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STAYING ON TOP The key factors in running a successful business JULY 2015 www.ffb-online.co.uk @ffbmagRMC
MOVING FORWARD A fresh look at the future of transport GRANNY’S SECRET RECIPE Reviving a family tradition
Celebrate with 25th anniversary edition THE MONTHLY INDEPENDENT VOICE OF BUSINESS IN THE SHEFFIELD CITY REGION FREE TO COMMENT • FREE TO CHALLENGE • FREE TO YOU EVERY MONTH
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Recently installed at our Sheffield headquarters 11 meter height of lift 12,500 KG capacity with 27 meter span
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First For Business
CONTENTS
JULY 2015
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CONTENTS JULY 2015
LOOKING BACK 8
28
A quarter of a century ago a new business publication was launched: Business North. The purpose of the magazine was to deliver the latest business news and views from the region and, although the name might have changed, the same still rings true today
STAND THE TEST OF TIME 11 As First For Business celebrates its 25th year we take a look at five factors which can help companies and organisations to survive the long haul
AGENDA 14 Faster, smarter infrastructure developments across the region are vital to economic success. But are we hitching our wagon to a technology of the past, rather than one of the future?
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DREAM TEAM 22 You’ve recruited the people you need for your business, but then they move on. The Dream Team advises on how to keep valuable staff
STAYING POWER 28 There’s a lot to consider when running a business. Julie Farmer speaks to representatives from a range of local companies to highlight some of the key elements involved in the day-to-day organisation of a successful business
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MOTORING 39 We test drive the Maserati Ghibli execuitve saloon and round-up the latest news
Editor Chris Wilson chris.wilson@regionalmagazine.co.uk Consultant Editor John Yates Chief Feature Writer Julie Farmer
A FAMILY BUSINESS 44 The Sutherland family were responsible for one of the great British food brands. Now they are reviving the family business with the help of their grandmother’s secret recipe
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Chief Sub Editor Richard Abbey Sub Editor Richard Smith Operations Director Jillion Wood Publishing Manager Mandy Ogle mandy.ogle@regionalmagazine.co.uk Studio Manager Chris Brierley Design Dan Wray, Steve Levers New Media Manager Terri Moore
WORK & PLAY 48 Round-up of news, achievements, celebrations and new faces
Regional Magazine Company 6 Broadfield Court Broadfield Business Park Sheffield, S8 OXF Tel: 0114 250 6300
10 THINGS... 50 That have changed over the last 25 years. By John Tustin of Mike Brewer Motors
Email: ffb@regionalmagazine.co.uk Web: www.ffb-online.co.uk
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Carol Carol Smy Smy Victory Victory Design Design
My business is expanding with Appr Apprenticeships enticeships
Discover what Apprenticeships can do for your business. Visit www.learningunlimiteduk.com or call 0845 850 1055.
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First For Business
APPRENTICESHIPS
JULY 2015
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HARD WORK REWARDED APPRENTICESHIPS CELEBRATED FOR HELPING TO DELIVER QUALITY CARE. n a special celebration at Learning Unlimited, 64 apprentices working with Heathcotes Care across Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the North West were recognised for their hard work and commitment to training and successfully completing their apprenticeships. The event marked the achievements of learners at all levels including the first higher level health and social care apprentices who are working in managerial positions within the organisation.
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At the event, all the apprentices received certificates and special awards were given to the apprentice of the year, a leader in learning and the most improved learner. All 64 apprentices are now working with the company in a variety of roles at all levels in the organisation.
staff turnover and improve retention and progression rates. Brendan Kelly, Operations Director from Heathcotes Care said: “For us, service user experience is the key to success. Apprenticeships help us to deliver that. When we have attracted the people with the right qualities to care, apprenticeships help us to give them the skills to do their job well. When staff are happy and feel that they can do their job well they stay with us which means the adults we care for get quality and continuity and that makes a difference to their quality of life.
“The different levels of apprenticeships on offer mean that we can progress people from entry to managerial level and equip them with an in-depth knowledge of how we work. We can see how this benefits the people we care for, our staff and our organisation which is why we have just started 75 new apprentices with Learning Unlimited.” For more information about apprenticeships with Learning Unlimited call 0845 850 1055 or visit www.learningunlimiteduk.com
Heathcotes Care, who provide specialist residential care for adults with learning disabilities across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber and the North West, highlighted how important apprenticeships are to give their workforce the skills they need to deliver a quality service. The organisation has been working in partnership with Learning Unlimited for the last two years to provide a work based learning formula that has helped them to reduce
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First For Business
PREVIEW
JULY 2015
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PREVIEW e are allowing ourselves a moment of nostalgia as we celebrate 25 years of First For Business, the monthly independent voice of business in the Sheffield City Region. We have been looking through the archives to remind ourselves of the big names and big ideas that have captured our imagination over the last quarter of a century.
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Longevity in business is something many of our readers strive for, so what does it take to survive and grow, riding out recessions and driving forward in good times? There is no simple answer, of course. It takes expertise on many levels, such as transport, understanding your customers, communications, networking, finance and corporate recognition. Chief feature writer Julie Farmer spoke to representatives from a range of local companies to highlight some of the key elements involved in the day-to-day organisation of a successful business. Even some of the best business ideas have a natural lifespan; others are built to last. Almost 100 years ago, Mary Sutherland came up with a recipe for a tasty beef spread for her husband’s sandwiches. Now her grandson and great grandson have turned the original family recipe into a business and have already seen the products hit the shelves
of Waitrose. With a new business name – Granny Mary’s – they are combining an old recipe with modern business thinking. We took a look behind the scenes at the revival of a successful family business. When it comes to the future of transport, for anyone who grew up dreaming of a quick, clean network cutting out congested roads and superseding our dilapidated rail network, the harsh reality of getting from A to B in Great Britain in the 21st century can seem just a little mundane. Those futuristic space pods, transporting us smoothly and silently over vast distances in a flash, still seem like nothing more than a glint in the eye of science fiction storytellers. Instead we are supposed to get excited about a new railway system that will cost £15billion, will take until 2030 to complete and will do no more than shave half an hour off the time of a train journey from Sheffield to London. Talk about crashing down to earth with a bump. Is that all there is? Will our capacity for travel always be confined to the limitations of metal and wheels? If HS stands for High Speed, why is it so slow? In the United States the proposed
CHRIS WILSON, EDITOR Hyperloop concept is a 380-mile line from San Francisco to Los Angeles with trains/capsules running in a pipeline at speeds of 750mph. Before you dismiss the pipeline as a pipedream, think again; the big brain behind this idea has a solid track record in bringing innovative ideas off the drawing board into the real world. This month in First For Business, consultant editor John Yates looks at the prospects for faster, smarter infrastructure developments that are so vital to economic success and asks: are we hitching our wagon to a technology of the past? There is also another tricky workplace dilemma for our Dream Team of talented business thinkers to tackle, and our usual round-up of the latest local business news. I hope you enjoy this edition of First For Business. Let us know what you think by tweeting us @ffbmagRMC.
@ Facebook: Regional Magazine Company Twitter: @FFBmagRMC LinkedIn: First For Business magazine Email: ffb@regionalmagazine.co.uk
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First For Business
JULY 2015
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LOOKING BACK OVER 25 YEARS A QUARTER OF A CENTURY AGO A NEW BUSINESS PUBLICATION WAS LAUNCHED: BUSINESS NORTH. THE PURPOSE OF THE MAGAZINE WAS TO DELIVER THE LATEST BUSINESS NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE REGION AND, ALTHOUGH THE NAME MIGHT HAVE CHANGED, THE SAME STILL RINGS TRUE TODAY.
f
first for b
irst For Business (FFB) has survived in an era in which many print publications have become obsolete. This is a clear reflection that FFB has always delivered what its readers want and has a strong standing within the local business community.
APRIL/MAY 1995
While plenty has changed over the last 25 years, much of what matters to the business community remains the same. As far back as 1990 hot topics included transport, manufacturing and city centre regeneration. Sound familiar?
Following ten years of planning, Supertram had arrived! A special report explained that at the time of going to print trams were due to start running on the last section of the route between Hillsborough and the city centre, completing the link of the 29 kilometre track.
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Of course, these are the issues that matter when you are trying to make your city – or region – as economically successful as possible and no doubt in another 25 years we’ll still be discussing them. And we’re sure you’ll be reading all about them in FFB! Here are some highlights from the last 25 years.
As Europe opened up Business North took a look at how businesses could benefit from new commercial openings and funding.
OCT/NOV 1995
FEB/MAR 1996 Should businesses be on the internet? This is what Business North asked in a feature which explained in detail the various uses of the internet, including a relatively unknown form of communication: the ‘email’.
AUG/SEPT 1996 FEB/MAR 1995 Business North ran a feature about the way new trademark laws (introduced in the 1994 Trade Marks Act) were making things easier for companies.The same issue included a feature on the latest phase of the Victoria Quays project including news that Nabarro Nathanson would occupy newly-built offices on the site.
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At this point Business North became the official magazine of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In this issue the focus was on Sheffield airport and how it would affect local businesses.
DEC/JAN 1997/98 The Sheffield cutlery industry was
celebrating 700 years – so Business North traced the industry’s past and looked ahead to its future.
AUG/SEPT 1997 On the cover of this issue was Bob Kerslake accompanied by the question ‘What is this man about to do to our city?’
DEC/JAN 1998/99 This edition covered Prince Charles’ visit to Sheffield to open the new-look Peace Gardens, the first phase of the £120million ‘Heart of the City’ project. Shortly afterwards work began on the Millennium Gallery and the Winter Garden.
FEB/MAR 2000 First For Business became the new name of Business North. Delivered directly to the desks of 10,500 business leaders in South Yorkshire and the North Midlands, FFB was the newest, glossiest magazine of its kind. The magazine continued to be the official magazine of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
FEB/MAR 2002 As 12 countries in Europe said hello to the Euro FFB ran a special feature about the UK still being in ‘wait and see’ mode.
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RETROSPECTIVE
FIRST FOR BUSINESS The Official Magazine for Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry with Creative Sheffield
FIRST FOR BUSINESS The Official Magazine for Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry with Creative SheffieldFIRST FOR BUSINESS The Official Magazine for Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry with Creative Sheffield
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June 2008
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The new breed of export THE MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE
THE MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE
THE MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE
May 2011
October 2011
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November 2011
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Chamber backs gateway statue
“HEAR OUR VOICE”
+ FOCUS ON DONCASTER + HEALTHY BUSINESS
SECTOR GROUPS’ MESSAGE TO THE LEPs
Sheffield export success continues
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first for business THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE SHEFFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
• LEPs EXPLAINED • SUPPORTING BUSINESS
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THE FACE TO SELL SHEFFIELD TO THE WORLD
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PREPARE FOR THE WIND OF CHANGE
TARGETING THE SKILLS AGENDA
+ Enterprise Zones: Do we need one? + Essential conference guide + Chamber news
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OCT/NOV 2004
AUGUST 2010
FFB took a look at developments in Doncaster; including the hotly anticipated Robin Hood Airport which was set for take-off the following March.
The August issue featured another Dragon – Peter Jones. Peter was on the cover of the issue to coincide with his launch of the National Enterprise Academy at Sheffield College.
JUNE 2008 Back in June 2008 the cover of nowmonthly FFB featured none other than Sheffield golden girl Jessica Ennis-Hill. Editor at the time, Andy Waple, wrote: ‘Jessica Ennis, one of Britain’s top athletes cruelly robbed of an Olympic challenge in Beijing, is a perfect example of the new kind of export that is helping to reinforce the message that Made in Sheffield is still an international mark of quality’.
JULY 2009
SEPTEMBER 2010 We ran a special feature reporting that Sheffield Chamber was backing plans to establish a new body to oversee the economic development of Sheffield and the surrounding area. The body in question was the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and our feature explained what a LEP was and what it would mean to the region. Jessica EnnisHill was once again our cover star as she had just been revealed as an official city ambassador for Sheffield.
FFB reported on a campaign called ‘RE:Defining the City’. The campaign – run by Sheffield City Council, Creative Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University – intended to promote Sheffield to its own citizens and wider afield.
MAY 2012
APRIL 2010
FEBRUARY 2013
TV Dragon James Caan was FFB’s cover star. He shared his views on business in an accompanying interview.
FFB went independent! At the same time we welcomed the Dream Team to deal with the challenges of local businesses. As
First For
This was our special Olympic issue so, of course, we had to have ‘our Jess’ on the cover! Andy Waple looked at how businesses would benefit from the event.
JUNE 2013 FFB welcomed a new editorial team; editor Chris Wilson, publishing manager Mandy Ogle, consultant editor John Yates and chief feature writer Julie Farmer.
APRIL 2014 Former director-general of the BBC, chairman of the Football Association and Sheffield hotelier Greg Dyke spoke to FFB in an interview at one of his Sheffield venues, Mosborough Hall Hotel.
SEPTEMBER 2014 First For Business was an official media partner for MADE:The Entrepreneur Festival.This issue featured speaker Michelle Mone on the cover and included interviews with other event speakers Paul McKenna and media mogul Jamal Edwards.
JUNE 2015 The most recent issue of FFB demonstrated our commitment to reporting on issues that matter. John Yates looked at the role outdoor and extreme sports will have on region in the future while Julie Farmer spoke to Made In Sheffield chairman Charles Turner about the importance of the brand in selling Sheffield to the world. The issue also included features which reflected the way in which businesses cater to today’s customers – a focus on gluten-free food company Delicious Alchemy and a look at the booming pop-up retail industry.
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS
The battle for a voice in the boardroom
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THE MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE
well as celebrating the 100th anniversary of stainless steel this issue profiled Gary Verity, the man largely credited for bringing the Tour De France to Yorkshire.
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SMART THINKING
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PLUS: Chamber’s mission explained
+ Sir Norman Adsett’s latest venture
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ENERGY STILL ON TOP OF THE WORLD
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I BEST IN BRITAIN: Chamber wins top award
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First For Business
FEATURE
JULY 2015
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STAND THE TEST OF TIME AS FIRST FOR BUSINESS CELEBRATES ITS 25TH YEAR WE TAKE A LOOK AT FIVE FACTORS WHICH CAN HELP COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS TO SURVIVE THE LONG HAUL. 1. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS
4. AVOID COMPLACENCY
Identify your customers and learn as much as you can about them. What do they want to use/buy/read? Do what you can to address their needs.
Even if you are doing an excellent job and have great customer feedback there is always something you can do to make your company that little bit better. Keep your eye on market trends and interact with customers on an ongoing basis – deal with any issues as soon as they arise and strive to be better at what you do than anyone else out there.
2. CREATE A STRONG BRAND Develop an identity for your business and keep this consistent. Use the same designs, fonts, logos and style throughout your products. Not only does this look more professional but it helps customers identify and develop trust in your brand.
3. BE A GOOD TEAM Your standards of professionalism need to be upheld by all members of the team. A customer should be able to expect the same level of care regardless of which person in the company they are dealing with.
5. LOVE WHAT YOU DO If your customers get the feeling that you love what you do, they’re more likely to love it too. Passion and enthusiasm can be infectious – and customers can’t help but smile if everyone within your company is doing the same. At First For Business we are passionate about bringing you the latest business news and we thoroughly enjoy working with so many of the region’s organisations. We hope you enjoy reading FFB as much as we enjoy creating it!
“B & B Vehicle Contracts Ltd has worked with First For Business for many years now and it has always been a pleasure to work with such a great team. We congratulate FFB on reaching its 25th anniversary.” John Barker, Director, B & B Vehicle Contracts Ltd “Henry Bramall & Co. are proud to be associated with First For Business. We have worked with the magazine for the last 25 years and have known many of the staff members from day one. Congratulations to the whole team on this special anniversary.” Gary Widdowson and Michael Ellin, Joint Owners, Henry Bramall & Co “We have worked with First For Business and the Regional Magazine Company since 2002. We not only installed the company’s current computer systems but we also provide the servers, website hosting and deal with technical queries. We’re effectively the company’s IT department – but based elsewhere. It’s a great achievement to reach 25 years – congratulations to all!” James Simpson, Director, IT Business Solutions
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ARE WE ON THE WRONG TRACK? FASTER, SMARTER INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION ARE VITAL TO ECONOMIC SUCCESS. BUT ARE WE HITCHING OUR WAGON TO A TECHNOLOGY OF THE PAST, RATHER THAN ONE OF THE FUTURE? JOHN YATES REPORTS 14
hen political leaders in the Sheffield City Region finally decided to jump aboard the HS2 bandwagon – albeit with the provision that they couldn’t possibly get on at Meadowhall – it was left to one of the region’s more perceptive entrepreneurs to ask a fundamental question.
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Design engineer Jonny Douglas pointedly posed the question: “If HS stands for High Speed, why is it so slow?” Douglas, something of a maverick and free thinker when it comes to big ideas, is all in favour of improved connectivity for our region. “If we're spending £15 billion and it’s going to take until 2030 to complete, we’re talking about investing in the future. So why are we spending all that money on 200-year-old, out-of-date-now technology?”
Douglas says he was questioning metal wheels and rails – and sketching ideas for a train that rode on a cushion of air – in his A-Level hovercraft Project when he was just 17. “Where's our sense of ambition gone, where’s our imagination?” he asks. To those who say his question is science fiction fantasy, Douglas argues there are others who are not only thinking along the same lines, but doing something about it. He points to Elon Musk’s proposed Hyperloop concept, which is a 380-mile line from San Francisco to Los Angeles with ‘Trains’ / Capsules running in a lowered-pressure, twin pipeline at speeds of 750mph.“Now, when we start talking about 750mph hover-trains, we instantly assume we're in fact having a
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AGENDA
conversation about some science fiction book or film, but Musk’s proposed Hyperloop is very much founded in reality. In 2014 he released a 57-page paper explaining the specifications and how all the issues can be overcome.” Still sounding like a whacky inventors idea? Then Douglas reminds us that “Musk is the PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors guy. It would actually be more ridiculous to bet against this becoming a reality considering his track record!” And here is where it gets interesting. If a similar system were to be used to connect the five northern cities proposed in the £15billion ‘One North’ HS2 project, Douglas has calculated that we would need a total of just 264 miles of 'track' / pipeline. “With this kind of technology journey times between Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester would be five minutes, Liverpool would only be four minutes from Manchester, and a journey from Leeds to Newcastle would take just seven minutes.”
into the creation of ‘connnected’ innovation district?
Manchester, appear to be doing nothing to prevent.
For Douglas, and the next generation of modern engineers, the loop sounds “a bit more like the future of transportation. Here's a way to genuinely hyper-connect the Northern city centre’s to each other and the rest of the country, with a service that runs as regularly as a bus, for the price of a pint, and all with £5-6 billion in change for the Treasury’s pocket.”
So why not go it alone? Wouldn’t it be visionary if Sheffield and Rotherham councils joined forces with the two universities – both with remarkable skills in advanced engineering – and harnessed the talents of our best and brightest engineering companies to come up with a solution for a future-proofed infrastructure that shames the government into admitting that HS2 is yesterday’s technology, rather than tomorrow’s? Yes, the newly proposed Advanced Manufacturing Campus needs a bridge linking it to the Advanced Manufacturing Park, but such issues are parochial when compared to putting the region on the global technology map.
Sheffield, it seems, has other ideas. The council is still obsessing about Meadowhall and the location of the station, which is a shame, since it looks like this is another battle it will lose. Recent reports indicate that the government, led by the Treasury, will brush aside the council’s plea, and stick with the original plan: a move that Sheffield’s fairweather partners in the northern powerhouse, Leeds and
Photograph: Phil Stafford / Shutterstock.com
But surely such a concept would be expensive? Using Musk’s prospectus, Douglas calculates that hyper loop technology would, in fact, be much less expensive – £3 billion compared to the proposed £15 billion for HS2. “Even better, to create the Phase I: ‘Hyper Triangle’connecting Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester would only be about £1.8billion. That’s a £600million contribution for each city.” He adds that the Sheffield to Manchester line could potentially use the old Woodhead Tunnel, as it wouldn't affect the National Grid cabling that runs through it in the way that tracks would. Once Phase II: ‘East-to-West’ connecting Liverpool to Hull was finished, Douglas says “we could run the line South to London, making journey times from Sheffield a mere fifteen minutes. Then extending the line North would put Edinburgh just seventeen minutes from Leeds. You’d be able to go the length of the country in just fifty minutes, that’s twenty five minutes quicker than the fastest plane…all for £6billion.” Elon Musk is now looking for somewhere to showcase the technology. So why isn’t Sheffield banging on his door? Why isn’t Councillor Leigh Bramall’s much touted International Economic Commission paying his air fare to come and visit? It would be much cheaper than the £10,000 it has just paid for an ‘independent’ Centre for Cities report
There are signs that the two universities are thinking big on infrastructure. For instance, the University of Sheffield’s Vice Chancellor, Sir Keith Burnett, has been quietly persuading the government that one of the solutions to Britain’s decaying energy infrastructure is the development of network of small, modular nuclear reactors – of the kind that could be built here in South Yorkshire. As an influential member of the Treasury’s Infrastructure Advisory Commission and key player on the Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology he is ideally placed to get policy makers in Whitehall to think beyond the kind of tinkering represented by HS2 and examine Musk’s idea.
US entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is proposing a 750mph Hyperloop concept
‘Elon Musk is now looking for somewhere to showcase the technology. So why isn’t Sheffield banging on his door? Why isn’t Councillor Leigh Bramall’s much touted International Economic Commission paying his air fare to come and visit?’
Indeed at last year’s Cutler’s feast, Sir Keith outlined a bold vision of the region in developing truly advanced technologies. “Why shouldn’t small modular reactors which can play a key role in our energy infrastructure – and indeed in keeping the lights on – be made here in Sheffield? New build nuclear energy will be an investment of approximately £60 billion. Should the ability to manufacture the civil nuclear energy which will be needed to power a nation which began in this country be lost to France or to China? “And why should our region not only have a station for High Speed 2 but actually produce the trains which will run on that track? Because we can. The HS2 market is worth £7 billion. What would that mean to our region and to our nation? We have the skills to do this kind of work better and more efficiently.” Perhaps Sir Keith needs to think even bigger. The development of a truly high speed link between the city centre >>>
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First For Business
JULY 2015
AGENDA
www.ffb-online.co.uk
and the advanced manufacturing park could be a UK test bed for Musk’s ideas. After all, California has already started building a five-mile track in the Quay Valley, half way between LA and San Francisco. Run by Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), the £65 million track aims to prove the technology with test runs starting in 2016. If Sheffield were to do the same – a test-bed hyperloop to the AMRC– it would focus the world’s attention on our region and put it on the front foot for once. The chief executive of HTT, German-born American entrepreneur Dirk Ahlborn, recently gave a wide-ranging talk at the Pioneers Festival in Vienna, in which he highlighted the plans for the Hyperloop project. One possibility is that riding on Hyperloop during off-peak times might be free, with people only paying for a ticket – estimated at £13 – during commuting times. “We want to make it something you use every single day many times,” Ahlborn told his audience. The likelihood, however, is that Douglas’s voice will remain a lone one. For now, HS2 is the only show in town for major infrastructure development in the region. Those who favour the development suggest it will promote growth and stimulate jobs. But will it? Some in the business and research communities are quietly asking how improving journey times between the North and London will improve productivity and prosperity in the North? Might it not have the opposite effect and accelerate the exodus of talent and skill from the North to London which has been happening for decades, speeding the very spiral of decline the backers of HS2 in the North claim they want to reverse? Leading transport expert, Professor John Tomaney, gave powerful evidence to the House of Commons, in which he said all the research evidence suggests “there is a high probability that London will accrue the majority of the benefits of the investment” in HS2. It is not faster north/south rail times we need, but better east/west and regional
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country’s Advanced Manufacturing Valley.
commuting links. As Professor Tomaney told the House of Commons – “The clear balance suggests that the impact (of high speed rail) is ambiguous at best and negative at worst…the empirical evidence suggests investments in intra-urban and intra-regional transport systems may provide more local benefits than highspeed North-South links.” Even the Royal Society of the Arts report on the socalled North South divide has grave doubts about HS2 and sees something like an ‘oyster card’ scheme for the North as a better option. As First for Business has argued before, HS2 misses the point: the big infrastructure issue in the “northern supercity” that runs from Liverpool to Hull, is not improving rail travel times to London by a few minutes, but finding smart ways to de-congest the M62 and its tributaries – the dangerously over-used but seriously underfunded road network that has fuelled the growth of this region since it first opened in 1960 – and effecting a similar change to the M1 south of Leeds down to the Midlands, along what Sir Keith, presciently calls the
Most of the independent research shows that investment in the rail network yields substantially lower returns to the public purse than investment in roads – but roads, like nuclear power, are a no-go zone for politicians who think that cars are bad and trains are good. Ironically, the same research also shows that the chief beneficiaries of improved rail links are the more affluent, which only accentuates the other inequalities that policy makers are seeking to address. The reality that is being ignored in the HS2 ‘debate’ is that 73 per cent of passenger travel and 65 per cent of freight is by road, and a staggering 89 per cent of journey time delays is on the road. It makes little sense improving the rail journey times from Sheffield to London by a theoretical 36 minutes, when the reality is that Britain’s rail network has the worst record in Europe for punctuality. The train might be half an hour quicker, but when it consistently arrives late and is overcrowded, how much of an improvement is that? It has not been lost on some observers that the biggest saving time generated by HS2 is that between Manchester Airport and London – making Manchester the new runway for Heathrow. Real improvements in infrastructure are much needed in our region, but HS2 is not the answer. HS2 is heading in the wrong direction: chiefly north and south rather than east and west. And, as Douglas points out, it should be using tomorrow’s technology today, rather than yesterday’s technology some time in the distant future.
‘The clear balance suggests that the impact (of high speed rail) is ambiguous at best and negative at worst…the empirical evidence suggests investments in intra-urban and intra-regional transport systems may provide more local benefits than high-speed North-South links.’
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Rechar Recharge Rec harrge your business y bus busi siin ines ness With an electric vehicle Free e elec electric ctric vehicle eh hicle e driving driv d day for businesses Come and d test the he e latest late est vehicles veh
29th July 2015 10am-3pm
Electric vehicle Recharging Point Only
electric vehicles
W ith running costs from mi and grants With om m just 2p per pe mile, an nts of up up to £10,500 towards the e leasing easing c costs of a vehicle is sn’tt iitt sn vehicle,, isn’t time you looked in into to an n ele electric vehicle for y your business? ess? nt on Wednesday 29 July at the Advanced d Come along to a special event Manufacturing Park in Rotherham Rotherham,, and test drive driive the latest late electric vehicles cles from the major manufacturers. Find out more about the electric vehicles scheme at inmotion.co.uk or book your place by emailing travel@inmotion.co.uk
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travel@inmotion.co.uk
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First For Business
JULY 2015
TRANSPORT
www.ffb-online.co.uk
Stagecoach Supertram’s Jay Bolsover plugs in a Nissan e-NV200 van
PLUG IN AND SAVE
MORE AND MORE BUSINESSES ARE DISCOVERING THE BENEFITS OF CLEANER, LOWER-COST ELECTRIC VEHICLES
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f you haven’t yet had the chance to test drive an electric vehicle make sure you don’t miss the next Inmotion! open day. Already, businesses and organisations across the region are reaping the rewards of converting to electric vehicles. Just recently Stagecoach Supertram joined the programme, investing in two electric vans for its response vehicle fleet to help further reduce its carbon footprint. As well as reducing exhaust emissions for healthier and cleaner roads, making the switch to the Nissan e-NV200 electric vans will help Supertram benefit from lower running costs and no road tax, when Stagecoach engineers are needed to attend work sites on parts of the Supertram network for local deliveries and maintenance. The installation of a charging point at the Nunnery Depot also means the company can charge its vehicles on site. Jay Bolsover, Stagecoach Supertram Facilities Manager, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of our business and these new vehicles will help us further reduce our carbon footprint as a company. Tram travel is one of the most environmentally-friendly transport options. “Our new electric vans are perfect for response staff doing local journeys around the city. Having replaced older
diesel/petrol engined vehicles, we expect a significant saving in fuel and running costs too.” The firm signed up for the new UC Plug-in vehicles through the Department for Transport’s ‘Local Sustainable Transport Fund’. Delivered locally by Inmotion! – a partnership between South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and the local authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield – with npower, South Yorkshire’s Electric Vehicle Project offers businesses a grant of up to £10,500 for the flexible lease of a Plug-in van or £7,500 for a Plug-in car for up to 48 months. An additional grant of £500 towards the cost of installing a workplace charging point is also available. Also benefiting from making the switch is The Inmotion! Electric Vehicle project runs until 31 March 2016. Current Plug-in vehicles offered through the scheme include the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Renault Twizy, Renault Kangoo and Nissan e-NV200 vans, with flexible lease terms of 12, 24, 36 and 48 months.Visit evinmotion.co.uk to find out more or email the team on travel@inmotion.co.uk to register for the next Inmotion! Electric Vehicles open day at the Advanced Manufacturing Park on 29 July and for a free test drive.
South Yorkshire Housing Association, which recently took delivery of two new electric Nissan e-NV200 vans. Staff from the organisation’s Neighbourhood Environmental Action Team (NEAT) in Sheffield are using the vans as part of their cleaning services. Stuart Bingley from the NEAT team said: “We estimate that the running costs of our new electric vans will be a third of the diesel equivalent. The vans are going to make a huge difference to our carbon footprint and we’re really looking forward to putting the vans into action.” The charger network in South Yorkshire has recently received further investment and Inmotion! branded points are now available in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley (restricted access). Earlier this year it was announced by the government that Sheffield is one of 12 UK cities or local authorities shortlisted to be the first ‘Go Ultra Low Cities’. The winning cities – announced in autumn – will receive a share of £35m of funding to promote ultra-low emission vehicles.
TO FIND OUT MORE CONTACT: Email: travel@inmotion.co.uk Visit: evinmotion.co.uk
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First For Business
JULY 2015
LOGISTICS
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ANOTHER YEAR OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT PORT OF TYNE ANNOUNCES STRONG 2014 FINANCIAL RESULTS
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he Port of Tyne – the UK’s Port of the Year – has announced strong financial results for 2014.
container terminal, warehousing and distribution services generated £18 million pounds in turnover, the same as in 2013. During the year this business area welcomed the largest container ship ever to visit the Port. This was made possible due to the investment made two years ago in a new gantry crane, which enables the Port to accommodate larger container vessels.
Turnover, whilst still almost at the record level of the previous year, was down very slightly by 3 per cent - at £71.5 million. Profit before tax almost doubled to over £10.2 million, close to the record performance reported in 2012.
Volumes at the Port’s three car terminals – handling Nissan exports, VW and Audi imports and transhipments – also remained strong with 619,000 cars handled.
Overall cargo volumes handled on the River Tyne at 6.7 million tonnes, were the highest for over 25 years since 1989. Ninety six per cent of all cargoes were handled at Port of Tyne berths. The previous record was in 2013 when 8.1 million tonnes of cargoes were handled, the largest volume since 1965. The year on year reduction in volumes is mainly due to a fall in the amount of imported coal. The Port of Tyne handled over 5m tonnes of conventional and bulk cargo in 2014, accounting for 75 per cent of the volumes handled in total. Coal volumes dropped from 4.9m tonnes to 2.7m tonnes in 2014 and whilst the volume of wood pellet almost doubled to 1.9m tonnes, this increase was not enough to offset the reduction in coal volumes. The balance was made up of cargoes of scrap metal, steel and grain, which added 0.4m tonnes, similar to the levels seen in 2013. Andrew Moffat, the Port of Tyne’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Port has shown a strong performance in the past 12 months both in terms of volumes and financial results. “EBITDA, our earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, was over £17m, almost equalling our record performance recorded in 2012. “Overall the reduction in coal volumes is due to reduced demand from the Port’s power-generating customers. Factors
Andrew Moffat
influencing this include the prevailing market circumstances, weather conditions, and lower prices associated with alternative fuel sources such as gas and oil. In addition, the planned conversion of coal-fired power stations to wood pellet has not happened as quickly as originally anticipated. “I am particularly pleased that the regional economic impact of the Port of Tyne, in terms of Gross Value Added, grew by 10 per cent to over £560m – and the number of jobs in the wider community supported by the Port also increased, to over 11,200.” Record numbers of passengers were reported travelling on the daily Newcastle – Amsterdam route with 572,000 using the Port’s award-winning International Passenger Terminal. The logistics business area, providing
The Port has continued to expand its infrastructure, with over £11 million in 2014 invested in new plant and machinery and initial expenditure on the £25 million project to extend the Port’s main Riverside Quay by 125 metres to nearly 1 kilometre. This will further increase the Port’s capacity, and capability, to handle the ever-growing size of cargo ships. The Port, with 570 employees, continued its rolling programme of 23 apprenticeships – a level equating to five per cent of the workforce at any time. Further highlights of 2014 were achieving Investors in People Gold accreditation – the first port to do so, only four years after starting the IIP journey. Winning the inaugural title of UK Port of the Year at the National Transport Awards in 2014 was an exceptional achievement against tough competition across the ports sector.
CONTACT: Port of Tyne Headquarters Maritime House, Tyne Dock, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE34 9PT Tel: 0191 455 2671 www.portoftyne.co.uk
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First For Business
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
Lisa Leighton
Rob Moore
Kiley Tan
FINDERS KEEPERS
YOU’VE RECRUITED THE PEOPLE YOU NEED FOR YOUR BUSINESS, BUT THEN THEY MOVE ON. THE DREAM TEAM ADVISES ON HOW TO KEEP VALUABLE STAFF.
DEAR DREAM TEAM As the head of HR for a small business, I find a lot of my time is taken up with recruitment and training. When previously loyal employees leave, they take a lot of detailed knowledge with them, and even excellent new staff can’t replace the experience that is gained over many years. How do I reduce staff turnover? I know what they would say – give us a big pay rise! That is just not on the cards at the moment, so what else can we do to make employees feel valued?
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ROB MOORE RECOVERY EXPERT AND PARTNER AT TAYLOR & EMMETT ROB MOORE
solution to reducing turnover. When organisations fully understand what is at the core of their culture, only then will they begin to understand what makes their employee’s tick, what grumbles individuals have and their attitudes within the organisation.
According to the recent Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey, 78 per cent of organisations are experiencing recruitment difficulties. This means that retaining and developing internal talent is more important than ever in order to counter balanceescalating skill shortages and increased competition for talent.
The fundamental elements that need to come together in order to build a sustainable workforce include good people management and learning and development practices. This cannot be accomplished without the senior leaders support and buy-in, aligning organisational purpose, vision and values with job roles, communications, management systems and team building.
In order to build a skilled and sustainable workforce, it is essential that organisations engage with their employees to support the reduction of turnover. Employee engagement is a not only about the tangible aspects of working but is all encompassing, focusing on physical, mental and emotional states of being.
From on-boarding to exit interviews, by listening and engaging with your workforce you will find that once you commit to understanding the reasons for turnover and actively working towards change, salaries, although they will remain important to individuals, will not be the main driver for leaving.
There is no short cut, magic or quick fix
Happiness is priceless!
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DREAM TEAM
Communication is the key to retaining staff
LISA LEIGHTON, PARTNER AT BARBER, HARRISON & PLATT Offering a competitive benefits package is important but does not always equate to simply increasing salaries. It is just as important to have benefits that fit your employees’ needs. Giving employees a choice of benefits that are most relevant to them need not come at an extra cost to the business. For example, offering flexi-time, the option to work from home or annualised hours contracts shows employees that you are willing to accommodate their outside lives. In addition there are a variety of salary sacrifice schemes that employers can use to help employees make their money go further, including childcare vouchers, IT benefits schemes, Cycle to Work schemes and even car lease schemes. These schemes can be cost neutral to the employer but be an important benefit to employees. Communication is also key to retaining staff. Make sure there is a culture of regular and meaningful feedback. Praise for work well done goes a long way to making an employee feel valued and recognition does not needto have a financial reward element to be meaningful. Finding out why people are leaving is important to retention. Rather than wait until you get a resignation to find out what people want from their jobs and career development, try conducting ‘stay’ interviews. Ask questions such as: Why did you come to work here? Why have you
stayed? What would you change or improve? Then use that information to strengthen your employee-retention strategies.
If indeed an ever-increasing salary promotes loyalty, where will it all end? And what if a competitor offers an even higher salary?
Make it easy for your employees to see a future with your business. Share the business’ mission and ensure you promote from within wherever possible. This will ensure employees understand where the business is going and see an opportunity for them to grow with the business. Ensure managers have open and honest conversations with staff regarding their career development plans and ambitions.
Research has shown that salary is only part of the overall equation when an employee makes a decision to leave. The enlightened employer will know that salary, while important, is often not the determining factor for an employee to remain with an organisation.
Foster employee development. This could be training to learn a new skill or tuition reimbursement to help further an employee’s education, but it could mean coaching by managers, internal mentoring or job shadowing. In summary, there are numerous ways in which you are able to retain employees. The important thing is to get to know them to identify what makes your team tick.
KILEY TAN PARTNER AND HEAD OF CORPORATE COMMERCIAL AT WOSSKOW BROWN This question is one which has plagued employers since time immemorial and can be reframed as follows: How much do I have to pay for an employee’s loyalty?
In my view, the key to loyal staff is identifying what the individual member of staff wants and expects in the job; for example, is it flexible working hours, the autonomy, praise and rewards etc. Unfortunately, most employers never ask and/or employees do not voluntarily provide this information. Of course, nothing is guaranteed and even the best employers lose good staff. Do not despair. If that occurs, the employer ought to review any restrictive covenants which may be in place at the start of the employment to ensure that there is no disruption to the business of the organisation as a result of the loss of the employee.
CHALLENGE OUR TEAM. The team will respond to one selected question in each edition of First For Business. Send your questions to ffb@regionalmagazine.co.uk. Name withheld on request
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First For Business
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
LET’S GROW TOGETHER BUSINESSES CAN PLAY A KEY ROLE IN HELPING THE SHEFFIELD CITY REGION TO EXPAND, SAYS WOSSKOW BROWN’S JIM LAWSON. he Sheffield City Region Growth Plan sets out the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)’s plans to transform the local economy over the next decade. At the heart of the plan is the creation of 70,000 new private sector jobs and 6,000 new businesses.
T
Wosskow Brown’s Corporate HR & Business Growth Advisor Jim Lawson, who is also Programme Director of the Wosskow Brown Foundation, discusses how every business in the region can play a role in achieving the ‘big picture’ by taking things one step at a time.
TURN THE TARGET INTO BITE SIZE PIECES For 20 years I worked in car windscreen repairs. We had 140 branches and one day the managing director said the company needed to put £1million on its turnover. For each branch manager this target appeared unattainable and we had no idea what we could do to help achieve it. Then he broke the target down. Now, each branch manager needed to add £1 to every invoice every day. Suddenly the target was achievable – and lo and behold we added £1million to our turnover. The same theory can be applied to the LEP’s growth plan. Initially, most local small and medium businesses probably think they can’t make any difference to the bigger picture. But it’s a case of breaking it down. At Wosskow Brown we’re already thinking what we can do to make a measurable impact. The LEP does a great job on behalf of the region and we all want the LEP to achieve its targets for growth. But should we just sit back and wait for it to happen? Why don’t we challenge ourselves as a business community within the region and try to meet the targets sooner? If we chop the plan up
24
into bite-size pieces there is something we can all do.
over the next five years. The programme also aims to help create 100 new jobs.
HOW CAN YOUR BUSINESS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Although the Foundation is only sixmonths old we would be happy to share where we are up to and invite businesses to join us on our journey.
Strategically you could knock on the LEP’s door but locally you could knock on our door and we’d be happy to share what we are doing as a private sector firm to help the local economy to grow. Our roots go back over 150 years and for a long time we have helped individuals with pro bono support in a very ad hoc way. We decided to develop an organisation which was not-for-profit and whose main purpose was to help enterprises grow and develop to the next level. The result was the Wosskow Brown Foundation which will be delivered through practical programmes of support to encourage individual and organisational development. The goal of the inaugural programme, the WB100, is to support 100 businesses, 100 charities/social enterprises/sports clubs and 100 individuals from grass roots to sports
ALREADY THE FOUNDATION IS SPARKING THE IMAGINATION We had a successful launch, we’ve got former Sports Minister Richard Caborn as President, the Football Association have called to ask if the Foundation can help a young local footballer, we’ve had people dropping business plans in at our reception. I think we’ve definitely sparked the imagination. There are approximately 44,000 businesses in our region. A year ago we weren’t in a position to create 100 jobs. We’ve now set up the Foundation and we’ve said we’ll help create 100 jobs over the next five years. This is just our first initiative as a private sector firm trying to assist in the economic regeneration of our region. Of course
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BUSINESS GROWTH
between private sector, public sector, education and community. Of course, there are lots of ways that businesses can also get involved with the local community at a more ‘grass roots’ level. There are local firms, organisations, residents’ groups etc that businesses can connect with to strengthen local relationships.
LET’S DO IT! We’ve looked at the LEP targets and considered a couple of – relatively straightforward – ways in which any business can make a difference.
Wosskow Brown’s offices in the old Banner building, Attercliffe
MAKING A DIFFERENCE Just six months in and the Wosskow Brown Foundation is already making a tangible difference to the companies, organisations and individuals it is supporting. The first group of organisations the Foundation is working with is varied; including events management, branded merchandise, luxury clothing, healthy drinks, sports coaching, cycling apparel, industrial design and also care. The care company, Friends Together, has recently won a contract which will result in significant growth in a short period of time. The Foundation is now looking at how it may assist them to build up their internal HR systems to cope with the additional demands this new business will bring. Often it is the ‘wraparound’ support provided to a business which can make a vital difference to growth. The recent www.scaleupreport.co.uk makes a strong case for this.
this would only contribute a drop in the ocean but if 1,000 businesses chipped in with similar initiatives then collectively we might make a significant difference in delivering the LEP Strategic Growth plan in a shorter time. The region is known for its ‘can-do’ attitude!
GET ENGAGED I’d advise business owners to get involved with what the LEP does. Whether you’re in finance, manufacturing, law or anything else there will be a sector group for you. Perhaps you can get involved with the group or at the very least make contact with the group so you can stay in touch with what is going on. That’s the way to go strategically.
With the Wosskow Brown Foundation we’re currently at the point where we have got a group of 30 mentors from the private sector and 30 beneficiaries to be mentored. We now seek to invite partners and patrons to support our efforts so our next stage is to get other businesses on board who can add momentum – and in return we’ll ask what we can do to help them. There is already a plan in place for private sector growth for the next decade. As private sector companies we have a responsibility to get behind the plan and contribute to this growth. Growth doesn’t happen on its own; it happens when people put in the hard work and that’s down to all of us.
At Wosskow Brown we have a partner who sits on one of the LEP’s sector boards, a partner who sits on the board of Sheffield College and, as of last week, a partner who is Chair of Governors in the new 1,000 pupil through- school being built at the Olympic Legacy Park. That’s what we have done to ‘join the dots’ across all different areas. It’s about looking at the connection points
Should you wish to become involved with the Wosskow Brown Foundation or find out more please contact Jim Lawson on 0114 230 0100 or email jim@wosskowbrownfoundation.org.uk
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First For Business
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
STAYING POWER THERE’S A LOT TO CONSIDER WHEN RUNNING A BUSINESS. JULIE FARMER SPEAKS TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM A RANGE OF LOCAL COMPANIES TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE KEY ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY ORGANISATION OF A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. FINANCE WITH PHILLIP EVANS, DIRECTOR, ENABLE FINANCE Enable Finance was established in 2002 to provide commercial finance to businesses. Director Phillip Evans, who has worked in commercial finance since 2007 and who has built up two mortgage and loan companies, explains how Enable Finance helps businesses to grow and succeed. “There are three separate areas in which we work to assist companies financially. Firstly, we can provide working capital or a cash flow facility. Secondly, we can fund capital expenditure items such as plant and machinery, new computers, equipment, vehicles, telephone systems and so on. Thirdly, we can assist with property transactions. We can offer commercial mortgages or investment mortgages and can also assist with funding for the purchase of student lets. “Sometimes companies need financial support unexpectedly. They might win a big order but then think ‘how do I fund it?’ They might already have an overdraft but might suddenly have to go off and buy new machinery, employ new talent or import products before they can fulfil the order. We can provide the finance to enable them to do this. “We pitch ourselves as a one-stop shop for the business owner to facilitate and fund their business. It’s the age old adage that cash is king. We’re here to provide that cash and help businesses to prosper.”
CORPORATE EVENTS WITH MARK STENTON, DIRECTOR, RINGINGLOW ARCHERY Situated at Ringinglow, Sheffield, on the edge of the Peak District National Park, Ringinglow Archery caters for all manner of corporate events including team building, employee rewards and corporate entertaining. Director Mark Stenton outlines some of the experiences available and explains why it is important for employers to give their team some ‘time out’. “It’s important for business owners to take their employees away from the office to do something completely different to what they are normally involved in,” said Mark. “Our activities include archery, air rifle shooting, air pistols and – for those looking for something even more adventurous – we can offer knife and axe throwing, a Zombie Challenge or a Wild West experience. Clients can choose just one activity or combine them to create a personally-tailored experience. “We’re situated close to the Norfolk Arms Hotel so we can arrange meeting rooms, function rooms, lunches and accommodation if required. We’re located just four miles from the city centre so it’s easy for clients to reach us but on the other hand we’re away from the hustle and bustle of the city. “We are in the countryside so everyone gets some fresh air and anyone – male or female, young or old – can get involved. Our experiences are more about having a bit of fun than being overly competitive which can be the case with activities such as gokarting and paintballing. “Clients give us great feedback and usually everyone enjoys the experience. There’s lots of cheering for colleagues, plenty of laughter and generally a great time had by all.”
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FEATURE
TRANSPORT WITH THE TRAVEL CHOICE ADVISORS AT SOUTH YORKSHIRE PASSENGER TRANSPORT EXECUTIVE (SYPTE)
L-R: Autumn, Gail, Georgina
The Inmotion! team aims to improve the way businesses make the most of the travel options available to them through the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) in South Yorkshire. Travel Choice Advisors Autumn Owen, Gail Parkes and Georgina Simons help South Yorkshire businesses get the most out of their travel options, whether that’s bus, tram and train or through cycling or even better driving. Autumn, who works on all aspects of the scheme, said: “We can inspire businesses to be healthier and happier places to work by finding the best transport options for their needs. This could be anything from accessing free public transport travel passes for apprentices through to guidance on best practice for operators of goods vehicles.” Cycling lead Georgina said: “Our Cycleboost programme offers the opportunity for employees to try cycling for anything from fourweeks through to three months. The programme includes free bike hire and accessories, access to road skills training and maintenance training, as well as route advice, repairs and ‘Dr Bike’ check-ups. As well as saving money on travel, participants on this programme benefit from improved health and fitness.” Gail, who recently joined the Inmotion! team and who focuses on a wide-range of ‘better driving’ programmes, said: “We can help companies reduce costs and improve driver safety. Our Eco-Business Driving programme can help businesses realise a potential 1015 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. Through our ECO Stars scheme, aimed at operators of goods vehicles, buses and coaches, we can help to achieve typical minimum reductions in fuel consumption of five per cent in the first year of the programme. “We can also help businesses to incorporate the latest ‘green’ vehicles into their fleet. Through our Inmotion! Electric Vehicles programme, private and voluntary sector businesses and organisations can benefit from significant discounts on the lease of an electric vehicle and the installation of a dedicated charging point.”
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH JOHN WORDSWORTH, DIRECTOR, EUROPA MERCEDES Europa Mercedes is a Mercedes-Benz authorised repairer with a manufacturer approved workshop which carries out servicing and warranty repairs. Director John Wordsworth explains why it is crucial for businesses to understand their customers’ needs. “Many of our customers are city-centre based business people and we know how important time is to them,” said John. “That’s why myself and my two fellow directors have a hands-on approach and do all we can to make things easier for customers. “We will collect vehicles for servicing from the home or office and provide a courtesy car if required. Alternatively, if customers choose to bring their vehicle to us we can drop them off at their place of work. “We also understand our customers’ needs when it comes to having a problem with their vehicle. We know they don’t have time to worry about getting their car repaired and how important it is that they get the problem solved as soon as possible. “It doesn’t matter whether a business customer has a vehicle which is leased and whether or not it is on a maintenance contract; we can still do the work. “Just recently, Mercedes-Benz launched a new online quotation and booking service called ‘My Service’ which enables customers to enter their vehicle details and receive a quote for the work from the nearest five dealers. Not only does this make pricing transparent for customers and enable them to make comparisons easier but it also allows them to book online and even pay online for a discounted fee. This means customers can arrange work on their cars at a time to suit them – this may be in the evening if they don’t want to cut into their working day – meaning they are not restricted to our business hours. “This is a great example of understanding your customers and making life that bit easier for them.” >>>
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031 FFB July15 23/06/2015 11:37 Page 1
First For Business
FINANCE
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
LOOKING FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT? ENABLE FINANCE’S DIRECTOR, PHILLIP EVANS, DISPELS THE MYTHS SURROUNDING UNSECURED BUSINESS LOANS. istory has conditioned the business owner to go to the bank first when seeking financial assistance. This is often a good idea but if the bank manager says no or is not making a fast enough decision some people assume it is the end of the road for financing. In fact, there are hundreds of alternatives.
“H
“Typically, we can lend up to £250,000 to a trading business via an unsecured business loan, but a lot of people don’t realise this. “Unsecured business loans are generally described as ‘alternative business finance’ but in actual fact they are pretty mainstream as we are using them so often. “Typically, banks will lend between £5,000 and £25,000 on an overdraft but they will also take a debenture – or a fixed or floating charge – against your business and may request security by
way of a second charge against property where the overdraft is greater than £25,000. We can provide clients with up to £250,000 with no debenture registered against the company and no fixed or floating charges. “Yes, we may ask for a personal guarantee from the director, but these guarantees are not supported against property. “A common misconception is that funding from anywhere other than the bank is more expensive but risk is always profiled on an individual basis whether the customer goes to a bank or another lender – and in many cases alternative finance can be as cost effective, or even cheaper, than bank funding. “On an unsecured loan rates are from six per cent. Most of the time there are no early repayment charges and the terms can be spread up to five years.
“Another merit of utilising the alternative finance market is that the technology enables us to give lending decisions more quickly and pay loans out faster. Some of our faster loans pay within 24 hours but the typical time frame is between seven and 14 days from application to loan payment. “This is not just high risk lending, this is lending for mainstream, active trading businesses. We are not here to take over from the banks but we can add value to the banking facilities businesses already have and help them grow at a faster rate.” CONTACT: Enable Finance Cooper Buildings, Sheffield Science Park, Arundel Street, S1 2NS Tel: 0114 294 5046 www.enablefinance.com
Does your business need funding, to take it to the next level? Enable Finance are actively lending and supporting growing companies. We provide: • Unsecured Business Loans up to £250,000 • Commercial Mortgages & Property Finance • Cash Flow & Working Capital Facilities • Alternative business finance • Peer 2 Peer & Crowd Funding
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Asset Finance & Equipment Leasing solutions Invoice Discounting, Stock & Trade Finance Import & Export loan facilities Fast business loans with same day pay-out Access to Grant Funding
Business Finance Solutions 0114 2945 046 www.enablefinance.com enablefinance.com a trading style of Enable Corporate Strategies Ltd. Cooper Buildings, Sheffield Science Park, Arundel St, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S1 2NS. Telephone: 01142 945 046. Registered in England 7365867. Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ANY PROPERTY USED AS SECURITY, WHICH MAY INCLUDE YOUR HOME, MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR LOAN. Finance subject to status and formal underwriting.
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First For Business
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
MAINTENANCE WITH IAN FISHER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, AIRMASTER Based in Swallownest with 35 staff and counting, Airmaster serves Sheffield City Region’s businesses with maintenance on their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. “No matter what the equipment is, a penny spent on maintenance can save pounds on repairs and energy bills,” said Ian. “The heating and cooling in a building can account for over 40 per cent of its running costs, and a lot can happen to systems over time that prevent them from working as they should. A poorly maintained system may still reach your expectations of it, but it will do it badly, resulting in increased wear and tear and excessive energy use, which can be up to 60 per cent more than needed before it eventually fails. “Frequent monitoring and early detection can help identify small problems before they become major repair costs. Blocked filters and coils, build-up of dirt on fans, oils leaks, refrigerant loss, are to name a few that can cut the life expectancy of your systems in half. During any PPM visit (planned preventative maintenance) a trained engineer will clean, inspect and evaluate your systems and make any needed adjustments to ensure everything is running smoothly and efficiently. “We help companies ensure their legal responsibilities are in place and that they conform to all current environmental legislation; perfect for those companies wishing to achieve or upkeep ISO140001.”
COMMUNICATIONS WITH ALEX HODGSON, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, ONE2CALL For over a decade One2Call has been advising clients across the region on their communication infrastructure, whether it be feature-packed phone systems, tailored call packages, reliable broadband or IT network design. The company is an approved supplier of the Government’s Connection Voucher Scheme which is offering SMEs up to £3,000 to increase internet speeds. “All business people know that communication is crucial to the success of a business – and a reliable, fast internet connection plays a key role in this,” said Alex. “The Government funding could run out by the end of the year so now is a great time to consider your connection options. If you’ve been told you ‘can’t get fibre’ this funding is ideal as anyone can get a superfast fibre connection and this funding can help cover the installation costs. “We offer a free connection survey for your location so you know exactly what products you can access and from now until March 2016 we’re donating £50 to Bluebell Wood Hospice for every connection we make through the Government scheme.”
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FEATURE
CORPORATE FINANCE WITH ROBERT HANNEY, DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE FINANCE, KNOWLES WARWICK LTD This year is Knowles Warwick’s 30th anniversary, and in three decades of working with entrepreneurs and business owners, the company has learnt a lot about what businesses need in order to succeed. “With the economy finally getting back on track, confidence amongst SMEs is on the up, and as a result, funding is increasingly in demand. Businesses are looking to expand and grow, whether that means buying a commercial property, acquiring a competitor, or improving internal infrastructure,” said Robert. “We could help with raising finance for companies of all sizes, we can re-organise corporate debt, advise on management buy-outs and buy-ins and help people buy or sell a company, raise finance for development or growth or prepare an exit strategy. “Over the last 30 years, we have raised funding for various clients, ranging from smaller amounts such as £25,000 for a small beauty salon, to almost £1million for a care home, and £5.5million for a partnership buyout. “We have built strong, long-term relationships with key figures in the local banking and finance industry and we use those connections to our clients’ advantage every day.”
NETWORKING WITH ANGELA BYWATER, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, WESTBOURNE SCHOOL In 2009 a Community Afternoon Tea was held in Westbourne School during which the idea was raised of a ‘forum’ to improve ties between the school and local business. The outcome was the Broomhill Business Breakfast. Although originally intended for businesses around Broomhill, word soon spread and attendance is now from a much wider area in and around Sheffield. Angela, who set up the network said: “A business network allows a business person to build new professional relationships and generate business opportunities at the same time. “Business networking is generally a more cost-effective method of generating new business than advertising or public relations because it involves personal commitment rather than company money. “Delegates are from all business backgrounds and feedback is overwhelmingly positive. There is no formal structure; just chatting and mingling. “The students play host; meeting and greeting and serving. They are ambassadors for the school but they are also developing their social skills and the network has proved to be a valuable way of identifying work experience placements for the Year 10 students.” For information or to attend the next meeting in September 2015, please email abywater@westbourneschool.co.uk.
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Educating girls and boys for life Inspired teaching‌ Outstanding learning From age 3 to 16 Average class size 14 Excellent GCSE results Exciting new facilities Academic Scholarship Class
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First For Business
OFFICE FURNITURE
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
RELOCATING YOUR OFFICE, CHANGING THE LAYOUT OF YOUR EXISTING OFFICE, OR JUST UPGRADING YOUR OFFICE FURNITURE… THEN YOU WILL NEED THE SERVICES OF L&TA GROUP OFFICE FURNITURE LTD. You have found your new offices. What now? You have the staff but where do their desks, chairs, storage cabinets etc. fit into the space? L&TA Group’s planning team plan out your offices to your specification, including site visits. You require new furniture but what furniture range is most suitable for your requirements? L&TA Group have their own showrooms where you can view furniture or alternatively a site visit to the manufacturers can be arranged where you
can not only view the full range on offer but also have a tour to see how it’s made. Your new offices are ready for occupation but you still have to relocate your employees’ belongings i.e. computers, printers, files etc. L&TA Group can organise this for you including providing the crates and manpower with vehicles to take over and install in your new offices. Where do the power sockets need to be and who can relocate them? L&TA Group can organise this.
furniture sat in offices you need to clear. L&TA Group will remove all your old furniture and recycle it. Need just one office chair? L&TA will deliver and take away your old one. When you order a desk is it delivered, set up and put in place for you? L&TA Group does this on every desk it delivers. We plan and install furniture for offices all over the UK and Ireland from one to one thousand staff. And the cherry on top? We will beat any like for like quote.
You need offices or boardrooms built within the new offices… L&TA Group can organise this. Your furniture is in, your computers are ready and your staff are moving out of your old office into the new furnished one; but this now leaves all your old
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CONTACT: L&TA Office Furniture Unit 2-3 Stevenson Industrial Estate, Stevenson Way, Sheffield, S9 3WZ Tel: 0114 242 5511 www.ltasheffield.co.uk
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Sheffield l United Kingdom
L&TA Office Furniture, Sheffield are one of the UK leading suppliers of office desking seating and storage systems. L&TA is ideal for local businesses and corporate customers seeking new or used office furniture to furnish or update their workspace cost-effectively. We are a facilities management organisation with experience moving a variety of facility types, including offices, warehouses, libraries and universities.
Contact our team today for further informat ion about our full, bespoke office furniture planning and installation service
As well as an extensive range of new and second hand office furniture, we also offer office clearance services. Our goal is to provide efficient and cost effective moves, that limit operational downtime and smoothly transition you into your new facilities. Our extensive portfolio of desking ranges, seating ranges and storage ranges coupled with recreational furniture undoubtedly caters for every office design and scheme.
UNIT 2-3 STEVENSON INDUSTRIAL EST., STEVENSON WAY, SHEFFIELD, S9 3WZ TELEPHONE: 0114 242 5511
www.ltasheffield.co.uk 35
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School Run? Instead of sitting in the car your child could be at S. Anselm’s in Bakewell enjoying the 18 acres of grounds and superlative sports facilities
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Stanedge Road, Bakewell DE45 1DP
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What’s more, we have over 25 years’ experience in helping a great many public, private and third sector organisations to create and polish their brand to the highest possible shine ... You might say ”It’s our calling”. To release a little Genie magic for your business – contact Patrick today: m: 07983 575 523 e: pat@geniecreative.org.uk
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First For Business
SPORT
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
TRY THE NEW SPORT CRAZE FOOTGOLF TO KICK-OFF AT LOCAL COURSE.
T
that people of all ages can try. We would encourage groups of friends and families to come along and have a go.”
Footgolf, a hybrid of golf and football, is available at Tapton Park Golf Course.
Footgolf will be played on the pitch and putt course which has larger holes on the greens for the size five footballs which are provided.
The game is played in the same format as golf but with the use of footballs instead of golf balls and requires players to kick rather than use a club. The player who plays the 12-hole course in the fewest shots wins the game. Andy Carnall, golf manager at Sheffield City Trust, which manages Tapton Park Golf Course, said: “We’re really excited to be launching footgolf and we can’t wait to see people enjoying this latest craze. “Footgolf is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and is something
Why not give footgolf a go with our reader offer? Quote “First for Business Magazine” when booking your visit and pay only £5 adult and £4 child. Offer ends 31 July 2015.
CONTACT: For more information about footgolf at Tapton Park Golf Course, or to book a game, visit www.sivltd.com/footgolf or call 01246 239500.
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Membership from £10.20 a week FIND OUT MORE www.sheffieldgolf.co.uk 37
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First For Business
MOTORING
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
DREAM MACHINE THE MASERATI GHIBLI IS AN EXECUTIVE SALOON THAT OFFERS SUPERCAR COOL AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE, WRITES JORDAN CUTFORTH. n object of passion, beauty, love, exclusivity and speed all rolled into one – some may even say a Maserati is poetry in motion. While many people around the world aspire to own one at some point in their lives, the high price often renders this impossible. But now they’ve tackled the premium saloon market and with it comes an affordable price tag – now that sounds like a dream come true.
A
The Ghibli brings a sense of occasion and a certain ‘specialness’ that envelopes the driver and which its rivals simply cannot match. Maybe it’s the illustrious heritage of the company you’re buying into when you see that famous trident badge on the grill, or that it’s just insanely beautiful, or that you sense there’s a hint of Ferrari DNA flowing through its veins. Either way, when you drive cars like this, people look at you with admiration rather than disdain, as is often the case with expensive machinery. Maybe it’s
because, in a subconscious way, people feel a Maserati exists to make the world a much happier place and, because of that, they respect you for it. Excluding its gorgeous aesthetics, the best feature of the Ghibli is probably the interior. It has an almost designer feel to it thanks to a beautifully sculptured dashboard, a perfectly designed steering wheel and a lovely set of clear and crisp
SPECIFICATIONS: Model: Maserati Ghibli 3.0-litre V6 diesel Price: £49,995 Performance: 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds Fuel consumption: 47.1 mpg (combined cycle) Will it fit in your garage? Length, 4,971mm / Width (with/without mirrors), 2,100mm /1,945mm. Height,1,461mm
dials. It also comes with Maserati’s famous dashboard-mounted analogue clock. The leather they use is exquisite and unbelievably soft, which gives the driver a sense they’re buying a very, very highend product. The Ghibli also comes with aluminum paddles for the 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox and they pick up the air-conditioning when it’s switched on. This makes them feel cool to the touch. It’s the little things that impress. The engines are a masterpiece too; there’s a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol with either 330hp or 410hp and a diesel with 245bhp, which returns up to 47mpg.Yes, they may not be as powerful or as economical as some rivals, but the exhaust noise they produce is just sensational. Also, all the engines are developed with Ferrari. Who else can say that? Looking for an executive saloon? I urge you to try the Ghibli; it’ll exceed all your expectations.
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Servicing at Europa My Service A new standard 速
Europa
0114 208 6129 www.europamercedes.co.uk
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CONGRATULATIONS TO FINANCE FOR ENTERPRISE 30TH ANNIVERSARY
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First For Business
MOTORING
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER… JORDAN CUTFORTH CHECKS OUT THE LATEST PERFORMANCE UPGRADES. BLACK MAGIC No, this isn’t another hardcore version of one of Mercedes’ already hardcore AMG cars. No, this is a special edition that Porsche has created for its base 911 Carrera. Changes over the regular 911 Carrera include a completely black exterior with 20inch 911 Turbo style alloy wheels. Standard equipment includes auto-dimming rearview mirrors, rain sensing windscreen wipers, cruise control, automatic climate control, heated leather seats, sport designed steering wheel and Porsche Communication Management (PCM) which includes a seven-inch colour touchscreen with satellite navigation. As it’s based on the base 911 Carrera, it’ll only be powered by a 350hp 3.4-litre straight-six engine with the option of two or four-wheel drive and in coupe or convertible body styles. On sale now from £75,074.
JOY OF SIX BMW has released a new ‘Competition Pack’ for the M6. The main highlight is a significant power upgrade of 40hp from the standard M6 making total output now 592hp. Torque has also been uprated rising to 516lb ft from 501lb fit. This has improved the performance figures no end: 0-62mph now takes 3.9 seconds or 4.0 seconds for the Cabriolet, 0-124mph now takes 11.8 seconds (over half a second quicker than the standard car) and there’s a new top speed of 189mph if you choose to disable the electronic limiter. Other changes include stiffer springs, dampers and anti-roll bars, a new mapping for the steering system, new 20-inch alloys and black chrome quad exhausts.
COMPETITIVE EDGE The 595 Competizione is a spiced-up version of the already mad Fiat 500 Abarth. However, Fiat thinks the ordinary 595 isn’t enough so they’ve increased the power output and added a host of standard equipment. Power has been raised by 20hp from 160hp making the total output of the 595 to 180hp with 184lb ft of torque.This makes the 595 sprint from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds with a 140mph top speed. It can even do 48.7mpg on the combined cycle. Standard equipment now includes a Record Monza exhaust system, 17-inch alloys with titanium finish, a race-bred Brembo braking system, red brake calipers, Sabelt sports seats, Xenon headlamps and parking sensors. Prices start at £19,890 for the hatch, £21,890 for the Cabriolet. On sale now.
R-RATED JAGUAR? Upon the arrival of the new Jaguar XE, the fastest version you can buy is the XE-S which houses the same 335bhp supercharged V6 found in the entrylevel F-Type. While this model is undoubtedly fast, it can’t match the halo models made by rival companies BMW and Mercedes-Benz which are considerably more powerful. As a result, Jaguar’s got a hot version of the XE in the pipeline to take the fight to the unsuspecting Germans. It’s called the XE-R, and while it hasn’t been made official, it’ll most likely come with the 488bhp V8 found in the F-Type roadster. There’ll be a more focused chassis, and an eight-speed ZF automatic will be the only choice. Expect prices to hover around the M3’s £56,000 mark.
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First For
@ffbmagRMC
MAGAZINE
QUALITY REPAIRS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES. No Job too large or too small. We carry out minor repairs to full body rebuilds. Over 80 years experience in the Motor Repair Industry.
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SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS FOR 25 YEARS Mandy Ogle: 0114 250 6300 Email: mandy.ogle@regionalmagazine.co.uk Web: www.ffb-online.co.uk
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MOTs • SERVICING & REPAIRS • BRAKES • TYRES • DIAGNOSTICS We are a professional car servicing, MOT and repair centre located near Sheffield city centre, close to the A61 and inner ring road.
We are specialists in car repairs and services for Audi and Volkswagen, but are well equipped to carry out professional work on all makes and models of car. Our aim is to service, check or repair your car quickly and professionally, and get your car on the road and back to you as quickly as possible. Our prices are fair and competitive and we’re happy to provide you with estimates before starting any work.
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044 - 045 FFB July15_Layout 1 23/06/2015 16:43 Page 1
First For Business
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
THE SUTHERLAND FAMILY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF THE GREAT BRITISH FOOD BRANDS. NOW THEY ARE REVIVING THE FAMILY BUSINESS WITH THE HELP OF THEIR GRANDMOTHER’S SECRET RECIPE. JULIE FARMER REPORTS From left: sales director Craig Maxwell, Alistair Sutherland and Will Sutherland
A GOOD SPREAD A
lmost 100 years ago Mary Sutherland came up with the recipe for a potted beef, a tasty spread for her husband’s sandwiches. Now, her grandson and great grandson have turned the original family recipe into a business and have already seen the products hit the shelves of Waitrose. What else could you call a business based on the recipes of your grandmother Mary, other than ‘Granny Mary’s’? Made exactly to a traditional family recipe devised in the late 1920s by Mary Sutherland for her husband Eddie’s sandwiches, Granny Mary’s Original Recipes was established in 2012 by The new Granny Mary’s range
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Mary’s grandson Alistair Sutherland and great grandson, Will. Back when the original recipe was created Eddie was a Lyon’s Tea salesman and he and his horse and cart were a regular sight across Sheffield. Using only the finest quality British beef blended with English butter, some secret spices, a pinch of salt and a layer of clarified butter to preserve the meat, Mary’s potted beef became a huge success with both Eddie and his customers. Enterprising Eddie decided to start moonlighting Mary’s potted beef from his tea cart – but was given the sack when his bosses found out. However, Eddie realised the product’s
sales potential and set up his own business in 1927 to produce and distribute potted meats. He went on to establish a multi-million pound brand that was eventually sold to a European food giant. Fast-forward to 2012 and Eddie’s grandson, Will Sutherland, approached his dad Alistair with a plan to revive the family business. Will knew Alistair had worked with Eddie back in the 1970s and that he had given him Mary’s original recipe just in case ‘anything ever changed’. Over the years Alistair has worked in a number of industries – he has had a rally car business, a restaurant business and
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FEATURE
‘We buy the best raw meats we can.We have always set out to make a great product, not a cheap product.’ pub business – but has always made the product for family and friends and, in his words: “Will had grown up with the smell of potted beef in his nostrils.” Yet it was still a surprise to Alistair when his son suggested setting up a business. “When he said he wanted to go into business making potted beef I thought ‘You crazy person. Do you know how hard it is to make it and also to get enough business to make it pay?’ “But I said that if we were going to do it we were going to do it right. So we sat down, made our plans and set up a limited company with 50 per cent of the shares each.” The potted beef is made exactly as Mary would have made it back in the 1920s. There is nothing artificial and only the highest quality ingredients – of which there are just four; beef, butter, salt and spices. Over the last year Alistair, Will and their sales director Craig Maxfield have been busy working on packaging (Alistair admitted they’ve ‘been through about 18 different types’), expanding the product range and gaining valuable retail listings. The range now includes four varieties of potted meat:beef, chicken & ham hock, duck and orange and venison, port and blueberry, as well as a sundried tomato tapenade and super smooth hummus, suitable for vegetarians. From 20 April Granny Mary’s products have been available in Waitrose stores in Buxton, Ashbourne, Leek and Wollaton. In a real coup the company has also secured listings in several Whole Foods Market stores, famed for its high quality, natural products. Items listed in these stores must meet rigorous standards, from basic ingredients to farm animal welfare. Achieving the standards wasn’t too much of a challenge for Granny Mary’s – as they were already an integral part of their business.
“We buy the best raw meats we can,” said Alistair. “We have always set out to make a great product, not a cheap product. Price wasn’t a consideration for us when choosing the raw products; it was the opposite way round. We looked at which raw products we needed to make great potted meats first, and calculated the price based on this. “We retail for £3 and, yes, we are more expensive than the normal potted meats but we’re using only the best quality products and you can’t really compare us to anything else. At the food markets we let people try before they buy and once they have tasted the product they don’t question the price.” Currently, the team – which also includes Sylvia Coupe who helps make and package the products – make and sell around 2,000 pots a week. Alistair is confident that by the end of the year the figures will have increased substantially. “We are in four Waitrose stores and we just need to prove it sells then I think it will go national,” he said. “Ryanair are planning to stock some of our products later this year which means that Granny
Mary’s could soon be – quite literally – going round the world. “We have a very simple procedure and could comfortably make about 2,500 pots in a day. Of course, we’d need more ovens and a larger refrigerator but we’re more than ready to cope with expansion.” Indeed, expansion could quite easily be on the cards if performance to date is anything to go by. At the point in which the products were about to be launched in Whole Foods Market stores a customer in Glasgow contacted Granny Mary’s to ask where he could buy them. They informed him they were soon to be listed in his local Whole Foods Market – which he had never been to before – and he actually turned up before the products did. “This was a customer asking for our products before they were even in stock,” said Alistair. “He went back once they were available so we created a brand new customer for the store. We even had an email from the company to let us know about this and to thank us for their new customer!” When Granny Mary’s first launched Alistair and Will secured an EFG grant of £120,000, which they are now in the process of paying back. To help fund further growth they are currently looking for investment in the business. They will be selling shares in blocks of 10,000 and are hoping to attract between 15 and 30 investors.
Eddie Sutherland sold wife Mary’s potted beef from his Lyon’s horse and cart before setting up his own business (below, left) Below; Comedian Tommy Cooper in a Sutherland’s ad
“We’ve already got a number of potential investors lined up,” said Alistair. “It is a great opportunity for people to own a stake in a local business and the money will give us the opportunity to take the business forward as much as we can. The more investors we have the better I think the business will become.” A detailed prospectus is available for potential investors. Email sales@ grannymarys.co.uk for details.
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2015
SATURDAY 15 AUGUST www.spandauballet.com
In association with SOLO
Live after racing!
TICKETS FROM
£35
*
UNDER 18’S £15
www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk 01302 304200 | info@doncaster-racecourse.co.uk *Terms & conditions apply. Price per person and includes VAT. For full terms and conditions, race times and details of the the live music concert please visit our website. Booking restrictions and fees may apply. Doncaster Racecourse encourages responsible gambling. www.gambleaware.co.uk. Please drink responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk
#MUSICLIVE2015
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Sponsored by Mercury Taxis and supported by First for Business Magazine – with the charity raffle in aid of Support Dogs – Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Charity of the Year 2015
For the 14th year David Heugh will be organizing and hosting this wonderful day. Come along and join us in the same exclusive Winning Post Marquee for one of the most important social and racing events on the sporting calendar. It’s the perfect opportunity for private or corporate entertaining and we can assure you of good food and wine, sparkling company and a great day’s racing. Plus, the usual FREE bar all day! The usual special package in our private marquee includes: • morning coffee & biscuits • afternoon tea • super 3 course lunch • free parking PLUS !! A FREE BAR ALL DAY - Unlimited wine, beer, soft drinks Please reserve places at £140 plus VAT
FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT David Heugh on 07785 243605 | e: davidheugh@yahoo.co.uk
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First For Business
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
CUTLERS’ FEAST DECLARES MANUFACTURING ‘ALIVE AND WELL’ Sheffield manufacturing and innovation was universally praised by all speakers at this year’s Cutlers’ Feast, with the call for the Sheffield City Region to take a central role as part of the Northern Powerhouse move towards devolution being a much repeated theme. Senior warden, Craig McKay, said that manufacturing in the region was alive and well. “The challenge now is to … secure our position as the Gateway city to the Northern Powerhouse - it is ours to lose
decisions in the UK.”
so there is work to be done. We must attract more inward investment of the type already present at the AMRC. We need to ensure that world class companies like Rolls Royce, Boeing and Siemens have Sheffield at the forefront of their minds when making investment
Principal speaker was Professor Jürgen Maier, chief executive of Siemens UK. Chris Heaton, a business partner and close personal friend of Master Cutler David Grey was also a speaker. Chris is running the Master’s group of companies during his term of office and, in his spare time, runs multiple marathons. Other invited guests include politicians and representatives from industry, the civil service, the military, City of London Livery Companies and Freemen of the Company of Cutlers.
WORK AND PLAY
A MONTHLY ROUND-UP OF NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS AND NEW FACES
BUSINESS LEADERS RAISE £27,000 Neil MacDonald, chair of the trustees at the Cathedral Archer Project (CAP), challenged the business leaders of Sheffield to Sleep Out with him on Thursday 4 June with the aim of increasing awareness of homelessness in the city and to raise £25,000 for the project in one night CAP, a charity which offers homeless and vulnerable adults a safe, warm and welcoming place, marked its 25th anniversary with a special event at Sheffield Cathedral. Thirty business leaders from companies across the city took up the challenge and joined Neil to sleep outside Sheffield Cathedral with nothing but warm clothes and sleeping bags. The night was a huge success raising £27,000 in total.
STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR UTC 2 There is strong public support for a second university technical college (UTC) in Sheffield, according to a new report. UTC 2 Sheffield for Human Sciences and Computing is due to open at the Olympic Legacy Park in September 2016. Results from a report on the eight-week public consultation show that 81 per cent of the 335 respondents backed the project moving forward by applying for a government funding agreement. UTC 2 Sheffield for Human Sciences and Computing is being led by The Sheffield College. Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry are co-sponsors. The £10 million facility will provide 14 to 19-year-olds with academic qualifications and technical skills for the computing, healthcare technology, sports science, exercise medicine and wellbeing sectors. The public can find out more at a community event at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, on Tuesday July 14 from 5.30pm to 7.00pm. To book a place, go to www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/utc-2-community-event-tickets-17298069993
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TANKERSLEY MANOR LAUNCHES WEDDING SPEECH AWARDS Tankersley Manor Hotel is calling for entries from South Yorkshire into the first-ever search for the UK’s best wedding speeches, launched by AA Hotel Group of the Year, QHotels. The QHotels Wedding Speech Awards will recognise the top wedding speeches by the best man, groom, father of the bride and the bride, amongst others. Any speech given at a wedding reception can be submitted, provided the speech is on a video that has been uploaded to the internet and is publicly available. Nominations can come from the speakers or another wedding guest. Prizes – including an overnight stay, a golf lesson, spa day, afternoon tea and vouchers for QHotels – will be awarded to the winning speech-giver and nominator of each category. Enter your speech by tweeting (#Weddingspeech) the wedding speech video to @QHotels on Twitter or post on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ QHotels. Please state the category you are entering. For more details visit www.qhotels.co.uk/ weddings/wedding-speech-awards. The deadline for entries is 28 August.
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WORK AND PLAY
SHEFFIELD BEST IN UK FOR HOTEL CUSTOMER SERVICE
AMRC INSTALLS TITAN IN UK FIRST The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing has taken delivery of a new KUKA Titan Robot for use in its Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG).
Sheffield has the best hotel customer service in the UK, according to an international survey conducted by online reservation company Hotel Info. It is the second time the city has topped the list, regaining top position after first claiming it in 2013.
The KUKA KR 1000 L750, ‘Titan’ as it is known, is the first in the UK and the only KUKA Titan model used for research in the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a consortium of seven manufacturing and process research centres backed by the UK government. The robotic arm is a derivative of the KUKA KR 1000 Titan, which has a payload of 1000kg. The L750 has a reduced payload of 750kg, but has an extended arm, allowing it to have a greater reach for aerospace assembly operations. “The benefits of the KUKA Titan mean that it can not only be put to use handling large loads or moving large jigs for assembly, but IMG can use it for research including drilling and machining operations,” said Ben Morgan, head of IMG. “We will be coupling the robotic arm with research in large volume metrology and advanced control algorithms to improve the ‘off the shelf ’ accuracy for these applications.” The robot will make up a key piece of manufacturing and assembly equipment in the AMRC’s new Factory 2050, a £43 million development which will be the world’s first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research.
The 8,000 tetrahedrons were laser cut from 40 tonnes of steel and when assembled by Ken Ware Engineers to create five groups of steel ‘clouds’, which will take centre stage in the Annenburg Courtyard as part of Conrad Shawcross’s latest showcase – The Dappled Light of the Sun 2015.
Ian Slater, chair of Hospitality Sheffield, said: “Over recent years there has been a huge investment in training and skills development in Sheffield, with Hospitality Sheffield working closely with its members and training partners to help create the very best teams. As such, we’re delighted to find ourselves top of this list for the second time - a lot of hard work and effort has gone in, and it’s a title we’re extremely proud of and determined to keep.”
Sheffield law firm Wake Smith has strengthened its Commercial Property team with the appointment of two new directors. Lisa Davison joins from Nabarro and Paul Gibbon returns to the firm having spent six years at hlw Keeble Hawson.
Work by a Barnsley laser firm for one the UK’s top artists is set to take the London art world by storm.
The Cutting Technologies team laser cut thousands of tetrahedrons for Conrad Shawcross’ site-specific installation for the Royal Academy of Arts Courtyard for the Summer Exhibition 2015.
Sheffield tops the UK list, with an average rating of 8.03 out of 10, followed by Liverpool (7.95) and Leeds (7.82).
NEW DIRECTORS AT WAKE SMITH
LASER EXPERTS’ KEY ROLE IN ART EXHIBITION
Laser experts Cutting Technologies worked alongside Ken Ware Engineers on the captivating installation by world-renowned artist, Conrad Shawcross RA.
The research analysed the post-stay reviews of over six million hotel guests to reveal the best and worst service levels across Europe based on friendliness and staff competence.
This year, over 1,200 artworks will be on display and the sales from the Summer Exhibition raise significant funds to finance current students at the Royal Academy of Arts. Cutting Technologies director Jane Robinson said: “A lot of our work is with artists and designers and being part of the creative process is something we really enjoy. Having worked with Conrad in the past, we understand the level of quality and precision his incredible work demands. We’re thrilled to have played such an important role in the 247th anniversary of the world’s largest open-entry art exhibition.”
The firm has also promoted commercial property specialist Ben Spencer to director. Lisa has a decade of experience acting for clients, including institutional funds, property developers and public bodies. She has particular expertise in deals involving mixed use properties and also in the healthcare, retail and education sectors. Paul brings 14 years’ experience in commercial property acting for investors, developers and institutional lenders. He also advises business occupiers, particularly those in the manufacturing sector, on the acquisition, disposal and management of commercial property.
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First For Business
10 THINGS...
JULY 2015
www.ffb-online.co.uk
10 THINGS... THAT HAVE CHANGED IN THE LAST 25 YEARS BY JOHN TUSTIN, DIRECTOR OF MIKE BREWER MOTORS. ohn Tustin has worked in the motor industry for the past 25 years. Here he shares ten things that have changed in his industry.
J 1
THE INTERNET
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 4
Without doubt the internet has delivered some of the biggest changes in retail. Businesses of all sizes can now market their products to the whole world for very little outlay. These changes have also empowered customers with the ability to shop more aggressively and in some areas drive down prices through increased online competition.
How many of us use the internet to find reviews about restaurants, hotels etc? How many potential customers will search online for reviews on your business? Having a robust customer service policy where you actively encourage customers to provide you feedback and then publish it for all to see online pays dividends in instilling confidence into new customers.
INVESTMENT IN TRAINING
NATIONALLY, NOT JUST LOCALLY
2
With the huge growth in internet use and the ability our customers have to research anything they want, anytime anywhere; it is essential that business staff are better trained than ever in order to answer the questions most customers already know the answer to.
3
SOCIAL MEDIA
Who’d heard of Facebook ten years ago? Twitter wasn’t formed until 2006, yet well over one billion people now use these platforms to communicate across the globe. Businesses can use these platforms to great effect by engaging with their customer base and being shared amongst their customer’s friend’s network; it’s a quick way of sharing
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awareness of your business to a new audience.
5
Gone are the days of customers picking up a copy of the Autotrader magazine and spending the weekend driving around local forecourts looking for cars. Most now research online and are prepared to travel for the right car; we now sell cars all over the UK thanks to the internet.
6
THE USE OF VIDEO
Recent research suggests that 63 per cent of people are influenced by online video, but how many companies use it successfully online to help generate more business? We make bespoke videos for customers who are too far away to come and view cars, resulting in greater sales to customers further afield.
7
COMMUNICATION
How we communicate has changed dramatically. I remember with excitement the first fax machine arriving in our office too many years ago to mention; we don’t use fax anymore. Now we have email, live chat, social media, Skype – instant face to face communication whenever we want it.
8
SPEED OF RESPONSE
Customers now expect instant responses regardless of the time of day. Whilst it’s rarely feasible to have an office presence 24/7, using an out of hours live chat facility is a great way to be there for them anytime of the day.
9
BUSY LIVES
Everyone is busy and helping customers save time is a great way to keep them happy and generate loyalty. We’ve found great success by offering service customers a free pick up and drop off service, enabling them to have their service or MOT carried out whilst they are at work. We ease some of their normal daily pressures and at the same time this results in customer loyalty.
10
NETWORKING
Networking groups and online Networking Forums have become more prevalent, not only helping businesses grow but also in providing help and advice for new start companies.
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LOCAL LAWYERS GLOBAL REACH Commercial | Corporate | Employment Dispute Resolution & Debt Recovery | Property Wealth Management | Restructuring
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