< Previous30 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk PUBLIC RELATIONS I’m writing this having just secured some lovely coverage for a client, some of it is in their local press, some of it is in their trade press, some is in the national media - the perfect hat-trick if you will? It features a story we have worked on for over a month, getting quotes from supporting parties and stakeholders, positioning my client at the heart of the story and essentially telling their market that you really should be talking to them. Bingo! It is FANTASTIC coverage for them, but is it just tomorrow’s fish and chip paper? might even be on your database, are existing customers or who follow you on social media. PR can help you target both, but it really comes into its own with your prospects because of…yep, you guessed it...POSITIONING. So, we’re going to take this coverage and we are going to leverage it. * We are going to shout it from the rooftops via their social media. * We’re going to get the story out with the coverage via their e-newsletter. * I’m going to use it to offer them up to other media for expert market comment. How to leverage media coverage and REALLY power your PR efforts By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR and the PR and Communications Ambassador for the IoD in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Well…YES. Yes it is, if that is ALL they do with it. However, we are not going to simply sit around waiting for the phone to ring - that really is NOT how the whole PR thing works. You need to remember that PR is all about POSITIONING, so given the positioning opportunity we have created, we are going to make darn sure their prospects see it. Oh, a note here on PR, Prospects and Suspects. Suspects are the folk who MIGHT buy from you if you target them correctly within a given media outlet. Your Prospects tend to be the folk who already know a little about you, 30-31.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 15:58 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 31 PUBLIC RELATIONS Caution Marketing Rocket Science Alert Use with caution… And then, here’s the real genius. Here’s the secret sauce that is going to really power this PR campaign. They are going to buy copies of the magazines and PUT THEM IN THE POST. That’s right, they are going to go back to the marketing ‘Stone Age’ and actually post a letter. There’s going to be ink, a pen and EVERYTHING. Whisper it but there’s going to be a hand addressed envelope. You see, coverage like this, third party testimony from a trusted source, a newspaper or magazine, is like gold dust. It is the best sales brochure they could send out right now to their prospects. Not their suspects, I’m talking about the people who have been in touch before, kicked the tyres, asked them to keep them posted, expressed interest, you know the drill. Sure, press coverage is often the immediate goal of your PR campaign, but this is how you take it to the next level and get better ROI. You share your good news. In fact, look carefully and you’ll see that is what I am doing now. In fact, I’m off to buy 10 copies myself to send to MY prospects. Now do you see how to leverage PR? A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press for Attention PR in 2008. He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective. 30-31.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 15:58 Page 232 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk NOTTINGHAM © Shutterstock /SAKhanPhotography On Nottingham Like any city, Nottingham has its fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly – but with a positively growing economy outstripping many other cities in the UK, there is potential to be found. And if the niggling problems can be addressed, the city may raise to even greater heights. 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:00 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 33 NOTTINGHAM With the COVID pandemic finally coming under control, Nottingham may well be at the forefront of the UK’s economic recovery. Business confidence has been recorded at an all- time high for the last year in the third quarter of 2021, and the ONS has released statistics showing the UK’s GDP rising by 4.8 per cent between April 2020 and June 2021. The falls short of the Bank of England’s predicted rate of five per cent, but only marginally. Business groups are citing the minor shortcoming as a result of uncertainty caused by what is being termed the `pingdemic` causing people to self-isolate more. To help stimulate the local economy, the Nottingham City Council have set out a plan to develop 4,000 new homes and 15,000 new jobs. This draft plan for 2021 – 2023 went under public consultation and also council scrutiny and is set to be approved by the full council sometime in September. In the city centre, businesses have been cited as cautiously optimistic since seeing customers return on Freedom Day. Bars, cafes and restaurants said they had received a health number of customers in the days since, with some even recording more footfall than pre- pandemic, as consumers desperately took advantage of the chance to go out once more. That’s not to say the city hasn’t taken on board some of the nuances of business through COVID. Many businesses in the region have chosen not to bring all their staff back into the office, but to adapt to a partial, or even total, option to work from home. To take advantage of this, some investors are financing hot desk offices, including a £5 million hotdesking hub to be developed in the city’s creative quarter. 34 Á 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:00 Page 234 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk NOTTINGHAM Oliver Wheatcroft, Managing Director at Perrymead Estates who are behind the hub, says, “We were originally planning a traditional office space for Stoney Street Studios that would be available for long- term private lease. But in late 2019 we were observing the trend towards flexible working in London and other European cities. The pandemic has accelerated interest in a remote working culture, so we felt compelled to trial a new model.” Indeed, workers are at the forefront of much of Nottingham’s vision for recovery. While businesses struggle to find a compromise between working at the office or from home, a reported skills shortage may end up giving employees the bargaining power. To combat this, more must be done to either upskill workers in the area, or to highlight Nottingham as an appealing destination for commuters or those prepared to move. On more specific levels, work is already in place for the former. The University of Nottingham has already launched a new data scientist degree apprenticeship, which will help to address the UK’s chronic shortage of data talent which by the Government’s own admission is costing organisations more than £2 billion a year. “Many businesses are waking up to the fact that data is one of their most valuable assets and data scientists are needed everywhere,” said Assistant Professor and Programme Director Dr Ria Symonds. “Whilst this has the potential to give them a competitive advantage, the issue is that business leaders often struggle to hire data talent. Also, in my experience, employees are often already working with data in their jobs but lack the tools to utilise it effectively. Our degree apprenticeship is designed to give new and existing staff in-depth knowledge of how to take and analyse data: so very simply what they do with it, 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:00 Page 3www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 35 NOTTINGHAM what models and methods they should run, what the restrictions may be around those, how reliable the data is, and ultimately communicating and presenting it to stakeholders.” One element of the recovering economy which continues to frustrate, however, is the lack of information or commitment to the HS2 project. While this has been a problem even since before the pandemic, business leaders and other business associations such as the Chamber and the CBI are now placing pressure on the Government to come clean on their intentions for the project. While it has in the past been a controversial one, the huge economic benefits the project could bring to the area, and to the city, are undeniable, and if the Government is as committed to an economic recovery as they say, there should be little reason to delay further. Unfortunately, there is as of yet no news on the matter, and HS2 is expected to remain a contentious issue for some time yet. In lighter news, new research has helped to uncover just how much of an economic powerhouse Nottingham was in the 19th century. Fascinating untold stories of the rise and fall of Nottingham’s world-famous lace industry are being brought to life thanks to new research by historians at the University of Nottingham. The city is well known for the lace and hosiery manufacturing that was pioneered in the early 19th century, reaching its international trading peak at the height of the British Empire. However, less well known is Nottingham’s status as a global trading centre for the machinery and expertise that allowed other countries to establish their own lace industries and markets. Nottingham City Council Museums holds the UK’s premier collection of material on lace and lacemaking. The collaboration between the university and Nottingham City Museums and Galleries will lead to the development of a new Lace Gallery at the Industrial Museum at Wollaton Hall, an interactive exhibition at Newstead Abbey and workshop events at Nottingham Castle. Researchers from the university’s Department of History have uncovered just how vital export trade was to the success of Nottingham’s lace industry. The largest markets for Nottingham lace were France, Germany, the United States and South America. Manufacturers also exported to Spain, Egypt and India. Between 1850 and 1950 many foreign consulates were opened in Nottingham securing links with America, Germany, Norway, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Costa Rica, Venezuela, France, Colombia, Salvador, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Cuba and Dominica. © Shutterstock /T ravel__Photography © Shutterstock /Alex Daniels 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:01 Page 436 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk EDUCATION AND TRAINING With a shrinking talent pool across almost all industries, training and education has never been more important for filling the skills shortage. But since the pandemic, the way training is undertaken has evolved. A shrinking talent pool, increased digitalisation, and economic influences are forcing the skills gap to widen, and it is affecting the nation’s productivity, which is now recognised as the lowest amongst the G7. Organisations in the UK are shelling out £4.4 billion a year as a result of the skills shortage, with well in excess of half of employers having struggled to find staff with the required skills in the past year. Increased recruitment costs, inflated salaries and the training required for those hired at a lower level than needed, as well as temporary staffing are all highlighted as causes for this expense. Our region is fortunate in being the host of world class training facilities, specialist training providers, leading higher education institutions and up- skilling funding opportunities. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are rife with opportunities for business and education institution collaborations in particular. For instance, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is offered by universities across the region. CPD refers to the learning activities employers and employees complete to grow, develop and enhance their skills to ensure their academic and practical qualifications do not become outdated, enabling continuous development of professional abilities and allowing employers and employees to stay at the forefront of workforce Tomorrow’s © Shutterstock /Alexander Supertramp 38 Á 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:26 Page 1www.oms.uk.com 01530 833 533 info@oms.uk.com Helping you to perform at the highest level OMS have delivered consultancy and training services throughout the Midlands and UK for over 22 years. We are a leading authority in health and safety, employment, quality, environmental and business continuity management systems and training. Our tailored solutions support organisations throughout the UK. Could we help you too? Some of the benefits of using OMS 3 5 star Trustpilot rating. 3 Trusted by many major and local organisations to deliver consultancy and training. 3 Certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & ISO 45001 for “The provision of Consultancy and Training Services” giving you the assurance that we have management controls in place to provide a quality offering safely, with minimal impact on the environment. 3 Easy access to our training centre, with free car parking, centrally located just a few minutes from Junction 22 of the M1. 3 Covid Secure training centre and head office. 3 Approved CITB touch screen (ITC) test centre, which allows you to attend a Site Safety Plus Health & Safety Awareness course and your touch screen test on the same day. 3 Wide range of health and safety e-learning courses. 3 Accredited to run a wide variety of courses at our training centre at Bardon Hill. 3 NEBOSH Gold training provider. Visit www.oms.uk.com, call us on 01530 833 533 or email info@oms.uk.com to learn more about us and how we can enhance your organisation. 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:26 Page 238 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk EDUCATION AND TRAINING their professions. While universities, with their specialist up to date knowledge, offer a range of readymade courses for individuals and organisations, from using people analytics in HR to courses in system safety engineering for those working in computer science, if there is a precise development path one needs employees to follow, bespoke education programmes can be designed in collaboration with many of the region’s universities. Custom programmes present a variety of flexible and effective education options that will inspire talent. Universities are prepared to work closely with business to understand them and the challenges they face, to meet learning needs as well as form courses that fit to a preferred time frame. With CPD talent can be retained, a team’s specialist skills developed and a business’s productivity enhanced. Courses on offer vary from short courses offering a combination of strategic, practical and core skills to re-enter the workplace with, to longer term leadership and management programmes for new, middle, and senior managers, business owners and entrepreneurs, to sector specific training courses designed for one’s industry, to online and distance learning so one can study flexibly from anywhere. These can be credit or non-credit earning. Building a culture that features growth and leaning opportunities is important for a plethora of reasons - not only is it good for businesses and has an impact on the bottom line, but up-skilling can impact employee satisfaction and retention. Twenty-one per cent of employees indicate that they are more likely to stay at a business that supports their development. Businesses can also collaborate with universities and other education institutions to gain access to high calibre students, for instance by developing a partnership to offer degree apprenticeships that allow students to gain work experience while getting the qualification of a degree and professional accreditation, but also opening up a talent pool with the skills needed by employers. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, online training has grown in popularity and prevalence. Although online training has existed in one form or another for decades with many people – from students right through to senior staff – taking advantage of it. Since lockdown, however, it has exploded in usage as apprentices look to maintain their learning, companies complete their employees’ training, and individuals that are now based from home, or have been made redundant in the wake of outbreak, to upskill. Outside of the pandemic, the appeal and popularity of online training lies in its flexibility. From a home office or smart device, it can be worked around any schedule, fitting in with other engagements and appointments. It can also even be undertaken on-the-go, turning that daily train or bus commute into a learning opportunity. That same flexibility is what gives online training an edge, allowing an uninterrupted learning stream for all manner of individuals while they observe social distancing regulations. Small surprise that many traditional training providers have made the transition to online learning, in part or in full. No doubt misconceptions existed around online training before the pandemic with some employers perhaps reluctant to use them over the misguided perception that they aren’t the equal of in-person training or lack the range of 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:26 Page 3Cargo Training International n AIR, SEA AND ROAD TRAINING n REGULAR UK & USA COURSES n WORLDWIDE IN-HOUSE PROGRAMMES n CAA APPROVED FOR ALL YOUR DANGEROUS GOODS TRAINING NEEDS FOR ALL OUR TRAINING DATES & VENUES VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.cargotraining.com UK OFFICE: PO Box 176, Shepperton, TW17 8WP Tel: 01932 769 682 • E-mail: sales@cargotraining.com USA OFFICE: PO Box 580026, Houston, Texas 77258-0026 Tel: 1800 700 4980 • E-mail: cti@cargotrainingusa.com Cargo Training International, CTI, are providers of dangerous goods training / hazmat training courses in the UK, USA and Worldwide www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 39 EDUCATION AND TRAINING subjects. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Online courses cover a diversity of subjects from health & safety, administration and quality assurance right through to management and everything in between. Because of the nature of e-learning and the flexibility we’ve already touched on, it means training providers are uniquely positioned to get creative with their content and how it’s delivered. This ‘out of the box’ thinking offers a great opportunity to make courses and learning content more engaging, memorable and, thusly, more effective. It also means that content can be continually refreshed and updated with the latest research and findings in a way that traditional location-based courses simply can’t compete with. Providers also have access to analytic data from which they can see what does and doesn’t work about the courses they provide and, crucially, the way in which they’re delivered. As we look towards future, training of every kind will prove crucial to ensuring there’s a talent pipeline in place for all sectors to draw from and that the skills shortage diminishes rather than continues to widen. © Shutterstock /Sergey Nivens 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 02/09/2021 16:26 Page 4Next >