Borough Business January 2018

BOROUGH

BUSINESS The voice of Kingston’s business community

Issue 7: Winter 2018

Hospitality Customers the day after

tomorrow

p17

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce Spotlight on Kingston p8

Inspirational Leader p24

International Focus p26

WELCOME TO

BOROUGH BUSINESS The Kingston Chamber of Commerce magazine for all Businesses in Kingston

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borough, and in October we took our Business Excellence Awards Gala Dinner to a new venue, Ravens Ait, where the evening was generally acclaimed by all as “the best ever”. In the Autumn we also introduced our Chamber Coffee Mornings and on the 21st November, another first for an independent London Chamber, was the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Jinju Chamber of Commerce (for more detail about this see P.26). My congratulations and thanks to everybody; partners, sponsors and, particularly, my Chamber team for all their hard work and expertise in making these great events happen.

Facing up to the challenges of 2018 I have always believed benchmarking to be a useful management tool and was therefore keen to meet up with several of my peers at a recent London Local Chambers Forum when we each gave a brief synopsis of our Chamber’s membership and activities.

Kingston has always been recognised as a strong Chamber within the Forum and from the exercise and comments from my peers, I was delighted to have confirmed that we remain one of the top three in London for membership numbers, effectiveness and the range of services we provide.

Achieving this success is not easy and how we do this is by being ambitious and innovative. 2017 was no different; in March we held our first Chamber Golf Day at the prestigious Hampton Court Palace Golf Club, in May we hosted our second President’s Ball, the only social “black tie” event exclusively for businesses in the

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

2017 was also a “watershed” year for us as, from April, for the first time in our recent history, we no longer received any additional funding from the council to help us provide services to the borough’s businesses. The financial impact of this, inevitably, meant re-modelling our business and resources, including appointing a Membership Development Manager in March, a decision which is now beginning to show positive results. Our reserves also enabled us to continue with our business support activities throughout the year.

And so, what are the prospects for 2018?

Well, clearly, like so many other independent Chambers we are facing, probably, the most challenging period I can remember in our history and we must continue to adapt.

Strong, effective and innovative Chambers, like ours, require external support from sponsors and patron organisations who understand the value of the Chamber of Commerce brand and recognise the organisation’s role in representing and supporting the business communities they serve. Without this, it is possible they will no longer be able to provide the range of services which distinguish them from other business networking organisations. In January we will be launching our new exclusive Patron Membership packages and will be offering these to companies who appreciate the vital role the Chamber has in supporting the borough’s business community and are willing to join us in our challenge to remain one of the most successful Chambers in the London region.

Finally, I would like to offer you my very best wishes for 2018.

Jerry Irving

CEO Kingston Chamber of Commerce

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Welcome to New Members 4 Chamber News 5 Economy 6 Members News 7 Spotlight on Kingston 8-10 Skills 12 & 14 Chamber Events 15 Cover Feature - Hospitality17-21 Ask the Expert 23 Inspirational Leader 24-25 International Focus 26 Focus on Finance 28-30 The person behind the business 31 Top Tips 32 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 Winter 2018 © 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.1591 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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The Royal Borough of

Welcome

Kingston

to our new members

Chamber of Commerce

Aiglon Consulting

Love Kingston

David O'Keefe www.aiglonconsulting.com

Tessa Kind www.love-kingston.org.uk

Aim4

Mark Randall Consultancy

Amy Bullock-Nicholls www.aim4online.com

Mark Randall

Auxilium Administration Services Ltd (Auxilium Admin)

Nick Blanchard

Mike decided to put on his best serious networking face

Alex Hughes www.auxiliumadmin.co.uk

AVTEAMUK Ltd Matthew Thompson www.avteamuk.com

Bestmortgage4U

Owen White & Catlin LLP AW Law

Connect with us on

@KingstonCOC

Samir Pekaz www.crewlance.me

Grand Central Creative Philip Scotcher www.grandc.co.uk

Hello 2Morrow Chloe Walton www.Hello2morrow.co.uk

JR Photography Ltd Joanne Redington www.joanneredington.com

Katie Glen Katie Glen www.katherinejglen.lifevantage.com

KBC Special Events Limited Peter Wedderburn www.kingstonbridge.com

Kingston Chamber of Commerce T: 020 8541 4441 E: natalie@kingstonchamber.co.uk

Kingston Mortgage Services Ltd Kingston CoC

Noel Baker www.kingstonmortgages.co.uk/

Lighthouse Consulting Ade Adedeji

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Jake Laversuch www.mykingstonapp.co.uk/

Tuba Kilicarslan www.ntmaxx.co.uk

Crewlance Technologies Ltd

For more information or to discuss how we can help you, please contact us at:

My Kingston APP

Richard Kirk www.becurious.uk.com

Filippo Selini www.canburysecret.co.uk

www.kingstonchamber.co.uk

Raisa Ali www.mindbodyevolve.blog

Be Curious Limited

Canbury Secret Cafe

Come and join us and see for yourself

Mind Body Evolve

NTMaxx Construction & Consultancy Ltd

John Edward www.bestmortgage4u.com

All our members have several things in common; a desire to expand their local network, meet like-minded people, and most importantly to have fun while they are doing it.

Maytree Mortgages

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

James Kiely www.owenwhitecatlin.co.uk

Sigma Surge Limited Christopher Gruen www.sigmasurge.com

Stephanie Son Translations Stephanie Son www.stephaniesontranslations.vpweb.co.uk

Surbiton Golf Club Clint Whittaker www.surbitongolfclub.com

The Smarter Manager Debbie Yarwood www.thesmartermanager.com/

The White Hart Hotel Tony Hylton www.whiteharthoteluk.co.uk

TMD Sales Training Tom Dunman www.tmdsalestraining.co.uk

Too Many Lisas Lisa Doherty www.toomanylisas.com/

Tri-Health Group Ped Millichamp www.yourwillow.co.uk

Your Best Fit Celine Turner www.yourbestfit.co.uk

chamber news Will your business be ready for GDPR on 25 May 2018?

What is GDPR? The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a European Union (EU) law which will be enforced from 25 May 2018.

The legislation is designed to protect the collection and processing of all personal data belonging to EU individuals (referred to as data subjects and whether they are employees, suppliers, customers or general contacts).

It will supersede the Data Protection Act (DPA) and apply in the UK even after Brexit.

The key differences between the GDPR and the DPA are that under GDPR: • the scope is broader, the rights of the individuals are greater (in some cases) and the obligations of the data processors and data controllers are more extensive; • where you process personal data from multiple EU member states, you will have just one 'lead' authority to deal with; • there are new accountability measures; • most breaches will have to be reported within 72 hours; and • the potential fines for breaching the rules are much higher.

Data subject rights Data subjects will have the right to be informed about how their personal data will be processed. They will also have rights to see their data and to have that data rectified, restricted in use, erased and moved (under a new right to ‘portability’).

Legal duties and responsibilities Data controllers and data processors will need to collect and process personal data in a lawful, fair and transparent

manner; keep it only for the stated purpose; limit it to what is necessary; keep it accurate and for no longer than is necessary; and process it with appropriate security and confidentiality (with extra measures in relation to the personal data of children).

Where data processing takes place in the UK, you will need to notify (and pay a fee to) the enforcing authority which is the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office). If you transfer personal data to a third party (such as a hosted cloud platform), then you need to make sure that the third party adheres to the GDPR legislation.

In addition, data controllers and data processors will need to put in place comprehensive but proportionate governance measures and be able to demonstrate compliance.

Getting ready for GDPR To get ready for GDPR, first understand what personal data your organisation collects for what processes. Ascertain the legal basis for each processing of data, and make that and any sharing or transfer known to your data subjects at the point of collection. If you do any form of marketing that uses personal data or you collect additional personal data that requires consent to be given, make sure that consent is freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. Update your privacy notices and notifications accordingly, and make sure you have mechanisms in place to handle requests from data subjects relating to their personal data rights. Review your personal data access, retention and security practices, and enhance and update your procedures accordingly. Lastly, make sure you have, and implement, policies and procedures for handling data security breaches including notifying within the required

timeframes, when applicable, the individuals affected and the ICO. Protecting your business Throughout the GDPR both data controllers and data processors are expected to follow best practice. This is open to interpretation.

Ultimately you must satisfy your stakeholders, and in particular the people whose personal data you collect and process, that you are protecting and processing personal data lawfully and fairly. Do this well and you will retain customer loyalty and increase your brand credibility. Don’t do it, or do it badly, and you will risk damaging your brand and your business.

More information For more information about GDPR visit the ICO website (https://ico.org.uk/fororganisations/guide-to-thegeneral-data-protection-regulat ion-gdpr/) and follow the links to “12 steps to take now” (https://ico.org.uk/media/1624 219/preparing-for-the-gdpr12-steps.pdf) and their “GDPR checklist” (https://ico.org.uk/fororganisations/resources-andsupport/data-protection-self-ass essment/getting-ready-for-thegdpr/).

Author: Delia Porter, Business Clan Ltd (www.businessclan.com) About the author. Delia’s career spans direct marketing, tech and start-ups. Her data journey began with protecting IP, then moved into compliance (under the Data Protection Act) for a well-established insurance broker, before moving into the world of Big Data and Business Intelligence. Since then she has specialised in helping small businesses with strategy and planning; bridging the gap between strategy and execution.

For more information on GDPR, how it will affect your business and what you need to consider, attend Kingston Chamber of Commerce’s free seminar on 20th February 2018 at which Delia will be a key speaker.

Looking forward to 2018 2017 was something of a challenging year for us all.

As business owners we're as in the dark about the impact of Brexit as we were the day after the referendum vote; As a chamber, financial constraints precipitated significant changes to the way we operate and, from my own personal perspective, I was saddened by the loss of close family members.

And yet, as ever, the start of a new year brings with it fresh hope and optimism for what we can achieve, both collectively and individually.

Reflection on past actions, or performance, at this time of the year can be a real catalyst for change; whether that's in our businesses or in our personal lives.

I'm just over halfway through my presidential year and able to look back on 2017 with a great sense of pride at the chamber's achievements: the Business Expo, the Kingston Business Excellence Awards and the visit of Jinju Chamber, from South Korea, culminating in our signing of a historic Memorandum of Understanding were significant, and very successful, highlights.

The rest of my year 'in office' will, I hope, be no different. The chamber will be making a big announcement on membership early in 2018 and, in March, I'm very much looking forward to my President's Ball, the plans for which are starting to take shape. That event takes place on Friday 23 March - make sure you save the date!

I'd like to finish by extending my warmest wishes to you and yours and I very much hope that you achieve everything you plan to in 2018.

Best regards, Guy

To book please visit the Chamber Website www.kingstonchamber.co.uk/events

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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economy

Borough Views into Westminster Rt Hon Sir Edward Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat) In my last Borough Business article, I talked about the problem of today’s uncertainty for Britain’s and Kingston’s businesses.

Since then, we’ve had the Budget and a first stage agreement in the Brexit talks. So how’s progress towards getting greater “certainty” for our economy?

I’m actually writing this on the morning of the “deal”.

Overnight, the UK and EU have signed up to words that allow the real Brexit negotiations to start – on trade and our long term economic relationship with 27 other European countries. So by the time you’re reading this, it may be clear what the words in the 15 page communique actually mean – especially paragraphs 49 and 50.

For now, a few hours after this gateway deal’s been signed, I can’t yet interpret the fudgier parts – but there’s definitely a palpable feeling of confused relief.

Confused relief on Brexit There’s welcome relief that, at last, there are some agreed words, whatever they mean.

So the real talks can begin.

And genuine hope the package for British and EU citizens may bring relief for the 4.2 million individuals and families whose lives have been on hold. It looks like the UK Government rightly caved in to the EU’s reasonable position, especially on issues like family unification.

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I have long argued people had to come first in Brexit – so improving, completing and finalising this deal for citizens must remain the top priority.

It’s actually what business needs now, above all else – even trade.

I’ve been alarmed at what Kingston businesses and key public sector employers like Kingston Hospital and Kingston University have been telling me about their many EU employees – how people were leaving or highly anxious about the future.

So today’s greater certainty for citizens looks like good news.

But confusion abounds elsewhere. It looks like Theresa May has been forced to accept the European Commission’s arguments on Britain’s “divorce” bill, but has produced a form of words to hide the actual cost still likely to be around £40 billion. (And worth noting this figure doesn’t include the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s estimate of £19 billion extra borrowing due to lower growth caused by Brexit, and the Chancellor’s provision of £3 billion for the initial cost of preparing customs, IT systems etc for Brexit.)

As for the border issue between Northern Ireland and the Republic, who knows? Looks very much like today’s deal is just kicking the can down the road.

The acid test will be how business reacts in the weeks and months ahead. Many multinational businesses have drawn up contingency plans, just in case, including significant relocations.

How will they interpret all this?

How will Boards round the country feel about future investment?

In Westminster - prior to today’s deal - many thought most of the largest firms will wait till the end of March 2018 before passing judgement and taking any big strategic decisions over their post-Brexit future. I think that’s still probably the case.

But please let me know your reaction – do email me at edward.davey.mp@parliament.uk

Budget 2017 – light relief on rates November’s Budget may seem a long way off now, given the Brexit talks. And, with the benefit of hindsight, even a “non-event”.

But in my view the Budget combined a few welcome measures, alongside a dramatic and alarming warning on Britain’s economy.

The modest welcome comes on details around business rates.

The Chancellor’s decision to overturn the recent Supreme Court decision on the so-called “staircase” tax is a small but significant victory, helping a number of office-based business in the Borough to avoid crippling increases in rates. And the decision to index rates by CPI not RPI from April 2018 should save firms cash. More regular

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

revaluations (every 3 years not every 5) may turn out to reduce future disruption. However, for many local businesses, this will only amount to light relief.

My alarm is over the forecasts for future growth – coming from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). As an economist and a Budget-watcher for over 25 years, I’ve never heard such a gloomy long term forecast.

While some have sought to minimise this, as coming partly from the OBR decision on forecasting productivity, that is still a real adjustment, with real effects.

And if economic growth does turn out to be below 2% for the next 5 years, that’s very bad news for incomes, bad news for tax revenues and bad news for public spending on services like schools and the police.

The Budget has won some plaudits for being a balanced approach, at a very difficult time. Certainly it avoided the problems of George Osbourne’s “Omnishambles” Budget, and seemed to bolster Chancellor Hammond’s position in the Cabinet – something I welcome.

Yet set aside those shocking growth forecasts, I’m yet to be convinced the Budget faced up to the size of the economic and political challenges ahead, whether on infrastructure, skills or vital public services like our police and schools. We’re still too reliant on crossing our fingers, hoping and praying.

Certainty remains some way off.

members news Green Cola

partners up with Love Kingston

Member Offer

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

What’s black and green, tastes great and can be found in a growing number of Kingston stores and cafes?

The answer is – Green Cola.

It’s a new, healthier cola and it has been brought to the UK by a company right here in Kingston.

Green Room Brands are committed to three things. Giving consumers healthier choices, in this case a low calorie cola that is better for you than any other on the market, making sure it tastes amazing and supporting Kingston, which is where the company founders all live and work.

Founders Paul Woodward, Nick Skaanild and Will Coker have an office near Kingston Bridge and as part of their commitment to the town, they are donating 10% of any orders from local stockists to Love Kingston.

“We’re proud to be a Kingston company and are keen to support our town,” says CEO Paul. “This is our home and we want Green

LeBoo Media

Cola to have a true community spirit. We think Love Kingston is a fantastic venture and are keen to support it in any way we can.”

Green Cola contains NO sugar, preservatives, phosphoric acid or aspartame and is caffeinated with natural caffeine from green coffee beans. It is available at McCluskey’s, Bloomfield Road, Lallapolosa Baking Company also on Bloomfield Road, Hussars Coffee shop in Hampton Wick High Street, The Lime Tree and Thames Ditton Station Café.

“We are getting huge interest and hoping to get many more local businesses behind the brand and Love Kingston,” says Paul.

Tessa Kind, Community Fundraising Manager for Love Kingston says, ‘Love Kingston is delighted to see Green Cola supporting the community and helping boost our legacy fund with 10% of local sales coming to us as a donation. We really appreciate businesses getting creative with the way they want to get involved and encourage everyone to support Green Cola.’

For more information contact sally@wowpr.co.uk or gillie@wowpr.co.uk

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.

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

Win or lose, it was great to be on the AIT By Martin Booth It seems to have become naff to enjoy Friends, but I don’t mind admitting the programme still makes me laugh even after endless repeats.

One of my favourite scenes features the awards ceremony at which Joey, having practised his “gracious loser” face, totally loses his rag when it’s not his name that comes out of the envelope.

That moment came back to me when I was among a crowd of more than 250 at the 2017 Kingston Business Excellence Awards in October.

Because I honestly, genuinely, pleasebelieve-me seriously was delighted just to be there and to be a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year award.

My company, LeBoo Media, has been engaging with the Kingston business community for only a few months.

Indeed, the first local event I attended was the awards launch at Chessington World of Adventures on May 3.

So just to be on the shortlist was utterly fantastic – and I felt a massive surge of pride to see my name and some words about LeBoo in the awards brochure.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

This was a terrific night. I believe one is contractually obliged to describe the ceremony as “glittering”, but it really did live up to its billing.

There was a powerful feeling that Ravens Ait was playing host not just to the best that Kingston has to offer commercially, but also to a gathering of businesses with a strong sense of community and mutual support.

Indeed, it was notable that so many of the winners were keen to share the credit in their acceptance speeches, either with their colleagues or their fellow nominees.

The clear impression left was that Kingston is home to a thriving business community – and that being recognised as one of the leading enterprises in this area is a stellar achievement.

So, congratulations to all the winners.

And the best of luck to all of us who have been inspired to work even harder and smarter so that we have a chance of emulating them on the podium in 2018.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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spotlight on...

Cultural focus boosts Kingston economy The success of Kingston Town’s economy is based in a large part on the way that the public and private sector work together to celebrate its cultural attractions.

That sense of collaboration was perfectly illustrated recently when the new extension to Tudor Drive Library was unveiled following a community contribution agreement between Kingston Council and Berkeley Homes.

The new space was funded and constructed by Berkeley Homes as part of the development of the nearby Richmond Chase site, which includes the historic Latchmere House.

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The library extension houses a scaled model of a Hawker Jet aircraft, which was constructed at the nearby Hawker aircraft factory site on Richmond Road from the 1960s.

It also celebrates the rich history of Latchmere House, which has served as a private house, a World War One hospital, a WW2 interrogation centre and a prison.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Kingston Town Centre

Cllr David Cunningham, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Regeneration at Kingston Council, said: “It’s important that communities feel the benefits of local development and, through the section 106 agreement, we have secured a fantastic new facility for North Kingston.

“With links to the history of Latchmere House and Kingston's aviation heritage, the extension both celebrates our Royal Borough's impressive history and provides a brand new space which will be used by residents for years to come.”

Tony Pidgley CBE, Chairman of the Berkeley Group, said: “This library extension is a product of true partnership and I want to thank everyone involved for working with us to make it happen.”

spotlight on...

This news follows the council’s recent £500,000 investment into the borough’s seven libraries, creating a new look and feel, as well as introducing state of the art self-service technology. Tudor Drive Library welcomes on average 6,000 visitors a month and has seen a 12% rise in footfall in the past year.

partnership with local education providers, the voluntary sector and other community groups that will make this programme a real success. The grant will go a long way to provide a service that will give these individuals lifelong skills whilst delivering wider integration benefits for the community.”

The development dovetails neatly with the programme under way to see Kingston recognised as a cultural centre, part of which is work supported by the council to develop Kingston’s archive and collections.

Communities Minister Lord Bourne said: “New arrivals can be a great asset to Britain - boosting the local workforce and economy but in some places population change in a short space of time has put pressure on local services. We’re clear there are things we can do to address these problems.

Cllr Andy Johnson-Creek, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Culture at Kingston Council, said: “Since relocating the service into the Guildhall in October 2015, we have seen a 30% jump in the number of visitors through the door, which is great, but we’re now more focused than ever on expanding and sharing our rich history.

“Almost 2,000 people took part in our outreach activities in 2016 alone. Kingston is bidding to be the London Borough of Culture and it’s key that we shout far and wide about our borough and its rich history and exciting future.”

Language investment ‘will benefit companies’ The area’s employers are set to benefit from £338,000 of Government funds to support vulnerable refugees and migrants to learn English and engage more in the community.

Sourced from the Government’s Controlling Migration Fund, the investment will benefit Kingston’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Integration programme and help more people into work.

Kingston is one of forty local authorities across the country to receive the funding, which is set to create more independent communities and ease pressure on local services, including health and housing.

Kingston Council submitted the bid with local partners Kingston College, Independent Yemen Group, Learn English at Home and Refugee Action Kingston, who jointly form the borough’s ESOL and Communication Group. The group was set up in 2010 to work in a more co-ordinated way to support people moving into the area.

Leader of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Cllr Kevin Davis, said: “We have a strong The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

“This new funding will help councils rise to the challenge of reducing the impact of migration on local communities in a variety of ways.”

Many of the projects supported will deliver English language lessons to allow new residents to contribute to and feel part of their communities. They will also include education around British values and social norms, breaking down cultural barriers.”

Final countdown: Kingston prepares to submit London Borough of Culture bid

Kingston Library

“With links to the history of Latchmere House and Kingston's aviation heritage, the extension both celebrates our Royal Borough's impressive history and provides a brand new space which will be used by residents for years to come.”

Residents, local artists and Kingston communities are at the heart of Kingston’s bid to be the first London Borough of Culture, which was submitted to the Greater London Authority in November.

The bid highlights plans to bring together communities to get involved in cultural activities across the borough for years to come.

Cllr Kevin Davis, Leader of Kingston Council, said:“To be the first London Borough of Culture would not only be an outstanding accolade, but would also build on what the council is already doing, including creating new strategies to focus our efforts on economic growth and development, community engagement and culture.

“We’re at the start of a journey to having deeper and richer conversations with local communities, the results of which will shape Kingston’s future. It’s an exciting time for our Royal Borough and its communities and my hope is that Kingston becomes the first ever London Borough of Culture!”

Fairfeild Recreation Ground

“We have a strong partnership with local education providers, the voluntary sector and other community groups that will make this programme a real success.

The grant will go a long way to provide a service that will give these individuals lifelong skills whilst delivering wider integration benefits for the community.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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spotlight on...

Transforming travel through Kingston town centre The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames is undergoing a £30 million regeneration thanks to a Mayor of London and Transport for London-funded programme to keep the borough moving.

In 2014 Kingston Council was one of just three local authorities to win a share of £100 million worth of funding, to encourage more people to cycle and walk, improve safety and provide better streets and places for everyone to enjoy.

The Kingston programme, called Go Cycle, includes a network of cycling and public realm projects across the borough, which in turn are supported by a programme of complementary initiatives to encourage travel behaviour change, and identify and implement trip-end facilities, such as cycle parking, and cycle training.

Go Cycle includes ten linked routes, which will, wherever possible, connect to existing disjointed cycling

infrastructure to create a boroughwide cycling network, with improvements to footpaths and public spaces.

The programme of works include: • developing an attractive new public forecourt outside Kingston train station with improved access and crossings, a significantly enhanced arrival experience to Kingston town centre and to the river, as well as a new cycling hub • improving the Kingston town centre ring road to make it a safer and more attractive gateway to Kingston • enhancing Kingston's riverfront with new public spaces, improved access and facilities for the local community and visitors • improving key links connecting Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden, Kingston Vale and Tolworth

Co-operativism Comes Round Again

Community life in Kingston goes in 100-year cycles it seems.

Three times in the last 200 years – in 1817, 1917 and now 2017, co-operatives have been formed in Kingston.

Kingston museum displays a Notice from the 1817 Kingston Association announcing a savings bank, medical dispensary and housing association.

Kingston and District Co-operative Society was formed in 1917 and exactly 100 years later in 2017, Kingston has resolved to form a brand new co-operative involving

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Portsmouth Road is the first landmark scheme to be completed. Since its implementation in November 2016, cycling on Portsmouth Road has increased by nearly 20 per cent.

Construction is under way on three other schemes, including two in the town centre - Kingston Station and Wheatfield Way. The Kingston Station scheme design has won a New London Architecture Award in recognition of the health and wellbeing benefits the project will provide when it is completed.

Initial work on the scheme has seen a new taxi rank installed on Wood Street along with preparatory work at Fife Road and Wood Street for improved crossings.

bang up-to-date technologies such as crypto-currency.

Just like the co-ops before it, the Technology and Provident Society (TPS) will go through a membership drive process.

Watch out for public notices!

Enquiries to all@canburyworks.co.uk

Go Cycle Portsmouth Road two way segregated cycle lane

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Go Cycle Green Link to the River

The first phase of Wheatfield Way is well under way and includes a new two-way segregated cycle lane on Clarence Street (between Wilkos and the Rotunda).

Construction work on both town centre projects are being co-ordinated to minimise impact on residents and businesses as they progress through to late 2018.

Deputy leader and portfolio holder for the Go Cycle programme Councillor Terry Paton said: “The long-term benefits of the Go Cycle investment and regeneration is already being seen at Portsmouth Road where local residents and visitors can enjoy improved public spaces.

“In 2018 we will continue to steadily grow the network for cycling and walking, providing real alternatives for the way people travel around and spend their time in the borough.”

kingston A world of opportunity awaits Kingston businesses Economic Growth and Development Strategy Kingston Council endorsed its new Economic Growth and Development Strategy in September 2017. The EGDS will shape our work of supporting local businesses and ensure they are reaching their full potential, developing new ideas and products and providing jobs and services. The strategy aims to create the right environment for growth, providing workspace, especially offices, to accommodate home grown SMEs as well as attracting inward investment.

Diversification of the economy is necessary to break out of our current over reliance on retail.

To enable new sectors to flourish, we need to retain our young and highly skilled talent in the borough and give them the support needed to bring their enterprises to fruition.

resources. We work with the Department for International Trade organising trade events to inform local businesses on opportunities to export globally.

Based on businesses’ feedback, the initial focus will be on Asian markets such as Korea with Europe and North America following in the future.

To express interest, email us at kingstonfutures@kingston.gov.uk

Mentoring and advice For businesses at an earlier stage of development, the council is actively working with London & Partners, the Mayor of London's official promotional agency to introduce local businesses to their new programmes. This is particularly relevant to high-growth companies in the life sciences, technology and urban sectors. An introductory local workshop took place in Oct 2017, following which several local businesses have signed up for the programme and are featured on the L&P website. We will organise a similar workshop in early 2018.

To join, email us at kingstonfutures@kingston.gov.uk

Targeted at earlier stage businesses, in late 2018, we plan to launch a complementary 150 desk coworking and incubation space in the old Telephone Exchange. A Grade 2 listed Arts and Crafts style building, The Exchange will become a hub for business support programmes, networking and events for the business community. A full incubation and advice programme will ensure the best possible start for local entrepreneurs.

For more information on the development of the Exchange email: kingstonfutures@kingston.gov.uk

International activities

CGI representation of Lidl HQ

The competition launches annually in May, with applications open until August.

To participate, go to: www.kingstonawards.co.uk

Events

The Exchange at Kingston

businesses to promote themselves, acknowledge and celebrate success. We also hold regular Kingston Futures breakfast events to provide updates on emerging themes of interest for the business community.

For further information, visit our Kingston Futures website

Opportunities for our businesses to network and do business together is important for the local economy. Kingston Council and its partners have established two annual events: the Kingston Expo and Business Excellence Awards; both have gone from strength to strength over the last few years.

The events were launched to create opportunities for local

We work closely with London & Partners to promote Kingston as an investment location. One of our recent successes is securing Lidl’s new UK HQ in Tolworth, which will create 750 new jobs in the borough.

Recently, we facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between our local Chamber of Commerce and its counterpart from Jinju, South Korea, promoting bilateral trade and closer links between both districts. We will continue to pursue similar strategic partnerships with other overseas markets facilitating mutually beneficial opportunities for the borough's businesses and those of our partners.

To find out more, go to www.kingstonfutures.org.uk

Workspace

Trade and export There is a growing interest from local businesses to increase exports. This agenda will require smart and effective partnering to ensure best return from shrinking

The shortage of suitable, affordable commercial space in the borough is well recognised.

The council has taken active steps to safeguard workspace provision through recent acquisitions of Conquest House and King’s Place, two premium offices in Kingston, along with the Kingsmill Business Park on the outskirts of the town centre.

Peter Murray, Chairman NLA

Jinju and Kingston Chambers sign MOU

Contact us about any of the initiatives above or other business support topics via: kingstonfutures@kingston.gov.uk Follow us on Twitter @KingstonFutures and www.kingstonfutures.org.uk Kingston Futures

Kingston Futures 2018 Business Survey If you own or run a business in the borough of Kingston, we want to hear from you! We want local businesses to grow and prosper and want to know what support packages we can provide to make that a reality.

For full details and to take part, please go to: http://www.kingstonconversations.co.uk/2018-business-survey The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

11

skills

Boost your Business at RHACC It is an exciting time in Richmond and Surbiton, as the newly merged Richmond and Hillcroft Adult and Community College (RHACC) embarks on a new future and launches its combined course offer this January.

The focus is not only on the breadth of its adult learning, leisure and wellbeing courses, but also on its reinvigorated business focussed programmes.

The College, which has its main base in Parkshot Richmond, has been working with businesses and individuals seeking career progression for many years. It is now forging deeper relationships with the business community to ensure its programmes are relevant for the local economy.

Whether that’s the large multinationals along the M4 corridor or micro and smaller businesses closer to home, RHACC’s Business School’s comprehensive programme of study has been devised to develop skills and future-proof businesses.

Principal of the newly merged college Gabrielle Flint is determined to develop a rounded programme that not only provides formal, businessfocussed qualifications but allows for short bursts of skills development to improve efficiency and productivity. She said: “We have a dedicated Business School which is a

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contemporary space that is home to an exciting suite of courses - covering everything from professional qualifications such as Accounting, IT, Networking and Management, to workshops and skills programmes for every day essentials including Microsoft Office, Apple Macs, web design and PR and Marketing.

We employ expert tutors who share their industry knowledge in specialist areas such as blogging and social media, or Google analytics and metrics.”

Ms Flint continued: “We know that employers want training that makes a difference on the ground whether that’s supporting staff to gain valuable professional qualifications or just improving their knowledge and understanding of a particular aspect of business such as Excel or Word. We try to be flexible and agile – bringing on new courses throughout the year at times and days that suit the business owner and the busy individual.”

The new Facilities Manager Michael Pittams is also ensuring that the College’s superb

facilities on both campuses are available for hire to commercial partners. He said: “We have a growing interest in our rooms, equipment and studios, with many employers choosing to hire the theatre for presentations or training rooms for seminars, workshops and away days.” He added: “We can even develop a bespoke package that not only includes room and equipment hire, but also training elements or even fun activities for teambuilding such as cooking or pottery in our specialist kitchens or ceramics studios”.

The College is also developing incubator and co-working space to meet the needs of the many entrepreneurs and micro businesses in the area, where they can combine co-working with skills development if needed. The onsite café in RHACC’s beautiful and contemporary space means refreshments are on hand and the relaxed, welcoming and friendly environment is a refreshing alternative to the impersonal business suites so typical in this market.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

RHACC has its own Business Development unit which is charged with building employer relations and designing courses, products and services that will support the business community improve productivity and efficiency. The team can also design bespoke packages delivered on campus or in the workplace and have built up specialist knowledge in key industry sectors.

The College’s new campus in Surbiton is being developed to offer a wider range of courses to the local community – including specialist residential provision for women, businesses and specialist learner groups and also has specialist rooms and facilities for hire.

Both campuses are ideally located for the busy commuter being just two minutes from Richmond and Surbiton stations and with classes in the evenings and weekends it’s very easy to fit around busy work and life schedules.

For more information visit www.rhacc.ac.uk/employers or email rbs@rhacc.ac.uk

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS WITH A SKILLED AND QUALIFIED WORKFORCE NEW IN 20 01 18

ADULT

RA RACC CC HAS CREA CREATED TED A HUB FOR BUSINESS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT A RICH BUSINESS SCHOOL. ATT ITS RICHMOND • Qualification courses – AAT AA AT | CMI | Bu Qualification courses Business Admin | Computing • Short workshops Shor t courses courses and w orkshops – Web Web | Marketing | Office Office Skills Skills • Business start-up programmes Freelancing star t-up pr ogrammes – Social Media | Fr eelancing • Team building away | Dance Dance Team b uilding and aw ay days – Arts | Sports | Music | • Corporate hires Conferences Corporate hir es – Meetings | Confer ences | Seminars

FIND OUT MORE OR ENROL AT AT WWW.RACC.AC.UK WWW W.RACC.AC C.UK

APPRENTICESHIPS

Courses Courses at at times to suit you yo ou and your your b business usiness needs – daytime, e vening evening and w weekends. eekends.

V isit racc.ac.uk for course Visit details or talk to our Business Development Adviser on 020 8439 8933 or email RBS@racc.ac.uk

RICHMOND BUSINESS SCHOOL

skills

Apprenticeships – new opportunities – what has happened?

David Hillier Curriculum Director Higher Education and Apprenticeships, Kingston College May 2017 witnessed the launch of Apprenticeship reform and the introduction of the major drivers in the government’s strategy to protect the term Apprenticeship from misuse, achieve the target of three million Apprenticeship starts by 2020 and provide excellence in training provision for apprentices and value for money for employers.

Previous articles in Borough Business have explained how these reforms, including the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy payable by employers with a payroll bill of more than £3 million, impact upon businesses and the opportunities offered for employers, employees and future apprentices.

receive enquiries from employers, welcome interested employer representatives to our Apprenticeship Breakfasts and are busy in submitting tenders for Apprenticeship training, particularly in the public sector environment.

So, what has caused this drop in apprentice numbers?

Just six months later, in November 2017, the Department for Education reported a big fall in the number of workers starting Apprenticeships in England since the introduction of these reforms and the government's apprenticeship levy. Between May and July 2017, 48,000 people began an Apprenticeship which was a fall of 59% from the same period in 2016.

• Decision makers are busy – BREXIT et al. and the Apprenticeship landscape is a complex one and will take time and research to navigate.

What has happened? Are the government’s plans mired in the confusions created by BREXIT, worries about future increases in interest rates and the general uncertainty of the current UK business economy? Or, are Apprenticeships not as attractive as the government thinks?

Despite the newspaper headlines about the reduced number of new start Apprenticeships in 2017 training providers, such as Kingston College continue to

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• Employers paying the Apprenticeship Levy have 24 months to spend these funds (from their first payment in May 2017) and are taking time to formulate new schemes, which are in some cases impacting upon their existing Apprenticeship plans.

• Smaller businesses, which are not Apprenticeship Levy payers, perhaps have not recognised the financial benefit that the new co-funding arrangements offer (a small employer will contribute just 10% towards training costs with the government funding the remainder, and if employing a young apprentice, or care leaver, an employer will receive

£1,000 in recognition of potential support needs).

• Many businesses have not recognised the withdrawal of the age limit for apprentices and the opportunity to use the levy to upskill existing employees.

• The range of Apprenticeship opportunities is still growing with employers still to recognise that it is not, for example, just their engineering function that can benefit from Apprenticeship training but almost all of their business functions, customer facing and business support.

Kingston College is delighted to report that in January 2018 it will launch its first Degree Apprenticeship, one of the new opportunities presented by the 2017 reforms. The Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship, which will have at its heart a Management and Business degree validated by Kingston University, and will provide opportunities for existing employees in large businesses to be upskilled as part of a management training programme funded by the Apprenticeship Levy. It also offers formal management training for employees of smaller businesses

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

funded favourably by the cofunding model explained above and for businesses to recruit new young employees with promise and flair, who wish to launch their career on the management route rather than going to university.

This new Apprenticeship comes at the same time as Kingston College celebrates its merger with two other south west London colleges to form the South Thames Colleges Group. Existing employer relationships will continue as they are but for businesses interested in working with the College for the first time, and perhaps exploring these new Apprenticeship opportunities, a new central point of contact has been established at “The Business Centre.” www.thebusinesscentre.london – which will handle enquiries professionally and direct you to the appropriate contact to guide and advise you. For employers the enlarged College provides the benefit of scale and geographical coverage as well as the offering of a larger range of specialist training and Apprenticeships alongside the strong and well established curriculum links.

chamber events February Networking Breakfast Hosted by the Mayor of Kingston

Thursday 8th February Guildhall, High Street, Kingston, KT1 1EU

January Networking Breakfast

Thursday 11th January Warren House, Warren Road, Kingston KT2 7HY

Canbury Coffee

Wednesday 24th January 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

Understanding GDPR

Taking to the road for 2018 KBC Special Events Limited was set up in 2003 as an Event Organiser, principally working on their own Business to Business events.

Tuesday 20thFebruary Tolworth Court, Kingston University, Old Kingston Road, KT4 7QH Sponsored by NatWest

In 2013, they launched a running event, the Harry Hawkes 10, a 10-mile road event based in Thames Ditton.

February Networking Lunch

The following year this was joined by the highly successful Hampton Court Half marathon and in 2015 they added another 10-mile road race in Kingston, which became a half marathon in 2016 (The Royal Borough of Kingston Half Marathon).

Friday 23rd February The French Table, 85 Maple Road, Surbiton KT6 4AW

With three races now well established throughout the year they have plans for additional events in 2018, including a 10k race in the summer.

March Networking Breakfast

Thursday 8th March The Canbury Arms, 49 Canbury Park Road, Kingston KT2 6LQ

Presidents Ball Business Networking at Pearson Hards

Wednesday 31st January Pearson Hards Solicitors, Fountain House, 2 Kingston Road, New Malden, Surrey KT3 3LR

Friday 23rd March Following the success of the last two years, we will once again be hosting a Presidents Ball to celebrate the President, Mr Guy Fallows’ year in office.

Women in Business Networking Lunch

Friday 2nd February The Willow Health Restaurant & Bar 16 The Triangle, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 3RT

The year ahead at a glance

Race calendar 2018

• 2018 Networking Breakfasts:

February 18: The Original Hampton Court Half Marathon

• AGM 23rd May

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

It is also a favourite means of raising money for charity and KBC Special Events are associated with a number of local charities, including Momentum, Love Kingston, The Thames Boat Project and The Royal Star and Garter.

They have recently joined the Kingston Chamber of Commerce as they are keen to engage with local businesses.

11th January, 8th February, 8th March, 12th April, 10th May, 12th July, 9th August, 13th September, 11th October, 8th November, 13th December

The Royal Borough of

Running is an extremely popular activity whether for top line racers or simply as a means of keeping fit and Kingston Council have been very supportive of the efforts.

June 24: The Harry Hawkes 10 (miles) & The Ditton Dash 10k October 7: The Royal Borough of Kingston Half Marathon

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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hospitality

Hospitality The Day After Tomorrow In a world dominated by review sites and booking platforms, and faced with an ever-increasing range of smart technology, how can hospitality businesses keep up with the expectations of Customers The Day After Tomorrow?

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

Scaling the human touch Most people in the hospitality industry work with customers every single day. The human touch is an integral part of the business – it can make the difference between success and failure of a company – but as a hospitality business grows from a small boutique business to a major chain, is it possible to scale this personal, human touch?

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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hospitality “With so much of our lives now moving online, the number of human interactions is falling all the time.

This scarcity, however,only makes the genuine human interaction more valuable. People still like to buy from people, so social media offers a fantastic way to share your own story, add some genuine personality and scale the human touch to reach a huge number of people.”

Whether you are working in entertainment or running a restaurant, bar or hotel, you will inevitably be communicating with customers on a day-to-day basis.

These human interactions add real value to the customer experience, and they are often what make a business memorable in the mind of a customer. Customer expectations are changing however, and in the digital world we are increasingly expecting personalisation, so why not look to technology to make our offline experience more personal too?

Let me give you an example – one of my favourite hotels in Europe is the W hotel in Barcelona, and for the last few years we have organised our own events there. This means that every year, for three years in a row we have had about 30 guests staying there for four nights. That’s 120 nights and 360 rooms that we rented - so we felt that we were good and loyal customers to the hotel.

It is a fantastic hotel – but every single time we went to check in, the first thing they asked us was, “is this your first time in the W?” And of course, it wasn’t.

As loyal clients, that is not a

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question we would want to hear.

This is not the fault of the employee at all – he sees so many people on a daily basis that it is not humanly possible to remember everyone’s faces.

But it is sad that, with so much technology available, the employee wasn’t given any software that let him know that we were such a loyal client.

Imagine what a different impression I would have been given if the system had recognised me, given the guy on the desk information about my past behaviour and preference, and instead welcomed me with: “Welcome back Steven. Last time you arrived after an overnight flight you asked for an orange juice – can I get you one now?”

Now that would be a memorable customer experience, but if you really want your employees to really make that kind of difference with a human touch, you need to give them the technology to help them do so.

If you don’t spend money on technology to help your employees, you cannot blame them if they are not succeeding in creating that personalised experience we are increasingly coming to expect.

When Digital Becomes Human While most hospitality businesses understand the power of the human touch when working face-to-face with clients, unfortunately, many still underestimate the value social media can add online.

With so much of our lives now moving online, the number of human interactions is falling all the time. This scarcity, however, only makes the genuine human interaction more valuable.

People still like to buy from people, so social media offers a fantastic way to share your own story, add some genuine personality and scale the human touch to reach a huge number of people.

Today, so many customers share their experiences, images and reviews online, the reality is that for many hospitality businesses, marketing is becoming less about branding and more about customer experience. Whether it is through TripAdvisor or Booking.com, often all people care about is the reviews of other people, so to prepare for The Day After Tomorrow hospitality

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

businesses should focus on providing a memorable, personalised customer experience and then organise a tactical and technological mix around that.

Prof. Steven Van Belleghem is an expert in customer focus in the digital world. He’s is an award-winning author, and his new book Customers The Day After Tomorrow is due to be published in December 2017.

Follow him on Twitter @StevenVBe, subscribe to his videos at www.youtube.com/ stevenvanbelleghem or visit www.stevenvanbelleghem.com

hospitality Hotel seeks to build on a great start Hotels play a crucial role in the area’s hospitality sector.

We caught up with Steven Brazil, General Manager, of the DoubleTree by Hilton London in Kingston upon Thames, to see how the hotel has fared since its opening a year ago.

When did the hotel open and what are its big attractions for visitors?

Opening was 21st December 2016.

The hotel boasts 146 well-appointed en suite bedrooms and junior suites, three conference spaces including a boardroom for 10, training room for 20 and a ballroom which can seat up to 180 for dinner and theatre style for 260.

Each of the meeting spaces has state of the art AV equipment built in The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

including Clickshare technology which allows laptops and mobile devices to connect wirelessly.

The ground floor has a well-designed and appointed industrial chic restaurant named Hawkers after the history with Kingston.

How successful have you been since the launch?

The hotel has grown from opening from strength to strength with occupancy hitting the late 80s in July and to the end of October more than 52,000 guests had either stayed, dined or been to a conference in the hotel.

How helpful has your location been – do you get a lot of Londonrelated trade?

The proximity to the town centre, train station and some key venues (Wimbledon, River Thames, Twickenham

and Hampton Court to name a few) has proved to be a great driver of demand. We have also had a number of American and corporate guests use us as an ideal location between central London and Heathrow.

What are the big plans for 2018?

To build on a great start to a new business we hope to grow our reputation for conference and events particularly wedding and social events. We have a new head chef who started in November and we look forward to launching new menus next year.

We are planning some masterclasses around the chef’s table with our restaurant General Manager Jon Hamilton sharing some cocktail and drinks tips and tricks and Anthony Roach sharing some cooking skills.

Chessington World of Adventures an unforgettable hospitality experience Chessington World of Adventures Resort is one of the UK’s most exciting and unique venues for conferences, events and parties.

The Resort has private venues in both the Safari and Azteca Hotels, as well as the Theme Park. Make your event roar by including our Zoo and SEA LIFE centre or the rides and attractions to enjoy the full Business Gone Wild experience..

Located just 15 miles from Waterloo in central London, and a short drive from both London's Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, our state of the art meeting and conference facilities make us the perfect venue for you and your business.

We offer in built audio visual equipment, complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, complimentary parking and a dedicated conference and events team.

We offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor team building activities which include challenges across the Resort such as Go Ape. So why not treat your hard-working colleagues or business associates to an unforgettable experience with an event at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort.

For further details on our packages please contact our Conference and Events team on 01372 734 618 or email resort.enquiries@chessington.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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hospitality An atmospheric dining experience For more than 50 years, Harlequins has called the Twickenham Stoop home. A prestigious club that provide world-class rugby alongside esteemed hospitality and dining facilities at one of the most renowned rugby venues.

Competing in the top flight of English and European Cup competitions, Harlequins are an iconic club in South-West London with hospitality facilities to match.

Combining exceptional dining with unrivalled views of the pitch, The Stoop offers a fantastic setting to host a special occasion. With private boxes accommodating up to 20 people or one of the many shared lounges available, there are many exceptional options to choose from.

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Executive boxes are ideal for those wishing to entertain in a private area and host corporate events or birthday celebrations. Alongside panoramic views of the pitch and private balcony seating, guests can also enjoy a complimentary bar and three-course meal, that can be tailored upon request.

The Jason Leonard Lounge offers a true rugby clubhouse feel, containing memorabilia of Harlequins and England legend, Jason Leonard. The stylish décor is perfectly complemented by

relaxed carvery-style dining and guests are also welcome to enjoy drinks from the bar, a benefit which is included in the price of the package. Lunch will also be followed by a live question and answer session with a member of the Harlequins’ squad – an opportunity only available to those in hospitality.

After soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the dining experience of the day, guests then enjoy the match from the best seats in the house with the finest

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

views of the pitch. After the final whistle, the day doesn’t draw to a close and guests are welcome to stay and discuss the match and socialise in their box or in one of the many lounges.

Seasonal hospitality remains a popular option among Harlequins supporters – guaranteeing their place at every match and never missing out on the action. The variety of options allows clients to tailor their day around their needs and truly benefit from experiencing corporate hospitality at The Stoop.

hospitality MEET AT THE LENSBURY Do small things in a great way

Get away from your office to think!

At The Lensbury we look after you whether it is a meeting for six or a conference for 200.

Talk to us about your next event.

Call on: or email:

WARREN HOUSE

Meeting & Events • Bar & Restauarant • Rooms

020 8547 1777

email: info@warrenhouse.com warrenhouse.com

020 8614 6567

SA LE S @ LE N S B U RY.CO M

T h e L e n s b u r y, B r o o m R o a d , Te d d i n g t o n T W11 9 N U

Warren House, Warren Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 7HY

(Located 5 mins from A3, Robin Hood Gate)

Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Our Conference Centre comprises of six modern meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 300 delegates. All conferences are managed by a dedicated Conference Team, both before and during the event.

• Dedicated Executive Rooms • Complimentary WiFi • Meeting and Conference Facilities • Close to M25 and Main Airports Facilities include • Onsite Parking • Leisure Suite • Spa/Gym • 219 Bedrooms • Fully Air Conditioned • Natural Daylight

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

is perfectly located just 2 miles from the M25 (Junction 9), 15 miles from Waterloo in Central London and a short drive from Heathrow and Gatwick Airport.

It is a great venue for conferences, events and parties.

The Resort has private venues in both the Safari and Azteca Hotels as well as the theme park.

Make your event roar by including our zoo and SEA LIFE centre or the rides and attractions to enjoy the full Business Gone Wild experience.

01372 734 618

events@chessington.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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Stéphanie Son

• • • • •

English/Spanish → French Translator and Interpreter

M.A. in Translation Diploma in Police Interpreting (DPI) 18 years of experience French native speaker Legal – contracts, corporate policies, codes of conduct…

• Business – business processes, corporate communication • Marketing

Contact: 07946 040936

ssontranslations@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/stephson stephaniesontranslations.vpweb.co.uk

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

ask the expert Striking the right balance between the quick fix and the long game As we begin 2018, let’s look at some key themes that will shape digital marketing. Although activities like SEO and PPC (Pay-Per-Click marketing) aren’t new, we’ll see how they are increasingly important tools to market your business.

SEO is one part of the digital marketing mix. It’s a discipline that marries technical web development with content marketing.

SEO is a long-haul strategy, but many businesses are looking for a quick fix to their poor rankings in search. This has created an environment where unethical providers have been happy to make a quick buck by trying to game the system and trick the search engines. You should expect to be doing SEO activities for at least six months to see substantial improvements in your traffic. But it’s worth doing because good, solid, ethical SEO delivers very long-lasting results.

Where SEO is the long game, PPC can be the quick hit your business needs. Pay-Per-Click shows ads on the Google search and display network, other search engines like Bing, and social

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. PPC also covers retargeting - seen an ad which follows you around after you’ve visited a website? You’ve been retargeted!

With PPC, it’s all about the plan.

Set objectives, the right budget and the right channels, and you can achieve fast results inexpensively. One size, however, does not fit all. Each platform requires its own approach, and the differences can be subtle.

Another piece of the digital marketing jigsaw is SMM or Social Media Marketing.

We’re talking about using social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to raise brand awareness and start a conversation with your customers.

We understand some business owners are sceptical about social. But if marketing is about gaining the attention and trust

of potential customers, then social media is the perfect solution. It can show your business’s unique personality and keep you top-of-mind.

Social media leverages the inherent trust between friends, which is powerful marketing juju.

Riding alongside these activities is email marketing. This continues to be a phenomenally effective marketing technique, despite the uncertainty around GDPR. Whilst we don’t believe that the new regulations will kill off email marketing we do know that companies will need to be much more responsible and diligent in how they collect and use personal data such as email addresses.

None of the activities of digital marketing are used in isolation.

A cocktail of SEO, PPC, SMM and email marketing is the right approach for most businesses.

The trick is finding the perfect balance through developing a strategy, measuring the results and refining and optimising as you learn more about what attracts your desired audience.

Looking to the future, in our increasingly mobile driven world, voice search is highlighting the importance of local SEO. With often only one search result available in voice search, the need to be number one has never been greater. Local SEO is crucial for businesses with a shop-front or tradespeople, who operate within a set geographical radius.

Dotwise are a Surbiton-based digital marketing team helping local businesses be brilliant online. Contact us on 020 8399 4920, email hello@dotwise.uk or visit dotwise.uk.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

23

inspirational leader

The challenges of being a world leader We caught up with Paolo Formica, Managing Director & North, Baltic and Arctic Sea Area Manager for Saipem, to talk growth, skills and Brexit 24

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

inspirational leader

Tell us about your company.

Saipem is a world leader in providing a full range of Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation contract services (on a ‘turnkey’ basis) to the offshore and onshore oil & gas industry.

It means that we are able to do everything that is necessary to have any oil and gas facility in place – from the engineering to the installation of the facility itself.

Thanks to its unique assets and vessels with high technological contents, the company is especially skilled in operations in remote areas and deep water.

It is constantly striving for innovation and in this regard in our HQ in Milan we have opened an “Innovation Factory” where ideas are born and developed and our people look at and investigate digital solutions. In the UK we have been present as Saipem Limited since 2010, prior to which we were Saipem UK Limited since 1983.

Our offices in the UK are in Kingston–upon Thames and in Aberdeen. Saipem Ltd is important in our system as from our offices in Kingston we manage all our projects in the North, Baltic and Arctic seas.

The main areas of activity are the Offshore Engineering, Transportation and Installation, construction and decommissioning for our main clients which include the major oil companies such as Statoil, BP, Repsol and Eni, regional oil and gas players like Lundin, AkerBP and Premier and developers in the Offshore Wind farm such as Orsted.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

Tell us about your career and your journey to your current post?

I have wide experience through entire oil and gas value chain.

I actually started 25 years ago working in the exploration and production sector. It has been a 16 year long constructive experience: I could deal with National Oil Companies in North Africa, Middle East and the former Soviet Union and with almost all the western oil majors. I have always learnt a lot by working with people coming from different backgrounds and cultures.

After that, I moved to the gas and power business where I spent about 4/5 years negotiating gas contracts with the major suppliers of gas to Europe: Gazprom from Russia, Sonatrach from Algeria, NOC from Libya, Statoil from Norway, Gas Terra from the Netherlands and QatarGas from Qatar.

In 2013 I joined Saipem.

After three years as head of Procurement and Contract Management worldwide I am now happy to be Managing Director of Saipem Ltd and, as such, responsible for the Engineering and Construction Offshore activities in the North, Baltic and Arctic seas.

What are the big challenges affecting the sector in which you operate?

The major challenges in the years to come concern the need to adapt to a market where the long term prospects for the price of oil will be between 40 and 60 dollars per barrel.

Saipem has implemented a cost-cutting programme of 1.7 billion euros over three years worldwide. Thanks to these massive efforts we have restructured the company and relaunched the organisation so that it is better positioned to meet those challenges and seize the opportunities arising from the scenario change.

What are the company’s plans for 2018? What are the big opportunities?

Though we are currently drafting our next four-year plan where our future activities will be discussed amply, I am sure that we will focus even more on technological innovation and digitalisation.

With respect to the regional area I am responsible for, I believe that, in addition to the traditional services related to the oil and gas field development, a number of opportunities will come from the decommissioning business (i.e. the removal of platforms, pipes and other subsea facilities belonging to fields which will not be in production anymore) and the development of the offshore wind farms.

Especially on the latter, massive investments are expected to come in Northern Europe in the next 10 years.

What effect, if any, is Brexit having on your business?

Well, first Brexit has not taken place yet. As things stand, the ongoing negotiations have not affected our business.

It is difficult to give a clear answer to the question at this stage. Most, if not all, will depend on the outcomes of the negotiations. No doubt that the area, and the North Sea in particular, will remain attractive for our business.

I hope that outcomes of the negotiations will provide suitable technical solutions to any problems that need to be addressed.

You work in highly skilled sector – how are you addressing the skills shortage that is much talked about?

Saipem is not suffering from a skills shortage, and, in fact, can boast some of the best sector resources in the world.

Moreover, we train our new recruits in such a way that one day they themselves will be great engineers, great project leaders and great managers.

“Saipem has implemented a cost-cutting programme of 1.7 billion euros over three years worldwide. Thanks to these massive efforts we have restructured the company and relaunched the organisation so that it is better positioned to meet those challenges and seize the opportunities arising from the scenario change.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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international focus Kingston strengthens business links with South Korea Kingston Chamber and Kingston Council welcomed a delegation of Korean business officials to the Guildhall on 21st November 2017.

The event aimed to strengthen the borough’s business links with South Korea.

Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry from the Jinju Province visited specifically to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kingston Chamber of Commerce.

The historic signing took place at the Guildhall and was also attended by the Mayor of Kingston, Cllr Julie Pickering, Sir Edward Davey MP and a number of Chamber Directors who represent local businesses from around the borough.

The new agreement between both Chambers of Commerce demonstrates a commitment on working closer together to develop international trade, investment opportunities, the transfer of knowledge and skills, as well as promoting the development of better relationships with Korean businesses in Kingston.

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Jinju Province is a significant player in the aerospace and car manufacturing industries, and it is also renowned for its silk production. The signing of the MoU is the first that Jinju has formalised with any Chamber of Commerce in Europe and paves the way for closer collaboration in the future.

Jerry Irving, CEO of Kingston Chamber of Commerce, said: “The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding is both a historic and momentous event which will enable us to build stronger ties with this important trading area of South Korea. New Malden has a significant Korean population, with many residents also owning and managing businesses and we believe this commitment to work together will help us to develop closer relationships with the Korean business population in the borough”.

This visit follows the trip to Jinju in October 2016 by the Leader of

the Council, Cllr Kevin Davis, former Kingston Mayor, Cllr Geoff Austin and Kingston University’s former Assistant Director of Business Development, Amir Pirouzi.

Speaking on behalf of Kingston Council, Leader of the Council, Cllr Kevin Davis, said: “I am delighted to see that the positive momentum created during our visit to Jinju last year has not been lost. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is a hugely significant milestone in strengthening our links with Jinju and will undoubtedly deliver tangible benefits for both sides.”

Speaking on behalf of the Korean delegation, Mr Ha Kae-baek, Chairman of the Jinju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “It was a great pleasure to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the Kingston Chamber of Commerce and Jinju Chamber of Commerce today. Thank you so much for the warm welcome to

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

our delegation. From this moment on, I hope both sides will be prosperous in the future.”

Following the signing ceremony, the delegation visited Kingston University, where they had a tour of its state-of-the-art aerospace and aircraft engineering facilities and discussed opportunities for students including placements with Korean companies.

Dean of Kingston University’s Business School, Professor Ronald Tuninga, said: “Developing strong international partnerships is key to ensuring the University continues to attract the best global talent and increase its growing reputation on the world stage. We have a strong international focus, with our staff, students and alumni now representing more than 150 countries. The University plays a significant role in the cultural and economic development of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and we welcome this visit from the Jinju Chamber of Commerce.”

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Modernising insolvency

Adam Nakar

At the end of the Abu Dhabi race, Formula 1 unveiled its new logo, designed to bring the sport into the modern, online age, and give it a new identity under its new owners.

finance Securing finance, even when the bank says no

By Bruce Burrowes

The response to the new logo, largely negative, was best summed on one website:* “People rarely like change, so it came as little surprise that the majority of fans and observers panned [its] introduction.”

In 2017 there have been significant attempts to similarly bring insolvency into the modern, online age, and reinvent its identity and perception with businesses and individuals.

Firstly, the Insolvency Rules 2016 came into force on 6 April 2017, totally reformatting and significantly rewriting rules that had been in place for up to 30 years. Rarely liking change is true for many insolvency practitioners; the time spent training for the new rules, adapting forms and processes to comply with them, has been a major gripe for many throughout the year! Though many changes have worked – standardising processes, simplifying most decision procedures, and opening up the use of online communication, they have most obviously failed in restricting physical meetings, and creating convoluted ways around this in scenarios where it obviously remains the best choice, confusing directors and creditors alike. The modern era must not be about restricting face to face interaction.

Secondly, there have been efforts to encourage companies and their financial advisors to seek professional insolvency advice early, to improve prospects of business survival and recovery. I wrote about this briefly in my previous article, while our licensing body, the ICAEW, has produced booklets for us to pass to directors and advisors to understand how an insolvency practitioner can help them, and when and what signs they should look for when seeking help. Please contact us if you would like a booklet for your teams, or to pass on to your clients.

Finally, WSM Marks Bloom has modernised this year.

We have moved out of our old, homely yet flaky office into a lovely new, bright, refurbished premises overlooking the River Thames. We have also embraced our future, with two young partners being added to our firm for 2018. We hope that, if you need our advice or services, you will find us a modern and easing place to come and chat. *Crash.net

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

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Following a successful rebrand in May 2017 from TaxAssist to Kingston Burrowes Accountants, and expanding his team to incorporate another local accountancy practice, Bruce is now pleased to announce the launch of Kingston Burrowes Finance Ltd offering a specialist commercial broker service for SME clients throughout the whole of the UK. Bruce and his clients were often disappointed by the lack of financial support offered by many of the traditional banks. However, failing to secure a loan or financial help from a bank isn’t the only option or indeed the best option for many business owners. Using a commercial broker can offer clients access to the necessary funds needed to enable them to start or grow their businesses, however accessing these services is unknown territory for most and can often be frustratingly difficult, complicated or slow.

Bruce recognised a need for a local, independent commercial broker who could offer both the support and expert

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

advice needed to help businesses secure finance. He therefore launched Kingston Burrowes Finance Ltd offering services such as Commercial Mortgages, Property Development Finance, Business Loans, Short Term ‘Bridging’ Finance, Factoring or Equipment Leasing. Bruce also offers advice on Grant Funding and how to secure funds via the Government Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFGS). Offering SME clients immediate access to over 250 alternative UK based Commercial Lenders and Private Banks.

All have funds available to lend and are keen to support the right proposition.

As a local business owner and trusted accountant, Bruce offers genuinely independent, impartial, straightforward honest advice, given freely and without obligation. He provides a fully managed service to secure the most competitive funding offer available from the entire market. In addition, if required, he can organise any property valuations, insurances and legal support necessary to complete the transaction.

Kingston Burrowes Finance is a members of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB), ensuring that you will get trustworthy advice that adheres to an industry recognised Code of Practice.

Find out more at www.kbfinance.co.uk

finance Cautious welcome for Budget Officials from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have given a guarded welcome to the Autumn Budget presented by Chancellor Philip Hammond in late November.

Measures outlined in the budget included: Business Rates will rise linked to the Common Price Index (CPI) from April 2018, switching from the less favourable Retail Price Index (RPI). Business rates revaluations will take place every three years, rather than every five years, starting after the next revaluation, currently due in 2022.

Mike Spicer, Director of Economics for the BCC, said: “Businesses welcome any attempt to blunt the rise in business rates and the switch from RPI to CPI indexation is a step in the right direction. However, this still leaves firms facing a 3% increase in April. The Government could have done more to boost confidence and productivity by going further, and abandoning the uprating altogether this year, given the climate of sluggish growth and uncertainty.

“With rates bills increasing further, UK firms will be dissuaded from investing in their plant and premises because they are penalised with even higher bills for doing so.

Successive governments have tinkered with the business rates system, but fundamental change is really what’s needed.”

More investment in R & D Mike Spicer said: “The aspiration to boost investment in research and development will be welcomed by businesses across Britain. The UK has long under-invested in R&D compared to our international competitors and closing this gap will be crucial if the UK is to thrive on the global stage after we leave the European Union.

“However, businesses will eye the details carefully. Past efforts to increase privatesector R&D have often failed to connect with small companies. Government will need to work with business communities across the UK to ensure we don’t make the mistakes of the past, but instead build the innovation economy we all want to see.”

More funding for transport across England - £1.7 billion will go towards improving transport in English cities.

Mike Spicer said: “We called for a ramping up of infrastructure investment across all of the UK, both to get long-term projects off the drawing board, and for the delivery of ‘quick-start’ projects, and commitments to road and rail projects were welcome.”

No change to the VAT threshold.

Suren Thiru, Head of Economics, said: “Businesses across the UK will breathe a huge sigh of relief that the Chancellor has decided not to reduce the VAT threshold in the near term. At a time when firms are facing rising upfront cost pressures and uncertainty over Brexit, a lowering of the VAT threshold could well have proved to be a tipping point for many small firms and entrepreneurs.”

More funding for growth Suren Thiru said: “The lack of available long-term patient capital remains one of the key issues facing the UK, and solutions

to this long-standing problem will be critical to growing the business champions of the future. We, therefore, welcome the additional funding for the British Business Bank to help boost patient capital investment and the extra support for investment in knowledge-intensive industries – which will provide some welcome headroom for investment in some of our most promising firms.”

Increased housebuilding Jane Gratton, Head of Business Environment and Skills, said: “The building of new homes creates opportunities for many sectors in the economy and ensures that employees can find homes in their local communities. However, the increased focus on using brownfield land for housing must not push up prices or drive out employment uses, exacerbating the current imbalance in the supply of land for jobs and homes.

This is a growing concern for business communities up and down the country who struggle to find suitable sites so it’s disappointing not to see an intelligent use of greenbelt land.”

The National Living Wage for those aged 25 and over will increase from £7.50 per hour to £7.83 per hour from April 2018.

More than two million people are expected to benefit. For a full-time worker, it represents a pay rise of over £600 a year. The National Minimum Wage will also increase. Jane Gratton said: “Most businesses already pay above the National Living Wage, but for the others the latest above-inflation increase comes at a time when they face a myriad of other upfront costs and uncertainty about investment and recruitment.

“Our research shows that sharp increases in the National Living Wage will cause many firms to implement cost reduction measures, such as reducing recruitment and staff hours or increasing prices. It’s important the Government retains a flexible approach going forward to protect businesses and not price people out of jobs.”

An extra £3 billion to prepare for Brexit over the next two years BCC Trade spokesperson Ronan Quigley said: “This fund must be used to support businesses who will need to deal with the practicalities of leaving the EU. More than 131,000 businesses who are only trading in the EU will need to have the resources and capacity to deal with new customs systems, new trade facilitation processes and the reality of a new trading relationship with Europe. This will be crucial to the success of our economy after March 2019. “HMRC must be given the resources and infrastructure they need to support exporters and importers as they navigate the UK's exit from the EU, especially as their departmental resource budgets are forecast to decline.”

Professional Advice and a friendly service Caplon Property Finance Caplon Property Finance are highly experienced and qualified advisors who offer a whole of market review for all your mortgage needs.

Daniel Emerson

Whether it is to buy a new property or refinance a home or rental property, Business owners and the self-employed can find that obtaining a mortgage is a difficult task.

Caplon’s focus is proving excellent customer service, providing step-by-step support for clients; and providing up to date advice in what can be a rapidly changing market, to help their clients make the right choices that suit their personal circumstances.

Their dedicated and hard-working team ensure that you get thorough and sound advice to help deliver a complete solution that is right for you.

They understand the stresses that come with finding the right Mortgage deal and finding the most suitable lender to assess your situation.

Some of their areas of expertise cover: • Mortgage lending based on 1 year’s accounts • Buy to Let with no income declaration • Affordability assessed on Net profit and not on income drawn from a company • Advice on Business Insurances such as Key Person cover, relevant life cover for directors and staff, shareholder protection and more through a selected panel of insurers.

Think carefully before securing other debts against your home.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it.

What their clients have said: “… We were able to obtain a higher amount than we initially anticipated which was an excellent bonus. He made the process so simple and I trusted him implicitly. He asked for more information than other mortgage brokers but all for good reason - his attention to detail enabled him to secure us a better mortgage.” “…I can wholeheartedly say there is nothing Daniel could have done better. He surpassed every expectation in terms of service and knowledge. I would recommend him time and time again (and have!)” “…What we most valued was the transparency and honesty we received… we always knew where we stood with our application at every step of the way and were fully aware of every detail of the service he provided. …His passion and client commitment are what sets him apart from all mortgage advisers we have previously worked with.

We know where we will go to again and continue to recommend.”

For more information please contact us on Telephone: 0203 727 5177 or Email: info@caplon.co.uk Website: WWW.CAPLON.CO.UK

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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finance

Getting the balance right The work of a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner is not all doom and gloom!

By Lauren Cullen MAAT FCA MABRP Licensed Insolvency Practitioner This year at Cullen & Co we have spent the majority of our time working with successful business owners, assisting them to close their companies down in a tax efficient manner.

The process is not as well known as it should be and therefore this article provides a brief overview for future reference.

Why enter into a Members’ Voluntary Liquidation (MVL)?

A solvent liquidation/MVL is used for a company that is winding down its operations. Possible reasons to do this could be that: • The directors or shareholders are looking to retire.

• The company was a Specialist Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that has now ended; or

An MVL works for companies that have over £25,000 in reserves, enabling distributions to be made to shareholders to be treated as capital, rather than income.

What tax savings are available?

Capital gains tax applies instead of income tax, at rates currently of 10% for basic taxpayers or 20% for higher rate taxpayers.

Shareholders may also fit the criteria to qualify for entrepreneurs’ relief and pay tax at 10%.

At Cullen & Co we offer to shareholders the option of taking distributions over two tax years to utilise their annual capital gains tax exemptions, currently at £11,300 for 2017/18, rising to

£11,700 for 2018/19. Solvent liquidations can be undertaken at any time during the year.

What is the MVL process?

• Speak to a licensed insolvency practitioner to discuss the company’s position and work together to provide all the necessary information.

The insolvency practitioner will also liaise with your accountant to ensure the company’s accounts are up to date and corresponding returns are made to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

• The director(s) swear a Declaration of Solvency (essentially a company balance sheet).

• The shareholders agree to put the company into MVL and

• The director/shareholder has now found permanent employment and no longer needs to operate through a limited company.

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

appoint a liquidator. The liquidation is registered at Companies House and is advertised in the London Gazette.

• The company’s bank account is closed, and funds are remitted into a designated liquidation bank account, along with any debtor money.

• Creditors are paid and distributions are made to the shareholders • The liquidation is concluded once authority from HMRC is granted.

Seek advice Speak with your accountant or feel free to contact Cullen & Co for free and confidential initial advice.

person behind the business Company owner seek changes to boost property sector Peter Greenwood came to his career working in Kingston’s property market through a somewhat unconventional route.

The founder and owner of Greenwoods Residential Sales and Lettings, he established the business six years ago after 37 years serving with the Royal Navy.

He joined the service as a sixteenyear-old boy sailor and spent the next four decades on vessels all over the world, taking in conflicts including Kosovo, the Gulf War and the Balkan Conflict, during which time he became a very experienced Warfare Officer.

Peter rose through the ranks to Commander but at the age of 54 Royal Navy rules meant that he had to retire from his globetrotting frontline lifestyle.

He said: “I felt too young to retire from working and I really wanted to own my own business and, having a huge passion for property, I decided to set up my own estate agency.

“Having been a successful landlord myself over the past 20 years, I really felt I had a good understanding of the property market so I decided to set up the business in the area in which I adore living with my family and where I have lived for the past 17 years, which is Kingston.

“After trading for five years in the North Kingston area, I am pleased to say that our business has gone from strength to strength, selling a number of wonderful houses and flats and having also rented out a large number of properties.

“The rental market continues to grow year on year as many people find themselves unable to afford their first starter homes. There has also been a significant increase in the number of people opting not to move but to extend their existing houses instead.”

One major driver for the slowdown in house sales over the past year and a half, Peter firmly believes, is the continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

He said: “The majority of people who move out of central London to live in the Kingston area do so to take advantage of the The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

outstanding schools, the amazing recreation areas like Richmond Park, Canbury Gardens and being able to walk or bike ride alongside the River Thames, not to mention the superb shopping centre, restaurants and bars.

Who wouldn’t want to live here?

“However, a large proportion do not work in the borough, they make that 26-minute train journey each day to work in central London which is right on our doorstep.

“With the uncertainty of Brexit those people working for banks or insurance companies or international businesses, with headquarters in London, are going to be worried that the businesses may move or whether or not their job will be safe.

“Brexit and the new Stamp Duty is having an effect on the property market as more and more people are deciding to wait to see what happens and opting to extend their homes instead of moving, which is actually very good for the Kingston economy as good quality builders and tradesman are really busy, but it does have a damping effect on the property market.”

He believes that changes in the recent Budget will have a beneficial effect on the market but only at the lower end of the market up to the £500,000 bracket.

Chancellor Philip Hammond announced in November that he would abolish Stamp Duty land tax on homes under £300,000 for first-time buyers.

However, Peter says that for the vast majority of Kingston residents the new duty will continue to really hurt families if they wish to move, with the average price of a twobedroom property costing £400,000.

And although he welcomes the Chancellor’s announcement that 300,000 extra new homes a year will be built, Peter believes that it is essential that the Government keeps to its promises to build these new homes.

He said: “The real key to building new homes is providing homes that people in the public sector can afford, by that I mean our teachers, nurses, fireman, policemen, blue light services, and these properties then need to be protected for the future for these type of people, not resold after two years onto the open market.”

Central to easing such challenges, he believes is offering more support for the private rented sector. Peter constantly gets called by tenants who are on benefits and desperately trying to get a decent rental home. However, most of his landlords will not take

housing benefit tenants because if the tenant fails in the future to be entitled to the benefit or if they stop paying the rent then it will cost the landlord on average £3000 to evict them and the advice the council gives to the tenants is to sit tight until the bailiff arrives at which time they will then be given emergency housing.

He believes that councils can do more to support the rented sector by offering a rent guarantee insurance scheme so that landlords housing people on Universal Credit are not out of pocket should a tenant default.

“The majority of people who move out of central London to live in the Kingston area do so to take advantage of the outstanding schools, the amazing recreation areas like Richmond Park, Canbury Gardens and being able to walk or bike ride alongside the River Thames, not to mention the superb shopping centre, restaurants and bars.

Who wouldn’t want to live here?

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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top tips Keeping your Business, in Business, throughout Winter…

Winter and the festive period can be the busiest time of the year for a lot of businesses.

The cold and wet weather, along with increased demands and workloads, put our businesses under pressure to perform, and any problems that may arise, can really put a glitch in the system!

Giovanni Barreca, Director of boilerPRO Limited, a local Plumbing & Heating business, has a few tips and preventative measures, that will make sure you are able to keep your business, in business, throughout Winter…

Whether you run an office, a retail outlet, a hairdressers, pub or restaurant, ensuring your business premises is well maintained, will ensure that you reduce the risk of defunct toilets, cold showers or the inability to wash the dishes.

Bear in mind, at this time of year, trades and service companies, are also stretched with increased demand. Why risk the need of an urgent ‘premium rate’ response, extended lead times and escalated costs, when you can check for any potential warning signs, and carry out property maintenance, before things go wrong?

1

Get your Boiler serviced

Fix those small things!

If you’ve got a small drip on a tap, a slight leak with a bucket underneath, or a toilet that flushes... eventually, get it done now!

Putting off the inevitable really seems illogical when it causes chaos and cost later on.

2

Smart thermostats allow you to control your Heating & Hot Water remotely. It will stop staff fighting over the dial, alert you should your system stop working and ensure that your system is always left on, even set low, to prevent freezing issues.

Check your Hot Water Storage has a back-up plan

Most Hot Water Cylinders have Electric Immersion Heaters that work independently, should your Boiler breakdown. What if when you need them, they let you down?

4

Get smart!

boilerPRO Limited, an award winning local business based in Chessington, offer a commercial “Winter Health Check.”

For further information and prices visit www.boiler-pro.co.uk or email admin@boiler-pro.co.uk We’re here to help you keep your business, in business, over Winter.

D Dyno yno D Drains rains

removing bl ockages E Expertly xpertly removing blockages ((and and sstress) tress) across across K ingston Kingston C Call all 0 01932 1932 76 765 55 555 55 or or e email mail ssupport@calldyno.com upport@calldyno.com ffor or your your local local expert. exper t.

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3

Your boiler is the heart of your home or business and often the main source for heating & hot water. Getting it serviced by a qualified GAS SAFE Registered engineer, will check that the boiler is in good, safe, working order.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

a day in the life...

Keeping people safe in difficult situations In these turbulent times, the issue of security has never been higher on the agenda, a situation which has led to the rapid growth of Cobham-based Shield Associates.

Created in 2013 by former senior Metropolitan Police officers Dave Gair and Ian Smith, the company’s services are much in demand across areas including the borough of Kingston.

Working with companies, individuals, educational establishments and community groups, the former officers bring to bear their extensive experience in everything from crime prevention and risk assessment to personal safety training and critical incident management.

They also work with a team of associates to deliver their services, each one of them specialists in aspects of security.

Co-director Dave said: “Having both retired from the Met, we decided that we wanted to pass on our experience.

“The company has kept on growing and every day is different. In fact, it is the sheer variety of what we do that keeps us interested.”

The work ranges from advising major companies on staff and premises security to working with school and college students, women’s groups and charities.

Shield Associates also advise nightclubs and pubs on how to abide by the licensing laws.

As Dave says: “During my police career, I was responsible for closing down a number of clubs because of licensing problems. The work we do now helps them to stay open.”

The Royal Borough of

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

Although advising businesses on security, perhaps the most fulfilling work that the team does is personal safety instruction, including a lot of work in schools, colleges, young people’s charities and vulnerable groups.

Dave said: “Myself and Ian remain hands-on and enjoy doing the training sessions. In a typical week up to two days can be taken up with training sessions, with other time spent on our security consultancy commitments.

“In this age when there is concern about things like knife crime, it is important that people, especially young people, know how to keep safe.

“Above all we promote a safety awareness culture where early recognition of risk and creating distance between you and the threat are key to staying safe.”

The personal safety training is based on Five Cs Personal Safety Model devised by Shield Associates.

Those taking part are taught how to: • Check – how to recognise danger signs and identify escape routes if they find themselves in a situation in which they might feel uneasy

• Change – how changing things like your location, your speed, pace or direction can help avoid trouble • Challenge – how to verbally challenge people who are making them feel threatened, which is not always easy • Charge – Why running away, or creating distance, is the best form of self-defence.

• Call – they are reminded of the importance of calling for help Dave said: “The thing about the 5Cs response is that it gives you a plan to deal with situations where you might be feeling intimidated or come in to conflict with someone.

“It’s easy to learn and helps you from freezing if in a conflict

situation. Not everyone can challenge, however, so it is useful to know that shouting at someone posing a threat is an option and does have benefits.

“Not so long ago I heard about a thirteen-year-old boy who had undergone training with us at his school.

“He was out one evening when he was approached by a man who asked him to help find a lost dog. The boy remembered what he had been taught and shouted at the man to leave him alone, which attracted the attention of a couple nearby who came over to see if he needed help and the man disappeared.

It is very rewarding when you hear stories like that.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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starting up Going the extra mile to guarantee customer service Making the difference between a good trip and an amazing experience Caroline Giaconella

Q4 What do you like most about working for a start-up?

Travel Counsellor T: 0203 3936550 E: caroline.giaconella@travelcounsellors.com www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/caroline.giaconella Q1 Tell us a bit about your business?

the specific needs of my passengers is the heart of my business.

I am an independent travel agent based in Kingston upon Thames. I’m part of a franchise called Travel Counsellors which gives me access to great negotiated fares from flights to hotels, cruises, attractions and much more.

Q2 What gives your business ‘the x-factor’?

While I can access loads of greats rates, I still provide a personal service. I have a passion for providing exceptional customer service. Finding the best solutions to suit

As a keen traveller myself, I know what makes the difference between the good trip and an amazing experience.

Q3 What motivated you to set up the business?

After working for over 15 years in travel agencies, I was never satisfied with the service we provided. I wanted to go the extra mile, even ten miles! Now I can book the best option for my customers, not the recommended suppliers of the agency. I am available seven days a week.

Handpicked holidays from our experts

Whether you're looking for a far away adventure or a weekend escape, browse our holiday ideas to discuss the very best, hassle free holiday advice.

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I meet new people every day and I love being more involved in my community.

Q5 What has been your lowest moment?

It can feel a bit lonely sometimes to work by yourself but usually it does not last long.

Q6 What would be your top tip to someone thinking of starting up their own business?

I would say: go for it! I think the most important thing is to be well prepared, lots of research and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need to. For me it’s an industry I know well so the transition wasn’t too difficult.

www.travelcounsellors.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Rest, Relax & Refuel THE WHITE HART HOTEL

The perfect place to enjoy home-cooked food and a first class drinks range... The White Hart Hotel is the ideal spot to pop into when you’re near Hampton Wick. In fact it’s so ideal you’ll want to check out our gorgeous bedrooms a little much-needed luxury during your travels.

Use code SLEEP25 to get 25% Discount on our flexible rates for Businesses when you book

B E A UTI FU L BEDROOMS

BY FULLER’s

Valid for Stays between 2 January and 9 February 2018

20% OFF for all Chamber Members when Dining with us The White Hart Hotel 1 High Street Hampton Wick Kingston-Upon-Thames Surrey KT1 4DA

Tel: 020 8977 1786 Email: whiteharthotel@fullers.co.uk