< Previous East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk PUBLIC RELATIONS E arlier this year I made a confession. I’m a loser. In fact, I’m technically a serial loser because what I’m about to admit to has happened before. I made it to the national final of the Enterprise Nation Awards and once again, I did not prevail. In fact, this is becoming a bit of a habit, I have made it before and lost then too. What a loser! Why would I ever admit to this? Simple, it is because I get frustrated by what I predict will happen this week at this publication’s annual “Bricks” awards - of which I am one of of the big event in case people “find out we didn’t win.” Take a look at “The Bricks” this year. As a judge of one of the categories, I always take a close interest in what the entrants get up to pre and post awards. Being harsh, most of them don’t get up to much whatsoever. Why? Fear of failure? Lack of confidence? Lack of resource? All of the above? NEWSFLASH - most people don’t actually follow your every move, noting what you post about your goals, ambitions, wins and losses. Oh, and by the way you made the final! Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR, shows you how to make the most of award losses. the judges. NB: they will be a few weeks gone by the time you read this so see if I’m correct about the below. You see, I know that there will be plenty of people reading this column that would quietly hide this “failure.” They don’t want to be seen as “losers” or “runners-up” or perhaps more accurately, not winners. That’s how a lot of people see awards. It is a risk/reward question to some. In fact, some people are so paranoid about this “risk” that they won’t even blog about making a final or a shortlist ahead www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link PUBLIC RELATIONS Take a look at my case. There are thousands of PR consultants out there in the UK and I made the top 5. In the country. Does that mean there are people better than me? Yep. Does it mean I’m better than most? Yep! On the way to the final, I posted on social media, blogged and ran webinars mentioning the fact that I was in the final. Do you think that some of that might have been noticed? You betcha. I’m “confessing” to my failure here right now. More awareness of my loss. Am I a masochist? No, I’m a marketer. Often mistaken! Now, will SOME people go “oh well, Greg’s only in the Top 5 in the UK, probably not worth speaking to.” Well, SOME might. In fact, you might (boo hiss!). Or you and many more people might think “I’ve been meaning to speak to him” or “our PR is pants, this guy must be half decent.” So, loathe as I am to say that it is the taking part that counts, sometimes, it is. So long as you do something with it. Yours inconsolably better than most, Top 5 PR consultant in the UK. 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 SUPPORTING BUSINESS GROWTH G rowing a business is no small challenge in today’s economy. As if the financial situation in the region – and the entire country – wasn’t bad enough, companies must also contend with difficult recruitment, with the staggering cost of living forcing wage demands higher, and the shrinking pool of candidates making the job harder still. A year ago, the region faced what many termed the Great Resignation, which, for all its doomsday language, at least put new recruits in the pool and gave businesses candidates to work with. Now, finding skilled workers is a challenge in itself, and many companies are competing over a small pool, forcing wages higher and meaning that smaller companies looking to expand may have limited options. The Government have often touted the importance of “ambition” and attacked other parties for being enemies of it, and The challenge of growth It used to be that money was the sole limiter on business growth, but filling the spaces that open up when a company grows may be much harder in today’s economic climate. © stock.adobe.com/didiksaputrawww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link SUPPORTING BUSINESS GROWTH Get the digital skills you need in your business with DMU apprenticeships DMU’s programmes can empower employees to develop confidence, capability, key skills and independence. Our available courses include: • Digital Technology Solutions Professional • Cyber Security • Data Scientist • Data Analyst Get in touch: E: apprenticeships@dmu.ac.uk W: dmu.ac.uk/apprenticeships T: 0116 207 8455 DMU Apprenticeships Discover, Develop, Deliver. yet the situation they have created has left many ambitious business owners in a position where they cannot capitalise on their success to grow their company. While there is unlikely to be any swift resolution to the cost of living, and with many economists expecting the UK tax burden will rise to its highest rate since after WW2, the onus is yet again on businesses themselves to find ways around these issues. One route which many prepared to take a more long-term approach with is to target university graduates, and perhaps even to sponsor some through university itself. It is, as said, a long-term approach, and does require more work than traditional recruitment, but universities typically have departments which work with local businesses to try and push them in the way of good candidates. Attending job fairs at university and talking to soon-to-be graduates can put your name and brand at the forefronts of their minds, © stock.adobe.com/vegefox.com 54 Á East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk SUPPORTING BUSINESS GROWTH vastly increasing the odds they will consider applying for your company upon graduation. A poor attitude to have (and one unfortunately common among more old- fashioned types) is that business owners should not have to put this much effort into reaching out to recruits. That their role is to provide the job, with competitive pay, and that applicants should come to them and be glad for the chance to work. This may have been a fine method in the past where the labour market was large and competition for employees was not fierce, but skilled workers are now in short supply and bemoaning the “way things used to be” won’t solve the problem. In specific cases, when recruiting for jobs such as IT for instance, the competition for the best candidates is so fierce that local companies may be competing with giants in the US, India and Australia! Not to mention the UK’s own aims to create a Silicon Valley of its own, which could see promising candidates poached by multi- billion mega-corporations long before local businesses have a chance with them. Of course, if competition for graduates is too harsh then it might be worth creating graduates of your own through training and up-skilling. Taking existing team members and investing in them is a tried and proven method, but the real challenge is in finding the right training. There are thousands of providers online that will take your money and promise results, but then those same companies are already breeding grounds for fraudulent mentors who plague communities of single men and promise them pick-up skills for cash. As always, the best bet is to look toward reputable and well- known sources of education, such as the very universities that are creating graduates in the first place. Evening courses exist, and although many members of staff may not enjoy the idea of “going back to school” there are bound to be those who would snap up the opportunity for personal growth, and the increased monetary opportunities that come from it. Staff that already work for a company will typically be comfortable in the business already, and will therefore be much less likely to leave, and it’s always easier to recruit for less-skilled roles to fill a space that someone has been promoted out of. It is important to remember that an up-skilled member of staff will expect an increase in their wages, but this increase may well prove less expensive than hiring and training a new person anyway and comes with the added benefit that the individual does not need to be introduced to the company or its services. They are already familiar with the company culture and how everything works after all. © stock.adobe.com/Studio Romanticwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link FACILITIES MANAGEMENT © stock.adobe.com/Montri S afe buildings and facilities are some of the unsung heroes of what supports a thriving business. From office spaces to manufacturing plants, warehouses, data centres and beyond, every workplace must be secure, so employees feel the same while doing their best work. It’ll come as no surprise that safety and maintenance are two of the most important factors in enabling tasks and processes in any field. Keeping tech and machinery at its best while assuring employee wellbeing helps them all work well together, with as few delays and setbacks as possible. Facilities management (FM) professionals come in to play a critical role in ensuring a safe and healthy work environment. They oversee compliance and implement safety measures to protect employees, visitors and assets. They’re also responsible for security systems, accessing control measures, and surveillance to protect employees and valuable equipment. But this all begins with conducting risk assessments, where an FM’s job becomes even more complex. Identifying where risks may lie first means clearly defining the objectives of the risk assessment itself. Asking what you’re trying to achieve for which kind of workspace defines the goals for assessment, allowing precise and purposeful investigations. From there, a team of experts can identify a wide range of risks that could affect the business in question, categorise them into groups (such as financial, operational, strategic, and compliance) then assess their potential impacts. Between preparation for risk defence Line of Facilities managers are a business’s sword and shield, safeguarding employees, assets, and operations. We take a closer look at these vital professionals. 56 Á East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk FACILITIES MANAGEMENT assessment, prioritisation of hazard defence, information gathering and documentation, you can start to appreciate the intricacies of facilities management from the earliest stages. But thankfully safety is a team effort involving all employees. As an FM professional, it’s worth taking it upon yourself to build a culture of safety consciousness in any workplace you’re responsible for, as providing training and awareness programs to employees will teach them how to identify and respond to risks effectively. You will then have an expanded safety team to make your job lighter, as all workers will know how to spot any danger signs and, crucially, remember best procedure in an emergency. Emergency preparedness alone is worth scheduling in regular reviews and training for. A few life-saving steps to consider include developing and regularly updating emergency response plans, including evacuation procedures, fire drills and first-aid stations. Ensure that all employees are familiar with these plans, and remind them to report safety concerns or incidents promptly. Establishing a system that allows for anonymous reporting if necessary will help everyone feel comfortable being responsible for their workplace. The next stage for expansion from here is to start up a safety committee or team comprising employees from different departments. With eyes across all areas, it becomes easier to address safety concerns, make recommendations and monitor safety initiatives. Establishing a safety committee within an organisation is also a proactive step towards ensuring regular inspections and compliance with safety regulations and standards. Acting as a central point of coordination for safety-related activities, your trusted group can ensure that inspections and safety checks are conducted on a routine and consistent basis collaborating to prevent oversight and ensuring that no safety aspect is neglected. A committee can also have shared power to monitor and advise on changes in safety regulations and standards. By staying informed about evolving safety requirements, it can promptly update inspection protocols and compliance measures to align with new regulations, in a proactive approach that helps a business stay compliant and avoid potential penalties or legal issues. With your team keeping on top of day- to-day safety and compliance awareness, FM duties are freed up for selecting and installing security measures. Starting with access control—a crucial measure for restricting entry to only authorised individuals—you can employ technologies such as electronic keycards, biometrics or smart locks alongside clearly defined access policies for who has access to each area of a facility. © stock.adobe.com/mtrlinwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Conducting regular audits will ensure that the correct individuals have appropriate access, but if necessary, employ security personnel or guards to oversee and manage entry, especially during non- business hours or in any high-security areas. Surveillance systems are the last line of defence in deterring security threats and monitoring incidents, or capturing damage, theft or other unwanted entries in a worst-case scenario. To manage surveillance effectively as an FM, install surveillance cameras and alarms strategically in key areas, such as entrances, car parks and sensitive workspaces, and ensure that cameras cover blind spots and critical access points. An efficient visitor management system will do the rest of the preparedness work, maintaining a clear procedure for identity verification and visitor information, the details of which could prove invaluable in the event of an incident. Here once again the cycle of maintenance and reporting is endlessly important and must be carried out on a continuous basis. Regularly inspect, maintain and test surveillance equipment to ensure that it functions correctly when needed, and replace or upgrade outdated equipment as required. During a regular workday, monitoring staff or a 24/7 automated system should be in place to observe surveillance, in case of any failures or errors in the tech or image feed. But in readiness for an incident, a clear response plan is essential for effectively managing security breaches. When managing incident response ahead of need, create a comprehensive incident response plan that outlines roles and responsibilities, communication procedures, and step-by-step actions to take during different security incidents. Response plans can be tested through tabletop exercises with safety and security teams, simulating emergencies so that each person understands what their role would be in most eventualities. Clear lines of communication with law enforcement, emergency responders and other external parties will cover where it’s unsafe for employees to step in. If the worst should happen and a security incident occurs, conducting a thorough review of what went well or where improvements could be made will help prevent dangers in future. This is where facilities management can be its most emotionally and mentally challenging. The sheer levels of detail analysis for the sake of health and safety can make tensions run high in this unlikely behind-the-scenes area. But the facilities management umbrella covers interlinked responsibilities that support each other, and the same spirit of teamwork goes for FM experts and the employees they keep safe. © stock.adobe.com/FrameAngel East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTION increasing Warehouses and distribution centres can optimise operations, harness technology, and adapt to evolving consumer trends to ensure seamless supply chain management and customer satisfaction. Meeting demandwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTION W arehouses and distribution centres face many challenges in balance, but perhaps the most important of these is taking efficiency in hand when facing high consumer demand. There’s often an abundance of the latter thanks to e-commerce and its around-the-clock reliance on logistics. The bad news is that this often leads to shipping delays and storage backlogs while seeing to a queue of customers just like in any store. But the good news is that there are solutions, and ones which don’t always require paying for extra space, vehicles or workers. Let’s start with some of the best ways for warehousing and distribution centres to refine their efficiency. Optimising layout to the best of your ability is a great place to start, potentially creating space while organising products in storage to show which items need to be shipped out soonest. A simple yet effective slotting system can be worked in to place fast-moving items closer to the shipping area for quicker access. Two rules of thumb to keep in mind are organising stock to make movement as smooth and speedy as possible for workers and equipment, and to utilise vertical space by installing taller racks and shelves to maximize storage capacity. As an extra bonus, you might also consider implementing a cross- docking strategy, reducing the time products spend in storage by transferring them directly from inbound to outbound shipments. Outside of your own team, it’s endlessly beneficial to call in support where you can. Work closely with your suppliers and logistics partners to make everyone aware of crucial details, including demand needs and required schedules for distributing stock. This will help streamline the entire supply chain and reduce those all-important lead times. Introducing new technology can be its own heavy expense and demand on personnel training. However, if you can afford to automate some of your processes, it’s a handy boost to speed up supply, loading and inventory tracking © stock.adobe.com/Irina Sharnina 60 ÁNext >