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PRAETURA VENTURES HIRES FOUR INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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20/04/2021

PRAETURA VENTURES HIRES FOUR INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS

Former Apple executive and co-founder of Social Chain join firm as operational partners

Praetura Ventures, the Manchester-based venture capital investor, has announced the appointment of four industry heavyweights as it evidences its more than money approach.

Colin Greene, Dominic McGregor, Catherine Barber-Brown and Mark Slade all join as operational partners, a new role that will see Praetura Ventures bring significant intellect, energy and commercial experience on board to support the founders and entrepreneurs it backs.

Colin Greene, who has recently returned to the North West from Silicon Valley, has spent the last 30 years working for some of the world’s largest technology companies including NCR, Intel and Apple, where he most recently led its consumer retail business in the US. During his time at Apple he also held COO and Country CEO roles for Apple in Tokyo and Seoul, and since returning to the UK has taken on a number of advisory roles within tech and fintech start-ups.

He is joined by Dominic McGregor, the co-founder and ex-COO of Social Chain, one of Europe’s fastest-growing social media agencies. Dominic, alongside his co-founder Steven Bartlett, helped grow Social Chain from a standing start to a $200m turnover business with more than 750 staff in offices around the world, including New York, Berlin and London. He built a client portfolio that saw Social Chain work with some of the world’s biggest brands, such as Amazon, McDonald’s and the BBC, before listing Social Chain on the German stock exchange in 2019.

With more than 25 years’ experience across multiple sectors, Catherine is a creative and driven strategist. She spent her early career as an investment banker for Credit Suisse and Barclays, and has held senior strategy and change roles at The Co-operative Bank. She now specialises in helping businesses drive performance, growth and transformation, and is a non-executive director of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and a mentor for Tech Manchester.

The fourth operational partner to join Praetura Ventures is Mark Slade, the co-founder and now vice chairman of OSTC – a high-performing global derivatives trading and education company that has grown to become one of the leading proprietary trading companies in the world with 450 employees in five countries. Mark is also passionate about talent development, and acts as an executive coach and mentor through his role as a non-executive board member at several start-ups and multi-geographical SMEs.

These appointments follow the news that Steve Caunce, former CEO of AO World, joined Praetura Ventures as non-executive chairman and together the team, led by portfolio MD Andy Sumner, will enable the firm to better support high-growth businesses and meet increased demand for capital. This includes early-stage companies looking for smaller, seed-stage investments as well as capital and support for more developed businesses that are looking to scale.

Commenting on the appointments, Andy said: “When I joined the firm just over 12 months ago I was challenged to make sure our portfolio received more than just the capital we invest. Having spoken to the founders we back, we know it’s the constructive challenge, support and advice our team brings to the table that they truly value – so it was vital we increase our bandwidth to support an ever-increasing portfolio. These four people are not just business leaders in their own right, but each has a specialism that enables them to provide the advice and support our portfolio is looking for.”

David Foreman, Managing Director, Praetura Ventures, added: “This is more than money in action. The value our operational partners can add to our portfolio is huge, we’re bringing real experience of growing and scaling a business to each founders’ fingertips. These individuals are here to help our portfolio, to be available to them, to mentor them, to advise on any challenges they face, and they’ve hit the ground running.”

Praetura was the first to back rapidly growing SaaS delivery management platform, Sorted Group, and in August 2019 participated in the £15m investment round led by Merian Chrysalis Investment Company, which made Sorted Group one of the North West’s fastest growing tech companies.

The firm has recently invested in Maxwellia, a pioneering drug company poised to transform the UK’s self-care market, alongside its investments in Leeds-based RapidSpike, tech for good platforms Transreport and Enthuse, and communications platform PixelMax.

Huckletree launches virtual sustainability festival to address climate change agenda for brands, leaders, entrepreneurs and investors

Property

Sam Whitear

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20/04/2021

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Huckletree launches virtual sustainability festival to address climate change agenda for brands, leaders, entrepreneurs and investors

Creative workspace and accelerator Huckletree has announced it’s hosting Earthrise Summit, a virtual festival to unite sustainability leaders, founders, politicians, change makers and innovators from all corners of the world, to inspire people to take action.

Climate change remains the biggest long-term threat to global stability and the pandemic has made it harder to tackle, so on Wednesday 19th May, speakers including Lily Cole and Jimmy Chin will headline virtual stages, alongside fire-side Q&As, panels and curated workshops, to raise awareness and highlight the role we all need to play in fighting climate change, on a global and local level.

Earthrise Summit will lean into the UN SDGs around Climate Action but focus on solutions rather than problems. Putting a spotlight on how we can move forward with optimism and confidence is one of the key outputs we are driving toward across the event.

Model and actress turned activist and social entrepreneur, Lily Cole, will headline the festival, with her key session focusing on ‘Optimism, Ingenuity and Tackling the Climate Crisis’. Cole will be joined by Academy Award–winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer, and a professional mountain climber Jimmy Chin, exploring ‘Environmental Stewardship & The Human Imagination’ in his talk.

Huckletree’s Earthrise Summit 2021 festival will bring together 60 speakers across 4 stages for 8 hours to discuss, debate and showcase how we can build a more sustainable future.
Confirmed speakers include
Lily Cole // Author, Activist, Super Model
Jimmy Chin // Oscar winning filmmaker, athlete and photographer
Lucy Yu // CEO, Octopus Centre for Net Zero
Gail Gallie // Co-founder, Project Everyone
Ben Goldsmith // Investor and Environmentalist
Claire Barnett // Executive Director, UN Women
Romi Sumaria // Founder, The Oblique Life
Sophie Dembinski // Head of Policy, Ecosia
Zoisa North-Bond // CEO, Octopus Energy for Business
Eleanor O’Keeffe // Head of Influencers, COP26
Peter Sanger // Founder and CEO, Green City Solutions
Charmian Love // Co-founder, B-Lab UK
Juliet Davenport // Chair and Founder, Good Energy
Lise Honsinger // CFO, Notpla
Siobhan Clarke // Operating Partner, bp launchpad
Martha Dillon // Editor, It’s Freezing in LA!
Sian Sutherland // Founder, A Plastic Planet
Saasha Celestial-One // Co-founder, OLIO
Chris Forbes // Co-founder, The Cheeky Panda
James Alexander // CEO, UK Sustainable Investment & Finance Association
Dave Harland // CEO Eden Project International
Tristram Stuart // Food Waste Campaigner
Key sessions include
Lily Cole – Optimism, Ingenuity and Tackling the Climate Crisis
Jimmy Chin – Environmental Stewardship & The Human Imagination
Climate Tech Bros
Creative Changemakers and the Road to COP26
Human Behaviour, Tech and the Race to Net Zero
Towards Plastic Free
Future Cities
The global food waste scandal
The Power of Purpose
Funding a Sustainable Future
Is rewilding the answer?
How to build a modern eco-focused brand

Patrick Keogh, Programming and Festival Director Huckletree commented:
“We took inspiration from the past year; the global pandemic has taught us that nature and innovation go hand-in-hand and that institutions are slow to act. We believed that the call to protect the future health of the planet is too great for any business leader or any community to ignore or pass accountability on. We also believe the climate issue is so serious that it needs serious creativity. Rather than silo-ing the agenda to one sector or one institution, we need as many diverse minds collaborating and weighing in, exploding the topic, taking it to new brave areas, and creating positive outcomes that are actionable today, tomorrow not just 10 years out.”

International law firm CMS, Silicon Valley Bank, and A/O Proptech are lead sponsors of the summit, and all three will provide support and services to Huckletree’s educational programmes and members too.

Keogh added:
“Our vision is to build a festival of ultra collaboration where artists comment on policy, climbers advise on marketing, academics get their hands dirty on product development, investors and venture partners weigh in on education. For us the event is all about raising mass awareness and tolerance through 8 hours of heated, actionable, no-holding-back collaboration and it’s open to anyone; entrepreneur or not. This is not the time to slow down. We have been building momentum off the back of our Alpha Accelerator which is themed around Sustainable Planet and the announcement of three Sustainability partnerships last month. We’re so excited to see 60 speakers take to the virtual stage for our biggest event of this kind in Europe.”

Find out more and buy tickets here: www.huckletree.com/education/sustainability-summit

Tactus creates £125m business with acquisition of e-commerce platform

Acquisitions

Sam Whitear

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20/04/2021

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Tactus creates £125m business with acquisition of e-commerce platform

Tactus Group, specialists in the development of consumer technology products, has completed a landmark acquisition of PC gaming specialist CCL Computers in a deal that sees the group become a £125m business.

The acquisition sees Tactus increase in headcount to 110 people and adds an e-commerce capability to its offer.

Tactus Group is a technology expert, providing multi-branded IT hardware to global retailers and the public sector, developing a strong reputation and trading relationships with leading corporate technology businesses such as Microsoft and Intel. Its product portfolio includes IT hardware, smart home technology and tech wearable apparel, which it retails through partnerships with high profile ecommerce and high street retailers worldwide.

The deal has been funded by an £11.25m private equity investment, with lead investor Arete Capital Partners investing £10m, in addition to the group’s existing facilities. The primary deal team comprised Gav Jones of Tactus and Mike Fletcher and Andy Critchley of Arete.

CCL is based in West Yorkshire and specialises in building and reselling computer components to the fast-growing gaming sector. Working alongside leading gaming component suppliers including AMD, Intel and Nvidia, CCL builds bespoke PCs for customers ranging from retail consumers, businesses, public bodies, education and other resellers.

The firm has enjoyed a strong financial performance, with five consecutive years of double-digit revenue growth. Turnover for the last financial year hit £65m – a rise of 66 per cent on 2019 figures.

Scott Brenchley, CEO at Tactus Group, said: “A core part of our acquisition strategy over the next 12 months is to identify and bring together fantastic businesses that complement one another and can really drive our growth. CCL is a perfect example of this, with its longstanding reputation in the gaming market built on the outstanding talent it has at its disposal, as well as its dedication to providing the best quality products to consumers.

“Our aim now is to build on this foundation and grow the business exponentially over the next few years.”

Mike Fletcher, managing partner at Arete Capital Partners, said: “This is a fantastic acquisition for Tactus Group, and further strengthens its position as a disruptive consumer tech expert. CCL is ideally placed to bolster Tactus’ credentials in the gaming space, which has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing sectors in recent months. Driven by an ambitious management team, Tactus is now in a great position to accelerate its global growth, both organically and through further acquisitions.”

David Moore, chairman at Tactus Group, said: “The acquisition of CCL is a huge milestone for Tactus Group. In addition to creating a £125m turnover company, the deal provides us with the first opportunity to offer products directly to the consumer, making use of CCL’s outstanding e-commerce capabilities. This deal represents an enormous step forward for the enlarged group, and we will continue to actively acquire businesses that add value to ourselves and our clients.”

Huler launches its Human Experience SaaS platform, the HulerHub

Digital

Sam Whitear

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20/04/2021

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Huler launches its Human Experience SaaS platform, the HulerHub

Huler, the UK-based work technology business, announces the launch of its new Human Experience SaaS platform, the HulerHub today.

HulerHub transforms the way businesses engage with their teams by introducing a people-centric and time-saving digital solution, coined the world’s first ‘Human Experience Platform’.

The much-anticipated flagship SaaS offering has already registered interest from global household names within the UK, USA and Canada, following an initial $7 million dollar investment. The platform feels intuitive, and offers a unique and premium experience normally associated with mainstream consumer software.

The current status quo for most businesses is to invest in more technology to engage with their dispersed workforces. But with an average employee having to access 41 systems on a monthly basis, there’s a clear decline in engagement and a rise in digital fatigue. As a result, the need for one streamlined system which brings together all of an organisation’s needs digitally, is at an all-time high.

This beautifully crafted platform offers a user interface designed to connect users to the links, software and systems they use in one engaging place. Huler saves time, which in turn helps drive business growth and profitability, whilst dramatically improving employee experience.

Nicky Hoyland, CEO of Huler, said “We’ve faced plenty of challenges over the last 12 months as leaders, forcing us to pivot and question whether our existing system architecture can adapt to change and ensure that we’re connected to our people. Above all, the pandemic forced us to rethink the importance of people-led rather than process-led technologies inside a distributed future of work.”

Nicky continues: “Huler provides a unique approach to work and personal technology, blending the two to give a fresh take to what was once old but now feels familiar, yet is still new. The average office worker wastes 21 days each year due to slow or outdated technology, which is more than most paid annual leave allowances. This demonstrates the vital need for a solution that is easy to use, is time-effective, and most importantly, won’t become obsolete. We designed HulerHub to give people what they need, when they need it, so they can focus on what matters most. Unlike all the generic interfaces out there, it provides organisations with a personalised, hybrid digital home to optimise the employee experience and save time.

This is not just another tech solution; it is the human experience we have all been longing for”.

Connecting infinite possibilities with HulerHub. Visit Huler.io to discover more.

KINAXIA AGREES 5-YEAR CONTRACT WITH ICONIC TOY COMPANY JAMES GALT & CO

Growth

Sam Whitear

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20/04/2021

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KINAXIA AGREES 5-YEAR CONTRACT WITH ICONIC TOY COMPANY JAMES GALT & CO

Galt has signed up for the sole use of a 100,000sq ft warehouse in Warrington, Cheshire, at the headquarters of Kinaxia company Mark Thompson Transport.

Kinaxia is investing £500,000 to fit out the new building with lighting, racking, handling equipment, CCTV and a warehouse management system.

The contract with Galt, which has its headquarters in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, will create 20 jobs at the site.

The new warehouse was completed late last year at Mark Thompson Transport’s base on the Stretton Distribution Centre in Appleton.

Galt’s range of toys, games, puzzles, arts and crafts and equipment such as trampolines will be distributed from Warrington to UK stockists including Amazon, Argos, Hobbycraft, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, The Entertainer and Waitrose, as well as independent toy and gift shops.
Items will also be picked and packed for export to Europe, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Australia and the United States.

John McDonnell, managing director of James Galt & Co, said: “The Warrington site is a wonderful location, being just 20 minutes from our offices and within easy reach of the motorway network due to its closeness to the M6.

“We explored numerous options when we were seeking a new warehouse and distribution centre, and this was the outstanding choice in terms of the quality of the people and the operation.”

The company, which was founded by James Galt in 1836 as a bookseller, employs 40 staff. It is part of the Jumbodiset Group.
Kinaxia comprises 13 freight and logistics businesses across the UK with over 1,600 staff and more than 800 vehicles.

The group, which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire, has two million sq ft of warehouse facilities nationwide, offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management and storage services.
It has seen significant and continued growth over recent years, with annual revenues now approaching £200m.

Vanessa Hope, sales and marketing director at Kinaxia, said: “We are delighted to welcome James Galt & Co to our warehouse facility in Warrington. It’s an iconic toy business with a fantastic client base.
“This is an extremely exciting contract for Kinaxia which will generate much-needed employment in the area.

“We are very pleased to be forging this link with such a well-known and respected brand, and look forward to working with the team over the coming years.”

London Lash Pro eyes international growth with backing from NPIF – FW Capital

Investment

Sam Whitear

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20/04/2021

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London Lash Pro eyes international growth with backing from NPIF – FW Capital

Bolton-based Lash House Limited, t/a London Lash Pro has received a £300,000 CBILS backed loan from NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, managed by FW Capital and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

London Lash Pro is an online wholesaler of eyelashes and associated goods such as glues, cleansers and accessories, selling to eyelash technicians globally. Founded by CEO Hanna Putjato in 2014, she has grown the business from scratch into a global company with a turnover of almost £5M and recently won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2020.

At the start of 2020, the company was poised to expand its European operation significantly through holding increased stock at its German facility to reduce costs associated with Brexit. However, international lockdowns due to the pandemic have side-lined many beauticians, impacting London Lash Pro’s sales.

The company decided to continue with its plans and NPIF-FW Capital Debt Finance agreed a NPIF loan to support this growth.

Founder and CEO Hanna Putjato said: “Despite initial setbacks last year we didn’t want to slow down. The funding will be used to recruit a senior marketing and operations team to drive our international sales particularly in Europe and the U.S. We are now on target to achieve a turnover of £8M next year and £12M in 2023. We had a great experience with NPIF and FW Capital, they have been incredibly professional and helpful, and the loan application process went very quickly.”

FW Capital investment executive Loz O’Connor said: “London Lash Pro is a very strongly performing, highly profitable company. This NPIF loan backed by CBILS will aid worldwide sales, reduce costs and enable them to invest in key staff and properly market themselves for the first time. It is a really exciting business and we are pleased that we are able to play a part in this next exciting phase of its development”

Sue Barnard at British Business bank said: “It’s been a challenging period for many Northern businesses operating in the beauty sector, with the pandemic forcing closure of where many of London Lash Pro’s products are sold. NPIF is proud to be supporting the company in realising its growth targets over the coming years. Investments such as this demonstrate the importance of access to finance for Northern businesses.”

FW Capital provides loans of £100,000 to £750,000 to businesses based in the NPIF region with a focus on the North West, Cumbria and Tees Valley.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

Co-op snaps up Salford Rum First convenience listing in 90 stores across the country for booming Greater Manchester rum brand

Acquisitions

Sam Whitear

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14/04/2021

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Greater Manchester’s Salford Rum has won favour with national retailer Co-op, with its Dark Spice Rum landing in 90 of its convenience stores across the UK this month – marking the brand’s first supermarket listing.

Spearheading its arrival is Greater Manchester’s Ten Locks – a purpose-driven drinks company that champions brands striving for positive change. Salford Rum sits in the company’s portfolio because of its dedication to innovation and unwavering allegiance to its local economy and community.

Becky Davies, head of commercial at Ten Locks, said: “The listing represents a significant step forward for Salford Rum and its founders, James Harrison and Tommy Gaughan, who – with incredible entrepreneurial spirit – set about making something new to rival the buoyancy we’re seeing in gin, while having a positive impact on their community.

“The Co-op will be the first retailer to make the brand available in the convenience sector; the move demonstrates consumer appetite for spiced rum as well as the enhanced role c-stores are playing at the heart of the community off the back of the pandemic. We’re proud to be driving Salford Rum forward and expanding its national footprint.”

Figures from Mintel show c-stores to be essential players in the local community, with the development of ranges crucial to engaging younger shoppers. Data from WSTA show the spiced rum category enjoyed a nine per cent uplift in volume sales in 2019, with growth expected to continue as consumers desire premium spirits to enjoy at home.

Davies continues: “Brands that stack up in terms of taste and purpose will really cement themselves in the year ahead, as consumers are more knowledgeable than ever after a year of making premium drinks and cocktails at home. Local stores are perfectly placed to win here; my advice is back brands that can attract consumers on all fronts, especially in smaller format stores where the challenge is to retain the shoppers they have serviced over the last year. Updating your range to reflect trends and proven consumer appetite is critical to longer term success.”

Co-op spirits buyer Jonathan Gray said: “Salford Dark Spice Rum will make the perfect addition to our spirits offering. It’s a well-crafted, versatile spirit that consumers can enjoy across a number of occasions. The trend for making premium drinks at home and experimenting with cocktail recipes has enabled smaller brands with national appeal, such as Salford Rum, to truly shine. It’s here to stay, with its effect a real opportunity for the convenience sector. We’re proud to stock a brand that is a proven hit with shoppers and who’s values and ethos reflect our own.”

Salford Rum’s expressions takes their flavour inspiration from the rums, fruits and spices from the Caribbean which were landing on British shores for the first time in in the early 1900s. Salford Dark Spice Rum (40% ABV, 70cl) combines specially selected pot and column distilled rums from the Caribbean that have been matured for up to eight years in ex-Bourbon, American white oak casks. A distinct spice blend, it has notes of vanilla, coconut, burnt caramel and cloves, which together, deliver a delicious dark spiced rum.

The company champions and is an official supporter of Salford Lads Club – an incredible resource dedicated to providing opportunities for young people in sports and arts in Salford, Manchester.

Striving to reduce plastic waste during production, every black ceramic bottle of Salford Dark Spice Rum is screen-printed with intricately drawn maps of Salford by local artist, Dave Draws.

Salford Dark Spice Rum will have an RRP of £26 for 70cl in 90 Co-op stores nationwide.

BRABNERS KICKS OFF NEW GROWTH CYCLE WITH MANCHESTER AND PRESTON OFFICE MOVES

Property

Sam Whitear

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12/04/2021

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BRABNERS KICKS OFF NEW GROWTH CYCLE WITH MANCHESTER AND PRESTON OFFICE MOVES

Leading independent law firm Brabners is to relocate its Manchester and Preston offices this summer as it marks the start of the next phase of its strategic growth plan.

The 400-strong firm, which also has offices in Liverpool’s Exchange Flags, will see its Manchester team move to AEW’s 100 Barbirolli Square following the lifting of Covid-19 work-from-home guidance. Brabners has taken 20,000 sq. ft of Grade A space across the top two floors at the newly-refurbished development near St Peter’s Square.

Employees will have access to amenities including a coffee lounge and a fitness and yoga studio, as well as the square’s new £1m independent street food venue, Society, which is due to open this summer.

The move from Brabners’ existing Manchester office in King Street will enable it to embrace agile working more effectively, in a modern collaborative office environment.

In addition, the firm is also expected to move its Preston operations to a new location in the area later in the year.

The planned moves in both Manchester and Preston coincide with the start of the firm’s next growth cycle, and follow on from the 23% growth in turnover the firm has achieved since it started its strategic change programme in 2017.

Savills (joint agents alongside OBI) let 100 Barbirolli Square on behalf of AEW, with Knight Frank acting for Brabners.

Robert White, chief executive at Brabners, said: “Our planned office moves in both Manchester and Preston represent the latest major investment in Brabners’ future. The timing of both moves provides a real opportunity to re-define the purpose of our offices, based on what we have learnt over the past 12 months; while also capitalising on the opportunity to align our office environment with a move to agile working.

“Our new offices will provide a modern collaborative environment for our people and our clients, and I am sure that having this outstanding space available will be more important than ever as we emerge from the pandemic.

“Much of the success we have enjoyed as a firm over the past four years has been the result of a continued investment in our people and our culture. As Brabners continues to grow, we look forward to the role all three office locations will play as we continue to consolidate our status as a Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For business.”

Richard Lowe, office agency director at Savills Manchester, said: “The investment from AEW into Barbirolli Square has created a new, standout work and leisure destination in the city centre. We’re delighted to have completed this major letting to Brabners for its new Manchester office and expect to see continued good demand for the remaining space across the scheme.”

Salford-based UDP focused on Midlands growth opportunities as 2021 gets off to a flying start

Growth

Sam Whitear

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12/04/2021

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Salford-based UDP focused on Midlands growth opportunities as 2021 gets off to a flying start

UDP, the Salford-based traffic management and civil engineering contractor has made a flying start to 2021 with a clutch of new contract wins and is now looking to expand in the East and West Midlands.

Led by Managing Director Tim Walmsley, 34, who has risen through the ranks at the company since joining age 19, UDP employs around 70 people at its bases in the North West and in Barnsley, Yorkshire, which opened in 2019.

Backed by leading investment company Foresight Group’s North West Regional Investment Fund, UDP has a won three contracts from new customer Cadent Gas for traffic management to support its activities in Greater Manchester, Sheffield City Region & South Yorkshire and the East Midlands. The company has also been awarded a fourth contract by Cadent to carry out replacement, refurbishment, installation, decommissioning and remediation activities associated to multi-occupancy buildings in the West Midlands.

Tim said: “We are delighted by the strong momentum the first quarter of 2021 has delivered and we move forward with confidence.

“Having already invested in a Yorkshire base, we see the Midlands, East and West, as a natural next step. We are already working there now, but as we win more contracts it will make sense to have a permanent base.”

UDP’s 2021 revenues are forecast to be £12m. The company has recently committed to paying the Real Living Wage, one of several initiatives it has introduced to attract and retain staff.

Tim explains: “It’s important for us to look after our people. I think the fact that I have risen through a number of levels in the businesses shows that our culture is really supportive, and that if people want to build a career with UDP over the long term, they can.”

UDP is committed to taking on two apprentices every year, and will be recruiting again in 2021.

Its scheme to help offenders nearing the end of their prison sentence learn new skills and be ready for work when they are released, will be restarted when the Ministry of Justice rules allow following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tim said: “We have had some great people through the scheme, and have offered a number of them full-time jobs at the end of their sentence. It’s something we really believe in and look forward to re-starting in due course.”

He adds “The COVID-19 pandemic – and the first lockdown in March 2020 impacted us as we had to close our head office and work stopped at some civil engineering projects.

“However, our traffic management division which supports local authorities, water and electricity companies as they carry out important repairs, continued to operate throughout the period.

“Of course, we had to make sure that our team were safe by creating work bubbles, stopping people sharing vehicles and providing hand sanitisers and facemasks.”

UDP has recently strengthened its senior team with the appointment of Phil Croft, a former senior project manager at National Grid to lead its civil engineering division.

Among the projects the civil engineering team – which specialises in public realm and drainage works at the end of a development scheme – have completed are Chapel Wharf by the Lowry Hotel in Salford and Axis Tower in Manchester city centre.

Claire Alavarez, director at Foresight’s Manchester office said: “We have an excellent team at UDP and we are really pleased with its resilient performance and also the impact it’s having in the community too. We look forward to supporting Tim and the team through the next phase of growth.”

Here Are A Few Important Things You Should Never Try And Do Yourself When You’re Starting Your Own Small Business

Sam Whitear

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12/04/2021

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Here Are A Few Important Things You Should Never Try And Do Yourself When You’re Starting Your Own Small Business

We do not need to tell you that this is a pretty intense time to be launching your own small business. The twin factors of the Coronavirus pandemic and Brexit have made things incredibly tough for anyone trying to get their new business off on the right foot, navigating the latest government guidelines and information about when you can open, trying to guess what the precise situation will be with dealing with overseas clients, and making sure that you can afford to weather any potential upcoming turbulence.

However, it’s also a time that is rich with potential. We are seeing brighter times ahead, we are seeing people make a commitment to shop locally and support their local small businesses, and there is a real sense that this summer could be the shot in the arm we all need.

Now, it’s pretty typical for small business owners to adopt a do-it-yourself mindset wherever they can. After all, this is obviously a passion project that means a great deal to you, and the chances are that you have taken on most, if not all, of the responsibility yourself when it came to putting this thing together. However, it’s important to remember that there are always going to be some areas where you need professional and expert help. This can be hard to swallow when we are all keeping a careful eye on our budgets, but we are going to lay out a few key areas where bringing in outside assistance will save you money, time, resources and stress in the long run. Let’s get started.

Web Design

Let’s start with one that may not apply to everyone, as there are many small business owners and entrepreneurs out there with a real gift for web design and online marketing. After all, it has been a crucial part of any small business’ success for some years now, and it has become absolutely essential during the last twelve months as we all stayed home and did all our shopping and business online.

However, if you have any concerns or hesitation about your ability to craft an excellent online presence, this is an area where you can’t afford to fall behind. Businesses of all sizes across all sectors have poured money into improving their digital, and as we are all inundated with online advertising, we have all become a lot savvier and less patient. You need to make sure that your business is well represented with good branding, clear messaging, and good SEO.

Legal Issues

This one should really go without saying, but if you find yourself in a situation where legal proceedings are about to get underway, then you absolutely need to hire a solicitor. It can be tempting to try and find ways around this, to look for courses of action that keep you out of the courtroom butwasting time early on trying to do it yourself will leave you at a disadvantage later on.

It’s not just about losing time, too, it’s about having peace of mind knowing that you have a solicitor who understands the issue at hand and who is invested in getting you the best possible result. A dispute is not just a legal matter, it’s something that can take a tremendous toll on your personal life and your mental health, so whether it’s a breach of contract issue, debt recovery, property litigation or something else, your first course of action should always be to seek legal advice and support.

Good reviews are always a good indicator of what you can expect, as well as a history of success in your area. If you’re looking for Manchester based solicitors, for example, Ashwood Solicitors have a great track record and glowing feedback, and they can help you with a range of different issues from commercial to personal injury to asylum and immigration law.

Accounting

So many of the concerns when it comes to launching a small business come down to finance. Can you afford to get this business to the point where it can survive? Can you keep it afloat if you end up having a difficult month? These headaches will not go away after launching, and they go far beyond making sure that you have filed your tax returns and incoming finances correctly.

This is why it’s so important to make sure that you have someone on board who is not only making sure that everything is being reported properly but is actively looking for ways to save money and to take advantage of any opportunity to find additional funding. A good accountant will also be a great sounding board for future ideas, whether that’s launching a new project, bringing on additional investors, or how to handle a tough year when cuts need to be made. The marketplace will continue to be rocky for a while now, so a financial expert is always a good investment.

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