Inspire January 2019

INSPIRE.30 The business magazine of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce January - February 2019

Meeting the challenges of securing the right job

n Focus on East Hertfordshire Working to support a flourishing economy in East Hertfordshire - p 12

n Inspiring

- page 4

n Last Word

Hertfordshire Awards 2019

ambitions - David Moule

- p 24

- p 50

Supporting SME growth

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Contents

Welcome Need direction from politicians not a chess board of differing views Brexit uncertainty is weighing on the economy and trade.

In December, the latest GDP data is further evidence that the drag effect of persistent Brexit uncertainty and significant cost pressures faced by consumers and businesses is taking its toll on the UK economy.

The slowdown on the underlying three-month measure in GDP was largely driven by a weaker service sector growth as car sales fell.

That said, the service sector still made the largest contribution to overall economic activity, with manufacturing and construction adding little to overall UK growth.

The widening in the UK’s trade deficit is a concern and reflects a sharp rise in goods import, possibly due to certain businesses deliberately building inventories in the UK due to these uncertainties. Trading conditions for UK exporters are deteriorating amid moderating global growth and uncertainty over Brexit. In saying this, Hertfordshire exports measured by the Chambers export documentation service is up on the same period last year It has been a chaotic time in Westminster, with political games once again overshadowing the Brexit process. At the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) they continue to call on parliamentarians to put the economy and the country first and highlight the very serious consequences of a messy and disorderly exit. In this time of heightened uncertainty for business, the BCC remain focused on the practicalities and seeking answers for their member’s business communities. Going forward, the BCC will continue to provide their accredited chamber networks which includes Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, with information as and when events progress in Westminster and Europe. It’s worth just mentioning that the BCC through its 53 UK accredited chamber networks represent some 75,000 businesses and several million employees.

During December we received some good news with the government announcement that it is looking to put apprenticeships (page 4) and T-levels on the same footing as traditional academic qualifications.

I, along with the BCC have long

called for vocational education to be valued alongside traditional academic routes something which is working well in countries such as Germany. Another BCC Chamber Network policy win, capping off a year of successes, including raising the Annual Investment Allowances, reform of the Apprenticeship Levy and relief for the high street.

These are examples of the value of being a member of a BCC accredited Chamber such as Hertfordshire.

At the end of 2018 a joint publication from Grant Thornton and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was released with the title “Hertfordshire Limited 2018” and the caption “Strong Performance in an Uncertain World” which is clearly positive and possibly bucks the trend in other areas due to Brexit. Hertfordshire Ltd is a study of the top 200 largest privately owned companies in the county and confirms the county’s economy is doing very well. Double digit growth in both sales and profit in 2018 are very encouraging. However there are still challenges ahead at a local and national level in terms of productivity for example and it will be interesting to read the Governments forthcoming publication on Review of Business Productivity. I have been concerned for some time on this issue. The UK is at the bottom of the G7 league table in productivity on generally accepted metrics and a fundamental aspect in improving productivity, is technology adoption which needs investment. This concerns me greatly because uncertainty is not the ally of investment requirements and we know that investment is down, so I wonder whether we will be stuck in this lower productivity position for some years to come.

In other news, I am pleased to report that we are now in partnership with the LEP funded Hertfordshire Growth Hub, along with Exemplas and the University of Hertfordshire. I believe strongly that the BCC accredited Chamber of Commerce for Hertfordshire should be involved in the Growth Hub and have a strong relationship with Hertfordshire LEP, the University, Exemplas and the Hertfordshire business community generally (Page 15).

I am also especially pleased to report that after very many years of trying, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce has at last achieved an award at the BCC National Business Awards held in November at Tobacco Dock, London. We received the National Runner-Up Award in Excellence in International Trade Services. This is a significant award because we were Runner-Up to Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce; the largest Chamber of Commerce in the UK and is testament to the quality and commitment of the staff involved in our Chamber of Commerce (Page 23). To put icing on the cake for Hertfordshire, one of our members MCP Property Services, Hertford was the national winner of the Customer Commitment Award. A good night overall for Hertfordshire (Page 42).

In December the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce had a visit from Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowdon, MP for Hertsmere, who visited to discuss the Prime Ministers Brexit plan. We also accompanied him on his visit to the University of Hertfordshire Incubation Hub (Page 22).

Finally, I was invited to the official opening of the newly upgraded terminal at London Luton Airport (LLA) on the 13th December.

The Secretary of State for Transport the Rt Hon Chris Grayling officiated the opening. LLA are a valued member of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce; the Airport employs some 10,000, and around 30,000 in their supply chain, many from Hertfordshire. Another interesting statistic is that some 2 million Hertfordshire residents used the Airport in 2018 and is of strategical importance to the Hertfordshire business community too.

Let me wish our staff, our members and our stakeholders the very best for 2019.

By Neville Reyner CBE DL Hon DLitt Chairman, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Hon. Past President of the BCC

Apprenticeships Building a rewarding career 4-8 Focus on East Hertfordshire 12-13 Economy 15 Inspirations Leaders 16-17 Member Focus 18 Patron Focus 19 Herts Global 22-23 Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 24 Past Events 25 Chamber Events 26-29 Tourism 30-31 New Members 33 Membership Benefits 34 Building Connections 35 Finance for Business 37 Compliance 38 Members News 40-43 Skills & Development 48 Last Word 50 •••• Editorial and General Enquiries Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce MacLaurin Building, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9NE Tel: 01707 502180 Email: enquiries@hertschamber.com Web: www.hertschamber.com Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published January 2019 © Benham Publishing and Hertfordshire 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. 1616 •••• Disclaimer Inspire is published for Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members.

All correspondence should be addressed to Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce.

Views expressed in Inspire are not necessarily those of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. ©2019 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.

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Apprenticeships Building a rewarding career

Meeting the challenges involved in securing the right job 4

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Finding a good job is an increasing challenge for our young people. Where do they look? What‘s the best option?

Further education or employment?

How about a career in construction, either as an apprentice or management trainee?

One thing is certain in these uncertain times – the opportunities are there if you know where to look.

Apprenticeships Building a rewarding career

Build a career in construction Willmott Dixon HR and diversity manager Sally Cleaver gives tips to help parents advise their children about choosing the right career…

As a parent myself, I know it can often be quite a daunting task for parents to help their sons and daughters to choose a career – there are simply so many options!

So here are some of my tips on how to approach the subject: Be proactive - while you may already talk about careers, don’t be afraid to bring it up with them if they don’t.

You could ask questions such as • ‘Have you talked about careers at school?’

• ‘Have you started to put your CV together?’

• ‘Are there any careers fairs coming up at school?’

Keep an eye on the school newsletter too; they’ll often tell you what they’re covering and what events are coming up.

Your support will be a great help,

but remember not to take over or force your aspirations or ideas onto them. It has to be what they want to do.

What they enjoy is most important Encourage your son or daughter to think of what they like doing and are good at. To help them match their interests with different careers, they can talk to their careers adviser at school and ask their friends, teachers and other family members what jobs they think they’d be good at. Completing a personality questionnaire such as the one on the Go Construct website, will flag up the types of jobs they might be suited to in a particular industry. I’d also advise doing some independent research online and go to careers fairs to explore the different stands.

Keep an open mind I would recommend that all options are investigated – even careers that they might not have considered – and don’t rule out an industry based on preconceptions or because they assume it doesn’t offer the job they want. Every industry is made up of a range of job roles, many of which they may not be aware of.

My daughter’s school ran a ‘take your daughter to work’ day and she originally didn’t want to come to Willmott Dixon because she thought that construction meant just being out on site,

Building a rewarding career

but she spent time in the legal, finance, communications, recruitment and health and safety departments and had a great experience.

Talking to somebody who does the job your child is interested in or getting some work experience with a company are great ways for them to find out more about their options.

Think about every option Consider all the routes available not just the traditional university options; this includes apprenticeships, trainee schemes and other opportunities which will have their own benefits.

But don’t stress!

Please don’t stress about it too much!

While it’s important to start thinking about careers, don’t put too much pressure on them.

I suspect that there will be lots of changes in thoughts and aspirations and that’s OK.

Whatever is decided at an early age isn’t going to prevent a career change in the future if they want to.

If you are interested in finding out more about careers in construction then there is a lot of support out there – you can visit the Go Construct website or why not watch some of our management trainees talking about their experience of working in construction in our trainee blogs? With trainee opportunities in preconstruction, production, sustainability and much more they can really help give an insider’s view of the construction industry and you may be surprised the career paths available!

For information about careers in construction, email careers@willmottdixon.co.uk To find out more about Willmott Dixon, email Vincent.james@willmottdixon.co.uk www.willmottdixon.co.uk

“I would recommend that all options are investigated – even careers that they might not have considered – and don’t rule out an industry based on preconceptions or because they assume it doesn’t offer the job they want.”

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University of Hertfordshire Social Space Ground Breaking We are a proud and stable family owned national construction business based in Hertfordshire.

Our construction teams are responsible for creating great places to live, inspirational spaces to learn, modern places to work and protecting our heritage for future generations to enjoy.

We do this by listening carefully to our customers, investing in our people and spending wisely with our local supply chain.

Through the fantastic efforts of our people we ensure everything we do has a lasting positive legacy and enhances the life chances of those we work with.

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Apprenticeships Building a rewarding career

Why opting for an apprenticeship makes sense Increasing numbers of people are opting to do apprenticeships.

For some it is about upskilling in their current role at work; for others, particularly for young people, apprenticeships provide an opportunity for them to start their careers and earn a wage while gaining a qualification.

In the 2017/18 academic year, Hart Learning and Development (Hart L&D), part of Hart Learning Group which includes North Hertfordshire College, had more than 750 apprenticeship starts, the most starts of any Hertfordshire provider.

Hart L&D has a diverse offer across a broad range of sectors

from health and care, to leadership and management, digital marketing, construction and engineering.

There is a broad age range, too – from 16 to around 55 years of age. The focus is on identifying where the labour market need is both in Hertfordshire and nationally and then making it as easy as possible for employers to fill their skills gaps. Hart L&D is by no means the largest provider but this can often be an advantage because employers will receive a responsive, personalised service.

The other major consideration for learners and employers is progression. Apprentices do not want to be joining a company to just make the tea, they want to see that there are real opportunities to build their skillset and progress in the organisation.

Hart L&D offers a range of qualifications from intermediate level 2 to level 5, the equivalent to a foundation degree, and the opportunity to progress through the levels with one employer.

For example, with one of our clients, Ramsay Healthcare, an apprentice can join as a

Healthcare Support Worker, progress to a Senior Healthcare Support Worker then a Healthcare Assistant Practitioner and there is an option to progress on to a nursing degree apprenticeship, too.

This is an industry wide challenge. We have also been helping to shape future initiatives across the construction, rail and infrastructure industries, by attending industry workshops, supplier diversity forums, and working alongside WISE, and Inclusive Employers.

Apprenticeship show to return Following the success of the 2018 inaugural Hertfordshire Apprenticeship Show, the University of Hertfordshire will be hosting the event once more on 6 March, during National Apprenticeship Week.

Exhibiting is open to employers currently partnered with UH or one of the Hertfordshire FE colleges. However, they have guest tickets available should you wish to find out more about becoming a future partner of the University.

The event is set to attract about 500 delegates from across the region, making it a fantastic opportunity for employers to showcase their current and/or future apprenticeship vacancies, engage with prospective applicants, and show them the diverse range of apprenticeship opportunities available in their industry.

The event will feature employer exhibitions and talks, occupational workshops,

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Expert professional development that’s right on your doorstep

and potentially, an employer recruitment space where businesses can hold activities like consultations, informal interviews, and pre-screening tests for potential candidates.

Delegates will get to hear more about apprenticeships as an alternative route to their careers, as well as be inspired by the experiences of current apprentices.

If your company is interested in exhibiting at the Show, visit go.herts.ac.uk/exhibit For more information, or for a guest ticket, contact be@herts.ac.uk or +44 (0)1707 286406

Train with Tate equips your existing staff with recognised industry qualifications and what’s more..you can pay for it through your Apprenticeship Levy.

For more information contact hitchin@tate.co.uk

81%

88%

80%

More attractive to customers

Increased Employee Statisfaction

Reduced staff turnover

APPRENTICESHIPS that work for you

At Hart Learning & Development (Hart L&D) we offer apprenticeships to companies of all sizes both locally and nationally including Lloyds Bank, the Co-op Group, Ocado, Ramsay Healthcare and Quantum Care. Sectors include: Leadership and management Business support Health and care Motor vehicle Retail management Digital marketing Engineering and construction Employers choose us because we identify and nurture talent specifically for them. We provide individualised time and attention to each of our clients plus strong teaching, learning and progression.

In 2017/18 Hart L&D had over 750 apprenticeship starts, the most starts of any Hertfordshire provider.

To find out more, ring us on 01462 471041 or email on enquiries@hartld.co.uk.

White Rose Training The little firm with big impact!

Accredited and bespoke training tailored to meet your needs

We can help with staff or self-development: Coaching skills, Management training, Advice & Guidance, Education & Training, assessor qualifications and other soft skills development.

We have trained company in-house trainers, college, school, university staff & managers so why don’t you cut out the middle man and come to the source?

Apprenticeships in: Business Admin, Team Leadership, Retail and Customer Service (more will be introduced this year).

We can help you use your Levy!

We can offer you: • High quality • High success rate • Widely experienced staff • A trusted company with affordable prices Currently in partnership with: New City College, PADI and Simply Academy. Interested in helping others if you are looking for a partnership too!

WRT: your local specialist for training consultancy, bespoke delivery and qualifications.

National specialists in Information Advice and Guidance training, giving us the edge with all training support and enquiries.

White Rose Training Ltd White Rose House, 81 b/c High Street, Ware, Herts SG12 9AD 01920 466 552

info@whiterosetraining.co.uk

www.whiterosetraining.co.uk

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Focus on East Hertfordshire

HUDS project

Working to support a flourishing economy Enabling a flourishing local economy is one of East Herts Council's three top priorities.

A supportive business environment provides employment, helps ensure the health of our high streets and contributes to a thriving district.

Hertford and Ware are two of the five towns that come under the remit of East Herts and to help small businesses in their first year, the council has been

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offering a discount of up to £10,000 in business rates.

helpful especially in our first year with all the bills that come in.”

Among those who have benefitted is Sovereign Dry Cleaners in Ware, whose owner Zahid Chaudhry has recently taken over the business. He said: “The application process for the discount was easy although it took a couple of months to arrange. It’s very

The council’s executive member for economic development, Gary Jones, said: “The council is keen to do what it can to support businesses and the local economy. The aim of these grants is to give businesses a helping hand and encourage them to locate in East Herts.”

Zahid Chaudhry

Focus on East Hertfordshire for many years. It is exciting to see the project coming to fruition.”

Tina Barnard, Hertfordshire LEP Board Member and Chair of the Strategic Infrastructure Board, said: “We are delighted that this investment will kick start much needed improvements and ensure that this vibrant market town continues to thrive.

“Hertfordshire LEP has an excellent track record in investing in the regeneration of our town centres and I am delighted we can widen this out so that more communities can benefit.”

VisitHerts

Better looking in Hertford Meanwhile in Hertford, the council and its partners have been completing a project to improve the centre of the county town, creating a more attractive environment for shoppers and visitors, and encouraging investment into the street.

East Herts Council has been working with Hertford Town Council and Hertfordshire County Council on the improvements.

The Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership secured £200,000 from the Local Growth Fund, which along with £500,000 from East Herts Council and £300,000 from Hertford Town Council, helped to start bringing these plans to life, beginning with Maidenhead Street.

A raised crossing will promote connectivity between the town and Hertford Theatre, while

prohibiting cars from entering Maidenhead Street – the main shopping street - between 10am and 5.30pm will create a dedicated area for pedestrians and shoppers.

Councillor Bob Deering, Hertford Urban Design Strategy chair, said: “We’re really pleased that our residents will start to see the improvements that we have been working on for the last couple of years coming to life.

“Hertford is a great place to live and work, but we know improvements are needed and we’re pleased that in just a few months, residents and visitors to the town will begin to feel the benefits.”

Councillor Jane Sartin, Hertford Town Council representative, said: “This is a project that Hertford Town Council has been pleased to be involved in, having seen the regeneration of Maidenhead Street as a priority for the town centre

VisitHerts is the official tourism service for Hertfordshire and provides expertise and support for attractions, accommodation and destinations across the county to raise Hertfordshire's profile as a tourist destination and to increase visitor numbers, jobs and business opportunities.

As a partner with VisitHerts, the council provides it with financial support as well as information and photographs about attractions within the district.

As well as providing support through their website and social media channels, Visit Herts also provides business to business support with regular networking events and representation at trade events.

Hertford, in particular, features strongly on the site with lots of ideas about places to visit with the family, accommodation and more.

You can find out more at www.visitherts.co.uk For more about East Herts Council visit www.eastherts.gov.uk

“The Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership secured £200,000 from the Local Growth Fund, which along with £500,000 from East Herts Council and £300,000 from Hertford Town Council, helped to start bringing these plans to life, beginning with Maidenhead Street.”

Jane presenting Lucy with her assessor’s certificate

Helping companies grow White Rose has been based in Ware since it was founded in 2001

by Jane Hinken, the MD. Jane used to work at Herts Regional College (HRC) as a Careers Adviser until she decided to set out on her own with an advice and guidance consultancy. She was asked so much about training that she saw the gap in the market and soon progressed into a training company.

White Rose Training’s name is inspired by her hometown York. Jane’s love of her hometown is what made her eventually settle in Ware after moving down South, as there are many similarities between the two places; with Ware’s rich history, picturesque scenery and bustling high street.

All of these things contributed to her wanting to bring a family up here. She did that, and WRT was initially a ‘cottage industry’ with her children collating training packs on the dining room table after school. The company grew, as did her children and her first born daughter Lucy is now the centre Manager and head of student support.

The business is very much a family business with various members of the clan working there over the years. They feel that they fit in very nicely with the family feel of Ware.

Although they do happily train internationally as well as nationally, there is no place like their beautiful half-timbered cottage that they like to call their ‘office home’ off Ware high street.

Just as they enjoy developing their own staff and watching them grow, they take pride in helping companies and individuals flourish.

Nestled in the centre of town they look forward to growing with Ware as they watch new businesses blossom.

As part of the comradery and spirit that Ware portrays, they would like to offer free consultancy on any Hertfordshire business’s apprenticeship needs. Many small companies are unaware of the advantages of hiring an apprentice, not only for themselves but also to give people the opportunity to learn a trade and new skills whilst they work (we want to help change that!).

Alongside apprenticeships White Rose also offer training in Advice & Guidance, Management, Coaching, Customer Service as well as many other soft skills development courses. We wish Ware a successful year ahead and we look forward to supporting businesses in their growth both intellectually and financially. Don’t forget to support local businesses by shopping local!

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Hertford and Ware, Fanhams Hall, Hertfordshire

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Economy

Growth Hub project boosts the local economy by £12.2 million A recent independent report, carried out by Kada Research, has shown that over the last two years the Hertfordshire Growth Hub project contributed £12.2 million to the local economy and created 190 jobs.

The report highlights the integral role the Growth Hub plays in enhancing the competitiveness of ambitious local businesses and their capacity to grow in regional, national and international markets.

The service is at the core of local business provision and since its inception, in 2014, has delivered impartial support to in excess of 1,700 Hertfordshire based SMEs. Offering in-depth guidance and advice to businesses that have the propensity to grow, the Growth Hub ensures that all businesses in the county have access to the most appropriate support options available; at any stage of their growth journey.

Charlotte Howie, Founder of luxury children’s towels manufacturer Hooded Owls, reflects on her experience of the service; “We have been blown away by the support provided and the advice and knowledge we’ve received has made a huge difference to my way of thinking.

The Growth Hub supported our commercial objectives and the

business has grown, resulting in the recruitment of three new employees.”

It is support like this that leads to continued innovation and productivity amongst the county’s businesses. The launch of the Industrial Strategy has increased the focus on innovation, productivity, scale-up and skills, which has led to the Growth Hubs services being aligned to ensure businesses receive the advice and insight needed to succeed. The report shows that in Hertfordshire, whilst innovation levels are strong it is mostly seen within larger companies, so emphasis needs to be placed on supporting start-ups to grow into the larger businesses of tomorrow. 71% of businesses cited improvements in their approach to growth as an outcome of working with the Growth Hub and 45% stated improved productivity as the wider benefit of accessing the Growth Hub service.

Whilst Hertfordshire is recognised as a county with a highly skilled workforce, businesses cite a

struggle to compete with the opportunities and salaries of London, as a significant challenge to their business growth. With 20% of the Hertfordshire workforce commuting into the capital daily, it is vital the Growth Hub service supports businesses to attract and retain top talent.

It is also important to harness the talent of the future and the Growth Hub’s Skills Brokerage Service offers a £1,500 apprenticeship grant to businesses, enabling them to build the capacity of their people.

The Growth Hub’s service has been strengthened by the recently formed consortium led by business support services provider Exemplas, together with the University of Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. The consortium recently secured the new contract and will lead the development of the Growth Hub to deliver on the Hertfordshire LEP’s intentions for the Local Industrial Strategy.

Hertfordshire Growth Hub Head of Service, Sian Ryan, elaborates

on the consortium’s plans and emphasises the importance of innovating the service to meet the changing demands; “As we enter 2019, there are exciting developments for the Growth Hub service. We understand the growth barriers that affect local businesses and with the changes being driven by the Industrial Strategy, we recognise the need for accessible advice and resources. Understanding this, we are innovating the way we engage with businesses and part of this will be the development of the new digital business advice platform. This will allow businesses to easily engage with the service on demand and access the wealth of support available across the county.”

You can access the Hertfordshire Growth Hub services by visiting www.hertsgrowthhub.com, where you will also find information on the apprenticeship grant and other incentives currently available to Hertfordshire businesses.

If you would like to receive a copy of the report email enquiries@hertsgrowthub.com

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Inspirational Leader

How sharing breakthroughs is allowing companies to achieve great things Stevenage is taking advantage of the most exciting period in the history of bioscience and playing a key role in making the area an international centre is Dr Sally Ann Forsyth.

Sally Ann and her team at Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst are doing it in a way that may seem counter-intuitive in the competitive world of business by bringing people together to share their knowledge and their breakthroughs.

Dr Forsyth was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in March and was given the task of leading the science park through its next phase of expansion.

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst is a joint venture between the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, GlaxoSmithKline, Wellcome and Innovate UK. Its aim is to give the next generation of pharma and biotech companies access to expertise, equipment and opportunities, thereby allowing them to take ideas through to commercialisation.

At its heart is a culture of open innovation, a sharing of knowledge that will accelerate the discovery of cutting-edge healthcare solutions and place the UK bioscience sector at the forefront of worldwide biomedical innovation.

Such an approach dovetails with the skills exhibited by the new CEO because Dr Forsyth came to the job with a proven track record in establishing and developing science parks that are

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supported by coalitions between academic, commercial and government organisations.

She said: “This is my fourth science park and the job was a very attractive prospect because Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst has everything to support growing businesses.

“One of the most exciting things is that we have a strong ethos of collaboration. We encourage people to share their experience with each other and, as a result, we have developed a strong pipeline in research, translation and commercialisation.

“If you see a new technology in a patent or a paper you are too late. You want to be where the breaking wave of innovation is happening and it is the interaction between people that drives this.”

It’s a philosophy she has espoused throughout her career.

Prior to taking up her role as

CEO, Dr Forsyth was CEO for Norwich Research Park and the first Director of both Harwell Oxford and Colworth Science Park where she was responsible for leading their transformation into national science parks.

A scientist herself, she has a doctorate in molecular biology from Cambridge University and is a qualified chartered global management accountant.

Dr Forsyth said: “My job is to lead the centre into the next stage of expansion following a period of consolidation where the team got everything in place.

“The site offers companies access not just to knowledge but also world-class facilities and expert mentoring, all of which makes for a supportive environment and increases the opportunity of getting new products to patients.

“We have companies of all sizes and the larger ones help

“At its heart is a culture of open innovation, a sharing of knowledge that will accelerate the discovery of cuttingedge healthcare solutions and place the UK bioscience sector at the forefront of worldwide biomedical innovation.”

the smaller ones. They remember what it was like to be small.

“We also help companies gain access to finance. Since we opened, the organisations based here have raised more than £650 million to develop their products.”

Among the developments that excite her is the news that new life-changing cell and gene therapies for use in health services around the world will be produced in small scale in Stevenage by biotech firms after the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGTC) was granted new licences.

The licences, awarded by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, will help companies collaborating with the CGT Catapult at the Stevenage manufacturing centre to develop therapies that can progress faster to clinical trials and commercial supply.

More cell and gene therapies are becoming available for patients, and the new licences represent a significant step towards establishing the CGT Catapult’s manufacturing centre in Stevenage as an international hub for the development and production of advanced therapies.

Inspirational Leader

An exciting story with much yet to be told Hotel Chocolat has made great strides since its formation in 2004.

Some would say that, with its belief in ethically-produced, premium chocolate, the company has changed the way that many people think about their favourite confectionery.

However, talk to CEO & Cofounder Angus Thirlwell and it is clear that, despite the company’s remarkable achievements, much of its story remains to be told.

Angus, together with his business partner Peter Harris, started selling chocolates online in 1993, becoming one of the UK’s earliest ‘e-tailers’, predating the likes of Amazon and eBay. Creating Hotel Chocolat in 2004 was a logical extension of their work.

they do on their Rabot Estate plantation in Saint Lucia, where they operate their own ‘Engaged Ethics’ scheme.

Since 2006 they’ve turned Saint Lucia’s ailing cacao industry around, dramatically improving the quality of life for more than 200 local farmers through their Island Growers programme.

Today, the company employs 1,400 people, has more than 100 shops as well as cafés and restaurants, has opened boutiques abroad, including Japan, New York and Copenhagen, and has developed a portfolio of unique chocolates, all made according to their mantra of “more cocoa, less sugar”.

When the first Hotel Chocolat shop opened its doors in Watford in 2004, it was the start of a revolution; Angus and Peter were on a mission to ‘make chocolate exciting again’.

But there is much more to do.

Angus said: “If Hotel Chocolat was a ten chapter book, I think I would say that we are at the end of chapter two.

They are one of the world’s few chocolate makers to actually grow their own cocoa, which

“A lot of what we have done has been about establishing ourselves and enabling us to try to become a global brand.

Angus Thirlwell; CEO, Hotel Chocolat

“Throughout it all, we have remained loyal to our belief in premium chocolate. I think that people are prepared to pay a bit more for something if they believe it is uncompromising in its approach, although if you analyse our prices and the percentage of cocoa in our chocolate, they are not that expensive. When you compare them with chocolate you can buy in the supermarket, they compare pretty well, per gram of cocoa.

What has happened has been exciting. In 2015, for example, their cookbook, A New Way of Cooking with Chocolate, was published, their first West End store opened on Regent Street, and in 2016, the company listed on the London Stock Exchange, and was named Mid-Market Business of the Year at the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards, open to any PLC with an annual turnover of £25 to £500 million. It also took home 18 Academy of Chocolate Awards, including three Golds.

“It feels like we are just at the starting line and the key to our success is that we are constantly innovating. Innovation is bubbling up all the time and, in contrast to other chocolate companies, we do not regard creativity as something just for specialists.

Angus said: “We see opportunities on all fronts both in the UK and abroad.

Our retail operation goes well in all regions of the UK and our online presence offers plenty of opportunities. The key is to be flexible and agile.

“We put together people who might not normally work together, bringing together creatives with those with technical skills to see what happens.”

“We have just opened shops in Tokyo and New York and are hugely looking forward to unfolding our brand internationally.

“We see opportunities on all fronts both in the UK and abroad. Our retail operation goes well in all regions of the UK and our online presence offers plenty of opportunities.

The key is to be flexible and agile.”

And, yes, Hotel Chocolat does have a hotel: the beautiful Boucan on its Rabot Estate in the Caribbean, where they have created a unique Anglo-Saint Lucian dining experience with a twist of cocoa, something they brought to Britain, too, launching the Rabot 1745 restaurant in London’s Borough Market in 2013.

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Member Focus

Hotel refurbishment leads to increased interest from event organisers Chamber member Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club in Ware is beginning to see the benefits of a recent major refurbishment.

The hotel invested £1.7m into a new look for its meetings and events spaces, in a bid to keep at the forefront of innovation and technology and attract more business events as a result.

Following completion of the work, the Jacobean style country club and retreat, which is set in 200 acres and is home to a Championship golf course, spa and restaurant alongside its bedrooms, now has newlyrenovated corporate spaces, redeveloped via a vision from Lucid Interior Design.

The new look has been designed to create a ‘seamless flow between each meeting and event area’, with three new meeting rooms created – Cedar, Pine and Willow, which can host ten, eight and six delegates respectively.

With these new additions, Hanbury Manor now has 17 individual meetings and events spaces, and can cater for events large or small.

Each meeting room has been given new Clevertouch screens, Smart write on walls and Clickshare connectivity.

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New signage technology also gives guests better navigation around the building.

General Manager Russell Prior said: “The idea of the refurbishment was to provide inspiring event environments to our clients and grow the number of business events that we host.”

“Introducing state of the art technology was important. Today, people are so time-conscious which means we need interactive and collaborative technology like the Smart Write on Walls and ClickShare connectivity that they can use quickly and easily.”

“We are seeing the benefits of the investment and the amount of interest has grown significantly. The big challenge for us is converting that interest into bookings.”

“We are seeing a vast slowdown in bookings for major business events because of Brexit”.

“Previously, people would book large events eighteen months to two years in advance but now they are leaving it later and later because they are not sure about Brexit.”

“As a major employer in the area, Brexit is also a worry for us because of the impact that it may have on bringing in workers from European Union countries.”

“We will continue to work closely with schools and colleges to attract young people and showcase the vast opportunities available in the hospitality industry. Our apprenticeships, work experience and internship programs offer a broad and balanced study program to offer young people a specific route into the sector.”

Despite the challenges, Russell is confident that Hanbury Manor will continue to grow its business events and activities such as weddings.

There is much to recommend the venue, which is located in picturesque countryside, on land that once housed some of England's most important historical figures.

Rebuilt in the stately Jacobean style, the hotel surrounds you with timelessly elegant design accents like towering wood-

panelled libraries, inviting open fireplaces and unique furnishings.

The indoor and outdoor facilities make the hotel one of Hertfordshire's most captivating event destinations, and the location of memorable weddings and successful business meetings.

Hanbury Manor sees its support of the Chamber important.

Russell said: “The Chamber is an information point for us.

Attending events helps us better understand the local business community and let businesses know what we can offer.”

Hertfordshire Chamber are holding their monthly Chamber Lunch at Hanbury Manor Hotel on 17th January.

For the chance to attend the lunch and see these major refurbishments at the hotel, go to www.hertschamber.com/ event/details/321

Call Alex Loxley on 01920 885 011 or email Alexandra.Loxley@marriott.com to book a site inspection to see the hotel’s transformed meeting and event spaces for yourself.

Offer Enjoy Free Bacon Rolls or Drinks Reception when you book and hold your meeting between 11th January & 30th April 2019.

Patron Focus

CEO Vida Barr-Jones

COO Leona Barr-Jones

CMO David Langdown

Marketing agency Focus7 practices what it preaches with exciting brand refresh Rapidly-growing brand and digital marketing agency Focus7 is marking its success by taking the advice that works so well for its clients.

The agency, with its headquarters in Hertfordshire and another office in North Yorkshire, was founded in 2015. It has evolved to employ 20 people after recording 86% growth in its first year and 34% in the second and third.

Focus7 specialises in strategic and creative marketing that has a transformational effect on its clients’ fortunes. Bold, relevant brand perception is key to this approach – which is why the agency embarked on a brand project of its own.

The result is a revitalised brand look and feel that will springboard Focus7 to the next level of growth.

“We always stress to our client partners that a brand is never done, it is continually evolving,” explains Chief Operating Officer Leona Barr-Jones. “If you stand still in business, you are in danger of being left behind. So now that we have evolved from a marketing consultancy to fully-fledged brand and digital marketing agency, the time is right for a refresh.”

The project was very much evolution rather than revolution, with the agency keen to retain certain brand elements that were known and respected by clients and prospects.

Says Leona: “Our Head of Creative Milda Rowlinson was at a Chamber of Commerce lunch recently and was wearing a dress in our brand colours of purple and lime green. She met someone who said, ‘you must work for Focus7’, so we knew we had valuable visual assets that we had to keep.

“We have kept the purple and lime but added a secondary palette of pink and orange, as well as a new logo and corporate styling. Our strapline is ‘we don’t do dull’, and our refreshed brand emphasises the energy and creativity we bring to our work.”

Leona oversees a highly creative team adept in brand strategy, digital marketing, social media,

business automation software and business planning. A dynamic approach to its everyday work characterises the Focus7 approach.

“We have experienced significant growth since we were formed and have helped many clients, a lot of whom are in Hertfordshire, to do the same,” says Leona.

“We really have made a difference to their business, particularly in areas such as improving their online presence.

“Although we work with local SMEs, we are tending to work more with medium and larger size businesses. We’ve recently been working for clients in the third sector, including charities,

and are doing more work on an international scale in sectors such as travel and tourism.

Our client horizons have also been expanding to places such as St Lucia, France and other European nations.

“Brexit did cause us some concerns at first, mainly because of the impact it had on exchange rates, but our sense is that businesses have settled down now.”

As the UK continues to chart uncertain waters politically, one thing seems certain: the refreshed and revitalised Focus7 will continue to make a positive difference.

“We’ve recently been working for clients in the third sector, including charities, and are doing more work on an international scale in sectors such as travel and tourism. Our client horizons have also been expanding to places suchas St Lucia, France and other European nations.”

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What price loyalty? loyalty scheme”, “get cinema tickets by wearing our fitness tracker”, “personalise your loyalty offers by telling us more about you”! And we do, adding more loyalty cards to our wallets and handing over more personal data in the process.

But what is this loyalty actually costing us? Is the supermarket analysing more than just what’s in our weekly shopping trolley? You bet they are. Your loyalty is big business. But as agony aunts through the ages have pointed out, loyalty requires honesty for a relationship to be a healthy one.

The recent Marriott Hotels cyberattack revealed a vast amount of personal data and club loyalty points stolen from a jaw-dropping half a billion accounts. Marriott join the dubious ‘club of dishonour’ alongside British Airways, Hilton Hotel Group and IHG. As we ruefully review our post-festive season credit card balances, how many of us will realise that our supermarkets, phone companies, insurers and online shopping destinations also use our personal data for ‘other’ purposes – including selling it to third parties?

Do our consumer relationships need a bit of an agony aunt-style short sharp shock?

Barely a week goes by without another high profile data breach, data hacking or data harvesting story in the news. It’s a hot topic, and the headlines are the tip of an unknowably large iceberg.

Organisations appear to be careless with our personal data, and certainly not as transparent as they should be.

“Sign up to our travel/grocery/airmiles

As data is spread wider and further, this makes control of our personal data (as enshrined in the GDPR) and security much harder to manage.

It’s not a case of if a breach will happen, it is more a case of when – the cybersecurity industry is very clear on that.

How loyal will companies be to you when it’s discovered your personal data has been breached and all the loyalty points you were saving for the family holiday have gone?

When your passport has been copied and a replacement can’t arrive before an overseas trip, will the hotel compensate you? Or when someone has stolen your identity along with your bank account details, will your bank try to ease the impact on you?

Reports suggest that such incidents have a huge toll on individuals, businesses and families. The toll is mental, physical, emotional and of course financial, not to mention the time and inconvenience involved in replacing bank cards, passports and ruined credit ratings.

As individuals and consumers, we need to take more heed and control of our personal data. Think about WHAT data we are handing over.

Ask WHY we need to give so much, WHERE it will be shared and HOW it will be protected.

If the information you’re asked to provide seems excessive or there are no good reasons given for why you should provide it, we can learn to walk away, and look for a better relationship.

Need help with data protection matters? It’s our speciality – contact us today for a no-obligation quote.

01727 375 078 info@spheredataprotection.com www.spheredataprotection.com

Conferencing in the business heart of Hertfordshire

Redemption House Conference Centre

the ideal venue for your meetings, events and conferences • • • •

Spaces and set-ups for any size event – from 4 to 400 people Flexible, modern facilities fully equipped and with Wi-Fi throughout Accessible and comfortable, with natural light and air-conditioning Close to the A1M and main line rail stations

Find out what Redemption House Conference Centre has to offer at: Online: www.redemptionhouse.co.uk Email: info@redemptionhouse.co.uk Tel: 07817503529 02081711046

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Your customers are key to a successful future Your customer facing departments are the window to your organisation.

If you don’t get it right, the impact it could have on your business reputation is unmeasurable.

If you give your customers a smart, positive experience every time, you’ll win a lifetime of loyalty.

Martin Green Managing Director

To provide an outstanding customer experience, you need two ingredients – the right staff AND the right technology. Your customers expect a world class service whether you are a small family run business or a multinational corporation. We have all experienced what bad customer service looks like and we know we don’t like it.

With ever restricting budgets, you need to consider how technology can assist you. Investing in a contact centre solution will allow you to gain a full understanding of your customer departments and highlight what sort of service your customers receive when they contact you. It will also enable you to adjust your staff levels and employment hours as appropriate to the businesses needs. Installing a contact centre solution will enable you to fulfil your customer service strategy and provide your

customers with the choice of how and when they contact you.

You will have the tools to empower your workforce to proactively reach out to your customer base and with real time and historical reporting and live monitoring, you will be able to identify development opportunities within your team. Although there is an initial outlay to consider, the ROI will be measurable and we can provide deployment options to suit your business needs.

Support UK can help you deliver an achievable, measurable service that will help your future business growth.

We would love to hear from you.

Get in touch with Support UK today and let us demonstrate how we can help you to move into a new era of customer centric capabilities.

Tel: 0345 241 1521 email: info@support-uk.com

Getting customer service right isn’t a luxury reserved for the big players. We all have an obligation to delight our customers and

Commercial Recycling Solutions for customers across Hertfordshire ✔ Able to work with commercial businesses across South East England ✔ Dedicated to diverting quality recyclables from landfill ✔ Will always provide transparent pricing to customers, no hidden costs ✔ Bespoke solutions as unique as our customers

Call our friendly team for a quote on 01707 656261 or email our salesperson andre@csrecycling.co.uk

Why choose CS Recycling? ✔ Free recycling audits for all prospective customers ✔ Free Waste Transfer Notes for all our customers ✔ Our team will ensure reliable collections

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Herts Global

Herts Chamber attend East of England China Forum at the House of Commons

Ministerial visit to Chamber The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce were very pleased to have a Ministerial visit during December from the Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden, MP for Hertsmere, who also holds the post of Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office.

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce were invited to the House of Commons on November 21st 2018, for the ‘East of England China Forum’ hosted by London Stansted Airport and Essex County Council.

Attended by many Chinese dignitaries flown in for the occasion from the Jiangsu Province of China, (population of approx. 80 million people,) the focus of the forum was to emphasise the regions connectivity with China and the opening of new direct air routes both passenger and commercial flights.

This of course is a bonus for the companies of Hertfordshire and the South East of England with Stansted Airport being on our doorstep.

Chatting to Ken O'Toole, Chief Executive, Stansted Airport, during the event: “This is a win win situation, that sees Stansted being the gateway to China with increased flights and carriers for passengers and commerce. And indeed, the capacity for passengers has just been increased to 43 million a year.”

If you would like to learn more about the forum please email eastchinaforum@stanstedairport.com or for investment opportunities please go to www.magairports.com/investor-relations

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L-R: Chris Bowden-Hawkins, NIS; George Phillips, Grace Foods; Oliver Dowden, MP for Hertsmere; Aidan Joy, Airbus Defence and Space.

The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce were very pleased to have a Ministerial visit during December from the Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden, MP for Hertsmere, who also holds the post of Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office.

He was one of 30 Ministers dispatched by the PM throughout the UK, with the objective to gauge the feedback from Hertfordshire companies regarding the current BREXIT deal, which was originally due to be voted on in December, but has now been withdrawn with the date set for w/c 14 January.

Theresa May has survived a no confidence vote from her own party, but still has the task of persuading members of Parliament that her deal is still the best possible for the UK, with the possibility of Jeremy Corbyn calling a vote of no confidence in the

Government that could possibly lead to a general election.

The Minister was able to meet with three of our members on the day of his visit; Aidan Joy, Head of Satellite Manufacturing at Airbus Defence and Space, Chris Bowden-Hawkins, Regional Manager at Network Integrity Services Ltd., and George Phillips, International Trade Manager at Grace Foods UK. All of whom were able to give a very good insight into the issues faced by each of their companies regarding future global trade, including the lack of specialist talent in the workforce and potential border delays.

Oliver Dowden listened intently to all of the attendees on the day and wanted to allay any fears regarding the future trade deals with the EU and the rest of the world.

There was also time to visit the Incubation Hub based

here at the University of Hertfordshire, which supports fledgling companies, giving them access to academic experts who can advise and mentor their progress.

This was a very useful visit by the Minister who was able to hear the voice of local companies and for them to see what efforts the Government have been making to secure a deal that would benefit everybody.

The next few weeks will show if that will come to fruition.

L-R: Keith Moore, HCoC; Oliver Dowden, MP for Hertsmere; John Woodruffe, HCoC

Herts Global

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce recognised for International Trade Services at BCC National Awards 2018 At the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) 2018 gala awards ceremony held on Thursday 29th November, the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce (HCoC) achieved the National Runner Up Prize for ‘Excellence in International L-R: Keith Moore, Internal Trade Manager, HCoC; Member, Caroline Lester, Relationship Manager, MCP Property Services; Mary Sykes, External Affairs Director, HCoC; Amy Rich, Business Engagement Manager, HCoC; Neville Reynor, Chairman, HCoC.

Trade Services’.

The award certificate was presented to representatives of Herts Chamber at Tobacco Dock at a gala dinner, attended by more than 500 finalists, sponsors, judges and fellow Chambers from across the UK. The event was hosted by TV presenter Jenni Falconer, to mark the outstanding achievements of all finalists and Facebook were the Chamber Awards headline sponsor.

Coming runner up to Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce; who have over 4500 members and are the largest accredited Chamber in the UK, is a huge achievement for the Hertfordshire Chamber.

Neville Reyner, CBE, DL Hon DLitt, Chairman, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce commented: “This is the first time our Chamber of Commerce has been recognised in these

national awards. We are a relatively small Chamber and to be Runner-Up to the winner, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the largest Chamber in the UK makes our award significant and is testament to the quality and commitment of our staff, who I thank.”

Francis Martin, President of the British Chamber of Commerce, commented during the awards evening and really made the night that much more special for the Herts Chamber: “It is testament to Hertfordshire Chamber that they supported their members superbly in difficult circumstances. With the support of Neville Reyner, Chair of Hertfordshire Chamber and former BCC President, the Chamber has continued to provide excellent services in international trade to their local business community.

Congratulations to the Chamber.”

Hertfordshire Chambers Export team specialise in providing help with the issuing and certification of documents to ensure goods are exported in accordance with international law and procedures. The team also help with new export opportunities with the 77 British Chambers of Commerce throughout the globe and COBCOE Connects. HCoC Export team help a large range of Herts based businesses, including Tesco, Merck Sharp

and Dohme (MSD) and many other multi-nationals, exporting over £15,000,000 worth of goods every month.

Our member, MCP Property Services were presented with the British Chamber of Commerce Business Award for Customer Commitment during the evening; following being awarded the Regional Award in September, this is their fourth award of the year.

Many congratulations.

“It is testament to Hertfordshire Chamber that they supported their members superbly in difficult circumstances. With the support of Neville Reyner, Chair of Hertfordshire Chamber and former BCC President, the Chamber has continued to provide excellent services in international trade to their local business community.

Congratulations to the Chamber.”

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Hertfordshire Chamber’s Breakfast Presentation on Nov 6th 2018

Past Events

Presentation by Claire Williams, Strategic Business Development Director from OCEE Design Manufacturers and Julian Sheldrake, Director from Q Office Furniture.

Making your workplace more productive The business world is changing.

Ways to improve workplace productivity are set to soar over the next few years.

There is more to improving productivity and being successful than buying the latest office furniture.

Innovation in businesses is key to success. In order to attract and keep creative, innovative people, you need to build the right work environment.

Open-plan working is here to stay. There is much written about open-plan, good and bad.

But are we designing the modern workplace to be more productive?

“The Next 250K” report found that when employers moved or refurbished offices only 7% saw an increase in productivity.

So what is going on? How do you make the modern workplace work for you?

The answer is to put people at the heart of the workplace design.

Office design must take account of human factors - air quality,

lighting, thermal comforts and noise but most, important of all is space.

The right amount of personal space and spaces to relax or concentrate are essential for the modern office.

Workplace mental health is a growing challenge. It is the biggest cause of stress in people's lives, more so than debt or financial problems.

We need to design compassionate work spaces where people can get away when they need to.

November Women in Leadership The bright orange sunflower that is Julie New; Relationship and Life Gardener and National Winner of the Enterprising Women Award for Enterprise Challenge, came to motivate and inspire us at the final

November Members Masterclass: Social Selling – Creating Opportunity Online This Marketing Masterclass, provided by our Patrons and winners of the Inspiring Herts Innovation through Technology Award in 2016, Focus7 International, taught us how to quickly and easily understand how LinkedIn can work for business and help sales. Thank you to the Focus7 team for coming along and sharing your wisdom!

Women in Leadership lunch of 2018. She reminded us to keep ‘watering ourselves’ and taught us how to personally flourish; grow and stay strong in our lives.

The Amazon fulfilment centre in Hemel Hempstead welcomed the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and local business leaders for a tour of its 450,000 square feet site which employs about 1,000 people.

During the visit, guests met the team and were given a behind-the-scenes look at what’s involved in fulfilling orders for customers across the UK and Europe.

Thank you Julie.

Christmas Chamber Lunch Brought to you in collaboration with the Hertfordshire LEP It is safe to say that our sold-out Christmas Chamber lunch, held at the prestigious Luton Hoo Hotel was a big hit! Phil Eckersley, Agent for the South East & East Anglia, Bank of England, gave an update on the UK economy, drawing on the

Amazon welcomes Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce for a behind-thescences look at its Hemel Hempstead operation

most recent Bank of England Inflation Report, covering the Bank’s assessment for growth and inflation and the latest company feedback on the impact of Brexit.

Many thanks to all those involved.

On the tour, the Chamber learned about Amazon’s apprenticeship programmes in engineering, IT and Operations as well as Amazon’s Career Choice Programme.

The programme was established to encourage employees to pursue qualifications and training in highdemand fields such as engineering, IT, computer science, mechanical and electrical trades, healthcare, construction, transportation, logistics, accounting and more, even if that means a career outside of Amazon. Amazon offers to pre-pay 95% of tuition and associated fees for nationally-recognized courses, up to £8,000 over four years.

Amazon Hemel Hempstead Site Leader, David Tindal, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and community leaders to our fulfilment centre.”

Guests from the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce included Altro Group, Barclays, GovGrant, Kingston Smith, Longmores, Middlesex Uni, Tate Recruitment and more.

Receiving Membership Certificates from Mary Sykes, HCoC and Phil Eckersley, Bank of England: William Fison, 001 Ltd; Mark Bretton, Hertfordshire LEP; Emma Cooper, One Chance CIC and Nigel Farren, Age UK.

Gemma Rydqvist, Business Engagement Manager of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It was fascinating to go behind-the-scenes to see first-hand what happens at an Amazon fulfilment centre.”

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ChamberEvents

Forthcoming Business Events Entering is Winning Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards Entry Workshops

The 'Inspiring Hertfordshire' Awards focus on, and celebrate, the expertise, achievements and outstanding contribution that businesses and individuals continually make to the growth of our County. The response has been phenomenal and, now into its eighth year, Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2019 promises to be bigger than ever.

These Awards enable Hertfordshire businesses to showcase their performance and achievements to clients, customers, suppliers, stakeholders and to all the Hertfordshire business community.

If you are considering entering the Inspiring Herts Awards 2019, and would like some advice on where to start, why not come along to one of these free to attend events, to find out what makes a winning entry and to receive practical guidance.

Our awards are free to enter for both members and non-members and there is no limit on how many categories you can enter. We have 19 categories available to enter, all of which can be found on www.hertschamber.com/ 2019-sponsorship

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"We were thrilled to win the Excellence in Customer Service award at the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2018. The award recognises our passionate belief that delivering excellent customer service has always been our key differentiator.

We were delighted with the recognition and winning this award gave the whole team a huge sense of elation. It has given such a positive strong message to them because it

is an acknowledgment of all the effort that they put in. It also shows the IT industry in a somewhat different light.

We would encourage any business to enter the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards if they feel they have a good success story and be recognised as the best of the best in Business in Hertfordshire."

Richard McBarnet, Managing Director, Lumina Technologies

There will be four separate workshops, held at different locations across the county.

All of them are FREE to attend, but please note that places are limited.

1. Date: 05/02/19 Time: 08:30-10:30 Venue: Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Hatfield Link to book: www.hertschamber.com/event/details/331

3. Date: 14/02/19 Time: 08:30-10:30 Venue: Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre, Hoddesdon Link to book: www.hertschamber.com/event/details/333

2. Date: 12/02/19 Time: 08:30-10:30 Venue: Hillier Hopkins, Watford Link to book: www.hertschamber.com/event/details/332

4. Date: 26/02/19 Time: 08:30-10:30 Venue: North Hertfordshire College, Hitchin Link to book: www.hertschamber.com/event/details/334

INSPIRE

All Price quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated

ChamberEvents

February Women in Leadership Lunch Date: Time: Venue: Price:

07/02/19 12:00-14:00 Sopwell House, St Albans Members £33.00 Non-Members £42.00

Save the date Our next two Women in Leadership lunches have also been confirmed for:

Date: Time: Venue: Speaker: Price:

Julie Newlan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and International Development) at the University of Hertfordshire will be speaking at this Women in Leadership event and will be talking about her career, journey and challenges along the way.

Julie has 20 years’ experience in the Higher Education sector and for the past four years has been a member of the University’s senior management team, providing strategic leadership for business development (UK and international), knowledge exchange, student employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship, and marketing communications.

08/05/19 12:00-14:00 De Vere Theobalds Park, Cheshunt Rebecca Mitchell, House of Colour Members £33.00 Non-Members £42.00

Date: Time: Venue: Speaker: Price:

11/07/19 12:00-14:00 Laura Ashley The Manor Hotel, Elstree Sarah Jones, Sarah-J Coaching Members £33.00 Non-Members £42.00

February Chamber Lunch Brought to you in collaboration with the Hertfordshire LEP The Governor will be discussing the topical subject of reducing re-offending and resettlement for prisoners back into the community.

Kevin Leggett, Governor, HMP The Mount, will be the guest speaker at this month’s lunch event.

This will involve outlining the provisions utilised in custody to challenge prisoner’s attitudes and behaviours to assist in getting them job ready, and then working with the community and employers to secure through the gate services to secure employment and housing to reducing a prisoner’s likelihood of re-offending.

Date:

28/02/19

Time:

12:00-14:00

Venue:

Beales Hotel, Hatfield

Price:

Members £30.00 Non-Members £39.00

For more information on any event: 01707 502180, bookings@hertschamber.com or www.hertschamber.com INSPIRE All Price quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated

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ChamberEvents

Forthcoming Business Events Government incentives for business: Are you gaining your full entitlement?

This actionable advice seminar is being delivered by GovGrant, one of the UK’s leading specialist service provider in these fields will enable you to: Understand the breadth of activities that qualify for an annual 33% R&D tax credit

Cut corporation tax to 10% with the Patent Box Maximise your annual capital allowances tax relief Be informed on a range of business financing and grant schemes

Identify qualifying R&D activities and expenditure in everyday business activities

Date: Time: Venue: Price:

05/03/19 08:00-10:00 Hunton Park Hotel, Kings Langley Members £10.00 Non-Members £15.00

Maximise your R&D cash entitlement from the government Create a cost-effective Intellectual Property strategy, increasing the value of your company

Annie Hunter, Senior Partner at GovGrant, will be speaking at this event.

Making Tax Digital: Are you prepared?

Date:

12/03/19

Time:

08:00-10:00

Venue:

The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead

Price:

Members £10.00 Non-Members £15.00

Debbie Jennings; VAT Director, Kingston Smith

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Join us at this breakfast seminar with Kingston Smith LLP for a lively discussion on Making Tax Digital and the implications for your organisation.

From 1 April 2019, Making Tax Digital for VAT will be mandatory for all businesses and organisations with turnover above the VAT threshold – currently £85,000 per annum.

All affected will also have to provide their VAT returns to HMRC through Making Tax Digital compatible software.

Owners and managers of businesses, self-employed, landlords, SMEs, Financial

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All Price quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated

Directors, and not for profit organisations who are approaching or above the threshold of £85,000 should attend this event.

Speaking at this event will be Debbie Jennings, VAT Director at Kingston Smith. Debbie has particular expertise and success in negotiating with HMRC on behalf of clients: particularly in respect of assessments and technical disputes and regularly asked to write and present on all aspects of VAT.

ChamberEvents

Economic Outlook 2019 Date:

14/03/19

Time:

08:00-10:30

Venue:

Spotlight Theatre, Hoddesdon

Price:

IoD and Chamber Members: £15.00 Non-members £21.00

Join the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and the Institute of Directors (IoD) Hertfordshire Region, for an informative and insightful look at the Allie Renison; Head of current state of the Europe and Trade, IoD economy, how best to prepare for the impact of BREXIT and a forecast for future prosperity.

This event is being chaired by Mark Mills-Bishop, Leader at Broxbourne Borough Council and speakers will include Allie Renison, Head of Europe and Trade, IoD and Charles Walker OBE, MP for Broxbourne.

Further speakers are to be confirmed.

March Chamber Lunch Brought to you in collaboration with the Hertfordshire LEP

Our guest speaker at this month’s Chamber lunch will be Ruari Maybank, Construction Director, London Luton Airport Operations Ltd.

Ruari is responsible for delivering the works which will increase capacity from 10 million to 18 million passengers per year and transform the passenger experience.

Ruari is recognised as an expert in large, complex projects and regularly gives lectures to professional institutions and universities.

He has a track record of successfully leading high profile projects such as the Millennium Dome, London 2012 Olympic Games, and several major Defence accommodation projects.

Date:

21/03/19

Time:

12:00-14:00

Venue:

Luton Hoo Hotel, Luton

Price:

Members £30.00 Non-Members £39.00

For more information on any event: 01707 502180, bookings@hertschamber.com or www.hertschamber.com INSPIRE All Price quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated

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Tourism

The Spotlight Delivering the perfect conference experience.

Set in over 6 ½ acres of undulating tree lined lawns leading down to an ornamental lake, the Spotlight in Hoddesdon is a unique, multi-purpose venue ideal for conferences, meetings, exhibitions, presentations and special events. Conveniently located 8 miles from junction 25 of the M25, and just a 5 minute drive from the A10, they also offer over 90 free parking spaces onsite.

and experienced technical staff will be on hand all day to ensure the smooth running of your event.

From a selection of teas and coffees with breakfast, to buffet luncheon and afternoon tea, the Spotlight can accommodate all your refreshments and catering requirements. You can also make full use of the licensed bar, free Wi-Fi, dedicated dressing rooms with en-suite facilities and full disabled access.

The spacious auditorium can seat 547 guests theatre style and easily converts to a 350 seated cabaret style room.

Additionally their syndicate room can seat up to 40 guests theatre style for breakout sessions.

Whatever your needs and budget, the Spotlight can create a bespoke package just for you.

To find out more, call our Conference Manager on 01992 444504 or email spotlight.bookings@broxbourne.gov.uk.

With the latest state of the art presentation systems and a comprehensive list of audio and visual equipment, their friendly

The Spotlight, High Street, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 8BE

Witches and Wizards Welcome Shendish Manor is an elegant, Victorian era country house, with a spacious lounge area, bar and access to picturesque grounds with a scenic 18-hole golf course.

The Manor is the perfect place to host any event from business conferences to weddings to afternoon tea for budding witches and wizards. That’s right! With Warner Bros. Studios Tour London just 5 miles down the road, Shendish Manor are offering a Wizard Themed Afternoon Tea. Shendish Manor does not simply rely on its rich heritage. It has kept pace with the demands of the conference and event’s organisers by offering state-of-theart technology, first class customer service and exacting standards of professionalism.

The beautiful grounds of the estate provide the perfect setting

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for team building pursuits (or a game of quidditch?)

The Dickinson and Longman Suites can be found in the Victorian Manor House, each with a wealth of original features.

The versatile, air conditioned Apsley Suite situated in the east wing is a complete contrast to the rest of the Victorian Country House Hotel; the suite can be used as one large room or divided into four identical rooms with high-tech audio-visual equipment built in to each section, offering contemporary styling for up to 400 witches and wizards.

To find out more, visit the website: www.shendish-manor.com Phone: 01442 232220 or email: reception@shendish-manor.com Hertfordshire Chamber are hosting a breakfast event with Shendish Manor on the 21st May. For more information and to check out this beautiful manor house, visit: www.hertschamber.com/event/details/345 or contact the Chamber at enquiries@hertschamber.com

Tourism

An Inspirational venue for conferences and away-day meetings What could be more inspiring than holding your next conference or away-day meeting at the very place where an industry was born – an industry whose products are still an essential

Frogmore is the world’s oldest mechanised paper mill. In 1803 it was the location chosen by Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier to demonstrate the amazing production benefits of the patent they had obtained for the paper machine invented

by Nicholas-Louis Robert in 1797. The success of this machine and, in particular, the second ‘improved’ machine that was installed at Frogmore in 1804, started an industrial revolution that gave the world cheap, plentiful paper and issued in the era of mass communication and universal education upon which much of the modern world is founded.

Frogmore Paper Mill is operated by the Apsley Paper Trail, a charitable trust founded to conserve this unique industrial heritage, educate the public about the fascinating history of this influential product and maintain access for the public to the historic buildings and equipment that is housed within them.

Frogmore is also a visitor, education and community use centre too. The trust is entirely self-financing and all proceeds from its activities are re-invested in the repair,

maintenance and development of the historic mill and its equipment.

Frogmore Paper Mill offers meeting space for groups of 10 to 50 and conferencing space for up to 150 delegates.

There is an on-site café and a wide range of different catering options can be arranged.

Hours are flexible including evenings if required. Any visit is fully customizable and can include: papermaking, a mill tour, a boat trip, or a range of hands-on team building exercises – serious and professional or light and entertaining. All facilities are fully wheelchair accessible and are available for hire at full day or half a day rates.

There is adjacent car parking for up to 100 vehicles at very inexpensive pay-and-display rates and travel to the site is excellent from almost anywhere in the country.

Set in a surprising rural ‘timewarp’ within an urban area, Frogmore is also home to kingfishers and egrets, vibrant musical theatre, Pope’s Yard brewery, filming sets and an occasional street food market.

part of our everyday lives – an industry that is

Call 01442 234600 today to discuss your meeting requirements and tailor your inspirational event for 2019.

still happening, on-site, every day (well, running

Frogmore Paper Mill, Fourdrinier Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP3 9RY.

a 116 year old machine, nearly every day).

www.thepapertrail.org.uk INSPIRE

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Ask the Expert Making Tax Digital Paul Windmill, Managing Director at Myers Clark Chartered Accountants has answered a wide range of questions to help you understand and best prepare for Making Tax Digital.

Q What is Making Tax Digital (MTD)?

A Making Tax Digital is a government initiative that sets out a vision for a digital tax system.

HMRC’s vision is that paper tax returns will be eliminated and digital records introduced, enabling taxpayers to update HMRC of their income position on a more frequent basis, resulting in real-time data.

Q Who will be affected?

A VAT registered businesses with a turnover above the VAT threshold of £85,000.

Q What information will I need to keep digitally?

A You will be required to keep a record of all sales and purchases so that the totals for applicable VAT outputs and inputs can be calculated for each return period.

connects with HMRC’s VAT portal Q Do I still need to keep Q What are the benefits? is QuickBooks. An alternative Annual Accounts?

A MTD should encourage option is to engage an accountant A At this stage, yes you do. businesses to move to cloud to maintain your records and file based accounting software.

However, the next stage of MTD your VAT return on your behalf. is expected to be the quarterly This will give you the ability to Q Do Excel Spreadsheets count as filing of accounts to HMRC and automate manual tasks such compatible software? at that stage the annual as invoice input and bank accounts may not be required. reconciliations, and to track A HMRC has said that records sales and costs in real time.

Q Need more advice? can be maintained within It also allows your accountant to spreadsheets, however these A Contact us for further information access your information and can must then be linked to the cloud about how Making Tax Digital will monitor accordingly, allowing them software so they can then be affect you, and the steps you can to provide relevant advice on communicated to HMRC. take to become compliant business and tax issues that arise.

Q Do I need to purchase a software package, if so which one?

A Under MTD, HMRC requires paul.windmill@myersclark.co.uk www.myersclark.co.uk businesses to utilise a piece of digital software that records business transactions electronically and directly communicates with HMRC. An example of an accounting software that

Contact us today on 01923 224411

EXPECT EXCEPTIONAL Affordable excellence in private hire airport transfers and executive travel for London and the Home Counties Executive Cars and Experienced Drivers Reliable

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Professional

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bookings@hertsexec.co.uk 32

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Trusted

01707 888000

www.hertsexec.com

New Members

Welcome to new members Cromwell Hotel

House of Colour Harpenden

Neil Platt Consulting Ltd

Hotel, Conference Centre, Wedding Venue, Bar and Brasserie Twitter: CromwellHotel gm@cromwellstevenage.co.uk www.cromwellstevenage.co.uk 01438 779954 Cromwell Hotel Stevenage High Street Old Town Stevenage Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 3AZ

Image Consultants rebecca.mitchell@houseofcolour.co.uk www.houseofcolour.co.uk/rebeccamitchell 07834 484989 7 Greatfield Close Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 3HP

Life Coach neilplatt@actioncoach.com 07464 893 572 2 Lion Yard Kimpton Hertfordshire SG4 8RT

Gatwards of Hitchin

Temporary / Permanent / Contract Recruitment for Office Professionals in Herts, Beds & Bucks Twitter: james_newbury penelope@jamesnewbury.co.uk www.jamesnewbury.co.uk 07486 373428

Jewellers Twitter: gatwards charlotte@gatwardsofhitchin.co.uk www.gatwardsofhitchin.co.uk 07825 152 672 20 Market Place Hitchin Hertfordshire SG5 1DU

Hertfordshire Building Control Building Control and Allied Services Twitter: HertsBuildCtrl marketing@hertfordshirebc.co.uk www.hertfordshirebc.co.uk/ 01438 879 990 Head Office Campus West Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6BX

James Newbury Appointments

Leonard Cheshire Disability Charity Twitter: LeonardCheshire andrea.newman@leonardcheshire.org www.leonardcheshire.org 01604 402 602 66 South Lambeth Road London SW8 1RL

Property by Design Property stager / Interior design amanda@propertybydesign.net www.propertybydesign.net 01992 276100 Appletree Cottage 80 Stanstead Road Hoddesdon Hertfordshire EN11 0RL

VMS Vehichle Hire Ltd Vehicle Hire, Fleet Management, Contract Hire, Accident Management, Refrigrated Vehicle & Trailer tyrone.davies@vmsvehiclehire.co.uk www.vmsvehiclehire.co.uk 01438 367 501 4-8 Norton Road Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 2BB

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Building Connections

Trinity Wealth Management joined the Chamber as part of our plans to raise our profile, grow and expand the business beyond relying on word of mouth referrals. The Chamber has proved invaluable for the networking, education and collaboration opportunities it offers.

Chamber Members Collaborate Trinity are a Financial Planning and

At the encouragement of Mary Sykes, we entered our very first business awards in 2017 despite being slightly apprehensive about the time involved to put the application together. We needn’t have worried as we were short listed as a finalist encouraging us to enter again. At the Inspiring Herts Business Awards 2018 we were delighted to win Business of the Year West Herts, a category sponsored and presented by Chamber Patron, The Porsche Centre Hatfield. Although, on the surface we are very different business, we did discover that our clients match the same demographic. So, having met at the awards evening, it seemed a natural progression to collaborate over an event.

On a lovely sunny day in late October we held a driving event to say thank you to some of our clients and suppliers who had supported us over the last 17 years. Porsche provided 4 beautiful cars for our clients to drive through the countryside and Charlene and her team were on hand all day for our guests to discuss all things Porsche. The drive outs were topped and tailed with breakfast and a threecourse lunch where our guests could network and enjoy Hanbury Manor.

Charlene Naylor, The Centre PA and Events Manager for Porsche said “As a Centre we actively seek to build lasting relationships in our community and the relationship we have with the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is one we greatly value, so we took great pleasure in forming a partnership with Trinity Wealth Management and organising our first joint event. It was a great success and would be something we are looking to continue”.

We based the day at Hanbury Manor Hotel firstly because the Old Manor provided a stunning background for the cars but mainly because of the willingness of Ian Hill and his team to accommodate us and our requirements.

We cannot thank Porsche enough for facilitating such a great day.

Our clients were overjoyed to have the opportunity to drive such amazing cars. It was an invaluable day to spend with some of the clients who have supported and championed us as a business. One client commented “Thank you so much for organising and inviting us to the Porsche driving event on Thursday.

Grace and I hada brilliant day.

Hanbury Manor was a lovely venue and you even laid on perfect, sunny Autumn weather! A nice touch!”

We would not be at all surprised if we now have clients trying to persuade us to include purchasing a Porsche into their Financial Planning!

Wealth Management Company based in St Albans and have been Herts Chamber members since 2016.

“Trinity Wealth Management’s Business and Marketing Manager; Catherine Habershon, will be speaking at the Herts Chamber’s ‘Entering is Winning’ awards workshop on February 12th.”

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35

2019: The Year of the Local Industrial Strategy A quick horizon scan and it is clear what Hertfordshire LEP’s core priority must be for 2019: the development of a Local Industrial Strategy, which makes a sound business case for further investment in Hertfordshire. And we need you on board to ensure that the priorities that we identify are the right ones for Hertfordshire’s future.

An ‘industrial strategy’ may not seem an obvious fit for your business, conjuring up images of smokestack industries more redolent of a bygone age than modern-day Britain. But just as the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in history, we are at a turning point again now with the opportunity to influence almost every aspect of daily life.

The move in the 18th century from man to machine processes ushered in great economic opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation and significant challenges too: urbanisation, unprecedented population growth and poor labour conditions. Today we are on the cusp of a fourth Industrial Revolution: emerging technological breakthroughs in AI, Big Data and the Internet of

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Things that have the capacity to disrupt and transform.

In its November 2017 White Paper, Industrial Strategy: Fit for the Future, the Government set out a long term plan for how we are to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK. It focused on five foundations of productivity: Ideas, People, Infrastructure, Business Environment and Places. It also set out Grand Challenges to put the UK at the forefront of the industries of the future. These are: Artificial Intelligence and Data Driven Economy, Clean Growth, Future of Mobility and our Ageing Society.

The White Paper also recognised the leading role that Local Enterprise Partnerships have in shaping and delivering locally led

economic growth, tasking them with developing Local Industrial Strategies. In doing so, Local Enterprise Partnerships must map out specific opportunities and challenges for their areas.

They must align these ambitions with productivity foundations and the Grand Challenges and work in partnership with public stakeholders and businesses.

The aim is to identify the specific investments and actions the public sector – including central and local government and Hertfordshire LEP – in partnership with business should take to drive productivity in this part of the UK and enable those industrial sectors where we have real specialisms, to grow and compete.

There is an opportunity for us to be bold in our response.

As a result, we have consulted widely with leading experts both on the state of the economy in Hertfordshire and the impact of wider economic, socio-political and technological trends. We presented some of these findings at our sold out State of the Economy event late last year when Paul Clarke, Chief Technology Officer at Ocado, set out his ‘grand vision for what a smart UK might look like’.

Now over the coming weeks and months we want to hear your views. Thanks to our partnership with Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, we will be speaking at a number of member events and will be holding a series of more detailed discussion forums in partnership with the

University of Hertfordshire, local authorities, major corporates and our SME community.

In addition, the University of Hertfordshire is conducting a comprehensive business survey to help us to understand what are the key factors that could impact productivity and performance.

The findings of this survey will then feed into the development of a Local Industrial Strategy which is expected to go out to full public consultation this Autumn.

We have just one year to get this right and we urge you to get involved and ensure that together we seek from Government the best deal possible for Hertfordshire.

Keep up to date: visit www.hertforshirelep.co.uk Speak to a member of the LEP Team: 01707 358744

Lucy Gravatt Head of Communications

Late payments ‘causing significant problems for small businesses’ New statistics taken from Xero’s UK small business subscriber base shows that the average British small business is owed £24,841 in late payments on any given day.

Based on data taken from two million invoices, this equates to 11 months’ average staff wage, 37 months of average mortgage payments or nine family holidays, says the company.

It says that the small business economy could be forced to deal with an average deficit of £141bn as a result of the debt.

Anonymised, aggregated data generated by thousands of UK businesses using Xero’s accounting software revealed that 78 per cent of small businesses are owed money at any one time outside of agreed payment terms.

The data showed that in August the average 30-day invoice was paid after 39.67 days, almost 10 days after payment is due.

Furthermore, when reviewing overdue 30-day invoice payments the average late invoice was found to be paid 64 days after issue, more than double the payment term.

The industry with the highest percentage of invoices paid late was found to be Transport, Postal and Warehousing, with 68 per cent of invoices overdue over the last year, followed by Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services (62 per cent) and Manufacturing (60 per cent).

Edward Berks, EMEA Director, Platform Business at Xero, said: “At a time when the world needs small business to succeed, it’s estimated that 50,000 businesses in the UK fail each year because of cash flow issues. Our data shows the impact that this level of debt can have on small companies. Predicting working capital requirements still remains a challenge for small businesses and accessing finance remains expensive and time consuming.

“It’s increasingly critical that the Government and industry takes the right steps to ensure that small businesses get paid faster. New measures to crack down on big business culprits and smarter technology to automate payments will all help to alleviate the pressure on small business cash flow.”

The data was revealed as the Government announced new measures to arm small businesses against unfair contracts that stop them raising money from unpaid invoices.

Three tips to improve cash flow and protect businesses from late payment debt: 1. Be selective about who you work with and credit check prospective clients. A bad credit history could indicate issues with late payments in the future 2. Implement interest charges on late payers to encourage prompt payment 3. Set automated responses: Many accounting software solutions are now capable of issuing automated reminder letters when payments become overdue. Automating the process of sending a reminder email reduced the amount of time you have to spend waiting and chasing for payment.

Finance

Making Tax Digital – what does it really mean for business?

Background on MTD From 1 April 2019 (although for some organisations their date is deferred until 1 October 2019), it will be mandatory to keep VAT records in a digital format, and to file VAT return information with HMRC using a digital link in “functional compatible software”.

Under the MTD requirements, you will no longer be allowed to submit the VAT return figures manually to HMRC. MTD applies to all VAT registered organisations who make taxable supplies exceeding £85,000 per annum.

There are very limited exclusions, based on things like disability, remoteness of location, age, etc., but in reality it is likely that only very few people will be allowed to be excluded from MTD. It can also apply to overseas organisations if they are registered for VAT in the UK.

What effect will MTD have on a business?

After MTD is introduced for VAT, it will then apply to income tax from 2020 and corporation tax on, or shortly after this date.

Who will be allowed to defer their compliance with MTD requirements?

There are: • Trusts • Not for Profit organisations that are not set up as a company • VAT Divisions • VAT Groups • Certain public bodies • Organisations based overseas • Organisations using annual accounting or make payments on account

What practical things should businesses be doing now?

On a practical level, you should to be looking to do the following: • Contact your accounting software provider, and establish are they or will they have compatible software by the introduction date of April 2019 • Review how the VAT accounting being carried out currently, and how much manual intervention takes place • Assess whether the current VAT accounting is compliant and efficient: take the opportunity to refresh your VAT affairs and processes • Identify the staff in your organisation who are involved in VAT accounting and preparation of the returns and engage with them now to increase understanding and awareness • Understand how you can maximise the value of using a cloud based digital accounting system and make it bespoke to your day to day business operations • Draw up a timeline and prepare for the migration process.

Kingston Smith is accredited and works in partnership with the leading MTD compliant cloud software providers.

We can help you to manage the change and make the right decisions for your organisation, using this as an opportunity to make the most out of these compliance changes. Unlocking real time data and insight on your organisations performance, available on mobile apps, whilst you’re on the go.

We are keeping up to date and assessing the full impact of the changes and the practical steps that are necessary for ensuring a successful migration to MTD for VAT, as well as preparing organisations for the future and how the MTD regime will apply to the other taxes.

Could your business benefit from MTD solutions? If so get in touch for a no-obligation chat with Debbie Jennings. djennings@kingstonsmith.co.uk 01727 810004

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Compliance

Why compliance isn’t security

By Oli Pinson-Roxburgh

With the recent hacks on British Airways and Marriott leaking over half a billion personal data records, is now the time to ask why compliance doesn’t equal security?

British Airways and Marriott are both large multi-national enterprises, presumably with security budgets to match. They’ll no doubt both have been subject to the strict data security requirements of PCI DSS, and yet both still suffered large data breaches. PCI DSS is an international standard and mandates a variety of security controls, including penetration testing, vulnerability scans, yearly external audits and much more. So the question is, how did they come to lose so many people’s data? In my experience a big contributing factor is that, over the years, organisations have clung to the misconception that compliance = security.

And the truth is that it doesn’t.

Ticking boxes or getting value?

This isn’t to criticise compliance per se. When done properly, compliance is a keystone of good security and Bulletproof recommend every single organisation adopt schemes such as Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001 as a minimum. PCI DSS is much more involved than even ISO 27001 is, but just because a business is Level 1 PCI compliant doesn’t mean they’re unhackable.

Some of this comes down to attitude.

Time and again I’ve seen companies asking for help with their compliance, only for them to go on and treat it as a box-ticking exercise. There are two problems with this approach, the most obvious being the security implication. By ticking boxes, doing the bare minimum and not scoping compliance correctly, an organisation

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is never going to be secure, ultimately undermining the whole process.

Let’s take training as an example.

Asking staff to undertake a boring, free e-learning module with guessable multiple-choice answers is never going to have the same impact as dynamic, interactive face-to-face training sessions. As a result, your staff retain little cyber security knowledge and remain one of your biggest compromise vectors. In theory, you can tick the box saying ‘staff have received cyber security training’. But in practice, all you’ve done is tick that box.

The second problem is one of wasted resources. If you’re not making your compliance actively work to improve your security, you’re effectively wasting all the time and money you’ve invested, getting little value in return.

Secure up to a point Penetration tests are often conducted as a part of a compliance standard and are probably the best way to get a good overview of your security posture. However, they only offer a review of your network or application security at a fixed point in time.

The same could be said for a VA scan (which highlight known security vulnerabilities) – they’re only accurate at the point at which they’re run.

A company could remedy all of their discovered security flaws, only for a new bug to be discovered and shared among the hacking community the very next day. Continuing with the exacting PCI DSS standard as an example, companies must run ASVcertified vulnerability scans at least

once per quarter. But with new hacks and exploits discovered every month, unless you’re taking security seriously and scanning more regularly, you could just be ticking boxes.

In my mind, being proactive is key.

To maintain compliance, businesses really should be running vulnerability scans on a monthly basis as a minimum. Anything less and you’re putting your data at risk. This is also a very cost-effective way to increase your security, as managed VA scans can be quick, easy and affordable.

Some vendors are now switching to consistent scan approaches, where critical systems are scanned immediately upon being changed.

No data no problems?

Reading the many articles around BA and Marriott’s unfortunate breaches has caused many a past conversation to bubble up to the top of my memory. Over the years, many people have said to me “I don’t store credit card data,” or words to that effect, under the view that this makes them exempt from PCI compliance or even the worry of keeping such data secure. They think that as they don’t hold onto the data themselves, then it can’t be hacked.

This is sadly wrong, and the news around British Airways gives evidence to support this. From the information available, it appears that only bookings made within a set time frame (August 21st – September 5th) were affected. This suggests the attack was not down to exfiltration of data from a database as was the case with Marriott, but more down to siphoning the data that is submitted and transferred from the site. Even if the data is stored and processed through a third party, data can still be stolen from your site as it’s entered in. This is known as a datain-transit attack and is increasingly common. PCI compliance has fewer rules around hosting third-party payment systems, but ultimately if you’re taking compliance and security seriously, you’re much less likely to be victim to this kind of attack.

A question of time One of the most worrying things about the breaches mentioned in this article are the timeframes.

Cyber crooks were syphoning off card data from BA’s website for over two

Oliver Pinson-Roxburgh Managing Director of Bulletproof weeks, which sounds terrible until you hear that the Marriott’s database was compromised for over four years.

Under GDPR, any major breach which puts data subjects (EU citizens) at risk must be reported within 72 hours of the business becoming aware. Whilst we’re sure the companies involved complied with this, it shows that there were extremely long periods where they were not aware. They might have been following the rules of GDPR compliance, but they were not taking data security seriously.

In these cases, detection of data breaches is key. For BA and Marriott, as their customer data vanished into the hands of hackers, it’s reasonable to assume there will be logs indicating this data flow. I say to every organisation it’s therefore of the utmost importance to ensure critical assets are being strictly monitored, not just with a robust SIEM, but by skilled analysts checking for changes to code, files or user accounts. Larger corporations could invest in their own security analysts, but for most SMEs it’s more cost effective to engage a company like Bulletproof to undertake this. This can proactively highlight and block hackers from stealing data. For those with a limited security budget, I recommend daily log reviews at the very least.

This would dramatically reduce the time of detection from two weeks (or four years) down to one day.

Set the right scope It’s also important to regularly check other assets that may not seem immediately obvious.

If something isn’t strictly necessary, it might be worth removing it from the network to reduce your attack surface. Focussing on the key areas in order to gain a compliance certification but neglecting to regularly check everything else can land you in trouble.

Keep your business secure If you’re looking to keep your business as secure as it can be against data breaches, Bulletproof can help. We offer a wide range of security services including compliance certification, penetration testing, staff training, and proactive threat protection. www.bulletproof.co.uk

lets make your event inceptional!

A Herƞordshire based Event Management company

• • • • • •

Speak to us and let’s make your event Inceptional!

Conferences Incentives Free venue finding Product launches Roadshows Gala dinners

www.inceptionevents.com

info@inceptionevents.com

01442 217815

Inception Events began in 2010 and since its Inception has organised 1000’s of events for clients across many industry sectors.

Donna Hodges – Managing Director

Lucie Battenti – Senior Events Manager

A lot of companies don’t have a dedicated Events team; the annual conference, quarterly sales meetings, product launches and Christmas parties fall to staff that already have a full work load. This is where Inception Events can become an extension of your company and take away that added pressure and concentrate fully on your events.

Whether it’s a venue find for a small board meeting in Manchester, an awards dinner in London, a sales incentive in Croatia or a multi-day conference in Portugal we can organise everything from Inception to completion or hand over the reins to you at contract stage if you prefer.

Our services include free venue finding, full or pre event management and on-site support in the UK and around the globe. We work closely with our clients to create and deliver unforgettable events.

To ensure we are kept up to date on new openings of hotels and venues in the UK and overseas we have regular meetings with hoteliers and suppliers at our office in old Hemel Hempstead.

We attend industry meeting forums, trade shows and visit destinations.

This then enables us to offer you a wide range of options & solutions with confidence, rather than one of your team looking for a hotel on a search engine. We pride ourselves on our knowledge, experience and reputation within the industry.

We can also provide event management support including full liaison with the hotel or venue, registration, creation of information packs, arranging and coordinating AV, transportation, activities, merchandise, branding and printed materials.

We are committed to understanding our clients’ business, products and customer base so we can offer innovative ideas and solutions to make your events bespoke. Our passion, experience, planning expertise and attention to detail allow our clients to fully trust us to get the job done.

Please do get in contact and whatever your event, let us make it Inceptional!

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Members News

SMEs offered cyber security support CRIBB Cyber Securities has developed a unique and specific solution for SMEs to be able to obtain a Government security certificate for Cyber Essentials, which will increase protection and improve GDPR compliance.

The move comes at a time when figures from www.ersourocu.org.uk/cyber.aspx show that 43% of businesses have experienced a cyber security breach or an attack in the past 12 months. The impact can be costly, with the average cyber security breach costing mediumsized businesses £16,000.

Dr Emma Philpott, CEO, The Information Assurance for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Consortium (IASME), said: “Micro businesses have plentiful and competing demands on precious resources. I’m delighted that CRIBB Cyber Security have introduced a package that outlines the strategic importance of data protection and cyber security as well as making the solutions accessible to micro businesses.”

The package is typically for SMEs of one to four members of staff, but CRIBB suggests that you contact them regardless of whether your company has a larger staff base, as you will still require the certification and they can offer other solutions.

Seemingly, from January 2019 you will be required to have the minimum Cyber Essentials certificate. You can increase your system security by approximately 70% with expert level help and guidance from this Gold-awarded Government assessor.

For more information please contact info@cribbsc.net and quote HCC1 for a free discussion and valuable free web scan and report.

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West Herts College growing with the rising economy The Hemel Hempstead Business Ambassadors met for their final meeting of 2018 at the prestigious premises of West Herts College in Hemel Hempstead on Thursday 15 November to learn about the plans for educational growth in line with the rising business economy in Dacorum.

More than 50 Business Ambassadors listened to presentations from Gill Worgan, Principal of West Herts College, who spoke about the merger with Barnfield College in Luton, and the role this will play in developing services and new income, Dr Kate Byford, Head of Degree Apprenticeships & Workforce Development at the University of Hertfordshire who outlined the Degree Apprenticeships offered by the University; and James Doe, Assistant Director, Planning and Regeneration, Dacorum Borough Council who discussed the steps being taken to protect Dacorum’s employment areas with the creation of an Article 4 Direction.

West Herts College – now in its second year at its redeveloped premises in Hemel Hempstead town centre – is due to begin work shortly on Phase 2 of the campus plan, via an additional £16million investment enabling the College to

offer training in engineering and modern methods of construction.

Gill Worgan said: “At a time when public funding of further education continues to fall short it is vital that West Herts College meets the needs of local employers. Only by focusing on priority skills to boost productivity can the college deliver what’s needed while growing as a result of meeting this demand.”

To ensure a long-term sustainable future, West Herts College has spent the past three years investigating merger opportunities with neighbouring colleges, work which culminated in the summer with a successful bid to merge with Barnfield College in Luton.

With due diligence now well under way the proposed date for the merger is 1 February.

Gill Worgan, who confirmed the new combined college would have locations in Luton, Hemel Hempstead and Watford, said:

“Barnfield College is the right strategic fit and location. The M1 growth corridor is a key economic area. With the new college spanning three key towns in this region it will be able to offer a coordinated range of courses, apprenticeships and services.”

Congratulations also to Hermes Group who are the first occupier on the new Prologis Park in Hemel Hempstead, which sits within the Enviro-Tech Enterprise Zone.

Hermes have signed a lease agreement for an 80,000 square foot distribution centre, which will create 80 plus local jobs. The first meeting of the Hemel Hempstead Business Ambassadors in 2019 on Thursday 24 January will be taking place at Prologis Park Hemel Hempstead, giving Business Ambassadors the opportunity to tour this new Grade A industrial/distribution space.

Austin’s scoops Judges’ honours Special recognition was awarded to Austin’s Funeral Services at this year’s prestigious Hertfordshire Business Awards.

Managing Director Claire Austin accepted the Judges’ Award from The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Robert Voss CBE, before 450 guests from Hertfordshire’s best businesses at a glittering awards ceremony held at Knebworth Barns.

Judges said: “Claire Austin has transformed the business after taking over from her father, and Austin’s are now the leading funeral director in the county, with ten branches across Hertfordshire and plans to open more.

As a long-established family business they have an excellent reputation for taking care of families during emotionally difficult circumstances.”

Claire Austin said: “I’m delighted to receive this award on behalf of all the amazing staff at Austin’s Funeral Service and Harwood Park Crematorium. We all take great pride in providing a caring, sympathetic and sensitive service to families in Hertfordshire and the Judges’ recognition of this is a great endorsement of this.

Host Dominic Holland, Claire Austin and Robert Voss CBE, The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire

Austin’s is the leading independent funeral directors in Hertfordshire.

Established for over 318 years it is led by Claire Austin, the 10th generation of the family to run the firm. Austin’s offer the complete funeral service: a bespoke prepaid funeral plan, crematorium and

comprehensive range of memorials including living memorials.

The Hertfordshire Business Awards are the oldest in the county.

This year’s ceremony was hosted by comedian Dominic Holland and raised funds for the Hertfordshire Community Foundation.

Members News

Action to protect businesses from cyber-crime A new strategy to prevent small and medium-sized businesses falling victim to cyber-crime has been launched today by Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Hertfordshire County Council.

HMP The Mount Case Study HMP The Mount is a category C, adult male prison that looks after up to 1028 convicted men.

It is a training and resettlement prison which means that the staff and volunteers assist in the men’s rehabilitation through various different interventions. Additionally, as they come to the end of their sentence, the establishment assists with their resettlement back into the community.

The joint strategy, the first in the country to focus on preventing cyber-crime rather than just responding to it, will bring together stakeholders from across the county to help SMEs protect themselves.

It’s estimated that cyber-crime costs the UK economy £11bn a year, with over two million people falling victim, but most small businesses are either unaware of the risk or don’t consider it serious. Even among those businesses that do, many feel there’s nothing they can do or don’t know where to start.

As well as raising awareness of the risks, the two year strategy will promote a support service for businesses that are worried about cyber-crime or have fallen victim David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said: “Over ninety percent of Hertfordshire’s sixty thousand SMEs are ‘Micro’ businesses meaning they have fewer than ten employees - and these are some of the most vulnerable to cyber risk. These businesses do not have teams of IT staff to support them, and many believe either they are not at risk or that it is too difficult to do anything about it.

“Our message to them is that you are a target for cybercriminals and you need to take action to protect your business. That’s why I’m launching a £25,000

Cyber Protection for Businesses Voucher Scheme that will let micro businesses get a free external assessment of their IT security and information management systems. This Cyber Basics Review will help business owners understand where they are currently vulnerable and how they can better protect their systems.”

Terry Hone, Cabinet Member for Community Safety at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “Small and medium businesses are more at risk from cyber-criminals that they realise and many are worryingly unprepared. We want to make sure that business owners know that their business is a target and that they need to take the threat seriously. The programme set out in this strategy will help businesses understand the risk and what action they need to take to keep their business safe from cyber-crime.”

Professor Andy Jones, Director of the Cyber Security Centre at the University of Hertfordshire said: “We have worked with Hertfordshire Police since the Centre was created and welcome the opportunity to be a part of the launch of the new strategy to continue our work preventing cyber-criminals targeting local businesses and retailers.

“At the University of Hertfordshire we have developed the infrastructure

to support the local business community in information security through research into security issues, through the provision of a range of security services, through outreach to local groups and through the education and training of future employees. Our School of Computer Science is one of the largest and most established departments in the UK and is focused on working with students to develop tools and techniques capable of detecting and responding to a variety of cyber based attacks, including the collection of digital forensic evidence.”

Detective Inspector Marcus Bromley from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit said: “Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing issues that police forces across the country are currently dealing with. It costs the local economy and businesses hundreds of thousands of pounds every year and in many cases, simple crime prevention advice can help to prevent most cyberattacks on business networks.

This is a great initiative, which aims to deliver specialist cybercrime advice and relevant preventative measures businesses can take to protect their systems, which will benefit the businesses themselves and their customers and employees.”

The Challenge Helping to rehabilitate prisoners to lead law abiding lives and resettle prisoners back into the community is important for everyone. Firstly, it helps ensure the communities in which we all live are as safe as possible for everyone and secondly, it helps those who have worked hard to address their issues and behaviour, get back on their feet to live law-abiding and productive lives once released.

However, this isn’t an easy task and understandably who would think to recruit from their local establishment when a job vacancy becomes available?

And yet there are many reasons why they can be among the most valuable members of the workforce.

The Solution As an establishment we encourage employers to get involved in the Employer’s Fairs and come and see all the good work that goes on behind the walls – who knows what positive opportunities it could offer. And such events work! They are already happening throughout the country in other establishments with some really positive results. For example, over 90% of respondents from over 120 business stated that employment events have encouraged them to further explore working with prisons in order to employ ex-offenders. Furthermore, 92% of inclusive employers say it has enhanced their reputation – often helping them win new contracts.

For the full case study, visit www.hertschamber.com/news/ chamber-news/hmp-the-mount-helpingto-rehabilitate-prisoners-to-lead-lawabiding-lives

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Members News Double accolade for company

VWV win client care award Member of the Herts Chamber, Veale Wasbrough Vizards (VWV) were represented with the Excellence in Client Care award at the LawNet Annual Conference 2018, on Friday, 23rd November.

Herts Executive recorded a double win at the national Professional Driver QSI Awards.

Hundreds of companies from all over the UK took part with entries coming from big names like Addison Lee as well mid-size operators like Herts Executive. The awards celebrate excellence in service standards.

Herts Executive took two awards on the night - Chauffeur Operator of the year (bronze) and Professional Driver of the Year (silver).

The Professional Driver category is the big event of the night so everyone at Herts Executive was thrilled that Terry McCann, one of the longest standing drivers, took an award in this category.

Terry is 63. He’s survived cancer twice and overcome a knee operation but nothing keeps him away from his passion - driving his favourite customers around.

He is a former army officer and paramedic.

Initially, the company’s Night Manager, he has a keen eye for detail and excellent reliability, planning and foresight skills, offering him an appreciation of the high levels of service required by clients.

COLLABORATE

CONNECT

LawNet, the UK’s leading group of law firms has over 70 member firms and has been supporting independent law firms for over 25 years, with a focus on helping member firms improve client service in the last 5 years.

VWV Director of Client Relations, Antonia James, commented: “We are thrilled that our commitment to client care has been recognised. At VWV, a key element of our marketing strategy is listening to our clients.

Their feedback truly matters to us and has a strong influence over investment choices. This award is testament to the work we do to ensure our clients receive first class service."

The award Judges commented: "The firm’s core values place the client at the centre of the firm, together with teamwork and collaboration and their ethos has seen outstanding results including 82% of instructions in the last financial year being made by existing clients.

COMMUNICATE

Chambers has described the firm’s client service as 'first-class and personable' and we second that."

The firm celebrates a further award from the weekend, which saw VWV's Partner Clive Read, named as 'Professional of the Year' at the Birmingham Awards.

These latest awards takes VWV's total for 2018 to seven,

including Outstanding Business Woman of the Year (Dee Kundi) Asian Business Chambers of Commerce, Team of the Year (VWV approach) - Bristol Law Society, Legal Firm of the Year City of Birmingham Business Awards, Legal Category - Bristol Life Awards and Gold Award Clean City Awards Scheme.

Hertfordshire firm wins Customer Commitment award MCP Property Services, who specialise in providing property repair and maintenance services to support social housing organisations, is celebrating after winning the Customer Commitment award, sponsored by Stagecoach Group, at the British Chambers of Commerce’s annual Chamber Business Awards 2018.

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LOCAL EXPERTS

The Chamber Business Awards, now in its 15th year, is one of the showpiece events in the business calendar, highlighting the role of business in delivering growth and prosperity for the UK and local communities.

Since its foundation in 1978, the family-run business, who are members of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, has expanded to more than 100 engineers and operatives and now services more than 60,000 properties a year.

Their investment in technology has allowed them to better respond to queries from customers and has increased efficiency within the company. They have set their objectives to receive 100 per cent feedback, which is supported by an automated text message system allowing customers to respond

with feedback immediately. This investment has resulted in a 35 percent increase in total responses received. All of MCP’s services are constantly monitored to ensure standards are always met.

Francis Martin, President of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “MCP Property Services is a prime example of a company understanding their customers and striving to always do better.”

Members News

Building work begins after University breaks new ground The University of Hertfordshire’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Ian Campbell has recently (Wednesday 5 December) broken the ground where a new building will tangibly link education, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships and social facilities at the University’s de Havilland campus.

The construction project, which has been part-funded by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, will create a three storey building that will provide learning, social and business facilities at the heart of he University’s de Havilland campus in Hatfield.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Ian Campbell said: “Our new building will significantly enhance and extend the support the University provides its degree apprenticeship employers and learners, enterprising graduates and local entrepreneurs and is part of our commitment to ensure our students are given the best possible learning and social experiences through state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, teaching and social spaces.

“By creating social spaces where our entrepreneurial students can mix with business professionals

we are helping them to create networks which will help their businesses to success and give professionals a chance to tap into new entrepreneurial talent.”

The business and social hub will be constructed by Wilmott Dixon and is due to be completed in 2020; it will include: • A ground floor social space, delivering both formal and informal spaces, encouraging collaboration and communication between students, staff and the business community.

• An area dedicated to Business Incubation on the first floor, which will provide a designated focal point to support our University as an Incubator project where we have made available the entire University Campus to local start-ups and entrepreneurs who are able to use our facilities,

rooms and resources and have been mentored to create selfsupporting communities of practice.

• A new teaching space for students, including Degree Apprentices and MBA students.

Hertfordshire LEP has invested £2.5m from the Local Growth Fund towards the construction of the building as part of its strategic priority to support business growth and innovation within the county.

Adrian Hawkins, Deputy Chair of Hertfordshire LEP said: “Small enterprises form the backbone of Hertfordshire’s business community.

Our £2.5m funding towards the construction of a new Business Hub is an investment in their future growth and prosperity, giving start-ups access to a world-class University with a reputation for championing entrepreneurship.”

The Minister for Local Growth, Jake Berry MP, said: “We are committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the UK and building a Britain fit for the future.

“Degree apprenticeships play an important role in helping people to reach their full potential, whatever their background, so I am delighted this £2.5 million investment from the Local Growth Fund will help provide new teaching, social and business facilities at the University of Hertfordshire. This will make a vital contribution to Hertfordshire’s economy, strengthening links between the University, students, and the local business community.”

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? n re d il h c r u o y r fo t n a uw What kind of life do yo We probably all want the same things for our children: a happy, healthy and positive childhood. The families we work with in Africa and Asia want that for their children too, but when you’re living in a slum with no food or money it’s a tough ambition to achieve.

Hope for Children – a proud Hertfordshire charity with a global impact – works to improve the circumstances of children born into extreme, debilitating poverty, because we passionately believe all children deserve a proper childhood that sets them up for long-term happiness and a positive future.

One of the ways we help is to invest in their mothers, in communities where women’s earning power is neglected.

Supporting mothers to earn money means families can afford school fees and uniforms so children can finish their education, find decent jobs, and not get caught in the poverty traps we see in so many communities.

The women we know are extraordinary, resilient parents who have survived war, sexual violence, the deaths of love ones, near-starvation... and are committed to giving their children better lives than they’ve had.

We are fortunate to have a small but fantastic group of corporate partners who work with us to help parents achieve their dreams for their children.

To give you an example of the impact a tiny sum can have, £100 pays for a business grant - giving a woman the chance of a lifetime of sustainable income and her children the chance of a future worth having.

To join our group and do something amazing, contact Amy, our Corporate Relationships Manager: amy@hope4c.org / 01442 234 561 / www.hope-for-children.org

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At Herts, we make it our business to help you with yours.

So whether you’re making your first steps into the world of business or are on the lookout for talent, support or facilities to take your company to the next level, we’re here for you.

YO BU U IS S R BU O IN E U SI R S NE S SS .

Find out more at go.herts.ac.uk/forbusiness

01707 286406 go.herts.ac.uk/forbusiness

Herts for business.

Skills & Development

The Hemel Hempstead company, which operates more than 40 resorts and parks across the UK and employs more than 16,000 team members, says the move puts it at the vanguard of skills development within the industry.

The Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship offers a fully-funded BA in Management Practice degree course. The four-year course will allow those working on the new apprenticeship scheme to spend time as part of the team at the company’s Butlin’s, Haven Holidays and Warner Leisure Hotels brands.

Sarah Dickins; Group People Director, Bourne Leisure

Ground-breaking degree apprenticeship programme seeks to develop new talent

The scheme enables qualified applicants to gain real-time experience and earn money while studying for a degree at The Open University without the pressure of knowing that they are building up debts.

Sarah said: “We want to offer amazing career opportunities and the degree apprenticeship programme is part of that process.

“Our new programme offers talented individuals the opportunity to join the Bourne Leisure Degree Apprenticeship in a real job with a structured development programme and career options across each of our brands.

Company Group People Director Sarah Dickins said that the organisation had received a staggering 500-plus applications for just nine places.

“Our message is that, if you are looking to work hard and give our guests a great time, then we’ll give you the opportunity of a lifetime.”

She said: “The graduate apprenticeship programme fits in with our work to recruit talented people and develop their skills.

While the candidates must study during their own time, they will be given the equivalent of two days off each month for studying.

“In the past 18 months, we have had 300 team members on apprenticeship programmes, which allow us to develop our recruits from the moment they join us and allows them to study for a qualification as well as being paid a salary.

In addition to offering apprenticeships, Bourne Leisure works hard to get the basics right from the moment that new recruits start work.

“We have invested heavily in our apprenticeships and the degree apprenticeship is an extension of the work that we have been doing.

As part of the approach, the company runs a 90-day induction for all recruits, offering then an in-depth introduction both to the jobs they will be doing and into the ethos of the business.

“It’s been a case of dipping our toe into the water and we have been very impressed with the quality of people who have applied to what is a first for the leisure sector.”

Sarah said: “The idea of the 90-day induction is to give our recruits thorough grounding into what it is like to work for Bourne Leisure. It is all about setting them up for success.”

Hertfordshire-based holiday provider Bourne Leisure has announced an exciting initiative that offers industry professionals a fully-funded degree course, including a salaried role and a guaranteed career upon completion.

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“Our new programme offers talented individuals the opportunity to join the Bourne Leisure Degree Apprenticeship in a real job with a structured development programme and career options across each of our brands.”

APPRENTICESHIPS AT OAKLANDS COLLEGE

Oaklands College recognise that an apprenticeship programme may be the right career path for students and the best business solution for employers. Our dedicated team can help get you started and assist you at every stage, including recruitment and funding/employer levy guidance.

Benefits of an apprenticeship

80%

81%

83%

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of companies who invest in apprentices report better staff retention

of consumers prefer using a company which takes on apprentices

of employers use their apprenticeship schemes to find future employees

of employers with apprentices believe they lead to a more motivated work force

For more information – contact us now on

T: 01727 737000 e: apprenticeships@oaklands.ac.uk

We offer apprenticeships in a range of industries, including some at Foundation Degree level. Career paths currently include: ● Plumbing, Carpentry

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● Horticulture/Green Keeping ● Welding ● Town Planning ● Food & Drink Engineer ● Optical Assistant

www.oaklands.ac.uk

Last Word

Supporting SME growth ambitions David Moule CEO Exemplas Holdings Limited Q What do you do?

Q How has it helped your

We deliver information and advisory services to the SME market – services such as innovation, internationalisation, export and business growth.

business network?

Exemplas has a successful track record working with SMEs in Hertfordshire and more widely, over a number of years.

The Chamber provides additional connectivity into the mid-sized and large business membership who are open to sharing best practice and new ways of working, to again inform and support the services we deliver to the SME market.

Q Who do you work for?

Exemplas Holdings Limited.

Q Why did you join the Chamber?

One of the contracts we deliver is the Hertfordshire Growth Hub. The Chamber is a partner in the delivery of this service to businesses.

Q What you do get from it?

It is important to ensure the support and services we deliver to clients are relevant.

The Chamber, through its membership and networks, provides an invaluable communication channel to inform and influence services to best meet the needs of businesses.

Patrons

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Q What advice would you give someone starting out?

Where do you start? Make sure you find the time to continuously engage with your peer group, including competitors, outside of the normal business environment.

No one has a monopoly on ideas and how best to do things, and in such a rapidly changing business world, you have to be prepared to challenge the way you do things.

You need to be prepared to see what is going on elsewhere and embrace new technology and

ideas, if you are going to stay relevant and compete going forward. Also, never be too proud to seek help where it’s available – the Hertfordshire Growth Hub is a good example of an advisory service that provides businesses across the county with access to an excellent network of support organisations.

Q What do you think is the biggest challenge affecting running and growing a business?

There are so many challenges and they constantly change.

For example, understanding what technology is available and relevant to your business is an increasing factor.

The presumption in conversation, should not be about simply is it ‘digital’ or is it ‘people’ but rather how you blend the two together, as effectively as possible. With technology investment this requires change in the skills you need to support digital.

Q What support do you want from government?

Businesses are resourceful and continuously make decisions to influence their future direction.

With Brexit, businesses have been dealing with inertia for two years and yet they remain resilient and forward thinking.

Government needs to make sure we do not talk ourselves down in uncertain times. Business opportunities will continue to be there irrespective of the Brexit outcome and Government needs to bang the drum for UK PLC.

Q How confident are you your organisation/business will grow in 2019?

We cannot afford to be complacent. There is business out there to be won but we operate in a very competitive environment. As such we need to be resourceful and work hard to continue to do what we do well – delivering advisory services to SMEs.

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