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Glaisyers shortlisted for two top regional legal awards

Awards

Sam Whitear

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20/01/2020

Glaisyers shortlisted for two top regional legal awards

Glaisyers Solicitors has been shortlisted in two prestigious regional awards programmes. It is in the running both to be named Medium Firm of the Year at the 2020 Manchester Legal Awards and Professional Services business of the year at the North West Business Masters Awards.

Now in their 11th year, the Manchester Legal Awards are organised by Manchester Law Society. The Medium Firm of the Year category in which Glaisyers has been shortlisted recognises firms with between six and 20 partners.

Manchester-headquartered Glaisyers is one of three firms to have been shortlisted in this category. The eventual winners, to be announced at a ceremony to be held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on 5 March 2020, will be decided by an expert judging panel based on written submissions and face-to-face interviews.

Fast-growing Glaisyers has also been shortlisted in the Professional Services category of the North West Business Masters Awards. Organised by the influential online publisher TheBusinessDesk.com, the Business Masters Awards are decided by an independent panel of senior leaders from the North West’s business community.

The six-strong Professional Services shortlist includes insurance brokers, PR agents, recruitment specialists and solicitors. The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held at Manchester’s Hilton hotel, again on the evening of 5 March 2020.

These nominations follow a transformational year for Glaisyers, which was acquired in a management buy-in backed by the international professional services giant ETL Global in December 2018.

During 2019 the firm established a presence in London and increased its headcount by 25 per cent, to 75. It is on course to boost turnover by 40 per cent year-on-year, from £4.3 million to £6 million.

In December 2019 Glaisyers was named Law Firm of the Year at the annual Talk of Manchester Awards, which were decided by a poll of the city’s business community.

David Jones, equity partner at Glaisyers, said, “I couldn’t be prouder of what our team have achieved over the past 12 months and I am really pleased they are getting the recognition they deserve.

“We ended 2019 on a real high based on our triumph at the Talk of Manchester Awards. Now to find out we have been shortlisted for two more of the region’s most prestigious awards is a fantastic way to start 2020.”

The Landing welcomes former president of Epic Games for exclusive event

Blog

Sam Whitear

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20/01/2020

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The Landing welcomes former president of Epic Games for exclusive event

The Landing, MediaCityUK’s tech hub specialising in high growth tech start-ups and scale-ups, is hosting one of the most influential leaders in technology and gaming at an exclusive event on Monday 20^thJanuary. Dr Mike Capps is co-founder and CEO of Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialist Diveplaneand a key member of the team behind the global gaming phenomenon, Fortnite. He will share insights into how AI can support business growth and development and the future of online gaming.

Before co-founding Diveplane, Mike Capps was president of Epic Games – maker of Fortnite and Gears of War – and his tenure includes hundreds of industry awards for the company, and a personal lifetime achievement award from NCTA, the Internet and Television Association. Mike also continues to host a number of television series on the Discovery and Science channels. He is visiting Europe for a number of engagements and this is his only event in the North of England.

Dan Sodergren, Head of Business Services at The Landing, says: “We are delighted to be hosting Mike Capps at next week’s event and are looking forward to hearing some interesting stories about his experience, as well as fascinating insights and predictions for the future of AI in business and online gaming.

“With our unparalleled facilities and a commitment to innovation we’re proud to be home to a range of outstanding technology firms – either those who have started here or chosen to move here – and we’re sure that attendees will benefit hugely from this event.”

Mike Capps began his career after post-graduate degrees at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Naval Postgraduate School, and is based at Diveplane’s HQ in North Carolina.

The Landing is a technology enterprise incubator for high-growth companies at the heart of MediaCityUK. It is home to the UK’s first 5G enabled immersive lab, which offers a wide range of AR, VR and Mixed Reality technologies, and to Vodafone’s 5G testbed.

The event, which is free to attend, takes place from 4.30 to 6.30pm on Monday 20^thJanuary and will include a Q&A session for guests to learn from Mike Capps and his impressive career in AI and gaming. Tickets can be booked here: https://www.thelanding.org.uk/events/an-audience-with-mike-capps/

NowSignage increase sales and create jobs thanks to GC Business Growth Hub boost

Sam Whitear

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20/01/2020

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NowSignage increase sales and create jobs thanks to GC Business Growth Hub boost

Growing from niche events-based software into a market-leading digital signage platform, supporting thousands of permanent digital signage fixtures across the world, recurring subscription sales have increased by £300,000 this financial year, with five new jobs created.

NowSignage launched in 2013 as a ‘Twitter Wall’ product, which allowed clients like Netflix, Santander and Manchester United to moderate and broadcast social media content on to screens at events.

Two years later it launched a new paid subscription service, publishing not only social media content, but also images, videos, live IPTV and other applications to permanent fixture screens located in the retail, corporate and education sector.

NowSignage co-founder and director Nick Johnson recognised that, with the right support, there was a lot of potential for NowSignage to reach a wider market and grow rapidly, so he approached GC Business Growth Hub, part of The Growth Company.

He was referred to the Hub’s fully-funded Greater Connected programme, which is tailored to help ambitious digital, creative and tech companies in Greater Manchester to achieve their growth ambitions.

This support included a series of training days with industry experts, as well as focused training sessions for Nick with specialist digital, creative and tech business advisor Neil McCluskey.

Through these sessions, Nick realised that the best route to growth lay with the subscription side of the business rather than their traditional event focused project-based model.

With Neil’s support, Nick identified several new markets to focus on for the NowSignage product, managing the multi-screen management of permanent TV screens in retail, office and campus environments.

As a result of focusing on this new area of growth, the company has gained hundreds of clients resulting in £300,000 of new recurring subscription sales this year and five new jobs created, establishing itself as the leading digital signage provider on the market.

Nick said: “The Hub’s support has been invaluable in growing NowSignage from a niche product to a fully-fledged stand-alone business. Neil’s expertise and guidance helped us to take the next step by giving us the right questions to ask when identifying potential new markets.

“Rather than being a prescriptive course, Greater Connected and the advice we’ve received shaped our ability to market ourselves effectively to new audiences and gave us the confidence to put the focus into our new business.”

Neil McCluskey, business advisor at the Hub, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, said: “NowSignage’s potential was clear from the outset. Nick and the team had already guided the business into a really healthy position but should be praised for seeking support to accelerate their growth journey.

“We are delighted that Greater Connected gave Nick the time and space to establish the best growth avenue for NowSignage, and we’re incredibly proud to see such an innovative business leading the digital signage market today.”

More than 200 businesses have so far received support from the Hub’s digital, creative and tech service and nearly 100 new jobs have been created. To find out more, go to www.businessgrowthhub.com/DCT.

Businesses outside the digital, creative and tech sectors that are looking to access specialist support can visit www.businessgrowthhub.com for more information about an extensive range of services. These are part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as part of the GC Business Growth Hub project designed to help ambitious SMEs achieve growth and increase employment in Greater Manchester. The Hub is also supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Greater Manchester local authorities.

Andy Burnham helps launch new Creative Scale-Up programme for Greater Manchester creative businesses

Sam Whitear

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20/01/2020

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Andy Burnham helps launch new Creative Scale-Up programme for Greater Manchester creative businesses

Creative industry businesses in Greater Manchester have been given a welcome boost following the launch of an innovative new programme that will help them to scale-up and grow.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham joined the Director for Media and Creative Industries at the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), Robert Specterman-Green, this week (Thursday 16 January) at the launch of Creative Scale-Up – designed to support the region’s creative businesses get investment-ready and successfully scale-up.

With a vibrant community of more than 8,500 creative businesses, generating £1.4 billion of economic growth annually, Greater Manchester boasts one of the country’s leading creative clusters outside of London.

Creative Scale-Up – launched by the Growth Company and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and fully funded by DCMS – is providing bespoke business support, a first for this sector. The initiative is one of three UK widetwo-year pilots (the others being in the West of England and West Midlands).

The programme will be tackling gaps in investment and growth in the Creative sector, while empowering creative businesses to realise their full growth potential, providing the training and tools necessary to take creative businesses to the next level.

There are a small number of places available for SMEs in the Creative Industry to apply for the programme, while additional investors and industry mentors are also invited to get in touch with the Creative Scale-Up team to discuss their potential involvement.

It offers a fully funded and tailored approach, using a simple module-based curriculum, including:

Planning for growth
Investor-ready finances
Structure and leadership designed for growth
Understanding and managing intellectual assets
Market strategy for rapid growth
Sales skills for creatives
Pitching with confidence
Preparing a winning investment pitch

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said: “The creative industries are extremely important to our city-region, contributing over £1.4 billion to the local economy every year and playing a key role in shaping Greater Manchester’s rich and vibrant culture.

“The Creative Scale-Up Programme will be an integral part of Greater Manchester’s support for the sector and will arm creative businesses with the necessary skills they need to succeed, ensuring we sustain the growth of this vital sector.”

Amongst the initial cohort for Creative Scale-Up is Mustard Media, Europe’s leading festivals and events accelerator. They help brands create, build and progress the growth of their events and have worked with clients including elrow, Parklife, Skiddle, Lovebox, Manchester Pride and AfroNation.

Rob Masterson, Managing Director at Mustard Media, said: “We’ve already seen the benefit of being involved with GC Business Growth Hub’s Amplify and Greater Connected programmes over the past few years, so it was a simple decision to take up this opportunity with Creative Scale-Up.

“The previous programmes have given us the knowledge and tools we needed to shape our growth plan and map out our ‘mission, motto and mantra’. We’ve been able to expand our international plans and take on new staff, so we’re excited to see where this new programme will take us in 2020 and beyond.”

Janine Smith, Head of Specialist Services at GC Business Growth, said: “Greater Manchester is rightly renowned for the quality of its Creative Industries, so we’re delighted to be working with these businesses to support their continued growth and development within this thriving industry.

“The response we’ve had so far has been fantastic and I’m happy to see that so many businesses have already applied to the programme. Places are limited but there are still some opportunities remaining for businesses to apply to be a part of Creative Scale-Up. We would also love to hear from additional investors and industry mentors who are interested in being involved.”

Creative businesses with a minimum of eight staff (including freelancers) who are already growing or are looking to grow from any of the following categories can apply:

Creative Content (Film, TV, Radio, Gaming, AR, VR Businesses)
Creative Originals (Design, Fashion, Jewellery Businesses)
Creative Services (Marketing, PR, Architecture, Publishing Businesses)
Creative Experiences (Museums, Galleries, Performing Arts Organisations)

For more information and to apply for Creative Scale-Up, visit the GC Business Growth Hub website.

Investment, board changes and new products in 2020 at The Link App

Sam Whitear

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17/01/2020

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Investment, board changes and new products in 2020 at The Link App

The Link App has announced its 2020 plans to disrupt the legal sector with an increased board, new funding, global expansion plans and new product launches.

Having moved into new Manchester city centre offices at the end of 2019, the leading legal client experience platform has added to its senior team with the appointments of Gary Turner as Growth Board Advisor and James Pearson as Senior Business Development Manager, taking the business to a team of 12.

Gary is bringing a wealth of digital growth experience to the company following a decade at Xero, the accountancy software business, where he took annual business revenue from £50k to £75m. At The Link App, he will work closely with James and founder Lauren Riley, to drive strategic growth as the legal industry changes.

Says Gary: “Law is a very traditional sector but as it starts to make the necessary moves to keep up with changing client requirements and staff needs, The Link App is in the perfect position to support firms. Xero did this with the accounting profession and it can be done again with law. The industry cannot sustain its status quo – it needs to become more flexible, more measurable and more client focused – and we are here to help law firms redefine themselves and re-shape their clients’ experiences.”

The Link App will also be introducing an updated version of its interface technology following extensive customer research and planning, to introduce new benefits and further enhance the user experience. James comments: “The Link App is a much-needed product and already boasts a strong client portfolio. The potential is there for us to be a major player in the legal tech sector. I’m delighted to join the team and help communicate the brand and new product benefits to more firms.”

Concludes Lauren: “We are really excited to be developing the app and launching a new version in the first few months of 2020, having fully rebranded the product and overhauled the user interface. The new product will allow client enquiry delivery and deliver additional security elements that will enable us to expand the business massively.

“I’m delighted to welcome Gary and James to the team – with existing and forthcoming investment, we will be taking the company global this year and look forward to making more announcements on this very soon.”

Ex-Social Chain Directors launch Campfire Group and achieve six-figure turnover in first six months

Sam Whitear

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17/01/2020

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Ex-Social Chain Directors launch Campfire Group and achieve six-figure turnover in first six months

Campfire signed Missguided as one of its first clients and is responsible for the retailer trending globally at #1 on Black Friday

Previous Social Chain Directors, Joe Gradwell and Alex Brown, have announced six figure turnover six months after launching Campfire, a new social marketing agency based in Manchester.

Previously Media Director and Head of Video at Social Chain respectively, Joe and Alex built up a wealth of knowledge and expertise in building online communities from the ground up; amassing millions of followers via strategic social strategies.

The newly launched Campfire Group now focuses on three key services; creative content, paid targeting, and website optimisation, enabling the team to tailor and target content to specific audiences, which goes onto increase engagement, growth and conversions at each stage of the marketing funnel.

Since the launch six months ago, Campfire has gained a number of impressive client wins including Archie’s, UKFast and Missguided.

In order to help Missguided to dominate the online conversation on the busiest and most sales heavy day of the year, Black Friday, Campfire launch the #MakeMyFriday campaign. Within two minutes of launch the campaign was trending number one in the UK, before trending globally at number one within the hour.

The activity resulted in over 10 million impressions, over 130,000 entries and a number one worldwide trend, with #MakeMyFriday tweeted more times than #BlackFriday.

For the 2020 financial year Campfire directors are projecting growth to increase four-fold; by continuing to deliver best in class social campaigns and expand our team and capabilities.

Joe Gradwell, Campfire CEO, said: “As a tribe of social natives, we launched Campfire Group to offer groundbreaking, social first content alongside a detailed paid strategy to deliver consistent ROI for our clients.

“We’re delighted with the growth we have achieved in such a short space of time.”

Alex Brown, Campfire CCO, said: “Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snap are interesting spaces for brands right now, they’re allowing the Gymsharks and Missguideds of the world to challenge Fortune 500 companies. We’re excited to continue to work with ambitious brands and utilise digital media to its fullest potential.”

Welsh Government Adds Access To Digital Services Agency Roster

Sam Whitear

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17/01/2020

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Welsh Government Adds Access To Digital Services Agency Roster

Manchester-based creative and digital agency, Access will be continuing its acclaimed work with the Welsh Government following its successful application to be a roster agency for the provision of digital services.

Access has enjoyed a 10-year long relationship with the Welsh Government, during which time it has created a number of highly effective multi-channel campaigns across various departments and types of projects.

Moving forward, Access will support the Welsh Government’s Digital Framework and apply its digital and public sector experience to create online solutions to meet the needs of departments within the government, local councils and community organisations.

Simon Landi, Access’ Managing Director comments: “We are extremely proud to have been once again included on the Welsh Government’s agency roster as they seek to develop digital experiences across many of their public sector projects.

“We have previously worked on several Welsh Government campaigns to help raise awareness, challenge preconceptions and bring about attitudinal change across a diverse range of subjects and initiatives. Projects have spanned violence against women and domestic abuse in Wales campaigns, to website developments with Law Wales, Transport for Wales and I Love Wales.

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“The Digital Framework agreement benefits everyone involved as agencies that are included on the roster have already proven their experience and ability to deliver the required services. We’re looking forward to building new connections with public sector organisations within Wales.

“Our relationship will commence with a series of Lunch and Learn meetings with marketing and digital teams within Welsh Government departments across Wales. Under our theme, ‘the art of the possible’ we will be highlighting ways in which digital technology and innovation processes can provide cost effective ways to reach and engage with audiences. We’ll be sharing best practice ideas and success stories of the application of digital technology in the public sector to spark conversation and ideas among Welsh Government employees.”

Slater Heelis welcomes new Partner Charlotte Beck

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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17/01/2020

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Slater Heelis welcomes new Partner Charlotte Beck

LEADING North-West law firm Slater Heelis LLP has appointed Charlotte Beck as Partner, further strengthening the Family Team.

Charlotte, who joins from Ward Hadaway, has a wide range of experience in all aspects of family law, specialising in complex high net worth financial cases and complicated child arrangement issues.

Charlotte also has extensive experience in wider areas of property disputes.

Charlotte will be part of Slater Heelis’ Family Team, headed up by Partner Mark Heptinstall

Mark commented on the appointment:

“Our family team continues to go from strength to strength, so it’s extremely exciting to have Charlotte on board as we enter a new decade for the firm.

“Charlotte’s experience speaks for itself and her arrival will enhance the team’s offering to our valued clients.

Charlotte said;

“Slater Heelis’ family team is widely regarded throughout the North West, so it’s a privilege to become part of such a great team and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
The family team has also featured in Slater Heelis’ Case Closed podcast, a series which aims to demystify different aspects of the legal world. Podcasts can be found on Spotify, iTunes or the Slater Heelis website.

Slater Heelis LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in Manchester city centre, Sale & Timperley acting for clients across the UK and internationally. The firm offers a range of legal services to both private and business clients including: Construction & Engineering, Corporate Law, Crime (including Business Crime & Regulatory), Dispute Resolution, Employment & HR, Family Law, Personal Injury, Private Client (including Court of Protection services) and Property Law.

Begbies Traynor donates £7,500 to Manchester Mind

CSR

Sam Whitear

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17/01/2020

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Begbies Traynor donates £7,500 to Manchester Mind

A local mental health charity is celebrating after receiving a donation from insolvency and restructuring experts Begbies Traynor.

The committed team at Begbies Traynor in Manchester held a series of fundraising events throughout the year to raise £3,500 in aid of local mental health services.

Ric Traynor, Executive Chairman of Begbies Traynor Group, was delighted to increase the amount raised to £7,500 and said,

“We are delighted to have supported Manchester Mind and proud with the dedication shown by our staff, so we are only too pleased to contribute. We believe everyone in society deserves to be supported in their mental health needs and we are happy to play a small role in helping to achieve this in Manchester.”

Clare Abbott, Service Manager at Manchester Mind added, “Thank you to the inspiring team at Begbies Traynor as with your help we can continue to support 6,500 children, young people and adults in emotional and mental distress this year. 2019 marks our 30th Anniversary and this donation will enable us to make a real difference in the local community.”

Slater Heelis strengthens its Employment team

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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15/01/2020

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Slater Heelis strengthens its Employment team

LEADING North-West law firm Slater Heelis LLP has appointed Sally Tomlinson as a Solicitor in its employment and HR team.

Sally, who previously worked at a niche commercial law firm in Manchester city centre, specialises in non-contentious issues such as corporate support work, TUPE related advice, outsourcing and consultancy agreements, and new contracts of employment and service agreements.

Sally has a wide range of experience in employment law including advising on workplace issues from recruitment through to dismissal, enforcement of post-termination restrictions, complex executive exits and employment status issues.

Managing partner, Chris Bishop, commented on the appointment:

“We’re excited to have Sally onboard and are sure she’ll be a fantastic addition. Sally has great experience in non-contentious employment matters, and we’re confident she will help further strengthen the employment and HR team.

“2020 is already shaping up to be a strong year for the firm and with some key appointments we’re looking to hit the ground running.”

Sally said;

“I’m thrilled to be joining a forward-thinking firm who have a real passion for their work. I can’t wait to get going and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

Slater Heelis LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in Sale, Timperley and Manchester city centre offering a range of legal services including, Corporate, Employment, Personal Injury, Residential and Commercial Property, Family Law and Private Client. The firm acts for clients across the UK and internationally.

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