Surrey Chamber Business Magazine Sept 2015

theChamber Voice&VisionofSurreyBusiness| September - October 2015 www.surrey-chambers.co.uk | ÂŁ3.95 (where sold)

In search of greater productivity

Page 25

Spotlight on Tandridge pg 12

Health and Wellbeing pg 33

Initiatives offer a bright future

Keeping your workforce healthy

Big Interview pg 28

Ask the Expert pg 35

One of the finest hotels in Surrey

How do I find my customers?

Contents

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Voice & Vision of Surrey Business www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

September - October 2015

Welcome to theChamber from our Chief Executive Louise Punter Productivity The buzz word at the moment is definitely “productivity”.

How can we get more out of our resources, particularly our labour resources?

Whilst raising productivity is a global challenge, a large and widening productivity gap exists between the UK and leading advanced economies. According to the government study, narrowing this gap is a prize worth striving for. For instance, matching the productivity of the US would raise GDP by 31 per cent, equating to around £21,000 per annum for every household in the UK. The government announced its framework for raising productivity in July building around two pillars; firstly, encouraging long term investment, and secondly, promoting a dynamic economy.

With fifteen areas addressed in their productivity plan, we could get lost in the detail but most importantly at Surrey Chambers we believe that we have to tackle deep-rooted, structural problems if we are to have a great economy.

We need world class infrastructure, a streamlined planning process that serves to aid, not delay, projects and crucially, we must kick-start our export performance. We must also see better access to finance for businesses - this has been the missing piece of the jigsaw for far too long. These are the fundamentals where the UK has consistently failed to punch its weight and which act as a drag on growth and productivity.

Going some way to help with these fundamentals, Surrey Chambers continues to act as a catalyst to keep businesses informed through focused events; we create connections for businesses not only in the UK but also through our network of overseas chambers and we have the opportunity to represent businesses at many of the decision making meetings in the county. We are also contributing to the preparation of young people for the workplace so that they start to contribute to higher productivity straight away by following the right careers for them. We will be running seven careers events across Surrey over the next six months to demonstrate to young people the exciting opportunities available through our diverse and successful local business community. We have a number of businesses already involved but are always keen to work with more.

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Introduction Chamber News Member News Motoring News Spotlight On...

Members News Finance International Trade 24 Hours With Property Feature Cover Feature Big Interview

Editorial and General Enquiries Surrey Chambers of Commerce Unit 14a, Monument Way East, Woking, Surrey GU21 5LY Tel: 01483 735540 Fax: 01483 756754 Email: info@surrey-chambers.co.uk

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Legal Health and Wellbeing Ask the Expert Christmas Feature Design Development Technology Showcase New Members Member News Chamber Events Members News Chamber Chat

Production Manager Mark Etherington Email: studio@benhampublishing.com

Media No.

Chief Executive: Louise Punter Finance: Caroline Cherryman

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Editor

Disclaimer

Carol Squires Tel: 01483 735545 Email: marketing@surrey-chambers.co.uk

The Chamber is published for the Surrey Chambers of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members in the county. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Surrey Chambers.

Views expressed in The Chamber are not necessarily those of Surrey Chambers of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2015.

Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited 3tc House, 16 Crosby Road North, Crosby, Liverpool L22 0NY Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com

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Advertising and Features

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.

Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com

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

Published September 2015 © Benham Publishing

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Introduction

A word from our President

Kevin Hurley

Welcome from Frankie Tierney

Police Commissioner

I’m very pleased to produce my first column as president for the Chamber magazine.

Policing the Economy

Jon Jagger and before him Dan May are both tough acts to follow but, having been on the board for many years and seen them both in action, I at least know how high the bar sits!

The theme for this edition of the magazine is productivity, which tends to be something the media get very excited about when UK workers find themselves further down the international productivity league table than perhaps we would like.

Yes of course we still need to improve skill levels and that does not just mean turning out more graduates. Improvements in technical expertise through apprenticeships in the less glamourous industries are just as important as ensuring we lead the world in the high-tech areas.

But should we beat ourselves up about league tables?

There is a down side with high productivity that often gets overlooked. France, for example, has a higher per worker productivity rating than the UK, but in turn has a higher unemployment rate. There are social consequences of only having the more highly skilled people in jobs that cannot be ignored.

Well run businesses understand that good teamwork and client satisfaction can only be achieved if everyone is encouraged to be proud of doing their job to the best of their ability and given the training and tools to maximise that ability.

Yes productivity is important but it does not necessarily need to be king.

Frankie Tierney

“ ...we still need to improve skill levels and that does not just mean turning out more graduates.

Improvements in technical expertise through apprenticeships in the less glamourous industries are just as important as ensuring we lead the world in the high-tech areas.

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One interpretation of the word “productivity” means “efficiency in industrial practice” and efficiency is certainly to be welcomed in the world of policing in the same way as it is in business.

Efficiency and cutting overly bureaucratic processes have been at the forefront of policing for many years, with Home Office targets scrapped and many time-consuming administrative functions and form-filling drastically reduced.

Indeed, the drive for efficiency, as well as the need to save money due to successive government cuts, has led to drastic measures such as selling off little-used police stations, collaboration between forces and reductions in police officer training.

But has this drive for efficiency at all costs gone too far? I say yes, for the simple reason that policing is not a process to be streamlined. It is an instinctive heart-felt desire to help humanity and to bring bad people to justice. Yes, some of the efficiency savings, such as the scrapping of central targets were welcome and longoverdue. And some innovations, such as collaborating in back-office functions, joint purchasing and introducing joint enforcement teams with public bodies working closely together, are welcome. But the endless yearon-year austerity budget cutting from central government has

left many officers and staff beleaguered and morale low within the service.

This is bad news for individuals, for forces which have invested in recruiting and training, for commerce which creates employment and provides most of our tax base, and ultimately bad for the chancellor. But it is bad news for society too.

We need the police to be energised, dynamic, motivated and PRODUCTIVE. To achieve this, we need to start trusting individuals to make good decisions, invest in, recruit and train sufficient staff to enable them to do a good job and support them when they make operational decisions in challenging circumstances.

Individuals won’t always get it right, and there has to be accountability for bad decisions, but I would rather someone chose to be a police officer to make a difference, get out into the community and be productive to society than have their chin on the floor.

Productivity is essential in every business and every service.

A strong police service is integral to protecting business, thereby boosting taxes to pay for vital services such as health and education. To achieve a healthy, productive police service, we all need to be bold and brave. Stop criticising the police - join up, or at the least, stand alongside us and be productive for the benefit of all of society.

Chamber News

Police and Crime Commissioner launches online information hub to help prevent cyber crime The Police and Crime Commissioner, Kevin Hurley, has today launched a new online service to provide preventative information about cyber crime.

Welcome Aisha The Surrey Chambers of Commerce team are delighted to welcome our new marketing executive Aisha!

Aisha has recently joined us after graduating from Exeter with a 2:1 degree in English Literature and we are happy to have recruited her.

The CyberSafe Network (www.cybersafesurrey.org) is a new initiative aimed to give professionals and practitioners in Surrey relevant information to better safeguard our communities from online threats.

The free service aims to provide:

Cyber crime remains one of the most serious threats to the UK, with the ability to impact on our personal lives, our businesses and our essential services.

• Easy access to the latest news, warnings and cyber-crime prevention messages

Whilst there have been numerous campaigns across the country to give out preventative advice, one third of the British public still fail on basic security measures.

With this in mind, the Police and Crime Commissioner is keen to try a more localised approach, using the vast reach of professionals across

the county to give out advice that is relevant to those receiving it.

the other hand you have young people being groomed through social media or online games.

• Relevant cyber-crime alerts by email, including notification of national campaigns

Nobody is safe from being targeted but, if you have the right information, you’ll know what to avoid. With almost everyone having access to the internet, it is vital that we teach everyone - from the sixteen year old who thinks they know everything, to the grandmother who’s learning to use an iPad for the first time - how to use the internet safely, and what to avoid.

PCC Kevin Hurley said: “Cyber crime is a complex issue. On the one hand, you have the online fraudsters who claim to be stuck abroad and send you a begging email asking for £500, and on

“If you work with the elderly, with young people or with any vulnerable group, I encourage you to sign up to the CyberSafe Network to stay up-to-date on the latest scams and threats.”

• A one-stop shop for all the latest and best cyber-crime prevention advice

Her primary interests are in digital and brand marketing and she is fortunate enough to have done work experience and placements in these areas over the last two summers. Aisha is very excited to join the team here at Surrey Chambers and believes it is the perfect job for her, especially to gain a fantastic knowledge in marketing- “I am thrilled that I found such an ideal job after graduating and I think I will fit in very well with the super team here at the chambers.”

She hopes she can bring the creativity she gained from her English degree into her work.

Aisha says: “I really look forward to meeting all the members over the next few weeks and introducing myself properly!” Please feel free to give Aisha a call and she can make herself known to you in her new and exciting role.

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Member News

AXA lone workers If you’re one of the 6.8 million lone workers in the UK, from IT programmers to event planners, here are some top tips to help you stay well, motivated and productive.

1. Create healthy boundaries Be strict and get into a routine that works for you. If you have clients, let them know your working hours and stick to them. You’ll find you have more energy to tackle your tasks and, ultimately, you’ll be more successful.

2. Eat regularly, eat well and exercise When you eat, get away from where you’re working. Getting some headspace and giving yourself a break while you eat is good for your mental and physical wellbeing.

Business Law Online A company delivering high quality legal services at a cost you can afford.

Business Law Online Limited, the London based innovative legal solutions company, offering fixed price legal services to small and medium sized businesses, have expanded their national presence by opening new offices in Frimley, Surrey, and Hull, Yorkshire.

In an interview their general counsel, Robert Taylor, stated that ‘’this move was made to better support our local clients based in the southern home counties and the North of England. A lot of our clients are operating on a 24/7 basis and by locating in Frimley we are able to deliver a service which mirrors the needs of our customers. We chose Frimley due to its location, with plentiful logistical routes to our customer base and the added benefit of low overheads compared with a central London location. It allows us to pass these savings in overheads on to our clients as part of our commitment to drive down the cost of legal services.’’

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Business Law Online are committed to delivering a world class customer focused service and to support this aim we have recruited two new members of the executive team.

Jon Sims joins as director of client services with over 20 years experience in customer facing roles.

Jon will help drive the strategy, ensuring that customer engagement and service delivery is kept aligned with the needs of the customer.

Amanda Friston a highly qualified legal professional also joins to strengthen the legal team.

Amanda is a highly experienced corporate lawyer and having worked client side as in-house counsel is able to empathise with the issues that companies encounter and thus offer a pragmatic and tailored solution.

For more information please contact us on 01276 804 432 or email at info@business-lawonline.com or simply visit our website at www.business-lawonline.com

3. Build a professional network From help with accounting, legal questions or simply having people to bounce ideas off, it’s important to have some backup. If you need to build a network from scratch, use sites such as LinkedIn or professional membership organisations to expand your network.

4. Recognise feelings of isolation - and do something about them Manage your time to spend it with others, for instance, by renting a desk in a co-working space or having regular team catch-ups. Otherwise, make sure that you have contact with other people during your working hours. Talking on the phone instead of emailing and

face-to-face business catch-ups will make a difference to how you feel about working alone.

5. Separate your work space and time from your home life Whether it’s your spare room, an office in the garden or your kitchen table, define your work space and separate it from the rest of your home life - and resist the temptation to work during your time off.

To find out more about lone working visit axappphealthcare.co.uk/loneworkers or if you want to find out how AXA PPP healthcare can help support your business, give them a call on 0800 023 4021 and chat to one of their small business advisors.

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Member News

International Pop Art comes to The Lightbox in Woking The artwork of Andy Warhol takes centre stage in an exciting exhibition at The Lightbox gallery and museum in Woking.

Dance Woking seeking Board Member Showcasing the colourful highlights of international pop art, ‘Warhol and the World of Pop Art’ features some of the world’s most famous and influential artists, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Claes Oldenburg.

The exhibition for the first time presents a comprehensive overview of how pop art was adopted by America and Europe, not just as a form of fine art, but across all applied mediums such as packaging, pop music, fashion and furniture. The pop art movement emerged as a

response to the boom in popular culture in the late 1950s, as young artists sought inspiration from the commercialised new world they lived in. Warhol was at the forefront of this movement, and gained such popularity by the mid-1960s that the American media had christened him the ‘Pope of Pop’.

‘Warhol and the World of Pop Art’ will run until 1 November 2015.

Entrance to the exhibition requires a £5 Annual Pass (under 18s go free). The Annual Pass will then provide entry to all of The Lightbox’s Upper and Main Gallery exhibitions for an entire

year - and there are some exciting ones coming up, including ‘Quentin Blake: Inside Stories’ (10 October 2015 - 17 January 2016) and, in 2016, ‘John Constable: Observing the Weather’ (13 February 2016 - 8 May 2016).

Don’t forget, The Lightbox is also available for venue hire with contemporary spaces ideal for meetings, conferences and training sessions. For more information please visit www.thelightbox.org.uk

Free coffee concerts strike a chord Guildford Cathedral is keeping up its musical traditions in the face of impending building works with a programme of free Summer Coffee Concerts to delight and engage the local community.

Talented and highly regarded performers from the local area have been inspiring visitors, staff and volunteers alike with a varied programme of music ranging from “Clarinet Classics” to the “Resounding Trumpet”.

The Revd Canon Dr Julie Gittoes who has been leading the weekly welcome said: “It has been wonderful to see people from all generations come together to enjoy the concert series.

The performers have given their time so generously to enable

the cathedral to provide a much needed activity for the many isolated communities within the area.”

The programme forms part of the People’s Cathedral Project, an ambitious initiative, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, combining urgent building repairs with an exciting community engagement programme to capture and reveal the rich heritage and history behind Guildford Cathedral.

The People’s Cathedral Project manager said: “The concerts

have been a real success and are exactly the type of engagement activity that support from the Heritage Lottery Fund is enabling us to do. They also highlight that despite the work, Guildford Cathedral is very much open for business” The free concerts will run every Thursday with coffee in the cathedral from 10:30 and music from 11:15-12:00.

The finale of the programme will take place on Thursday 24th September with Songs for Late Summer.

Dance Woking is looking for dynamic and committed individuals who can bring their expertise to this vibrant and versatile dance development organisation.

Providing our local communities with performance platforms, high quality professional work and participation opportunities, we are seeking new board members with experience and skills in the following areas to build on our existing and exciting offers: • Marketing and Press; • Development and Fundraising and • Arts Management.

This is a fantastic time to join Dance Woking. In July we codelivered a large-scale outdoor event, Party In The Park, to an audience of 15,000 and we are a part of the Royal Opera House Links Programme.

This trustee role requires attendance to four board meetings per year, annual strategy day and events in the programme, strategic support and enthusiastic advocacy.

Please register your interest by emailing Kimberley Brewin at office@dancewoking.com.

For an information pack please either contact us at: office@dancewoking.com or go to our website www.dancewoking.com

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Motoring News

Audi Fleet Services in the UK Your experience begins with us

Lookers Audi is a major player in Audi's UK fleet and corporate sales success.

Our highly-trained and professional fleet team assists many large and small businesses.

Some of the country's biggest names rely on Lookers Audi for their fleet requirements and we find that they have a strong appreciation for our service levels, our attention to detail and our ability to deliver exactly what they require.

Whether you choose to buy, hire or lease, at Lookers Audi we recognise that each business has unique requirements and we work hard to ensure these needs are met. We also have excellent finance offers for business customers.

With reliable and technologically advanced models, we can offer a wide choice of Audi business cars and flexible finance packages for corporate customers.

Here at Lookers Audi we would be delighted to get you up and running with an Audi fleet package that suits your every requirement.

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Exceptional new and approved used models To meet the needs of our loyal customers, we insist on stocking the manufacturer's latest models.

Our range includes the energetic A1, versatile Q5 and superior A8 – all excellent examples of the carmaker's quest for excellence.

We stock one of the largest selections of high-specification new models, so you can choose a vehicle tailored to your style.

So you gain the most from your business purchase, contract hire or lease, we are pleased to provide a number of generous offers across our range of models and services, alongside flexible finance packages.

A commitment to aftersales care With Lookers Audi, we are committed to you for the lifetime of your vehicle. Using the latest and most advanced equipment, we provide exceptional aftersales care to ensure your car performs to its peak, retains as-new levels of comfort and remains safe.

All of our technicians are manufacturer-trained and understand each model inside and out.

To ensure the longevity of our servicing, we use only genuine manufacturer parts should a replacement be required. You can purchase these alongside a range of accessories to perform your own maintenance and personalise your vehicle.

Your Local Business Development Manager Whether you’re the director of your own company, a fleet manager or a company car driver, Lookers Audi specialise in supplying personal expertise and services to meet the needs of your fleet throughout the UK. For any queries you can contact Daniel Suddaby, our Local Business Development Manager on 0844 800 9343

Our knowledge and experience means we can cater for varying fleet sizes be that small, medium or large - from one vehicle to a 100+ fleet, to deliver a complete service including: • Friends and family retail • One point of contact for all packages your Audi vehicle • Tailor-made packages to requirements help drivers who have • Fast-track quotation and ‘opted out’ of the company brochure fulfilment car to fund a privately owned vehicle • Extended test drives • Breakfast club meetings • Office-based test drives • Golf days • Bespoke fleet services • Ride and drive days • Vehicle funding advice • News on latest Audi offers • Fleet rates first Camberley Audi : 507 London Road, Camberley, GU15 3JE - 01276 606500 Guildford Audi : 14 Moorfield Road, Guildford, GU1 1RU - 01483 547700 Basingstoke Audi : Crockford Lane, Chineham, Basingstoke, RG24 8NA - 01256 307500

Member News

Leading firm welcomes new Tax Director Top-20 UK accountancy firm, Wilkins Kennedy LLP, has just announced the appointment of Dave Hedges to the team, who joins as tax director for offices in Heathrow, Guildford, Winchester, Romsey, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Dave has worked for top accountancy firms across the UK for the last 26 years, bringing with him a wealth of experience to his new role at Wilkins Kennedy. He specialises in employment tax and currently works with employers of all sizes, helping them to structure the overall remuneration package provided to employees and ensure tax efficiency whilst helping to reduce the risk of PAYE related issues being raised

by HMRC. He said: “Wilkins Kennedy provides all the right criteria for me in terms of what I am looking for in a business advisor role.

They already have a great reputation and their tax team is second to none. I was keen to get involved with that and share in the success and I’m really looking forward to putting my skill set to good use.”

Matthew Hall, head of tax at Wilkins Kennedy, said: “Dave’s valuable skills and attributes, as well as a solid career history with top accountancy firms, are very welcome to Wilkins Kennedy’s expansive tax offering. Dave will be a valuable asset to the team and I wish him all the best in his new role.”

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Slowing down is the new speeding up Most conventional time management systems, quite rightly, focus on eliminating procrastination, improving prioritisation, managing interruptions and setting goals.

These are all good practices.

In the most part, they make the assumption that time is linear and we all have 86,400 seconds to invest each day, including time to sleep of course. While this is true, it doesn’t quite paint an accurate picture of how we experience the passage of time.

If you have ever sat in a doctor’s waiting room and exhausted reading the copies of Surrey Life as the doctor is running late, you will have noticed how time can drag.

A busy weekend can rush by all too quickly only for Monday to come along in next to no time.

The passage of time is subjective and we can use this phenomenon to get more done in less time. It might sound counterintuitive but the best way by far to save time during the day is to invest 10 to 20 minutes at the start of each day in meditation.

I was first introduced to this notion more than ten years ago. My initial reaction was that I was a busy guy and didn’t have 10 minutes to waste and that there was no way I could make my mind go

quiet. I found a teacher though and persevered, mainly as I was stressed out and wanted to manage my blood pressure.

The results after just a week or so surprised me.

I found on days when I took some ‘me-time’ to meditate, my days went so much more smoothly. I not only got more things done but opportunities would turn up out of the blue, just when I needed them.

I since learned why this happens.

The normal human mind is only capable of experiencing one thought at a time. Just think about that sentence for a moment and notice how your thoughts flip from thinking about the sentence to the sentence itself.

By practicing entering the meditative state daily, we calm what is referred to as our ‘monkey mind’.

This helps us focus better at the task in hand and become immune to distractions. In time, we also become less stressed and more vital. People might even ask if we’ve had some treatment.

For some people, getting the kids to school or the grind of the commute might make daily meditation impossible.

No problem - a similar benefit can be had by just taking a walk at lunch time, ideally in a park or near water.

Tom Evans is an author, host of The Zone Show podcast and the creator of Living Timefully - the world’s first time management programme based on mindfulness.

“The normal human mind is only capable of experiencing one thought at a time. Just think about that sentence for a moment and notice how your thoughts flip from thinking about the sentence to the sentence itself.”

Member News

ArchOver, the alternative finance source Through crowdlending, ArchOver is offering what many SMEs have been looking for; a simple form of finance for working capital that is easy to obtain at a reasonable cost and does not require personal guarantees or entail a third party interacting with the SME’s customers.

Crowdlending is an alternative form of finance, which allows those with money to lend directly to those who need it, without the involvement of banks, invoice discounters or factors.

Companies that supply goods and services to other companies have to pay wages and most of their costs before they receive payment. To bridge this gap, they can get a bank loan, which will usually need securing

against buildings, stocks and plant, and usually personal guarantees from the directors.

The other traditional ways are to use invoice discounting or factoring, where the factor or discounter pays out around 80% of the invoice value when it is raised, to be paid back when the customer settles the account.

The drawbacks with this are that personal guarantees are, once again, required and the amount of finance available goes up and down from day to day and problems can occur if invoices are challenged by customers.

In contrast, the ArchOver crowdlending platform, which uses money from its crowd of investors and lends directly to borrowers, provides businesses with a lump sum for a fixed term of up to 36 months, which can be extended if required. It can also be repaid or reduced at

any time. The minimum borrowing level is set at £100,000 with no maximum.

The loan is secured and insured on the value of the debtor book, allowing the borrowing company to lever off the credit worthiness of their customers. SMEs can borrow up to 80% of the value of their account receivables (ARs).

Once the loan is made they must maintain their ARs at a minimum of 125% of the value of the loan.

This allows SMEs to plan with accuracy, as they always know what funds they have available.

The simple to arrange loan requires no personal guarantees and, because it is secured and insured on the debtor book, borrowers can, if they need to, use other assets to raise further finance.

Young Enterprise launch pad enterprise day Hilary Carter, head of communications faculty at Collingwood College, Camberley, together with Chris Burchill, manager Young Enterprise North Surrey, initiated 300 Collingwood College students aged 13 to 14 in the new Young Enterprise Launch Pad programme.

Launch Pad is the interactive enterprise education programme challenging students to simulate the start up of a new company with a mission to design, market and sell a new footwear product; all in one day.

The Collingwood College students worked under very tight time pressure in competitive groups of six, to create a company name, product, logo and strapline, promotional materials and a three minute dragons den style pitch.

They engaged in business games and team tasks designed to help them discover their individual abilities and group

strengths. This is Young Enterprise’s core approach of ‘Learning By Doing’.

Specific prizes were awarded to winning teams for displaying the eight key employability skills as identified by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Both days were a huge success made possible with the generous involvement of local and national businesses. They supplied commercially savvy volunteers and even supplementary funding to train Collingwood College students in these vital employability skills. In alphabetical order these businesses were:

• Costa Coffee South East

• Mitie Group

• HSBC Camberley Branch

• Morrisons Solicitors

• Hubbell Associates

• Partner Project Control Management

• IOD Surrey supplementary funding received with thanks

• SG Coaching

“The Collingwood College students worked under very tight time pressure in competitive groups of six, to create a company name, product, logo and strapline, promotional materials and a three minute dragons den style pitch.”

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Spotlight On

Initiatives offer a bright future for Tandridge Much is being done to add impetus to the Tandridge economy, driven by a desire to make the most the of district’s excellent location and to support local businesses.

“At long last it looks as if this site will be developed. We now have an excellent plan, which gives us the ability to consider compulsorily purchasing the site if we need to. We, along with local residents and businesses, have been working for some years towards the goal of a successful development on this site.”

The east Surrey district’s two key towns are at the heart of the effort. With direct train links to London in under 30 minutes, access to Gatwick Airport in under 25 minutes and Heathrow in under 45 minutes, the town of Oxted has clear locational advantages for businesses.

The larger town of Caterham is also located just five minutes from the M25 and enjoys excellent links to London, Gatwick, Heathrow and the South East.

These advantages are recognised by key employers in the district including the Gold Group International, Campden BRI and Croudace Homes and

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both towns are part of a wider East Surrey economy which is forecast to achieve faster growth than the west of the county, with projected growth of 3% (2015-2030).

Like other parts of Surrey, both towns face a number of challenges including road and rail congestion, competition from Croydon, London and Crawley, availability of land for development due to greenbelt restrictions and lower rateable values than other parts of the county.

There are, however, a number of initiatives under way to address these challenges and support local business.

This includes work to redevelop two major town centre sites in Oxted and Caterham. Last year, Tandridge District Council secured £400,000 from the Local Enterprise Partnership to drive forward the redevelopment of the derelict Oxted Gasholder site and the Rose & Young site in Caterham.

The council is currently working with partners on both sites and has agreed to enter a legal agreement with CoPlan Estates for the development of the Rose & Young site and will use its compulsory purchase order powers to buy the site if a voluntary sale does not prove possible.

The proposal put forward by CoPlan Estates shows plans for a Premier Inn of four floors, with a restaurant and additional space for retail outlets on the ground floor.

Chairman of Tandridge District Council’s Planning Policy Committee, Councillor David Weightman, said: “At long last it looks as if this site will be developed. We now have an excellent plan, which gives us the ability to consider compulsorily purchasing the site if we need to. We, along with local residents and businesses, have been working for some years towards the goal of a successful development on this site.”

Building a gateway for talent Tandridge District Council works with a recruitment partner, Talent Gateway, a people strategy consultancy daring to think differently.

The Rose and Young Working Group has also welcomed the plans, noting that a hotel will provide employment, increase footfall to an underused part of the town, provide a boost to local businesses and act as a catalyst to the further regeneration of Caterham.

This scheme is part of a wider programme of work to make Caterham town centre fit for the future. In June, the council agreed to allocate up to £200,000 of funding for a number of initiatives including the development of a master plan and town centre design statement to support the future development and improvement of Caterham.

It also agreed that funding would be made available to help bring forward a Business Improvement District which has been started by the Caterham Business Partnership.

Councillor Martin Fisher, chairman of Tandridge District Council’s Resources Committee, said: “The nature of town centres is

changing and it is important for the district that Caterham performs well in the future. This work will help make Caterham fit for the future.”

More widely, the council has also provided support for the development of a Business Improvement District for Oxted Town Centre which will be voted on by Oxted businesses in October. The council is also working with local businesses and communities as it develops its Local Plan for the district, which will set out areas for development and planning policies until 2033.

The council has also continued to provide support to local people to develop the skills they need to find work.

This includes offering its successful Young Workers and Apprenticeship Programmes, which provide local young people temporary placements to develop the experience and skills they need to make them more employable.

Over the past 12 months, 18 young people have gone

through these programmes with 95% securing employment or going back into education following their placement.

Based on the success of these, the council is looking to work with local recruitment company, Talent Gateway to offer a programme for skilled people who want to return to work after a break.

Talent Gateway and the council also supported the Gatwick Diamond Initiative earlier in the year to offer a networking event for over 100 women thinking of starting their own business.

Be Inspired: Make it Happen! was the brainchild of Rosemary French OBE, executive director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, who said: “At any one time, 10% of women are thinking of starting their own business and yet there is little hands-on advice and support available. In my experience, one of the most valuable sources of support is the encouragement that women can bring each other.

(Cont next page)

The Oxted based business is at the forefront of a movement to tap into the skills and experience of professionals who want something different from their employers.

“There is a wealth of experience being squandered because talented people, particularly mothers, lack options to continue an executive career that works with their family responsibilities,” says Talent Gateway’s managing director, Nici Jupp.

“At the same time employers are facing related challenges - not enough women in senior positions, losing women who don’t return after maternity leave, and struggling to attract a diverse range of talent.”

Nici set up Talent Gateway in 2012 when she noticed this disconnect. She aims to provide organisations with different options when it comes to attracting, recruiting and retaining people, and also to provide choice for candidates looking for flexibility from their employers.

Talent Gateway works with its clients to build organisations that people want to work for, by opening the door to the flexible working options that enable their workforce to achieve the perfect work-life balance.

Over time Nici realised there was more she could do.

“It became evident that our candidates fall into two camps,” says Nici. “Those already employed and looking for more flexibility, and those that due to a prolonged career break aren’t quite work ready.

“So the Returners Gateway program was born. We help people find a returners placement that will help them regain lost confidence and re-establish connections with the world of work.”

The Returners projects work like a midcareer internship, providing a project based temporary role as a first step back to the workforce, so that the returner and the employer can test the waters and assess whether a more permanent arrangement is suitable for them both.

Visit www.talentgateway.net to find how Talent Gateway can help your business, or www.returnersgateway.co.uk to join the returnship program.

theChamber 13

Spotlight On For this reason, we organised a networking event for local businesswomen, sponsored by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, Tandridge District Council and Oxted based Talent Gateway with support from Surrey and Sussex Chambers of Commerce.”

Held at the Surrey National Golf Club in Chaldon, interest in the free event was so high it sold out with more than 100 local women in attendance.

Speakers included Nici Jupp, managing director of Talent Gateway, a company providing flexible recruitment and business support services, who said: “Many of the women I meet are searching for part-time work or simply the opportunity to work more locally to continue to develop the skills and

experience they gained during their London based jobs. For employers willing to embrace flexibility, it’s a win-win situation.”

Louise Round, from Tandridge District Council, talked about her journey from the legal profession to becoming chief executive, telling the audience: “The key to success in overcoming some of the challenges women still face in the workplace is a willingness to volunteer to do things, even when you are not sure you can and to be curious about everything. I find that most things are interesting if you are interested in them. The single greatest gift parents and our education system can give our daughters is self-belief.”

She went on to describe the council’s commitment to

supporting businesses in the district, a great proportion of which are small start-ups run from people’s homes and often by women trying to balance child care needs with a determination to succeed commercially.

Local businesses have also benefited from a free training programme, funded by the Local Enterprise Partnership to help them develop their knowledge of the internet, social media and benefits of getting their business online.

They are also able to sign up for the council’s monthly business newsletter, which contains information about business grants, training opportunities, events and initiatives affecting local businesses.

To sign up, e-mail policy@tandridge.gov.uk.

You can't beat a retreat!

When did you last sit in relaxed silence for 15 minutes? Does that sound like an unachievable ideal given your daily commute, work, family commitments and household chores?

Many of us don't take the time Free. Check website for details. to nurture ourselves, or our Can you remember the last time loved ones, on a regular someone read to you out loud? basis. A lunch hour, a walk, We feel comforted when read to. and leisurely conversation, Some of us can remember being should be regular occurrences read to as a child. This nurturing not luxuries; which is where feeling will be recreated on Tuesday Claridge House can help.

3 November when Sharon Claridge House provides a peaceful environment to take time out, without being distracted by television, alcohol, tobacco, and the stresses of modern life. For over 60 years adults have been consciously setting aside time here to step outside their normal routine.

You can stay one night, 24 hours, a week-end, a week, or longer. You can be sociable or quiet. You can do your own thing (walk, sit, read, sew/knit, etc.) or a course (yoga, meditation or a number of other therapeutic activities).

Enjoy some art throughout October.

Ann Johnson is exhibiting paintings; the theme is The Renewal of Stillness.

14 theChamber

Dunscombe holds a reading session. £15 including tea and cake.

On Wednesday 4 November try out Lina Newstead’s meditation day. £40 including lunch.

Calling all over-worked women!

Join Sue Cash’s silent retreat for women from Monday 9 November to Friday 13 November. £340 full board.

Would you like a calm, relaxed, Christmas break? Escape to Claridge House from Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December. £495 full board.

For more details about Claridge House go to www.claridgehousequaker.org.uk or phone 01342 832 150.

Claridge House

welcomes individuals and groups for retreats and courses

It’s an ideal place to retreat and rest for a while in peace and stillness, before returning nourished and refreshed to the world.

• • •

A provider of retreats for over 60 years Only 46 minutes from London Victoria Delicious home-made vegetarian food

Have a look at our website or call to arrange a visit.

Tel : 01342 832 150 Email : welcome@claridgehousequaker.org.uk www.claridgehousequaker.org.uk

Supporting disability, creating ability

White Lodge Centre is as unique as all the babies, children, young people and adults we work with every day. We specialise in care for those with a range of disabilities, including cerebral palsy and other physical conditions and learning difficulties.

We rely on support from individuals, local businesses and corporates. There are so many ways you can get involved, including; • Sport and challenge events • Volunteer days

• Event/campaign sponsorship • Committed giving/donations

There are so many benefits for you and/or your employees. Please check our corporate partnership page and get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact: Jane Cartwright, Community Fundraiser 01932 567131 jcartwright@whitelodgecentre.co.uk

Get in touch

White Lodge Centre, Holloway Hill, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0AE 01932 567131 whitelodgecentre.co.uk Registered charity number 286238

theChamber 15

Members News

Vines Group welcomes the New 1 Series for 2015 Nearly two million 1 Series models have been sold since the introduction of the first 1 Series generation ten years ago.

Engines: a new power unit family The new BMW 1 Series sees the introduction of powerplants from the BMW Group’s new engine family, plus an expansion of the standard-fit BMW EfficientDynamics technology.

The new engines bring a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 12 per cent while simultaneously providing more power and sharper responses.

All engines meet the Euro 6 exhaust emissions standard and offer as much as 326hp in the new M135i, with C02 emissions as low as 89g/km in the new 116d EfficientDynamics Plus model. The eight-speed Steptronic transmission has been further refined.

This latest incarnation builds on the winning formula of these three- and five-door predecessors with new power units from the latest BMW engine family, additional EfficientDynamics technologies fitted as standard, and careful enhancements to the exterior and interior design.

The level of standard equipment is now even higher, new options have been added and with new mobility services from BMW ConnectedDrive, there are even more ways to increase the functionality and personalisation of the new 1 Series.

Design The proportions, lines and surface design of the new BMW 1 Series bear all the classical hallmarks of a BMW with its set-back passenger compartment, long bonnet and short overhangs, in particular, give it a uniquely sporting presence. The new car features subtle but key differences to refine yet further the overall package. At the front, a new lower apron with larger air intakes and a horizontal bar combines with reshaped BMW kidney grilles and new headlamps that feature LED daytime driving lights as standard on all models. For the first time, full LED

16 theChamber

headlamps with low and main beam have been added to the options list, with Adaptive LED headlamps a further option. These follow the path of the road ahead, and also adapt their beam according to the type of road and conditions at any given moment. At the rear, new tail lamps with a familiar BMW ‘L’ shape design adopt striking LED technology.

The driver-focused cockpit of the new BMW 1 Series is an even more welcoming, sporty, comfortable place to sit, thanks to enhancements to the design, and the materials and fabrics used. In particular, there’s a new cloth fabric for the seats.

The BMW Radio Professional and iDrive operating system continues to be standard across the entire range so all new 1 Series models feature the freestanding, 6.5-inch Control Display, the controller wheel mounted on the centre console, and the direct menu control and favourites buttons. If the optional Professional Navigation system is fitted, the Controller comes with a larger, touch-sensitive surface for inputting numbers and characters, while the onboard monitor takes the form of an 8.8-inch display of particularly slim design.

All of the BMW 1 Series diesel engines are sourced from the BMW Group’s new engine family. Points of note include the use of aluminium for the crankcase and cylinder head, a forged steel crankshaft with integrated balancer shaft drive, the configuration of the intake and exhaust components and of the ancillary systems, a map-controlled oil pump and a longitudinal positioning in the engine compartment. Other features in common are the coating of the Model

Price from Power Hp

cylinder walls, low-weight pistons, forged connecting rods, their cylinder spacing and the volume per cylinder of 500 cc - very close to the thermodynamic optimum.

Equipment and BMW model lines The new BMW 1 Series features an even greater range of standard equipment, while also offering an array of high quality options - many of which were originally developed for BMW cars in higher segments.

The options list of the new BMW 1 Series encompasses items for comfort, functionality and entertainment. These include: electrically adjustable and heated seats for the driver and front passenger, two-zone automatic air conditioning, a heated steering wheel and the Harman Kardon Hi-Fi system, complete with 12 loudspeakers and a digital amplifier with 360-watt output.

The new BMW 1 Series is on sale now and priced at £20,245 OTR for a three-door 118i SE and £20,775 OTR for a five-door 118i SE. For more information please contact our Business Sales team on 01293 611117 or visit www.vinesofguildfordbmw.co.uk.

Torque Nm

0 - 62mph Seconds

Top Speed Mph

Combined CO2 Emissions Mpg g/km

130

52.3 (50.4) 125 (129)

118i

£20,775

136

220

8.5 (8.7)

120i

£23,825

170

250

7.4 (7.2) 140 (138) 48.7 (49.6) 136 (133)

125i

£26,905

218

310

6.4 (6.2) 157 (151) 42.2 (43.5) 154 (148)

M135i

£31,725

326

450

5.1 (4.9)

155*

35.3 (37.7) 188 (175) 78.5 (78.5) 94 (96)

116d

£21,710

116

270

10.3

124

116d ED Plus

£22,560

116

270

10.4

121

118d

£22,855

150

330

8.3 (8.1)

132

70.6 (74.3) 104 (99)

120d

£25,305

190

400

7.1 (7.0)

142

65.7 (68.9) 114 (109)

120d xDrive

£28,355

190

400

6.8

138

62.8

119

125d

£30,330

224

450

6.3

149

61.4

121

*Electronically limited top speed.

83.1

89

BMW Business Partnership

A FLEET OF BENEFITS. AWARD-WINNING, SIMPLE FLEET MANAGEMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. *G ZPV NBOBHF B GMFFU PG GFXFS UIBO DPNQBOZ DBST UIF *G ZPV NBOBHF B GMFFU PG GFXFS UIBO DPNQBOZ DBST UIF BXBSE XJOOJOH #.8 #VTJOFTT 1BSUOFSTIJQ IBT CFFO EFTJHOFE BXBSE XJOOJOH #.8 #VTJOFTT 1BSUOFSTIJQ IBT CFFO EFTJHOFE TQFDJGJDBMMZ GPS ZPV TQFDJGJDBMMZ GPS ZPV 7JOFT (SPVQ 7JOFT (SPVQ 4UFQIFOTPO 8BZ 4UFQIFOTPO 8BZ 5ISFF #SJEHFT 5ISFF #SJEHFT $SBXMFZ 3) 5/ $SBXMFZ 3) 5/ XXX CNXWJOFTHSPVQ DP VL XXX CNXWJOFTHSPVQ DP VL To find out more please contact our Local Business Sales Team on 01293 831348

AWARD WINNING. ┼П┼П 5 I IF #.8 #VTJOFTT 1BSUOFSTIJQ 1SPHSBNNF WPUFE F #.8 #VTJOFTT 1BSUOFSTIJQ 1SPHSBNNF WPUFE ┼Е┼Е#FTU 4.& $PNQBOZ $BS 1SPHSBNNF┼Ж BU #VTJOFTT $BS #FTU 4.& $PNQBOZ $BS 1SPHSBNNF┼Ж BU #VTJOFTT $BS . .BOBHFS "XBSET BOBHFS "XBSET

PROGRAMME BENEFITS. ┼П┼П $ $PNQFMMJOH DPOUSBDU IJSF SBUFT PNQFMMJOH DPOUSBDU IJSF SBUFT ┼П┼П : P PVS PXO EFEJDBUFE -PDBM #VTJOFTT .BOBHFS VS PXO EFEJDBUFE -PDBM #VTJOFTT .BOBHFS ┼П┼П $ NQSFIFOTJWF TFSWJDF NBJOUFOBODF QBDLBHFT BWBJMBCMF P PNQSFIFOTJWF TFSWJDF NBJOUFOBODF QBDLBHFT BWBJMBCMF

0GтАл╫йтАмDJBM GVFM FDPOPNZ тАл╫йтАмHVSFT GPS UIF #.8 SBOHF 6SCBO NQH M LN &YUSB 6SCBO NQH 0GтАл╫йтАмDJBM GVFM FDPOPNZ тАл╫йтАмHVSFT GPS UIF #.8 SBOHF 6SCBO NQH M LN &YUSB 6SCBO NQH M LN $PNCJOFE NQH M LN $0 &NJTTJPOT H LN 'JHVSFT NBZ WBSZ EFQFOEJOH PO ESJWJOH TUZMF BOE DPOEJUJPOT M LN $PNCJOFE NQH M LN $0 &NJTTJPOT H LN

Members News

The Chancellor’s bombshell One problem that HM Revenue & Customs has experienced in recent years is that taxpayers can form themselves into limited companies and reduce their overall tax burden. It works like this and many readers will be doing it.

GTM awarded accolade The travel industry has chosen Global Travel Management as its favourite Corporate Travel Management Company.

The accolade brought GTM the award of Advantage Corporate Member of the Year presented by television personality, journalist and writer Jeremy Paxman at the 2015 conference in Turkey of the Advantage Partnership, the UK’s largest independent travel agent partnership group.

The award is made on the basis of a free format vote by airlines and related travel industry suppliers. Advantage Corporate director, Ken McLeod, says: “As one of the foremost members of the Advantage Focus Partnership, GTM has worked tirelessly throughout the last year on behalf of the membership.

Now to be recognised by the supplier community as well through this award, is great recognition for their considerable hard work and dedication to growing their own company, and also the considerable contribution they make to both their fellow members and the total Advantage Focus Partnership.”

“This is an incredible honour for Global Travel Management and a tribute to the hard work of my team,” says GTM MD Scott Pawley. “We give high quality customer service in our work with clients and suppliers alike based on our indepth knowledge of the industry and I think that is what they value most.”

GTM has seen continued business success including the relaunch of its private jet business under the new name Global Travel Jets, a year since acquiring it as NK Jets.

Meanwhile, Scott, in his role as chairman of the Focus Group Tech Panel, has ensured that GTM has provided peers with support and guidance. This included recent trials of Focus Fare Finder software to enable TMCs to make cost comparisons with suppliers such as Expedia and last year’s launch of a bespoke app GTM clients, which a number of other agents are now looking to emulate.

18 theChamber

If you are self-employed and earn £40k net profit, per year, you will pay 9% Class 4 National Insurance on everything over £8,016 in 2015/16. You will also pay 20% tax on everything over £10,600.

If you trade through a limited company instead, you can draw £671 per month as directors’ remuneration with no PAYE tax or National Insurance but receive credit of a whole year towards your Old Age Pension. The company will just pay 20% Corporation Tax on the remaining £31,948 that has not been drawn as directors’ remuneration but can be drawn as dividends after allowing for the Corporation Tax.

If the whole £40k were taken from the company as directors’ remuneration the tax would still be 20% between £10,600 and £40k but there would be Employers NI of 13.8% between £8,112 and £40k plus 12% National Employers Insurance between £8,061 and £40k. Therefore, the dividend route avoids National Insurance.

The Chancellor has therefore invented dividend tax which is a new tax and does not breach the new law concerning no increases in income tax, corporation tax or value added tax in the next 5 years.

Basically, this tax starts at 7.5% on dividends over £5,000 for basic rate taxpayers and increases to 32.5% and 38.1% for higher and additional rate taxpayers respectively.

Readers are advised to speak to their accountants before 5 April 2016 as there are many ways of mitigating this new tax and each case must be considered on its merits.

The one fact I can assure readers of is that the 7.5%, etc will soon increase as the Chancellor said he was making a “start”.

Tony Bennewith FCA Chairman SESCA Enterprises Ltd Principal at AJ Bennewith & Co

Courses with SESCA Enterprises Courses at Gatwick

03-Nov Audit & Accounting Update

19-Oct Corporation Tax Update

(Copthorne Effingham Park & Gatwick Manor) 06-Oct VAT on Charities: Negotiating the Minefield

11-Nov Pension Scheme Accounts: Current Issues and Refresher 11-Nov Tax Planning for Small Businesses

02-Nov 25 Accounting Differences Between Old UK GAAP & FRS 102 09-Nov Audit and Accounting Update

07-Oct An A-Z of FRS 102

Courses in Croydon

09-Nov Taxation Update

07-Oct Insolvency: What every Accountant needs to know

(Hallmark Hotel Purley Way, Park Hotel & Selsdon Park)

13-Oct More power to your Pivot: Practical uses for Excel Pivot Tables

09-Sep Money Laundering, Bribery & Fraud Update: Are we doing enough to address the risks?

01-Dec Capital allowances refresher & update

13-Oct Post Election Tax Round-up

09-Sep Annual IFRS Update

Courses in Dorking

16-Oct Valuation Of Unquoted Company Shares & Businesses

15-Sep How do I deal with….?

A Practical Guide to dealing with Key Areas of advice for OMBS

29-Sep Accounting update for Accountants in Business

16-Oct Corporation Tax Update 20-Oct Tax and Pension Issues for Doctors and Dentists 20-Oct Employment & Business Law Update 21-Oct Accounting for & Auditing Academy Schools 21-Oct Auditing FRS 102 Accounts 03-Nov Taxation Update

22-Sep HMRC enquiries & Update On HMRC power and interventions 02-Oct The changing face of Accounts for Small & Micro Companies 06-Oct Capital Taxes update 13-Oct The Tax implications of FRS102 & New UK GAAP

17-Nov Hot Topics in VAT 01-Dec Tax & the Family

(Denbies Wine Estate)

29-Sep Tax update for Accountants in Business 09-Oct Topical Issues in insolvency

For further information on courses contact Christina Brook on (01737) 223999 or email courses@sesca.co.uk Full details of all our events and venues may be found at www.sesca.co.uk.

SESCA Enterprises Ltd is the training subsidiary of the South Eastern Society of Chartered Accountants providing quality continuing professional development courses for accountants and business professionals throughout the south and south-east.

SESCA Enterprises Ltd, 2B Chart House, Effingham Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 7JN

Members News

How to get more from your marketing…

As a smaller business you’ll never have the huge budgets and armies of marketing people that larger Corporates do but that doesn’t mean that you can’t pack a punch with your marketing!

Active Vs Passive Investing In good portfolio construction it is the asset allocation that is usually the main differentiator between success and failure.

One of the key things is to understand what tools and systems are available to help make your marketing more productive.

Here are some of my personal favourites, which make marketing life so much easier and will help you market your business like a pro…

and its user friendly interface enables you to set-up professional looking campaigns using easy to edit pre-designed templates.

MailChimp provides great reporting and social media integration, and the best news…it’s free for up to 2,000 subscribers.

WordPress

Automate your social media marketing from one easy to use web/cloud-based control panel. The free account allows you to have up to three social media profiles.

A real social media marketing time saver.

The best website platform for small businesses. WordPress is open-source so is flexible and you aren’t tied into a proprietary content management system (CMS) and a particular web agency.

It is superb for blogging too and delivers great search engine optimisation (SEO) using free plugins such as Yoast SEO. The admin is really easy to use too.

MailChimp An email marketing system that is web/cloud-based.

There is no software to buy

Hootsuite

Google Analytics Everyone knows about this great free tool (I hope!), but did you also know that you can set up an automated monthly website performance report that comes to you via email? It means you’ll know exactly how well your website is performing without having to set time aside to login

and check - perfect for those of us with busy schedules!

Pic Monkey & Canva Need to create professional images for your website, emails, Facebook page or Pinterest?

Well these two are absolute wonders - totally free and really easy to use.

With Pic Monkey or Canva you’ll be able to create pro images in a flash!

Get more free marketing tips like this by joining our CIM South East LinkedIn group or follow us on Twitter @cim_se.

Until next time…

Happy Marketing!

Certainly having a discipline of both a longer term strategic asset allocation, overlaid by a more detailed tactical asset allocation, has shown itself to be a very effective means of managing portfolios successfully.

With asset allocation agreed, the next most important choice is how best to execute, implement and populate these asset allocation decisions. Here, you can use either passive or active funds.

Passives have the advantage of being easy to trade and at relatively low cost. Remember though, success for a passive instrument is exactly matching its benchmark – if you invest in a passive product, you guarantee zero outperformance.

However the lower costs of the passives have led to their increased use around the world they will shortly probably account for 25% of the fund market. The vast majority though will still be active managers.

Many of these active funds will end up being ‘closet trackers’ which, although in theory are actively managed, end up with performance that tracks their index benchmark very closely.

Why would they do this? Well primarily to minimise the risk of failure, of being accused of straying too far from their intended objective.

The problem here is that in order to beat the benchmark, you have to be different!

To quote legendary investor Howard Marks “you can’t take the same actions as everyone else and expect to outperform!” A good active manager will take positions that others scorn, and will hold views that are challenging and often criticised. Understanding for the style and conviction of the manager and their team is important here – and requires getting to know them, as well as giving them time for their ability to be recognised by the market.

Call 020 7760 8777 or Email: information@7im.co.uk

www.7im.co.uk

Sarah Orchard Chartered Institute of Marketing - Surrey Branch

theChamber 19

Finance

Making Investment more attractive with EIS and SEIS There are so many tasks a small business can face throughout the start-up phase of a company, and one of the biggest it will face is getting finance to back the business to dictate how successful a venture can become. An immediate capital injection into a new venture could help your business flourish especially when money is tight.

You might decide that the best route to go down is through individuals.

If you are a company you will have to meet certain conditions to qualify for EIS.

Investors who are experienced in investing in early stage companies might well be a better fit for you – as you can stand the chance to benefit from someone with a wealth of experience and perhaps a more genuine input.

Conditions both the company and individual must abide by to qualify-

Equally, though, an investor will want to have a safety net.

Remember they are investing into your company with their money so they will be careful as there are always risks that your venture may fail and their money go to waste.

This is why it’s important that whether you are a business owner or an investor – that you are aware of the schemes which make investment less risky. The Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme are two examples of this:

What is EIS? EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) was launched in 1994 to help smaller, higher-risk trading companies to raise finance by offering tax reliefs to investors who buy new shares.

EIS covers a wide array of tax reliefs including: • Income tax relief • Capital gains tax exemption • Loss relief • Capital gains tax deferral relief Both investors and companies must abide by certain conditions if the relief is to become available.

The company • The company must not have assets greater than £15 million • The company may have no more than 250 full-time equivalent employees • All capital employed must be actively engaged in the company within 24 months • The company must not be in specific industries • Entry into the scheme is subject to a decision and audit made by an appointed tax officer • The company must not be listed or have any intention of becoming listed at the time of the investment The individual • The investor may not have more than a 30% interest in the company • No partner or associate of the investor (including spouse, relations, prior business contacts) may have other interests in the company • The investor must not have any form of preferential shares • The investor must not have any other form of controlling interest in the company • This scheme must not be used for the purposes of evading tax

Jennifer Raines is the CEO of Your Right Hand Finance Team. Her team of 30+ commercially focussed finance managers and financial controllers work part time within growing companies, where the business owners need and value financial information and control, but don’t need the time, or the expense, of a full time person.

20 theChamber

What is SEIS? SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) was introduced in 2012 to complement EIS and solve the problem very early stage companies face in attracting investment by offering tax relief at a higher rate.

A company who stands to benefit from SEIS must meet the following requirements: • The company must be unquoted.

• The company must not have gross assets which are worth more than £200,000.

• The company cannot receive more than £150,000 over a three year period.

• The company must not have received SEIS or EIS investment previously.

• The company must have no more than 25 full time employees to be eligible.

• The company must have a permanent establishment in the UK.

The business owners know that their YRH finance person, who may work with them from as little as one day a week, looks after the day to day book keeping and accounting tasks, and focuses on accelerating the cash coming in. And they have management information that is relevant, insightful and commercially valuable.

• The company must not have any subsidiary attached to it.

• The company must be no older than two years old.

The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) offers great tax efficient benefits to investors in return for investment in small and early stage start-up businesses in the UK. One of those is that it gives you access to immediate capital in return for equity from an investor.

Additionally access to an investor will potentially give you access to contacts and expertise within your sector.

These are all things you should consider when looking at applying for SEIS. Remember always to be as prepared and articulate as possible when approaching potential investors. The first impression is critical and it is rare to have an opportunity to try again if your plan is rejected.

If you want to talk about what information you want or should be looking at, and how you can easily get it, call me (Jennifer) or a member of my team on 01252 820002, we’re more than happy to help you get what you need.

International Trade

International currency provider FAIRFX announces triple award win confirming market leadership International currency provider FAIRFX is celebrating an amazing hat-trick after winning three Prepaid365 Awards on the 1st June 2015.

By winning Best Corporate Travel Prepaid Card, Best USD Travel Prepaid Card and Best Prepaid Card Website, FAIRFX has further strengthened its position as an industry leader in travel currency cards.

In addition to the three-win accolade, FAIRFX was placed as runner up for the Best EUR Travel Prepaid Card. The unique awards were announced on social media after being judged by over 2 million customer service surveys.

The overwhelming response to the customer service surveys highlights the growing popularity of prepaid

cards and the growth the industry is experiencing.

FAIRFX CEO, Ian StraffordTaylor commented: “The fact that these awards were judged based on votes by the public, is incredible recognition of the hard work we do to provide customers with highly competitive rates and a convenient product through our prepaid card offering.

We see this as the ultimate testament of customer satisfaction and are therefore delighted with this overwhelming praise and support and to receive this accolade.”

Amit Sharma, CEO and Senior Prepaid Consultant at Prepaid365, the UK’s Prepaid Card Portal remarked: The FairFX prepaid card proposition is making quite an impact in consumer and corporate circles and is reflective of the growing visibility and awareness of the FairFX travel proposition. With three winner gongs, including best corporate travel card to go along with accolades for the best USD card and best prepaid card website, FairFX have truly dominated the travel sector at the Prepaid365 Awards 2015 and this recognition is well deserved.”

“The fact that these awards were judged based on votes by the public, is incredible recognition of the hard work we do to provide customers with highly competitive rates and a convenient product through our prepaid card offering.”

BCC International Trade Conference connects UK businesses with new export opportunities Surrey Chambers is delighted to announce that the fourth British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) International Trade Conference will take place on 3 November 2015, at the Grand Connaught Rooms, in London.

The conference Trade the World - Accessing High Growth Markets, will highlight export opportunities in markets with the greatest growth potential and will feature some of the UK’s most successful exporters, business leaders, trade associations, and political figures.

The event will bring together the British Chambers of Commerce Global Business Network, comprising British Chambers in the UK and across the world. Delegates will have an opportunity to meet face-toface with members of the network to develop opportunities overseas and receive practical advice on exporting from in-market experts.

Speakers at the conference include Ian Davis, Chairman of Rolls Royce and Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Worldwide.

Businesses will also be able to put their international trade questions to panels of MPs, business leaders and in-market experts. There will also be networking opportunities with other UK and overseas businesses.

Commenting, Louise Punter said: "As part of the British Chambers of Commerce Global Business Network, Surrey Chambers of Commerce is working with the BCC and Chambers across the world to develop world-class support that gives British businesses unrivalled access to global export markets. Businesses will have access to on the ground support where they need it the most, starting in high growth and emerging markets.

"British businesses need to become successful exporters if we are to reverse our national trade deficit and continue to drive economic growth. We are committed to delivering real, practical and ongoing support to UK exporters around the world to make this growth a reality.

"This conference will highlight the vast opportunities for exporters on offer within our global network, and help businesses connect with opportunities in overseas markets.”

Trade the World – Accessing High Growth Markets is sponsored by DHL Express, UK Export Finance and Qatar Airways.

theChamber 21

24 Hours with

24 hours with Ollie Rastall, Source Supplies They also have a status update on sales leads and campaigns that are running or being designed. These can be email campaigns, blog posts, print marketing, social media etc.

Nyree is always the first to ensure everyone is furnished with tea or a Source Coffee!

Stu and his warehouse team offload deliveries that come in throughout the day and order more stock from suppliers whilst Jodie and Soph process new orders coming in via the phone, email and website.

1030

Jodie is the first point of contact for most inbound calls.

Dave and the warehouse and logistics team arrive bright and early to pick, load and route the vans that are delivering orders that have come in late in the previous day or during the night.

All 7 vans head out on their routes across the south for Source Supplies or Source Hygiene.

0600

Dave, although the founder of the business, still very much likes to be involved in this area of the business. ‘I like to glance at the bulk of the orders and picking stages, just out of interest more than anything as I can gauge which customers are buying what and make a mental note of any trends that we need to be aware of for stock purposes’.

22 theChamber

Ollie arrives either at Source or AJ (their sister company in Dorset) after some early morning exercise or travelling. Makes a strong Lavazza coffee and creates a to-do list for the day.

0800

‘A day that starts with exercise is often a good one so I try to fit in a run, cycle or PT session. I love making lists and ticking them off so it’s the first thing I do as by the time I arrive, I’ve always thought of loads of things I want to sort even before arriving at my desk.’

Office team arrive and phones are switched from night to day.

Sophie runs through Ollie’s diary with him, cross checking appointments and tasks.

0900

‘The phones are usually pretty consistently ringing with either queries or orders. We have all our customers information saved to our phone system so we know who’s calling and we find that we have a great relationship with our customers despite never actually meeting most of them face-toface.’

Claire plans the schedules for the Source Hygiene servicing schedules and manages the stock and logistics for forthcoming start-up sites and briefs the Source Hygiene team.

1100

Ollie guides a brainstorming session on any new initiatives for any of the Source divisions.

At this time of year, there is a particular emphasis around Source Academy, ready for the new school term.

1400

As the vans roll back in, some are loaded for the 24 hour London night shift or for a quick start the next day.

1500

A final check of everyone’s to-do lists creates the beginning of tomorrow’s lists and the phones are switched to night.

1700

FC Source head to Aldershot to take part in the 6-a-side charity fundraising football league organised CMPP – undefeated for two seasons!

1800

Dave rings Ollie on his journey home to Southampton to debrief on any major news or plans.

These conversations often end in perfect timing as Dave pulls into his drive!

1900

For more information on Source Supplies, Source Hygiene, Source Aqua, Source Coffee and Source Academy, please visit www.sourcesupplies.co.uk

Property Feature

New serviced offices now available in Sutton town centre All of a sudden people are talking about a shortage of offices and companies are struggling to find new suitable space in many town centres across Surrey.

The market has changed significantly in a short period of time and in a way that is not a surprise.

In 2013 the government introduced a change in the planning laws that allowed office buildings to be converted to residential use without planning permission. It is obvious to see that the government saw it as a quick solution to the mounting housing crisis and for property companies it could not have come at a better time.

At that time the market was stagnant with many office buildings being empty for years.

The developers were handed a life-line by the Government that would see the value of their asset increase dramatically over night.

Over the last two years an unprecedented number of office blocks have now been lost which has led to a potential crisis in the office market.

“We talk to many companies who have been served notice by their landlord to vacate the offices so they can get vacant possession and convert them into flats. With so many companies facing eviction at the same time it is easy to see how a potential crisis is looming

in many town centres” comments James Hale - MD at City Skyline.

“Serviced offices can provide a flexible and low risk solution to companies looking for space.

We are also looking to expand our network but supply is now limited. With developers still opting for residential over office use it is hard to see an end to the current shortage “ City Skyline, who operate serviced offices have recently opened a new centre in Chancery House on St Nicholas Way, Sutton. The 9,000 sq ft centre has been divided into a variety of suites to cater for

companies looking for 2 to 20 people. All the offices come fully furnished and have phone and high speed internet included in the monthly rent.

Taking space could not be easier and if necessary you could be in your new office operating in just 24 hours.

For those not wishing to take an office they offer virtual offices with phone answering as well as meeting and conference facilities.

For further information or an appointment to view please call 0800 505 4444 or email sales@cityskyline.co.uk

ST. NICHOLAS BUSINESS CENTRE

Chancery House - St Nicholas Way - Sutton - SM1 1JB

Newly refurbished fully serviced offices now available in the heart of Sutton

 Prime town centre location

 Fully air-conditioned  All inclusive monthly fee with phones & internet

 Superfast broadband & dedicated bandwidth available

 Meeting rooms & conference facilities

 Reception services & phone answering  Breakout & Café area

 Virtual office services available

Freephone - 0800 505 4444 sales@cityskyline.co.uk

Also Centres in Epsom and New Malden

theChamber 23

Members News

Shifting funding landscape for SMEs and start-ups If you didn’t book a place for Access to Business Funding, our recent event exploring the developing funding landscape for businesses, then this article from Surrey Business School’s Jim Sears will get you on the right track. or complement traditional sources of funding while the boom in crowdfunding led to the emergence of online-financing platforms. Their key innovation is the ability to funnel funding from a diverse crowd of small and incremental investors to relatively small and discrete businesses in a cost-effective manner.

The past 10 years has seen a sharp transformation of funding opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

A risk-tolerant market environment where financial leverage expanded borrowing opportunities has been replaced by a risk-adverse landscape with regulatory

constraints and reduced lending appetite from traditional funding sources. SMEs have been disproportionately affected.

The fall-out from the financial crisis, though, also created new funding opportunities - partly out of necessity and partly out of technology. It created strong demand for alternatives to replace

For SMEs, this is like manna from heaven because they have a competitive advantage to raise small amounts of capital compared to larger companies. Incremental funding is proportionately more significant while they can offer higher rates of returns to investors.

Online financing platforms have also evolved to cover a range of funding needs. Equity crowdfunding typically raises capital for start-ups but also for established companies prepared to sell equity; peer-2-peer lending offers long-term finance; while market-invoice lending can fund working capital needs.

As these platforms grow further, traditional lenders will ultimately respond too by differentiating their products further or by competing directly. Either way, SMEs win because they will have more choice.

However, their challenge will remain to find the right product from the right lender.

Surrey businesses that attended the recent Surrey Chambers Access to Business Funding event, delivered in partnership with Surrey Business School, had the opportunity to navigate this shifting landscape with support from peers, experts and lenders. An information pack put together for delegates is now available to Chamber members by contacting tracey.carter@surreychambers.co.uk Jim Sears is a senior tutor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Surrey Business School, University of Surrey where he is programme director of entrepreneurship for postgraduate entrepreneurship programmes.

Connected to business This October the University of Surrey’s Business School welcomes its largest number of MBA students in nearly a decade on to a brand new MBA programme. Why, when the media tell us that the market for an MBA is declining, is Surrey bucking the trend?

Before a single student had started their studies Surrey’s new MBA had already won commendation from the Association of MBAs (AMBA).

In February of this year an AMBA panel visited Surrey Business School to assess it against their rigorous accreditation criteria.

They were particularly impressed with the cross disciplinary nature of the programme that blends together subjects such as finance, strategy and human resource management rather than delivering them in rigid stand-alone modules.

This allows students to ‘join up’ their learning across the programme and better reflects what happens in a real business.

24 theChamber

The team from AMBA viewed this as a best practice approach, one they would like to see followed by other UK business schools. Hands on experience also features strongly in the programme with two major projects with international businesses planned for the first term. Co-teaching, with experienced business professionals working alongside our leading academics, is also being rolled out across every module. Together these changes mean that Surrey is delivering a truly connected MBA and that’s having an impact in the market.

It’s fair to say that student numbers on MBA programmes have been declining for several

years now and many businesses have questioned the value of an MBA over hands on experience.

Surrey are demonstrating that you can have both and that means student numbers are up on both the full time MBA and part time Executive MBA programme, despite recruitment becoming more selective.

The class of 2015 are coming to Surrey from across the globe, many with significant senior management experience already under their belts and they hold a wide range of ambitions for their careers post MBA. They are attracted by Surrey’s vibrant and entrepreneurial business economy and it will be interesting to see the impact

that they have for Surrey businesses through their studies.

If you are interested in becoming an MBA student or offering the opportunity to your staff a few places are still available for the part time Executive MBA only for 2015 entry. Chamber members can take advantage of a discount of 30% on course fees.

Applications for the full time MBA closed early this year but entry for the full time and Executive programmes for 2016 entry open in October.

You can find out more about how the Connected MBA is preparing the business leaders of the future and working with business at www.surrey.ac.uk/mba

Cover Feature

In search of greater productivity Low productivity in British industry is a growing concern and many initiatives are under way to address the problem.

“While raising productivity is a global challenge, a large and widening productivity gap exists between the UK and leading advanced economies.”

To focus minds, the Government has published “Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation”, a comprehensive plan to reverse the UK’s long-term productivity problem and support businesses in area like Surrey.

Secretary of State for Business Sajid Javid said: “While raising productivity is a global challenge, a large and widening productivity gap exists between the UK and leading advanced economies.

“Narrowing this gap is a prize worth striving for. For instance, matching the productivity of the US would raise GDP by 31 per cent, equating to around £21,000 per annum for every household in the UK. The government’s framework for raising productivity is built

around encouraging long term investment, and promoting a dynamic economy.

It includes: • A more competitive tax system: including cutting corporation tax to 18 per cent in 2020, saving businesses £6.6 billion, and increasing the personal allowance to £12,500 and increase the higher rate threshold to £50,000 by the end of the parliament • Rewards for saving and longterm investment: including permanently raising the Annual Investment Allowance to £200,000, committing to a new business tax roadmap, and engaging with the country’s most senior business leaders, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, as they develop their proposals for

improving business productivity and with some of the largest institutional investors • A highly skilled workforce: including introducing a new compulsory apprenticeship levy requiring large businesses to invest in their own future, and radically streamlining further education qualifications • World-leading universities, open to all who can benefit: including removing the student cap and ensuring the sustainability of investment in universities by replacing maintenance grants with loans for new students • A modern transport system: including the creation of a new Roads Fund from 202021, financed from Vehicle

Excise Duty and a plan to get Network Rail and the rail investment programme back on track • Reliable and low carbon energy: ensuring that the UK attracts necessary investment to guarantee secure energy supplies and a review of business energy tax policy to improve and simplify the landscape • World-class digital infrastructure: including ensuring that superfast broadband is available to 95% of UK households and businesses by 2017 and making it easier for the market to roll out fixed and mobile infrastructure with proposals to reform planning rules on taller masts

theChamber 25

Cover Feature

Ideas and knowledge • High-quality science and innovation: including delivering our science capital commitment, investing £6.9bn in the UK’s research infrastructure and developing the UK’s network of Catapult centres for commercialising technology • A higher pay, lower welfare society: including the introduction of a new National Living Wage to help move to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society • More people with a chance to work and progress: including doubling the free entitlement to childcare to 30 hours a week for working

parents of three and four year olds, and reforming the Employment and Support Allowance to ensure the right incentives and support are in place for those taking steps back into work • Financial services that lead the world in investing for growth: including driving financial services competition • Competitive markets with less regulation: including by cutting £10 billion of red tape, introducing clear new principles for switching and publishing a new Digital Transformation Plan to support the adoption of digital technologies across the economy

“The only way to sustainably raise the living standards of the citizens of our nation is to confront the challenge of our lifetime, to raise productivity.”

26 theChamber

• A trading nation open to international investment: by mobilising the whole of government behind exporting, working alongside a more effective UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and better export finance, building stronger trade links with emerging markets and helping to deliver a more dynamic and outward focussed Europe The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said: “The only way to sustainably raise the living standards of the

citizens of our nation is to confront the challenge of our lifetime, to raise productivity.

“This will not be achieved overnight and will require a truly national effort by government, business and working people.

But with this blueprint to fix the foundations of our economy, I believe that we have taken the vital first step towards securing the prosperity and the livelihoods of generations to come.”

Cover Feature

Increased productivity when working in foreign languages If you trade, or are planning to trade, with a country where English is not the main spoken language, the chances are you will need to translate legal, sales, technical, marketing or other documents at some point.

by David Smith, Director, Constructive Translations

When this happens the translated documents will be your main communication tool and the first point of contact for your new customers. Consequently,

accurate and culturally sympathetic translations are hugely important, especially in building effective longterm, successful relationships.

Translating is a highly skilled task and you need to be able to trust your translators while feeling confident that you are buying economically and at the right price. Therefore, the issue of improving translation productivity is an important one.

The main driver in recent years for the huge increases in translation productivity has been the development of CAT (Computer Aided Translation) tools. You can think of CAT tools as huge databases of all the translations you have commissioned.

For example, if your correspondence always contains the phrase “Joe Bloggs Electronics is Registered in the UK and Ireland”, the CAT tool will keep a record of that sentence along with the corresponding meanings in any language of your choice.

Therefore, the next time you commission a translation, you won’t need to pay to re-translate that sentence and, as you

gradually increase the size of your databases, your costs will reduce significantly.

To fully leverage this new technology, businesses need to work closely with their translation providers, ensuring that their information is kept in a form which can be accessed for future translations. Some clients achieve discounts of 30-50 % over the long term as databases are established. This benefits both the translation agency (who can give better service) as well as the clients (who can gain confidence in their communications). The result of this increased productivity sees the formation of strong mutuallybeneficial relationships.

Small Changes, Big Benefits The Federation of Small Businesses recently reported that SMEs employ 15.2 million people and have a combined turnover of £1.6 trillion.

Given these amazing statistics it is vital that the SME sector recognise its role in impacting productivity.

DOING THE RIGHT THINGS? The starting point is finding time to think. Popular time guzzlers include responding to emails all day, not delegating the things you can and meetings. Try dealing with email only once or twice a day; listing everything you have done in the day and considering who would you have delegated these things to if you had been going on holiday - why not delegate to these people all of the time?; only attend meetings when you can add value and always have an agenda with timed items.

So what does work well and what doesn’t? Those who work for us know a lot about our business – ie what works and what doesn’t. How often though do we harness all of that knowledge? Why not bring the

team together and form a ‘think tank’? Low cost and potentially high returns!

Are those around us working on things that move our strategy forward? Try using ‘SMART’ (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and timed) to turn vison into clear, deliverable objectives for the team.

RIGHT PEOPLE, RIGHT SKILLS Everyone is experiencing skills gaps when trying to recruit.

Research tells us that most of us stopped training during the recession years which has created the skill gap we are now experiencing. Immigration restrictions mean we are limited in ‘hunting’ overseas, so where do we go from here?

Consider starting to plan for future needs now; research inexpensive ways to train people; create career paths to develop people internally; bring in

apprentices to release more experienced team members to do more; be flexible about working patterns; treat your people well, they are your best ambassadors!

MEASURING THE RIGHT THINGS We need to start measuring the right things as opposed to easy to measure things. Consider not measuring anything you aren’t

going to act on; everything you measure must have a purpose; focus on outputs not inputs – ie sales made not hours spent on the phone!

Post-recession we need to focus on ‘doing more with the same’, eg by stretching each of our people a little more; streamlining our processes and taking advantage of advances in technology.

Lyn Cleaver is the MD of People Transition Solutions (PTS Ltd) which is a commercially focused HR consultancy. PTS provides strategic and transactional support for all of the areas in this article and many more.

Working with business leaders for as little as one day a week keeps routine tasks under control and through strategic input PTS can accelerate productivity improvements and business growth.

Please feel free to call Lyn on 01737 352655 or email her on lyn@ptsuk.biz to take advantage of a free half day consultation to discuss your people issues.

theChamber 27

Big Interview

Hotel looks forward to a bright future One of the best indications that the economy is recovering can be found in the way that country house hotels with a strong corporate clientele find themselves faring.

If the experience of The Oatlands Park Hotel in Weybridge is anything to go by, then the economy is strong and getting stronger all the time.

The establishment is one of the finest 4-star hotels in Surrey, helped by the splendour of its gardens and its ideal location a 20-minute drive from London Heathrow Airport.

The privately-owned country house has a long history, having become a hotel in 1856, and it stands on the site of the grand

28 theChamber

Royal Palaces of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Adding to the powerful sense of history, the great cedar tree at the front of the hotel was planted by Charles I to celebrate the birth of his son, Henry of Otelands.

The hotel’s other attractions as a luxury establishment include high quality meeting and conference facilities for up to 300 delegates, 144 bedrooms and a restaurant able to cater for more than 100 diners at a time, plus a nine-hole golf

course and a tennis court for the all-important leisure market.

According to acting general manager Ness Sekakmia, who has worked at the hotel for three years, the future looks good as recession becomes a distant memory.

He said: “These are really exciting times in terms of revenue generation at the hotel. “Our main focus Monday to Friday is the corporate sector with more of a leisure focus at the weekend and we are seeing plenty of new corporate

Big Interview

contracts coming in from new clients and also a healthy residual trade, with clients coming back time and time again.

“We had a very difficult time during the recession.

Companies were not booking meeting rooms or holding conferences at venues like ours.

“They were really cautious about spending money and would rather hold such events in-house.

“However, we are definitely seeing a change as the economy recovers. Not every company is out of trouble yet but many companies are showing themselves much more prepared to invest in the hotel for meetings or conferences.

“As companies become more confident, and more prepared to invest in such events, that is helping us increase our revenue.”

However, the hotel management acknowledges that, in a competitive market, they cannot afford for The Oatlands Park Hotel to stand still. That is why there are big plans for further improvement in the next twelve months.

Ness said: “One of the things that we are trying to do is increase our leisure use, particularly at weekends.

“To attract people, we need things like a new spa, a new swimming pool and a new gym and we are embarking on a programme of investment to make that happen.

“Every month will see investment at the hotel with the work being completed next year.”

The Oatlands Park Hotel is also stepping up the way it promotes itself, including taking on a new marketing manager.

Ness said: “It is important that we increase the promotion of the hotel and that includes online.

“We have a lot of clients from Surrey but we want to attract them from as far afield as possible.

“So many people find out about hotels like ours on the internet that they need to find us wherever they look.”

The significant investment under way, coupled with the recovering economy and increased promotion, all add up to an optimistic picture at The Oatlands Park Hotel.

As Ness says: “We are looking forward to the hotel’s future with great confidence.”

“The establishment is one of the finest 4-star hotels in Surrey, helped by the splendour of its gardens and its ideal location a 20-minute drive from London Heathrow Airport.”

theChamber 29

Christmas at Oatlands Park

End 2015 in style this Christmas Take the worry out of Christmas and New Y Yeear and let us do all the hard work ffor or you.

Choose ffrrom any of our festive dining options and let our dedicated catering team ensure that everything runs smoothly so you can make this Christmas and New Ye Year one to remember!

NEW FOR 2015 Festive Afternoon Teas!

Visit our website to download our Christmas brochure or call us fo for more inffo ormation.

Tel: 01932 847242 www.oatlandsparkhotel.com Accommodation | Meeting & Function Rooms | We Weddings | Afternoon Te Tea | Sunday Carvery

Legal

The Transport and Infrastructure Conundrum Growth of the national economy for the benefit of all corners of the United Kingdom including Surrey and the surrounding areas – is widely accepted as vital for the success of the continued recovery away from the double-dip recessions of 2009 and 2011.

In developing its growth strategy, the Government, since its election in May, has made infrastructure high up on its list of priorities.

Nowhere better was this embodied that in the Prime Minister’s speech at the Times CEO Summit on 14 July when he said: “I want us to be the best place in Europe to start, to grow, to expand a business … we want to restore the pride, prestige, power and influence of Britain in the world.

A lot of these things flow from having a strong economy … We’re going to continue with a very strong programme investing in infrastructure.

We’ve now got the biggest rail investment programme since Victorian times, the biggest road investment programme since [the] 1970s”.

Nothing demonstrates that better than HS2.

The Government has invested unprecedented sums of money in the high speed rail project (even two years ago the figures spent exceeded £250million and the whole project is likely to cost at least £50billion). The

aim? In the words of HS2 Limited “[to create] a world‐class high‐speed rail network to support growth”.

Such projects do not come without their collateral impacts though.

The Charles Russell Speechlys LLP dedicated HS2 team has been heavily involved in the HS2 project representing the interests of property owners and other interested parties affected by the proposals.

We have therefore seen, first hand, both from this project and Crossrail, the issues affecting companies, communities and individuals alike by such major infrastructure projects.

Indeed, as both our head of contentious compulsory purchase in Guildford, David Haines, and I are Parliamentary Agents, we have been representing various clients before the HS2 Select Committee. In doing so, we have opened up discussions about compensation when previously the clients were facing brick walls and have procured changes to the scheme to save clients’ businesses.

More locally, it is clear that the Government remains committed to large-scale infrastructure development. Discussions about the A3 are never far from the local agenda and, although two substantial electrification projects have been put on hold (on the Trans Pennine and Midland Mainline routes), the Government has indicated an intention to prepare a business case for the potential extension of the Crossrail project into Surrey and Hertfordshire (known as “Crossrail 2”).

Crossrail 2 has at its heart the desire to free up mainline routes by creating faster and more frequent journeys into London on both Crossrail 2 and National Rail services into mainline stations.

Although the final plans are by no means settled and the Government is yet to fully align itself behind the project, if it proceeds, there will be a central core between Wimbledon and Tottenham Hale/New Southgate.

There is then expected to be a wider regional scheme – possibly reaching

as far south as Guildford and Woking the details of which are yet to be announced.

That brings us to the transport and infrastructure conundrum; how to deliver the transport and infrastructure enhancements that the country and the region needs in order to achieve maximum economic growth whilst also balancing, and protecting against, the impacts that will inevitably be felt by local individuals, communities and businesses.

It is of course an incredibly difficult question to answer and one which the decision makers at local and national Government must address. In the meantime, those affected should ensure that they are actively involved in the consultation processes and take the opportunities to engage with the legislative mechanisms that are there to keep the proposals in check.

Richard Flenley Senior Associate T: +44 (0)1483 252520 richard.flenley@crsblaw.com

Tailor-Made Security Solutions At Shield Security we understand that no two clients are the same. We offer a personal risk assessment to all our customers so that we are able to find the right solution for you.

Shield Security services include: Static guarding

Our complete range of cost-effective services are available 24/7, 365 days, and we pride ourselves on providing a high-quality, personalised service.

Our static guards can provide a reassuring visual presence, patrolling in security uniforms on-site 24 hours a day.

We also provide lower profile guards who work in reception, meet visitors and answer phones whilst ensuring your business remains safe during opening hours.

All our guards are licenced, fully vetted and highly trained to exacting industry standards.

Mobile patrols Mobile security patrols provide a highly effective visual and physical deterrent for both businesses and homes.

Our fully trained guards wear Shield uniforms and travel in our liveried patrol vehicles. Spot checks

carried out at random help to deter criminal activity and also act as an alert for fire, flood or other damaging incidents.

We can visit your property as often as you need, providing a cost effective security solution.

Whether you are a business or home-owner, Shield Security has a comprehensive range of solutions to offer you peace of mind.

For full details of all our services visit: www.shieldsecurity.co.uk For a FREE, no obligation risk assessment at your business or home, contact us today: 01252 319 899 | admin@shieldsecurity.co.uk Quoting reference: sc10

theChamber 31

Health Screening What is health screening?

Health screening aims to determine an individual’s health status. It can be invaluable in detecting potentially lifethreatening illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes before they do serious damage. Giving individuals ZWLJPÄJ PUMVYTH[PVU HIV\[ OLHS[O YPZRZ

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individual’s current health, together with advice on how to increase good health and quality of life in the future.

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issues, so a relaxed and unhurried consultation with the health screening KVJ[VY [V [HSR HIV\[ [OLPY OLHS[O

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01372 221 424 w w w. a s h t e a d h o s p i t a l . c o . u k

Health and Wellbeing

Keeping your workforce healthy Have you taken steps to improve the mental well being of your staff?

Would you know how to help an employee if they told you they were struggling with a mental illness?

Nearly 50 per cent of longterm absences from work are due to mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, costing the UK economy almost £30 billion a year in lost production.

Despite this, more than 70 per cent of workplaces still, shockingly, have no formal mental health policy. But there is help out there for businesses who would like to do more to support their staff.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust works closely with mental health charity, the Richmond Fellowship, to provide support to both employees who are struggling with mental health problems and employers who need information to help them.

The Trust’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service (IAPT) is particularly attractive to employees because it offers a flexible approach to appointments so that people do not have to take time off work to

see a mental health expert.

Therapists will see people after work, talk to them on the phone and can also offer online live therapy sessions via text, audio and video.

IAPT manager and cognitive behavioural therapist, Alex Gibson, said: “We use talking therapies, such as CBT, to help people to get back to work and maintain them in the workplace.

If someone has anxiety, for example, this may manifest itself in indecision and inhibit their problem solving skills. CBT helps them to test out the reality of their beliefs. It also provides them with problem solving skills to give them the confidence they need to stay and grow in the workplace.”

A person needs a GP referral to have access to an IAPT service.

IAPT can also refer people to mental health charity, the Richmond Fellowship, for extra support. The Richmond Fellowship offers confidence building and assertiveness training courses to people in

work who are struggling with a mental health issue and to those trying to get back to work after a period of mental ill-health.

Disclosure of a mental health issue at work is a personal choice, and an employee can say as much or as little as they want. But if the employee needs more support then being open with an employer is more likely get them the help they need.

Employers are required under the Equality Act to make ‘reasonable adjustments’, such as offering flexible working hours, and not discriminating in recruiting, retaining or promoting staff who have mental health problems.

Employers looking for further support can sign up for one of the courses on ‘Improving Wellbeing at Work’ being run

by Time to Change - Surrey.

Go to: www.surrey.cc.gov.uk/ time-to-change for more information.

Look after your Groin Groin and hip pain can be a source of frustration for young adults wanting to maintain fitness or even manage day-to-day activities.

Patients generally present with groin pain provoked by twisting, or impact sports, which begins to restrict their ability to run, and can progress to affect walking and even sleeping.

Hip arthroscopy is a means of assessing and treating patients using a minimally invasive 'keyhole' technique that enables a more rapid recovery and return to work. Where open surgery left patients unable to work for six weeks or more, hip arthroscopy enables us to treat patients as a day case admission with the expectation of a return to work in less than two weeks.

The most common cause of groin pain is a labral tear which can be explored and resected or repaired with this technique.

But hip arthroscopy can also address hip pathology such as impingement, osteochondral defects, loose bodies, psoas tendonitis and bursitis.

Seb Sturridge and Jonathan Hull have an established arthroscopic hip surgery practice based at Joint Reaction, Spire Clare Park Hospital Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence. Jonathan started arthroscoping hips over eighteen years ago, and Seb during his fellowship training five years ago, and between

them they now operate on over 250 cases per year.

Jonathan is a faculty member of the Smith & Nephew School of Arthroscopy based in York.

At Spire Clare Park Hospital your hip can be accurately imaged with an MRI Arthrogram, the results discussed with you and a management plan made at the same appointment.

If you would like any more information please contact our Patient Advisor Team on 01252 895 490 or visit www.spireclarepark.com, Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence.

Getting nutrition right Productivity can be measured in many different ways. At Sarah Zorab Nutrition, we believe that there is a direct link between what, when and how you eat and productivity. Can it really be that simple? Yes, it can.

The right food can make your mind more alert, keep energy levels stable and improve focus, mood and stamina.

• Protein is needed for growth and repair; • Carbohydrates are needed for energy; • Vegetables and fruit are full of vitamins, fibre, minerals and anti-oxidants – needed to ward off illness and keep coughs, colds and flu away from the office.

A healthy diet is often put to the back of the queue when deadlines need to be met.

We would argue if you make a healthy diet a priority, you will focus on the task in hand far better and get the job done in half the time!

Some key things to remember: • Always eat breakfast • Aim for three meals per day • Take a break from your desk • Keep up the water We understand the lives of busy people and how little time they have to plan ahead. That’s why our one-hour ‘High Energy in the Workplace’ talk delivers practical, delicious and healthy options for employees who have a lot to achieve each day. We offer ideas for easy lunches to bring to work, what to order from the local deli and healthy choices from your canteen or a restaurant.

theChamber 33

Ask the Expert

How do I find my customers?

This is a frequently asked question, which is best answered by another question.

Nicola Macdonald Attractive Marketing nicola@attractivemarketing.biz www.attractivemarketing.biz 07565 382803 Who are you targeting?

If the answer to that question is ‘well everyone can do with my services’, that’s probably why there is confusion over how to find your customers.

It’s very tempting, particularly when starting a business, to want to sell to everyone. It’s a numbers game and you need to reach a lot of people to win business.

However, this strategy of reaching out to everyone is creating a lot of hard work, with a much lower

chance of success and is costly.

There is a much more effective strategy and that is to target a specific group of people with similar characteristics, issues and needs. When this is matched to your products and services you have begun to identify your ideal customer.

Your ideal customer stands out from the crowd Having identified your ideal customer it is much easier to find them. They attend exhibitions that are relevant to them.

They join social media groups that interest them.

You stand out of the crowd too!

When you can describe your ideal customer accurately you can start to build a database of companies or people that fit that criteria and begin to market to them; making them aware of you and how you can help them.

When you concentrate on a specific target audience, you begin to really understand their issues and how to solve them.

With this knowledge you can adapt your products or services and even brand them so they are unique to you and your business.

This allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition.

You become the ‘must go to person’. You stand out from the crowd.

And when you can describe your ideal customer when networking, it’s much more likely that you will receive introductions.

A FREE eBook ‘How to attract your ideal customer’ is available to download from www.attractivemarketing.biz/how-to-attract-your-ideal-customer.

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Christmas Feature

Phyllis Tuckwell invites you to an Italian Masquerade Join local Hospice Care charity Phyllis Tuckwell, for a night of indulgence, illusion and intrigue this Christmas, as you don your mask and enter the Royal Masquerade Ball.

Best Parties Ever are once again hosting Phyllis Tuckwell’s Christmas party, so gather your friends, family or workmates and book your table now.

As well as a three-course dinner and spectacular scenery, the evening will include live entertainment, a charity casino, indoor dodgems, an art disco, fire performers, aerial acrobats, and a raffle and auction with fantastic prizes.

Held at FIVE in Farnborough on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th December, you will marvel at how the venue has been transformed, as you arrive in Venice’s St Mark’s Square, complete with ancient stone foundations, impressive colonnades and the famed Bell Tower.

Glimpse the gondolas as you cross the Rialto Bridge on the way to a sumptuous threecourse dinner, served amidst the palatial splendour of the silk drapes, gilded mirrors and Venetian chandeliers of the Doge’s Palace.

Fundraising events such as these Christmas parties are incredibly important to local hospice care charity Phyllis Tuckwell, which provides supportive and end of life care for patients and families affected by cancer or other serious progressive illnesses, in West Surrey and North East Hampshire.

Every day the charity supports over 250 patients and relatives in their own homes, in the community, at the hospice in Farnham and at The Beacon Centre in Guildford, through a mix of medical care, nursing, therapies, counselling, social work and practical support.

However, as the NHS/Government only covers 20% of its costs, it has to raise over £15,000 a day to be able to offer all of its services, free of charge, to patients and families.

The evening will start at 7.30pm, and finishes at 1am with a survivors’ breakfast.

Tickets cost £37.50 each buy yours’ now by visiting www.pth.org.uk, calling 01252 729446 or emailing fundraising@pth.org.uk

Waverley Abbey House: A heritage that lives on Steeped in history, Waverley Abbey House is a Grade II* listed Georgian mansion located just 2 miles south of Farnham, in the midst of the tranquil scenery of south-west Surrey.

Waverley’s history dates back to the twelfth century, when in 1128, French monks built Waverley abbey, the first Cistercian monastery on English soil.

For the next 400 years, the abbey was home to 2,000 monks until its dissolution by Henry VIII. Presently, the abbey ruins are managed by English Heritage and visitors can enjoy a free day out and experience the remarkable ruins of the monastic buildings.

36 theChamber

In 1723, John Aislabie, chancellor of the exchequer at the time, built Waverley Abbey House with views across the water meadows of the River Wey, towards the ruins of the ancient Abbey.

In the nineteenth century, the house passed into the hands of George Nicholson, uncle of Florence Nightingale, who also frequently visited Waverley Abbey House. In 1870, the Waverley estate was sold to Thomas Darnley Anderson, a former merchant and Mayor of Liverpool.

During the First World War the house was used as a military hospital, caring for 5,000 sick and wounded officers. Waverley Abbey House stayed in the Anderson family until 1946.

CWR, the present-day owners of Waverley Abbey House, purchased the house in 1983 and carried out a four-year programme of restoration and refurbishment.

The East Wing (the original stable block) is used for the administration of CWR’s charity work, whilst the main house regularly hosts conferences, gala dinners and private functions.

With its historic character and peaceful surroundings, Waverley Abbey House is an ideal venue

for conferences, meetings, training and special occasions.

The 120 acres of grounds, containing the abbey ruins, spacious lawns, unspoilt woodlands and the River Wey, can be hired for larger bespoke events, outdoor teambuilding and marquee functions.

The elegant meeting rooms each have their own distinctive character and atmosphere, all with natural daylight and fantastic views. They range from small and intimate to larger, more spacious rooms accommodating up to 100 people.

More information: www.waverleyabbeyhouse.org.uk

Christmas Feature

Looking for something different this Christmas?

Celebrate the festive season at Brooklands Museum and let your party sparkle.

Brooklands Museum is steeped in the history and glamour that made it the ‘Ascot’ of Motorsport and Aviation in the 1920’s and 30’s. You can now immerse yourself in that heritage and enjoy all the magic that this unique venue has to offer as soon as your guests arrive.

The art deco inspired rooms will be tastefully decorated with a festive theme to get you in the party mood. You can make your party stand out with a variety of

options such as drinks reception in the motoring village surrounded by a world famous selection of vintage cars or enjoy a glass of Champagne on board the supersonic Concorde.

Exclusive hire and tailor made hospitality packages are available for between 50-200 guests throughout November, December and January.

Whether you are looking to celebrate over lunch or dinner, the experienced events team is

able to cater for a wide range of requirements with various entertainment upgrades to make your event truly memorable. Their knowledge and experience alongside a wide and varied selection of delicious meals and an extensive wine list will ensure your party has the wow factor.

“This is the third year running that we have booked our Christmas party at Brooklands.

The venue is perfect, the food is excellent and the whole

atmosphere is friendly and inviting,” says Donna Trout, from Paragon CHG. “The Events Team are all incredibly friendly and helpful, which takes the stress out of organising a staff event!”

For more information on their Christmas packages please contact them on 01932 858005 or email : lorna@brooklands museumhospitality.com

ADD SPARKLE TO YOUR PARTY

This Christmas AT

BROOKLANDS MUSEUM THE BIRTHPLACE OF BRITISH MOTORSPORT & AVIATION Immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere at our unique venue and enjoy exclusive hire and tailor-made lunch or dinner packages for 50 - 200 guests throughout November, December and January.

For more information please contact:

01932 858005 or email: hospitality@brooklandsmuseum.com www.brooklandsmuseumhospitality.com CORPORATE HOSPITALITY - CONFERENCES - CELEBRATIONS TEAM BUILDING - PRIVATE DINING - WEDDINGS

theChamber 37

Members News

Lloyds Bank wins award again Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, the division of Lloyds Banking Group that supports British businesses, has been named “Best Business Bank of the Year” for the eleventh year running at the prestigious FDs’ Excellence Awards, supported by the CBI and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW).

The votes were cast by more than 1500 FDs of the UK’s leading mid-sized companies, who were independently canvassed about the services and support they received from their banks.

Tim Hinton, managing director, Mid Markets and SME Banking, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “This is a strong endorsement from clients and finance directors across the country of the work Lloyds Banking Group is doing to support the UK economy and the millions of businesses that are the driving force of its growth.”

The award follows a number of recent successes for Lloyds Banking Group in its support for UK businesses: • Continuing to grow its lending to UK SMEs, by 4% net, at a time when the market is in decline. It has pledged to continue growing our net lending by £1 billion a year until 2017 • In the bank’s 2015 SME Charter it pledged to help 1,000 UK start ups push through the £1 million turnover barrier within three years.

• In its Helping Britain Prosper Plan the bank announced a series of targets to help UK businesses start up, scale up and trade internationally.

Tim Hinton said: “As the economy continues to improve, companies of all sizes need to ensure that they are ready to seize opportunities for growth.

Through our continued increases in lending and other finance solutions and our wider support for start ups and exporters, we are backing our clients’ ambitions and this award demonstrates that they have confidence in the help we are providing.

38 theChamber

Chinese trip forges business relationships Midgley Snelling LLP Partner, Jonathan Farrow, has returned to the Weybridge-based chartered accountancy firm after embarking on a business delegation trip to China. investing abroad before presenting ten top tips for investing in the UK. This evoked a number of questions from an audience that was interested in investing and working with foreign partners.

Two more conferences were held, one for State Owned Enterprises in Beijing and one for technology companies in Shanghai.

It was organised by Paul Lam, the president of US China Global Investment & Trading Alliance and was co-hosted by Wang Chengan, the vice president of China Society for World Trade Organization Studies and Liu Chen of China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Machinery and Electronics (CCCME).

At the China World Trade Centre in Beijing, Jonathan and his peers presented to the Ministry of Commerce and met Ambassador Sun Zhenyu, President of the China World Trade Organisation, as well as representatives of Chinese nonstate owned enterprises. He also saw presentations on the opportunities and challenges faced by Chinese businesses

In addition to the conferences, USCGITA hosted a breakfast meeting with the deputy CEO of Standard Chartered Bank China, Loh Long Hsiang.

Jonathan said: ““I am positive about the visit and forged a very good alliance with a number of individuals. Undoubtedly this has expanded our horizons and allowed me to form relationships in China that will benefit our current and future clients. A follow-up trip is planned for April 2016.”

Last call for Coast to Capital Business Grants Scheme Companies seeking to take advantage of Coast to Capital LEP’s Business Growth Grants Programme, being run in partnership with West Sussex County Council are being urged to submit their expressions of interest without delay, in advance of the deadline on 15 September 2015.

Applications are being sought from businesses that are seeking finance to expand.

Grants of between £15,000 and £100,000 are available for capital expenditure projects undertaken by companies located in West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Lewes, Croydon, Epsom & Ewell, Reigate & Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge.

The programme will provide grants of up to 50% of an expansion project for businesses that can credibly demonstrate how the investment will lead to job creation and meet the eligibility criteria. Applications are welcome from start-ups, existing businesses and social enterprises operating in the following sectors; advanced engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, medical

technologies, life sciences, creative, digital and IT, plus environmental technologies, goods and services.

For further information, visit www.coast2capital.org.uk or email a member of the Programme on grants@coast2capital.org.uk

Design & Development

Digital can help productivity so design your strategy well Productivity is a word we have seen a lot recently. Unfortunately, it seems to be something the UK lacks.

Described by The Telegraph as a ‘national disgrace’, productivity has stagnated and a large gap exists between the UK and other leading economies.

If our productivity per hour matched the USA, it would raise GDP by 31%, equating to around £21,000 per annum for every UK household.

George Osborne plans to tackle our ‘disgrace’ with a productivity plan, which involves a Digital Transformation Plan to help put digital technologies at the heart of our economic future. A welcome push as, according to Google’s UK and Ireland boss Eileen Naughton, fewer than 30% of SMEs have an effective online presence.

A digital strategy can make a business more productive through reduced costs, increased competitiveness, more flexible collaboration and improved customer service. So, if you are considering developing your digital presence, be sure to design your strategy well.

Plenty of businesses jump online with the wrong expectations or strategies, which is simply counterproductive. By designing a strategy through design thinking - a proven and repeatable problem-solving protocol - you can be sure that your time and money is spent wisely.

Design thinking is effectively a creative process based around the building up of ideas. It begins with possibly the most important step; defining the problem you want to solve. Once it’s been identified, consider many options to solve it and refine the promising ideas.

Having many ideas to experiment and test is very important and it encourages maximum input and

participation from everyone involved, often leading to the most creative and innovative solutions.

Dyson, for example, takes experimentation very seriously and recently tested 5,127 versions of their ‘Cyclone’ vacuum cleaner before it reached production.

The final step is to execute the chosen idea, often leading to several by-products in the form of other unique ideas and strategies to be considered in the future.

Ultimately, design thinking is a repeatable process employing unique and creative techniques for guaranteed results. In this case, it can easily result in a productive digital strategy.

Written by Ollie de Kretser PR & Online Communications Manager FdK Design Consultants Twitter - @FdK_Studio ollie@fdk.co.uk 01483 243565

Measurably Increase Business Productivity with a Professional Qualification With greater competition in the business environment, gaining a well-recognised professional qualification can significantly help to improve your organisations productivity and professionalism in addition to providing that vital differentiation in the market.

Whether you’re looking to grow your business, enhance your knowledge of best practices or develop your workforce, there is a qualification suited to your organisations needs to ensure you succeed.

Guildford College offers professional qualifications from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), PRojects In Controlled Environments (PRINCE2), Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

These courses offer a robust framework that is flexible, scalable and repeatable which can be used in a wide variety of sectors

and projects. They encompass established and proven best practices from a comprehensive cross-section of organisations.

Professional courses can be taken on a part-time basis, usually a couple of hours once a week, or in some instances a distance learning facility can be offered.

AAT, CIPD and CILEX courses start in September 2015. ILM and PRINCE2 have various start dates throughout the year.

Please visit www.guildford.ac.uk for further details.

Guildford College Group is also one of the largest apprenticeship providers in the area, offering over 30 types of apprenticeships at mixed levels. Guildford College is pleased to announce it now offers a 2 year Higher Apprenticeship in Business and Professional

Studies which is the equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree.

If you want to find out more about any of our professional

qualifications or employing an apprentice, please call the Guildford College Services to Business hotline on 01483 44 85 30 or email employers@guildford.ac.uk.

theChamber 39

Technology Showcase

Opening the Door on Open Development The small rapidly-growing team at Edge Case Games in Guildford are working hard on an exciting and somewhat unorthodox project; fully open development.

Welcome to the Technology Showcase In July I had the pleasure of attending G3 Futures, a celebration of the Guildford games industry. I was inspired by the creativity, technical excellence and infectious enthusiasm of the talented people who filled the room.

As well as hearing from Peter Molyneux, Creative Director of 22cans and games industry legend, I met two great companies who are definitely making their mark; Edge Case Games and Polystream.

I hope you enjoy learning more about them.

Thank you also goes to Charles Russell Speechlys, UKIE and the University of Surrey for organising the event.

Elaine Dr Elaine Hickmott champions leadership development for scientists and engineers. www.eh-enterprises.com

They are creating a space-based sci-fi multiplayer title, Fractured Space, and have taken the rather unusual approach of throwing open the doors to the public.

Giving a glimpse behind the curtain at how games are made is a growing trend, and these local developers are at the forefront.

With games becoming ever more prominent in everyday life in the UK and worldwide, developers such as Edge Case are looking to harness and nurture emerging young talent alongside well-trained industry veterans. Working in video games may seem like an impossible dream for many young people, but the south, and Guildford in particular, is becoming a real hotbed for promising studios. Getting young people interested and sufficiently trained to enable them to pursue a career in games is a worthy cause, and one which will see the UK industry continue to grow and improve in the years to come.

“The UK games Industry used to be in the top three in the world. It has slipped down those charts a bit, but is on the rise again due to the recent tax breaks and its continuing reputation as a centre for creativity combined with strong work ethics.”

Edge Case CEO James Brooksby explained. “Edge Case is working hard to be at the cutting edge of how games are made and the type of games we make.”

Edge Case Games are giving the gaming public an insight into the process with their ‘open development’ ethos; regular Q&As are staged with the team, and some elements of production are even livestreamed from developers’ desktops.

It’s proving popular, and with Fractured Space taking shape in Early Access, the combination of traditional development and real-time player feedback is catching some real attention.

For more information please visit www.edgecasegames.net or contact the team at contact@edgecasegames.net.

A whole New World of Interactive Video awaits As the world increasingly turns to the internet to watch video the team at Polystream know the time is right to make those streams truly interactive.

Imagine if a fully interactive experience was just one click away and could be delivered with the simplicity of clicking ‘Play Now’. Imagine trying your hand at beating your favourite eSports players in real time in their games.

With this ever growing number of people watching video games online, Polystream’s view is, why not let them jump in and turn this sit-back audience into a fully immersed, engaged part of the experience?

Thirty million people watching the League of Legends finals, ten and a half million people watching the UK’s own Gfinity finals; the company plans to bring completely new, scalable,

truly immersive and playable experiences to these viewers.

Having over forty years experience working on games and game platforms CEO, Bruce Grove and CTO, Adam Billyard are the driving force at Polystream, the next generation of game streaming technology. Free from the restrictions and hardware limitations of existing streaming technologies, Polystream seamlessly delivers enhanced marketing and specially created content, playable game demos, early access / BETA trials or even entire games. Bruce explained, “By offering elastic, scale-on-demand services with no capacity constraints and no need for dedicated hardware,

Polystream is built to increase and enhance engagement with the modern streaming audience”.

In addition, by working with partners interested in getting their brands, demos, trials and new content into the hands of gamers as quickly and efficiently as possible, Polystream is an effective interactive marketing solution providing unprecedented scalability and reach wherever the audiences are watching. Bruce added, “From London to Sao Paulo; Hong Kong to New York; from Woking, Surrey to Woking, Alberta, we will share your product their way.”

For more information please visit www.polystream.net or contact the team at info@polystream.net

Hall of Fame In October I will be stepping down as Technology Ambassador for Surrey Chambers and this edition of the Technology Showcase will be my last.

Over the past two years I have featured a range of fantastic technology companies and I would like to say a special thank you to them all...

40 theChamber

• Aquamatix • Canon (UK) • Edge Case Games • Edif ERA • Flexeye

• Flexyfoot • Furnace Designs • ManagePlaces • Pentagon Plastics • Pierhouse

• Polystream • Ramsac • Room360i • Surrey Space Incubator • TISICS

• Tozer Seeds • Unities • University of Surrey • Venncomm • Weald Technology

Local Gaming Companies Invited to G3 Event to Galvanise Guildford Games Industry Key note speech delivered

by Peter Molyneux - ‘the godfather of the games industry’ The University of Surrey, Ukie (UK Interactive Entertainment organisation) and south east technology law specialist, Charles Russell Speechlys, joined forces to host an inspiring and insightful networking event for local gaming companies.

The G3 Futures Event, aimed at galvanising the Guildfordbased games industry, took place at the University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre on 1 July 2015. Free for local gaming companies and related industries to attend, the event provided a snap shot of the future through industry-led keynotes and emerging R&D technology demos.

World-renowned, Guildfordbased video games designer and programmer, Peter Molyneux, OBE, delivered one of the key note speeches at the event. His talk “Guildford 20 years of Inspirations and Design Metaphors” focused on how Guildford has been a source of inspiration for his success over the last two decades.

The event comprised of a short programme of talks from other local industry experts, covering topics ranging from R&D and 5G mobile to immersive audio experiences and next generation performance capture. This was followed by an evening of networking in an

informal expo space, populated by tech demos and stands showcasing the local games industry and collaborative academic R&D projects with the creative industries - with a BBQ and an opportunity for all delegates and speakers to network.

According to Peter Molyneux, the G3 Futures event presented an ideal opportunity to promote local cohesion and collaboration. He commented, “For the games industry in Guildford to be able to grow and innovate, it must be able to learn to share ideas, problems and solutions. With the ever-increasing number of developers based in the area it would be an incredible advantage to communicate in order to develop as an industry and share its successes.”

Nick Hurley, partner in Charles Russell Speechlys’ Guildford office co-chaired the event.

“The south east technology and games landscape is integral to the UK market and a major economic force in this area. To ensure its continued growth it needs to collaborate and take advantage of the type of innovation that the University of Surrey is showcasing at the event. As a specialist in this type of business, we are delighted to be involved and hoping that it is the first of many gatherings of this kind.”

Professor Adrian Hilton, director of the Centre for Vision Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) at the University of Surrey, and cochair of the event commented, “The university puts technology innovation at the heart of its research activity, and has many years’ experience in leading edge developments for the games industry through collaborative research projects.

This event is designed to initiate new industry-university collaborations that allow the Guildford games industry to go from strength to strength.”

Dr Jo Twist, CEO of Ukie (United Kingdom Interactive Entertainment trade body), the third partner in this enterprise, felt this was a great opportunity to promote this games hub, “The UK has a number of well-established games clusters and Guildford is a leading hub in this mix, even being described as the “Hollywood of the Games Industry”. This event was a great opportunity for the amazingly talented developers, publishers, tech suppliers, mobile operators and app makers in Guildford and the surrounding area to come together in a creative environment to network and build new business partnerships right on their doorsteps.”

Seizing the opportunities of the digital age Join Enterprise M3, one of the two local enterprise partnerships in Surrey, at its annual conference on 11 November at the H.G. Wells Conference & Event Centre in Woking to explore the many ways that digital technology is impacting on both the local and national economy and how businesses in our area can maximise future economic success, both as creators and consumers of new digital technologies, for the benefit of all.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Seizing the opportunities of the digital age” and it will focus on the prospects and challenges offered to all sectors by the digital age and explore what organisations can do to maximise the prospects and overcome the challenges.

Conference highlights include: • The launch of a new study, commissioned

by Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, on how digital technology is impacting our area’s economy • Comprehensive programme of presentations and panel discussions on a range of digitally-focussed topics, including digital skills, cyber-security and new digital innovations • Exciting exhibition, the Innovation Zone, showcasing innovative products and services that will help businesses and other organisations in the Enterprise M3 area Lunch will be provided and there will be opportunities for networking throughout the conference.

Tickets for this showcase event are £50 + VAT for members of Surrey Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and companies working with Setsquared and £75 + VAT for all other tickets.

For further information about the speaker programme or to book your place, visit www.em3conference.org.uk, email events@enterprisem3.org.uk or call the events team on 02380 682520.

There are also a limited number of sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities available for the annual conference.

If you are interested, please contact leigh@businesssouth.org for further details.

Driving prosperity in the M3 corridor

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New Members

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies: 11 Infantry Brigade British Army Mrs Jodie Kennedy-Smith 01252347775 Millitary

Churchill Retirement Living Anne Scherrer 01932338700 www.churchillretirement.co.uk Retirement Housebuilder

HomeXperts Surrey Downs Sacha Martin 01737887674 www.estateagentsinsurreydowns.co.uk Estate and Letting Agency

Shipleys LLP (London) Stuart Dey 02073126528 www.shipleys.com Chartered Accountants

Aberdour School Simon Collins 01737354119 www.aberdourschool.co.uk Education

Collaborate Toby Jenkins 01483663622 www.collaborate.works Serviced office for entrepreneurs

Silverback Guerilla Productions Rob Sedgwick 01737763776 www.silverback-guerilla.com Social media - design - video

Academy for Chief Executives Frank Bastow 01372897537 www.chiefexecutive.com Leadership Development

CTM Kirsty Chambers 08454708702 www.ctm.travel Business travel specialists

Hopper Cars Caner Candan 01737668558 www.hoppercars.co.uk Airport Transfers and Chauffeur services

Sladen Estates Nigel Jones 01773515430 www.sladenestates.co.uk Construction & Property

Aleamet Samatha Kennedy 01344207230 www.aleamet.com Procurement Risk - Creating Value

by Reducing Risk

Dawn Bakeries International Ltd Makzy Majnusz 01276700051 Bakery

Inbox Insider Kevin Barrow 01483821865 www.inboxinsider.net Email Marketing Judeline Nicholas Associates Judeline Nicholas 01494484815 www.judeline.co.uk Learning & Development Specialist

St. James's Place Wealth Management Pritesh Pankhania 07711555140 www.priteshpankhania.co.uk Expert Financial Advisers

ArchOver Ltd Hugo Smyly 02030218100 www.archover.com Crowd funding lenders Babes on the Run Kim Raine 07594806576 www.surreybootcamps.com Health & Fitness Barefoot Trainers Louise Turner 07894830816 www.Barefoot-trainers.com Learning & Development Big Yellow Feet Ltd Gregory Mandry 01483285928 www.bigyellowfeet.com Video production - motion graphics

Early Days Stuart Spiers 07771558012 www.earlydays.biz Training for Start-up Businesses Eezee IT Ltd Jessica Steege 01293771280 www.ez-admin.co.uk Professional Web Hosting Enterprise M3 Growth Hub Jill Lee 07469159296 Business support Esher Professional Dean Hartry 01932220295 www.esherrugby.com Rugby Football Club Famous Publicity Tina Fotherby 07703409622 www.famouspublicity.com Public Relations

Branduin Business Support Steve Forey 02087850188 www.branduin.co.uk Business Support

Focus Group Neil Coulthard 01483663070 www.focus-grp.co.uk IT & Communications

Business Law Online Jenny Lund 01276804432 www.business-law-online.com Legal services

Fuel Card Services Tim Betts 01227818190 www.FuelCardServices.com Fuel Card Suppliers

BWH Cleaning Group Ben Hill 07557377201 www.bwhcleaninggroup.co.uk Cleaning Company

Funding Invoice Aamar Aslam 07545174326 Invoice Factoring www.fundinginvoice.com

Canvas Digital Fiona Rickard 01372227950 www.canvas-digital.co.uk Digital design and marketing agency

Genuine Solutions Group Chris McBride 02031770000 www.genuinesolutions.co.uk Distributor of mobile phone accessories

Julia Lampard Limited John Simpson 01483455900 www.julia-lampard.co.uk Boutique hair and wig salon Ormerods Simon Cook 02086865000 www.solicitorscroydon.com Legal services PGH Pest Control Peter Higgs 01483273478 www.pghpestcontrol.co.uk Pest Control & Prevention Propeller Associates Tony Williams 01483725803 Business consultancy Red Ant Solutions Jason Hesdon 01483863338 www.redantsolutions.com Marketing & Design Agency Rollings HR Limited Catherine Rollings 01483285921 www.rollingshr.com HR Management SABMiller Laura Parra www.sabmiller.com Beer & Soft Drinks

Surreypay Sameer Khand 02080888001 www.surreypay.com Personalised payroll services Synergy Construction & Property Jenny Howard 01483468666 www.cmpb.co.uk Construction & Property The Kiss Mix Drinks Company Robert Millar 01483427777 www.kiss-mix.com Retail/wholesale The Winston Churchill School Rob Ahearn 01483476861 www.wcsc.org.uk Education University of Portsmouth Business School Pat Smith 02392844323 www.port.ac.uk/pbs Education

Sarahjmartin Photography Sarah Martin 07535364445 www.sarahjmartin.com Photographer

Venner Shipley Intellectual Property Dr Anton Hutter 01483685610 www.vennershipley.co.uk Legal

SellerDeck Ltd Linda Butcher 01932358350 www.sellerdeck.co.uk E-commerce specialists

Videolynks Mark Horsey 07557092279 www.videolynks.com Video production company

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Members News

Cloud-based payroll service launches for SMEs A south east-based Payrolls Direct partner is helping UK small businesses stay on top of employee salaries with a cloud based payroll service that’s fast, easy and accurate.

Designed for SMEs, Surrey Pay, is a must have tool for any entrepreneur wanting to streamline the payroll process while simultaneously saving time and money.

A member of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce, the company is an esteemed choice for Surrey businesses of all sizes up to 500 employees.

Unlike other fully managed payroll solutions, Surrey Pay has underpinned its service with flexibility and affordability. There is no set-up fee and the option of cancelling anytime. For just £1 for the first month new clients can try out the control panel, with the option of upgrading to a fully managed service after the 30 day trial. Price lists are split into weekly or monthly payment schedules and are tiered to reflect the number of employees a company would like to include.

Once enrolled, Surrey Pay will manage every aspect of the payroll calculations and deductions process, as well as deal with HMRC. Both employers and employees are issued with modern and secure online payroll accounts which can be used to control, update and download information relating to payroll. Both parties will also have access to a user friendly

HR platform to keep track of holidays, expenses, unpaid leave and more. A project management tool is also available within the control panel.

Thanks to the intelligent cloud based system, accounts, historical data and resources can be accessed from anywhere, at any time.

As an official partner of Payrolls Direct UK, the company offers clients the total peace of mind that they’re receiving a premium quality, nationally accredited service. This includes the reassurance that all operations will be up to date with the latest government regulations.

For businesses, Surrey Pay represents the opportunity to slash the time and money associated with managing the payroll process. It eliminates the need to self-manage remuneration, ensuring SME owners have more time and energy to focus on the growth and success of their companies.

The digitalisation of the payroll process is also a great way for businesses to bring an ecofriendly edge to their operations.

Sam Khand, regional manager, said: “Time is one of the most valuable resources a small business entrepreneur can arm themselves with. Spending it

carefully categorically means the difference between success and failure. Surrey Pay appreciates that time is precious, as well as the fact that processing payrolls is one of the most time consuming tasks associated with business management.”

For clients wanting to develop an in-depth understanding of how

to get the absolute most out of the Surrey Pay service, the website features a free 30 minute demo.

Surrey Pay is currently offering new clients a free WordPress Business Website worth up to £300, along with a monthly website monitoring service worth £240 per annum.

New product launched Optichrome recently launched its new product OPTiMEDIA. Being the first company in the UK to offer this digital solution, Optichrome presented the benefits of OPTiMEDIA to a packed audience of potential customers and existing clients.

Optimedia takes your existing PDFs and seamlessly creates online media that is fully optimised for smartphones and tablets with absolutely no loss of content, ensuring the best possible

44 theChamber

user experience at all times and continued customer loyalty.

Optimedia also automatically detects and creates active website and email links within you document to engage the reader even further, and the analytics facility allows you to shape future publications based on the popularity of historical content.

Chamber Events

Key events coming up in Surrey Chambers’ calendar

Chamber Connections Breakfast Meetings 08:00 - 09:30 Members: £12 Non Members: £20 Come and join us at these regular informal breakfasts.

They are designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

Come to one, some or all of the breakfasts it’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

Guildford Wednesday 16th September 2015 The Refectory, Guildford

Woking

Open 18 Hole Golf Competition at New Zealand Golf Club Thursday 17th September 2015 07:45 - 17:30 New Zealand Golf Club, Woodham

Friday 18th September 2015 Holiday Inn, Woking

Member: £107 Non member: £135

Waverley

Open 18 Hole Stableford competition open to

Wednesday 23rd September 2015 Waverley Abbey House

all business people.

Spelthorne & Runnymede

Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and

Wednesday 7th October Holiday Inn, Shepperton

Woking Friday 9th October 2015 Gorse Hill, Woking

Elmbridge Tuesday 13th October 2015 Hilton Cobham Hotel, Cobham

Reigate & Banstead

entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team.

Enjoy a bacon roll and coffee then an 18 hole Stableford competition followed by lunch and prize giving, finishing by 17.30hrs.

Members Networking Evening Wednesday 30th September 2015 18:00 - 20:00 Wotton House Member: Free Non Member: £30 ••• Thursday 29th October 2015 18:00 - 20:00 Kempton Park Member: Free Non member: £30 ••• Networking is a sure fire way to creating sales and ultimately growing your business.

Developing fresh, new and long lasting business contacts is a constant need for any business wishing to succeed.

The question is, “Are you networking enough?”

The event is absolutely free to members and refreshments and canapés will be served throughout the event.

What do you have to lose?

Just don’t forget your business cards!

Thursday 15th October 2015 Reigate Manor Hotel

Surrey Heath Tuesday 27th October 2015 Camberley Theatre

Spelthorne & Runnymede Wednesday 4th November 2015 Mercure London Staines Upon Thames Hotel

Mole Valley Friday 6th November 2015 Hartsfield Manor

Epsom Tuesday 10th November 2015 Epsom Downs Racecourse

Polish up your sales & negotiation skills Wednesday 23rd September 2015 17:30 - 19:30 Guildford College Member: £20 Non Member: £35

A new series of Evening Briefings designed to update your business skills in critical areas such as sales & negotiation, effective digital marketing and an introduction to IP and the power of your brand.

Come along to one of our informal evenings, gain insight from some of Surrey’s leading experts in their field and network with other like minded businesses.

Light refreshments will be served.

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Chamber Events Business Women in Surrey at Pennyhill Park Tuesday 6th October 2015 15:30 - 17:30 Pennyhill Park, Bagshot Member: £24 Non Member: £60

Business Advice Clinic Members: FREE Non Members: £75 Business Advice Clinic brought to you by Surrey Chambers of Commerce and Branduin Business Support.

Running a business can be challenging and you may feel that you are suffering from a particular issue or challenge. Who do you turn to? What advice do you listen to?

Our Business advice clinics are specifically designed to give you the opportunity for you to discuss what help and advice you need with your business.

At the meeting, you will be able to discuss where your business is now, the growth you want to achieve over the next few years and the challenges you are facing.

••• Wednesday 16th September 2015 Woking ••• Thursday 24th September 2015 Reigate ••• Tuesday 6th October 2105 Surrey Heath ••• Wednesday 14th October 2015 Woking ••• Thursday 22nd October 2015 Woking ••• Tuesday 10th November 2015 Basepoint, Camberley ••• Wednesday 18th November 2015 Woking

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Afternoon tea and use of the spa, limited to 25 ladies, so please book early to avoid disappointment Join us for a delicious cream tea and indulge yourself in the totally relaxed, yet buzzy atmosphere of the Pennyhill Park Spa’s Themis restaurant.

These networking ladies afternoon teas are designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet with like minded people, entertain your

clients, share issues and widen your own network of customers, suppliers, neighbours and competitors.

After tea you are warmly invited to complimentary use the spa’s superb facilitates and experience life’s stresses and strains melt away.

Step through the door of Pennyhill Park Spa and you’re already on the way to restoring body and soul.

Chamber Technology Forum

Using letters of credit, drafts & bills Tuesday 6th October 2015 09:00 - 17:00 Arcom IT, Woking Member: £250 Non Member: £350 The use of Letters of Credit has increased significantly by UK exporters and importers because of the global economic situation, political insecurity in some markets and the withdrawal of credit insurance cover.

The UK Government has now introduced The Letter of Credit Guarantee Scheme via UK Export Finance. The intention is to stimulate exports to emerging markets by sharing the credit risk associated with Letters of Credit from these markets. This should contribute to a further increase in usage.

Business Advice Start Up Clinic (Surrey Heath) ••• Thursday 8th October 2015 ••• Thursday 4th November 2015 •••

Intellectual Property - Generating Value at home and overseas Thursday 8th October 2015 17:30 - 20:00 Canon (UK) Reigate Member: £15 Non Member: £25 An organisation’s intellectual property (IP); its processes, its brand reputation, its knowledge, are by their nature intangible assets. As a consequence their value may be difficult to identify, be under estimated and be insufficiently protected.

With ever advancing technological developments, supply chains extending their global reach and constantly evolving business models, valuing and protecting IP in a global knowledge-based economy are business critical activities.

Whether you are creating your own IP or have bought IP rights are you making the most of your intangible assets and how safe are they?

This event brings together a panel of experts who will share their own intellectual property knowledge and insights as well as giving you the chance to pick their brains in the interactive question and answer session.

Business Advice Clinic brought to you by Surrey Chambers of Commerce and Branduin Business Support.

Running a business can be challenging and you may feel that you are suffering from a particular issue or challenge. Who do you turn to? What advice do you listen to?

Our Business advice clinics are specifically designed to give you the opportunity for you to discuss what help and advice you need with your business.

At the meeting, you will be able to discuss where your business is now, the growth you want to achieve over the next few years and the challenges you are facing.

Chamber Events

President’s Dinner Wednesday 14th October 2015 19:30 - 23:00 Foxhils Member: £58 Non Member: £85

Badminton Networking

Local companies meet for a couple of hours to play badminton in a relaxed and friendly environment. Here's your chance to reserve your place. The standard of play (and fitness) is varied, and you'll take part in several games of mixed-doubles. Come along and see for yourself - you'll get to play with at least 5 partners during the evening, against different opponents each time.

Join us for an evening of delicious food, great company and a fantastic speaker! This certainly is not an event to be missed! The dinner will be supporting the Surrey charities, Woking & Sam Beare Hospices Guest Speaker: Mark Wood, Polar Explorer, Speaker and Educator

Friday 9th September 2015 & Friday 13th November 2015 18:00 - 21:00 Lightwater Leisure Centre Member: £10 Non Member: £15 Back by popular demand, we are pleased to run a fun Business Networking Event hosted by Surrey Chambers and projectfive.

This is a prestigious event in the Chamber's diary and we are absolutely thrilled to announce that our dinner is to be held at Foxhills, who will treat guests to a delicious 3 course meal as well as provide a beautiful setting for this prestigious event.

About The Speaker:-

An excellent opportunity to take a table for 10 and entertain your clients!

After serving in the British Army and then as a Firefighter in the Fire and Rescue Service, Mark went on to train and lead teams for major polar and mountain expeditions. Operating in areas such as the Arctic Circle, the Himalayas, Antarctica, Alaska - along with the Norwegian and Canadian High Arctic Research Station, Mark developed a passion for exploration.

Then, it's drinks and snacks in the bar to catch up with everyone else

Afternoon Tea

at the 16th Century Langshott Manor Open 18 Hole Golf Competition at North Hants Golf Club Tuesday 13th October 2015 09:00 - 15:00 Member: £66.67 Non Member: £87.50 Open 18 Hole Stableford competition open to all business people. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as

Thursday 15th October 2015 15:30 - 17:00 Langshott Manor Member: £20 Non Member: £30 Surrey Chambers would like to invite to an afternoon tea networking event at Langshott Manor. Langshott Manor, is an exquisite four red-star hotel in Surrey, one 'The Small Luxury Hotels of The World'.

This remarkable venue blends classic character with contemporary and well-thought design.

At Langshott Manor they are serious about the quintessentially English tradition of afternoon tea. Not only do they offer a complementary setting to this English tradition, but each of their dainty desserts are homemade by our inhouse pastry chefs.

Effective Digital Marketing to increase sale leads Tuesday 20th October 2015 17.30-19.30 Guildford College Member: £20 Non Member: £35 Surrey Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Guildford College are pleased to announce a new series of Evening Briefings designed to update your business skills in critical areas such as sales & negotiation, effective digital marketing and an introduction to IP and the power of your brand.

Come along to one of our informal evenings,

Stableford competition followed by lunch and

Their sandwiches are served on freshly baked bread and your display will also include homemade scones served with thick clotted cream and fruity preserves.

minded businesses.

prize giving, finishing by 17.30 hrs.

All served with Fine Loose Leaf Tea or Coffee.

Light refreshments will be served.

a solo player and we will place you in a team.

08.00 hrs Coffee and bacon roll, 18 Hole

gain insight from some of Surrey’s leading experts in their field and network with other like

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Chamber Events

Surrey Venues Event Tuesday 10th November 2015 09:00 - 16:30 Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel, Guildford

Open 18 Hole Golf Competition

The essential event for all conference & event bookers in Surrey.

Surrey is the ideal location to hold a meeting, conference or event. Choose from stylish hotels,

academic establishments or the more unusual settings provided by our stately homes or sporting venues. With excellent road and rail links and proximity to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, Surrey is easily accessible however you choose to travel.

This event is the perfect opportunity for event bookers to meet the venues in Surrey, find out more about the great variety of venues that can cater for any event, network with other event bookers and hear some great speakers on the latest event technology and effective event promotion.

followed by lunch at Swinley Forest Golf Club Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Swinley Golf Club Member: £123 Non Member: £145 About the golf day. Open 18 Hole Stableford competition open to all business people. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team. 08.00 hrs Enjoy a Bacon roll and coffee, 18 hole Stableford competition followed by lunch and prize giving, finishing by 17.30hrs.

The Heathrow Business Summit is a unique opportunity Heathrow Business for Heathrow’s supply chain to connect and trade face to face with national and regional small and medium sized Summit businesses and connect to growth opportunities locally,

09:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 10th November Park Inn

nationally and internationally.

Heathrow is committed to using its position as a national asset for the benefit of SMEs. As the UK’s international hub airport, Heathrow connects businesses up and down the UK to crucial growth markets around the world.

The Heathrow Business Summit has for 18 years connected SMEs to new business opportunities with each other, the airport and through the airport to the world.

Corporate Finance Workshop

Understanding Intellectual Property and the Power of Your Brand!

17:00 - 19:00 Tuesday 17th November Member: £22 Non Member: £37 The County Club, Guildford

Thursday 19th November 17:30 - 19:30 Guildford College Member: £20 Non member: £35

Originally they were set up as a networking forum for Guildford's growing base of advisers. The workshops were therefore intended to be informative and educational at a higher technical level than might be the case if it were a seminar for non-specialists / general business owners.

The Workshops are open to accountants, bankers, lawyers and others who are active in corporate finance on a regular basis. Each workshop will be limited to 40 people with a maximum of two delegates per company to allow the opportunity for discussion.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Guildford College are pleased to announce a new series of Evening Briefings designed to update your business skills in critical areas such as sales & negotiation, effective digital marketing and an introduction to IP and the power of your brand.

Come along to one of our informal evenings, gain insight from some of Surrey’s leading experts in their field and network with other like minded businesses.

Light refreshments will be served.

Connecting buyers and suppliers

Canada - Gateway to the North Friday 6th November 2015 Holiday Inn, Woking Member: £12 Non member: £20 Surrey Chambers of Commerce is delighted to be hosting a panel event in partnership with the Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce entitled ‘Canada - Gateway to the North’ The event which will be held at the Holiday Inn, Woking and will offer delegates a fantastic insight into trading with Canada, the advantages of taking your business overseas, the importance of understanding cross cultural issues, case studies from businesses who have traded in Canada followed by an interactive Q&A session with our panel of experts.

48 theChamber

Member News

Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence It’s a landmark celebration for Excel Office Cleaning, as the family-run Surrey business marks its 50th anniversary with a move to larger offices to accommodate its expanding business.

Speaking from the new head office in Chobham, near Woking, Excel Office Cleaning Managing Director Sally Fenton, attributes her company’s growth to three things; hard work, a high quality service and her inspirational father, Ray MacDonald, who founded the business.

Sally says: “I’ve been very lucky to work in our family business; I started working with my father in 1985 after working in the City to gain valuable business experience”.

“My father was always very hard working and a great inspiration to me. Over the years I saw him developing Excel Office Cleaning and we had a great 23 years

working together. During that time the team and I learnt so much from his wealth of experience.

“Dad handed the business reins over to me when he retired in 2008. Since then Excel Office Cleaning has continued to exponentially grow and last week we were very excited to move into our new larger offices.

However, I still ask dad for his opinion sometimes and he loves to be kept involved” adds Sally.

Ray says: “Over the years, communication methods have changed, in this faster digital age, but the basics have stayed the same. Excellent customer service levels are what define us and that is what Excel Office Cleaning has always been recognised for.

At this great landmark, 50 years of trading, I’m extremely proud of Excel Office Cleaning, the employees and I’m especially proud of my daughter”.

The Samson Centre for MS proudly welcomed HRH The Countess of Wessex recently to officially open its brand new physiotherapy suites.

Tips when viewing Georgian properties

by David Lewis of Grillo LLP Chartered Surveyors in Godalming Although Georgian Houses are sought after in Surrey and much-loved by millions of viewers of television adaptations of Jane Austen novels like Emma, relatively few of these buildings are genuinely Georgian.

So when viewing a so-called Georgian property, you should be careful, says David Lewis of Grillo Chartered Surveyors, as these are some of the features, which could be costly, unless detected.

Parapet walls and gutters The gutter concealed behind the parapet, originally lined with lead, is often poorly repaired with felt or asphalt.

Danger: Failure in the lining; blocking of gutter outlets resulting in dampness to the brickwork, which in turn affects the roof timbers, are common problems.

Dry-Lined Walls - External walls were often lined internally with lathe and plaster to provide a smooth surface to support decoration and ornate plasterwork. Linings also protected decorations from the effects of dampness and condensation.

Danger: Moist conditions behind these linings can manifest themselves in an outbreak of dry rot.

Mathematical Tiles - Special shaped clay tiles arranged in a brick pattern with mortar joints to give the appearance of brickwork were a Georgian innovation. They enabled modest timber framed buildings to be given an imposing facade that was lighter and cheaper than a brick facade. But only a trained professional can tell that this not brickwork.

Danger: Corrosion of tile fixings, decay or woodworm affecting concealed timbers and poor insulation are features that may never be suspected unless mathematical tiles are identified.

Windows - the Georgians invented sash windows, but window maintenance is a laborious process with sash cords, pullies and weights to service. Sometimes, it is cost effective to renew a unit rather than commission a refurbishment.

HRH The Countess of Wessex

Introduction of Softwoods Traditionally, oak and other hardwoods, available in abundance throughout Surrey and the Sussex Weald had been used in structures and for joinery. The Georgian period saw the introduction of imported softwoods, which were easier to machine but were at greater risk of attack by woodborers.

Danger: In extreme cases, this has lead to failure of the timber or impairment of its load bearing capacity.

During her visit HRH The Countess of Wessex met with members, carers, fundraisers, volunteers, trustees and staff who were all able to provide a more detailed insight into the facilities available at the Samson Centre for people who are living with multiple sclerosis in Surrey.

As a totally self-funded charity, the Samson Centre provides over 3,500 physiotherapy sessions, almost 4,000 exercise classes, over 2,500 gym sessions and approximately 2,500 oxygen therapy treatments annually.

The new physiotherapy suites will for the first time enable people using the Samson Centre to have one to one physiotherapy sessions within the privacy of individual treatment rooms.

Until now such treatments have only been available within an open plan setting in the fitness hall. With these rooms come greater dignity and more sensitivity to meet the needs of people living with such a chronic and debilitating condition.

There are more plans afoot which include providing counselling quarters along with up to 7,500 more oxygen therapy sessions annually.

As a self-help group we believe in doing everything we can to help even more people who are living with multiple sclerosis. However, with annual running costs of over £200,000 we can’t do this alone. To achieve our goals we also need the help of the local business community and would welcome your support. There are many options available which include participating in our events, taking up a sponsored marathon place or indeed hosting an event of your own. When business works closely with a charity that provides ongoing support for local people with disabilities the outcomes can benefit everyone.

For further information about how you could help The Samson Centre for MS telephone Jackie Payne on 01483 502276 or visit www.samsoncentre.org.uk

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Chamber Chat

5 minutes with...

What 3 words would you use to explain your company?

Precise technical translations.

What differentiates your organisation from others?

Before starting the company, I worked as a technical translator and university lecturer.

After about 10 years, I realised that agencies were not focused enough on the technical side of translations. While novels and poems were greeted with queues of qualified translators, I found that there were virtually no translators who could genuinely understand heavy machinery, construction plans, system designs, or virtually any technical documents (whether they would admit that to their clients is another matter).

The idea behind Constructive Translations is that we find “engineers who can translate” rather than pure linguists who just have degrees in subjects like Modern Languages. Since we focus on a narrow niche we have been able to attract and retain high-quality linguists in our domains.

This means we can offer very high quality technical translation without having to charge astronomical rates.

David Smith Managing Director Constructive Translations Explain Constructive Translations to someone unfamiliar with the business: Constructive Translations help businesses by providing high quality language services. This could involve translating a document from one business language into any other, arranging for an interpreter to be present at a meeting with a foreign client, or translating websites or multimedia. We promise our clients that your documents will be translated by a certified linguist, who is a native speaker of the target language, with at least 5 years experience, who has deep knowledge of your industry, and who has at least a Diploma in Translation (most will have Master’s Degrees).

It goes without saying that in order to translate a document precisely, linguists need to be able to understand it. Technical documents or specialist communications for sales or marketing can be very subtle and difficult to understand for nonexperts. As a qualified civil engineer myself, we worked to ensure that Constructive Translations recruits, hires and trains linguists who have strong technical backgrounds. For example, we would arrange for a French lawyer to translate a legal contract into French, or for an engineer to translate a technical document and so on.

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What is your vision for the future of the business?

My main ambition is for Constructive Translations to help increase the quality of technical translations throughout the UK. This will help the UK keep up with the global economy as more and more non-English speaking players enter the market. The next wave of emerging economies, including China, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Russia etc, do not necessarily do business in English. If we can help exporters communicate with these markets, we believe that this will help our partners reach new markets overseas and keep up with the global competition. To do this, we would like to form mutually beneficial relationships with ambitious SMEs through Surrey. In three to five years time, we would like to have strategic partnerships with a number of SMEs and work with them closely so that they can grow by exporting.

On the other hand, my strongest driver to success has been that I find experts and listen to them. Due to this advice, I did not blunder into any expensive errors when we were testing the market. Although we were cautious, we did not waste resources on any useless projects. I often read about companies who invested in unneeded and expensive sales software or poorly targeted marketing campaigns early on which led to cash flow problems and even bankruptcies.

If you were telling another business person about the chamber what would you say?

Even if it was purely for the networking opportunities, the value of joining local chambers far outweighs the costs. However, it goes without saying that the more time you put into these things, the more you get from them. There's no point joining dozens of bodies and not attending any events. The chamber should be an important part of your sales strategy.

At the same time, it is always good to network with possible partners as well as just prospecting for clients. Some of my best ideas have been the result of discussions with totally unrelated third parties. I think it’s good to keep an open mind and be ready to see where the opportunities may lead.

And finally, as a Surrey business, what do you see as the local key factors for success/growth over the next 12 months?

What advice would you give to a company considering setting up in Surrey?

There are two important factors. Firstly, we need to see continued growth of the UK economy coming from exports. I really believe now is a great time to make money by exporting.

Many parts of the developing world still don't have the capacity to make the types of technical products they need, so they are increasingly looking for high quality imports (from places like the UK). If Surrey-based businesses look overseas I believe they will see great opportunities to grow. There is a lot of help available at the moment for exporters as the government has given it strong support.

The two biggest mistakes I made in the early days are probably fairly common and easy to avoid. Firstly, I focused too much on the details of the business. This meant the important stuff was taking too long to get done properly.

Never let “perfect” be the enemy of “good enough. Secondly, I had been involved in the industry for so long, that I was talking with clients from an “insiders” point of view, and not really thinking about what they actually needed to hear. Those two mistakes hampered our growth in the early days.

Secondly, the supply of very high quality technical translators needs to keep developing, there are still too many translation courses focusing purely on literary translations. As part of my academic work, I'm trying to help train the next generation of technical translators, who will have the detailed technical knowledge needed to translate the increasing volume of technical documents. We need to work closely with industry to ensure we are providing the types of language service which grow the bottom line.

A decision for Heathrow is a decision for Britain.

Expanding Heathrow will provide the growth, jobs, exports and connections to make Great Britain greater still.

It’s a new and ambitious vision, now backed by the Airports Commission.

We’re ready to work with the government to deliver.

heathrow.com/takingbritainfurther

#TakingBritainFurther