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Everyone had a great time at our business breakfast on Mental Resilience. Our guest speaker, John Dabrowski, did an amazing presentation explaining the importance of mental and physical wellbeing professionally and personally to each and every one of us.

Some key takeaways: –

We all need to take the time to develop our self-belief and sense of self-worth. It is these that give us the confidence to perform to our maximum potential at work or in our personal lives.

It is crucial to pro-actively train ourselves to look for the positives when adversity hits. Easier said than done, but John demonstrated some great techniques we can all implement as part of our daily routines to make these changes become an important habit and vital life skill.

John also talked about the importance of visualisation. When you have a challenge to overcome, be it a difficult meeting, a new responsibility at work or where you have to present to a team for the first time, John talked about the power of visualising yourself succeeding. You need to close your eyes and in your mind picture the ‘challenge’ and picture yourself successfully doing it. This is incredibly powerful and triggers synapses in your brain which automatically kick into gear when you physically attempt to do the ‘challenge’ to help you.

John went on to give some brilliant examples of sportsmen and sportswomen who have achieved the absolute pinnacle in their disciplines. From an early age they had a goal, visualised themselves being successful and then had the focus to singularly pursue their dream. The ability to focus is actually key in developing mental resilience and John spoke in depth about this.

Mental resilience also means being able to bounce back from physical as well as mental adversity. John encouraged us to seek out the positives regardless of the situation… there is always some positive that we can take – it’s just that sometimes it is easier to do this than others.

Another key area are Comfort zones. – it is only when we challenge ourselves to move outside our comfort zones that we can truly grow our inner self-belief and ultimately grow our confidence levels. So when you are given a new task which stretches your abilities and makes you nervous, if you complete this – the completion of that task will instil a new aura of confidence so that eventually this challenge will become a natural part of you which you can confidently execute. Then you can move onto the next challenge!

There were many other things that John mentioned and these are explored in depth in his book “Off The Wall – How to develop world class mental resilience”. Click HERE to go to John’s website at JD Mindcoach

So – thank you to John, our team at Astute and of course our guests who came and made the event a really memorable and potentially life changing experience!

Some photos of the event:

John-Dabrowski-Giving-one-of-his-books-to-winner-at-Astute-Recruitments-Mental-Resilience-Workshop

John Dabrowski sharing a great video clip of a famous basketball player at Astute Recriutment Ltd Business Breakfast on Mental Resilience

Astute Recruitment Ltd named Best Regional Niche Recruitment Consultancy Of The Year 2017 By ACQ Magazine

Astute Recruitment has been named ‘Regional Niche Recruitment Consultancy of the Year’ at ACQ (Acquisition Finance) Magazine’s Global Awards.

ACQ Magazine holds its usual Global Awards programme annually to recognise firms who demonstrate ongoing outstanding performance and lead the way across the entire corporate sector including accountancy and finance.

Mary Maguire, managing director of Astute Recruitment, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this prestigious award by ACQ Magazine. It caps a great year where we achieved record revenues.”

“We’re passionate about supporting local businesses by matching them with the right people and we’ve worked hard to establish a reputation as experts in this field. We already pride ourselves on being the ‘go to’ financial recruitment agency in the East Midlands but it’s an honour to be recognised on a much wider, international scale.”

“The team routinely goes above and beyond in terms of what we offer our clients and candidates, while at the same time pushing the boundaries of what has previously been thought possible for recruitment firms. One example of true innovation is the launch of our ‘Triple Point Guarantee’ for clients – unique across the recruitment sector.”

“We also have our hugely successful series of business breakfast events, with the next one in February. International guest speaker an published Author, John Dabrowski, will be speaking about mental resilience.”

“These events are designed to be educationally innovative, inspiring and powerful workshops, where SME business & professionals can genuinely take away key techniques to improve their engagement with staff and ultimately improve business performance.”

Astute has worked to secure more than 1500 jobs for local businesses and is continuing to go from strength to strength, hiring 3 new consultants in the last 6 months and launching a successful commercial division.

Here at Astute everyone is looking forward to our next exclusive business breakfast on Mental Resilience with John Dabrowski in 3 weeks time.

There are only a few places left so watch John’s short video HERE describing the event! If you would like to come along – please contact [email protected] for an exclusive invitation and full details or alternatively please call us on 01332 346 100 to find out more and reserve your place!

Incidentally – our thanks go to John Dabrowski for putting together this short video and also to Archer Hampson in Derby – who have helped us with the finishing touches!

Watch our video to find out what you can learn in our latest Business Breakfast on Mental Resilience!

Exclusive Mental Resilience In The Workplace Business Breakfast Hosted By Astute Recruitment With John Dabrowski

Astute Recruitment are delighted to announce our next exclusive quarterly business breakfast event will take place on February 15th 2018. We have managed to secure a fantastic international guest speaker, published author and business coach – John Dabrowski!

· Have you ever felt that pressure of work is getting too much?

· Do you wish you could relax more and feel less stressed?

· Are there times when you get stuck in a negative mindset?

· Could you and your team benefit from techniques to maintain a positive mindset?

· Would you and your team like to be inspired and energised at work?

If the answer to any of the above is yes…then this event is for you! You will hear from John about the key strategies to improve your own mindset and that of your team in this powerful workshop.

John has spent over 30 years in the business world, putting him in a unique position to deal with contemporary business challenges. His vast mix of experience, accomplished ability to make personal growth simple, delivered with his infectious enthusiasm and energy, has inspired audiences, and made him a most highly regarded and sought after expert in all aspects of mental resilience.

Photo of John Dabrowski
Mental Resilience Expert
International Speaker
Published Author

http://www.jdmindcoach.com/

Programme: –

7:30          Registration, complimentary tea/ coffee and           Complimentary breakfast
7:45          Introduction
7:50          John Dabrowski
8:45          Opportunity for Q & A / Networking
9:00          Close

Free car parking is available and if you have any special dietary requirements please contact Mary Maguire – [email protected]

Please let us know if the breakfast event could be of interest and one of our team can forward you a complimentary and exclusive invitation to attend with details to confirm your place. This event is strictly by invitation only and there are only a few places so ensure you don’t miss out and contact Mary Maguire, Managing Director on 01332 346 100 or by email [email protected] for more information.

Do let us know if you would be interested in hearing about other events… and if you would like to subscribe to our monthly newsletter where we will announce other events and topical career and business articles, videos and more!

Derby-based business Astute Recruitment has been named ‘Best in Accountancy and Finance Recruitment 2017’ at Acquisition International (AI) Magazine’s 2017 Global Excellence Awards.

Corporate finance publications AT Magazine holds its Global Excellence Awards every year to recognise firms that demonstrate ongoing outstanding performance and lead the way across the entire corporation finance sector.

Mary Maguire, MD of Astute Recruitment, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this prestigious award.”

“At Astute Recruitment we’re passionate about supporting local business by matching them with the right people and we’ve worked hard to establish a reputation as experts in this field. We already pride ourselves on being the ‘go to’ financial recruitment agency in the East Midlands but it is an honour to be recognised on a much wider scale.”

Elliot Ashbourne from AI Magazine said: “These awards showcase businesses that routinely go above and beyond in terms of what they offer their clients, while at the same time pushing the boundaries of what has previously been though possible for firms in their industry.”

“Winners are chosen through a rigorous and in-depth selection process from our in-house award specialists. The team left no stone unturned to ensure that every winner was selected based on proven performance over the past 12 months.”

With Christmas round the corner and the realisation that another year is over, families will be getting together recounting the year gone by and looking ahead to 2018. Christmas also affords some time to reflect on aspirations – personally and professionally. Many try and quit bad habits. A lot vow to keep attending that expensive gym beyond the first week of January! (Guilty!)

The holidays are a prime time for a lot of people to take stock of their lives and often their careers. How many of us are truly 100% happy in our job? Maybe that promised payrise hasn’t materialised AGAIN.. Or maybe the promise of flexible working has been pushed to one side too many times. Perhaps the realisation that actually promotion opportunities won’t be around the corner as you were told on interview? A lot of us spend more time at work than with our children, husbands and wives. Surely we deserve to be happy? Surely everyone deserves to work in a business where their emotional wellbeing and personal development count and not just profits?

If you find yourself pondering any of the above the team here at Astute would be delighted to offer some impartial and completely confidential support and advice. Often it is not just about changing job but actually communication and letting your supervisor/ Finance Director/ Managing Director know you are unhappy? The examples above are genuine cited from many an accountant, credit controller, administrator and more as frustrations.

Sometimes no matter what you do or say – the situation doesn’t change and you are left in a position where you are feeling frustrated and unappreciated. If that’s the case, its great to reach out and speak to a third party who will be able to give you some impartial and constructive advice- Particularly if you have been in one job for a long time.

So – this Christmas – enjoy a glass (or two) of wine, embrace the warmth of loved ones, but also take a moment to think about your own goals and aspirations for the forthcoming 12 months. Then come January – reach out and do something positive to make 2018 a truly memorable year for you and your families.

hffk

Christmas Greetings from everyone at Astute!

Autumn Budget 2017: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Astute Recruitment’s MD Mary Maguire Airs her thoughts for SME Businesses on the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement

One of our MDs was asked by East Midlands Business Link to comment on the Autumn statement made by the Chancellor yesterday. The article published is as follows: –

“Mary Maguire, MD of Astute Recruitment, said:

Philip Hammond certainly laid out some positive steps to help UK businesses in today’s budget.

For example, this budget demonstrated a commitment to investing in scale-up businesses, which was very positive. The proposed new fund for scale-up businesses is great news provided this funding is made available to every relevant start up in every corner of the UK.

The Chancellor also recognised that small businesses are under great pressure at the moment. The announcement that he won’t reduce the VAT threshold for small businesses from £85,000, and will bring forward the uprating of business rates based on the CPI inflation index by two years was most definitely music to most business owners’ ears. This was a serious concern to many start-ups and SMEs.

The National Living Wage rise is, of course, good for low wage individuals. However, SMEs will be under pressure to honour this and this could further impact inflationary pressures in the economy and affect the tight margins between profits and losses.

The Chancellor’s 12 month extension of the National Productivity Fund is also welcome news. Digital and high tech businesses will be greatly helped, especially in that growth phase from start up to scale up.

However, it would be great if there could also have been some incentive for businesses to be kept in UK ownership post start-up, rather than just have the UK as a seed facility for overseas owners to come in and buy them out.

The announcement of the OBR’s downward economic growth forecasts could be bad news. However, we partially talked our way into negative mindset in the 2008 recession – the OBR has been wrong before and Brexit is not predicated to be a financial disaster especially when the terms of trade deals with Europe are yet to be finalised.

Having spoken to MDs and FDs in local successful SMEs in the last two days I can report that uncertainty is what is holding back companies’ capital investment and strategic plans. Perhaps this was a missed opportunity to present a more balanced forecast and build and inspire some confidence. The rate of growth for East Midlands businesses, nationally, has outperformed vast tracts of the UK including London – but strangely an opportunity to balance this with the OBR’s projections in today’s Autumn Budget was missed.

Can the Chancellor bring some early festive cheer to help SME businesses and the Self-Employed looking to grow?

Wednesday’s Autumn Statement: What SME Business Owners Want to hear.. An Early Christmas wish list!

In an uncertain world where the UK’s parliament hangs on a slim majority and with Brexit around the corner a lot of business owners will be casting a keen eye over Wednesday’s Autumn Statement. Will there be more red tape? Will there be more of the R&D Tax relief benefits that came in the Spring Budget earlier this year? 80% of SMEs never grow beyond 10 staff. This has to change and the Government has a prime opportunity to start to change this.

Some key areas the MDs of Britain’s SME business community will be wanting to see include:

1/ New approach to providing ethical banking options for SME’s. More people running banks like Dave Fishwick founder of Burnley Savings and Loans. Why can’t the Government have their own form of Dave’s bank for SMEs with a local business banker – a human being not an algorithm that spits out a yes or no lending decision with no LOCAL knowledge of that business or the surrounding area.

2/ Government led funding options to make increased working capital available for SMEs. This could be called The SME Growth Fund. This needs to be national and genuinely make a difference to all corners of UK Plc. Some organisations such as D2N2 do amazing work across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire but this consistency needs some Government intervention to ensure all areas benefit equally.

3/ Initiatives to enable SMEs to get tax relief on training/ upskilling their staff from apprentices to fully fledged technically adept employees able to add value to their company and increase performance.

4/ REDUCE RED TAPE: SMEs already have Brexit, GDPR, increasing Auto-Enrolment contributions PLUS the mooted ‘Making Tax Digital’ on the agenda for 2019 for VAT Registered businesses. Does the SME community really need another raid on their ever- reducing profit margins?

5/ Reverse once and for all Class 4 rises to National Insurance Contributions. A great opportunity to dispel the notion that the Government doesn’t understand small businesses and doesn’t value the risks people take trying to work for themselves.

6/ Cancel the possible lowering of the VAT threshold to below £85,000. MD’s/ Entrepreneurs and the self-employed looking to grow need assurances they have total immunity for this for at least the next few years. It would also help to remove the perception that the Government is out to ‘grab’ yet more cash from SME businesses.

7/ Introduce a government-backed Export Vouchers Scheme for SME’s who export to Europe. This would have government-funded export experts advise niche exporters how to enable their young companies to sell worldwide.

8/ Make the Prompt Payment Code for SME’s compulsory. 2000+ SMEs have signed up to this initiative already. The Government needs to make this compulsory, so big companies HAVE to pay their small suppliers on time, EVERY TIME! This will also provide crucial visibility to an SME owner deciding if they want to work with that major company?

9/ Suspend the planned increases to Business Rates and make exemptions for SMEs at least for a few years. Some companies have seen or are seeing 200% rate rises. This is not commercially viable.

10/ Provision for tax relief on investment in SMEs instigating occupational health scheme to recognise and deal professionally with Mental Health issues in the workplace and to provide funding for training for a representative within an SME organisation to implement best practice around this.

11/ Connectivity and Digital Growth. Make funding and tax relief available to SMEs so that they don’t have to pay exorbitant costs to get an internet where they are that is fit for purpose. It cannot be right that there are still businesses in Derby and Nottingham’s city centres have one option to go with extremely expensive options through national providers.

Let’s wait until Wednesday and see what the Chancellor delivers!

David Ralph Chief Executive of D2N2 speaking at D2N2’s latest Business Breakfast Breakfast at Derby Museum’s Silk Mill

07 November 2017Business Breakfast held in Derby by D2N2
Businesses heard about HS2 plans for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and their role in ‘refreshing’ the economic strategy for the area, at the third of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s Business Breakfasts series today (November 7).

Each year D2N2 – the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, community and voluntary services, and others promoting economic and jobs growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – hosts free Business Breakfasts across its area. The events are a chance to consult businesses on future LEP plans and tell them about recent successes.

This morning’s event – the third of six Business Breakfasts – was held at the Derby Silk Mill, Derby city-centre.

Around 40 delegates heard from speakers:

D2N2 Chief Executive David Ralph. He spoke about recent D2N2 projects and its ambitions to use a proposed HS2 high speed network line through its area to promote economic growth, as well as greater transport connectivity.

Guest business speaker Mary Maguire (PICTURED BELOW), co-founder and joint Managing Director of Astute Financial Recruitment (which has offices in Derby and Nottingham), about how she set up her award-winning business and her aspirations for it.
Richard Kirkland, European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) Officer for D2N2, on the use being made of ESIF funding from the European Union – via D2N2 – to aid the LEP area economy. Richard also spoke about D2N2’s consultation with businesses, local authorities and others on the LEP’s ‘refresh’ of its Strategic Economic Plan; the current masterplan by which it pursues over-arching ambitions such as creating 55,000 jobs by 2023 (the majority to be in the private sector).

Astute Recruitments MD Mary Maguire Guest Speaker At D2N2s Latest Business Breakfast Held At Derby Museum’s Silk Mill

Tickets are still available for the three remaining D2N2 Business Breakfasts, to be held across the LEP’s area at different locations in November. Places can be booked online via the D2N2 website Events page at www.d2n2lep.org/Events . Future Business Breakfasts’ details are:

Tuesday November 14 – Buxton Pump Rooms, The Crescent, Buxton.
Guest speakers – James Berresford, Chair of the Buxton Crescent and Thermal Spa Heritage Trust; and University of Derby Vice-Chancellor Professor Kathryn Mitchell.
Tuesday November 21 – The Best Western Lion Hotel, 112 – 114 Bridge Street, Worksop.
Guest business speaker – Claire Monk, General Manager and Brewer of Welbeck Abbey Brewery.
Tuesday November 28 – The Pavilion Room, The Derbyshire Hotel, Carter Lane East, South Normanton.
Guest business speaker – Isobel Brown, Interim Programme Director for the Midlands Engine.
Tea and coffee, and breakfast rolls, will be provided for delegates at the events.

For online booking to attend the remaining free D2N2 Business Breakfasts, go to the D2N2 website Events page at www.d2n2lep.org/Events . Alternatively contact D2N2 Social Media and Marketing Officer Sam Burbage on 0115 957 8254 or email: [email protected]

Read more about the events on Twitter at @D2N2LEP and follow the D2N2 Business Breakfasts hashtag #D2N2BB2017

Media wanting more information on the work of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership can contact D2N2 Social Media and Marketing Officer on 0115 957 8254 or email: [email protected]

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Mike

16:04 13 Mar 23

Highly recommended! Josh and Sarah have been fantastic at Astute. They've found and placed me in 2 jobs now between them, both really responsive and excellent at keeping you up to speed with things. Very knowledgable about the roles and happy to talk to companies with any queries you have.

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Great agency one of the best ones I've worked with! Liz has been a great help and support in helping me towards a new direction in my career life. She is very attentive and keeps me in the loop at all times! She makes the extra effort to work with my preferred requirements for work and even if it isn't completely attainable she meets me in the middle and does as much as she can to help! Also Liz is very funny might I add 😂 and I'm happy that I can now put a face to the name after all these years! Thank you again Liz for all your help and support! 😊

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Josh and the Astute team was very swift to help me to find roles that matched my profile. They are really reliable and will help through every step of the recruitment process going out of their way to assist and follow up when needed. Could not find a better recruitment agency!

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Fantastic recruitment agency.. Josh was extremely enthusiastic, encouraging and clearly knowledgeable about what was needed from both the employee and the employers point of view. Extremely supportive especially in regards to interview preparation and endeavoured to procure feedback promptly. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Astute in the future to both candidates and recruiting businesses particularly for the right fit for the role!!!

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I have worked as a candidate for Astute and they have been excellent. Super friendly service and professional agents keen to fit the right person to the right job. It has been a pleasure dealing with them and I would happily work for them again in the future. Highly recommend this agency.