< Previous20 Business Link www.blmforum.net DESIGN AND MARKETING savvy business leader should ask themselves what they would think if they were forced to choose between two suppliers to approach – one of whom stood before a stand just a little faded, and the other of whom stood before pristine material. The answer is all too obvious. It has been two years for many people since presentation truly mattered. Zoom calls, home offices and suits from the waist up were all that were important before, but now is the time of handshakes again. So, how are your business cards? How new and fresh do the price sheets and informational brochures look? Are the colours faded? A new start out of lockdown means a new opportunity, a fresh start, and it’s well worth leveraging that with new marketing materials, be they banners, leaflets, signage or business cards. Freshly printed and pressed material will always portray a more confident and well- organised company, and it may be time for you to consider the design of them as well, especially if the same layout has been used for years on end. Specialists in design should be able to do more than simply put together something from specification – they should be capable of expert advice, direction and design to highlight ways to improve on existing material. Unifying themes and colours supporting or matching brand logos should be used throughout, but the font used, the size of it and also the distribution of images, graphs and figures are all important. Where they lay on any given page can dictate how the human eye naturally gravitates, with certain areas being more prone to attention by the average reader. There is a lot of psychology that goes into good design as well, understanding the colours and layouts that more naturally convey feelings of professionalism toward the reader. A © stock.adobe.com/Suphansa 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:48 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 21 DESIGN AND MARKETING Printing|Copying|Graphic Design LOGOS | BRANDING | BUSINESS STATIONERY FLYERS & POSTERS | BROCHURES | NEWSLETTERS A0 COPYING & SCANNING | OS MAPPING CAD & PLAN PRINTING | PRINT FINISHING High Quality Print & Design in Lincolnshire N 01522 546118 E sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk good example of this – though the opposite way – might be how a restaurant menu in a family pub will use varying fonts, differing sizes and bold text to convey a wide range of options, whereas an expensive restaurant is likely to have smaller text set centre in a blank page, often vellum, to create a more luxurious feel to the menu. Designing and printing marketing material does often feel like an unnecessary expenditure, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Marketing material, like a salesperson, is what every potential customer will see, and it is something they will take into consideration when deciding to use your services or not. Given the amount of time it has been since we’ve had to do so much business in person, a lot of businesses’ materials are out of date or feeling a little rough around the edges. There’s never been a better time to update them and create a new, fresh start for your salespeople. © stock.adobe.com/luckybusiness 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:48 Page 422 Business Link www.blmforum.net ENGINEERING The coastal regions and agricultural operations of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have made it the perfect spot for innovating environmental technology. Vast turbine fields, solar power projects, and offshore wind sites line the landscape across the region. The most obvious signs of environmental engineering across the region are the great spans of windfarms, both offshore and onshore. The windfarm at Triton Knoll, 32 kilometres off the Lincolnshire coast, is the UK’s biggest windfarm. With the ability to power over 800,000 homes, it is helping to bring the region closer to the County Council’s stated goal of going carbon net-zero. A business with a strong presence, Siemens are at the heart of wind turbine innovation. This spells good news not just for the region’s environment, but also for its economy. Siemens employs more than 1,500 people at their Lincoln site, and has strong links with educational institutions, thus creating opportunities for skilled jobs in the county, without even considering the jobs created in turbine maintenance and management. Siemens are developing wind turbines At the forefront of environmental engineering One of the major movements in engineering is environmental engineering, as the country and our region tries to move toward a net zero economy. 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:50 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 23 ENGINEERING © stock.adobe.com/New Africa with the ability to remotely manage and automate the turbines from a central, onshore location. These developments make wind technology more attractive, as maintenance costs are a long-term commitment that often deter councils from taking the plunge. Still aiming to make use of the vast field space across region, plans for solar farms in areas such as Sleaford are being considered. The farm would span 66 acres and would generate enough electricity to power 30,000 homes at full capacity. The benefit of solar plants is that they do not invade the skyline like turbines, meaning that trees and hedges can be grown as a natural screen to the farms. Turbines convert 60% of energy into usable electricity, whereas solar panels only convert around 22%. Furthermore, wind turbines release less CO2 into the atmosphere, at around 4.64 grams of CO2/1kWh. Solar panels produce 70 grams of CO2/1kWh. This means that exclusively moving to solar initiatives would not help to reach net- zero carbon 2050 goals. Interestingly, the coastal areas present 24 Á 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:50 Page 224 Business Link www.blmforum.net ENGINEERING both a problem and an opportunity for innovation. Rising temperatures have increased flooding incidents, particularly in the Boston and Skegness region. Furthermore, research suggests that only minimal further climate changes could place coastal properties and businesses at high threat. Lincolnshire is due to open its Viking Link in 2023, the world’s longest subsea power cable, stretching from Britain to Denmark. The cable will import and export renewable energy, making it more accessible. It will also bolster current renewable energy sources, meaning that the UK will have to rely less on fossil fuels on windless and dark days. Whilst this is undoubtedly impressive, what if there was a way to combine coastal defence with renewable energy? Sea walls are used to protect the coastline from wave erosion. Even on calm days, water possesses incredible force potential. A Norwegian company has developed a sea wall with the ability to capture hydroelectricity. Turbines are installed at the base of the sea wall, creating mini reservoirs. When waves hit the sea wall, they fall into these reservoirs, with the turbines capturing the energy as the waves fall past them. The turbines then generate electricity. Combining the two could save long term on installation costs and coastline maintenance, with Lincolnshire having spent over £200 million on coastal defence from 2018 – 2021. Another option would be to increase reliance on biomass energy. Raw waste is burned and converted into clean energy sources such as steam. It is considered carbon neutral as plants get their energy via photosynthesis, and when the plant is burned, it is only releasing the carbon © stock.adobe.com/Beton Studio 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:50 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 25 ENGINEERING Units 4b & 4c, Harpings Road, National Avenue, Kingston-upon-Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire HU5 4JF Tel: +44 (0)1482 440222 Email: esales@eyh.co.uk Web: www.eyh.co.uk eyh .co.uk EAST YORKSHIRE HYDRAULICS Hydraulic engineering - design, build, installation and service. • Complete hydraulic systems • Installation and commissioning • Hydro-pneumatic accumulators • Hydraulic equipment • Cylinders Single Source Hydraulic Solutions Design, build, installation and service of hydraulic systems, cylinders, accumulators and equipment. that it had stored. Given the reliance on agricultural activity across the region, this could simultaneously reduce agricultural waste, generate extra income for farms, and provide the county with an additional source of renewable energy. Climate change is one of the foremost issues of our time, and Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are constantly proving themselves to be a force for change in this area. Whilst wind turbines are controversial, they remain an important element of the country’s environmental plan, and one of the most efficient renewable energy solutions. Yet, utilising coastal resources to generate energy whilst protecting the coastline could truly be the way forward. Continued investment in the county via the likes of Siemens brings innovation and hope for the future, making reaching that 2050 goal still challenging, but ultimately within reach. © stock.adobe.com/photosoup 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:50 Page 426 Business Link www.blmforum.net IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS © stock.adobe.com/ stnazkul How the region’s businesses are going digital How the region’s businesses are going digital 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:52 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 27 IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS In more ways than most, our regions rely heavily on small and medium sized businesses. The population spread across the counties means that many communities depend on small companies to deliver essential services, with larger entities being more difficult to access. Yet, small businesses continue to struggle. The current cost of living crisis means that many companies are under threat of being priced out of the market on rent, shipping, and other necessary costs. The easiest way to diversify income is to increase online presence. This is being done increasingly via apps. There is often a sentiment amongst small business owners that the outlay costs and initial headache of setting up an app outweighs the potential benefits. This is not true. In fact, small businesses can benefit in different ways to larger ones. Apps can provide instant customer feedback and purchase tracking, so you can see what’s popular and what’s not. Small businesses generally have much greater control over stocking and purchasing decisions, meaning that you can respond much faster to consumer trends. Furthermore, you can directly contact your customers to send offers and promotions, helping to increase sales faster. Average costs range from £1,000 to £7,000. This may sound daunting, but research shows that only 4% of businesses see a negative return on investment in mobile apps, and those that use Key Performance Indicators to track and adjust app success are very likely to see a strong return on investment. With more people online shopping than ever, you may find that your customer base diversifies upon the implementation of a mobile app. It isn’t just about marketing either. Many businesses are using apps to offer delivery services. In an area where the bigger delivery organisations often don’t operate, or charge extortionate delivery fees, there is a gap in the market to be filled by local organisations. Businesses such as Fudged Up have also been using their online presence to run giveaways, which has increased both their sales and brand visibility. So, understanding the potential benefits of implementing a mobile app, how is it done? App builders are available as a cheaper option. If you’re As technology changes and the world becomes more digital, businesses in the region are quickly adapting to the potential available in online apps. 28 Á 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:52 Page 228 Business Link www.blmforum.net IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS © stock.adobe.com/sitthiphong tech savvy and like to get creative, this could be great. If you’re building the app yourself, keep the design simple and easy to read. Pay the most attention to how it will look on a mobile screen, as it will appear more condensed than when being designed on a desktop or laptop. It might be useful to research competitors’ apps to get ideas for layouts, key customer information, and which products are being promoted on the Home Screen. Finally, ensure the colour schemes, images and fonts are in line with your current branding so customers are not confused. If this isn’t your thing, you can always hire an app developer or freelancer to create the app for you. App developers will usually provide consultations and project management as part of their services but will cost a lot more than freelancers. Generally, small businesses would be better suited to work closely with a freelancer, whereas medium companies may benefit more from the bigger picture approach of app development companies. As well as developing your own apps, there are existing apps which are helping businesses grow. Although it may be known for its agriculture, research shows that digital businesses are on the rise in Lincolnshire especially. Nearly 2,000 companies in this sector are based here, including digital marketing, healthcare, gaming, education and aerospace technology. Across Greater Lincolnshire, this area is estimated to be worth £779 million and employs over 16,000 Lincolnshire residents. Alongside already established technology companies such as Siemens having a huge presence in Lincolnshire, 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:52 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 29 IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS this is an area of real opportunity. These figures are only set to grow significantly over the coming years, with digital businesses presenting opportunities to easily diversify across sectors and products. So how can smaller businesses get in on the action? A nationwide app, Enterprise Nation: Make A Plan, is also useful for helping small businesses grow digitally. Developed in partnership with Strive UK and Mastercard, the app is designed to be a one-stop-shop for advice, resources, and mentoring, all for free for three years per business. Companies upload business details, which are used to form a digital business plan, with 24/7 progress tracking capabilities. Once again, the advice can be useful for all. Research shows that 70% of newer businesses are seeking advice on building cash flow plans, and 55% of established businesses are seeking advice on financial reporting. The Enterprise Nation app, amongst other features, focuses on building user friendly mobile apps, enhancing digital marketing strategies, and increasing brand visibility. Businesses will have access to multiple, specialised support organisations who will provide one to one mentoring and tailored advice. Even if you aren’t seeking to grow your operations significantly, there are many benefits to digitising your business. The ready access to consumer feedback, financial reporting and KPI tracking alone could help to streamline operations and clarify where the business is succeeding and requires improvement. A small initial outlay could mean big returns. Even if you aren’t seeking to grow your operations significantly, there are many benefits to digitising your business. 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 04/07/2022 13:52 Page 4Next >