< Previous30 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk NETWORKING I n light of the circumstances we find ourselves in relating to COVID-19, I find it difficult to write about anything else this month, so I have decided to cover the subject of change and adaptation, looking at how we can take steps to adapt in this ever-changing climate, which is inevitably effecting us all both personally and in business. In a world where we are operating in shock, impulse and panic mode right now, it is easy to become swept away with the media hype surrounding the issues, social media discussions and general chit chat, so it is more important than ever to take a step back and regain some focus. When it comes to business, most industries are being affected by the negative impact of the coronavirus outbreak and with social distancing being the main strategy to combat the spread, we are entering into a new wave of working remotely and communicating digitally. Many businesses operate through a predominantly face to face format and so having a restriction on this is no doubt going to have a detrimental effect on the operation of the business and unless adaptation is implemented it could have a catastrophic outcome. So, what can businesses who rely on human interaction do to combat this? Now more than ever staying connected must be priority. Maintaining your business brand and profile in these times is still just as important as before and this does not necessarily mean salesy adverts and self- promotion, this means adding value and showing support. Nurturing existing client relationships and offering yourselves as a resource where relevant. Utilising the networks you are already a part of to continue to stay in people’s minds – even if it’s just through conversation, blogging, minded folk and above all keep talking. Communication is key right now and remember; what connects us are not the meetings and events we attend, what truly connect us are the people and at least for now we can continue to connect with one another remotely – scheduling regular online meetings using platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Acuity Schedule, to which many also offer live chat and multiple user facilities, connecting people from all over the world and what’s great is that these translate to so many industries and activities; such as workshops, webinars and even yoga classes! The power of digital is endless and we are about to discover just how powerful. It is worth remembering that this is only temporary, we will get through this and normality will eventually resume – so focusing on the end goal is not a bad thing, keeping in close contact with your customers, even if they leave you temporarily, many will come back. It almost seems inappropriate to self- promote right now, but we all have businesses to run and bills to pay, so choose when and how to go about this sensitively and offer support to those you can without draining your own resources – remember you can’t pour from an empty cup. It goes back to the biggest rule of networking to ask, “How can I help you?” Final thought You are not on your own in this, we are all in this together, so don’t be afraid to ask for help or indeed receive it for that matter. In the words of Ricky Gervais: “Stay well, take vitamins, wash your hands, don’t be selfish, make sure an elderly relative has everything they need. Some are too proud to ask. Drink at home. Everything you love doing you can do in a few weeks.” Stay safe Keep calm and carry on digitally By Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency. Fiona Duncan-Steer – www.fionaduncansteer.co.uk www.rsvipnetwork.co.uk video/phone chats and live streaming – is so important. Ask the business networks you are a part of how they can support you in these times and tap into any resources available. It’s all about planning and contingency. Be pro-active – doing something is better than nothing at all and it’s all about small steps. Why not use this mandatory downtime to idea generate – use the alternative environment you find yourself in, to get creative and in other words brainstorm some new ideas? Look at the services/products you provide and think of ways in which you can continue to provide them using a different model or platform. * Can you take your service online? * Can you deliver your product through an online order e.g. food takeaways etc.? * Can you host online consultations, events and workshops? Granted there will be some industries that may struggle to find an alternative to what they currently offer, however we have access to an amazing digital space with various interesting platforms, most of which are free to access, or charge a monthly subscription fee, making it affordable to most to access and adapt for their business models. We are essentially adopting a new way of thinking here and it’s a real breakthrough – some of us may have been holding off on implementing video into our marketing strategies for a while with our businesses, but this may just be the push you need to get cracking. Have you been thinking about setting up a LinkedIn group for a while? Get on with it! Start writing the first chapter of that book you want to write, schedule podcasts to listen to, watch Ted Talks for inspiration, join up to positive online communities of like- 30-31.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 14:30 Page 130-31.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 14:30 Page 232 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk OFFICE SOLUTIONS T evolve and is certainly becoming more employee centric. Today, an office does not simply present workers with the right tech and stationery they require, but a supportive environment with an integral aim to bolster employee wellbeing, health and productivity. Office design also has a major role to play in retaining and gaining new staff and reducing absenteeism. Companies across the spectrum, small or large, are recognising how the office can truly benefit business and staff. Some may completely refit an office or move somewhere new, whilst others need only tweak layouts and bring in some new furniture. Of course a crucial concern in office design at present, which will only be enhanced once employees return to offices after working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak, is hygiene. Offices should be prepared to prevent the risk of spreading germs, even outside of the coronavirus pandemic, and provide good access to tissues and hand sanitiser, either in bottles around the office or through wall mounted refillable containers. Colds and flus can quickly travel around offices, resulting in time off for recovering staff and lost working hours for businesses. According to Printerland over a fifth of offices are cleaned just once a month or less, and one in ten workers never clean their desks. With the average desk hosting 400 times more germs than a toilet seat, a strong cleaning plan is essential, including tidy desk policies to allow easier cleaning for cleaning staff. Cleaning products should also be supplied by businesses, to make it easy for employees to sanitise their workspaces as needed to boost office- wide hygiene, particularly where professional cleaning is infrequent. With many offices set up for co-working or hotdesking, desk cleanliness becomes even more important. With staff sharing more spaces, viruses and bacteria can A healthy 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 14:33 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 33 OFFICE SOLUTIONS © Shutterstock /luchunyu spread even further, taking down an entire workforce. In cleaning up offices there are a plethora of aspects to consider. It is not just desk surfaces and communal areas that need a wipe down, but phones, computer screens, keyboards and mice, which are recommended weekly cleans. Office bathrooms should be optimised to prevent the spread of germs too, and the amount of surfaces that need touching minimised. To accommodate this, one might incorporate sensor-based flushes, soap dispensers, taps and dryers as well as automatic lights. Regular checks of communal areas like kitchens should be made, and frequent professional cleaning adopted. Providing adequate bins is also important, for waste and recycling, for easy disposal. Going a step further, offices can be designed to incorporate antimicrobial materials. One may even add an antimicrobial coating to the floor. There are a variety of antimicrobial solutions on the market today worth considering, from paint to window shades and faucets. Ultimately, cleaner offices, mean healthier employees and more work done. Focusing on the health of employees, one should look to invest in ergonomic furniture. Designed to offer support, comfort and flexibility, staff, who will likely spend most of the day sat at a desk, can keep healthy sitting and standing postures, decreasing the musculoskeletal injuries commonly found amongst office workers as a result of repetitive motions and awkward body positions, which can lead to lost productivity and working time, impacting the bottom line. Selecting the right desks, keyboards, screens and chairs is key here, with adjustable heights, padded seats and sit and stand options. Standing while working for a measly half an hour can reduce stress, blood pressure and cholesterol. With ergonomic furniture staff will be more comfortable, thus able to 34 Á 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 14:33 Page 234 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk OFFICE SOLUTIONS maintain better focus on work with less pain-related distractions. Several nifty aspects can be seen in the modern offices of large companies, from slides to snack bars, but there is one simple feature that should not be overlooked in office design: light. Humans are attracted to and energised by natural light, and numerous studies highlighting what employees want most in their office have shown natural light to come out on top. The benefits of natural light have become well-known, including better wellbeing and up to a twenty per cent increase in productivity as well as reduced eye strain and less headaches. Many are therefore integrating daylighting strategies. Those designing offices are putting a great deal of thought into how to maximise natural light, using skylights, glass walls, precisely positioning workspaces near windows, and employing smart lighting solutions and LEDs to compliment the light streaming in from outdoors. Auto tinting smart windows have been used to optimise natural light while reducing glare, as well as apps allowing staff to adjust the light entering office windows. Not all offices have large and well dispersed windows, of course, and in such cases indoor lighting mimicking the wavelengths of natural light should be considered. Clean air is also vital in offices, as air quality can affect the health of workers. Air should therefore be safe to breathe and allergen free. Carbon dioxide and pollutants in office air stemming from cleaning products, paint, carpets and building materials can reduce productivity, irritate eyes, noses and throats as well as cause headaches and dizziness, so it is important to ensure offices are well ventilated, though not with recirculated air it must be mentioned, unless using enhanced filters, as this simply moves around contaminated air. A 2019 study indicated that even minimal levels of outdoor ventilation can significantly decline influenza transmission. One can also improve air quality in the office through biophilic design. Becoming more popular in offices, biophilic design brings nature into the office under the hypothesis that humans respond positively to natural elements. One method of incorporating this, which beneficially does not require any major renovation, is by simply introducing plants into the office, which have air purifying properties and enhance oxygen levels - whether attractively hanging them from the ceiling or standing them beside desks. Living walls are also growing in use, particularly as a feature wall in offices, offering both air quality improvements and a boost in aesthetics. Plants are only one aspect of biophilic design, with natural textures like stone and wood and earthy tones on walls, floors and in furniture, also key. One might select a floor covering with nature inspired tones and shapes. The benefits of biophilic design are far reaching, with a number of studies showing that natural 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 14:33 Page 3www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 35 OFFICE SOLUTIONS Managing the fear pandemic – who can help? Fear is becoming the overriding emotion in the current COVID-19 climate. The ‘fear’ pandemic is constantly on every channel and media platform and is positioned to feed into anxiety’s two favourite words - ’what if’ – as Alexis Powell-Howard, Managing Director of Fortis Therapy & Training, explores. An open-ended ‘what if,’ is never ending. We can literally ruminate over those two words for hours, if not days. The lack of certainty, the lack of trust in leaders, in our own judgement, along with the general feeling of being out of control, understandably leads to people trying to make decisions that are based on fear, rather than on facts, evidence, and rational thought. Fear has four responses: fight, flight, freeze and flop. We have recently witnessed people clearing the shelves in supermarkets, stockpiling tins of food, toilet rolls and paracetamol, and stories of garages and lofts stocked ready for the apocalypse. These survival responses can create ‘ugly’ scenes and feelings of desperation, anger and resentment. The advice, to practice social distancing and self-isolation, is opposite to our impulses because we have a need to feel connected to others (to have psychological intimacy) as well as proximity - a fundamental need in terms of attachment and bonding. When we are feeling vulnerable, we look for comfort from others and to care for our loved ones, so to avoid that natural response, can feel sad, isolating and triggering. Accessing therapy, for any age, can really help, providing a safe space (which in ‘normal’ circumstances, often takes place physically face-to-face) but due to the current situation is just as effective when using telephone counselling, on line video skype or zoom. Using technology, makes therapy accessible whatever the circumstances creating space on a regular basis to explore feelings, to find perspective, balanced thinking and to learn strategies to keep well. elements decrease stress and boost concentration, creativity and productivity. The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace study for example uncovered that those working in spaces with natural elements reported fifteen per cent higher levels of wellbeing, were fifteen per cent more creative and six per cent more productive. While we bring nature indoors, offices are also aiming to have a smaller impact on nature outdoors. As climate change only gains more focus, so does the need to create more sustainable offices. In response, offices are utilising recycled/reclaimed furniture solutions, offering more precise recycling bins, recyclable coffee cups or imposing a bring your own mug policy, using energy saving lightbulbs, and sensor technology to indicate where the most energy is being used, improving waste management plans and even adopting solar panels. With the average employee spending a third of their lives and 42.3 hours a week at work, it is essential that a workspace actually attracts employees to work. When in doubt the WELL Standard from the International WELL Building Institute suggests some factors to ponder when designing a fitting office space. These include appropriate lighting, clean air, access to clean water, adequate nourishment, comfort, health and wellbeing and the integration of physical activity. © Shutterstock /Andrey_Popov 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 14:33 Page 436 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk HOPKINS SOLICITORS Q&A What are the biggest business threats posed by the coronavirus pandemic and how can legal advice help? The biggest threats for most people will be financial rather than legal and keeping cashflow under control is going to be the biggest challenge. With any financial pressure there is bound to be assistance needed in advising on business contracts and lawyers can help with this. Most modern law firms are well placed to offer advice remotely and modern technology enables us to find solutions for our clients often under great pressure. Looking after employees is going to be key to keeping the business going through the crisis and importantly getting the business back on track after the crisis is over. Legal advice at an early stage can assist in keeping good relationships with your staff at times where you may need to make some very difficult decisions for the good of the business and the staff long term. Taking early advice before you make the wrong decision can save the business in the short term. Going forward, what solutions that you offer can business owners utilise to try and shield their companies from the outbreak? In a constantly changing environment, facing a problem we haven’t seen before, it is often difficult to be positive or to offer solutions but what we do know is that regular communication with fellow businesses, customers and staff is key to getting Q&A Martyn Knox, Managing Partner, Hopkins Solicitors We recently spoke with Martyn Knox, Managing Partner of Hopkins Solicitors, to discuss the business threats posed by the coronavirus pandemic and what services it offers to help businesses during this difficult, uncertain time. 36-37.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 15:33 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 37 HOPKINS SOLICITORS Q&A through this together. Keeping an eye on cashflow, preparing for the worst and keeping all parties up to date and involved will help. Following government advice and putting the health of the nation first has to be the number one priority. Firms can shield themselves best by taking early advice from their accountants and solicitors and not acting too rashly when there may be other alternatives that we can talk through with you. Given the current climate, are Hopkins taking any proactive steps – for example, hosting webinars instead of business meetings and video calls instead of face-to-face meetings with clients? All staff members are set up to converse with clients by email, telephone and also video conferencing with a full suite of IT products and apps available. We shall therefore be open for business even when the office itself is closed. We’ll be posting hints and tips regularly on our website, that will benefit our clients and members of the public generally. Understandably, individuals and business owners are concerned at present. Should business owners be making queries about wills and probate? We’ll be able to continue to assist people about advice on wills and probate in these difficult times. We’re hoping that with the steps people are taking to self-isolate that probate shouldn’t be an area that is greatly in demand although we’ll be there for people if it is required. There has never been a better time to reflect on getting our own affairs in order and wills are definitely recommended along with powers of attorney. Executing wills remotely is something that can still be done with our guidance so there is no reason why clients shouldn’t be able to use the time at home effectively to plan their and their family’s future. To find out more about Hopkins Solicitors, its services and what it can do for you, visit www.hopkins-solicitors.co.uk, email info@hopkins-solicitors.co.uk, or call 01623 782 080. © Shutterstock /kan_chana 36-37.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 15:33 Page 238 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk REFRIGERATION © Shutterstock /Sorn340 Studio Images Keep cool and carry on East Midlands Business Link explores the ways in which the refrigerated storage and distribution sector can more efficiently operate. 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 15:35 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 39 REFRIGERATION T emperature controlled storage and distribution remains one of the most powerful industries in the food and drink industry, with the cold chain accounting for roughly nine per cent of the £187 billion of sales. With the demand for food and drink in the UK rising by three per cent year on year, according to ONS data, many food retailers and supermarkets are facing difficult questions on whether they should increase the size of their temperature-controlled transport fleet, or whether they should look to invest in more temperature-controlled storage facilities closer to home. Most manufacturers in the industry – and others that involve temperature control and refrigeration – likely already have some form of careful system in place. But that doesn’t seem to stop the wastage that occurs as a result of variances in temperature. So what has been going wrong? For many companies, problems seem to occur in the supply chain, or on distribution lines. While the product is still in the primary manufacturing facility the process is much more regulated and controlled, but it is easier to achieve that in a state-of- the-art facility where the process is mostly automated. At the hand-over point between manufacturing facility and distribution, there is obviously a point where human elements need to get involved, be it in end-of-line packaging, or materials handling. These points of transference from one part of the supply chain to another represent significant breach points in the temperature integrity of pharmaceutical products and should have particular attention attributed to them. When it comes to distribution centres, which play a key role in the supply chain towards the retail market, the costs of temperature control systems can quickly scale out of control. Therefore it’s important at all times to focus on methods of efficiently maintaining temperature levels, with as little ambient loss of temperature as possible. At the end of the day, it’s far more expensive to keep air cool, then it is to warm it up. Doors and loading bays create an immediate but necessary breach in a warehouse’s defences, allowing the cooler air inside to escape via convection currents. What’s more, this is an inescapable consequence, as the ultimate goal of these facilities is to store 40 Á 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 02/04/2020 15:35 Page 2Next >