"Not much going on in Worthing this Christmas"...Are you joking???

There is A LOT going on at Indigo this Christmas, there will be no silent nights! 

"More entertainment that a Royal Variety Performance", Simon Margaroli, Director of Indigo says "I can say, with great confidence, that the performers are of the same world class standard!" 

Come along and join the party! There is something for everybody. Click here to have a look at the Christmas Calendar.

Take a look and make a booking here

Free webinar: Is your business really ready for Brexit?

As the clock ticks down on the Brexit transition period, local businesses are being urged to check that they everything in place to continue trading successful with Europe from 2021.

Sussex-based chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box and law practice DMH Stallard will be running a free webinar on November 25 to help companies navigate the customs and tax changes they will face next year.

“With businesses understandably focused on disruptions caused by COVID, many may still be unsure about where to begin in managing the risks associated with the UK leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union,” says Dan Hobbs, VAT Partner at MHA Carpenter Box.

“This webinar will look at key tax and contract considerations and provide practical steps to help companies prepare for the changes ahead. It is really important that businesses take action now if they are to avoid preventable disruption.”

Dan will be joined by John Yates, Partner at DMH Stallard, and between them they will cover VAT changes, trade arrangements, contractual issues and data laws.

To register, go to www.carpenterbox.com/event/brexit-are-you-ready

The Ardington Hotel is OPEN during the November Lockdown !!

We will be pleased to welcome Key Workers, Corporate Travellers and those involved with construction and manufacturing, in accordance with Government guidelines.

The following Services will be available –

• Overnight Single/Twin and Double Accommodation serviced and refreshed daily by our housekeeping team unless requested otherwise.
• Full English Breakfast from Room Service or Packed Breakfast from 6.30am.
• Complimentary supply of crockery, cutlery and glassware for takeaways and Food deliveries.
• Use of Indigo Lounge
• Room Service of Bar Drinks and Hot Beverages.

For full details please visit the hotel website www.ardingtonhotel.co.uk

The best rates are available by contacting us directly on 01903 230451/reservations@ardingtonhotel.co.uk or making reservations via the hotel website.

We look forward to welcoming your visitors !!

How well does your website stack up? 

Strides Empower have written an article to help you evaluate the effectivness of your website. 

1. Plan — Have an outline of the journey you want your customer to experience from when they first click on your site to when they become a customer — ensure that your website is effectively meeting the needs of the visitors you want to attract.
   
   
2. Focus — With an audience that only has an attention span of about 8 seconds, you need to create a first impression that easily gets the main points across. A good web design caters its navigation to its target users so that it feels intuitive — the less users have to think about it, the better. This should be done with short, powerful sections of content and applicable photographs/icons that are sectioned off by clear and concise headers. Easy navigation enables your potential customers to find what they need faster.
   
   
3. Social Share and Links — Include icons of different social media to allow your site to share the page directly on the social media channel of your choice. These buttons also act as a non-pushy tool that encourages social sharing from your customers’ persona.
   
   
4. Call to Action Buttons — Are one of the many elements that indicate the next step users should take on a page. While many of us know that, it can be easy to fail to accurately use them to guide users through your website; Keep them clear and relevant — they should lead users to answers that are helpful to resolve your customers’ pain points.
   
   
5. Use the Right Images — Ones of real people that work for your company and the office itself — this will generate your customers’ trust. Make sure the images fit the messages you are conveying.
   
   
6. Use White Space as a Benefit — Whitespace is an essential design element that helps break up the page and increase readability. Also, strangely known as ‘negative space’, white space refers to the areas around elements on a page that are empty and lacking content or visual items. However, this space helps with readability and content prioritisation. It also plays an important role in the design process and positioning website design elements. Strip out what isn’t necessary to the purpose of the page or to your plan in 1.
   
   
7. Mobile Optimisation — Ensure your website is user friendly on a mobile devise — obvious? — I have discovered many sites which are not! “Google says 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead”.
   
   
8. SEO Strategy — Identify the proper keywords first that your audience is actually searching for. This strategy should also include creating content that’s relevant to the needs of your visitors; videos, blog articles, and e-books are a few examples of content that can do this.
   
   
9. Write for YOUR Audience — Use ‘You’ and ‘Your’. Explain what you can do for them and how your business solution will resolve your customers’ pain points — subconsciously this will enhance how your customers see your business.
   
   
10. Testing— Evaluating conversion paths, how far users scroll, and where they are clicking, etc, are important qualities that can reveal if your pages are performing the way you intended. Your pages may contain out dated information or simply need some tweaking or design changes.

So how does your site stack up? — Speak to Strides Empower Ltd for a no obligation assessment of your site. https://stridesempower.com/

MHA Carpenter Box expands despite the COVID-19 pandemic

Sussex-based chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box continues to expand across the region, despite the challenges of the wider business environment.

The firm has opened a new office in central Chichester, which is being led by Partners Peter Reading and Kevin Blake. It is a full-service operation offering business and personal advisory services, including taxation, audit and financial services.

Peter commented: “There’s no doubt the economic climate makes for a challenging trading environment for many businesses. However, we already have a number of clients in the Chichester area and have taken a decision to invest further to provide first-class support and advice to all local businesses and individuals, with a particular focus on property and agriculture.

“We will, of course, be respecting current rules around social distancing, but this is a long-term commitment which will deliver expert support to businesses both large and small in the area, and also to provide independent financial advice.”

The new office reflects the rapid growth of the firm in recent years, with Chichester now added to offices in Worthing, Gatwick and Brighton. The business has 16 partners and employs 170 staff.  

(Image shows l-r: Peter Reading, Kevin Blake and John Christopher, Business Development Consultant at MHA Carpenter Box, outside the new office at Sussex House)

www.carpenterbox.com

Rebuilding the workforce for the future:

Date:  Thursday 12 November 2020
Time: 3.30pm – 4.45pm

This webinar will offer a unique opportunity to gain insight into the current discussion around the workforce.

For many companies and employers, the future of their workforce is unclear. Whether they are considering redundancies, longer periods of remote working or utilising new government initiatives, the weight of decision making can feel vast and overwhelming for any employer.

We’ll be discussing the best ways to manage remote teams to ensure you’re taking care of your team’s wellbeing, how to engage with a workforce looking for more flexibility and agility, and understanding the legal implications of what working from home can bring for the employer.

Our select panel of influencers will include:

• Emma Clearly, Founder, Flexibility Matters
• Andrew Crudge, Associate in the Employment team, Trethowans
• Shelagh Legrave, CEO Chichester College Group
• Henry Powell, Client Director, Inpress Plastics
• Conor Stevens, Degree Apprentice, Inpress Plastics

Click here to book now

The Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) - Quarter 4 is now live.

The QES carried out by the British Chambers is the largest independent business survey in the UK and a significant economic indicator. We are asking all Sussex businesses to complete the survey. 

QES findings are vital in the BCC’s and Sussex Chamber’s lobbying efforts because they are broken down to individual accredited chamber-level, making sure your voice is properly heard both nationally and locally on the issues that matter.

The results of the QES are published in advance of official figures and other private surveys and it consistently mirrors trends in official data. The results help influence the Bank of England and central Government.
 
We encourage you to take just a couple of minutes to complete this extremely important economic survey.

All data is treated as strictly confidential and will not be passed on to a third party.

Once you click the link, make sure to select ‘South East: Sussex’ from the ‘Which Chamber’ section. 

Click here to start the survey

Temporary Cycle Schemes to be removed

A decision was made on 3 November to remove the temporary cycle schemes Further details can be read here - Decision - Emergency Active Travel Fund Cycle Lanes.  Please note the appendices contain statistics and detailed monitoring data for all the schemes.

We do want to assure you that all feedback, information and data collected will be used to support plans for future schemes and will help with our approach to design and implementation.

We hope that any further government funding takes into account the desirability of proceeding in a more considered manner, with time for wide and meaningful public and stakeholder engagement and to enable impact/success criteria to be built into scheme identification and design.

Funding Still Available from West Sussex County Council for Apprenticeship Training in Organisations across the County

If you are a small to medium business or voluntary community organisation based in West Sussex and keen to train a new member of staff or an existing member of staff then an apprenticeship could be the way forward. West Sussex County Council has allocated over £400,000 since April this year on providing local businesses with the funds to support apprenticeships with a large range of skills. From health and social care level 2 and 3, nurse associates, digital marketing, engineering, business administration, amongst others.

Not only does the transfer funding enable businesses in the county to upskill their workforce, it provides excellent career pathways and also supports the local economy.

Additional funding is also available to employers under the new incentive scheme from the Government.

To find out more information or to make an application to WSCC levy fund, please here You will be required to register with WSCC prior to accessing the application form.

Applications will be reviewed on a first come first served basis and the application period could end at any time if the fund is exhausted. Or contact me directly karen.pirks@westsussex.gov.uk

Building AW: September '20 Edition

Building AW is a bright, informal online publication which keeps residents, stakeholders and businesses across both areas up-to-date with all the latest developments in their communities.

Features in the September edition include the latest on plans to create hundreds of new homes on Shoreham riverfront; details on work underway at New Monks Farm in Lancing; and the latest on plans to expand Worthing's creative hub at Colonnade House.

Click here to read