Essex Business Podcast

The current cost of living crisis is impacting on businesses every bit as much as it is on individuals. Soaring energy costs are a major contributory factor to the headaches faced by business owners as they try to keep overheads under control. In Episode 22 of the Essex Business Podcast we talk about viable solutions to the issues we currently face, with organisations who are helping to make diffe...

The pandemic brought about swift change and company culture was thrust firmly into the spotlight. Remote working, coupled with the accelerated adoption of digital tools, and individuals evaluating work/life balance all became the norm and business leaders were tasked with keeping everything on track. In this episode of the Essex Business Podcast, we look at how a strong organisational culture, cle...

Ask any business owner the biggest challenge they face, the chances are the answer will be the skills gap. Recruiting people with the necessary skills to keep a business moving forward is becoming increasingly difficult. Episode 20 of the Essex Business Podcast seeks to answer the question: why has it become so difficult to find the right people to fill that job vacancy. We speak to Andy Hilliard,...

Perhaps the most important issue facing all of us as individuals – the sustainability of our planet - is also an essential issue for every business owner. Increasingly, the 'green credentials' of a business are being scrutinised by both customers and would-be employees alike, and so we take a closer look at what companies can do to improve their sustainability credentials and how Essex businesses...

Over the past few years apprenticeships have begun to increase in popularity again, and with skills shortages often quoted as a key issue facing organisations in a range of sectors, we look at what is involved in taking on an apprentice and the long and short term benefits they can bring to an organisation. In this episode we talk to Toni Marshall, Employer Engagement Officer for Adult Community L...

As a challenging 2021 turns into a hopefully more optimistic 2022, episode 17 of the Essex Business Podcast examines the issue which most of us know is important, but too often never get round to doing - strategic planning. We hear from experts who will discuss the importance of planning ahead, why plans sometimes go amiss and what can be done to get them back on track. Daniel Kirby, owner of Trad...

The issue of health, particularly mental health, in the workplace is increasingly a headline-maker. To what degree should employers be held responsible for their employees' health and wellbeing, other than fundamental health and safety at work issues and how have attitudes to employee health and wellbeing changed? In this episode of The Essex Business Podcast we talk to Rob Whitaker, Executive Par...

The UK – and particularly Essex – is no longer renowned as a world-leading manufacturing hotspot, but could that be about to change? In episode 15 of the Essex Business Podcast, three leading Essex business people offer their opinions on the recent supply-chain issues, the benefits of bringing manufacturing back to the UK and the county, and the support available to manufacturing companies of all...

Ever since the advent of mobile phones, it has become increasingly difficult for anyone in business, but particularly managers and directors, to switch off from work at the end of the working day. Have we become 24/7 slaves to our job, with premature burnout the price we'll end up paying? In this episode of the Essex Business Podcast we look at the implications – positive and negative – of constan...

Making a living from the land is proving increasingly challenging for the farming community, however many Essex farmers are demonstrating that diversification is a positive way forward and plays an important part in economic rural sustainability. In Episode 13 of the Essex Business Podcast, we look at some of the creative ways farmers are adapting their businesses to ensure they have more streams...

In a recent survey by Tide , the UK's leading business financial platform, two Essex locations were voted in the top 10 places to start a business outside of London, with Chelmsford at number 4 and Colchester at number 5. In this episode of the Essex business podcast, we look at what factors draw organisations into these areas. Stuart Edmonds, Founder and Creative Director at marketing agency Stri...

A recent major survey found that while remote working has improved, pressures around appearance and health for women within the workplace, issues of fair representation and equal pay remain prevalent.  We talk to Kate Everett, Managing Partner of The Write Impression about her own experiences and Julie Temple, Partner and Head of BLHR and Employment Team at Birkett Long discusses the legislation a...

The lockdowns over the past year have piled even more pressure on town and city centre businesses already dealing with the growing popularity of online shopping, and with big names like Debenhams closing down, what could the future look like for the high street? Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Consumer Psychologist at Anglia Ruskin University , spoke to our reporter, Chris Penhall about the problems high s...

In this episode we explore the issues employers need to consider when preparing their teams for the return to office a year after many people were told to work from home where possible. We hear from Leesman 's Chief Insight and Research Officer about their most recent survey on peoples' working experience and what that could mean for the future of the workplace. Angela Steadman, Sales Director at...

As if Brexit and Covid weren't enough, businesses have now had a Budget to deal with. In this episode of the Essex Business Podcast, we talk to people within the business community about how they feel it will affect them, and get an overview of the tax implications. Tej Parikh, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors reflects on how the Chancellor's Spring Budget could affect the economy, an...

Brexit has finally happened, and whether you were for it or against it, the way companies in the UK work with others within the EU has changed. So, what are the challenges and the benefits of the changes? We speak to Allie Rennison, Head of EU and Trade Policy at the Institute of Directors about the feedback she's had so far from the business community. Plus, Iain Rowlands, Executive Director of W...

In the current Covid-impacted world, marketing has never been more important for businesses to show they are alive and kicking – but when budgets are more squeezed than ever, how should marketing be approached? We speak to Sarah Brockwell of SarahBee Marketing about what marketing actually is and how businesses can adapt, Allistair  Hunter of The DS Group about the importance of the right marketin...

In a particularly challenging year for many businesses, access to guidance and support has been vital. There is help out there, but it's not always easy to know where to look. The latest episode of the Essex Business Podcast aims to unravel the maze and demystify the procedures standing in the way of receiving what could be lifeblood to a business's future. Advisers who specialise in grant-funding...

When a business-person wants to sell their company, there are many ways that this can be done. One of these is by forming an Employee Ownership Trust. Interest in EOT's is thriving and the number of employee-owned businesses in the UK is growing at an annual rate of ten per cent. We talk to Lisa Hayward, Head of Employee Incentives at Birketts , about the legal side of EOTs, and Rickard Luckin Tax...

Some sectors are doing very well at the moment, and we hear from Graham Cherry from luxury house builder, Stonebond Properties about how the house market is doing, and Steve Ayers, of Ayers & Cruiks talks about commercial sales and lettings. Plus, Tej Parikh, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors , reflects on how the pandemic has affected the economy as a whole. Recorded: October 2020 Gue...

As we learn to adjust to the changes in our working lives, we speak to three business people about how their businesses have adapted. We hear from the CEO of VegTrug, Joe Denham, about how his business has grown and Stephen Wright, owner of the Blue Strawberry Bistrot discusses the challenges the hospitality industry faces. Plus, Peter Richardson, publishing editor of Business Time In Essex, talks...

Many people in the UK had to change the way they worked as a result of the lockdown in March. We hear from Method IT's Matt Sullivan about the technical challenges for businesses and Jonathan Insley from Tees Law talks about the legal implications for organisations. Plus Peggie Rothe, Chief Insight and Research officer from Leesman discusses the result of their global Home Working Survey. Recorded...