Month: August 2023
Brakes supports care homes in overcoming challenges amidst food price inflation
Kent-based food wholesaler Brakes has launched a new campaign aimed at helping care providers manage a range of budgetary and practical challenges being driven by labour shortages and food price inflation. The company’s new ‘We Care, Because You Do’ campaign highlights the additional support and resources available to care home owners and managers, procurement specialists […]
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Businesses warned of the impact of upcoming online safety bill
Online businesses across the South East that are selling age-restricted products or services, are exploiting a current lack of regulation and face being unprepared for the online safety bill due this Autumn, says digital identity platform Luciditi. The warning to firms comes as a study conducted by Luciditi reveals that weapons, alcohol and vapes are […]
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Business confidence highest in half a decade
Business confidence in the South East rose 17 points during August to 47% – its highest level in the region since January 2018 – according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in the South East reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up three points at 48%. When […]
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Sparshatt Truck & Van continues apprenticeship scheme for a third year
Sparshatt Truck and Van, a Kent-based Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle dealership, has opened applications to its apprenticeship scheme in Dartford, Sittingbourne, Ashford and Tonbridge for the third year running. Through the scheme, the company hopes to encourage more young professionals into the industry and bridge the gap between the number of skilled technicians available. The Sparshatt […]
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Sussex business leader appointed to spearhead the ‘digital blueprint for the building sector’
Pierre Krause (pictured), group commercial operations and pricing director of the Independent Builders Merchant Group, which has its headquarters in Polegate, has been appointed chair of the Builders Merchants Federation’s Digital and Technology Forum. His role will involve working collaboratively with industry leaders, stakeholders and merchants to explore cutting-edge strategies, implement technology-driven solutions and share […]
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Over half of permanent employees now open to contract roles amid current climate
According to staffing firm Walters People, 58% of professionals in full-time work have stated that they would consider switching to a contract role for the right pay, with 43% stating that the primary driver is the current economic climate. It also seems company culture and workplace perks are declining in value, with just 11% of […]
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ChannelPorts Limited and Kent Community Foundation launch Community Fund
After supporting grass root charities for some time by making regular donations to experienced grant makers Kent Community Foundation, Hythe-based ChannelPorts Limited has decided to set up its own philanthropic fund. The new philanthropic fund will be known as the ‘ChannelPorts Community Fund’ and will award grants to small charities and community groups that operate […]
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Major skills improvement plan for Kent approved
Kent & Medway’s Local Skills Improvement Plan 2023 (LSIP), the employer-focused skills initiative, has been approved by The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education. Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce acted as the government’s designated Employer Representative Body and led on the plan, which is designed to address skills needs and shortages and […]
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Misconceptions about accountancy ‘creating barriers’ for next generation of talent
New research from Grant Thornton UK LLP shows that many young people have misconceptions about careers in accountancy, which may be creating unnecessary barriers and preventing them from seeing it as an attainable option, limiting the potential future talent pool of the profession. In the research, the leading accountancy firm explores Generation Z’s view of […]
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HSBC funding helps South East office provider boost energy efficiency
Dexter House Ltd, trading as Dexter Serviced Offices, has secured a £654,000 funding package from HSBC UK, part of which will be used to install solar panels at the business’ sites in Surrey. The move will enable Dexter House Ltd to save an estimated £70,000 per year in energy costs, allowing the business to offer […]
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WhosOff supports construction industry with staff leave management
Kent-based WhosOff.com is an award-winning staff leave planner, currently used by more than 2,500 businesses to manage company holiday online. CEO Reg Groombridge has seen a noticeable shift in the way companies are managing essential HR tasks like coordinating staff time off. Reg says: “All companies, including large construction firms, are more sensitive than ever […]
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Summer economy worth £379 million to Brighton
Ahead of the last bank holiday of the year, new research from Three Business reveals the huge contribution that the summer economy makes to Brighton. The research shows coastal SMEs in Brighton contribute £379 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local economy and are part of the wider summer economy, worth £3.15bn in […]
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Loch Associates Group acquires Sightscreen HR
Multi-service law and HR firm Loch Associates Group is kickstarting major expansion plans by acquiring Sightscreen, an HR, training and coaching specialist operating across the South East. The acquisition of Kent-headquartered business, owned by human resource specialist and managing director Ben Holt, adds professional coaching and leadership training services to Loch HR’s offering and is […]
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Haynes Ford expands into Canterbury
Haynes Ford, often still known by its previous trading name Haynes of Maidstone, has taken on the full Ford sales franchise rights for most of East Kent and will operate from its new base in the heart of Canterbury, where it has opened a new Ford Dealership. When Henry Ford set up Ford of Britain, […]
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Recruitment startup WeComm Group relocates to Bexhill Enterprise Park
Recruitment startup WeComm Group has moved from Rye to High Weald House on the Bexhill Enterprise Park to support its rapid growth and plans to “disrupt the industry”. Long-standing recruitment consultant Terry Cannon started WeComm in September 2021 in the spare room of his Rye home. He had grown tired of his daily commute to […]
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kff invests £3m in Aylesford site as demand grows
Aylesford-based regional wholesaler kff has invested more than £3 million in its operations as the company enjoys a 50% post-pandemic boom in sales. As well as spending in its site and transport, kff has also invested in its digital platforms, updating its website with a fresh design, increasing customer ordering functionality and showcasing its refreshed […]
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Newhaven Enterprise Zone offers grants to regenerate unused commercial spaces
Businesses in Newhaven are being offered grants of up to £25,000 to inject new life into empty commercial buildings and create much-needed jobs in the town. The move forms part of a major push to transform Newhaven into a key contributor to the Sussex economy by 2030 and the fund is being delivered in partnership […]
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Three times as many South East homes could be burdened by inheritance tax freeze
A house bought in the South East in 2022 is three times more likely to result in families being hit by inheritance tax than in 2009 when the levy was first frozen at £325,000, research by law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter has revealed. Analysis of the Land Registry’s price paid data shows that in 2009, […]
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Ashford Borough Council and Kent Resource Partnership improve recycling on the go
Ashford Borough Council and Kent Resource Partnership have received £8,000 of funding to improve recycling on the go in Ashford Town Centre. The funding comes from the new #InTheLoop grant fund from environmental charity Hubbub and McDonald’s, which was launched earlier in the year to help local authorities and other organisations boost out-of-home recycling in […]
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Nine South East employers recognised by The Princess Royal Training Awards
HRH The Princess Royal, president of the City and Guilds Institute of London, is awarding nine employers in the South East for their outstanding training and skills development programmes. Now in its eighth year, The Princess Royal Training Awards continues to recognise organisations in the South East of England truly demonstrating exceptional commitment to learning […]
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New community coming to Tonbridge
Cala Homes (South Home Counties) has secured planning consent from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council for 125 high-quality new homes at on land at Lower Haysden Lane. The new community, named Barden Croft, will deliver 50 new affordable homes (above policy), alongside new pedestrian and cycle routes, public open space and play areas. As part […]
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South East output falls marginally and charge inflation continues its descent
Economic growth across the South East stalled in July, according to NatWest PMI data, as firms responded to lower intakes of new business by trimming output. Input cost inflation ticked higher, but prices charged for goods and services rose at the slowest rate in just under two years. Encouragingly, job creation continued and firms were […]
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Carpenter Box supports EOT of RJ Power Group of companies
Carpenter Box’s corporate finance and tax teams have supported the Sevenoaks-based RJ Power Group of companies in a multi-million-pound transaction that transfers ownership of 70% of the business to employees. Carpenter Box, a leading provider of accounting and advisory services across Sussex and the South East, provided tax advice both to create a group structure […]
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Recipients of Royal Tunbridge Wells Together BID’s Attractions Grants announced
Royal Tunbridge Wells Together Business Improvement District (BID), which is funded by the local business community, has announced the five recipients of its new Attractions Grant fund. Following the roll-out of the Events and Markets Support Grants, the Attractions Grant scheme was launched to support both established and new all-year-round venues. The five grants offered […]
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Overseas investment delivers jobs and opportunities for the South East
The past 12 months have created over 4,000 jobs for the South East of England from companies investing in the region from overseas, including 21 projects that will directly benefit Kent and Medway. Statistics collated by the government’s Department for Business & Trade reveal the level of foreign direct investment (FDI) investment into the UK […]
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Kent telecommunication comparison company secures funding for MBO
Independent funder Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has supported major telecommunications comparison company Comparison Technologies with a multi-million-pound funding line to facilitate a management buyout (MBO). Headquartered in Maidstone, Kent, Comparison Technologies is a leading independent comparison, switching and customer acquisition platform in the UK. It delivers 300,000 customers and over £250 million lifetime value annually […]
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Midnight Communications expands client portfolio with Boutique Modern
Brighton & Hove-based PR agency Midnight has been appointed by Boutique Modern, a B-Corp modular housing specialist, rounding off a string of new client wins this year. Midnight will be supporting Boutique Modern with a multi-layered PR campaign, positioning it as providing one of the solutions to the affordable housing crisis. Flo Powell, joint managing […]
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Discovery Park worth £324m a year to UK economy
A report into the economic impact of Kent’s largest community of science and innovation companies suggests Discovery Park is estimated to be worth more than £324 million a year to the UK economy. The value is thanks to the combined efforts of the 160 companies and 3,100 employees at the Sandwich site. A further 900 […]
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Study reveals what workers get up to when WFH
New data from TonerGiant has lifted the lid on what hybrid workers are really getting up to when working from home (WFH), and how differently they act when they’re in the office. 2,000 nationally representative hybrid workers were surveyed to uncover the secret confessions that employees are guilty of when working from home. Most commonly, […]
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Ending contractual relationships: what are the options?
Contracting parties should always have an eye on the potential exit routes when starting or continuing a contractual relationship. The team at Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP share their advice on ending contractual relationships. A contract may be brought to an end in a number of ways, with different consequences, depending on the nature of […]
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