Administrator, Author at Small Business Insider

Saving global coastline: the role being played by UK companies

Posted on December 13, 2019 Written by Administrator

The reality of climate change can no long be ignored. Despite scientific research and the warnings given half-hearted initiatives mean that the world is in a perilous state. The past five years have been the hottest since records began. We’ve seen the increased frequency of extreme weather events and the visible effects of dumping tonnes of plastic into our environment. Because of this it is clear that we now need to act.

To help combat these changes, governments around the world have made a string of commitments to reduce carbon output, increase recycling and to find alternatives to single-use plastics. These commitments, however, are rarely kept.

This is leading to a level of panic, anxiety and fear for many people. However, there is cause for hope. Success stories are abundant if you know where to look: Campaign groups have effectively lobbied for legislation, already reducing single-use plastics, new technologies are making energy cleaner and companies are using their resources to help protect our coastlines.

Let me share some examples of UK companies are making a contribution to saving global coastlines and sea life…

Halting Coastal Erosion

A big issue, that often goes unreported, is the damaging effects of coastal erosion. Not only does it threaten communities who live and work on the coast, but it also affects the marine life that relies on these ecosystems.

Rising sea levels and increasingly severe weather events, such as Hurricane Dorian, threaten to submerge millions of kilometres of coastline around the world. There are island communities that may be lost forever within the next 30 years, and the UK will not fare well against these changing conditions.

Fortunately, there are quick, simple and cheap solutions. For example, Huesker’s SoilTain coastal protection tubes. These are long tubes, made from a semi-permeable fabric, that are positioned along the coast and filled with a sand-water slurry mix. The water drains back into the sea, leaving only the sand behind. Acting like a wall of sandbags, a common flood preparation, these tubes provide immediate but short-term protection from erosion by waves. They can also be placed further from the shore where they act as a breakwater to incoming waves and storms. Here some marine flora and fauna can begin to grow on the tube structures, allowing them to achieve balance with the environment they are introduced to.

Another UK company working to protect global coastlines is CCell. They grow artificial reefs over a number of years, on which corals can proliferate. By passing a safe, low-voltage current through the seawater, minerals (mostly calcium carbonate) are drawn in and create a “natural concrete” around a steel structure, while helping coral to grow 2-3x times faster. In nature, coral reefs protect vast swathes of coastline and provide a habitat for 25% of marine life. CCell’s approach uses renewable wave energy for power, with a focus on boosting the local economy around beachfront businesses through eco-tourism, coral restoration, and local manufacturing. All of this while providing near-nature coastal protection.

Getting Hotels Involved

Beachfront businesses are acutely aware of the risk of coastal damage and pollution. Not only does pollution put people off visiting their beach but coastal erosion may literally cut the ground from under their feet.

Fortunately, some hotels and other businesses are taking action. The Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall, one area most reliant on coastal tourism, has made some dramatic changes to its operations. They now use 100% renewable energy and filter their pool water with UV to minimise chlorine use and also organise beach clean-ups to remove plastic and other pollution from the beach.

Minimising the plastic that ends up polluting our oceans can be achieved by reducing the amount of plastic produced in the first place. This is the reasoning behind the monumental decision made by the Marriott and Intercontinental Hotel chains to reduce their use of single-use plastic bottles for their toiletry products. By switching to bulk dispensers, they have already prevented 170 tonnes of plastic from going to landfill and eventually ending up in our oceans.

Recycling Ocean Plastic

As well as coastal erosion and sea levels rising, the other indisputable issue affecting marine life is plastic. From the more apparent giant garbage patches in the Pacific Ocean to the discovery of microplastics, this form of pollution is everywhere we look.

Microplastics are caused by the degradation of plastic materials into smaller pieces. Small plastic fibres break off from things like fleece jackets and fishing nets, and are also found in the form of micro-beads that were added to cosmetics, such as exfoliators. These microplastics are particularly harmful to marine life as they are easily swallowed and can accumulate to toxic levels.

A number of charities have been set up to help remove some of this plastic from our oceans, with clean-up teams and autonomous technology having some impact. A number of UK companies are also helping to remove plastic by making it financially beneficial.

For example, Finisterre uses plastic recovered from the ocean and elsewhere to make their swimwear, using proceeds to support the charity Surfers Against Sewage, and raising awareness of microplastics through their fashion range. Another UK company, GANT, use only recycled ocean plastic in their clothing. Both provide a financial incentive to support ocean clean-up, help raise awareness, and allow customers to make ethical purchasing decisions.

Supporting charities/pressure groups

It is becoming increasingly easy, as a customer, to make environmentally conscious decisions. The improved availability of ocean-friendly options is due in part to consumers voting with their wallets, funding products and initiatives they genuinely believe in. However, on the other side of the coin, existing businesses are wondering what they can do to help. After all, if you don’t use plastics and aren’t based near the coast, these examples will be tough to follow.

However, there are other ways to support environmental protection and raise awareness. Ecotricity not only delivers renewable energy and gas to their customers, but they have also partnered with Sea Shepherd, the largest marine protection charity in the world. When a customer switches to Ecotricity, the company donates up to £60 to Sea Shepherd to help protect marine life and clean up plastic from the ocean.

Business owners can start by considering the marine protection charities or pressure groups they could support. Ideally, ones that share their values and ethos, as well as ones that makes a demonstrable difference.

On a business-wide scale, there are other ways to make an impact. Looking into how you can reduce, reuse and recycle is an excellent way to start. Is it possible to cut back on energy use and/or switch to a renewable supplier? Can the reuse of materials be encouraged, such as offering customers discounts when they return packaging? Perhaps investigate sourcing recycled ocean plastic for some products?

At times it can feel like our choices don’t have a tangible effect on the climate crisis, and its associated problems, from coastal erosion to plastic pollution. But we need to start thinking differently. Whether we are consumers, business owner or leaders in other type of organisations we have purchasing power. This can be used to demand environmental protection. Together we can create a network has to potential to make a huge difference

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Magda Nawrocka-Weekes is from CCell. She holds a degree in Biochemistry from Edinburgh and is passionate about sustainability and the power of the internet to effect change. CCell has developed fast-growing coral reefs that provide coastal protection, enhance marine ecosystems and promote tourism.

https://ccell.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/ccelluk/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ccelluk/

Tweets by CCellUK

References:

Climate change: Are you suffering from ‘eco-anxiety’? – BBC Three

The rise of eco-anxiety and how to come to terms with climate change | The Independent

https://www.huesker.co.uk/products/geosynthetics/container-tubes/soiltain-coastal-protection.html

https://www.watergatebay.co.uk/sustainability/

https://www.gant.co.uk/

https://finisterre.com/pages/microplastics

https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/about-ecotricity/our-partners/sea-shepherd

Christmas luxury gifts without the luxury price tag, for the entrepreneur in your life

Posted on December 13, 2019 Written by Administrator

Looking for a gift for a fellow entrepreneur? Perhaps they already have everything they ‘need’ – so a little luxury would be ideal for them to look the part, but you’d like to avoid the hefty price tag?

Here are some of my favourite gift ideas that ooze elegance and sophistication. I love them because they are both useful and beautiful; each item is made to last and looks fabulous.

Angel Infantes

Corwin. Black/Navy Leather.

£175

These stylish black leather and navy blue brogues dress up any casual look and add a distinct addition to every wardrobe. Featuring a calf leather upper with five eyelets on a white sole with a transparent air pocket, they are both comfortable and durable, and can be combined with a pair of jeans and a blazer. Angel Infantes is a cool Spanish brand with their own unique style. They combine colours and contrasts set on top of a cool sole. An awesome pair of sharp brogues are a great gift for guys that enjoy fine footwear and want an alternative to smart shoes or more sporty styles.

Inicio

CORWIN

Hardgraft

Iphone Card Cash Wallet. Dusty Black.

€150 (approximately £130)

This is an all-in-one cool and practical phone case and wallet. Hardgraft comes in brown or black leather from Tuscany combined with soft wool felt finish inside the phone case. This makes the phone easy to remove (unlike many other hard cases) and answer calls on the go. There are three or four credit card slots depending on the model of your iPhone and a long insert for cash as well as a charging slot at the base of the phone case. This luxury wallet ages gracefully and maintains a timeless look – so it will last and last. The iPhone Card Cash Wallet makes a great gift and as most of us spend a lot of time on the phone, it will be well used for sure.

www.hardgraft.com

iPhone Cash Card Wallet . Dusty Black

CuleM

Portal GMT Watch. Black Edition.

€1,499 (approximately £1,325)

Meet the perfect 21st century Swiss made travel watch with dual time functionality. CuleM’s Portal GMT – Black Edition watch is housed in a round black case, the black and bronze sunray dial showcases a contemporary world map in three dimensions. On the back of the watch, an open caseback exhibits the self-winding movement and an engraving of 24 destinations displaying the world time zones. The watch comes with two Italian leather straps, an elegant travel watch trunk box and watch passport. When it comes to exquisite watches, meaningful and rare timepieces like CuleM are the ultimate gift.

www.culemwatches.com

https://www.culemwatches.com/the-portal-black

Creed

Aventus Cologne

£155

I love this cologne. It’s a different and it’s refreshing – and it lasts all day long. Creed’s Aventus Cologne is a blend of citrus, ginger and slightly peppery tones. With a long history of creating perfumes for royalty and the elite, every perfume in the Creed collection takes on a different personality and makes you feel distinctly unique – a million miles away from the mainstream. Creed’s Aventus cologne is also beautifully presented and will make a wonderful gift for someone who likes to start their day with energy and panache.

www.creedfragrances.co.uk

https://www.creedfragrances.co.uk/mens-fragrances/aventus-cologne#selection.size=50ml

Away

The Carry-On. Asphalt.

£225. (€245)

This is a practical and cool carry-on suitcase with ejectable battery for charging your devices on the go. Away has reinvented the common carry-on with a limited warranty to last a lifetime – similar to a Swiss made watch. Each suitcase is made of a durable polycarbonate shell with 360 degree spinner wheels, laundry bag and compression system. My personal favourite is the asphalt grey. For essential space saving after a trip, smaller suitcase can fit neatly inside larger suitcases in the range. Unlike other luggage brands, Away oozes travel and is a nice gift that may inspire someone to travel that little bit more.

www.awaytravel.com

https://www.awaytravel.com/eu/en/suitcases/carry-on/asphalt

Le Gramme

Ribbon Bracelet. Le 15 Grammes.

£265 (€310)

Complementing a stainless steel or black PVD watch, a stylish silver cuff will add a unique touch to any outfit. French brand, Le Gramme’s 15 gram polished silver Ribbon bracelet is both minimalist and elegant. At 15 grams, the width of the cuff is perfect for everyone and tailor-made according to the size of your wrist. Different widths and other materials such as red gold and brushed black silver are also available. Over time a Le Gramme cuff will slightly change colour resulting in a unique patina according to its owner DNA. Every cuff can be personalised with an engraving making them more meaningful and a treasured gift.

www.legramme.com

https://legramme.com/en/products/slick-polished-925-sterling-silver/ribbon-bracelet-le-15-grammes

If you really want to show someone you care, then any of these luxurious items will make the message clear!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Cule is a watch collector and founder of CuleM Watches, an independent watch company. CuleM GMT dual time, Swiss-made watches are designed for people who love to travel. CuleM believes there is nothing more meaningful and amazing than travel – and no object more special than a watch, so each watch is a masterpiece, a work of art and the perfect travel companion.

Web: www.culemwatches.com

Instagram: @culemwatches

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Culem-Watches-509036822900736/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/culemwatches/

Achieving world-class healthcare in Africa: the contribution of UK business

Posted on December 12, 2019 Written by Administrator

Across Africa low government spending on health has led to familiar tales of poor infrastructure and medical facilities, delayed treatments, misdiagnosed conditions and mismanagement, leading to a growing number of preventable deaths.

Growing up in Nigeria, I saw the serious implications of the health crisis firsthand. Patients usually have to travel long distances and wait several days for often mediocre healthcare, which can cost a family’s entire budget. My mother had a decade-long battle with accessing care. Today she still suffers from the effects of misdiagnosed conditions and poorly administered procedures.

Africa faces a disease burden that is unmatched globally, with 25% of the world’s disease cases occurring in the continent. And some diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are projected to rise significantly.

However, UK companies are helping to improve several different healthcare sectors in Africa, which is leading to a reduction in the rate of morbidity and mortality. The World Bank is asking the private sector to improve services and help save lives by introducing first-class healthcare into Africa, which is giving UK, and other international businesses a huge opportunity to scale internationally and bolster African healthcare.

UK companies are taking action and making a difference to the African healthcare. Let’s look at the issues they are tackling in more detail

Pharmaceutical Industry

Africa’s pharmaceutical industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, increasing from US$4.7 billion in 2003 to US$20.8 billion in 2013. The demand for over-the-counter medicines, medical devices and prescription medications is projected to grow between 6% and 11% over the next five years.

In spite of the growth forecast, the industry faces several challenges that will stifle its growth.

1.Counterfeit medication
A recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that 1-in-10 (10%) medications in circulation in Africa is substandard. This means people are being treated with medications that fail to treat or prevent a disease. This is causing serious illness and even death. It is estimated that fake anti-malarials, for example, contribute to 116,000 additional deaths a year from malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.

2.Staff shortages
There is lack of experts to conduct clinical research and develop novel medicines to tackle the growing disease burden on the continent. A contributory factor is the enormous brain drain of specialists to developed economies, leaving behind an industry overloaded with newly qualified professionals with little or no clinical research experience.

3.Regulation
The regulation of Africa’s pharmaceutical marketplace and development of new medicines is far from standardised. This means the industry’s fragmented supply chain is rife with substandard drugs.

UK pharmaceutical companies are expanding their operations to Africa, to help deal with some of the aforementioned problems and also combat a range of infectious and non-communicable diseases plaguing the continent.
One of such is Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd is an award-winning innovator and manufacturer of high-quality generic and branded medicines, as well as healthcare products, to the UK and international export markets.

It has set-up local manufacturing facilities in Africa to ensure the supply of cost-effective quality medicines is improved and maintained to hospitals and pharmacies.

Diagnostics Sector

Diagnostics services, either through pathology in laboratories, or imaging like scanning, ultrasound and radiology, play a vital role in spotting health problems and informing medical interventions. They are also critical in identifying changing disease patterns that come about from changes in lifestyle, migration and population growth. These patterns often result in viral, bacterial and parasitic infections emerging in countries where they were rarely seen before.

Early diagnosis can increase the chances of a positive outcome, helping to improve the lives of patients and save costs of further treatment. Additionally, diagnostics also play a vital role in patients’ ongoing care programs.

In sub-Saharan Africa, around 12 million people die every year and, for the majority of individuals, the causes of death are largely un-investigated. These un-investigated deaths are generally attributed to infectious diseases, most commonly HIV infection, malaria, and tuberculosis, but, in the absence of laboratory confirmation, the accuracy of these estimates remains uncertain.

Laboratories lack cutting-edge equipment and expertise. As a result, they cannot keep up with diagnostic demands and fall short of accurate diagnosis and early treatment. Access to reliable diagnostic testing is severely limited in the continent, and misdiagnosis is common.

In Nigeria, the accuracy of clinical diagnoses of typhoid fever, when compared with laboratory culture confirmation, was around 50%, and the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was overlooked in 24% of Kenyan children when a clinical syndromic approach was applied alone. The presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis can also be nonspecific. One study found evidence of tuberculosis infection in only 52% of 229 patients with suspected tuberculosis in Botswana.

In many cases in sub-Saharan Africa, it appears that diagnosis based on clinical symptoms alone, without the support of basic diagnostic tests, is the rule rather than the exception and leads to inappropriate treatment, increased morbidity, and unnecessary loss of life.

A UK business blazing the trail in diagnostics is Randox.

A global leader within the in-vitro diagnostics industry, Randox Laboratories develops diagnostic solutions for hospitals, clinical, research and molecular labs, food testing, forensic toxicology, veterinary labs and life sciences. They have a laboratory in Africa and help doctors get accurate diagnoses for their patients.

Primary Healthcare
Access to quality healthcare in Africa is a major problem; a recent study by Gallop concluded that 57% of the population have poor or no access to patient-first, quality care.

People in sub-Saharan Africa have the worst health, on average, in the world. With less than 1% of global health expenditure and only 3% of the world’s health workers.

Africa accounts for almost half the world’s deaths of children under five, has the highest maternal mortality rate, and bears a heavy toll from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

The region lacks the infrastructure to provide basic health care to many of its people and the absence of preventive and primary care significantly contributes to the problem.

Horrifying accounts of deferred treatments, in-accurate diagnosis of patients conditions, and wrongly administered surgeries has led to patients losing confidence in the healthcare system and seeking advanced health care solution abroad.

The outbound African medical tourism market is experiencing exponential growth with over 650,00 patients going abroad for treatment in 2015; generating a market value of $3.8bn.

A UK company that aims to make a difference in the primary health care delivery system is Medics2You.

Medics2You gives patients control of their health by providing immediate access to world-class doctors and specialist, via a smart device, anytime, anywhere, to deliver quality patient-centred care with measurable outcomes.

They are pioneering the delivery of a hybrid telehealth care service by setting up local tech-enabled hubs; an extension of their mobile platform, to provide consultations, investigations and pharmacy services.

The World Bank is challenging the private sector step up and help save lives. UK companies are using their expertise and technical knowhow to find innovative way to make a difference, reduce the healthcare crisis and provide the improved health that Africans need.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Henry Etukumoh is the founder of Medics2You, a ‘tech for good’ business that aims to transform the way African patients access cutting-edge primary care, save lives, and improve the life expectancy of millions.

Having grown-up in Nigeria, Etukumoh has personally witnesses the serious implications of inadequate healthcare.

Medics2You uses a hybrid telehealth platform to connect patients in Africa with world class doctors and specialists, deliver medication to patient’s doors, and provide referrals to local and international accredited specialists and hospitals.

Web: www.medics2you.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/medics2you/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/medics2you

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/medics2you/

Crowdcube: https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/medics2you-limited/pitches/qYW1EZ

References

https://qz.com/africa/550417/africans-need-to-make-their-mark-in-the-pharmaceutical-industry-boom/

https://www.escardio.org/Journals/E-Journal-of-Cardiology-Practice/Volume-15/Non-communicable-diseases-a-growing-threat-to-global-health .

https://www.escardio.org/Journals/E-Journal-of-Cardiology-Practice/Volume-15/Non-communicable-diseases-a-growing-threat-to-global-health

https://morningsidepharm.com/ .

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-11-2017-1-in-10-medical-products-in-developing-countries-is-substandard-or-falsified

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/42/3/377/378561

https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2018/07/the-healthcare-diagnostics-value-game.pdf

https://theconversation.com/how-africas-poor-laboratory-services-are-hampering-disease-control-60936

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Why we’ll soon no longer need CVs for tech recruitment

Posted on December 12, 2019 Written by Administrator

For every job opening, there are up to 250 applications. Yet, despite this employers are experiencing a shortage of talent, with 72% saying they struggle to find skilled candidates for their open positions. Since the average cost per hire is around £3,000, employers should be getting suitably skilled applicants.

So, what is going wrong? Is there simply a lack of skilled applicants or is something wrong with the recruitment process itself?

Currently, recruitment agencies are more incentivised by speed than quality. If they can fill a position quickly, they can collect their fee and move on. However, this often leads to agencies putting short lead times on job adverts and only forwarding on relevant applications within the first batch, potentially missing out on far better candidates.

Using job boards to recruit talent comes with its own problems, with 23% of employers saying they get too many unqualified junk applications through job boards. Perhaps all these junk applications are the reason recruiters only spend an average of six seconds to scan a CV ‒ hardly enough time to properly assess the candidate’s skills and suitability.

To help improve the process, many job boards and recruitment agencies use automated keyword filtering to quickly narrow down relevant CVs. Those who use a lot of industry keywords have around a 30% better chance of being hired. Yet, this process is almost definitely filtering out some highly-suitable, yet keyword sparse, CVs.

Challenges in tech recruitment

In the world of tech recruitment, things get even more difficult. Projects often require a particular blend of skills and experience that is hard to assess via a CV. Qualified programmers also tend to be much better at writing code than writing a CV ‒ they often struggle to really sell themselves.

As a result, those who can write a good CV using all the right keywords tend to get invited to interview while everyone else is consigned to the bin. But, are CVs really a good measure of technical skills? In my experience…no.

People can essentially write whatever they want on their CV knowing that recruiters are unlikely to complete thorough checks. Many organisations only check references once they are ready to offer the position and any other checks are usually very high level.

As such, experience or achievements may not be entirely accurate and CVs become sales tools favouring applicants competent at selling themselves, rather than those producing accurate and comparable summaries of skills.

Additionally, CVs are often judged based on interpretation and multiple biases, such as the quality of their written English. If you are hiring a copywriter, written English is important. If you are hiring for a technical role, it’s far less important.

Many great programmers come from abroad or, for remote working organisations, perhaps even still reside there. As such, their written English can be poor, shutting them out of roles for which they are highly-suited.

Even when the CV is written well and lists suitable skills and experience, it’s still very hard to assess the actual skill level of applicants. CVs show where the candidate worked, for how long, and on what projects, but not whether the applicant had a lot of support or whether they’ve since allowed their technical skills to go rusty. It’s all drawn out by inference rather than verifiable data.

Current solutions to tech recruitment challenges

Aware of some of these issues, tech recruiters sometimes add technical interviews or even technical challenges for applicants to complete. These technical assessments help to pin down applicants’ actual skill levels in the specific tech stack they will be working with, giving a much more accurate picture of the applicants’ suitability.

Technical interviews are relatively resource-light to conduct, yet they still require a technologist to design and deliver the interview, taking time away from the project delivery.

Technical challenges are a more accurate test of skills but are also more expensive and time-consuming. It’s often down to the tech lead to design and develop the challenge, sometimes requiring expensive specialist tools or technology, and takes resources away from the project delivery team.

And while these technical additions to the recruitment process help accurately assess applicants’ skills, they still rely on the CVs sent on by recruitment agencies and therefore still suffer from automated filtering and agency bias.

How to improve tech recruitment by ditching CVs

The tech recruitment process would be greatly improved if we could just ditch the CV altogether and focused on accurately assessing technical skills. After all, it’s the technical skills that are important, not the candidate’s ability to write a keyword-stuffed, sales-y CV in good English.

The ideal skills test would be conducted by a third-party, reducing the expense and resource drain of running in-house while taking the pressure off your Tech Lead. It would also be customised to the employer’s tech stack and project requirements.

If you need someone well-versed in the MEAN stack, you should test them on a combination of MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js challenges. Yet, another web application may require someone experienced using the LAMP stack. Simply inviting someone for interview based on their “web application development experience” won’t distinguish between these two very different skill sets and may lead to hiring the wrong person for the role.

Besides assessing based on skills rather than CVs, these tech challenges can also be run at the very top of the recruitment funnel, quickly and accurately filtering applicants down based on their skills. For employers who allow remote working, this can also help attract top talent from around the world, rather than the best of whoever lives locally, giving a much richer pool of talent to choose from!

Improving the process for applicants

Having a clear expectation of the requirements is also useful for candidates. No one wants to spend time applying for a job, chasing recruiters, and going for an interview only to find out that the job didn’t match their expectations. And no one wants to feel out of their depth in a technical role.

Unfortunately, 61% of employees feel that the realities of their new job are different from their expectations which were set during the application and interview process. For technical roles, this can lead to unhappy team members who are constantly anxious about making mistakes and need a lot of hand-holding, slowing down project delivery.

Technical challenges right at the start of the application process make obvious what the job will entail and what skills are required, leading applicants to self-filter based on their skills. If they pass the challenge then they will feel more confident in their suitability for the role and their chances of getting the job, leading to more confident candidates at interview.

Additionally, the interview itself can be used much more productively if both the employer and candidate know what technologies the project will involve. Rather than asking questions to assess skills, the interview can focus on assessing the candidate’s ‘fit’ into the company culture and their ‘soft skills’, safe in the knowledge that all interviewees have the required blend of skills.

Despite the issues with recruitment, I believe technology will take us in the right direction and improve the situation radically. With new technical assessments, the application process will be fairer for candidates and easier for employers to choose the best person for the job. That will create a great fit of candidate to role and lead to happier and more productive employees.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gurvinder Singh is the co-founder of TechRank. TechRank sources, expertly tests and objectively ranks tech talent helping companies hire the best, and most capable person for the job. By testing candidates for the level of skill the position requires, businesses can make an objective decision about the person they hire to fill a vacant tech role.

Web: www.techrank.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techrank/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techrank.io/

Gurvinder’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurvinder-singh/

Citations:

https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/employers/resources/top-35-facts-for-uk-recruiters/

https://www.addingtonball.com/blog/2019/05/The%20latest%20statistics%20on%20recruiting%20in%20the%20UK

https://www.criterion.co.uk/about-us/criterionblog/16-key-recruitment-stats-and-trends-for-2019

https://www.mrinetwork.com/media/304094/2017hiringsentimentstudy.pdf

https://resumelab.com/job-search/hr-statistics?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-NCdssX25QIVSbDtCh10vgfWEAAYASAAEgJuoPD_BwE

https://zety.com/blog/hr-statistics

How can music venues increase revenues and stay open?

Posted on December 4, 2019 Written by Administrator

It’s not exactly news that key and iconic music venues are closing across the country. We’ve already seen the loss of the London Astoria, the Manchester Roadhouse, the Harley in Sheffield, Bristol’s Bierkeller, Edinburgh’s Picture House and The Arches in Glasgow, among many more.

Such closures have come about for a variety of reasons. Increases in local rents and business rates make it difficult for owners to make ends meet and poor economic conditions mean that music fans have less money to spend on gig tickets and drinks at live music venues. This means there’s less and less cash to cover staff and equipment costs, insurance and other outgoings.

Noise complaints are another huge problem. Though many venues have been in place for decades, newly built accommodation has seen residents make repeated noise complaints about live music. Bizarrely, the soundproofing onus is often on the owners of existing venues, rather than developers of new accommodation.

Despite this multitude of difficulties, live music is the fastest growing sector in the £4.5bn music industry. PRS For Music found that venues are three times more likely to go bust without live shows, and gig-goers spend 70 per cent more at the bar than other customers.

So, what can venues do to help bring in more people, and increase their overall revenues?

Venue Branding

Venues often become iconic and famous even beyond their own cities by having a unique vibe that’s palpable throughout. Such venues are shaped largely by the clientele and know exactly they’re catering too. Sometimes this is defined by a specific music genre, like punk, metal or blues.

Those able to own a persona, such as being known as the blues club of that area, for instance, have a huge advantage. Consistency is key. A punk venue should get rid of the tables when a band’s playing, spray some graffiti, or have staff dress the part with denim and leather.

Other venues find their strength by wearing many hats. So, they might do blues on a Tuesday, rock on a Wednesday, pop on a Thursday etc. This way, they’re able to attract a diverse set of music fans, albeit a smaller number from each scene.

Social Media

As 88 per cent of people are influenced by reviews and online comments, having a strong digital strategy is important. Promoters still flyer and stick up posters, but social media is the way most music venues find out who’s playing, and where.

Make sure your venue regularly posts about your nights and helps to promote the bands playing, as well as any promotions. You can use social programming tools like Hootsuite to schedule posts across all networks and make sure you’ve constantly got posts going out.

It also pays to make sure the gigs you’re hosting appear on as many sites as possible, such as Bands in Town, Gigs and Tours, The List, etc. You should also do your research to find out who the most influential bloggers, promoters and social influencers in your area and connect with them. They may well be your greatest allies.

Venue Programming

Venue Programming services can help you build consistency in the gigs you’re offering, ensure a good turnout, and plan well in advance, which will also give you time to properly promote shows.

For example, Gigride – a marketplace for musicians, DJs, venues, and promoters – acts like an Airbnb for gigs. It also helps venues find bands, promote gigs and shows how many people a band is likely to attract.

Other services like Nextbigsound, Chartmetric and Soundchart can help you analyse the online engagement generated by a band or performer.

So, by using technology, venues can more easily gauge how many fans a band is likely to attract, and online hype they’re able to generate, which will help them maximise ticket and drink sales.

Get Creative

It’s not all about technology however. There are some old tried and tested methods worth adopting too. Venues can get creative by including promotions such as a free drink with each ticket (co-promotions with drinks brands can assist). You can offer free entry to shows for bloggers and music fans able to bring in a crowd or offer commission to local bands that can fill up a guest list.

You can even think about selling or giving away your own merch, such as t-shirts, tote bags, and badges to regulars to help you get your name out there. Membership is another option that could offer regulars free or discounted entry, a free drink or another reward for their loyalty.

It’s also worth compiling compilation CDs featuring local bands that frequent your venue, with their permission, of course!

There were more than 480,000 independent gig performances last year alone in the UK, held in 130,000 venues, all of which brought 9.5m visits. So, there’s still a huge market for live music.

While music venues have undoubtedly taken a few hits in recent years, I believe that live music can save them from closure. This will in-turn help to safeguard the UK’s music culture, give bands the opportunity to share their tunes, and help them find national and international success – which also reflects well on venues themselves.

With the right environments in our music venues, we’ll be able to enjoy a wide range of live music in the coming years. Let’s get busy!

About the Author

Marco Santesso is co-founder and CEO of Gigride – the Airbnb of gigs – which he set up after years of struggling to book tours for his band.

Gigride is a marketplace which brings musicians, DJs, venues, and promoters together to organise gigs. It also allows promoters and venues to find out how many fans a band is likely to attract to their gigs.

Web: https://gigride.live/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gigride/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gigride_live

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gigride/

Crowdcube: https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/gigride/pitches/bXRvBl

Citations

https://www.pwc.com/outlook

UK Music Measuring Music 2018, Wish You Were Here 2017, The UK Live Music Census 2017 report and PRS for music reports: https://pplprs.co.uk/

https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Files/Guides/Playing-Live/MU-Live-Music-Kit

Ernst&Young Italia Creativa report, e https://www.statista.com/statistics/491884/live-music-revenue-usa/

http://eventbrite-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/marketing/Millennials_Research/Gen_PR_Final.pdf https://www.home.barclaycard/media-centre/press-releases/Experience-economy-grows-as-consumers-seek-out-memories-in-favour-of-material-possessions.html

https://www.mia.org.uk/2018/11/grass-roots-music-venues-the-data/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/555767/adults-playing-musical-instruments-uk-england/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/310723/total-number-of-pubs-in-the-united-kingdom/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/629796/casual-dining-brands-by-number-of-units-united-kingdom-uk/

http://www.hotel-industry.co.uk/data/hotel-data-industry-size/ Melvin Gold Consulting Ltd

The 100 Largest UK Membership Bodies (INFLUENCE 100 LIST)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33713015/uk-nightclubs-closing-at-alarming-rate-industry-figures-suggest

https://www.duffandphelps.com/insights/publications/valuation-insights/valuation-insights-second-quarter-2018/european-industry-market-multiples

Saving money using a filtered water system

Posted on December 3, 2019 Written by Administrator

Whether you run a bar, restaurant or any other form of outlet serving drinks, you are probably very keen to manage your costs.

A filtered water system might help you to do so.

Consumer demand

For many outlets, the provision of water can be something of a challenge.

That’s because there are many conflicting consumer demands:

increasing numbers are requesting water either with other drinks or as an accompaniment to food;

however, if it is plain water, many are reluctant to pay for it or wish to pay only a very modest price;

yet the same consumers will expect their water to be crystal clear and entirely free of odours. They will also demand that it tastes great as well;

if all that isn’t complicated enough, those very same consumers might also object to seeing household-brand bottled waters served, for both cost and environmental concerns.

If all those requirements appear to be irreconcilable, think again because a filtered water system might allow you to deliver against all of them.

Why bottled water costs money

The reasons for this might appear obvious, but it’s worth briefly revisiting them.

The producers concerned have to extract the water, process it, package it and then deliver it to you. Many are significant industrial concerns and obviously, require substantial profits to service the demands of their shareholders.

All of this adds cost and potentially controversy when you seek to recover it from your customers.

How filtered water systems work

Economically, these offer a considerable advantage over conventional bottled supplies.

That’s essentially because they take water from the public supply, filter it and deliver it in a form that is at least comparable with bottled brands bought-in. Given you will have eliminated all of the processing and big corporate issues associated with buying water, the immediate cost benefits should be clear.

Filtered water systems can even deliver sparkling water.

Why this gives you freedom of choice

Of course, in-house filtered water systems do indeed involve cost.

The units, whether stylishly chic and sitting above the counter or discreetly hidden away underneath it, will need to be funded some way or another. However, the cost per litre is likely to be substantially lower to you than that associated with buying in supplies.

This gives you the ultimate degree of freedom of choice, as to whether to charge for water separately or offer it free and recover the typically very modest costs through other elements of your pricing. It allows your customers to ask for water without suspiciously needing to consult the price beforehand.

Some establishments choose to offer the water produced by filtered water systems free of charge if flat or for a modest cost if fizzy. These solutions are likely to be extremely well received by most of your customers.

Don’t forget the hidden environmental costs

The environmental impact of plastic bottles and the carbon footprint associated with producing and delivering them is now well known.

It has become an increasingly controversial issue for many potential customers, and filtered water systems offer you the opportunity to display your green credentials by opting out of that cycle.

Summary

One way or another, filtered water systems should offer you the opportunity to both save money and enhance your standing with your customers.

Why not find out more sooner rather than later?

Tips for making a product worthy of a Great Taste Award

Posted on November 29, 2019 Written by Administrator

Entering the Great Taste Awards is quite a process. Your food product will be blind-tasted and judged by some of the most demanding food critics, restaurateurs, chefs, cooks, and producers, as well as food writers and journalists.

After this intense process customers who see the distinctive black and gold Great Taste label will know that they can expect a wonderful tasting product. One star is given for products that deliver fantastic flavour, while two stars are reserved for those that are above and beyond delicious.

In just over 18 months, Roqberry has won an incredible 20 Great Taste Awards for our speciality tea, so I’ve learned something about what will impress judges. Let me share some key points with you here:

Create big, bold flavours

When we launched Roqberry, we were foodies wanting to ‘blend the rules’ around what tea is, what it could be, and when it could be drunk. We wanted tea to complement our food, which is a bit unusual, especially in the UK.

This required bold flavours so that the tea could hold its own when paired with rich foods and not be reliant on milk which softens the flavour. For example, our Sushi & Spice and Raspberry Fondant both won two stars.

So, my advice is to not be afraid of flavour. Don’t settle for making something tasty yet boring if you could make something delicious and outstanding.

Trust your own palate

I am often asked, how I know when a new flavour is award-winning. The truth is, I don’t. We create tea blends that we like and work from there. Which brings me to my next tip: trust your own palate!

By creating something that you love, there’s an excellent chance you’ll be creating something someone else will love too! The important criterion to focus on is the flavour. A tea could look good and smell good, we may have even thought up the perfect name for it, but, if it didn’t deliver flavour, it was dismissed.

I recommend that you give yourself a set amount of time to allow your creative juices to flow. Play around with ideas, take inspiration from a number of sources, and don’t be downhearted if it doesn’t taste great on your first try. Some of the best flavours we’ve created have been the result of a number of iterations ‒ we keep working until it tastes just right…to us. Then we get feedback from our customers.

Be prepared to make tough decisions

Of course, the balance to the point above is that you also need to cut any flavours that don’t prove popular with your customers. They are your ultimate tastemakers.

Just because you created flavours with love and care doesn’t mean you should keep them in your range. We use events and tradeshows to test our new flavours on our customers. People vote with their wallet and if we sell out of a product by sampling it, we know we are on to a winner.

We will discontinue the least popular product, even if it is one of our personal favourites. This helps continuously raise the standard of our teas, ensuring every of them meets the standard for great taste.

Push to create something outstanding

One more point on flavour (after all, it’s the most important thing) ‒ you must push the boundaries if you want to create a truly outstanding product.

It’s far better for some customers to absolutely LOVE a product and for others not to care for it than to create something mediocre. And truly unique products will never satisfy everyone’s preferences. At least if you have a unique product that some customers love then you have a captive audience for that range. Other customers will prefer other unique flavours, so it’ll all work out in the end and customers will have a wide range of products to explore!

Use the best quality ingredients

When managing a food or beverage company, there are lots of strategic and commercial decisions you will need to make. One thing you should never compromise, however, is the quality of your ingredients.

Even if you have a delicious recipe, using cheap ingredients will compromise the flavour and overall quality of the product. Eating and drinking is about the entire experience ‒ cheapening the ingredients cheapens the experience. Cheap experiences do not win Great Taste Awards.

For example, for the tea bags themselves, we opted for natural materials over the plastic teabags used by cheaper brands. Not only did this decision help preserve the flavour of the tea, but it also helped get Roqberry noticed by the mainstream press.

My advice: if you have an option, always go for the higher quality ingredients. Customers will prefer it and the Great Taste judges, with their impeccable palate, will certainly appreciate it.

By making something with care and attention you’ll create products that you and other people will love. Test what you create on your customers, refining as you go, and be brave enough to drop what isn’t working. By taking this approach you’ll develop a wide range of great-tasting products. That’s great for your business and put you in a strong position to impress the judges of the Great Taste Awards when they get to taste your product.

About the Author

Kim is the founder and Managing Director of Roqberry. Kim spent 15 years at GE working across a variety of industries and holding senior leadership roles in Commercial Operations and Strategy. She also holds a Masters in Business Administration and in International Management (RSM/ESADE). Kim runs the day-to-day operations of Roqberry and has also qualified as a tea sommelier.

https://www.roqberry.com/

http://instagram.com/RoqberryTea

https://www.facebook.com/RoqberryTea/

Tweets by RoqberryTea

https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/roqberry/pitches/bj2vQb

Five easy apps to help your business save money

Posted on November 21, 2019 Written by Administrator

Whether you’re looking to cut the cost of that lunch out or make some savings on your office electricity bill, as a business owner you’re probably always on the lookout for neat ways to save some money.

Available to everyone, these apps and services are great for business owners and employees alike. So, when you’re planning the next team outing or feeling the burn of the bills, then reach for your phone to help your money stretch further.

Yroo

Yroo is a price comparison app which tracks prices over time. In order to help you know the best time to buy it sends you an alert when a price drops. The app can search over 5,000 stores to show you the most competitive price on products, particularly handy when you’re looking for new office furniture or the latest tech gadgets.

The app also has scanning functionality allowing users to check price comparisons instantly on-the-go so you know if you’re getting the best deal. Free to use and regularly updated this app is a great tool for any business owner.

Take a look here: https://yroo.com/

Honey

Honey is a Chrome browser extension which will automatically find and apply discounts codes to checkouts for you. Not an app, but perfect for business owners, this tool won’t take any extra time for you to make use of.

With over 10 million members, Honey is completely free to use and takes minimal time to set up. You can enjoy discounts at lots of large brands when buying office supplies at sites such as Amazon, Target and Best Buy.

Discover more: https://www.joinhoney.com/

LoyalFree

If you’re looking for something more personalised to your local area then the LoyalFree app can help you ‘Save money when you shop local’ in 14 towns and cities across England. Boasting thousands of deals, the app also supports many independent businesses as well as the larger names.

So, whether you want to find a great spot for after work networking, save some money whilst out holding a meeting, or stock up on some business supplies – this app can help you do all of those things. Handily, you can find a wide variety of services on the LoyalFree app, meaning savings are available at local cafes, accountants, stationery suppliers, etc.

The app is also great to share with employees who may not know the local area as they can explore their surroundings through the interactive trails on the app, such as enjoying a ‘Cocktail Trail’ or a ‘Vegan Eats’ tour of the area.

Download the app here: www.loyalfree.co.uk/download

uSwitch

This app will let you compare energy, broadband and mobile deals so you can see if you are getting the best tariff for your business and your team. Switching tariffs is done in the app and only takes a matter of minutes to complete.

The app has handy functionality which will remind you to switch each year so you never miss out on the latest and best deals. uSwitch is also a Feefo 2018 Gold Trusted Service award winner and boasts many top app store ratings and reviews.

About the Author

Sophie Hainsworth is co-founder of LoyalFree, a multi-award winning innovative mobile phone app which helps connect people to special offers in their area. The app combines this with local digital loyalty schemes, tourism information, tours & trails and events. Users benefit by using one app across the UK – so they can tap into the local area wherever they are.

Website: www.loyalfree.co.uk

App download link: www.loyalfree.co.uk/download

Twitter: @loyalfreeapp – https://twitter.com/loyalfreeapp

Facebook: @loyalfreeapp – https://www.facebook.com/LoyalFreeApp/

Instagram: @loyalfreeapp – https://www.instagram.com/loyalfreeapp/