Kevin Sergeant of Cass Property Consultants Limited shared a presentation with the group in which he explains why attention to detail matters for any business.
Download the Presentation Here
Cass Property Consultants Limited is a consultancy started in 2005 by Kevin Sergeant, a RICS Chartered Building Surveyor and Chartered Project Management Surveyor with over thirty years industry experience. The company’s aim is to provide clear, sound, reliable advice and this is reflected in the attention to detail and quality of its reports and recommendations.
If you would like to contact Cass Property Consultants, email enquiries@cassproperty.co.uk or call 01555 660 206. Alternatively visit the website at http://www.cassproperty.co.uk/ to find out more.
At Lanarkshire Business Group, each week an industry professional shares their insights and experience with our members. Join us today for a free visit and find out why we are Lanarkshire's number one business networking group.
This is the LBG team out socialising at a recent dinner to celebrate long-time member Ken McCartney, of WH&R McCartney Insurance Brokers, who is stepping down from the group and handing the Lanarkshire Business Group reigns over to his business partner. We will miss his weekly humour and wit!
A full IT audit may be required depending on the complexity of the system and the wishes of the client. Although it is chargeable it is highly beneficial to the business.
By using the full IT audit process, We are able to provide a quote prior to making any changes. (There is a motoring analogy, whereby someone who knows that their car requires tyres, discs and brake pads and gets that work done for £800 before going for an MOT, only to be told that the chassis is twisted and the car should be scrapped… could have saved £760.00 with a £40.00 MOT).
We look at every aspect of the Business in terms of IT and look for reliances where a company is reliant on a certain device/software to be working in order to continue day to day business. What is the impact if such a device or peace of software was to fail? What disaster recovery plan can be put in place should this occur?
Disaster Recovery Planning plays a large part in our IT Audit as it more than just ensuring the data is backed up. At CBITS we go further and see your Disaster Recovery Plan as a Business Backup Plan and therefore incorporate that into our IT Audit.
The IT Audit also gives us better understanding of how the business operates we perform a full IT Audit of a business and cover all aspects which includes
The aim of a full IT Audit is to determine the operational effectiveness of the full system from mouse to server and also covers all peripheral equipment and hardware and software issues, including incorrect configuration and redundancy. The written report will be detailed and broken down into work/actions that are 1/essential and 2/recommended.
We hosted our first ever Independence Debate today and it was a huge success, we’ve even got two more members from the event as well. A big thanks to Monica Lennon and Michelle Rodgers for getting involved with the business group.
We’ve uploaded some photos below from the event, feel free to have a look at them!
The Lanarkshire Business Group is pleased to invite you to a completely FREE and OPEN networking event that we will be hosting next week on Tuesday the 9th of Sept.
We’ll have an open networking event that will allow you to meet local businesses from across Lanarkshire followed by an independence debate. We’ve attracted two great speakers to the event, Monica Lennon from the NO side and Michelle Rodgers from the YES side. The whole aim of the debate is to discuss how independence will affect local businesses.
We’ll host the event at:
South Lanarkshire Council Headquarters
Council Banqueting Hall
Almada Street
Hamilton
ML3 0FT
It will start at 7am and finish for 8:30am.
For further details please contact us at info@lanarkshirebusinessgroup.com
You can book into the event by going here: CLICK HERE
Yesterday it was my turn to give the 10 minute presentation to my fellow members of Lanarkshire Business Group which I joined in 2005 when starting my company. The group is an excellent organisation that strikes the right balance between friendliness, humour and providing business leads between group members. It is also an excellent forum for small business owners giving them access to the knowledge and expertise of a range of trades and professions. Inevitably members come and go and during my time at the group I have met many interesting business owners and trusted contacts.
My ten minute presentation was a personal profile and explanation why my unique background and experience allows my company to offer an excellent service to clients in a wide range of services. I told members about my being observant as a child enjoying the spot-the-difference puzzles that were common in magazines and newspapers and always spotting the odd things out. I told them how after labouring for my dad, a building contractor, during school holidays I did five years full time study at college and polytechnic completing building studies courses. Then recruited by PSA as a trainee technical officer (Maintenance Officer) I explained my induction for the role included excellent training including a three month hands-on craft appreciation course and instruction in building defects and failures. During the course recruits from around the country learned practical skills for different trades from highly experienced teachers. The emphasis was on how things should be done and what corners are commonly cut on site. This was aimed at showing us what to look out for when supervising and checking site works.
I told members of my good fortune in receiving backing from PSA to study Building Surveying after completing the two year probation period. This led to my passing a distance taught Diploma in Surveying with Merit and going on to become a Chartered Building Surveyor.
There were smiles and laughter when I commented that spotting building defects and workmanship faults is a habit that I can’t switch off (much to my wife’s annoyance when we are out together); and when I affirmed how passionate I am about my work (despite many people failing to understand how I could get excited about buildings).
Undoubtedly the icing on the cake for me was when Tom Frame of Servicemaster Clean, a member of Carluke Golf Club gave a testimonial after I had finished my talk. Tom had given me a referral to investigate roofing issues causing significant problems for the club. He told the group that many attempts at repairs had led to considerable expenditure without success before I became involved. Tom explained that I surveyed the roof, specified the necessary repairs, obtained quotes and supervised the works to solve the problem. He added that the cost of doing a proper job which involved re-roofing the affected area was less than the club had previously spent failing to repair the problem. Tom’s comments were very welcome and put an extra spring in my step when leaving the meeting.
Anybody who is interested in working with Kevin can get more details by visiting his website – http://www.cassproperty.co.uk
A couple of weeks ago one of our members, John Simpson, announced the sad news that he had decided to leave the group due to personal reasons so as a present to him this morning we got out own photographer (Stuart Russell) to take some snaps as a going away present.
John was one of our founding members having joined the group back in 2000, it will be sad to see him leave and we wish him the best of luck in the future. We hope to see him around.
Thanks!
Lanarkshire Business Group.
Lanarkshire Business Group is proud to support our local community and every year we’re looking for worthy causes that we can donate to.
This year we picked the Crucial Crew. Devised and operated by the council’s Home Safety Team – involves the youngsters working their way around a series of sets, learning first-hand how to deal with fire, how to prevent slips, trips and falls at home, safety near building sites and how to spot counterfeit goods when they see them.
They are also taught about the dangers of internet chat rooms and what to do if they are made to feel uncomfortable by anything that is said to them online.
Cyber bullying via mobile phones – and ways of coping with it – are also discussed.
This focus on equipping young people for the challenges they face growing up is what appealed to Business Group member, electrician David McKay. His daughter is a primary school teacher and told him first hand of the genuine benefits experienced by pupils who attend Crucial Crew.
Business Group Chairman, Steven Wright, said the members were more than happy to give their annual sponsorship of local events or charities to Crucial Crew this year.
Mr Wright said: “When David brought the event to the group’s attention, everyone was hugely impressed with Crucial Crew and the work that goes into it.
“It didn’t take much discussion for us all to agree that the benefits offered to children both in terms of safety, and increasing their knowledge of the world around them, was entirely worthy of our backing.”
Tens of thousands of young people have taken part in the Crucial Crew event over the last 20 years – a whole generation in fact.
Councillor Hamish Stewart Chair of Community Services, said: “We hope all the children who have taken part have now taken the lessons learned well into their adult lives and may even be passing them on to their own children now.
“Whilst the lessons they learn on the day are vital, the handbook they take away with them – which summarises every topic covered in a concise and child-friendly way – is a reference tool that we hope they keep going back to in the years to come.
“The generous £500 donation from the Lanarkshire Business Group is very much appreciated by all involved with Crucial Crew as it will allow us to continue to spread that message to yet another group of young people.”
