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DISCOVER AI FOR BEGINNERS: A GUIDE TO USING AI IN BUSINESS

In today's fast-paced business world, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. One game-changing tool that can revolutionise operations is Artificial Intelligence (AI). But with so much on offer, navigating the AI landscape can feel overwhelming. To unlock the power of AI, explore our beginner's guide to using AI in business.  Delve into the into the many ways it can benefit your business, providing efficiency gains and unlocking new possibilities. ...

KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE SPRING BUDGET 2024 FOR BUSINESSES!

The government unveiled its Spring Budget (Wednesday, 6th March 2024), during which the Chancellor elaborated on strategies aimed at fostering economic prosperity and growth. To get your business ready for the upcoming changes, we've outlined what was announced and how it will affect your business. Key updates are: Further NIC Cuts - From April 6, 2024, employee NICs will drop from 10% to 8%, and self-employed Class 4 NIC will fall from 8% to 6%.Raised VAT Registration&n...

CONDIMENT BRAND OF THE YEAR GOES TO SCREAMING CHIMP CHILLI SAUCE LTD!

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to DBN member Niall Mackay-Mount for winning Condiment Brand of the Year at this years North East Prestige Awards.Niall from Screaming Chimp Chilli Sauce Company Ltd won Condiment Brand of the Year for the whole of the North East!This is the second year in a row that Niall has won this award. In a letter from Prestige they said, " the passion for what you do really comes across - the judges were impressed with your personal touch and community feel"Congratulations Niall fr...

WILLOW BURN HOSPICE RAISE OVER £22,000!

We had the pleasure of attending the Willow Burn Hospice Diamonds and Pearl ball at Beamish Hall Hotel last Friday.Well done to Rachel Quince and all the volunteers at Willow Burn Hospice for raising over £22k! A big well done to all who supported the evening. All money raised ensures the hospice can continue providing incredible end-of-life and palliative care.👏An amazing night for an amazing cause.🎉...

UNLOCK YOUR INNOVATION JOURNEY WITH R&D TAX CREDITS

Are you seeking ways to fuel innovation within your business while maximising your financial opportunities? Look no further!  We are here to simplify the process of accessing R&D tax credits with our latest 'UMi Makes it easy . . . to support innovation with R&D tax credits' webinar hosted by Roger Daynes from Amplified Solutions. Roger will explain key topics such as: Key details on R&D tax credits eligibility and application.Latest updat...

NEW MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT

Please give a warm DBN welcome to Michelle Spinks from Fleet Recruitment Ltd 🎉 Fleet Recruitment are a recruitment agency based in Durham. They have excellent experience recruiting for a mix of positions across sales, administration, industrial and engineering. They cover all of the UK and keep their costs down so that they can pass on lower fees to their customers.Please connect with Michelle on LinkedIn and make a point of saying hello at our networking meetings.Melanie & David...

NEW MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT

Please give a warm DBN welcome to Anthony Cunningham DipPFS from CW Financial Management 🎉Anthony is a Financial Planner/Advisor who supports people to achieve financial freedom through careful planning and investment decisions.Please connect with him on LinkedIn and make a point of saying hello at our networking meetings.Melanie & David...

UNLOCK TAX-SAVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

Did you know predicting your year end tax position can help you spot opportunities for saving on tax this financial year? To help build your business' resilience and navigate change, UMi partner Ryecroft Glenton outlines some of the areas to consider when maximising your financial efficiency. Key topics covered include: Corporation Tax - This is the main liability businesses must consider when it comes to financial year end planning.Capital Gains - Co...

GOVERNMENT BACKS SMEs WITH NEW HELP TO GROW CAMPAIGN AND SMALL BUSINESS COUNCIL

The Government is reaffirming its commitment to all of the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses, with the creation of a new Small Business Council due to launch next month (March 2024) which will bring together SME leaders from across the country. Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local communities and drive the UK’s economy, supporting jobs and wages across the country".Click here to access the new Help to Grow website for s...

FREE BUSINESS INDEX FOR CONSETT BASED BUSINESSES

If you attended our February networking meeting you'll have heard Christine Thomas tell us about the new Consett Area Neighbourhood Forum (CANF) website index. Their aim is to create a comprehensive index of the businesses, charities community activities, sport clubs, leisure activities within the designated Consett Area. If you would like to register your business, charity or community group, please follow the link below and register via their online form. Questions in bold is the inf...

BUILDING A BRAND STRATEGY FOR A DIGITAL WORLD

‘Do’ Business Network are very pleased to work closely with RTC North to bring this exciting workshop to County Durham Businesses.The Building a Brand Strategy for a Digital World workshop aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the strategies and techniques involved in successfully translating brands to the digital realm.  Participants will gain insights into leveraging digital platforms to maximize brand reach and impact in today's highly competitive and dyn...

FEBRUARY MEETING AT CITIZENS HOUSE, CONSETT

We had a great turn out at our February networking morning. Thank you to Sharon and the team at Citizens House in Consett for looking after us.We welcomed two new members today; Michelle Spinks from Fleet Recruitment and Anthony Cunningham DipPFS from CW Financial Management. Keep an eye out for more information about Michelle and Anthony in our newsletter, blog and socials.Next month we are hosting a joint networking and workshop event with RTC North at Durham Cric...

EXPLORE RECENT AND UPCOMING TAX AND ACCOUNTANCY CHANGES!

Due to ongoing post-Brexit reforms, businesses have undergone numerous changes, with more to come. To help businesses prepare effectively, we have outlined the key tax and accountancy changes expected between January and April 2024, as well as others on the horizon, ensuring your business operates smoothly. Some changes include: UK employees' National Insurance rate drops from 12% to 10%.National Living Wage extends to all workers aged 21+, increasing to £11.4...

WALK & TALK TRUST

Who We AreWe are The Walk & Talk Trust. So, to a degree, the clue is in the name.  But that doesn’t tell the whole story.Our charitable objectives aim to connect people with each other, with nature, with their local environment and, often vitally, with themselves.By engaging with people from all backgrounds and, in particular, those who are socially isolated and/or vulnerable, we promote physical and emotional wellbeing and a sense of social inclusion.Why Are ...

NEW PODCAST: MEET OLIVIA WILLMORE FROM USHAW HISTORIC HOUSE, CHAPEL AND GARDENS

In this episode Melanie welcomes Ushaw Historic House, Chapel and Gardens to DBN.Ushaw’s history is tied to the development and growth of Christianity in the region. Beginning over a millenium ago with St Aiden in Lindisfarne.Olivia talks to Melanie about Ushaws rich history, the charity it is today and what plans they have in store for the future. Listen to the podcast HERE Connect with Olivia on LinkedIN HEREVisit Ushaw Website HERE...

WESTWOOD ACCOUNTANCY CELEBRATES 15 YEARS IN BUSINESS!

Business Birthday Announcement 🥳Today is Westwood Accountancy's 15th business birthday and Sharron's 25th anniversary since she qualified as a CIMA accountant!When Sharron started in 2009, the country was going through a bad spot (a bit like now) so it probably wasn't the best time to start a business, but she did and here she is 15 years later! Sharron really enjoys what she does and she still has some clients with her who joined her at the beginning, and a lot of them have become friends ra...

FIRST MEETING OF 2024 AT WE ARE UMi

What a great start to 2024!It was lovely to see everyone at our networking meeting at WE ARE UMi this morning.A huge thank you to James Miller , Amanda Armstrong and Suzanne McCreedy for being great hosts and for introducing us to their new ‘Sat Nav’ software that supports SMEs by offering up to date advice, events, funding and financial business support anywhere in the U.K.! We will update our blog with more information about this for anyone who was u...

MEET NIALL McKAY-MOUNT FROM THE SCREAMING CHIMP CHILLI SAUCE COMPANY

Hey everyone,Meet Niall McKay-Mount from the Screaming Chimp Chilli Sauce Company.Niall started his business from his home kitchen in Co Durham and now ships his award winning sauces all over the world! Melanie talks to Niall about what inspired him to start making chilli sauce,  the "sauceome" awards he's received, exporting and his plans for 2024 and beyond.If you follow Niall on social media you'll be familiar with his 'saucy' sayings,  "hello chimpions", "stay sauceome", "keep on c...

NEW MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT! DBN WELCOMES USHAW COLLEGE

We first met Olivia Willmore from Ushaw College at our June networking meeting last year.  Olivia then attended our Shoebox Expo at Beamish Museum in October. We were so fascinated with her presentation about the history of the college that we just had to visit for ourselves!In 2023, Ushaw College won the Historic Houses Collections Award, and were a finalist for the Visitor Economy Award at the County Durham Together Awards! Take a look at the featured video which highlights what is s...

NEW PODCAST: MEET KEIRON & CRAIG FROM WALK & TALK TRUST

New DBN members Keiron Young & Craig Southern from Walk & Talk Trust talk about their new project Heritage 100.The charity is looking to help fund the establishment of a series of walks spanning the region, to be known as the Heritage 100. These short walks will encourage people to explore the region and gain a wider awareness of its wonderful countryside, its history and heritage. Families will be able to walk together in new places and discover some of the treasures that...

BEAMISH MUSEUM - TAKE A SEAT!

Beamish Museum are delighted that our exciting Take A Seat campaign has now launched!  Click here for details.Sponsors will receive a brass plaque on the back of one of our cinema seats in The Grand cinema, based in our 1950s town.  You can choose to have either your personal name or your business name engraved for £5,000 which also includes us displaying your company logo on screen in the cinema as part of our rolling credits at the end of each film for the period of the sponsorship ...

MATT BAKER AND HIS PARENTS VISIT USHAW

Catch up on this Channel 4 about Matt and his parents visiting Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens.Northern Echo Article:https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/23967630.ushaw-historic-house-appears-matt-bakers-more4-show/Channel 4 on demand:https://www.channel4.com/programmes/matt-baker-travels-with-mum-dad/on-demand/74868-006...

TAX RETURN

The Self Assessment Tax Return deadline for the end of January is fast approaching. If you need help with your Tax Return don't hesitate to give us a call: 01207 509871.Sharronhttps://www.westwoodaccountancy.com/...

AUTUMN STATEMENT UPDATE FROM WESTWOOD ACCOUNTANCY

Following the Autumn Statement there are seven key planning areas to watch out for for small businesses, companies and employers...https://bit.ly/49KKKPPWestwood Accountancy...

FUNDING FOR WELCOME SPACES

Community groups and organisations across County Durham are being invited to apply for financial support to become Welcome Spaces.Durham County Council is working alongside the County Durham Community Foundation to offer funding to the voluntary and community sector to create a network of places where people feel safe, warm and included.Funding of £280,000 is available and you can apply for a grant of up to £3,000 to make a real difference in the community.Organisations in the Welcome Spaces s...