With businesses signing up in droves to the East Midlands Expo, register now for the long-established event! A well targeted exhibition and networking opportunity, aimed at the construction, property, business, investment, finance, professional services and related B2B markets, the crowd will descend on the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham on Monday 14 November 2022 for the free to attend expo. It has everything you require for a great day of business generation, with the chance to meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road. The day, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will begin with exhibitor breakfast networking, with the exhibition opening to attendees at 9am. A seminar will take place between 10:45am and noon with BSP Consulting’s directors Mark Rayers and Tony Goddard lined up to present ‘Sustainability and how engineering plays its part’. Not to be missed, a special networking lunch (for which tickets can be purchased here) will then take place between 12:15pm and 2:15pm, and the exhibition will close at 3:30pm.

For more information on exhibiting at the event click here.

To register to attend the event for free click here.

To secure tickets for the networking lunch click here.

From property agents to developers, architects, contractors, investors, PR firms, and more, see the list of current exhibitors here.

For a long time, customers have had to visit manufacturing plants in person to place orders for the production of various items. Products also had to pass through several intermediaries before reaching the consumer. But technology has made things more manageable, enabling manufacturers and consumers to interact seamlessly through the internet. Individual customers and businesses can now request manufacturing services and have the products shipped to their location, without ever setting foot on the manufacturer’s yard. A report from Statista showed that the manufacturing industry amounted £188.1 billion in e-commerce sales in the year 2019. It’s the second largest sector in terms of e-commerce sales value, only slightly trailing behind the wholesale industry. This trend will likely hold in the future as more manufacturers are shifting to a customer-centric approach. There must be valid reasons why both individual consumers and businesses of all sizes are turning to online platforms in such huge numbers. Here are some of them: Convenience Customers usually prioritise satisfaction when ordering manufacturing services, and many online manufacturers have proven that they can meet this expectation. For instance, if you’re looking for a CNC manufacturing service, all you need to do is upload your 3D model and specify all the properties you want—such as material, surface roughness, general tolerances, etc—and you’ll get a quote almost immediately. In essence, ordering manufacturing online involves just a few mouse clicks or taps on a screen. That’s far more convenient than visiting the company’s physical location. In-person visits are never guaranteed, given how frequent appointments get cancelled or rescheduled because of delays in traffic or conflicts with other commitments. On-time deliveries Competition among manufacturers in the online space drives them to strive towards premium quality products and on-time deliveries. Using a manual system might mean dealing with longer processing cycles. Moreover, travelling to and from the manufacturing plant to assess order progress is usually burdensome on the part of the customer. And if the manufacturer isn’t keeping up with their promises and hitting the milestones as agreed, customers might need to find better manufacturers to work with and start the process all over again. Accuracy Paper-based manufacturing orders are less accurate than automated online orders since placing purchase orders manually comes with the usual risk of human error. In fact, a study showed that 23% of all unplanned downtime in manufacturing is caused by human error. That’s why these archaic and ineffective systems typically lead to lower customer satisfaction rates. On the other hand, automated online manufacturing orders are more accurate and ensure better visibility throughout the whole process. Furthermore, both sides will save time on data cross-checking, manual data entry, and catalogue updates and maintenance. Market Changes And Technology In 2020, the world experienced one of the most intense recessions since World War II. The global economy shrunk by around 5.2%, which caused many workers in the manufacturing industry to lose their employment. Most global value chain firms started using advanced technologies to deal with the worker shortage, especially during the lockdown. This period is when companies discovered the importance of technology in production and customer service to keep them afloat. Manufacturers started to digitise their operations and services. Most of their workers started working remotely through a global virtual operations room. The Manufacturing & E-Commerce Benchmark Report from Sana Commerce showed that by 2021, 98% of manufacturers have started implementing or are working on an e-commerce strategy. Indeed, the manufacturing industry is undergoing a revolution. Manufacturers have been incorporating digital technologies in production and ecommerce to improve the efficiency of their operations. After all, e-commerce comes with a host of benefits—customers can now access their account details and order history immediately. They can also get status updates in real-time, any changes to their order details can be communicated and implemented nearly instantaneously. With technology making account management and product development more efficient, it’s highly unlikely for customers and manufacturers to revert to manual systems. Speed and Reliability There’s more demand from customers for manufacturers to process orders rapidly and accurately while maintaining efficient operations. With advanced manufacturing processes, robotics, and automation, manufacturers can meet this demand. Ordering online considerably reduces the product cycle time, making it an attractive choice among customers and businesses. Conclusion With modern technological advancements, the manufacturing industry hasn’t been left behind. Manufacturers have wholeheartedly embraced ecommerce, and businesses and customers can expect improved visibility and reduced costs for their orders. Online manufacturing order systems are rapidly evolving and will eventually become the new norm because they’re faster, more reliable, and more convenient than manual systems. So, if you’re still relying on the manual method, it’d be wise to try the online option to discover its immense benefits.

The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands survey signalled a renewed contraction in temporary billings at the end of the third quarter, and a much softer rise in permanent placements. Signs of weakness reflected slower growth in demand for staff and ongoing difficulties sourcing candidates. Supply limitations meant that pay inflation remained elevated.

The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands.

Near-stagnation of permanent placements

Recruitment companies in the Midlands signalled a sharp slowdown in the pace of growth in permanent staff appointments during September. Placements were up only slightly over the course of the month, and to the least extent in the current 19-month sequence of expansion. Where an increase was recorded, panellists linked this to rising demand for staff. On the other hand, there were a number of reports that candidate shortages had limited the pace of growth. The increase in permanent placements in the Midlands was slower than the UK average. Meanwhile, the South of England was the only English region to record a drop in permanent placements.

Temp billings decline

September data pointed to a renewed contraction in temporary billings in the Midlands, thereby ending a 26-month sequence of expansion. The Midlands was the only one of the four English regions to post a reduction in temporary billings at the end of the third quarter. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the drop reflected a combination of candidate shortages and hesitancy among companies when making hiring decisions. Growth of temporary billings was recorded elsewhere, with the sharpest rise in the North.

There was a noticeable slowdown in growth of demand for staff in the Midlands during September, with vacancies for both permanent and temporary roles rising at softer rates.

Vacancies for permanent staff continued to increase sharply, but the rate of expansion eased to the weakest since February 2021 when the current sequence of growth began. Meanwhile, demand for temps rose at the slowest pace in 20 months.

Sharp fall in permanent candidate availability

Permanent candidate numbers continued to decrease at a rapid pace during September, although the rate of deterioration softened to the weakest since April 2021. According to respondents, concerns around economic conditions and the cost of living led to a reluctance among candidates to move roles. The fall in permanent staff availability in the Midlands was the softest of the English regions covered by the survey. The North posted the fastest fall.

Softer reduction in temporary candidate numbers

Although recruitment companies in the Midlands continued to report deteriorating candidate numbers for temporary roles in September, the pace of reduction eased markedly from the previous month and was the weakest for a year-and-a-half. Some respondents indicated that candidates were more keen on permanent roles at present, while others reported that Brexit had limited the supply of temps. As was the case with permanent availability, the fall in temporary candidates was most pronounced in the North. Meanwhile, the South of England saw a near-stabilisation of candidate supply.

Permanent salary inflation remains elevated

Recruitment companies in the Midlands reported a further steep rise in starting salaries awarded to permanent staff in September, with the rate of inflation little changed from that seen in the previous survey period. The increase in the Midlands was faster than the UK average. Candidate shortages was the principal factor leading to higher salaries. London posted the fastest rise in permanent salaries, just ahead of the Midlands.

Softer rise in temp wages

September data pointed to a further marked rise in wages paid to temporary staff in the Midlands, with the rate of inflation remaining above the series average. That said, the latest increase was softer than that seen in August. As was the case with permanent salaries, the key factor leading to higher temp pay was candidate shortages. The South of England recorded the fastest pace of inflation of the four English regions monitored, with the slowest increase in London.

Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, people consulting partner at KPMG UK, said: “It comes as no surprise that the overall downward trend in the jobs market, in terms of vacancies available and candidate supply, continues. Workers are choosing to stay put in current roles, rather than apply for new roles, due to the overall sense of economic uncertainty that many feel, which is reflected in the downturn in temporary billings. “Employers, even those who anticipate that the recession may be short, are taking steps now to cut back on spending, including hiring freezes. Those employers who continue to invest in their workforce, particularly upskilling, may find they weather the recession better and will be in a stronger position to benefit from the upturn as and when it comes.” Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said: “The challenges we see in today’s data reflects the underlying shortage of labour the UK faces. With unemployment at record lows, pay continues to rise for both temporary and permanent workers starting new jobs, and activity levels across the recruitment and staffing industry remain high. While any economic slowdown this winter will affect the market, the extent of shortages mean that hiring will remain a focus for employers. “The REC has shown that failing to address these issues could cost our economy massively in the years to come. While there is much that Government can do, like reforming the failed Apprenticeship Levy, a lot of the answers lie with hiring businesses. Firms need to work with skilled recruiters on offers that will maximise the skill base we have. There has never been a more important time for business leaders to put the people stuff first.”

Business coaching franchise ActionCOACH Loughborough is celebrating reaching 50 members in its portfolio. With franchises in more than 140 countries, ActionCOACH Loughborough provides bespoke, support, guidance and training, to enable business owners to find clarity on personal and business development. Led by Matt Bull – UK Coach of the Year 2021 – ActionCOACH Loughborough saw a significant surge in demand for its services during the pandemic and the level of interest from business owners has continued. Managing director Matt, said: “Since joining the Loughborough team five years ago and taking ownership of the business earlier this year, I have watched the business go from strength-to-strength and with new members also comes the need for new team members. “Throughout this time, we have evolved our services to meet the needs of business owners as we continue to live in changeable times, and as our focus has always been a community-first approach, we have added group coaching, group planning days and networking events to our core 121 coaching. People thrive and always benefit from spending time with likeminded people, to share challenges but also celebrate successes. “Myself and the team are really pleased to have reached the 50 member milestone which is something we have been working towards – and I want to say a big thank you to those members who chose to come on their own journey of business and personal growth and trust us to support them on the journey.” The firm continues to put its ambitious growth plans into action and the team are now working on delivering its five-year plan to help 500 clients across all membership options by 2026. Matt continued: “We love what we do and seeing the transformation and impact we have on businesses and the business owners themselves is just incredible. “It is tough being a business owner in this current economic climate, but that just makes us more determined to help and confident that there is a real need for what do – providing the tools needed to achieve personal and business goals.”

Logistics sector leaders have welcomed the launch of a new training centre that will support the vital supply chain that underpins the UK economy, offering a robust ‘career ladder’ for its workforce. Speaking at the launch of the Centre for Logistics Education and Research (CLEAR) at GLP’s Magna Park development in Lutterworth, Clare Bottle, CEO of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) said that the sector brings significant opportunities for employees to progress and benefit from engaging careers. Also speaking at the event, James Wroath, CEO of Wincanton, the leading supply chain partner for UK business, welcomed the launch of CLEAR saying that ‘sustainable supply chain value’ was dependent on ‘great people’. He added, “Attracting, recruiting, and retaining the best people within our business is of paramount importance in this dynamic market where individuals can easily switch to a new employer. To achieve our ambition of delivering value to our customers efficiently and safely, we need to continually focus on developing and nurturing our employees by ensuring that we look after their wellbeing and invest in high-quality, consistent training.” CLEAR is the brainchild of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) which is working in collaboration with supply chain partner Wincanton and leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, GLP to provide skills training and professional development at all levels across the spectrum of logistics and supply chain roles. Its launch was marked by an event held at Bittesby House on 30 September 2022 where speakers also included Ian Howe, Director of Logistics for Screwfix. Guests included Alberto Costa, MP for South Leicestershire, Cllr Phillip King, the leader of Harborough District Council and Cllr David Findlay from Blaby District Council. Currently based at Bittesby House within the Magna Park Northern extension of the Lutterworth development, CLEAR will eventually move to a bespoke, state of the art facility. Further and higher education will work together to offer seamless progression through the levels of qualification and learning and the research capacity of a large regional university will enable continual development of a relevant training offer. Paying tribute to supporters of the centre, Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of NWSLC said, “Today we learned from Clare Bottle at UKWA that there are around 165 different types of jobs available in warehousing, a fascinating statistic that helps to highlight the real potential of careers in the sector. “Our ambitions for CLEAR are based on offering a holistic one-stop-shop training service both from its base at Magna Park and also remotely online, enabling a flexible skills pathway tailored to meet the needs of specific businesses and providing individuals with well-defined opportunities to progress their careers. “Businesses can train one or many members of their team with flexible start dates and bespoke provision and students will be able to move seamlessly between training partners as their development needs progress and skills gaps are identified, improving retention, and driving down costs. “CLEAR can get training programmes up and running very quickly as it already has systems in place to fulfil training design briefs at all levels. Commissioning training through CLEAR will bring shorter lead times between the identification of training needs and students starting their courses or programmes.” “I would like to thank Harborough District Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire LEP for their unstinting commitment to the development of this initiative. We have benefited enormously from the advice and support of our industry partner Wincanton. I am also extremely grateful to Gwyn Stubbings, Senior Planning Director from GLP whose investment made this development possible.” Magna Park Lutterworth, the UK and Europe’s premier logistics hub, developed by GLP over the past 35 years is currently home to over 35 blue chip businesses within 46 buildings. The Park extends to over 13 million square feet of floor space and will expand to 16 million square feet over 1,350 acres via the Northern and Southern expansion project.  It is centrally located within the so-called “logistics golden triangle’ between the M1, M6 and M69 motorways. CLEAR will provide the platform for a future national centre of excellence with a campus that will accommodate, when fully operational, up to 1,000 students as well as providing applied research and associated facilities.

It would be a catastrophe to build four nationally-important solar energy projects in the West Lindsey area of Lincolnshire believe its councillors, and they’ve written to the Government’s Environment Minister to tell him so. Councillors say they’re extremely concerned about the scale and number of solar projects, which would account for almost a fifth of all solar energy generated in the UK, because they are shut out of the planning control process, which instead rests with national government. Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr Owen Bierley said the ‘sheer scale’ of the proposals in West Lindsey was at odds with both local and national policy. He said: “It does not effectively balance the need for local social and economic prosperity, self-sufficiency in terms of food production, and the protection of open countryside against the need to generate green energy nationally”. He has written to the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley north of the Humber, urging him to consider the wider impacts. He said: “If these proposals and others like them are allowed to go forward, driven by market forces and economic expediency alone, the impact on the countryside and rural communities would be catastrophic.” Cllr Bierley strongly believes that rural districts have a key role to play in achieving self-sufficiency and realising net zero by 2050. But he stressed that allowing the market to drive these schemes removes the ability for the Country as a whole to appropriately plan future land use requirements. He added: “Ultimately it will affect the country’s ability to deliver sustainable food supply for future generations.” The Council is aware of the challenges currently faced by farmers due to the uncertainty around future subsidies and financial incentives, leading them to part with land they would otherwise farm. The letter outlines how the current proposals would also undermine’ competing priorities including that of the visitor economy of West Lindsey, which generates £43.67m for local businesses. Cllr Bierley said: “West Lindsey’s unique selling point is access to the great outdoors, big skies and open countryside. Development on an industrial scale is not conducive to protecting or enhancing this critical income stream for a rural area’s West Lindsey.” Tourism experts at Destination Lincolnshire, which is committed to growing the visitor economy in Lincolnshire, believes the project should be rejected. Charlotte Goy, Chief Executive of Destination Lincolnshire, urged the MP to consider the long-term implications and negative consequences of having a solar farm of this scale in this location in Lincolnshire. She said: “I believe it will impact not only on the immediate businesses near it, but on the whole ecosystem of Lincoln and Lincolnshire as a visitor destination.” Destination Lincolnshire believes its objection is aligned with national government encouraging positive visitor experiences in rural destinations post covid; a government which has gone to extraordinary lengths to support the sector financially, which work could be undermined by these solar projects could undermine this work. Charlotte added: “As the sector recovers from the worst of the pandemic there has been an overwhelming demand for quality tourism experiences from a domestic market which enhance the place DNA and appeal of UK destinations – and Lincolnshire’s countryside offers just this.”

A Lincolnshire company director has been given 200 hours community service on top of 20 months suspended sentence for breaches of Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 and Insolvency Act. Daniel Ross Patchett, 34, from Kingsthorpe in Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty at Lincoln Crown Court of acting in the management of a company whilst an undischarged bankrupt. Bankrupts must adhere to a number of bankruptcy restrictions, including not creating, managing or promoting a company, or acting as a director of a company, unless they request and receive specific permission from the court. Breaching these restrictions is a criminal offence. People who are made bankrupt also have a duty to declare their assets, which will be used to pay off their debts. Daniel Patchett had resigned as a director of his business, DRP Distribution Ltd in February 2018, following his bankruptcy, at which point his wife became sole director. DRP Distribution operated from 2016 to 2019 as an order fulfilment company, providing warehousing, packing and distribution of parcels for third-parties who sold products online through Amazon and other services. Despite his bankruptcy, Daniel Patchett continued to act in the management of the company in 2018, and he deliberately concealed his activity and income to avoid making payments to his creditors. In particular, the Insolvency Service investigation found that Patchett was corresponding with Royal Mail regarding outstanding invoices and payments made, and the company’s accountants also confirmed that most of the communication came from him during this period. A number of suppliers to the company also confirmed to the Insolvency Service that they understood Daniel Patchett was the director of the company. He was due to be making monthly payments of around £400 to his creditors, but just a month into his bankruptcy he informed the Official Receiver that he no longer worked at DRP Distribution and therefore could pay only “a token gesture amount” toward his debts. He even provided a P45 form as evidence. In reality, he continued to manage DRP Distribution and received over £30,000 from the company during his bankruptcy, additional hidden income of nearly £40,000 which the company paid to his wife, and a further £28,000 which he withdrew from the business in cash. All of this money should have been paid to his creditors. Patchett told the court that he had been suffering from gambling addiction. He was sentenced on 28 September 2022 at Lincoln Crown Court by Her Honour Judge Sjölin Knight. Julie Barnes, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:Daniel Patchett was fully aware both of his responsibility not to act as a director of a limited company given he was bankrupt, and also of his duty to disclose all assets and details of his income to the Official Receiver.

He chose to flagrantly disregard these obligations for his own personal gain, leaving creditors out of pocket. We will always prosecute such cases to protect the business community and the public from financial harm.