US2U Consulting at the Broadland and South Norfolk Business Awards Ceremony 2023

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Published: Wednesday, 08 March 2023 14:09

US2U Consulting attended the Broadland and South Norfolk Business Awards 2023 on 7 March, hosted at Norwich City Football Club.

US2U Consulting had been nominated for the award in 'Excellence in insurance, Financial and Professional Services'.

We were proud to be one of the top 3 finalists in that category and therefore pleased of the achievements our organisation has accomplished.

Throughout the evening there was food, drink and lots of networking taking place. It was a pleasing evening with a fun atmosphere, celebrating the success and hard-working teams of Norfolk businesses.

Jess, our intern who has recently joined US2U Consulting to gain some work experience within the consultancy industry, also attended the evening (pictured alongside US2U team members Rachel Blackburn and Jan Baynham).

Jess said the event was "insightful and eye-opening, learning about some of the most successful businesses located within Broadland and South Norfolk, as well as being able to attend a fun evening hosted at an exciting location."

How has the world of work changed? Rachel Blackburn attends CBI Future of Work Conference

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Published: Tuesday, 07 March 2023 13:55

What is the future of work? Rachel Blackburn attends CBI Future of Work Conference to learn how the world of work has changed and what solution can be implemented for the challenges ahead

US2U Consulting Director Rachel Blackburn attended the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) Future of Work Conference in London on 1 March 2023 to understand how external drivers such as the pandemic have impacted the world of work in the current and future economy.

The aim of the conference was to bring the CBI community together and challenge members' ideas of what they think the future of work looks like. The audience also heard from key speakers on how to ensure their business strategies align with building a work environment fit for purpose. Keynote speeches also explained why the future of work is changing, giving example such as an aging population and technology advancements - and how this has contributed to the new principles of the labour market.

Throughout this conference there were also several discussions on leadership and whether senior management are ready for the new factors contributing to the change of work. There were also discussions on reskilling employees rather than rehiring, and how hybrid and remote working have been introduced globally since the pandemic.

Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, was also one of the keynote speakers in attendance, talking about how employers should apply innovative policies to increase productivity and to ask employees how they think their employers should manage flexible working.

Overall, this was an insightful conference learning about the future of work. It emphasised how today's jobs and work processes need to modernise and improve in order to produce a thriving economy, and how organisations such as US2U Consulting can assist with this.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how US2U Consulting can make a positive difference to your organisation and help your employees to achieve their goals.

We have also produced a summary of key Future of Work points from the CBI conference which is free to download. Access this below and let us know what you think:

US2U Consulting - CBI Future of Work Summary Points March 2023

US2U Consulting Travel to India for the CBI Trade Delegation to discuss International Expansion

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Published: Monday, 27 February 2023 19:13

US2U Consulting Director, Rachel Blackburn, flew to India on the 6 February 2023 for three days to attend the CBI's Trade Delegation to discuss and gain exclusive insights into India's market and the new and exciting opportunities it can bring to UK businesses. As Rachel is on the East of England CBI (Confederation of British Industry), it was important that she attended this trip to get the most out of her role as a member, as well as to enjoy the opportunities that come with the position.

The trip, to business hubs in Delhi and Mumbai, consisted of learning about India's market trends, attending sessions assessing the key trade opportunities and challenges India can bring, as well as networking with Indian and UK businesses. It was also a good opportunity to promote US2U Consulting and how we can make a positive difference to an array of clients across various sectors overseas.

When interviewed about her trip to India, Rachel expressed how great it was that the delegation was female-led, with the individuals involved being from a number of different ethnicities and religions including Hindu, Muslim and Christian. It was amazing to see such a diverse team work so well together. One of US2U Consulting's core values is encouraging diversity, so it was great to have that as one of the main features of the trip.

Rachel (pictured at the CBI delegation in India) proclaimed her favourite aspect of the trip was learning from lots of interesting people and understanding how India has managed its economy to create so many successful businesses.

Thanks to the information and knowledge gained from this successful trip, this trade delegation will add to US2U's current knowledge base and skillset when advising clients within different markets and territories, and across different cultural boundaries.

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Rachel Blackburn attends CBI meeting in London to discuss the Change The Race Ratio Campaign

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Published: Monday, 27 February 2023 17:21

Rachel Blackburn attended a CBI (Confederation of British Industry) meeting on Cannon Street in London on 23 February 2023 to discuss the Change The Race Ratio Campaign that US2U Consulting has been a key signatory of since 2021 (read more about this here).

The purpose of this movement is to campaign for race equity and encouraging diversity in leadership and senior management positions - which US2U Consulting has always been passionate about as one of our core values. We offer a variety of Diversity and Inclusion-focused services, with our Diversity and Inclusion language quiz being one of our activities on this topic. Read and have a go at this here - let us know how you get on!

Richard DeNetto (pictured with Rachel) was one of the key speakers at this meeting in his role as a Race Change Equity Agent.

Overall, this CBI meeting was helpful for members to discuss the topic of race equity within a variety of industries, and how an inclusive culture can help any type of business thrive.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how we can support your organisation's Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities strategies.

US2U Welcomes Intern Jess Connolly to the Team

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Published: Wednesday, 22 February 2023 18:05

We are pleased to welcome a new Marketing Services and Client Coordinator intern to the US2U Consutling team - as Business Management student Jess Connolly joins us while completing the final year of her degree at the University of East Anglia.

With her business degree, Jess has gained a thorough understanding of all aspects of business and aims to pursue a career in Management Consulting upon graduating. In order to utilise her knowledge, she wants to apply it in the real world and views US2U Consulting as an ideal platform for pursuing her goal.

She is currently the Academic Representative for her university course, which has provided her with knowledge and skills that can be beneficial to the US2U team.

Since Jess has had part-time jobs in hospitality for many years, she has developed the qualities of being a team-player and a motivated, organised individual, eager to learn and develop her current skills from US2U Consulting.

Welcome to the team, Jess! View the rest of our team members at the Our People page.

US2U Consulting Nominated for Broadland & South Norfolk Business Award 2023

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Published: Monday, 30 January 2023 19:06

US2U Consulting are very pleased to have been shortlisted as one of three nominees for a Broadland & South Norfolk 2023 Business Award, for "Excellence in Insurance, Financial and Professional Services".

The judges visited our office on 24 January and the winner will be announced at the Awards Dinner on 7 March at Carrow Road.

We will keep you posted!

End of Year US2U News Round Up

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Published: Tuesday, 27 December 2022 12:31

It's been a busy end to 2022 as we have been busy supporting clients and the professional community. A few recent highlights of what US2U Consulting have been up to are below:

Creative Swiping with ETA Green Power at Worldwide Fruit

We often encourage our clients to visit other clients of ours, often from different industries, to conduct 'Creative Swiping' activities to drive their continuous improvement strategies. We recently arranged for Norfolk-based ETA Green Power to visit Worldwide Fruit in Lincolnshire to do just this. "It was a superb day; we have learnt lots of practical things that we can use to develop our continuous improvement culture" said Craig Joryeff, QHSE Manager, ETA Green Power.

ETA Green Power IET Partnership Programme

We have been pleased to also recently launch the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Partnership Programme for our client ETA Green Power. "It is great that we have joined this world class network" said Liam Bowman, CTO, ETA Green Power.

Boniface Engineering 40th Anniversary celebrations continue

Rounding up the 40th anniversary year celebrations of Thetford-based Boniface Engineering Ltd, we were pleased to attend the sponsorship event with our client Thomas Whiskin, Managing Director of ASAMS Ltd. It was another great opportunity to see a truck recovered quickly from a crashed position by the internationally-renowned Boniface Engineering equipment. Pictured from left to right are Thomas Whiskin, Rachel Blackburn, and Boniface Engineering's General Manager Jackie Rix and Managing Director Mike Boniface.

Rachel Blackburn speaks on a Hays Recruitment webinar on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Attracting and retaining great staff is forecast to continue to be a challenge during 2023. We were pleased to be invited to speak at a recent Hays Recruitment Webinar about the importance of maintaining focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as a key part of an organisation's People Strategy - not in a 'woke' way but in a 'Let's make this a great place to work for all" way. More information about the ED&I survey we conducted during the webinar will follow next year.

The Gem Appeal Charity Ball in Manchester

The Gem Appeal was started back in 1994 to raise funds for genetic research with a view to treating and hopefully one day eradicating life-limiting disorders. Two of the team were pleased to attend the Denise Welch Enchanted Wonderland Ball in Manchester in November, which was raising funds to support the appeal. Rachel Blackburn is pictured with some celebrities who attended the event.

We have enjoyed working with many different organisations this year as they navigated the challenges of 2022, and we look forward to continuing to make a positive difference to our clients in 2023.

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US2U Consulting organise educational Norwich School visit to client ETA Green Power

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Published: Thursday, 01 December 2022 14:48

We are pleased to have recently arranged for our client, Norfolk-based green energy engineering and technology company ETA Green Power, to host two educational site visits for Norwich School sixth form Business Enterprise students.

The visits on 24 November and 1 December were aimed at providing the students with insight into and understanding of a real life, cutting-edge business case study - and it was great to do so at an exciting and local company such as ETA Green Power, based at Hethel Engineering Centre. These visits also had the benefit of enabling ETA Green Power to continue to strenghthen its links with the local community.

The Norwich School visits also come off the back of US2U Consulting's sponsorship of the school's Young Chamber scheme for the 2022-23 academic year, and the inspirational business talks delivered by our team to these business students at the school in September 2022.

Norwich School's Head of Economics & Business Enterprise and Young Chamber Coordinator, Tom White, said "The time Norwich School spent at ETA Green Power was perhaps the best possible use of a couple of hours for a group of 16-17-year-old pupils who are still fresh to their Business course. The ETA Green Power session was tailored and delivered perfectly for its audience. The ETA Green Power team are all very engaging speakers and I was really impressed by their ability to paint a clear picture in such an accessible and interesting way. Thanks also to Rachel for setting up this terrific link."

We look forward to organising more exciting initiatives for our clients and partners in 2023. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to see how US2U Consulting can make a positive difference to your organisation.

Back of the Net: US2U Consulting Sponsor a Local Football Team!

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Published: Monday, 14 November 2022 17:47

At US2U Consulting, our team has many years' experience of helping organisations achieve their goals. We recently committed to helping a different sort of team achieve a different sort of goal - as we became a trainingwear and shirt sponsor of Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers FC Under 12s team!

This means that the US2U Consulting logo will be proudly worn on the backs of their maroon training tracksuit tops and on the front of the training shirts for the 2022-23 season - which will also be used as the away kit when playing matches on the road this season.

We are excited to see our logo used in this way, as it is the first time have sponsored a football team and a sports kit! We have previously sponsored local cricket club Horsford CC and have a sponsorship board at their home ground in Norfolk.

It is great to be able to support local initiatives and sports teams in this way.

Good luck to Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers FC Under 12s this season - we look forward to seeing our logo in action soon!

Rachel Blackburn, Director, US2U Consulting is pictured with Ross Taylor of the Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers FC Under 12s management team.

US2U and ABC Taxis Partnership Reaches its Destination: Bitter Sweet End to a Journey

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Published: Tuesday, 08 November 2022 12:24

US2U Consulting Guarantees to Make a Positive Difference to any business that it works with. Sometimes the success is tinged with an element of sadness as it signals an end of era. Such has been the result of the continued growth of our long-standing client ABC Taxis in Norwich - resulting in it recently being acquired by Veezu, the UK's leading private hire technology platform.

Back in 2009, the Directors of ABC Taxis in Norwich asked Rachel Blackburn to review the business and work with them to create a growth plan. At that time the business, whilst being the largest in Norwich, had just 50 cars. Rachel, pictured with ABC Taxis Director Simon Callender, worked with the Directors and the management team to embed an annual business planning cycle where we reviewed the business goals, the operating environment, the competition, the structure, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

We also put in place a clear set of values called "The ABC Way" and the strapline "Achieving Best Customer Service". By taking this disciplined approach the business has grown steadily to having around 350 cars today. This has enabled the people of Norwich and the surrounding area to enjoy and benefit from high standards of customer service, safety and efficiency as well as meaningful work for drivers and staff.

Rachel said, "Particular highlights have been securing the grant investment to enable ABC Taxis to buy their first two eco cars in 2013, organising the first ABC Taxis presence at the Lord Mayors Procession in 2012 and also working with them to secure their licence in Broadland in addition to Norwich in 2018. We also enjoyed making several corporate films for marketing and training purposes (watch the Equal Opportunities and Diversity video here) and celebrating their 25th birthday in 2019.

Simon reflected, "Back in 2009 we needed to have a clear plan for the business and it was great to be rescued by Rachel. We wish to thank her and the US2U Consulting Team who have worked with us for their help in getting us to this point. This is an exciting chapter in the ABC Taxis journey."

To learn how US2U Consulting can make a Positive Difference to your organisation to take you to the next level, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..