Airedale Enterprise puts Customers First and is Awarded WorldHost® Recognised Business Status

2nd January 2020

Airedale Enterprise in Keighley has become the latest organisation in West Yorkshire to gain national recognition for its commitment to customer service, after being awarded WorldHost Recognised Business status.

WorldHost is a suite of world-class customer service training programmes that was introduced in the UK by People 1st International. Over 320,000 people, 5,000 businesses and 18 regions have benefited from WorldHost training – representing an industry investment of more than £30million in improving the quality of customer experience. During this time, WorldHost has played a key role in helping individuals, businesses, regions and major sporting and cultural events improve the consistency and quality of their customer service offer – with some reporting a boost in sales of up to 60%.

WorldHost Recognised Business status is awarded to businesses that have trained 50% or more of their front line staff using any of the WorldHost training programmes and signed a commitment to delivering excellent customer service. With over 70% of its staff trained to WorldHost standards, Airedale Enterprise has officially become a WorldHost Recognised Business.

On receiving the recognition, Wendy Spencer, CEO at Airedale Enterprise commented: “We are passionate about service standards and are incredibly proud to have achieved WorldHost Recognised Business status. When our customers see the WorldHost logo displayed in our business, they’ll know that we have made a commitment to delivering an exceptional experience for them. Not only does this generate a positive buzz about the service we offer, but it helps to promote Keighley and surrounding areas as friendly and welcoming tourist destinations. ”

Airedale Enterprise working in partnership with Shipley College have delivered there 13^th Worldhost course this year in Keighley, with over 165 individuals now Worldhost and City & Guilds Level 2 certified in Excellent Customer Service. Airedale Enterprise has now scheduled their 2020 course dates, the next 2 day fully funded course will take place on 23^rd and 30^th January at Airedale Enterprises’ premises on Sunderland Street, Keighley. Contact 01535 607775 for more information.

Jane Rexworthy, executive director at People 1st International, congratulated Airedale Enterprise on its achievement. She commented:  “Becoming a WorldHost Recognised Business is a fantastic achievement and it’s incredibly encouraging to see Airedale Enterprise willing to go the extra mile for their customers.

“This training means that the staff at Airedale Enterprise have the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver first-class customer service, giving their business the excellent reputation it deserves. I have no doubt WorldHost will have a positive impact on their business. Congratulations to all involved.”

The WorldHost Recognised Business certificate is valid for two years and is renewable on completion of a refresher course.

About WorldHost

Originally developed in Canada – widely recognised as the leading global destination for visitor welcome – and adapted for the UK market by skills and quality assurance expert, People 1st International (www.people1st.co.uk), the WorldHost programmes provide a gold standard in training for any business that relies on day-to-day interaction with customers for success. All WorldHost trainers are quality assured to ensure they deliver world-class customer service training.

For more information about the Worldhost Customer Service Courses please contact the team on 01535 607775.

Article Keighley News – Read More

Wendy Spencer

9th December 2019

Wendy is the longest serving member of the team, having started working here in 1997 (formerly Keighley Local Enterprise Agency). Wendy manages the day-to-day running of the organisation and her main role is to ensure the company’s growth by looking for, and bidding into funding opportunities. Wendy is also an ICT tutor and teaches classes in OCR Clait and European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Wendy also delivers digital skills training helping individuals to get on line.

Wendy loves her holidays, she really enjoys boarding the cruise ships which gives her the opportunity to visit lots of different places during her vacation. She also likes to visit Europe touring around spending a few days at a time in France, Italy, Switzerland etc drinking in the different cultures and enjoys tasting the different wines!

Wendy is also a keen walker and most weekends she will be walking in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales with her husband and her sprocker spaniel Jasper. Wendy also loves spending time with her family, getting them all together at home for food and lots of socialising!

Five top Q&A’s for Essential HR for Leaders

17th September 2019

By Sarah Seastron, Clockwork HR Ltd

When does an employee need a contract of employment?

Currently an employee should have a contract of employment within 8 weeks of their start date. However, next year this is changing to day one of employment.

What is a protected characteristic?

Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sex orientation.

What is a disciplinary procedure?

In line with the ACAS code the main stages are: investigation, disciplinary hearing, appeal.

How do you deal with someone who has intermittent absence?

First stage is to speak to the employee and find out if there are any specific reasons for the intermittent absence. Explain the impact on their absence and look to take a more formal route such as disciplinary action if it continues.

What is the current statutory holiday entitlement?

28 days for a full time member of staff or 5.6 weeks. This statutory amount can include bank holidays of which there are 8 in the UK.

Next course will take place on 24th September – please click here for the course outline

6 top questions for business succession planning

10th September 2019

by Sue Hanson,  BSH People Ltd

When should I start business succession planning?

Ideally, when you start your business – you should plan how you want your business to develop and your eventual exit strategy. Don’t leave it till the time you want to sell – you may have missed opportunities, or lost good people, that would have improved the value of your business.

Surely, it’s easy to sell your business for the price you think it’s worth?

Valuation can be a contentious minefield – businesses, like houses, are only worth what the buyer is prepared to pay, and typically they want to pay as little as possible by finding faults that will drive the price down.

What are the options for my exit strategy?

There are five options – these are explained clearly and in detail with their associated advantages and disadvantages

In a family business, how do I meet the needs of all the family involved when I want to sell?

Family members involved in the business may have different needs in a proposed sale – we’ll discuss how to manage possible family conflict and how to negotiate the “best option” for all.

Are there tax and legal implications when selling a business?

Of course, and some are to the advantage of a small business. Learn about the financial and legal implications for different sales options from Debbie Whitaker, MD of Not Just Numbers, who will answer your questions

What do I need to do with my employees to make my business sales-ready?

Identify and develop your key people whose knowledge will be essential to a future buyer – we’ll help you plan how to tie in key employees, so they add value to the sale.

What will I gain out of this day?

The opportunity to discuss the future options for your business with other small business owners in a confidential environment

Clear understanding on how to identify and practically develop your key people to take the business forward

Your financial questions answered by the MD of a highly successful Yorkshire-based accountancy company

A take-away workbook to create your business succession plan.

 Next course taking place on 22nd October – please Click Here for the course outline 

HMRC-What is Self-Assessment?

29th August 2019

Thinking of starting your own business or working for yourself? Then you need to consider how HMRC will interact with you. Self-Assessment allows you to tell HMRC what they need to know, it also considers your National Insurance Contributions and provides a means to ensure you are paying the right amount.

We can help you register and explain what’s important and why.

Please call us on 01535 607775.

www.gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services 

Good selling skills have never been more important…

23rd August 2019

The Essentials of Selling

Successful Salespeople are no accident, they deliver results because they possess ability underpinned by a systematic approach which increases their rate of success.
The essentials of Selling encourages the delegate to recognise the potency of this marriage and the impact it has in the market place
This one-day course is a common-sense approach to selling based on good practice and practical experience and is ideal for new or junior salespeople. It explains the importance of presentation, preparation, of being organised and employing a system that works.

Including:
Why Do People Buy?
Planning for Success
Making Quality Appointments
The Structure Of the Sales Visit
Objection Handling
Closing the Sale

Price: £195 +VAT
Course Dates: 19th September and 9th October
9.30 – 4.00 (Lunch Provided)

Please click here for more course details

AES – Creating the Super Salesperson of Tomorrow, Today…….

Family Companies and SME’s – Taking Care of your Company’s Future…

19th August 2019

Are you looking for the continuing success and growth of your business or a profitable exit strategy? Then this workshop is a “must” for owners and MD’s preparing for the future.

Highly participative and full of information, tips and exercises, we explore who are the essential people, provide you with financial guidance and help you formulate a plan that works for you.

We cover the entire succession planning process, including business owner and stakeholder/family needs. We examine planning for and filling future key roles as well as managing and retaining your key employees.

Read these 5 top tips for business succession planning by Greg Dixon, Gordons LLP

Click here for more information on the course

Course Cost – £195.00 plus Vat

The course runs from 10am-4.30pm with a light lunch provided.

Call Sonia on 01535 607775 and book your place now!

What is a Start-Up Loan?

14th August 2019

If you’ve got a great idea and want to start your own business, then a start-up loan might be just what you need.

A start up loan is a personal unsecured loan backed by the government for individuals looking to start a business in the UK. This means you don’t need to arrange guarantors or put forward any assets to support the application. As well as a loan, 1 year of free mentoring is available to help your business succeed.

As a delivery partner of Virgin Start-up Loans we can offer £500 to £25,000 per owner/partner with a maximum of £100,000 per business. A fixed rate of 6% p.a with repayment terms of between 1 to 5 years are available. There are no set up or application fees.

So why wait? start your application now and bring your business to life.

Follow these links for more information:

Virgin Start Up Loans

Virgin Start Up Loan Application 

Is your Strategy Brexit Ready? If not we can help!

12th August 2019

Change is coming, Opportunities will present themselves for those who are prepared.

We can help you prepare by offering the right ingredients for your Strategic review…

A space that inspires…

Our lovingly restored cotton mill harbours ‘Chestnut’ a delightful room which is ideal for board meetings benefiting from plenty of natural light. Fully equipped with screen, laptops and audio, this conveniently located facility is perfect for your important day.

Price £130.00 Including buffet lunch and refreshments

Conduct your own review using our tools and techniques…

Attend our half day preparation session where we share our framework for a successful strategic review, how to apply the results and take away the tools and techniques that work.

Price £175.00 Including refreshments

Course dates – 3^rd and 17^th September, 9.30am-12.30pm

Utilise an expert with experience in Strategic Review

Let us facilitate your important day here at AES. Utilise the experience of a professional with significant field experience in Strategic Review and how to make sure you get ‘traction’ in the workplace.

Price £495.00 including lunch and refreshments

Call us on 01535 607775 to discuss any of the above or email us

Planning for tomorrow, today

Helping Rural Businesses to get Online

9th August 2019

Through the Prince’s Countryside Fund, an organisation in Settle is helping creatives to get their businesses online and increase their financial sustainability.

Good Things Foundation is currently rolling out the next phase of a project with the Prince’s Countryside Fund which is exploring how Digital Enterprise Hubs can both support rural business to engage with digital and train community organisations as Digital Enterprise Champions. In turn, those champions will support more rural businesses with digital skills, increasing the amount of support available for rural businesses in the future.

One of our Digital Enterprise Hubs is Airedale Enterprise Services in Keighley which has been providing business support to individuals in the community for the past 36 years. With just 7 members of staff, Airedale Enterprise Services is a “small organisation with big impact.”

CEO Wendy Spencer has worked for Airedale Enterprise Services 22 years. She’s identified three Digital Enterprise Champions, training them to support other rural businesses with their digital skills.

Bespoke beanie maker Andrea is one of the Digital Enterprise Champions working with Wendy. Andrea moved to the rural area of Settle from South Africa with her teenage son a year ago. Over the past 15 years, Andrea has developed a wide variety of business experience, from running her own successful motorcycle retail company to teaching international business in London. She now runs a number of businesses in and around Settle including making and selling bespoke crocheted beanies and delivering creative drawing courses at the Community Development Hub. Wendy describes Andrea as a “bubbly, approachable person who has a lot of knowledge about the area of Settle and the types of clients that she will be supporting, which made her a great fit for a Digital Enterprise Champion.” 

Andrea tells us: “Settle is a very rural area and has a vibrant creative scene with lots of artists, creatives and handymen. The pace of life is slower here and everything takes longer because it’s not online. As a result, lots of shops in the town have closed down and quickly been replaced by restaurants which breaks my heart.”

Before recruiting her as a Digital Enterprise Champion, Wendy pointed Andrea in the direction of a free Digital Marketing course provided by the Google Digital Garage. Andrea continues: “In 3 hours you can go from learning the basics of getting your business online for free to actually building a website for your business. It’s great for working in a rural setting as people who aren’t online already would be put off by a 40-hour course.”

Andrea is now in the first stages of supporting other businesses based in Settle to do more online. She says: “I’m working with glassmakers, screenprinting clothing businesses and second-hand bookshops. Previously, none of them had an online presence, they would prefer to be making things but putting their businesses online means that they can share their trades more widely with people all over the world.”

https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org/news-and-blogs/case-studies/andrea-helping-rural-businesses-get-online 

Why do a third of Start-Up Businesses fail within 1 year?

7th August 2019

Good business advice plays a major role in the success of a new business.

Business Planning gets you asking the right questions about your idea.

Our Start-up advice includes the need for and content of the business plan and cash flow forecast, what they should contain, and where the emphasis should be.

We help you consider the aspects of financing your venture. Is funding available? Is a start-up loan appropriate, what is available and how do I apply?

Our business advisers have real experience of business ownership, company direction and senior management roles. We apply a no nonsense, common sense approach which is understandable and most importantly effective.

We tailor support to suit you.

We offer ‘the review’ where we take you through the fundamentals, exploring your idea and the key ingredients needed to make it a success.

Business plan review and mentoring form additional levels of support where needed.

• What is your Business idea?
• What are your objectives?
• Do you have the right skills and expertise to run the business?
• Who are you targeting?
• Who are your competitors?
• Getting the price right!
• Selling skills!
• Marketing – what’s your plan?
• How will you finance the business? Self-finance, Loans, Grants
• Who will be involved?
• Success!

With advice from our experts we can guide you through the business planning process allowing you time to concentrate fully on achieving business success!

Take a look at our Business Support Page for more information  

Taking Care of your Company’s Future…

17th June 2019

Whether you are looking for the continuing success and/or growth of your business or a profitable exit strategy, Our Sucession Planning workshop is a “must” for owners/MD’s of SME’s or family companies.

Highly participative and full of information, tips and exercises, the contents include essential people and financial guidance to help you safeguard your future personal and company plans and come up with the “best scenario”.  

We cover the full process of succession planning, including business owner and stakeholder/family needs, planning for and filling future key roles, and attracting, managing and keeping your best talented key employees.

We will also have a guest speaker from a leading accountancy firm to guide you through the financial pitfalls.

Course Cost – £195.00 + Vat

For more information and bookings CLICK HERE

The course runs from 10am-4.30pm with a light lunch provided.

AES has been featured in the Digital Enterprise Top 100!

6th June 2019

We couldn’t be more excited to be recognised within the Digital Enterprise Top 100 special report and are delighted to be attending the celebratory event on 27th June 2019 at The Everyman Cinema in Leeds. 

The Digital Enterprise Top 100 is a major initiative to identify those companies that are setting an example for others to follow within the world of digital transformation.

?The campaign profiles and celebrates 100 of Leeds City Region’s most innovative, digitally mature and transformational digital businesses; sharing their stories, not just across Yorkshire and the North but the UK and internationally.

www.de100.co.uk #detop100 #LeedsCityRegion

Dare we mention Brexit?

28th March 2019

In a bid to throw at least some light on this subject, a series of guidelines have been published by government covering a wide array of subjects relating to ‘life after Brexit’ The list is diverse and includes subjects such as Importing, exporting products or goods after Brexit, Operating in the EU after Brexit and intellectual property after Brexit. A differing level of detail is available dependent on the subject, with some subjects covered in significant detail.                                        

So click here and see how things change https://www.gov.uk/find-eu-exit-guidance-business

Omolola Jewellery

26th March 2019

OUR BUSINESS

Omolola is a branded e-commerce specialising in West-African inspired and geo-architecture jewellery at affordable prices!

WHERE ARE YOU BASED AND WHY IS IT A GOOD LOCATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

We are based in Leeds and it is a good location for the business because of its diverse, young and thriving community.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA?

I am inspired by my West-African ancestry and the sheer artistic genius of West African peoples, past and present. The love for attention to detail and celebrating beauty even in everyday objects like combs is fascinating.

WHAT STAGE WAS YOUR BUSINESS AT WHEN YOU APPLIED FOR THE START-UP LOAN?

We had just launched. We were about 3-4 months old.

HOW HAVE YOU USED IT TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?

We have used the money to acquire more stock, book and organise our next marketing campaign and attend/ participate at the biggest black girl festival in Europe, Blackgirlfest.

WHO IS YOUR REGIONAL DELIVERY PARTNER AND HOW DID THEY HELP YOU GET A VIRGIN STARTUP LOAN?

Phil at Airedale Enterprise Services helped me put together my business plan and financial forecast. He has been a great help.

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?

 We had our first wholesale client last month.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Wholesales, the Christmas collection and building awareness about the brand.

Founder(s) name: Ope and Taiwo Adegbulu

Loan funds received: £5,000 – £10,000

Based in: Leeds

Website: www.omololajewellery.com

Instagram: @omololajewellery