Commenting on the first day of COP26, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) chief executive Scott Knowles said: “The world’s focus will be on events in Glasgow over the next two weeks and the outcomes could well shape the future landscape for businesses in our region. “We have already seen some key commitments at the G20 summit in Rome, including an end to international coal finance and a pathway laid out for transitioning towards a green economic recovery post-Covid, and we expect to see further key announcements made that will affect the private sector in the short, medium and long term. “It’s clear that sustainability will be a hugely important consideration for investors as we move forward from the pandemic and we believe the East Midlands has the raw ingredients to play a central role in the future low-carbon economy given our manufacturing heritage, innovative businesses and academic base. “While climate change is a significant threat to our way of life, companies should see the sustainability agenda as an opportunity to take a lead in creating the next generation of products and services – not to mention making significant cost and energy savings – which is something we are highlighting via our Sustainable East Midlands campaign, launched a year ago. “Research carried out by East Midlands Chamber and the University of Derby shows the proportion of businesses in our region that derived turnover from low-carbon environmental goods and services has grown from 16% in 2015 to 37% in 2021. Meanwhile, 36% of companies have wholly or partly integrated clean growth into their business strategies, up from 29% last year. “This signals we’re heading in the right direction as firms increasingly understand the need to embrace sustainability – not only from a commercial perspective as it can open up new avenues for revenue, and help to attract and retain staff, but the regulatory landscape will soon make it essential to do so. “However, there is a huge disparity between large and small firms – while 62% of companies with more than 250 staff have begun integrating clean growth into business plans, only 27% of those with fewer than 10 employees had done so. “Also, 42% of firms still don’t feel well informed about support for clean growth, which indicates there is a huge amount of work to do in raising awareness. “We hope COP26 will go some way to addressing this. After the struggles of the past 18 months, businesses desperately require some certainty and signposting of where they ought to invest. “It’s therefore of vital importance that our global leaders can come to an agreement of where our priorities lie in the fight against climate change because it will ultimately be in the private sector where the innovation and transformation takes place.”

As the agricultural sector tackles new subsidy regimes and the carbon-natural agenda, farming is going to be very different in the future. Understanding your own challenges, opportunities and options in the future will be key. Those who start on this journey early will be best placed to adapt and thrive. Farmers and landowners in the East Midlands wanting advice on planning for this future are invited to attend a 2021 rural seminar from ActiveBP and Virgin Money. This free seminar will be held at The Cross Keys at Sturton by Stow on Wednesday 24^th November at 6.00pm followed by a complimentary pie and pint. The seminar will feature the ABP team discussing the importance of farm business reviews, the move towards environmental schemes, and an update on the Sustainable Farming Incentive. This will be followed by Brian Richardson, Head of Agriculture for Virgin Money, who will discuss the bank’s view of the future and how Virgin Money can support the strategies farmers should adopt. Brian says: “Michael Gove said the new, post-Brexit agricultural policy will mean a revolution in the way we produce food and manage the countryside. Big changes are coming, and payments received this winter for BPS will be markedly smaller than last year. There are new schemes afoot, but the cost of compliance will likely be higher. “Times are a-changing for farming, with the climate agenda coming to the fore. I will be talking about what this means for you, and how the bank and your advisors will help you succeed. Looking deep into your business may be the only way to thrive and survive as this revolution takes place. You have five years to learn about your farming business’s performance and to adapt.” Alex Olivant, one such Farm Business Advisor from ActiveBP, is also clear that there is a need for practical guidance in uncertain times. “Our teams are committed to supporting farmers through the agricultural transition, and we are actively working with clients to plan strategically for the future.” The seminar evening which begins at 6.00pm will include opportunities for questions and discussion, as well as supper to conclude. It is timed to finish at 8.00pm. The ActiveBP team, along with the Virgin Money team, will be attending the Sturton by Stow seminar, to answer queries and to offer guidance on planning for the future.

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.