vast majority (77%) do not expect their performance to improve over the coming quarter. More than a third (38%) expect it to worsen. Fewer than one in ten (8%) expect to grow rapidly.
A record high 89% of small firms say operating costs are up this year compared to last, with record high numbers citing fuel (64%), utilities (64%) and inputs (48%) as primary drivers of that increase. Four in ten (43%) flag labour as a main contributor to higher outgoings, with substantial proportions also highlighting taxation (23%) and regulation (15%).
A third (34%) of firms cite lack of appropriately skilled staff as a barrier to growth, with two thirds (64%) planning to increase wages over the next year as the labour market remains tight. A quarter (27%) plan to increase pay by 6% or more.
At the same time, investment intentions have hit the lowest point recorded outside of the first lockdown in Q1 2020 – fewer than a quarter (23%) say they’ll up capital investment over the next quarter compared to last.
Exports are also in the doldrums: the share of firms which do business overseas reporting a decrease in export value (36%) significantly outstrips the number reporting an increase (28%). Those proportions last stood in reverse in Q1 2019.
Amid myriad challenges, one in seven (15%) respondents say they plan to consolidate, close or sell their firms over the coming year.
FSB national chair Martin McTague said: “The cost of doing business crisis has worsened to the point where confidence is now lower than during last year’s massively disrupted festive trading season.
“Firms are trying to absorb additional cost pressures but can only do so much before they’re forced to raise prices.
“The small business community reduced in size to the tune of hundreds of thousands over lockdowns. Unless policymakers act fast, history is set to repeat itself.
“Firms desperately need help with the charges that hit them regardless of profitability: business rates, national insurance, utilities, fuel and those linked to supply chain disruption.
“We’re looking to prime ministerial candidates for unequivocally pro-business, pro-growth commitments. There is still time to act, but time is of the essence.”
Rolls-Royce in final build phase for world’s largest aero-engine technology demonstrator
Rolls-Royce has entered the final build phase for the world’s largest aero-engine technology demonstrator, UltraFan, providing a suite of technologies to support sustainable air travel for decades to come.
The demonstrator engine, with a fan diameter of 140 inches, is being completed at Rolls-Royce’s facility in Derby, prior to its first run – on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel – later this year. It offers a 25% fuel efficiency improvement compared with the first generation of Trent engine.
UltraFan supports a variety of sustainability solutions. In the nearer term, there are options to transfer technologies from the UltraFan development programme to current Trent engines to deliver even greater fuel efficiency and reductions in emissions.
In the longer term, UltraFan’s scalable technology from 25,000-100,000lb thrust offers the potential to power new narrowbody and widebody aircraft anticipated in the 2030s.
UltraFan provides a platform for the use of a diverse range of energy options and power systems – including current jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuels as well as future potential for hybrid-electric and hydrogen.
Kwasi Kwarteng, Business Secretary, said: “Rolls-Royce has long been synonymous with British excellence in engineering. Building the cutting-edge UltraFan demonstrator shows there’s no sign of this reputation slowing down, with Rolls-Royce playing a central role in our plans to capitalise on the global shift to cleaner, fuel efficient flight.
“UltraFan, backed by the UK Government through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme, is a major opportunity for growth and jobs for the UK. I look forward to seeing planes across the world powered by technologies developed in this ultra-efficient engine demonstrator for years to come.”
Chris Cholerton, president – Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, said: “Our UltraFan engine technology demonstrator is arriving just as the world is seeking transformative technology to deliver sustainability. We are now in the final build phase and we will perform the first test run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel later this year. The suite of technologies we are testing on the demonstrator will create opportunities to make improvements to our current fleet and provide new capability for future propulsion systems.
“This programme is a significant investment in the future and I am delighted that the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, Germany’s LuFo and the EU’s Clean Sky programmes have all recognised the benefits of UltraFan and provided their support.”
