Spotlight Focus

INNOVATION thrives in central Herts

Central Hertfordshire certainly has a lot to offer. Places such as St Albans, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City are thriving business hubs with a range of different attractions that support the local tourism industry.

Deakin-White, an independent family run boutique real estate agent, is well qualified to comment on the area, having established offices in Hatfield and St Albans. Founded in 2015 by mother and son team, Christine and Ed Harrison, the award-winning company has expertise in residential and commercial sales, lettings, auctions and mortgages and has built a strong presence in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Ed Harrison, Managing Director of The Deakin-White Group, says: “There are many advantages of doing business in the area. One is the uniqueness of each locality within the area. St Albans is markedly different to Hatfield which in turn is different to Aylesbury.” “The transport connections are another plus point, with airports on our doorstep and a regular fast train from St Albans into London. Although we’re close to the hustle and bustle of trade and industry, Hertfordshire has some beautiful countryside and offers a better, more cost-effective standard of living than London and other areas.” “Where possible we use local suppliers, such as insurance firms, accountants and printers, in a bid to keep trade local. We also support the community here through our CSR work. Our Hatfield office recently agreed a shirt sponsorship deal with Hatfield FC – not just the first team but also the youth teams. We’re a firm advocate of grassroots football and we want to encourage children and adults to keep fit and active.” Like many businesses, Deakin-White had to shut its offices for three months in the first lockdown but has bounced back strongly since then. Ed says: “The property market was one of the first to recover last year. It was helped by government incentives such as the stamp duty holiday and a state-backed mortgage scheme to help first-time buyers or current homeowners secure a mortgage with a 5% deposit. As a result, the residential market has been extremely buoyant and that side of our business has been very busy.” “The commercial market is more of a mixed picture. Some parts of it are doing well; a lot of small, independent traders are opening boutique ventures in small units, for example. However, some of the larger department stores are struggling, as we’ve seen with the closure of Debenhams and job losses at John Lewis. Also, although we haven’t seen any major adverse effect on large office units yet, that market is likely to suffer as more people work from home.” “The good thing is that the government is looking to relax planning laws that will make it easier for property to be converted into other uses. Commercial units could be turned into muchneeded affordable housing and large empty retail stores could convert to offices.” “That will be good for the high street; the last thing that shops want is to see empty or boarded up properties nearby. It dissuades people from coming here and will reduce footfall and trade.” “Going forward, we’re feeling positive. I think that the country will have an economic boom like it did in the roaring 1920s. After such a miserable couple of years, people will want to buy property and spend their money on home improvements and going out again.” Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC) has been busy helping businesses navigate their way through the COVID pandemic. To date the council has handed out 4,654 grants worth more than £29.5 million, and has provided free training and advice to help businesses get back on their feet and reopen safely – work that will continue as we enter the next phase of the pandemic. Lisa Devayya, Economic Development Officer at WHBC, says: “Welwyn Hatfield has enjoyed an economic boom recently thanks to some of the UK’s largest companies, as well as an increasing number of start-up businesses, making the borough their home. It has excellent transport links, easy access to international airports, good schools, lively shopping areas and beautiful parks and green spaces.” “Hatfield was listed as one of the Sunday Times’ top 20 UK ‘Turnaround Towns’ thanks to its impressive employment growth, which has soared 134% since 2009 – the highest of all the areas featured. But it’s not just Hatfield undergoing major regeneration. WHBC has also embarked on an ambitious programme to develop Welwyn Garden City town centre and take the world’s second garden city into its next 100 years.” Driving footfall to town centres is a key focus for WHBC over the coming months, with several family activities planned. Lisa says: “The weekend activities are part of a ‘welcome back’ drive to encourage people into town centres as COVID restrictions ease, using a government grant allocated to local authorities. Welwyn Hatfield will be turned into an unforgettable carnival atmosphere over consecutive weekends, with stilt walkers, clowns, games, refreshments and delicious world food.” “These events will form part of the planned summer of fun alongside the WelHat Sports Healthy Hub Festival and Big Summer.” “The Council continues to invest millions in ambitious regeneration projects to drive positive change and boost the borough’s economy. On top of the town centre schemes, the regeneration of neighbourhood shopping centre, High View, is intended to give south Hatfield a new lease of life.” Lisa says: “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world and its effects will last. One area that has seen tremendous growth is digitization, which incorporates everything from online customer service, remote working and supply-chain reinvention to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve operations. WHBC is working with partners including Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce to ensure businesses have the right skills to embrace all things digital.” “Businesses will also need to determine the role of the office itself, which is the traditional centre for creating culture and a sense of belonging. Companies will have to make decisions on whether they still need their commercial space in their building, office or floor, having to think about how much space there is between desks or about training and professional developments.” “The other challenge has to do with adapting the workforce to the requirements of automation, digitization and other technologies. This will be a challenge across the board, even in sectors not associated with remote work and employees will need to learn new skills.”

Also supporting local firms is the Volunteer Business Support Scheme, a free and confidential one-to-one business mentoring programme, set up by the Hertfordshire Growth Hub (HGH) in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Since the scheme was launched in June 2020, it has supported more than 270 business overall, including 50 in St Albans and 38 in the Welwyn and Hatfield areas. Yanina Aubrey-Gimenez, Head of Business Services at the University of Hertfordshire, says: “We joined forces with the LEP and the Hertfordshire Growth Hub (HGH) to launch the scheme during the Summer of 2020, in response to a surge in requests for support registered by the HGH during the COVID pandemic. Challenges faced by businesses that got in touch then ranged from how to survive the pandemic to how to access the range of financial support that was being made available by the government.” “We recruited over 70 mentors with a range of different skills and expertise. We had academics from the university as well as experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals joining the scheme as mentors.” “The university is the core delivery partner for the scheme. Among other things, we manage the recruitment and training of mentors so they’re in the best position to support the businesses.” “Initially, many companies wanted to find out how to access financial support. Then, the focus turned to re-evaluating and rethinking their business model to make their businesses more robust – for example, by having a greater digital presence, developing new products or services or delivering them in a different way. For example, ELSA Next Generation (pictured), which delivers bespoke education programmes across the UK, has not only managed to navigate the challenges presented by the pandemic but is now in a much stronger position than it was a year ago. The business has been able to diversify its services, reach out to new customers and increase its turnover with help from a mentor.” Yanina says: “The fact that we have so many businesses from these areas – Welwyn, St Albans and Hatfield – being supported through this scheme shows how vibrant the entrepreneurial ecosystem in these locations is.” “Businesses now need support to prepare themselves to trade successfully in the postCOVID world. We’re keen to continue to support businesses as they embark on this mission.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world and its effects will last. One area that has seen tremendous growth is digitization, which incorporates everything from online customer service, remote working and supply-chain reinvention to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve operations.

Due to the success and regional impact of the scheme it has been extended until the end of November. Sian Ryan, Head of Service at Hertfordshire Growth Hub, said: “As the central point of access to business support in the county, we’re delighted to be able to offer this vital support. It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to extend the scheme, meaning hundreds more businesses can benefit from our network of experienced volunteers.”

For more information about the Volunteer Business Support Scheme and to sign-up, visit go.herts.ac.uk/vbss

One Hatfield Hospital is also supporting businesses by providing corporate healthcare packages including a private GP membership plan and discounts on surgery, physiotherapy and a range of health check packages. Holly Miles, Business Development Manager at One Hatfield Hospital, says: “We’re a modern, purpose-built hospital providing private healthcare for local families in Hatfield, St Albans and throughout Hertfordshire. We’ve put together some great corporate packages for the many thriving businesses based here on the Hatfield Business Park with us and would encourage them to get in touch.” “The NHS remains under enormous pressure. While there is now, thankfully, light at the end of the tunnel, the health service will face the repercussions of the pandemic for many years to come, not least in beginning the hard work of clearing the backlog of treatments that have built up during the last 12 months. Although we’re no longer under the national contract which saw us receive over 2,000 patients for urgent surgical care and diagnostic investigations, we’re still working with nearby NHS hospitals to help them work through their waiting lists. This will continue for as long as our support is needed.” “Alongside this important area of our work, our services for private patients now either match or have overtaken pre-COVID levels. Over the last few months, most likely due to the increased NHS waiting times, we have seen a significant increase in the number of patients using their insurance, and patients without insurance are choosing to pay for treatment. Many patients are taking advantage of the payment options we offer to spread the cost of treatment. We’ve expanded our staff team so that we can offer our facilities at full capacity at all times and for longer hours.”