It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Rob Day, chairman and founder of Blueprint Interiors. For 2023 I think we will see the evolution of the challenge which started off as Covid retreated and we saw the general return to the workplace. Businesses were asking what the office is for but a year on, they now have strong evidence that these physical spaces need to provide the core resource to encourage and support the cultural behaviours that give great organizations the competitive edge in terms of recruitment, retention and a fully engaged workforce. Last year, my colleague, Chloe, predicted that business owners will be questioning how much office space they are going to need and identifying how their people will want to work, as the work-from-home trend becomes widely accepted. This is resolving into the recognition that the simplistic notion of offices as “accommodation at desks” is not now (and never really was), the best use of office space. We are focussed with our clients on providing much more activity-based workplaces to deliver the required levels of both visual and acoustic privacy, IT support, welfare and social facilities – all of which delivers cultural enrichment and efficiencies that inevitably lead to measurable business improvement. The integration of collaborative technology continues apace – everyone knows how to use Teams, but importantly, they now know its limitations. Using the right tools at the right time and in the appropriate place allows for great flexibility and indeed, better opportunities to tackle business objectives. The workplace is becoming understood as an environment for people – real human beings to thrive, rather than something for employees to survive. I rather like the image of the old-fashioned office as a daily assault course to be endured. Let’s see the end of that! The realisation that a well-designed workplace delivers a far wider range of resources in terms of physical and mental well-being is a trend to be welcomed in the New Year.

The public consultation about devolution plans for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Nottingham will end on Monday 9 January. There have been thousands of responses so far, with more expected before the closing date. The consultation, which opened on 14 November, is an opportunity for everyone in the area to have their say about devolution proposals. It is open to residents, businesses, community and voluntary groups, and other organisations in the region. The four councils are urging everyone in the area to have their say on the proposals before the consultation closes. The leaders of Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council, and Nottingham City Council all signed up to work on a devolution deal on 30 August at Rolls Royce in Derby, following an announcement from the Government that a package of new powers and funding, worth £1.14 billion, were available for the two counties and two cities. Since August the councils worked on agreeing a more detailed proposal for the consultation, which includes more information about how devolution would work in our area. The four councils agreed to go ahead with a public consultation as the next step in the process, so everyone has the chance to give their views on the proposal. Barry Lewis, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “Devolution is about getting a better deal for Derbyshire and the East Midlands and achieving a fair share for our region. It will bring us more money and mean we can make more meaningful decisions here, rather than in London. “This deal will bring more and better jobs and opportunities for training, improve the local economy, result in better transport and housing, and accelerate our route to Net Zero. I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and give us their views on devolution. “A devolution deal, should it be agreed, would be the beginning, not the end. We’re determined to build on this deal over time, as other areas have done.” Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “It’s great news that we’re moving forward with devolution plans for Nottinghamshire and the wider area. I’m really pleased that we’re making progress with this. “Devolution can bring real benefits for local people, as it has done in other parts of the country. It will mean more funding for our region, and the opportunity to have more meaningful decisions made here, near the people they affect, rather than in London, so they can be better tailored to local needs. “This is an opportunity to create jobs, boost our economy, enhance transport, build more and better homes, improve our environment, and more, and we need to grab it with both hands. I don’t want our area to miss out on a chance to improve things for everyone who lives and works here. “Devolution can help us be more effective locally, make better use of public money, and most importantly, improve people’s lives. It would lay the groundwork for us to build on in the future, to benefit future generations. “I’d encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and give us their views on the devolution deal.” Chris Poulter, leader of Derby City Council, said: “The East Midlands has long been overlooked and held back compared to other areas of the country. The cities and counties in our region should have a bigger voice, and this devolution deal would give us the influence, funding, and powers that we deserve. “The investment in this deal will bring with it many opportunities. We could see more jobs, better transport and housing, an enhanced greener environment, and more value for money of services provided for our people. “The proposals that we’re consulting on are just the beginning, and we’re determined to build on it over time. I would encourage everyone to give us their views on the deal by taking part in the consultation.” David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “This deal has the potential to make a significant difference and local people would see the real benefits from the investment with more and better jobs, housing, training and much more. “For too long this region hasn’t had the investment it needed and deserves – by working on a deal we can start to address this, but this is just the start, and I will make sure that we get our fair share and make the most of this funding. “Importantly the deal would give us more control over our own area, where local people would have a say in the region’s priorities rather than decisions made in London. I look forward to hearing people’s views on the deal.” Devolution would provide the region with a guaranteed income stream of £38 million per year over a 30-year period, and would cover around 2.2 million people, making it one of the biggest devolved areas in the country. If the plans go ahead, it will mean a new regional mayor and it would create the first of a new type of combined authority for the two counties and two cities, which requires new legislation from central government. The new elected regional mayor, like those who are already in place in other areas, would represent the whole area. The role of the mayor would be to look at major issues affecting the whole region, give the area a bigger voice, and take advantage of local knowledge and expertise. As well as the £1.14 billion, devolution plans include an extra £16 million for new homes on brownfield land, and control over a range of budgets like the Adult Education Budget, which could be better tailored to the needs of people in our communities. Devolution would mean that a future mayor and combined authority could:

• Work towards Net Zero and cleaner air with new low carbon homes, retrofit existing houses with external wall insulation, promote the use of renewable energy, and protect and enhance green spaces, like areas for wildlife and green verges.
• Build on the region’s existing knowledge and expertise in green technology and promote the growth of a future low carbon economy by investing in related skills training at colleges and other training facilities.
• Set up and coordinate smart integrated ticketing and enhanced concessionary fares schemes.
• Work with Homes England to build more affordable homes, by using new powers to buy land and housing (With district and borough council consent).
• Enhance the region’s economy by developing new commercial space to maximise opportunities.
• Work with national government on initiatives to address homelessness, domestic abuse, community safety, social mobility, and support for young people.
• Take advantage of economies of scale by using combined and devolved budgets to deliver more value for taxpayers and more cost-efficient services.

The four councils sent initial proposals to negotiate a combined devolution deal back in March 2022, after being named as pathfinder areas by the Government in February and then being invited to apply for a devolution deal. If the devolution deal is formally approved, the Government would pass legislation bringing a new combined authority for the East Midlands into existence. The first election for a regional mayor for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, would then be in May 2024. The regional mayor would lead the new combined authority, which would also include representatives from local councils, with decision making powers and resources moving from London to the East Midlands. Local businesses would also have a voice, as well as other organisations. The devolution deal would not mean scrapping or merging local councils, which would all continue to exist as they do now and would still be responsible for most public services in the area. The mayor and combined authority would instead focus on wider issues like transport, regeneration, and employment across both cities and counties. More information about the consultation, and a link to the online survey, are available on the devolution website.

Lincolnshire-based commercial fit out and design company APSS has confirmed what it predicts will be the office design trends of 2023. Businesses will see staff take advantage of the office environment again but in new ways. Many have become accustomed to the freedom of working from home. However, rising costs mean staff are ready to move back to the office on a more regular basis. This is especially true if they are trying to heat the house for just one person. So, what does this mean for businesses? There will be a need to have an environment that accommodates its staff in more ways than an office has ever done. Over the decades, the only thing that has been consistent with the office environment is the requirement to allow people to work. Long gone are the days when magnolia walls, cheap carpet and a few desks were enough. Staff need so much more and when a company doesn’t provide the right environment, staff are seen leaving for greener pastures. Hybrid Offices With more staff returning to the office, the hybrid working environment continues to adapt and become more prevalent. However, the days of being chained to a desk are in the past. Staff enjoy having their home comforts in the workplace – a more relaxed sofa to work on, a range of collaboration areas for teamwork and smaller meeting pods for solo or smaller groups to help reduce noise and improve concentration. For some companies, a hybrid office can mean a downsizing. These companies are confident they will not host all staff in one office again for the foreseeable future. However, other businesses are keen to keep the culture and the energy of the office alive. They will adapt the office to fit the requirements of the staff, creating a more dynamic environment. When staff have been used to working at home, it’s important the office compliments the way they now work. Acoustics and Concentration in the Office One of the positives of working from home has been a quieter environment. This is great for calls, video conferences and the ability to concentrate better with minimal distraction. An open-plan office is great for communication and teamwork, but with more people in the office acoustics and quieter spaces will be imperative. Office designs for 2023 will see more quiet areas included through private workstations and meeting rooms. Acoustics has become a primary focus to reduce excessive noise levels. Biophilic designs help dampen noise levels with the incorporation of plants and water features. Acoustic ceiling rafters are taking their place in the office providing a great feature whilst providing a practical purpose of absorbing additional noise. Feature slat walls will also become more prevalent to help reduce echo and excess noise and look great too. Natural and Biophilic Office Designs Biophilic office designs have been on the rise for a while now. Awareness of the benefits of working in an environment tied to nature is high and this trend will continue to develop over the next year. In addition to the living green walls, it will move forward with more natural, earthy colour schemes. White finishes are expected to be a thing of the past as natural wood colours take over and enhance that tie to nature. More plants will be welcomed into the office environment, however these need to be incorporated sensibly. Too few and it looks like a token effort. Too many and your office suddenly begins to look like an overgrown jungle where you expect the cast of Jumanji to come running through at any second. Businesses are shifting focus to providing an environment for positive mental health. Maximising the natural light that is able to permeate the whole office continues to be on the agenda. A huge difference can be made by adapting offices from having one small window to incorporating curtain walling and glass partitions. Adding a water feature can be very impactful, creating a more tranquil environment for concentration. All of this provides another link to the natural world, creating a more relaxed feeling for staff. Staff Wellbeing The pandemic highlighted the importance of people’s personal well-being and looking after their mental health. Promoting a positive attitude to mental health and staff well-being has become a key factor in office design. Encouraging staff to be more active and providing the ability to adjust their posture throughout the day is a great place to start. Providing the right break space and boosting natural light is also essential. If your staff can’t get away from their desk for a break, you will see the quality of their work gradually decrease along with their motivation. Providing the right equipment, like stand-sit desks, or maybe installing a gym in an unused room, can help staff better balance their work-life balance. These are things staff are unlikely to have at home and are a big incentive for making that commute to the office. Staying Connected Even though staff are looking to make the move back to the office, many businesses’ customer base has stretched much further afield. This means connectivity and having the right space available for video calls are just as important as it was during the pandemic. As a culture, we took huge strides in technology in the last three years and this is now engrained into our daily lives. Small “phone booths” or Zoom meeting pods for video calls, or just a bit of quiet will be a big trend going forward. Media and interactive walls provide a great presentation stage for the online world too. Sustainable and smart office design Sustainability and the goal of having a carbon-neutral office remain a key focus for those on the hunt for a new design. This goes hand in hand with a smart office as they reduce the company’s bills and its carbon footprint. If you’re upgrading your workplace, updating the technology can save you in the long run, and of course, it’s better for the planet. Solar panels on the roof of your building help reduce your energy bills whilst also reducing carbon footprints but when it comes to internal design, recycled materials are becoming more popular. These fabrics, used for anything from carpet tiles to fabric for seating, look and feel great and help reduce pollution. Some of these fabrics are made with plastic dredged from the sea, so have a fantastic ethical reputation. Office designs for 2023 need to be smarter to help with sustainability. Light sensors and LED lighting help reduce unnecessary energy usage along with automated climate controls. These find usage patterns and regulates temperatures to create a more comfortable and sustainable working environment. APSS has expert staff on hand to help you create an effective and impressive working environment for your staff and visitors alike. Visit the website to see how APSS can help transform your office.

It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Anton Roe, CEO of MHR. Sustainability has long been a buzzword but now it’s becoming a critical part of strategic planning for organisations, especially as ESG (environmental, social, and governance) issues take a priority position for stakeholders and employees alike. There are many opportunities for organisations to forge the way as leaders in their sector and create real change if action is taken now. In times of financial challenge, it can be easy to reduce the time and investment spent on ESG, however, having sustainability-based objectives and reporting key results is one way to maintain focus and track progress. Furthermore, this can result in vital business benefits such as improved employee engagement, a stronger employer value proposition, higher talent retention and attraction rates, brand recognition, energy cost savings, alongside a sense of community and long-term stability across the people in your teams. One specific opportunity is engaging younger workers around issues of sustainability. Gen Z and millennials strongly value protecting the environment and ensuring our way of life is sustainable. This not only drives career choices but can also be leveraged for younger workers to influence senior decision-making around sustainability, with reverse mentoring being a great tool to inform the C-Suite on just how important this issue is. Whether it be environmental changes, community work, internal progression or training programmes, sustainability is about doing the right thing by people and the planet we share. Organisations need to find ways to push forward in the fight for people and planet.

With video now being the most popular digital marketing tool, your company’s video content needs to be as professional as you want to appear – not only to impress customers and create sales, but also to keep up with your competitors. There is a direct correlation between the quality of your video marketing and how well customers perceive your business. Video marketing is only becoming more and more essential, so it’s important to do it well in 2023. Here are some big reasons why you should consider hiring a professional video production company to promote your company effectively.   Staying relevant Over the last few years, there has been a 63% increase in the number of businesses that use video as their primary form of promotion.[1] If you aren’t keeping up with your competitors and staying relevant by posting slick, well-produced videos, your company is at a serious disadvantage. Video is not only a great means to inform people about why they should buy your products or services, but you now actually need to be posting great videos to even get noticed amongst the competition. Don’t get left behind. To achieve high quality, you should really consider a production company. Cost benefit It’s easy to assume that it isn’t worth the money to hire a professional video company, when you consider that filming on a phone doesn’t cost you anything. But it actually costs a lot more than you think. Your homemade looking videos are damaging your company’s image and reputation, ultimately affecting your bottom line when potential customers look elsewhere and buy from a competitor who seem more professional in their videos. Investing in high quality video marketing could be the trigger for big growth in your company this year. Great return on investment Your ROI for this form of marketing will be determined by the quality of your videos and how effectively your message is conveyed. In a survey, 86% of marketing professionals reported that they used video as a marketing tool – 78% of which considered videos to be responsible for a direct increase in sales.[2] Those people invested in making high quality videos with a production company, rather than those who tried to cut corners by filming on a phone. Let’s look at an example to illustrate the ROI you might achieve. If your average sale is £30 and the promotional video is seen by 20,000 potential customers, just a 3% conversion rate would create sales of £18,000. Considering that a professionally produced marketing video might cost around £1,000 to create and another £1,000 to promote – that’s an irresistible return on investment. This is why so many marketers are hiring professional video production companies. Of course, you may be promoting a more expensive item, or your conversion rate could be higher or lower, so results vary – but you can usually generate a lot of extra revenue with a professionally-made promo video. Boost your sales Seeing your product in action, or a video about how your service works, makes potential customers much more likely to buy. Video is naturally much more enticing and engaging for a viewer, as compared with still images. Unsurprisingly, around 8 in every 10 professional marketing videos have a positive impact on conversion rates and sales figures.[3] In fact, your website visitors are 85% more likely to buy after watching a high-quality sales video.[4] Professional videography If you want your company to appear professional and win more sales through video marketing, there is absolutely no reason why you should be filming on a phone. Attempting to film on a phone leads to a ‘homemade’ and amateur look, especially if the person filming has little to no knowledge of professional videography. This in turn presents your company as amateur, small or unprofessional. If you have the equipment that a video production company uses and you know how to use it, you can get the best quality videos. Even the greatest phone camera will struggle to compete with professional filming equipment. Unsteady shots, fake depth of field, wrong frame rates, noise, uncontrolled focus shifting, bad quality audio. These are just some of the issues that top gear and knowledge can overcome – meaning your videos will be more effective and more pleasing for customers to watch. Lighting is a hugely underestimated part of creating a professional image and is almost never utilised correctly by an amateur. You can’t expect to get good lighting with just the room lights turned on. In professional videography, multiple specialist lights are placed at precise angles and strengths to create a flattering, filmic and controlled image. Such lights often cost upwards of £1000 each. Hiring a video production company means you don’t have to buy any lights or learn any lighting techniques. You want your company to appear professional in your video marketing, so quality lighting equipment and knowledge is an absolute must. Similarly, sound quality is really important if you want your company to appear professional and appealing to customers. It’s been said so many times that audio can make or break a video. Even if you have an excellent looking image, if it’s accompanied by poor sound, viewers will rarely stick around. Microphone positioning, gain, compression and mixing – these are just some of the factors that contribute to high quality audio. A video production company has the equipment and knowledge to ensure your video not only looks fantastic, but sounds great too – taking away the stress of having to study audio production and buy your own equipment. Another often underestimated factor in producing professional videos is the amount of time and expertise required for editing. Post production often takes a lot longer than the filming itself and requires years of practice to become highly skilled at. The video is ultimately a presentation of your company, so the editing needs to be superb. You can see, therefore, how hiring a company with professional videography skills is a must if you want your video marketing to be effective.   Effective time management We’ve only covered a few aspects in this article but you can already get the sense that a lot of time goes into producing great video marketing content. We haven’t even discussed all that must be done pre-production (before the camera starts rolling). With time at such a premium in our fast moving business world, just the fact you can save so much of it is a fundamental reason why you should hire a video production company. You can free yourself to focus on other aspects of your business, while professionals deal with your video marketing. Which video production company should I choose? There are many to choose from, but it’s wise to hire a local video production company that specialises in video marketing and corporate videography, such as Glowfrog. This way, you know they have the skills necessary to do an effective job for your business. Glowfrog are a multiple award-winning production company based in the East Midlands. You can get a free, no obligation consultation just by filling in the short form at www.glowfrogvideo.com. Sources: 1. WyzOwl.com 2. TheSocialShepherd.com 3. G2.com 4. Wix.com

A feud between Topps Tiles and one of its major shareholders is continuing, with the tile specialist issuing an update ahead of its annual general meeting to be held on 18 January. The Topps board of directors says it has become aware that MS Galleon GmbH (MSG) has been contacting certain Topps shareholders individually, with information that contradicts previous statements made directly to Topps around the link between sourcing and MSG’s equity interest in the company. MSG owns Cersanit, a major European producer of tiles, in addition to having a range of home improvement and tile retailing interests, primarily in the Polish market. Topps says that information provided to shareholders by MSG included a statement that it had recently discussed increasing its share of Topps’ product purchases to 5 per cent. However, this statement is, according to Topps, not an accurate representation of the entirety of those discussions and directly contradicts statements made by MSG to Topps. The company added that MSG has, on a number of occasions, directly linked the level of its equity holding in the company with the level of supply that it wishes Topps to source from Cersanit. To this end it was requested as recently as November 2022 that Topps should source 29.9% of its tile purchases from Cersanit in line with MSG’s shareholding in Topps. Moreover, Topps says Cersanit, as a supplier, is uncompetitive when compared with other manufacturers of similar products, while Topps’ sourcing policy does not allow for more than 10% of tile purchases to come from any one supplier in order to avoid concentration risk. In addition to a potential conflict of interest around sourcing, the Board believes MSG may also be preparing to launch its Nexterio tile retail brand in the UK, potentially establishing a direct competitor to Topps, which would create a further material conflict of interest. In December MSG pushed for the firm to remove a director of the company from office, as well as eject him from the position of non-executive chairman. It was proposed that Darren Shapland be replaced, while Lidia Wolfinger and Michael Bartusiak (both employees of companies owned by MSG) be appointed as non-executive directors of the company. The Board however does not consider the proposals to be in the best interests of the Leicester-based company and its shareholders, intending to recommend that shareholders vote against the Requisitioned Resolutions at the business’s AGM. The Board believes that the proposed appointment of MSG’s non-executive directors has the primary objective of aligning Topps’ business and strategy to MSG’s commercial objectives as owner of Cersanit, a manufacturer of tiles, and is therefore not in the best interests of the company and Topps’ shareholders as a whole. The Board believes it is incompatible for the proposed non-executive directors to have the target of increasing tile purchases from Cersanit to 29.9 per cent., whilst at the same time acting in the best interests of all shareholders of Topps. Meanwhile Topps has now secured further support from key shareholders for the Board’s position. Over 41% of Topps’ shareholders have now confirmed intentions to vote against the Requisitioned Resolutions. Darren Shapland, non-executive chairman of Topps, said: “The Board continues to believe that these proposals would expose shareholders to a number of serious conflicts of interest and are not therefore in the interests of all shareholders of the company. The Board welcomes the strong support received from other large shareholders who support the Board’s position in voting against the Requisitioned Resolutions at the AGM.” Keith Down, senior independent director of Topps, said: “The Board has unanimously rejected these resolutions which it does not believe are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. MSG is attempting to remove the chairman, who has been leading communications with MSG on behalf of the Board, to allow it to increase its control over the business.”

Streets Chartered Accountants have kicked off January with a wealth of helpful articles diving into tax, employee matters, and more to provide readers with an informed start to the new year. Income Tax: Using the HMRC app to make Self-Assessment tax payments A new press release from HMRC has revealed that more than 50,000 taxpayers have used the HMRC app to make Self-Assessment tax payments since February 2022… Income Tax: Collecting tax from wealthy taxpayers An updated briefing which looks at how HMRC deals with wealthy individuals has been published… Income Tax: Are you ready for 31 January 2023? The deadline date to file your 2021-22 Self-Assessment tax return is fast approaching… Income Tax: Digitisation of tax postponed A statement was made by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 19 December 2022. It confirmed that the roll-out of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, due to commence April 2024, is being delayed… Capital allowances: Super-deductions finish March 2023 Time is running out to claim the super-deduction offering 130% first-year tax relief. The deduction is available to companies until March 2023… Value Added Tax: Claiming back pre-trading VAT costs There are special rules that determine the recoverability of pre-trading VAT costs. Pre-trading VAT costs describe VAT that was incurred before a business registered for VAT and is known as pre-registration input VAT… Value Added Tax: New VAT penalty regime from 2023 A new VAT penalty regime will affect all VAT registered businesses from 1 January 2023… Employee Benefits: Vehicle benefit charges from April 2023 The vehicle benefit charges for 2023-24 have been announced… Corporate Governance & Regulation: Filing abridged company accounts Companies that are dormant or qualify as a small company or ‘micro-entity’ can choose to send a simpler set of accounts known as abridged accounts to Companies House and do not need to be audited… Employment & Payroll: Don’t forget those trivial benefits Don’t forget to take advantage of tax-free trivial benefits… General: Low-cost broadband and phone tariffs The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has published a new press release to confirm that they have been working together with internet service providers to deliver low-cost broadband and phone packages called social tariffs… General: Mortgage payment support The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, recently hosted a meeting at 11 Downing Street to discuss what help may be available to support homeowners who encounter problems paying their mortgage… General: Budget date 2023 announced The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt has confirmed, in a written statement, that the next UK Budget will take place on Wednesday, 15 March 2023… View Streets’ Tax Diary for January/February 2023

Businesses are being asked to have their say on the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan to help shape future planning for the area.