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Payment Details ONLINE www.blmforum.net/subscribe MAIL Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE EMAIL subscribe@blmgroup.co.uk 1 Years Subscription £31.50 2 Years Subscription £54.60 3 Years Subscription £63.00 1 2 3 Subscription Options VISA MASTERCARD CHEQUE It’s the best value around EXPIRY DATE CARD NUMBER SECURITY CODE (CVC NUMBER) LAST 3 DIGITS TERMS & CONDITIONS: Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Minimum term of 12 months / 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years Please charge my: Subscribe NOW 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 10:20 Page 5£1.8bn West Yorkshire devolution deal secured A West Yorkshire devolution deal unlocking more than £1.8 billion in investment has been secured. The biggest ever of its kind, the investment will drive up living standards through better transport, improved skills and stronger businesses, whilst also talking the climate emergency. The agreement includes a Government commitment to support the development of a West Yorkshire Mass Transit System and investment from the Transforming Cities Fund which, with the other resources available through the deal, will enable the delivery of the full pipeline of West Yorkshire transport projects submitted in the region’s bid. The deal also includes a guaranteed £1.1 billion over the next 30 years in a new West Yorkshire Investment Fund, money to develop plans for future housing sites and a new heritage fund which will support the creation of a new British Library North in Leeds. In addition to significant funding, the deal announced in the Budget gives West Yorkshire far greater decision-making powers allowing the region to set its own priorities including ensuring a vibrant future for towns and our rural areas while securing the economic success of our cities. Work is already underway exploring the implications of franchising bus services and identifying the actions we need to take to meet our ambitious carbon-reduction targets. The agreement follows extensive negotiations between the Leaders of West Yorkshire Councils and Communities Minister Simon Clarke supported by officers from West Yorkshire authorities and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. www.blmforum.net Business Link 11 NEWS © Shutterstock /Pressmaster Yorkshire and the Humber have been identified as one of the top five most entrepreneurial regions in the UK for women, according to new research. The figures from the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans scheme show that, as of February 2020, 336 loans totalling £3.3 million were issued to women in the region. This puts Yorkshire and the Humber ahead of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the South East and the West & East Midlands. The Start Up Loans scheme was established in 2012 to help people to achieve their ambitions of starting their own business. It provides fixed- interest loans of between £500 and £25,000 to aspiring business owners, many of whom might otherwise struggle to secure finance. Since 2012, it has lent 69,201 loans, amounting to more than £563 million, to entrepreneurs across the UK. Four in 10 of these loans have gone to women. Yorks & Humber in top 5 most entrepreneurial regions for women © Shutterstock /JPIMedia Make the best use of your time by gaining a new health and safety qualification with our NEBOSH and IOSH accredited online training courses or CPD accredited short courses. Corporate discounts available! 01482 211989 wiseglobaltraining.com & Are you WORKING FROM HOME And Self-Isolating? Approved training provider 1570 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 10:20 Page 612 Business Link www.blmforum.net PROPERTY In less than quarter of a year, COVID- 19, the infectious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has profoundly impacted the global economy. No sector has thus far been immune to the far reaching and, likely, long-lasting impacts of the pandemic. While real estate isn’t among those worse affected, it is having to contend with economic uncertainty right across the spectrum, from residential through to commercial property. Already we’ve seen lower stock market values, a nosedive in viewings and the postponement of MIPIM, the international property event at which We explore the impact of coronavirus on the commercial property market and how it’s affecting both occupiers and owners. Landlords during our region was due to send a delegation. Originally scheduled to take place in Cannes in mid-March, the event was first moved to early June and then cancelled this year altogether. At present, however, the coronavirus crisis has made it impossible for investors in UK property funds to value the buildings they own. The reason being is that the outbreak has led to a reduction in the number of investment transactions which provide evidence for property valuations. So valuers can no longer asses their properties with any degree of real certainty and, essentially, it’s putting the brakes on 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 10:24 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 13 PROPERTY the market. In mid-March, property funds worth in excess of £7 billion closed and, as government measures continue to intensify to combat the spread of COVID-19, more funds are expected to close in the weeks to come. So long as the pandemic lasts, property funds have been cautioned to suspend. Likely these suspensions and measures will be lifted once more certainly returns to the market but there’s no clear idea of timescale. Boris Johnson announced to the public that the UK was going on lockdown from 23 March. During that announcement, he said that government will be assessing the situation in three weeks from then which hopefully brings with it more clarity. A similar ‘wait and see’ approach has been adopted where sales and purchasing are concerned, with both put on hold as vendors and property purchasers effectively try to wait out the crisis and for further certainty and market clarity. The longer the crisis lasts, however, the more difficult it will be for commercial landlords to service existing debts and to raise capital – which could exacerbate many existing and underlining issues for some commercial operators and owners, especially in the beleaguered retail market. There’s already been many early warning signs that the pandemic could lead to a widespread shuttering of businesses in the retail sectors, with ‘non-essential’ shops and outlets receiving no consumer spend or footfall during the lockdown. For retail businesses that were already struggling before the pandemic, this could very well be a death knell. The knock-on effect for commercial owners is that they could lose a multitude of tenants. 15 Á © Shutterstock / ImageFlow lockdown 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 10:25 Page 2Armstrong house Offering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House on Armstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports of Grimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre, off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors, meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming offices are located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. At Armstrong House, the flexible in/out terms of contract mean confidence when it comes to affordability and with a range of office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. If you require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 per month. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements, give Scotts Property a call today on 01472 267000 and ask about Armstrong House. Last remaining office suites Prime location in Grimsby Superb Location - - Close to the ports of Grimsby & Immingham - Great motorway links - Close to the town centre Secure off street parking High speed internet availability Easy in/out terms A range of affordable office sizes 3 3 3 3 3 Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby DN31 2QE Tel: (01472) 310301 • Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk www.shutterstock.com/terekhov igor www.shutterstock.com/Yentafern 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 10:25 Page 3www.shutterstock.com/Yentafern www.blmforum.net Business Link 15 PROPERTY © Shutterstock /BCFC Legally, those that let, manage or occupy commercial property must comply with all legislation and any standards set by the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as any coronavirus specific legislation or regulation made by government. With regular updates from government, the situation can change day to day, so it’s important for commercial property owners to remain on top of current guidance, legislation and measures. As has been witnessed during the lockdown, businesses are being expected to play their part in helping to curb the spread of the virus by taking containment steps. For property owners and managers this could mean shuttering entire sites in accordance with social distancing measures. However, as not all workers and businesses can work from home, many commercial buildings will still be open. In these situations, owners can put other proactive measures in place to help limit possible infections such as providing hand sanitiser at key points in buildings and intensifying cleaning regimes, especially in shared facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. Of course, it isn’t only property owners suffering as a result of the pandemic, but also occupiers. Depending on how long the crisis lasts, many business tenants will find themselves struggling to pay rent and service their debts which, in turn, has a knock-on effect that could leave them breaching the terms of their leases. Fortunately, there are government measures in place which may be able to help tenants, but as with all these emergency financial measures, they are by no means a silver bullet or safety blanket. Commercial tenants can take some comfort in the fact that if they are tied into long-term leases – and depending on where they currently are in the lease – they are protected from early termination. As many industrial sectors are at risk, landlords will need to stay abreast of the situation and closely monitor the financial health of their tenant companies. We’ve already touched on retail, but this is one of the most vulnerable sectors during this unprecedented lockdown. Conversely the supermarket grocery sector along with ecommerce giants like Amazon have experienced a massive upsurge in sales and demand for their delivery services. They’ve even needed to draft in thousands of new workers to cope with the strain. Financial health will understandably be different from sector to sector, making it doubly important for landlords to pay attention. Although they are each experiencing a different set of circumstances and concerns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, both commercial owners and occupiers are similarly suffering because of the outbreak. Faced with uncertainty, they’re both having to adopt a ‘wait and see’ outlook in hopes that the crisis will begin to ease and certainty will return to the market. 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 10:25 Page 416 Business Link www.blmforum.net OFFICE SOLUTIONS Keeping offices healthy Offices should be clean, comfortable and promote positive wellbeing if workers are to be productive. 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 11:50 Page 1© Shutterstock /Alexander Steam www.blmforum.net Business Link 17 OFFICE SOLUTIONS T he modern office continues to evolve and is certainly becoming more employee centric. Today, an office does not simply present workers with the right tech and stationery they require, but a supportive environment with an integral aim to bolster employee wellbeing, health and productivity. Office design also has a major role to play in retaining and gaining new staff and reducing absenteeism. Companies across the spectrum, small or large, are recognising how the office can truly benefit business and staff. Some may completely refit an office or move somewhere new, whilst others need only tweak layouts and bring in some new furniture. Of course a crucial concern in office design at present, which will only be enhanced once employees return to offices after working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak, is hygiene. Offices should be prepared to prevent the risk of spreading germs, even outside of the coronavirus pandemic, and provide good access to tissues and hand sanitiser, either in bottles around the office or through wall mounted refillable containers. Colds and flus can quickly travel around offices, resulting in time off for recovering staff and lost working hours for businesses. According to Printerland over a fifth of offices are cleaned just once a month or less, and one in ten workers never clean their desks. With the average desk hosting 400 times more germs than a toilet seat, a strong cleaning plan is essential, including tidy desk policies to allow easier cleaning for cleaning staff. Cleaning products should also be supplied by businesses, to make it easy for employees to sanitise their workspaces as needed to boost office-wide hygiene, particularly where professional cleaning is infrequent. With many offices set up for co-working or hotdesking, desk cleanliness becomes even more important. With staff sharing more spaces, viruses and bacteria can spread even further, taking down an entire workforce. In cleaning up offices there are a plethora of aspects to consider. 18 Á 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 11:50 Page 218 Business Link www.blmforum.net OFFICE SOLUTIONS Developing actions plans to combat COVID-19 impact More than ever, all businesses would benefit from developing action plans to combat the impact of COVID-19. AP Robinson & Co are no different and the company would like to share some key points to consider when looking at this for your organisation. Firstly, we suggest you state the purpose of the plan; risk reduction, financial impact and supporting government initiatives are obvious ones. Employees need to consider their duty of care, advice on sick pay and possibly self- isolation. Implementation of a remote working policy is good practice and encourage virtual conference meetings as this will defer non-essential meetings and avoid unnecessary contact. A good communication strategy with clients’ and employees should be in place - advising them of your firm’s action plan would be advantageous. Blogs and newsletters are essential tools to keep them updated with key announcements. Remote working and cyber security is also topical so assess what IT hardware/software is needed. This along with video conferencing can be addressed and managed. An obvious factor is to review budgets and resources. Some immediate actions to consider: • Review your debtors list and chase up overdue invoices (if appropriate) • Agree extended payment terms with all suppliers in advance • Work out your estimated sales & costs over next 3 months and break-even point, do a cash flow forecast - you will need this to make decisions. The above hopefully provides you with some useful tips but please do not hesitate to get in touch if you wish to discuss further. This situation is subject to fast pace change which we are constantly monitoring. To find out more, visit www.aprobinson.biz, email andrew.robinson@aprobinson.biz, or call 01472 345888. It is not just desk surfaces and communal areas that need a wipe down, but phones, computer screens, keyboards and mice, which are recommended weekly cleans. Office bathrooms should be optimised to prevent the spread of germs too, and the amount of surfaces that need touching minimised. To accommodate this, one might incorporate sensor-based flushes, soap dispensers, taps and dryers as well as automatic lights. Regular checks of communal areas like kitchens should be made, and frequent professional cleaning adopted. Providing adequate bins is also important, for waste and recycling, for easy disposal. Going a step further, offices can be designed to incorporate antimicrobial materials. One may even add an antimicrobial coating to the floor. There are a variety of antimicrobial solutions on the market today worth considering, from paint to window shades and faucets. Ultimately, cleaner offices, mean healthier employees and more work done. Focusing on the health of employees, one should look to invest in ergonomic furniture. Designed to offer support, comfort and flexibility, staff, who will likely spend most of the day sat at a desk, can keep healthy sitting and standing postures, decreasing the musculoskeletal injuries commonly found amongst office workers as a result of repetitive motions 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 11:51 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 19 OFFICE SOLUTIONS Osprey Business Solutions helps clients generate sales opportunities Clients of Bradford’s Osprey Business Solutions utilise the firm’s services to create meetings for their partners, account managers or reps to get in front of decision makers. The firm works with clients from a range of sectors, from accountancy services, to engineering machinery and event CCTV monitoring systems – all of whom it has helped to generate new and additional sales opportunities. As well as appointment making and sales lead generation, the firm also offers event and exhibition invitation; direct marketing; CRM design and market research. As part of its work with new clients, the firms a trial campaign of a smaller amount of telemarketing activity to become familiar with a client’s range of products. This enables Osprey Business Solutions to become proficient at overcoming objection and providing prospects with the benefits of using a client’s products over their existing supplier. To find out more, visit www.ospreybusinesssolutionsinc.co.uk. and awkward body positions, which can lead to lost productivity and working time, impacting the bottom line. Selecting the right desks, keyboards, screens and chairs is key here, with adjustable heights, padded seats and sit and stand options. Standing while working for a measly half an hour can reduce stress, blood pressure and cholesterol. With ergonomic furniture staff will be more comfortable, thus able to maintain better focus on work with less pain- related distractions. Several nifty aspects can be seen in the modern offices of large companies, from slides to snack bars, but there is one simple feature that should not be overlooked in office design: light. Humans are attracted to and energised by natural light, and numerous studies highlighting what employees want most in their office have shown natural light to come out on top. The benefits of natural light have become well- known, including better wellbeing and up to a twenty per cent increase in productivity as well as reduced eye strain and less headaches. Many are therefore integrating daylighting strategies. Those designing offices are putting a great deal of thought into how to maximise natural light, using skylights, glass walls, precisely positioning workspaces near windows, and employing smart lighting solutions and LEDs to compliment the light streaming in from outdoors. Auto tinting smart windows have been used to optimise natural light while reducing glare, as well as apps allowing staff to adjust the light entering office windows. Not all offices have large and well dispersed windows, of course, and in such cases indoor lighting mimicking the wavelengths of natural light should be considered. Clean air is also vital in offices, as air quality can affect the 20 Á © Shutterstock /Andrey_Popov 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2020 11:51 Page 4Next >