Parasol

Team Parasol scale the heights and raise £10,000 for Childline

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:26:02 +0100

The Parasol National 3 Peaks (N3P) Team Did It! On Friday at 16:01 an intrepid band of Parasol climbers took to Ben Nevis in the first part of this very challenging task. Aiming to raise £10,000 in support of Childline and in conjunction with ATSCo, the Parasol team completed the climbs of Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon. In probably the worse weather conditions for the time of year in a long time, (it did not stop raining and with high winds) the team completed the task in just over 24 hours. Injuries, weather and fatigue could not put these hardy souls off and they all returned back safe and sound. The team was extremely well supported by a dedicated Support Team who also made the challenge so much more manageable. Everyone at Parasol has been involved in the fund raising effort and to have reached the £10,000 milestone is an excellent achievement for such a worthy cause. If you would still like to sponsor the Parasol team, you can donate on-line at http://www.justgiving.com/theparasolchallenge No donation is too small and we are all very proud of the teams achievements.

Parasol opens up online "Ingenuity Bank"

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:55:00 +0100

With several thousand contractors spread across the UK, Parasol, has constantly searched for a way to harness their community for feedback and input on all aspects of their business and the flexible working industry in general.

Parasol and the PCG bring industry together in debate

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:45:00 +0100

Parasol joined forces with The Professional Contractors Group (PCG) to bring together over 20 contributors from across the flexible working world at the Institute of Directors in Central London.

Parasol wins UK's "Professional Passport"

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:38:00 +0100

Parasol has become one of the first UK umbrella companies to attain the recently introduced Professional Passport standard.

Parasol joins ranks with APRC

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:25:00 +0000

APCR highlights Parasol as one of the best in the business.

Best Companies Award '08

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:45:00 +0000

Parasol has retained star status accreditation for the 2nd year running making the company officially one of the best companies to work for in the UK, according to a national poll. Awarding body ‘Best Companies’ conducted a rigorous audit of Parasol’s workplace initiatives and surveyed the company’s 89 employees. Best Companies Accreditation recognises organisational excellence in the area of workplace engagement. Parasol scooped its position after demonstrating how it values its employees and by highlighting its approach to career development of staff members.- More – Adele Ventre-Downey, head of HR at Parasol, said: “Everybody at Parasol has worked hard to retain our Star status and we’re extremely proud that all our commitment and input has once again been recognised”. “Developing a vibrant, fun and hard working team is central to Parasol’s vision of growth and diversification as the freelance recruitment industry moves in to a rapidly expanding future.” “Most visitors at Parasol comment on the friendly yet professional culture we have and this could not be retained without engaging everyone at the company”. Parasol now employs 94 people at its Centre Park offices, and looks after the employment needs of many thousands of contractors working throughout the UK. In 2007, the company won the ATSCo Service Provider of the Year award, and managing director, Rob Crossland won Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the North. Parasol have also recently been successful in renewing their Investors In People (IIP) Award.

Remarkable results from our customer survey

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:07:00 +0000

After a year that saw significant industry changes and considerable developments in our own service, over 1400 Parasol Flexible Employees took part in our survey which was designed to gain your invaluable feedback on a wide range of customer service topics and industry issues. An overriding majority of customers recognised Parasol as a fast and responsive service provider, providing knowledge and speedy resolutions to queries; an invaluable testament to our customer service team. Access to the customer Portal and online systems also received a huge “thumbs up” with 93% saying that it was either a “good” or “excellent” service feature. Reassuring us that simplicity for online timesheets and expense entry continues to be a key priority for contractors and a continued success factor for Parasol. While success factors and recognition of our quality brand were generally given very positive feedback, it is your suggestions for improvement and real needs that drives our innovation and delivers the Company’s growth. In the Know will keep you updated of all future developments to our online Portal, added service benefits and new product launches as the year progresses. In addition to completing the survey, over 700 Flexible Employees agreed to participate in future on-line focus groups; a chance to discuss Parasol, the industry plus new initiatives around product, services and pricing. We were delighted with your genuine interest and commitment to the future of Parasol. Thank you to all of you who took part!

Parasol launch brand new website

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Parasol start 2008 with the launch of a brand new website to provide a fresh approach to presenting and delivering our expanding range of services. www.parasolgroup.co.uk has a clear and simple format with slick navigation that offers both new and established contractors “jargon free” information on our PAYE services, as well as a wealth of information on contracting. With its secure client area you can intouch with the latest offers, access your account and stay up to date with the latest industry news. Your Portal A revamped Flexible Employee Portal completes the new website. Your Portal is your personal space to control where you will enter your timesheets and expenses and keep track of your payments. Parasol’s recently launched PayTracker is proven to answer 84% of your queries on-line and allows you to track your payments throughout every step of the process. Live News Feeds Your daily one-stop-shop for up to the minute news, that affects you and your contracting career. Competitor Comparison Compare our services and benefits against the other players in the market. Rob’s Blog Weekly update from our M D, Rob Crossland provides thoughts and an often comical view on the latest industry news. With an opportunity to post your comments back to Rob! “We’re all really pleased with the results – it’s got great functionality, sophisticated online communications and, of course, the best blog on the net - probably!?” – Rob Crossland. Why not save us in your favorites?

Parasol BluePrint brings immediate success

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:41:36 +0000

After many months spent developing a corporate “blueprint”, designed to deliver clear strategic thinking and elevate business performance, the management team at Parasol were delighted to see their efforts pay an immediate dividend when they were awarded the Service Provider of the Year at the 8th annual ATSCo awards by a panel of independent adjudicators drawn from across the recruitment industry After consulting with all of their head office staff, Parasol’s management team spent significant time developing and perfecting their “Blueprint for Success” which clarifies the critical performance areas of the business and the specific contribution required from all employees. Commenting on the award, Managing Director Rob Crossland said: “Receiving any award is fantastic, but something that recognises our contribution to service and professionalism is particularly special and since the award recognises the collective contribution of all our employees, it is doubly satisfying.” At a gala event attended by over 600 people from the Technology Staffing Sector, Parasol was recognised for its consistently clear messages during a year when evolving legislation posed some serious challenges to many competitors in the sector. With its position reinforced by the legislation, Parasol were able to deliver outstanding service levels right throughout the year, service levels that were massively enhanced thanks to the strategic direction offered by their Blueprint. Parasol has plans to introduce a further range of agency services during 2008. Crossland continued: “We are currently looking to raise the bar even higher by adding further specific initiatives to better manage administrative operations and the pay rolling of contractors. Our intention is to really communicate on how operational efficiency (and risk mitigation) through effective partnerships can be a huge contributor to Agency profitability”

Post haste for Parasol’s paperless scheme

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:48:00 +0000

Employment services provider, Parasol, has brought forward the launch of a new scheme to help safeguard freelancers, contractors and employment agencies from future turbulence in postal services.Parasol’s new ‘Master Agreements Initiative’ will remove the need for agencies to produce multiple paper contracts for the contractors who use its services.“The paper-heavy system currently used by the industry is inefficient and unnecessary,” said Paul Shrimpton, sales and marketing director at Parasol.The initiative means that once a hard copy master agreement has been signed by an employment agency, authorising Parasol to take care of the administration and tax requirements of a contractor, all further legal agreements for the same purpose can be dealt with electronically.“The concept is simple but it’s amazing how many agencies are still using the paper system when there’s no legal reason for it,” added Shrimpton.“Last week’s disruption caused problems for some agencies and their contractors. With further turbulence in the postal market anticipated, we want to make sure this situation doesn’t affect the lives of the contractors we employ.“As well as reducing our reliance on traditional postal services, the new service will also reduce administrative costs of producing, delivering and storing hard copy agreements, increase productivity, get contractors up and running more quickly and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.”Parasol provides accountancy and payroll services to the contractor and freelance communities. For a weekly or monthly fee, the company takes care of their administrative and tax requirements. Services include a package of insurance products as well as traditional payroll services such as PAYE and general expenses processing.The new initiative will interface closely with Parasol’s online contracts portal which allows agencies to upload individual contractor information directly onto Parasol’s systems.Press enquiries to: Susan Tonge, Smith & Smith PR, tel: 0161 236 5560 / mobile 07985 991 130; e-mail: susan@smithandsmithpr.co.uk.Hi-res jpeg images are available from Smith & Smith PR.

Parasol and NES form first ‘Umbrella-Agency Alliance’

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:40:00 +0000

Employment services provider, Parasol, has signed an exclusive deal with specialist recruitment company, NES Group, to provide employment services to NES’s contractors in the technical, engineering, IT and rail sectors.Parasol will offer the NES contractors a comprehensive package of products and services including contracts of employment, bespoke professional indemnity insurance and accident and sickness benefits, as well as their traditional payroll services such as PAYE and expense processing.Parasol and NES aim to sign up over 500 contractors to the alliance in the next twelve months.The alliance also includes access for contractors to Parasol’s innovative web-based portal, enabling them to quickly and efficiently accept new assignments from NES and to view their payments, expenses and contracts information electronically.The development follows the introduction of a raft of changes to the legislation affecting the recruitment and contracting industries, announced as part of the Government’s initiatives to tackle issues around managed service companies (MSPs). The legislation is designed to ensure contractors manage their finances in a tax compliant way. Paul Shrimpton, sales and marketing director at Parasol, said: “The alliance provides NES’s contractors with a legally robust and sophisticated way of working that saves them the time and hassle of dealing with the administration of managing their own limited company and daily finances.Stephen Rookes, commercial director of NES Group adds “This alliance provides NES contactors with the ability to get set up and fully insured to work on the same day, making contracting in the UK an increasingly efficient, financially rewarding and highly attractive way to work. This development is part of NES’s strategy of providing enhanced value added services to its contractors throughout its global operations.” Ends Press enquiries to: Susan Tonge, Smith & Smith PR, tel: 0161 236 5560 / mobile 07985 991 130; e-mail: susan@smithandsmithpr.co.uk.Hi-res jpeg images are available from Smith & Smith PR.

Parasol rises to ATSCo Challenge

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:20:00 +0100

Parasol director, Marc Morris, has helped raise over £11,000 for ChildLine by scaling a French mountain range with a team of fellow business people. Marc and 20 business associates scaled glaciers in the Chamonix valley using ice axes, crampons and ropes during the three-day challenge organised by ATSCo (the Association of Technology Staffing Companies). Parasol sponsored the three-day trip, which included dangerous and difficult terrain and took the team to the summit of Aiguille du Tour - a mountain nearly three times the height of Ben Nevis. "At 3542 metres above sea level the Aiguille du Tour is an impressive peak with 360 degree views of the Alps. None of the participants had previous experience of Alpine climbing and they all did really well" event organiser Nigel Braggins explained. Marc Morris, head of commercial strategy at Parasol, said: “Completing the challenge was an incredible experience and a real test of the team’s endurance, determination and camaraderie. We are delighted to have raised so much for such an important charity.” The final climb followed a night with very little sleep in a high mountain refuge. Then, by the light of their head-torches, the team set out well before dawn. The team negotiated numerous hidden crevasses as they ascended the icy glacier and struggled to adapt to the rarefied air at high altitude. After a cold ascent, in the shade of a jagged ridge dividing France and Switzerland, they scrambled over a rocky col into blinding bright sunshine. An hour later they had to control their understandable fear as they climbed up steep rock to gain the exposed summit. Here they marveled at the awesome scenery of the Alps stretching out before them - as far as the eye could see. In that moment, far above the clouds, all their efforts became worthwhile and they lingered on the summit to soak it all in. Finally they shouldered their rucsacs and began the long descent back to the valley on weary legs and sore feet, made more bearable by the growing sense of pride in their achievement and the prospect of the cold beers awaiting them far below. The last three ATSCo Alpine Challenges have so far raised a cumulative total of £48,000 for ATSCo's designated charity. If you are interested in the ATSCo Alpine Challenge and would like to receive information about the 2008 event please email info@atscoalpinechallenge.com or contact Nigel Braggins on 01992 536515. Ends Press enquiries to: Susan Tonge, Smith & Smith PR, tel: 0161 236 5560 / mobile 07985 991 130; e-mail: susan@smithandsmithpr.co.uk. Hi-res jpeg images are available from Smith & Smith PR.

Bags of Enthusiasm for ‘Green Day’ at Parasol

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:25:00 +0100

Warrington-based Parasol held a company-wide ‘Green Day’ on 27 July, promoting environmentally-friendly practice at work and beyond. Managing director Rob Crossland said: “As a company we’re committed to encouraging good environmental management, and our Green Day initiative was one way of communicating that to all our staff.” As part of the initiative, Parasol staff wore green for the day and were given durable jute bags as a responsible alternative to help replace wasteful carrier bags; one jute bag can easily replace over 300 plastic carrier bags over its lifetime. Parasol systems project manager Jon Cook, who came up with the idea for the Green Day, said: “The event really opened our eyes to the carbon footprints that we all leave behind, but also to the potential we all have to make a difference. Taking time to see the impact of our efforts was really rewarding. I think all of us at Parasol would really recommend a 'Green Day' for companies that care about the environment we live in.” Parasol, based on Centre Park, have instituted an in-house environmental pledge that covers energy conservation and recycling amongst others. An on-site recycling service, energy-saving lightbulbs and the use of glass rather than plastic milk bottles have already been put into place in the business. ENDS Press enquiries to: Jane Smith, Smith & Smith PR, tel: 0161 236 5560 / 07811 981645; e-mail: jane@smithandsmithpr.co.uk. Hi-res j-peg image of three Parasol staff with environmentally-friendly jute bags is available on request from Smith & Smith PR. Notes to Editors: Parasol Ltd is a professional services provider based in Warrington. The company is shortly to be featured in the Sunday Times Fast Track 250 list (September 2007). Parasol’s managing director Rob Crossland is currently short-listed in the National Entrepreneur of the Year Awards as well as the Institute of Directors’ Cheshire Director of the Year Awards.