< Previous30 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk WATER EFFICIENCY Increasing ambition from government, regulators, water companies and businesses are together having a profound impact in the amount of water that’s being used and how wastewater is being treated and recycled. The way to water efficiency The way to water efficiency © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / BY ROMOLO TAVANI Even media, marketing and other non-water intensive industries still use water every single day. Toilets, sinks, water coolers, dishwashes, not to mention the water involved in the commercial cleaning of an office block or building – it all adds up. Fortunately for businesses of this kind, there are several easy ways to reduce consumption and use water more efficiently. Businesses can switch to a more efficient water company that’s better aligned for the environment and a company’s overheads. There are simple and often inexpensive options to help reduce water usage in the workplace, such as fitting water aerators to taps. Also known as flow regulators, this small attachment controls the amount of water that flows through the tap without affecting water pressure as they mix the water with air. Then there are displacement devices which can be placed in toilet cisterns so that less water is used per flush. Alternatively, companies can install duel flush toilets. If an office or facility has a garden, a water butt can be installed to gather rainwater which can then be used to water grounds. Even with solutions such as these, companies should still carry out regular water audits to determine where water inefficiencies are taking place. One of the biggest issues here is leaks, which not only waste water and cost money, but can lead to damage and costly repairs – especially as not all business insurance policies cover flooding of this kind. As part of this audit process, it’s also worth determining where wastewater is going and if it can be recycled into other areas of the business or sent to a more environmentally-friendly treatment plant (more on that later). Becoming a more water efficient business means understanding exactly how water is being used and where. Although audits will provide actionable insight in this regard, a smart meter can be invaluable in reducing usage. Just like those used to monitor electricity usage, smart water meters provide detailed data on exactly how much water is being used, peak times of usage and so on. It’s a value tool not only for business operators, but also for water companies, helping to create an in-depth map of the nation’s water usage and demands. Reducing water isn’t only the duty of company bosses or 30-31.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:03 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 31 WATER EFFICIENCY facilities managers, but should instead be the responsibility of an entire workforce. It can be difficult to motivate staff and, frankly, people are prone to forgetfulness. Compared to meeting deadlines or sealing a new deal, turning the tap off after you’ve washed your hands can seem insignificant. But it is important that an entire team works together, so putting up water efficiency posters around the workplace – particularly in areas where water is used i.e. the kitchen and bathroom – can help to keep staff informed and serve as reminders. Bosses can also appoint one staff member to serve as ‘water champion’ who will oversee a company’s initiatives and ensure staff are engaging with the water efficiency processes. This could be a shared role, in which one member of staff serves for a month before passing on the onus to another after their four-week tenure comes to an end. Even for businesses with only a handful of employees, this can really help to make a difference. As well as potentially making significant savings, there are other financial incentives for becoming more water efficient. The government has a scheme in place designed to help with costs. Part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) Scheme, this allows businesses to claim one hundred per cent of first year capital allowances on investments in technologies and products that encourage sustainable water use. Businesses can write off the whole cost of their investment against their taxable profits of the period in which they make the investment. Although office-based companies don’t use anything like the amount of water as the agriculture or construction sectors, there are hidden water usages everywhere. For example, it takes ten litres of water to produce just a single sheet of paper. In this example, companies can reduce their water footprint by going paperless or, at the very least, taking steps to lessen the amount of the paper they use. Steps such as these are part of wider efforts to reduce water usage and, by extension, wastewater. That’s all well and good for less-intensive industries but, as we’ve already alluded to, there are several sectors which require huge amounts of water. Industries including manufacturing, construction, food production and farming produce torrents of wastewater and this is typically filled with contaminates including heavy metals, pathogens, faeces and other biological matter. It therefore needs to be processed, but rather than being wasted – as has historically been the case – it can be treated, purified and recycled. There are a number of technologies that can be used in the water treatment process depending on the requirement and, indeed, the type of wastewater. Of these technologies, it’s filtration that is most commonly used thanks to cost-effective and reliable nature. Reverse osmosis, which removes contaminants from water by using pressure to force water molecules through a semipermeable membrane, has grown in popularity over the years because of its high levels of effectiveness. Treating and purifying water with ultraviolet (UV) light, however, has become a mainstay because of its efficiency, affordability and longevity. Even at a domestic level, a UV water purification system can destroy 99.9 per cent of waterborne microorganisms in a single pass. Unlike some of the other technologies and systems available, UV is an environmentally-friendly alternative and results in no disinfection by-products, making it a popular option in the food and drink industry. Using the correct and consistent dosage, UV treatment has been proven to deactivate the entire rogue’s gallery of microorganisms attribute to spoilage, from viruses right through to moulds. Moreover, its electrical needs are low, meaning it can run consistently with low operating cost, as well as wasting no water, making it a win-win. Whatever the business or sector, reducing water usage isn’t only an environmental imperative, but a means of cutting costs. But there’s no denying that some industries produce massive amounts of wastewater that simply cannot be prevented. Therefore, the onus is on treating that wastewater and recycling it, creating a closed loop solution and helping to solve the water crisis before it ever truly begins. 30-31.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:04 Page 232 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / RAWPIXEL.COM As the working world changes so do the skills that employers and employees need. To remain productive and on par with competition, then, businesses must invest in education and training. talent 32-34.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:09 Page 1and 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. While some are turning to recruiters to help find staff with the right skills, a greater focus is being placed on retraining and up-skilling one’s current workforce, with 53% of organisations adding to their training and development budgets in the last year, by an average of 10%. Employers are starting to turn away from the idea of “buying” talent are instead looking at “building” it from within. According to the Barometer, 62% hold the expectation that it will only become harder to find people with the right skills in the next year, and 61% believe they will need to look at developing talent internally if they are to guarantee that they will have access to the skills they require to be efficient and productive. East Midlands SMEs have been dealing with a sustained shortage of skilled talent since 2016 according to analysis of an independent report. The region’s fastest growing firms have faced a three-year challenge to find and keep talent, particularly in highly skilled roles. Meanwhile 69% of the region's most profitable businesses described the local talent pool as lacking in 2018, and a key barrier to growth. Our region is fortunate in being the host of world class facilities, a plethora of training programs and specialist training providers, leading higher education institutions and up-skilling funding opportunities. The East Midlands is 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 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, 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. 21% of employees indicate the they are more likely to stay at a business that supports East Midlands Business 33 EDUCATION & TRAINING 34 Á www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk 32-34.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:09 Page 2their 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. While up-skilling current staff is gaining momentum and popularity with businesses, to bridge the skills gap the government is looking to properly prepare the next generation entering the workplace by pledging another £120m into eight new Institutes of Technology to train students in sought after STEM fields. As little as 20% of employees currently hold the digital skills that will support their current and future roles according to Gartner - which this funding is set help mitigate. The £120m funding bonus will see an Institute of Technology - which are unique collaborations between universities, further education colleges and employers - established in every region of England, and builds on the government’s existing investment of £170m into 12 other Institutes (which included the University of Lincoln) and £400m for colleges and sixth forms for 2020-2021. The Institutes offer Levels 4 and 5 training, advanced diplomas in engineering, for digital, manufacturing, construction and engineering students to provide employers with the skilled workforce they need. At the reveal of the original 12 Institutes, research highlighted that only 7% of people between 18 and 65 in England were undertaking training at Level 4 or 5 - one of the lowest rates in the OECD. More apprenticeship opportunities are also set for the UK and T Levels are being introduced to merge classroom education and practical Other programmes in our region have seen D2N2 businesses benefiting from a £16.74m training fund for up-skilling workforces. In this instance the training is delivered as part of the Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) programme, which Serco’s Employment, Skills & Enterprise business is managing. Through SSW, eligible businesses benefit from funded flexible training - whether it be in relation to IT and digital skills, management or vocationally relevant courses - tailored to their needs. Businesses can select full qualifications or mix and match units relevant to their work. Past SSW programme participants have benefited from increased employee confidence, motivation and productivity and improved employee loyalty and retention. SMEs in Leicester and Leicestershire meanwhile have access to the same programme, but as part of a £1.62m training fund and in partnership with the LLEP, and Northamptonshire businesses have access to a £900,000 fund in partnership with the SEM LEP. Meanwhile, the High Level Skills programme, a consortium between NTU, Derby college, Nottingham College, the University of Derby and Nottingham City Council, funded by the ESF is also in place for SMEs experiencing skills shortages. The programme offers support, advice and funding to help up- skill employees and give access to the wealth of graduate talent in the area through two projects: Priority Skills for D2N2 SMEs and GRADS for D2N2. EDUCATION & TRAINING 34 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / SERGEY NIVENS © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / ONE PHOTO 32-34.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:09 Page 3Whatever your own opinions on the merits of corporate hospitality, everyone can agree that it typically involves either a sit-down meal, a few rounds of drinks, or a sporting event. Sure that event can be watching the local team thrash their rivals, or include participation, such as a game of golf, yet this is only effective if your client or prospective customer is a sports fan. That leaves the option for a lunch or dinner, which might not always be to your client’s liking, so what other options are available? Plenty, as it turns out. Casinos might not immediately spring to mind when considering corporate hospitality, but they should be right at the top of your list. There’s a similar rationale at play taking a potential new client to a casino as there is in playing them at, say, golf. You can get an insight into their behaviours and thinking and, in the case of casinos, you can see how they handle their money. If they recklessly throw away their cash and make ill-advised gambles, then you could be forgiven for thinking they’d be just as reckless in business. If, however, they know their limits and, just as importantly, know when to stop, then it’s a good sign you’ll want to go into business with this person. It might be that your client is a dab www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 35 CORPORATE HOSPITALITY 36 Á There’s plenty of other options out there when it comes to corporate hospitality than just the usual wining and dining. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / STUDIO ROMANTIC different different 35-37.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:12 Page 136 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk hand at blackjack, or perhaps they’re something of a poker shark and will leap at the opportunity to visit a casino. Perhaps more likely is that they won’t have ever visited one before, which is all the more reason to go. Casinos offer a variety of different games at varying skill levels. It’s easy to pick up blackjack in a matter of minutes, while poker is probably left until you’re a little more familiar with the rules. Then there’s roulette which is all about luck. The point is that having prior knowledge of these games isn’t a prerequisite so if that’s the only thing precluding you from including a trip to the casino for your next corporate hospitality outreach, then it’s time to change your thinking. As well as the gambling, casinos also offer bars and restaurants, offering the best of both worlds. Whether you’re just looking to entertain a long-standing client, bring a lapsed one back into the fold, or secure a new deal, casinos are a great option. A visit would probably also be appreciated by your staff, who have no doubt been working hard all year round. Times are tough, certainly, but loyalty is the most valuable currency of all. There’s no denying that the high street is experiencing falling footfall as consumer spending increasing migrates online and punters opt for cheaper drinks at home instead of visiting their local. To compete in this changing climate, companies are offering experiences rather than simply services, which are aligned with modern social-media savvy consumers. That means that over the last five years, a plethora of exciting establishments have popped up across our region which are worth considering for corporate hospitality. For example, an axe throwing attraction has recently opened in Lincoln, offering visitors the opportunity to hurl axes at wooden © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ AP GROUP OF PHOTOGRAPHERS 35-37.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:13 Page 2CORPORATE HOSPITALITY East Midlands Business Link 37 targets. That’s definitely not something you see every day and, no doubt, it’s something that a client will remember. Depending on the client, there’s also cat cafés and the like which offer something a bit different, though watch all that fur on your suit. You could also look at what art and cultural exhibitions are currently in and around the area or, to go a step further, there’s a variety of creative events to get involved with. If your client has a crafting hobby, no doubt they’ll be flattered. If, however, only a sit-down meal will do, then why not mix things up by visiting a restaurant with a twist. There are themed restaurants aplenty, but why not try one where diners eat in the dark, the better to experience and contemplate the food they’ve been given. That’s not something a client will be forgetting in a hurry. If, as they say, it’s the journey that matters and not the destination, then it’s about the relationship with a client that really matters, rather than just their business. Okay, so you’ll want to keep all those contracts in place, but people buy from people and so it’s important that clients, customers and employees see the boss or manager as a person. That’s easily done when you’re throwing dice in a casino or hurling an axe after axe. There’s nothing at all wrong with treating a client to a nice meal or a sporting event, but if you’re looking for something a bit different, just remember, there’s a lot on offer in our region. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ VGSTOCKSTUDIO © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ AFRICA STUDIO 35-37.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:14 Page 338 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk NETWORKING Work + Life = In light of the recent media marketing campaigns surrounding mental health, I thought it apt to base this month’s column on the importance of maintaining that all important work-life balance, we all work so hard to achieve - and that very statement is somehow ironic in itself… It bodes the question; do you ‘work to live’ or do you ‘live to work’? Ask yourself; which one do you fall under? I would have to say I am a bit of both - I work in order to bring in an income, to live, however I also love my job and wouldn’t feel fulfilled and happy unless I was working/achieving/being productive and challenging myself professionally. I’m sure many can relate to this, but it poses the question; when is enough, enough? We all work different hours/schedules and our personal circumstances often dictate this. Many of us work because we have no choice and others are in a fortunate enough position not to have to work, but still choose to. Whatever your reasons, if you are a worker, a professional, whether employed or running your own business, it’s worth remembering your ‘WHY’ - meaning every so often go back to the beginning of why you do what you do and then incorporate this into your day, your week, your month, to use as motivation. Whether your why is your family, travelling goals, a house renovation or that brand new car, have these in your mind or even better create a vision board and place it somewhere prominent in your home or office, so that you can refer to it every so often and remind yourself as to the reasons you are doing what you are doing. Achieving the work life balance is not easy, I have been guilty in the past of burn-out. Working long hours with not enough breaks/days off/holidays. I once went seven years without a holiday only to suddenly realise it all too late, when insomnia crept in and anxiety and stress levels hit the roof. I was ‘too busy’ to take time off for a holiday – I didn’t want to leave my business as it couldn’t possibly survive two weeks without me. I know now that was nonsense and was nothing a simple ‘out of office’ on my emails, and a bit of pre-planning couldn’t fix. So why do we do it to ourselves? Generally speaking you could argue that it’s because we fall into the trap of routine. Humans are creatures of habit and as our workloads organically increase, we adjust naturally to accommodate that until before we know it, we are wearing seventeen hats and doing the workload of three other people - how did that happen? Quite easily actually! Most of the time it is unintentional, but that said as long as we become aware of this and bring ourselves back to base, manage our own expectations and remember that it’s okay to say no once in a while in order to take care of our own health and wellbeing, we can be well on our way to achieving that work–life balance we should all be enjoying. So, what can you do about it? Review your current situation, be brutal and rate each element of your job, your financial status, your friends, family, relationship, hobbies etc. out of ten. Basically, look at all the key elements that make up your life as a whole and give them an honest rating; 0ne being it couldn’t get any worse and ten being it couldn’t get better. Then, work on improving the lower marks and balancing up each element equally. The aim here is to try to allocate enough time to each important element of your life, so that you are not neglecting any of the areas – this in turn will create more of a balance overall. An example might be that you are working hard therefore scoring highly on your chart. Work is flying and so in turn your finance rating is also high, as you are bringing in the money. Your family and friends rating may however be lower because of this, as you are not allowing as much time with them as you’d like to and your health is also in decline because you are not taking the time to eat healthily or go to the gym - therefore are you 100% happy and fulfilled? This may sound like a really simple exercise, but sometimes it helps to see things in black and white - right there in front of you, in order to inspire you to do something about it before it’s too late and these negative elements have a detrimental impact on your health or life as whole. To summarise Achieving that all important work–life balance is not always as difficult as you may think, though sometimes it feels impossible. Share your challenges with others, surround yourself with like- minded people, attempt changes one step at a time and remember, keep talking. For more information on how to achieve that work- life balance and put a strategy in place, get in touch with Fiona www.fionaduncansteer.co.uk www.rsvipnetwork.co.uk Fiona Duncan-Steer, Founder, RSViP Business Networking Agency, Writer, Business Coach www.fionaduncansteer.co.uk • www.rsvipnetwork.co.uk Balance by Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency 38-39.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:20 Page 138-39.qxp_Layout 1 29/10/2019 10:20 Page 2Next >