Budget 2024 review: A bitter pill for SMEs?
Tom Biggs, Partner at Wellers, the Oxford-based small business accountants, discusses the latest Budget and the impact it will have on SMEs.
Business Services
L3 Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) Course
First For Safety Oxfordshire Ltd have teamed up with B4 to offer you a one day L3 Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) Course
Family-Owned Workplace Supplies Business Aston & James named as a Finalist...
The BOSS Federation national industry awards Since 1905 BOSS has been the authoritative body for the UK business supplies industry, supporting the sector and its people. It is a not-for-profit organisation that concentrates its efforts on playing a strategic role in the support, promotion and protection of the industry. BOSS represents all businesses along the […]
5 Tips on How to Brighten Up and Modernise Your Workspace
Here’s how to brighten up and modernise your workspace Your workspace is more than just a place to work; it’s a reflection of your brand, productivity, and creativity. In today’s fast-paced business world, creating a vibrant and modern workspace is key to enhancing employee satisfaction and overall efficiency. At Aston & James, we understand the […]
Finance & Insurance
B4 Finance Ecosystem: The specific opportunities and challenges that women encounter...
Charles Stanley are committed to fostering a proactive approach to investing and their goal is to empower women to make well-informed financial decisions and capitalise on potential growth opportunities. They also strive to support women in crafting their unique financial narratives, enhancing their knowledge, and understanding of investment strategies, and building a robust and influential female network.
Understanding HMRC tax investigations: A guide for business owners
Simon Smith, Managing Partner at Wellers, discusses what business owners need to know about tax investigations, including whether you could be a target.
Wren Sterling named in FT Adviser Top 100 Financial Advisers list...
Wren Sterling is celebrating its eighth consecutive year of making FT Adviser’s Top 100 Financial Advisers list. The awards reflect the leading firms in the UK financial advice and wealth management markets and were announced at FT Adviser’s Financial Advice Forum event in London on the 24th September.
Latest
The Ultimate Guide to Office Relocation – The Cost of Moving
Following on from our 5 Reasons to Relocate, we’re looking at the costs involved in moving office. Moving office can be expensive, so it’s important to fully understand the cost involved and plan your budget ahead of time. Thinking back to your reasons for moving, there could be many financial benefits to relocating. In which […]
Sustainability
Blenheim Palace named Sustainable Tourism Provider of the Year at UKinbound’s...
UKinbound, the UK’s leading travel trade association that represents the interests of the UK’s inbound tourism industry (international visitors) – which generated over £31 billion for the UK economy last year – awarded Blenheim Palace the accolade of Sustainable Tourism Provider of the Year at its Awards for Excellence ceremony on Thursday 26 September.
Engineering Excellence Sponsors return to Cherwell Business Awards
High Spec Composites Ltd are very proud to be returning sponsors of the Engineering Excellence category in the Cherwell Business Awards 2024. The Engineering Excellence Award is open to businesses of all sizes who are engineering and manufacturing quality products or components within the Cherwell District.
Art and design students team up with top sustainable fashion designers...
Oxford Brookes University students gained real life fashion industry experience by creating and building a set for two top British designers as part of London Fashion Week 2024.
Latest Digest
Issue 61 – Henley Festival
Issue 61, featuring B4 members.
Conference & Events
NOVEMBER B4 Members Lunch at The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels
November B4 Members Lunch
FEBRUARY B4 Members Lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn
February B4 Members Lunch
B4 Mid-Summer Platinum Dinner in The Yurt at Nicholsons
B4 Members are invited to join us for a mid-summer’s dinner in The Yurt at Nicholsons, a beautiful setting for a relaxed dinner.
Professional Services
Part 4 of the ‘Fast growth secrets’ series: How to embed customer...
Following our roundtable discussion in Manchester, we explore how fast growth tech businesses can embed the customer and people experience for competitive advantage.
Part 3 of the ‘Fast growth secrets’ series: How to embed ESG...
We held a roundtable discussion to explore the fast-growth secrets of technology businesses and why they should embed ESG into the DNA of their operations.
Part 2 of the ‘Fast growth secrets’ series: The Cambridge and Oxford...
We reveal the fast growth secrets of technology businesses in Cambridge and Oxford.
People
B4 Members of the Month – Nikki Gracey of Sobell House...
This month’s Member of the Month is shared between two amazing people who have both gone beyond the call of duty in many ways.
Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace: World Mental Health...
In case you haven’t seen Jonna Mundy, CEO of You Consultancy Ltd. is hosting a CIPD event not to be missed! Whether you are an HR professional or specialise / have an interest in Health and Wellbeing, why don’t you join Jonna and a fabulous line-up of guests at the Mercure Oxford Hawkwell House Hotel. […]
How do you motivate employees who are too comfortable?
Half of the challenges brought to the table at the latest B4 People Ecosystem were about motivation. We focused specifically on what to do about employees who are under-performing and who aren’t motivated to change.
Sales & Marketing
The Stables Studio: All Purpose Events Hub & Creative Studios
Welcome to The Stables Studio – your all-purpose events hub and creative studio located in the tranquil countryside, just a short drive from Oxford, Birmingham, and London. Whether you’re hosting a private event, a business meeting, or a creative workshop, we provide the perfect setting for ideas to flourish.
New book by Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill shows Blenheim Palace as it’s...
Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, twelfth generation of the family, takes readers on a privileged tour of Britain’s Greatest Palace in her latest book, ‘Blenheim – 300 years of Life in a Palace’.
Challenges – We faced them all!!
Traffic, sickness, client disasters and kids being sent home from school were just some of the challenges our B4 colleagues faced. BUT 15 made it and joined the BDM Ecosystem session in September.
Property
Oxford Property Consulting commit to B4 until the end of 2026
Experienced local property consultants, Oxford Property Consulting, joined B4 several years ago and have found it a very useful platform to connect with senior leaders in Oxfordshire and to raise awareness of the excellent services they provide, so much so that they have now confirmed a two year commitment to B4.
Wootton Science Park unveils £35 million masterplan for new SME science...
Hartwell Plc, the automotive and property development company, has unveiled emerging designs to deliver new carbon efficient lab and workspace buildings for small and medium sized science and technology companies and amenities at Wootton Science Park to the south-west of Oxford.
HR consultant moves office from garden studio to Howbery Park’s Manor...
Jane Fryatt, who set up her own HR consultancy in 2018 in her garden studio, has moved to offices in the Manor House at Howbery Business Park. Jane has been coming to Howbery Park since 2012 as all of her children have been to Puddleduck Nursery. After setting up her own business at home six […]
Local Government
OxLEP Skills: Opportunities for Oxfordshire Employers 2022-2023
If you were ever wondering what opportunities there were for Oxfordshire employers to engage with future generations, look no further.
Oxfordshire’s green champions unite to host inaugural OX to ZERO conference
OxLEP joined forces with the leading Oxfordshire voices of the University of Oxford, Harwell Campus and the Culham Science Centre-based UKAEA to host the first-ever OX to ZERO conference (1 September).
‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire..’ Case Study: Ducky Zebra, the sustainable kidswear brand...
‘Often girls’ clothes are pink, cute and impractical. They promote kindness, but not always confidence. And boys’ clothes are often blue, aggressive and adventure seeking. They promote confidence, but not always kindness. I wanted to bring these two characteristics together and allow all children, no matter what their gender, to celebrate both kindness and confidence.’ – Sally Dear, Founder of Ducky Zebra
Strategy
Businesses enhance strategic skills thanks to Oxford Brookes Business School
Senior managers from businesses in the UK and internationally have been enhancing their ability to execute strategies on a new course at Oxford Brookes Business School.
The Season of New Beginnings in Your Leadership Journey
Spring is thought of as the season of new beginnings, bringing new life to plants, trees and flowers and although it may not officially begin until 20th March, now is a great time to think about new beginnings in your own professional journey. This change of season is a great time to reflect on the things that you have planned for the year, and how you are going to accomplish them.
Why questions are the answer to navigating business turbulence
Whether it is developing a robust strategy, crafting an effective tactical plan or delivering operational excellence, as a business leader, stakeholders expect you to have the answers. But what if your answers are solutions to the wrong problem because the problem is not what you think it is?
Tech, IT & Comms
The Ultimate Guide to Office Relocation – 5 Reasons to Relocate
We explore some of the common reasons why businesses relocate. Have you considered all the potential benefits? Many factors can drive an office move. Sometimes it is forced upon you by your landlord, at other times, you spot an opportunity that seems too good to miss. Before you commit to transferring your operations elsewhere, you […]
The Ultimate Guide to Office Relocation -The Timeline
How long does it take to relocate a business? The timeframe for an office move depends on the size of your operation. If you are a micro business, based in a serviced office, you might complete the whole process in a month. However, for an SME moving from one leased premises to another, expect to […]
The Ultimate Guide to Office Relocation – Introduction
Is the lease expiring on your current business premises? If so, this is an ideal time to evaluate whether the site is the best fit for your organisation. We’ve supported several organisations to plan, prepare and execute the process. Drawing on this experience, we have produced a series of articles that outline key considerations and […]
Web & Social
How do I hire a web development agency?
It can be tough finding a good web development agency – mainly because there are so many agencies out there, and it can be hard to know which one is the right fit for your project.
How do I choose a good web design agency?
The first thing to appreciate when choosing a good design agency is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, so you’ll need to find an agency that can tailor its services to meet your unique requirements.
Overview of Digital Services Tax (DST)
The UK’s Digital Services Tax (DST) came into operation on 1 April 2020. This tax is designed to ensure that the major social media, search engine and online retailers are subject to a 2% tax on revenues generated from the participation of UK users of their services.
Responsible Business
Gala Dinner for Ukraine at Blenheim Palace
On Saturday evening, invited guests and dignitaries convened at Blenheim Palace for a wonderful fundraising event aimed at supporting Ukrainian students to help them access intensive, short-term bootcamps in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Join us to help disadvantaged people in Oxfordshire this winter
Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) have launched an appeal to raise £60,000 towards its Living Essentials Fund. The Living Essentials Fund will help the most disadvantaged people in our county who are struggling to afford the basics – housing, food and warmth. Grants will be made to grassroots charitable organisations across Oxfordshire working to support them […]
B4 Member of the Month – Phil Lawrie, Silverstone Museum
Last month we launched a new Member of the Month Award where a Member is recognised for epitomising the true spirit of B4. Helen Fallon was a very deserving winner of a lovely bottle of Hundred Hills bubbly for being an all-round key part of the B4 community.