Monthly Archives: November 2020

Case Studies and Partnerships, Security, Software

City Security Services Selects SmartTask To Enhance Customer Service And Support Growth Strategy

City Security Services has adopted workforce management software SmartTask to support its ambitious growth plans within the UK. The bespoke security solutions specialist will use SmartTask to better manage and safeguard its team of 650 officers that handle a wide range of static, mobile, reception and firewatch services at over 100 sites across London and the home counties.

“Our aim is to create a successful guarding business through acquisitions and organic growth, so it is essential that we have the tools in place to support this process,” explains Roberto Baldacci, Director at City Security Services. “SmartTask will become an important part of our IT infrastructure, providing a highly-scalable workforce management solution that ensures we continue to deliver consistent and quality security services across our expanding nationwide footprint.”

The lead company in the group recognised the need to upgrade its workforce management capabilities to reflect its aspirations moving forward. Its previous systems had lacked the flexibility and functionality to continue providing client-focused security services as the business grows. As a result, the company undertook a detailed review of the marketplace and opted for SmartTask based on the software’s ease-of-use, proven success in the security sector, and development roadmap.

SmartTask will be used throughout City Security Services’ operation, helping to streamline and automate employee scheduling, proof of attendance and live monitoring processes. Most of security team will have a SmartTask-enabled smartphone – allowing them to receive rosters, book on and off shifts, and make check calls – with the remainder using a dedicated IVR number to confirm status. Electronic forms will also improve incident reporting, enabling security officers to capture critical information and photo evidence through the app, which can then be quickly shared internally and with the customer.

City Security Services’ central control room will have a real-time overview of the status and welfare of all security officers, so it can have full visibility of performance and respond quickly to any issues. In addition, operations and HR managers will all have controlled access to relevant reports and operational data, while payroll will be able to take advantage of accurate timesheets and holiday accrual information to save time and avoid errors. The company has already enhanced its profitability reporting using SmartTask, making it possible to effectively review financial performance by client or individual site.

With growing demand for operational data from customers, City Security Services will be using SmartTask to differentiate its offering and win more business. A number of customer sites are already using checkpoint tags, which can be scanned with a smartphone by security officers on patrol to capture time and attendance details. Meanwhile, the company is working towards launching an online portal for clients to access real-time and historical information for their individual security service.

“We are always seeking to use advanced security technologies that benefit both our customers and the business. This helps us to provide a personal, proactive and adaptable service in the most efficient manner possible. SmartTask has everything we are looking for in a workforce management solution – backed by a great team, committed to ongoing development – so we are confident the software will enable us to improve transparency and continue to drive standards within the industry,” concludes Roberto.

Benefits, Financial Wellbeing, News, Pay & Reward

The 9 most compelling reasons why every employer must prioritise financial wellbeing for employees now

Financial wellbeing industry data examined reveals just how much UK employees are struggling with money since the pandemic started.

By studying research from six key financial wellbeing reports, an expert in payroll and financial wellbeing has highlighted the pandemic’s impact on employee finances and their mental health. The data shows, too, how this affects organisational productivity, absence, wellbeing and profits. According to one report, individual companies with over 1000 employees, lose an average of £3.5 million each year due to poor staff financial wellbeing1.

Simon Bocca is founder and CEO of PayCaptain, the new technology that combines payroll with financial wellness and banking to support employers and employees. After examining reports from Aon, Close Brothers, EY, Nudge, Salary Finance and Willis Towers Watson, he said:

‘We know that the pandemic has adversely affected the financial situation of millions of people in the UK, employed or not. We also know that it directly impacts a person’s mental health and their ability to concentrate, feel well and be productive at work.

“What we’re finding is that huge numbers of employers want to help employees, but often don’t know the best way to do it.

“We’ve compiled the most important stats to show the depth of the issues to add weight to an employer’s financial wellbeing strategy. Employees may be facing a multitude of issues – debt, struggling between pay days, no fall-back savings or knowledge how to budget. Organisations that aim to understand the issues employees are experiencing will be able to implement the best support strategies so people can make headway.”

These are the 9 most compelling financial wellbeing stats PayCaptain recommends every employer should know:

Employee financial wellbeing is considerably worse since the start of the first lockdown

  • Prior to the pandemic, 36% of UK employees were worried about money2.
  • Now, 42% of people feel their financial wellbeing is worse than in the previous six months. Fifty-two percent also worry about finances at least once a week and nearly one in five people (18%) worry about it every day3.
  • 72% of 4000 people (US and UK) say they now struggle to meet or are anxious about the costs of day-to-day living1.

The cost of poor financial wellbeing on an employee’s mental health can detrimentally impact wellbeing

  • Those with poor financial health are 3.7x more likely to struggle with anxiety and 5.3x more likely to feel depressed4. Conversely, those with strong financial wellbeing are 23x more likely to be content with life3.
  • Of those who expressed worries about money, a quarter felt their mental health had suffered as a result3.

The impacts of poor financial health on employee productivity, retention, absence and profits is all too real

  • For those struggling with their financial wellbeing, 75% stated that it had a significant impact on their work or life situations1.
  • As a result, on average, employees annually take between 1.5-2.5 off work due to financial troubles. At the same time, employees average 3 days of unproductive work due to the same cause5.
  • Because of increasing numbers of lost talent and absent employees, not only is productivity suffering but so are organisational profits. Due to the costs of annual staff turnover, a cumulative £30 billion has been lost by companies in the UK. Yet for individual companies with over 1000 employees, an average of £3.5 million is lost each year due to poor financial wellbeing amongst staff1.

Employees are acutely aware of the need for good financial education

  • As financial stress rises, employees are increasingly aware of the need to improve their financial wellbeing. In fact, for 87% of people seeking good financial health, gaining control over their money is the top priority. As well as this, 85% said improving their skills and understanding surrounding finances is crucial for their financial success3.

Simon Bocca of PayCaptain summarised:

“It’s clear that employees would like more support from their employers. A third don’t feel well supported by their employer and nearly another third (27%) say that the support they’re given is of little help6. In a report released at the beginning of 2020, 62% of companies responding believed employee financial wellbeing was their responsibility and 48% were planning to implement initiatives7. We believe that this has increased substantially since the pandemic.

“Leaders who look to understand the general issues employees are experiencing can provide them with the most meaningful and useful support so they can positively manage their situation, rather than worrying about it and impacting their working days.”

To learn more visit www.paycaptain.com

 

1  EY – On-Demand Pay: Payroll that works for all, September 2020

2 Salary Finance – Financial Wellbeing: the 2019 Round-up

3 Nudge – Elephant in the room, September 2020

4 Salary Finance – 10 Financial Wellbeing facts for employers, October 2020

5 Willis Towers Watson Global Benefits Attitudes Survey 2017

6 Close Brothers Financial Wellbeing Index 2019

7 Aon Benefits & Trends Survey 2020

COVID 19 Business Stories, COVID-19, News

COVID-19 Journeys: Screenworks Transforms To Rebound From Lockdown Losses And Generates New Growth

Duncan Gilmour, managing director at Screenworks explains his Covid-19 journey and the focus ahead

Screenworks is one of the longest established garment embroidery, screen, digital and direct to garment print service providers. Based in Haverhill in Suffolk, the company has been delivering the best in promotional products since 1991 and has a processing capability of 6.5m items per year. Supporting a whole range of sectors, Screenworks produces everything from printed t-shirts for music events, to branded uniforms and embroidered caps and clothing for major sporting events.

 

Covid-19 response and pivot

Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the promotional merchandise industry, with sporting, music and corporate event cancellations across the board.

As a report from Sourcing City[1] highlights: Nervousness entered the market in February, and it will come as no surprise to anyone that enquiries ‘dropped off a cliff’ as soon as the national lockdown kicked in Mid-March 2020. (16.03.2020). Indeed, an immediate impact was felt with a significant decline in industry enquiries for the remainder of March. In April things got dramatically worse with enquiries dropping to 22.6% of the equivalent month in 2019.

At the onset of lockdown, Screenworks massively pared down operations, and furloughed just under three quarters of its workforce – 48 members of staff. It was at this stage that Duncan Gilmour (managing director), and his management team undertook a huge business pivot. Duncan explains:

“Screenworks is a family business, set up by my father in 1976. We are so proud of what we have achieved and our growth to date. Over the last few years, we have been steadily investing and working to become leaders in developing sustainable practices and processes in our sector. For example, we are looking at the use of new to market technical materials and have been consistently investing in equipment to support a more sustainable manufacturing process. It has been a difficult period and we have kept on as many people as we can.

“The printing and promotional product sector has become a forgotten victim of the pandemic. Whilst everyone talks about how travel and hospitality (amongst others) have been impacted, our industry heavily relies on the workflow from promotional events and activities. If these stop then so too does our production line. Even before lockdown, we noticed a knock-on effect in our supply chain as global manufacturing slowed down, but when lockdown came, our sector was facing a real struggle.

“We knew we had to think on our feet, and to come up with something that would not only help to make up the lost sales, but which would also support the future growth of the business and be in line with our goals, working practices and ethics.”

As such, Duncan and his team opted not to take the standard approach of reselling disposable PPE, but instead looked to create a new product that would support the ongoing fight against Covid-19. In June, following a period of comprehensive research and development, Screenworks launched the UK’s first-to-market antiviral facemasks and snoods through a new brand – Bumpaa™.

 

Bumpaa, in partnership with Polygiene, share in worldwide first for ViralOff antiviral treatment achieving a pass for ISO test on Covid19

Since the new products launched, the company has seen weeks with sales in excess of 100,000 units, and more than 1 million of orders placed within the first three months alone. The Bumpaa brand has continued to grow and expand its offering to include an antiviral glove range. 30 per cent of the original workforce are now back at work, supporting the Bumpaa growth, across office and factory floor.

In October 2020, the company reported its biggest month – in terms of sales volumes – since 2019.

The fabric masks are manufactured in the UK and packed at the Screenworks facility in Suffolk. They are manufactured using a technical fabric, which is treated with an anti-viral treatment – ViralOff, a technology which effectively reduces viruses and bacteria on the product by over 99 per cent in two hours*. ViralOff has now become the first commercial textile treatment in the world to pass the ISO method* test on the Covid-19 virus[2], with the Screenworks mask also obtaining this certification.

The treatment is designed to protect the textiles from harbouring viruses or bacteria. It does not interfere with the skin’s natural bacterial flora and lasts for the product’s lifetime. When a mask or snood is safely removed, if any virus or bacteria is present on the surface, 99 per cent will be safely deactivated within a maximum of two hours. For best performance and sustainability, the products should be washed less, only when needed3.

 

The Future

“When lockdown started, we didn’t know what the outcome might be for the future of our business,” adds Duncan.

“Moving forward we are still facing real challenges to keep going through uncertain times. The events and promotions industries are flat and may not return to normal business until Spring 2021 – meaning our day-to-day production lines are not as busy. There are so many unknowns that mean we are already having to scale back before growth. However, when the events industry does return, we will be ready. We have maintained our client contacts and plan to re-hire.

“We are determined to create a strong, positive plan for the future and Covid-19 has shown myself and my team that we can adapt to anything. Our business model has always focused on the trade, but with the new Bumpaa brand we have seen a shift to include selling to end users, either directly, or through resellers. We have learnt through the pandemic that it is crucial to be diverse in both our product offering and the markets we are selling into and this will be a big part of the strategy as we move into 2021.

“The opportunities are endless – when it comes to markets and products. I am so excited by the new phase that Screenworks is now entering. Covid-19 has turned so many businesses on their heads. Being flexible, agile and reactive seem to be the key attributes we all need to adopt.”

Duncan continues: “Putting aside the commercial and financial effects of the pandemic, the human impact has been the hardest to manage. Screenworks is and has always been a business made by its people and the impact of lockdown and the pandemic has been huge.

“The pandemic has delivered some of the toughest days in my 20-year career. We have tried our best to keep the team together, communicating as frequently as we can and I hope I can look back in the years to come and say we did the best we could under very difficult circumstances.”

 

Children and Childcare, News, Work from Home

Two-thirds of parents believe lockdown has helped their relationship with their children, survey reveals

The majority of parents believe the national COVID-19 lockdown has brought them closer to their children, a new survey has revealed.

Carried out by Nannies Matter, the survey of more than 500 parents and individuals with childcare responsibilities has revealed that 82% of those polled feel they have been able to spend more quality time with their children as a result of the lockdown, while 63% believe their relationship with their children will now be changed for the better.

Additionally, 73% said the lockdown has created positive opportunities for their family to do more activities together, with respondents citing examples of family fun such as board games, gardening, long walks and even group readings of Shakespeare.

These benefits have been felt despite the unavoidable stress that the lockdown has caused, with 50% of those polled saying their experiences with their children during lockdown have been stressful to some degree, compared to only 27% who did not find it stressful.

The survey also revealed that on the whole, parents have stepped up to the challenge of homeschooling their children while schools have been closed – around 50% felt positive about the standard of education their children have received during lockdown, with only 23% feeling negative.

However, it would appear these experiences have not changed people’s existing reservations about the concept of homeschooling. Only 29% said they had a positive outlook on homeschooling before the lockdown started, and only 31% ended up feeling any more positive about it now they have experienced it, with many citing the difficulty of providing a rounded education at home with no social contact.

The report also indicated that most parents are keen for things to get back to normal, with 61% saying they would not be keen for homeschooling to continue if they were given the option.

Elin Swain, director at Nannies Matter, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has posed real challenges for families throughout the UK, so it’s great to hear that so many parents have been able to find a silver lining in the time they have been able to spend with their families.

“Ever since the lockdown began, those with childcare responsibilities have gone above and beyond to find ways to entertain their children at home, and it will be a really positive development if these experiences end up bringing families closer together in a lasting way.

“Likewise, parents have stepped up heroically to ensure their children are still receiving an education during lockdown. Nevertheless, the difficulties they’ve faced in doing so underline why it’s so important that we all do our bit to prevent the spread of the virus, even as the lockdown lifts, so that family life can get back to normal as soon as possible.”

Food & Drink, News, Wales News

Boss Brewing owner rated as one of the UK’s top mumpreneurs

Sarah John, 33, from Swansea recently entered the annual NatWest Everywoman Awards in the Aphrodite category and has received a special mention in the Daily Mail’s Inspire magazine as one of the top six mumpreneurs in the UK.

The Aphrodite award celebrates women who started a business with a child under the age of 12, and having begun her Welsh craft brewery in 2015 following the birth of her daughter Esme, she knows all about the ups and downs of business life with a young child, as Sarah explains:

“Before starting the business I worked in sales and marketing but thought I want to work for myself. I am very driven and ambitious and as I fell pregnant and had my daughter at the same time as starting the business I don’t know anything different.

“Day to day life is very busy, a juggling act but I like it. When I’m in work I focus on work and then at home I can focus on Esme. It was difficult at the start, especially when Esme was a baby. I used to take her to all my meetings and even have some meetings at home.

 “But the last five years have flown by and we have grown and expanded much faster than expected which is amazing. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck our business was hit overnight as about 80% of our turnover came from pubs. But it became clear people were still drinking beer at home so we set up our online shop and we changed our focus to the supermarkets, where sales went up by 50%.”

Talking about the magazine’s feature she said, “I was really surprised – my business partner had put me forward so I had no idea. It’s really flattering and when I look at the other women in the category, I can’t help but feel I am punching above my weight.

“It’s an amazing national recognition especially as the awards are so high profile. To be in the top six for the whole of the UK and to be celebrated by the likes of the Daily Mail and NatWest is staggering.”

Now offering more than a dozen pale ales and stouts, including a chocolate and salted-caramel brew, the multi-award winning Boss Brewing beers can be found in Asda, Morrisons, Co-op and Tesco, and the good news is that Boss Brewing is still on target to increase turnover this year to £750,000. Looking to the future Boss Brewing has further plans to expand, as Sarah explains:

“We will continue to focus on home drinking and e-commerce as well as selling to national pub groups and retailers. We are looking at deals with Ocado and Amazon, and plan to grow our online shop. We already export to Canada and some countries in Europe and hope to expand further into Japan, Italy and France.

“To be successful you have to believe in your product and have passion for your business. We have been really lucky as what business we have lost in the pub trade we have gained in the home drinking sector.”

The Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths added:

“This is a wonderful achievement for Sarah and the Boss Brewing company in Swansea. It really does put Welsh food and drink companies on the map, showcasing the great entrepreneurial spirit SME businesses have in Wales and in particular those led by women.

“It is important to celebrate and identify the inspirational female founders whose creativity and resilience will help us weather the current economic storm as Covid-19 is impacting the Welsh food and drink sector and threatens business survival.

“In the current climate, entrepreneurs around the country are demonstrating their flexibility and vision as demand for new products and services create an unprecedented opportunity for innovation and enterprise.

“The Welsh Government, acting under the guidance and on the advice of the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board, is taking action to support the sector.

“We want to maximise the number of food and drink businesses that survive the Covid-19 disruption and sustain supply chain networks. We need to minimise job losses and support the sector to recover and return to sales growth. Therefore it is critical that if your business is suffering you need to get the help and support needed.”

For more information on COVID-19 support for Business from the Welsh Government visit:

https://businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/covid-19-food-and-drink-wales

https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/

https://menterabusnes.cymru/home/

Business Research, Education News, HR News

Self-confident entrepreneurs thrive in stable economies, while resilient entrepreneurs thrive in adverse settings

In times of economic stability, entrepreneurs who exude self-confidence are the most likely to thrive. However, when faced with unstable and adverse economic conditions, those entrepreneurs who possess greater resilience are most likely to come out on top, according to new research from Durham University Business School.

The research, conducted by Saadat Saeed, Professor in Management and Marketing at Durham University, alongside colleagues from University of Delaware and DePaul University, surveyed over 1,000 individuals from six countries to investigate the relationships between individual resilience, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention, and compared this to a country’s state fragility –  defined as the degree to which state power is unable and/or unwilling to deliver core functions and services to the majority of its people.

Individual resilience was defined as the ability to recover and positively adapt within the context of adversity in the pursuit of personal growth, while self-efficacy was defined as the degree to which an individual believes that he or she can perform the roles and tasks of an entrepreneur.

Respondents to the survey spanned six countries, and each country’s level of fragility was determined by the Fragile States Index (FSI). Of the six, Iraq and Afghanistan were deemed the most fragile states, Tajikstan and Peru had an average score of fragility, and the United States and Finland were judged amongst the most stable in the world.

The survey results show that, in highly adverse environments, entrepreneurial self-efficacy is less important than resilience in the intent to start a business, but in stable countries entrepreneurial self-efficacy is the more important trait to possess.

Professor Saadat Saeed says,

“Many of the world’s aspiring entrepreneurs face an unstable economic environment with breakdowns in the rule of law, public services, and security, involving refugees, human rights, terrorism, and war. These create huge boundaries for entrepreneurs and to overcome these, entrepreneurs have to be resilient and adaptable. Whereas for entrepreneurs in more stable countries who do not contend with such boundaries, what is more important is having self-assurance in their business abilities.”

The researchers say their findings hold significant implications for global entrepreneurship education and training programs. Similarly, scholars and individuals in less fragile and more stable areas of the world have a lot to learn from their entrepreneurial counterparts who live and operate businesses where high amounts of adversity and state fragility affect their daily lives.

Saadat Saeed is a Professor in Management and Marketing at Durham University Business School.

News, Remote Working, Technology

How COVID-19 is Changing The Office of the Future

While coronavirus has disrupted most of the business industry, working from home has become the norm for many office workers with 68% of working adults reporting that they have had to work in new ways since the pandemic began. 

As a result, Glass Digital have been researching how offices might change post Covid-19. For example, company owners will prioritise touch-free technology, hygiene will be of the utmost importance and employers will do more to support workers’ mental and physical health. 

Here’s some of the increased trends they found according to Google data:

  • Standing desks +174%
  • Air purifier +22%
  • Antimicrobial material +3,100%
  • Voice activation +321%
  • Sensor toilet +80%
  • Virtual projector +300%
  • IOT devices +23%
  • Smart coffee machines +48%
  • Hygiene station +320%
  • Outdoor office space +540%

To demonstrate these changes, Glass Digital have created an interactive slider comparing offices now to what they will look like in 10 years time.

Below is an office now, click the link to see the slider and labelled design of an office in the future:

https://glass.digital/wp-content/themes/glass-digital/static/slider/

Bridie Gallagher, Managing Director at Glass Digital says:

“The past few months have been a whirlwind for most businesses, ourselves included.”

“Business owners have had to adapt their office spaces according to new Covid-19 guidelines in order to have a suitable place for employees to work safely.”

“Here at Glass Digital, most of our staff members have been working from home since mid-March and while we have tailored our business around this model, we have made changes to our office environment for the future.”

“There is no doubt that over the next 10 years, the current measures will influence how employers design their office spaces. For example, I predict that there will be a continued focus on hygiene and hands-free technology post Covid-19 to prevent spread of future viruses.”

To see our office of the future in detail and to learn more about upcoming office trends visit Glass Digital’s blog post here.

 

 

Benefits, Healthcare, News, Wellbeing at Work

Aon survey forecasts UK rate of medical cost inflation to decrease by 1 percentage point in 2021 to 5.5 percent

Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has announced that the inflation rate of employer-provided medical plan costs in the UK is forecast to decrease one percentage point in 2021 to 5.5 percent, compared to 6.5 percent this year, according to its 2021 Global Medical Trend Rates Report. Globally, costs for employer-sponsored medical plans in 2021 are forecasted to increase 7.2 percent. This is mainly due to expanded benefits, higher unit costs for medical services and a decrease anticipated in general inflation.

This forecasted decrease in the inflation rate of UK employer-sponsored medical plan costs is due to a wide number of unknown outcomes that created a need to assume a non-novel coronavirus (COVID-19) scenario.

Rachel Western, principal, Aon, explained: “The UK rate of inflation is expected to fall in 2021, but the decrease in medical benefit costs comes with acute awareness that there are many unknown outcomes to the current COVID-19 situation that may impact medical inflation both short and long term. From a positive perspective, UK insurers are working hard to contain costs with their providers and specialists to pass better outcomes onto their customers.”

According to Aon, advances in medical technology can drive inflation costs up but the outcomes from more technological advances can drive inflation costs down longer term. This, along with increased and enhanced early health interventions and more awareness amongst individuals of the importance of managing their own health and wellbeing, can all help drive inflation lower.

Rachel Western continued: “The pandemic’s impact is yet to fully play out. This year, treatment levels in private hospitals dropped sharply because the NHS took control of all facilities in case they were needed to treat COVID-19 patients. The result has been that all private healthcare procedures were delayed. The pandemic’s effect also continues to impact diagnoses of countless other health conditions, delaying investigations and treatment. While private hospitals have now re-opened for procedures, there is a reduced capacity and increased cost because of the security measures required to manage treatment. The upshot of all of this is a need to catch up on an unknown level of claims deferred since the start of the first UK lockdown.”

Aon’s report confirms the increasing impact of non-communicable diseases on healthcare costs globally. In the UK, musculoskeletal/back, cancer, mental health and cardiovascular were the most prevalent health conditions driving health care claims.

Leading Medical Conditions in UK and Globally

     
  UK Global
1) Musculoskeletal/Back Cardiovascular
2) Cancer Cancer
3) Mental health High blood pressure
4) Cardiovascular Diabetes
5) Gastrointestinal Lung disorder respiratory

Rachel Western added: “Musculoskeletal and cancer continue to be the most pressing conditions in the UK; they often sit as the top two claimed for conditions on a corporate medical plan. However, during the height of the pandemic, there was a shift towards mental health utilisation and spend rising, partly due to the accessibility of treatment and partly due to a rise in cases. Many corporates will see this as one of their top claimed conditions in 2020.”

Aon’s report also confirms the growing prevalence of risk factors from unhealthy personal habits in the UK, such as poor stress management, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking.

Leading Health Risk Factors in UK and Globally 

  UK Global
1) Poor stress management High blood pressure
2) Obesity Physical inactivity
3) Physical inactivity Poor stress management
4) Smoking Bad nutrition
5) Excessive alcohol or drug misuse High cholesterol
     

Looking ahead, Tim Nimmer, Aon’s chief global actuary for Health Solutions, said: “There is still a significant amount of uncertainty regarding COVID-19’s impact on deferred treatments and long-term health care. While countries navigate different outbreak phases, the expectation is that medical plan utilisation will return to normal levels during 2021 as medical services begin to reopen to the market.”

To view the report, visit the Global Medical Trend Rates Report.

Marketing, PR and SEO, Mental Health at Work, News

Stress isn’t a Badge of Honour – Why Entrepreneurs Need to Recognise it as a Business Risk

Helen Foord, founder and CEO of ELE Global shares the challenges for entrepreneurs (and herself) in balancing stress with operational efficiency

Running your own business, you know that you will have to deal with stress. However, following National Stress Awareness Day this week, I’ve been reflecting on my own personal experience of stress and how not to let it get in the way of business growth.

For more than a decade I have run a virtual marketing agency, with a team of sub-contractors working around the world. Stress has always been an integral part of running a business – from identifying the right people to advise me, cash flow challenges, supporting team members, and balancing all this with the pressure heaped on by clients. I used to regard stress as a badge of honour, rather than preventing my success.

I like to think that I’m a reasonably intelligent person but it was only this year, when things got really tough, that I realised the power stress has to destroy. Stress isn’t something to be proud of, it’s something to take extremely seriously. It’s as debilitating as any serious illness and, as business owners, we need to stop seeing it as a badge of honour and start seeing it as a business risk, and a serious risk to your health.

Over the years I have worked very hard to help manage the stress levels of those that work for me – whether through social activities, team days, flexible ways of working, job sharing, flexible payment approaches or promotion of open and honest communication.

As the first lockdown started in March I started to make some changes so as to tackle my stress and not stand in the way of business growth.

  1. Strong foundations – There’s an old saying that the fear of anticipation is worse than the reality. In my case I have always been hopeless at planning, reporting, measuring and organising, within my business. I do it every day for clients but never, before, saw the correlation between not doing this and increased stress levels as a business owner.
  2. Not available – I also realised that, if I wanted my business to succeed, I needed to think more realistically about how I balanced my time. I guaranteed myself Saturdays off. I implemented a day a week as ‘unavailable’ (when I wouldn’t look at emails or answer my phone). I introduced a monthly business growth ‘away day’. And I stopped being afraid of setting my out-of-office.
  3. A creature of habit – I started setting my alarm, walking the dogs, having a good breakfast and then starting work. Did I manage it every day? Nope… but on those I did I was able to maintain a more realistic, practical distance from overwhelming stress.
  4. Getting others to step up – Over lockdown, despite worrying about cash flow I realised that I needed to trust certain key people within the business, and replace those I didn’t. It hasn’t been an easy transition but it has not only helped me when I needed time out but also to allowed me increased time for developing the business.
  5. Listen to your heart – I’ve also spent a lot of time learning to understand why I react the way I do and when I need time out. Like many people I can convince myself that I’ve messed up even when I haven’t. In the same way I can convince myself that wanting to pull the duvet over my head is weakness, rather than a sign my body is exhausted. Understanding that we can control this – through listening and augmenting the negative voice with a positive and compassionate one – has transformed how I feel about myself as a business owner as well as helping me to become more ambitious in my business planning.
  6. Celebrate the success – Ok, a little point but a crucial one. I’ve started not only praising and rewarding my team when they do well but giving myself a pat on the back when I do. That might mean awarding myself a long lunch hour on a Friday, or indulging my love of Pat McGrath makeup (anything sparkly has to be good).

I now understand the power stress has to stop me from achieving what I want. I have ambitious goals that we’re already starting to realise across the agency and I believe in myself as a business leader.

Mind, the mental health charity, has published some helpful guidance here.

Food and Drink

Tourism and hospitality venues clawing back business after lockdowns

HOSPITALITY firms and accommodation providers have made significant changes to their premises in a bid to claw back business lost during the Coronavirus lockdowns.

The region’s hotels, B&Bs, cafés, pubs and restaurants have endured a torrid time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many reopened with strict social distancing and safety measures in place, while others have diversified to ensure they survive and thrive into 2021.

Among them is the Three Eagles bar and grill in Llangollen, which is planning to celebrate Christmas early this year.

Adam Gaunt Evans, chef and operations director, took onboard customer feedback and has re-branded as a more laid-back venue, serving artisan favourites and festive treats like the Three Turkeys signature burger.

“Our customers spoke, and we answered with an epic new menu, served all day, every day,” said Adam.

“Bookings came in thick and fast, and the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme drew in the mid-week customers throughout the summer, as did our free children’s menu.”

Moving forward, the Three Eagles remains confident of continued success, thanks to its focus on customer service, ambience, and entertainment, demonstrated by their new undercover, heated Winter Wonderland in the courtyard, for drinking and dining.

“We’re better than ever before,” added Adam, who was also celebrating the Three Eagles being recognised as TripAdvisor’s 2020 Travellers’ Choice award winner, ranking it in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.

“And over the coming weeks our focus is solely on helping customers get through these uncertain times.”

Catherine Parton, owner of the Old Rectory Bed and Breakfast and Cedar Tree holiday cottage in Clocaenog, near Ruthin, has also adapted the services they provide to secure the future of the business.

Cancellation of Wales Rally GB – which would have taken place last month and included a stage shakedown through Clocaenog forest and stages at Brenig and Alwen – was a hammer blow, but she insists they will continue to recover and move forward.

“We’ve never experienced anything like this in the 10 years we’ve been in business,” said Catherine.

“Most people cancelled straight away when lockdown began in March but we were able to keep things ticking over by having some key workers stay in the bed and breakfast, and over the summer the self-contained holiday cottage was booked out.

“The rally is popular as Clocaenog forest is a key location for the race, so losing that guaranteed custom was tough, and the lockdown in England has had a detrimental effect after the ‘firebreak’ we had here in Wales. It’s been very disruptive but hopefully we will pick up new bookings in the run up to Christmas.”

She added: “The positives are that we are open and that in turn has an impact on the supply chain because we use local produce for our breakfasts.

“The bacon and sausages are from our local butcher, coffee is from Owen and Edwards in Ruthin, the eggs are from a smallholding in the village and our bread is from Eagles Bakery in Ruthin.

“We use a lot of local producers and us being closed had a knock-on effect for them.

“As we all look to the future and embrace social distancing and new ways of working, local firms and hospitality and accommodation providers in north east Wales can get through this together.”

Robyn Lovelock, Taste Project Coordinator and Secretary of Llangollen and Dee Valley Food and Drink, was in agreement.

“It was vital our local hospitality and accommodation venues reopened – for their own survival, and also for our local farmers and producers who rely on them for sales,” she said.

“The nature of the industry means it was always going to be one of the sectors that was hardest hit – and the timing could not have been worse in the Spring – but there has been a lot of support for these local businesses, especially from customers, and we hope that will still be the case in the months and years ahead.”

The second annual Taste North East Wales is taking place online this year after organisers Clwydian Range Food and Drink and Llangollen and Dee Valley Food and Drink, with the support of Cadwyn Clwyd, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB and the local authorities of Flintshire, Wrexham and Denbighshire, decided to host a virtual celebration to ensure the health and safety of participants.

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

 

For more on Taste North East Wales, follow them on social media @taste_blasu or email taste.blas@gmail.com.  Alternatively, visit the website: www.tastenortheastwales.org.

For more information on Cadwyn Clwyd, email admin@cadwynclwyd.co.uk, call 01490 340500 or visit the website: www.cadwynclwyd.co.uk

 

Taste North East Wales has united with local businesses to record a series of short films to promote the best of the region’s food, drink and hospitality. Watch here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnYDulvwaKJST5tLWZEFdpg