<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/40569a7af876d0516139c070a33a9b6c.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Joanne Tyler, owner and director of eponymous solicitors’ practice Tyler Law, has been active in the legal profession for almost twenty years. During the summer of 2020, Joanne <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/tyler-law-owner-talks-about-keeping-ahead-of-the-covid-19-curve-as-wales-deviates-on-work-from-home-advice">featured</a> as part of the Leaders Council podcast series and spoke about how her early anticipation of a UK lockdown had enabled her business to adequately prepare. Yet, as the pandemic continues to wear on, even the rollout of a working vaccine has provided little respite for business as the government has <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55554550">enforced</a> a third national lockdown in England and similar restrictions have come into force in the devolved nations. Writing for the Leaders Council, Joanne reflects on what impact the pandemic has continued to have on businesses in the legal profession since August, what must be done to protect a wilting housing market and the employment that it generates, before sharing her thoughts on how regulations around self-isolation for those entering the UK must change. Following on from my <a href="https://youtu.be/kfoAD8UuvR8">podcast</a> in 2020 with Sir Geoff Hurst, the last few months have proven to be extremely challenging for all people in the UK, not just business owners. During the first lockdown, the housing market was effectively forgotten, closed and not really able to move. After the first lockdown, we were provided with a much-needed boost from the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53319433">stamp duty holiday</a> issued by the government. It has been the case for both myself and many professional colleague this year that we have witnessed and been part of a yo-yo effect from zero to 150 miles per hour. This has come at a time where we have been forced to find different ways to work, protect staff, protect clients and protect our businesses. Solicitors have had to deal with the boom in conveyancing while many staff at firms are still furloughed but with little understanding from the general public of the pressure that can be placed upon the individual. I have regrettably witnessed Law firm owners breaking down on the phone because they cannot cope or being extremely volatile, having to support clients and take abuse because their nerves are frayed. They have also had to support those people who have lost loved ones due to Covid 19 and had to assist them in their hour of need. Elsewhere, we have seen a multitude of suicides. Thousands of people are <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19roundupeconomybusinessandjobs/2020-07-02">losing their jobs</a>. I have had many fee earners in chains leave either the conveyancing market completely due to the pressure of not only work and Covid 19, and many of them move from legal practice to legal practice. Being a solicitor, as I see it is as being about listening to your client, assessing their needs and how best to help them.The real toll and cost of Covid 19 cannot just be felt and measured in the daily death or infection toll or financial toll, it is the mental and emotional long-term cost which will hinder the ability of this country and its businesses to bounce back. Many people’s lives are either becoming decimated, or mentally they are burnt out or frayed at the edges. As a business owner it is terrifying to see your work drop or stop overnight due to new tiered measures or full lockdowns. We have all now put in place contingency plans [or should have] and even some of those business that have planned as much as they possibly can, will not survive, which is the sad truth.The housing market is one of the cornerstones of the UK economy and supports subsidiary businesses such as estate agents, conveyancers, lenders, insurance companies, retail, DIY, construction, and self-employed tradespeople. Everything that can be done to boost the housing market must be carried out, in order to protect all of these industries and the jobs they create. The stamp duty holiday must be <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/01/17/slash-stamp-duty-council-tax-level-britain-sunak-told/">extended</a> until at least the end of May, since it must be recognised that the national lockdown, tiered measures and Covid infections have all caused delays. It cannot be expected for the government to close the country but still maintain this stamp duty deadline. Of course, there is an economic argument, but the country needs to get out of this pandemic first, immunise the population, and then look to how the debt is repaid. Now is not the time for a counting of coins. In relative terms, many businesses have had to take the same gamble in taking out <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-treasury-coronavirus-covid-19-business-loan-scheme-statistics">Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme [CBILS]</a> loans on the basis that they will still exist once this has passed to be able to repay that debt.No matter how pressurised I feel, I am taking extra time to find the humanity in just a conversation with someone on the phone and take the time to really listen and speak to them, to try to understand what the other person is going through. To find the commonality of what we are all going through. To do something as simple as to thank someone. I have on social media praised other firms for the good job they have done or are doing, rather than just pump out what is great about my firm. It is important to let everyone know they are appreciated and have a sense of worth. I am not worrying about the bigger picture at the moment, but rather worrying about the here and now, the next job, the next hurdle. There will be a time to worry about the bigger picture, but it is taking each day as it comes which is the priority for now.Lastly, I feel that we have to introduce greater regulation on isolating those people travelling to the UK, and since this is a forced measure, the individual travelling must pay for the costs of isolation and testing rather than the UK taxpayer. We are an island and can easily do this while the vaccines roll out and we think of the longer-term picture ahead of next winter. The internal markets must be allowed to open and work while any ability to re-infect the population is contained as per the models shown in Australia and New Zealand. It is not tenable to expect the NHS or businesses to keep going, mentally, emotionally, and financially: everyone needs consistency. The wider world is in exactly the same position and the travel corridors as they are, are not working.Photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@brut">brut carniollus</a> on Unsplash</div>

Joanne Tyler, owner and director of eponymous solicitors’ practice Tyler Law, has been active in the legal profession for almost twenty years. During the summer of 2020, Joanne featured as part of the Leaders Council podcast series and spoke about how her early anticipation of a UK lockdown had enabled her business to adequately prepare. Yet, as the pandemic continues to wear on, even the rollout of a working vaccine has provided little respite for business as the government has enforced a third national lockdown in England and similar restrictions have come into force in the devolved nations. Writing for the Leaders Council, Joanne reflects on what impact the pandemic has continued to have on businesses in the legal profession since August, what must be done to protect a wilting housing market and the employment that it generates, before sharing her thoughts on how regulations around self-isolation for those entering the UK must change.

“I have witnessed Law firm owners breaking down”: solicitor Joanne Tyler reveals the realities of Covid-19 for legal practices amid conveyancing boom and falling house prices

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/25f5454c1f7becde55f261bb3e75b404.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin"><a href="https://www.coffeehunter.com/">Mercanta The Coffee Hunters</a> celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2021, and the milestone could not come after a more testing year. 2020 will never be forgotten for the challenges that society and individuals worldwide have faced and continue to face, and the same applies to the specialty coffee business that provides a living for so many.Managing director <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/members/stephen-hurst">Stephen Hurst</a> has already <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/mercanta-director-talks-covid-coffee-and-the-challenges-of-leading-a-small-team-spread-across-six-different-countries">reflected</a> much on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic with the Leaders Council, which has affected his business considerably. He and his team were left having to find ways to restructure virtually everything that they were committed to at origin, without cancelling or abandoning their purchase contracts. They also had to move ahead with business that had only been agreed on a “good faith” basis. Staggeringly, Mercanta pressed ahead with doing business in this way, according to Hurst, when several other operators in the industry were already setting about cancelling their own origin purchase contracts. In Hurst's eyes, it was never an option for Mercanta to operate in any way but the right way.<a href="https://www.coffeehunter.com/the-journal/2020-a-year-that-will-never-be-forgoten/">Writing on the Mercanta blog</a>, Hurst said: “The Covid crisis exposed a moment in time when the power of commitments and long-standing came to mean something. I did have to reorganise and restructure many shipments, to plan product flow and inventory build-up. April 2020 sales were the worst in Mercanta’s recent history – and it was crucial to reposition incoming coffees to match the virtual halt of outgoing orders, at least for 4-6 weeks. But nothing at origin was cancelled, just reorganised.“With a commodity coffee price hovering around US$1/lb, I felt our commitment to buying Arabica coffee at origin never less than $1.80/lb FOB was even more important/relevant.“Many people buy unsustainably priced coffee, but the fascinating thing is nobody sells it. I actually have no problem with the reality of the world that a great deal of coffee is transacted at unsustainable prices, but I am yet to see any coffee sold as cheap and unsustainable. Another key point to the Mercanta Minimum Price guarantee is that we apply it to EVERY single arabica coffee purchase from origin [we conclude one robusta contract a year]. So many other companies buy some coffees at decent prices and but not all of them. Our policy is applied to 100 per cent of Mercanta arabica coffee purchases at origin.“Principles and ethics need to be long-standing and durable in all weathers. And no challenge has arisen more complicated and visceral than Covid in 2020.”Another significant source of pride for Hurst is that the business and the industry together have shown a significant amount of resilience and adaptability to keep connected and keep going through the crisis.Mercanta itself comprises of 22 people spread across seven offices and coffee labs on three different continents, and through the use of technology and a concerted effort they have managed to remain connected and keep working through the pandemic.Hurst adds: “Mercanta celebrates 25 years in 2021. I am at once pleased, surprised, and rather proud at the resilience and fortitude of the specialty coffee business, whose doom was announced earlier this year. I hope vaccines can eventually bring about a return to “normality” and some of the positive developments, even unexpected developments, over the past months may continue. Genuine quality on arrival will never go out of fashion, ethics in purchasing is not only socially responsible but good business as well, to guarantee and sustain the supply line of quality coffee for future years.“I founded Mercanta 25 years ago. We are a small business of only 22 people in seven offices and coffee labs on three continents. My wish over New Year went out to that hand-picked team, as well as the plenitude of specialty coffee suppliers’ partners, so many of them personal friends, and other stakeholders in the specialty coffee supply chain that move fine quality beans from 15 producing countries to fine quality buyers in 42 countries.”Thanks to the determination shown within the industry over the previous year and the fact that a lockdown-related increase in home coffee consumption has fuelled demand from clients that supply retailers, Hurst believes that through the remainder of the pandemic and as life slowly begins to return to normal, the sector can look ahead to the rest of 2021 with real optimism.“2021 has the potential to be a very special year for many reasons, and I have every hope for the future of our business and the wider specialty coffee world. We are nothing without our customers, and I offer a special thanks to them for not only surviving but, in some cases, thriving, in these uncertain times.“As long as fine quality, sustainably sourced, traceable, raw coffee beans are needed virtually anywhere in the world, Mercanta will be here to supply them.”</div>

Mercanta The Coffee Hunters celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2021, and the milestone could not come after a more testing year. 2020 will never be forgotten for the challenges that society and individuals worldwide have faced and continue to face, and the same applies to the specialty coffee business that provides a living for so many.

Mercanta’s Stephen Hurst highlights the importance of standing by principles and looks to the future with optimism as 25-year anniversary in business approaches

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/c65e1a1aba02ff1af31ebc7af054d46e.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Our latest leadership round-up brings news of <a href="https://rdt.co.uk/">RDT</a> announcing a new partnership with <a href="https://sightcall.com/">Sightcall</a>, while <a href="https://www.tceg.com/">The Creative Engagement Group</a> has acquired New Jersey firm <a href="https://vtlo.com/">Vitiello Communications Group</a>. Elsewhere, the <a href="https://www.kentautistictrust.org/">Kent Autistic Trust</a> has shared a guide initially produced by <a href="https://believeperform.com/">BelievePerform</a>, offering tips for keeping on top of mental health during lockdown in the winter. RDT partners with SightcallRDT’s existing insurance platform, ATLAS, already allows property and casualty [P&amp;C] insurers to deliver first-rate digital experiences to clients and optimise their operational efficiency. Through a new partnership with leading video cloud platform service, Sightcall, RDT has now introduced video claims servicing into its offering.The new video claims servicing will bring numerous benefits, including allowing claims operators to work with clients to take control of claims as early as possible, remotely view any potential damages and speed up settlement times as well as reducing the cost of claims.Read the full story announcing the new partnership <a href="https://rdt.co.uk/rdt-partners-with-sightcall/">here</a>.The Creative Engagement Group acquires VitielloThis week, The Creative Engagement Group [TCEG] <a href="https://www.tceg.com/news/the-creative-engagement-group-acquires-vitiello-communications-group">announced</a> its acquisition of New Jersey-based employee engagement experts, Vitiello Communications Group.Established in 1990 by founder and CEO Jill Vitiello, the firm provides specialist services to healthcare companies that are focused toward enhancing the employee experience. Vitiello works closely with internal communications, human resources, and business leaders to develop communication strategies and create change management and culture-related content to help fuel long-term business performance.Following the acquisition, Vitiello will become incorporated into TCEG’s employee engagement division, Forty1. The addition of Vitiello will enable the group to more effectively deliver a wide array of integrated employee engagement solutions to clients across the globe.Russ Lidstone, CEO of The Creative Engagement Group, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Vitiello to The Creative Engagement Group. Jill [Vitiello] and the team are really talented, great people and their addition gives our Forty1 employee engagement division even greater ability to service our global clients. It also underpins our commitment to creating moments that inspire lasting change, as we combine Vitiello’s heritage in internal communications with Forty1’s expertise in employee listening, learning, leadership development and behavioural science.”Vitiello founder and CEO, Jill Vitiello, added: “The Vitiello team is thrilled to join The Creative Engagement Group and to partner with Forty1 to spearhead North American operations. The combination allows us to offer a broader array of modern organizational communication services, which are essential to success in companies that value an excellent employee experience where everyone contributes to a healthy, inclusive workplace culture.”The full story of TCEG’s purchase of Vitiello may be read <a href="https://www.tceg.com/news/the-creative-engagement-group-acquires-vitiello-communications-group">here</a>.Kent Autistic Trust shares importance of mental healthWhile adjusting to lockdown at any time of the year can be a challenge, during the first UK Covid-19 lockdown over the spring and summer, there were many Brits who seized the opportunity to embrace the outdoors and engage in healthy outdoor exercise in the sunshine. However, when the curtailing of freedoms and social isolation continues into the winter months when the weather is poorer and daylight hours are at their minimum, the range of activities to keep oneself distracted can seem significantly reduced.Yet, there are still many ways that we can keep on top of our mental health. After BelievePerform <a href="https://twitter.com/BelievePHQ/status/1322484038230310913?s=20">shared</a> a helpful mental health guide for coping with lockdown in the colder months of the year on its own Twitter account, the Kent Autistic Trust shared the helpful tips with its own plethora of followers to raise awareness among those suffering with autism and remind them and their families to keep on top of their mental wellbeing.The brief but helpful guide includes a range of pointers, such as how best to wake up in a morning to be prepared for the day ahead, limiting the amount of time one spends on social media and reading the news, incorporating activities that can provide oneself with a sense of pleasure or achievement, and keeping active.The full guide can be read <a href="https://www.kentautistictrust.org/post/a-mental-health-guide-to-coping-with-lockdown-during-the-winter">here</a>.</div>

Our latest leadership round-up brings news of RDT announcing a new partnership with Sightcall, while The Creative Engagement Group has acquired New Jersey firm Vitiello Communications Group. Elsewhere, the Kent Autistic Trust has shared a guide initially produced by BelievePerform, offering tips for keeping on top of mental health during lockdown in the winter.

LEADERSHIP ROUND-UP: RDT announces new partnership, TCEG makes new acquisition, Kent Autistic Trust shares mental health guide for coping through winter lockdown

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/d096a9b0211fad65517cf0917e9c98c9.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">At least 60 disabled workers will be offered their jobs back as Evtec Automotive rescues Coventry car parts manufacturer. The plant is back in business after its previous owners Arlington Industries Group went into administration in May 2020. As part of the rescue for an undisclosed eight figure sum, the new Evtec Automotive plant in Coventry will continue to make car parts for many of the major players in the UK automotive sector, with a strong focus on supporting the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) sector. The automotive firm has long employed disabled workers and originally it was part of Remploy, a scheme formerly sponsored by the Department of Work and Pensions to provide on-going sustainable employment for disabled people.Evtec Chairperson David Roberts is behind the acquisition which was completed this week. He has a long history with the plant, having acquired it from Remploy back in 2013, as the government scheme disbanded. It was then renamed Rempower and became a part of the Arlington Industries Group, which went into insolvency globally in May 2020 due to the coronavirus hitting car sales and manufacturing supply chains. David Roberts was approached in 2020 by regional car manufacturers to buy the plant out of bankruptcy, and form the new company Evtec Automotive Ltd. The Evtec team, under Managing Director Kevin Hubbard, has been working hard on filling the plant’s orderbooks while the deal was under negotiation, and has reached its pre-coronavirus monthly sales of £7 million, and is on target to rescue approximately 200 jobs by end of March 2021, with 35% being given to disabled workers. From its 80,000 sq ft plant, Evtec Automotive will continue to supply parts to the automotive industry, including OEMs, Tier One suppliers and the Aftermarket. Clients are auto manufacturers Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Ford and Nissan, and also Aston Martin, Lotus, Levc, Mclaren, David Brown Automotive, Little Car Company and Tevva Motors. Electric vehicles (EV) will be fundamental to the company’s success.David Roberts comments: “The Coventry plant’s rebirth, in 2021, under the Evtec Automotive brand, represents its next natural evolution as it becomes an essential service to OEMs in the UK and Europe for complex assemblies in electrical and cooling systems. “Re-building on its key ethos of practising disability in the workplace, combined with high ethical and social standards, the business is positioning itself as a key Tier One supplier to the rapidly growing EV sector. With JLR and Ford as major customers and wonderful supporters, the business has an ambitious growth plan as demand for electric vehicles grows. Employing more disadvantaged people combined with a commercial profit and being part of making our planet a greener place for our children, it can’t get any better.” 







































David Roberts sits on a number of company boards and has plans to replicate the model of employing disabled workers across other existing sites and companies.</div>

At least 60 disabled workers will be offered their jobs back as Evtec Automotive rescues Coventry car parts manufacturer.

Evtec continues to support disabled workers following takeover of Arlington Automotive 

Shann Jones is the Founder and Director of The Chuckling Goat, a Wales based producer of Traditionally Fermented Live Kefir.

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“I have witnessed Law firm owners breaking down”: solicitor Joanne Tyler reveals the realities of Covid-19 for legal practices amid conveyancing boom and falling house prices

Mercanta’s Stephen Hurst highlights the importance of standing by principles and looks to the future with optimism as 25-year anniversary in business approaches

LEADERSHIP ROUND-UP: RDT announces new partnership, TCEG makes new acquisition, Kent Autistic Trust shares mental health guide for coping through winter lockdown

Evtec continues to support disabled workers following takeover of Arlington Automotive

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