Borough Business October 2017

BOROUGH

BUSINESS The voice of Kingston’s business community

Issue 6: Autumn 2017

How Retailers can engage customers better p18 The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce Spotlight on Norbiton & Canbury Park p8

Inspirational Leader p22

International Focus Mexico p26

WELCOME TO

BOROUGH BUSINESS

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The Kingston Chamber of Commerce magazine for all Businesses in Kingston Another vital area we looked at is our membership packages and over the Autumn we will be making some changes which mean the services we offer are exactly right for your business. For larger companies, look out for our new Patron Packages which will offer a number of PR options and opportunities to demonstrate your commitment and support for the borough’s business community.

Brexit continues to be a topic in all our minds as the complex and sometimes tense negotiations continue in Brussels. There is still much talk about whether Brexit should be “hard” or “soft” but, interestingly, at a recent lunch for London local chambers at the Bank of England, I heard its concerns are more about the government achieving a “smooth” Brexit, whereby the day after we leave the EU we don’t have, for instance, chaos at our borders and businesses not knowing what trade regulations apply.

The Summer holidays provide most of us with a great opportunity to take a break from our usual routines, relax a little and recharge our batteries.

But, probably even more importantly they give us time to reflect on how we do things and to consider whether what we do is still working effectively. As I call it, the time to “sharpen our saws”. The world around our businesses changes very quickly these days and to remain successful we must ensure the tools we use in them are cutting edge and fit for purpose.

Over the Summer, we at the Chamber have looked at what we do and decided we need some new tools to ensure we remain one of the most successful in London. And so, to make certain we have accurate and current data about our members and the wider business community and to meet GDPR requirements next year we are investing in new CRM technology. This tool will not only help us to know more about our members and what they need from us but also help us gather key data on borough business activity.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Kingston Business Excellence Awards and, as we move to a new, exciting and larger venue, Ravens Ait, this year’s Gala Awards Night promises to be the best ever. (See our feature on P.5 for more details). This black-tie event is open to all companies and is a great celebration of all that is excellent about doing business in the Royal Borough, so do join us if you can. My congratulations to all the finalists and may I wish you the very best of luck on the night.

As the growing shift to online shopping has a greater impact on traditional retailing, how to stay successful on the High Street is a real challenge. This edition of our magazine has a great feature on Retail (see P.18) which may help.

Finally, I do hope you enjoy this Autumn edition of Borough Business.

We are delighted with its growing success and circulation and if you would like to feature in the next issue, either by article or advertisement, please do contact us at the Chamber or our publishers, Benham Publishing.

Jerry Irving

CEO Kingston Chamber of Commerce

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Welcome to New Members 4 Chamber News 5 Economy 6 Member News 7 Spotlight on Norbiton 8-10 & Canbury Park Skills Update 12-13 Chamber Events 14 - Expo Review Cover Feature - Retail 18-21 Inspirational Leader 22-23 International Focus 26 Focus on Finance 28-29 Festive 31 A day in the life of....

33 Starting Up 34 Editorial and General Enquiries Guildhall, High Street Kingston upon Thames. KT1 1EU. 020 8541 4441 Email: office@kingstonchamber.co.uk Web: www.kingstonchamber.co.uk Chief Executive: Jerry Irving Publisher: Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published September 2017 © Benham Publishing and Kingston Chamber of Commerce Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com Production Manager Mark Etherington Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No.1590 Disclaimer Borough Business is published for Kingston Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members. All correspondence should be addressed to Kingston Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in Borough Business are not necessarily those of Kingston Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2017. Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content.

Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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Welcome

to our new members Aehta

Kingston Arts Council

Karen Williamson www.aehta.co.uk

Alistair Lark www.kingstonarts.co.uk

BoConcept

Kingston Carers' Network

Maria Garcia Ramirez www.boconcept.com/engb/furniture

Kate Dudley www.kingstoncarers.org.uk

Boiler PRO Limited

Robert Palmer www.palmerwealth.co.uk

Giovanni Barreca www.boiler-pro.co.uk

Brown Graphics Ltd Steve Brown www.browngraphics.co.uk

Canbury Works Limited

Persistent Objects Ltd Alan Hicks www.p-o.co.uk

Prima Vista Andy Fairgrieve

-

David Randall www.canburyworks.co.uk

SieMatic By Project Kitchens

Chessington Garden Centre

Michael Sewell www.siematickingston.com

Jolyon Martin www.chessingtongardencentre.co.uk

Coaching with Amanda Amanda Cullen www.coachingwithamanda.com

Design Happy Krissy Dooley www.designhappy.co.uk

Elaine Mayson Photography Elaine Edmonds www.elainemaysonphotography.co.uk

Faultless Copywriting

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Palmer Wealth Management

Syntegrus Limited Tarek Zacharia www.syntegrus.com

The Clink Charity Vanessa Frances www.theclinkcharity.org

The Grey Horse Leigh White www.grey-horse.co.uk

Travel Counsellors

Judith Faultless www.faultlesscopywriting.co.uk

Caroline Giaconella www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/ caroline.giaconella

iPerspectives Limited

Wined Up Here Limited

Annie Armitage www.anniearmitage.com

Charlotte Dean www.wineduphere.co.uk

Keystone Group

Zen Divorce Coaching

David Carter www.keystoneifa.co.uk

Margaret Yates www.zen-divorce.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

chamber news TV & radio host Becky Ives to compere glittering gala awards dinner

Supporting a truly inspiring cause

Top TV and radio presenter Becky Ives will host the 2017 Kingston Business Excellence Awards Gala Dinner in association with British Land and USS. The Heart FM star, who presents to worldwide TV audiences for ESPN, Bleacher Report and Red Bull TV, will compere the prestigious awards ceremony at the luxurious Ravens Ait on Thursday, October 12.

The black-tie event is the hot ticket for Kingston’s business community, as guests learn who has won the 11 category awards and coveted title, Business of the Year.

The Royal Borough’s premier business awards attracted high quality entries across all categories. The 70 shortlisted entries now go forward to the second round of judging in September.

Tickets for the Gala Dinner at Ravens Ait on the River Thames are on sale now.

Guests will enjoy a drinks reception, a three course dinner with wine, as well as entertainment and dancing.

To book visit: www.kingstonawards.co.uk The awards are organised by White Label for Kingston Council, Kingston Chamber of Commerce and Kingston First.

The headline sponsors are Kingston’s Eden Walk Partnership of British Land and Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

The awards categories are sponsored by Kingston University, McDonalds, Bentalls, CNM Estates, Kingston College, Antoinette Hotels, Exchange@Kingston and Natwest, and supported by Kingston Burrows, Palmer Wealth Management and Ravens Ait.

The full 2017 Kingston Business Excellent Awards Shortlist: Commitment to the Community Entrepreneur of the Year • • • • • •

Halsa Care Group, Surbiton Kingston Pound CIC Mental Movement Magazine Omni Local Singing it back Tony’s Fruit Stall (Kingston Market) • You Creative Rebel Best Business for Customer Service • boilerPRO limited • Design Happy • Holiday Inn Kingston South – Jack’s Kitchen • Latin Routes • Metro Bank PLC • Milano Barbers • Skipton Building Society • The Cheeky Pea • The Terrace Eatery • WellData Ltd Best Start-Up Business • Bellissima Weddings & Event Management LTD • boilerPRO limited • Halsa Care Group, Surbiton • Satorial Boutique & Gifts • The Dapper Fox Barbers • The Fellowship Barber Shop • Wags N Tales Coffee Bar • You Creative Rebel The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

• Clare Garner, Prestige Business Solutions • Conor Ward, The Health Elevator • Helen Kurdi, Lena Kay • Kate Bramwell, Autotec Workshop • Martin Booth, LeBoo Media • Chris Poore, Kingston Mortgage Services Ltd • Stacey Richard, Surbiton Sitters Ltd • Steven Grant, Figment Agency Best Business for Food and Hospitality • Buy South Africa Ltd • Fortunella • Holiday Inn Kingston South – Jack’s Kitchen • Kingston Frangos Ltd • Surbiton McDonald’s • The Boaters Inn • The Cheeky Pea • The Terrace Eatery Independent Retailer of the Year • Banquet Records • Buy South Africa Ltd • Food for Thought • Kingston Frangos Ltd • Milano Barbers • Road Cycle Exchange • The Cheeky Pea • Wags N Tales Coffee Bar

Best SME Business • Infoshare Limited • Kingston Mortgage Services Ltd • Milano Barbers • Omni Local Best Business for Staff Training & Development • Halsa Care Group, Surbiton • Hanover Recruitment • Holland Hahn & Wills • Kingston Bentalls McDonald’s Apprentice Employer of the Year • Kwik-Fit (GB) Ltd • Now Vauxhall Kingston • Smart Training Best Charity or Social Enterprise • Chessington Community Matters • Kingston Carers Network • MAN&BOY • Momentum Children’s Charity • Oxygen • TEDxKingston upon Thames Best Business for Marketing and Social Media • Banquet Records • Creative Colony • Figment Agency • Ravens Ait

As you may be aware, I became President of Kingston Chamber of Commerce at the end of May and my chosen charity for the year ahead is Kingston Carers’ Network, which supports unpaid carers throughout the Royal Borough of Kingston.

One of the our first fundraising events, the Kingston Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge, took place recently.

An amazing 54 teams took part in total, raising an estimated £50,000+ for charity. The Chamber Sharks may not have made the finals but a great time was had by all and most importantly it raised (and will continue to raise) important funds for Kingston Carers’ Network.

You can still show your support for the team by donating to their justgiving page or contact the chamber office for details.

If you’re planning a walk, run or swim or some other fundraising activity that you’d like KCN to benefit from please email me: guy@fallowsandcompany.co.uk To find out more about Kingston Carers’ Network please visit their website: www.kingstoncarers.org.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Best regards, Guy

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economy

Borough Views into Westminster Rt Hon Sir Edward Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat)

Judging the future for any business, let alone the Kingston or national economy, has rarely been so challenging.

From what Brexit means and its potential impacts, to continuing political divisions in a minority Government, the level of uncertainty in Britain’s “big picture” remains unnervingly high.

Despite my early career in economics and business consultancy, reinvigorated by the last 2 years building my own consultancy business, I have no secret to unveil for reducing this uncertainty, as I return to be your Member of Parliament.

Instead my advice is to focus firmly on getting the basics right – whilst still articulating a vision for the future that is both realistic and inspiring.

Kingston – basics right, but where’s the vision?

The good news is that for some time now, Kingston has been getting the basics right as a place to do business.

Partnership working has often been important to that. When we established Kingston First for example, as the country’s first Business Improvement District, even the optimists amongst us never expected it to be quite so successful. Then there’s the unheralded but hugely positive impact of Kingston University’s graduates on our local economy, and the co-operation between Kingston Council and University where there’s still plenty more

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potential. The Chamber itself has always played a crucial role, and its recent work with Job Centre Plus has produced some excellent results.

From good transport links to our retail excellence, our level of education and entrepreneurship and our culture and heritage, Kingston has kept attracting new firms, new investment and new development.

But the bad news is, there is no guarantee past success will continue – and certainly not in a way we would like. Even without Brexit, challenges are significant.

The internet’s impact on our High Streets is still being played out. The need for firms to “get digital” and understand IT, data and social media is more important than ever – even before Artificial Intelligence really goes mainstream. And the challenges of building more homes, providing more office space and improving transport links - in ways that are truly sustainable for the local and global environments remain huge.

There has been much work at national and local level to help us prepare for such long-term issues. In the Coalition Government, for example, our collective focus was unerringly on sustainable growth: as a Business Minister, I led reforms to the legal and institutional framework for

competition policy for example, and established a group in the EU called the “Likeminded Group for Growth”, which helped push work on the free trade agreement between the EU and South Korea, reinvigorated the single market, with a new focus on digital services, and led to deregulations to assist “micro” firms.

Kingston Council has rightly been focusing on the opportunities for growth and regeneration as London’s land and property markets slowly recovered from the financial crash. Everywhere in the Borough there seems to be plans for new housing. With the amazing prospect of CrossRail2 revolutionising the Borough’s rail links for the next 100 plus years, it would be hard not to see the huge opportunity to future-proof Kingston and build on past success.

And yet it’s also hard not to be struck by the piecemeal approach that’s been taken to date. With CrossRail2 a near certainty now, it’s vital we not only better shape its benefits for Kingston, but start better shaping Kingston. So far, the rush to open Kingston’s doors to development without a clearly articulated, widely supported vision has resulted in significant delays, with much local opposition. This is likely to get worse unless local people and businesses are enabled far more to help share in creating the Borough’s future, in partnership.

The role of the local MP I’ve always seen my role as supporting and joining the partnerships Kingston has always done so well in creating – whether that’s as an idea

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

sounding board or as a voice into Government. Before Kingston First was born, for example, we had Ministerial meetings and correspondence to clarify the rules and regulations – because it had never been done before!

So, whether it’s for individual Kingston businesses or with Kingston Chamber as a whole, I’m here to help you get the basics right for our Borough.

Already I’m clear that will mean pushing the Government and the Council for help with the impact of the business rates revaluation.

It means working to help secure more flexible, affordable workspaces that new and growing firms need. It means lobbying to secure the best deal for Kingston on everything from funding for local police, schools and colleges to CrossRail2.

And I do think the local MP should help the Borough’s civic, business and academic leaders shape the vision for our community’s future. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas – and sharing some of my own views on what that future might look like.

Of course, a key role of any MP is the national one – holding Governments to account and providing positive alternatives.

While there will be many areas to cover, the Brexit negotiations will overshadow everything this Parliament. As a strong Remainer and with deep worries about the impact Brexit is already having – especially on the lives of individual EU citizens here and individual British citizens in EU countries – I’m sure there will be much work for me to do.

members news A unique dining experience that supports the rehabilitation of prisoners through hospitality training The Clink Charity trains prisoners in the last 6-18 months of their sentence to obtain accredited qualifications in catering to improve their employability upon release.

This takes place in The Clink restaurants and training kitchens in HMP Highdown, HMP Brixton, HMP Cardiff and HMP Styal.

The restaurants are open to the public and designed to simulate a professional working environment. By inviting the public to dine inside the prisons it breaks down barriers and changes attitudes towards prisoners.

The Clink's 5 Step training programme helps offenders break the cycle of crime, by nurturing self-belief,

r Membe Offer

through learning work place skills and offering nationally recognised qualifications.

The 5 Steps: Recruit, Train, Support, Employ and Mentor dramatically reduces the rate of reoffending of those who have completed the programme.

Reoffending costs the economy up to £13bn a year.

46% of adult prisoners are re-convicted within one year of release. The Clink's aim is to reduce this and have succeeded with Clink graduates being 41% less likely to reoffend.

Other Clink initiatives include: The Clink Gardens at HMP Send for training towards an NVQ Level 2 in Horticulture and Clink Events external catering services offering NVQ Level 1 in Hospitality.

Experience it for yourself. Join us for a Chamber lunch at the Clink restaurant at HMP Highdown on Friday 17th November.

LeBoo Media, the locally-based content and design consultancy which has recently begun to engage with the Kingston business community, is keen to remind you of its introductory offer.

Martin Booth, Content Director of LeBoo, said: "We've received tremendously positive feedback from local businesses and want to make it as easy as possible for owners to engage the services of LeBoo.

"Our speciality is getting the message across. Whether it's your website pages, blogs, brochures or annual reports, we can make your words sing."

For further information email Martin at info@leboomedia.com

Cyclists raise £7,668.88 for Love Kingston Twenty individuals together raised over £7,000 for Love Kingston, a fund for community projects and charities in Kingston, cycling 100 miles to show their support for the borough.

The cyclists joined the thousands of people taking part in the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 at the end of July. They were cheered on as they cycled through Kingston by a group of Love Kingston supporters, including the Mayor, Cllr Julie Pickering, who is supporting Love Kingston in her mayoral year.

The Deputy Mayor, Mike Head invited the cyclists, alongside sponsors Asana Health, Arc Consulting Partners, QSW Sportswear, Green Room Brands and the Go Cycle Kingston Team to a reception in the Mayor’s Parlour, where he thanked the cyclists, including his own son James who completed the ride, and pledged to join the team next year.

Robert Willingham, cyclist said: “This was my fourth RideLondon in a row.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

Supporting local businesses for 20 years Historically, the 18th of August has seen some pretty monumental landmarks …

LeBoo Media

An initial consultation to discuss your requirements will take place on a complimentary basis, and Chamber members will also receive a 25 per cent reduction on the cost of the first piece of work commissioned.

Fallows & Company

I didn't train as much this year so was a little worried in the lead up.

However, the weather was kind and atmosphere was as fantastic as previous years.

It was great to see the Mayor, and the Love Kingston supporters at the 90 mile mark. That, and a quick cup of coffee ordered from Esher and drunk in Kingston, was enough to spur me on the final leg and I was off again to finish on the Mall.

I'm still waiting for the call from Sir Dave at Sky.....!

Presented with the cheque, Community Fundraising manager of Love Kingston, Tessa Kind said she was over the moon with the amount raised this year.

“We are so grateful to the dedicated cyclists who chose to raise money for us. They did themselves, their friends,

families and colleagues who supported them proud, cycling a tough 100 miles and raising £7,668.88 for Love Kingston – a phenomenal achievement, congratulations! I am looking forward to another great Ride100 next year” Due to the success of a series of static bike challenges in the lead up to Ride London in July, Go Cycle Kingston and Love Kingston are planning another programme of challenges for February/March 2018.

If your school, business or organisation would like to host an event or you wish to participate in an event near you, please contact Tessa at lovekingston@kva.org.uk.

• 1227 - Genghis Khan, Mongol Conqueror, died.

• 1868 - French Astronomer Pierre Vanssen discovered Helium.

• 1952 Patrick Swayze was born.

• 1960 - The Beatles gave their first public performance at the Kaiserkeller in Hamburg. … but none more so than in 1997 when Fallows & Company Chartered Accountants was founded by current President of Kingston Chamber of Commerce, Guy Fallows.

Hard as it may be to believe (especially for Guy) Fallows & Company celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride during which the firm has: • Moved twice (to Oxshott, and then Surbiton, where the firm has been based since 2003); • Suffered a devastating flood (December 2010); • Survived the financial crisis and subsequent recession (2008-2014); • Achieved ‘Highly commended’ in the British Accountancy Awards (2014); And, most importantly, • Supported hundreds of loyal customers along the way.

The firm’s ethos has always been to help its customers to be the best they can be and one of the ways it does this is by using a resource called the One Page Plan. Simply put it’s a business plan, that monitors 12 Key Performance Indicators, on a single sheet of A4 paper that we review at monthly intervals and agree the actions that need to be taken to take the business forward.

To celebrate our 20th Anniversary we’ll support the first 5 business-owning respondents with our One Page Plan service, delivered as a group, for 6 months for the monthly commitment of just £99 plus VAT. To take up, or find out more about, this very special offer please call Guy Fallows on 020 8399 4715.

You can find out more about Love Kingston at www.love-kingston.org.uk.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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spotlight on...

Creativity the key to business success It does not take long during a conversation about the economy of Norbiton & Canbury Park to realise that this is a very creative part of Kingston.

From film-makers and writers to photographers and advertising agencies, the area is home to a wide range of businesses which rely on the spark of creativity for their success.

There are a number of factors that help the sector thrive in the area, not least the good connections with local companies and the proximity to London, with its wealth of opportunities.

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Also supporting the sector is the growing sense of collaboration between creatives in the area.

a way of meeting each other, to share ideas and collaborate on projects.

Indeed, so important has the sector become that five years ago a group was established to give creatives in the area

Local creatives' group NoNo (based on North of Norbiton and a nod to the more well know creative area Soho) have

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Adam White with children in the Wild Garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

amonthly gathering in a pub which allows networking in a vibrant and relaxed atmosphere.

One of the founders of NoNo was Andy Fairgrieve, who has more than thirty years of experience making films for a range of clients.

He said: “The area has a lot of creatives and the idea of NoNo was to bring them together and allow them the opportunity to do some networking.

spotlight on...

“Norbiton Parade is a food lovers paradise.

Alongside Jefferies the butchers, Jarvis the fishmonger and Atari Ya for excellent sushi; our wine & cheese shop, Wined Up Here is the “go to” place for interesting ingredients that make your dinner party extra special! We sell Artisan cheese and bread alongside excellent wines from around the world. Ideal for dinner parties and gifts.”

Charlotte Dean, Owner of Wined Up Here “There are lots of people sitting at their kitchen table writing stuff or photoshopping and we thought that it would be a good idea to put them in touch with each other.

“If I was in Soho, I would leave work at the end of the day and pop into one of the local pubs where I could meet people in the same line of work and discuss projects or share problems.

“We wanted to replicate that kind of atmosphere in Kingston so that people could come in and share concerns or maybe find people to work with them.

“There are plenty of examples of people who have secured work through contacts made at a NoNo evening, people who came in looking for someone with a specific skill and left with a name and a contact number.”

It was that sense of bringing people together that motivated fellow NoNo founder Michelle Kirk, of local creative agency Be Curious.

She said: “When Andy and I set up NoNo, it was at a time when I had just left a UK Creative Director role for a global company up in London.

“I set Be Curious up as me, myself and I, and it’s now grown on much a similar path to NoNo over much the same time frame.

“NoNo has allowed Be Curious to develop relationships with local designers and contacts many of which now work with and alongside us. Our creative agency is now headed up by myself and my husband and in a busy week we are working with up to 14 local talented creatives.

From film makers to copywriters The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

and designers, it’s nice to keep it local but with a big city vision.”

That commitment to local people extends to discovering new talent as well. Michelle said: “We work with clients across the UK as well as nurturing smaller local businesses across Surrey and London.

“We’ve given local people a first foot on the ladder, as well as worked with local schools for successful placements, and my husband and business partner has also mentored at the local university.

“We are very busy working both for big companies and smaller organisations. There is no doubt that our location helps us because a lot of our work comes from London. It is important that there is a robust way of bringing creatives together. Freelancers do tend to piggyback on each other.”

Director Matthew Joblin The Creative Colony

“We’re keen both as a business and as creative people to ensure that creativity stretches beyond ‘colouring in’ and is seen for the richness that it spans - that of creative problem solving.

“With technology changing how people work it’s not always necessary to go and work up in town to get the big creative agency attitude and culture.

With the college having such a lot of creative courses – it’s good to keep it local.”

Another company which operates in the Kingston area and appreciates the importance of bringing together creatives is The Creative Colony, which specialises in video making and photography.

Director Matthew Joblin said: “We are very busy working both for big companies and smaller organisations. There is no doubt that our location helps us because a lot of our work comes from London.

“It is important that there is a robust way of bringing creatives together. Freelancers do tend to piggyback on each other.”

“The area has plenty of companies showing their creativity. Here, Si King, of the Hairy Bikers, shares a mushroom with Adam White of Davies White Landscape Architects, who are NoNo members, at their recent multi award winning garden at RHS Hampton Court. They are pictured with Nigel Fenwick the Stone Chef.”

You can find out more at nonoconnect@gmail.com

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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spotlight on...

Food court offers a world of experience Retail is another important part of the area’s economy and Norbiton Parade is a food lovers paradise. Alongside Jefferies the butchers, Jarvis the fishmonger and Atari Ya for excellent sushi and the wine & cheese shop, Wined Up Here make it the “go to” place for interesting ingredients that make your dinner party extra special. They sell Artisan cheese and bread alongside excellent wines from around the world.

Ideal for dinner parties and gifts.

It’s all about quality as pub goes from strength to strength

Eating out is also a big attraction in the area and one of the places enjoying continued success is the Canbury Arms, an independent pub which has secured a number of hospitality industry accolades.

Tucked away on Canbury Park Road, in north Kingston between the River Thames and Richmond Park, the pub opened in 2005, since then it has built a strong reputation.

The pub is run by husband and wife team Michael and Charlotte Pearson and employs award-winning head chef Michael Mannion, who has a wide repertoire of dishes, which change frequently according to what is available in the different seasons.

For Charlotte, one of the big challenges is increasing competition in the area. She said: “When the pub started out, there were not really many places doing what we were doing in the area. We were ‘No Smoking' two years before the smoking ban came into force and were serving high quality fresh food so we hit the ground running.

“In the intervening years many more places have opened –

Designer Linda Barker with Adam White

there are around 15 in our locality, many are pub and restaurant chains - so it has become a lot more competitive.

“I think our continued success is down to offering quality food and great service which has helped us retain a loyal core of customers.

“We are also constantly innovating when it comes to the menu. Michael Mannion is an amazing chef and we do plenty of social media marketing to get the word out.

“Social media marketing is so important in the pub and restaurant trade now. My background in design and

Bespoke Wine & Cheese Tastings Start @ £20 per head

Ideal for staff parties, entertaining clients & networking events.

Available at the shop, your office or venue.

For further details email Charlotte@wineduphere.co.uk Tel 0208 549 6622 www.wineduphere.co.uk 30 Coombe Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, KT2 7AG

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

marketing is invaluable and means I can handle all our requirements in-house.

“Another reason for our success is the relationship we have built up with our local community.

We do a lot for local charities and schools, donating prizes, helping with barbecues and fairs, which helps us develop a loyal customer base.

“We also use local businesses, something which is important to us. For instance, we have an excellent wine suppliers in Norbiton, Wined Up Here, who give us quality wines and a tremendous service.”

r servic discount on ou 3 ÂŁ a e iv ce re bers Chamber mem

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A Vintage Inspired

Barber Shop for Todays Modern Gentleman

Milano Barbers www.milanobarbers.co.uk Instagram: @milanobarbers 020 8547 3161 Unit 3, Griffin Centre Market Place Kingston Surrey KT1 1JT

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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skills Apprenticeship Levy begins to have an effect The Government’s Apprenticeship Levy is starting to change the way that companies access the training they need to ensure that the UK has the right skills for the years ahead.

There has been growing concern at the skills shortage affecting many UK sectors with increasing number of company bosses expressing worries that many students emerge from education without the skills needed to thrive in the workplace.

Government ministers officially launched the levy in April as part of the biggest shake-up of skills for a generation, designed to address the concerns.

Support will also be provided for smaller employers with an annual pay bill below £3 million and therefore not required to pay the levy.

The levy requires all employers in the UK with an annual wage bill of more than £3 million to pay 0.5% of it towards funding apprenticeships.

Since its introduction, the levy has been having a growing effect.

Companies of all sizes and large organisations including councils have been taking advantage of the new system to run courses in everything from fraud prevention to the sciences, as part of initiatives to boost the numbers of young people pursuing careers in the STEM subjects.

The money will be invested in quality training for apprentices and double the annual investment in apprenticeships in England to £2.5 billion by 2019/20, compared with 2010/11 levels.

Employers in England can set up an online account to manage their funds and invest in training for apprentices working for them.

The Government will provide a further 10% top up to levy contributions each month into employers’ accounts.

The levy will encourage employers to invest in high-quality apprenticeships ensuring even more people have a chance to reach their full potential.

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The schemes are bringing to fruition the aims of the Government in introducing the system.

Skills Minister Robert Halfon said when the levy was launched: “There has never been a more important time for Britain to invest in the skills of our people and businesses. To make Britain stronger and fairer, we need to make sure that everyone gets the chance to climb the ladder of opportunity to gain the education and skills they need to be successful in life.

“Our apprenticeship levy is a massive part of this. More than 90% of apprentices go into work or further training, and the quality on-the-job training on offer will make sure we have the people with the skills, knowledge and technical excellence to drive our

country forward. Building an apprenticeship and skills nation is essential in ensuring that we have the home-grown workforce we need in post-Brexit Britain to address the skills shortages facing industry and give everyone the chance to succeed.”

Work-ready students for your business Help kick start our students’ careers via our new placement and internship programme With both employers’ needs and enhanced student employability in mind, all Kingston Business students will now take a range of new three year degrees geared to enhance their careers and employability. Join Kingston’s innovative new placement and internship SURJUDPPH WR ðQG RXW KRZ RXU VWXGHQWV FDQ make a real contribution to your organisation.

We are looking for more organisations to take SDUW LQ WKLV LQQRYDWLYH SURJUDPPH E\ RσHULQJ D work placement to one of our students.

kingston.ac.uk/businessplacements2017

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

skills Boost your business with an Apprenticeship With the recent changes introduced by Government around Apprenticeships including the Apprenticeship Levy, more and more employers today are waking up to the benefits of Apprenticeships.

Apprentices revitalise organisations

This can either be employing a new member of staff as an apprentice or encouraging an existing employee to further their career by taking up an Apprenticeship.

Increase staff loyalty and retention

Apprenticeships allow an individual to study for a work-based qualification that can significantly improve their future earning power and career enjoyment. Alongside employee benefits, Apprenticeships also provide many benefits for the employer.

Apprenticeships encourage employees to think of their job as a career and to stay with the company for longer, thereby reducing recruitment costs.

Offering an Apprenticeship to an existing member of staff allows them to see themselves as an integral part of the workforce.

Providing skilled workers for the future Apprenticeship training helps employees to improve their skills, which will benefit the company in the long term. An Apprenticeship also ensures that the skills developed are in line with the company’s future needs. This will help fill any skills gaps and allow the business to source future managers and leaders from within the organisation.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

Employees who have been trained in-house tend to be highly motivated, committed to the company and supportive of its business objectives.

Apprenticeships increase a company’s bottom line Investing in staff trained through Apprenticeships has a positive effect on a company’s finances, making it more competitive.

In a recent Apprenticeship survey 76% of employers said that Apprentices helped them to improve productivity and to be more competitive.

Apprentices often bring a fresh approach and a positive attitude into the workplace, which can have a knock-on effect on existing staff. By embarking on an Apprenticeship, employees are showing themselves to be willing to learn and can bring new ideas into the company.

At Kingston College we support organisations in obtaining the best apprentices for their individual business requirements through our Apprenticeship Recruitment Service. We promote vacancies online and facilitate the screening of applications.

We will also liaise with employers throughout the process and once we feel we have selected the most suitable applicants we will either send through their CVs to the organisation to arrange interviews or alternatively book these for you.

Kingston College Engineering Apprentices Reach World Finals in F1 A team of Engineering apprentices, Tiro Racing, are competing in the 2017 F1 in Schools World Finals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after being crowned England National Champions. The team, who are apprentices at Glaxo Smith Kline, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, The National Physical Laboratory and Imperial College London, also won Best Engineered Car in the UK and came 2nd place overall.

The dedicated apprentices gained further recognition for their talents by being presented with a prestigious Best Learner Award at the House of Lords.

Tiro added to their outstanding achievements by being awarded Best Stand at the Kingston Chamber’s Business Expo.

To find out more please email apprenticeships@kingston-college.ac.uk or see kingston-college.ac.uk

“Apprenticeships encourage employees to think of their job as a career and to stay with the company for longer, thereby reducing recruitment costs.

Offering an Apprenticeship to an existing member of staff allows them to see themselves as an integral part of the workforce.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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chamber events Chamber Events September Networking Breakfast Thursday 14th September John Lewis, Wood Street, Kingston KT1 1TE

Canbury Coffee Wednesday 20th September The Canbury Arms, 49 Canbury Park Road, Kingston KT2 6LQ A new networking opportunity for local freelancers, home based start-ups, and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Kingston area. Get out of the house and tell people about your business, swap expertise, experiences, advice and contacts with other local talent.

The Kingston Business Expo 2017 The Kingston Business Expo has grown year on year and is now recognised as the largest business event and biggest networking opportunity in the borough.

College who will represent England at the 2017 F1 Schools World Finals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mr Goldsmith praised the optimistic and upbeat energy of the event. "The University's not only a wonderful space but also a great place to bring together talent"

Networking Lunch Friday 29th September Jackson & Rye 1 Riverside Walk, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1QN

Breakfast Seminar with Google Digital Garage Monday 2nd October Rose Theatre, 24-26 High St, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1HL

Teddington Business Networking Wednesday 4th October The Wharf Restaurant & Bar 22 Manor Road Teddington Middlesex TW11 8BG

Kingston Business Excellence Awards Ceremony & Dinner Thursday 12th October Ravens Ait, Portsmouth Road, Surbiton, KT6 4HN

Women in Business Networking Lunch Friday 20th October The Wharf Restaurant & Bar 22 Manor Road Teddington Middlesex TW11 8BG Our popular Women in Business lunch is back with special guest Radio Jackie Station Manager & DJ Steve Mowbray to tell us more about the history of South West London’s original pirate radio station and its eventful, ground-breaking and turbulent history!

October Networking Breakfast Thursday 26th October Bentalls, Wood Street Kingston, KT1 1TX

November Networking Breakfast Thursday 15th November Carluccio’s Charter Quay, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1HT

Chamber Lunch at The Clink Friday 17th November H.M.P. High Down, Sutton, High Down Lane, Surrey SM2 5PJ A unique dining experience, within the walls of this category B prison at HMP High Down. You will be served by prisoners who participate in The Clink Restaurants' training scheme.

Chamber Christmas Party Friday 1st December Save the Date – Venue TBC

December Networking Breakfast Thursday 7th December Hampton Court Palace Golf Club, Home Park, Kingston KT1 4AD

December Christmas Lunch Friday 15th December Jacks Kitchen, Holiday Inn London Kingston South

The attendance of both local MP's Ed Davey and Zac Goldsmith, despite the election taking place only 5 days before the Expo, is testament to its reputation as a must-attend annual business event.

to learn new skills at expert workshops including the popular keynote session by Google's Digital Garage on how Google Analytics help uncover customer tends, including how people use and interact with businesses online.

The event was once again hosted at Kingston University Business School. It was officially opened by the Mayor of Kingston Councillor Julie Pickering and Sir Ed Davey MP. The Mayor Julie Pickering said.

"Kingston is an amazing place to live and do business in – rich in culture and successful in business," she also recognised the important contribution Kingston University makes to the business community; "Kingston is one of the top two universities in the country for the number of graduates starting up their own companies."

A key aim of the Expo is about to give local businesses the opportunity to connect and network. A particular highlight of the day is always the speed networking sessions, enabling participants to make lots of new contacts in a very short time, allowing them to quickly identify potential synergies that they can follow up on at a more leisurely pace after the event.

Visitors attending the Expo were offered opportunities

Head of Enterprise Education at Kingston University Dr Martha Mador said that the University had worked with the business community on a wide range of initiatives during the past 25 years and was thrilled that the Expo continues to be a held at the University.

"It's really important to us that we invite the community on campus in to our entrepreneurial hub," she said. "It's great to see everyone fill the atrium of Kingston Business School.

That's what business schools are really about."

Re-elected Member of Parliament for Richmond Park and North Kingston Zac Goldsmith also attended the Expo's closing reception where he presented the award for best stand to Tiro Racing – a team of six engineering apprentices from Kingston

"What a terrific day. For a company that has begun to engage with the local business community only recently, this was the perfect stage on which to meet a non-stop stream of potential partners and clients. The hours flew by and my only regret was that our stand was so busy I didn't get the chance to visit many of the other companies in attendance."

Martin Booth, Content Director of LeBoo Media

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

legal

Break clause

A break clause in a commercial lease gives a tenant great flexibility.

It is a really useful option for a tenant to have available to them in the modern ever-changing business world.

Their business may be expanding or contracting, and their premises may need to change to reflect such changes.

A break right can be operable on a fixed break date, or on a rolling break date, giving even more flexibility.

However, like many things in life it is not always as straight forward as simply informing your landlord and walking away from the premises.

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Various conditions are likely to come into play: • the rent must generally have been paid to a certain date; • all other sums due pursuant to the terms of the lease must generally have been paid; • vacant possession must invariably be given; • there must generally be no material breach of the terms of the lease; • any penalty payment due must have been made to the landlord; and • notice must invariably have been served by a certain date.

The list is extensive. A number of recent cases have highlighted the difficulties faced by tenants in exercising their break

clauses. One tenant found that unfortunately their failure to remove the partitions they had installed was sufficient to breach the vacant possession condition in their break clause.

If you have a break clause in your lease, you should consider seeking legal advice prior to exercising the break. It would also be prudent to make a diary note now of the date by which you must give notice to exercise the break. It is highly unlikely that your landlord will remind you to serve the notice.

Six months prior written notice is commonly required, but this is not always the case. If the critical date is missed, the break clause will fall away and be lost forever. The terms of your lease may require the notice to be served in a specific manner, at a specific address.

If your lease says the notice must be written on blue paper, make sure the notice is written on blue paper! It sounds ridiculous, but many landlords have been known to take advantage of the tiniest mistake to prevent their tenant validly exercising their break clause.

The commercial property team at TWM Solicitors acts for both tenants and landlords. If you would like advice in relation to a break right, or any other commercial property matter, please contact Claire Campbell at TWM Solicitors on 020 8946 6454 or email claire.campbell@twmsolicitors.com

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

ask the expert Can businesses instruct barristers directly, and what are the advantages of this?

By Tim Welch, Barrister Yes, they can. Historically barristers could only be instructed through a solicitor. A bit like the way you can only reach a consultant doctor by first having a GP referral.

However, this position has changed. Barristers are now able to take instructions directly from the public.

There are several advantages for businesses.

The advantages of instructing barristers directly (1) Cost saving The cost of instructing a barrister is often cheaper than going to a solicitor. This is for two reasons: (i) a barrister is specialist counsel and does not have the same overheads as a solicitor’s firm.

Barristers operate out of ‘chambers’ where self-employed barristers share the cost of clerks and conference rooms.

Barristers are therefore able to offer lower rates and increasingly offer fixed fees; and

(ii) it is often the case that a legal matter will necessitate having a barrister involved at some stage in the case anyway.

Hiring a barrister directly can avoid a duplication in work, and therefore fee.

(2) Expertise Instructing a barrister gives a business direct access to a legal expert at the start of a case.

Barristers tend to specialise in one or two niche areas and so know a lot about, and are good at, what they do.

(3) Perception Having a barrister on board early in a case can ensure you get across the right message. This is strategically important. Having your ducks in a row and showing your opponent that you mean business, will likely be unnerving for them.

The kind of work barristers do Barristers can do most of the same work a solicitor can do.

This includes legal advice and representation in relation to all proceedings.

(1) General litigation Barristers are particularly useful in general litigation. They regularly appear in court. Therefore, a barrister can give solid practical advice as to what a court might actually do in a given situation.

As a business, you can instruct a barrister as soon as a problem arises and allow a decision to be quickly made as to whether it is worth allocating resources to a case.

(2) Debt collecting It is becoming increasingly common for barristers to be

instructed directly in debt cases.

A letter from a barrister, on chambers headed paper, can pack a harder punch than, for example, a standard template letter from a debt collection agency.

Barristers can also draft legal documents such as statutory demands. Businesses can simply serve documents themselves, saving significant costs.

(3) Employment law With employment law becoming increasingly complex, and the tribunal fees regime reversed by the Supreme Court this summer, businesses, as employers, often turn to a barrister to get involved in a case early and remain until trial, providing cost effective continuity of representation.

Tim Welch, barrister practising from 36 Bedford Row Specialising in Civil Litigation and Employment Law. Direct Public Access qualified barrister.

Can accept instructions directly from businesses without the need to go through a solicitor.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

Contact:

0207 421 8030

Mobile:

07886863999

Email:

twelch@36civil.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

17

retail

How Retailers can engage customers better Ever since the explosion of online retail, it has become increasingly difficult for traditional offline retailers to keep pace with the growing competition on the web.

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

retail Customers now literally have a world of choice at their fingertips, and with online marketplaces making it easier than ever to compare prices and products, it is more important than ever for retailers to ensure that customers keep coming back.

Image courtesy of Wined Up Here

We’ve asked three experts for their advice about the steps retailers can take to keep their customers engaged:

Commercial psychologist, Philip Adcock

Retail is as boring as it’s ever been in the 30 years I’ve been advising leading brands and retailers. A key reason for this is accountants. The past 10 years have seen retailers attempt to improve the bottom line by cutting costs, instead of increasing prices.

The result is that stores are dull, dull, dull. For example, to save money, supermarkets now use red promotional tickets but instead of using white writing, they print them with black text and prices. It is scientifically proven to be 50% harder to read black on red compared with white on red, but because it is a few pence cheaper that is what they do.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

What should be done to make retail more engaging? Simple, appeal to shoppers’ emotions.

Introduce emotional imagery showing consumers consuming what you sell. Another sure-fire winner is to go multi-sensory.

Make sure the smells and aromas in your store are suitable to what you sell. When we pumped a certain aroma into a research store, we increased category sales by more than 40%.

Think about what shoppers hear in-store. Is it conducive to the right moods associated with the range or products on offer? If not, make it so. Finally, think about this extremely pertinent example to help focus on engaging shoppers.

Why is it that the bottles of champagne in most supermarkets are displayed in exactly the same manner as the bottles of toilet bleach? It’s just wrong (but cheap to do).

I guarantee that when retailers and brands emotionally engage with their customers any increased cost is far outweighed by the amount of sales generated. But try telling that to an accountant!

Phillip Adcock is a commercial psychologist and author of Supermarket Shoppology and Master Your Brain. Both available on Amazon.

“What should be done to make retail more engaging? Simple, appeal to shoppers’ emotions. Introduce emotional imagery showing consumers consuming what you sell. Another sure-fire winner is to go multi-sensory. Make sure the smells and aromas in your store are suitable to what you sell. When we pumped a certain aroma into a research store, we increased category sales by more than 40%.”

“Most retailers have long-since recognised the importance of card payments, but as major supermarkets and retail giants embrace innovations like contactless and mobile payments, customer expectations have already started to shift. And the reality is, if the experience doesn’t match up to expectations, your days are numbered.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

19

retail

Small business POS specialist, Oliver Rowbory

customer experience as hasslefree as possible. Most retailers have long-since recognised the importance of card payments, but as major supermarkets and retail giants embrace innovations like contactless and mobile payments, customer expectations have already started to shift. And the reality is, if the experience doesn’t match up to expectations, your days are numbered.

Oliver Rowbory is co-founder of The Good Till Co., a cloud-based POS system that gives small independent retailers access to powerful data intelligence.

Firstly, people really do still like to buy from people. As more and more retail transactions are conducted online, genuine human interaction is becoming increasingly scarce. Interestingly, this scarcity actually makes a human connection more valuable than ever before, so retailers shouldn’t underestimate the value their people can add.

Of course, the answer isn’t to rely on people rather than technology, but to use technology in a way that empowers your staff to work smarter. Automate simple processes with data and technology, and free up your people to add the thing that computers cannot yet offer – emotion, empathy and creativity.

Secondly, remember that convenience is the new loyalty.

In a world where people can find even the most obscure products without even leaving their armchairs, offline retailers must work pretty hard to make the

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Business growth expert, Royston Guest

Whatever your role in retail, if you’re reading this you’re probably passionate about what you do. You’re enthusiastic about your products and services, you believe they’re better than your competitors’ and understandably want to tell as many people as possible about them; how your food is tastier or how your clothes are more fashionable.

The challenge when communicating in this style is that the core message is centred on your view of your products, which may not always reflect your customer’s view or motivations.

When communicating your products and services in this tone, your customers often hear: ‘This is what I sell, and this is a list of reasons why I think you should buy it.’

What your customers want to hear is a clear statement that demonstrates that you

Having a good product or service just won’t cut it when it comes to engaging customers.

Potential, new, and existing customers have to be educated about your products and services, and it must be an integral part of your Compelling Value Proposition (CVP), making you stand out from the crowd and contributing to your distinct competitive advantage.

understand their situation and their needs. They want to know that you recognize the challenge they wish to solve, or the outcome they wish to achieve, and they want to hear how you are going to help them address that situation. Ideally, your CVP will not only explain how owning your product or using your service will help them achieve a desired outcome; it will also explain why your business is uniquely positioned to create that outcome.

When shopping, customers not only want to know, “Why should I buy from you?” but also “What’s in it for me?”

Royston Guest is author of Built to Grow, a blue print to help entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals understand the guiding principles of accelerated, sustained and profitable business.

“What your customers want to hear is a clear statement that demonstrates that you understand their situation and their needs. They want to know that you recognize the challenge they wish to solve, or the outcome they wish to achieve, and they want to hear how you are going to help them address that situation. Ideally, your CVP will not only explain how owning your product or using your service will help them ”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

retail Kingston Pound - helping to create a sustainable future for our retailers If we spend our money in large chains or online, chances are that the money will leave the area … or even the Country … and may get lost in large financial systems.

The Kingston Pound was conceived in 2013 and is designed to support our local independent shops and eateries who offer diversity and choice on our high streets and local shopping parades.

By spending Kingston Pounds locally, less money leaves the local area and this helps to create a fairer, stronger and happier local economy.

Kingston Pound is currently one of 25 initiatives highlighted at The Museum of London's 'The City is Ours' exhibition, which invites visitors to explore the challenges of urban living through a range of digital and physical interactive displays and films. The exhibition highlights ways in which individuals and communities are working together to improve city life, from reducing food waste, to encouraging people to support their local shops and businesses, thus creating a more sustainable future.

In January 2017 Kingston Pound announced that the project has added value to the local economy

with each £1 converted equaling a value of K£1.30 for the area.

Kingston Pounds currently exist electronically using banking software, with plans in place to roll out an analogue currency in the future.

There are already more than 60 great local independent businesses signed up to accept payment in Kingston Pounds, including Kingston Chamber of Commerce. RBK now accept Kingston Pounds in payment or part payment of business rates.

The project also works with local community groups through its charity partner Love Kingston to ensure the value to the area is not just financial.

As well as encouraging community members to invest in their local area, it invites them to join the conversation about the efficient use of its resources and money.

Kingston Pounds help turn money transactions into social interactions and so in this way the Kingston Pound is more than just a method of payment.

Please support this community project and sign up to Kingston Pound. It is easy and secure to use – visit www.kingstonpound.org, convert some sterling to Kingston Pounds and start spending at businesses displaying the Kingston Pound sticker.

If your business would like to join the project and display a sticker in your window please email: andrew@kingstonpound.org ‘The City is Ours’ exhibition at The Museum of London ends on 2nd January 2018

Karen Powell, Bobi Robson and Andrew Connolly at The Museum of London The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

21

inspirational leader

Looking to the future as Kingston thrives Mireille Baumgart, Chairman of Concept Living, BoConcept Danish furniture, talks about the company’s successful links with Kingston 22

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

inspirational leader “We are very excited to see the extensive plans for Kingston town redevelopment in our area for the next 2/3 years and look forward to being part of it. We are also preparing the opening of a new store in Westfield White City which will be our first in a shopping centre.”

for any project for home or business over a nice cup of coffee

How do you see the company faring in the next 12 months?

We are very excited to see the extensive plans for Kingston town redevelopment of our area for the next 2/3 years and look forward to being part of it.

We are also preparing the opening of a new store in Westfield White City which will be our first in a shopping centre.

Not only is our residential department is growing steadily but our Contract department has doubled in size and we can only see this improving further in 2018 as we have been invited to tender for so many projects.

What is the concept behind the brand?

We are a Danish company which started manufacturing in 1952 and this year we are celebrating our 65th anniversary.

There are to date 300 stores worldwide in 65 countries.

We offer an exclusive collection of contemporary furniture and accessories, fully coordinated, and our focus is on great design with an affordable luxury approach and great value for money.

Our collection can be customised to offer great flexibility for any project; for example, one of our bestselling sofas can offer nearly 100,000 unique combinations.

Our in-store team of Interior Designers offer a very comprehensive, free, full design service, including site visits and the production of 3D drawings, The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

whatever size the project including just for a single item.

We cater not only for the private customer but also have a full B2B department working with offices, hotels, restaurants, hospitalities and offer rental accommodations packages.

team. Our Store Manager Justin Coakley, Business Manager Maria Garcia Ramirez and their interior designers teams are very passionate about design and will offer all our visitors a comprehensive free design service, including 3-D design

Is Brexit having an effect on trading?

Up to date we have not seen any downside created by Brexit but, of course, we are cautious.

www.boconcept.com

What attracted you to Kingston?

We opened in Kingston more than five years ago. Kingston is a very vibrant town and is a very attractive retail destination.

It was always our intention to open here for this reason.

We are very successful.

Our turnover has increased constantly year on year and our brand is now well established. We have also developed great partnerships with other local businesses.

We have in our Kingston store a very professional and friendly

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SPACE Kingston The Roundhouse, 20 Eden Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1EP | 0208 5466050 | kingston@boconcept.co.uk

BoConcept is all about making design, furniture and colours fit seamlessly in your home or business. Whether you need help to design an entirely new space or don’t know which sofa to choose for a room, our professional and friendly interior designers are always on hand to help and will offer you a comprehensive free interior design service. BoConcept offers much more than furnishings for your home. We also have a complete selection of professional furniture to make the most of your business. Discover the new 2018 furniture and accessories in-store now.

New 2018 catalogue out now I boconcept.com

international focus

Mexico:

turning the opportunity into reality for your Business

By Laura Atkinson, BritChaM Commercial Section The Opportunity

When identifying new export markets, British companies do not immediately consider Latin America.

This may be due to historical “horror stories” of bad and undemocratic governments, poor fiscal and monetary management, safety concerns, as well as perceived cultural differences and unknowns.

Often, individuals generalise across the whole region, which can lead to misinformation about specific countries.

While some of Mexico’s Latin American neighbours may be facing political instability, Mexico is a democratic economy with steady GDP growth (2.3% in 20161), single-digit inflation since the year 2000 and is currently opening up traditionally governmentdominated sectors of energy, utilities and telecommunications.

The country is very much open to trade and, being the second-largest population of Latin America after Brazil, can offer huge rewards for companies serious about doing business there.

Culturally, there is more shared history than one may think. The UK was the first European great power to recognise Mexico’s sovereignty following its War of Independence in 1810. Just 15 years later, 130 Cornish miners sailed to Mexico to work the main Hidalgo mines bringing with them the latest technology and culture – along with pasties and football. British technology is still held in high regard today and both countries enjoy an extremely amicable bilateral relationship.

Ministers from both countries have publicly stated on numerous occasions that they are committed to establishing a new FTA when Britain leaves the European Union2.

Fears of Trump Effect Subside Earlier this year, there were serious concerns over the impact of proposed protectionist policy and “dialogue” (read: tweets) from the newly elected President Trump.

Mexico’s growth has been fuelled by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that encouraged the country to

There are opportunities available in Mexico at every level and beyond manufacturing. In the energy sector, we have seen British Chamber members win important tenders for exploration and production as well as retail in oil and gas, thanks to the 2014 Energy Reform.

The same reform, combined with the Mexican government’s commitment to source 35% of power from clean energy by 2024, has also expanded opportunities in power generation.

In this sector, British Chamber members are winning some of the 5,000 MW of power granted to solar and wind power companies to supply to the grid.

There are therefore opportunities available to companies who can supply into these important sectors, as well as second- and third-tier suppliers.

Education reform is also revolutionising this sector, with a new English National Strategy to dramatically improve the standard of English spoken in the country9. Given the time lags for these strategies to bear fruit, parents and executives also depend greatly on the private sector.

In addition, there are plenty of opportunities in construction and infrastructure as well as healthcare, given the size of the country and its strong growth ambitions.

establish itself as a manufacturing powerhouse, especially in the automotive, aerospace and white goods sectors.

NAFTA has since been complemented by a FTA with the EU, amongst others, and Mexico now has FTAs with 45 countries, however 82% of Mexican exports still go to the United States3. In spite of these concerns, GDP has been growing. The Mexican government even revised their growth forecast for 2017 upwards in May4 after having given more conservative numbers at the beginning of the year due to Trump's presidency.

The manufacturing sector has been behind much of this growth. Using the automotive sector as one of the most illustrative examples of renewed optimism in Mexico, earlier in the year Ford Motors cancelled the construction of what was to be their second plant in Mexico5.

This appeared to be a political move to appease Trump and a potential disaster for the Mexican economy if other carmakers followed suit. However, months later, these fears have not been realised and Nissan with Daimler, KIA, Toyota and Nemark are now expanding their operations in Mexico, while Volkswagen, BMW and Audi have publicly committed to maintaining their investments in the country.

Production for 2017 (up to July) reached record numbers of 2,170,732 vehicles manufactured – a 10.8% increase on the year before. These figures were complimented by a 13.1% increase in exports (1,756,390 vehicles.) The story is similar in the other manufacturing subsectors with aerospace exports anticipated to grow by 12% this year.6 The Mexican government also understands that there is a need to reduce dependency on the United States7. They are currently renewing and modernising the existing FTA with EU and there are talks of a new FTA between Mexico and China8.

Accessing the Opportunity The good news is that British products are well perceived in Mexico, that Mexicans are very friendly and easy to talk to, and value their relationships with business partners. This does mean that Brits need to build a relationship with their Mexican allies if they want to do business. A gentle approach is required and not a hard, up-front sales pitch.

Many British companies choose to manage their business in Mexico through a local distributor.

It is important that British companies are fair and appreciative of their distributor. Finding a distributor can be difficult and there is plenty of competition from other international companies in the Mexican market.

This means that British companies need to consider carefully the price sensitivity of their products. The current offer in

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2

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3

8

World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/mexico/overview https://www.forbes.com.mx/mexico-reino-unido-buscan-acuerdo-pos-brexit/ Forbes https://www.forbes.com.mx/comercio-mexico-estados-unidos-no-disminuira-comce/ 4 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-economy-idUSKBN18I1RQ 5 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-03/ford-cancels-1-6-billion-mexico-plant-after-trump-s-criticism

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the Mexican market may make price competition extremely challenging.

At the beginning stages, identifying appropriate partners and establishing contact can be difficult. Emails can be ignored completely and it can be hard to reach the right person by phone, although often this is necessary to secure a meeting.

Establishing a meeting in person is often the only opportunity for real feedback and discussion of your product and so ensuring this meeting goes well is essential. This means dressing appropriately, using the correct title of the person you are meeting with and preparing adequately.

Punctuality is less rigid than in certain other cultures and it is not unusual for meetings to start late and run over the allotted time. It is therefore important to be patient and to try not to seem annoyed if the person you are meeting with arrives up to an hour late!

Planning enough time and factoring in heavy traffic is key to making the right impression. It is important not to view Mexico's informal time system as a symptom of inefficiency or disinterest, rather, it evidences a different philosophy of life where the concept of time is more flexible.

To secure business from any meetings, companies need to be persistent with follow up and patient when awaiting responses.The British Chamber of Commerce can help you in establishing contact with potential partners and clients. Discussing your options and readiness to export to this market with your local Chamber of Commerce is a good first step. While Mexico ranks well in terms of ease of doing business, it is not usually advisable for first time exporters.

Your local Chamber can also put you in touch with the British Chamber in Mexico (BritChaM) who can support you on the ground. BritChaM can provide advice and guidance on your sector in Mexico, help you find appropriate suppliers and make first introductions so you can get your foot in the door. Given the outstanding opportunities available in Mexico and the support available, there has never been a better time to explore what could be in store for you.

http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/empresas/exportacion-aeroespacial-subira-12.html http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2017/02/23/1147967 http://money.cnn.com/2017/07/05/news/economy/mexico-china-trade-deal/index.html 9 http://www.zocalo.com.mx/seccion/articulo/llegara-en-20-anos-ingles-a-escuelas-de-mexico

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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finance for business

Technology the focus for funding schemes Companies working across a number of sectors are being offered funding to develop their ideas.

The Government has announced a new funding scheme of up to £86 million for UK firms to develop medical breakthroughs.

The package will allow small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop and test new technologies in the NHS. This could include innovations such as digital technologies to help patients manage their conditions from home instead of a hospital, or to develop new medicines.

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Technologies that have previously received support are already bringing benefits to patients.

For example, MyCOPD is an online system that helps people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) better manage their condition. It has helped more than 32,000 patients by helping

them improve their breathing, manage flare-ups and track medicine use. This reduces reliance on GP and hospital appointments.

Health Minister Lord O’Shaughnessy said: “The Government’s ambition is that NHS patients get world-leading, life-changing treatments as fast as possible.

“That can’t happen unless we support medical innovation and tear down the barriers – like speed to market and access to funding – that can get in the way, especially for SMEs.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

The funding is split into four packages. These include: • £39 million of funding to the Academic Health Science Networks, enabling them to assess the benefits of new technologies and support NHS uptake of those that deliver real benefits to patients according to the local need • £35 million Digital Health Technology Catalyst for innovators – this will matchfund the development of digital technologies for use by patients and the NHS • up to £6 million over the next three years to help SMEs with innovative medicines and devices get the evidence they need by testing in the real world, building on existing opportunities such as the Early Access to Medicine Scheme • £6 million Pathway Transformation Fund, which will help NHS organisations integrate new technologies into everyday practices - this will help overcome more practical obstacles such as training staff on how to use new equipment.

Business Minister Lord Prior said: “The Government has an important role to play in driving innovation that will increase economic growth and support businesses across the country.

Through this funding we will quicken the pace of scientific discovery and innovation in the UK. Our Industrial Strategy will boost our status as a global hub for life sciences.”

The move was welcomed by the Association of British Healthcare Industries, whose CEO Peter Ellingworth said: “The measures could significantly enhance the UK as a destination of choice for MedTech companies, in turn, benefiting patients, the health system and the wider economy.”

Business Secretary Greg Clark has also announced the launch of a £246 million scheme to boost expertise in battery technology.

Known as the Faraday Challenge, the four-year investment is a key part of the government’s Industrial Strategy and will deliver a coordinated programme of competitions that will aim to boost both the research and development of expertise in battery technology.

The first element will be a competition led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to bring the best minds and facilities together to create a Battery Institute.

Greg Clark said: “The work that we do through the Faraday Challenge will – quite literally – power the automotive and energy revolution where, already, the UK is leading the world.”

The Faraday Challenge’s competitions are divided into three streams • Research: To support world class research and training in battery materials, technologies and manufacturing processes, the Government has opened a £45m competition, led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), to bring the best minds and facilities together to create a virtual Battery Institute. The successful consortium of universities will

be responsible for undertaking research looking to address the key industrial challenges in this area.

• Innovation: The most promising research completed by the Institute will be moved closer to the market through collaborative research and development competitions, led by Innovate UK. The initial competitions will build on the best of current world-leading science already happening in the UK and helping make the technology more accessible for UK businesses.

• Scale-up: To further develop the real-world use and application of battery technology the Government has opened a competition, led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre, to identify the best proposition for a new state-of-the-art open access National Battery Manufacturing Development facility.

Ruth McKernan, Innovate UK Chief Executive said: “By any scale, the Faraday Challenge is a game changing investment in the UK and will make people around the globe take notice of what the UK is doing in terms of battery development for the automotive sector.”

Professor Philip Nelson, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), said: “Batteries will form a cornerstone of a low carbon economy, whether in cars, aircraft, consumer electronics, district or grid storage. To deliver the UK’s low carbon economy we must consolidate and grow our capabilities in novel battery technology. EPSRC’s previous research investments mean we are in a world-leading position.

“The Faraday Challenge is a new way of working. It will bring together the best minds in the field, draw on others from different disciplines, and link intimately with industry, innovators and other funders, such as InnovateUK, to ensure we maintain that our world leading position and keep the pipeline of fundamental science to innovation flowing.”

“The Government has an important role to play in driving innovation that will increase economic growth and support businesses across the country. Through this funding we will quicken the pace of scientific discovery and innovation in the UK. Our Industrial Strategy will boost our status as a global hub for life sciences.”

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

Check is not Mate: Seeking solutions at the first sign of trouble The latest edition of 'The Good Life', Surbiton's Community Newspaper, reported on a recent worrying lack of footfall in Surbiton’s high streets, leaving some businesses with cash-flow worries.

Adam Nakar

If you find your company experiencing cash-flow problems, what is the first thing you think to do?

A noticeable drop in sales. Large materials price increases, rent or rates rises. Disputes with creditors. The late or non-payment of invoices by debtors. Pressure from HMRC as VAT or PAYE payments fall into arrears. Brexit. There are a number of reasons why companies fail, with the above commonly found in directors’ reports to creditors, prepared once insolvent liquidation is inevitable.

In many cases, however, there is a period of time between the problem first being identified and the decision being taken to liquidate the company. Unfortunately, too many directors enter a state of denial over the company’s position, or try to ‘ride the storm’ alone, or worst of all, loan personal funds into the company to meet short term cash-flow issues, without having a plan to ensure future cashflow does not need their further propping up.

If you as director find any financial issues in your company, it will be beneficial to seek professional advice from Licensed Insolvency Practitioners early. They will be able to make an assessment of your company’s financial affairs, and will be able to offer a number of solutions to fit the predicament, from advice on cost cutting to formal restructuring and statutory insolvency rescue procedures such as a Company Voluntary Arrangement. The benefits to you would be a plan to help return your company to profitability, maintain your business and reputation, and minimise the loss to your creditors, helping to retain their confidence.

At WSM Marks Bloom we have a team of insolvency experts in Kingston ready to chat with you in confidence if you have any concerns as to the solvency of your business.

Call 020 8939 8240 or email insolvency@wsm.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

29

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

festive

Party on regardless!

Summer may have just ended but it’s the time of year when people are already thinking about booking that all-important Christmas Party.

Despite all the turbulence in this post-Brexit Referendum world, people still want to celebrate the festive season – perhaps even more than usual.

A good Christmas Party can do wonders for staff morale, which is crucial in these uncertain times, and the chance of finding the best venue for your needs is very high indeed as long as you take care in preparing the groundwork.

The Kingston area is blessed with excellent restaurants, hotels and other alternative venues that can stage the best parties possible, taxi companies that can take you home or hotels and guest houses should you decide to spend the night.

So how do you select the best venue? Well, it’s all down to first impressions - do you like the décor, does it look like it can generate a good atmosphere, are the staff friendly?

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

It is crucial to select venues that make everyone feel welcome.

Some staff members might not appreciate a busy pub, others might not want a restaurant so it’s worth putting a bit of thought into making a choice that strikes the right balance.

Choosing the right menu is important as well. People like choice so even though most guests will go for the traditional Christmas meal, it’s a good idea to make sure there is an alternative - and definitely a vegetarian option.

Also, people like to be appreciated. Maybe your staff and suppliers have gone over and beyond what was expected of them to help the business.

A good boss knows to acknowledge that at the Christmas party. Maybe a tribute in a short speech or a thank you note on place settings would be a good idea.

And, yes times, have been tough for some, yes, budgets have been tight, but a cheap party looks cheap. So if you are a boss who is determined to hold a party, loosen the purse-strings a little - err on the side of generosity and your staff will appreciate the gesture.

For some people a straightforward party is not enough and there is a growing trend for something a bit more ambitious to celebrate the festive period.

Themed parties can work really well so consider what will generate the most goodwill and what kind of event will appeal to most people.

That could mean bringing in specialist companies to dress up venues to create everything from Thirties America to space-age celebrations. Anything is possible.

Whatever you fancy, venues or specialist events companies can oblige, providing the right décor and costumes and guaranteeing the right ambience.

Such events could happen anywhere from hotels and restaurants to marquees in gardens – it does not really matter where because venues and events companies are adept at making magic happen.

All you need to bring is that initial spark of imagination and they can make the rest happen.

Why not sample some of the following festive delights.

Exceeding expectations Warren House is an ideal venue for private dining and group celebrations, its experienced team will ensure that your visit exceeds your expectations. With a range of function rooms, it can cater for parties of up to 100 and with its carefully chosen menu’s and selection of ‘little touches’

Warren House can make the event as formal or as fun as you wish. To indulge in a real festive escape, why not stay over in one of the 46 beautifully appointed bedrooms. All with en-suite facilities, complimentary car parking and Wi-Fi plus the option for a delicious full English and continental breakfast in the Persian Dining Room.

Christmas done that extra bit special Whether you’re planning for a work Christmas party, catching up with friends over a couple of crafted festive cocktails or sitting down to a delicious family dinner, Browns expert, friendly staff will make you feel totally welcome and relaxed. With festive menus, made with fresh, quality, seasonal ingredients, feature a range of flavoursome dishes. From a traditional succulent roast turkey with all the trimmings to an indulgent, rich dark chocolate torte and a luxurious lobster & Champagne 7hermidor tartChristmas at Browns really is wonderfully unique. Its buzzing brasseries & bars are filled with Christmas cheer and a magical atmosphere.

Memorable and different Or this year, why not do something different and whisk them off to the theatre to enjoy an enchanting performance.

The New Wimbledon Theatre has been Grade II listed and is a beautiful masterpiece that has stood in Merton for over a century.

The theatre is ripe with history and has hosted some of the biggest plays, musicals and performances from around the world. With an immense seating capacity in a relaxed atmosphere, this is one of the premiere venues in London for group bookings and hospitality packages.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

31

a day in the life...

Fitness the goal for trainer Andy Andy Strong runs a business that sees its clients change for the better before his very eyes. However, the personal trainer was not always passionate about fitness.

The owner and head coach at Fundamentally FIT Personal Training, of Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, used to be overweight himself.

Indeed, he recalls: “I remember the last day at school when the headteacher said ‘I imagine that this is the last time a lot of you will exercise’ and that probably applied to me.”

However, in time all that changed. He got the fitness bug and, although a carpenter by trade who worked as a site foreman in the construction industry, he also trained for triathalons at the same time.

With his interest in fitness growing, the idea of setting up his own business developed and the opportunity to turn the dream into reality came when the construction industry hit one of its periodic downturns three years ago.

He recalled: “The industry hit a lull but I knew that it would be temporary and that my wages would soon bounce back up, which would mean the temptation would be just to go back to what I knew. I knew it was then or never so I set up my own business.

“I knew that I wanted to work in fitness but did not want to work in a gym every day so I set up my own business as a personal trainer.”

Running Fundamentally FIT means that Andy works when his clients are available, delivering bespoke The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

training sessions in the studio at his home or at clients’ homes.

From busy professionals to stay-at-home mums, he runs courses that improve health and well-being and it means that his working day has to be flexible.

He said: “The business has really taken off. A lot of my clients are professionals so I work when they are available, which means an early start to the working day.

“The first session can be at 6.30 in the morning. I can have seen two or three clients by 9am then, during the afternoon, I will maybe catch up on writing up the fitness programmes before I am out working again in the evening, maybe not finishing till 9pm.”

Each client comes to him for a different reason; some come in search of short-term goals such as preparing for a wedding or training for a road run, others to lose weight or to address health issues.

Andy treats each one differently.

He said: “Each programme is tailored to the specific person and I take the view that education is a big part of my work.

“I do not take the view that clients can do a session or two in the gym and all will be sorted.

I take a longer-term approach, which means looking at why they are overweight or are having fitness difficulties.

“It might be a case of identifying those times in the day when they have specific problems with keeping fit and healthy then helping them address the problem.

“I believe that fitness must be sustainable. Yes, I want people to keep training with me because they enjoy it – and some have been with me for two years -

but I also want them to be in a position where they could walk away and still retain their fitness.”

To that end, he plans to launch a further service in the Autumn, an online nutrition course offering clients advice on how to eat healthily.

Through it all is the joy of seeing the impact that his work can have. Andy said: “It can be really satisfying watching people become fitter and healthier because of the work they do with me.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

33

starting up

Getting the message across Whether you are looking for online materials such as web pages and blogs, or offline products like brochures and annual reports, we can make your words sing.

Martin Booth LeBoo Media Ltd 07801183818 info@leboomedia.com www.leboomedia.com Q1 Tell us a bit about your

business?

My wife Pippa and I run LeBoo Media, a content and design consultancy based in Kingston, where we have lived for 15 years.

My background is in national newspaper journalism and my expertise is in written content; whether you are looking for online materials such as web pages and blogs, or offline products like brochures and annual reports, we can make your words sing.

We can get the message across.

Pippa also has a newspaper background and specialises in print design and layout.

Q2 What gives your business

'the x-factor'?

I would suggest it is the ability to create content in any voice for any audience. My first question to any client who wants a piece written is: “Who are you addressing this to?” because the answer is vital and dictates the tone of voice of the finished product. I will back myself to be able to deliver the right content, whatever the answer to that question is. In conjunction with this, we always take care to listen intently to what the customer wants. I believe the initial briefing stage is absolutely crucial to the success of any piece of work, as is constructive ongoing communication while the materials are produced to the satisfaction of all parties. Our focus is, and will remain in the short and medium term, to collaborate with businesses in and around Kingston, and one reason for that is to be sure we can work really closely with customers rather than at arm’s length.

34

Q3 What motivated you to

set up in business?

We set up LeBoo when I was offered a long-term contract for a client in the betting industry.

I enjoyed that job, but so many people saw how good I was at written content and said I should be focusing on it full-time. When that contract finished, it was a straightforward decision to start developing LeBoo by engaging with the Kingston business community.

Q4 What do you like most about

working for a start-up?

I’d been a commuter for 30 years, so the fact that I am working out of a study at home means I don’t have to deal with the comedy stylings of South-West Trains on a daily basis.

More seriously, I like the feeling that the degree to which the business succeeds is entirely down to me – and how willing I am to put the graft in and do what is necessary – rather than any extraneous factors. Yes, while we are building our customer numbers that brings extraordinary pressures – but also extraordinary highs …

Q5 What has been your greatest

business success to date?

Without a doubt, the news that I made the shortlist for Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2017 Kingston Business Awards. Given how

Martin at recent board meeting recently our engagement with the local business community began, this felt like a tremendous vindication that LeBoo is going about things the right way. I know you’re supposed to be all cool and calm when you get news like this, but I have to admit I was bouncing off the walls when I heard.

Q6 What has been your

lowest moment?

Every time the phone doesn’t ring and there isn’t a new customer at the other end of the line.

“Our focus is, and will remain in the short and medium term, to collaborate with businesses in and around Kingston, and one reason for that is to be sure we can work really closely with customers rather than at arm’s length.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Q7 In terms of business

achievements, where do you want to be within the next year 5 years?

I would like to have a solid stable of regular small and medium-sized customers but would also like the security of some bigger brands on board who require regular content management.

Q8 What would be your top tip

to someone thinking of starting up their own business?

There are so many! But… Have a really strong belief in yourself, your ability and your product – while being willing to listen and learn – and everything else will fall into place around that.

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