Anglia Ruskin University, which has campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford, has invested in a new training programme to improve the business development skills of the team behind sales of its commercial degree courses. The Degrees at Work team at the university offers accredited training for employers, has brought in North East firm durhamlane to design and deliver a sales coaching and training programme. The University’s Degrees at Work programmes enable employers to develop the degree-level skills of existing staff to meet their own workforce requirements. The RAF and British Army are among customers of the Anglia Ruskin team, which has also worked with Harrods’ Sales Academy to co-develop a BA (Hons) Sales degree.
durhamlane designed and delivered the Key Account Management module of this course, which is the first of its kind in the UK. Jan Skene, the Cambridge-based head of Degrees at Work for Anglia Ruskin University: “The recession forced us to re-evaluate our approach to sales. We had to develop a more compelling offer for employers who are keener than ever to up-skill existing talent through in-house degrees, to complement their graduate recruitment strategies." Managing partner at durhamlane Richard Lane added: “Degrees at Work recognised it had to move with the times to remain ahead of the field. It has achieved this and is now one of the most ambitious and proactive units within the commercial degrees business.“
A winner of the television show The Apprentice, Yasmina Siadatan has unveiled a new business centre at The Sheffield College.
Yasmina Siadatan officially opened The Sheffield College Centre for Business and Enterprise, kickstarting this week’s MADE festival in the city.
Yasmina Siadatan, creative director, The Start Up Loans Company, said: “I am honoured to be here today. I would like to congratulate The Sheffield College for identifying the importance for businesses to invest in continued professional development and training. Learning and upgrading makes business sense.
"Training adds flexibility and ensures you keep productive, qualified workers who will help your business succeed.“
Julie Byrne, principal, Sheffield City College, said: “We are delighted to kickstart this fantastic national festival with the launch of our new business centre.
"I’d like to thank Yasmina for supporting us and sharing her insight. We play a major role underpinning the local economy. Our courses will enable individuals and businesses to gain the skills they need to grow.“
The Sheffield College Centre for Business and Enterprise is offering professional courses including part-time masterclasses, workshops and accredited qualifications, in more than 35 subjects.
The initiative is part of wider moves by the college which reportedly has an economic impact of £321 million a year on the city, to support the local economy where small and medium sized businesses comprise 95% of Sheffield’s business base.
Subjects include accounting, business and administration, book keeping, budgeting for a small business, customer service, coaching, digital marketing, management and leadership, managing cash flow, public relations, sales, word processing, social media advertising and team leading.
The centre is being launched in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University and with the backing of The Federation of Small Businesses and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, whose representatives attended the launch today.
Leeds entrepreneurs Jordan Yorath and Alastair Russell have launched a new joint property investment venture, UK City Investments.
Jordan, the former director of Flats in Leeds, and Alastair, former European director at JLL’s Leeds office, bring a collective experience of over 45 years in the UK residential and commercial property markets to the table with their new enterprise.
The Leeds-based group is a joint venture between UK City Residential and UK City Commercial which was launched in June.
UK City Investments specialises in selling, acquiring and advising on the property investment and development markets as well as working with landlords in the purchase and sale of investments, and developers to bring forward profitable and sustainable development.
Jordan Yorath told Bdaily: "We intend for UK City Investments to cater to investors of all sizes, from the couple down the street to large corporates that want to capitalise on an increasingly buoyant property market.
"The extensive connections of Alastair and myself throughout the UK real estate market mean that we have access to some of the best investment deals available based not only on financial metrics but also in terms of great location and a positive investment outlook.
"We do not exist to simply sell property. The main difference is that we provide investors with strategic advice on acquiring and building a UK property portfolio. "This is enhanced by having sector specialists in UK City Residential and UK City Commercial. Each market is quite distinct yet together comprises the UK investment market. UK City Investment brings these markets together for the benefit of the investor."
North East entrepreneur and owner of Maxine Johnston Marketing, Maxine Johnston, has opened her company’s first office, following a self funded expansion.
The business, which has been trading for nine months, has expanded into Prospect Business Park at Leadgate.
After a lengthy search of available properties, Maxine opted for office space at Prospect Business Park near Consett.
She opened the doors to her office last week to local businesses by holding an office open afternoon, with the event attracting over 50 business owners from across the North East.
Maxine said: “Working off the dining room table was starting to become a bit impractical.
“Every morning before I could start work I would have to clear the table of Moshi Monsters and rainbow looms!
“Any parent, regardless of whether they run a business, will probably understand this.The move into offices is the first step of the ladder.
“Prospect Business Park is an ideal place to meet with clients and develop my business further.“
Manager of the business park, Michael McVickers, said “We are delighted to welcome Maxine as our latest tenant.
“It is great to see so many young businesses coming to Prospect Business Park and enjoying the facilities we have here.“
There has been a big fall in graduate unemployment in the UK according to new research by the Higher Education Careers Service Unit.
Hecsu analysed the destinations of 256,350 new graduates six months after they left university.
Around 7.3% were unemployed in January 2014, down from 8.5% in January 2013 and the lowest level since 2008.
The figures, published jointly with the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, suggest 70% of new graduates were in employment by January 2014.
The figures also suggest more graduates were in professional and managerial work - 66.3% of new graduates, compared with 64.9% the previous year.
Fewer were working as retail, catering, waiting and bar staff - down to 13% of the total from 13.7% the previous year.
Hecsu’s Charlie Ball, the deputy director of research said students should "bear this in mind when deciding which subject to study".
According to the BBC he said: "There are significant increases in employment across all sectors and the turn in fortune is spreading beyond the South East with graduates in cities such as Birmingham and Manchester doing particularly well.
"If you are located away from the major cities and are yet to feel the upturn, there’s a good chance it will reach you in the months to come, assuming there are no further shocks to the economy - although there are no absolute guarantees."
The report says that new graduates are likely to "bounce around or can’t find what they are after immediately".
The researchers have also suggested that better employment prospects have resulted in fewer graduates in further study, with 12.4% carrying on compared to 13% previously.
Of the rest, 5.6% were combining work and study, leaving 7.3% unemployed and 4.7% listed as "other".
Tube London RMT has announced that it may take fresh industrial action as it instructs underground staff to stop working overtime.
The action comes after Transport for London announced plans to close ticket offices across the London Underground network and cut around 900 jobs.
The RMT claims the decision was "forced" on the union as a result of the actions of the London Underground management team.
The overtime ban, which went into affect yesterday, was scheduled to take place earlier this month but the action was suspended by the RMT.
RMT acting general secretary Mick Cash said: “This next phase of action has been called for the clear and simple reason that London Underground has failed to engage in serious discussions over cash-led cuts to jobs, services and safety.
"In fact, as a Freedom of Information request by members of the GLA has revealed, the cuts are being bulldozed through without any mandate and in total ignorance of the public consultation being carried out by London Travel Watch.
"RMT is also aware that the staffing cuts figures supplied under the FOI massage and understate the true scale of job cuts. That is simply outrageous.
“It remains the case that many underground locations will be left without sufficient staff to safely and effectively run stations.
“In terms of ticket offices, the union has serious concerns over the company’s reliance on unproven, unreliable technology to replace them.
“RMT has repeatedly demanded meaningful talks with London Underground but the past five months has proved that that demand is falling on deaf ears.
"The union even suspended action to allow those talks to happen but the management have made no movement and are crashing ahead with their cuts regardless and as a result we are now into a new phase of industrial action and our members remain united and determined as we move the union campaign forwards.“
Shared workspace provider The Trampery has partnered with global advertising services group Publicis Worldwide to open a new co-working space in Old Street, East London.
At the centre of London’s technology cluster, the co-working space known as The Trampery Old Street is the main location for a global partnership to promote collaboration between corporates and entrepreneurs.
It is the fifth shared workspace launched by London-based firm The Trampery, which was founded in 2009 by entrepreneur Charles Armstrong.
Over 300 companies are said to have started and grown at Trampery venues across London, and the Old Street hub will be the first to explicitly focus on sparking interaction between startups and established businesses, through the co-created "Publicis Drugstore".
The Drugstore will offer managed incubators that will see entrepreneurs and corporates working side-by-side onsite, open innovation platforms, specially convened hackathons and a Supper Club to bring together a diverse range of entrepreneurs and executives.
Trampery founder Charles Armstrong told Tech City News, "We are increasingly seeing an appetite among the corporate community to harness the innovation and creativity of start-ups, which brings significant mutual benefits."
Dylan Williams, chief strategy and innovation officer at Publicis Worldwide, said, "We will be able to help businesses large and small collaborate to best capture some amazing opportunities."
Stockton Council are oening an Enterprise Arcade, Stockton Town Centre, where startup businesses and up-and-coming entrepreneurs are invited to set up shop for reduced rates.
The new Arcade, which will open at the end of October at 35-37 High Street, provides low cost, low risk retail space to new businesses, plus a full package of business support provided by Retail Development Agency, ‘B-Supplied’.
Up to 16 fledgling retailers will have the opportunity to test trade to pursue their business idea and discover whether it is practical and viable.
The town’s Enterprise Arcade has been open in other, much smaller town centre accommodation, for the last four years.
More than a dozen of the businesses which have started life in the Arcade have gone on to trade independently in the town, ranging from traditional sweet shop, Chocs Away to Jack and Jill’s Wooden Toys and Mini Munchkins, a children’s clothes shop.
Pet boutique, Wags and Whiskers, moved into a unit on Dovecot Street in Stockton Town Centre after spending six months in the Enterprise Arcade.
Business Owner, Carl Shepherdson, said: “I am grateful for all the support Stockton Council’s Enterprise Arcade has given me in the last six months.
“By trading from the Arcade I was able to see if my business idea was viable.
“I’m really excited about the coming months and the completion of the town’s regeneration programme.
“I am so pleased to be able to offer something different in Stockton Town Centre.”
Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Councillor Mike Smith, said: “I would like to encourage anyone with a business idea they would like to test trade to get in touch and find out more about this fantastic opportunity.
“The scheme has already helped a number of people create robust and sustainable businesses in Stockton and through this larger facility we are going to be able to help even more new traders follow in their footsteps.”
10,630 businesses have reportedly been set up in Yorkshire and the North East as part of government scheme to create jobs by backing businesses started by former jobseekers.
In total more than 53,000 new businesses have been set up thanks to a government scheme to help people on benefits become their own boss an average of 460 every week over the last year.
The New Enterprise Allowance is available to people over 18 who are claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, lone parents on Income Support and people on Employment and Support Allowance in the work-related activity group.
People on the scheme get expert help and advice from a business mentor who will help them to develop their business idea and write a business plan.
If the business plan is approved, they are eligible for financial support payable through a weekly allowance over 26 weeks up to a total of £1,274. Participants can also access a loan through the BIS start-up loan scheme.
Minister for Employment, Esther McVey said: "Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy and are delivering a significant share of new vacancies – and it’s thanks to their hard work, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that we are recovering from one of the biggest recessions in living memory.
"As part of the government’s long-term economic plan we are successfully moving people off benefits, and helping them to achieve their dreams of becoming their own boss.
"Tens of thousands of new and innovative businesses are now up and running thanks to the scheme, some of which are now employing people and are helping to make the goods and provide the services which are powering the UK’s economic recovery."
UKTI is on the hunt for contractors to provide UKTI trade services and associated European funded international trade projects in Yorkshire & the Humber, a contract worth in the region of £9.8 million.
There are contracts available for all 9 English regions and the duration of the contracts to be awarded will be five years, with the option on the part of UKTI only to extend by up to a further one year.
UKTI currently has a confirmed budget allocation only for 2015/16
The contractors appointed will aim to help address market failure in the provision of advice and education to businesses to help them reach their full potential in overseas markets.
They would need to deploy and manage a regional team of international trade advisers (ITAs) providing education and advice to UKTI customers in appropriate geographical areas, with the aim of enabling them to grow through international trade and by ensuring that the customers have a better understanding of the routes to market including e-commerce and new media channels
The highest estimated value, which is just over £25 million for the Yorkshire region, reflects the amount UKTI considers might be required to deliver if a range of potential initiatives come to fruition.
For example embedding digital advisers into UKTI’s regional teams to support e-exporting activity and facilitating regional engagement with developing overseas business networks.
UK Trade & Investment is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed globally and assists overseas companies to bring investment to the UK.
It has headquarters in London and Glasgow and professional advisers and staff around the UK and in more than 100 countries worldwide. It brings together the export development and inward investment work of its parent UK Government Departments, The Department for Business Innovation and Skills and The Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
UKTI works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets through exports.
The deadline for submission of request for information (RFI) responses is 6 October 2014.
For more information visit the government website here.
A new regional business accelerator hub in Yorkshire has been announced by NatWest and RBS.
They will offer £1 million of cash awards to UK entrepreneurs every year and provide multi million pound regional support for entrepreneurs from any sector with up to 18-months free programme of hands on mentoring, peer support and acceleration.
The banks intend to set up a network of eight new business accelerator hubs, including one in Leeds, that will offer free workspace, hands on mentoring, a start up ‘bootcamp’ and a free programme of up to 18-months of advice, support and funding clinics.
The Leeds hub will unite users with fellow entrepreneurs, specially trained bank staff and experienced, aspirational business mentors.
The entreprenuers will also have the opportunity to go on to pitch to potential investors. ‘Growth awards’ of up to £50,000 will also be launched across the country offering cash injections to businesses when they need it most.
The hubs will be rolled out over the next two years, beginning with Birmingham early in 2015. NatWest will look to situate hubs in existing banks premises where possible.
Building on the Entrepreneurial Spark model which has already proved very successful in Scotland, applicants will be welcomed from any sector and do not need to be NatWest or RBS customers.
Alison Rose, CEO of Commercial and Private Banking, said: “This is a step-change in how NatWest supports entrepreneurial talent in the UK.
"By opening up our premises and providing them with support and a far reaching network of contacts, we are backing the businesses of tomorrow and helping ambitious entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.
"This is good for them, good for us and ultimately good for the UK economy.
"We have a trusted partner in Entrepreneurial Spark and together we can really make a difference to those businesses at the start of their journey.“
Mark Winters, regional managing director, North at NatWest, said: “I am delighted to see this fantastic programme come to Leeds.
“At NatWest we are supporting entrepreneurs throughout the Yorkshire region as they embark on their business aspirations. This is another important step as we strive to provide outstanding support to both our new and growing customers.
“Yorkshire is the centre of a great deal of our business activity, and we will be placing all our experience and expertise into the new business accelerator hubs.“
Grant Thornton has announced that the new practice leader for its Leeds and Newcastle offices will be Andy Wood who currently leads the audit team in the region.
Will Oxley, who has been promoted to a national level said: “I am delighted with our continued success in the Yorkshire and North East practice, which compared favourably with our double digit growth nationally during 2014.
"We have attracted and retained great talent in the business and worked with some of the leading corporates and financial institutions in the region.
"Under Andy’s leadership I’m confident the Leeds and North East practice will continue to play its part in delivering future local and national growth. ”
Will and Andy will take on their new roles from the beginning of November 2014.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Gent Visick
Vastly experienced professional Guy Gilfillan has joined Gent Visick as a consultant as the property firm further expands its offer following a sustained period of growth.
Matthew Harriman has joined Leeds-based Gent Visick’s building surveying team while Richard Henley will work in its agency department, taking the team to 10 in total.
Rupert Visick added: “Gent Visick continues to grow very successfully organically and as market conditions continue to improve this provides further opportunities for us to look to sensibly broaden our client offering and we feel privileged that someone of Guy’s calibre is working with us.
“In fact, the recruitment of Matthew and Richard, two extremely talented graduates, is further proof that our model continues to blossom as well as showing that our belief that investing time in developing and training our own staff is absolutely the right thing to do for both our and their own futures.“
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
GB Building Solutions, Marie Buckingham
GB Building Solutions has announced a major restructure and the appointment of two construction industry big hitters as it benefits from growth in its specialist sectors.
GB Group’s business development director Marie Buckingham has been appointed managing director of the Yorkshire and North East division, and student accommodation sector specialist Dan Spencer is promoted to managing director of the North West division.
Executive chairman, Martin Smout said: “The outlook for our construction business is good, and we expect the recent headcount growth to continue.
“The time and market is right to migrate from the north south divisional model that has successfully steered us through the years of recession into a more regionalised approach, where our customers and people can align with regional delivery offices with senior managers leading focused teams whilst maintaining a consistent one business approach.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Gordons, Dan Stowers
Yorkshire law firm Gordons has appointed a head of regulatory to service the growing demand the practice is experiencing for this specialist area of law.
Regulatory lawyer Dan Stowers joins the firm as partner from Irwin Mitchell where he worked for the past five years and held a similar position. Prior to joining Irwin Mitchell, Dan spent two years at both Cartwright King Solicitors and DLA Piper.
Gordons managing partner, Paul Ayre, said: “Dan is a highly regarded lawyer, well-known for his ability to provide commercially sound, practical advice.
“His skills ideally complement the firm’s wider corporate offer. Regulatory is an increasingly important area of the law and Dan’s appointment means we are ideally placed to provide our clients with enhanced expertise in this area.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
DS.Emotion, Claire Milnes
Leeds based creative and digital agency DS.Emotion has promoted Claire Milnes to client services director.
Claire, who has been with the firm for 16 years, will assume a more strategic role in overseeing account delivery teams and managing key relationships with clients.
Matt Button, director at DS.Emotion said, “Claire is an invaluable part of the team at DS.Emotion. Her solid understanding of our business, the industry at large and our clients requirements has proven critical to long term client retention and this new role will allow her to better channel this expertise as we grow the business through our studios in Leeds, Manchester and London.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Irwin Mitchell (Sheffield) Michael Hall
The Sheffield office of law firm Irwin Mitchell has appointed dealmaker Michael Hall into its fast growing Corporate & Commercial team.
Commenting on his move to Irwin Mitchell, Michael said: “Irwin Mitchell reputation in Sheffield for high quality corporate work is well known and I was keen to be part of a successful team and to help contribute to that growth.
"I’m from the Sheffield area and am passionate about the region, and I know Irwin Mitchell share that and are committed to further expanding its commercial presence.”
Matt Ainsworth, corporate partner at Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield, said: “We are delighted to announce another high calibre recruit to the team. Despite a challenging market, our deal pipeline is very healthy and it is important for Irwin Mitchell to continue recruiting the very best lawyers so that we can continue to provide our corporate clients with first class advice”.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Sarah Gough, Charley Downey and Rory Dunlop
Boutique Media
Boutique, has made three new appointments in its Leeds office. The additions bring the company to a total of 13 employees – a threefold increase in eighteen months.
Sarah Gough joins the agency as Head of Earned Media to head up a new strand of the company offering, new to the paid search team is PPC Executive Rory Dunlop who will be working across new and existing clients, and Charley Downey has joined the company as account executive.
Simon Bollon, managing director of Boutique said ‘We’re really excited to be expanding our team in order to support growth in various areas of the business.
"We’re particularly pleased to be announcing the launch of a new PR component which is the latest enhancement to our business proposition. Sarah, Rory and Charlie have all brought fresh thinking and enthusiasm to the office, and are a perfect fit for us.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Caddick Developments, Simon Gardner
Caddick Developments has announced the appointment of Simon Gardner as a development project manager, who will oversee development projects across the wider Caddick Group.
Simon joins Caddick Developments with over 20 years’ experience in residential, commercial and retail industries. In recent years, Simon has focussed heavily on development projects within both public and private healthcare sectors.
Johnny Caddick, director at Caddick Developments, comments on the new appointment: “We have a very experienced team at Caddick spanning over 30 years across a range of market sectors including commercial, education and residential. We’re pleased to welcome Simon to the Caddick team.
“Simon’s role at Caddick Developments will involve being a link to Caddick Construction for development projects in respect of design development, cost planning and project management, at the early stages.
"Part of his role will also involve project managing and cost planning refurbishment schemes for the Caddick Group property portfolio and dealing with any extensive property maintenance issues.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
UKTI Yorkshire & Humber, Susan Waterson
Susan Waterson will support the delivery of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) services across Yorkshire and the Humber in partnership with regional director Mark Robson and an expert network of International Trade Advisers.
She brings a broad range of experience to UKTI, aided by a Master’s degree in the study of entrepreneurial culture, and having previously worked for the Department for Work & Pensions, Department of Education, the Sector Skills Council and Local Authorities.
Susan has also worked for former regional development agencies Yorkshire Forward and the Welsh Development Agency.
Susan said: “I’m delighted to join a dynamic team that is already helping thousands of businesses in the region to make great strides in successfully competing in international markets.
“I look forward to continuing this great work, while implementing new programmes and strategies that will enable us to move forward into new areas.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Redbrik, Jed Furniss
Independent estate agency, Redbrik has hired Jed Furniss will be working from both the Sheffield and Chesterfield offices, looking to help people sell and buy in the Peak District and South West Sheffield.
Redbrik director Mark Ross said: “This is a significant appointment for Redbrik. Jed is hugely experienced and brings a wealth of knowledge to our business that has customer service and great marketing at the core.”
He said: “This is a great opportunity to become involved with a forward thinking independent business that has created a real name for itself.”
Redbrik was launched in 2013 by directors Mark Ross and Julie Bulheller. Expansion has seen the appointment of a third director, Michael Parry, and a staff team which has grown to 15 at the offices in Glumangate, Chesterfield and Abbeydale Road, Millhouses, Sheffield.
Cheshire housing developer Mulbury Homes has appointed David Wroe as head of partnerships and regeneration.
David, who previously worked for Keep Moat as regional managing director, has over 20-years’ experience in the regeneration and development of residential property schemes.
Mulbury has also appointed office manager Kathryn Cassel from Trafford Housing Trust where she co-ordinated the organisation’s Right to Buy scheme.
Greg Mulligan, a director at Mulbury Homes, said: “It is a real coup for us to attract someone with David’s skills and experience in the housing sector. We operate in a relationships business and David’s ability to create and develop partnerships will help us to be a strong, stable and successful business. “Kat is also vastly experienced within the affordable housing and construction sectors and will offer valuable support and advice to the management team.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Helen Law, Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall
Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall has appointed Helen Law to its specialist private client department. Helen is an experienced solicitor and is based at the firm’s Haslingden office. She joins Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall having previously worked at Fieldings Porter in Bolton where she was Head of the Private Client Department. Helen said: “It gives me great pleasure to return to WHN and help boost its legal services for individuals. “The firm is highly regarded and boasts trusted and experienced advisers. It’s great to know that I am assisting in giving local people access to the very best legal advice, whether they want to make a will or wish to protect their financial security.” Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Carl Cleaver, Lattimer
Southport manufacturer Lattimer has appointed Carl Cleaver as business development manager. Carl has more than 25 years’ experience in the manufacture and supply of Tier 1 and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) products to the automotive and other sectors.
Carl: “The brief I have been given by Lattimer is a mouth-watering opportunity “More than 80pc of the firm’s sales are currently within the niche bottled glass manufacturing sector. It exports to more than 50 countries each year. “However, the level of skill and expertise the firm offers as an all-round precision machinist make it hugely attractive to other sectors. Lattimer’s manufacturing and design capability is incredibly diverse - it makes more than 20,000 component parts. It is essentially a one-stop-shop providing design, manufacture and troubleshooting for highly complex engineering issues, from individual products to sub and full assemblies."
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Martyn Kendrick, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking
Martyn Kendrick has been appointed as North West area director for the Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Martyn Kendrick has taken up the post after previously holding positions across Yorkshire over his 26 years with the bank.
He will now head up relationship management teams supporting SMEs with a turnover up to £25 million from Carlisle to Stoke, including Liverpool, Manchester and Preston.
Martyn said: “The North West has a wide range of businesses, which is why we have teams of dedicated sector specialists to cater for the unique needs of each type of customer.
“The strength of the North West economy was confirmed by the latest Lloyds Bank Regional PMI survey, which revealed that private sector growth across the North West exceeded the UK national average in August, and the regions’ firms had remained in growth since the beginning of 2013.
“As part of the latest Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking SME Charter, we have pledged to help 100,000 news businesses to start up, and over the past three years our net lending to SMEs has grown by five per cent year-on-year.”
Sir Nigel Knowles, Zeus Capital
Manchester investment banking boutique Zeus Capital has appointed Sir Nigel Knowles as chairman.
Sir Nigel currently holds the position of global co-chief executive officer and managing partner of DLA Piper.
Sir Nigel Knowles said: “Having led the recent series of IPOs with the likes of Conviviality, Boohoo and DX Group, it is an exciting time to be joining Zeus Capital. Its pipeline of deals is just as impressive and I look forward to adding to the considerable expertise Zeus Capital already has at its disposal.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Amanda Marwood, Harrison Drury
Harrison Drury has appointed Amanda Marwood to its South Lakes and Lancashire legal team.
Amanda joins the firm as an associate after four years with Thomson Hayton Winkley in Cumbria. Previously she worked for Temple Heelis, also based in Cumbria. She specialises in all aspects of property acquisitions and sales, commercial leases, security of tenure issues, conditional contracts, secured lending and development issues. John Chesworth, managing director of Harrison Drury, said: “This appointment further strengthens our commercial expertise in North Lancashire and South Lakes. Amanda brings a wealth of additional experience to the team in Garstang and we are pleased to have secured her services.”
Graduates of the University of Essex have a better chance than ever to secure good jobs according to the latest national statistics for graduate employability.
Analysis of figures compiled by The Complete University Guide show Essex graduates are finding more graduate-level employment or postgraduate opportunities than ever before, rising from 51.4% to 64.2%, with only three other universities have seen greater improvement.
Essex has expanded its paid internships scheme for current students and recent graduates from 80 placements in 2011-12, to 118 in 2012-13, and 241 in 2013-14.
The Frontrunners scheme sees current students employed for up to eight hours per week during term-time, and up to 20 hours per week in the summer holiday. In 2012-13 there were 245 individual frontrunner placements, rising to 347 in 2013-14.
Essex’s Director of Employability Dave Stanbury said: “We have worked hard in recent years to improve the job prospects of our graduates, recognising how important finding graduate-level jobs or postgraduate opportunities is to them.
“Significant growth of our internships programme has given our graduates valuable work experience, while our award-winning Frontrunners initiative increases the confidence, skills and employability of our current students.“
“We have also created dedicated posts in our faculties to promote work experience, developing one-to-one coaching programmes for final-year students, and expanding our programme of careers talks and employer presentations.“
London Met has an intensive start-up programme run by the University’s business incubator, Accelerator, giving students and graduates the chance to start their own business.
The Hatchery, based in the heart of Shoreditch, provides students with support to turn a business idea, or a desire to be self-employed, into a reality.
The programme includes weekly sessions and workshops, access to office space and computers, mentorship, social events, and a chance to be part of a thriving community of enterprises on the doorstep of London’s ‘Tech City.
Simon Boot, student enterprise manager at Accelerator said: “At Accelerator, we’ve got a mountain of experience working with students from all backgrounds.
“It doesn’t matter if you want to launch a clothing brand, a line of jewellery, or an innovative tech business, The Hatchery program will equip you with the tools, knowledge and support needed to take your idea forward.”
“All you need to have when applying to the programme is a good idea and a lot of passion for making it work – the Hatchery will help you with the rest."
Image used under Wikimedia creative commons license. Credit: Daniel Libeskind
Property tech startup Spacious has raised a $810k (£500k) seed round to help startups rent office space in London.
The online marketplace, which founded in January this year, was launched by Rohan Silva, Tushar Agarwal, and Tom Watson.
The startup launched with five Tech City properties and now boasts 350 spaces across London with over 1,500 startups using its services.
The investment was led by Spire Ventures (formerly Hamilton Bradshaw Real Estate), Dragon James Caan and Faisal Butt’s venture capital firm.
A series of high-profile investors were also involved in the investment process, including venture fund Seedcamp, founder of Ometria Ivan Manzour and cofounder of Streetcar (now Zipcar) and Lovespace Brett Akker.
Cofounder Tushar Agarwal says that the trio set up Spacious because “there is no single resource to help startups out”.
Dragon James Caan said: "The Spacious team are exactly the type of Founders we have always invested in.
"With our backing they can now hire more talented people to take the business to new heights."
Start Up Loans Company has handed out £660k out to 167 startups in Brighton and Hove in the last 18 months.
Young entrepreneurs were helped to launch their global company business with a £5,000 startup loan.
The money has come from the Start Up Loans Company, a government-funded initiative to boost new ventures.
Multi-linguists Jack Kiely, 25, and Matt Howard, 24, met at the University of Sussex before founding LanguageNow, based in Hove, offering translation, interpreting, proofreading, transcription, certification, desktop publishing and typesetting services.
Matt said: “I started out as a City boy, but hated it so I dropped out and went to live in the woods in France, teaching kids outdoor education.
“In the end I needed to get back into mainstream society so came back and worked with Jack on LanguageNow.
“We’ve already worked with McDonalds, universities, charities – all sorts.
“The market is really big. Lots of businesses need to operate internationally so translation is extremely important.
“There’s a lot of bad translation out there but good translation is a real art form.”
The Let’s Do Business Group administers Start Up Loans in the South East
· Deposits rise by 25% since 2007 –as wages fall 3% in same period
· Average North East tenancy deposit now £600
A leading property expert has poured scorn on proposals for landlords to charge new tenants higher deposits - arguing they would “price people out of properties”.
The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) this week recommended letting agents and landlords significantly increase the deposits they charge new tenants to cover the costs of damage to their properties - despite their own research showing that deposits have already soared by 25% since 2007. Ajay Jagota of sales and lettings firm KIS called the suggestion “a really great idea, assuming your plan is not having any tenants”. The AIIC reported that the average tenancy deposit now stands at £1198, up £304 from £894 in 2007.
The cheapest average deposits are found in Yorkshire and Humber, with new tenants having to fork out just £593. North Eastern deposits are second lowest at £603.
The AIIC warned deposits are often insufficient to cover the costs of problems common when tenants come to check out of tenancies, such as repairs to carpets, bathrooms and fixtures and fittings.
Research from the National Landlord Association this week revealed that just over a quarter of landlords (28%) have had their property damaged by tenants in the last 12 months.
Property expert Ajay Jagota, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the North East’s most innovative sales and lettings business KIS dismissed the recommendations.
The firm is famous for being the first letting agents in the UK to abolish deposits, replacing them with a one-of-a-kind landlord insurance policy offering deposit replacement guaranteed rent, legal assistance and round the clock third party emergency home repairs.
Ajay siaid: “The sad thing is, the AIIC’s analysis is pretty much on the money. A standard deposit will almost never meet the cost of any serious damage to your home or any legal fees you’ll ever incur as a landlord. You may as well not bother.
“Unfortunately, their recommendations are only a really good idea assuming your plan is not having any tenants.
“Figures from the Office of National Statistics recently showed that the cost of living is currently rising four times faster than wages. Other reports suggest wages will fall in real terms for at least the next three years.
“With deposits already up by a quarter over the last 7 years, even an extra £150 would mean deposits all but doubling in less than 10 years. With wages down 3% in the same period, all you’d be doing is pricing people out of properties.
“All you want as a landlord is to find and keep good tenants. So why make it harder? That’s why KIS abolished deposits altogether.“
KIS manage properties for landlords in every corner of the North East from branches across Tyne and Wear, and were named Letting Agent of the Year in the 2013 Landlord and Letting Awards. The firm expanded into residential sales in 2014.
A Whitley Bay man has returned to Royal Quays Outlet Centre to open a boutique, ten years after he started his working life with a Saturday job at one of the stores.
Sean Wood, 26, opened his first Unique Boutique in Whitley Bay and such has its success been that he has now opened a second store at the centre.
Ladies are in for a treat as the store offers chic fashion at affordable prices. As the name suggests it has a unique collection of Italian and French wear for ladies as well as beautifully designed scarves, elegant jewellery and a range of stylish handbags to choose from.
Sean has always had a passion for both business and retail, having studied a degree in business and marketing followed by a diploma in Finance and Accounting.
Sean, said: “Royal Quays proved to be the ideal location for me. I have fond memories of the centre having first worked here ten years ago when I had a Saturday job. It’s accessibility along with the strong footfall really drew me back.
“My background is very much a mixture of business, marketing and retail and I am determined that our second store here in Royal Quays will be just as popular. As an independent store we offer customers a variety of choice and a different offering to what you can find on the high street.
“It is a family venture as I work alongside my Mum, Carolyn Wood, who is also my business partner and has a vast amount of retail expertise under her belt. My girlfriend, Hannah Pattingale, also plays a part in the company working between both stores, as well as helping with marketing and events.“
Royal Quays Centre Manager, Judith Ramshaw, said: “As Newcastle’s only out of town shopping outlet, it is always great to welcome an independent store to the centre. We pride ourselves on our blend of both large and smaller stores all of which appeals to our customers.
“Unique Boutique has a fresh and vibrant feel and I would urge ladies to pop in and view the collection as they won’t be disappointed!
“As with all our stores, we are on-hand to support the team as they continue to settle into life at the centre.“
Royal Quays has 50 stores which employ around 300 staff, making it an important employment hub for the North Tyneside area.
It is home to a number of top brands offering up to 60% off RRP such as Marks & Spencer Outlet, Nike Factory Store, Gap Outlet, Collectables Outlet, Clarks, Next and Mountain Warehouse, along with a vast range of local, independent retailers specialising in areas such as sport, fashion, jewellery, music and electrical items.
As well as attracting famous brands, since it was opened in 1996, Royal Quays has achieved great success in assisting local retailers looking to get to the next stage of their development.
Packages include competitive and flexible rent agreements that can be linked to store performance as well as expert advice from the on-site management team on marketing, shop design, presentation and sales.
National recruitment and health service provider, Castlerock Recruitment Group (CRG), is on target to reach a record turnover of £26 million this year, as a result of the increased need for healthcare staff and healthcare services in the UK.
Currently handling contracts valued at over £20 million, the St Helens-based company has seen revenues jump by 37% in 2014.
Established in 2000, CRG currently employs 145 staff across the UK. Having diversified its market offering, it is now the parent company to 11 sub brands including: CRG Healthcare, CRG Homecare, CRG Defence and CRG Doctors.
CRG has filled more than 569,000 roles in the healthcare sector in the last 12 months. The recruitment firm specialises in supplying a variety of qualified healthcare professionals to NHS and private healthcare providers.
Ian Munro, CEO of CRG, said: “The shortage of experienced and qualified healthcare staff throughout the UK has significantly increased competition for top candidates in the sector.
“Following the recent appointment to several healthcare frameworks and continuing investment in our service infrastructure, CRG is well placed to help employers address this need and our successful growth is testament to the company’s solid reputation in the healthcare market.“
“It’s very easy to take a one-size-fits-all approach by using the same methods to recruit different staff, but this just isn’t possible in the healthcare sector. With a keen eye on care and compliance, we work hard to deliver the highest quality employees available, while ensuring each candidate is dealt with as an individual and their needs are managed throughout the recruitment process.“
.jpg)
