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Launch House Is Building a New Community Ripe for the Digital Age

News Desk
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Founded in 2020, Launch House was the product of founders Jacob Peters, Michael Houck, and Brett Goldstein. It began life as a straightforward residency program — one that aimed to bring leaders of many kinds and from many fields together. Its original members included not only startup founders, but professionals like engineers as well.

Despite everything happening in the world at the time, Launch House enjoyed a tremendous amount of initial success. The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were a time when people were prioritizing a sense of community, regardless of whether that was found in person, online, or from some combination of the two. Even though vaccines are now readily available and things appear to be transforming into some type of “new normal,” those original ideas remain steadfast.

Indeed, the founders agree that a sense of community directly relates to some of the most successful startups to ever come out of Silicon Valley. Of course, this raises the question: Should geography be a restriction for so many people? Just because you don’t live in the San Francisco area, does that mean that you shouldn’t have access to the resources you need to bring about some revolutionary new type of technology or other societal advancement?

The founders of Launch House don’t believe that should be the case, and they’ve been able to prove it in a wide range of different ways, all of which are more than worth exploring. 

The Journey of Launch House

More than anything else, Launch House aims to become a new way to gather for the thought leaders of the next generation.

Part of how the brand is doing that is bringing together the digital world and the offline environment via a single platform — one that hopes to increase programming accessibility not just to those all across the United States, but internationally as well.

Today, Launch House is one of literally thousands of virtual offices that are enabling better communication and collaboration for its members online. These organizations are all going out of their way to increase the accessibility of founders, bringing them into the conversation in a way they may not have had access to in the past.

All of this is tied directly to Launch House’s ultimate mission, one that prioritizes growth first and foremost. In addition to offering perks like access to higher education courses, those who join Launch House get help in scaling and fundraising for their enterprises via in-person retreats and similar events.

Proof of this comes by way of the fact that Launch House recently announced its bold new venture arm, House Capital. It has a multimillion-dollar debut fund behind it and it, too, aims to bring about more resources and access for the next generation of tech entrepreneurs.

In addition to the Launch House founders, House Capital is joined by a plethora of powerful partners. All of them plan to pool their resources and invest in as many exciting companies as possible — including those that currently exist within the Launch House ecosystem and those that reside outside it.

All of this represents an unbeatable opportunity for those who are already members of the Launch House community — an opportunity to access funding and resources they may be unable to access on their own.

Launch House’s founders explained that the original seed of their idea came from the deep and authentic relationships they wanted to create with early-stage founders — the ones who have the passion and the perseverance today to legitimately change things for the better now and in the future. Because of that, those members of the Launch House community will be the first choice as House Capital continues to look for additional pre-seed and seed-stage companies they will be investing in moving forward.

Considering all that Launch House has been able to accomplish in just a few short years, it’s truly exciting to think about what the next few likely have in store for us all. 

For its Data Sanitisation Services, Stockport Company Achieves Highest Possible Level of Certification

Olivia McHugh
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Stockport-based ITAD firm, Asset Disposal, is delighted to reveal that it has received the highest possible level of certification for its data sanitisation services. The company has recently been audited against ADISA ICT Asset Recovery Standard 8.0, achieving a DIAL 3 with Distinction pass, only the third ITAD company in the UK to do so. 

Launched in 2010, ADISA Certification Limited is the world’s leading certification body for companies that offer data sanitisation and data protection services and products. In 2021, ADISA Standard 8.0 was formally approved by the ICO as a UK GDPR Certification Scheme and the certification process was subsequently approved by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) in August 2022. 

This certification ensures that any organisation which uses Asset Disposal for data destruction and sanitisation services will be fully UK GDPR compliant – and DIAL 3 allows the company to handle the most sensitive data types, such as global primary corporate clients, government departments, company employee or business data, the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.

Managing Director, Phil Steven, was understandably delighted to receive the certification, saying; “The ADISA certification is a huge step for Asset Disposal, providing assurance to all our customers, past, present and future, that our data sanitisation solutions are compliant with the most rigorous industry standards.”

The New ADISA Standard 8.0 and DIAL Rating

In August 2022, ADISA completed a three-year process to achieve UK GDPR Certification Scheme status for ADISA Standard 8.0. This enables the data controller and Asset Disposal (the data processor) to manage the asset recovery process to a set standard. In short, organisations using Asset Disposal’s services are compliant by law.

DIAL, which stands for Data Impact Assurance Levels, is a framework for assessing risk to an organisation or business, based on answers to five questions. Once a DIAL rating has been determined, a bespoke service plan can be built which uniquely matches an organisation’s requirements.

The five questions will determine the following:

The size of the threat to an organisation; an organisation’s appetite for risk; the categories and types of data required to be processed; the volume of the data; and ultimately, the impact of a data breach on an organisation or business.

Adds Mr Steven; “This award is the latest in a series of certifications, including ISO 9001, 14001 and 27001, as well as our Cyber Essentials accreditation, all of which highlight the high standards we set ourselves. 

“This particular certification demonstrates our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards when dealing with sensitive data.

“The process has been a fairly lengthy one, so I just want to say a huge thank you to everybody involved. It was well worth the effort.”

Steve Mellings, founder and CEO of ADISA said this about the certification; “I’m delighted for all at Asset Disposal on achieving this significant landmark for their business and their customers. The audit process is extremely thorough, the commitment and application shown by the Asset Disposal team has been of the highest order.”

For more information, please visit www.asset-disposal.co.uk 

North-West law firm turns up the heat against energy suppliers whose mis-sold contracts leave businesses on the verge of closure

Olivia McHugh
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As many British businesses battle to stay afloat amid crippling energy prices, a Manchester law firm is leading the fight against unscrupulous suppliers who’ve overcharged struggling companies via secret commissions. 

Barings Law is representing hundreds of UK businesses, who could have been mis-sold their energy contracts – inflated by brokers and hoping to bag bonuses for themselves in the form of undisclosed commissions paid by the suppliers. 

When commission is added to a quoted rate of energy, it must legally be disclosed.

With more than 2,000 intermediaries, most of which are unregulated, selling energy solutions to businesses daily, a huge number of firms could be entitled to compensation because of brokers failing to provide a clear enough break-down of commission. 

According to Ofgem, microbusinesses accounted for £3.4bn of UK energy expenditure in 2020 and 67% of UK-based, small businesses have used a broker to take the hassle out of searching themselves.

With inflation leaping to a 40-year high and the Government set to scale back their energy support measures for non-domestic consumers from April, Barings Law believes that businesses shouldn’t be forgotten and left behind, especially when they’re being taken advantage of.

Adnan Malik, Lead Solicitor for Business Energy at Barings Law, says the firm is currently representing hundreds of companies estimated to have been overcharged thousands.

He commented: “With many businesses only just beginning to find their footing following the pandemic, they have been hit yet again with rising energy bills.

“The absolute last thing they need, is to be overcharged by unscrupulous energy brokers and potentially put their livelihoods at risk.

“There is a danger that businesses are being overlooked in the energy crisis, but the prospect of rising bills is very real for them also.

“At Barings Law we’re seeking to gain redress for companies who’ve been mis-sold their energy contracts by a broker, which is a problem that has been compounded due to the general cost of energy in the last few months.”

Business data reporting site, Statista, estimates that in 2021, the selling value of electricity totalled £43.8bn while the selling value of gas amounted to £25.9bn.

Meanwhile, the Government Insolvency Service reported a 40% hike in company insolvencies at 5,595 in Q3 2022 as compared to the same quarter in the previous year.

As Britain faces winter challenges and soaring heating costs, mis-sold energy products could tip more smaller firms, already struggling to balance their books, over the edge.

Barings Law, who specialise in representing victims of mis-selling, are now encouraging businesses who think they’ve been mis-sold energy, to get in touch.

“If you’re a business owner and have used an intermediary for your energy in the last 6 years, we want to hear from you,” Adnan adds.

“We will do everything in our power to fight for justice on your behalf with a view to win back what is rightfully yours.”

If companies feel they have a case for mis-sold energy, they can contact 0161 200 9960 or visit baringslaw.com for further details.

JUST 6 MONTHS OF GRADE A SUPPLY LEFT ACROSS NORTH WEST INDUSTRIAL MARKET, REPORTS SAVILLS

Olivia McHugh
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According to Savills latest Big Shed Briefing, in the North West, demand is set to outstrip supply with low levels of good quality space, with the three year average annual take-up of 6.61m sq ft, this equates to just 0.51 years’ worth of supply.

The report states that there is low levels of good quality supply, with data showing that only 17 per cent of the available space  is Grade A, with 51 per cent being Grade B and 32 per cent  Grade C, meaning we are continuing to see occupiers gravitate to better quality space, due to efficiencies, ESG and staff retention.

Take up was only marginally down on the previous year, in spite of major headwinds, with  Savills reporting that take-up was 68 per cent above long term average with the average deal size at 294,191 sq ft. Grocery retailers accounted for 27 per cent of take-up in 2022, alongside online retailers and  automotive manufacturers.

One of the regions success stories has been the CDP/Mirastar development at Gorsey Point in in Widnes, which saw over 650,000 sq ft let prior to practical completion.

There are currently seven units being speculatively developed, totalling 2.23m sq ft with one over 500,000 sq ft, showing that supply is coming but not at a fast enough rate. 1m sq ft of the 2.23m sq ft has already been let prior to completion.

Jonathan Atherton, industrial and logistics director at Savills Manchester, comments: “Take-up in the North West reached 7.06m sq ft in 2022 through 24 transactions. We’re continuing to track enquiries from multiple parties on good quality prime stock, with  50 per cent of the development pipeline already under offer and due to exchange in the first quarter of this year. This increased competition has caused net effective rents to increase and with the lack of the new supply coming forward we fully expect this trend to continue.”

PR Fire Continues to Expand, as Clientele Grows Internationally

Olivia McHugh
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The UK’s leading press release distribution agency, PR Fire, which is based in Warrington, has announced two new key hires to the team.

In a struggling economy, PR Fire is bucking the trend and going from strength to strength. This latest recruitment drive comes hot on the heels of four other recent hires at the end of 2022. Despite historically catering to small to medium sized businesses, larger organisations and international enterprises are becoming increasingly drawn to PR Fire’s Pay-As-You-Go PR model.

Olivia McHugh and Alex Stenson, both local graduates, join PR Fire’s media publishing and distribution team. The addition of Olivia and Alex allows for increased capacity. This last month has seen a number of new features added to the online ordering platform including a scheduling function for embargoed press release publication.

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Alex Stenson, Media Publishing Executive at PR Fire.

Alex Stenson studied Language and Linguistics at York St John University – a skillset which brings a new angle of knowledge to the PR Fire team – whilst Olivia McHugh studied English Literature and History at the University of Sheffield. Olivia also has a background in French speaking – a skill that will be welcomed at PR Fire as international orders are rolling in.

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Olivia McHugh, Media and PR Executive at PR Fire.

Dawn Jackson, Managing Director at PR Fire, said: “We are so pleased to announce the continued expansion of our team with the additions of Alex and Olivia this month. This is a very exciting period of growth for the business, and we are so fortunate to have such talented and passionate young professionals on our team.”

She added: “I’m very optimistic about the future of PR Fire. Recent growth has shown a promising new era is on the horizon for the business, and I am excited to see what our team can accomplish together.”

PR Fire has recently garnered a large number of international clientele – including customers from the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The press release distribution service also offers PR translation into a multitude of different languages and same-day worldwide distribution.

To find out more about how PR Fire’s press release distribution services can help your business, visit https://www.prfire.co.uk.

NEW HEAD OF OPERATIONS APPOINTED AT STAGECOACH MANCHESTER

Olivia McHugh
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Greater Manchester’s largest bus operator, Stagecoach Manchester, is pleased to announce it has appointed a new Head of Operations

Starting the new year with a senior promotion, Stagecoach Manchester has selected Alan French as its new Head of Operations. Alan will be responsible for 1,800 drivers and 700 buses covering 23.9 million miles a year across the region.

Alan started his career as a bus driver with Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire in 2005. After demonstrating a sense of ambition and determination, Alan quickly quickly progressed into roles in training and Operations Management before being promoted to Performance, Development and Training Manager.

In his role as Performance, Development and Training Manager, Alan led on operational standards and built a fantastic track record of improving depot performance and working with key stakeholders to maximize business opportunities.

Commenting on his new role, Alan said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed Head of Operations and am really looking forward to my next steps with Stagecoach Manchester. It will be great to work with new colleagues and stakeholders to help continue to deliver a high standard of service to our customers.”

During his time at Stagecoach, Alan has worked on several large-scale events including the Open Golf Championships, London Olympics and most recently the Commonwealth Games.

Lee Wasnidge, Managing Director at Stagecoach added: “A huge congratulations to Alan on his new role as Head of Operations. Alan is a great example of how talented and dedicated people can progress through our business. I’m confident that his passion for the industry and vast experience will make him a great asset to our busy operations team.”

US software giant collaborates with Manchester scaleup to solve staff shortages

Olivia McHugh
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US software giant collaborates with Manchester scaleup to solve skills shortage in the Facilities Management industry

The UK’s most prominent digital hiring marketplace, Orka Works, has partnered with Workforce Management Software company TEAM Software by WorkWave to create better access to work in the Facilities Management industry.

Developing an API integration between their leading workforce management software, Timegate by TEAM Software by WorkWave, and the labour-as-a-service product, Orka Works, wil enable hundreds of users of the next generation of Timegate (including Sodexo, Wilson James and OCS) to post shifts to Orka Works automatically. The integration instantly connects their unfilled shift to a community of over 65,000 flexible workers.

Not only does the integration streamline admin and reduce manual work for TEAM Software by WorkWave users, but it will also play a big part in improving workers’ access to fair, fast and flexible work and opportunities in the Facilities Management industry.

The new technology will bring over an estimated 200% increase in opportunities to the Orka Works app this year and save over one hundred thousand hours of manual data entry every month for Timegate users.

Nick Groves, CCO of Orka Technology Group, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Timegate by TEAM Software by WorkWave to address both the skills gap experienced by the industry and to create more job opportunities for workers in the space.”

“By collaborating with TEAM Software by WorkWave on this industry-first integration, we’re able to improve access to jobs during a time when having quick, safe and convenient ways to earn money is more relevant than ever. All whilst reducing manual tasks and heavy admin for one of the largest sectors in the UK economy.”

Christian Berenger, Director of Growth at TEAM Software by WorkWave, said: “The FM industry continues to face global hiring challenges. Creating convenient access to a qualified, vetted and flexible workforce will help our customers deliver on contract requirements, remain commercially viable and protect the company’s reputation. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Orka Technology Group to keep the Facilities Management space innovative and competitive.”

 

Hiring and retaining talent impacted due to challenging economic times

Olivia McHugh
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Recessions, cost of living crises, credit crunches, financial downturns, economic volatilities, and slowdowns are challenging for any organisation and its employees. However painful they can be, the underlining fact is that they are temporary situations within a marketplace and therefore require a short to medium term strategy to successfully navigate through them. Businesses will survive and thrive with specialist skills and proven experience. Therefore, hiring and retaining talent during these times is a key priority.  

Despite current economic concerns, recent ONS data shows that the number of vacancies in October to December 2022 was 1,161,000. These remain at historically high levels and although the redundancy rate has increased to 3.4 per thousand employees in September to November 2022, this still remains low.

“The demand for talent remains strong” said Taryn Wilkinson of executive and management recruiters, Walmsley Wilkinson.

“However, as we’ve previously experienced during recessionary times, the current economic backdrop will certainly impact on recruitment – one of the best ways to secure your business is to hire and retain the best people. 

“It’s a myth this can become easier if more candidates become available due to redundancies elsewhere. Identifying the true talent is key, those with highly specialist skill sets will always be in demand. Encouraging and supporting risk averse individuals that are in employment, to make a career move during uncertain times is a tough ask. Despite the offer of a career enhancing opportunity with excellent financial rewards, candidates will still need to be convinced of the long term stability and security of the employer. 

“Yet that doesn’t mean that retaining employees will be easy. Previously loyal individuals may be experiencing the financial pressures of the cost of living crisis and feel the need to seek an alternative role elsewhere with a higher salary offering. It is often the case that those with long tenure are penalised for their stability. Their salaries can lag below market rates and those of former colleagues who have moved companies more frequently.

“Organisations are experiencing increased costs across many areas and therefore supporting employees further financially does need to be viable. However doing so will help to retain talent for the long-term and assist in achieving the best operational results during demanding times.”

According to the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook report, which surveyed over 2,000 senior HR professionals and decision-makers in the UK, the expected median basic pay increase has risen to 4% overall and as much as 5% in the private sector. These are the largest pay increases recorded by the CIPD since it started tracking this in 2012. However, with inflation already hitting 10.1%, it will feel like a pay cut to most workers. In response, the CIPD is calling on employers to look at other means beyond pay to support employee financial wellbeing and improve job quality in the current cost-of-living crisis.

Taryn Wilkinson continues “Recruiters often talk about client-driven or candidate-driven recruitment marketplaces during periods of economic expansion and contraction, arguing that the balance of power and increased needs / expectations shifts from one to the other. There is some merit in this description, but nevertheless the ability to hire and retain talent does not become any easier. 

“Regardless of any economic climate, it requires effective continuous talent acquisition and retention strategies including planning, processes, engagement, identification and decision making. This needs to be achieved in an agile way supported by experienced and proven recruitment business partners”

Walmsley Wilkinson, owned by two partners, Linda Walmsley and Taryn Wilkinson, offers professional solutions for executive and management recruitment needs. They support a variety of organisations, including large corporations, family-owned entities, private equity and the third sector to identify and secure the best leadership talent, across the UK and internationally.

For more information, visit: https://www.walmsleywilkinson.com/

SLATER HEELIS COMPLETES DOUBLE LAND DEAL IN SADDLEWORTH

Olivia McHugh
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Two-phase deal totalling circa £17.5million sees new school and housing for Diggle

THE commercial property department of North West-based law firm Slater Heelis has completed a double land deal in Diggle, Oldham, which began with a new Saddleworth secondary school and culminated in much-needed new housing for the area.

Acting for client WRT Developments Limited, Slater Heelis associate solicitor Camilla Thornberry completed the disposal of the first part of the site, located off Huddersfield Road in Diggle to Oldham Borough Council in May 2020. Planning had already been obtained for the new secondary school to occupy this site in September 2017. After years of delays and protracted negotiations the deal had to be completed within a very tight timescale, all against the backdrop of the first few weeks of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.  

The remainder of the site was subsequently sold last year to Redrow Homes for the construction of residential properties. The access road into the site is shared with the school and was subsequently adopted by the highway authority.

Planning was in place from March 2022 for 77 residential properties, of which eight would be affordable with the remainder being market housing. Redrow has now stated that it is proposing an alternative scheme which would reduce the density of the development to 66 homes. 

The site was formerly occupied by Shaw Pallet Works which ceased trading in 2006.

Camilla Thornberry comments: “I was delighted to be involved in these transactions and to assist WRT Developments Limited finally to achieve the sale of this site after years of hard work by a number of people. This deal is not only great news for local families – whose previous school building was no longer fit for purpose – but also for the wider local community that have been in need of new housing.”

HARD ROCK CAFE MANCHESTER SEES TOUCHDOWN FOR THE BIG GAME

Olivia McHugh
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Tailgate menu brings a new meaning to ‘full-time’

As fans prepare for the showdown between Kansas City and Philadelphia in Arizona on Sunday 12th February, Hard Rock Cafe Manchester has gone the whole nine yards with its Big Game night, with the return of its popular Tailgate menu, live music, cheerleaders, drinks bundles and a big screen to watch all the action.

Running from 9pm to late, fans won’t miss a second of the gridiron action as they blitz the Tailgate Menu created especially for the Big Game, featuring an all-star line-up of fan favourites including the likes of baby back ribs, Buffalo sliders, Tupelo chicken tenders and cheese fries.

And for the ‘Extra Point’, there’ll be live music from Outfoxed, who’ll be playing a set of American classics; an appearance by the Salford Sirens cheerleaders – and free half-time popcorn.

Target the Tailgate menu and you can pick from this winning line-up:

  • Classic Nachos – Crisp tortilla chips layered with ranch-style beans and a four-cheese sauce blend, topped with fresh pico de gallo, spicy jalapeños, pickled red onions, melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and green onions, served with sour cream on the side.
  • Wings – Hard Rock’s signature slow-roasted wings tossed with classic Buffalo or barbecue sauce, served with celery and blue cheese dressing.
  • Baby Back Ribs Starter – 1⁄2 rack of Baby Back Ribs, served pre-cut in individual portions for perfect sharing. Seasoned with Hard Rock’s  signature spice blend, then glazed with house-made barbecue sauce and grilled to perfection.
  • All-American Sliders – Three mini-burgers with melted American cheese, crispy onion ring and creamy coleslaw on a toasted brioche bun.
  • Buffalo-style Sliders – Three mini-burgers with crispy onion ring, classic Buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing on a toasted brioche bun.
  • Tupelo Chicken Tenders – Crispy chicken tenders served with honey mustard and our house-made barbecue sauce.
  • Onion Ring Tower – Hard Rock’s signature crispy onion rings, perfectly seasoned and served with barbecue and ranch sauce.
  • Cheese Fries – Hard Rock’s  signature, crispy fries layered with cheese sauce, smoked bacon and sprinkled with green onions, served with a side of ranch for dipping.
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HARD ROCK CAFE MANCHESTER SEES TOUCHDOWN FOR THE BIG GAME 4

The Tailgate Menu is 2 for £24.95, 3 for £30.95, or 4 for £36.95.

What’s more, Budweiser bundles are £17.50 for five or £80 for 25.

Book is recommended; to reserve your table for The Big Game at Hard Rock Cafe Manchester, visit Open Table

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