This high-quality, business to business, bi-monthly online and print magazine features news, reviews, and business advice from across the region. This makes them the perfect fit for our family which is made up of a broad array of businesses from throughout Wakefield.

Alongside Topic UK, their sister publication, Yorkshire Business Woman, goes hand-in-hand nicely with everything we offer here at We Are Wakefield.

Launching just over a year ago, Yorkshire Business Woman was founded in November 2020 as an online magazine and membership organisation, following the growth and success of Topic’s businesswoman section. The immense magnification of Topic’s feature meant there was no other alternative but to launch a solely based publication.

Besides covering business, Yorkshire Business Woman also covers fashion, beauty entrepreneurship, business success stories, health, art, food and drink, lifestyle and much much more. And with Topic UK covering national news, health, culture, legal matters and everything else in between – they really are the best in the business to bring news to you.

Anyone can take a picture, but it takes patience, hard-work and fortitude to be a photographer. And We Are Wakefield are extremely lucky to have the best in the business, JAJA Photography, as our official documentarian.

Lead photographer and founder of JAJA, Andy, is here to put heart, soul and humanity into commercial photography. Drab and dull headshots for a boring email signature or LinkedIn profile picture is not what he’s about…

He believes in creating something magical from who we are. He sees the individuality within, and uses passion to create something bespoke and personal.

JAJA creates high-quality commercial photography for brands with a purpose and who want to connect, communicate and inspire. By working with every brand individually, honestly and openly, it ensures he gets to the heart of why you do what you do and creates impactful images that projects meaningful stories.

We’re biased, because we know he’s the best in the business, but don’t just take our word for it – take a look at his work here!

Following a 20-year career at managerial level for Wetherspoons, Barry Back decided it was his time – so he took voluntary redundancy and is now the founder of local hand roasted coffee company, Recent Beans.

Living by the belief that coffee is best served fresh, Recent Beans follows a strict ‘we roast our beans to order’ policy, ensuring that freshness and quality is guaranteed through every purchase.

“I’ve always been interested in coffee,” explains founder Barry.

“I’ve never understood why the biggest selling coffees at the supermarket are also the ones that have been stored for months or years on a shelf.

“When Wetherspoons offered me the chance to take voluntary redundancy, I knew what I wanted to do.”

Barry truly is inspired by coffee and explains that coffee tastes different in the first two weeks after it’s roasted.

“Fresh coffee has flavour notes that will disappear if stored too long and the coffee extracts so much better fresh. Once you’ve tasted really fresh coffee, you never return to old beans.”

In fact, Barry is so confident that this is the case and knows how good fresh coffee is, he encourages all his customers to use his beans within the first 2 weeks.

Recent Beans don’t charge for 1st class delivery, they do this so that they can get their freshly roasted beans to you as fast as possible, ensuring great taste with every sip. Bulk ordering isn’t recommended either, which is why there is no minimum order for free delivery – that really is commitment to the perfect cup.

With so many people adapting their lifestyle to learn to live with COVID-19, our long-standing members, CM Healthcare can take care of all your needs.

Whether you’re going back to the office, or if you’ve moved to permanent remote working, this industry recognised company based in Ossett can provide you with all your janitorial products to stay safe.

Specialising in all types of supplies, this family-owned business has been going strong since it opened in 1990 and has provided large and small corporations alike with kit to keep them safe.

The CM Healthcare team are all highly trained in the janitorial field, which means they can advise and recommend products to suit each company’s specific needs.

Besides just being experts in their field, CM ensure fast delivery within 2-3 days of ordering, and custom quotations can be made for bulk orders – this ensure you get the best possible price for your products. What’s better than supporting local all whilst getting a great deal?

Currently they are holding a clearance sale on anti-bacterial spray and hand sanitiser which is selling out fast!

Not looking for that right now? No problem, they stock a huge range of items including:

• First Aid (kits, dressing, bandages, eye care, burns, plasters)
• Paper Products (toilet roll, centrefeed, paper towels)
• Cleaning & Janitorial (air freshener, anti-bac spray, Astonish cleaner, hand gel, cleaner)
• PPE (footwear, gloves, head/face/hearing protection, Hi-Vis)
• Dispensers (soap, air freshener, paper towel, spray, toilet roll)

The above list is just a small variety of all the products of offer, so make sure to head over to their website to browse the full range of what CM Healthcare has to offer: CM Healthcare Website

Every company should invest in marketing to get their work out there and generate enquiries, so finding the right agency can be a challenge.

Northern Media is a Wakefield based agency that is made up of a team of digital marketing experts who love what they do, are specialists in their chosen field and are passionate about making a difference to every client.

Since the business was established in 2009, Northern Media has been committed to developing open and honest relationships that generate results for the client.

They have a simple vision……Whether you are an employee, client or supplier, we want everyone involved with Northern Media to enjoy working with Northern Media. Yes it may sound a bit cheesy, but everything will be better if you enjoy it!

So if you’re on the lookout for a new website or need social media, SEO or PPC support, Northern Media can certainly help.

Northern Media enjoy digital; you enjoy the results!

Why use a Commercial Finance Broker  

Commercial finance brokers can take the hard work out of finding the best free business loan that is right for you. Essentially, they look at your lending requirements and match you to the right product and lender. The issue is that the business finance space has become a very crowded marketplace, and inevitably can lead to more choices and confusion for SME’s .

Crest Commercial Finance have a large panel of UK lenders which allows us to search the whole of the market to find the most suitable funding solution for you and your business. We cater for Limited Companies (LTD), Limited Liability LLPs. Partnerships, Sole Traders, and Start Ups. We also work on a contingent basis which means no up-front fees.

Not all applications are straightforward, and some are more complex, with elements of poor/bad credit, CJJS, previous insolvency, but what ever the situation we can support you through the plethora of funding options available, but also save time and only apply to the funders that we know will be able to support.

What is the process when applying for a loan through a broker?

It depends on the individual case, but in most situations most of the correspondence can be done either over call/zoom and email. On some occasions it is best to meet with your broker and work through the solutions together.

You will also need to provide certain pieces of information, such as, Financial Accounts, Bank Statements, ID such as driving licence and passport. You may also need to sign an engagement letter.

You will also need to explain what the money will be used for eg : Cashflow, stock, expansion, purchase of an asset, to fund a debtor book (invoice finance) , refinance of more expensive debt, to buy a property etc.

The time frame from application to getting an offer can differ. For example, for a small business loan which is unsecured can be facilitated within a couple of days, whereby commercial loan will take a little longer.

What Next?

Crest Commercial Finance have over 26 years’ experience within the funding landscape and have relationships with many of the funding providers which allows us to act fast and get you the very best solution.  So, if you are looking for a funding solution for your business, then please get in touch for a free no obligation quote.

Our long-standing member, Printforms, can help you to upscale your branding to reflect your company image!

Now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing and more events are taking place, why not get yourself prepared for exhibitions, trade shows, and any other event you can attend.

There are so many great ways for you to leave a lasting mark of yourself on someone, and what better way to do it that through branded products!

Printforms, which is based in the Belle Vue area of Wakefield, has a huge plethora of product that can be personalised to reflect who you are.

One of the best-sellers is the Bro-card! It’s the perfect way to promote your product, small enough to fit in your pocket and an easy way to get in front of your target market. Virtually a mini brochure, this neat little promo can fold up and open out in a range of different combinations!

Not quite sure what you want? Have a quick read at this guide below on just a few products Printforms offer:

EXHIBITION POP UPS

Perfect for exhibitions, trade shows and other events. The pop up display is affordable and convenient.  We an help with the design on these and all the products featured! They come in cases and wheeled containers for easy transportation too.

ROLLER BANNERS 

A  great way to show off your brand in a professional light.  These feature in various sizes and come complete with aluminium frame and carry case.

FLOOR STICKERS

Direct customers and clients around your stand with floor stickers which are printed on slip resistant protective film!

FLAGS

Get your business noticed with flags covered in your branding! They make great exhibition stand accessories and can help attract the right audiences. These come in a variety of sizes and have base options.

BRANDED CLOTHING

Create a consistent and professional message by updating workwear for shows. Shirts, T-shirt or Hoodies with your logo in a huge range of sizes and colours. And don’t forget we can do the design too!

PROMOTIONAL MERCHANDISE

Give away swag, or call it what you want, these are trade show essentials to give to customers for front-of-mind advertising!  Pens, mugs, hats, personalised  sports bottles or maybe stress balls to give to visitors to your stand. The list is endless! Anything with a logo on and we can source and supply – just ask!

Also don’t forget shows and exhibitions are a great time to refresh your business cards, brochures and leaflets and one-off print runs can target any show offers you might have.

Printforms are ready to help We Are Wakefield members with a host of products to help reach your target markets at exhibitions!

 

So, who are our newest members and what do they do?

Clear Workplace are specialist providers of auto enrolment solutions who are not tied to any pension or payroll providers. This enables them them to give a clear pricing quote to their customers, as nothing is branded a ‘package’ in their business

Working by the mantra ‘need to have’ and not ‘nice to have’, this ensures they are totally responsible for all recommendations they give, meaning they develop strong partnerships with their clients to become the auto enrolment adviser, procurement specialist and service provider on your company’s behalf.

Since starting trading in 2013, Clear Workplace has worked with a number of clients – one of which having over 1,000 employees over 44 varied site locations. This is alongside small to medium enterprises too.

Alongside all of this, Clear Workplace are proud members of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals ‘Friends of automatic enrolment’, which provides further confidence in using their services.

By using Clear Workplace’s Pensions Optimisation, it saves both the employer and employee money on their National Insurance contributions. On average, Clear Workplace saves employers £17,250 per year. Employees can access the firm’s Pension Hunter, enabling them to track down and consolidate old workplace and personal pension pots. 

Just to prove their commitment to their clientele, Clear Workplace were awarded Best Workplace Pension Advisor 2021 at the Bond Street Awards in London after being nominated by their clients Centaur.

Getting to understand pensions can be tricky, for both companies large and small, so why not get in touch with them to see how they can help you?

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So much more than an interior designer and declutterer, Rachel Smith is a woman on a mission determined to help people connect the dots between their home and their mental health and wellbeing!

Specialising in decluttering, home styling and home staging, Clutter is the Enemy injects love, life, and positivity back into your home, helping you understand and see the difference in what a well-maintained and clutter-free home can do for your mental health and more.

Modern life and consumerism means we all live with some degree of clutter. When it gets to be more than just the detritus of everyday life, it becomes an embarrassment. It stops us being the people we want to be and living the life we want to live.  By understanding this, Rachel guides you through the emotional rollercoaster of a journey that is decluttering and will give you positivity and hope for the future.

Interior design is something that is often only associated with the wealthy, but Clutter is the Enemy has affordable interior design services that can stop your home from working against you and help reflect who you are. Rachel takes the time to get to know you and helps you create spaces that allow you to breathe. She helps you define your own style and ensures that your home is a positive, happy place.

Selling your home? Home staging is key! Presenting to the best possible standard is the best way to maximise your return and ensure it will sell as quickly as possible. Clutter is the Enemy acts as a fresh pair of eyes to someone’s home, which is valuable to making sure you’re displaying your home in a way that interested buyers would want to see it. Home staging your own home is a tricky business and can be the downfall of a sale, it might have been your home for many years, but it’s time to move on and getting to that stage to sell can be hard without a home stager!

Yorkshire’s one-stop centre for first aid and health and safety training is run by One Stop Safety Training Solutions!

Although based in Castleford, this amazing company covers the entire area of Yorkshire, ensuring they can help as many companies and individuals as possible in their mission to make sure everyone is fully trained to ensure they are equipped for any situation they might face.

With over 1,500 people trained already, this really is Yorkshire’s finest first aid training company.

Training yourself and your team with first aid knowledge truly is an investment in itself, with life-altering circumstances if the skills learnt are used in day-to-day life to save someone’s life.

And what’s more, it doesn’t break the bank either! One Stop Safety Training Solutions offer courses for as little as £55 with both inhouse and onsite training on offer that’s available 7 days a week across Yorkshire. All courses are delivered by highly qualified and experienced trainers that have served in the Police, Army and Ambulance services. Unlike the national companies, this gives One Stop the advantage as all trainers can use real-life experience rather than made-up scenarios as used by nationwide companies to give trainees actual scenarios that they could be faced with and how to tackle them.