With energy costs rising and increasing pressure on companies to reduce their carbon footprint, businesses are being challenged to increase manufacturing efficiency, whilst reducing energy consumption and operating costs. With the onset of winter introducing cooler outside air temperatures, free coolers offer an enhancement to air-cooled chillers. Using fresh air to provide partial or 100% free cooling, they offer a far more energy efficient and cost-effective way to provide chilled fluid to manufacturing processes. When ambient air temperatures are low enough, a free cooler starts to dissipate the system heat, allowing the chiller to reduce its power consumption. Free coolers reduce the annual total system energy consumption, enabling the savings made to be reinvested elsewhere into the business. Richard Metcalfe, director for temperature control and humidity experts, Newsome, explains: “Free Cooling is a fast and effective way to reduce your energy costs and carbon footprint on refrigerated, process water cooling applications. Depending on the external air temperatures and the temperature you want to achieve, chillers can typically be partially or fully offloaded for up to 90% of the year.” The ROI for implementing a Free Cooler in a traditional chiller system is truly impressive, depending on location, some companies could have a payback period of as little as 12 months. The system not only reduces the energy consumption and contributes to a greener profile for companies – but can also extend the chiller lifespan. Traditionally, free cooling systems are generally only available to purchase. However, for a limited period – Newsome plans to offer companies the opportunity to rent a free cooling system to allow them to evaluate the potential cost savings available, before investing in a solution that is fully tailored to meet their individual business requirements. For more information visit the website https://newsome.ltd.uk/ For enquiries email: enquiries@newsome.ltd.uk or call 01422 371711.

An alliance made up of civic, political, business and cultural leaders in Derby is being formed to put pressure on football league chiefs to remove the obstacles blocking the takeover of Derby County – starting with a meeting with administrators tomorrow. The Rams have already been handed a 21-point deduction and a transfer embargo by the English Football League (EFL) for previous breaches of Financial Fair Play rules and for going into administration. The club is up for sale and administrators, who have three parties interested in buying the club, were due to announce their preferred bidder last week. However, it appears the announcement has been blocked by the EFL due to claims made against the club by Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers, as well as putting the club under a second transfer embargo and demanding proof that the Rams have the funds to complete the season, while also threatening expulsion from the Football League. This has resulted in a national uproar and concerns that the EFL is acting unfairly. A petition asking the Sports Minister to intervene has already exceeded 42,000 signatories. Now, ‘Team Derby’ is calling on the EFL to allow the Rams takeover to proceed – and for the claims by Middlesbrough and Wycombe to be dealt with after the takeover is completed. Leader of Derby City Council, Councillor Chris Poulter, said: “As a lifelong Rams fan I, like many others, am concerned about continuing uncertainty facing Derby County Football Club. “As well as being of personal importance to me – like thousands of citizens from across the city and indeed the world – it is also significant to me as a leader in Derby. As a council, we understand the impact and value of having a football club in our city. It’s vital that city leaders come together and do everything we can to secure its future. “Football supporters, including those from rival clubs, and the wider city are united in speaking up for the club and Derby City Council stands firmly with them. Myself and Paul Simpson, our Chief Executive, continue to meet regularly with administrators to ensure the future of our club.” John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said: “This cannot stand and we are appealing to the EFL directly to seek an urgent meeting to make it clear how important Derby County is to the city as a football club, driver of the economy and a positive member of the local community. “Marketing Derby and our Bondholders stand with Derby County through this difficult period. We are calling on the EFL to act responsibly and stop moving the goalposts and to allow the preferred bidder to proceed and to lift the transfer embargo to help stop players leaving and allow the club to stabilise and rebuild. “We will be working with Derby City Council, MPs and businesses across the city to make as much noise as we can to make sure our concerns are heard by the people in power.” Adam Buss, who is director of Derby’s City of Culture 2025 bid, is part of the alliance. He said: “Here at the Derby City of Culture 2025 team we believe that culture is more than just art. Sport is crucial to this mix and Derby County is at the centre of Derby’s identity and a crucial part of life for many throughout the city and county. “The collective joy and despair that goes with supporting any sports team is part of what makes sport great but right now the concern is that this passion and collective identity could be lost due to financial implications. “The fans ARE the club – managers, players and administrators will come and go but it is crucial that institutions like Derby County are stabilised and enabled to compete so that more memories can be created and the power of sport is used, as it should be, to bring people together.” Backing the Team Derby campaign, Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “Derby County is an integral component of the city’s heritage, make-up and economy, with the prosperity of both intrinsically linked. “A successful football team competing at the top of the sport creates a healthy atmosphere across the whole area and this will always have positive economic consequences. “Businesses located in and around the city benefit from the tens of thousands of people who turn up every match to support their club – pubs, cafés, restaurants and shops will be packed before each game, while local transport networks rely on the increased number of passengers to remain viable. “But it’s also much more than that. Derby County is a part of the city and county’s fabric, and every passing day in which the club is kept in its current state of limbo damages the communities and businesses that rely on this sporting institution. “East Midlands Chamber wholeheartedly supports all efforts to find a swift resolution that ensures the club’s survival in the long term.” In the meantime, people who want to show their support for the campaign are being asked to do the following: *Write to their local MP asking for the EFL to allow the sale to proceed. *Write to the EFL. The address is EFL House, 10-12 West Cliff, Preston, PR1 8HU. To contact the EFL visit https://www.efl.com/contact-form/. *Sign the change.org petition, which can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/sports-minister-for-england-sports-minister-to-look-into-the-ongoing-situation-between-the-efl-derby-county.

The architect behind Nottingham’s Acres Group has designs for huge growth for 2022 after already achieving phenomenal expansion since the start of the global pandemic. Edward Acres, who founded Acres Architects from a laptop in his parents’ spare bedroom in 2008, has seen his business expand from a turnover of a few hundred thousand pounds to an empire projected to turn over £10m in less than two years. His team of three people at the start of the pandemic has expanded by around 600 per cent to 20 full-time staff in the same period – and the Acres Group is looking to almost double that number this year. The success is partly down to Edward’s hard work, vision and refusal to stand still, while many competitors were making cuts in the face of Covid-19. But his decision to offer diversified services and formally set up a growing list of non-architectural companies within his group is the main reason why the business has grown so much in such a short space of time. Now, the group boasts various additional divisions, including Acres Investments, Acres Developments, Online Media Video Productions (OMVP) and Acres Construction. Established only 18 months ago, Acres Construction began with a pipeline of works to support Acres Architects, which was struggling with its existing crop of contractors, which largely specialised in residential projects. Acres Construction has now secured larger scale business and commercial contracts such as property developer residential projects like apartment schemes and luxury private gated developments, as well as dilapidation works, SEN schools and interior fit-out works. It is currently working towards a sales pipeline of £25m in 2022. Edward said: “These new facets of the business have created this amazing company growth. Our clients love the one-stop-shop, where we add levels of accountability and security that other practices can’t offer. All processes are effectively delivered under one roof. “This linear process and, most importantly, our ability to provide clients with straightforward communication throughout all aspects of a build, has generated huge interest and popularity. “As a result, our client base has sky-rocketed – and we are planning for even greater expansion of our services and projects in 2022.” Edward said that there was a very simple reason that he was able to achieve something in two years that might typically take decades to achieve. “I stopped thinking like an architect, and started thinking more like a businessman,” he said. “More and more investors are coming forward for support, and this full, turnkey solution provides them with a combined set of assets and a holistic overview that they value highly, and which architects alone do not offer.” The Acres Group’s record-breaking 2021 included a decision to exhibit for the first time at Grand Designs Live – a significant investment which paid off in the shape of a large spike in client enquiries. This, and the enormous traction created by the setting up of several new arms of the company, has led to growth in all aspects of the business. Acres Architects alone is seeing a big increase in enquiries for residential developments, particularly countryside barn conversions – citing 13 separate barn conversion projects on the go currently. “We are still gaining momentum,” said Edward. “While 2021 was an incredible year for us, our sights are firmly set on adding more commercial projects, targeting more property developers across the UK, adding more turnover and building a bigger team in 2022. We’re thinking big and we’re going places.” Acres Architects is a multiple award-winning, RIBA accredited firm. The Acres Group operates from its expanding head office at Nottingham Science Park, near to the University of Nottingham. To find out more about the services provided by the Acres Group, please visit www.acresarchitects.co.uk, email info@acresarchitects.co.uk or phone 0115 838 9738.

The majority of Northamptonshire firms expect their turnover will increase during 2022 but are bracing themselves for rising prices, according to the county’s largest business survey. Service sector companies were the most upbeat about 2022 and although the majority of county manufacturers were also confident about their future turnover figures, this was offset by many suggesting they expected to see their profits fall in the next 12 months. The revelations came in the latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) carried out by Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce at the end of 2021 to find out how businesses were faring. Northamptonshire Chamber head of policy, Sean Rose, said: “It’s good to see that Northamptonshire businesses are positive about the future. However, despite the optimism, concerns about price pressures are once again dominating our survey results. “Almost 90 per cent of service firms and nearly 60 per cent of manufacturers who responded to our survey indicated that they expect prices to increase during the first three months of 2022.” The survey also revealed that nearly half of the county’s service firms had seen a rise in their domestic sales during the last quarter whilst more than 80 per cent of manufacturers had seen their current and advanced domestic orders remain constant or increase. Nearly 80 per cent of Northamptonshire’s service firms reported that their overseas orders had increased or remained at the same level as the previous three months. Around half of service firms said their workforce had grown at the end of 2021 and nearly 70 per cent of manufacturers reported that their numbers had remained stable. However, businesses in both sectors which tried to recruit at the end of 2021 said they had experienced difficulties in hiring new staff.

James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants and director of SBC Global Alliance, the firm’s international association of professional advisory firms, considers customs declarations on imports from the EU and the changes to them from January 2022. HMRC has warned businesses that customs declarations on imports from the EU will change once again at the start of 2022. Customs declarations From 1 January 2022, businesses will no longer be able to delay making import customs declarations under the Staged Customs Control rules that have applied during 2021. Most businesses will have to make declarations and pay relevant tariffs at the point of import. The tax authority says businesses should consider how they will make their declarations. They can either appoint an intermediary, such as a customs agent or submit the declarations themselves. Further advice is available via the Gov.uk website. Some businesses already have a ‘Simplified Declarations’ authorisation from HMRC that allows their goods to be released directly to a specified customs procedure without having to provide a full customs declaration at the point of release. Businesses that want to use Simplified Declarations will need authorisation to do so. It can take up to 60 calendar days to complete the checks needed for this and therefore a new application may not be authorised until late February or early March at the earliest. From 1 January 2022, businesses must use the correct country code for the country of origin and the country of dispatch when they complete their customs declaration. HMRC says that for EU countries, the individual country code of the relevant member state should be used. The EU country code must not be used and will be removed from HMRC’s systems. Border Controls Ports and other boarder locations will be required to control goods moving between Great Britain and the EU. This means that unless goods have a valid declaration and have received customs clearance, they will not be able to be released into circulation, and in most cases will not be able to leave the port. From 1 January 2022, goods may be directed to an Inland Border Facility for documentary or physical checks if these checks cannot be done at the border. It is important that those involved in transporting your goods are ready and understand how you intend to operate from January 2022. From the start of the year, you must also submit an ‘arrive’ export declaration if your goods are moving through one of the border locations that uses the arrived export process. If you do not follow the correct process from 1 January 2022, the new system will not permit your goods to leave the country and they will be turned away as they will not hold export clearance. If you use a service such as a courier or a freight forwarder to move your goods, you will need to check their terms and conditions about who will make the declarations and what other information they will need from you to do this. Postponed VAT Accounting If you are a VAT registered importer, you can continue to use Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA) on all customs declarations that require you to account for Import VAT, including supplementary declarations, except when HMRC have told you otherwise. With further changes to be introduced from July 2022, including requirements for full safety and security declarations for all imports and for Export Health Certificates, we strongly recommended that you seek advice from professional advisers and government agencies as the new changes are introduced.

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 Nicki Robson, Managing Director, Breedon Consulting. 2021 has been a year of transformation for many businesses, but this doesn’t look set to change any time soon. As the pandemic continues to bite and hybrid working becomes the new normal, there is a rising shift in power between employers and employees. This is amidst an increasingly difficult recruitment market, which has seen previously loyal employees have their heads turned by speculative approaches. Employers are now willing to offer significant rewards and flexible working options to attract new talent. To counter this, 2022 is likely to be a year to focus on employee retention, and employers would be well placed to consider their retention strategies and how they differentiate their employer brand. Maintaining team morale, motivation and engagement will be key to reducing the likelihood of resignations, coupled with a focus on employee health and wellbeing. Flexibility of approach will also be an increasingly important consideration in 2022. Flexible working options are becoming more of an expectation from employees who have recognised the improved work life balance available to them, by changes that were adopted out of necessity. Employers who insist on returning to pre-pandemic fixed ways of working, are expected to struggle further with both employee retention and attracting new joiners, as the trend for flexible working is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

BrightBridge, a Leicestershire-based provider of intelligent business software in the UK, is celebrating its latest solution focused partnership with Next Technik, an Australian-based creator of an innovative field service management application – NextService. The NextService product is a ‘Built for NetSuite Native’ application, meaning it is built in, on and for Oracle NetSuite. BrightBridge can now deliver design, implementation, and support services on NetSuite solutions that integrate digitally advanced field service management functions with the cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. BrightBridge is a 4-star Oracle NetSuite Partner. Andrew Cox, technical director at BrightBridge, had been researching field service solution experts with which to partner throughout 2021, but many applications didn’t offer NextService’s far-reaching functionality, or they required additional integration layers within the architecture. He said: “I’m very confident in the NextService product as it was developed from real-world concerns experienced by a business that wanted to exceed customer demands. Our team is excited to start eliminating the same field mobility and business visibility challenges for companies in 2022 – it’s a game changer for UK customer engagement in the field service arena. “Having one version of the truth across a business – to learn, grow and really focus on customer outcomes – means all touchpoints need to be integrated, and this includes all two-way field service data. We can now very simply unite the areas of schedule and dispatch, real-time updates from the field and inventory or asset management into the single business NetSuite ecosystem along with all financials and back-office functions.” Key features of NextService include scheduling and dispatch, asset management, field mobile application, preventative maintenance, installations and job requests, warranties and repairs, spare parts and inventory in the field, compliance and safety forms, service history, workflows and visual dashboards and NetSuite operational intelligence. Tania Large, Next Technik’s global partner manager, said: “We are excited to be working with 4-star Oracle NetSuite Partner, BrightBridge, in the UK. “With the company’s experience across a wide range of sectors where field service organisations can be found, the team shares our vision of helping businesses to grow and deliver exceptional service to their customers. “We’re already in discussions about the first integrations of NextService into specific BrightBridge projects and we’re looking forward to building our relationship through 2022 and beyond.” For more information, visit www.brightbridgesolutions.com, or follow BrightBridge on Twitter – @bbsolutionsltd – or LinkedIn. Learn about Next Technik and it’s NextService application by visiting the company’s website or its LinkedIn page.

Cost Advice Energy Specialists (Cost Advice) has transitioned to an Employee Ownership model. Established in 1995, and previously owned by brothers Christopher and Stephen Ball, the Chesterfield-based company strives to set the benchmark for providing quality advice for commercial energy customers on the best ways for them to purchase and manage their electricity and gas. Over its history, the business has expanded into a team of professionals who assist businesses across Britain, ranging from small independent retailers to large multi-site organisations. On completing the transition, Stephen Ball said: “Chris and I are extremely proud of the company and how it has grown and evolved over the last 26 years, and it is important to us that we protect its legacy and ensure it remains independent. “Employee ownership provided a way for us to do this; it’s progressive and forward-thinking and provides a way to give back to our loyal and talented workforce who have helped to make Cost Advice what it is today. The company is going from strength-to-strength and now is the perfect time to start our exciting new chapter.” Shorts Chartered Accountants teamed up with Knights plc to act as corporate finance, tax advisors and legal representatives. Speaking about the transition to employee ownership, Shorts Corporate Finance Partner, Andy Ryder said: “We would like to extend our congratulations to Cost Advice and its new employee owners. “Having discussed various succession planning options with Stephen and Chris, it was clear that the EOT route would best meet their overall objectives. “Businesses that choose the EOT route build trust and shared responsibility. and we are confident that this will result in a very positive future for the business. We look forward to seeing Cost Advice’s continuing success under their new ownership model.”

Salaries for white collar professionals will increase by as much as 25% in the first quarter of 2022, as companies bouncing back after the Omicron-slowdown fight to hold onto their best staff. According to the findings from the Robert Walters 2022 UK Salary Guide, professional services firms are planning to increase their budget for pay raises by 10-15% this year – the largest increase seen since 2008 and almost 3x the inflation rate. Whilst the biggest pay rises will be reserved for new starters – at least 5% of the increase in payroll budgets will be reserved for existing employees in 2022. These pay raises are expected to be for workers across all seniority levels – from entry-level workers and temporary staff right through to management level and executives. Pay rises for retention Almost half of companies (43%) from the Robert Walters survey said they’re planning salary increases for current employees to keep pace with higher pay they’ve awarded new hires. This will come as a relief to professionals who have stayed with their employer throughout the pandemic, with over half (54%) of workers stating that they are expecting a pay rise this year following a two-year salary freeze. In fact, two thirds stated that they will leave their job if they are not rewarded fairly, with 75% feeling ‘very confident’ about job opportunities in their sector this year. Wage compression hits In the past year wages for new starters grew by 6-8%, and for those professionals who moved into ‘hero industries’ such as technology or health care saw pay hikes as high as +15-20%. Chris Poole, Managing Director at Robert Walters UK, says: “Wage increases above market value for in-demand hires was a recurring theme of the past year. As a result, we saw new starter salaries outstrip those of existing employees. “The consequences of this will result in ‘wage compression’ – where existing employees feel their additional experience at the company (over new starters) is no longer valued or has not grown in value over the past two years. “Looking at the year ahead we will see more companies raise the pay of their existing employees to sit in line with new starter salaries.” Soft perks growing stale According to the 2022 UK Salary Guide, it is excellent compensation & benefits (65%), a desirable bonus scheme (53%), and job security (40%) which are the top three values of a post-pandemic professional. In fact, flexi-hours (29%), remote working (22%), and holiday entitlement (20%) all rank much lower in importance for professionals – perhaps because over half of white-collar workers (53%) stated that they “wouldn’t bother” asking about flexi-working in a job interview in the coming year because they naturally assume “it is a given now.” Gym discounts, company cars, and voucher schemes have all been traded in for the hope of “inspiring colleagues and company culture” – with over a third of workers (37%) stating this is an important factor in staying on or taking on a new role. Inflation plays a role Over a third of businesses (39%) said they’re increasing pay to keep up with rising inflation, but recruiter Robert Walters warns that companies may find themselves in a ‘wage-price’ spiral in the coming year – whereby higher prices and rising pay feed into each other and accelerate even more. Chris Poole adds: “Many companies decided on their 2022 raises a few months ago before we had a clear picture of how much rising wages for new hires, as well as inflation, would impact the labour market. “There is little point in companies offering a pay rise as a morale booster if the impact of that increase isn’t really felt in the real world – and so we are increasingly seeing more companies consider the cost-of-living when determining the average pay rise an individual gets. “Businesses will have to decide how much to raise their salaries to keep their employees, whilst also deciding how much to pass on those costs to their clients and consumers.”