< Previous East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk ENVIRONMENTAL AND WASTE MANAGEMENT Another area where companies can focus their environmental efforts is in the avoidance of food waste during manufacturing. There will always be some wastage involved in the production of food and beverage products, but this can be minimised by designing the production process in such a way where lost product is incorporated back in the mix or production line. Examples where companies have done just this include pasta production and the depositing of pre-grated cheese onto pizzas. For food that is wasted, or falls on the factory floor, an alternative to landfill is anaerobic digestors which, in turn, produces renewable biogas. Although food and drink makers are required by law to ensure their machinery, equipment and operations are kept clean and hygienic, there’s also the environment to consider. Of course, industrial cleaning products are often themselves harmful to the environment, but water usage is one of the biggest issues here. According to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), cleaning can account for as much as seventy per cent of a site’s entire water usage. This brings additional costs such as labour, downtime, lost materials, cleaning chemicals, and extra energy expended for heating and pumping. Optimisation requires a change in cleaning routine that, over time, will not only help to slash water supply bills, but also reduce the volume of concertation in effluent. There’s a chain of thought that claims a reduction in water compromises hygiene requirements. But this simply isn’t true, with a number of ways of minimising water usage whilst also maintaining hygiene levels and, in some cases, even improving them. Minimising wastewater should be a priority to food and beverage companies, not just in terms of cleaning, but right across the supply chain. In many cases, wastewater is simply outsourced to a processing plant or treatment facility, but now the onus is not on how best to dispose of wastewater, but how best to put it to use. But before this wastewater can be fed back into the supply chain, it first needs to undergo a vigorous process (or several processes) to purify and filter it. The most ubiquitous technologies in achieving this are distillation, absorption, electrolysis, reverse osmosis, and filtration – the latter of which is the most commonly used thanks to its cost- effective nature and overall reliability. Yet treating and purifying wastewater with ultraviolet (UV) light boats longevity, efficiency, affordability and eco-friendly credentials. Unlike some of the other solutions available, UV is an environmentally friendly alternative and results in no disinfection by-products. Moreover, its electrical needs are low, meaning it can run constantly. It has even been proven to deactivate all the microorganisms attributed to spoilage. Environmental management is a critical undertaking for food and beverage businesses, but there’s no one single approach, but rather, it’s important to adopt a multi-faceted exploration of the supply chain, from end to end, to identify areas where improvements must be made. © stock.adobe.com/Andreiwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link BUSINESS SERVICES R ising interest rates, staggeringly high inflation and governmental chaos – it’s pretty much the recipe for what you want your economy “not” to look like, and that’s having a knock-on effect on the region’s financed and its ability to do business. A study from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows that sixty- two per cent of small businesses have been subject to late or frozen payments. Only ten per cent of those firms surveyed have agreed to payment terms with clients, meaning most of this fresh wave of poor practice has not been formally signed-off by creditors or debtors. Indeed, late payments contribute to 50,000 insolvencies every year, costing the economy £2.5 billion. If it was an issue that businesses were contending with before the outbreak, it’s only been heightened since. However, there are ways in which a company can secure funding to cover the gap in cashflow posed by late invoices. Chief among these is invoice finance. This is the simplest means of releasing cash tied up in a business’s outstanding invoice. It sees a business sell its invoices to a third party who will advance some of the funds it is worth up front for a cut. Thousands of businesses already rely on this kind of financing to maintain a healthy cash position, whilst others use it to take back control of cashflow issues that arise from late and unpaid invoices. Perhaps the biggest draw is that businesses can be paid most of an invoice within forty-eight hours instead of the typical thirty-day period specified on The year to come © stock.adobe.com/Ascannio It’s not been an easy time to be in business and we look at what may come in the future – up to and including the spring budget. 32 Á East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk BUSINESS SERVICES most invoices. Of course, this is far from the only finance solution businesses can draw from. Asset-based finance is a specialised method of providing companies with working capital and term loans that use accounts receivable, inventory, machinery, equipment and real estate as capital – essentially, any loan to a company is secured by one of that company’s assets. This option is commonly used to pay for expenses when there are gaps in a company’s cashflow, but it is also frequently used for start-up financing as well as refinancing existing loans, financing growth, mergers and acquisitions, as well as management buyouts and management buy-ins. Although it’s not suited to meet every business requirement, it can prove useful for those that have stretched their credit limits with vendors and reached lending capacity at the bank. Companies can also take out loans to fill the gap and bolster cashflow, though some companies may already be at their limit with their banks or otherwise don’t meet the requirements for securing loans with traditional lenders. In these situations, companies can turn towards alternative lenders and finance providers. Private equity, for example, is where investors provide long-term equity capital investment in a company in return for either shares, a percentage stake in the business and/or, sometimes, a seat on the board. Although many businesses might be loath to dilute their ownership, private equity does offer a good option of raising capital for businesses that aren’t ready to list on the stock exchange. Another form of private finance is an www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link BUSINESS SERVICES angel investor – a high net worth individual who makes use of their own personal disposable finance and makes their own decision about making an investment. Angels would normally take an equity stake in a business in return for providing equity funds. As well as capital, angels can also provide their experience, knowledge and contracts, making them especially attractive to early-stage businesses. This might be of particular interest given that the stock market has been unpredictable since Russia declared war on Ukraine, leaving many investors looking for avenues to invest their money. Every investor is different and will therefore provide differing amounts, but typical investments range from between £10,000 and £500,000, though deals of up to £2 million are becoming more commonplace as angels group together in syndicates. Although angels are one of the most significant investors in start-ups, that shouldn’t deter more established firms from making enquiries. It’s important to keep in mind that securing an angel can be a difficult and protracted process, as well as being harder to research and contact compared with a private equity firm. Ultimately, it comes down to the persuasiveness of business leaders and the profitability of a company. Though no one wishes to consider it, if a company is in a weak position and is not attractive to investors, equity groups or the bank for a loan, then it might be time to take a good look at the fundamental values and viability of the business itself and see whether it is something worth keeping afloat, or if there might be more difficult conversations that need to be had. © stock.adobe.com/SakhanPhotography East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk PUBLIC RELATIONS E ver wondered how to position yourself as an expert? Or, perhaps more importantly, why? It comes down to trust. Now, a lot of people do get this and that is why they tend to hire me. Positioning via profile. However, I also get a lot of people asking me why the media never asks them for their opinion and instead relies on what they see as “The Usual Suspects.” They think this is “unfair” or that the media is being lazy, or it is a closed shop. Nonsense. Just consider how busy a journalist is. They get email pitches that The most recent example happened last Sunday (not by the time you read this of course), which was a deadly combo of both. It transpires that some idiot is doing the rounds on social media with a “recipe” for DIY SPF. Yep. What could possibly go wrong? Now, thanks to proactive thinking by us and our new client, Dr Dimi, we already had SPF advice on his newsroom, and it had been pitched to the lifestyle press as the weather warmed up. So, when this story blew up, I was monitoring media alerts seeking comments and could go to them with a Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR, helps you position yourself as an expert in the media. run into the THOUSANDS every week. This means that they are unlikely to start merrily seeking new contributors until they are good and ready (and on a deadline). So, you have three choices: 1. Proactively pitch topics before they think of them. 2. React pronto when they request expertise. 3. Do s*d all and hope and then moan about not being asked to the dance. We cover methods 1 and 2 as part of our retained services (1) and our Alerts Service (2). www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link PUBLIC RELATIONS qualified expert (a doctor) who had already given some useful advice on safer sun. The next step was to answer any specific questions about this DIY SPF danger. That was done over WhatsApp between clinics by Dr Dimi and I. The response was about 2 hours in total from me seeing the tweet. What has happened since is coverage in the Daily Express, across the “Reach” local titles, including the one local to Dr Dimi (great for SEO), and this Sunday it has just gone in the Daily Mirror with links back to his website. SEO and PR gold! How did this happen? Proactive plus Reactive PR efforts whilst taking a moment to add value. It took me 2 hours in total for the copy and pitch plus another day to write the original campaign (plus 25 years of doing this), and it took our client, Dr Dimi, 15 mins. So next time you wonder whether it is worth spending the time to react to an alert or an opportunity or to actively cultivate your media profile as an expert, take a look in the Mirror. Naturally, as a vein PR guy, I do it Daily…. A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press for Attention PR in 2008. He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT The East Midlands supply hub www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT © stock.adobe.com/Production Perig A paradigm shift based on both convenience and experiences shared during lockdown has created a demand for home- delivery of products and services across the country, for everything from consumer goods to pizza and takeout, nothing is off-limits now. As a central location, the East Midlands is ideal to host delivery hubs and distribution centres. Yet, the challenges that arise through a lack of rural investment mean that this sector is not as efficient, nor as large, as it has the potential to be. Here, we will explore the unique benefits and challenges of the East Midlands as a supply chain hub, and how these can be exploited and counteracted. Supply chains range from raw materials to finished products. Each supply chain is often part of a larger supply chain. All of this is important because ultimately, retail is reliant on providing a satisfying customer experience which builds loyalty, keeping companies in business. Online shopping habits have increased over the last decade, partially due to a reduction (and closure) of high street options. This 38 Á The East Midlands is strategically placed in the centre of the country, making it an excellent gateway from north to south, and even to Europe, and a primary supply chain hub – if the region can take advantage of the fact. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT rapid scaling of business has pushed current risk management processes to the limit for small businesses. Large conglomerates such as Amazon have implemented automation and AI technology to predict customer demand and free warehouse staff from menial tasks. For example, installing the ability to auto-fill certain documents such as delivery order, dock receipt, bill of lading. Warehouse employees would traditionally fill these out with pen and paper, thus wasting time and often leading to human error when recording and submitting information. The benefits of automation are obvious, both inside the warehouse and outside – better efficiency, increased throughput time, reduced labour and operational costs and better inventory management. Given the recent overseas supply difficulties, from Brexit to geopolitical concerns with the Red Sea, it is important to ensure your supply chain is as efficient as possible within the supply chain ecosystem. This is where a low-code automation system could be useful. A low-code automation system can connect all systems and create a centralized platform to view the complete process and determine areas of low productivity. These systems work in real-time to provide the latest status updates, so decisions can be made ad-hoc with as much knowledge as possible, giving flexibility within your supply chain. These systems are easy to install, and their low- code nature means that they are a relatively cheap solution. Despite consumer calls for ever shorter delivery times, sustainability has become a core focus for supply chain management in the UK in recent years. Increasing awareness of environmental and social impacts has prompted www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT © stock.adobe.com/Shutter B adoption of greener practices throughout supply chains. Companies are actively seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint by optimizing transportation routes, adopting alternative energy sources, and implementing circular economy principles. In line with the UK government’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, several supply chain initiatives have been launched to promote sustainability. These include collaborations with green logistics providers, investments in electric vehicle fleets, and the use of sustainable packaging materials. AI technology is being employed to optimise delivery routes and learn how and where vehicles burn the most fuel. This is also seen as an exercise in operational efficiency, creating an additional benefit for the investment in automation technology. Additionally, initiatives have been taken to reduce single-use plastics, leading to positive impacts on the environment and consumer perceptions of brands. By embracing the principles of a circular economy, using recycled materials, and designing products for longevity and recyclability, logistics businesses can decrease their reliance on finite resources and contribute to waste reduction. Conserving resources is inherently cost saving, and companies are starting to understand the dual benefit in sustainability programs. There is an increasing focus towards the responsible sourcing of raw materials. This involves partnering with suppliers who adhere to fair-trade practices. Ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and adherence to labour rights not only promotes social sustainability but also fosters positive long-term supplier relationships.Next >