Dreams Can Come True: The Aspen Waite Christmas News Special

December 2019

Aspen Waite Group News

Dreams do come true Breaking into the top 100!

introducing

aspen waite media In this issue: 

Client feature - The Parsons Nose



Paul's review of the year



Happy Business, Happy Staff



Innovations in Life Sciences

...and much more!

Lions House Update

Well - what a year that was!

Christmas Updates from Paul Waite, Chief Executive

2019 will definitely go down as one of, if not the greatest, years in the life of Paul Waite.

The highlight has to be breaking through into the Top 100 Accountancy Firms in the UK after an impressive 60.1% growth on the previous year.

We end the year with 2 new offices in Deal and Wantage and a second office in Bridgwater, the Grade I listed Benjamin Holloway House.

Next year I am confident that we will break into the Top 80 as that’s where we are based on current turnover and the Top 50 is definitely well in sight.

It wasn’t all plain sailing and the year had a lot of personal challenges; but ones that I’ve come through, ending the year in good shape.

After a break of 5 years, I fell back in love with cycling and Bike No. 2 now lives in Rubis House.

It is important to me that I am the best CEO I can be, so I put a lot of pressure on myself. I am confident that Paul in his latest reincarnation is fit for purpose.

Picture Credit: goddessandgreenman.co.uk/yule

Our powerful message continues to attract great people, notably Oksana Artyomenko (our new Vice President of Innovation/ Strategy), Perry Lewis (Head of Corporate Finance), Tony Morris (effectively Sales Director Wales) and Ben Eltham (our new Head of Media).

Oksana was born in Odessa (what an incredible place to come from!) and it is humbling to have a person of such great international renown as her on the team.

She underlines my own belief that anything and everything is possible.

It is no secret that the marketing team is my pride and joy and we now have Ross, Carley, Kim, Drew and Ben. We have now completed 45 podcasts and the quality is always improving. We are building our own studio and now, through Ben E, are able to video the episodes. We have significantly invested in our media division, creating a state of the art solution.

We also plan to launch Aspen Waite Radio shortly and, as well as Ben, we have our sister station, Deal Community Radio, run by the CEO of Aspen Waite South East, Marc Carey.

Calum and I are looking forward to presenting a historical series focusing on significant battles in British history. Having my own media business is a dream come true.

The day that I will be crowned King of Wales draws nearer!

2019 was the year that saw the end of Theresa May. One of my favourite quotes of all time was by Margaret Thatcher who said, “If you drive down the middle of the road you hit cars coming in both directions”.

Mrs May proved that, whereas Boris Johnson, for instance, undeniably drives down the right hand-side of the road. I believe it is extremely important as an individual to stand for something and have clear values.

At Aspen Waite we are building a legacy and, as the story goes, “We have only just begun”.

I have a few New Year wishes this year:• The success of our Corporate Finance business.

• Working to save a number of “distressed businesses”.

• Exploiting the potential of our business in China.

• The Celtic Miner to be a global success.

• Ditto Krysteline Technology.

• The success of Aspen Waite Radio, and marketing generally.

I would like to wish all our readers a relaxing Christmas and take the time to plan for the best 2020 you can, whilst enjoying a lovely glass of good stuff.

I now believe that Aspen Waite are sector leaders in a number of areas, including tax planning and advice, specialist tax reliefs (notably R&D tax credits) and Growth & Recovery situations.

Aspen Waite has a superb team but I must congratulate Ben Phillips and Darren Talbot for performances of the highest order and an outstanding second half year from David Scheeres.

The decision to recruit Julie Kingham has proved to be a masterstroke and we offer fantastic real world tax advice and solutions.

LET THE SOLSTICE BELLS RING OUT

Whilst I still regard Newbury as being the epicentre of Aspen Waite’s world, there is little doubt that South Wales is our “Hot Spot” or Man Poeth in Welsh. We are building up some amazing clients, with our message being particularly well received. Not a practice accountant in sight, but a winning team of proven commercial talent.

Paul

Happy Business Updates Breaking into the top 100 Accountancy firms in the UK is no mean feat, it’s also not just by being good at what we do, or specializing in niche areas. It takes even more than a combination of these things - a company can only ever be as good as its people, and its people can only be good if they are happy!

Mention Accounting and Financial Services to anyone and it’s generally a conversation killer.

So what is the “Happy Business” Concept all about? When I mention Happy Business, people are intrigued...no business owner should ever feel alone again - we are there for our clients in every possible way to support them and ensure they can create their own Happy Business.

In reality, the Happy Business concept has been the backbone of Aspen Waite for a number of years now, and it’s about how we strive to support all of our clients in whatever stage of their business life-cycle they are at, but that’s not even the beginning of the story.

Underpinning everything is having a thriving, happy team. Recently we have been recruiting heavily to sustain our growth, and something I have noticed is candidates are less concerned by their pay packet, in comparison to what’s on offer in terms of flexible working conditions and lifestyle considerations.

Any company can pay well and some of the most dynamic candidates are already on good salary packages with their current employers, but they dislike the monotony of their job roles, the rigid hours they are expected to work, and the constant pressure to keep billing their clients. We’re all human beings looking for the same things in life as our colleagues and clients.

It’s not difficult to create a happy working environment, just as long as we expect what we expect, work together, mentor ourselves and celebrate our successes. Life can, and should be, fun, productive and fulfilling. The word seems to be getting around and everyone wants to join us, both staff and clients.

Life is too complicated and stressful in the Western Hemisphere, things seem to have gone full circle and business is where we now go for fulfilment, nourishment and a sense of purpose. We should love coming in to work on a Monday morning as there is so much to accomplish - let’s be thankful for all we have and all we can offer to those around us.

Well done to Aspen Waite and all those in our close family, well done to Aspen Waite’s clients who feel like our cousins, well done to our ever-expanding network of professional associates and long may the happy business concept thrive.

Business Issues

Are you tackling the real problem or just the symptom?

There are three ways to deal with a business issue: do nothing and let it fester; acknowledge, accept and live with it; tackle and resolve it. The last mentioned option is traditionally seen as the ideal, entrepreneurial response.

However, best-selling US author Keith Cunningham argues that before taking action, business leaders rarely assess whether the issue is the real problem or, indeed, just a symptom of something deeper.

Here’s a simple, neat analogy. A house owner sees a crack in their top floor bedroom and commissions a decorator to fix it.

Everything is fine until a few more cracks appear and are repaired until, one day, an engineer tells them that the real problem lies in the foundations which were never strengthened when the house was extended and, now, the gable end is about to fall down.

Robin Christie at Business Organisation System (“BOS”) calls this the Cunningham Syndrome and believes it affects over 80% of SMEs. “In a busy schedule and close-knit team, solving structural problems can seem like an unnecessary luxury. However, by failing to tackle the real problem, SMEs will continue to struggle with a stream of issues that slowly undermine the fabric and competitiveness of the business.“ Through its Good to Great in 90 Days programme, BOS (www.bosg2g.com) enables SMEs to quickly implement the right structure for success.

success. With BOS, SMEs should enjoy a substantial and enduring increase in value and build a great, positive place to work.”

BOS argues that a modern SME structure has three principal elements: a strong culture; a framework for getting the best from people; and processes that enables data to readily flow through the business.

Scott Henderson, the CEO of a recent BOS client, testifies to the benefits: “Did BOS work for us? For sure, yes: within eighteen months, we increased profitability by a multiple of 4, built a more coherent and happy workplace and achieved a successful sale of the business.“

Robin Christie further comments: “We have developed BOS as an easy-toimplement solution that is focused on building the foundations for strong, secure

A gift for clients of Aspen Waite BOS has compiled a short booklet outlining the five key components of a modern, successful business structure and providing related case studies.

To receive your free copy, please email team@bosg2g.com

What is happening in the world of life science innovation?

Dr. Oksana Artyomenko, MD, oksana@aspen-waite.co.uk

The life sciences sector is critical to the UK’s health and economy, contributing over £70 billion a year to the economy and 240,000 jobs across the country; despite already having the most productive science base in the G7, the UK sector continues to grow.

Blockchain:

Government continues to be ambitious in its plans for the UK’s future, ensuring we continue to grow and develop cutting-edge technology and new innovations. This is reflected in the government’s endorsement of Sir John Bell’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy that demonstrate how collaboration between government and industry can ensure that the UK maintains and grows its global leadership in life sciences.

Tools that provide at-home convenience can also help with faster diagnoses and provide 24/7 access to health coaching and monitoring. DIY tests can help low-income or rural consumers determine if a condition warrants a visit to a doctor or hospital.

Transformative technologies in life sciences Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is just beginning to be applied in life sciences to help with intelligent use of data. It has the potential to revolutionize diagnoses, treatment planning, patient monitoring, and drug discovery.

Internet-of-Medical-Things (IoMT) The rising number of connected medical devices—together with advances in the systems and software that support medical grade data and connectivity—have created the IoMT. Connecting devices is currently a priority as sensors are transforming diagnosis and the way patients are treated and monitored.

Software-as-a-Medical-Device

Software is changing how clinicians practice medicine, how consumers manage their own health, and how patients and providers interact. SaMD is a software that provides one or more medical functions and is usually embedded in hardware.

Blockchain has emerged as a potent solution to aggregate data with ease and share it securely in an automated and error-free way.

DIY diagnostics and virtual care:

Future of mobility The emergence of connected, electric, and autonomous vehicles will bring another transformation in the pharma world by expanding mobility and thereby, access to care and democratization of clinical trials.

Disruptive technologies have certainly transformed health care and life sciences.

But organisations would need to look at how the disruptive technologies can work in tandem to drive meaningful transformation and provide value.

Many companies are still in the experimental stage when it comes to digital innovation.

About Dr. Oksana Artyomenko A cardiologist by training with a passion for solving challenges. Oksana’s expertise includes business strategy, product commercialization, brand creation and business planning. Oksana is the VP of Innovation and Strategy at Aspen Waite.

Innovations in Healthcare Robot assistants lift patients and support surgeries • Assisting surgeries, disinfecting rooms, dispensing medication, keeping company: Unbelievably these are the tasks medical robots will soon undertake in hospitals, pharmacies, or your nearest doctor’s office.

Robots are everywhere in healthcare - and their number will only be more populous in the future • For example, surgical robots are the prodigies of surgery. According to market analysis, the industry is about to boom. By 2020, surgical robotics sales are expected to almost double to $6.4 billion • Another example for diligent metallic creatures is the TUG robot, which is able to carry around a multitude of racks, carts or bins up to 453 kilograms that contain medications, laboratory specimens or other sensitive materials.

Machine learning in healthcare Machine learning is a method for creating artificial narrow intelligence and the field of computer science that enables computers to learn without being explicitly programmed, building on top of computational statistics and data mining.

For example, from statistics on measles vaccination rates and disease outbreaks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as non-traditional health data, including social media and syndromic surveillance data generated by software that mines a huge range of medical records sources, an algorithm can provide a reliable map of future measles outbreak hotspots.

Sources: www.newatlas.com, www.blog.kolabtree.com, BIA Life Sciences Industrial Strategy & Sector Deal Update| February 2019, Deloitte. 2019 Global life sciences outlook

We are now open for business!

Updates from the Lions House

The Board Room As a result of sustained expansion, Aspen Waite, providers of the Complete Business Growth Service, are proud to announce the opening of a second office in Bridgwater, having taken a long leasehold interest at the Grade 1 Listed “Lions House” in West Quay.

The building is now known as the Lions House or Sir Benjamin Holloway House, after the original architect in 1725.

The Group’s Head Office remains at Friarn Street in Rubis House, itself a fine Grade 2 Listed Queen Anne Town House. The Lions Building now houses the Group’s Marketing, Trade & Innovation Centre. This office will specialise in housing our Marketing department, R&D, Payroll and our exciting new Media Centre.

The Media Centre will be a “one stop shop” for media success. It will incorporate a podcast, videography, editorial and design space. Furthermore, the new office will also be home to the training centre, a fantastic space available for 5-25 people, which will be used to host training days, external seminars and events.

Founder and CEO Paul Waite said, “Although we are a National Company, our heart and roots lie in Somerset, so the opportunity to move into a building of such local historic renown was too good to miss. Even better, it is owned by my old Wembdon St. George’s school mate, Lyndon Brett”.

Aspen Waite now have 9 offices throughout the UK and aim to be the leading firm of business advisers with the proud boast of creating a world where no business owner need feel alone.

Breakout Area

Podcast Room

Grumpy Bear Bakery

JP, when he’s not writing technical reports or policing staff, can usually be found in the kitchen. If Mary Berry met a grizzly, well, you get the idea.

We asked him for some of his favourite bakes for a festive feast!

Boozy Kenyan

Christmas Cake A delicious Kenyan twist on Christmas cake.

JP was taught the recipe by the Head Cook at the Boarding School he was working at.

Ingredients

Method

225g butter 225g soft brown sugar 4 eggs (separated) 3 tbsp dark rum or brandy, plus extra for the fruit 225g plain flour Pinch of salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp mixed spice 225g currants 225g raisins 225g sultanas 60g mango pieces, chopped 60g pineapple pieces, chopped 60g glacé cherries (black) 60g chopped macadamia nuts or almonds 60g candied peel

1.

Line and grease an 8” cake tin, then pre-heat the oven to 275F / 140C

2.

Cream butter and sugar together

3.

Add egg yolks and 3 tbsp of rum

4.

Sieve in flour, salt and spices

5.

Add fruit, nuts and peel and any remaining rum, them combine ingredients.

6.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and then fold into mixture

7.

Add to the tin, then bake for 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 hours

8.

It is ready when a cocktail stick inserted in the middle comes out dry.

9.

Leave to rest in the tin for a couple of minutes, before turning out on to a wire rack to cool

Tip: Soak all the fruit pieces in a good splash of rum, up to 24 hours before you cook the cake.

10. For an added kick you can turn upside down, insert holes with a cocktail stick and trickle in extra rum

Italian Chocolate Christmas Cake Enjoy an Italian spin on the classic Chocolate Yule Log

Ingredients 225g dark chocolate (70-75% cocoa) 25g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 2 rounded tablespoons fine breadcrumbs 225g whole blanched hazelnuts 225g walnut pieces 5 drops vanilla extract 65ml brandy 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 200g golden caster sugar 5 large eggs separated Finely chopped peel of 1 large orange 25g icing sugar for dusting.

Method 1.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350F, 180C.

2.

Butter a 20cm, loose-bottomed cake tin and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess.

3.

Break the chocolate into small pieces, then add it with the hazelnuts and walnut pieces in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is grainy, but not finely ground.

(Or, chop by hand with a sharp knife).

4.

Put mixture in a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract, brandy, cinnamon, melted butter and sugar.

5.

Gradually mix in the egg yolks, then the orange peel.

6.

In a separate bowl, .whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and then gently fold into the mixture with a large metal spoon, a little at a time getting plenty of air in.

7.

Spoon into the cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 60-70 minutes.

8.

Cover loosely with baking parchment for the last 10 minutes if it is becoming too brown.

9.

It is ready when a cocktail stick inserted in the middle comes out dry.

10. Leave to rest in the tin for a couple of minutes, before turning out on to a wire rack to cool.

11. Store in the drive, wrapped in foil eat within 2 weeks. It will also freeze well wrapped in foil.

Kristmas just got Krafted...

Our clients are at the heart of what we do, so what better way to spread a bit of festive cheer than by raising a glass to say Prost! (Cheers) and celebrate the success of our friends at German Kraft Brewing Limited.

From little crops to massive hops, the “Krafties” have taken brewing to new levels this year with the launch of their new bar in the heart of London’s bustling Mayfair, taking centre stage in an old, disused church.

The grand meisters have certainly pulled out all the stops, recycling all the broken glasses from their main site in Elephant and Castle and turning them into over 1000 handmade glass bricks. These have been used to create a glowing golden back-lit glass bar – a truly spectacular sight, and a place from which they can demonstrate their Krafting skills by serving the freshest and purest beer in the “Big Smoke”.

To add to the Mayfair venture this year, our Krafty Brewers are back in residence at the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, which runs from the end of November through to January.

Providing visiting folk with their Kraft beer to help them enjoy the seasonal festivities.

GKB are certainly keeping us (the Bridgwater payroll team) on our toes this year with an ever-growing monthly payroll – of now over 100 employees – and a ‘pop up event’ fortnightly payroll. We are proud to offer our services to support the growing needs of the business, helping them do what they do best as Kraft brew masters.

Both Liz and I are very much looking forward to paying them a visit on the 12th December and checking out the new bar!

We would also like to congratulate them on all their hard work and achievements this year. We are looking forward to continuing our relationship and watching them take over the World of Kraft Beer.

If you’re in London over the festive season why not pop in to one (or more) of the sites and say hello - give the beer a go and remember to please “mind the gap” when travelling back home!

You can find out more about the German Kraft Beer Company at https://www.germankraftbeer.com and on social media.

A Brave New World Ben Eltham • Head of Media ben.eltham@aspen-waite.co.uk I have worked in the radio and media world for the past 10 years and lived and breathed the likes of Tarrant, Wogan and Moyles.

My earliest memories of radio go back to when I used to record the charts onto tape in my bedroom; the joy and excitement of pausing and unpausing the recording perfectly without catching any of the adverts, was a skill every early eighties child craved.

Simon Mayo was the first radio name I remember, effortlessly enunciating the charts with perfect poise and dulcet tones.

I also religiously listened to Radio One’s mid morning heartbreaker ‘our tune’ which was hosted by the soothing voice of the incredibly talented broadcaster Simon Bates. Even as a teenager I was compelled by his melodious radio charm, and the captivating feel of the feature.

I may not have known it at the time, but those moments played a big part in my radio journey, and I began my life as a broadcaster at Winchester University, with the desire and ambition to be as comfortable and engaging as those that I had spent a good part of my life listening to.

Progressing from University to community and eventually to commercial radio, I have been fortunate to live and experience the life of a radio broadcaster. Today is not the day for stories, of which there are plenty, but the day of a brave new radio world, and my greatest challenge so far.

As I sit in a small cafe just outside Kensington writing this article, my tea has gone cold, but

I drink it anyway. It’s tea, and everybody likes tea. It represents a calming, reliable, ever present in life. Regardless of the weather, time of day, or the period of your life, tea remains a constant and sometimes timely reminder that everything you know and love is still there.

For many people, radio is the same, and you can perhaps then imagine the task that is ahead of us. Launching a radio station is something that I have always aspired to do; something I imagined would be fascinating, enthralling and absorbing, but perhaps never realising just how much of a meaningful part it could play.

I am delighted to be heading Aspen Waite Media, an exciting new arm of the company, with a radio station at its heart. Radio can not only play an important part in peoples lives, but I also believe it can become an integral part of business.

State of the art facilities

Over the next few months we will be putting together a state of the art radio facility, and broadcasting our very own online station from our Bridgwater headquarters. This represents a significant investment in media, and underlines our determination to be a key player in the industry.

A huge amount of research has gone into ensuring we have the very best technology to work with, and using the extensive experience we have in our team, we aim to deliver a disruptive radio station for business.

About Ben Ben has a rich and varied career across digital media including producing digital content, podcasts and radio programmes.

He is a video and audio production specialist, creating innovative content to support business growth.

Exciting Times

It is an exciting time to be a part of the media world, with endless possibilities being created by the ever changing advances in technology.

With the launch of our media business, alongside radio, we will certainly see creative video production at the very heart of everything we do.

Video is fast becoming the most prominent tool used by marketing campaigns, and indeed all of the radio stations in the UK now use it to further enhance their weekly content reach.

Many businesses see their marketing aspirations tinged with the pragmatism of what they believe to be their limitations, and I hope that Aspen Waite Media will offer support, training and inspiration to businesses looking forwards in this brave new media world.

W

hat can you say about this inspiring man? He has supported both business, community and, from his great expansion, given back to society.

This gentleman has put his money where his mouth is!�

Alec Jones-Hall, Great British Expos

Key Note Speaking Aspen Waite are proud sponsors of the Great British Expos and Paul has been a prominent key note speaker throughout 2019.

With the help of Ben Eltham, we’ve recorded the last few so if you missed them, you can get all the insight on our YouTube channel.

Keep an eye out for next year’s dates - and come along to support Paul and the rest of the Aspen Waite team.

A New Industrial Revolution?

It would be difficult not to agree that we are entering a new industrial revolution based on the potential of robotics and AI. The concerning issue of robotics and AI is whether or not they make humans redundant in virtually every sector and if so, how does the lack of capital created by redundant workers benefit society or the redistribution of wealth? In respect of AI how dependent will we become and how quickly will its use be disseminated into day to day life and what are the dangers?

Robots are not the main concern; misaligned intelligence is the main concern as this needs no body and only needs to be connected to the internet.

For the purposes of this short article I will focus on AI this month.

AI is not new, it is emerging technology and according to Paul Clarke CTO of Ocado, “AI is the new Java, it will be everywhere and in everything” . The difference between Java and AI is that Java is a language and AI needs processing and optimisation by perfecting mathematical models and developing predictability.

The significant theoretical difference between AI and other technologies is that AI will eventually be able to develop itself without human intervention.

What this means in essence is that AI development will require programmers to design systems that will program themselves, so the level of skill and knowledge required to develop abstract and lateral thinking is extraordinarily high, certainly PhD level and beyond and this creates a novel skill shortage. This impedes progress as the programming needs broad and deep thinking with a level of abstraction that is profoundly different to the levels needed to program analogue control of electro-mechanical devices.

Many AI processes are automated and allow the self-selection of mathematical models to be applied to the data which can automate workflows and other features, but this automation can only go so far, and it is estimated that this is somewhere between 60 and 80% of the AI process necessitating human intervention.

To explain the gap between AI and human thought process consider the following scenario.

It is 2040 and your domestic AI driven robotic assistant is accompanying your five year old child to school in your fully automated vehicle.

On the way to school the vehicle passes a dark and dilapidated warehouse with a neon sign over a door; that says “Leave your children here with our Clown who will give them hugs, kisses and ice-cream” The AI programmed robot will consider the data and could determine a positive outcome having been programmed that children like Clowns, hugs, kisses and ice-cream and could potentially decide to leave the child with the Clown.

This is an impetuous action that no sane carer or parent would consider without considering the risk, so we now have a quantum leap between logic and common sense. It is often remarked that it is difficult to teach common sense to people so how can we program a machine to make a decision that has potentially variable outcomes?

Only a small number of people will be needed to develop AI, but we will all use it and the issue is that we need to consider discretion of use to avoid becoming a victim of it.

We need to be able to recognise how automated control, aggressive targeted marketing or fake news assisted by AI can have adverse consequences, so we all need a basic understanding of how AI works.

This needs to be a process of education to develop skill sets backed by the wisdom to ensure that safety protocols are prioritised.

Current Artificial Intelligence is known as narrow AI as it is designed to perform a narrow task such as an internet search, facial recognition or driving a car.

The long term goal of many researchers is to develop General AI, also described as Super Intelligence.

Narrow AI may outperform humans at specific tasks such as solving equations or driving a vehicle but AGI would outperform humans at nearly every cognitive task.

What are the dangers, apart from potentially political or criminal misuse of AI? It is generally accepted by most authorities on AI that AGI is unlikely to exhibit human emotions like love, hate or jealousy so there is no reason to expect AGI to become intentionally malevolent. Most experts believe that the risks are most likely to be one of two scenarios; 1.The AGI is programmed to do something devastating. For example, as part of a weapons system, this risk already exists with narrow AI. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the wrong people could cause mass casualties as the more sophisticated the weapons systems become as a result of AI , the more difficult they become to switch off to prevent cyber intervention. Plausibly humans could lose control of such a situation.

In 1983, several weeks after the shooting down of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 over Soviet airspace, a satellite early-warning system near Moscow reported the launch of one American Minuteman ICBM. Soon after, it reported that five missiles had been launched. Convinced that a real American offensive would involve many more missiles, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov of the Air Defence Forces refused to acknowledge the threat as legitimate and continued to convince his superiors that it was a false alarm until this could be confirmed by ground radar.

Petrov correctly rationalised that the USA would send hundreds of missiles not simply five if they decided to attack.

In this instance the intuition of a human prevented large scale nuclear holocaust but if the decision had been left to an algorithm, I would not be writing this article today.

2. The AI is programmed to do something beneficial, but it develops a destructing method for achieving its goal. This can happen when we fail to fully align the AI’s goals with our own.

For example, you may ask your intelligent and obedient car to take you somewhere as fast as is humanly possible and it might drive you at 4 mph or it might drive you at 200 mph giving you a heart attack and 200 speeding points on your license.

If a complex geoengineering project is managed by a super intelligent system, it might wreak havoc on our ecosystem to achieve its objective and view human attempts to stop it as a threat to be neutralised.

You may not hate insects but if you’re in charge of a hydroelectric green project to dam a valley and there are insects in the valley, too bad on the insects.

Consequently a key goal of AI safety is never to place humanity in the place of those insects.

In the past couple of years Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bill Gates have expressed concerns about the risks posed by AI. This is because it was generally thought that the strong AI would take centuries to achieve but because of recent breakthroughs of many AI milestones, many experts believe that there is the possibility of super intelligence as early as 2060.

Because AI has the potential to become more intelligent than any human, we have no way of accurately predicting how it will behave. We can’t use past technological achievements as we have never created anything before that has the ability to outsmart us.

Probably our best defence is our own evolution.

Humanity controls the planet, not because we are strongest, fastest or biggest but because we are the most intelligent. If we are no longer the most intelligent, are we assured that we will remain in control?

AI should benefit mankind if we balance and win the race between the growing power of technology and the wisdom with which we use it.

The research and development of AI technology is a core and strategic issue for all of us. Many of our clients are researching the benefits of AI for their business and need to determine what it can do and where it can add value. Understanding the scope , scale and range of benefits for a business is the first step. The first question to be asked is “what problems can AI solve for us for our benefit and that of our customers?”

The myths and realities of AI are simple. AI won’t turn malevolent and will only have goals that could be misaligned with our own so we need to research safety and alignment of goals and it is incorrect to say that a machine cannot have a goal if, for example, you are on the receiving end of a heat seeking missile!

David Scheeres, Aspen Waite in Wales

Managing Multiple Tasks, Objectives and Deadlines Being successful doesn’t make you manage your time well – managing your time well makes you successful.

Time Killers Do any of the following resonate with you? If so – they could be costing you valuable time!

• • • • • • • • • •

Instead, it is far more productive to focus on creating time. Consider the following strategies:

• Manage the decision making process; not the decision.

• Throw unneeded things away Inefficiency • Establish personal deadlines Unanticipated interruptions that do • Ensure meetings have a purpose not pay off • Delegate everything possible and empower Procrastination subordinates Unrealistic time estimates • Make time for high priority tasks Unnecessary errors • Kill lethargy and indifference Crisis Management It’s really important to be effective at time Poor organization management to distinguish between URGENT and Ineffective meetings NOT URGENT activities.

Delegating without authority Lack of priorities, standards, policies and procedures

Avoid Procrastination: Stop Thinking, Start Doing

“Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible” – George Claude Lorimer Work SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely. Make sure your priorities are attainable and measurable goals.

Goal setting needn’t be difficult, but the goals must be clear and well-defined. Vague, general goals are unhelpful because they don’t provide sufficient direction. If you don’t know what the outcome is expected to be, then getting there makes it that much more difficult.

You can set measurable goals by including precise amounts, dates or figures and so on – therefore you can measure the degree of success. Without a way to measure something, you also miss out on the celebration that naturally comes after achieving it.

It’s important your goal setting is achievable – if you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, it will only demoralise you and erode confidence. But you must also keep goals relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. Keep your goals aligned to develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want.

Make sure your goals have a deadline – this will create a sense of urgency, and achievement will come that much quicker.

The Art of Delegation

Knowing what to delegate and what not is a key part of being an effective worker and a manager. You should delegate things like: • • • •

routine tasks tasks others might enjoy, or are better suited at whole tasks tasks you are not responsible for

Don’t delegate boring tasks, ill-defined tasks, confidential matters, crises or tasks which you are directly responsible for.

Perseverance is Key

Once you start a task, stick with it until completion – don’t flit around form task to task, even if you feel pressured because of other demands or important tasks. You’ll accomplish more in the long run if you take one thing at a time.

• • • •

Develop clear, conscious and realistic goals to shoot for.

Manage YOURSELF instead of letting your schedule manage you Use to-do lists and avoid procrastination ploys.

Remember - plan your work, and work with your plan.

About Mel Curtis

For more information managing your time better, or any aspect of marketing a business, you can contact Mel Curtis of Winter in Venice - a British, luxury, award-winning toiletries and gifts brand, created by passionate entrepreneur Mel Curtis in 2006, with the simple philosophy of capturing the spirit of the human heart and celebrating the true art of living.

Find out more online: https://www.winterinvenice.co.uk/

Client Spotlight

The Parsons Nose

Butchers, bakers and award-winning pie makers for over 200 years The Parsons Nose are a family run business who specialise in producing award-winning sausages, pies and burgers for retail and wholesale.

The exceptional quality and taste of our produce is created as our meat is reared using traditional free range farming methods from our farm in Monmouthshire.

Aspen Waite were introduced to Parsons Nose via another client in the area, and immediately set about reviewing their needs and working to support the company however possible.

After the initial period of getting to know the business, Aspen Waite have since taken on all of the accounts work from the previous accountant, and are progressing towards an R&D Claim. Aspen Waite are now trying to find new partners to boost sales of produce, and producing a detailed business plan to help take the company to new markets, products and opportunities, and we look forward to seeing this company achieve its ambitions.

About the Parsons Nose The Parsons Nose is situated in the quaint village of Dingestow set in the beautiful county of Monmouthshire.

The farm and business is owned by the Dobson family who have an extensive history spanning generations with Master butchers and Bakers on both sides.

Andrew Dobson manages the farm and The Parsons Nose along with the family and a friendly team of loyal staff.

The exceptional quality and taste is created as the meat is reared using traditional free range farming methods which allow the animals to grow - the end result being a much tastier meat.

Some recipes are 200 years old when Andrew’s Great,Great Grandfather was farming in Leicestershire, he also created the original gingerbread man!

“...We are pleased with the attention to detail and the sense of urgency shown by Aspen Waite, including the support we received during a very important meeting with NatWest..”

Contact the Parsons Nose The Parsons Nose attend a variety of markets and events throughout the year - visit their website to learn more. You can find them on social media.

Tel: 01600 740441 Email: parsonsnose@btconnect.com Web: http://theparsonsnose.com/ Instagram: parsonsnose01

We wanted to give all our lovely readers a little preview of our new website, the initial stage will have been launched before you read this - but if you haven’t seen it then here is a sneak peak of where we are currently and an insight into our final design due to launch in January!

The main aim of our website as with many is to give our customers a clear, concise experience and allow them to really get a feel of what we do and how we work. Our goal is to promote our Complete Business Growth Service and create an exceptional visual design.

Keeping the site minimal is key, we want customers and clients to know what we are about but not overload them with information. We have kept each section light and with multiple functions to allow customers to easily navigate. The focus is not only on attracting new customers but retaining current customers and enabling them to see the full service offering.

Our theme is centred on “achieving a goal”. This is reflected in the illustrations on the first page through to the last with a mountaineer starting at the bottom and reaching the top of a mountain with our help. Our services as part of the mountains design are the “toolbox” we provide to attain the goals of our clients and customers.

Home of the Complete Business Growth Service We transform businesses with our dedicated service delivered by professionals with a wide range of skills and experience gained in the real world. Our approach is centred around one basic principle:

Know Your Client Learn more about #TheAspenWaiteWay by arranging a free consultation with a trusted advisor today.

Head Office

Southwick

Wantage

Lions House

Wales

Kent

London

Wellington

Rubis House 15 Friarn Street Somerset TA6 3LH Tel: 01278 445 151 Benjamin Holloway House West Quay Bridgwater TA6 3HW Tel: 01278 445 151 199 Bishopsgate Spitalfields London EC2M 3TY Tel: 020 3880 7314

The Old School House West Street Southwick PO17 6EA Tel: 023 9238 4646 Cardiff Arms Park Westgate Street Cardiff CF10 1JA Tel: 02922 400 918 Town Hall Buildings 1 Fore Street Wellington TA21 8LS Tel: 01823 666 602

Boston House Grove Business Park Oxfordshire OX12 9FF Tel: 01235 766 162 Bank House Queen Street Deal CT14 6ET Tel: 01304 279 023

Editorial Team Paul Waite, Editor in Chief Ross Curry, Designer Kim Stanton, Production Manager JP , Proof Reading Thanks to all our content contributors.

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