You are not on your own

When we lose people close to us, we can find it very difficult to function properly and think clearly, as if our brains are on hold. And yet, all of a sudden we are faced not only with having to think about a funeral and everything this will entail, but also winding up the administrative aspects of a person’s entire life. Even at our best, for most of us this would be a daunting prospect, and so facing it at a highly emotional and painful time, it can all seem too much.

Some people’s affairs are relatively straightforward, perhaps just involving one or two bank accounts with some savings, a few utility bills, and their home. Others can be more complicated, including for example business ownership, stocks and shares, a number of properties, pensions, and valuable assets. Then there is the question of whether or not there exists a valid Will, and if anybody knows where it is, and if indeed it is the most recent Will to have been made. In addition, there is the question of who is to benefit from the Will or estate.

Some families choose to handle all the probate and administrative affairs themselves, some prefer to hand it all over to a good probate solicitor, while others decide to do a bit of both. Whichever approach one takes, usually the three most important priorities for families are as follows: (1) that the probate and estate administration are handled properly; (2) that the costs involved are kept to a minimum and that the family or executors always remain in control; and (3) that the estate is wound up as quickly as possible.

However simple or complicated, there is excellent help available, and making the most of this help really can save you a vast amount of time, money, and in particular, family aggravation and upset.

Leon Lurie
Solicitor specialising in probate and estate administration
Hudson Law

If you are interested in coming along and meeting the members of the group,  we are holding a couple of special “Visitors Days” at the Village Hotel in Hessle on:

Tuesday 14th February
Tuesday 21st February

Whilst visitors are welcome at any of our meetings, both of these meetings have been selected to host a larger number of people than usual, and we are encouraging visitors to come and see what we do, as well as participate in a bit of networking with local business people.

The meeting starts just after 7am and finishes at 8.30am promptly. We normally arrive about 6.45am to grab a coffee and a bacon sandwich before the meeting starts. There will be a small charge of £10 made to cover the cost of the meeting.

The reason we meet over breakfast is that like you, we are all business professionals with busy work schedules and by meeting over breakfast it doesn’t cut into our working day.

Please contact me by email on shane@kirkellainvestments.co.uk or call 01482 658989 to confirm if you would like to attend to ensure we have accurate catering arrangements!

The new Kirk Ella Investments Ltd website has now been launched. www.kirkellainvestments.co.uk

The website still has many of the sections from the previous website, including lots of valuable content, however as well as having a design overhaul we have added the following features.

• Social Media integration – The Twitter feed and Blog feed is now on the homepage, which over time will provide valuable snippets of information at a glance.
• Testimonials section – We receive a number of testimonials from our clients in the form of thank you cards, emails and hand written thank you letters, and we will try to feature a number of these on the website. Obviously the names will be omitted for data protection reasons.
• Our People page – Although met with some resistance from staff that are afraid of cameras, we decided to publish mug shots of the staff at Kirk Ella Investments together with a link to their email address, and a brief profile.

Obviously there is plenty of other content, and this will continue to increase as we add news articles and updates.

We also have our Facebook Page, Twitter Account and LinkedIn account. Please visit and “like” the Facebook Page.

Facebook Page

Click here and click “like”, if for any reason the link doesnt open, just visit www.facebook.com and search for Kirk Ella Investments.

Twitter Account

http://www.twitter.com/kirkellainv

LinkedIn

Click here to visit the site. Please note, to view profiles on LinkedIn you need to have an account yourself. They are free to create, and open up plenty of networking opportunities with business people all over the region and the world.

Shane Beardsley
Managing Director / Independent Financial Adviser

tel: 01482 658989
email: shane@kirkellainvestments.co.uk
web: www.kirkellainvestments.co.uk

Wilberforce Member Burstwick Country Golf are showing competitors how to beat the recession by expanding their facilities to generate new business. New luxury changing & locker rooms are currently being developed for members and visitors who play golf at Burstwick which are a very welcome addition at this prosperous business.

The ladies’ changing room will take up to 25 full lockers plus smaller lockers, with two showers, toilets and vanity unit.

The men’s will house up to roughly 70 full lockers (which take a golf bag) with four showers, toilets, urinal, and vanity unit. Here are the progress pictures as of 1st January.

Both rooms will be heated with carpet & vinyl flooring for a very homely feel when coming in from your round of golf. Owner David Key had originally hoped to have these open in early January but due to the cold weather work was delayed for around 4-5 weeks so work is continuing as fast as possible to have them open before Spring arrives.

Alan Key
Director

360 Chartered Accountants, based in Melton, and Kirk Ella Investments Ltd in Kirk Ella, say that the snow isn’t affecting their clients because cloud computing technology means their staff can work from home! The technology, powered by cloud computing experts GoCloud, has been allowing hundreds of workers to work from home during the severe weather, avoiding dangerous road conditions as well as childcare issues caused by school closures.

Andy Steele, Director of 360 Accountants said:

“It’s great that we can continue providing our clients with the same high level of service we pride ourselves on. No work time has been lost. Using their laptops, my staff can quite simply log on to the server through the cloud and it’s as if they are actually sitting in the office. They have all of the information and data they need and there’s no danger of them travelling on icy roads. We’re also a paperless company which makes it even easier to work from home. It’s a win-win situation.”

Shane Beardsley, Managing Director and Independent Financial Adviser at Kirk Ella Investments Ltd, lives in Kirk Ella, but has staff from all over the region including Market Weighton. He said:

“Although I personally live very close to the office, my staff live all over the region and so in many cases were not able to travel into work due to the treacherous conditions. It hasn’t just been the dangers associated with travelling though, for example, one member of staff wasn’t able to sort out a child minder, and as her daughters school was closed, she wasn’t able to even attempt to come to the office, but was still able to log in and continue working from home via the cloud. Using cloud computing eliminates many risks and allowed her to get on with her work as though she was in the office.”

Matt Nunns, Managing Director for GoCloud, said:

“It’s at times like this that cloud computing shows its strength. When the country grinds to a halt because of bad weather, it doesn’t mean that businesses have to stop functioning. In fact, they can’t afford to stop functioning. So all they’ve had to do is log on to our system at home, and they see their office desktop as if they’re actually in the office, with all applications, files and databases in front of them. No lost days of work and no disappointed customers.”

Mortgages and Interest Rates, could they start to rise soon?…..
By Shane Beardsley, IFA at Kirk Ella Investments Ltd

I was reading an article from the Sunday papers a few weekends ago that said that almost 3 MILLION homeowners would struggle to pay their mortgage if interest rates rose by only 2 percentage points, which equates to one in three of all mortgage holders. Even if these rates rose by less than 2% then an approximate 1.6 MILLION homeowners would have mortgages deemed unaffordable according to the FSA.

Someone in this position could possibly consider moving to a fixed rate mortgage which may cost more in the short term but safeguard against future rate increases. Obviously there are a lot of variables to consider here such as falling house prices, strict lending criteria, or existing mortgage penalties. This is why it is important to look at your mortgage regularly, and not just leave it in study drawer, or worse still the kitchen drawer.

As Independent Financial Advisers we can consider all aspects of a clients position, but it also makes sense to be aware of your own position, and well in advance of any current deals ending. Mortgages are fairly complex, and the time taken to arrange a mortgage from start to finish means that if you are approaching the end of a current deal you need to be contacting us at least 6-8 weeks before the end date.

If you are not sure what mortgage deal (if any) that you are on, you should also make enquiries, or contact us so that we can do some investigating for you.

Many borrowers are on Standard Variable Rates, and those of you lucky enough to be on Nationwide or Cheltenham & Gloucesters SVR will only be paying 2.5%, but you may be on a rate far higher, for example some SVRs are 6.08% or higher, and the average is 4.75%.

Shane Beardsley
Managing Director / Independent Financial Adviser

Please note, we are having a closed meeting on Tuesday 25th May which will be open to members only.  We will be discussing aspects of membership and the meeting will not be a typical meeting.  Therefore in order to see the true power of BNI and the referral process it would be more advantageous to attend on a subsequent week.

Whilst we have no visitors expected that week, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Regards

Shane Beardsley
Wilberforce BNI

Wilberforce BNI Induct John Cammish

We had the pleasure of inducting a new member into our chapter this morning. John Cammish of John Cammish Training is the 28th member of our chapter and fills the role of personal trainer.

A bit about John, his background and his philosophy towards personal training.

“My name is John Cammish, and I currently work as a Personal Trainer at the Village Hotel and Leisure Club in Hessle. I have always been interested in sport from as young as 5 years old, where I began playing football. As I went onto Secondary school my interest in other sports grew, and I excelled in Cross Country Running, Athletics, and Badminton as well as football. Academically, I became more and more interested in human biology, and how the body functions as a whole.

Growing Interest at School
Since playing football at a high level from ages 12-18, my interest in sports conditioning grew to the point where I wanted to become a PE teacher. After school, I completed A-levels in Physical Education, Psychology, Biology and General Studies, as well as gaining a Community Sports Leadership Award, so that I could coach children the basics in sports. Studying Biology developed my interest in the human body further to the point where I wanted to learn more and more. Up until my A-levels, how the body worked was not only fascinating, it provoked thoughts about improving fitness and athletic performance in individuals older than schoolchildren. Obesity was rising, and headlines about inactivity and diet were everywhere. I went to University undecided whether to be involved working with adults or children – but definitely wanted to be part of sport and/or fitness. Altogether, these A-Levels inspired me to go onto study Sport and Exercise Science at Sheffield Hallam University.

University
University was a big learning experience, where I could read about past experiments, what they had set out to find – and more importantly what they had found. My knowledge about the body, its energy systems and what influences exercise behaviour all grew to the point where I had to make a decision regarding what I wanted to specialise in. After the first year, I had decided that I really wanted to work in the fitness industry, and specifically where I could share my exercise and nutrition expertise. In years 2 and 3, Sport nutrition and dealing with elite athletes became my favorite subject, while Exercise and sport Psychology also intrigued me. I graduated in May 2004 in search of more knowledge, and people to share my information with.

The Work
After University, I began working at the Village Hotel and Leisure club as a gym instructor, doing 2 main things: Conducting wellness consultations and constructing exercise programs. Wellness consultations consisted of a client interview screening and a health check. The screening identified injuries and medications that could be affected by exercise, and the goals the individual was working towards, and the health check measured blood pressure, bodyfat, lung capacity and flexibilty. The exercise program was then done the day after or as was convenient. Also, before working at the Village, I had gained my Lifeguard Qualification and my 4-day First Aid at work Certificate.”

Wilberforce Chapter is really excited to have John as our 28th member, as Chapter Director with a few pounds to lose, I will be working with John over the next 3 months on a program which we will be blogging about so you can see the progress John can help me with using his innovative approach to fitness.

John’s website is a gold mine of information and can be seen at www.johncammish.co.uk

by Andrew Crozier – Insight Photography

www.insightphotographers.co.uk

The Wilberforce Chapter of BNI inducted a new member this morning. After a long search for an electrician, Dean Vannuci filled the category and we are now looking forward to sharing a fistful of referrals with him.

As Hull was hit so badly during the floods of 2007, the chapter had found it hard to attract flat out tradesmen to the group. But now as the restoration work has tailed off, it’s a perfect time for Dean to start his networking adventure.

Claire Bryant, Chapter Director, inducted Dean and commented that Dean would make a perfect addition to the home services power team which is already a well oiled networking machine.

“Dean will find his presence within the group will open many opportunies for him, the other tradesmen in our group are regulary passing good quality, third party referrals to each other and I’m sure it will be just the same for Dean”

Dean is based in Anlaby and provides a range of electrical services including domestic, commercial, alarm systems and CCTV.

Wilberforce BNI is pleased to announce the new leadership team for the chapter who will take their places from April 1st 2009.

Chapter Director: Andrew Crozier – Insight Photography

The CD’s role is to chair the meetings of the chapter every week ensuring that we follow the structured agenda developed by BNI. The CD also has the role of providing the guidance and coaching to the rest of the team to ensure the chapter operates for the benefit of the membership as a whole. If you have ANY questions the CD will help you find the person who can help you best.

Membership Co-ordinator: Claire Jacques – Intrasource (IT Outsource Specialists)

The MC is responsible for the smooth running of the chapter together with the Membership Committee. If you have any questions regarding the policies and procedures of BNI then the MC will be able to help.

Secretary Treasurer: Fiona Dwyer – FD Communications (PR Consultants)

The S/T is responsible for administering the subscription payments of the members and to manage the finances of the Chapter. The S/T also manages the 5/10 minutes speaker rota. If you need a standing order form or have to change your place on the speaker rota then this is the person to speak to.

Visitor Host Team – Lead Visitor Host: Robert Wadsworth (Osteopath)

Led by the Lead VH the whole team arrive very early for every meeting as they have the task of setting up the room. Sign-in table, members’ information table, 10 min speaker table, visitor orientation table etc. Then they have specific tasks as members and potential members begin to arrive, throughout the meeting and after the meeting.

Registration:

Robert Wadsworth (Osteopath) & Martin Harvey (MH Plumbing Services)

As visitors arrive they are given a big welcome by the GOFIs and taken through the sign-in process.

Ushers:

Stuart Wells (Transwaste Recylcing), Alan Key (Burstwick Golf), David Kitney (Beardshaw Murray Recruitment), Bryda Atkinson (Artist/Illustrator)

After signing in they are then found a seat by the GOBIs, served with a refreshment and introduced to the chapter director. GOBI’s also ensure that each visitor is looked after throughout the meeting.

Orientation & Follow-up:

Oliver Hudson (Hudsons Estate Agents)

Just as the meeting closes the GOLIs take the visitors to the Visitor Orientation Table and guide them through the application process and answering any questions the visitors may have. Later that day they follow up with the visitors by phone.

Membership Committee

Led by the Membership Co-ordinator the Membership Committee are responsible for the smooth running of the chapter. They meet after the first chapter meeting of each month as well as dealing with anything else as it arises. If you have an issue to raise the appropriate time to do this is outside the meeting with a member of the committee. Each member has a specific role.

Attendance: Colin Wilson (Jenko Design)

This person tracks the attendance records of members and is responsible for helping members understand the attendance policy, following up with absent members and issuing controls letters when required all on behalf of the membership committee. If you need coaching on finding substitutes then this is the person to talk to.

Application Review: Tony Rose (Local Life Websites)

This person is responsible for reviewing the new application submitted, checking categories and following up on ALL references. They also review the renewal applications made by members. If you need to make the committee aware of any information regarding a visitor who may make an application to join or a member coming up for renewal, this is the person to speak to.

Chapter Growth: Andy Steele (Sadofskys Chartered Accountants)

This person is responsible for planning and deploying the growth activities of the chapter such as visitor days and other incentives. They will constantly be reviewing the visitor numbers and conversion rates and working with members to help them invite qualified potential members. They also work with the GOLIs to improve conversion rates. If you want help on inviting or converting visitors then this is the person to talk to.

Mentoring: Ian Ashbridge (Heritage Landscape Centre)

This person is responsible for the support processes that help new members get a great start in the chapter and help existing members give and receive outstanding results from their membership. This is achieved by putting together experienced members with members with a specific requirement. If you would like the support of another member this person will help you identify the person with the right skills.

Training & Events Co-ordinator: Nicola Petitt (KendleBell Telephone Answering Service)

This person is responsible for tracking the training attendance in the chapter and promoting both BNI training and networking events both in the meeting and via email. If you want to attend an event this is the person to talk to.

Education Co-ordinator: Mark Harris (Utilities Warehouse)

This person is responsible for filling a weekly 3-5 minute education slot in our meetings. If you would like to offer your services for one of these slots or if you have an idea for a topic this would be the person to talk to.