We are delighted to be a part of InterTrade Irelands Pre Brexit Advisory Service.

As a technical specialist in product compliance we can help provide high quality advice for cross border SME traders and manufacturers looking to capitalise on the changing product compliance landscape.

You can find out more about our service here

I am delighted to present our new service brochure, showcasing what Close Focus can do for your sustainability programs.

It’s a great reflection of what we do and a sneak peak on how we do it.

It can be downloaded below or direct from the website homepage.

2017 Close Focus Services Brochure V1.1

I have to say a big thank you to our designer, Rick Smith from Smith Design Agency, for his fantastic service and quick turn around.

If you have any questions please connect via the online form or call +442890996299

Frank

Frank Given, Director

When I founded Close Focus, I knew the idea of a ‘brand’ was important and that the image it portrayed would reflect my business and how it worked.

The truth is, when I started 18 months ago I hadn’t settled on what that image was going to look like, because the vison for the business wasn’t set.

Move forward 18 months and now I get to articulate it.

As we present our new brand image I wanted to explain what the ‘trike’ is all about.

As I was talking through what sustainability meant to me with our designer, sustainability became not ‘the end’, but a means to an end. Or, the journey, not the destination.

Sustainability as a business concept only works if the right people are pulling together, if everyone has and knows their role and if the connections between commerce and ecology are in harmony. That’s why there is an inter connection between the ecology, in green, and the commerce in orange.

But why the linkages?

Then linkages represent connection, not just between concepts of economy and ecology but also between people, functions and businesses. The further the links go the more interconnected and overlapping the ideas of commerce and ecology get. It’s all connected.

The last part is under the radar, I am passionate about putting everything I know into practice. The tagline says  ‘Practical Sustainability’.

As the links suggest there is more to Close Focus than consulting, there is another link.

As I continue to build the company, the development of products, backed by our approaches to sustainable product development, will appear. By creating quality, sustainably developed, products we can continue prove the methods we champion.

I was extremely lucky to work with Rick Smith of Smith Design Agency in developing the brand identity. Rick is both a talented designer and has a razor sharp appreciation of branding and how it relates to the presentation of the company, our values and goals.

We sincerely hope you like our new brand and come to associate it with quality of service and innovation that surprises and delights. Continuing to reflect our values of Integrity, Innovation and Care that will define Close Focus for years to come.

Frank

‘Start as you mean to go on’ is a phrase I’ve used may times. I think I’ll change it to ‘start, stop, think about it, change if necessary, then go on’.

So far our first year has gone reasonably well. We completed our first contract, and got paid for it. We got our website up and running (and nominated for an award no less). We joined a business referral group, attended lots of business networking events, and advertised our wares to anyone who would listen. Most importantly we have kept pushing forward. Adapting and refining our offer. Working on how we structure every conversation, approach every opportunity and talk about our values in the most uncompromising way, as every business should.

In truth, what I’ve learned about running a business is that it is tough, but enjoyable. I am continually impressed by the fearless enthusiasm of new, young business owners, most of whom have earned their shot at changing the world. I’m glad to say I’m still learning, and willing to learn.

Everything being well, that attitude will stand me in good stead for the rest of my business life, and with a bit of luck, that will be for many years to come.

Frank

Well our website has any way… Yes, we have been named a finalist in the Realex Irish Web Awards 2016 in the Start Up Business category. Pretty chuffed we are too.

I would love to take all the credit, but really that’s down to our web design team, Northern Irelands own WebsiteNI. Thanks to all at Website NI for the hard work and commitment to developing a fantastic website for us.

The most important part is the awards bash in Dublin later this month. No matter who wins, I expect a good night will be had by all.

You cannot control what you cannot measure. To improve your business environmental credentials you need to understand where you are starting from. Developing a carbon footprint gives you the baseline to work from, here is how…

Ever wondered how to develop a carbon footprint map for yourself, your home or your workplace? It can sometimes be a bit bewildering – let’s see if we can simplify it for you….

It’s easy to be come overwhelmed by carbon footprint mapping for businesses, it can become very complex very quickly.

To simplify and try and build in understanding, we need to break it down into the various parts. I’ve found the best starting point to understanding is to do a map for yourself and household. This also helps generate a personal interest in the environment and saving money by being resource efficient, which is helps build commitment at a company level.

There are many great, free, online and pay to use tools out there to help focus on where you can be more resource efficient and environmentally friendly. Picking the right one can take time and often involves trial and error.

To help learn about carbon footprinting, the WWF has one of my favourite introductory tools for breaking down and calculating carbon footprint at an individual level. It’s also a great hearts and minds tool for the workplace, as it shows a figure against a UK wide 2020 commitment to reduce the UK’s impact on climate change. It also gives great advice on how to reduce a personal and household carbon footprint, which will save money.

When I need something to show a figure associated with CO2 to help with carbon offsetting, I use the calculator from carbonfootprint.org. It asks for more information but by ranking the carbon sources, it helps prioritise the reduction effort.

When this is for personal use, it’s about having an engagement tool that helps generate ideas for improvement. The most important thing is to check if there are areas of high use in your results so you can target practical reduction. However, for your business, it’s important to use commercially specified tools with up to date metrics for your industry, whose results that you can verify against local government requirements. This is especially important if claiming against CCA’s.

If you would like help developing a carbon footprint map for your business, we can do the work for you, or if would like build the competency internally then we can offer support and training on best practices in carbon footprinting. Either way, contact us here and let us do the work for you, or let us show you how.

Drivers, here are my top 5 tips for saving fuel and being greener when on the road..

Not everyone can drive a Hybrid or electric vehicle to keep our emissions down and conserve fuel, so here are my top 5 tips for saving fuel when on the road…

5. Check your tires – under inflated tires can increase road friction, wearing quicker and adding an extra 3% to your fuel bill. Check manufacturers recommendations for the correct tire pressure for your vehicle.

4. Check your speed – 70mph will use between 20% and 30% more fuel than doing 50mph. Check your vehicle handbook for optimum efficient cruising speeds.

3. Smooth driving in the correct gear – use of gears can make huge savings on your fuel bill of up to 15% and having a heavy foot can increase your consumption by up to 60%.

2. Map your journey – quite a few people i’ve met over the years are convinced they know the shortest and quickest way to some place. Check your thinking on google maps or a sat-nav, you might find those extra miles that are costing you fuel and bring you closer to your next service. You will notice this at the start and finish of journeys, short trips, and around towns and cities, and even that time when you forgot that thing and had to double back … it all adds up.

and numero uno??

1. Avoid short trips – most short trips are around 2km, that’s shorter than dog walking distance for most people. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, like the school run or the weekly shop, but those little trips in-between are what adds to the mileage.

This is sound advice whether you are driving personally or professionally. Practical driver training courses are available to help with safe and efficient driving that can help save on fuel costs and cut carbon emissions.

To see if a safe and efficient driver strategy can help your business save cost an reduce your companies carbon footprint contact us here for a free initial consultation.

I like to keep it practical here at Close Focus, so here are some links to great, short videos about water saving tips for around the home, courtesy of Southern Water in the UK and Anglian Water. They cover water saving with Taps, Showers,Toilets and Checking for leaks.

For more tips on how to save water contact us here at Close Focus and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.