IoD Suffolk Magazine | Winter 2013

suffolk WINTER 2013 | www.iod-suffolk.co.uk

Reinventing retail

Woodbridge School RE-FOUNDED IN 1662

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CONTENTS

Welcome.

In this retail-themed issue we visit Suffolk’s high streets and catch up with the latest in online shopping, before rounding up some of the best gadgets and apps for business. And we learn how businesses can help our young people to prepare for the world of work.

We also report on a glittering evening at the IOD Suffolk Annual Dinner, pencil in some dates for our 2014 diaries and raise a glass to toast the festive season.

Have a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Email us at IoD-feedback@tilstonphillips.com or write to us at the address below. Jane Chittenden – Editor

Published by: Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited 141 Norwich Road, Ipswich IP1 2PP enquiries@tilstonphillips.com www.tilstonphillips.com

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Designed by: Toni Escriche Image of students on contents page and p17 used by kind permission of West Suffolk College, Bury St. Edmunds

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All rights reserved. Reproduction, in part or in whole, without the prior consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The content of this magazine is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time of publication. All times, prices and details of events were correct at time of going to press.

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers, proprietors, the Institute of Directors or others associated with this production. © Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited 2013

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Contents

1

From the Chair

3

Recent IoD Suffolk events

4

Business profile | ip21

6

Across the region

8

Protecting the Director

11

Regional Finance

12

Education

13

Dates for your 2014 diary

14

Raising the bar

16

A word from the accountants

18

Corporate hospitality

20

Christmas business gift ideas

21

Social media

22

IoD business profile | Genesis PR

23

Christmas retail | Coes of Ipswich

25

Reinventing retail

26

Leisure

28

Sponsorship

30

Business books

31

Member profile | David Redhead

32

Commitment that brings certainty to your business 01473 346046 www.poundgates.com Pound Gates St Vincent House, 1 Cutler Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1UQ Pound Gates & Co Ltd, trading as Pound Gates, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and is an ISO and Investor in People accredited company.

WELCOME

New members to Suffolk branch Iain Fleming Alphabio Control Ltd John Kearney Amgen Ltd Nigel Hughes Maynard Leigh Associates Anthony Haynes The Professional and Higher Partnership Ltd Mary Graham Yellobelly Design & Marketing Ltd Nigel Clark Jerome Stuart Walls

From the Chair I recently picked up an article from the World Economic Forum on infrastructure standards. It ranked the UK 28th overall. That places us behind Germany and France. It also means that we’re lagging behind countries such as Barbados and Saudi Arabia.

It feels like there is lots of talk but not much getting built. It feels like government is better at rhetoric than real action, projects seemingly backed for reasons that are politically motivated rather than being based on long-term strategic planning and sure-footed policy.

HS2 is the obvious example.

IoD Suffolk membership benefits • • • • • •

IoD Travel Services IoD Car Rental IoD Director’s Liability Insurance IoD Professional Indemnity Insurance IoD Home and Contents Insurance IoD Health Plans For a complete list of the current affinity member benefits, please see www.iod.com/speciallynegotiated To find out more about joining IoD Suffolk branch please contact: Caroline Kearney Suffolk Branch Administrator 07917 699 498 caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk Institute of Directors Suffolk Branch 25 Wilding Drive, Grange Farm, Kesgrave Ipswich IP5 2AE www.iod-suffolk.co.uk

We cannot afford to run our own businesses in this way, so why should our politicians behave any differently? It feels like we’re falling behind. Why? The abolishment of Industrial Buildings Allowances in 2009 has not helped, leaving us as one of the few countries in the developed world without proper incentives in our tax system for infrastructure development. We need an infrastructure plan for our country, as an entity, just as we each have business plans for our respective organisations.

strategic planning and sure-footed policy”. That’s because I don’t think there is one. For instance, as I write the London Gateway is opening on the north bank of the Thames. How does that sit with a toll tax on Suffolk’s main artery?

The view that a toll will be hugely detrimental is one that is growing. The A14 project has already been blighted by funding uncertainties and delays. It is not yet a fait accompli.

I encourage you to support the "No Toll Tax on Suffolk” campaign.

As we are approaching the end of 2013, I would like to thank this year’s sponsors, Barker Gotelee, Pound Gates and Ensors (who have confirmed their continued sponsorship into 2014) and Crafted, whose support is very much valued. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities for 2014, please turn to page 30 for more information

Energy, transport, water, waste and digital are all crying out for private investment.

But this investment has to be done right.

It must be coordinated.

Best wishes for the festive season ahead and I do hope you enjoy this latest issue.

The much-needed A14 upgrade is critical for our economy here in Suffolk. We all understand there is a cost implication. We are all realistic enough to appreciate that the private sector has to be a part of the solution. The bit I’m failing to understand, however, is the “long-term

Luke Morris December 2013

Follow @SuffolkIoD IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 3

RECENT IOD SUFFOLK EVENTS

Annual Dinner with Bob Champion MBE

Left to right: Magic! Ian Johnson (Select Office Furniture, one of the event sponsors); Bob Champion MBE and Luke Morris, Chair, IoD Suffolk at the Annual Dinner held in association with Milsom Hotels & Restaurants

This year’s Annual Dinner was held in association with Milsoms at Le Talbooth in Dedham with Bob Champion MBE. Sponsors of the event were Ensors, Barker Gotelee, Pound Gates, Crafted, Milsoms, Select Office Furniture, Adnams, Thos Peatling and Green Sparks.

Luke Morris, Chairman, IoD Suffolk and Partner, Larking Gowen, said: “We had a fabulous evening and it was fascinating to IoD Annual Dinner kindly sponsored by:

4 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

hear Bob Champion MBE speak about his fight against adversity and his winning the Grand National after beating testicular cancer. Thanks to the generosity of our members and guests on the night and to those businesses who donated raffle prizes, we raised £1,500 for The Bob Champion Cancer Trust.”

The champion jockey won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti, after which

his personal fight against cancer was made into the film, Champions. He established the Bob Champion Cancer Trust and has raised millions of pounds for cancer research.

Amongst its achievements are the opening of the first male dedicated cancer research facility in the UK in 2000, bringing together research expertise into prostrate, testicular and bladder cancers.

Golf day raises £4,000 for Cancer Campaign in Suffolk An excellent golf day hosted by Ipswich Building Society in partnership with IoD Suffolk at Stoke by Nayland in September raised £4,000 for Cancer Campaign in Suffolk. The event was attended by 70 golfers with teams including Willis, Larking Gowen, Ensors and DFDS Seaways. The day concluded with a BBQ and charity raffle.

Paul Winter, Chief Executive of Ipswich Building Society said “I am delighted that our 4th annual charity golf day has been such a success and would like to thank each of our players, sponsors and supporters, not forgetting the team at Stoke by Nayland for their wonderful hospitality and first class facilities”.

Winning team Corporate Mailing Solutions with Paul Winter (right), Chief Executive, Ipswich Building Society

Karen Hare, Chief Executive of Cancer Campaign in Suffolk, added “We would like to thank Ipswich Building Society, Suffolk IoD and all of the golfers for their support. As we are funded entirely by

voluntary donations, events like this make a huge difference not only financially but also help us to communicate what we do to a much wider audience.”

ECONOMIC BREAKFAST IS GRAEME LEACH’S LAST WITH IOD The Institute of Directors has announced that Graeme Leach, Chief Economist at the IoD for the past 12 years, is leaving at the end of January 2014 to take up a new role as Director of Global Economics for an international Think Tank. During his time at IoD Graeme has helped build the IoD’s reputation with Government and national media and he has been a popular speaker at our Suffolk events, most recently at the September economic breakfast at The West Wing at Ickworth.

James Sproule joins IoD as the new Chief Economist and Head of Policy from Accenture where for the past seven years he has led UK and Global Capital Markets research and Accenture’s “Thought Leadership” programme. He was previously Director of Research for Augusta Finance plc and Chief Economist at the Association of British Insurers. He has been a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics Institute of Management, and he is currently visiting Professor at Gresham College.

Commenting on his new role, James said: “I am delighted to be joining the Institute

Graeme Leach at our September economic breakfast at The West Wing at Ickworth

of Directors and I look forward to building on the efforts of Graeme Leach. Over the last 12 years, he has helped ensure that the IoD maintains its position as a major voice in economic debates, through successive

governments and the ups and downs of the economic cycle.”

We look forward to welcoming James to Suffolk in 2014.

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 5

BUSINESS PROFILE

The Changing Face of Intellectual Property At ip21 we know that many people often misunderstand Intellectual Property (IP) and so it is often overlooked. We would like to highlight the importance of recognising your IP rights, as they are a very valuable asset to you as an individual or as a company.

Relief Over the last few years the UK Government has also recognised the importance of IP and the need for innovation to make its impact on economic growth within the UK. We have seen the implementation of R&D Corporation Tax Relief, Patent Box Relief and other grants and subsidies being awarded for innovation across the country.

R&D Corporation Tax Relief was initially introduced back in 2000 providing different rates of relief to SME’s and large companies with certain expenditures on R&D within the company. The scheme has been refined over recent years to make it easier for companies to make claims.

In April 2013 the Patent Box tax system came into effect in the UK, which allows companies to claim a reduction in Corporation Tax for worldwide profits relating to patented technology. This new tax system progressively reduces Corporation Tax to an effective rate of 10% for qualifying profits (as opposed to 20% or 23%). The system is being phasedin so that in 2013, 60% of the benefit is available, 70% in 2014 and so on until the full reduction will be available from 2017.

The Patent Box is only available to companies that own or exclusively licence a qualifying IP right. Companies that have pending patent applications can elect in at this stage and backdate their claims once patents are granted.

The objective of the Patent Box is to encourage businesses to invest in the UK and increase the development, manufacture and exploitation of patents.

Other grants and subsidies have been made available, for example OrbisEnergy have launched a new £2.5million supply chain innovation funding program, which will support small to medium size businesses in developing new and innovative systems and technologies – with grants up to £50,000 to drive real growth in the offshore renewable energy supply chain.

6 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

Charlotte Catchpole Business Development Team for ip21

All these relief, grant and scheme options are to encourage growth and innovation in the UK and give our economy a much needed boost. We have met with a number of clients who did not believe that their products and innovation were patentable, let alone eligible for relief. However, upon meeting and speaking with them, we have been able to identify the IP within their company and products, and from this we can highlight the financial benefits they are entitled to receive alongside the obvious commercial benefits that arise from IP protection.

Reform In an attempt to modernise aspects of the law relating to IP the Intellectual Property Bill 2013 was drafted in May. It aims to implement reforms on the design intellectual property framework as recommended by the Hargreaves Review 2011 and to support small, medium and large businesses alike.

One of the changes introduced is the sharing of information on unpublished patent applications in the UK (to help clear existing application backlogs and speed up clearance times) ensuring efficient operation of the IP system.

For the UK’s hugely important design

sector it will simplify and strengthen design protection by introducing a design rights opinion service with the aim of encouraging more IP disputes to be settled without resorting to expensive and timely litigation. By making the IP system clear and more accessible to small and medium sized businesses the government hopes to drive economic growth and innovation and encourage enterprise in the UK.

Summary So the framework, measures and schemes are there – we just need to use them all!! Intellectual Property Rights are now, more than ever, a hugely valuable part of your business that should be identified and exploited. Please get in touch with one of the ip21 team if you would like to arrange a free of charge initial consultation to discuss the various options for IP protection, and how you can benefit from the new IP system.

Charlotte Catchpole Business Development Team for ip21 charlottecatchpole@ip21.co.uk 01603 457008

A specialist Intellectual Property company that moves with the times At ip21 we pride ourselves on offering a full range of IP services, as well as IP advice and support tailored to the commercial benefit of our clients.

O Patents O Trademarks O Licensing O Design Rights O Litigation O Portfolio Management O IP Valuation O IP Budgeting

Tel: +44 (0) 1603 457008 Norwich Tel: +44 (0) 2033 271310 London www.ip21.co.uk

ACROSS THE REGION

Farming ‘first’ for Bidwells

Harbour Inn wins top pub award

Property consultants Bidwells has launched a new investment performance index and industry benchmark for the UK agricultural property sector.

James Brooke, a partner at the firm’s Norwich office, said the index was the first to track profits from farming and land. In recent years, high quality arable land in the UK has offered better investment returns than any other mainstream form of investment, including gold.

The Bidwells Agri-Investment Index (BAII) is designed to improve understanding and transparency for the burgeoning number of investors in the UK agricultural market.

It considers the investment performance of more than £500million of rural UK property assets spread across about 70,000 acres with a bias towards high-quality arable land. The majority of these estates are managed by Bidwells to maximise value and investment performance.

For the first time, the investment performance of tenanted land (typically owned by institutional investors) and directly farmed land (often held by private owners) is presented separately to enable investors to consider the relative merits of different methods of rural estate management.

The Harbour Inn in Southwold has been named Adnams Pub of the Year for 2013.The criteria for the award is based on a warm welcome, excellent beer, good-quality, locally sourced food, sustainable business that enhances its locality, high standards and an innovative tenant. The Harbour Inn is a great example – congratulations to Nick Attfield and his team. Nick also runs the Bell at Walberswick.

Karen Hester, operations director at Adnams, said: “This has been another tough year for the hospitality industry but there are many success stories. The awards allow us to celebrate the hard work and commitment of our pub tenants. All our winners operate at the heart of their community, offering fantastic local food and great Adnams products.”

The other winners were:

James Brooke

Best Floral Display – Wherry, Geldeston (Matt and Trina Pitt). For the second year running, the winners have shown that, no matter the weather or time of the year, the pub will always look stunning

Students get on course at Ensors Ensors Chartered Accountants have welcomed 11 new student accountants to their offices across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Eight of the students join the firm having completed A-levels and will study for AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians). Three join as graduates and will study to become chartered accountants with ICAEW

8 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

(Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales).

Robert Hatch, senior partner at Ensors, said: “We are really pleased to welcome the next generation of accountants to the firm. We have a long history of exam success with our student accountants and we look forward to further successes with our new intake.”

with cascades of flowers providing cheer on the wettest day.

Sustainability Award – The Greyhound, Ipswich (Dan and Emma Lightfoot). The winner has demonstrated that sustainable measures make economic sense by making the business more profitable, and more popular.

Community Pub of the Year – King’s Head, Laxfield (Bob and Linda Wilson).

The average pub in the UK last year raised £2,143 for charity. This year, despite serious health issues, the King’s Head pulled together an auction of promises that raised more than £10,000 for cancer charities and organisations in one weekend of frenetic activity.

Best Newcomer – Mary Barker, The Half Moon, Walton. It is never easy to take over from a long-established tenant, particularly a well-known local character.

The recipient of this award not only did that but transformed the pub and gardens in a very short time, maintaining the customer base and encouraging a new following.

GREAT DIGITAL MARKETING starts with

coffee and a chat What are you waiting for? www.crafted.co.uk | 0845 619 5659

WE SEE THINGS FROM WHERE YOU’RE SITTING At Barker Gotelee, we know that you’re looking for more than just expert legal advice.

The close working relationship we forge with each of our clients ensures we understand matters from all sides.

01473 611211 www.barkergotelee.co.uk

For life, land and business

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 9

ACROSS THE REGION

New provost as UCS aims to go it alone Richard Lister, deputy provost (development and external relations) at University Campus Suffolk, has taken over the role of provost and chief executive until the end of August in the first instance.

Professor Edward Acton, chair of the UCS board, said: “The stability that this provides for the staff, students and other stakeholders is extremely helpful as we progress towards independence for UCS. “In preparing for independence and in addressing the challenges that the current environment poses for all higher education institutions, there will inevitably be significant changes at UCS over the coming months. The board has great confidence in Richard’s ability to lead the

organisation through these challenges and looks forward to working with him, and the rest of the management team, to ensure UCS’s continued success.”

Richard has worked at UCS since 2006 and was previously director of planning and resources, as well as interim chief executive officer in 2009.

Richard said: “Having been involved from the start, I know what has been achieved so far and that we have outstanding and committed staff determined to deliver the highest quality teaching and learning. We will build upon our success and adjust to the changed landscape of higher education as we work towards being a fully independent university in the next couple of years.”

New website a hit with union members

A new website designed by Bury St Edmunds-based NetXtra for Britain’s largest specialist transport union has tripled the daily traffic count with visitors staying on the site for an average 60% longer than before.

The CRM-integrated site for National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has improved search engine optimisation with Google referrals quadrupling that of the old site. Fully optimised for desktop and mobile, the site streamlines union-based activities by taking them online. It also makes information more accessible, allowing the RMT to improve and interaction with members, the public and other stakeholders.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “Our new website has been a huge success with our members. Providing a central hub of communication, we’re now

10 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

Social enterprise’s year to celebrate

reaching out to far more people, interacting in ways that are much easier and more convenient for them.”

Initiatives such as campaigns and news are now far more prominent and provide the user with subscription-based email updates. This and many other regular site-related newsletters and news alerts are easily managed thanks to the integration of NetXtra’s Communications Manager, a flexible marketing system.

Mr Crow added: “These new ‘digital tools’ have made a real difference to the impact and overall effectiveness of our media and communications work. More importantly, they have given everyone associated with RMT more power to lobby for better pay, shorter hours and safer working conditions and to keep their own details up to date, which is essential for a campaigning and militant industrial union.”

The award-winning social enterprise, Realise Futures CIC, is marking its first anniversary with a year of growth.

The Community Interest Company has gone from strength to strength to become the largest social enterprise in the eastern region, with a turnover of £16million, employing 370 staff in four business divisions over six eastern counties.

The company provides advice, training, skills development and paid employment for people who are disabled or disadvantaged, creating opportunities to enable them to succeed in learning and work. A third of the workforce are disabled or disadvantaged and the profits are reinvested to help more people improve their social and economic wellbeing.

Since divesting fully from Suffolk County Council in 2012, Realise Futures has created 105 jobs – 35 in the careers advice service – increased turnover from £13.4m to £16.7m, helped 100,000 people with careers advice and 7,000 in Suffolk to access community learning and expanded its award-winning recycled outdoor furniture business, including exports outside the UK. Its first year has also been marked with awards, including its selection as one of the Green 100 companies in the eastern region. The company’s Eco Services division won the Sustainability Award for its recycled outdoor furniture products in the British Chamber of Commerce awards.

The company’s growth has seen it move to a new head office and open a new factory unit in Suffolk.

PROTECTING THE DIRECTOR

DRAFT DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS CREATE HAzY HORIzONS Cloud Computing Service Providers (CSPs) have altered the way in which data is stored, transferred and accessed on a global scale and the number of CSPs is on the rise.

Cloud computing is the delivery of information technology services through a shared pool of resources, most commonly the internet. Users can access the cloud with a web browser, regardless of their location or the device they are using, and multi tenancy enables the sharing and scalability of resources and costs across a pool of users.

CSPs themselves are often split into three broad service areas. Software as a service (SaaS) provides users with access to software through the internet, such as Gmail by Google, and is a typical and widely used model for consumer services.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) provides users with resources over the internet, such as storage, which they are free to manage independently, and platform as a service (PaaS) allows users to upload and use their own applications on an infrastructure provided by the CSP. Whilst the concept of a cloud may seem intangible, CSPs are dealing with data and the limited extent to which current data protection laws apply to such businesses is being questioned. It has been argued that the European Data Protection Directive (‘directive’), which is currently in force and implemented in the UK under

Contact Tracey Dickens Birkett Long LLP 01206 217326 or tracey.dickens@birkettlong.co.uk

the Data Protection Act 1998, is ill equipped to deal with modern data processing, including the development and increasing dominance of cloud technology. Changes have therefore been proposed by the draft EU Data Protection Regulation (‘regulation’). This regulation aims to harmonise data protection procedures and enforcement across the European Union, and is tabled as a response to modern data protection challenges.

Under the current directive, a distinction is drawn between the obligations placed on data controllers and obligations placed on data processors. A data controller is defined as a person or body which determines the purposes and means of processing personal data. A data processor, by contrast, is a person or body which processes personal data on behalf of the data controller. The directive places a data controller under various data protection obligations, but does not extend these to a data processor. Instead, a data processor will only have to comply with specific contractual obligations owed to the data controller.

CSPs will usually only offer their services on the basis that they are acting as a data

processor, even though in practice they may be acting as a joint data controller.

This is because CSPs have little or no control over the nature of data processed on their servers, and are therefore unwilling to accept liability for obtaining consent for the processing of personal data or compliance with data quality.

If the regulation becomes law this position is likely to be fundamentally altered with CSPs becoming subject to far broader obligations than the contractual ones presently owed to data controllers. CSPs should be tracking the regulation’s progress to be aware of any effect on their business in the future.

Tracey Dickens is head of commercial and corporate finance at Birkett Long LLP. She acts for directors and owners of companies throughout East Anglia and London

REGIONAL FINANCE

Financing SME Recovery in Suffolk Are you a high growth business intending to create jobs in Suffolk? If so, you may be interested in the funding available from Finance East.

With recovery building momentum in the region and access to funding easing, SMEs are actively looking to invest in growing their businesses. Whilst the Government’s Funding for Lending scheme has led to increased lending volumes, access to finance for smaller, fast growth businesses is still difficult.

These businesses will be the future wealth creators in the economy and need to be nourished, which is where Finance East can help.

We can offer two options for small and medium businesses based within the six counties in the East of England, including Suffolk: The East of England Regional Growth Loan Scheme Funded by HM Government via the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, this scheme can provide loans of £50,000 to £200,000 to companies with a minimum annualised turnover of

c£500,000, which can show strong growth potential and have a medium to long-term funding requirement to deliver that growth. So far, we have lent £13m to businesses in the region and we have the capacity to lend more. Two of our most recent lending agreements to SMEs in Suffolk have been to a real-time data provider for the horse racing industry and a specialist flavourings and ingredients business.

New Anglia Growing Business Fund Finance East is working in partnership with the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to champion job creation in the region. £12m from the government’s Regional Growth Fund has been allocated to provide grants to businesses that have a shortfall in their investment plans and are forecasting the creation of new, sustainable employment positions. The fund targets SMEs across Suffolk and Norfolk . Grants of between £25,000 and £500,000 are provided, up to

a maximum of 20% of the cost of the expansion project. Applicants must be able to clearly demonstrate that they are able to provide the required matched funding from other sources of private sector investment, such as the companies own resources, commercial loans, or other types of investment e.g. business angels. So far, £1.2m of grant funding has been agreed, unlocking £6m of other finance and creating over 150 new jobs.

To find out if Finance East can assist you with growth funding for your business, contact Stuart Ager on 01473 722910 or mobile: 07785 699407 or at stuart.ager@thefsegroup.com

For more information on The FSE Group’s range of funds, visit www.thefsegroup.com.

Working together to provide expert advice for your business... and you personally

01473 730090

www.claydens.com

Clayden Financial is a trading name of Clayden Financial Planning Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

01473 343490

www.ryan-group.co.uk

Ryan Insurance Group Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

12 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

EDUCATION

An outstanding education – from start to finish We are very lucky in the independent sector. Academically selective, we have small classes and it is rare to find an unmotivated pupil - all the ingredients for a successful education. Stephen Cole, Headmaster of Woodbridge School, reflects.

It’s no surprise that independent schools continue to dominate at the top of the educational pyramid. It’s why parents and grandparents are prepared to sacrifice to invest in the future of their children and grandchildren.

One in six of those sitting A levels in the country are at independent schools but those candidates gain a third of the top grades, and rather more in modern languages and the hard sciences.

DfE performance tables (league tables) are a murky pond, hiding early entries and multiple sittings. Last year across the country over 100,000 pupils took maths GCSE three times, and over 500 took it six times. More GCSE grades per pupil, whilst enhancing a school’s league table position, do little for (and can detract from) the quality of an individual pupil’s education.

The percentage of a school’s pupils who would achieve the virtual EBacc qualification (GCSE passes in English, mathematics, science, a language and either history or geography) gives the measure of the rigour of a school’s curriculum, and the spine behind the flesh of those A*s to Cs. Last year only three Suffolk schools had more than 50% of their candidates achieving the EBacc, and all three are in the independent sector.

The very viability of universities depends on attracting our top students and any attempt to drive down recruitment from the fee-paying sector to satisfy Government demands for a more socially-balanced student body is misguided. Many students from relatively wealthy homes attend maintained schools, and independent schools now educate a very large number

of bright students from low income backgrounds.

pupil is not right for another. Some will specialise and invest in large learning support departments, whilst others are exceptional in music or drama and they all commit hard to sport.

The Russell Group universities have defined facilitating subjects as those likely to open the most doors to university in the future. Last year the DfE published for the first time the percentage of pupils of a school’s sixth form achieving AAB or better in those ‘facilitating’ hard subjects. Again only three schools in the county – all independent - bettered 20%. And those schools are no more selective in the sixth form than many of their maintained counterparts.

Almost all are rooted in charities with objectives to try and fund pupils from a wide cross section of the community.

Parents who have no experience of independent schools are often surprised by just how generous these bursaries and scholarships can be. First-time visitors are not only bowled over by the opportunities available, but also by just how normal and welcoming the schools are.

Each of Suffolk’s independent schools has a particular style. What’s right for one

www.woodbridge.suffolk.sch.uk 01394 615041 IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 13

DATES FOR YOUR 2014 DIARY

Breakfast Briefing: ‘Maximising 2014’ 29 JANUARY 2014 7.30am – 9.30am Council Chamber, Ipswich Town Hall In association with Ipswich Borough Council This breakfast briefing will provide inspiration for thinking and planning.

A buffet breakfast and networking will be followed by a short mini-workshop led by a local business coach who will provide guidance on achieving personal goals for the year ahead and how to get the most from your work/life balance.

Ipswich Borough Council Events Team will also give an insight in to the prestigious Ip-art events and how to

Ipswich Town Hall

connect and get involved with them as a business (and why).

The briefing aims to inspire attendees with new vigour for the year ahead.

Britain in 2020 Business Breakfast in association with West Suffolk College 12 FEBRUARY 2014 7.30am – 9.30am The West Wing at Ickworth

Come and join us for a full English breakfast and then listen to Neville Stein, Director of Ovation Ltd and part time Associate Tutor at West Suffolk College.

Neville will guide you on a journey to predict what Britain will look like in 2020 in terms of its demographic, its economy, its business composition, and the external influences which might be emerging. He will allow you to consider what implications this will have for business, how to position your business in readiness and how you can plan effective strategies.

Neville Stein is an experienced business leader and director of Just 24 (a charitable trust) and Doyles Nursery as well as holding a non-executive directorship with a large UK based garden retail business.

He was previously Managing Director of Les Chocolate Belges Ltd, developing the organisation from a single retail site to a small chain.

He tutors the Institute of Leadership and Management courses at West Suffolk College delivering on a range of courses from those for First Line Manager through to the Level 7 programmes aimed at Senior Executives.

This meeting will be followed by our Annual Members’ Meeting which will be open to members only and will start at 9.30am.

Neville Stein

BOOK YOUR EVENTS To book any of our events you have the following options: Book online at www.iod.com/suffolkevents Contact our Suffolk IoD branch administrator Caroline Kearney Telephone 07917 699498 or email caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk Caroline will take credit card bookings or invoice your business.

Use our booking form – Each of our events has a marketing leaflet with a booking form you can return by post. If you have not received a leaflet and would like to receive one please contact Caroline Kearney.

14 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

Our 2014 events programme is kindly sponsored by:

Question Time Dinner – ‘Eurozone: the way forward and its impact on the UK economy and Suffolk’ 19 MARCH 2014 6.30pm – 10.00pm Hintlesham Hall Hotel

In March 2014 IoD Suffolk is hosting a Question Time Dinner on the above topic.

We have picked this topic and timing to precede the forthcoming Euro Elections on May 22nd 2014 and to make up the panel, we have already had acceptance from a key member of the IoD Executive and our intent is to have three MEPs to make up a total of four guests.

With reception drinks and a dinner included as part of the programme, the structure of the business element of the evening will be around the Eurozone topic and there will be three broad themes around which we shall invite questions from the floor towards the panel.

Our planned themes for discussion will be: ● The Eurozone has survived – should the UK now join the club?

Dining at Hintlesham Hall Two course lunch and coffee £18.00 per person Three course lunch and coffee £23.50 per person Available Monday – Saturday

Sunday Lunch Two course lunch, coffee and chocolate truffles £19.50 per person Three course lunch, coffee and chocolate truffles £25.50 per person A La Carte A La Carte menu available for lunch and dinner seven days a week (excluding Sunday lunch time)

For reservations please telephone 01473 652334 www.hintleshamhall.com email: reservations@hintleshamhall.com

● What would Britain be like for business if we dropped out of Europe? ● Is our representation in Europe by Politicians good value for money for the British Tax Payer? ● How much does membership of Europe cost the Country and each individual, and what value do we gain from it? ● Suffolk is closer to mainland Europe than most of the UK and our closest motorway is in the Netherlands – should our tourism and business links be stronger?

Make a diary date now for this popular annual dinner in our calendar, which will be held in the splendid setting of Hintlesham Hall Hotel.

Meetings at Hintlesham Hall • Whether you wish to hold an important seminar, or a private banquet, Hintlesham Hall is the perfect choice for any event.

• The Hall’s four individually styled

conference rooms can comfortably accommodate an intimate board meeting for four delegates, up to a larger gathering of 80 delegates theatre style.

• Outdoor space for team building.

• 33 individually designed, luxuriously furnished bedrooms.

• Exceptional twenty-four hour and eight hour delegate rates available.

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 15

RAISING THE BAR

Are you passionate and inspiring about your business?

Businesses are being asked to do what they can to support young people in Suffolk to gain key employability skills to prepare them for entering the world of work.

As part of the county’s Raising the Bar programme, designed to improve attainment and achievement for young people in Suffolk, local businesses are being approached to offer opportunities to young people through a designated brokerage system. It is designed to ensure that young people can access opportunities to develop their employability through a simple and recognised route.

The brokerage was established in September 2013 and is designed to make it easier for businesses to be proactive in schools and support young people with their employability skills development.

Brokers work by capturing a school’s requirements and translating that into a practical offer of support. The brokers are helping schools build connections with local businesses and extending their access to employers from a wider range of industry sectors.

The brokerage is based upon an agreed learning framework for enterprise and employability which was developed by representatives from education, business, Suffolk County Council and national experts.

The learning framework for enterprise and employability gives all students from primary age onwards, access to a

progressive employability skills offer which will in turn ensure that the emerging skills will become more aligned with the needs of the economy. The framework defines the commercial knowledge, social skills, personal selfconfidence and resilience that employers are seeking. Schools in the trial areas of Ipswich, Sudbury, Mildenhall and Haverhill are introducing a foundation of employability skills in the early years which will provide a good transition to more in-depth coverage later at Secondary level.

Employers in Suffolk have already started to step up to the challenge by offering

At Stoke High School, an employer speed dating event was held where young people had the opportunity to conduct a rapid interview with employers to get to understand their role and the nature of their business.

16 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

Oaks Primary pupils went to study horticulture at the Activlives community garden and had a visit from the crew at Princes Street, Ipswich Fire Station

their help for the brokerage service and with such a rich array of small, medium and large businesses in the IoD network, schools are looking for inspiring members to get involved. Luke Morris, Chair of the IoD said: “support for education is an IoD priority… No offer is too small, whether offering a visit to your workplace, profiling your business on the platform, conducting mock interviews or a personal visit to the school, it all makes such a difference. ” There are already some examples of events taking place that have enabled businesses to support young people in getting a greater understanding of the employment opportunities that are available to them and Jayne RowleyEvans a business connector for Business In The Community, who is on secondment from the Lloyds Banking Group, has been working in close

NEW ANGLIA LEP’S LOCAL SKILLS AGENDA Iain Dunnett, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) operations manager, talks to Jane Chittenden about the plans to develop the region’s skills.

We’re launching our skills strategy and manifesto at our Next Generation conference (28 November, Wherstead Park). The timing is important because we’re negotiating a growth deal with government and the skills agenda has to be part of that growth deal. We’re asking for more flexibility from government on how we can provide skills locally – whether it’s management of funds or better alignment with what’s seen locally as our economic strengths, rather than following a national policy direction. We’re building on the skills work we’ve done

partnership with the Raising the Bar brokerage team to make it all happen.

At Stoke High School, an employer speed dating event was held where young people had the opportunity to conduct a rapid interview with employers to get to understand their role and the nature of their business. A broad range of businesses such as, Lloyds Banking Group, Ashbury Construction, Ipswich Building Society, CSV Media, ISG Jackson, Birketts Solicitors, Archant, Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd, AXA Insurance, Digipix, Willis Insurance, Suffolk County Council, BT, EDF Energy, Suffolk Constabulary all took part to create a stimulating glimpse into the world of work. Janet Dixon, Head Teacher at Stoke said “'The speed dating with employers was part of a wider Curriculum Day, providing students with the opportunity to research careers, interview employers and visit further already for City Deals (Ipswich City Deal, which is already signed off, and Norwich).

There’s a strong focus on businesses getting involved to a much greater extent and training providers becoming more responsive to the employment needs of local businesses. We’ll be enabling a much better buy-in locally through a Skills Board, under the auspices of the LEP, where providers, businesses and other agencies will develop the skills offer needed for our region, to supply our local sector strengths. At the conference we’ll be talking about the Skills Board, how we want to support skills development through the City Deals and how we hope to get further support for what we’re calling the Growth Hub to support SMEs across Norfolk and Suffolk, working with the Chambers of Commerce.

education at University Campus Suffolk.

The employer engagement with schools is invaluable in helping to provide young people with relevant information and developing their employability skills and we are extremely grateful to all those employers who were involved.'

Activities are being scheduled in all the trial areas and several more schools across the region are coming on board in the New Year so there will an even greater need for support.

If you want to make a difference by practically supporting the development of our young people across Suffolk and would like to understand how you could become a role model yourself, please email Andrea Davies at andrea.davies@suffolk.gov.uk or telephone Andrea on 01473 264789

There’s also the gap in careers advice.

David Lawrence, principal of Easton and Otley College, leads on the food, farming and rural economy sector group for us. He’s been saying that we need engagement, careers advice and identifying relevant skills much earlier than we do now, right from primary school onwards. The agri-tech sector is a good example; it’s still seen as a traditional industry, but it’s changing rapidly. People working in that sector will need high levels of competence in ICT and other subjects. David has charted out a routemap for directing young people towards that sector and changing perceptions about what that sector is today.

For more information, please see www.newanglia.co.uk/Events/New-AngliaNext-Generation-Conference-2013

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 17

A WORD FROM THE ACCOUNTANTS

Ipswich offers town centre potential...

Looking up and down Ipswich town centre doesn’t fill me with as much hope and excitement as it used to. It seems there isn’t the ‘buzz’ in the town centre anymore, even with Christmas around the corner.

Why is this? People assume it’s the cost of rent and business rates. Online shopping has also been blamed, but if that’s the case then how do the smaller retailers and restaurants survive?

Having worked closely with Ipswich Borough Council in the organisation of the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon, I know they are extremely keen to encourage the public back into the town. So much so, this year the race route was moved to the iconic Christchurch Park, in the hope that it would encourage people to stay in the town to shop and eat.

At Larking Gowen we actively support local businesses. There are a number of small retailers located in the town that we have assisted in sustaining their business through these difficult times, from

developing their entrepreneurial skills to helping with cash management and working with banks to arrange alternative finance.

So don’t give up on the local high street.

We all need to work together and with the local government to help get that buzz back. We can see the time and money being invested by the enormous amount of work undertaken on the glorious Waterfront. Let’s bring some of this enthusiasm back to the high street!

Please contact me if you feel Larking Gowen can help you.

For more information on how we can help, please contact Susie Hood on 01473 833411 or at susie.hood@larkinggowen.co.uk.

Susie Hood , Manager

This article is designed for the information of readers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, information contained in this article may not be comprehensive and recipients should not act upon it without seeking professional advice. Larking Gowen is registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. ©Larking Gowen.

18 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

CORPORATE HOSPITALITY

Seckford Hall first phase refurbishment...

Blending contemporary and tasteful styling to create a unique atmosphere, phase one of the extensive refurbishment of Seckford Hall Hotel is now complete.

The beautiful 15th century hotel has been painstakingly renovated and sympathetically expanded over the last few months and is the first phase of a refurbishment programme which will be ongoing over the next 18 months.

Covering all ground floor guest areas throughout the hotel including the restaurant, new conference and lounge facilities in the East Wing and the addition of a new Taittinger Champagne and Cocktail bar, the refurbishment has provided a fresh and welcoming atmosphere with added convenience for visitors.

The Mulberry Suite is a new function area suitable for an intimate wedding, a private dinner, company celebration or conference. Seating up to 40 guests the suite overlooks the once private gardens with doors onto a beautiful reclaimed York Stone terrace. There is also space for a large marquee on the lawns. A stunning location for any event.

The East Wing is also home to a new executive boardroom for up to 16 guests.

Again this space not only could be used for meetings but for private functions and dinners too. A new lounge area has

Bring out the best in your team...

Team building & conferences are a vital element to the success of any organisation. For intellectual problem solving or physical challenges, Ufford Park Woodbridge is an ideal venue. Afterwards reward yourselves with a relaxing session in the spa or with a round of golf.

• Air conditioned banqueting & • Health club & luxury spa conference rooms (2-300 people) • 2 storey driving range • Tailored corporate golf & • 18 Hole, Par 71 golf course conference packages available • 90 bedroom hotel • Outside space • Restaurant & bar

For more information call 0844 477 1832 or visit www.uffordpark.co.uk Yarmouth Road, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1QW

20 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

also been completed which again overlooks the gardens and terrace area. www.seckford.co.uk 01394 385678

CHRISTMAS BUSINESS GIFT IDEAS

FIVE TOP GADGETS LifeProof nüüd Case for iPads £99.95

Perfect for people who want to take their iPad with them everywhere.

Dunk it in deep water, drop it on the ground, even bury it in snow and it will be fine.

With the nüüd’s naked screen technology there’s no barrier between the user and the iPad, providing excellent touch experience and visual clarity. Also available for iPhones.

Juice Cube, Emergency Mobile Charger £24.95

Essential if you’re someone who relies on gadgets when you’re on the move.

Simply pre-charge the compact Juice Cube and attach it to a phone, games console or MP3 player via a USB cable with the appropriate connector.

You’ll get up to six hours of power for a 3G mobile phone and more for other devices.

Sony SmartWatch £121.79 £121.79

The Android-powered Sony SmartWatch enables you to keep track without having to search for your phone in your pocket. It alerts you with a gentle vibration and lets you see all of your vital notifications on its touchscreen.

You can manage calls, read text messages, emails and much more.

Bowers & Wilkins P3 headphones £169.95

These beautiful slimline headphones combine superb audio performance with exceptional comfort. You can fold them up to pop into your pocket or their own hard-shell carry cases. The sound quality is as you would expect from a company with B&W’s reputation crystal clear and extremely impressive, reducing distortion to a minimum.

Canon Selphy CP900 Wireless Photo Printer £79.95

This neat little photo printer has built-in Wi-Fi for faster and easier printing from smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices. Its built-in card slot and USB drive is also really useful for printing directly from memory cards, PictBridge-compatible cameras and USB memory sticks.

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 21

SOCIAL MEDIA

The social in eCommerce Recently, there has been a lot of talk about social commerce, revolving around the use of Twitter, Facebook and other social media channels to sell products online.

However, let’s step back for a moment and review exactly what eCommerce is.

What is eCommerce?

To put it simply, eCommerce is the selling of products and services online, either to other businesses or to consumers, usually through the worldwide web. From its humble beginnings in 1972, when the first online transaction was made by two US students, it is forecast that in 2013 one billion people will have made an online purchase.

The UK is one of the most internet-based economies in the world, according to research by the Boston Consulting Group.

They found in 2010 that eCommerce was worth £121billion – around 8.3% of the UK economy. Companies of all sizes and from all types of sectors now successfully use eCommerce – for example, 25% of John Lewis’s sales are online.

The impact of social media on eCommerce The growing influence that social media has on online purchases cannot be ignored. It is estimated (source: Social Media Today) that in 2013, 30% of eCommerce buyers were influenced by social media content from friends. Social media offers you the opportunity to gain customers, increase your knowledge of what your customers want and build connections with them.

Social media can include many forms of online communication – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and blogs, to name but a few. So how can social media improve your eCommerce bottom line?

22 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

● customers – using social media will enable you to increase your customer base. By creating an online presence, your marketing activity can include people you could never reach through local advertising. ● visibility – you can use your social media presence to engage with followers and customers and let them know what you are doing. These people are then likely to share your business with their friends and family who may also be interested in what you have to offer.

Social media is now an integral part of any eCommerce activity. Businesses that ignore this fact are in danger of losing sales to competitors. Take some time to plan how your company may benefit from using social media and watch your online sales grow.

Rubious is a leading web design and marketing agency based in Ipswich, Suffolk, contact us to discuss any of your social commerce needs.

● content – social media enables you to promote and tailor special offers. You can also establish a relationship with your customers through letting them know about the personal side of your business.

Creating a connection with potential customers can increase your customer base and brand loyalty. Content is increasingly becoming more important with search engine optimisation; fresh content leads to higher rankings, which, in turn, drives more visitors to your website and consequently higher sales. ● participation – social media channels such as Facebook allow you to capture customers’ comments on your product range and respond to them, ensuring you meet their needs. This will lead to increased trust in your company and to repeat sales. Additionally, satisfied customers will recommend you to their friends, thus increasing your customer base. ● targeting – social media enables you to target specific groups, ensuring you get the most out of your marketing spend.

www.rubious.co.uk 01473 356403 www.twitter.com/rubious www.facebook.com/rubious

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IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 23

IOD BUSINESS PROFILE

Building a reputation for local PR, nationally Genesis PR, an award winning Suffolk based public relations agency which has grown to become one of the largest PR agencies in the region, has announced a series of client wins which have resulted in the further growth of the business.

Genesis now names global flexible workplace provider Regus, national industry body OFTEC and the Suffolk GP Federation on its client list. It has attracted new business with ideas, energy, PR expertise and the right processes to deliver PR goals for clients, wherever and whoever they need to influence.

The agency is comfortable working with all sizes and sectors of clients including not-for-profit and public sector organisations. In particular, it has developed a particular specialism in building client reputations UK-wide through local and regional media coverage (traditional and online), helping clients develop their brand awareness and relationships which connect them with their target markets.

24 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

Penny Arbuthnot, a director at Genesis PR, explains: “Every PR plan is different and starts with an aims and strategy approach developed for the client’s own business and marketing goals, whether that’s to communicate understanding of their products and services, increase enquiries or footfall, or help develop the relationships they need for their business.”

Genesis PR has honed its skills and expertise for creating and delivering local PR nationally and has a proven track record in this area, having delivered award winning campaigns for Ford.

National name clients with local offices or centres now include Regus, which has 220 business centres UK wide, national apprenticeships provider Skills Training UK and Grant Thornton UK LLP, which has expanded Genesis PR’s brief to

include East Midlands and Home Counties in addition to supporting its offices in East Anglia.

Penny adds: “Making a difference at a local market level has enormous benefits for a company’s brand and helps build relationships with target audiences which translate into bottom line results.

We also find that the teams in local centres or offices enjoy getting involved in a company-wide PR campaign, so there are further benefits too.”

www.genesispr.co.uk

CHRISTMAS RETAIL

Make this Christmas a ‘Coes’ Christmas It’s the ultimate Christmas dilemma – how do you find the perfect present for every member of your family (and often extended family!)?

Although many stores can pertain to offer a wide range of brands, styles and price points; Christmas is really about finding a unique, meaningful gift that will delight the receiver.

At Coes, we hold a wondrous array of items which means that you can spend hours wandering around the store. With our well-stocked male, female, sports, wintersports, accessories and gift departments; there truly is something for everyone.

We also stock many brands that can’t be found anywhere else in the town. There’s nothing worse than turning up at a New Year’s Eve party, only to be greeted by someone in the same dress as you.

However, with brands such as Almost Famous, Ted Baker and Joseph Ribkoff, we try to eliminate that risk where possible!

Since the turn of the century, the rise of online shopping has grown enormously and we ourselves have increased our own online offering. However, we feel passionately that nothing can replace that feeling when you walk into a store and experience items for yourself. A coat that you can try on immediately, a scarf so soft that you reach out and stroke it, personal customer service; it just isn’t the same as staring at a computer screen, aimlessly clicking items into a virtual basket.

Although many perceive online shopping to be easier; at Coes, we aim to make your shopping experience as stress-free as possible. With experienced staff to offer advice, a free gift-wrapping service and thousands of items all under one roof, we’re a one-stop Christmas shop! And not forgetting our store itself, beautifully decorated and laid out to inspire and

stimulate the senses, gift ideas will present themselves to you – rather than you having to rack your brains!

We also have our handy free car park that’s attached to the store. Our parking attendant is on hand to help with bulky purchases and ensure that you can arrive and depart with ease.

We’re open every day in December, including 8pm on Thursday evenings in the run up to Christmas, so there’s lots of opportunities for you to experience the store.

William Coe, Coes of Ipswich t: +44 (0) 1473 256061 e: info@coes.co.uk

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 25

BUSINESS

Reinventing retail: new Suffolk high streets How are Suffolk’s high streets tackling the challenges of the Internet, out-of-town centres and supermarkets? Jane Chittenden goes shopping.

These are difficult times for retail, with record numbers of boarded-up units in the high street, online shopping on the increase and consumer spending slashed. So what’s to be done? Robert Peston, the BBC’s business editor, thinks that it’s time for radical change: “High streets can’t compete on price. So they have to reinvent themselves to give a special experience, something that shoppers can’t get online.”

How are Suffolk retailers rising to the challenge? I’m visiting three neighbouring shopping centres: one large, one medium and one that’s very small.

The Arc, a new shopping centre My first stop is Bury St Edmunds, one of our region’s most successful retail destinations. It has plenty of advantages: a traditional high street area in the medieval centre, a beautiful abbey and Georgian squares, and a twice-weekly provision market of more than 80 stalls.

But just a few years ago the town had to deal with a long-standing problem – its declining livestock market, which had traditionally brought in huge numbers of shoppers. If it was no longer economically viable, how could Bury continue to draw in retail trade?

The solution was to create a new shopping centre, but not a bolt-on ‘clone town’ shopping mall that looked like everywhere else. The Arc centre extends the medieval street plan; its architecture is contemporary but sympathetic to the Suffolk vernacular tradition. It’s won awards and praise from English Heritage, deservedly so, because it doesn’t compete with the existing centre; it’s complementary. And because it’s a mix of retail, residential and new theatre space, it’s lively outside shopping hours.

26 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

The village community shop In Monks Eleigh the high street retail experience is condensed into just one shop. This is a tiny village, with a population of fewer than 500 people, but the shop is busy. The secret of its success is that it’s a community shop, run by a manager and a team of 40 volunteers, and it provides what the community wants. “We’ve been in business for 10 years; we’re always busy. We sell everything. And if we haven’t got it, we’ll order it in. We have home made local jams, local cheese, local bread, eggs, vegetables and meat… everything is local, where possible, because that’s what people want. We have home-made cakes, baked by the chef just across the road, and honey from local bees. It’s also the village post office and off-licence. And we have a deal with Sainsbury’s, which enables us to stock their products.”

They’re open every day except Christmas Day, and they keep long hours to suit their commuters. A lot of people pop in early in the morning, on their way to work, to pick up a newspaper and something for their lunch. They also serve customers from the neighbouring villages.

The traditional high street My third stop is Hadleigh. This is the perfect small market town; it’s an attractive high street with lots of independent retailers and little evidence of national multiples. There’s a clever balance of tradition and keeping up to date, such as the wonderful hardware store Partridges, established in 1823. Its exterior is maintained in pristine Victorian condition and inside it’s an Aladdin’s cave of pots and pans, plumbing and paints. It’s so successful at beating off out-of-town competition that it’s been expanding steadily since the 1980s; people come from miles around to shop there. Then there’s Andrew’s, a traditional butcher’s shop that looks as if it’s been here for generations, but is actually a relative newcomer of just 20 years.

Business is good; the street is full of shoppers. This town has nothing to

worry about. But this is no accident; this is a very proactive retail community.

They’ve fought and defeated four bids from Tesco to open a supermarket here.

When Morrisons opened in January 2013 (with disastrous impact on high street footfall) the local chamber of commerce took the lead in forming a ‘Town Team’ to create shopping opportunities in the high street and boost Hadleigh as a centre for independent shops. And they’ve created their own Hadleigh retailers’ joint loyalty card to reward shoppers with monthly cash prizes. Their strategy has worked; footfall is increasing again.

Conclusion Bury, Hadleigh and Monks Eleigh all offer an experience the Internet can’t match.

But national multiples are struggling and shoppers are still short of cash. Can these high streets stay ahead for the long term?

We’ll be following their fortunes in 2014.

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 27

LEISURE

Building during the off peak

Stuart Robertson PGA Golf Professional and Director of Golf Ufford Park Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1QW 01394 382480 www.doctorgolf.co.uk mail@doctorgolf.co.uk #doctorgolf247

28 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

For many in the hospitality industry, the busy period over Christmas and the New Year is almost here, with every indication that this will be a bumper time for turnover and profits. The ideas and plans that were created up to a year ago are now about to be realised with many having full order books or events that have sold out.

bigger bonus if there is a floodlit driving range – with heaters, which can also help tempt all golfers to keep going through these months. Clubs will still need to produce offers or events, which are exceptionally compelling in order to tempt clients to take action or advantage of the services that are offered.

For some businesses, however, the winter can be a difficult time to generate the income that is required to survive until spring, mainly down to the lack of daylight hours and colder temperatures outside.

So what can be done in these quieter times? The progressive clubs/businesses will be: building relationships with their clients, updating them with new information via regular e-shots, developing facebook friends, sending regular tweets, adding pictures to pinterest and inviting them to comment on how the business could move forward (tripadvisor).

All of these will be part of the modern marketing strategy that will make the business more resilient to the vagaries of the winter conditions in subsequent years.

In the sporting world, and specifically golf, the winter weather may encourage the occasional golfer to hibernate; Regular players will be keen to continue to either practice or certainly improve with tuition over these months but businesses need to encourage all players. At least the Suffolk Coastal courses have an advantage; being lucky enough to be on sandy soil, so they can remain open while others may be forced to close due to flooding. It is a

Lets hope we all have a mild winter and spring starts early in 2014!!

MultiSport Activity Camps at Ipswich Sports Club Our children’s MultiSport Camps aim to provide a high quality service where the enjoyment of the individual is paramount. We aim to allow participants to be able to try a range of sports and activities to widen their understanding of the fun that can be had through enjoyment of sport and arts and crafts.

Having run successful MultiSport Camps in the summer and October Half-Term, we run camps during most holiday periods with the next dates being Christmas and the New Year.

Application Forms are available from our website at www.ipswichsportsclub.co.uk/camps or from Club Reception, 01473 251143

Look out for future dates at Easter and during the summer holidays in 2014!

w: cooperscountry.co.uk

IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 29

SPONSORSHIP

Become an IoD Suffolk Sponsor professionals, enjoying engaging talks from a variety of interesting presenters or attending well-organised events; the IoD sponsorship package represents outstanding value and good level of brand exposure.”

If you’ve come to a Suffolk IoD event, you will have noticed our sponsors. If you have not, either we were doing something wrong or you were very badly in need of breakfast!

Three of our current sponsors have already renewed. One spot remains.

Sponsoring your local branch of the IoD is the ideal way to keep your company’s offer in front of Suffolk business leaders all year round. We have four annual sponsors; among our 2013 sponsors has been marketing agency Crafted. Their Head of Sales and Marketing, Tom Gillman said: “Sponsoring IoD Suffolk secures a year of activity that puts your company in front of a very relevant audience of business people on a regular basis. Whether it’s breakfast networking with like-minded

As well as a presence at all our events, the package includes advertising in this magazine, prominence on our busy website and much, much more. You can leave all the organising to us or get involved and tailor the package to suit your business.

Jane Bowen is our Sponsorship Officer and can provide full details. You can call her on 07713 256139 or email tailored_training@live.co.uk

LOOKING GOOD AND FEELING GREAT? Or is your branding a little tired and in need of refreshing?

A new image can rejuvenate your business and attract new customers – that’s what our clients say about our recent branding campaigns.

So if you’re ready for a creative fresh approach, contact Paul Newman or visit our website to find out how we can help take your business forward.

30 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

ALANBRANNANDESIGN ▲

www.alanbrannandesign.co.uk

BOOK REVIEWS Big Data

by Kenneth Cukier, Viktor Mayer-Schonberger John Murray General Publishing Division £9.99 A New York Times bestseller. Longlisted for the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award.

Since Aristotle, we have fought to understand the causes behind everything. But this ideology is fading. In the age of big data, we can crunch an incomprehensible amount of information, providing us with invaluable insights about the what rather than the why. We're just starting to reap the benefits: tracking vital signs to foresee deadly infections, predicting building fires, anticipating the best moment to buy a plane ticket, seeing inflation in real time and monitoring social media in order to identify trends. But there is a dark side to big data.

Will it be machines, rather than people, that make the decisions? How do you regulate an algorithm? What will happen to privacy? Will individuals be punished for acts they have yet to commit? In this groundbreaking and fascinating book, two of the world's most-respected data experts reveal the reality of a big data world and outline clear and actionable steps that will equip the reader with the tools needed for this next phase of human evolution.

The Body Economic | Why Austerity Kills

by Sanjay Basu, David Stuckler Penguin Books Ltd £20.00 In this book, David Stuckler and Sanjay Basu investigate the human cost of austerity, especially when governments have axed spending on healthcare and social benefits. Admiring President Roosevelt's New Deal of the 1930s, the authors establish a link between healthcare spending and productivity and argue that channelling stimulus funds into the former can ultimately fuel a recovery. Some meticulous research supports their position. In Greece, cases of HIV infection leapt by 52% between January and May 2011 as the government slashed its budget for a needle-exchange programme targeting drug addicts. In Iceland, authorities rejected the IMF's calls for radical austerity, instead increasing "social protection" spending from 21% to 25% of GDP between 2007 and 2009. The result? Icelanders' health may even have improved during the crisis, while its economy grew by 3% last year.Given the academic backgrounds of Stuckler and Basu, and their heavy reliance on statistics, this is a surprisingly readable book with a compassionate tone. The inclusion of stories about ordinary individuals affected by austerity lends it a poignancy not typically found in economics literature.

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BUSINESS BOOKS

Open Morning Dates 2014 wwwstjoes.co.uk Informal Open Morning If you would prefer to view the College ‘at work,’ please contact the admissions team to arrange a visit on the next available date in the 2013/14 academic year.

Lean In | Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

by Sheryl Sandberg Ebury Press £16.99, ebook edition £9.99 The statistics, although an improvement on previous decades, are certainly not in women's favour - of 197 heads of state, only twenty-two are women. Women hold just 20 percent of seats in parliaments globally, and in the world of big business, a meagre eighteen of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women. In this book, Sheryl Sandberg - Facebook COO and one of Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women in Business - draws on her own experience of working in some of the world's most successful businesses and looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale.

Learning to 'lean in' is about tackling the anxieties and preconceptions that stop women reaching the top - taking a place at the table, and making yourself a part of the debate.

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IoD suffolk | winter 2013 | 31

MEMBER PROFILE

David Redhead Chairman, BSP International Foundations David Redhead will be known to many Suffolk IoD members. After more than forty years with BSP International Foundations based at Great Blakenham, he is now chairman. He is also on the board of BSP’s owners, Tex Holdings plc, and is an International Trade Ambassador for the Construction Equipment Association. BSP make piledrivers and ground improvement equipment and have been going since 1906, moving to the current location in 1922.

Most of their product is sold abroad. David believes passionately in the importance and value of exports.

You first got on a plane to go and sell BSP products in 1973. How did you get to that position and where did it lead you?

My working life started as an apprentice at Reavell’s in Ipswich. I moved to BSP and, after learning the business, got involved in sales. I was Sales Director and then Managing Director. To date, I’ve been to 87 countries on behalf of BSP. One of my first customers was in Iraq, just around the time Saddam Hussein was coming to power. Most recently, I’ve been to Mongolia. That is an amazing country with a lot of potential for BSP and other British companies.

A lot of smaller companies find selling abroad a bit daunting. You are chair of the Suffolk International Trade Group and advise firms looking to export more. What is the key to success?

The first thing is to realise that it’s not that difficult. If a potential buyer asked you to go to Manchester, you wouldn’t hesitate.

But you might if they called from Amsterdam. It is actually quicker to get to

Amsterdam from Suffolk than it is to Manchester. Second is to do your homework. You’ve got to know why your product is the right thing for the buyer.

You’ve got to understand the competition.

Nothing should come as a surprise. There is lots of information available. The UKTI and FCO websites are both good. Try, if you can, to talk to someone who’s been to the place you’re heading for. You do have to be self-sufficient. Your office is your briefcase. But in the all the years I’ve been doing it, I have never felt intimidated and it has been a fantastic experience.

Given the difference in labour costs, is it realistic to try to compete with countries like China?

My advice would be not to try to compete on cost. We sell to Chinese companies. They know we will be relatively expensive but they know, too, that they will get a quality product, it will be delivered on time and dealing with us will be straightforward. Have confidence in your product. It is a global

market now, we all have to be out there competing for business.

Another big issue for manufacturing companies is finding staff with the right sort of skills. How does BSP manage that?

We have taken on three apprentices this year. We do quite a lot of work to explain what we do to students at schools and colleges locally. We tend to promote from within. If people are good enough and work hard enough, they can have a great career with us.

All that travelling must have meant long periods away from your wife and children, when you get time off do you try to spend it in or near home?

I do. One of my sons still comes with me to Portman Road. I like to walk in the Suffolk countryside with my wife. An ideal day off would be a walk followed by a Portman Pie for lunch, a home win for the Town and, if there was time before it got dark, a drive to Dunwich for some fish and chips and a pint at The Ship.

Are you a member of the IoD? Join us and you’ll discover a unique mix of opportunities to learn and be inspired by interesting speakers; meet other directors, senior managers and professionals and enjoy a variety of social occasions with a big member discount.

32 | IoD suffolk | winter 2013

Many of our members take advantage of other IoD benefits including the superb meeting space and facilities in Pall Mall, London, which are FREE to use; FREE one-to-one expert advisory sessions and FREE business information queries answered within 24 hours.

As an IoD Suffolk member you are also entitled to free access to a dedicated workstation in the new e-touchdown on the 5th floor at Eastern Enterprise Hub in the James Hehir building on Ipswich waterfront. See www.eehub.co.uk For membership details email caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk

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