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Websites under the microscope at MNA Digital event

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31st October 2019

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Businesses were given top tips on how to improve their digital skills and grow their companies at an event in Wolverhampton.

Bosses from local companies of all shapes and sizes were given advice on changes to help them attract more custom and boost their businesses.

The event, run by MNA Digital and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, saw attendees offered expert advice on and tips on how to increase their web traffic and improve their websites to make customers more likely to use their services.
 
Intrepid volunteers allowed their own websites to be scrutinised in front of the audience at Casino 36 on Temple Street to see what changes could be made to make them more customer-friendly.
 
They included Ricky Shea-Francis, 24, of Nike Computing on Tettenhall Road, who was advised on several changes which could make his website easier for visitors to navigate.
 
He said: “I found it really useful and there are a lot of points that I will implement. I felt Matt gave some points that can help me.”
 
Mr Shea-Francis said he wasn’t daunted by having his website critiqued in front of the audience of around 30 people.
 
He added: “I knew my website wasn’t perfect so I felt fine. I will go back to the office and make some of the changes. The things he did mention I will implement them straight away.”
 
Kerry Closswick, from Bradley Environment in Halesowen, which was another company to have its website scrutinised, said: “I found out a lot of information which is good for me as I’m the marketing manager. It is good for an outsider to look at it and for someone else to critique it and give feedback.”
 
Matt Fowell, head of paid search at MNA Digital, who delivered the presentation and was the man tasked with judging businesses’ websites but said he found that the most exciting part of the event.
 
He said: “I always enjoy these events where people are genuinely passionate about building their businesses.
 
“It’s about finding brave people who put their hand up and have their websites critiqued in front of an audience. It opens their eyes. You’re taking a bit of them so obviously they are going to listen intently.”
 
Kris Jones, training and events co-ordinator at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said: “We have put together a series of courses to help businesses in the Black Country. 
 
“Things like this help to complement our offering and working with MNA Digital and the Express & Star has allowed us a platform to provide it.
 
“Offering these taster sessions can get smaller businesses in that may be daunted by larger sessions. It is good to mix and interact and bring businesses together and give them things like this.”
 
Business can access a free website review by visiting https://www.mnadigital.co.uk/website-health-check.
 
The next free business support events will be on November 7 at Hawkesyard Estate in Cannock and then on November 14 at Casino 36 in Wolverhampton. To register visit mnadigital.co.uk/events
 
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News, News Titles

Recruiters need to generate employee loyalty

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8th October 2019

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Building on a recent discussion about the importance of generating employee loyalty, in her monthly blog Kylee Russon, head of Star Employment Services, has some further guidance for prospective employers: 

 
Employers need to recognise that it really is a candidate driven marketplace at the moment, especially for specific roles, such as sales.
 
There will always be more people to fill less skilled roles, often on lower wages, and the difference between them staying and showing loyalty to a company, rather than moving on could come down to as little as an additional 20p an hour. 
 
The same is true for a more skilled professional role – when recruiting anyone for any job it is imperative to offer the very best salary your company can afford.
 
I always encourage employers to offer the most they really can to candidates, even if that means a stretch. 
 
You will stand a far greater chance of keeping a good, well-paid candidate, than opting for a cheaper one who potentially will not have much loyalty towards you and the business.
 
All too often I see situations where a company might advertise a role at £20-25K, but when the candidate asks for £25K the company is unable to honour it. Employers get embarrassed about saying what they can afford but it is better to set correct expectations from the start.
 
Companies need to have a real look at the market and should expect to pay a bit more, especially for sales roles when good people really do drive a business forward. 
 
It’s always better to spend a bit more on a 10/10 candidate, than settle for a 7/10 person. Especially if the difference between the two is just an extra £1,000 p.a. requested by the better employee.
 
If you aim to get the best person for the best pay that you can, it will save having to re-advertise and re-hire. 
 
It’s a challenging marketplace and here at Star Employment Services we’ve had to work at improving our own offering to keep good people, it’s important to stay in line with competitors and the general trends of the market.
 
Attracting quality candidates to apply for a role could just be about increasing the offering by £1,000 a year. 
 
Added to other benefits such as good holiday entitlement, a day off on your birthday, or actively recognising the importance of a healthy work/life balance are also key to attracting and retaining good employees. 
 
If we reward our employees then there is a higher probability they will do well for us. It’s a give and take relationship in the workplace.
 
It’s all about creating a balance. Especially with millennials, they know what they want and what they think they are worth.
 
Companies need to start acknowledging that a bit more.
 
 
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News Titles

Ex-MNA snapper’s exhibition captures life around cooling towers

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27th September 2019

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As time ticks away before Ironbridge’s cooling towers are demolished, an exhibition showing pictures of the landmark through the years will be on display at a festival in the Gorge.
 
Organised by former Express & Star and Shropshire Star photographer Dave Bagnall, The Electric Landmark exhibition pulls together some remarkable images he has taken, demonstrating how this historic feature of the Gorge has left an imprint on the area for a generation. 
 
The free exhibition will be on display at Coalbrookdale Gallery from September 21 through to October 4 as part of the Festival of Imagination, a celebration of the Ironbridge Gorge past, present and future. 
 
Local people, community groups, visitors, artists and photographers have all been inspired by the towers since their construction in the 1960s – and now their inspiration can be seen in the form of unique pictures captured from various locations around the area. 
 
The towers and the Ironbridge Power Station are set to be demolished by the end of 2019, so the festival may be one of the last chances for people to see the landmark structures from the Gorge while they are still standing.
 
“My interest in the towers themselves started when I went up to the top of the final tower as it was being completed to take pictures for the Shropshire Star newspaper,” said Dave.
 
“I went up in a lift, and as you can imagine that was actually quite a hairy experience. 
 
“Over the years they have grown on me and I have photographed them an awful lot of times. They are a bit like hide and seek as you walk around the Gorge, one minute they’re there and the next they’re not. 
 
“Whether you love or hate the towers, there’s no denying they are a pretty weird thing to see in a green valley like this and the pictures I have taken show how they have been a backdrop for the Ironbridge Gorge for a whole generation of people, and as they’ll soon be gone now feels like a good time to pull this exhibition together.”
 
The Festival of Imagination launched at the weekend and runs until September 29 with a variety of activities taking place. 
 
From poetry, arts, crafts, music and film to futuristic virtual reality, coracles and world record breaking bridges, the Gorge will be a hive to fun and activities. 
 
The festival kicked off on Saturday evening with folk music and street food at the Maws Craft Centre. Also running for the length of the festival is an exhibition of the work of the Ironbridge Coracle Trust, including the plans for the new Coracle Centre at the Greenwood Centre. 
 
The Gorge’s retailers, tradesfolk, businesses, organisations and clubs will be breaking out on to the Wharfage and into the Square when they take over the road between 11am and 4pm on Saturday, September 21. 
 
Spearheaded by the Ironbridge Gorge Business Consortium the free day will show off and provide a family day of fun, activity, food and music for visitors. 
 
The event will include brewing, busking, puppetry, paella, supercars and street entertainment. 
 
Councillor Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for visitor economy & the world heritage said: “It’s taken a lot of planning to extend the World Heritage Festival across two weeks, but it will all be worth it. 
 
“This is going to be the perfect celebration of the Ironbridge Gorge’s story.
 
“It’s is a unique and remarkable place and it’s only right we do something like the Festival of Imagination to mark this.”
 
The Festival of Imagination is organised by Telford & Wrekin Council and Discover Shropshire & Telford.
 
To see a full list of events and to book please visit www.ironbridgefestival.co.uk
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Events, News Titles

STEM success for Express & Star schools

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19th July 2019

- Events, News Titles

Engineers of the future came up with clever designs to solve dirty drinking water problems, fire hazards for deaf people and the environmental impact of litter.
 
These were some of the brilliant winning products that impressed judges during the finale of the Express & Star’s STEM challenge.
 
Seventeen Black Country schools were given a brief to design a product that would benefit an individual group or the environment.
 
Each team worked hard on their products for several months, before they were put forward to a panel of expert judges at Dudley College’s Construction and Apprenticeship Training Centre, in Brierley Hill.
 
The competition, now in its second year, challenged students to make the products using science, technology, engineering and maths – also known as STEM.
 
Dudley College assistant principal Debbie Goode said the competition was about getting children “to think outside the box” as we enter the “fourth industrial revolution”.
 
Ms Goode continued: “We are keen to promote careers in this sector particularly because there is such a growing skills need in the region. 
 
“There are a lot of industries where the workforce is aged and people will be retiring, and they need people with suitable skills to come up behind them and take those jobs.
 
“We see STEM as being in every part of life. There won’t be a part of people’s existence that doesn’t have some technology built into it, whether that is artificial intelligence, hybrid vehicles, synthetic food, it is going to be everywhere.”
 
Each team had an industry expert to help them and there were five awards up for grabs during the final on Thursday.
 
However, each participating school was congratulated on taking part and organisers said every product idea was impressive.The overall winner, judged by headline sponsor Dudley College, was the Q3 Academy Langley, based in Oldbury, who called themselves The Imagineers. 
 
They made a range of board games for blind people. On the winning team’s table was a Connect 4 game that could be played vertically and horizontally. 
 
The team was made up of Year 9 students. Among them was 
Chloe Yarwood, aged 14, who said: “We have decided to donate 100 games to the Beacon Centre.
 
“I think it is amazing that people will be playing something that we designed. It is great to think we have made an impact.”
 
There is a possibility that the Connect 4 product could be put into production and go on the market. 
 
The first award of the night, for Best Presentation, which was judged by University of Wolverhampton, was won by King Edwards 6 High School, Stafford, who were called Kings of Science.
 
The team designed a mechanical litter-picker which can be used on an industrial scale.
 
The Best Teamwork award, judged by KUKA Robotics, was won by Moreton School, Wolverhampton, who were nicknamed M2. This team made a fire alarm for deaf people which consisted of a vibrating pad which people can put under their pillow. 
 
Wednesfield High won the Best Work Plan award, which was sponsored by Entrust, for their water filter product. 
 
The last award of the day, Best Operating Model, which was judged by Laser Process, was Bristnall Hall, Oldbury.
 
They made a water filter backpack which could fit comfortably on someone’s shoulders. The product turned dirty water into clean and clear water, which the team said was suitable for drinking. 
 
Team member Kaitlynn McKenzie, 15, said: “The whole point was to help people who have to travel to get water. I’m so proud that we won.”
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News, News Titles

Businesses given expert MNA Digital advice on raising profile online

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28th May 2019

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A series of workshops to educate local business leaders on increasing their online activity has proved a resounding success – with more dates planned.
 
The free training was delivered by experienced professionals at MNA Digital – part of the Shropshire Star’s parent company Midland News Association. 
 
Up to 30 businesses attended the Attract and Convert workshop held at Haughton Hall in Shifnal, which built on the success of an earlier event run for companies based in and around Wolverhampton.
 
The need to provide Shropshire’s SME business community with training in how to optimise their digital presence and increase revenue was highlighted during conversations between MNA staff and partners. 
 
Andy Hill, MD of MNA Digital, said the event was created in response to the demand.
 
He said: “It was great to see so many businesses attend the free MNA Digital training. 
 
“The Attract and Convert workshop was aimed at showing people how to grow their online business and what strategies to use to optimise marketing potential. 
 
“It follows an event held earlier this year in Wolverhampton and both will become regular fixtures for business leaders throughout our area.
 
“In a competitive environment that sees more consumers making their buying decisions online, it has never been more important for businesses to have an effective digital marketing strategy. 
 
“We covered areas such as reputation management, optimising a website for conversion, and how to measure the effectiveness of your business. 
 
“Everyone left the workshop with some new knowledge that they could implement in their own firms.
 
“The event was a real success with great engagement from the delegates,” he added.
 
The next event will be held in Wolverhampton’s Casino 36 on June 27th. 
 
Any businesses wishing to attend should contact Natalie Coughlan on 01902 319 292, email natalie@mnadigital.co.uk  or visit mnadigital.co.uk for the latest event news.
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News Titles

Steve beats barriers to be Express & Star Wolves superfan

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17th May 2019

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Eight years ago, former Royal Air Force man and Wolves fan Steve Green went through a life-changing accident, which left him paralysed from the chest down.
 
But love for the old gold and black was not lost. If anything, it grew stronger.
 
After a spinal injury suffered in a motorbike crash in May 2011, the 38-year-old gets around in a wheelchair, following his beloved Wanderers up and down the country with the help of his two children – seven-year-old Carlos and 12-year-old Lucia.
 
The pair were recognised recently by Wolves, being among 10 winners of the club’s Carer of the Season award.
 
And now proud dad Steve is in the spotlight for his heroic efforts as he is this year’s recipient of the Express & Star Wolves Fan of the Year award.
 
On his incredible journey and unwavering support for Wolves, Steve said: “The accident was eight years ago this Friday.
 
“I was on the way to a job interview in Wolverhampton, but my motorbike had a mechanical failure, and I hit a signpost which left me paralysed from the chest down.
 
“I ended up in intensive care for five weeks, then was transferred to a spinal specialist where I was for nearly four months.
 
“I was still serving in the Royal Air Force at the time, so I then went to a military rehab and it was, all in all, two years of rehab.
 
“Once I was discharged from the RAF though, I got a job pretty much straight away as an aircraft engineer for the army.
 
“I might push it a bit at times now, especially with the football, travelling to and from games from Wiltshire.
 
“Home games are about a 190-mile round-trip. And I’ve clocked up nearly 9,000 miles in total this season.But I’ve had a season ticket with my dad, Dennis, since 1995 and met a lot of good friends through the club.
 
“I’ve always been the same, trying to get to as many games as I can every season.”
 
Steve’s love affair with Wolves began through his dad as a youngster.
 
And following the club saw him meet Mari, the mother of Carlos and Lucia. Steve and Mari are now divorced, but the family bond is still strong with their shared passion for Wolves.
 
Carlos and Lucia help make his matchday experience easier by getting his wheelchair out of the car and setting it up at home and away matches.
 
“The kids have both got season tickets now. We travel to games together.
 
“It’s still a big family thing,” said Steve.
 
“We’ve kept on good terms, and seeing the kids have the joy I had as a kid is amazing.
 
“In my day, Wolves were on the way back up. Now, they can enjoy players like Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves. They love it.”
 
Steve, astonishingly, is actually a bit disappointed to have only travelled 9,000 miles following Wolves this season just gone.
 
He said he did around 13,000 as Wolves won the Championship, but a spell in hospital meant he had to miss some games this year.
 
“I’m a little bit annoyed I had to miss eight weeks of the season, but sometimes health takes over,” said Steve, who lives in Wootton Bassett.
 
“I had a pressure sore on my hip, so I had to have a massive skin graft – they cut from my hip to my thigh, and took a skin graft from there and put it over the hip bone.
 
“The first four weeks were just staying in bed, and then building up to getting back in my wheelchair.
 
“Touch wood, I’ve had no problems since.
 
“As soon as that was done, I got released on the Friday, I went and travelled down to Southampton for the game with my dad and the kids on the Saturday.”
 
It is fair to say Steve has had some sizeable obstacles thrown his way.
 
But Wolves’ success under Nuno Espirito Santo over the past couple of years has filled him with joy.
 
“This year, you can hardly put it into words,” Steve added. “I never thought I’d come out of places like Anfield being disappointed we hadn’t got three points.
 
“And I still can’t believe we’ve got players like Moutinho.
 
“I think I might wake up soon and it not be real.
 
“To get the award is unbelievable, especially after the kids winning Carer of the Season. I’m really proud of them.”
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