Category: Articles

luxury white sofas in sitting room

Perfect by Design

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

For over 20 years, Iain Johnson has been sharing his strategies and vision for architecture, marine and interior design with the industry. And, through his brilliant leadership and incredible insight into how to best navigate this juggernaut of an industry, Iain has been able to establish a name for himself as a man whose ambition knows no bounds. With three brands all operating alongside Allect Design Group, Iain has accomplished his goal of redefining luxury, and has already transitioned to paving the way towards design perfection. We explore how Iain manages these brands, alongside Allect Design Group, and how he’s been able to expertly cultivate a portfolio of unparalleled luxury.

CEO of both Allect Design Group and Rigby & Rigby, Iain Johnson has proven again and again that he is a man of incredible prowess and has a superb eye for the finer things in life. With his wealth of expertise, and years of leadership experience, he’s been able to share his visions with clients across the globe, assisting each and every one in constructing a project that is both personalised and positively lavish. No matter the space, Allect Design Group, Rigby & Rigby, Helen Green, and Lawson Robb are able to outfit it with the true definition of luxury.

Of course, each brand has its own unique style, whilst still maintaining Allect Design Group’s aspiration to design liveable luxury spaces that are functional and timeless for its clients. As such, it works in tandem with these three brands to promote their identities and oversee the creative development of each project they may undertake. This keen insight, and expert understanding of every crucial detail that goes into the design process, is what’s enabled Allect Design Group to create exceptional residences of the utmost quality and style.

In addition to the stunning interiors that Allect Design Group is able to design for its clients, Iain ensures that, above all else, your individual intentions for your property are fully catered to. With such a star-studded range of brands under its watch, Allect Design Group has every tool necessary to envelop you in luxury, and will work in collaboration with its clients to suit their every need. Throughout the entire process, you will be the one approving every step, all so your vision, partnered with Allect Design Group’s expert design team’s skillsets, can become a tangible reality.

And, with Iain’s vast expanse of design experience, you’ll never find yourself stuck for ideas. As the CEO of Rigby & Rigby, Iain has already garnered a fantastic reputation. Rigby & Rigby, one of the brands that assisted in founding Allect Design Group, is a London-based designer that offers a holistic approach to design. It believes that clients deserve to be able to utilise their dream properties the moment the building process is complete and designs its projects accordingly.

Clients can be certain that, upon completion, their new space will be outfitted with every necessary measure to ensure a comfortable, luxurious living space that’ll transport you to a brand-new way of life. Its aim is to create the most exceptional properties in the world, and this goal is accomplished with each project it completes. None of which would be possible without Iain’s fantastic leadership and impressive imagination.

However, if you’re wanting to experiment with colour and boldness, Lawson Robb, another of Allect Design Group’s three founding members, will be able to implement a vast array of shapes, colours and decorative details in order to produce results unlike anything ever seen before. And, under Iain’s watchful eye, you’ll be whisked into a design that is both sleek and eye-catching. Nothing will be able to compare to the vivid and contemporary ideas that the team will be able to produce for you, and you’ll have a clear understanding of any materials, quirky shapes and organic textures that Lawson Robb may utilise throughout the design process. If you can imagine it, Iain can oversee the entire project to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want.

Though Allect Design Group and its brands operate internationally, on a variety of interiors, what if you’re wanting a property that adheres to traditional British elegance? The final brand that unites the trinity of Allect Design Group’s founding members, Helen Green, specialises in comprehensive luxury interior designs that focuses on combining British architecture with modern luxury. It’s synonymous with creating multi-layered interiors, with its residences each adopting a personal approach that’ll have you feeling as in control as the design team is. And, with personalised levels of service offered to private clients, Helen Green, alongside Allect Design Group, is able to put the ‘personal’ in ‘personal space’.

Iain Johnson truly is a remarkable man, with both a knack for interior design, and a mastery of customer service. Each client he works with will feel as valued as the next, and such a service lends itself to Iain’s most recent award title of Most Influential International Interior Design Group CEO of the Year 2023 – London. Iain’s prowess in the field is second to none within London, and his definition of luxury will match yours, regardless of your request.

From properties to yachts, Iain has a keen awareness of how to establish a lavish design that caters to your every desire and will do so with intense passion. Above all else, Iain’s dedication to his clients’ experiences is what allows him to truly enrich their journeys, and Allect Design Group acts as a fantastic conduit for his devotion to the craft. If it’s a luxury interior that you’re looking for, born from the mind of a man who has you at the forefront of the creative process, there’s no person better for the job than Iain. He’ll ensure you exit the process with a property that’s unlike any other in the world and will do so with an unrivalled devotion to your satisfaction. Perfection has never been so easy to achieve.

For business enquiries, contact Iain Johnson from Allect Design Group on their website – https://allect.com/

Consulting for Grown Ups

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Change and Transformation affects every organisation. All change is ‘Business Change,’ irrespective of whether it’s enabled by technology, the people side of change, or regulatory requirement. However, this does not mean every organisation keeps the required resource and capability in-house to deliver their change and transformation successfully.

Project One is a leading, independent, business transformation consultancy, led by CEO James O’Sullivan, who this month has been named the ‘Most Influential Business Transformation CEO of the Year 2023 – London’. Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2023, Project One is a challenger brand to the traditional large-scale global consultancies, with an operating model that focuses only on leading change and transformation delivery.

In this feature, we learn more about the consulting industry and how organisations benefit from partnering with boutique consultancies like Project One to make real change happen and make a real difference to their businesses and their customers.

Consulting is an industry that follows the oscillations of the global macro-economic conditions. In 2018 and 2019, the industry was impacted by the non-committal nature of the Brexit negotiations, as organisations slowed their change agenda until they had clarity around whether the UK were leaving the EU trading block. In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 impacted the industry as some organisations closed their doors, whilst others ran slower than planned with their change agenda as they negotiated the pandemic.

The impact to consultancies of such events is both positive and negative, simply by the nature of what they do for a living and the service they provide their customers, in both good times and bad. Established in 1998, Project One has 25 years of experience in observing the continuous oscillations that come with the industry. There have been significant technology developments in the last two decades, and the role of Project One is to support their customers in remaining relevant and competitive.

Chances are, if you’re a business of any significant size, you’ve encountered the need to change or transform. Every industry is constantly changing, adapting, and adopting to new developments in products, services and underlying technology solutions. The need to transform your business to suit these emerging demands can become complex and requires a clear shared vision.

Aligning all aspects of your business towards much-needed change can feel challenging. Project One looks to address this issue by making what appears complex, more simple. Large-scale, global organisations such as AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, IAG, Rolls-Royce, Unilever and VMO2, to name a few, trust Project One to help them change and transform their business.

Dedicated to making change and transformation delivery as simple as possible for their customers, Project One approaches change from the Boardroom down, building long-term, trusted relationships with their C-Suite customers. A key differentiator for Project One is that every consultant has significant change leadership experience to work at this senior level. The benefit to their customers is that they can draw on the combined experience of what is likely the largest team of change leaders in the UK, bringing this added value to every conversation.

James commented, “No person is an island, and no consultancy can be a success based on the critical few. The beating heart of Project One is our people, they are our business asset, and our continued success and growth is based upon the ‘power of the team.’ Whilst we all have our own individual roles to play, accountabilities and responsibilities to deliver upon and live up to, the collective power that we bring to bear for our customers through our collaboration is tantamount to our success and that of our customers.”

One aspect that makes Project One stand out in a competitive market is their experienced CEO, James. After working in the business change industry for nearly 30 years, he has an unwavering passion for finding a solution to complex business problems and is most at home when sat with his customers, in front of a whiteboard with a pen in his hand.

James continues to build and grow the reputation of this award-winning business, earned over the past 25 years. Taking and blending an innovative approach, alongside respecting the heritage, ensures that his team remains happy, productive and celebrate successes along the way.

Different to larger consultancies, this is consulting for grown-ups. His consulting team has no traditional performance management, balance scorecards or sales targets, just a pure focus on their customers’ change delivery agenda. This enables an astounding rate of productivity that’ll serve his customers well during their business change and transformation.

One long standing customer, Global CIO, said, “Having a small team from Project One in our business creates a community of excellence. They’re all a certain standard of capability, drawing on their experience to join the dots. This is why I repeatedly choose Project One.”

Above all else, Project One sticks to their values and has done since 1998, making the complex simple is what Project One truly excels at to stand out amongst the rest. Transforming your business doesn’t need to be complicated or intimidating, and Project One will be there to support you.

Thanks to their incredible CEO, Project One has become something truly special. With James O’Sullivan’s fantastic leadership skills and dedication to his customer’s satisfaction, Project One is a brilliant company to work alongside. No matter your challenge, or your change and transformation agenda, no transformation partner will be better for you than Project One. After all, with an award-winning CEO at the helm, there isn’t much that Project One can’t do.

For business enquiries, contact Hayley Saich from Project One via email – [email protected], LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/company/ project-one-ltd or on their website – https://projectone.com

James O'Sullivan
Business Team Trust

Businesses Are Choosing Transparency Over Opacity in a Bid to Increase Trust

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

An amplified focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, the rise of social media and instant communication resulting in the rapid and easy spread of good or bad, accurate or inaccurate information, and the effect of the pandemic where leaders had to communicate effectively in rapidly changing and difficult to predict circumstances has led to an increase in businesses now opting to choose transparency over opacity.

According to  Edelman’s 2021 trust-barometer CEO’s credibility was at all-time lows in several countries, including Japan (18 per cent) and France (22 per cent), when leaders were, and are facing acute global business challenges, impacting engagement, loyalty and retention. Research by Sprout Social found that 86% of respondents believe transparency in business is “more important than ever before.”  One survey found that workplace transparency is the number-one factor in employee satisfaction. A 2020 study by The Conference Board revealed that companies with high levels of transparency and accountability were more likely to outperform competitors in terms of financial performance.

Thom Dennis, CEO of culture change and leadership specialists, Serenity in Leadership explains: “Whilst not all information in business can be readily available to anyone who may desire it, the most obvious example of which is as part of compliance during mergers and acquisitions, many business leaders are increasingly choosing to share more information to build or in some cases rebuild trust. The old-school mindset that information should be provided on a need-to-know basis is increasingly being replaced with a mantra of ‘let’s be transparent unless we really can’t”. This means the door is open unless there is a good reason for it to be closed, not vice versa.  

“Many businesses are opting for a new transparent business model. B-Corps are very likely to be more open as they prioritise their social and environmental performance and their guiding principles are of continued improvement and balancing the interests of shareholders with the interests of their workers, customers, community and the environment.”

 

The advantages of transparency

If we are fearful about what is going on behind closed doors then work efficiency will be impacted.  If we are worrying about job security and whether we are going to be able to pay our bills then productivity, creativity and retention are likely to unravel. Fear of the unknown often has a greater detrimental impact on employees than bad news.  Surveys have repeatedly shown that employees would prefer to work for a company that values open communication and transparency, even if it means sharing bad news.  86% of respondents in the Sprout Social survey said they would be more likely to give a business with a good history of transparency a second chance, and 89% said if a business was completely transparent about a mistake they could still regain their trust.

Dennis says: “Secretiveness fast-tracks workers to be more wary and suspicious, and encourages them to make assumptions, jump to conclusions, ruminate or hypothesise. Conversely, if leaders are clear on the company’s purpose, and employees are part of what is going on, morale and communication will likely be stronger. 

“Information is power so there is always the possibility of the abuse but there are countless benefits to better transparency including fairer pay and reduced miscommunication. When there is a withholding of information, assumptions will be made but with transparency comes fewer barriers, better inclusion, improved reputation, more accountability amongst leaders, and improved loyalty and credibility. Enhanced psychological safety is another benefit with employees feeling an increased sense of security whilst organisations that prefer opaqueness create silos which lead to poor communication.  

“Through being open and honest, and sharing information at all levels, transparency can help foster a culture of accountability and responsibility and trust.  It can then pay off at an organisational level by reducing interpersonal conflicts and is a critical factor in creating an inclusive work culture.”

 

Thom Dennis shares 10 ways to authentically build transparency and trust in the workplace:-

 

  1. Publish the figures and numbers. Share information openly to improve organisational alignment, communication, inclusion and problem-solving. Clarify company purpose, goals and strategies to share the big picture.

 

  1. Show vulnerability. Leaders in high-trust workplaces who ask for help from colleagues rather than telling them what to do will build credibility and encourage collaboration and cooperation.


  2. Challenge yourself. Ask yourself what do you know that other people don’t know and is there a good reason for that? Share your information and knowledge and keep your team and colleagues informed.

 

  1. Check power play. Don’t allow abuse of power to affect your businesses purpose and objectives through cover-ups or secrets.

 

  1. Create a safe space. Through deep listening and open communication a safe culture can be created, enabling people to feel free to express ideas and be innovative together rather than creating opportunities for misunderstandings or conflict.

 

  1. Provide channels for communication. Whenever possible, allow employees to guide or have a meaningful say in the direction of the company.

 

  1. Open your doors. Leaders need to walk about and be genuinely interested in all levels of the business and welcome ideas and respectful opinions. Developing healthy habits of regular feedback and an authentic and approachable leadership team encourages trust, reliability and transparency.

 

  1. Be accountable. Being more open encourages accountability and responsibility. Trust and integrity are built on honesty even if it means admitting mistakes and being accountable.

 

  1. Collaborate. Encourage colleagues to collaborate and communicate to develop and improve productivity and engagement in organisations. Trust allows for more effective collaboration and communication between teams, partners, and clients who can more freely exchange and develop ideas.

 

  1. Lead by example. If leaders model good behaviour and live by the purpose and aims of the organisation they will improve levels of trust.

Fintech Startups to Watch in the Open Banking Space

Posted on | by root

Open banking has emerged as one of the most significant developments in the financial services industry in recent years. With open banking, third-party providers can access financial data and services through APIs, allowing for greater innovation and competition in the market. This has led to the rise of many fintech startups that are leveraging open banking to create new products and services.

What is Open Banking?

Open banking is a system that allows third-party providers to access financial data and services through APIs. This means that customers can share their financial data with other organizations, such as fintech startups or other banks, which can then use that data to provide new financial products and services.

Open banking was introduced in response to the increasing digitization of the financial services industry, as well as the growing demand for more personalized and innovative financial products. By allowing third-party providers to access financial data, open banking creates a more competitive market, which can lead to better services and lower costs for consumers.

There are two main types of open banking: regulatory and voluntary. Regulatory open banking is mandated by government regulations, such as the EU’s PSD2 (Payment Services Directive 2), which requires banks to provide third-party providers with access to customer data through APIs. Voluntary open banking, on the other hand, is when banks choose to offer API access to third-party providers on their own accord, without any regulatory mandate.

How Fintech Startups are Using Open Banking to Create Innovative Financial Products and Services

One such fintech startup is Exactly, which offers a range of open banking services to businesses. Their open banking platform enables businesses to connect to their customers’ bank accounts and access real-time data, enabling them to provide more personalized and relevant financial products and services. Additionally, Exactly’s payment gateway and payment processing services enable businesses to easily accept payments online, and GoCardless.com allows to offer recurring payments and instant bank pay options.

GoCardless, on the other hand, focuses specifically on recurring payments and direct debits. Their instant bank pay product enables businesses to offer their customers a fast and seamless way to make payments directly from their bank accounts. Meanwhile, their recurring payments product allows businesses to set up and manage regular payments, making it ideal for subscription-based businesses.

Other fintech startups to watch in the open banking space include:

1. Tink: This Sweden-based fintech startup offers an open banking platform that allows businesses to access financial data from across Europe, making it easier to provide personalized financial products and services.

2. Railsbank: Railsbank is a UK-based fintech startup that offers a range of open banking services, including account management, card issuance, and payment processing.

3. TrueLayer: TrueLayer is a UK-based fintech startup that offers a range of open banking APIs, including payment initiation, account information, and authentication.

Overall, the open banking space is rapidly evolving, with new fintech startups emerging all the time. Exactly and GoCardless are just two examples of fintech startups that are leveraging open banking to create innovative new products and services. As the industry continues to grow, it will be interesting to see what other new startups emerge and how they will shape the future of financial services.

Using a Compliance Audit Checklist to Protect Your Business

Posted on | by root

Businesses and organizations must comply with several regulations to ensure the proper functioning of their activities. Not following these rules can expose you to different types of legal problems that are better avoided. Keeping track of all these rules can be hard. That’s why we have created a compliance audit checklist to make your life easier.

Complying with labour laws

Every employer must abide by labour laws. Their goal is to guarantee workers’ fair treatment and well-being.

Payment of prevailing wage rates – This rule requires contractors and subcontractors hired for any type of public work to pay the prevailing wage rate determined by state or local rules and be aware of rate changes that may occur during the project period.

Labour law posters – Federal law requires businesses to display certain posters in a visible location. These posters should give information on employees’ rights on issues like minimum wage, overtime pay, and anti-discrimination.

Form I-9 employment eligibility verification – It’s an employer’s duty to use this form with the goal of verifying employees’ identity and their eligibility for work in the United States.

EEOC – The rules enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are aimed at protecting employees from any form of discrimination. The EEOC mandates that businesses must set up policies that prohibit discrimination in hiring and promotion processes. Moreover, they must provide equal pay and work opportunities regardless of a person’s background.

Complying with health and safety regulations

It’s an employer’s responsibility to look after the health and safety of its employers. Some regulations deal with this topic directly.

OSHA standards – The standards imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration require businesses to provide a safe work environment to their workforce. Employers must offer proper training, protective gear, and information on safety hazards.

FMLA – Based on the Family Medical Leave Act, organizations must provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for specific medical reasons, such as the serious illness of immediate family members and childbirth.

Complying with physical security regulations

Employers must enforce physical security measures to protect their employees from damage. Some of these measures are mandatory, such as fire safety regulations, putting in place procedures to respond to emergencies, and the use of video security systems in certain industries, like banks, restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses that serve the public need.

Complying with data security requirements

Another set of requirements businesses must abide by has to do with data security. Let’s dig into the most important ones.

DLP – This requirement is known as data loss prevention and requires businesses to set up policies that prevent unauthorized transfer or sharing of confidential data.

FIPS compliance – FIPS security (FIPS) stands for Federal Information Processing Standard. It refers to a set of regulations aimed at ensuring that sensitive data are stored and transmitted safely.

IRP – Businesses must have an incident response plan in place. This plan outlines how the organization will respond in case of a security system breach.

Complying with corporate governance rules

Lastly, businesses must comply with various governance rules aimed at ensuring they operate legally and ethically. Let’s review the most important ones:

Businesses must hold their meetings as required by law or bylaws.Pecuniary transactions and relationships with non-executive directors must be disclosed in the annual report.Businesses should develop an effective investor relations program in order to promote transparency and effective communications with shareholders.Businesses should evaluate internal control systems for adequacy in their annual report.The board of directors should review the risk management framework on a regular basis and take corrective action as needed.

Positive happy female employee resting at workplace

Wellbeing Coaching in the Workplace

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Coaching for performance is common in the workplace, but coaching to enhance wellbeing is less well-known.  However, it’s essential to address your team’s wellbeing to ensure they continue to perform well at work.  That means wellbeing coaching should be a key part of every employee’s development.

Let’s be honest – anyone who is over-stressed, depressed, feeling put-upon or simply stuck in a rut is not going to perform at their best.  It’s the part of the management team’s role to be aware of the mental health of their team members and to take positive action, sooner rather than later.  If you wait until things start to come apart at the seams it’s going to be an uphill struggle to get an individual back on track.

The effects of just one person having to deal with wellbeing issues can affect the whole team and the business too.  It may require time off work for that person to regroup and that means their work will need to be done by others, either by sharing it out among the current team or recruiting a temporary member of staff – with all the additional work it takes to get them up to speed.

The danger is that other team members then get over-stressed and burnout can race through the team like wildfire.

 

Look after your assets

Employees are assets.  They are the variable that can help the company to be an enormous success – or cause it to struggle.  Every member of the team needs to be fully engaged for the team to really perform at the top of its game – and that situation is rare.

If you have any other type of asset you’re likely to look after it, keeping it safe and in great condition to ensure it retains its value.  Why would you treat your staff any other way?

Before we explore coaching for wellbeing, let’s look at some strategies your company could put in place to create a healthy and productive work environment.

Encourage regular breaks: When people break throughout the day to stretch, move, and recharge it helps to reduce stress and prevent burnout.

Provide resources: Books, articles, and workshops that promote well-being are all ways people can learn new skills and techniques for managing stress and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Foster a supportive environment: If people support one another and create a culture of openness and acceptance it defuses potentially stressful situations.  If your team know you operate with an attitude of support, not censure, they’re more likely to come to you with problems in time to find a solution and before it becomes critical.

Encourage healthy habits: Regular exercise, healthy eating, and adequate sleep all promote overall well-being.  These can be part of the focus for wellbeing coaching.

Provide opportunities for growth: If you know what your team members’ aspirations are, you can offer opportunities for growth and development that will increase job satisfaction and generate dopamine, the ‘happy hormone’ or feel-good-factor.

Lead by example: ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ isn’t a good formula to encourage people to practise healthy habits.  Promote a healthy work-life balance, by practising good habits yourself and you’ll develop a culture of wellbeing and inspire employees to prioritise their own wellbeing.

 

Coaching is not counselling

Coaching employees for well-being requires a holistic approach that takes into account the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of employees.  It’s not your role as a leader to become a counsellor for your team. 

As a good manager you can coach your team in a range of skills that will benefit their wellbeing.  That might be helping them to manage their time better, encouraging them to delegate appropriately rather than trying to do it all themselves and instilling healthy work practices such as taking regular breaks, going home on time, making sure they take their holiday allowance and discouraging working outside hours or on vacation.

If you practice ongoing assessment wellbeing coaching fits perfectly into this process.  It’s part of developing a culture within your team and your organisation that actively supports wellbeing rather than just talking about it.

Robin Damhar is CEO of Nest Healthcare, offering a range of therapies, treatments and professional development, both on an outpatient or inpatient basis. www.nesthealthcare.co.uk.

Robin Damhar

5 Effective Ways to Simplify the Payment Process

Posted on | by Jennifer Spencer

If your business sells products, it’s important to not only make the products high quality, but the process of buying them too – especially online. The process should be effortless for your customers and employees – creating the most efficient business possible.

So, if you want to make your business run more smoothly, here are five ways to simplify the payment process with an advanced spend management software – such as that provided by Mesh Payments.

Accept different payment forms

One way to ensure a business is worth revisiting, is to make payments an easy process. Accepting a wide range of payment options will increase the number of sales your business has, as more customers are being catered for. Customers will become satisfied in knowing that they have freedom when it comes to choosing how to pay.

Not only is this great for customers, but for business payments. Ensuring that payment types are more flexible could result in stronger relationships between a business and its suppliers.

The first type of payment that your business should accept are credit or debit cards, as these are the most common choices.

With more people going contactless, mobile pay has grown significantly, so this is another vital option that your business should accept – a great example of this is Apple Pay.

Spend management includes additional options with Plug & Pay™ cards and virtual cards to give more flexibility. With more payment options potentially being a win for all, this is a great step to ensure relationships between everyone involved in a business are strong.

Determine what your business needs

Allowing for more payment options could become expensive, especially if your business is smaller, so it’s important to evaluate what your business needs. The type of payment processor will depend on what a business can afford, so this should be properly considered.

Some considerations are based on business size and a business’ average sales volume, but also the processing fees that are involved.

There’s an in-house processing fee where Point of Sale (POS) systems can charge a business a monthly usage, or a credit card processing fee, instead of a monthly fee.

Data organization

When you begin to think of adding a wider variety of payment options to your business, there will be a higher need to keep all of the data surrounding them organized. Without great levels of organization, this could cause system complications, resulting in a weak workflow.

Something to look into when processing data is analytics reporting, which assists a business in converting information into insights. This can be used to efficiently check sales reports and create schedules for business payments.

Without reporting the payments a business is making and receiving, a company could fail. By setting out your line of organization, it will become easier to implement this across all business areas to keep them in order. With spend management, a business can manage their whole spend from a centralized hub, with full control into every payment – in real time.

Ensure privacy and security

When customers are making payments to your business, or your business is making outgoing payments, it’s important that online payments are fast, smooth, but most importantly – personal data is safe.

Online payments are extremely open to scams, but there are safety measures that can prevent them from happening. By getting a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate for your business, it provides a sense of security to anyone using its services.

Automatic payments

A great way to become efficient within a business is to set up automatic payments. These could be used for payments to regular suppliers through automation software. The same goes for customers, as they can set up monthly subscription fees, making it easier for all to use.

Spend management helps with automation by seamlessly integrating with your businesses ERP (enterprise resource planning) to automate the whole payment process and streamlining workflows with any apps that are already in use.

With simplicity across all kinds of payments, this is a great way to boost sales and business transactions with suppliers.

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With five steps to improve the payment process within a business, using just one will make a business more efficient.

flight attendant shaking hands of couple waiting to go on plane

A Highflyer!

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

The Luxaviation Group is one of the largest private aircraft operators in the world. In the UK, Luxaviation is overseen by CEO George Galanopoulos, with the firm going from strength-to-strength since its initial inception and now looking to expand its reach even further. We find out more as George is named in the Most Influential CEO Awards.

A global private jet management, charter and FBO (fixed based operator) company, Luxaviation Group currently operates a fleet of 215 aircraft under management and VIP passenger terminals in 23 airports around the globe.

The company history dates back to 1964, when Abelag, now Luxaviation Belgium, was established at Brussels Airport. Today, the Group has bases in the UK, continental Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, and the Americas.

With a diverse clientele, ranging from business executives to high-net-worth-individuals, celebrities, to governments and Royal households, Luxaviation’s business jets are used as a business tool for busy executives – contributing to the creation of financial stability and employment globally. The firm also manages private jets for owners, and also charters those aircraft to users.

George Galanopoulos is the firm’s UK CEO, and also head of charter sales Europe for the Luxaviation Group. He has been in the aviation industry since 1985 and tells us a little more about his career.

“I started as a commercial pilot and went on to establish London Executive Aviation, a business aircraft charter operator,” George begins. “London Executive Aviation evolved to become one of the largest private jet operators in the UK. In 2014, the company joined Luxaviation Group.”

Starting as a pilot with very little business experience, George set up London Executive Aviation with his business partner, Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, who had a corporate finance background and loved aviation. This partnership of two totally different characters worked well in developing the business, as both parties brought different benefits to the table.

“In the 25 years working together we hardly had any disagreements!” George tells us. “I could not have asked for a better business partner. Launching a business is never easy and having the right people around you is vital. It is very difficult for one person to have all the strengths and qualities needed to succeed, so having the right business partner is essential.”

George has carried this ethos with him throughout his career and today he works hard to ensure that he has a good relationship with his employees to create a positive working environment and encourage strong performance. In fact, employee loyalty is one of Luxaviation UK’s strengths, with some people having been with the company since its establishment in 1996.

The biggest challenge for private aviation has always been to change the public’s perception and overall image of the industry. The business aviation industry is of significant economic value globally, supporting the progress of UK, Europe and international business, and the creation of jobs.

“Tied into that perception is also sustainability,” George elaborates. “We were one of the first private jet operators to offer a carbon offset programme, many of our ramp vehicles have been electrified and we have employee incentive schemes for buying electrical cars and promote cycling to work. We also continue to explore additional Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) procurement opportunities worldwide, and in the cockpit, we are digitising processes to reduce paper waste and have placed recycling points in all facilities.”

In line with the company’s commitment to its social, ecological, and economic responsibilities to society, Luxaviation has also enabled customers to carbon offset any flight, and book with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in locations where it is currently available.

However, George is hoping that people’s perceptions may have shifted slightly over the last few years, as during the pandemic Luxaviation saw a lot of new users turning to private aviation, many of which are still with the company today.

“A lot of those new users are definitely not your traditional high-net-worth individuals – enquiries and bookings came from a new audience – families who can, actually, afford it but had never considered a private jet before as an option,” he explains. “Last summer for example, 25% of our actual bookings were from complete newbie private jetters who had never considered it before.”

Best known for its unrivalled customer service, and with George at the UK helm ensuring the group follows the highest standards in safety, quality, and service, it’s no surprise that he was recently recognised in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2023 and named Most Influential Executive Aircraft Charter CEO 2023 – UK.

Now, as the future beckons, George is looking to support the growth of Luxaviation. The Group recently announced that it had expanded its fleet in the Asia-Pacific region, adding the Dassault Falcon 2000XL and two Bombardier Global 600 aircraft to its Australian charter fleet.

Later this year, ExecuJet, part of the Luxaviation Group, will be opening a brand-new 33,000 square foot facility at Dubai Maktoum Airport (DWC). This will be the largest stand-alone facility in Dubai South and will feature an air-conditioned hangar. The opening will support industry growth in the Middle East.

Another focus for Luxaviation will be continuing to implement new sustainability initiatives, beyond its existing efforts to incorporate SAF and carbon offsetting schemes.

“My career – and life – has always been about aviation,” enthuses George. “I intend to remain in the industry for some time to come!”

For business enquiries, conatact George Galanopoulos from Luxaviation UK on their website – www.luxaviation.com

plants growing in room with purple light

The Vertical Future of Agriculture

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Our world is facing a crisis within the farming industry. Crops are becoming more of a challenge to successfully cultivate. With an increase in pesticides and harmful genetic modifications being applied to a worryingly high percentage of ‘natural’ produce, it’s getting ever more difficult to determine whether what we’re eating is any good for us anymore. However, thanks to Jamie Burrows’ vertical farming company, Vertical Future, sustainability and quality of produce is guaranteed. But what is vertical farming, and what are its benefits? We learn more about this new frontier as Vertical Future wins Most Influential AgriTech CEO of the Year 2023 – England.

With over 15 years of experience in the way we can work in tandem with our ecosystem to maximise its potential, all whilst helping it to thrive, CEO and Founder of Vertical Future, Jamie Burrows, has recently become a pioneer for a change in the way we, as a population, approach farming entirely. With the vast expansion of cityscapes across the globe in recent years, the land upon which farms can be built is steadily starting to dwindle. As a result, there’s becoming less and less space in which to nurture naturally grown crops. However, vertical farming aims to tackle this issue at the root and has developed a system that is truly revolutionary.

Combining agriculture and technology seems like a conflicting goal to pursue. However, Jamie spotted an opportunity to partner the two, all to employ a farming system that could flourish beyond anything anyone had seen before. Now, with 6 vertical farms established in the UK alone, and plans to go global, Vertical Future has been able to completely transform the way we grow our produce. Since vertical farming can be constructed within compact, limited spaces, it paves the way for crops to be grown and distributed, even within the city.

As such, Jamie founded Vertical Future with one core aim – to utilise both the power of technology and ingenuity to create a better method of farming that could, in theory, tackle climate change and the deterioration of the population’s overall health. Our wellbeing is influenced by what we eat – it’s what contributes to whether or not we’re adhering to a healthy diet. If we eat products that are bathed in pesticides and have been genetically modified, the ‘natural’ aspect of farming completely falls apart, and we could suffer as a result. However, Vertical Future looks to promote a farming industry that can do nothing but benefit both us and our planet.

Additionally, having studied at a PhD level, and as someone who holds an immense passion for his craft, Jamie has proven that he is definitely the man to serve as the spearhead for this drastic, much-needed change within the UK. Agriculture is such a fragile industry that every person relies on to survive, and innovation is mandatory to help us progress as our society advances. This is why the brilliant minds at Vertical Future have devised a system that operates alongside its hardware to ensure a seamless growing experience. DIANA is a Software as a Service (SaaS) capable of managing a myriad of services within Vertical Future’s vertical farms. With its intuitive design allowing for increased control over the growing process, all through the use of thousands of efficiently designed sensors, DIANA is a ground-breaking software that pushes the boundaries of what defines ‘technology’.

Vertical Future has already managed to emphasise a solid blueprint for any others looking to make the switch to vertical farming and is eager to help nurture those who share its passion for change. It strives to spread its ambition, providing revolutionary products and services to any who wish to be a part of the future of farming. And with such a diverse team complied of engineers, plant scientists, operators and software engineers, you can guarantee you’ll be in the hands of true experts, each as aligned with Vertical Future’s views for our progression as Jamie is.

Jamie’s aspirations towards the future of farming are second to none. He’s been able to utilise a fantastic and inspiring method of farming, one that’s able to directly compete with the traditional farming methods that’ve been established for centuries. Astonishingly, he managed to accomplish such a feat in only seven years, with Vertical Future’s inception taking place during 2016. Over those seven years, Jamie has revolutionised farming within the UK, and is still tirelessly guiding our agriculture towards a new age today. With connections within the USA, Europe, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Jamie has become a global spokesman for what vertical farming can do for our planet, as well as us as a species.

As a holder of the UK’s ‘Future50’ title, as well as the winner of the PETA Faming Awards 2023, alongside many more, Jamie has established Vertical Future as an impressive alternative to traditional farming. Through utilising our boundless technological advancements, he’s created something truly special in Vertical Future. It acts as a promise to the world that farming can become wholly natural again, and that we should combine our strengths in technology to help this happen. As a result, not only will our crops and produce be able to return to their former glory, but our planet may stand a chance at recovering from the damage that global crop production has caused. Our progression starts with vertical farming, and Vertical Future will be at the forefront of change for the foreseeable future.

For business enquiries, contact Jamie Burrows from Vertical Future on their website – https://verticalfuture.com/

Reducing Business Waste: Sustainable Practices for a Greener Future

Posted on | by root

Sustainability is an essential aspect of modern business practices. It is no longer just a buzzword but a critical requirement to protect the planet for future generations. Wasteful business practices not only harm the environment but also increase costs, reduce efficiency, and damage a company’s reputation. As consumers become more eco-conscious, businesses must adopt sustainable practices to meet their expectations and remain competitive.

The Impact of Wasteful Business Practices

Wasteful business practices contribute significantly to environmental degradation. Excessive energy consumption, overuse of natural resources, and poor waste management practices harm the planet and impact future generations. Furthermore, wasteful practices increase a company’s costs, reducing its profitability and hindering its ability to compete in a crowded market.

In addition to the environmental and financial impacts, wasteful practices can also damage a company’s reputation. Customers are increasingly aware of the impact of business practices on the environment, and they expect companies to take responsibility for their actions. Businesses that fail to adopt sustainable practices risk losing customers and facing negative publicity.

Improving Sustainability in Business

To improve sustainability in business, companies must adopt sustainable practices that focus on reducing waste, conserving natural resources, and minimizing environmental impact. Here are some ways to improve sustainability in business:

Energy efficiency: Implement energy-efficient practices, such as using LED lighting, optimizing heating and cooling systems, and reducing energy consumption during off-peak hours.

Sustainable packaging: Use eco-friendly packaging materials, such as biodegradable plastics, recycled paper, and compostable materials. Additionally, businesses can consider using smaller packaging to reduce waste.

Waste reduction: Implement waste reduction practices, such as recycling, composting, and reducing paper usage. Companies can also implement a waste reduction program to identify and eliminate sources of waste.

Water conservation: Implement water conservation practices, such as using low-flow faucets, fixing leaks, and implementing water-efficient landscaping.

Green transportation: Encourage the use of public transportation, carpooling, and biking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Offering to cover the cost of tickets or providing stipends for gas, are both practical ways to encourage your team to consider green transportation.

Employee incentives: Speaking of discounts and stipends,offering recognition or rewards for team members that go above and beyond to save the company money and help the environment can go a long way. If a team member comes up with an idea or routinely follows the company sustainability practices, you could say thanks by giving them temperature-controlled water bottles, reusable shopping bags, and other gifts that help them to practice sustainability at home and in the office.

Shipping Packages: A Sustainable Approach

Shipping packages is a crucial aspect of many businesses. This is especially true after the pandemic cultivated the necessary development of remote operations for brick-and-mortar and ecommerce businesses.  However, the carbon footprint of shipping a package is shocking and also harmful to the environment. Here are some ways to reduce the environmental impact of shipping packages:

Use eco-friendly packaging materials: As mentioned earlier, using sustainable packaging materials can significantly reduce waste. Businesses can use biodegradable plastics, recycled paper, and compostable materials to package their products. Additionally, businesses can use smaller packaging to reduce waste.

Optimize packaging: Businesses can optimize their packaging to reduce the amount of material used. By using the right packaging size, companies can reduce the amount of filler material needed, reducing waste.

Use sustainable carriers: Businesses can choose sustainable carriers that use electric or hybrid vehicles, promote sustainable practices, and use eco-friendly packaging. Additionally, businesses can choose carriers that have a sustainability policy and adhere to environmental regulations.

Encourage recycling: Encourage customers to recycle the packaging materials by including recycling instructions on the packaging. Additionally, businesses can offer incentives for customers who recycle their packaging materials.

Reduce shipping distance: One of the biggest environmental impacts of shipping packages is the carbon emissions from transportation. Businesses can reduce this impact by reducing the distance between the warehouse and the customer. This can be achieved by implementing a local pickup option, partnering with local retailers, or optimizing the shipping routes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, businesses must adopt sustainable practices to reduce waste, conserve natural resources, and minimize their environmental impact. By implementing energy-efficient practices, using sustainable packaging, reducing waste, conserving water, and promoting green transportation, businesses can improve their sustainability and protect the environment.

HR Growth

Business Growth: Why the HR Department is a CEO’s Secret Weapon

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Unless you’re running a one-person operation, you will quickly learn as a CEO that the management of people is essential to how well everything in your company runs. From the supply of refreshments to managing fire safety and employee onboarding, the HR department is responsible for a lot that is good in our organisations.

But did you know that human resources are also essential for growth and can make your company at least 10% more time efficient? Discover how to use your HR department as a secret weapon to create growth in your company.

 

When do you need an HR department?

If you are the owner of a small business you may not feel as though creating an HR department is worth it but once you have at least 10-15 employees, this becomes a full-time job looking after all of their interests, from budgeting to performance management.

Rather than plateauing once you reach a certain size, and losing valuable leadership time to people management, creating an HR department allows you to stay focused on your unique business skills.

Here are some of the key areas where HR can lighten the load:

  • Staff recruitment
  • Induction, training and development of staff
  • Performance monitoring and maintenance
  • End-of-employment duties
  • Ensuring compliance with governmental and regulatory legislation
  • Disciplinary procedures

 

Staff recruitment and retention

One of the biggest assets a company can invest in is its employees, which is why it’s so important to get the recruitment process right for long-term success and growth. Not only is hiring and training staff an expensive endeavour but having to replace a poor recruit with another is costly.

Furthermore, you don’t want good staff leaving, perhaps to join your competition, strengthening them while also weakening you and inflicting further costs of replacement.

HR is perfectly placed to help you nail the hiring process, finding the perfect candidates that will not only bring the necessary skills to your company but also help drive you forward with new ideas, a strong work ethic and ambition.

This is where your human resources department can provide invaluable service, from thinning the herd of applicants, which is time-consuming, to conducting screening interviews to find those perfect candidates who will bring growth and success to your company.

 

Benefits, socials and staff incentives

Work is more than just a job for lots of people these days, with perks, benefits and remote working high up on the list of requirements. While you might not have the time or headspace to brainstorm all of the finer details yourself, your HR department can get to work defining which social events, staff benefits and working patterns are achievable with your budget.

From exploring share option schemes or health cover, to paid time off and gym memberships, creating staff incentives through your HR department is a great way to push for growth through productivity, retain staff and recruit smarter.

 

Complying with regulations

The larger your company gets, the more difficult it becomes to stay in control of each and every detail, particularly when it comes to legislation and regulations. Think of it like a garden, with some flowers needing special attention, and others an occasional watering while weeds are threatening to run rampant if they aren’t dealt with.

You could try and handle all of this yourself but once more this is a time-consuming job that frequently requires specialist knowledge, something an HR department is perfectly equipped to help with. Doing it yourself you not only spend time making sure everything is right, but you will also have to spend a considerable period becoming familiar with what those rules and laws are.

Using human resources to ensure you correctly implement regulatory compliance reduces risk, increases efficiency and enhances your brand reputation – this will put a more robust framework in place which results in safe and effective practices.

 

Employee compensation

To remain competitive, companies should regularly review the compensation levels they provide to staff. Providing regular pay rises, for example, in line with inflation, is a great way to keep your best people as they know their services are valued.

Furthermore, a dedicated HR department can review what is a competitive salary and ensure that staff are offered this at their next pay review. HR can also track and manage a staff member’s performance, supporting managers, to help determine whether they have met their KPIs.

 

Training for professional growth

Companies that continually allow their staff to grow and add new skills to their repertoire can reap the rewards twice. Firstly, they are creating a better-skilled and well-rounded workforce that is more capable of reacting to new problems with agility and creativity.

Secondly, a working environment that accommodates career progression allows staff to work towards their personal goals while enhancing the skills available to you. But as a CEO, you don’t really have the time to create training plans for each member of your workforce, let alone arrange and complete skill development sessions on an individual basis.

Your HR department can arrange for training sessions, seminars and workshops and ensure that employees have access to resources, databases and software that allows for further progression. Allowing your HR department to be heavily involved in staff training allows your company to create an environment where employees are willing to stay for the long haul, growing as you do.

 

Open communication

How engaged your staff are is hugely important for company growth but when you are busy running your business it can be hard to dedicate time to ask how each staff member is doing or what their input is for particular problems. However, there needs to be open, two-way communication within a company not just so that staff feel valued and part of the team but because it allows them to bring their solutions to the fore.

We all have different skills and points of view and sometimes a member of your team, perhaps who does a particular role, has a great idea for how to make their job more efficient. Your HR team can help to create an environment where people are free to share their thoughts and ensure mechanisms are in place to raise them with the relevant people.

That company framework will also create a way for you to have some contact with your employees through scheduled meetings that helps to keep everyone in the loop about the bigger company picture.

This allows for everyone to be on the same page and pull in the same direction to ensure the company can succeed and go places, rather than aimlessly trying to achieve results and solve problems.

Man with arms crossed looking at camera smiling

#MakeItalyGreen

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Italy is making huge moves towards a sustainable future, and there’s someone driving the Green Movement in a way that both inspires us and leaves us in awe. With a central role at E.ON Italy, CEO Frank Meyer has created a pivotal point for Italy’s society and economy. Here we learn more about Frank’s mission, and E.ON’s green impact, as he wins Most Influential Energy CEO 2023 – Italy from CEO Monthly.

In recent years, the Green Movement of Italy has become more than an extremely popular topic – it has become a living, breathing reality. Thanks to a more green leadership within the Italian institutions, the country has rapidly begun to alter the way it generates and consumes energy. This has led Italy to prioritise the battle against climate change by acting in a more sustainable way.

For CEO of E.ON Italy, Frank Meyer, this is a wonderful development for the country – and for his career.

Before working with E.ON Italy, Frank was responsible for turning a decline in revenue around for Vodaphone. He “introduced new approaches and solutions to transform it to a growing business again,” and this resulted in a 3% growth during his time with the business.

It was his sheer commitment to innovating the business’ structure that led it to success and expansion. This includes constructing relationships that would stand the test of time – forming bonds between team members as well as between company and customer.

He informs us, “Purpose plays a huge factor in our psychological wellbeing.” By providing this strong sense of purpose to his team, Frank ensures each of them feels heard as well as being aware of their impact on the world. He says, “You as an employee need to feel that you are making a difference, we make people feel part of the process, everyone can be part of the design of the new strategy.”

“I love the power of people and what they can do if they follow purpose.”

By believing in people, Frank has built an empire of an enterprise. He encourages each person to “access their full potential and feel fulfilled,” so that they can go home every day feeling part of something bigger than themselves.

By growing in his role, his organic advancement has resulted in creating a greater impact on society not simply for Italy, but for the rest of the world. The globe looks towards more eco-friendly options as we all take part in the fight against climate change, and E.ON is leading the way to a brighter, greener future.

Frank firmly understands the importance of community and belonging. His work to introduce new ways of producing and consuming green energy is at the forefront of the ground-breaking industry, and we’re all looking to businesses like E.ON for pioneering concepts that ultimately guide us to positive results.

Five years ago, E.ON Italy carried out around 500 installations in comparison to its now 35,000 installations in photovoltaic business. Frank worked hard to deliver, and his work has paid off exponentially – all by utilising his skillset, bringing people together, and supporting the entire company throughout personal and professional development.

Frank believes that you can make any challenge an opportunity and, with a sharp focus on logistics, he procures technologies for knowledge and understanding. Building the Future Energy Home (FEH) and E-Mobility business, Frank is preparing the Italian market to become entirely green. Creating a feeling of belonging, E.ON Italy’s Green Movement is a community effort.

As part of a community, Italy now has solutions such as energy sharing via generators within homes and schools. It is this unified state that is producing results for the country, whilst motivating the rest of the world to be more environmentally conscious.

Now, Frank has won Most Influential Energy CEO 2023 – Italy. His future with E.ON looks incredible as he dedicates his full attention and care to its overall mission. He consistently supports the company’s team, ensuring each member feels seen and heard, and uses his innovation to tremendously improve the movement across Italy.

Frank’s ambition is to continue improving the energy solutions in Italy to #MakeItalyGreen. You can find out more about Frank via E.ON’s website below. We want to wish Frank a huge congratulations as he gains his new title from CEO Monthly – leading such a lifechanging movement is no small feat, and we can’t wait to see where his passion and drive takes him, and the globe, next.

For business enquiries, contact Frank Meyer from E.ON Italia on their website – www.eon-energia.com