Broadstairs Business Club

05/06/2026

27 BBC Members at today's breakfast meeting @ Thanet Squash Club.

And one visiting guest - Chadlyn Ross-Mackenzie from Beyond Beauty with MeAmora.

We had the regular reports from our Committee members - all very positive. As well as an update on the 8/7 Demelza Charity Golf Day - all 24 team spots now filled, so we're just looking for more auction + raffle prizes, and some help with setting up on the day.

After going round the room for thank yous for recent referrals and help given, some members updated us on their businesses: Hal from HB Utilities on the new energy price cap, Clinton from Infusion AI’s new Google Reviews tool, and Kevin from Minters Removals & Storage’s new digital billboards on https://caasie.co/.

We had two really useful presentations; a refresher on the Club's log-in system and website functionality, and an explanation of the new Renters Rights Act from Nigel Pope from The Smart Way to Rent - both generating lots of interest and engagement from members.

And for a bit of fun, we all drew teams in a World Cup 2026 sweepstake. No cash/prizes - just the glory!

Our next meeting (18/6) is at Thanet Disabled Riding Centre. Thanks to Nora, Holly & Team for hosting us all. And fingers crossed for nice weather!

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Tobias Donohoe
TPD Creative | Digital Marketing & Design
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rharveyltd | Keith Graham Hairdressing Cliftonville | Arthurs Solicitors | Active Door & Window Company | Broadbiz Web Services | Browns Trimming | Caremark Thanet, Dover and Canterbury, | CDC Insurance | Dieguno Decor | Empire Finance Ltd | Howell & Hicks | HR Solve It | Michael Martin Partnership | Mr Jeeves | Newlife Wills Ltd | Pestraid | Safety & Management Solutions Ltd - Safety Consultants & Training Centre | Seastaytay | Sharp Printing | The Mortgage Shop - Kent | Urban Surveying & Design Ltd. | Virtec IT Solutions

27/05/2026

Since April, sick pay is payable from day one and the lower earnings limit has been removed.

Have you updated your processes to reflect this?

For most small businesses, this means more people qualify for SSP and the cost starts sooner. If short-term absence is already something you deal with regularly, this change hits harder than it looks on paper.

Here's what to check now:

💷 Payroll setup

Make sure that your system reflects the removal of waiting days and the earnings threshold.

If it hasn't been updated, you could be underpaying or overpaying without knowing it.

📄 Your sickness absence policy

If it still references waiting days or a minimum earnings limit, it's out of date. Your managers and employees need to be working from the same current version.

🔄 Return-to-work conversations

A short, consistent check-in after every absence is one of the simplest tools you have. It doesn't need to be formal. It just needs to happen every time.

📊 Attendance tracking

You can't manage what you don't measure. If you're not recording absence consistently, you won't spot patterns until they've already become costly.

🗣️ Manager confidence

Your managers are the first to notice when absence increases. Make sure that they know how to have early conversations without avoiding them or escalating too quickly.

The changes aren't dramatic on their own, but if your processes haven't caught up, the costs add up quietly.

If you want to sense-check where your absence management sits right now, drop a comment or send us a message.

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

26/05/2026

For many families, the summer holidays are a time to relax, travel, and make memories together. Whether you are heading abroad, taking a UK staycation, or simply enjoying time with the children at home, it is often one of the busiest family periods of the year.But while most parents remember passpor...

22/05/2026

This week we met at The Pavilion in Broadstairs!

This time we moved things into the main room 😃

Things kicked off with the usual stunning breakfast, which is always worth arriving early for.

We began with our usual updates, including a brief update on the upcoming Demelza Charity Golf Day. We’re currently looking for raffle and auction prizes, so if you or your business would like to donate something, please do get in touch!

Brief update around a local school getting in contact with the club, which ties in perfectly with our growing focus on education involvement and supporting young people locally.

As always, there were plenty of thank yous around the room, with members recognising the work, support and advice being shared between one another.

Then we moved onto the main event! A powerful presentation from Simon Pollard , an author and Mind Awareness Coach.

Simon’s talk centred around awareness, how we think, how we respond, what we carry and how easy it can be to move through life without stopping to notice what is really going on.

It took the room through a real mix of emotions. There were moments of laughter, moments of deep focus, moments of recognition and a few moments that were simply quiet.

Simon is the author of The Sheeple Principle, The View Over the Wall and The Three Year Pond. If you would like an idea of what Simon is all about, check out The Sheeple Principle here:
https://simonpollard.uk/product/the-sheeple-principle/

Our support and appreciation of Simon was shown with many members purchasing the book directly from him at the end.

A huge thank you to Simon for joining us and giving the room so much to think about. Many of us left looking at things a little differently.

A thoughtful morning, a full room and another reminder that this business club is definitely not just about business.



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TPD Creative
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Pentins Financial Planners Ltd | Diamond Search Recruitment Ltd | rharveyltd | Keith Graham Hairdressing Cliftonville | Arthurs Solicitors | Active Door & Window Company | Broadbiz Web Services | Browns Trimming | Caremark Thanet, Dover and Canterbury | CDC Insurance | Dieguno Decor | Empire Finance Ltd | Howell & Hicks | HR Solve It | Michael Martin Partnership | Mr Jeeves | Newlife Wills Ltd | Pestraid | Safety & Management Solutions Ltd - Safety Consultants & Training Centre | Seastay | Sharp Printing | The Mortgage Shop - Kent | Urban Surveying & Design Ltd. | Virtec IT Solutions

18/05/2026

The Tables of Open House

Every table had different conversations happening.

New introductions.
Business ideas.
Community discussions.
Probably a few breakfast debates as well.

The Open House was designed to feel relaxed and open and seeing the room full of conversation from start to finish was brilliant to see.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us as part of our 10 year anniversary celebrations.

15/05/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us on the top table during the Open House Breakfast.

We were lucky to hear perspectives from business, community, charity and local leadership throughout the morning, all helping to make the event feel valuable and grounded in the local area.

Special thanks again to:
• Roger Gale
• STAK.life -A World for Difference E.
• Cllr Mike Garner
• Kevin Cripps
• Michael Cannon

A great mix of voices for a great morning.

Photos by carlos dominguez

13/05/2026

A warm Broadstairs Business Club welcome to Dan Perry from Pentins Financial Planners Ltd 👏

Pentins Financial Planners provide tailored financial advice and planning services, helping individuals, families and businesses make confident decisions around their finances and future goals. From pensions and investments through to long-term financial planning, the team focus on building trusted relationships and practical advice that works for real life, not just spreadsheets.

Great to have Dan join the club and we look forward to seeing him at future meetings and networking events!