< Previous East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk AUTOLINK MINI Countryman Now in its third generation, the new MINI Countryman offers the versatility of a compact crossover while maintaining iconic MINI proportions: short overhangs, a short bonnet, and a contrasting long wheelbase, while larger wheels, wider wheel arches and the removal of chrome details add to the vehicle’s road presence. This contemporary exterior design is supported by clear-cut surfaces, a slightly curved roof, and a newly designed C-pillar, making the vehicle appear shorter. Clear shapes in the cockpit and the increased space in the front seats give the interior a modern, spacious feel, while an optional panoramic glass roof floods the interior with natural light. The driver and front passenger can enjoy significantly enhanced comfort with almost three centimetres of additional width in the shoulder and elbow area, while rear passengers benefit from 2.5 centimetres of extra space. Between the front seats, a wide, adjustable armrest enhances seating comfort and optionally, customers can select electrically adjustable seats with memory and massage functions. Volkswagen Passat Volkswagen have presented the first photos and facts of the completely newly developed Passat. The focus is on powerful aerodynamic design, new high-efficiency drives, high quality, and a host of new technologies. Drive options available in the UK for the new model include a mild hybrid eTSI petrol engine that is new for the Passat, two new plug-in eHybrids and a TSI turbo petrol version. The quiet and spacious Passat Estate offers a high level of travel comfort and will be available with new adaptive chassis control (DCC Pro), which is optional on the Life and Elegance trims and standard on R- Line, and new ergoActive seats (with pneumatic pressure point massage). The intuitive features of the digitalised cockpit Volkswagen Passatwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link AUTOLINK landscape are a completely new development. The new Passat can also optionally park4 independently and cover long distances in assisted driving mode. Hyundai KONA Electric Hyundai Motor has announced the start of production for the all-new KONA Electric at its Czech Republic-based plant, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech. The second-generation KONA is led by the all-electric variant (EV), which offers advanced safety and convenience features and a class-leading range. With its rugged, dynamic design and upscaled dimensions, the all-new KONA retains its iconic character, supporting active lifestyles for customers of all ages and generations, while offering new technologies and convenience features that provide a safe, connected and comfortable experience. Among the upgrades are dual 12.3-inch panoramic display screens, a Digital Key 2 Touch, full Over-the-Air (OTA) updates and Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC). MINI Countryman Hyundai KONA Electric East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY happy Keeping staff The cost of recruitment is through the roof, and companies are finding it hard to find good staff, which means it’s all the more important to keep hold of the ones you have. We look at ways to accomplish this, and why the idea of “entitled employees” might be less of a curse and more of a blessing. If you play your cards right. K eeping a team motivated, cohesive and involved is more important now than it has ever been before. The economy is in a bad place, the cost of living is rising, and jobseekers have all the power – which means that employees are more likely now than ever before to be looking for new jobs, especially with the new year only a few months away. It’s now or never when it comes to having a chance to cement your workforce and ensure employees are motivated by more than just pay, because there will always be someone who pays better. Business Link has touched upon the importance of team building and employee engagement in our corporate hospitality features before, for © stock.adobe.com/ Flamingo Imageswww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link of these large and successful firms allow time off for staff to mingle for good reasons – and it’s not just to look good in the newspaper. They understand that staff are too expensive to lose, and that any losses to competitors not only means having to recruit and train afresh but deal with company secrets being leaked. Better, and cheaper in the long run, to invest in a fancy staff room and give them time to relax. How expensive, really, is a decent sofa, some music and some drinks? How expensive compared to the cost of advertising a vacancy in a newspaper or online, collecting CVs, going through them, calling interviewees, arranging interviews, finding the right candidate, training them up. The list continues. The costs of all of that can reach into the thousands, and even more if it’s a constant problem or an upper management position. Giving staff a relaxing place to let loose in the office and chat during their lunch hour (or even giving them an additional 30 minute break during the day) is far cheaper. It will also factor into their heads when they consider new offers or think about their work, and it becomes an expectation. Staff will look and expect this in other jobs, and shy away from offers that don’t include it. If your office has every member of staff sitting down at their desk to eat for instance, ask yourself how happy they really are. A simple place to eat communally and chat could immediately perk up moods, and costs nothing more than a table and some chairs. The word “entitlement” is something of a dirty one in the media and among many business leaders, but why should it be if a savvy business leader can use it to their advantage? If employees feel entitled about something you give, and that others do not, then it only makes them more loyal to your company. This can only be a good thing, despite what people like Alan Sugar might claim. Businesses nowadays are having to adapt, and having to offer more, and people care more about the experience and their free time than they have before. In a way, people are less motivated by money specifically because house prices are too high and the cost of living is too expensive. When achieving your dreams with money feels impossible to many, it makes sense the focus will turn to trying to enjoy the present. Ignore it and call it entitled at your own risk – but staff have the power, and there are plenty of jobs out there. If they truly become disillusioned, they will leave. The balance of power has shifted, and it is not in the hands of employers. © stock.adobe.com/ Jacob Lund facilitating bonding, collaboration, motivation, strengthening communication and more, however this usually refers to taking part in events such as escape rooms, sports days, activities out in nature et al. - essentially tasks that will involve being physically close or in contact with others. These were not possible during the lockdown and may not be overly appreciated now either as they take time and costs in fuel to attend, which is already much too expensive. It might be time to look at easier (and thankfully cheaper) alternatives. Something as simple as weekly team Zoom or Slack meetings, virtual coffee breaks, lunches and happy hours are a good start, to build rapport and get the team reconnected, engaged, motivated and as a result productive (just ensure these are not entirely business related). It may seem simple – even too simple – but even taking staff out to a local eatery on the last Friday of the month and having the business pay for meals will do wonders to both cheer your employees up and ease the burden on them a little. If you know for a fact that your teams are willing to get out and about then things like mini-golf, pub visits or other events can certainly work, and help foster a business culture that is not just sit down and work. It may seem very Google or fancy, but many OUT OF OFFICE Tourism in Nottinghamshire shows continued growth New data shows that tourism in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire enjoyed a record spend in 2022 as the value of the local visitor economy smashed through the £2 billion mark, demonstrating remarkable growth and resilience following the pandemic, despite a tough economic backdrop. The report, formulated by Global Tourism Solutions using its STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) model, was commissioned as a joint project by Visit Nottinghamshire, Nottinghamshire County, Nottingham City, Mansfield, and Newark and Sherwood councils. Adjusted for inflation, the economic impact of the visitor economy is significant, contributing £2.051 billion to the region and supporting over 20,500 jobs. The value of the visitor economy grew by 15.6% compared to 2021, indicating a strong recovery from the COVID-19 period, and was up by £72m (3.6%) compared to 2019. Visitor numbers have also continued strong growth from the year 2021, growing from around 28.87m to 32.97m (14.2%). Annette Thornley, Business Development Manager at Visit Nottinghamshire, said: “The positive trends revealed by the STEAM Data are a testament to the industry’s resilience and adaptability in the face of challenging economic conditions.” Create Finance wins prestigious industry award Specialist Derby- based mortgage broker Create Finance have been awarded the title of Mortgage Broker of the Year at the Mortgage Strategy Awards 2023. The company, which is based at Connect Derby’s Friar Gate Studios, scooped the coveted award at a ceremony which took place at the JW Marriot Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Create Finance beat off competition from fellow mortgage brokers Coreco, Connect Mortgages, Mortgage 1st, The Mortgage Mum and The Mortgage Store to win the award. The company was founded in 2015 by experienced mortgage broker Gindy Mathoon. Gindy Mathoon, senior mortgage broker at Create Finance, said: “This accolade is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. Create Finance will be celebrating its eighth birthday this year, so to be recognised as the best the industry has to offer is a real celebration of all we have worked for. “The future looks very bright, and we look forward to expanding our already excellent staff and taking the whole team with us on this brilliant journey.” East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Star Trust announces next round of grant support East Midlands charity, Star Trust, is now accepting bids from East Midlands charities to support the life-changing work they do in local communities. Star Trust is run by local business owners and entrepreneurs and supports good causes in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Rutland. Since its launch ten years ago, Star Trust has supported 106 charities with a total of £798,763 and directly touched the lives of over 56,000 people in the East Midlands area. The latest recipients recently received funding cheques totalling nearly £20,000. They are the British Disabled Angling Association, TwentyTwenty, Hope for Hunger, Lamp and Home Start Newark. The next major fundraising event is the Star Trust annual ball which is set to raise over £100,000 and the charity is keen to hear from local charities who need their support. © Tracey Whitefoot Photography and Nottingham Castle Business community urged to back Framework’s Big Sleep Out Nottingham charity Framework has launched its annual Big Sleep Out campaign to raise vital funds to help get the growing number of local rough sleepers off the streets. The Big Sleep Out is inviting teams from local businesses to sign up to spend the night in a sleeping bag at Nottingham Racecourse on Saturday 7 October. It’s a chance for employers to make a difference and support their employees to take part as a team and pledge funds that will go directly towards helping rough sleepers in Nottingham. It comes at a time when the charity’s Street Outreach Team found 57 people sleeping rough in Nottingham alone. This is the highest monthly figure this year and the highest number for August in the past five years. Framework’s head of fundraising and communications, Claire Eden said: “We need the help of the business community now more than ever to support the increasing number of people who will experience the trauma of rough sleeping this winter, many of them for the first time.” OUT OF OFFICE www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Asbestos management company gears up for 24-hour cycling challenge to raise money for Mesothelioma UK Staff from a Northampton-based asbestos management consultancy will see their fundraising step up a gear when they take part in a 24-hour bike ride to raise money for a national charity. On Thursday, September 21, a team from Acorn Analytical Services will take part in the cycling challenge to raise money for Mesothelioma UK, the only national charity dedicated to supporting people living with the cancer which is caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. Throughout the day, a team of staff will take it in turns to complete legs on an indoor exercise bike which will be set-up at Acorn Analytical Services’ Northampton office. They will be supported throughout by colleagues offering drinks, snacks and plenty of encouragement. Director Ian Stone said: “Mesothelioma UK do an enormous amount to support people who are forced to live with the devastating effects of asbestos. “With the support of the Northamptonshire business community behind us, we hope to be able to raise awareness on behalf of the charity, as well as much-needed funds which will go a long way to helping people get the support they need.” New report reveals multi-million-pound contribution of museum A new report published by Derby Museums has revealed the multi-million-pound contribution its Museum of Making makes to the city. According to the Social Return on Investment (SROI) report, the museum, which opened to the public in 2021, contributes almost £4 million a year to the local economy. The SROI report also highlights the significant social impact the museum has had on the city and the community. The report proposes that for every £1 invested in the operations of the museum, there is a social return of almost £6 lasting over the next five years. Tony Butler, executive director of Derby Museums, said: “From the outset, Derby Museums was galvanised by the public interest in Derby Silk Mill, perhaps the most recognisable building in the city. “This new report shows clear evidence of the significant impacts the Museum of Making project has had on Derby, its communities, visitors, participants, staff, volunteers, makers and artists, as well as Derby Museums itself, and the museum sector more widely.” Framework’s Big Sleep Out © Tracey Whitefoot © stock.adobe.com/Gary L Hider East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk early career talent. This programme will give you practical tools and tips that will help you attract, select, and retain a diverse workforce, by applying new recruitment methods, using technology and embedding EDI practices within your organisation. For more information visit https://www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/ inclusive-recruitment/ Lincolnshire Construction & Property Network Tuesday 19 September Simons Design, Lincoln From sole traders to large housing associations, construction and property businesses come together to talk business at the Lincolnshire Chamber’s Construction Network — meet up to 60 construction related businesses in one room. Attending the Construction Network for two hours every month is one of the most productive ways that you can keep up to date with project news and new business and tendering opportunities amongst contractors and suppliers. For more information visit https://www.lincs- chamber.co.uk/events/lincolnshire- construction-property-network-september/ R&D Tax Credits Update Tuesday 12 September Online HMRC is clamping down hard on R&D claims, focusing around the technology and advance in science and technology being sought. Starting from 1st August, technical reporting for all R&D claims becomes mandatory. It is essential to effectively articulate the baseline and advancements in technology to ensure compliance. Join TBAT Innovation for this informative webinar, specifically designed to provide your business with an update on the crucial information needed moving forward. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/rd-tax- credits-update/ Inclusive Recruitment Wednesday 13 September Nottingham Trent University City Campus, Nottingham This Inclusive Recruitment course is a non- accredited interactive learning and development programme, delivered by NTU’s Employability team. Delivered weekly over five bitesize sessions the programme aims to develop your understanding and knowledge around inclusive recruitment of events Sustainability Summit Wednesday 20 September Reach, Derby The Sustainability Summit will bring together industry specialists, scholars, and the business community to understand the impact of environmental factors in relation to business resilience and continuity, and focus on how we can create business value opportunities whilst ensuring a just transition to net zero. On the day, through a range of speakers, panels and workshops, the event will Recruitment and Selection - How to Recruit the Right Staff Monday 16 October Challenge Consulting, Nottingham The cost of recruiting can be substantial and it is therefore critical to get it right. This course is designed to give delegates the skills to confidently prepare and conduct the recruitment process, make good selection decisions, and record appropriate information suitable to provide feedback to candidates. There will be opportunities to practice all the skills and techniques learned during the day. For more information visit https://www.emc- dnl.co.uk/events/recruitment_and_selection_- _how_to_recruit_the_right_staff2180002634/ © stock.adobe.com/ malp © stock.adobe.com/ Kiattisakwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link detail how we unlock the benefits of green growth. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/sustainability-summit- unlocking-the-economic-benefits-of-green-growth-for-smes- the-east-midlands/ What’s New in Email Marketing? Thursday 5 October Online Email marketing remains one of the most effective channels for reaching an audience. While the screens we read our emails on may have shrunk in recent years, the value that marketers get from email remains at an all-time high. Join digital expert Martin Broadhurst to hear the latest email marketing trends. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/whats-new-in-email- marketing-3/ Getting Started with Brand Meaning Tuesday 10 October Online Building a strong brand and understanding your purpose is now more important than ever. Your staff, customers and community need to understand who you are and what you stand for, especially in times of crisis. This webinar will help you to understand what a brand is, why it matters to your business and how to communicate this to your ‘tribe’. For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/getting- started-with-brand-meaning/ East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 Thursday 28 September Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham The East Midlands Bricks Awards are back for 2023! Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, this year’s glittering awards ceremony revealing winners will take place on Thursday 28 September at the famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in Nottingham. Organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, the event will also offer plenty of time to connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks and will additionally welcome Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, as keynote speaker. For more information or to buy tickets visit https://www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk/mag/bricks-2023/ GreenWinning: Marketing Sustainability Without the Wish-Wash Thursday 12 October Online An introduction on marketing your sustainability credentials for better customer outcomes. The basics, the branding, the truth. What can you say, what should you say, why should you say it? And the big secret, you’re probably already doing great stuff no one knows about! For more information visit https://bizgateway.org.uk/events/greenwinning -marketing-sustainability-without-the-wish- wash/ Guests network at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. And finally The world of Frazer 58 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Unfortunate publicity All publicity is good publicity, right? Perhaps not. A driving school business has gained some unfortunate attention after an employee literally drove into the workplace — crashing into the building. A photo of the incident from police, who noted there was thankfully only one minor injury, showed the majority of the car stuck inside the driving school’s front windows under a sign laughably saying: “Learn to Drive.” The staff member was apparently a new employee on their second day of work and had not yet started training to be an instructor. Though such an event would clearly impact a driving school’s reputation, it should also serve as an apt reminder of the negative effect bad driving can have on all businesses, especially when employees have branded vehicles, with many tales of staff ignoring the rules of the road reflecting poorly on companies. Zooming back into the office In an ironic turn of events, the business that ruled the move to working from home during the pandemic is now asking its staff to return to the office. Video conferencing service, Zoom, is enforcing a “structured hybrid approach,” requiring team members who live near an office to be onsite two days a week, as it is considered to be “most effective” for the company. The shift by the remote work poster child mirrors a trend seen across tech firms, marking an end to the Covid-era approach to work. This has not been without concerned reactions from employees of course, with many enjoying ditching the commute and gaining more time in their abodes. Forgiving a rebrand Over 10 years after Waterstones dropped the apostrophe from its name, causing outrage amongst the Apostrophe Society and criticism from customers and protectors of written English, the bookshop chain has been “forgiven,” according to The Times. Called out for becoming a grammatically incorrect business when the “just plain wrong” move was made to change the name to an easier spelling for the digital world, the Apostrophe Protection Society has now said that it is “entirely comfortable” with the alteration. So, the next time you look to adjust your company and brand image, remember, something as simple as a punctuation change may take more than a decade to be accepted! © stock.adobe.com/ William © stock.adobe.com/ michaeljung © stock.adobe.com/ Jacob LundEast Midlands Business Link Bricks 2023 A celebration of those helping to create the landscape for the next generation EAST MIDLANDS The prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards are back for 2023! Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, this year’s event will take place on Thursday 28th September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. The East Midlands Bricks Awards, organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, is an independent awards and publicity programme recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. Visit www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk for more information. BUSINESSNext >