With just one month to go until the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo, if you haven’t already registered for the highly anticipated event, now is the perfect time! The free to attend expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will take place on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln, providing everything you require for a great day of networking and business generation. A well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets, exhibitors include Aspbury Planning Ltd, Belvoir, Business Lincolnshire, BSP Consulting, Delta Simons, the Federation of Small Businesses, J Tomlinson, NatWest, Willmott Dixon, and YMD Boon, to name a few. To see the full list of who is exhibiting click here. Opening at 9am, the expo will also host a seminar, and as the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets for the lunch are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online. Spaces for the lunch are limited, so order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Tina King, of Business Shows Group, said: “It’s been a long time in the making thanks to the pandemic, but we are finally nearly there, The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is gearing up to be one of the best to date!” To attend the event, register for free here. To generate opportunities by exhibiting at the event, click here. Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here. Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.

Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council have submitted initial proposals to negotiate a combined devolution deal. The four councils were named as pathfinder areas by the Government in February and were invited to apply for a devolution deal. The councils are now at the front of the queue and are looking to secure the earliest possible deal to bring more decision-making power into the hands of local people. If agreed, this could create a new East Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority, leading to more major decisions being made locally and more funding for services in the region. Key areas for greater autonomy and funding highlighted in the submission to the Government include transport and infrastructure, business growth, inward investment, strategic regeneration, destination management, employment, education, and skills. Council resources could also be pooled to make them go further. The combined authority submission follows the publication of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, in which local leaders were asked to put forward a vision for devolved powers and improved services in their area. The four council leaders had a “very positive” meeting with Minister Neil O’Brien MP on Monday 21 March, who said that the Government is very encouraged by the level of ambition of the councils and indicated that he expected a good deal for the region could be agreed. Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire is home to 2.2 million residents, which would make a future East Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority the third biggest in the country. The councils involved, including district and borough councils in these areas, would retain all the powers they already have. The deal would not create a new tier of Government but would bring a level of Government which already exists from Westminster to the East Midlands, to be shaped by local councils, and closer to the residents and businesses it affects. All four councils will work with district and borough councils, businesses, and other stakeholders to look at the details of the plan, which needs to be approved by the Government. Further discussions with the Government are expected to take place soon. Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, said: “The Government’s Levelling Up White Paper offers Derby and our wider region real opportunities for much needed investment. This is a significant opportunity for us to better represent our people and businesses through local level decision-making, with devolved powers and funding. “The meeting on Monday was a very positive step in our conversations with Government, which should act as a catalyst for securing our region’s fair share of national funding and support. “The East Midlands has long been overlooked, in comparison to other Combined Authority areas like the West Midlands and Greater Manchester – public spending per person is lowest in the East Midlands at £12,113 – 10% below the UK average. “We’ve demonstrated our commitment to working together, and I’m reassured by the constructive conversations between all councils. “As individual authorities we exist to serve and support our residents. We’re convinced that by leaning on our collective resources we can only improve the efficiency and value for money of services provided for our people.” Councillor Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “This is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redress underfunding by successive Governments and to ultimately improve life for local people through new investment, better training and job opportunities, and upgraded and more connected public transport. “Our residents deserve nothing less than for us to seize this opportunity on their behalf and to put forward a strong and ambitious case to Government – a case that has the greatest potential to deliver the biggest improvements for our communities. “This is what we have done with today’s submission of a devolution deal, which if successful would be delivered through a County Deal devolution agreement for Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham. “Our case to Government builds on our many combined strengths as a region – our existing partnerships and collaboration, our place at the heart of the country, our world class universities, our commitment to green innovation, clean energy growth and improving and protecting our natural environment in both urban and rural areas. “A devolution deal would simply enable us to deliver more for local people and that’s what is at the heart of it all. Our submission to Government transcends administrative and political boundaries to deliver the very best levelling up opportunities for our region.” Nottingham City Council Leader, Councillor David Mellen, said: “The East Midlands has been underfunded for many years compared to other parts of the country and so it makes sense for us to look very seriously at anything that could help to redress the balance. This isn’t just about what the Government wants from us, it’s also about what the Government can offer us – investment in jobs and regeneration and additional powers that can help us meet our full potential. “Working together with neighbouring councils, we will push hard for a devolution deal that delivers the resources for our region that the West Midlands, the Manchester City region and other regions have gained. A combined authority involving Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire councils would build on our existing strengths and shared vision to benefit over two million residents across our counties and cities. “We have been developing plans focused on transport and infrastructure, skills and employment and climate change which could radically improve the lives and prospects of those in our communities. We need Government to back these plans and give us the best deal to benefit our region. There also needs to be further consultation and engagement with citizens before any deal is reached.” Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “My priority, and the priority of the other council leaders, is improving the lives of local people. The Government have made it clear that to maximise the benefits which are outlined in the White Paper we need to think big, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. “We owe it to our residents, and to future generations, to be ambitious and to get the best possible deal for the county and the East Midlands, working to bring in new investment, more and better jobs, better public transport, an improved environment, and more opportunities for skills and training. That means that a high-level combined authority deal should be our focus. “If we go for a lesser option that won’t bring about the big improvements that we want to see. We want to stand alongside other areas like the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, in terms of getting our fair share of investment, having a bigger voice, and getting the means to deliver positive change for our communities. “We all know there has been underinvestment in our area when compared to London and the south-east, and this is our chance to address that. Local council leaders already work well together on large scale projects including public health, economic development, environmental strategy, and many other areas, so this would build on existing collaboration. “We still have a way to go and there is a lot to be confirmed, but this is a very positive step. Our areas have a lot in common, and I believe a joint deal makes a lot of sense. “We’re working really well as partners on this. I’m optimistic. I think the prospects for getting a really great deal for the East Midlands are high. “I’m determined to make the most of this opportunity so we can see better outcomes for our residents.”

Business Link chats with Yael Selfin, Chief Economist at KPMG UK on the Chancellors Spring Statement.

“The Chancellor is relying on OBR forecasts that were relatively optimistic on economic growth from next year, with the risk of further escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine lowering growth in 2022 too.  This would make it trickier for the Chancellor to meet his fiscal target, and leaves limited room for further incentives for business investment and innovation – now expected in the Autumn Budget.

“The new OBR projections show that the Chancellor is still on track to meet his fiscal mandate in 2024-25 by a £27.8bn margin. Given the rolling nature of the targets, the Chancellor could still find the wiggle room to reduce the tax-to-GDP ratio ahead of the 2024 general election, as the target year is pushed back. However, this is still dependent on the economic outlook.

“Today’s tax cut announcements, however, including on the basic rate of income tax, do little to alleviate the rise in the tax-to-GDP ratio. The tax take is now projected to reach an eye-watering 36.3% of GDP, its highest level since the late 1940s.

“While faster growth since October has boosted public finances, a sharp deterioration in the economic outlook means that more spending is now needed to help households with rising living costs, alongside measures to support small businesses. This pushes up projected net borrowing in the current fiscal year by an extra £16bn.

“Limited additional help was offered to shelter households facing rising home energy prices, with the increase in the National Insurance threshold acting to offset some of the additional costs to working families.

“The reduction in the income tax rate was the Chancellor’s big surprise. While it will please voters ahead of the election, it will not help solve the country’s failing productivity performance. We will need to wait for the Autumn Budget to see what the Chancellor has in store for that.”

Information security management is a challenge for many companies in a world with ever-changing security threats. It’s not enough to put up some firewalls and wait for the hackers to come. You need to be able to react quickly and intelligently when breaches happen. You can do many things to keep your company secure, from supporting your cyber security staff and implementing ISO 27001 to regularly reviewing policies and learning from top companies in your industry. Here are some top tips for successful information security management. Support Cyber Security Staff One of the most important ways to keep your company secure is by supporting your cyber security staff. Cyber security professionals are often understaffed and overworked, so you need to be able to provide them with the resources they need in order to do their job effectively. One of the best ways to do this is by sending them for training. By investing in cyber security staff training, you will make sure that this vital part of your team has the knowledge they need to protect your business from information breaches and other threats. Implement ISO 27001 Implementing ISO 27001 is a great thing to do in order to keep your company’s data secure. This ensures that you have the right staff and qualifications in place and a great risk evaluation process. ISO 27001 will help you ensure that you are implementing the necessary controls for all of your information assets and that there is a plan for disaster recovery in place. You’ll also be able to implement controls for how your employees handle sensitive and confidential data. These protections can include two-factor authentication, encryption, or even limiting physical access to certain areas where important data might be stored. ISO 27001 is not just about making sure that data is protected from outside threats, like malicious hackers. You need to make sure that there are no internal threats as well, such as an employee mistakenly sending an email with confidential information or someone tampering with a system they don’t have the authorisation to access. To get started, you should look at High Table’s website, where you can find plenty of expert advice on how you can implement ISO 27001. You can look at ISO 27001 templates here: https://hightable.io/product/iso-27001-templates-toolkit/. Conduct Annual Staff Awareness Training One of the most important things to do for successful information security management is to conduct annual staff awareness training. You may think you’re being proactive by conducting a staff awareness training session once a year, but you’ll be more proactive than ever before by following this advice. If your team members are aware of threats and know how to react, they will be prepared if anything should happen. Prioritise Risk Assessments A good place to start is by prioritising risk assessments. This includes assessing the potential impact of a security breach or cyber attack and then taking appropriate steps to mitigate that risk. Risk assessments help you identify areas where you have a high level of sensitivity in regards to data security and privacy so that you can focus your efforts there. Regularly Review Policies And Procedures Policies and procedures are the backbones of information security management. They establish clear boundaries for your employees and help them know what’s expected of them. With policies in place, you can clearly articulate your company’s stance on information security, from basic data protection to more complex topics like encryption and password management. Assess And Improve One of the most important things you can do to improve your information security management is to assess and improve your company’s security awareness. This includes reviewing, updating, and documenting policies as well as performing periodic reviews on whether your employees are aware of the latest threats. You’ll also want to review firewalls and other forms of protection from digital threats. It’s important to test for what you know is happening and what you don’t know about that could happen in the future to keep your company safe. Learn From Top Companies In Your Industry One of the best ways to stay ahead of cyber security threats is learning from companies who have been through it before. Information security management is an industry that changes quickly, so it’s important to keep up with trends. Take note of the best practices and strategies being used by your competitors. Look at their cybersecurity plans and determine what they’re doing well and what they could be doing better. Conclusion Information security is critical for digital transformation, but it’s often overlooked until something bad happens. You shouldn’t wait until something bad happens, as this can severely damage your reputation. The tips in this post can help you find the right balance between cost and risk to keep your business protected.

Streets Chartered Accountants breaks down the Spring Statement, with a handy guide, reactions and deep dives. The Spring Statement, did it really create a sense of spring and sunnier days ahead? The government has been reprimanded for releasing details of Budgets and Statements in advance of their hearing in the House. It would seem then such advice was heeded in the case of the Spring Statement, delivered in the House on 23rd March 2022. Little was known of what we might hear in advance. Though perhaps some may feel there was nothing to release or leak? Read more here.   Streets’ Guide to The Spring Statement 2022 Streets Chartered Accountants’ guide to the Spring Statement provides an overview of the updated financial forecasts for the UK economy and public finances. Following the announcements, Streets have put together a report containing the latest tax and financial information. Read more and download the guide here.   Corporate tax partner Luke Prout takes a deeper look at the Spring Statement and what it will mean for business owners, company directors and individuals The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has presented his Spring Statement in Parliament and whilst sparse when compared to previous statements, he made some key announcements that impact both individuals and businesses immediately and in the not-too-distant future. Read more here.