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ACS has welcomed Local Government Minister Marcus Jones’ intervention to speed up the process of rebilling businesses that are waiting for rate relief.

In a Commons statement, he said: “The Government has been consistently clear that it expects local authorities to make rapid progress in helping business by implementing these relief schemes. 

“Overall, however, despite various examples of good practice, the pace of providing relief to ratepayers has not been acceptable. I have written today to those authorities that have not fully implemented all three schemes asking them to rebill businesses that are set to benefit from relief as soon as possible.” 

Mr Jones added that he will be publishing a list of authorities that have rebilled businesses who have been affected by each of the three relief schemes next month.

The schemes include a £300m fund for local authorities to give to hard-pressed businesses facing higher bills and funds that limit annual increases to £600 for those losing either small business or rural rate relief.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Business rates are one of the biggest fixed costs for thousands of local shops and other small businesses, with one in three convenience stores forced to deal with an increase in their rates bills as a result of the revaluation. We welcome the Minister’s intervention on this issue, and hope that it can be resolved swiftly so that businesses can receive the relief that they’re entitled to.”

The Government had previously set a deadline of September this year to have new bills with business that had been affected. 

The full written statement from Marcus Jones MP is available here: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2017-09-14.HCWS140.h

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The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) the trade association covering the UK educational suppliers sector has unveiled its updated Code of Practice. It is the result of a year-long consultation with industry and schools to understand what assurances schools want when buying products and services.

As a mandatory membership commitment given by members to BESA – which represents over 300 of the UK’s world-leading education suppliers – each member is expected, as a condition of membership, to meet the ethical standards provided for in the Code. Only companies who sign up to the Code of Practice, updated to include issues such as safeguarding and data security, can use the BESA “tick” logo on their marketing materials and websites.

Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA, said: “Schools have long looked for the BESA logo when deciding which companies to procure from, as it is a clear indication that they are providing quality products and services that they can trust.”

“The updated Code of Practice reflects BESA members’ desire to ensure they are always at the forefront of offering the highest quality of products and services to schools around the world, and providing a world-class customer experience.”

The BESA Code of Practice offers schools assurance in five key areas: Quality and Standards, Transparency and Openness, Integrity, Safeguarding and Data Security and Discriminatory Conduct. It is available to view in full here.

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Confidence in small business in Wales falters but small businesses continue to drive Wales’ economy forwards.

A new report from FSB Wales shows that small business confidence has dropped from a three year high of +31 in Q2 to +22 in Q3, however, the Welsh Business Index shows that Wales is still significantly outperforming the rest of the UK, which saw the index fall from +15 last quarter to +1.1 in Q3.

The index shows that small business confidence is still higher than it was a year ago. The UK Small Business Index stands above the -2.9 level seen in Q3 2016, but has fallen over the past two quarters.

Janet Jones, FSB Wales Policy Unit Chair, said:

“This new SBI report shows that small business confidence has wavered in Wales, although confidence in Wales is still higher than that in the rest of the UK.

“Despite faltering business confidence, 19.7% of business reported that they had increased their employee headcount in the third quarter of 2017. This serves as an important reminder that Wales is built on a small business economy, and that any plans from the Welsh Government to develop the national economy must be aimed at improving circumstances for small businesses.”

Over the third quarter a net balance of 52% of small businesses in Wales reported export growth – much higher than the 19.5% reported by small businesses across the UK. Growth is largely driven by strength in key export markets such as the EU. The EU accounts for over two thirds of Welsh exports, compared to just less than half of the UK’s exports. In the year to March 2017, the value of exports to the EU from Wales increased by 13%, whilst exports to countries outside the EU increased by 10%.

Janet Jones commented: “Small businesses in Wales are exporting more than ever before, and it is important that the UK and Welsh Governments are supporting this growing trend. We recently called for Welsh Government to develop a Trade and Investment Strategy and a key part of that would be supporting small businesses who seek to trade abroad.”


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The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries (ABPI) and the BioIndustry Association (BIA) have welcomed the UK Government’s latest Brexit position paper on ‘Collaboration on science and innovation’.

​​​​The UK Government’s position​ follows a prolonged effort from the life sciences industry to establish Government consensus on key Brexit issues.

The sector first outlined in September 2016 that securing “alignment and commonality with the EU for the regulation of medicines“, “long-term, predictable funding for scientific research, and continued ability to collaborate at scale” and “an agreement with the EU that facilitates the ease of movement for highly-skilled talent“, were top level priorities for maintaining and growing the industry as Britain leaves the EU.

This position paper also follows a recent recommendation (3 July 2017) of the European Commission appointed High Level Group on ‘Maximising the impact of EU Research and Innovation Programmes‘, which stated that “full and continued engagement with the UK within the post-2020 EU R&I programme remains an obvious win-win for the UK and the EU. The UK has one of the strongest science bases of all European countries.

Mike Thompson, ABPI CEO and Steve Bates, BIA CEO said:

“Continuing their pragmatic approach to secure the future of the UK’s life science sector, this latest position paper features many very positive ambitions for the future.

As the Commission’s own research has recognised, citizens across the whole of Europe benefit from the way UK and European scientists and researchers collaborate; helping find new ways to tackle health challenges we all face.

Continued cooperation in research, a smooth transition for the regulation of medicines, and practical solutions for trade and talent will be essential to delivering the best outcome for patients in both the UK and the EU.

Talent drives the strength, depth and quality of UK science, so, securing the continued mobility of UK and EU scientists would be the next logical and crucial step. These scientists have an important role to play in the future health, well-being and economic prosperity of Europe.

As the paper recognises, “drug development is a global business” and with timeframes getting tighter by the day, it’s essential that progress is delivered through negotiations with the EU to give industry confidence that UK and Europe will continue to be one of the best places in the word for developing and delivering the very best breakthroughs in medicine.”

The ABPI represents innovative research-based biopharmaceutical companies, in an industry that is a major contributor to the economy of the UK. Member companies supply more than 80 per cent of all branded medicines used by the NHS and those who are researching and developing the majority of the current medicines pipeline. Globally the industry is researching and developing more than 7,000 new medicines. 

Established over 25 years ago at the infancy of biotechnology, the BioIndustry Association (BIA) is the trade association for innovative enterprises involved in UK bioscience. Members include emerging and more established bioscience companies; pharmaceutical companies; academic, research and philanthropic organisations; and service providers to the bioscience sector. The BIA represents the interests of its members to a broad section of stakeholders, from government and regulators to patient groups and the media. ​​

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At smartimpact we’ve recently been talking about member engagement and how focusing on improving engagement is the key to success for membership organisations. Talking about it is all well and good but how does this translate into practical action?


Here’s five tips on gaining an understanding and improving your membership engagement rates.

 

#1 Understand what engagement looks like to your organisation

Engagement will look slightly different for every professional body so the first step is to work out what it looks like to yours. What do you consider important ‘engagement moments’? These could include:

  • Email opens/click-throughs
  • Event attendance (online of face-to-face)
  • Involvement in committees & groups
  • Volunteering/mentoring
  • Recommending your organisation to others
  • Connecting on social media
  • Continuous membership renewal
  • Use of benefits

 

Brainstorm, ask colleagues and refer to your overall business objectives to define a full list of your member ‘engagement moments’.

 

#2 Define metrics and KPIs that reflect these ‘engagement moments’

Once you know what ‘engagement moments’ are important to your organisation, you need to be able to measure them effectively so you can see where you need to focus improvements. You need to define metrics and KPIs that reflect these moments.

 

Some example metrics include:

  • Member retention rates – by types of grade/level
  • Email ‘click to open’ (CTO) rates – this compares the percentage of opens an email gets with the click-throughs it gets. This tells you if your members are engaged with your email communications. Measure different types of email separately to understand which are most effective
  • Increase in active group members – do your committees and groups lack members or is there a high turnover? Measure and track this
  • Use Net Promoter Score (NPS) – this is a well-known way of measuring advocacy. You will have seen the question ‘Would you recommend us to colleagues?’ – that’s NPS in action. Ask this question in all your surveys. Find out more about NPS»
  • Social media activity increase – sharing/liking/commenting/Klout score
  • website metrics

 

With regard to KPIs, remember to take initial ‘base’ measurements; these will help you define KPIs that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based). For example, if your member retention rate at present is 40% you could set a KPI target of 75% within 2 years.

 

Regularly monitoring your defined set of KPIs will then allow you to see how well your activities and improvements are working (or not) and alter your actions accordingly.

 

#3 Understand what benefits are valued…and which aren’t

So, you’ve got your list of ‘engagement moments’ and monitor those through a defined set of KPIs. But that doesn’t address whether the member benefits you offer actually meet the needs of your members. What your members needed ten years’ ago may well have changed, but has your organisation kept up with this need for change?

 

Ask them. Through an annual survey, focus groups and regular satisfaction surveys throughout the year.

 

#4 Translate your findings into an improvement action plan

The most important thing about asking your members what they would like from your organisation is to then make the changes required! Adjust the benefits offered to meet needs and wants of today’s (and tomorrow’s) member, not yesterday’s.

 

Also, make sure you communicate your improvements and changes to the membership. In the way members want.

 

Finally,

#5 Don’t confuse loyalty with engagement

It might sound silly but loyal members aren’t necessarily engaged members. They’re very valuable members to have but it’s important to note the difference. A loyal member might continue renewing their membership for years in return for the support shown to them by the organisation in previous years. That doesn’t mean they read your emails, attend your events or use the benefits available. But it would be good to understand what would make them engage still.

 

We hope these tips have given you some food for thought. If you’d like to know more about engagement and how to measure those ‘engagement moments’ read our new ebook or call us on 0845 544 2043.

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There has never been a more challenging time to be an association Board member.  There always were challenges. But with the increased availability of affordable technology; increased member expectations; more onerous and additional legislation and regulation; and the drive for better governance and accountability, the pace of change has exceeded what most us could ever have imagined even 10 years ago.

Therefore, with exponentially Increasing expectations of members, increased burdens in areas such as external reporting requirements, and increased risk of legal actions, Board members need to be clearer about their obligations and responsibilities in the face of the potential for prosecution. They also have skills and knowledge gaps, especially in fast moving ICT areas.

Quite simply, board members don’t have the time, relevant experience or capacity to assimilate all the appropriate background material.   Lots of help is available to identify these areas of risk and how to navigate them, but most of it is poorly targeted, expensive and some not necessarily relevant to Board members of associations.

So, IofAM have teamed up with an expert lawyer, and devised a bespoke training course for association Boards and Directors. The course goes back to basics, explaining the vital elements of good governance and then unpacks the complex legislative and regulatory framework association Boards and Directors must comply with. This is supported by a take-away delegate pack including the presentation – and additional information on specific subject areas.

Core subjects include: Corporate Structures and the Role of the Board, Committees and their Chairs; Board meetings: Structure, Agenda, Minutes, Conduct; Directors’ Duties and Responsibilities and Persons with Significant Control; The role and duty of the Company Secretary; Conflicts of Interest and Collective Decision Making; and, Constitution and Memorandum and Articles of Association and Regulation.

Additional topics which may be touched upon include: Basics of Good Governance, communication methods including e-communication; Delegation of Powers by Officers to Board members in between meetings; Board agility: flexing roles and the role of staff members in supporting the Board; and, Learning to take a strategic view: what are Directors there to deliver: linking operational activities back to strategic objectives.

More detailed training on these topics will be provided in future sessions.


Rachel Gwynne provides specialist corporate and governance advice and support to Registered Providers, charities and not-for-profit organisations. She has a particular focus on large projects including corporate and group restructuring, governance reviews, collaborations, joint ventures, stock transfers and charitable conversions.

Rachel also has significant experience in advising on governance issues, regulatory matters and charity law requirements and provides strategic and operational support to Boards and Executive Teams.


Date: Wednesday 18th October 2017

Venue: Shakespeare Martineau, 60 Gracechurch St, London EC3V 0HR

Time:  2.00 pm – 4.45 pm.  Registration from 1.30 pm

Register here

Or Contact: events@iofam.co.uk or info@iofam.co.uk  to register or for further information.

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The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned the new Government not to overlook the domestic agenda as it starts the negotiations over withdrawing from the EU. 

FSB National Chairman Mike Cherry said: “Brexit is clearly the most urgent focus for the new Government but it will only be successful if the Government fully backs small businesses, the backbone of the economy, whose ambitions will need to be harnessed to make use of any new trade deals.

 
“UK negotiators must have their interests in mind, including easy access to the single market and the ability to hire workers with the skills they need.”

The organisation also warned the Government not to revisit plans to raise National Insurance on the self-employed. 

 
“Many self-employed strivers were frightened during the recent election by the threat of a tax grab on them in the form of higher National Insurance Contributions,” said Mr Cherry. “I call on the new minority Government to rule that out once and for, to reassure entrepreneurs seeking to help our economy grow that they will not have extra obstacles thrown in their way.”


He also called for reform of the outdated business rates system and the need to tackle the poor treatment of many small firms by big business customers: “We look forward to working constructively with the new Government on all of these issues.”

More

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NCC Education is an awarding organisation and provider of British education, claiming to offer a complete education solution to a global network of fifty Accredited Partner Centres in more than 50 countries.

Originally a division of the National Computing Centre – first established as a government IT initiative in 1966 – it initially offered IT qualifications. Gradually expanding its higher education portfolio to include Business, English Language, and Foundation level qualifications. In 1997, they incorporated as an awarding organisation of British qualifications recognised by universities, professional bodies and employers worldwide.

ProTech, on the other hand, has been delivering specialist CRM software and change management services to the Not for Profit (NFP) sector for more than 20 years. Its Pro-9 CRM software operates in a Microsoft environment and delivers easily configurable specialist NFP modules with CRM, workflow, process automation and reporting capability at their core: Membership & Subscriptions, Learning & Education/Professional Qualifications, CPD, Event Management, Annual Appeal, Fundraising, Marketing & Campaigns and Sales Ledger.

NCC Education and ProTech have now teamed up, with the latter’s digital platform, ProWeb, and its specialist CRM software Pro9, providing a secure, integrated web and CRM solution hosted in ProTech’s ProCloud. In choosing the ProTech solution NCC Education hopes to significantly improve its levels of customer service, reduce its operating costs, and support its strategy of giving  its customers, employee users, and learners, a web based communications channel.

“Our current Awarding Body Management System, developed around ten years ago, is now constrained by physical and technological limitations,” said Emma Dawkins, Director of Qualifications and Academic Delivery for NCC Education.

“As our Awarding Body Management System is now out dated it does not integrate fully or in some areas at all, with other systems we deploy. This has resulted in our inability to take advantage of modern technology and its application in innovative teaching delivery and assessment activity which are at the core of an awarding organisation.” 

NCC Education will move away from its existing ‘on premise’ system to a cloud-based Awarding Body Management System, thereby removing the need to manage, support, and host infrastructure. This was one of the key criteria in the selection of ProTech and its integrated web and CRM solution hosted in ProCloud, a secure, always available, fully serviced Cloud infrastructure.

This digital platform should ensure that NCC Education’s system will be scalable, flexible and adaptable to meet its current and future business requirements, and provide integration with other major systems it uses. A new Centre Portal for NCC Education is envisaged, that will initially provide an online interface for its Accredited Partner Centres.   This will allow them to perform additional online activities including: registering students, and their specific qualification journeys; scheduling exams, conducting online exam assessments, and receive qualification results; and monitoring and tracking students’ progress. 

ProTech’s cloud-based solution will compliment NCC Education’s existing Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), ensuring that it offers learner-led and customised features in line with and exceeding those of other VLE’s currently on the market.

Business benefits to be delivered will include: user accounts fully integrated with NCC Education’s main student and Centre Portal database; automated workflow; and integrated document management across the organisation. Importantly, NCC Education’s financial processes and data will now be integrated with its accounting system. Integrated web and CRM is a key element of NCC Education’s overall business strategy. The objective being support of operational management and delivery of NCC Education’s core teaching and assessments business.


For more info visit: www.protech.co.uk

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The product standards for portable ladders are changing

BS EN 131 – the single British and European product standard covering all types of portable ladders has been substantially revised. The changes that come with this revision will help improve the safety of ladders and make buying the right ladder simpler.

These changes will affect everyone involved with ladders, from users and specifiers to suppliers and health & safety professionals. The Ladder Association has produced a comprehensive guide explaining what the changes to ladder standards mean and how they will affect you.

It includes: a look at the features of ladders manufactured to the new standard; guidance on the use of ladders to withdrawn standards; and advice for businesses and users on buying ladders.

The guide is available to download.

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On 11 August the Mayor of London published the draft London Environment Strategy which aims to make London a zero carbon city by 2050. The Mayor is taking a range of actions to improve the environment now, setting London on the path to create a better future.

The strategy brings together in one document every aspect of London’s environment: Air quality, green infrastructure, climate change mitigation and energy, waste, adapting to climate change, ambient noise, and transition to a low carbon circular economy.

The ADE produced a briefing for Association members, which provides an overview of the key points of interest of the consultation, which closes on 17th November 2017. The ADE will be submitting a response and will circulate a draft for members to provide comment in due course.

For more information about the Mayor’s draft plan, please see the following Policy & Regulation News post

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