Welcome to Suffolk Director Magazine

By Hannah Maxwell, Birkett Long HR
Social media is prominent in today’s technological world. Whether it’s used personally, for business, or both, social media and messaging services such as WhatsApp are rarely far from our fingertips.

Monday 30th March 2020, University of Suffolk Campus, Ipswich

Putting you and your employees’ mental health at the centre of your business can transform your culture and achieve that elusive goal of becoming a truly empowered company of our times.

By Pat Lewis, Source One Consulting

In business the word RESPONSIBILITY can take many forms and cover many aspects.
In the world of office refurbishments and fit outs this can be multi-faceted. It’s not always best for the clients, or the environment, to completely strip out their premises and then refit new products. We view our responsibility as giving the best advice and delivering best practice.

By Malcolm McGready, Ensors Chartered Accountants

Earlier this week I met with one of my clients who operates in the travel and tourism sector. Their business had, unsurprisingly, been adversely affected by Thomas Cook going into administration.

Health and safety matters and it’s your responsibility!
In November last year, a brand-new innovation and business hub arrived in Stowmarket. Supported by Mid Suffolk District Council, Tech East and the New Anglia LEP, Innovation Labs offers co-working space, with the aim of fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, business growth and development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence.

By David Collins, Pound Gates Chartered Insurance Brokers

From fires to floods, storms to gale-force winds, disaster can strike anytime, anywhere, and often with little to no advance warning. Many businesses that are forced to suspend operations due to a natural or human-caused disaster never reopen their doors.

By Carole Burman, MAD-HR

We all know that responsibility comes in many forms for today’s business leader. From legal obligations to health and safety necessities, there’s so many requirements upon the shoulders of the ambitious and determined entrepreneur.

By Matt High, BizClik Media
“People are your greatest asset”. A well-worn phrase that, in all likelihood, has been repeated so many times in offices and boardrooms up and down the country that most of its well-intended meaning has disappeared. It’s something of a cliché, sure, but it’s also a far too simple way of describing what you as a director, a leader and an employer have at your disposal, and the responsibility that places on you.

Business Case Study
For businesses operating in today’s construction sector, a strong emphasis is placed on collaborative working and involving all parties from the earliest stage of a project. And, developing a supportive supply chain where knowledge and experience is shared is seen as crucial to the successful delivery of a finished scheme.

By Beverley Gedge, Compass Point Recruitment

With an increasing demand on businesses to prove that workers are being employed responsibly, it falls to recruiters to ensure that employment procedures are carried out in an ethical manner; protecting the rights of all staff and safeguarding the livelihoods of employees across all sectors.

Maintaining that work life balance
By Jane Cattermole, Bay Tree VA

As a remote-working company, Bay Tree VAs work from their own offices. We manage our own workloads with clients and setting boundaries can be tricky when there are so many calls on our attention, from checking e-mails, social media, texts, WhatsApp, Slack, the list goes on.

By Kerri-Ann Hockley, PolicyBee
“With great power comes great responsibility” said Voltaire, and as a director these are words worth remembering.

Developing young people and supporting local charities
A Suffolk competition aimed at helping aspiring young entrepreneurs, as well as local charities in the county, has culminated with the winner being announced.

By Ben Gray, Suffolk Strength Academy
No matter how many times I look at the most successful and most celebrated people in the world, whether they’re in business, sport, health, or wealth, they all have one glaring thing in common.

Electric vehicles (EV) have been the biggest disruption to motoring since the combustion engine replaced the horse. In the last six years alone there has been a 2,400 percent increase in EV registration*.

Some Cheerful Business News for Suffolk

Brought to you in association with The Tru7 Group

Are you a pioneer or a team player?
If you are one of those people that considers themselves to be more of a pioneer, playing an individual sport like golf suggests that you enjoy being personally responsible for ALL you do.

By Kevin Ward, Conatus Financing Solutions
Through our work helping businesses grow or assisting them when they’re distressed, we have often encountered situations where the senior management has failed to monitor and consider the business cashflow and financial performance adequately.