Safaraz Ali - Author of the Easy4Life business blog

Go with the flow!

2020-05-08T14:44:00.001+01:00

We are no longer able or willing to go with the flow

Nor can we merrily carry on

This seems to be more than just a fly in the ointment,

We have heard all the talk about unprecedented times

and unintended circumstances

We are now hearing about muggers, assailants, and magic Monday’s

They say that the thinking that got us here, will keep us here

and nothing is straightforward as it seems

do we need new thinking, some fresh hay in the barn?

Maybe, or maybe not

But if we think in terms of consequences,

the consequences of doing or not doing

it will help move the conversation from our rights

to our responsibilities, from stepping down

to stepping up

It's your time again to step up!

do more, be more

and no longer just go with the flow!

Skills and funding update for the funded adult education sector

2020-04-06T20:12:00.000+01:00

COVID-19 remains the headline for the moment

We have had several announcements from the government and the adult education sector representatives thus far and I’m sure more will come. The month of April will clearly bring many further announcements as we go further into the crisis but one of the key announcements happened a few weeks now and was welcomed by the sector. That is that the monitoring of delivery processes has been put on hold in this difficult period, including halting Ofsted inspections and ESFA Audits for now.

Despite the uncertainty there has been some assurances from the powers that be, and in this respect for some skills providers there is some positive news with the release of the Procurement Policy Note 02/20 Supplier relief. This document is the guidance from government which will result in on-programme payments for AEB, ESF and apprenticeships for all providers based on recent performance. For providers delivering Adult Learner Loans there has been no announcements (yet) about the approach that will be adopted here, but that Is expected to hopefully come soon.

With these updates most providers have a certain level of security for their next few months, albeit the funds will be reconciled with a reconciliation processes that’s likely to take place in the new academic year and will be accounted for then.

In other news that may have been overlooked in the last few weeks Apprenticeship achievement rates have fallen although not as much as was expected! The National Achievement Rates showing 66.9% 2017/18 to 64.7% 2018/19 and many people in the sector were celebrating the less than expected reduction. From what we can gather from the data is that the sector is still generally struggling with the introduction of standards with the achievement rate for framework apprenticeships in 2018/19 at 68.7%, in comparison to 46.6% for standards.

Prior to the recent turmoil – the official unemployment rates were low by historical standards and the main issue was “under-employment”, particularly amongst graduates as this was at an all-time high. The focus as identified in the Budget 2020 and again for most people this seems like a distant past, this budget had a focus to support people to improve their skills to level up opportunity across the country and thereby Increasing productivity, and this depends on improving the skills levels of this generation and the next.

The plans for the government where to facilitate two culture changes: for individuals to be able to train and retrain over the course of their lifetimes; and for employers and the government to increase investment and fill the skills gaps that hold back productivity at a local, regional and national level.

In practical terms the ‘skills progression ladder’ is a focus to be rebalanced towards higher technical qualifications at Levels 4 and 5 as well as ensuring the qualifications at Level 3 and below are there to climb up.

When the facts change then our plan and priorities need to change, we hope the skills ladder ambition hasn’t completely out of the window but certainly there will be some adjustment of priorities as the Department for Work and Pensions revealed last week an alarming record number of people had applied for universal credit benefits. The figures stated we that they were 950,000 applications between 16 March, when people were encouraged to work from home, and the end of the month. The department said it would normally expect around 100,000 claims in a two-week period. Some of the more detrimental predictions go far as to say unemployment could rapidly rise to more than 6 million people, around 21 per cent of the entire workforce.

In addition, with the business closures predicted to be as much as 1 in 5 in some cases and the falling levels of confidence, many are already predicting a bleak outlook, young people and those in lower paid roles working in leisure, retail and hospitality sectors are likely to be impacted the most and will need government focus and priority and in this respect they will reach out to welfare to work and adult education sector for a substantive amount of the work.

In terms of present issues from a sector perspective there is the concern where employed learners including Apprentices are furloughed which in effect is a leave of absence or placed on unpaid leave, or where the nature of their employment changes and no longer supports their course or apprenticeship. The general guidance from Association of Employment & Learning Providers (AELP) is for learning providers to continue to support furloughed workers and only resort to using an official break in learning if the learner doesn’t want to undertake any training whilst they are temporarily stood down from work. Hopefully most people will be keen to carry on and make use of this time and see it as an opportunity for them.

For Guidance and information, the Department for Education has launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people, more information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

In addition, guidance for employees, employers and businesses on Coronavirus (COVID-19) is as below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-employees-employers-and-businesses

Moving on, the Department of Education has issued the latest advice pertaining to apprenticeship training providers and End point Assessment organisations (EPAOs). It states that in order to support the sector during any disruption, the initial recommendations is that there is a need for everyone (employer, provider, EPAO, Apprentice) to take a reasonable and balanced approach in these situations and to recognise that the health and wellbeing of individuals is a higher priority than performance measures. Good communications between each of these parties is important to the successful delivery of EPA anyway. So, in these circumstances that communication becomes even more important.

Learning providers wherever possible should continue to deliver especially where remote and other such methods is allowable. This includes completing and signing learners as complete where activities can be conducted remotely, with the agreement of the apprentice, employer and provider.

Where there is a will there's a way, the sector as a whole has stepped up in the last few weeks and there has been impressive stories on LinkedIn and other mediums about providers across the country and how they have reacted and adapted to this “unprecedented “ change.

This period is an opportunity to implement and adjust to new approaches and continue to inspire and engage adults in learning. I can say that first-hand from our organisation that we have looked at practical and pragmatic solutions whilst remaining positive. The digital transformation journey that we were on, like many other providers has been fast tracked – including where needed delivering learner responsive and learner specific resources to continue with the aim to deliver programmes for all learners.

In addition to offering support for the community and stepping up communication flow with all stakeholders, there has been a concerted effort from many to work together as one and support each other across the sector to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on our team members, learners, employers and our business itself. The words every cloud has a silver lining come to mind.

Safaraz Ali

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/safaraz

https://twitter.com/SafarazAli

SOCIAL CARE PROVIDER RESILIENCE DURING COVID-19

2020-04-02T09:45:00.001+01:00

For far too long the health and social care sector has been Inadequately funded and undervalued. In this national crisis the impact and contribution the sector makes to the welfare of us all has been appreciated by the public and recognised by the government.

Care staff and the businesses that provide this invaluable service whether they are care homes or home care providers are truly unsung heroes – “Hats off” to you all.

This is general advice piece written with the basic aim to assist with the pressures that our Health and Social Care Providers are facing from the COVID-19 situation and it is aimed at Leaders within the sector.

In the past Care Providers have experienced many threats and challenges and generally are known to be very resilient in nature. The situation as a sector we now face is very much different, and we all need to be able to support each other as much as possible and truly work together to move forward.

So, let’s begin with the first thing to consider.

1.Communication, in fact, I will go far as to say:

Communication first, second & third!

At all level’s individuals need the ability to raise issues and get answers quickly, and to be able to solve problems where possible,

collaboratively, both internally across your business and externally.

Health and Social Care Leaders should support collaborative working by ensuring that there is frequent and easy flow communication,

My general advice is that this needs to be practical, pragmatic as well as positive.

I would suggest you need to encourage all individuals:

that they need to take responsibility

that they know where to access and refer relevant information,

and what the state of play is at all times,

In addition to what the focus and the priorities are so that we can all ensure that we are all doing our bit!

2. Business Continuity Plans – this is No Longer about a “Tick Box” exercise

Good business continuity planning assists resilience and should therefore be in place. The business continuity plan (BCP) need to be updated and worked on in a collaborative way rather than in Silos.

Every Leader within the business should have their own action and Business Continuity Plans that is produced as a working document and not as a “Tick Box” Document.

I would suggest and generally encourage Board Members and Executives within a business that they should if possible, avoid routine information requests unless there is an intention to analyse the plans and offer constructive guidance.

We need to recognise that some aspects of the plans rely on support from others such as Heads of IT, the Finance Team and possibly outside partners as well.

Where it’s deemed possible – a provider should also offer help to peers – other care providers by discussing/sharing their own local resilience plans and discussing any wider considerations such as transport or school closures.

3. Cashflow is King:

We need to recognise that reduced cash flow will especially impact home care providers, as they are usually expected to submit itemised invoices of hours delivered for each person.

In such cases there may be a time lag of up to eight weeks between delivery of support and payment to the provider.

Delays in invoicing, invoice disputes and non- payment of invoices will have a serious negative impact on providers’ cashflow – The providers finance Team need to plan quickly and manage in detail daily and weekly activity.

In this period there are some local authorities that have offered some structured upfront payment

If you as the provider are lucky enough to get an upfront payment then this needs to monitored to ensure the hours delivered tally with the hours paid as this can easily get out of sync.

Cashflow can also affect Residential Care Homes, it may be possible that local government will offer support by paying on the planned support for people in given care homes and the reconciling for any adjustments due to deaths or other factors. This is even more important as occupancy levels may become more volatile, with potentially more voids due to infection control measures possible offset by extra demand.

4. Retrospective reconciliation – It’s going to happen!

Any payments overpaid will be reconciled - Where the time comes this needs to be handled transparently and with open and frank discussion.

Reconciliation is likely when actual levels of support differ markedly from what was planned and these needs to managed in the budgets of all providers.

All Health Care Providers should be mindful of all the extra costs they are incurring during this period, and of problems they may face in reducing variable costs in such a volatile operating environment.

As a Provider you should also be mindful that, where actual support levels are significantly below plan, then the commissioners may have needed to fund support elsewhere.

5. Sick Pay- the changing landscape

Health Care Providers face increased cost pressures due to higher sickness absence rates among their workforce: you may need to pay staff Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or make sickness payments at a higher level than SSP because they have a contractual sick pay scheme (also known as an ‘occupational scheme’), which offer workers payments above the basic minimum amount of SSP, which is £94.25 per week.

When emergency legislation is passed, employers’ liability for SSP will start at day one rather than day four, and requirements for workers to self-isolate will further increase financial pressures. Given that in virtually all cases providers will have to backfill sickness absence to ensure continued delivery of support, this represents a real cost pressure on providers.

Please note that care provider employers are unable to reclaim payments for SSP from Government, except for some temporary arrangements announced in the Spring Budget, which will only be available to organisations with 250 or fewer employees.

Our suggestion is that Health Care Provider should lobby to mitigate this by requesting funding for these extra costs and push for either a lump sum payment or through increasing the fee rate.

It’s possible that the local authority can assist with cash flow by agreeing a reasonable amount based on an assumed average sickness absence rate and paying upfront, rather than awaiting detailed records of actual sickness taken and backfill provided and agree reasonable and proportionate ways of later reconciliation. Each Local authority will have their own approach and this issue needs to be highlighted to get this resolved.

6. Workforce availability & Management

There is no doubt that Health Care Providers will face higher workforce absence rates, through medically recommended self-isolation, sickness and family caring responsibilities.

Other factors, such as the possibility of school closures, may exacerbate this issue. Care providers will need to be able to deploy their staff flexibly and to hire new staff quickly. It’s possible that you may face increased cost pressures from higher use of agency staff.

My suggestion is that here again the Local authority should be lobbied and made aware to assist with these extra cost pressures.

Some Commissioner are allowing flexibility for providers in hiring and deploying staff, for example allowing recruits to begin working after a DBS Adult First check has been obtained, rather than insisting the full DBS checks are returned before a worker can begin providing care, or by allowing staff to be deployed across different care settings or between care providers.

7. Rapid Response & Adjustment of Support

Generally, support will have to be rapidly adjusted. People will be admitted to hospital, care visits changed to meet the most urgent needs and some homecare visits will take longer due to infection control precautions and the availability of staff. In addition, care homes may need to adjust support in order to meet changing needs and to minimise infection risks.

This means that rapid decisions will need to be taken by care providers about appropriate adjustments of care packages. This will likely increase your costs as it will require extra management time to make these adjustments. There is also likely to be a higher ratio of travel to contact time in home care due to the rapid reorganisation of rounds and rosters.

8. The dreaded ECM…

It’s become common practice for homecare contracts to use electronic call monitoring (ECM) to create a system of a “pay-per- minute” billing or to round visit times into defined bands have a built in ceiling on upwards adjustment of hours,

which may make it more difficult to make these rapid adjustments.

The local authorities have on the whole recognised that these need to be removed for this period and all providers should have received communication from their Commissioners.

The “Pay per minute” also carries a significant risk to Providers. In all cases it reduces the financial viability of shorter homecare visits (particularly those that are 30 minutes).

9. Infection Control—The be-all and end-all

As a care provider you will face extra costs through the need for more personal protective equipment (PPE), through the need for enhanced cleaning of care home and other premises or people’s own homes, and through the need to adopt different working patterns to minimise the spread of infection, for example zoning some staff within care homes.

Providers may also face greater difficulty in obtaining infection control products, PPE, handwash and disposable hand towels, due to increased demand for them.

Leaders in these business need to issue clear instructions to their teams about how such stocks should be made available to staff who need them.

All such pressures need to be communicated regularly internally and externally.

10. Don’t forget the self-funders!

Health Care Providers must continue to provide support to self-funders,

It is important that this is communicated to commissioners so that they have an overall picture of how the whole market is operating,

rather just those providers with which an authority contract’s directly.

It’s possible that Health Care Providers may face pressures from sudden decisions by self-funders to refuse support and then refuse to pay notice periods.

It’s important that Health Care Providers keep communicating with Commissioners to give them a closer view of the issues and challenges so that they can support all Health and Social Care providers operationally and financially to ensure resilience through this period.

Thank you once again to all Care Providers and your teams for your hard work and continued commitment We are certainly in an extraordinary situation we wish you all the best to be able to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on your staff, clients and your business.

2. Business Continuity Plans – this is No Longer about a “Tick Box” exercise

Good business continuity planning assists resilience and should therefore be in place. The business continuity plan (BCP) need to be updated and worked on in a collaborative way rather than in Silos.

Every Leader within the business should have their own action and Business Continuity Plans that is produced as a working document and not as a “Tick Box” Document.

We need to recognise that some aspects of the plans rely on support from others such as Heads of IT, the Finance Team and possibly outside partners as well.

3. Cashflow is King:

We need to recognise that reduced cash flow will especially impact home care providers, as they are usually expected to submit itemised invoices of hours delivered for each person.

In such cases there may be a time lag of up to eight weeks between delivery of support and payment to the provider.

In this period there are some local authorities that have offered some structured upfront payment

If you as the provider are lucky enough to get an upfront payment then this needs to monitored to ensure the hours delivered tally with the hours paid as this can easily get out of sync.

4. Retrospective reconciliation – It’s going to happen!

Any payments overpaid will be reconciled - Where the time comes this needs to be handled transparently and with open and frank discussion.

Reconciliation is likely when actual levels of support differ markedly from what was planned and these needs to managed in the budgets of all providers.

As a Provider you should also be mindful that, where actual support levels are significantly below plan, then the commissioners may have needed to fund support elsewhere.

5. Sick Pay- the changing landscape

Our suggestion is that Health Care Provider should lobby to mitigate this by requesting funding for these extra costs and push for either a lump sum payment or through increasing the fee rate.

6. Workforce availability & Management

There is no doubt that Health Care Providers will face higher workforce absence rates, through medically recommended self-isolation, sickness and family caring responsibilities.

My suggestion is that here again the Local authority should be lobbied and made aware to assist with these extra cost pressures.

7. Rapid Response & Adjustment of Support

8. The dreaded ECM…

which may make it more difficult to make these rapid adjustments.

The local authorities have on the whole recognised that these need to be removed for this period and all providers should have received communication from their Commissioners.

The “Pay per minute” also carries a significant risk to Providers. In all cases it reduces the financial viability of shorter homecare visits (particularly those that are 30 minutes).

9. Infection Control—The be-all and end-all

Providers may also face greater difficulty in obtaining infection control products, PPE, handwash and disposable hand towels, due to increased demand for them.

Leaders in these business need to issue clear instructions to their teams about how such stocks should be made available to staff who need them.

All such pressures need to be communicated regularly internally and externally.

10. Don’t forget the self-funders!

Health Care Providers must continue to provide support to self-funders,

It is important that this is communicated to commissioners so that they have an overall picture of how the whole market is operating,

rather just those providers with which an authority contract’s directly.

It’s possible that Health Care Providers may face pressures from sudden decisions by self-funders to refuse support and then refuse to pay notice periods.

Safaraz Ali

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/safaraz

https://twitter.com/SafarazAli

Business Book Awards 2020 - A message from Safaraz Ali of Pathway Group

2020-03-22T13:37:00.002+00:00

As the Head of Pathway Group Safaraz states: “we are proud to be founding supporters of the Business Book Awards and this year again we are specifically leading the way on the HR & Management category”.

“We’re a business that for the last 20 years has been upskilling and reskilling individuals with level 2 and level 3 qualifications which is mainly people who are at the frontline and ground level. As a lead provider of vocational courses, we get to see, first-hand, the amazing benefits of these qualifications and the impact it has on the learners and the workplace and employers generally tend to agree when asked 78% of employers that chose to train their staff saw a return on investment within just one year.

In this pursuit, Pathway Group wish to encourage organisations and individuals to push the boundaries of people strategy and as stated by Safaraz: “What better way to do this than our association with Think fest and Business Book Awards!”

The shortlist for this year has been strong and, in an era, where workplace learning has traditionally been delivered is under pressure as a result of new technology and changes in the workforce. The books submitted for the awards have been practical, thought-provoking and enables the reader to better understand the challenges presently faced and how to go about solving these challenges.

Good luck to all the finalists and wish you well –the winners will be now be announced by via livestream on https://www.facebook.com/BusinessBookAwards

Safaraz

A message from Safaraz Ali to colleagues, employers, stakeholders and the wider community

2020-03-16T22:49:00.000+00:00

Key message to colleagues, employers, stakeholders and the wider community from Safaraz Ali

There has been rising concerns surrounding Coronavirus COVID-19 and my assurance to you is that Pathway is committed to maintaining business operations as usual wherever we can.

This is the same message that I have passed on personally to our teams and customers and has been agreed amongst our leaders in the business that our focus is to remain business as usual wherever possible, whilst also ensuring the safety and well-being of our all the team members- whether they are office based, academy based or out in the field.

We need to mindful that the situation changes by the day and it also varies from source to source. We continue to monitor and be guided by external advice from Department for Education, the devolved authorities, the awarding bodies we work with and of course local and national government. Our Business Continuity Plans are in place to ensure the high level of service and support you would expect from us.

There is no denying that the Coronavirus is going to have an impact on all of us. It already it some cases has and we are still in the early stages. Further disruption is inevitable. We need to find ways to solve the problems we face, their effects and impact. We also need to listen to and guide our customers and each other at this moment.

At the end of the day when all is said and done, Pathway is a people business and our business is about seeing people and working with them, and the key thing for us is primarily how we get that done and how we provide the support to learners and employers.

I would also say that no one has all the answers, no one knows it all and we as a general rule need to be careful who we listen to, every one out there is giving their “tuppence” worth – some are saying the government is not doing enough and others are questioning experts, at times like now all this does as you have seen is create mass hysteria and herd mentality.

Regardless of your political views and opinions the best and most reliable source is going to be the government and the civil service incorporating NHS and, that is where we should get our most reliable information, please be careful on what basis you form your views and ultimately make decisions and take any action.

So, generally speaking how do we reduce the impact of this and look to continue business as usual as much as possible?

The first thing is that no one willingly will encourage anyone to put themselves or anyone else for that matter, at any unnecessary risk. It’s important therefore for each and everyone of us to know some facts about this situation – at the very least know what the symptoms are and if we do have them, what we need to do – that is act accordingly -refrain from attending work and follow guidelines in respect of self-isolation.

We already know some of the obvious but very important points mentioned by us by official sources regarding hygiene – there is a duty on us to all to be aware and observe general hygiene standards in respect of washing of hands, sneezing or coughing into a tissue or crook of elbow, dispose of tissues appropriately

Where possible businesses need to start thinking about using remote communication and working tools and techniques that are at our disposal. At Pathway we have invested over the last 18 months a considerable resource on this and my message to our team is to make this work for us and lets make use of what we have.

I have also said to all our team members who have appointments at care organisations or any location where there may be vulnerable groups to arrange remote visits or meet with learners/employers off site where possible.

Each business needs to have contingency plans and we have ours, and they are being updated to reflect in the event we are advised to or make a decision to close offices/delivery centres- we hope it doesn’t come to this but we need to plan all eventualities.

As things are developing so quickly with the virus, where possible I’d like to increase the frequency of our internal and external communications that we have. We are seeking more updates on learner by learner basis and to get more transparency on progress and activity.

There may come a time when we are unable to access learners or learners wish to continue and our Tutors aren’t available. It’s important to remain lean and agile in this respect as a business and do what we can to continue activities in a planned manner.

The key message from me is – I know it’s easier said than done but lets aim for as less disruption as we can – listen to facts, accept we can’t control what we can’t control but what we can control is our response and lets keep that measured and balanced. We need to keep our wits about us – for all of us to show leadership and provide support to each other.

I trust we will get through this difficult terrain, with the right planning and the right approach.

Thank you for your time, I’m here to serve you – please share your thoughts, concerns and please keep an eye out for each other.

My best

Safaraz

Celebrating talent and diversity with the Asian Apprenticeship Awards

2018-12-09T00:15:00.001+00:00

Just over a week ago, I had the privilege of being in the room with over 500 talented apprentices, their employers and learning providers at the Asian Apprenticeship Awards. It was a hugely memorable night and there is still a warm glow in our office as we read the many emails and social media messages from winners excited about the opportunities that winning a national award brings.

However, our aim in setting up the Asian Apprenticeship Awards was so much more than creating a feel good factor. This is the third year that our team have run the awards. We set up the event on the back of government research and targets to get more British Asians to consider the apprenticeship opportunities. The cause is important as British Asians are significantly underrepresented partly due to misunderstanding and a certain stigma around this subject. The aim of the awards is to recognise and celebrate the best and as I have come to appreciate, the best people to promote apprenticeships is apprentices themselves. This is why we need to bring out the best of the best, and a competition in the form of awards is a great way to do just that.

Too many British Asian young people are making an automatic decision to go to university without fully considering the alternatives, and then finding their options limited upon graduation. Just as there is an under representation of British Asians considering apprenticeships, by contrast there is an over-representation going to University. We also need to dispel the myth that apprenticeships are only for the less academic it is more about gaining the right experience while developing the skills to thrive in a modern workplace. Many of our winners this year are of graduate calibre, either taking the apprentice route to their degree, or becoming an apprentice after graduation. We hope the winners will share their journey and story and encourage others.

Now we are in year three we have awarded apprentices from all around the country and from many sectors. Our winners are change makers and role models, their talent is world class. They all have a story of determination and hard work, many have overcome family concerns in their chosen career path, and all are conscious of the influence they have in encouraging other young people to consider the apprenticeship route. It was a pleasure to meet them, and many of their proud parents, and I say again, congratulations to them.

Many of our winners named particularly supportive colleagues and managers in their entries. The commitment of the employers who were in the room is to be commended, it is their support that enables their apprentices to thrive. We often hear that employers are the backbone of our country and there is no doubt about that. It is these businesses that we need to step up further as these great businesses will make great apprentices, who in turn make great businesses.

So many organisations have been highly supportive of the Awards and the vision we are aiming to achieve. In their centenary year, we were delighted to have the RAF as our headline sponsor. Each category has its own sponsor, many of whom have worked with us tirelessly in tandem with us. My, thanks to APM, ICQ, NOCN, AELP, Pathway Group, Severn Trent, Dudley College, Birmingham Met College, BAME Apprenticeship Alliance and the East and West Midlands Ambassador Network who continue to support the awards through challenging times for many in our sector.

Finally, my personal thanks to all involved for another successful event. We plan to be back next year and look forward to your support again but in the meantime, the full list of the 2018 winners is on our website and the full photos from the evening are also available as below:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/socialframes/albums/72157704103474624

https://asianapprenticeshipawards.co.uk/2018/12/01/asian-apprentices-year-celebrate-glittering-ceremony/

Culture over Cash by Safaraz Ali in a #CannyBites format

2018-09-15T16:14:00.000+01:00

How can smaller business compete with the larger multi-national companies in its ability to attract, retain and develop a high performing team?

How can you position your company culture at the forefront of the hiring process?

A company culture is often confused with having fun and games. Its more to do with how the team works with each other, the mindset of the people who you keep and the ones you need to let go. The true test of culture for any business just boils down to its ability to attract, retain and develop a team of people that just knows what needs to be done and understands the picture - both the big and the small.

In this Canny Bites video titled "Culture over Cash" we discuss this a little more. Please feel free to also share your thoughts and views below.

#businessculture #cannybites #pathway2grow #culturedevelopment #culturechange #cultureovercash

Talking about People and the most important qualities I seek - a new video

2018-06-24T02:38:00.002+01:00

Running a business is not a "One man Show" and No one is "self-made" in that respect.

We all need people and we have all had the support of others in our lives to help us in some shape or form. The key is always finding and working with the right people for you.

My view is that the best of your team work themselves - in that they work for their own self respect, values and ambition.

They are self-motivated and want to do the right thing so nobody has to push them, drive their performance or mico-manage them. They themselves are keen to make their mark and make a difference in everything that they do. It is these people that we want in our business - I look for people that are humble and hungry (from my 3H system).

These people are true assets and benefit all around them including the wider community. They are hungry (ambitious) but not ruthless or arrogrant in their beliefs and attitudes. They are loyal, patient and are working towards the long run and lasting success.

The 3 Hs of Hiring - the 3H Management system by Safaraz Ali

2018-05-27T18:13:00.004+01:00

This is an original concept created by myself back in March 2015 and used by my team at Pathway Group in its recruitment and company culture:

The H3 Model talks of three key attitudes that when synergised produce high levels of engagement and productivity.
Hunger – motivation and more importantly the drive Habits – positively reinforcing and encouraging good practice Humility /Humbleness – The understanding that even as the mentor you are still a mentee. See video above:

Do you need to come up with new ideas?

2018-04-28T23:48:00.000+01:00

In the fourth of my video series that I am referring to as "Almost too good to share", This one is about ideas and asks the question: Do you need to come up with new ideas?

There are many thoughts on generating ideas including some well know quotes:

• Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

• The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.

• Capital isn’t that important in business. Experience isn’t that important. You can get both of these things. What is important is ideas.

• It's not about ideas. it's about making ideas happen. The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.

So in general views on ideas can be grouped as follows:
(1) They are hard to come up with
(2) They are easy to come up with, but hard to implement
So whatever your thoughts are, I have come across a site that can assist in this process – https://answerthepublic.com/
have a look and let me know your thoughts. Take a look at my search results below on “apprenticeship levy” and this tells you what people are searching for on google around this subject matter: https://answerthepublic.com/reports/538a65b1-96d6-4287-a7b1-bd095cad4190

see the video here: https://youtu.be/b6AFTebGAQY

Lessons of Priti Patel’s resignation

2017-11-12T02:04:00.000+00:00

Recent news of Priti Patel’s resignation as International Development Secretary leads me to ask the question: is there any lessons from the resignation and what can we learn from it?

Well to start with Senior Tory - Crispin Blunt stated that "Patel did not have a grounding in Ministerial Experience". Now, whilst she may have broken ministerial protocol, the question is, was she aware of the wrong she was doing? Did she have the necessary support in terms of mentoring and guidance within her role to give her the knowledge she needed?

In terms of overall political experience - Patel has been involved in politics for a while; she was appointed to William Hague’s press office during his Tory leadership however, she left politics for a career in public relations. She was unsuccessful in winning a seat during the 2005 election; however, she was regarded as a potential MP by former Prime Minister David Cameron and won the Witham constituency in Essex in 2010 election. In 2014, she was appointed as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and following the 2015 General Election, she was appointed as the new Minister for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions and then moving into her last post as International Development Secretary in July 2016, that to me seems like a fair amount of ‘grounding’.

Crispin Blunt also suggests that Patel was ‘accelerated’ to the Cabinet position because she was an ‘Asian representative in the Conservative party’. The Parker Review urges business leaders to better represent their employee base and the communities they serve through improving the ethnic and cultural diversity of UK Boards. Although this was implemented by the UK Government, it could be inferred that the requirement to bring more diversity to the Cabinet may have led to important training and mentoring to be overlooked.
Improved diversity in the workplace is something we can be proud of – businesses thrive on diverse experience and ideas from its workforce, but if people are not employed based on their skillset, which can be honed and nurtured, problems can arise. I’m unsure of Blunt’s allegation in the case of Priti Patel as she did have previous senior level experience in the industry however the actual allegation of ‘fast-tracking’ to her senior position in the Conservative party was described as a great asset for the party as she was an ‘advocate for the whole community representing the Tory party’ and her obvious enthusiasm for the role highlighted her capabilities. So, if this was the case, was this fast-tracking justified?

Something we can argue and possibly agree on is that although Patel was acting in what she believed to be in the best interest of the country, she failed to follow the correct protocol, something that may be down to a lack of mentoring and ongoing advice.

I think we can learn a lot from this. We need to recognise generally that there is so much value added to businesses that employ a diverse team, but we must provide the support to help them grow in their own capabilities, which will benefit the business as a whole.

If we were to look at the talent we have in our workplace, how can this talent be best nurtured and developed? Is there an effective mentoring programme in place? Are we aware of and honing the strengths and supporting the weaknesses within our workforce’s capabilities to ensure we have both a well-balanced, diverse and informed team?

In terms of the Parker Review recommendations, its generally understood the importance to promote diversity in the workplace allowing organisations to better connect with their customers and also to increase the bottom line, as well it being the right thing to however how does one mitigate and reduce the chances of it going all wrong and accusations of “fast-tracking” for diversity and targets and cultivating the right people

I’d be interested to hear your views below, or tweet @SafarazAli.

Kind regards,

Safaraz

Do you need to come up with new ideas?

2017-08-08T10:08:00.002+01:00

Do you need to come up with new ideas?

There are many thoughts on generating ideas including some well know quotes:

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.

Capital isn’t that important in business. Experience isn’t that important. You can get both of these things. What is important is ideas.

It's not about ideas. it's about making ideas happen.

The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.

So in general views on ideas can be grouped as follows:
(1) They are hard to come up with
(2) They are easy to come up with, but hard to implement

So whatever your thoughts are, I have come across a site that can assist in this process - http://answerthepublic.com/ have a look and let me know your thoughts.

Take a look at my search results below on “apprenticeship levy” and this tells you what people are searching for on google around this subject matter: http://answerthepublic.com/seeds/3484fc8001bc1dc38962

From Apprentice to Executive Series: meeting with Peter Marples one of the most influential people in apprenticeships

2017-05-24T10:59:00.000+01:00

Peter Marples is one of the most influential people in further education and apprenticeship training. He is a big ambassador of apprenticeships and a real example of huge success achieved via the Apprenticeship route, it is an apprenticeship that started Peter off and now he is the head of 3AAA (Aspire Achieve Advance) and therefore an ideal individual for our video series: “From Apprentice to Executive”.

However, the man who use to help his mum and Dad run their village post office in the Derbyshire Peak District should not be here. In May 2007, Peter should have been in a helicopter with his close colleague and friend Phil Carter of the training provider Carter and Carter with which Peter’s business Assa had merged.

But in this great game called life; God’s will, Lady Luck, call it what you will, was on the side of Peter and he was not on the flight that killed Phil Carter and his 17-year-old son Andrew.

After coming out of early retirement which only lasted a few weeks, Peter has gone on to be the founder of the highly successful training provider 3AAA (Aspire Achieve Advance) along with Di McEvoy-Robinson, a former principal of West Nottinghamshire College.

It has achieved significant success and expansion including an Outstanding Ofsted report, creating 40 training centres called academies nationwide and is now one of the largest apprenticeship providers in the country employing over 500 staff itself.

Peter’s early days:

As a child in a family that ran a Post Office, Peter Marples was used to handling money at an early age and it seemed a natural step for him at the time to take an accountancy apprenticeship with Derbyshire County Council at the age of 16.

After this he joined the Audit Commission. This led to him being head hunted by KPMG where he ran the education section advising the Department for Education and the former Further Education Funding Council. It was only following this that he went into a business career that has seen a lot of success.

Peter Marples made news initially when he led a consortium to buy ‘his’ football team, Derby County, after the club went into administration.

In one way it was a great success because ‘the Rams’ returned to the Premier League but in others ways it did not work.
The problem was that he had thought running a football club would be like running a business but it did not work out that way.
“It was probably the craziest thing I have done,” he said.
“It’s one of those things that you get caught up in the emotion of buying the club you support and when you get into it you realise it is not what it seems.”

However, if running a football club did not work out entirely as he might have been hoped, there is no question that Peter Marples plays in the Premier League when it comes to being a successful apprenticeship provider.

This is not a man to make his private life public but it is known that a passion for cars led to him making a £75,000 donation to BBC ‘Children in Need’ in order to drive Ferraris belonging to DJ and television personality Chris Evans.

Face to Face

In my meeting with Peter at his head office in the heart of Derby we spoke about a number of topics including his core beliefs, his leaderships style, building teams creating a business culture and growing a business as well as the changing landscape including the apprenticeship levy. Peter said “I was never motivated by money” and “I am very passionate about apprenticeships” these are the formulas to making a business successful and it is why Peter’s 3AAA is very successful and as he jokingly said 3AAA’s success also comes because “being in the top of the alphabet is a huge advantage”

To add, speaking about the new levy Peter says “the levy is here to stay” and that “the levy is going to be transformational” Peter believes that the new levy is a new change for the apprenticeship world and it’s not going anywhere.

Since, Peter himself started as an apprentice I asked if he has any advice to give any younger people who are thinking about doing an apprenticeship. He replies by saying “I would advise 14-15 year olds to start early, start going to career fairs or even providers like ourselves”. And with regards with making choices in a business perspective, Peter believes that “if your going to make fish and chips be the best at making fish and chips”

To say the least, it was a pleasure meeting and interviewing Peter and it is no wonder why 3AAA and Peter are thriving in success because Peter has a mind of a true entrepreneur and a real passion for the work he does.

Connect with Peter here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-marples-4a413317

Thank you to all the team at 3AAA and Peter for taking time out to support our promotion of Apprenticeships via the “from Apprentice to Executive” video series.

CHARLIE Mullins will tell you that apprenticeships are the way forward.....

2017-05-16T20:12:00.000+01:00

CHARLIE Mullins will tell you that apprenticeships are the way forward for everybody- businesses and for employees. In addition, that building a successful business is not as complex as many might claim and believe!

And he is a man worth listening to because after leaving school with no qualifications Charlie became Britain’s first millionaire plumber with a business now employing more than 300 people and turning over tens of millions and with no signs of slowing down at all.

Charlie openly supports Apprenticeships at any given opportunity, it is the apprenticeship that started Charlie off in his business, and this is the reason for my visit to his head office near Lambeth Road, to meet with him to discuss Apprenticeships but also entrepreneurship and business.

So, what does a man who certainly ‘walks the talk’ think makes for success in business?

“The way I run my business isn’t rocket science, its common sense,” said Charlie, who after leaving school at 15 – he believes his mistake was not to leave a year earlier – went on to do a plumbing apprenticeship.

Now comes the rub: “The only problem is that common sense isn’t that common.”

Charlie was the typical ‘man with a van’ and when he started in business that is what he had – second hand of course - along with a bag of tools.
Being young in the age of moon flights, Concord and the early pioneering of medical advances such as heart transplants, Charlie had his feet very much on the ground and from just nine years of age he wanted to be a plumber.

“I set out to change the image of the plumbing industry and get rid of the stigma of plumbers always turning up late in rusty old vans, no uniforms and with the arses hanging out their trousers, bad workmanship and ripping off the customer,” he said.

For Charlie plumbing is a trade that should run as a profession with high standards and it is an ethos that he expects from his employees.
His smart blue liveried vans and staff in uniforms have a corporate look.

His firm is regarded as the plumbers of choice for the stars, the rich and famous ranging from former Prime Minister David Cameron to stars of stage and screen and many more.

Apprentice training is part of raising the status and standing of plumbers. He is unhappy that anyone can call themselves a plumber and would also like greater regulation of plumbing including licensing.

In some respects, Charlie Mullins is a man of contradictions and is completely proud of this.
Born and raised on a London council estate, he is proud of his success and not ashamed to wear his money with a love of cars including a £300,000 Bentley. He has a number of homes and admits to spending a lot of money on holidays.

With a keen interest in politics, Charlie believes Margaret Thatcher helped to make it possible for people like him to ‘better’ themselves and set up businesses.

He has advised Government, including former Prime Minister David Cameron and the former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.
However, he is much less enthusiastic about Prime Minister Theresa May and believes Brexit will prove to be a bad mistake.

He is a great believer in young people and a champion of apprenticeships. Charlie is a Patron of the Prince’s Trust and has setup ‘The Pimlico Apprenticeship School’ that he has put to Government and believes would help to dramatically cut youth unemployment.

Charlie is also a sponsor and fund raiser for The Rhys Daniels Trust that provides a home from home environment at Children’s Hospitals.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a position to be able to put something back into society by helping others,” added Charlie Mullins.

But whilst being a strong advocate and champion of young people, Charlie has a huge regard for age and experience.

He makes no secret of the fact that he is keen to employ older people and someone over 100 and another in his 90’s have been on his books.
“Employ older people because their experience is priceless,” he added.

Experience and learning, at times from mistakes, is at the core of Charlie’s business success. He admits that borrowing from a bank was a huge error that almost resulted in the business going bust.
Perhaps it is because common sense is usually a product of age and experience and learning from the ‘school of hard knocks’ that it is not that common.

Charlie Mullins is in his early 60’s and put me to shame with his is very youthful look but what impressed me most was his energy levels shown in his enthusiasm and ambitions which include growing the business to an annual turnover of more than £100 million and having it recognised as the UK’s leading plumbing and service company.

I must say that in meeting with him, I found him truly inspiring, as he is the best kind of inspirer – doing it by example.

Please also review his take on my meeting with him on their website with the link below:
https://www.pimlicoplumbers.com/blog/apprentice-to-executive-filming-for-a-new-youtube-series-with-pathway-group

He is an avid user of twitter - connect with him on:
https://twitter.com/pimlicoplumbers

Thank you to all the team at Pimlico and Charlie for taking time out to support our promotion of Apprenticeships through “Apprentice to Executive” video series and the Asian Apprenticeship Awards.

A personal message from Safaraz for Pathway2Grow Business Community that attended our AGM

2017-04-14T16:06:00.001+01:00

Pathway2Grow held its AGM -our Annual General Meetup (and not a meeting) on Thursday 6th April at Birmingham City FC.

The note below is my personal message to all:

For those that came to Pathway2Grow Annual General Meetup on Thursday 6th April at Birmingham City FC, thank you for joining us and for your continued support and those that weren’t able to this – look forward to seeing you soon.

I portrayed to the audience of over 160 business supporters that I am so proud of all the achievements of our business community across the various formats that we operate - Coffee and Natter, Chutney and Chat, Samosa Saturday and Peer Meetup.

The video below was produced for the event and I utilised it as it as I believe it would get the message across more eloquently than I ever could of our achievements and the journey of Pathway2Grow.

I stated that quite simply our Tag Line: #Network #Learn and #Grow, is the bedrock of our community. We Network at events, We Learn from each other and the fantastic speakers that we bring to the events and this leads to personal and business growth-simple as that!

Any business owner regardless of the size of the business knows that running a business is not an easy task, and it can be a very lonely experience. However, having the right people around you makes it a lot easier. This is where networking comes to its own. Not only does it allow you to meet new people and find opportunities, but also it’s a pathway to forming long standing relationships, enhancing your reputation and building a support structure for yourself and your business.

At Pathway we are ambassadors for networking as a whole and are strong believers in partnerships and strategic alliances. We believe we are an alternative offer to other networking organisations however we do not position ourselves as competitors. I personally believe organisations such as the Chambers, BNI and 4N are all models that work. But like with everything you only reap what you sow, So you have to work at it, to make it work for you.

The P2G platforms are here for you, with no formal membership application process, no joining fee and no annual membership costs. We aim to provide an open, friendly, flexible, no pressure environment and more importantly a supportive environment.

We are proud of our Model and hold it very close to our heart. It has stayed the same since we launched in 2012. It is a fantastic opportunity for business owners to leverage and maximise the opportunities available to develop and grow.

A key part of agenda for the night was to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our members. We are where we are because of the activities and engagement of our members so thank to all of you continued support. I would like to congratulate the shortlisted nominees and the winners for the evening

Award Winners of the night by votes casted were:

Best Elevator Pitch: Haider Mustafa
Keynote Speaker of the Year: Justice Williams
Business of the Year: Leap Minibuses • Male & Female Drivers
Networker of the Year: Aftab Adam Muhammed
Overall Contribution to Networking: Naeem Arif

A special award was given to Mr Nazir Awan for Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to supporting business owners.

Congratulations and thank you all.

I finished off by saying a big hearty / heartfelt thank you to all the P2G team. It is their hard work and effort that make events happen and bring us all together. As most of the business community are aware, they volunteer their time because of their passion and dedication to the community and I truly believe I and the community all owe them a debt of gratitude for this.

Thank you P2G team :-) Abid Khan, Nadia Rasul, Lyn Calver, Mike Gardner, Edwin Ladd, Shan Ghoshal and Ian Preston.

Thank you to all our Ambassadors and regular supporters and finishing off with big thanks to the support team - you guys are the backbone Kasim Choudhry, Brad Edwards and Hira Malik . Thank you.

Best regards

Safaraz

How do you evaluate your investment in PR?

2017-04-10T01:52:00.001+01:00

How do I evaluate my investment in PR? This is a question I have been pondering for around a year now since I came out with the concept of the Asian Apprenticeship Awards last year and started working with PR business. Since then I have read many an article and a few books on this matter as well. I am taking this opportunity to get a few points across in the post. Please let me know your thoughts as well on this as it is a subject that I am hugely interested in.

The way we evaluate the success of PR has evolved and developed over the past few years. Measuring the success of PR is certainly no longer as simple as counting the number of press releases that are published and the circulation. With print continuing to decline, circulation is no longer the main indicator for PR success. Instead we look to indicators such as website hits and social shares.

Who you’re trying to reach is of course also very important. Coverage is far more valuable if the media outlet’s readership consists of your target audience. For example, the Sun has a much larger readership and circulation than the Times Educational Supplement, but for a company like Pathway, for example, an article in the TES would have much more value because it would be much more likely to the read by the ‘right’ people.

Measuring the success of your coverage
The beauty of the majority of media now existing online is that it’s far easier to measure the success of your coverage. Tools such as Coverage Book allow you to view a number of metrics such as reads and social shares. If a piece of online coverage includes links to your company website, you can check in your Google Analytics account to see how much traffic to your site these links generated.

One of the methods that has been used in the industry in the past has been to calculate the value in terms of what it would have cost had the space of the article been paid for as an advertisement. Because of its perceived independence, an item of editorial is generally regarded as being six to 10 times the value of an equivalent value of the same advertising space, but this is regarded a very crude and outdated measure by modern PR professionals.

Quantity or quality?
Whilst high-ranking sites will generally drive more traffic to your site and therefore more actions from your target audience, achieving coverage on smaller sites is also important. Quantity is still important in PR as it creates a buzz around your company. The best way to make sure you’re achieving both quantity and quality is to split your target media into two lists. Your Tier 1 media list should be the ‘quality’ publications. They should have a strong Alexa ranking, good social following, and their readership should be made up of your target customers. Your Tier 2 media are still important, as they will make up your ‘base level’ of coverage, but will likely be made up of smaller sites. When planning a campaign, set a goal for how many pieces of coverage you’d like and how many of those should be Tier 1 and how many should be Tier 2. A 70:30 split is often considered a healthy weighting to ensure quality coverage.

Of course, this method works for controlled campaigns, but negative coverage is a different story. If a training provider received a terrible Ofsted or if the police were called in because of allegations of sexual assault, we can be assured of national coverage and numerous mentions across many platforms but that would be hugely damaging. Quantity in this instance would be the last thing you would want!

Monitoring coverage
It can be difficult to track coverage. Set up Google and social media alerts so you can track whenever your company name is mentioned. Searching your company name in Google at least once a week and ordering the results by ‘most recent’ is also good practice to ensure you haven’t missed anything.

Of course, good relationships with media help with this. Journalists will often send you the link or coverage clipping if you have a good relationship with them. Or just simply ask!

PR success doesn’t happen overnight
PR is a long term strategic activity, and often, you won’t see the benefits until 3-6 months into beginning PR activity. It takes time to build up strong relationships with relevant media, and figure out the sort of campaigns that work best for your company. For example, for the past decade, if you had exercised almost every day, you would have no doubt that this has benefited your health and wellbeing but can you quantify the value – in reality, you would not even try.

Advertising, for example, is easier to measure almost immediately. If I am selling chocolate bars and spend £500 on an advertisement and in the following fortnight my sales increase by £1,000, then whilst other factors may have played a part in this increase, it seems reasonable to calculate the ROI as 2:1. Measuring PR’s ROI is more complex. Success in PR is a measure of brand exposure and positioning as well as a measure of sales. If your PR activity successfully positions your brand, you will see a steady incline in sales. If you sell anything online, you can also set up your Google Analytics to track how many sales come from PR coverage.

For many business owners, the benefits of PR can seem as intangible as concepts such as goodwill, integrity and reputation, but they are in fact measurable and also hugely important. Brand is probably the most important asset any business has and PR is an effective way of maintaining and enhancing it.

As I stated above kindly let me know your thoughts as well on this as it is a subject that I am hugely interested in.

My new personal website journey

2017-03-02T01:06:00.001+00:00

It is said that, ‘571 websites are created within a minute online, every day’.

With Pathway and other businesses, we have built scores of websites but usually this involves a team of people including our digital and marketing team. However recently I have launched my personal site and experienced a more hands on experience and I would like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts with you. The website is now live at: www.safaraz.co.uk

Firstly, It’s a good idea regardless of your position and present knowledge to learn about the digital scene, changes and updates that are taking place in this market place so that you can understand, challenge and make better sites, posts and of course videos.

Here are the top 3 things I think we should all keep in mind:

STOCK V REAL: First of all, YES- Images are paramount to every website. But there seems to be an ongoing debate about whether we should be using stock images, or not.

For me, authenticity is key. And images that are unique to you and your business, are far more likely to connect with online consumers. By using original photographs on your website, you’re ‘humanising’ your brand, and portraying it in the best light.
Think about it, a snapshot of your HAPPY team hard at work, is more appealing than that photograph of an (unknown) model, who has been heavily enhanced on Photoshop.
You’ll find that I’ve shared a great deal of images on my new website- all of them are of myself, my friends, and my associates. All of them demonstrate who I really am.
I’d recommend that you avoid a search on stock photo sites and instead, ask your team mates if they’re up for a photo shoot, also link your images to your Instagram account too, so now whenever I upload to Instagram, it automatically displays on my website as well.

VIDEO CONTENT: If you’ve been in business for long, you will have definitely heard the phrase, ‘content is king’. Here’s the other thing: Visual marketing is SO IMPORTANT. In fact, it’s video marketing that’ll be the real hero of your website.
Videos have become a staple in our everyday lives and are a must now, if there is no video then the site is automatically considered “dated”

I have tried to do a lot more with videos recently with work on my own youtube page and with my website I’ve dedicated a separate section for videos of myself and my recent projects- please feel free to take a look. We all know that the attention span of online customers is short- and they don’t want to waste time by reading too much text and in some cased reading at all. However much more importantly than that video content on your website will develop the trust between your business and potential customers.

MOBILE & SPEED FRIENDLY: Half of all internet visits are done through a mobile device and this figure is rapidly.
In a digitally advanced world, it is important for us to ‘keep up with the times’ and ensure that our websites are mobile friendly and we navigate easily as well bearing in mind the long the site takes to load – speed is really king now!
So, there’s my tuppence worth, let me know once you’ve take taken a look and at www.safaraz.co.uk.

Thank you once again for your time.

Regards

Safaraz Ali (Saf)
p.s above everything else - ensure you come across as relatable (or some may say authentic) on your site and posts. The content on my website is frankly from the heart, so I’d love to hear your valued feedback.

Employee Personal Brand vs Business Brand: Can They Work Hand in Hand?

2017-03-01T08:05:00.000+00:00

Most businesses are aware of the considerable benefits of having employees with strong personal brands; and this is now often encouraged.

As well as the practical benefits of having a strong business brand (such as brand recognition), employing individuals with established personal brands gives organisations that certain ‘human touch’. This is vital for building trust between businesses and consumers.

We are normally drawn towards people with compelling personalities, and those we can build a rapport with. For this reason, most businesses are keen to invest further in employees with a good online presence and following. They are interested in the development of their staff, and would rather work towards them becoming ‘thought leaders and influencers’ in the market place.

At times, these individuals can attract the attention of other customers, new recruits and even competitors, because they are successfully sharing knowledge and expertise through their own platforms. The aim for business owners/ the executive board in this case, is to harness the power of these unique brands, and turn them into advocates of their respective companies.

From a business perspective, however; there comes a point where an individual’s brand can become less of an advantage and more of a threat to the business. This can be due to several reasons, including:

• The individual’s brand could overshadow the business brand. The employee may be perceived as a ‘rock star’, whilst the business remains in the shadow and is eventually forgotten.
• Employees could be abusing the resources and the platform given to them by their employer. This may be for their own personal advantage of self- promotion, rather than in the interest of the business.
• The possibility of personal-branded employees being head-hunted by competitors. The employee may also feel that they have outgrown the role and the business, and decide to move on.

Any form of external attention sought can create internal pressure and is likely to create conflict between the employee and the business. It may be a matter of ‘asserting dominance’, for example, the employer might be trying to weaken the presence of the personal brand, or wanting to control how the employees present themselves online. This could result in the employee feeling resentful towards the business and in turn, bad mouthing the employer to key stakeholders and other associates.

This is usually a far worse outcome than the risks initially predicted by the employer. So, how can business owners negotiate this situation and still harvest the benefits of an individual’s personal brand?

The simple truth is that business owners are better off encouraging a persona brand, as opposed to actively suppressing it. In a world where our social media presence can make or break a career, employees will be trying to develop their unique identities regardless. And when they have reached ‘success’, you will want them on your side.

The key is to take a relaxed approach, and sometimes this is easier said than done. It all boils down to the relationship, and the stronger the bond between you and your employee, the better- for both parties.

Give time, and genuine respect to your employees, and turn them into even greater brand ambassadors, who truly respect the business and would like to see it (and ultimately, themselves) succeed. As the saying goes, “a customer cannot truly love a business until its employees do”. So, it is worth valuing this relationship, meaning respecting the fact that their personal brand is important to them. Whilst being associated with this person, as their reputation grows, so will yours.

What do you think? Can employee’s personal brands and company brands work together for the greater good? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thank you once again for your time,

Saf
Safaraz Ali

Join us on January 25th 2017: Coffee and Natter Birmingham - Free business networking

2017-01-22T19:06:00.001+00:00

A heartfelt thank you to all our supporters and event attendees during 2016. To help kick things off for the new year, we will be welcoming our special friend Micheal de Groot to guest host the show.

Come and join us on January 25th 2017 at Coffee and Natter- A free business networking event where we are proud to have Adrian Taffinder as our keynote speaker:

The agenda for the day will be as follows:
13:00-13:30 Registration and Networking
13:30-14:00 Introduction & Welcome: Delegates will be given a one minute slot to make an impression, and introduce themselves to the group.
14:00-14:45 Main Key Note Speaker - Adrian Taffinder
14:45-15:10 Book Review of Daniel Priestley “OverSubscribed” by – Ralph Watson
15:15 Open Networking, Photos and Video Testimonials

Book via: http://tinyurl.com/CNJAN17

Pathway2Grow’s Coffee and Natter events enable like-minded entrepreneurs to network in a friendly, professional, and ‘no pressure’ environment. Each event is centred around a credible guest speaker, who share their expertise in a certain area of business. The presentations provide value to those who are looking for self-development, as well as personal and business growth- regardless of their industry.

Although we encourage members to take part in the ‘introduction slot’ and make the most of this networking opportunity, it is not a requirement to actively get involved. Whether you are looking to initiate professional relationships, or simply want to learn from our experienced guest speakers; our events will meet your personal requirements and networking preferences.
We’re proud of our growing online and offline business communities. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, simply pick a means of communication that best suits you:
WhatsApp Networking Forums: Send a message to 07825 751 635

You can also enquire about our growing Facebook and LinkedIn groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pathway2grow/ https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8243224

Or ask about our monthly meet ups.

So come and join us, to #Network, #Learn, and #Grow

My best wishes

Safaraz

p.s Book your FREE ticket now: http://tinyurl.com/CNJAN17

Brand of the Year - its the people who make and are the brand

2016-12-05T09:26:00.000+00:00

Pathway Group is honoured to have been recognised as ‘Brand of the Year’ at the Pakistan Achievement Awards 2016. This is a celebration of the collective efforts from each of our team members and as I have said before its the people who make and are the brand.

In addition in theapt words of author and keynote speaker Brian Solis: ‘We live in a time where brands are people, and people are brands’.
And without our ‘people’ at Pathway Group, this highly-esteemed accolade would not have been within our grasp.

We pride ourselves in creating value for trusted business communities. Our Pathway2Grow forums are testament to this as they enable business owners to connect, and build long-lasting professional relationships. We manage our networking groups on a ‘no strings attached’ basis, so members are never asked to ‘sign up’ or pay any form of a subscription fee- All we ask is that our affiliates share their advice and expertise, and participate in online and off-line engagements where appropriate.

We have successfully launched our networking platforms in various cities across the country. Our most recent debut event was the launch of Bromsgrove ‘Coffee & Natter’- a monthly business event which takes place on a weekday afternoon. For those who prefer to network during the evenings or at the weekends, we have set up ‘Chutney and Chat’ regionally, as well as ‘Samosa Saturday’ a networking forum open for ladies only.
Our regional directors have advanced greatly through managing our networking groups, as they have built and raised awareness of their own brands and businesses. We are currently looking to launch our Pathway2Grow groups in other areas of the UK. Not only will this encourage further professional networking, but it will also allow us to create mutually beneficial partnerships with like-minded entrepreneurs.

As leading apprenticeship training providers, Pathway Group has paid particular attention to the upcoming government changes for 2017. The most fundamental transition being the ‘apprenticeship levy’. With the concept of educating employers and apprentices firmly in mind, we have collated useful information about the levy and relayed it in print documents, and at various events. In the run-up to the apprenticeship levy being introduced, we will focus on advising companies on how to prepare for the changes, and take full advantage of them.
In addition to this, Pathway Group is proud of having hosted the ‘Asian Apprenticeship Awards’ in Birmingham, and being able to successfully highlight the achievements of the younger generation. Although this inspirational event was the first of its kind, we are keen to make it the first of many and have plans to relaunch the awards ceremony towards the end of 2017. We look forward to welcoming even more keynote speakers, and celebrating the plethora of opportunities, that apprenticeships provide.

The Brand of the year was presented to myself on behalf of Pathway Group by Baroness Warsi with audience members from the Pakistani Business Community across the UK there on the night. A heartfelt thank you to the supporters of Pathway Group, and to those who share our aspirations. We approach the new year with our continued belief in recognising potential, encouraging teamwork, and of course, the celebrating the value of ‘people’.

Proud moment with The Asian Apprenticeship Awards

2016-11-14T09:43:00.000+00:00

THE very best in apprentices from the British Asian community have taken a bow at a very special awards presentation. The first ever Asian Apprenticeship Awards took place on the 10th November 2016. These awards aim is to celebrate and showcase the best of British Asian Apprentices and the people that employ and train them.

Background and context

Apprenticeships provide value for individuals, businesses, and the economy. Over the last 5 years, more than two million apprenticeship courses have been delivered; the government is now aiming for another three million recruits by the year 2020.

For those who are involved within this particular field, the ultimate goal is that the prospect of higher education, no longer outweighs the opportunity to embark upon an apprenticeship. And with the expansion of Higher, and Degree Apprenticeships available, this seems more likely than ever before.

The opportunities for apprenticeships are rapidly increasing every year. With an immense rise in specialised and highly skilled apprenticeship courses being offered. The government has also put employers in the driving seat – groups of employers, large and small are working together to design apprenticeships so that they respond to the needs of their industries. Current apprenticeship frameworks are being replaced by standards. The aim is to increase the quality of apprenticeships- introducing more rigorous testing at the end of the apprenticeship to ensure that the apprentice is fully competent and grading to challenge and stretch.

There is also the additional change to apprenticeship funding with again the employers being in the driving seat with funding shifting towards them and for employers taking a central role of their own budgets. The first of these changes is planned to take place in May 2017 with these additional changes there is no doubt that apprenticeships will shift into main stream language and culture.

There is a universal commitment in the UK of being able to extend opportunities for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, or religion. In this respect, a number of government targets have been placed to improve the labour market chances for all. These include increasing the quantity of apprenticeships taken on by young people deriving from BME backgrounds by 20%, and then increasing BME employment by another 20%, by the year 2020.

British Asian community is under represented

Most of us recognise that for the success of businesses and therefore the economy and the country as a whole we have to be able to draw upon a skilled and motivated workforce.
It is also clear that our apprentices are vital to providing those skills. But it is also clear that there are not enough of them and especially not enough of them from the British Asian communities.
So the challenge for us is how to help address this issue.

The Asian Apprenticeship Awards are all about doing something practical to make a positive difference and we will continue to do so by highlighting, recognising and celebrating apprenticeship success both with individuals, employers and learning providers that support them.

As the Founder and Chair of the Asian Apprenticeship Awards I stated that “Apprentices are vital to our future but the British Asian community is under represented and “The best way to raise awareness and to encourage others is to show what can be achieved and we have been delighted by the response from apprentices, employers and sponsors.” “Without the support of our apprentices, the people who employ them, our sponsors, judges and ambassadors this event would not have been possible.”

It is envisaged that the Asian Apprenticeship Awards which had representation from across the country and industries will become an annual event.

My meeting with Rami Ranger at the offices of Sun Mark in London

2016-10-25T08:46:00.000+01:00

On the morning of Saturday 22nd October, myself and my team of five went down to see Dr Raminder Singh Ranger commonly referred to as Rami Ranger at his offices & Distribution centre in London. Rami is genuinely a truly inspiring and a very down to earth person. We met for over 2 hours and discussed his participation at the Asian Apprenticeship Awards for the 10th November 2016 amongst many others. A video interview was shot where we discussed many a thing including his views on the economy and the future of entreprenuership.

Background to Rami:

Rami heads a business empire with an annual turnover of in excess of £200 million and operating in 130 countries.
Rami has a remarkable story of a man whose father was assassinated before he was born at the time of the partition of India.
Rami came to the UK in 1971 to study law expecting the ‘streets to be paved with gold’ but when he found that he could not take forward his ambition he took the only job available which was cleaning cars.
His philosophy with that job like, everything else he has done, was to make sure he did it well in order to ‘stand out from the rest.’

“If you cannot do a small job well then how can you be trusted with a big one,” said Rami.
Other jobs followed including working for Kentucky Fried Chicken, the electrical retailer Dixons and running a family convenience store, off licence and Post Office.
But the big change came in 1987 when based in a shed and armed with only a typewriter and £2 he started to help customers export electrical appliances.
A seconding marketing business ‘Sun Mark’ followed along with five consecutive Queen’s Awards for Enterprise as well as one for Exporting.
Still working hard and with no plans to retire, Rami Ranger spends more time on community based work including a leading role with the Princes Trust helping young people.
He is a Government Ambassador for Apprenticeships and also advises the Prime Minister on the subject that is close to his heart.
“I am not a believer is high flyers but want people who can learn and work their way up from the bottom growing with the business as it grows,” said Rami.
“Apprenticeships offer a great opportunity for people to earn and learn.”
But he believes that there is a huge job to be done ‘educating’ young people, their parents and employers about the value of apprentices.
In particular he wants to help to address the under representation of young Asians when it comes to apprenticeships.
“There is a view that apprentices only work in manufacturing and that it is in some way a second class qualification and this is totally wrong,” he said.
It is in order to help spread the word that Rami Ranger is supporting the Asian Apprenticeship Awards and coming to Birmingham to speak.
His story ‘From Nothing to Everything’ is truly inspirational and shows what can be achieved with qualities that include hard work, vision, empathy with others and a desire to work in partnership with suppliers, employees and customers.
“I work with my customers to help them succeed because if they are successful then I am successful,” he said.

Thank you Rami for your support and assistance.

Under pressure: How to be a confident leader, originally published on Medium 01 July 2016

2016-07-05T01:01:00.000+01:00

This was my article that I originally poseted on my medium account here: https://medium.com/@SafarazAli/under-pressure-how-to-be-a-confident-leader-88f36be5d969#.49dw4qarz and I am reposting on this platform to get additional reach. The full post is as below:

Amongst all the political chaos of the past week or so, Jeremy Corbyn has come under mounting pressure to resign as Leader of the Labour Party. Despite mass resignations amongst the Shadow Cabinet and a vote of no confidence from the vast majority of his Labour MPs, Corbyn says:
"I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60% of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Boris Johnson unexpectedly announced he would not be running for Tory leadership, after Michael Gove decided he’d prefer to go it alone and run for leadership instead of backing Johnson’s campaign.

It appears Johnson doesn’t have the confidence to take on Gove; he buckled under the pressure and decided to take a step back. Both Corbyn’s and Johnson’s situations have got me thinking about how we can remain confident as business leaders, no matter what pressures we face.

Do you buckle under pressure?
The majority of people do, but there are ways to train yourself to cope with, and even thrive on, pressure. Pressure is inevitable, and how you react to it can be your make or break as a leader. So what can you do to become one of those leaders who appear cool, calm and collected in the face of pressure?

Put pressure on yourself
This seems like strange advice but the best leaders put pressure on themselves to always improve. Personal pressure to be a better leader can help to focus and motivate you, far more than the pressure others may put on you can.
But give yourself time to breathe
Whilst you should put pressure on yourself to be constantly improving, make sure you allow yourself free time to step away from your leadership role. If you’re constantly putting pressure on yourself, you’ll end up making bad decisions. A break can help you recharge and think creatively.

Be comfortable in yourself
Know what your strengths and weaknesses are, your values, and what you would or wouldn’t compromise on. If you have conviction in what you believe in, you’re less likely to be swayed by the pressure of others.

Delegate to the right people
If you’re feeling unnecessary pressure, it’s likely that you have taken on too much. Delegating tasks to the right people in your organisation is a sure-fire way of relieving some pressure, and will free up your time to do what you should be doing – leading. Leaders who feel the most pressure are those who feel they must do everything themselves.
How do you deal with pressure? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below or you can tweet @SafarazAli.
Kind regards,
Safaraz

keynote speech from Jeff Hoffman in Manchester Business Rocks earlier this year

2016-06-30T13:11:00.001+01:00

A winning mindset digging a little deeper - a blog by Safaraz Ali posted...

2016-06-17T11:30:00.001+01:00