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Exchange start-up support scheme on the hunt for next generation of tech trailblazers

Sam Whitear
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Scale-up programme has supported over 70 businesses, which have gone on to create over 100 jobs and raise more than £7m, in the last two years

Exchange applications close on 30 June

Exchange, has opened applications to find its fourth cohort of tech entrepreneurs who are disrupting and leading their fields. The tech start-up support scheme has seen its members scale, raise millions of pounds in funding, create hundreds of jobs, and win a series of national awards

The scheme based at Department Bonded Warehouse in Enterprise City, Manchester, offers ambitious growing tech businesses a physical base in its tech, media and creative cluster, as well as access to industry experts, networking and learning events, opportunities and introductions for funding and a place in a network of likeminded entrepreneurs.

Programme partners span marketing, hiring, legal and funding functions, giving successful businesses a complete toolkit of resources to excel and become the UK’s next most exciting start-ups.

The scheme’s alumni include Pixel Max, a 3D virtual workplace tech business which raised more than £2 million while it was an Exchange member, My First Five Years, which secured £1.4 million at the beginning of this year and current cohort three members, Versori and Sparkbox, which have both recently completed £1.5 million deals to enable them to grow to the next level.

Across the first three cohorts, over 70 businesses have been supported and over 100 jobs created. The businesses have also raised a combined £7m in funding to support their growth ambitions. Applications for the fourth cohort close on 30 June 2022 with the scheme launching 01 September 2022.

Alice Glover, community outreach lead at Exchange Enterprise City, said: “We’re looking for the most ambitious tech businesses and founders in the UK to join the next wave of start-ups on our scale-up scheme. Starting a tech business and scaling it is no easy feat, especially against the current economic backdrop and cost-of-business crisis. However, ambition, ideas and determination coupled with the resources, community and introductions we can provide give entrepreneurs an extra edge to become leaders of their industries.

“Since Exchange launched, it has been a privilege to see these businesses develop into enterprises that have brought their incredible ideas to life. The support provided by the Exchange scheme is a catalyst for this and we are now inviting the next wave of tech businesses wanting to follow in these footsteps to apply for their place on the scheme.

“Exchange plays an important role in the wider ecosystem at Enterprise City, creating jobs and contributing to the region’s tech scene. Many previous members have remained in the community of tech, media, creative and digital industries after achieving successes on the programme, and we are looking forward to working with our next group of trailblazers on their scaling journey.”

Open Exchange event for tech entrepreneurs

As applications open, Exchange hosted a pitching showcase event, in partnership with Tech Nation, the programme’s knowledge partner, at Department Bonded Warehouse where six current Exchange members gave a three minute pitch and received feedback from their peers and pitching experts. These are regular opportunities that arise for Exchange members to hone their skills and receive professional support that will help them take their businesses to new strengths.

Mo Aldalou, Senior Scaleup Engagement Manager, at Tech Nation, said: “The Exchange programme offers a unique opportunity for founders in that it focuses on giving businesses with already strong foundations the necessary tools to accelerate growth through being part of a network. Entrepreneurialism can be lonely, but members of Exchange have one another to share their trials and tribulations with, experts to offer guidance and a wider ecosystem to be a part of, all of which is incredibly valuable to the scaling process.”

Sean Brown, founder at business infrastructure technology firm and Exchange member, Versori, said: “The opportunities that we have had through Exchange have supported our growth and the encouragement of the wider community is something really special. Being able to participate in events such as the Tech Nation pitching session has crafted the skills we need to take the business from strength to strength and it is brilliant to be able to do that with a network where everyone wants their peers to succeed.”

Email Shortcuts You May Not Be Aware Of

Sam Whitear
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Email has become one of the most fundamental communication methods of the 21st century. Everyone is expected to know how to use this digital message service in the modern workplace, and it is usually a key factor in managing your workload. Therefore, you will want to send and receive your emails as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, there are a few issues that can affect your email speed. These aren’t major problems, but you may want to address them to make your workplace more effective.

Reduce The Size Of Your Files

The biggest cause of email lag is attaching too many files that can’t be processed in time. The size of the file that you attach will affect how quickly your email is received; however, you still need to get those documents through.

Instead of sending your files one at a time, try to find a way to reduce their size first. You can do so by compressing certain files or converting your PDFs to word documents. The recipient can always re-convert these once they have been sent. The conversion is only necessary for sending purposes.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are useful for anyone who uses a computer regularly. These little tricks remove the need to select a series of options with the mouse. All it takes to perform everyday functions are the right combinations of buttons on the keyboard.

You will often select the same options every time you send an email, so try to brush up on some of the more basic email keyboard shortcuts. These include commands such as composing a new email, sending an email, saving as a draft, etc.

Clear Your Inbox

You are likely to access your email service of choice via your internet browser. Web browsers are not infallible, and you may find that they are sluggish if there is too much data on the screen. However, the biggest source of data on your computer is your email inbox.

Therefore, you should regularly clear out your inbox of junk or old messages to give your browser the best chance of functioning correctly. Even an old, large attachment that you no longer need can cause a notable stall in your delivery.

Use Ad Blocking Software

Ads are a common problem when surfing the web. These intrusions were once so easy to avoid, which is why advertising companies have resorted to more subversive methods of getting their message across. One such method is using targeted emails.

These ads can clog up your inbox and make it difficult for your computer to process information quickly. That is why you should invest in some sort of ad blocking software. This approach removes the need to sift through your inbox for unwanted ads, and it can reduce the amount of spam you receive.

Summary

Speeding up your emails isn’t as difficult as it may seem. All it requires is a few clever tricks and the knowledge of what is slowing the process. Use this knowledge effectively, and you should have a much better experience when using emails.

Should your business provide a company car? 

Sam Whitear
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Businesses in many different sectors and niches use company cars to aid operations. However, not all businesses need to invest in such a cost. If you work for a company where driving regularly throughout the week is necessary, then the business may provide you with a company car. In a report from 2018-19, an estimated 870,000 company cars were on UK roads. With the average business looking to reduce their CO2 emissions, the choice of company car is becoming ever more important and hybrid or electric models are increasing in popularity. 

What is a company car? 

First and foremost, what is a company car? As an employee of the business, you can be provided with a company car which usually allows for both business and personal travel. The car itself is either owned or financed by the company which means any insurance, MOTs, tax and car repairs will be funded by them and not by the employee. If the employee does decide to leave the business, then they would have to give the car back. As an employee or business owner, a company car is a great option if you’re looking to cut motoring expenses in your personal life. 

The benefit to employees 

Not only will employees be getting the other benefits of working for the company but receiving a company car can be a great benefit to those who travel often. It offers convenience and reduces the amount of public transport needed, whilst also allowing them to work without having to worry about their own personal vehicles.  

That’s not the only appealing benefit to the employees, as mentioned previously, most companies allow the car to be used for personal use as well. This increases the appeal further as it means that the employee may still have their own personal vehicle which they may only use for short leisure-based journeys, and which will also help reduce the overall depreciation or wear of their car. 

One of the main benefits as an employer is that company cars can be used to attract talent. Company cars are a popular perk which can be highlighted in the job description and used to attract the right professionals to your company. 

Not all businesses require a company car 

Though offering a company car may be a particularly useful tool for businesses to attract and retain employees, not all businesses need to invest in them. If travelling far or often isn’t important for business operations and certain roles, then there’s no need for the added expense to reduce profits. 

Though your business may not have a company car as a benefit, there are plenty of other employee rewards that companies could consider to attract talent and ensure that they create an enjoyable working environment. 

 

Husband and wife led team named finalists for Manchester Small Business of the Year

Sam Whitear
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A husband and wife led team specialising in mobile vehicle bodywork repairs have been shortlisted for Small Business of the Year in Greater Manchester.

Dan and Natalie Normanton and their team at SMART vehicle repair specialists, Revive! Trafford, are up for honours at the prestigious Greater Manchester Business Awards in the hotly contested category of Small Business of the Year, for businesses with 5-10 employees.

The awards ceremony, which takes place at the Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester on Friday 2 September, will celebrate the achievements of businesses in the Greater Manchester area who have demonstrated excellence in the past year.

Impressively, Revive! Trafford enjoyed a record financial year in 2021, achieving a 44% surge in turnover from 2020 figures, and even a 31% increase from pre-pandemic revenue in 2019.

Revwner, Dan Normanton, commented: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for such a coveted award alongside other forward-thinking businesses in the Manchester area. Our nomination is testament to the hard work our team have put in over the past year to deliver the very best for our customers.”

Dan and Natalie launched Revive! Trafford in 2007, with Dan being the only technician during the early stages of the business. Since then, the couple have grown the business from strength to strength, so much so that they now employ six technicians.

But Natalie has no intention of stopping here, with ambitious plans to grow the business even further: “By the end of 2023, we hope to add four new technicians to our team, which will grow our fleet to eleven vans. As we expand, perhaps we’ll soon be shortlisted not for small business of the year, but for even larger honours!”, she remarked.

R2 Factory at Rolls-Royce partners with Northcoders on new Developer Incubator project

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-headquartered Northcoders has with partnered R2 Factory, which is part of the Rolls-Royce Group, to deliver its next generation of mid-level developers using the Developer Incubator product.

Northcoders’ Developer Incubator helps organisations scale their in-house tech teams by hiring a curated team of junior developers, supported by senior developers and mentors for six months or more. The teams are embedded in the companies, and work on their products, with the Northcoders’ senior developer providing support, feedback and guidance to the juniors, and accelerating their value to the organisation.

Specific details of the work being delivered for R2 Factory are confidential. However, the project will last for nine months and involves the development and creation of brand-new software.

R² Factory at Rolls-Royce is a startup with three decades of institutional memory in unlocking hard-to-access data, working with complex systems and legacy infrastructure and building data-driven innovations for the most demanding industrial environments.

The business is made up of engineers, data scientists, innovators, professors and coders who build solutions that work with major global corporate members across a number of sectors by combining advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning with deep domain knowledge and system engineering expertise.

R2 Factory brought Northcoders in as it is growing its team rapidly and needed to take on developers immediately to help it scale at pace.

Ian Whitford, Chief Technical Officer at R2 Factory, says: “We wanted to build a capable software team quickly and have them grow with the business. With the demands on our senior people, we couldn’t realistically get that done in-house as recruitment in a competitive market is incredibly time- and resource-intensive. Northcoders handled all that for us, and the technical mentorship they’re providing to the junior developers has made a huge difference to their trajectory. We were impressed with Northcoders’ speed and responsiveness.”

Commenting on the project, Amul Batra, Chief Operating Officer at Northcoders, adds: “R2 Factory is a leader in its field so it’s fantastic to be partnering with them. Developer Incubator was designed to accelerate growth and support for junior developers, and sustainable value for businesses. We’re delighted with the results – long may it continue.”

NW Cyber Corridor boosted by further investment with HOST piloting NCSC’s CyberFirst Schools in the North West

Sam Whitear
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Innovation hub HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology in MediaCity, Salford, has been appointed as the North West delivery partner for a pilot of CyberFirst Schools, run by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to champion cyber education in the region’s North West Cyber Corridor.

Through its flagship Skills City operation, HOST will deliver the CyberFirst Schools pilot over a one-year period to over 500 schools and colleges from across the North West to inspire more young people to explore careers in cyber security.

The collaboration will further increase fair access to technology careers, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups, including girls and young women. Female representation in the sector is considerably low, with women accounting for just 22 per cent of the UK’s cyber workforce.

HOST, operated by IN4 Group, will draw on its extensive local and national employer network to help facilitate engagement between industry and schools in the region. This will enable more young people to access opportunities, such as mentoring and work experience, outside the classroom and in the growing technology sector.

It will be working with leading industry and regional academic partners including BAE Systems, Raytheon, Siemens, AWS, University of Central Lancashire and University of Salford, to drive further investment into schools and future-proof technology talent.

The contract follows HOST’s successful delivery of three rounds of GCHQ’s Innovation Co-Lab – a programme which aimed to find innovative start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses in the North West. Successful companies took part in a 12-week programme to work with GCHQ technologists and industry experts to improve their products. HOST also held the first North West Cyber Summit in March to support the building of the Cyber Corridor.

The CyberFirst Schools initiative recognises schools and colleges across the UK that are committed to encouraging young people to develop cyber skills, with the NCSC awarding them with a gold, silver or bronze status.

Since the initiative was launched in 2020, 49 CyberFirst schools and colleges have been recognised, helping to develop cyber skills ecosystems around the country and addressing the industry’s cyber skills gap.

The 2022 CyberFirst Girls Competition final was also held at HOST in Salford and was focused on inspiring girls aged 12 to 13 to consider pursuing careers in cyber security.

Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, said: “Being Blackburn born and bred, it’s fantastic to see these great prospects for Lancashire as well as Greater Manchester, and now we have a significant opportunity to inspire future generations into technology careers with the CyberFirst programme. This will have a huge impact on young people across the region, who are currently living in places like Salford, Accrington and Blackpool. The bringing together of education, skills, technology and industry is the key enabler to creating prosperity in the region.

“With the UK government’s investment of more than £5 billion into its new National Cyber Force in Samlesbury, Lancashire, the region is leading the way to establish further innovation and skills as part of the emerging North West Cyber Corridor.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “The NCSC is committed to providing young people with opportunities to excel in cyber security, and our work with industry plays a vital role in this.

“We are pleased that HOST will be piloting our CyberFirst Schools initiative in the North West on our behalf and welcome their support in developing the region’s cyber skills ecosystem.”

The CyberFirst programme offers a range of free opportunities aimed at providing young people the skills, opportunities and exposure they need to thrive in cyber security.

New chair appointed for UK Tech Cluster Group

Sam Whitear
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A new chair has been appointed to head up the UK Tech Cluster Group to continue to support regional tech eco-systems as we begin the post-pandemic recovery.

Katie Gallagher was nominated to take over the role from Dr David Dunn, CEO of Sunderland Software City, after four years at the helm.

Katie has been the managing director of Manchester Digital for 10 years and was a founding board member of the UK Tech Cluster Group when it was set up in 2018. She has worked closely with the organisation and other bodies to champion the tech and digital industry across all of the UK regions.

She said: “I’m thrilled to be voted as the chair and pick up the excellent work began by David. We launched in 2018 to share crucial insights, affect policy change and, importantly, provide a single voice for tech organisations across the UK regions.

“Moving forwards, we are pleased to continue working together at a grassroots level to share connections and best practice across the different regions, as well as being part of the Levelling Up conversation.

“Overcoming the lack of talent, increasing sector collaboration and driving R&D activity are all areas we know that our industry wants us to focus on. In addition to this, we have seen a decline in early-stage start-ups and need to reinvigorate that pipeline and ensure the right support gets to the right people within the tech industry.

“Lastly, I’d like to thank David for his huge amounts of hard work over the past four years and I look forward to continue to work alongside him as part of the cluster group.”

Dr David Dunn said: “I’m delighted to see Katie take over the reins as chairperson for the UK Tech Cluster Group. We’ve made huge progress in creating a forum where regional tech organisations can work together for the greater good, as well as supporting each other, and I know that Katie will continue on this trajectory.”

The UK Tech Cluster Group was founded to bring together tech organisations who understand local ecosystems and share learning of how best to support tech growth across the UK.

The UKTCG works closely with government departments to provide regional intelligence, influence national policy changes and share their on-the-ground insights into the widely varying UK regions.

The group meets regularly to discuss current trends around the tech industry, share best practice and build stronger regional economies.

Should You Take Add-Ons From your Manchester car Dealer?

Sam Whitear
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When buying a car from a dealership, you will quickly find out that it is not just the vehicle itself that is for sale. Car salespeople will also try to sell you a host of add-ons and this can make what is already a difficult financial decision one that is even more stressful. This post will offer advice on what extras you might need, ones that are best avoided and ways to save money.

 

Common Add-Ons

There are many add-ons that you are likely to be told about and it is helpful to be aware of what these are before you head to the dealership. The most common extras include service plans, an extended warranty, fabric protection, chip and dent protection, wheel and tyre cover and gap insurance with the possibility of a few others. Many will ask “is gap insurance worth it?”, but you only have to look at the rate of deprecation to see how much you could lose without a gap insurance policy in place.

 

Why Shopping Online Could Be Best

Many of the above add-ons should be considered and could improve your ownership experience and save you money. However, you might find that it is actually best to buy these add-ons online from a specialist as opposed to from the dealership. This is because a specialist will often give you better deals, better customer service and more flexible options compared to a dealership. Gap insurance is a good example of this as you can get better deals along with flexible cover when you buy online from a specialist.

 

Which Add-Ons to Consider

So, what add-ons should you consider and which are best avoided? As mentioned, gap insurance is smart because it could save you a fortune if you write the car off. In this situation, you would only receive the current market value and this could leave you short by thousands of pounds. An extended warranty should also be considered if the manufacturer warranty has expired so that the cost of electrical and mechanical faults will be covered. Both of these policies could save you a lot of money while also providing peace of mind.

 

Generally, you will find that all other extras are best avoided. Wheel and tyre cover is often included in your insurance policy while other add-ons do not make much financial sense and should be avoided.

 

It is important to be prepared when you visit a dealership to talk about extras. A car salesperson will try all the tricks in the book to get you to sign up for various different add-ons, but not all of these are worthwhile and you are probably better off looking online for a better deal from a specialist. 

Tips For Starting a Home Contracting Business

Sam Whitear
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A contracting business can be a lucrative opportunity, with more people spending time at home due to flexible working options becoming increasingly popular. Due to this, there is a large increase in demand for home renovation and contracting work, so if you are business savvy or skilled at a building trade this might be a good opportunity for you to make use of.


Why start a contracting business? What is a contracting business? 

As a contracting business, you will provide a variety of contracting and construction work ranging from simple home renovations to home extensions. Many clients will already have their own ideas and designs of what they are looking for, however, if this is an area you excel in, interior design or architecture could be a service you look to provide for customers. Whilst you gain more experience in the sector, you may consider collaborating with reputable interior design firms like Visionary Lofts, who specialize in creating innovative and stylish living spaces.

How? Starting out your business

A way to start your own business within contracting is to start out by completing smaller jobs, such as a patio renovation or a small building job. You could start this by initially advertising through family and friends, further expanding using your network to look for contracting work. This will help you to initially get started, and form an initial clientele, building upon this further through word of mouth, a website and social media. 


Registering and setting up your business

Once you take your business past being just doing jobs for friend and family, you should register your business officially and set up a website alongside social media pages. This will be the initial stages of building your brand, and something that you can refer clients to and promote going forward. This could also include a booking system, with clients being able to book jobs directly into your calendar saving you admin time.  


Materials

Material costs are one of the biggest costs to contracting businesses, you should source your supplier for materials, buying commonly used contracting materials like plywood in bulk from a builder’s warehouse to reduce the cost overall, and benefit from economies of scale. 

 

Funding

You will need to raise funding for your business, as starting a construction business won’t be cheap. Make sure to save as much as you can prior to starting the business to fund start-up costs. You could look into getting a business loan from your bank, to help with the initial costs of running your business and get you set up. You could also speak to family members of friends, and see if they would be interested in loaning you money whilst you initially get started – or owning a share within your business.

 

 

PURPLE STRENGTHENS FUTURE WITH NEW BOARD APPOINTMENT

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based technology company, Purple, has secured the services of Chris Dedicoat, former Executive Vice President (EVP) for multinational corporation Cisco, as a non-executive director.

As EVP for Worldwide Sales & Field Operations, Chris led a global team to help drive revenue worth over $47bn. He spent 23 years at the California-headquartered company, during which time Cisco’s IT and cybersecurity solutions have proven integral to Silicon Valley’s position as a global centre for high technology and innovation.

Currently chairman of Packet Fabric Inc, a provider of fast, on-demand connectivity, Chris brings 25+ years of sales and marketing experience in the networking, hardware, software and technology industries to Purple. His innovative and effective sales strategies contributed to Cisco’s dominant position in the market.

Chris has been a strategic partner of Purple’s for many years and will now draw on his industry knowledge to guide Purple as it embarks upon a period of strategic growth. This will see the business drive forward its vision to transform venues worldwide into highly intuitive, intelligent spaces through software including guest WiFi, digital wayfinding and analytics.

Chris Dedicoat commented: “It’s an honour to be joining this highly innovative and growing company as it strives to elevate its position in the technology marketplace. I’ve been continually impressed by the way in which its software enables venues to understand, identify and enhance visitor experience – while also helping them to drive revenue. It’s a groundbreaking provision and only set to advance further and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.”

Gavin Wheeldon, Chief Executive of Purple, commented: “We’re extremely privileged to have Chris’ immensely valuable contribution to the future direction of Purple as we seek to realise our vision. Chris’ incredible track record and expertise as a key player within Cisco and indeed the wider Silicon Valley will prove hugely beneficial to our global team not to mention our clients and partners. His practical experience in managing an industry-leading enterprise sales force will also prove highly relevant to us as we grow.

“He joins our board of directors at an exciting time as we embark upon a new period of strategic growth that will see us expand our presence within specific sectors and across new territories worldwide.”

Backed by Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco, Purple was established in 2012 and embarked upon a rapid growth trajectory in 2015. Its technology enables venues across sectors including healthcare, retail and hospitality to enhance the visitor experience, optimise safety and ultimately drive revenue.

Purple was recently positioned as a Niche Player in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Indoor Location Services*.

The publication of the report was the culmination of rigorous, fact-based research by Gartner®. Industry providers are positioned by Gartner® in one of four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players.

*Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Indoor Location Services, Tim Zimmerman, Annette Zimmerman, 23 February 2022. Gartner and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc, and/or its affiliates in the US and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

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