One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of specialist cleaning products for the automotive sector has completed an £100,000 redevelopment of its International Training Centre in Derbyshire. Nielsen, which provides more than 100 products to car dealerships, professional valeters and commercial vehicle cleaning markets, has installed new non-slip floors, lighting and equipment, including pressure washers, foaming equipment, wet and dry vacuums and dual action polishers. This sizeable investment will give the company a world class facility to demonstrate its range of products in an environment that will help it support customers to train a thousand of their staff every year. Five people will initially be employed in this area, with the business planning to recruit an additional dedicated trainer in 2022. “It has been a challenging year with the pandemic closing a number of facilities, but we have managed to pick up some new contracts, supplied hard surface sanitising products to the emergency services and pursued growth in existing accounts,” commented James Lomas, Sales Director at Nielsen. “This has seen demand in our cleaning and valeting products steadily rise and, in order to make sure we can show customers how to get the most out of them, we knew we had to create an International Training Academy that was up there with the very best in our industry.” He continued: “Our experts have designed every one of the improvements we have made and have also refreshed our training programme to include six specialist sections, including interior, exterior, wheels & tyres, traffic film removers & shampoo, polishing and cutting and air fresheners. “Everything is in place to deliver a dual boost by giving us a venue to demonstrate our products to potential new clients and a centre to help create some of the best valeters in the business.” Part of the Reabrook Group, Nielsen manufactures all its products on its 11-acre site in Moira, where it taps into the knowledge and capabilities of its Automotive Specialist Development and Compliance Lab. All products, ranging from interior dressings and wheel cleaning to tyre dressings and tar and glue removal, are designed in line with current legislation to ensure they meet the challenging demands of the automotive market. Hundreds of raw materials and blends are tested as part of the process to create the best performing and environmentally friendly cleaning and maintenance products suitable for all existing and emerging materials. James went on to add: “Nitrilotriacetic Acid (NTA) has been used extensively in the cleaning industry for years but has now been classified as a carcinogenic which can cause cancer. In one of the biggest developments in years, we have created a portfolio of formulations that are NTA-free, and these safer solutions are going to be in big demand. “Manual car washes are coming back now we’ve emerged from lockdown, and we’ve got exciting plans to target more contract valeting services with our professional range, as well as finalising the line-up for our retail offer – due to launch in 2022. “Central to our growth will be our commitment to sustainability and doing everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint. This has seen us sign a contract to work in partnership with The National Forest, sponsoring a 38-hectare site that has seen a total of over 42,000 trees planted to date.” Nielsen’s range of valet and automotive care products are sold through a network of UK distributors and, through its international division, to over 40 countries across the world.  

Lloyds Bank’s Business Barometer for October 2021 shows: 

• Region’s businesses among most confident in the UK with reading of 55%
• Number of firms looking to hire staff also increases
• Overall UK business confidence remains strong at 43% with 37% of firms planning on creating new jobs in the next twelve months

Business confidence in the East Midlands rose eight points during October to 55%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in the East Midlands reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up 16 points at 52%.  When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up two points to 59%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 55%. The Business Barometer questions 1,200 businesses monthly and provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide. A net balance of 43% of businesses in the region expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up four points on last month. Overall UK business confidence remained steady month-on-month, dipping by just three points to 43% and remaining comfortably above the year-to-date average of 26%. Hiring intentions were unchanged on September’s reading at 37%, while firms’ optimism in the economy (down four points to 44%) and confidence in their business prospects (down one point to 42%) were down marginally. All UK nations and regions reported positive confidence readings for the seventh consecutive month. Firms in London (up three points to 65%), the North East (unchanged at 61%) and the East Midlands (up eight points to 55%) had the highest confidence readings, while businesses in the South East (down 11 points to 21%) and Wales (down 23 points to 23%) had the lowest overall confidence levels. Amanda Dorel, regional director for the East Midlands at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It’s great to see confidence rise once again and the East Midlands is now among the most optimistic areas in the UK. Confidence has been increasing since coronavirus restrictions were eased and there is now a sense that businesses are on a firmer footing. “We hope that firms can end what has been a turbulent 2021 on a high and we will work with them over the remaining months to help them make the most of the opportunities that come their way.” From a sector perspective confidence remained strongest in manufacturing, rising to a five-month high of 51% (up two points from 49%) with trading prospects being particularly positive (60% expecting stronger activity in the year ahead). Additionally, 68% of manufacturing firms are planning on bringing all furloughed staff back which is more than any other sector. However, these firms are also less likely to say it is easier to find people with the right skills and experience. Business confidence in retail and services fell slightly to 37% (down five points from 42%) and 43% (down four points from 47%) respectively, although they remain higher than three months ago. 59% of firms in both retail and services expect all their furloughed staff to return, less than in manufacturing. Additionally, higher proportions of firms said that it is becoming easier to hire people with appropriate skills and experience proportions (46% in retail and 53% in services, compared with 41% in manufacturing). Hann-Ju Ho, Senior Economist Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “While economic optimism saw a slight dent in October due to rising costs and the on-going supply chain issues, it is clear that firms are still feeling relatively buoyant as overall business confidence remains high and above the long-term average. “With sixty percent of firms saying that they expect to bring all their furloughed staff back to work, and a further thirty percent intending to bring back more than half, it should bode well for the labour market as we head into the winter.”

 Hear4U – based in Leicester, Hinckley and Rothwell – are revolutionizing the way they do business. In the world of finance, long gone are the days when everything was written on sheets of paper, so why should the world of medicine be any different? For hundreds of audiologists up and down the country, the technology may have changed but the way they do business has remained the same for many years. In the pursuit of stability and reliability, audiology has tended to lag behind when it comes to the way they operate, relying on paper notes and outdated systems. A Paperless Future For Hear4U, that is all about to change with the addition of Blueprint Solutions’ celebrated, cutting-edge system. Boasting an entirely paperless format, this pure-digital method features a far more detailed interface which can track entire patient histories as well as their choice of medical solutions across time. Put simply, this means a far more patient-focused approach that perfectly reflects Hear4U’s own ethos. If patients want to receive a new pair of those same hearing aids they had a few years ago; if they need to access medical history for a home visit at the touch of a button and if they want a secure system with an intuitive client interface, this innovative new system has them covered. Indeed, Blueprint Solutions’ remarkable method is truly the next generation of patient/clinic interface. Not only is its extensive database available anywhere, but Hear4U will be implementing an online booking form, an automatic appointment reminder system and full cashless credit card processing so that you need never miss your timeslot again. Patient-Focused Approach In keeping up with Hear4U’s commitment to the very best in aftercare, they have opted to include three additional procedures in making sure that patients always feel that they have the support they need: Automatic reminders for arranged follow-up meetings, a full timeline for your hearing aids so that you know exactly how old they are and even a warrantee reminder for when your coverage is about to expire. On top of all this fantastic functionality, patients can look forward to a fully integrated experience with Noah software, the gold standard for audiometry. This means that you can have a full printout of your latest audiogram whenever you like for maximum peace of mind. Director Tyler Bennett had this to say: “I’m absolutely thrilled about the new system – it’s set to be a real boon, not only for our staff (but) our patients and clients as well. With this addition, we can solidify our position as one of the leading audiologists in Leicestershire”.

Anicca Digital is helping businesses raise Leicester’s profile as an engineering and STEM hotspot with a free event at Space Park Leicester on Tuesday 2^nd November. New Frontiers in Digital Transformation & Marketing will provide the city’s B2B and STEM companies with the fuel they need for growth in the digital landscape. The event will feature guest speakers William Wells, Commercial Director of Space Park Leicester, on Leicester’s new community of world-leading research, innovation and Pim van Baarsen, CEO of Silverstone Technology Cluster, which supports advanced engineering and other STEM businesses. There will also be talks from Anicca Digital’s own specialists, enabling attendees to benefit from the latest digital marketing insights across paid media, social media, search engine optimisation and content marketing. Talks are designed to help firms overcome the digital skills gap, providing practical advice they can utilise to improve their own online presence and audience targeting, to help increase leads and opportunities for growth. New Frontiers in Digital Transformation & Marketing will run as a hybrid event, with delegates able to attend in person or join via a live steam, with in-person attendance limited to just 50. The free event will also support Leicestershire charity Toys on the Table, with guests asked to donate a Christmas gift for children who might not otherwise receive anything. The full event line-up comprises:

• Welcome address from the Space Park Leicester – William Wells, Commercial Director of Space Park
• How the Silverstone Technology Cluster can help advanced engineering and other STEM businesses – Pim van Baarsen
• Introduction to digital marketing channels and useful stats and trends 2021 – Ann Stanley
• SEO and integrated content marketing strategies – Sukhjinder Singh & Amy Hayward-Paine
• Ecommerce strategies for B2B businesses using paid search and paid social advertising – Holly Kelly
• Panel Q & A – hosted by Thom Shardlow

Ann Stanley, Founder and Managing Director at Anicca Digital, comments: “We are excited to be working with Space Park Leicester to deliver this special event, which aims to support businesses in tech and engineering with fully utilising digital platforms. “The pandemic has underlined the importance of digital marketing, with businesses of every size across all sectors having to adapt their online presence in order to survive. “Regardless of industry, every business owner needs to be up to speed on the digital landscape and learn techniques to help grow their business.” Anicca offers free weekly webinars on a range of subjects, including PPC, SEO, Social Media and Analytics. Register to attend or watch the recordings.

A forced office move and reduced revenues due to the global pandemic meant Ashby de la Zouch-based business IT support provider UKBITS, faced an uncertain future last year. However, with the benefits to the environment caused by the lockdown coming into focus, the business developed an idea to not only do their bit for the planet but also develop another source of income. Microbusiness UKBITS was founded in 2006 by Simon Kilmister and Pete Rowell. Technician Tom Brecknell and Sales Coordinator, Helen Sutton make up the team of four. The IT company focuses on all aspects of business IT support, from desktops and laptops through to servers, cloud-based solutions and anything in between. The small team prides itself on offering a personalised service with no long-term contracts, supporting sole traders, charities and larger businesses across the East Midlands as well as international businesses with localised outlets. Since its inception, the business has had a close relationship with the Business Gateway Growth Hub, and values the advice and guidance offered. Helen commented: “Two of us were furloughed last year and although we retained our clients, many of them reduced their spend with us. Revenue was falling and although we looked into government Covid grants, we were ineligible for all of them as we didn’t pay business rates.” “It was during a regular catch up with Business Adviser, Aruna Bhagwan we found out about the Leicestershire Recovery Grant and our ideas began to formulate around a recycling project.” ‘Ashby IT Recycle’ was created after the team successfully received a £3,000 grant. It works on a repair, resell or recycle principle. When clients upgrade equipment, they often want to get rid of their old items. Ashby IT Recycle take these off their hands and repair them for resale or, after wiping them of any private data, break them down into components for recycling. This service along with IT advice is open to individuals as well as businesses, opening them up to a wider audience. The small grant has been used to set up a new recycling area in their warehouse with the purchase of a computer, label printer, camera and racking for storage. The project has gone down well, and the business will continue to offer this service going forward with the potential to create a new role in the future. Over the last 6 months Ashby IT Recycle has helped 105 new local customers and is establishing itself as the “go to” for securely recycling used IT equipment. Helen has also attended several Business Gateway and Digital Growth Programme webinars, both face to face and online, following advice from Aruna on which of these would be the most beneficial. She added: “It’s useful to keep learning and I’m a big fan of networking. The sessions keep you engaged, they are easy to watch and I always leave with something useful.” Now that Covid restrictions have eased, UKBITS is finding that most customers are reverting to their original monthly agreements and support hours. However, Helen says they continue to advertise and are running new sales campaigns. “Aruna gives us the confidence to drive forward. She has contact with other businesses and her feedback helps you realise that you’re actually doing well.” “Catching up with her regularly helps you focus. As a small business, we wear lots of different hats. It is easy to get away from my core role of sales, but I want the business to succeed and Aruna reminds me about what needs to be done to help us grow. We all need that from time to time!” Aruna commented: “I’ve enjoyed supporting Helen and the team. We’ve worked together to formulate new marketing campaigns and bounced ideas off each other. She is always willing to try new suggestions and it’s lovely to hear they have felt so supported, particularly during such a difficult period.” “I’m also pleased she has got so much out of the webinars, particularly the sales and social media sessions. It’s not always easy to identify what’s right for you especially when there are so many events out there, so I was happy to provide some guidance where I can.”