Monthly Archives: October 2020

FInance, News

Auto Service Finance (ASF) integrates payment solution with Real Time Communications (RTC) aftersales technology

Automotive payment provider Auto Service Finance (ASF) has announced a partnership with digitalisation specialist Real Time Communications (RTC).

The collaboration will see ASF’s aftersales payment service, which is driven by its proprietary risk management technology, integrated into RTC’s Aftersales platform.

RTC’s Aftersales management technology, which provides dealerships with inbound booking, workshop loading and management, electronic vehicle health check and deferred work contact capabilities, now also includes the ability to offer customers the option of splitting their payments across a number of interest-free instalments.

Decisions are offered and processed immediately within the platform using ASF’s proprietary risk management technology, helping to speed up the customer approval process and enabling dealerships to sell work that might have otherwise been declined.

Auto Service Finance is now used by more than 2,000 dealership sites in the UK, including sites belonging to brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot Citroën, Ford and Vauxhall. The business has also started working with Volkswagen Group brands across the country. Dealerships typically pay a percentage of the work sold using ASF to the company.

RTC’s Aftersales technology is used by major dealership groups across the UK, with the move set to both further increase ASF’s footprint and add to the integration capabilities of RTC Aftersales. James Jackson, co-founder and CEO of ASF, said: “Having the ability to offer customers flexible payment options is becoming increasingly important to retail businesses, and dealerships are no different.

“Customers also have high expectations for convenience and by integrating our solution with RTC Aftersales, we will be able to provide dealerships with a quick way of streamlining the approval of work, with the ability to split payments a seamless part of the process”.

Richard Robinson, Chief Operating Officer at Real Time Communications said: “We’re constantly looking to develop our solutions and integrate with new partners. The ability for our dealerships to offer their customers a simple way to choose flexible payment as part of the approval process for any required work will ensure a smoother aftersales experience.”

Business Advice, Business News

Campaign launched to recharge high streets and businesses in the West Midlands

A new campaign to support businesses that are safely open for business in the West Midlands launches today.

#WMOpen4Biz is being run by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and is backed by the region’s trade and industry leaders, to encourage shoppers and residents to safely return to town and city centres. Since June, businesses and offices have been opening their doors again, putting in measures to ensure they are ‘Covid-secure’ and that residents can shop and work safely.

The campaign has been kicked off by Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street who visited a variety of independent shops in Wolverhampton and Birmingham to see how they had made themselves ‘Covid-secure’.

The Mayor said: “Coronavirus continues to have a big impact on our way of life and shows no sign of stopping, meaning we must learn to live safely with it. This is critical because whilst we face a public health crisis, we also face an economic one too.

“It is brilliant that so many local businesses, shops, restaurants, and a whole host of other venues have re-opened their doors despite the difficult times, but they need support to stay open.

“As well as Government support which we are lobbying for, small acts such as buying a morning coffee from a coffee shop, picking up lunch from a sandwich bar, and shopping on your local high street for essentials instead of online, can make such a difference to these businesses, their employees, and ultimately the West Midlands economy.

“So I want to encourage everyone who can to safely get out to our brilliant local shops and restaurants once again. West Midlands businesses are open, and they have gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of workers and customers, so please remember to socially distance and wear a mask.”

Cllr Ian Brookfield, WMCA portfolio lead for economy and innovation and leader of City of Wolverhampton Council said: “During the summer, shopping areas have safely reopened across the region including in our city thanks to our Wolverhampton Open for Business Campaign.

“Despite ongoing challenges with Covid-19, the message is that the West Midlands as a region is open for business and it’s important to continue to support your local high streets and boost the economy.”

As part of the campaign launch, the Mayor visited local businesses in Wolverhampton city centre that have managed to keep their doors open thanks to taking measures to make their premises safe. He visited the offices of the Express and Star; Ron Flowers Sports; Blooms Menswear; and Michael Kirk the Butcher.

Sam Carter, sales assistant at Ron Flowers Sports, said: “It’s definitely a good campaign. Getting people back in the shop is brilliant but keeping people safe is ultimately the most important part; I’m all for getting people back on the high street.”

The Mayor also visited businesses in Birmingham city centre, who also shared the measures that they had put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their customers, including Piccadilly Cobbler and the Smithsonia gift shop.

The campaign has received strong support from business representative organisations, including the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce.

Anjum Khan, the director of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), said: “The Open for Business safely campaign, in conjunction with the ABCC’s Business Support campaign, will be critical in engaging more members of the Asian business community with guidance and advice that is crucial to their survival.

“Working collaboratively, we can help businesses throughout the region, by ensuring they have the knowledge and resources they need to remain open while doing all that they can to contain the spread of this virus.

“Any business that is looking for support should call our hotline for advice on 0121 274 3280.”

Further details of advice and support for businesses can be found at https://beta.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/covid-19-support/business-support/

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street meets Nia Cameron (centre) and Ayisha Saddique (right) at Ron Flowers Sports in Wolverhampton ahead of today’s launch of the #WMOpen4Biz campaign
News

FMCG startup Vilosophy launches with first brand to market – V&YOU

Vilosophy is a startup FMCG company focused on bringing lifestyle brands to market which specialise in alternative products using active ingredients. It launches today with its inaugural brand V&YOU, which is introducing a range of premium products that use active ingredients such as CBD and nicotine, to help people enhance their daily vibe and find joyful intensity in everything they do.

V&YOU has created a range of premium products around four vibes – calm, chill, focus and boost – and includes CBD oils and pouches, as well as nicotine pouches. One of the only suppliers in the UK, the V&YOU CBD pouch provides a new, discreet and convenient way to take CBD.

With the global CBD market expected to accelerate to $23.6bn over the next five years and Europe’s CBD market set to grow by 400%, V&YOU creates premium CBD products that adhere to the strictest quality standards and laboratory testing, but at an accessible price.

Founded by a group of highly experienced executives within the global FMCG sector – Titus Wouda Kuipers, Ged Shudall and Markus Bonke – Vilosophy brings credibility, accessibility and transparency to the alternative products market, giving people the freedom to choose how they live their life.

Co-founder and CEO of Vilosophy Titus Wouda Kuipers comments:

“We have seen the CBD market explode over the last few years with consumers using products reportedly for a variety of reasons, whether to alleviate pain, stress, anxiety, or to help them sleep. With the market set to continue this growth trajectory, we want to bring credibility, accessibility and transparency to the industry, enabling everyone to enjoy the benefits of CBD.

“We are excited that our first brand V&YOU will be one of the only producers of CBD pouches in the UK. Pouches are incredibly popular across Europe and we think people in the UK will find them a convenient way to take CBD, they also provide longer lasting flavours.

“Vilosophy has been founded on the belief that people should be free to choose how they live their life and our aim is to develop a portfolio of lifestyle brands that bring premium active ingredients to market, in a way that is best for people.”

V&YOU has an exciting innovation pipeline that includes vaping liquids, CBD muscle balm and CBD tea.

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Momentum expands insight strength with the acquisition of Last Mile Insight LLC in North America

Momentum, pioneers of account-based marketing (ABM), today announced its acquisition of Last Mile Insight, LLC, a Boston based provider of account insights as part of its drive to build a global b2b growth consultancy.

Momentum has helped drive revenue growth of $90 billion in the past 10 years, advising global businesses on how to strengthen and grow their most valuable relationships. Through its offices in London and Seattle, it works with technology leaders such as Microsoft, Adobe and Dell, and is partnering with clients in financial services HSBC, Investec and State Street.

The addition of Last Mile Insight enables Momentum to provide clients with much deeper knowledge of customers and prospects – what they need, their preferences, buying behaviour, and key initiatives and turn this knowledge into competitive advantage by developing buyer insights into a rigorous, distinctive growth strategy.

Alisha Lyndon, CEO and founder of Momentum said: “We are excited to be working with Ned and welcome Last Mile Insight to the Momentum family. Momentum has demonstrated exceptional success in driving revenue growth for our clients and this investment is a key step in expanding our research capabilities. It augments the investments we’ve made this year in the Momentum Customer Buying Index™️, and our focus on insight services, giving our clients greater probability of success.”

Last Mile Insight founder and President Ned Daubney will step into the role of Research Director, responsible for leading Momentum’s insight services in North America. Last Mile Insight, formed in 2016, provides the critical insight that helps enterprise sales and marketing leaders, and executives deeply understand, engage, and win their most strategic accounts. It connects the information dots to provide engagement direction, ideas, and most of all, deep insight into high-value customers. Notable clients include: Athenahealth, DLL Group, Dell, AWS, Verizon, & Microsoft.

“Momentum is a global market-leader in the account-based marketing space and I’m thrilled to be joining the team to cement their leading position and continue to expand in the US.” said Ned Daubney, founder of Last Mile Insight. “Momentum has the vision and resources needed to work with global enterprises and I’m excited to be part of the future roadmap for the group, combined with our focus on deep customer insights, Momentum will bring much more purposeful knowledge and certainty to clients.”

Cybersecurity, News

First of three Board Members announced for South East Cyber Resilience Centre

The South East Cyber Resilience Centre (SECRC) is pleased to announce Stuart Reed, Product and Marketing Director at Orange Cyberdefense as the first of three board members to be announced.

Stuart Reed has amassed almost 20 years’ experience in a variety of world-class technology brands including Sony, Symantec, NTT and now Orange Cyberdefense —with a particular focus on cybersecurity. He is widely recognised for his work in product strategy and thought leadership in different areas of cybersecurity. 

In his role as Product & Marketing Director, Orange Cyberdefense UK, he drives the technology roadmap, managing both solutions and go-to-market teams to solve the cyber challenges of customers as they broaden their digital initiatives in a rapidly changing market.

Commenting on the appointment, Director of SECRC Justin Torgout said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Stuart Reed as our very first SECRC Board Member. Stuart brings a wealth of experience both in the cyber security industry and as a successful business leader. His guidance and support will be invaluable to me as the Director and the wider team at the SECRC as we continue to grow the organisation and increase the number of members across the region. I am looking forward to working with Stuart to shape our future plans to tackle the threat of cyber security across the South East and through the broader CRC network.”

Stuart Reed, Product & Marketing Director, Orange Cyberdefense UK, said: “At a time when UK organisations are dealing with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, this innovative public/private initiative will play an important role in helping firms battle ever-more sophisticated cyber criminals intent on capitalising on the fragility experienced across many sectors. Even the biggest and most technically adept companies in the world continue to become victims of cyber-attacks, so there is a pressing need for continuous learning around best practice, insight and good cyber health.”

“As a board member I look forward to playing an active role in guiding the strategic direction of the Cyber Resilience Centre, using my role at Orange Cyberdefense to pass on some of the insight we gain from our world class research and analysis.”

The SECRC is an innovative not for profit partnership between policing, academia and private industry, committed to helping protect businesses in the South East region from cybercrime.

The SECRC joins a growing network of regional centres being established as part of a national roll out to provide businesses of all sizes with access to affordable cyber security services, the latest advice and support from leading law enforcement and industry experts and help them take simple steps to protect their business from unscrupulous cyber criminals.

The SECRC offers a range of membership options to businesses in the region including a free Core Membership for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Sign up on the website today to access cyber Security support, guidance, and tools.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to receive the latest SECRC news.

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Lockdown restrictions reaction – “More support needed to protect health & livelihoods” says CEO of DMA

“Restrictions will be damaging for businesses”

DMA CEO calls for further support and to work with businesses to find solutions that protect both people’s health and livelihoods

The UK Government’s announcement of increased restrictions will drive many companies to the brink, according to the latest ‘Coronavirus – The Impact on Business’ from the Data & Marketing Association (DMA).

In September signs of a post-summer recovery were disappointing, with revenues remaining at just over two-thirds pre-pandemic levels (72.1%). While this is a noticeable improvement from the 53.7% seen in April, significant fears about cashflows and the prospect of further job losses across the data and marketing industry remain.

Today’s announcements are likely to only further increase concerns for the survival of many companies, particularly the small- to medium- sized businesses. The responses from industry professionals to this latest survey point to the need for continuing many of the support schemes launched by government previously, which have helped many businesses to survive to date.“Trading remains extremely difficult for many businesses across the data and marketing industry. Despite some revenues gradually returning, we are still nowhere near pre-pandemic levels and many businesses will have difficult decisions to make over the coming months if they are to survive,” says Chris Combemale, CEO of the DMA. “We welcome the government’s approach, which seeks to protect both people’s health and livelihoods, but it is clear that today’s new measures will slow down the recovery and must be balanced with additional support for businesses.”

According to the latest figures, half of the data and marketing professionals surveyed say their organisation has used the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (52%) to avoid redundancies. However, a third of businesses have already made or expected to make permanent staff redundant (33%) – a number that will likely increase with further strict measures on businesses ability to operate.

Just a quarter (27%) expect to be able to benefit from the ‘Job Retention Bonus’, which offer employers £1,000 for every furloughed employee retained beyond January 2021, implying there may be a difficult decision made into autumn and the New Year. Furthermore, the previously thriving freelance economy around the industry continues to struggle, as 37% of organisations either have or expect to not retain these positions over the coming months.

Combemale continues: “In these challenging financial times for many businesses, we are continuing to lobby government on behalf of our members on a range of key areas that our industry needs to both survive and then thrive post-outbreak. Most urgently, today’s news combined with our survey results makes it clear that an extension of the furlough scheme until at least the end of December is essential to ensure companies have the confidence to retain staff and freelancers.”

Combemale adds: “In addition to today’s measures, further local restrictions will likely hit regional economies severely too. This could result in small- and medium- sized businesses being the worst hit too. So we would also encourage government, both national and regional, to consider targeted local support to ensure these vital employers are able to survive.”

For full details on the DMA Coronavirus Survey, visit:
https://dma.org.uk/research/coronavirus-september-2020-the-impacts-on-business

Healthcare, News, PPE

Globus Group increases UK manufacturing capacity to boost critical PPE supply for the NHS

Leading UK PPE firm, Globus Group, is expanding its UK manufacturing capacity to meet demand for high performance PPE for the UK’s healthcare sector.

The company will be creating hundreds of new jobs thanks to multi-million-pound contracts to make high-performance FFP3 face masks for frontline NHS staff. The contract with Department for Health and Social Care follows a contract won by Globus Group company Alpha Solway for NHS Scotland.

This news comes in the wake of the DHSC’s announcement that increases in domestic PPE manufacture will mean that 70% of the UK’s expected demand for PPE will be manufactured in the UK. Since February 2020, more than 3.5 billion items of PPE have been distributed to frontline healthcare workers across the UK, and demand is expected to increase to cope with the second wave of COVID-19.

The contracts represent recognition of Globus’s 25-year heritage in PPE, its commitment to UK manufacturing and the high quality, performance and wearer acceptance levels of its products. Globus has almost three decades of experience in the manufacture and supply of disposable masks supporting worker safety across healthcare and a range of industrial sectors.

Globus Director, Steven Binnie, said: “For generations, we have protected UK workers exposed to respiratory hazards in the workplace. Our increased PPE manufacturing will enable dedicated frontline healthcare workers to do their jobs safely in the fight against COVID-19 as we move into this critical Winter period. This equipment will be produced through our Alpha Solway division at the new Warrington manufacturing facility which, in addition to our growing facilities in South West Scotland, will create several hundred new jobs.

He continued: “We have committed tens of millions of pounds in capital investment for enhancement and expansion of our UK manufacturing capabilities. This will ensure we provide a long-term, sustainable, ongoing supply of PPE to NHS professionals, as well as key industry workers. Our new production plants will have product rolling off the lines by the end of October. At full capacity, our UK facilities will be capable of annual production of 200 million FFP3 masks, 100 million FFP2 masks, 1 billion Type IIR medical masks, and 22 million visors.”

Globus Group has also been awarded a £50m+ PPE contract with NHS Scotland for Alpha Solway to produce FFP3 respirator and Type IIR masks, fulfilling 87% of Scotland’s health and social care needs. FFP3 masks offer the highest level of protection against fine particles, including viruses and bacteria.

Alpha Solway pivoted its manufacturing capability to bring production into the UK in early 2020 to combat supply chain disruption caused by COVID-19, and its Dumfriesshire factories have already expanded their capacity to meet the NHS Scotland order, creating 200 new jobs for the area.

Steven Binnie continues, “We welcome these important commitments from the governments in both London & Edinburgh to purchase critical PPE equipment from British manufacturers. They send a positive signal to businesses and give Globus Group the confidence to continue investing in British jobs, workmanship and innovation.

News

New social media network YurOn launches, billing itself as the ‘antidote to the dopamine addiction’ of other platforms

This week YurOn, a new type of social media platform, launches to the public.

Social media is leaving us more isolated, polarised and unfulfilled than ever before. As these social media dynasties grow, the problem is only exacerbated. In the words of Alex Roetter (ex-Twitter engineer – The Social Dilemma), “you can’t put the genie back in the bottle”.

YurOn connects people in a way that is collaborative and curiosity-driven – it’s a remedy for relentless and unfulfilling scrolling.

It all starts with a question, which anyone in the YurOn community can reply to, creating a collaborative video thread. Thousands of people from different walks of life – drag queens, mountaineers, activists – have thirty seconds to ignite a conversation, start an Ask Me Anything or co-create a skit.

There are no filters, vanity metrics or validation-driven algorithms. Instead, YurOn thrives off authenticity which encourages people – not hollow profiles – to connect.

And it’s working: users spend more time on YurOn than Twitter per day and have already created more than 5,000 videos with 100,000 views.

YurOn user Kaia Kaemmerlen said that she loves using YurOn to “see life through other people’s eyes. I’ve met ballet dancers, people who live on houseboats, environmental activists and DJs. It’s about connecting with real people living real lives – not fake, airbrushed lives that pretend to be perfect.”

That’s the essence of YurOn: providing a platform for users to connect in an authentic and creative way, rewarding curiosity with community.

YurOn is also developing new ways for video creators to monetise their threads, with a tipping feature and purchasable exclusive content. Posts are asynchronous, meaning there’s no need to schedule; rather, users can connect with and grow their communities at their own pace, meaning YurOn’s potential as a creative, educational, energising and authentic app is limitless.

YurOn stats

● Soft launched in Q2 2020 with pioneer testers/users
● 17% of YurOn users upload content
● 32% of accounts are still using YurOn a month after signing up
● Investors include Betfair co-founder
● Influencers with significant followings on social media (each between 400K and >1M) are also active on YurOn (e.g. @raindovemodel, @omarsamra)

“YurOn is the place where raw curiosity and co-creation rule over individualism. More than ever, people desire authentic interactions that are more rewarding than the mere one-way street that existing social media apps offer. YurOn allows people to engage in a back and forth discussion via video threads – so you interact with the person in a ‘real’ and transparent way, not hidden behind a username or fake account. We believe video is a special medium; it carries more emotion and allows more empathy. And that’s what makes YurOn different.” Said YurOn CEO, Marine Mallinson.

Download YurOn from your app store, or visit: https://yuron.io/
Or visit our Seedrs page: www.seedrs.com/yuron

News, Recruitment News

Trade body responds to the Prime Minister’s “Build Back Better” plan

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Government will invest in future-proofing the UK’s skills through more flexible Apprenticeship options, a new Lifetime Skills Guarantee and a ‘radical change’ to the nation’s education and training, but warns the immediate impact may be limited.

Tania Bowers, Legal Counsel and Head of Public Policy at APSCo commented:

“The move to a more flexible training and skills development approach in the UK is something we welcome. We’ve long called for a relaxation around the Apprenticeship Levy rules to make the scheme more suitable for today’s modern world and during lockdown the flaws of the current apprenticeship funding became apparent. Despite millions of people finding themselves out of work looking for new employment opportunities or on furlough, businesses were unable to use their levy pot to fund training. While we wait to review the full details of the new flexible options for Apprenticeship funding, it is our view that these changes need to be made swiftly to support those coming off furlough into potential unemployment.”

“For skills short sectors that rely heavily on STEM experts, the Prime Minister’s plans to encourage more of the UK’s adults to retrain in specialist technical fields certainly looks set to bolster skills in the future. However, as these training courses can take years to complete and the offer won’t be available until Spring 2021, the plans don’t address the immediate challenge that the country’s employers are going to face after the Brexit transition period.

“Come 1st January 2021, employers in sectors that have historically been reliant on hiring flexible resources from across Europe to fill skills gaps – including IT, construction and engineering – will face a real struggle to source these experts. The details published so far on the points-based immigration system provide a disappointing lack of detail around the movement of and access to highly skilled independent professionals across Europe.”

Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, HR News, News

Gifting and engagement company doubles new business as more companies reward employee efforts during lockdown

Leading gifting and engagement company, Appreciate Group reports that new B2B business has more than doubled, signalling an increased uptake in employers thanking hard-working staff for their efforts during lockdown.

The Liverpool-based company saw the sharp rise in demand from new clients between April and August as firms looked to reward employee efforts during the pandemic.

This year-on-year increase was particularly high in the care, housing association and education sectors – where many employees remained in the workplace throughout lockdown.

Frank Creighton, Director of Business Development at Appreciate Group said: “Employees up and down the country have needed to adapt to new and different ways of working during these challenging times, be that working from home or abiding by social distancing rules in the workplace.

“These challenges have also led to an increasing number of employers finding new ways to say thank you to colleagues for their efforts during lockdown, including digital rewards.

“Recognition gestures such as gift cards can go a long way in making staff feel that their employer values their commitment. Many companies will need these hard-working employees as they continue to deal with, and emerge from, the challenges of COVID-19.”

Employers are able to use the tax-free Trivial Benefits Allowance to reward staff with gift cards up to the value of £50.

Appreciate Group has rebranded its B2B division. Now known as Appreciate: The home of Love2shop, this reflects plans to grow its employee and customer reward products in a market estimated to be worth around £3bn per annum.