Talent management solutions provider Nicholas Associates Group has announced a merger with Main-Board to further expand its expertise in executive search.
Main-Board is an independent specialist executive search consultancy which provides nationwide expertise to SMEs, privately owned firms, private equity backed companies and PLCs. It specialises in fulfilling senior level roles such as CEOs, MDs, FDs, operations directors, sales directors and non-execs with salaries ranging between £80,000 to £180,000 per year. The consultancy operates across various sectors including manufacturing, logistics, FMCG and professional services.
Established in 1977, Nicholas Associates Group (NAG) is a high growth company offering apprentice to boardroom talent management solutions for SMEs through to international corporates. Headquartered in Rotherham, Group brands operate from a UK wide branch network based in the East Midlands and Yorkshire including Nottingham, Lincoln, Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Hull.
Main-Board founder Julian Woodman will continue to lead the division alongside co-founder Chris Sharp who will take on a consultancy role for the next twelve months.
Commenting on the deal, Julian said: “Securing the most talented individuals who will deliver in senior level roles and be instrumental in managing change and achieving successful strategic growth requires in-depth market insight. By partnering together with connections within the wider group we will be able to pool our resources to the mutual benefit of our clients and candidates.”
Paul Brammer, Managing Director of NAG’s permanent recruitment divisions, added: “By partnering with Main-Board we will benefit from Julian and Chris’s executive search knowledge as well as their expertise in other specialist sectors. This will enhance our existing specialisms in aerospace and manufacturing and create further opportunities for other group brands to work together.”
It is intended that Main-Board will continue to operate under its existing brand name and complement services offered by other brands within the Nicholas Associates Group which include Stafforce, Ashley Kate HR & Finance, Apprentice Employment Agency, Olano and Erango.
Over 100 council homes in the city will benefit from improvement works to increase their energy efficiency and reduce heating and energy costs for residents.
The works will see energy efficiency retrofits carried out on 103 homes in Radford.
Nottingham City Council and partners Nottingham City Homes are working with British Gas to potentially get over £530,000 of Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding, which would go towards carrying out the work in Radford.
This funding will support the Energiesprong work currentl planned to be delivered through the DREeM (Deep Retrofit Energy Model) project, which is also part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The project turns hard-to-heat council houses into ultra-low energy homes.
The houses and bungalows in Radford will receive improvements that will not only make the homes warmer and reduce energy bills for tenants, but also improve the environmental performance of the homes, helping towards Nottingham’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2028.
The Deep Retrofit Energy Model (DREeM) improvements include:
Super insulated wall panels
New windows, including new internal window surrounds
Loft insulation
Solar panels
Solar battery for energy storage and distribution.
Nottingham was the first place in the UK to pilot the ground-breaking whole-house retrofit approach known as Energiesprong. This pioneering approach from the Netherlands, upgrades a home with innovative energy-saving and energy-generating measures. The end result is homes that are near net zero carbon. So far 59 number of homes in the city have benefitted from these retrofit measures.
Nick Murphy, Chief Executive at Nottingham City Homes, said: “Residents who have already benefitted from the Energiesprong project tell us the work has made a real difference to the warmth of their homes. The retrofits, which include super insulated wall panels, new windows, roofs and solar panels, helps residents to save money on their energy bills. This new funding means we can create even more warmer homes whilst working to tackle fuel poverty.”
Councillor Sally Longford, the City Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment and Waste Service, said: “This funding will go towards important retrofitting work on colder council homes in the city. The improvements will create homes that produce almost zero carbon emissions, reducing bills and increasing the warmth and well-being for residents. Homes, and especially older homes, account for a large proportion of carbon emissions so tackling this helps us towards our ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2028.”
The CEO of Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) is “delighted” with the business’s performance in 2021, with revenue rising.
According to a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2021, the group increased revenue to £188m, representing a 27% increase on 2020 (£148m) and a 31% increase compared to 2019 (£144m).
The Derby-based firm said the increase in revenue since 2019 is driven by the combination of a 23% increase in the average number of mainstream advisers to 1,649 over the two-year period and a 7% increase in revenue per mainstream adviser.
At 31 December 2021, total adviser numbers had grown to 1,885, an increase of 305 (or 19%) for the year (31 December 2020: 1,580).
Meanwhile the group’s adjusted profit before tax for the year is expected to be in line with Board expectations.
Peter Brodnicki, CEO of MAB, said: “I am delighted with MAB’s performance and we enter 2022 with a strong and growing pipeline of business, ARs, advisers and lead sources, and expect to have a very strong start to the year in terms of adviser numbers.
“We are delighted with the recent investments we have made which we believe will contribute strongly, along with those that have been maturing in recent years.
“MAB’s strategy of not only delivering growth in advisers, but also in adviser productivity driven by further enhancements in our technology platform, lead generation initiatives and our proposition for ARs and their advisers, will drive profitability and supports our plan for accelerated growth.”
Derby County has been given extra time to prove to the EFL that they can finish the season.
Following a formal review of revised financial forecasts at Derby County, the EFL and club administrators Quantuma have agreed a month-long extension to a deadline set for proof of funding to be provided.
The EFL Board had previously requested evidence by 1 February 2022 of how Derby County was to be financed whilst it remained in administration, alongside a financial plan that determined how the club would fulfil its fixture commitments until the end of the current season.
The new development will allow the club to meet its ongoing obligations whilst giving a further four weeks to continue sale discussions with interested bidders and relevant stakeholders.
It also provides additional time for clarity to be sought on claims from Middlesbrough and Wycombe.
Dr. Martens is confident in achieving market expectations for the full year following a strong third quarter.
According to a trading statement for the three months ended 31 December 2021, group revenue was up 11% year on year at £307m at the Northamptonshire-headquartered company. On a two-year basis, revenue was up 21%.
The firm hailed solid ecommerce growth in addition to a very good recovery of retail.
Kenny Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We delivered a good performance during our largest quarter, with Direct to Consumer (DTC) revenues growing 33% versus Q3 last year to 64% revenue mix.
“We continued to put our long-term custodian approach at the heart of decision making and proactively managed the business against a changing Covid backdrop, prioritising the higher margin DTC channels in line with our strategy.
“We remain confident in achieving market expectations for the full year and I would like to thank everyone at Dr. Martens for their exceptional hard work and dedication.”
In the period Dr. Martens opened 11 new stores.
Data reveals emerging employment hotspots, number of job adverts posted – and the digital skill most requested by employers
World of Work Leicestershire summarises local labour market
28-page resource guides jobseekers, career changes and advisers
How many job adverts were posted across Leicester and Leicestershire in 2021? And what is its biggest sector – employing more than 81,000 people?
These questions and more are answered in a new labour market guide published by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
World of Work Leicestershire is a 28-page snapshot of the region’s labour market at the start of 2022 and contains local jobs and careers advice.
It shows:
Digital skills were needed in more than 90% of all job roles. The most requested digital skill requirement listed in regional job adverts is for Microsoft Excel
About 10% of the area’s workforce are employed in health and social care. The region’s adult social care workforce needs to grow by 36% over the next three years
There are 1,020 companies operating in the Low Carbon industry in Leicester and Leicestershire. The sector employs 21,400 local people
The largest employer in the region is Manufacturing and Engineering. It provides more than 81,300 jobs across 5,015 companies
Logistics is increasingly sizeable, with growth in high-tech roles. 95% of the English population is accessible from Leicester and Leicestershire by road within four hours
Sport Park contains the UK’s highest concentration of sports governing bodies and national sports organisations. The Sport sector employs 16,900 people in the region
Leicester and Leicestershire’s economy is worth £25 billion – the largest in the East Midlands
Leicestershire apprenticeships remain an option for all. People can use them to gain skills in the workplace or to change careers at any age
The region has the largest automotive technology park in Europe. More than 40 businesses are based at MIRA and more than 500 jobs have been created there since 2011
Leicester and Leicestershire’s workforce is built on micro, small and medium-sized businesses. A total of 99.6% of them have fewer than 250 employees. In total, there are 47,995 registered businesses in the city and county
There were 125,000 unique job adverts posted across Leicester and Leicestershire between January 2021 and January 2022. 46% of them were in Leicester.
Kevin Harris, the Chair of the LLEP board, said:
“The World of Work report demonstrates again why Leicester and Leicestershire is such a great place to do business. The LLEP Skills Team has done a great job in collating a guide which presents the range of opportunities in our region.
“Equipping people with the skills that they need to work, and which are required by our employers, is a key focus for us.
“A growing economy needs skilled workers and we are keen to ensure that both young people and adults are aware of opportunities across the local economy.
“Publishing these summary guides raises awareness among local employers and industries and moves us towards our goal of a productive, inclusive and enterprising region for all.”
You can view the World of Work Leicestershire guide in full at https://bit.ly/LLEPWorldOfWork
Business management software provider, Solutions for Accounting and CRM, has recently donated a four-figure sum to The Silver Line, a charity that provides a confidential and free helpline for the elderly.
The firm fundraised through 50/50 draws, sponsored events and donations. In addition, instead of exchanging Secret Santa gifts, the team also chose to donate food to their local food bank.
The Silver Line offers immediate friendship and comfort to lonely and isolated elderly callers and provides them with information on any issues they may face. Since launching in November 2015, the team at The Silver Line has helped elderly people work on issues ranging from housing and health, to finding lunch clubs and assistance with financial concerns.
Over the years at Solutions for Accounting and CRM, the Nottingham-based firm has supported many charities including The Little Princess Trust, Mind, Nottingham Children’s Hospital and The Alzheimer’s Society. During the COVID pandemic these causes have needed support more than ever.
After an employee vote, they have decided that the charity they will be supporting in 2022 is Sands, the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK.
Sands was founded by bereaved parents in 1978 who found that there was no access to support following the loss of their babies. Since then, the charity has grown, and parents who have experienced the loss of a baby is at the core of everything they do.
Sands works in partnership with health care professionals, trusts and health boards offering a range of training programmes and bereavement care resources to ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the best possible care throughout the UK. The charity also supports and promotes research to better understand the causes of baby loss and help save lives.
Solutions for Accounting and CRM plan to continue raising both money and awareness for charity in 2022, with a number of their team members looking to volunteer their time in addition to fundraising. They will also be taking part in the Great Notts Bike Ride for the 6th year and hope to raise more money than ever before for their chosen charity.
Iain Barker, Managing Director at Solutions for Accounting and CRM, said: “We’re delighted and thankful to be able to support these great causes. We are aware of the wonderful work that charities such as The Silver Line and Sands carry out, and I am proud that as a company we are able to pull together to really make a difference.
“Our fundraising efforts would not be possible without the support of our generous clients, business partners, employees and families. We hope our contribution will help The Silver Line staff to continue to make a huge difference to the those who are in need and are excited to see what we can do to support Sands this year.”
Chesterfield-based Bridge Help has started 2022 as a carbon neutral organisation, offsetting the entire carbon footprint of its workforce – from their flights and car journeys to lunches and energy usage both at work and home.
In just two months the commercial bridging finance company has directly funded the planting of 508 trees across Madagascar, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique as well as achieving a reduction in 34.44 tonnes of CO2.
Becoming carbon neutral has been made possible by Ecologi – an organisation which helps companies and individuals fund impactful climate solutions, plant trees, analyse carbon footprint, become climate positive, achieve carbon neutrality and more.
Every member of the Bridge Help team has been registered with Ecologi and carbon credits aligned according to their lifestyle. By signing up to Ecologi, the Bridge Help team is directly funding high-impact climate solutions and supporting the town’s ambition to become a carbon neutral borough by 2050.
Companies and organisations that have signed up to Ecologi have, together, funded the planting of 31,450,527 trees reducing 1,239,380 tonnes of CO2 to date in a drive to bring greenhouse gas emissions in the UK to net zero by 2050.
Chris Sellars, Chief Executive of Bridge Help, said: “Prior to signing up to Ecologi, we made small steps in becoming a carbon neutral business however this has now been accelerated. What myself and the team particularly like about Ecologi, is that we are all offsetting our personal carbon output 24/7 whether we are working or not. It is something the whole team is passionate about and we’ll be taking further steps throughout 2022 and beyond to reduce our impact on the environment.”
Despite the economic slowdown due to the pandemic, the highest ever atmospheric CO2 concentration (419 parts per million) was recorded in June 2021. With seven of the warmest years on record all occurring since 2014, the issue of climate change is increasingly pressing.
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Taylors Dental Practice – a mixed-income, three-surgery practice which sits in a 1923 purpose-built building in the city of Leicester.
The business was brought to market to enable its previous owners to retire after a long career. Following a confidential marketing process, it has been sold to husband-and-wife team, Dr Milan and Dr Krishna Chande. The pair have been Associates for over five years and this is their first dental practice purchase.
Dr Milan Chande says: “We hope to initially support the practice through the changeover and then renovate and modernise, adding additional capacity in the near future. Expansion of private dentistry and plan based dentistry is a huge opportunity at the practice, and there is also potential to enhance the offering with additional services such as advanced endodontics, facial aesthetics, short-term orthodontics and implants.”
Steve O’Connor, senior business agent at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, says: “Taylors Dental Practice has been providing dentistry to the local community for almost a century, and I was delighted to have represented the vendors in the sale and wish them and Milan and Krishna the very best. The practice generated significant interest, with an influx of viewings and an impressive 22 offers.
“The dental market across Leicestershire and the wider Midlands area is incredibly sought-after for quality dental practices, with demand far out-weighing supply.”
Taylors Dental Practice was sold for an undisclosed price.
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead. It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.Here we speak to David Marshall, commercial finance consultant at Sterling Commercial Finance.
One of the few things I feel confident in predicting for 2022 is that widespread uncertainty will provide a challenging backdrop for businesses.
In November, while there was still much turbulence around, we were just beginning to see a path towards some sort of normality. While there was always the fear of a further mutation of the Coronavirus, the actual announcement of the Omicron variant was the last thing any of us wanted to hear.
Working from home, lockdowns, inflation, higher interest rates, shortages (materials and labour) etc. are all potential challenges. I predict that those businesses that plan for the best, but prepare for the worst will be best placed to deal with 2022.
As ever, cash continues to be King, and having a base case financial forecast for the year that is regularly updated, and can be stress tested with different scenarios, will assist in decision making. Running a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast will help identify pinch points and can of itself be a call to action.
So whatever 2022 may throw at you, I predict financial planning, careful cash management, managing key relationships with staff, suppliers, customers and drawing on the skills of your external professional team as required, will all be time well spent.
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