YORBusiness FREE to attend business fair and networking events

​1. Stand at the front of your display
Standing at the front of your exhibition stand allows you to give visitors a smile and a greeting.
This is a very simple technique to use but can have a big impact. In a busy hall where visitor’s eyes will be passing from stand-to-stand, being at the front of your display and offering a greeting can focus their attention on your stand and give them that split second to decide if they want to talk to you.
It’s then easier to guide people onto your stand when at the front – you can’t expect people to simply browse your display, or want to pass over the threshold to meet you at the back of the stand if they want to talk to you. Remember, make it as simple as you can for a visitor to turn into a potential lead! 
 
2. Do not use your mobile on-stand
I cannot stress this enough. It is so off putting when somebody is using their mobile on a stand. It pretty much says “don’t come near me, I’m busy” or the far worse “I don’t want to be here, I’m bored”. You could simply be checking an email from your team back in the office… but if you need to do this it’s best to leave the stand. For visitors, it looks unprofessional and the reputation of your business could be at risk from that split second decision to check your phone. Ban mobiles on your stand and save them for break time… after all, you’re there to talk to people, not to play Candy Crush Saga.
 
3. Do not eat or drink on-stand
“I’ll just quickly eat my breakfast and drink my coffee on-stand…” Aside from the debris, drinking and eating on your stand can look unprofessional. For starters, if somebody tries to come up to you to talk, you’ll either have stagnant coffee breath (yikes) or be spraying them with a light mist of whatever it is you’ve just eaten. Need I say more?

4. Don’t sit down
Standing lets visitors know you’re ready for action. You’re ready to talk to them. Sitting on the other hand says that you’re tired. You may be on a break. You’re unapproachable. Standing allows you to look approachable and be in eye-line of visitors to attract their attention. Be ready for them and stand to attention!

5. Be nice!
Let’s face it. Not everybody is going to want your product or service. But even less are going to want to work with you if you’re being pushy. It may get you the odd sale, but it won’t generate long-lasting relationships. Be approachable – a simple hello, or “Hi, do you use [insert service here]?” Is a simple enough opener. It’s then up to the visitor to show interest to allow you to continue. Being positive and approachable allows visitors to think “Yeah, I could work with those guys” and can help to influence their decision.

Trade shows can be a great opportunity to network and showcase your business. But they also demand a serious investment of your time and money - so make sure you're well prepared.

Here are our top tips and insights to help you get the best out of exhibiting, from designing your stand to engaging with prospective customers.

CLICK HERE to view 30 secrets!
https://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/exhibitions-and-events/exhibiting/30-secrets-to-exhibiting-success

There are numerous laws governing health and safety in the UK – and it is vitally important that employers are aware of these and fully compliant at all times.

Paying close attention to health and safety is hugely important, firstly to keep your workforce, contractors and visitors safe, and secondly to protect your business from drastic consequences. These can include substantial fines, disqualification of company directors and even imprisonment. Both the company and the individual owners can be prosecuted.

The starting point for any business is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, but you also need to be aware of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and any other specific rules relevant to your business sector or work activities.

One of the main tools in the H&S toolkit is the risk assessment. You must carry out adequate risk assessments of workplaces, jobs and projects in order to understand where risks arise and how best to reduce or manage them.
It is not just risk to your employees that you have to assess – you also need to consider how customers, contractors, visitors and anyone else involved in such activities might be affected.

Once you know what the risks are, think about what you can do to reduce those risks. Steps might include providing protective clothing, redesigning the job process, or putting safeguards in place for lone workers. You will also need to ensure that staff are adequately trained.

If you employ five or more employees, you must also have a written health and safety policy in place which is accessible to all staff.

Risk can never be eliminated completely, but employers must take reasonable steps to reduce risk where possible. What is ‘reasonable’ is something of a grey area so if you are not clear about health and safety you should seek always specialist advice.          

For further information or advice, please call our Business Support team on 01904 528 200 and speak to Mark, Jo or David.  ​

​It’s common for owner-managers to become absorbed in the day-to-day running of their company. There is always so much to do and too little time to do it in. Realising that the business isn’t performing or growing, as it should be, only adds to the pressure.

So what’s going on? The most likely answer is that you’ve stopped stopping.

Read the full article here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/achieve-more-taking-time-out-ros-jones-the-champions-coach/.

Industry events take time, planning and money. So why do them?
Because done correctly they can generate great returns.
The important part is selecting the right events to include in your marketing plan.
Read our event tips here: 
​https://cupla.co.uk/event-management/marketing-events/. 

The what, why and how about Search Engine Optimisation in plain English!

​Read this article to learn how to approach your SEO properly.
http://cupla.co.uk/digital-marketing/seo-explained/.

If you employ staff, keeping your paperwork compliant and knowing what to do if issues flare up can be a worry – particularly if HR is only one of a number of areas you oversee in your organisation. This is why we have developed a package of services – under the name of ‘Harrowells Assist’ - that help you keep on top of your HR responsibilities whilst also spinning all those other plates!

We reviewed the other packaged services out there that are aimed at hard pressed business owners and senior managers. Most offer a bank of document templates, access to a general telephone helpline and some degree of insurance cover in the event of an employment tribunal claim.

Over the years we have been approached by a number of businesses disappointed to find that such services often failed to deliver when the need is greatest. There have been situations where standard employment contract templates have not protected the business in the event of a key salesperson leaving with lucrative client contacts, or where the telephone helpline is insufficiently responsive during the course of a fast moving problem, or where the company encouraged to settle on poor terms to ‘close the case down’.

Harrowells Assist has been created to tackle these kinds of issues head on. You get bespoke documentation tailored to your business; responsive advice in person, over the telephone or by email from a specialist employment law solicitor who knows your business and optional insurance cover which integrates with the advice you receive from your solicitor.

An innovative aspect of our package is that we also offer tailored training for your line managers. If they understand the importance of compliance and how to deal with situations that can arise, you can shift your organisation from one that is constantly reacting to issues to one that is proactive and avoids problems or – at the very least – can nip them in the bud.

More information about Harrowells Assist, contact MadeInYork regular attendee, Gillian Markland at Gillian.markland@harrowells.co.uk or visit https://www.harrowells.co.uk/site/business_advice/employment_advice/harrowells-assist/.

With the World Cup on the horizon, businesses need to be thinking very carefully about how to reduce the likelihood of the football season causing any disruptions in the workplace.

The UK has always been a nation of born-and-bred football lovers and it should come as no surprise that fans are already beginning to get excited for the World Cup, after kick-off times for the group stages were recently confirmed for mid-June.

One area where businesses might run into problems is holiday requests. Employers may receive a number of requests for match days but, if there are too many, they will not all be able to grant all of them.

Employers need to handle any requests for annual leave carefully in order to avoid workplace disputes, unauthorised absences or low morale among workers. If employees’ requests are unreasonable and allowances cannot be made, however, it might be worth considering temporarily relaxing the rules in the workplace in order to help fans keep up-to-speed with ‘the beautiful game’ while they work.

Businesses are under no legal obligation to relax their rules. However, this might be a practical way of reducing disruption if you feel that the World Cup might pose a problem.

Office-based businesses, for example, could consider relaxing their rules governing internet access during work hours by allowing employees to check football scores online.

Meanwhile, companies whose operations are based in workshops or garages could think about allowing employees to listen to football coverage on the radio while they work (although this may require a licence).
Crucially, if any of the above options are considered, employers need to ensure they strike the right balance between keeping their workers happy and still getting the work done – which means being clear about how much radio or internet use is ‘reasonable’ and sending around appropriate memos or emails to staff to communicate any restrictions.
​
Employers should also consider how the football might affect their workplace policies in other areas, such as alcohol use in the workplace. It is important to be clear with workers about what will and will not be considered acceptable behaviour – and that such information is passed on to employees in writing.​

A masterclass delivered by recruitment specialists One to One Recruitment
in conjunction with Make It York

Are you finding it difficult to hire?
Do you struggle to get the right person?
Are open vacancies having an impact on your business?

Well you’re not alone. 
Come along to our workshop where we will look at all the stages of recruitment to help you get the right person to add value to your team. We will explore:

The changing times of the job market
How to identify the role you really need to fill in your business
The job seekers’ experience
Creating an advert that grabs the attention of the right people
Where to look for the people that are right for your business
Interviewing techniques that will identify the right person to add value

This workshop is ideal for business owners, leaders, HR professionals and managers who are responsible for recruiting.
With over 20 years’ experience in recruitment, Clare Hutchison from One to One Recruitment will share tools and techniques to help you identify the right role and the right person for your job, not just someone that ticks most of the boxes.  Applying these tools and techniques will help you to save time and wasted effort, and ensure your business has in place the best people to support your visions, goals and continued success.

One to One Recruitment is a trusted recruitment partner in York and North Yorkshire, helping small and medium sized businesses recruit people who will add value and help their businesses grow.
​
Friday 23rd February 9.00am – 12.00pm, Location - York St John’s University Sports Field.
To book visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/youre-hired-tickets-39444298960 or call us on 01904 769142 and we’ll do it for you.

One to One Recruitment are expert recruiters for all commercial and office-based roles.

With our unique, friendly and professional approach, we ensure that we find the right ‘fit’ for your team and company culture - no matter how challenging and offer a range of services to assist you in the search for and selection of suitable candidates. With over 20 years of experience of knowing where to look and how to attract who and what you are looking for.

Are you looking for some initial recruitment assistance, but don’t want to hand over the reins completely? If so, our Entry Level Service is perfect for you.​ The service includes One to One Recruitment composing your job advert, posting it on top UK job websites and promoting it on social media platforms.

After this, it’s over to you…

The service advertises the vacancy for 28 days, generating candidates for the role, while still allowing you to make the decision on who you would like to interview, shortlist and finally employ. For only £295+vat.

“We’ve used One to One Recruitment’s Entry Level Service on several occasions to advertise our vacancies. Using their considerable expertise, they captured our company’s culture in the job description with fantastic results. Not only is it a great service, we’re amazed they can do it at such a brilliant price!”
​Nikki Brannan, Sales & Marketing Manager, Monkbar Hotel, York
 
Are you getting noticed?
To advertise a job on one website costs an average of £160. And even after paying this fee, how do you know the advert is being seen by the right people?
 
Our Entry Level Service includes your advert being posted on multiple recruitment websites either locally or across the UK, with further promotion over several social media platforms.
 
And if that isn’t enough, One to One Recruitment are members of Visit York, so your advert will also feature on their website!
 
The following 2 links provide an overview:
www.one-to-one-recruitment.co.uk
http://one-to-one-recruitment.co.uk/our-recruitment-services/entry-level-recruitment-service/.
 
For more detailed information contact Joanne Noble at joanne@one-to-one-recruitment.co.uk or call her on 01904 769142.

If you have been running a business on your own for a number of years, it is obviously a big step to take on your first employee.
 
While you’ll no doubt be pleased that your business has grown to the point that you need to bring in help, you might not be sure about the legal requirements.
 
The first thing to check when hiring someone is that they have the right to work in the UK. Employers who fail to carry out the necessary immigration checks, as required by law, could face criminal and/or civil penalties.
 
You should also take up references and get evidence of qualifications, which can help you confirm whether the candidate is right for the vacancy. You may also need to conduct a DBS (criminal record) check. This is a legal requirement in some, though not all, sectors.
 
When taking on an employee, you are required by law to provide them with a written statement of particulars within eight weeks of them starting the job. This is essentially a summary of the terms and conditions of their employment. It will cover information including an employee’s pay day, salary, holiday entitlement, notice requirements and the procedure for raising a grievance.
 
It is generally best to incorporate these details into a well drafted, comprehensive contract of employment. You will find that this approach gives you a greater degree of protection – and more flexibility – than a mere statement of particulars.
 
The clauses you insert will obviously vary depending on the nature of the business and the role concerned, but you may choose to take steps to protect confidential information, allow you to recoup money in the event that the employee is inadvertently overpaid and include a requirement to alter duties or hours of work if the needs of the business change.
 
You must also ensure that you comply with minimum wage laws - only recently hundreds of businesses were named and shamed by the Government for failing to meet their obligations in this regard.
 
Other things to bear in mind include Employers’ Liability insurance, registration with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and pension auto-enrolment.
 
As far as health and safety is concerned, you won’t need to implement a formal policy until you have five or more members of staff – but you still need to ensure you are carrying out the appropriate risk assessments.
 
While sorting out all of the above might seem daunting, it will be a lot easier when you decide to take on your second employee!