Leading business networking organisation NRG Networks is relocating its Swindon group to one of the newest restaurants in town.

Its first meeting for 2012 will take place next Tuesday, January 10, at The Weighbridge - created on the site of the former Archers Brewery, in the heart of the town’s historic railway centre.

NRG was set up in June 2004 and now branches of the organisation meet from London to Exeter and up to the Midlands.

The Swindon group had met for some years at The Marriott, but Jo Smyth, group leader, said it was time for a change.

“We’re very excited about the new move and hope it will encourage more people to come along, meet great people, have an excellent lunch and try out NRG” said Jo, who runs PR and copywriting agency Word Worker.

Martin Davies, NRG co-founder, added: “Quality events, quality people! That’s what people say about our events.”

NRG’s Swindon group meets on the first Tuesday the month, but the January event is being held a week later to avoid New Year. It runs from 10.45am-2.30pm and includes networking, a business problem-solving session, lunch and an expert speaker. Next week’s speaker is Caroline Palmer, of What’s Your Dream?, talking about goal-setting.

Guests are always welcome to attend the monthly meetings.

“A new venue for a new year is very apt for NRG, which is a forward-looking and dynamic networking organisation,” said Jo. “Caroline’s talk will also be the perfect subject for New Year, as we look at the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

For more information about NRG call 0845 40 80 639, or contact Jo at Word Worker on 01666 861149. To book on to the lunch, visit www.nrg-networks.com.

Banks Chartered Accountants were first in Swindon to comment on the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, thanks to Word Worker's great links with the local media.

Within 15 minutes of the Chancellor sitting down, we'd supplied authoritative feedback from Swindon-based Banks, which went up on Swindon Business News's website. Here's what Banks director Neil Elsden had to say:

Two carers from the same Gloucestershire company are celebrating after reaching the finals of prestigious care awards.

Word Worker client Banks Chartered Accountants has some words of warning on new tax penalties.

Swindon Restore, one of the town’s newest charities providing volunteering opportunities for people in the community, is officially open.

Employers in Swindon could face steep fines if they file late tax payments for staff, under new rules which have come into force.
Word Worker client Banks Chartered Accountants is warning employers that regulations relating to income tax and national insurance (PAYE/NIC), which started on April 6, could leave them with hefty penalties if they fail to comply.
Richard Mathews, Director at Swindon-based Banks Chartered Accountants, said the penalty regime imposed by HMRC applies to the late payment of PAYE/NIC on employees’ wages.
“The penalties raised by HMRC are based on the number of defaults and/or late payments which take place in relation to the tax year and increase in magnitude with the number of defaults that occur,” he said. “The penalties are now only just being raised by HMRC for the 2010/11 tax year as they now have details of when all the monthly payments were paid to determine the rate of penalty charged.”
The scale of penalties is: one default in the year, no penalty; two, three or four defaults in the year, 1% of the total of the defaults, including the first; five, six or seven defaults in the year, 2% of the total of the defaults; eight, nine or ten defaults in the year, 3% of the total of the defaults; finally, if there are 11 or more defaults in the year the penalty is 4% of the total of the defaults.
Richard said: “As can be seen from the scale, the penalty can be a fairly substantial amount if the monthly PAYE/NIC payments were also of a fairly sizeable amount.
“Furthermore, should the amounts remain outstanding for more than six months after the penalty date a further penalty equivalent to 5% of the unpaid amount is charged with a further 5% charge being raised twelve months after the penalty date.”
Employers using electronic payments must ensure their cleared payment is with HMRC no later than the 22nd of the month following the end of the month or quarter to which it relates. If paying by post, a cheque must arrive with HMRC no later than the 19th of the month following the end of the month or quarter to which it relates.
Richard added: “Whilst an appeal can be made against these penalties, HMRC are adopting a tough stance and it is advisable to ensure future PAYE/NIC payments are with HMRC on time.”
For more advice on the new penalty regime, contact Richard on 01793 616284 or email richard.mathews@banksca.co.uk
 

A new venue catering for corporate events and private functions is due to be officially unveiled next week, in the heart of Swindon’s town centre – and it’s already taking business.

The aptly name The Venue Swindon is located in the old Apartments nightclub off the Brunel Plaza and a significant investment has been made in a total refurbishment of the premises by the Quality Dining Group, which has taken it over.

Although its official launch isn’t until Thursday May 26, The Venue Swindon has already held a number of events, including functions for Nationwide, as well as a wedding reception and several parties.

With three different and unique function rooms available, The Venue is suitable for both corporate and private functions and plans to go head-to-head with its main competition, the town’s hotels.

“Our aim is to offer a unique and bespoke five star service at an affordable cost,” said Mark Wylie, The Venue’s Sales and Marketing Director. “Where hotels have to keep the costs higher to support the other areas of their business, we don’t.”

The Venue’s three function rooms include the ground-floor Brunel Suite, which has its own bar and can cater for up to 250 people, so is suitable for both corporate events and private functions.

Upstairs is the Arkell’s Suite, which has boardroom set up, projector and TV screen. It can seat 30 round a table, or 45 with theatre seating. Also upstairs is the Club Room - ideal for parties - with a bar and space for dancing, a DJ and live bands.
 
The building has wi-fi and there is handy parking at adjacent Havelock Street car park, as well as in the town’s many multi-storeys.

The Venue is the third facility to be opened under the umbrella of the Quality Dining Group. The other two are based at Gloucester Docks and Cirencester.

As with the others, catering at The Venue Swindon will be provided by the Quality Dining Group. Mark said: “Our background is more than 25 years in catering and we pride ourselves on the quality of food we can offer, be that for corporate breakfasts and lunches, or a whole wedding party. Where possible, it is locally sourced and freshly prepared by our award-winning chef.

“We’re able to cater for any requests and to meet any dietary needs. For example, at The Venue Cirencester we’ve provided a Persian banquet. We’ve also hosted Medieval banquets and, in fact, have one booked to be held here in Swindon.”

To spread the word about its opening, The Venue Swindon has launched a competition to win an iPad. People can enter via Facebook at facebook/thepartyvenueswindon.

The official launch is on Thursday May 26, where local businesses will be invited along to a free event to look around the facilities, enjoy some sample foods and be entertained by local magician Jo Taylor. There are still some tickets available. To apply, or for more information about The Venue Swindon, contact Mat Cole at Pink Pepper Marketing on 01793 554846.

A graduate training scheme set up by a Swindon recruitment company to attract new people into the industry has been hailed a success.

The scheme, set up by Outsource UK and launched in March, has already generated a interest and half of the six positions have been filled. A second assessment day is due to be held on May 17 for potential candidates, where it is hoped the final three will be recruited.

In the recruitment industry, a training programme for raw talent is almost unheard of, as most companies look to bring in only those who already have recruitment experience.

Outsource UK supplies permanent, interim and consultancy IT personnel to a range of companies throughout the UK. Recently, figures revealed that demand for IT labour and skills in the UK had outstripped supply for the first time since the end of 2008, as the volume of advertised positions on offer exceeded the number of 'ready candidates' in the labour market.
 
“We set up the training scheme to take on six graduates – or people of graduate calibre – to train them in recruitment with a view to having a permanent position with us at the end of their six month process,” said Anna Stretch, Outsource UK’s recruitment and training manager. “We have been very impressed with the calibre of applicants but we would like still more people to apply, particularly raw graduates straight from university. The market for IT personnel is growing and to ensure we are able to meet the demand it is essential that we recruit and retain a high calibre of our own employees.”

Successful applicants will be trained in all aspects of recruitment and have the option to take a professional recruitment qualification through the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the industry’s governing body. “By taking on and training our own people we can ensure they are of the highest quality and maintain the high standards we have set,” said Anna.

Based in the heart of Swindon’s railway heritage area, Outsource UK, which has just marked its 20th anniversary, has a string of accolades to its name. It holds the REC audited status and is accredited by APSCo - the Association of Professional Staffing Companies. This year the company entered a published list of the top 100 largest Swindon companies. It also came 9th in Recruiter magazine’s recent list of the Top 50 Fast Recruiters.

Anna said: “Outsource UK is a dynamic and growing company and a very exciting one to work for. We’re looking forward to welcoming our trainee recruitment consultants. We are also still very keen to receive applications from experienced recruitment consultants.”

For further information about the graduate trainee scheme, email Anna at astretch@outsource-uk.co.uk, contact her on 01793 438512 or visit www.outsource-uk.co.uk

Leading Swindon property lawyers Hoffman Male are relocating to accommodate a growing part of their business, wills and probate.

The long-established firm is moving from its offices in Bath Road, Old Town, to new premises at the Windmill Hill Business Park, near the M4 junction 16, on May 3.

Principal Mary Hoffman said the new offices were superior to the current location. They will be more accessible to clients, as they are on a direct bus route from Swindon and parking is free and plentiful.

“We’ve been back in Old Town for three years now, the business having been started in Victoria Road in 1979 by Roger Male. It then moved to Cheney Manor,” said Mary. “Although we are sorry to be leaving Old Town, our new premises are much nicer; they are easily accessible and we need more space. The wills and probate side of our business, which we started only last year, has really taken off.

“Our core business, conveyancing, remains buoyant, despite the downturn in the property market and the commercial property side of the business continues to grow. The fact that we have been able to ride out this recession is down to the loyalty of our clients, who recognise the quality of service that we provide.”

Mary said the relocation was, in part, to help clients, who have supported the business over many years. “There is ample free parking at the new site and, unlike here in Old Town, the new premises are accessible to wheelchair users.”

Hoffman Male will move to its new premises on May 3. All the firm’s contact details – including phone, fax and email – will remain the same. For more details contact Mary Hoffman on 01793 538198 or visit www.hoffmanmale.co.uk

A Swindon IT recruitment specialist company, which started from the managing director’s front room has celebrated 20 years in business.

Outsource UK, which specialises in providing IT personnel to a range of industries, was set up in 1991 by Paul Jameson. It now has a turnover of more than £21m, employs 29 people and has a string of accolades to its name.

The company, which last year relocated from Old Town to prestigious offices Swindon’s historic railway quarter, celebrated with a party for its most valued clients, employees and candidates.

“In 1991, IT recruitment businesses had very little interest in focusing on servicing the needs of clients and candidates, most were much more interested in how much money they could make,” said Paul. “I believed that if I could create a business which had the best interests of our users at heart, we could obtain long-term success.”

Chris Evans, Programme Manager for Outsource UK client Advantage xPO, praised the company’s success. He said: “Congratulations to Outsource on reaching the 20 year milestone.  Paul and his team are a pleasure to work with and I wish them continued success and growth”

Nicky Iddon, of Halcrow - another Outsource UK client – added: “I have every confidence in Outsource. I have been using the company for a long time and they always listen to our requirements.”

Outsource UK’s success is largely down to the excellent team Paul has built around him; some employees have been with him almost from the beginning while ten new members of staff were taken on last year. Close attention is paid to staff training and development, with a specialist training and development manager being appointed recently.

As part of the plan to grow, both organically and through takeovers, the position of sales director was created last year and experienced recruiter Andrea Williams appointed to the role. Outsource is currently recruiting both experienced and trainee consultants.

Paul has big plans for the future. He said: “Within three years I hope to be one of the largest and most profitable privately-owned IT recruitment firms.  This will mean reaching close to £50m turnover and employing more than a 40 recruitment staff. It’s a big ambition but one I think that, with the excellent team I have around me, can be achieved.”

Since its formation, Outsource’s reputation and size has grown. It is the 54th largest specialist IT recruiter nationally and the 174th largest recruiter, out of a total of 7,400. This year the company entered a published list of the top 100 largest Swindon companies. It also came 9th in Recruiter magazine’s recent list of the Fast 50 recruiters.

Its other accolades include accreditation by the industry’s governing body the REC and membership of APSCo, the industry’s professional body. Paul Jameson is Wiltshire Business’s current Business Person of the Year and Outsource is in the Sunday Time’s Virgin Fast Track 100 league table of independent fast-growing companies.

Health food shop owner Diana Romrig is planning to start a community garden – and hopes a landowner will donate a small plot for the purpose.

Diana, who owns and runs her health food shop called Food Friends in Bath Street, Cheddar, is passionate about good food and nutrition.  A qualified nutritionist, Diana is also a food coach, helping people to overcome or manage health issues by making adjustments to their diet.

Diana hopes a community garden will get people involved in growing – and then eating – their own food. Surplus can be sold through her shop to cover any running costs of the garden.

“We already sell a range of locally grown vegetables, which are very popular, as well as artisan bread and a very big selection of health foods,” said Diana, who opened Food Friends last year.

“By starting a community garden we could really inspire people to get involved and grow their own food. We could sell the surplus through the shop, which helps me by increasing the range of fruit and vegetables I can offer to my customers.”

Diana has been asking her customers about the idea and many have shown an interest.

She said: “What we would really like is for someone local, with a spare bit of land, to donate it to us and we could turn it into a fantastic vegetable garden.”

Anyone interested in donating land, or getting involved in the community garden scheme, can contact Diana through Food Friends on 01934 743112 or call into the shop.

The fast-paced adoption of technology-based learning within the automotive industry has led to the launch of a new UK company by a Word Worker client, aimed at delivering eLearning via new technologies.

Recent statistics show that in Europe, the UK saw the highest growth in smartphone ownership last year, which supports predictions that ‘mLearning’ (where training is delivered to devices such as phones, tablets and MP3 players as well as laptops and desktops) will become ever more commonplace.

Plus, Apple recently announced that it sold 16.2 million iPhones and 7.3 million iPads over a three month period, cruising past Wall Street expectations of 15.5 million iPhones and 6.2 million iPads*.

Established training provider rts Group is responding by launching a new company on March 2nd, rts eSolutions, whose aim is to use the latest technologies as a part of a blended approach to training, specifically designed for the automotive sector in the UK and Europe.

rts’s own statistics predict a 300% increase in the use of technology to support learning in the next three years.

Richard Wells, Managing Director of rts Group, said he believed rts was leading the field in automotive eLearning, including the use of podcasts, webinars, iPhone and iPad applications in addition to web-based training.

 “There are something like 585,000** people employed in the UK Automotive retail sector. That’s a huge workforce and to send each and every one away for extensive face-to-face training just isn’t practical. Technology provides the answer by being able to train far more people at once, more quickly,” he said.

“On its own eLearning isn’t a panacea but as part of a blended solution, which includes traditional face-to-face training, it’s extremely effective, particularly at a time when dealers are looking to keep a lid on costs.”

For dealers, the attraction is having staff trained at their desks, or at home without having to take time out of the business.

In an industry which is striving to gain some green credentials, it is also an environmentally friendly solution, by cutting down on the industry’s carbon footprint through reduced travel to course venues.

rts’s own figures predict a 300% increase in the use of new technologies to support learning, over the next three years, as eLearning grows in popularity and as technological advances enable it to evolve.

Among rts’s clients keen to adopt the new approach are, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan. Recent courses, delivered via webinars and eLearning, offered by rts to Mazda via its training academy saw more than 200 people participate. Mazda has received very positive feedback from its dealers.

Phillip Diacono, General Manager of Orpington-based TW White & Sons, said: “This is particularly relevant to courses such as Increasing Profit via Upselling. The whole webinars idea keeps customer-facing staff in the dealership which means we have consistent resource levels.”

Ashley Robinson, Sales Manager, Bristol Street Motors, based in Redditch, said: “A benefit is that we are not forced to go from site as the majority of the material is completed online via eLearning or webinars, which saves the dealership time and money.”

The new company, rts eSolutions, will be headed up by Managing Director Kevin Wise. He said: “It’s an exciting time to be in this field. New possibilities are opening up all the time. It’s our job to work out how best to use those to give real benefits to clients and end users and not get carried away with technology for technology’s sake.”

Kevin said he could see many more uses for eSolutions for the automotive sector, other than just training, such as providing reporting tools and training needs analyses.

The phone apps aren’t limited to providing distance learning. rts also offers iLearn and iTour apps, both learning solutions which delegates can use on training courses they have to travel to.

The launch of  rts eSolutions is just the latest investment rts is making in eLearning. A year ago Sarah Sillars, the then IMI Chief Executive, officially opened the company’s GLOcomms studio – a state-of-the-art recording and editing studio which is used to produce webcasts, webinars and podcasts. rts is also looking into developing an outside broadcast unit to enable live training broadcasts from dealerships.

 *source Apple website
**source IMI

Ends

Notes to editors:

rts was established in 1989 to provide non-technical learning and development solutions to the automotive industry.
It has a team of 148 people spread throughout the globe. Its UK headquarters is in Wiltshire and it has a North American base in Canada.
It comprises three businesses within the rts Group: rts Consultants, rts International and FIMTRAC. On March 2nd, its fourth company – rts eSolutions – will be launched.

Stroud MP Neil Carmichael has heaped praise on a Gloucestershire-based home support and care company for the excellent training it provides its staff.

Neil Carmichael asked to meet some of the team of Stroud-based DoCare as part of National Apprenticeship Week, to find out what local companies were doing to train staff.

DoCare, a family-run business based in Stroud and with offices in Cirencester, Dursley and Yate, supports people in their own homes. It has an arrangement with Stroud College to offer NVQ training to staff, many of them young and with no experience or qualifications.

Mr Carmichael, who sits on the Education Select Committee, said: “I am passionate about education and training and the commitment that DoCare display in the training that they give to their staff is of the highest standard.

“Training people in-house, through apprenticeships, means you can get the best people for the job that you want them to do and shows commitment to the business and your staff.”

Sue Mothershaw, DoCare’s Communications Manager, who was at the meeting, said: “We invest heavily in training and all our training is accredited and monitored, so we can be sure it is of the highest level. By training our own staff to NVQ level 2 we can ensure that we are able to provide an excellent service to our clients, many of whom are elderly and rely on our team to enable them to be able to remain in their own homes. 

“We are delighted to be able to offer modern apprenticeships to our staff in conjunction with Stroud College.  Employees are able to work and earn money whilst learning a skill and gaining recognised qualifications, enabling them to progress within DoCare.

“We have a great career structure, employing more than 80 people across the county and members of our management and team leaders have been promoted internally. As a result, we have a high level of training and commitment to our clients, enabling us to offer an excellent level of care and support.”

Among those meeting Mr Carmichael was Danielle Perry. Danielle, 19, started with DoCare in October 2009 and has excelled in her training, so much so that she is now the company’s team leader for Stroud.

“I joined DoCare as a care worker and quickly decided it was a company that I wanted to stay with and progress in,” she said. “I was delighted when the opportunity came to apply to be a team leader. DoCare supported me through my application and I am now proud to be the youngest team leader in the company.  There are lots of opportunities within DoCare for promotion and the company invests a lot in our training so we are supported to achieve personal goals and objectives and to further our career.”

Also meeting the MP were Michelle Abbott, Area Manager for Stroud and Dursley and Carolyn Smith and Ann Bradley, both support workers, who are currently undergoing their NVQ level 2 training.
 

A new directorship has been created by Word Worker client Outsource UK to develop the business and take it forward.

Andrea Williams, who has nearly two decades’ experience in recruitment, has been appointed to the new position of Sales Director with the Swindon-based IT recruitment company. Andrea’s last role was as MD of an Australian-listed recruitment business in Hong Kong and her experience has been garnered in Australia and Asia as well as the UK.

Andrea said she was delighted to have taken up the post and very excited to arrive at a time when Outsource UK was looking to expand, both organically and through acquisitions. The company is already the 174th largest recruitment company in the UK, out of some 7,400, and was this week ranked ninth in The Recruiter’s league table of the 50 fastest-growing recruitment companies.

“In the short-term I am looking to restructure the company so that our excellent team have an improved career structure,” she said. “I want to increase the depth and breadth of services we offer to existing clients, as well as to new clients and I’d like to further improve the services we offer to our candidates.”

Andrea said she hoped she could bring some new ideas and changes, which have been successful at the other recruitment companies with which she has been associated.

“Long-term, I would like Outsource UK to make even greater strides in the IT recruitment arena and be seen as the natural choice for companies needing IT recruitment services.”

Andrea joins MD Paul Jameson and Finance Director Sandie Gale on the Outsource UK board.

Paul said he was delighted to welcome Andrea to the team. “We have been through a period of growth, with a number of new staff taken on last year and I believe Andrea is the right person to give them the guidance they need to really take Outsource to the next level, as well as to improve our service to our clients and candidates.”

Andrea’s appointment is a great start to 2011 for Outsource UK, which the team hope will be as successful as last year.

A memorable 2010 saw the company relocate to the historic railway works in Swindon; Outsource was also awarded preferred partner status with one of the world’s leading managed service companies, Advantage XPO; it entered the Sunday Time’s Virgin Fast Track 100 league table of independent fast-growing companies; and Paul Jameson is the current Wiltshire Business’s Business Person of the Year. In December, Outsource was granted membership of APSCo, the recruitment industry’s prestigious professional body.
 

The leading independent provider of support and care at home in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire – DoCare (a new Word Worker client)– has celebrated the delivery of its quarter-of-a-millionth hour of care.

DoCare client Margaret Miller, from Cirencester, received the 250,000th hour of care and praised the company for the way it looks after people.

“I enjoy my visits from DoCare as it is great to see the staff,” said Margaret, 71, who lives alone. “They may be the only people I see each day and I really enjoy our chats and the social interaction. They are always happy and cheerful and are very nice people.”

DoCare covers 650 square miles across Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, and has teams based in Stroud, Dursley, Cirencester and Yate. Its head office is in Stroud.

Set up in 2004, this family-run business provides support and care to suit the needs of its clients, which may be only half-an-hour a day or multiple visits per day including overnight support. Help can be long-term or temporary and covers a range of services, from organising meals and shopping, to personal care or helping with housework. By enlisting help from DoCare, people are able to remain in their own homes instead of losing their independence and going into a care or nursing home. DoCare takes both private referrals and those from Social Services. Not all clients are elderly; DoCare can help all adults who need care at home.

In fact, the 250,000th hour of care was delivered to a number of people at the same time, as DoCare has many clients that it visits simultaneously.

Steve Mills, DoCare Managing Director, said: “This is a significant milestone for the company. I am very proud of our record of being a caring company even though we have grown relatively quickly. I am particularly proud of the team, who have continued to provide such a high level of service and customer care.”

Every month, Steve visits several of DoCare’s clients. “I enjoy talking to our clients and am always delighted to hear how pleased they are with the service from DoCare, and that we deliver a very personal touch.”

Margaret has been a DoCare client for more than four years. She is visited twice a day - staff help with her daily needs in the morning and evening. She added: “I couldn’t manage without the support from DoCare. I did have a private carer before I started with DoCare but she moved away and I found DoCare through an enquiry to Social Services and am very glad I did!  I enjoy seeing all the team, men and women, and have a very positive relationship with them all.”

For more information about DoCare - whose motto is ‘let’s make every day a better day’ - contact Communications Manager Sue Mothershaw on 01453 884088 or visit www.docare.co.uk for more information about the services they offer.

Swindon-based SP Computers has started recycling old equipment through its newly-opened trade counter.

The trade counter was set up in response to customer demand for second-hand equipment and also helps the company recycle and refurbish parts which would otherwise be redundant.

Shane Perrin, who runs SP Computers, based at the iO Centre in Stratton, said the company always had a policy of hanging on to anything that could be useful and the trade counter was an excellent way of recycling and helping customers buy value-for-money second-hand goods.

“We have always kept unwanted equipment as a matter of course, because you never know when it might be useful,” said Shane. “At the same time, since we moved over here to Stratton, more customers seem to be interested in buying second-hand, refurbished equipment.

“We set up the trade counter so we could help our customers more easily. We also carry, or can order in, a wide range of new items like cabling and networks which we sell both to the domestic user and to businesses.”

Bargains can include sound cards for £3, which would retail new at £9.99 and a network cable for 50p, as opposed to £4.99 new.

Shane said: “We offer a guarantee on all our second-hand goods. We don’t make much money on it, but just enjoy the idea of recycling equipment instead of having to dispose of it.”

SP Computers, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this autumn, is open seven days a week, 8am-8pm.  For more details about SP Computers visit www.spcomputers.net or call 01793 612101.
 

Congratulations to Word Worker client Outsource UK for winning its latest accolade.

The award-winning IT recruitment specialist has been named as a preferred supplier to one of the world’s leading managed service providers.

Outsource UK, based in Swindon, has been given a Business Partner Award by Advantage xPO, which handles recruitment for a range of companies around the Globe. The award means Outsource is now one of a select group which make up the panel of preferred suppliers to Advantage xPO, which provides managed services to some of the UK’s largest companies, from sectors including financial services and telecoms.

Already, Outsource UK has secured a place in the Sunday Time’s Virgin Fast Track 100 league table of independent fast-growing companies; Managing Director Paul Jameson was named Wiltshire Business magazine’s Businessperson of the Year; and the company became a Recruitment International award winner.

The Business Partner Awards 2010/11 were presented to winners, including Outsource UK, at a recent breakfast ceremony. To gain the award, a comprehensive selection process was undertaken, including a request for proposal and a presentation.
Karen Bryant, Solutions Consultant with Advantage xPO, said: “Outsource UK successfully achieved this prestigious status proving our capabilities in a competitive supplier market. Through this award Outsource UK will support the clients of Advantage xPO.”

Outsource UK MD Paul Jameson said he was delighted to have received the award, in recognition of the support his company provide Advantage xPO. He said: “We have a great working relationship with Advantage xPO and this is testament to that successful partnership. We are delighted to have received this award and look forward to carrying on working with them in the future.”
 

Welcome to our new client, rts, which specialises in providiing non-technical training for the automotive sector.

Word Worker are helping with PR and internal comms

We're writing more and more blogs for people. As businesses appreciate the need to keep their blogs updated but can't find the time to do it themselves, Word Worker is being called on for some ghost writing.

We can't tell you who we ghost for - that would defeat the object! But we can say that our clients are happy with the results; they aren't having to spend time agonising over a blog themselves, and at the same time they can keep their blogs up-to-date. You can post your blog yourself, so nothing is published until you are happy.

We offer five blogs for £150. Check out our packages and prices for more details.

The spotlight will be turned on website writing at this month’s Swindon Businesswomen’s Breakfast Club meeting.

Word Worker’s Jo Smyth will be talking to the group about the art of writing a website.

Many businesses spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds on their website design but if the copy isn’t up to scratch they could be losing sales. Jo will be talking about how businesses can make their website copy that much better to give them the edge over competitors. Keywords and phrases are all important for search engine optimisation and there are ways of including them without compromising the quality of the copy.

The breakfast meeting is open to non-members. For more information visit www.womensbreakfastclub.org.

The latest website to be written by Word Worker has gone live.
Swindon-based Hydraulogic specialise in manufacturing and fitting hydraulic RAMS. Visit them at www.hydraulogic.co.uk

One of Swindon’s newest – and smallest - plant nurseries has opened for the season with a fun-packed day to raise money for charity.

With help of some publicity organised by Word Worker, the event was a big success and dozens turned out to Willow Field Nursery. As well as buying plants, visitors took part in raffles and competitions and raised around £200 for children’s charity Barnardo’s

Willow Field specialises in herbs and perennials. It’s open on Wednesdays and Saturdays but its season is short – it closes July 31st - so get in quick if you want to buy some of their fab plants. More details at www.willowfieldnursery.co.uk

Word Worker has helped publicise the launch of two new firms, by leading Swindon property lawyer Mary Hoffman.

Mary, the driving force at Hoffman Male, has started two new sister companies to deal with wills and probate, in response to customer demand. TLC Probate Lawyers, a partnership with around 50 years combined legal experience, specialises in probate and administration, and Hoffman Wills deals with wills and those needing advice in areas such as lasting powers of attorney. Both new businesses operate from Hoffman Male’s offices in Bath Road, Old Town.

Hoffman Male, almost certainly Swindon’s largest specialist property law firm, evolved from Roger Male & Company, which started in Swindon more than 30 years ago. Its experienced team specialises solely in property and conveyancing throughout England and Wales

Mary Hoffman said that many of the firm’s clients return time and again and frequently asked if Hoffman Male would offer a wills and probate service.

“When people buy and sell houses they are often thinking of the future and their mind turns to the issue of wills,” said Mary. “We were always being asked by our clients if this was something we could help with, so we decided to respond.

“We have clients who have instructed us literally dozens of times. They trust us and know that they will get the same level of expertise and service from TLC Probate Lawyers and Hoffman Wills as they have come to expect from Hoffman Male.”

For more information visit www.hoffmanmale.co.uk or contact Mary Hoffman on 01793 538198.
 

Special offer for spring (well, it’s nearly here) from Word Worker – a free one hour review of the words on your website.  We will look at the content and give you feedback: is it pitched to the right audience? Does it sell your product or service? Is it easy to understand and navigate? Is there anything missing? How can you include more key words and phrases? We will also let you know if we find any shocking spelling or grammar gaffes. So spring clean your website with help from Word Worker by emailing jo@wordworker.co.uk or calling 01666 861149 / 077 806 39287.

An innovative new business venture from communications specialist Charlotte Mannion needed its own website, so Word Worker was called in to write the text for the site. Charlotte’s business – Wedding Speech Me – draws on her extensive experience as a communications trainer and is aimed at anyone having to give a speech at a wedding. The site and accompanying book – How to Give the Perfect Wedding Speech – offer advice and guidance to the groom, bestman, bride and father-of-the-bride alike. Charlotte said: “Jo is a joy to work with. She listens well, ensures she understands the brief, gently stops you from making costly mistakes and writes lovely pieces in exactly my style. You couldn't ask for a better PR person.” All you need to know about making a wedding speech at www.weddingspeech.me

Word Worker was called in when photographer Robert Slade needed a website written for his new venture, Panomorphic. Panomorphic specialises in providing a new and exciting generation of virtual tours, perfect for showcasing any venue, from a hotel to the prestigious Roman Baths. Robert was very happy with the resulting website, which combines carefully selected wording with his fantastic photography.

Robert said: “Jo has a very good understanding of how to get a message across, and a gift of being able to write what I want to say, but more clearly and in less words.”
The new Panomorphic website at www.panomorphic.com is due to go live soon.
 
 

New business venture Cotswold Nordic Walking have taken on Word Worker to help with promotion to bring in participants.

Set up by Veronica (Ronnie) Hodges, Cotswold Nordic Walking runs courses and one-to-one tuition for people interested in taking part in the activity to get fit.

Word Worker helped Ronnie gain coverage in both her local newspapers and her first course is about to get going.

More information at www.cotswoldnordicwalking.co.uk

Cotswold Nordic Walking called in Word Worker to help promote their new courses, walking club and one-to-one sessions to people in the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire area. Nordic walking is a full body work-out because it involves walking with poles and is suitable for people of all abilities and levels of fitness. Business owner Veronica (Ronnie) Hodges was delighted when two pieces appeared in the local newspapers and the response meant she could run a new course, as well as enlist people for some one-to-one sessions. Visit www.cotswoldnordicwalking.co.uk if you’re interested in getting fit and getting out and about!

Communications experts Quicklearn have taken on Word Worker to help promote the company. Wiltshire-based Quicklearn lead the field in assisting managers and their employees to improve their communications skills in all areas, from networking and presentations to customer service and the written word. Word Worker is writing a series of press releases and articles for print and online media showcasing Quicklearn and the work they do. Visit www.quicklearn.co.uk for more on expert communications.

Search engine optimisation is a must if companies want to get a great ranking for their websites. Expert surveyors Cannings Estates Ltd are doing this for their website and have asked Word Worker to re-write the content, making sure the key words and phrases are used. At the same time, Word Worker will give the content the user-friendly touch it needs to encourage visitors to www.canningsestates.co.uk to become clients.