Business Direction 31

Direction

Business

BIG INTERVIEW: IAN WHITING, TITANIA PAGE 32

COMPANIES JOIN FORCES TO TACKLE CYBER CRIME PAGE 34

British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

CHAMBER OF THE YEAR 2013 Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Issue 31 May/June 2016

Local

National

International

When we talk law we mean business Specialists in Defence, Security and the Forces Hereford 01432 623368 | Worcester 01905 401472 www.hcrlaw.com With you every step of the way Also at: Birmingham | Cheltenham | Thames Valley | Wye Valley By appointment: London

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May/June 2016

Bu sin ess

Dir ect ion

FIRSTWORD

WELCOME TO THE MAY/JUNE EDITION OF BUSINESS DIRECTION

JOIN FORCES COMPANIESCYBER CRIME TO TACKLE PAGE 34

IEW: BIG INTERV G, TITANIA IAN WHITIN PAGE 32

British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

ce 2013 r of Commer THE YEARshire rshire Chambe & Worceste CHAMBER OF Hereford published by

Issue 31 May/June 2016

Business Direction

HWCHAMBER.CO.UK

Business Direction, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce’s full colour bi-monthly publication. Designed and produced by business people for business people. Distributed to 6,000 businesses including selected retail outlets across Herefordshire & Worcestershire.

EDITOR Rebekah Harris 01905 673 639 rebekahh@hwchamber.co.uk

EDITORIAL businessdirection@hwchamber.co.uk 01905 673 600

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2385 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

ADVERTISING Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 887 3805 helen.gowland@distinctivegroup.co.uk

FEATURE EDITORS John Dean & Francis Griss deangriss@btinternet.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS www.hwchamber.co.uk/business-direction Tel: 01905 673 600 Disclaimer: Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher accepts no responsibility for omissions or errors within this publication. Editorial submissions are included at the discretion of the editor. The opinions expressed in articles and letters within this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber. All offers, promotions and competitions appearing in Business Direction are the sole responsibility of the advertiser/ promoting party and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce does not accept any responsibility for any representations made within them.

June 2016 will be a significant month for the UK as the public votes whether to stay in or to leave the European Union. As an apolitical organisation, the Chamber makes no recommendation but aims to provide businesses with information and debate to help them make a considered decision.

The Policy page in this edition of Business Direction (page 11) features the results from an EU snap poll which the Chamber conducted at the Chamber Business Expo in March. We are also holding a Brexit Panel debate in May, sponsored by mfg Solicitors, where businesses will have the opportunity to hear from both sides.

First Word Chamber News

3 4-5

Business News

6

Business News

10

Policy

11

Business News

13

Business News

16

Skills

18

Business News Chamber Events

20 24-25

Chamber Training

30-31

Big Interview

32-33

Cover Feature

34-35

Visit Herefordshire

38

Visit Worcestershire

39

Worcestershire Business Central 40 International Trade

46-47

June is the month of the Chamber Business Awards, the most prestigious event in our calendar which brings the local business community together to celebrate its achievements and hard work. Winners will be announced in twelve categories and attendees will enjoy some first class entertainment and networking opportunities – see page 24 for more information.

Conference Worcestershire

50

Charity News

52

Thursday 9 June, the date of the Awards, also marks the one year anniversary of the death of our friend and colleague, Jack Stephens. A charity has been set up in Jack’s memory to assist young people in going to University and this charity, #jsyoucandoit, will be supported on the night of the Awards.

Movers and Shakers

61

Last Word

62

Defence and Security is a major industry in the two counties: This edition contains an interview with Ian Whiting, Chief Executive of Titania (page 32), as well as a larger overview of the sector in the Cover Feature (page 34). This edition also features two new pages: Worcestershire Business Central (page 40) and a Skills page (page 18), which will include news from schools, skills initiatives and businesses engaging with skills.

Members Services

56

Business News

57

New Members

58-59

Business News

60

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Finally, I would like to thank John Painter who has stepped down as Chairman of the Chamber Board after six years. I am personally grateful for his contribution and support to the growth and development of the Chamber over an interesting period. I would also like to welcome our new Chairman, Jim McBride, and look forward to working with him.

All the best.

Mike Ashton mikea@hwchamber.co.uk

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Our Patrons are:

May/June 2016

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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CHAMBERNEWS

JOHN PAINTER STEPS DOWN AS CHAIRMAN Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce would like to thank John Painter for his contribution as Non-Executive Chairman over the last six years.

Tracy Arlott, Chair of Hereford and Worcester CIPD branch and Abi Robbins

STUDENT OF THE YEAR HR Assistant at the Chamber, Abi Robbins, has been awarded with a CIPD Award for Student of the Year (level 5) run by Heart of Worcestershire College.

Abi was nominated by the college for the award based on her attendance, commitment to learning, overall performance and personal development.

She joined the Chamber in 2011 as an apprentice and became the winner of the “Young Apprentice of the Year Centenary Award 2013”.

She continues to be a valuable member of staff as part of the HR Department and is currently studying towards level 7.

Abi commented: “I studied CIPD level 5 in order to develop my knowledge within Human Resources whilst gaining a national qualification. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course, particularly studying employment relations and employment law. This course has provided me with increased confidence when dealing with HR queries and I now feel more effective in my role at the Chamber.”

John became Chairman in April 2010 after having been Vice President for Worcestershire since 2000 and joining the Chamber Board in 2004. In his time as Chairman, the Chamber has seen a major transition and growth in tourism, export and business support services.

team as we worked through some interesting times, especially managing changing funding models and securing the stability of the Chamber for years to come.”

John commented: “The role of Chairman is to ensure good governance and to be the catalyst to get the best out of people in the organisation. It has been a pleasure working with an excellent CEO, some very good Board members and Executive

Mike Ashton, Chief Executive, commented: “I am personally grateful for the support that John has given me over the last six years, as well as his contribution to establishing the Chamber as a significant business support organisation.”

JIM MCBRIDE WELCOMED AS NEW CHAIRMAN The Chamber would like to welcome Jim McBride as the new Non-Executive Chairman. Jim has been an active member of the Chamber and the Area Council: in recent years, he has been the Chairman of the Worcestershire Area Council and he was President of the Chamber for two years. Since stepping down as President in 2014, Jim has been co-opted to the Board, where he has had a key role in supporting the Chamber Executive.

Mike Ashton, Chief Executive, commented: “I am grateful for all that Jim has done,

both as President of the Chamber and as a Board member. I look forward to continuing to work with him as Chairman of the Board.”

Jim commented: “After six years of being on the Chamber Board I am delighted to accept this position, knowing what an exciting period it will be for the two counties over the next few years”.

CHAMBER STAFF CELEBRATE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY Staff at the Chamber’s Hereford office, alongside Hereford BID, have got involved in celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday by partaking in “Clean for The Queen”, a national campaign to clear up Britain in time for Her Majesty’s birthday, officially celebrated this year on Saturday 11 June 2016.

volunteer groups, local councils, businesses and schools to do their bit by cleaning up their local streets.

In Worcester, staff at the Tourist Information Centre are celebrating her Majesty’s birthday with a new range of royal themed gift items, including mugs, tea towels and small plates.

The campaign encourages individuals,

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May/June 2016

CHAMBERNEWS

BCC ANNUAL CONFERENCE: NEW POLITICS, NEW ECONOMY, NEW BRITAIN The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, located at the heart of Westminster, played host to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Annual Conference on Thursday 3 March 2016.

A host of highly regarded and successful business leaders from across the globe joined a number of senior politicians – including the Chancellor George Osborne and Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn, to discuss key issues facing Britain in 2016, with a particular focus on the EU Referendum.

Osborne was joined throughout the day by senior political figures from all sides of the political spectrum. Speakers included

Germany’s Federal Finance Minister Dr Wolfgang Schäuble and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Sajid Javid MP. Chamber guest, Neil Schofield from Worcester, Bosch Group had the fantastic opportunity of asking the Chancellor a question!

The illustrious and extensive list of speakers was supplemented by a diverse range of inspriational business leaders, iIncluding Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP, Sir Peter Hendy CBE, National Rail and Ciaran Quilty, Facebook who all delivered insightful talks on a range of business topics.

There was an exciting and insightful panel debate headed by Lord Stuart Rose, Chairman of Britain Stronger in Europe and Jon Moynihan OBE from Vote Leave.

The debate saw other panellists including Stephanie Flanders, JP Morgan and Dr Gerard Lyons, Chief Economic Advisor to

WORCESTERSHIRE WORKS WELL CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS The Worcestershire Works Well steering group hosted its latest event in March at Morgan Motors to celebrate its five year anniversary.

Since its inception, 75,000 businesses have joined and 25,000 businesses in Worcestershire are now being reached.

The event was opened by Mike Ashton, CEO of the Chamber, followed by Andy Boote, Heath Improvement Specialist at Public Health, who covered the key milestones and achievements of WWW since its inception. This included the coveted award received from the RSPH (Royal Society of Pubic Health) in 2014.

We were also very pleased to welcome Sukhi Doal and Emma Sanders, HRD Managers at Southco Manufacturing, who explained that Southco see workplace health and wellbeing as a key factor in developing their employer brand. They

George Osborne addressing attendees at the BCC Annual Conference

the Mayor of London, battle it out over their opinions on whether Britain would be better in or out.

The conference was attended by Sharon Williams, Cassie Bray and Sophia Haywood from the Chamber, David Irish from Worcestershire LEP and Patron members Neil Schofield, Worcester, Bosch Group and Mark Richardson, University of Worcester.

UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS OF AUTO ENROLMENT The majority of small employers have been able to implement Automatic Enrolment by themselves and without cost, research by The Pensions Regulator has shown.

Employers said that over a 12 month period they spent around ten hours in total understanding their workplace pension duties and completing all their tasks.

Most employers said they did not have payroll set up costs and for those who did decide to use a business adviser, the average spend was around £400.

TPR has published an online guide www.tpr.gov.uk/employercosts to help employers avoid unnecessary costs.

shared their experiences and successes through initiatives such as their annual “site-to-site” cycle ride and explored their focus on four of the nine standards from the WWW toolkit; mental health, healthy eating, promoting health at work and home and leadership.

As well as enjoying a healthy breakfast, some of the group also elected to take a guided tour of the Morgan workshops.

TPR’s Executive Director of Automatic Enrolment Charles Counsell said: “We would urge all employers to start early and take a bit of time to get an understanding of what you need to do – it will save time and money in the long run.

Leaving plans to the last minute means employers are more likely to incur unnecessary costs.” www.tpr.gov.uk

www.worcestershireworkswell.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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BUSINESSNEWS

MAKE CYBERSECURITY BUSINESS AS NORMAL GOWLING WLG SPEARHEADS STEM CAREERS FAIR Patron member Gowling WLG’s Commercial Litigation Partner, Sue Dearden, recently spearheaded the organisation of a careers fair at Edgbaston High School for Girls, with the aim of introducing students to careers in STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths.

Sue used her extensive contacts to put together an enviable list of organisations in STEM industries – including GKN, Women in Nuclear, QinetiQ and CGI Industries – and secured Lord Robert Winston and Dr Tilly Blyth, a lead Curator at London’s Science Museum, to deliver keynote speeches.

Sue said: “It’s been a real privilege to help organise this event and show these young women that they can do anything, that these industries aren’t the sole province of men, and that there’s far more to working in a STEM industry than being a lab scientist.”

Along with the careers fair, the students attended workshops on The Beagle Lander (Mars), Nitrogen, Google Maths and Complex Structures.

Businesses of all sizes have to continually adapt in order to remain competitive and to stay in business.

This isn’t a new concept and even though it can be painful at the time, changes quickly become “business as normal”.

Cybersecurity is another one of those necessary changes; it’s painful right now but eventually it will become just part of an organisation’s overall security plan.

It may concern business leaders and they may wish to dismiss it as an “IT” issue, but it’s not; it is an essential part of good governance and responsible business practise.

With new legislation coming into force, cybersecurity can no longer be avoided or dismissed, but businesses need not fear; with the right advice, assistance and training, cybersecurity can quickly become part of business as normal.

For more information, visit The National Cyber Skills Centre’s website to find out more about their range of courses for businesss of all sizes. www.cyberskillscentre.com

www.gowlingwlg.com

HR professionals gather for Hewett’s annual conference

ANNUAL HR PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE The Hewett Recruitment/Chamber of Commerce HR Conference will take place on Thursday 17 November. This much anticipated gathering of HR professionals throughout Herefordshire and Worcestershire will once again address the most pressing issues facing the HR and business community.

An impressive line-up of speakers will be headlined by Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the REC. Kevin captivated his audience when he headlined the Conference in 2014 and Hewett’s are pleased to welcome him back to hear his words of wisdom. Kevin is a regular commentator on the UK labour market on national TV and was recently an expert adviser on BBC2’s “Who’s The Boss” programme.

Louise Hewett commented: “Kevin’s understanding of the latest innovations and challenges facing businesses is always fascinating. One not to be missed for those who run a business or who are responsible for HR within their organisation.”

Places can be reserved by emailing the Chamber Events team: events@hwchamber. co.uk www.hewett-recruitment.co.uk

NOVUM LAW EXPANDS INTO HEREFORD Specialist personal injury law firm Novum Law has opened a new office in Hereford as the business continues its growth.

Headed by Partner Huw Ponting, who grew up in Hereford, the new office marks an important milestone in Novum Law’s strategic development plans.

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Huw and his team of expert personal injury lawyers specialise in high value, complex cases and represent individuals and their families whose lives have been turned upside down after being involved in serious accidents.

Huw said: “The launch of our new office in Hereford is an exciting

development for Novum Law, ensuring that more people have access to specialist personal injury advice and expert legal representation. We are looking forward to being part of the community here in Hereford and growing our business and expanding our team in the future.” www.novumlaw.com

May/June 2016

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ADVERTORIALFEATURE

Examples of regional businesses that have moved forward thanks to an Impetus loan THE BOATHOUSE The Boathouse in Ellesmere, Shropshire, is a quality restaurant /cafe in a breathtaking location.

This busy lakeside venue wanted to undertake a number of property improvements.

An Impetus loan enabled The Boathouse to make the changes which increased customer capacity by 25% and significantly enhanced turnover.

CAPTION DATA

IMPETUS IS 'LENDING £1m IN MAY 2016'

Worcestershire-based Caption Data Ltd, design and produce a range of equipment that remotely monitors the day to day operations of a wide range of equipment and property.

An Impetus loan enabled Caption Data to create a range of new products, enhance the customer offer and grow the business by 80%.

FINE FURNITURE

During May and June 2016 Herefordshire and Worcestershire businesses will have a fresh opportunity to apply for a start up or business loan.

Based in Pershore in Worcestershire, Impetus is part of the Responsible Finance Sector and champions fair finance as a core value.

In the last ten years Impetus has supported the development of 500 businesses throughout the West Midlands.

In 2015/16 over £2m was lent.

As a part of its overall aim, which is to improve the regional economy by providing accessible finance, the Impetus Lending £1m in May 2016 initiative is welcoming an array of new loan applications.

Fund Manager, Steve Williams explains, “Do you have a great business start up or expansion idea and require a cash injection to help you get to where you need to be?

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“If yes, then our loans from £1,000 to £150k are easily accessible and are available for companies in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

“The application and approval process is straightforward and we can help all business sectors especially those with limited access to support from traditional banking.”

Any organisation that would like to make a loan application and/or find out more is asked to either; visit www.impetus-marches.co.uk and fill in the online form, call 01386 556000 or email info@impetus-marches.co.uk.

During the next two months the Impetus ‘Lending £1m in May 2016 Road-show’ will be attending a number of regional business events.

Herefordshire-based Fine Furniture Ltd, design, make and sell beautiful, contemporary and traditional wooden furniture.

An impetus loan enabled them to create a new on-site, contemporary art and craft gallery. This then increased customer footfall and brought the business additional sales income.

ENERGY SIMPLE LTD Based in Worcester but operating internationally, Energy Simple is a Radiation Protection Consultancy.

An Impetus loan enabled Energy Simple to purchase new radiation monitoring equipment, a new company vehicle and boost human resources, all of which helped the company move forward in its aim to be recognised for providing the very best radiological support services.

FOCUSONLEGAL

Can a ‘bad leaver’ Can a ‘bad leaver’ price for a transfer Can ‘bad leaver’ of priceafor a transfer of shares beaavoided? price for transfer of shares be avoided? shares be avoided?

Start-up companies sometimes Start-up companies sometimes encourage employees with key encourage employees with skills to forego all or part ofkey their Start-up companies sometimes salarytofor the promise of aoffuture skills forego all or part their encourage employees with key paydayfor when the company is sold. salary the promise of a future skills to forego all or part of their Other companies in payday when the attempt companytoistie sold. salary for the promise of a future its employees, in each case Other companies attempt to tie in payday when the company is sold. by employees, the issue of in shares, either as its each case Other companies attempt to tie in compensation for a lower salary by the issue of shares, either as or its employees, in each case as an incentive to stay.

The compensation for a lower salary or by the issue of shares, either as company’s Articles of Association as an incentive to stay.

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A penalty be unenforceable because it enforceable, or whether it might usually goes‘abeyond compensating constitutes penalty’.

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A penalty has suffered. a party for damage or loss which it usually goes beyond compensating has suffered. a party for damage or loss which it The law relating to this area is well has suffered. summarised in the Court The law relating to 2015 this area is of well Appeal case of Makdessi, which summarised in the 2015 Court of The law relating to this area is well involved veryofcomplex Appeal case Makdessi, which summarised in the 2015 Court of arrangements for forfeiture involved very complex Appeal case of Makdessi, of a higher price shareswhich in arrangements forfor forfeiture involved very complex The court certain circumstances. of a higher price for shares in arrangements foritforfeiture emphasised that would not certain circumstances.

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The court aggrieved party from having made get involved just to rescue an that it would not aemphasised bad deal, but it did emphasise aggrieved party from having made get involved just to rescue an a bad deal, but it did emphasise aggrieved party from having made a bad deal, but it did emphasise

James Hayes James Hayes

Corporate Department

Corporate Department

that, whether the forfeiture of the James Hayes Corporate Department that, whether of higher price by the the forfeiture employee is the a higher price the employee is a ‘penalty’ (andby therefore that, whether the forfeiture of the the departing ‘penalty’ (andemployee thereforehas a right higher price by the employee is a to the higher market value price) is the departing employee has a right ‘penalty’ (and therefore atomatter whichmarket turns value price) is the higher the departing employee has a right on the words of the rules in the a matter which turns to the higher market value price) is Articles, the words in rules the contract on the words of the in the of a matter which turns employment and upon the particularof Articles, the words in the contract on the words of the rules in the circumstance of the employee’s employment and upon the particular Articles, the words in the contract of demise from the circumstance of company. the employee’s employment and upon the particular demise from the company. circumstance of the employee’s So, yes, from sometimes the company’s demise the company. right to buy back shares a bad So, yes, sometimes the at company’s leaver price may be successfully right to buy back shares at a bad So, yes, sometimes the company’s challenged bymay an employee. leaver price be successfully right to buy back shares at a bad challenged by an employee. leaver price may beArticles successfully The wording of the of challenged by an employee.

Association and of The wording of the the contract Articles of employment are crucial.

It is of Association and the contract The wording oftothe Articles ofto recommended employment are review crucial.both It is Association and the contract ofin ensure that they work together recommended to review both to employment are crucial.

It is harmony to achieve the intended ensure that they work together in recommended to review both to objective. harmony to achieve the intended ensure that they work together in objective. harmony to achieve the intended objective.

For further information or advice, readers can information contact James Hayes For further or advice, at mfg Solicitors through readers can contact James Hayes For further information or advice, james.hayes@mfgsolicitors.com at mfg Solicitors through readers can contact James Hayes or telephone 01905 610410. james.hayes@mfgsolicitors.com at mfg Solicitors through or telephone 01905 610410. james.hayes@mfgsolicitors.com or telephone 01905 610410.

Can a ‘bad leaver’ price for a Can a ‘bad leaver’ for a transfer of shares beprice avoided?

Can a ‘bad leaver’ price for a transfer of shares avoided?

Your business be is our business transferYour of shares be avoided?

Contact James Hayes business is our business

on 01905 610410 or by email: Contact James Hayes

Your business is our business

james.hayes@mfgsolicitors.com Contact James Hayes on 01905 610410 or by email: on 01905 610410 or by email: james.hayes@mfgsolicitors.com www.mfgsolicitors.com Tel: 0845 55 55 321 james.hayes@mfgsolicitors.com

www.mfgsolicitors.com Tel: 0845 55 55 321 Business Direction published

by Herefordshire Worcestershire of Commerce Tel: 0845 55 &55 321 Chamberwww.mfgsolicitors.com

22270_mfg Business Direction ad 3.indd 1

@mfgsolicitors

@mfgsolicitors @mfgsolicitors

09 04/04/2016 12:13

BUSINESSNEWS

NITRO CIRCUS COMES TO SIXWAYS People sign the campaign poster to pledge their support

RISE 4 SAFETY – BE ALERT, ACCIDENTS HURT! Herefordshire Housing Group launched its brand new Health and Safety campaign in March – “Rise 4 Safety – Be Alert, Accidents Hurt”.

Under the direction of a new Health and Safety Advisor, Donna Richards, the campaign aims to reinvent health and safety; making it fun, informative and most importantly at the forefront of how colleagues work.

The event, which ran across the Herefordshire Housing Group’s area offices in the four counties, involved asking colleagues to sign a campaign poster, pledging their support and commitment to the campaign. There was cake and quizzes and everyone got involved.

Donna Richards, Health & Safety Advisor, said: “The event was a great success.

Colleagues across the business got involved and were really enthusiastic about the new campaign. Over the next few months I will be working with managers to further develop the campaign across the Group”.

Sixways Stadium illustrates its versatility as a venue this summer as Nitro Circus Live comes to town on Friday 3 June.

Led by American motorsports stunt performer Travis Pastrana, Nitro’s cast of daredevils will perform the most incredible riding routines ever in freestyle motorcross, BMX, skate and much more.

Highlights include the explosive “Nitro Bomb” featuring all riders flipping simultaneously, plus, during FMX trains, riders will slice through the air wheel-to-wheel, merely inches apart.

Nitro Circus CEO and Creative Director Michael Porra said: “Our insane group of athletes perform stunts that you literally cannot see anywhere else on the planet. We’re constantly pushing each other to break records and do things that people previously thought were physically impossible.”

Tickets start from just £29 whilst Hospitality packages are also available. To buy tickets visit the website or email events@warriors. co.uk for more information. www.warriors.co.uk

www.hhl.org.uk

NEW STRATEGIC MEMBER – HALLS Halls (Midlands) LLP are market leading land and property consultants headquartered in Worcester, serving the West Midlands region.

With expertise from houses, farms and estates through to factories, offices and shops, Halls offer a broad array of advice to owners, buyers, landlords, tenants and investors.

The Residential Team specialises in selling and letting flats and houses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The Rural Department manages land, farms and estates, and provides agency, landlord and tenant and valuation services. The Commercial Department provides agency, management, valuation and professional services and advises commercial property occupiers on new premises search and acquisition, business rates challenges, landlord and tenant rent reviews and lease renewals.

Property industry "bible" Estates Gazette has certified Halls as the most active commercial agent in Worcestershire for the past three years, the second most active agent for industrial and fifth most active agent for offices in the West Midlands. www.hallsgb.com

OAKLAND MAKES "ELITE 1000" LIST Oakland International was confirmed amongst the “Top 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain” at the official opening of the London Stock Exchange, with Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Bromsgrove MP, Sajid Javid.

A major endorsement, the report lists 1,000 of the fastest-growing dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

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MD Barry Davies stated: “Being recognised as an ‘inspiring company’ is a welcome endorsement of the sustained growth that we have experienced as a family business, supported by a great team, fantastic loyal customers and partners.

businesses in the UK and its significance should not be underestimated, so thank-you to our team members, past and present, and to our supplier and customer partners who have shared and continue to share in our values.” www.oakland-international.com

“Our appearance on the ‘elite 1,000’ list ahead of 3.3 million other UK registered businesses puts us in the top 0.3% of

May/June 2016

POLICYNEWS

OUR CHAMBER: AT THE HEART OF POLICY MAKING Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce knows the importance and the value of a strong bond between our elected representatives and the local business community.

As a Chamber we strive to get our voices heard at local, regional, national and European levels – and work towards a better deal for the local and national business community.

BREXIT PANEL DEBATE Businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire are invited to join us at our free Brexit Panel Debate sponsored by mfg Solicitors on Thursday 12 May. Undecided on how you are going to vote in the referendum? Need your questions answered? Want to hear the facts? Join us to get the answers you need before casting your vote.

We will be joined by Johnnie Arkwright, Chair of Britain for Business West Midlands and owner of Hatton Country World, Malcolm Harbour CBE, a former MEP with years of experience in the motor industry representing Britain Stronger in Europe and Mark Garnier MP for the Wyre Forest.

The meeting will be chaired by Mike

WORCESTERSHIRE TOP OF THE TABLES FOR GROWTH

Expo goers were polled at the event’s Networking Breakfast

EXPO GOERS EXPRESS WISH TO STAY IN THE EU Nearly two-thirds (65%) of businesspeople polled at the Chamber of Commerce Business Expo revealed they would vote to stay in the EU. Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce held an EU Referendum snap poll at their highly regarded Business Expo on Thursday 3 March.

Over 100 businesses cast their vote and the overwhelming majority expressed a wish to stay in the EU. However 24% of businesspeople asked wanted to leave the EU and 11% did not know how to vote.

A British Chambers of Commerce survey carried out UK wide earlier in the year revealed that 60% of business leaders would vote to stay in the EU and 30% would leave.

Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has revealed that the County’s economic growth continues to go from strength to strength.

The latest statistics released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have shown that the County’s productivity between 2009 – 2014 grew on average by 3.1% in terms of GVA per hour worked, placing it second of all 39 LEP areas.

The economy has also grown on average by 4.5% over the last five years (2009 – 2014), putting Worcestershire in fourth position nationally for economic growth.

Gary Woodman, Executive Director of the Worcestershire LEP, said: “Significant investment is being made for the long term prosperity of the County and alongside the drive and innovation shown by our local businesses, these statistics show how our local economy is benefiting and how Worcestershire is a great place to invest and work.” www.wlep.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Ashton, Chief Executive of the Chamber and include a balanced economic introduction from Chris Walklett, Tax Partner at Bishop Fleming.

The event is taking place at mfg Solicitors, Kidderminster between 4:30 – 6:30pm.

This is a FREE event but places are limited, secure your place online at www.hwchamber.co.uk

QES RESULTS SIGNAL A POSTIVE YEAR AHEAD Despite facing many headwinds from an uncertain global market, local businesses are remaining strong with 89% of QES respondents seeing domestic sales and export sales increase or remain constant over the last quarter.

It is great to see that a high percentage of respondents are looking to increase their workforce in the next three months. We are also seeing our businesses become more flexible, with more part-time employment becoming available as well as full time roles. However, disappointingly most businesses have continued to struggle finding skilled staff. This is something the Chamber is committed to solving by bridging the gap between the business community and the education sector.

This quarter we received 555 responses to the QES, our highest rate to date.

This increase has helped the Chamber understand concerns among the business community and forecast the health of the local business climate.

For a full breakdown visit www.hwchamber.co.uk

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FOCUSONRECRUITMENT

ENGAGING AND ATTRACTIVE HIRING RECRUITMENT STRATEGY

Collaborative hiring is an innovative approach used by organisations such as Apple, Google and Pret A Manger, as part of a more engaging and attractive hiring recruitment strategy.

The merits and challenges of this approach were explained in a new TV programme on BBC2, “Who’s the Boss”.

By moving away from relying solely on the traditional interview and towards more job related testing employers are able to assess who is the best person for the job by asking existing employees to feedback on each candidate. Hirers gain more insight and are much more likely to make the right decision.

Collaborative hiring also benefits the candidate. As an applicant you want to get a sense of the culture and values of the organisation. Engaging with the people that already work there during

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the selection process must help to build a good picture of the business and how likely you are to fit in.

Businesses also get the benefit of empowering their existing teams and encouraging collective responsibility. Kevin Green Chief Executive of the REC who was the expert adviser for this BB2 programme reported that “A good fit with the team can make a new starter up to 30% more productive.” Part of this is because employees who have played a role in hiring a new starter are more likely to help that person be successful.

Their involvement may also increase retention because employees will be asked during the process to sell the business reminding them why your organisation is so great to work for.

On the downside if the whole process takes too long there is a real possibility of losing a top candidate to a competitor, the other difficulty is that not all employees are trained in the recruitment process.

drawbacks those who use collaborative hiring have found that if the timescales are right and the staff are trained properly then the benefits can considerably outweigh the risks.

Local employers and HR Professionals can hear the latest innovations and challenges facing employers within the HR arena on Thursday 17th November at the Herefordshire & Worcestershire HR Professionals Conference. This much anticipated event run by the H&W Chamber and Hewett Recruitment attracts business owners and HR Practitioners from across Herefordshire & Worcestershire and will see Kevin Green once again captivating his audience with his words of wisdom. Kevin is a regular commentator on the UK labour market on national TV. To book your place contact events@ hwchamber.co.uk Louise Hewett www.hewett-recruitment.co.uk

Many will argue that it’s a manager’s job to do the hiring. However despite the

May/June 2016

BUSINESSNEWS

LEGAL STARS SHINE IN WORCESTERSHIRE LAW SOCIETY AWARDS Worcestershire’s legal talent has been recognised at Worcestershire Law Society’s (WLS) annual awards, presented at a gala dinner at Stanbrook Abbey, with three Chamber members carrying off six of the seven awards.

Thursfields’ Priya Ohri won the Trainee Solicitor of the Year, with colleague Charlotte Perry winning the award for Paralegal of the Year.

Priya, who is with the firm’s Commercial Property team, joined Thursfields in October 2014, where she spent the first 12 months as a Paralegal in Residential Property before starting her training contract in November 2015.

Thursfields Solicitors, Harrison Clark Rickerbys, Hallmark Hulme and Thomas Horton LLP Solicitors all became winners in the Worcestershire Law Society Awards

Charlotte joined the firm in September 2015 as part of Thursfields’ Career Development Programme, after spending the previous four years working for a Housing Association in Worcester while completing her Law degree. Charlotte has recently accepted a training contract with the firm and works in the Family Law team.

Syed, a member of the firm’s Commercial Property team, not only has a standard law degree but also a degree in Sharia Law. He specialises in secured lending for peer-to-peer lenders, insolvency issues and Islamic finance.

The firm was nominated in three categories. Zoe Perry, nominated for Young Solicitor of the Year, has worked for the firm’s Wills and Estates department for two years.

Nick O’Hara, Thursfields’ Managing Director, commented: “We are delighted that Thursfields has been recognised for its commitment to training and development by these awards.”

Carrying off the award for Solicitor of the Year was Anita Hennessey of Harrison Clark Rickerbys, with colleague Syed Alam

Julian Powell, Rebecca Widdowson and Jodie Billings from Hallmark Hulme.

taking the prize for Young Solicitor of the Year.

He said: “I am very pleased indeed to have won the award – I started with Harrison Clark Rickerbys in 2009 as a Paralegal and to trace my career progression through to this stage is really satisfying.”

Mark Fabian, Head of Commercial Property, said: “Syed’s award is richly deserved; he has always been a dedicated and able contributor to our team, and the Society has acknowledged his abilities. I am delighted for him.”

Anita, who is a member of the Family Law team, said: “I am really honoured; Worcestershire has some really top-quality solicitors, so it is especially flattering to have been chosen in this way.”

Hallmark Hulme was well-represented too, with Julian Powell, the firm’s business manager, taking the award for Office Manager of the Year. Jodie Billings, also of Hallmark Hulme, won the Administrator of the Year award; Jodie is a senior member of the support staff for the firm’s Family Law department.

Julian’s background in both Industry and

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Accountancy practice ensures the business is run professionally and commercially. He is the firm’s compliance officer for finance and administration and is a member of the Law Management section of the Law Society. Julian recently sat on the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority working group to review compliance roles for the future.

Rebecca Widdowson, Managing Partner at Hallmark Hulme, said: “Both Julian and Jodie are a credit to Hallmark Hulme; dedicated and loyal, as well as being extremely capable practitioners in their field. This recognition is thoroughly deserved.”

Thomas Horton LLP Solicitors won the only firmwide award, as Criminal Law Firm of the Year.

WLS President Kevin Joynes said: “It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and it is always a pleasure to acknowledge the considerable legal talent we have in the county. Solicitors may be better at grabbing the headlines, but the paralegals, office management and admin staff are the ones working away behind the scenes to support them – we are delighted to reward their work too.”

Starting with a drinks reception, the evening was hosted by BBC Presenter and Midlands correspondent Phil Mackie with guest speaker BBC Radio Sports Presenter Garry Richardson.

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FOCUSONFINANCE

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May/June 2016

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

SUPPORTING BUSINESS GROWTH IN HEREFORD the Centre, with hot-desking facilities, incubation space and breakout areas all at highly competitive rates. There is dedicated space within the Centre to hire for meetings and events including a contemporary boardroom and a flexible, large seminar room. Both rooms are equipped with cutting-edge technology allowing for video conferencing and there is also digital signage, which can be tailored to create a professional feel to any event.

Looking for support for your business? The Hereford Business Solutions Centre is now open to assist you with your growth plans.

Brought to you by the University of Wolverhampton along with the Marches Growth Hub, Herefordshire, the Business Solutions Centre team are here to support you to drive your business forward, finding the right growth options for you. This includes supporting your innovation ideas, business start-up support and access to funding. One such programme is Green Shoots Plus, which is supported by the

Government’s Regional Growth Fund and is available to eligible SME’s in the West Midlands who are looking to invest in capital or premises. “We are delighted that the Green Shoots Plus Programme is now available in Herefordshire in addition to the Black Country, Shropshire and South Staffordshire and I would encourage any businesses looking to grow to contact the Business Solutions Centre to discuss their needs further” Rob Croton, Green Shoots Plus Project Officer.

For businesses and new start-ups looking for a base there is an enterprise hub at

We are also looking forward to hosting a series of events and networking opportunities from start-up seminars to industry-specific training on subjects such as BIM. To find out more: Telephone: 01432 344424 hereford@businesssolutionscentres.co.uk www.wolverhamptonbsc.com/hereford

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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BUSINESSNEWS

CHERINGTON HR CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

LEADERS ANALYSE BUDGET AT ANNUAL BREAKFAST Business leaders from across the two counties recently came together for the annual Budget Breakfast hosted

by CB, Chartered Accountants and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

The event, held at Browns@TheQuay in Worcester, drew on an expert team to analyse the announcements made in the Budget as well as offer practical and innovative tips and ideas on how to plan financial affairs in light of George Osborne’s latest announcements.

John Painter, Managing Partner and Chris Hobbs, Tax Partner, both from CB, Chartered Accountants deciphered the finer detail of the business and tax elements of the Budget, whilst Mike Ashton, Chief Executive of Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce analysed what the Budget meant for the region.

John Painter, Managing Partner at CB, Chartered Accountants said: “Whilst there are a number of big ticket items that will excite SMEs, there are things in the Budget that need to be treated with care.”

“The government’s approach appears to be quite stealthy and businesses need to be aware of the changes made outside of the main headlines.

In the majority of cases it might be best to seek professional advice.” www.cbcharteredaccountants.com

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Cherington HR is celebrating its 10th anniversary of providing people management support to local businesses in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The company will be marking the occasion throughout the year with special promotions for both new and existing clients. It counts many Chamber member companies amongst both its clients and suppliers and is proud to say that it has been a finalist in the Chamber Awards on two separate occasions, one of them being for Service Excellence.

Helen Astill, who runs Cherington HR, said: “It has been a great journey so far. To run

Cherington HR celebrates their 10th anniversary

a successful business supporting local employers during a period of such global financial difficulties has not always been easy, but helping them survive has been very rewarding.” www.cheringtonhr.com

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS CENTRE HELPS TACKLE CYBERCRIME With the risk of cybercrime on the rise and several recent high profile security breaches hitting the headlines, SME businesses are being warned of the serious threats that could affect them.

A reported one in three companies have been affected by cybercrime in the last 12 months alone, costing them an estimated £75,000 - £310,000 (Information Security Breaches Survey 2015).

To address this challenge, the University of Wolverhampton, through the Hereford Business Solutions Centre, has partnered with The National Cyber Skills Centre (NCSC) to offer

organisations short courses in Cyber Bytes and Cyber Essentials to help them combat any unnecessary risks to their business. The Business Solutions Centre has also hosted Community Officers from West Mercia Police, who have been training on how to deal with businesses that have been the victim of cybercrime.

To find out more, email: hereford@ businesssolutionscentre.co.uk or call 01432 344424. www.wolverhamptonbsc.com/hereford

SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF BIG DATA Over 30 manufacturing companies recently attended a seminar organised by ADS on the opportunity Big Data presents the sector. Attendees heard presentations from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Digital Catapult, Siemens, Cranfield University, Meggit, BAE Systems, HP Enterprise, Valuechain.com, Atos and borwell Limited. borwell’s presentation demonstrated that Big Data is pointless without the analytics to process, reduce, fuse and analyse it. It is key to distil out the “actionable information” from the haystack of data.

Manufacturers collect a lot of data ranging from simple indexing and counting devices to process monitoring and sensor measuring in a variety of different areas within their business. This data generation

Over 30 manufacturing companies attended the Big Data seminar

is only going to increase exponentially.

Advanced manufacturing delegates left with a clear understanding of what can be achieved and how they can start to prepare and collect data to give them the competitive edge. www.borwell.com

May/June 2016

FOCUSONLEARNINGANDDEVELOPMENT

Team Performance, Engagement and Leadership Your team getting the best for the business

No 'rah-rah' team-building, muddy fields or “shaming games” – just real world work situations and solid learning together in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

We build teams with Vision, Resilience, Self-Leadership l Inspiring great performance l Getting the best from clients and co-workers

Highly regarded by members of my team and has been instrumental in supporting us to progress challenging work initiatives from concept to final output

Supporting change for the better since 2002

Contact Liz Watkins-Young on 07968 837868 uk.linkedin.com/in/lizwatkinsyoung/ Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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SKILLS

Apprentice of the Year Winner 2015, Victoria Rawlings (2nd left), with host Steph McGovern, 2014 winner Ryan Shemwell and Carl Arnzten, sponsor

Parents and pupils chat to business representatives

WORCESTERSHIRE APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS 2016

RGS HOLD LARGEST EVER CAREERS EXPO

Entries are now open for the high-profile Worcestershire Apprenticeship Awards 2016.

RGS Worcester held its largest ever Careers and Higher Education EXPO in March, with 120 representatives from a wide range of organisations.

The awards, which have been previously hosted by BBC’s The Apprentice, Nick Hewer and well-known broadcaster, Steph McGovern, will be held on Thursday 17 November at West Midland Safari Park and are once again expected to attract an audience of over 300 people.

This year Tim Campbell MBE, business owner and winner of the first series of The Apprentice, will host and present the 12 awards to celebrate some of the County’s most successful apprentices, schools, training providers and apprentice employers.

The Chamber are proud to be sponsoring the Medium Apprenticeship Employer of the Year Award. A limited number of sponsorship packages are still available which include a range of publicity benefits as well as a table for 10 at the awards evening.

To nominate your business, apprentice, school or training provider before Thursday 30 June, visit the Worcestershire Apprenticeships website.

The event provided students from RGS and other Worcestershire schools with the opportunity to meet professionals and gain an insight into what life in the world of work is like.

The event was attended by many of the UK’s leading Universities, a large number of non-UK Universities and representatives from Accountants, Solicitors, Medics, Architects, IT, Construction, Engineering and the Financial Services, including Qinetiq, Rolls Royce and BOSCH who delivered a STEM lecture.

Mrs Sofia Nicholls, Head of Careers said: “RGS is currently expanding its Careers provision to ensure that pupils receive the best possible advice for their options at every stage of their school career and beyond. We want to engage all pupils and make sure that every child knows what opportunities are available to them.” www.rgsw.org.uk

www.worcsapprenticeships.org.uk

Students work together during ICT to improve each other’s online safety

SPOTLIGHT ON INTERNET SAFETY AT BISHOP PEROWNE Bishop Perowne students recently took part in special workshops hosted by the Cyber Security Challenge team as part of Safer Internet Day. Students in Years 7 through to 9 looked at data security and the different techniques that can be used to break codes. All students also took part in a quiz designed to help them use the internet responsibly and make good decisions whilst using social media, surfing the internet or gaming online. Students reviewed each other’s online behaviour during ICT lessons and gave advice on how internet safety could be improved.

Mark Pollard, Headteacher, commented: “Whilst the internet is a fantastic learning tool, online safety is a topic that is always in the news and something we take extremely seriously. There was certainly a wide range of subjects covered and I think everyone, students and teachers, learnt something.” www.bishopperowne.co.uk

PLUGGING THE SKILLS GAP IN THE MARCHES Employers in Herefordshire can now search for apprenticeships and training courses in one place for the first time thanks to the launch of a new online resource.

The Employer Skills Search has been developed by the Marches LEP and Marches Growth Hub, working with

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the Marches Skills Provider Network to support businesses looking to develop the skills base of their staff.

apprenticeships, more than 1,000 courses are available in this region.

Gill Hamer, Director of the Marches LEP, said: “We are confident this will be a great asset to businesses as this easy to use search will help employers find the right training for their workforce.

“Improving the skills of your workforce can bring big benefits to your business – as demonstrated by manufacturing employers in our new short film launched during National Apprenticeship Week.”

“From basic level courses and bespoke training options to adult and advanced

www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/ skillssearch

May/June 2016

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

SPECIALIST PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER COMES TO HEREFORD AREN’T ALL LAW FIRMS THE SAME?

Hereford’s own Huw Ponting, an experienced Partner at specialist personal injury law firm, Novum Law, is returning to his roots with the launch of a new office in the heart of Hereford.

Here Huw gives the lowdown on how Novum Law can help people in Hereford and the surrounding area.

WHAT IS NOVUM LAW? Novum Law is a national team of expert personal injury lawyers acting for people who’ve been involved in serious accidents sustaining life-changing injuries or have critical illnesses. We have a strong reputation for getting the best outcome for clients both in terms of compensation, rehabilitation and practical care and support.

HOW CAN NOVUM LAW HELP ME? If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury and are thinking about seeking compensation, it’s vital you ask a specialist personal injury lawyer to help. Only an expert with experience and knowledge of personal injury cases will be able to get you the maximum compensation and support you and your family deserve.

In a word, no, they’re not. Injuries, illnesses and fatal accidents are complex areas requiring specialist legal representation.

It’s all about getting the right evidence from the right people at the right time – and that’s where Novum Law comes in.

If you don’t seek advice from a specialist personal injury law firm, you run the risk of your case being undervalued and you may not receive enough money from your claim to cover everything you need for the future. Even those who claim specialist expertise may not have the experience to deal with more complex, high value injury claims.

WHY LAUNCH AN OFFICE IN HEREFORD? I’m proud to say I was brought up and educated in Hereford and my parents still live here. I have over 20 years’ experience in the personal injury field, specialising in particular, in high value, traumatic brain injury cases and I’m passionate about helping people access the financial and rehabilitative support they need. Our launch in Hereford means that for the first time, local residents won’t have to look outside the area for expert personal injury advice for significant, life-changing injuries.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? The most rewarding aspect is helping

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Huw Ponting

people. Making sure I achieve the best results for my clients and ensuring they receive the compensation they are entitled to. It’s not just about the compensation itself, it’s about helping clients access the support they need whether that’s securing interim payments to access rehabilitation services or long-term medical care and support.

I’M ALREADY USING A LAWYER FOR A PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM, CAN YOU STILL HELP? Novum Law helps people with serious, life-changing injuries and illnesses every day. We have extensive experience taking over cases from other law firms and turning them around to achieve bigger and better outcomes. We are happy to provide a free, ‘no strings attached’ second opinion to anyone seeking advice on a compensation claim.

HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH? For free, confidential advice, contact me on 01432 806 990 or email hponting@ novumlaw.com.

You can also find more information at www.novumlaw.com.

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BUSINESSNEWS

CYBER ALERT FOR BUSINESSES IN THE TWO COUNTIES Nick Marlow, Director at Minster Micro Computers, has warned that businesses must protect themselves from cyber criminals, amid concerns that attacks will double the national crime figures.

The alert from the leading cyber specialist comes as crime statistics for England and Wales will increase rapidly in July when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) include cybercrime for the first time in its Crime Survey.

He said: “Viruses and other malware are evolving but the truth for any business is if you don’t have adequate or properly deployed anti-virus protection, you will be attacked.

The Zetasizer WT, an automated continuous monitoring solution for water purification

SEVERN TRENT WATER ADOPTS MALVERN’S ZETASIZER Severn Trent Water, a leading UK supplier of water and waste water treatment services, has introduced the new Zetasizer WT to reduce operational risk and coagulant costs at Tittesworth water treatment works (WTW). Severn Trent has conducted the UK’s first trials which have successfully demonstrated the ability of online zeta potential measurements to provide reliable, continuous and fully automated clarification monitoring. Plans are now in place to extend application of the technology to other WTWs across the Severn Trent Water group.

The Zetasizer WT is a stand alone, fully automated analyzer that continuously monitors the properties of water during coagulation to provide precise and reliable data for optimizing chemical dosage levels.

The new system delivers highly sensitive analysis via continuous monitoring with associated alarms, which enables a proactive response to changes in the process, resulting in minimal manual input whilst enhancing plant stability and reducing the risk from rapid changes in raw water quality.

“Statistics show that people are more likely to be attacked through their computer than in person. It’s frightening but true and that’s why businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire must take action, protect themselves with sophisticated anti-virus software, and fight back against cybercrime.”

Minster Micro Computers is a provider of IT security software, including BitDefender and server monitoring applications. www.minstermicro.co.uk

The free Wave App for Worcester’s Wave Smart internet connected controller

WORCESTER SPONSORS “BEAR GRYLLS: MISSION SURVIVE” March saw leading heating and hot water manufacturer, Worcester, Bosch Group, launch its latest campaign to show the benefits of its new Wave Smart control to millions of homeowners across the country.

Worcester sponsored the second series of ITV’s Mission Survive, fronted by Bear Grylls, which hit our screens throughout March. Each of the episodes featured adventure-themed, short Worcester adverts either side of commercial breaks.

Tying in with the outdoors theme of the show, each advert was filmed in a “Go Pro” style, showing people taking on their own challenge, from white water rafting to simply putting up a tent in the rain. This was all safe in the knowledge that they can control their boiler at home with a Wave Smart, internet connected controller using the free Wave App from wherever they are, and enjoy heating and hot water comfort as soon as they get home. www.worcester-bosch.co.uk

BUSINESS FUTURES FORUM The Business Futures Forum provides a network of support and information for local businesses looking to increase efficiency and profitability, whilst enhancing sustainability and reducing environmental impact.

The Forum is a public-private partnership supported by Herefordshire Council, with quarterly meetings covering a range of topics from energy, resource efficiency and transport to waste, operations efficiency, funding and legislation. Previous venues have included Wye Valley Brewery, Balfour Beatty, M and M Direct and Hereford’s Records office. Events and membership are free to businesses of all sizes and sectors and whilst the network is overseen by a steering group in

Hereford, membership is open to everyone. The current Chair is Gareth Williams of Caplor Energy.

Phil Taylor, Natwest Commercial Banking, said: “There is a real enthusiasm and appetite to improve sustainability, the environment and business efficiency.”

For more information, contact eem@ herefordshire.gov.uk

www.malvern.com

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May/June 2016

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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ADVERTORIALFEATURE

HARRISON CLARK RICKERBYS – SHARING YOUR TASTE FOR EXCELLENCE

The Three Counties region is central to the defence sector, with Special Forces based in Hereford GCHQ in Cheltenham and Qinetiq in Malvern. There are 2,000 serving soldiers based in Hereford predominantly with high level technical and IT skills in the Signals Regiment.

By the time they leave service, they have families settled in Herefordshire, and the natural next step is to use their internationally valued skills to establish local businesses, and market their expertise world-wide.

Given their international reputation and the demand for their services, the businesses grow quickly – the same applies to the spin off businesses and supply chain connected with Qinetiq in Worcestershire, and with GCHQ in Gloucestershire.

Harrison Clark Rickerbys offers a full range of legal services via our Defence, Security and Forces (DSF) sector team, covering corporate acquisitions and finance, commercial contracts including export licensing and international distribution/ agency agreements, cross border litigation, intellectual property protection, and employment, licensing and regulatory advice and representation.

For those still serving in the forces, we offer services including employment

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advice to reservists, remote tracked conveyancing to enable those serving abroad to monitor the progress of property transactions, trusts and estate planning, and family law advice and representation.

Our staff have direct experience of the sector in a number of ways – for instance, we have lawyers who are former reservists and military wives.

We have commercial lawyers with appropriate clearance on secondment within the security and intelligence industries and patent attorneys who have worked extensively in the defence sector.

Across all departments, we have DSF sector personnel with direct experience of representing clients in this industry in their particular fields of legal expertise, and with an understanding of the specific needs and sensitivities in this area.

In the year ahead, we will be seeking to expand the membership of Herefordshire Security and Defence Group (HSDG), having been instrumental in the formation of this trade association. It already includes almost 50 Herefordshire companies within the sector. We are also keen to help those within the industry in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Shropshire to form similar and allied bodies.

We continue to work alongside the University of Wolverhampton and their Hereford Business Solutions Centre to support the industry and, with the university, we are planning a Herefordshire Defence and Security Exhibition in the autumn. Ultimately we hope to help HSDG and its associates to employ a CEO to work alongside UKTI and others to identify contract opportunities for the membership.

We also aim to continue and expand the resettlement training provided to serving military personnel (including the SAS, RAF and, via the X-Forces webinar programme, to all UK forces) to help those leaving service to establish new businesses. We also hope to expand our pro bono and discounted legal services to the military community, further to our commitment via the Corporate Covenant and our Silver Award from MOD, of which we are very proud.

For all your business legal needs, contact Richard Morgan, Partner, Head of Defence, Security & the Forces Direct Dial: 01432 349661 Mobile: 07890 304 469 Email: rmorgan@hcrlaw.com

May/June 2016

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

MEET THE CHEF

THE BANK HOUSE HOTEL Nestled in the heart of Worcestershire countryside with stunning views of the Malvern Hills.

The Bank House is a privately owned hotel with 60 individually decorated rooms, a magnificent Penthouse Suite, elegant restaurant and cosy bar. First-class leisure facilities include a new luxury Spa and 18 Hole Florida style golf course.

The hotel also boasts a wide range of business facilities including high speed internet, ample parking and flexibly sized rooms which range from intimate boardrooms perfect for meetings of 2 to 20 people, up to expansive suites which can accommodate up to 500 delegates for a regional conference or event.

The perfect destination for all your business and leisure needs!

Call: 01886 833551 reception@bankhouseworcester.com www.bankhouseworcester.com The Bank House Hotel, Spa & Golf Club, Bransford, Worcester, WR6 5JD

I have been in the catering industry now for over 30 years and have worked in some amazing places and countries. I have tried to bring some great ideas to the Bank House so you can share the experiences I have enjoyed My passion is twisting old classics and revamping them to the modern tastes.

For example, this Soufflé has the classic cheese with asparagus from the vale of Evesham and a simple salsa for a modern twist.

I cannot wait for the fruit trees on the golf course to start producing their fruits so we can produce our own jams, relishes and sorbets for the hotel, golf course and spa.

We have tried to utilise our local farmers and producers as best we can so you can enjoy Worcestershire’s finest products.

I HOPE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE HOTEL SOON. Chris Von Landkammer, Executive Head Chef

TWICE BAKED SOUFFLÉ (SERVES 6) FOR THE SOUFFLÉ n 150 gms of asparagus trimmings (reserve the tips for later) n 1 clove of garlic n 215 ml of vegetable stock n 30 gm unsalted butter n 50 gm plain flour n Pinch mace n Pinch of English mustard powder (optional) n Pinch paprika n Salt and pepper n 2 eggs separated n 70 mls double cream n 70 gm grated cheddar

FOR THE SALSA n n n n n n

2 medium size tomatoes 1 shallot 3 chives 1 tsp. white wine vinegar 3 tsp. olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD 1.

Chop the asparagus add the crushed garlic and vegetable stock.

2.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until the trimmings are soft.

3.

Liquidize until the asparagus is completely pureed and strain through a sieve reserving the liquid

4.

Melt the butter and add the flour adding the mace, mustard and paprika

5.

Stir until it is all combined.

6.

Gradually add the all liquid stirring until all added

7.

Add the grated cheese until melted.

8.

Whisk the egg whites while the mixture is simmering on a slow heat

9.

Put the 2 egg yolks into the mix stirring until mixed completely

10. Cool slightly and fold in the egg whites.

11.

Pour into greased and floured ramekins

12. Bake in a tray with hot water for 20 minutes at 160*c 13. Once it has risen and is cooked take them out and cool.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

14. Keep in fridge until required 15. Take out of the moulds and bake at 220oc for 5 minutes

FOR THE SALSA 1.

Peel and remove the seeds from the tomato and dice as finely as you can, peel and add the finely diced shallot.

2.

Mix the vinegar and oil season to taste

3.

Arrange the blanched asparagus’s heads

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CHAMBEREVENTS

BOOK NOW! THURSDAY 9 JUNE 2016 UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER ARENA

www.hwchamber.co.uk/awards

Sponsored by:

SPOTLIGHT ON CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS Running for the 15th consecutive year, the Chamber Business Awards 2016 looks set to be our largest and most spectacular occasion so far.

Held at The University of Worcester Arena, it is the first major Awards ceremony to be held at this venue.

Sponsored by Sanlam and hosted by Elliot Webb from BBC Hereford and Worcester, this black tie event is one of the most anticipated events in the business calendar. Over 100 applications have been received for 11 categories and over 500 members of the business community are expected on the night.

The theme for this year is Sport and Leisure and we are pleased to announce that Colin Jackson, Olympic Silver Medallist and twice World champion, will be speaking.

Twelve Awards will be given on the night: OVERALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Sanlam BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY sponsored by TechTeam COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT - sponsored by University of Worcester EDUCATION AND BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP - sponsored by West Midland Reserve Force & Cadet Association ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR sponsored by Handelsbanken EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION sponsored by Central Technology Belt EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE sponsored by Orchard Valley Foods

The evening will include fundraising activities for our four charities: Go Dad Run, Megan Baker House, The Princes Trust and #JSyoucandoit.

The Awards night is always a fantastic evening that provides the opportunity to celebrate the success, innovation and hard work of businesses in the two counties.

Visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/awards for more information, photos and videos from last year’s event. We hope to see you there!

EXPORT BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Malvern Instruments HIGH GROWTH BUSINESS OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Hewett Recruitment MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR sponsored by QinetiQ MOST PROMISING NEW BUSINESS sponsored by mfg Solicitors

2015 Manufacturer of the Year, Apreco Ltd

2015 Most Promising New Business, Regional winner and National finalist, Rock Power Connections Ltd

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Worcester Business Central

TICKET PRICES: Individual tickets - £90+VAT Members and £110+VAT Non-members Table of ten - £810+VAT Members and £990+VAT Non-members

SAVE THE DATE! The next Women’s Business Conference, sponsored by borwell Ltd, is on Friday 23 September at The Abbey Hotel in Malvern.

Join women from across Worcestershire to hear from some inspiring female speakers, enjoy networking and partake in a delicious brunch.

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Michelle Benjamin, Account Executive at Sutcliffe & Co, said: “The Women’s Business Conference has provided a unique opportunity for me to meet and network with business women from all sectors at one amazing event. The speakers have been inspirational and empowering, all having a variety of backgrounds and experiences to share.”

May/June 2016

CHAMBEREVENTS

NETWORKING CALENDAR MAY - JUNE 2016 MAY 2016 Ledbury Networking Lunch Tuesday 3 May - 12.30-2.30pm The Talbot Inn, 14 New Street, Ledbury HR8 2DX £20.00+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Malvern Curry Club in association with Sharpmonkeys Tuesday 10 May - 6.00-8.00pm Anupam, 85 Church Street, Great Malvern WR14 2AE £20.00+VAT Members and Non-members Worcester HR Forum in association with Hewett Recruitment Wednesday 11 May - 9.30-11.30am Chamber of Commerce, Severn House, Prescott Drive, Worcester WR4 9NE FREE to Chamber Members and clients of Hewett Recruitment Pershore Networking Breakfast sponsored

by Wychavon District Council Thursday 12 May - 7.30-9.30am Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 1PT FREE to Members and £17.50+VAT Non-members Brexit Debate sponsored by mfg Solicitors Thursday 12 May – 4.30-6.30pm mfg Solicitors, Adam House, Birmingham Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY10 2SA FREE to Members British Chambers of Commerce Dubai Airport Freezone Event Friday 13 May – 8.00-9.30am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ FREE to Members and Non-Members Hereford Networking Breakfast Wednesday 18 May - 7.30-9.30am Burghill Valley Golf, Tillington Road, Burghill, Hereford HR4 7RW £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Bromsgrove Networking Lunch Friday 20 May - 12.30-2.30pm Venue TBC £20.00+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Ross on Wye Networking Brunch Tuesday 24 May - 9.30-11.30am Orles Barn, Wilton, Ross On Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6AE £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members

Worcester Women’s Business Forum in association with borwell Ltd Thursday 26 May - 9.30am-12.00pm The Cottage in the Wood, Holywell Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4LG £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members

JUNE 2016 Kidderminster Networking Lunch Wednesday 1 June - 12.30-2.30pm Hogarths Stone Manor, Stone, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY10 4PJ £20.00+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Hereford Women’s Business Forum in association with Thorne Widgery Accountancy Tuesday 14 June - 9.30-11.30am Thorne Widgery, Unit 2, Wyevale Business Park, Hereford HR4 7BS £10.00+VAT Members and £20.00+VAT Non-members Maximise your Membership Friday 17 June - 8.30-11.00am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ FREE to Chamber Members Worcester Networking Breakfast Tuesday 21 June - 7.30-9.30am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Food and Drink Forum sponsored by mfg Solicitors Friday 24 June – 8.00-10.00am Pershore College, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 3JP FREE to Chamber Members in the Food and Drink sector Droitwich Wellbeing Networking Breakfast Tuesday 28 June - 7.30-9.30am St Andrews Town Hotel, St Andrew’s Drive, Droitwich Spa, Droitwich, WR9 8AL £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Hereford HR Forum in association with Hewett Recruitment Wednesday 29 June - 9.30-11.30am Hereford Business Solutions Centre - Building B, Units 1-4, Skylon Court, Rotherwas, Hereford, HR2 6JS FREE to Chamber Members and clients of Hewett Recruitment

To book your place on any of these events visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/events Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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FOCUSONDIGITALMARKETING

Analyse Your Competition How to learn from comparison web data As much as we want to believe we’re the best at what we do, that’s not always the case. There is almost always somebody, somewhere, who has a better product or service than you do. Or at the very least is working hard to build, create or invent a cheaper, more efficient alternative to whatever you offer. Being aware of this and avoiding complacency is a smart way to run a business.

Even if your product or service is the best right now, there’s no guarantee it’ll stay that way. Likewise, your brand might be running the best digital marketing campaigns, multiple pages ranking number one on Google for keywords, masses of social media engagement and conversion rates.

But your competitors are out there and trying to do better.

Competitors will be analysing what you’re doing to be the best and devising ways to improve on it.

The formula is simple when it comes to the competition: What you currently do + What they do better = The Best Digital Marketing Strategy Content Look at the quantity of content your competitor creates, are they regularly posting content? Ask yourselves: are you creating enough content? Is your current content performing well? How could it be improved?

Review the quality and type of content your competitor is producing, are their blog posts long or short? Do they use imagery? Is their content being shared on social media?

Social Media Analyse your social media, look at the number of followers, the amount of content sharing, any reviews or feedback.

Is your competitor more present on any particular media channel? If your competitor is performing well on Twitter but not LinkedIn, why is this? And could you utilise this to gain an advantage?

Link to full article at

http://tiny.cc/ competitiveanalysis

Local presence If you are looking at a local competitor, then where do they promote themselves? Are they listed in local directories? If not this could be a way to edge ahead.

Facts and figures If you can obtain numerical comparisons, it allows a more specific degree of comparison. Product sales, clients, followers, re-tweets, connections and search engine rankings to name a few.

When it’s all said and done, taking a hard look at how you stack up against your competitors, or even just a business you aspire to is going to help you make your company better. You’ll stumble upon new ideas, become motivated by the competition and ultimately, have a more realistic understanding of what you need to do to succeed both now and in the future.

WSI offer competitor analysis as part of building an effective Digital Marketing Strategy. For more information, get in touch today.

Design It might seem obvious, but look at your competitors’ websites. What are the landing pages like? Is it responsive on all devices? Is it easy to navigate your way around their site? Does it look good? Making sure your website is user friendly is a key priority for any digital marketing strategy.

Phone: 01905 758034 Email: simon.thompson@wsinetmarketing.co.uk www.wsiworld.com/simonthompson

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May/June 2016

FINANCEMATTERS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AUTO ENROLMENT

The law on workplace pensions has changed. By next April, every employer in the UK will need to enrol eligible staff into a pension and contribute towards it.

WHAT IS AUTO ENROLMENT? Auto Enrolment is a Government initiative aimed at helping more working people save for their retirement with a workplace pension scheme.

The law now requires all employers to automatically sign their staff up to a pension. It came into effect in 2012 but was only aimed at larger companies. It is now starting to affect smaller businesses too and all UK companies must set up a workplace pension between now and 2018.

By the time the process is complete up to 9 million workers will have started saving for their pension. It is reported that a higher-than-expected rate of 9 in 10 people have chosen to stay in their pension after being automatically enrolled so far.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT ME? As an employer, you’ll need to make sure you and your business are ready to

comply with the new rules and that you understand how these duties apply to your workers. This will require some changes to payroll and HR processes to ensure that your systems are compliant.

Even if you are a director and have no employees in your company you have an obligation to tell The Pensions Regulator that a pension scheme is not required.

The Government has set minimum levels of contributions that employers and employees must pay into the workplace pension scheme, which are set to increase between now and 2019. You should find out which of your staff are eligible and start preparing for the additional costs as soon as possible.

WHAT IF I ALREADY HAVE PENSION PROVISION IN PLACE? Many employers already have pension provision for their workers, which may match or exceed the minimum requirements for Auto Enrolment. If this is the case, you may just need to check that the minimum requirements are covered in existing processes.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT? You will receive a letter from The Pensions Regulator with a staging date, if you haven't already - which is when Auto Enrolment duties come into effect for you.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

You will need to be prepared for this as strict penalties apply for employers who fail to comply on time.

You’ll need to check that your payroll software is compatible and complies with the new regulations. In some cases, you may need to make some changes to your software.

If you don’t have a pension scheme in place already, you’ll need to decide which provider to use. There are a number in the market to choose from.

You should start preparing early to ensure a smoother transition and less upheaval when the time comes to enrol staff.

At Ormerod Rutter we have a dedicated team to help with all your Auto Enrolment needs.

For more information on how Auto Enrolment will affect you, or for help putting the necessary systems in place, contact Ormerod Rutter to arrange a free initial consultation with our expert team today.

Tel: 01905 777600 mail@ormerodrutter.co.uk www.ormerodrutter.co.uk @OrmerodRutter

027

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD In today’s global market, both large and small businesses are increasingly competing against one another.

And it is technology that is helping this mid-market to level the playing field; enabling them to offer more to the consumer and gain parity in many important areas.

Technology advancements such as cloud systems, enhanced security, and remote working mean that small businesses can project their efficiency, resulting in a team more effectively competing with larger businesses. These innovations give SMEs access to the much needed resources and tools used by their global sized competitors.

Never before in business has this level of equality been available for SMEs, and one of the most instrumental ways this can be achieved is through the use of an effective and integrated CRM system.

By using a good CRM system, like OpenCRM, businesses of all sizes can fully integrate all their company’s data and information from across all of their departments. This will give you a rich, detailed, and all encompassing perspective of your customers, the status of your business and ensures your team is aligned at all times.

A CRM system provides the same tools and templates whatever your size of business, as we all require similar things. You could be a one-man band or a growing team of 20, but the software you require is still the same as the larger corporates.

028

Utilising a CRM system can actually result in the smaller companies becoming more connected to their customers. Larger companies often struggle with this crucial personal touch, due to their sheer size.

In SMEs, employees often need to be able to wear a number of hats, picking up a variety of roles within the company. It’s not a bad thing but can cause some stress if they are also having to use a different system for each of these roles. By using a CRM system they can consistently perform all the jobs on their to-do list in one place. Centralised systems are the perfect way to share information, enabling your team to download, share, communicate, and access data at a moment’s notice, in a safe and secure way.

By implementing a CRM system, small businesses can understand their customers more, analysing their data in the same way as a global corporation would, enabling an SME to grow quicker and expand their customer base at a faster rate.

Working at this same level, whatever the size of business, demonstrates how a small team can share the same knowledge and expertise to that of the larger company and in many cases entice customers away from them.

An effective CRM system enables small businesses to connect with customers and their team more efficiently. Using this real time information means that SMEs now have the same quality of data as the larger firms, but for a lower cost and more emphasis on a connected approach between the small business and its clients.

This is something the larger companies will struggle to achieve.

Levelling the playing field indeed.

If you have any questions about OpenCRM, please get in touch. I would love to hear from you. Find us at www.opencrm.co.uk or drop us a line at hello@opencrm.co.uk

Graham Anderson, is the CEO and founder of OpenCRM, one of the UK’s leading customer relationship management systems.

May/June 2016

LEGALMATTERS

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN OWNER MANAGER The owner managed business is King in Herefordshire, making up the vast majority of SMEs which dominate the market here.

Entrepreneurial spirit is strong but for the owner manager, running your own business requires a breadth of skills and knowledge that is hard to come by even with years of experience under your belt.

Sadly, many new business start-ups fail in their first year but for those who survive, and thrive, what is the secret to their success? Any business owner will tell you. It’s people. Great business owners surround themselves with great people who bring specialist skills and expertise to bear for their business.

For the owner manager, the average day might include dealing with human

resources, sales & marketing, negotiating contracts, managing property & other assets, IT, financial management, business planning…the list goes on. And predicting what your day might include is virtually impossible.

It isn’t always possible to recruit the right people to work in your business both because of a limited pool in which to fish for talent and, for some, because it isn’t always possible financially. By choosing local advisors to support their business, owner managers can benefit from an array of skills and expertise which is accessible, affordable and can give their business the competitive edge. Solicitors are uniquely placed to help their clients in every aspect of business management and can support and guide you as you help your business to grow. And when you’re working long hours to make your business succeed, it’s important to be able to sleep well at night, safe in the knowledge that your business is in good hands.

William Morse is an employment partner at Lanyon Bowdler in Hereford.

T: 01432 377152 E: william.morse@lblaw.co.uk

Transparently priced, practical advice and support delivered by legal specialists in Herefordshire Our specialist corporate, commercial property, dispute resolution and employment lawyers provide support to help you grow and protect your business, giving you a solid foundation to build upon

Supporting People, Businesses & Communities

01432 629037 www.lblaw.co.uk Broadway House, 32 - 35 Broad Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 9AR

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Offices also in Shrewsbury | Telford | Oswestry | Ludlow

029

CHAMBERTRAINING

NEW COURSES FOR 2016 PRINCE2 FOUNDATION AND PRACTITIONER COURSES We are delighted to announce we are running the Prince2 Foundation and Practitioner courses in September.

Run by local but nationally renowned training company Quanta Training, we are offering the opportunity to gain this sought after qualification for competitive rates run by trainers with consistently high pass rates:

PRINCE2 FOUNDATION: Members: £650+ exam fees of £116+VAT Non-members: £810+ exam fees of £116+VAT

PRINCE2 PRACTITIONER: Members: £440+ exam fees of £160+VAT Non-members: £550+ exam fees of £160+VAT

INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT Run by one of our lead trainers, Jon Williams, this one day course aims to develop your skills as a Project Manager, focussing on how to manage a project from start to finish.

It includes scoping and planning, developing ideas, building teams, analysing information, through to dealing with barriers, implementation and evaluation.

This course is intended for anyone who needs a grounding in project management.

The next course is running on Thursday 30 June 2016 and costs £150+VAT for Members and £188+VAT for Non-members

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Jennifer Appleton, Operations Director at ISO Quality Services Ltd

Chamber Business Training are furthering our longstanding relationship with ISO Quality Services and are now offering training in the following areas: INTERNAL AUDITOR TRAINING This is a one and a half day course held at the Chamber Training rooms in Worcester.

It will assist staff in identifying gaps that may challenge the effectiveness of your management system and show you how to conduct internal audits.

This course can be focused towards both ISO 9001 Quality Management standard and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard depending upon the requirements of the delegates in the room.

If you require internal auditor support for any other management standards (BS OHOS 18001 or ISO 27001 typically) then please contact us.

Refreshments are provided on both days with lunch on day one and a buffet breakfast on day two.

The next course is running from Thursday 22- Friday 23 September 2016 and costs £280+VAT for Members and £350+VAT for Non-members

management systems (QMS).

It will help you overcome any reservations you might have and enable you to understand the requirements of the standard, help you to improve your management processes and prepare your business for growth.

The next course is on Wednesday 16 November 2016 and costs £236+VAT for Members and £295+VAT for Non-members

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER TRAINING An ISO 14001 Environmental Management system is a systematic and process driven approach to controlling those aspects of your business that have a significant impact on the environment.

The system is proven to make business owners and managers more aware of their environmental responsibilities, including legal and regulatory accountabilities, and being able to manage and control the associated risks.

The next course is on Friday 17 February 2017 and costs £236+VAT for Members and £295+VAT for Non-members

QUALITY MANAGER TRAINING

TRAINING FOR YOU

Have you recently implemented ISO 9001; are you new to the standard or are you not sure if ISO 9001 is for you?

We can run any course at your venue for groups of up to twelve people tailored to your requirements.

This course is an excellent introduction for anyone involved in the development, implementation and management of ISO 9001.

Please ask us about any training you require that is not listed on our website as we have many courses and trainers available who deliver courses not currently in the portfolio.

It is designed to help your organisation demonstrate commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, as well as continuously improving your quality

For details of all our courses please visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/training

May/June 2016

CHAMBERBUSINESSTRAINING

TRAINING CALENDAR MAY - JULY 2016 MAY COURSES

JUNE COURSES

JULY COURSES

Understanding Free Trade Agreements Tuesday 10 May - 9.30am-1.00pm £125+VAT Members, £150+VAT Non-members

An Introduction to Digital Marketing and PR Tuesday 7 June - 9.30am-1.30pm FREE to Members, £100+VAT Non-members

Assertiveness and Confidence at Work Tuesday 5 July - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Communicating for Success Tuesday 10 May - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Conducting Effective Team Appraisals Thursday 9 June - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Employment Law Update Wednesday 6 July - 10.00am-3.00pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Fire Marshal Training Wednesday 11 May - 10.00am-4.00pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

Intermediate Microsoft Excel Friday 10 June - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Finance Skills for Managers and Team Leaders Wednesday 6 July - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Google Analytics Thursday 12 May - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

Effective Time Management Tuesday 14 June - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

International Trade Compliance Management Thursday 12 May – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members

Advanced Export Documentation & Procedures Wednesday 15 June – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members

INCOTERMS (2010) Tuesday 17 May – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members

Effective Use of Social Media Thursday 16 June - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

IPR (Inward Processing Relief) Thursday 19 May – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members

Managing People in the Team Tuesday 21 June - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Role of the Team Leader Thursday 19 May - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Writing Effective Marketing Copy Wednesday 22 June - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

Introduction to Excel 2010 Friday 20 May - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

The British Bribery Act Thursday 23 June – 9.30am-12.30pm £100+VAT Members, £125+VAT Non-members

Professional Telephone Techniques Tuesday 24 May - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Train the Trainer Tuesday 28 June - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Chinese Business Culture & Social Etiquette Tuesday 24 May – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members

Introduction to Project Management Thursday 30 June - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members

Export Licensing Wednesday 25 May – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members

KEY: Chamber Business Training Courses Import and Export Training Courses

AEO Awareness Thursday 26 May – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members

For more information and bookings contact us on 01905 673 611, training@hwchamber.co.uk. www.hwchamber.co.uk/training

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Basic Import Documentation & Procedures Thursday 7 July – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members An Introduction to Digital Marketing Thursday 7 July - 9.30am-1.30pm FREE to Members, £100+VAT Non-members Managing Performance in the Team Monday 11 July, 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Search Engine Optimisation Tuesday 12 July - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members Managing Agents & Distributors Tuesday 12 July – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members Advanced Letters of Credit Wednesday 13 July – 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members Basic Export Documentation & Procedures Thursday 14 July - 9.30am-4.30pm £225+VAT Members, £250+VAT Non-members Advanced Microsoft Excel Friday 15 July - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Seven Steps to Closing the Deal Tuesday 19 July - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Email Marketing Thursday 21 July - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

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BIGINTERVIEW

HOW SKILLS IN HACKING LED TO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS There has never been more interest in keeping online commercial information secure.

This has led to the creation of a host of innovative new businesses, many of them in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area.

One company making its name in the battle against hackers is award-winning Worcester-based business Titania, led by Chief Executive Ian Whiting (a man with decades of IT experience - working for the good guys).

The security software company, which has its headquarters in Worcester, has its roots in a decision taken in 2007 when Ian was working in the City of London as a GCHQ accredited CHECK team leader and penetration tester. His expertise was in high demand - his clients tended to have valuable data, complex systems and many different levels of security, for example the Government, Military and Financial Institutions.

Ian’s client, a bank, was worried about hackers exploiting routes through their network to access data. Ian had previously hacked into another clients’ wage system, via Wi-Fi in their parking lot, and was therefore perfect for the job.

Ian recalled: “I have worked in all sorts of areas of IT so I had a good idea how it all worked. I used some of that knowledge to navigate my way through their systems.”

“At that time, bigger companies in sectors like finance were being driven by regulation to take security seriously but even then I got to know which banks I would personally bank with and which I wouldn’t!”

This particular testing job turned out to be an arduous and painstaking undertaking - it involved checking more than thirty firewall and switch configurations, involving thousands of lines of code, with multiple days of analysis and report writing.

Ian decided, then and there, to create

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Ruth Inglis and Ian Whiting at the 2015 Computing Security Awards

However, Ian explained that there are many companies who do not think anything will happen to them – they are playing a dangerous numbers game with high stakes and do not realize how badly the odds are stacked against them.

“The problem is that if a house in your road is burgled, you know about it, the police cars are there, an officer knocks on your door and you know that your neighbourhood is not safe and that you have to do something about it.”

and automate the process, so he could focus his skills on other more interesting challenges.

The result was the idea for Nipper Studio, the first detailed configuration vulnerability auditing tool that would find weaknesses that hackers could exploit and show clients how to close them.

Titania was founded in Worcester in 2009 to develop the tool, driven by the ethos of “making security simple” and now employs just over 40 people.

There is certainly a need for it as numerous high profile hacking incidents and recent surveys have shown.

In one global survey, Grant Thornton International Business Report revealed that 15 per cent of businesses reported having faced a cyber attack in a single year, with the EU region hit worst. The attacks are costing global business more than £200bn a year, with the financial industry bearing the brunt of the attacks; 26 per cent of financial businesses reported being attacked.

Despite the risks, only half of the businesses surveyed had a cyber security strategy and Ian agrees that there is a long way to go. He said: “I think that many businesses are now taking cyber security more seriously but many still are not” “Large companies tend to have IT security experts who can flag up the risks to the board, informing them about the potential loss of money or reputation”. “We also deal with smaller businesses, some of whom have taken security seriously right from the start.”

“It is not the same with a cyber attack, there are no police cars and you do not know if the neighbouring business has been attacked.”

“Every sector uses computers, from the hairdresser keeping an appointments diary to the bank holding millions of records cyber security matters to everyone”.

“I think part of the problem is that people find the idea of cyber security daunting but, in fact, it is fairly straightforward. That is why I think the Government is doing the right thing with its Cyber Essentials programme” “We are seeing awareness growing, though. Certainly, our system is proving popular for the way it can identify security gaps and we now sell in seventy countries.”

Titania have won several prestigious awards in recent years, including the British Chambers of Commerce Small Business of the Year 2014 Award. Last year, the company swept the board at the 2015 Computing Security Awards picking up four category wins.

The company competed in seven categories and took Security Company of the Year, while Chief Executive Ian was runner up for Personal Contribution to IT Security, after having won the year before.

Nipper Studio, Titania’s flagship product, was crowned Network Solution of the Year and the company’s Paws Studio was runner up for SME Security Solution of the Year. It was the fourth consecutive year that Titania had won at the Computing Security ceremony, collecting more than ten awards and mentions.

May/June 2016

BIGINTERVIEW

Ian Whiting Chief Executive, Titania

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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COVERFEATURE

COMPANIES JOIN FORCES TO TACKLE CYBER CRIME Developing alongside the military and defence sector in the area has been a strong cyber security specialism based in Malvern.

The sector can trace its roots back to the strength of the military and electronics sector in the area during World War Two and in recent years, as concern has grown about cyber security, many of the companies have adapted their expertise into the field.

That led to the creation of the Malvern Cyber Security Cluster, which brings them together to share expertise and which itself led to a national UK-Government backed roll-out of the cluster model.

This has created a national network of 17 Clusters with 500 members still based in Malvern.

One of the Directors is Emma Philpott, who also runs the Malvern-based company IASME, which advises businesses on cyber protection. IASME is one of the four Cyber Essentials accreditation bodies appointed by the UK Government.

Emma said: “IASME works to help businesses tackle the threat from cyber crime. We find that there is a growing awareness among smaller businesses that they have to do something to

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protect themselves against cyber crime but the problem is that, if they talk to some security specialists, they can end up listening to people who use technical terms that they do not understand.

“The result is that they know they need to do something to protect themselves but they are not sure what, just that they see the headlines about companies being attacked and have a sense of impending doom. As a result, they end up doing nothing.

“What we have set out to do is explain to them in easily understood terms and, using the Government’s Cyber Essentials, what they need to do. A lot of the measures are simple to take and do not cost much and we can help them implement them.

“The key thing is if they take these measures and their neighbour does not, it is the neighbour that will be attacked. It is like running away from a bear. You do not have to run faster than the bear, just faster than your friend.

“Another important thing is that we include some cyber insurance for small UK companies who are certified through us. This includes an incident response line a company can ring if they are breached.

Then at least the company knows that there is someone there to help them, especially in those crucial early hours

after an attack. The tendency is to panic but there are often simple things that a business can do to deal with what has happened.”

Also helping improve cyber security is Growing Cyber, a support service offered to Worcestershire-based business to help them become cyber secure. Since its formation, it has helped more than 100 businesses and created 20 Cyber/ITrelated jobs.

The support service is offered to Worcestershire-based Small Medium Enterprises and its expert advisors can take you from having little to no cyber security to a fully cyber secure organisation.

Growing Cyber’s security experts at 3SDL make a full "diagnosis" of your organisation and put you well on your way to becoming more resilient, resistant and protected to the ever growing threat of cyber-crime which is costing the UK economy an estimated £27bn a year.

Growing Cyber offer 7 – 28 hours of support together with grant funding towards the Cyber Essentials accreditation.

To find out more contact Worcestershire Business Central on 01905 677 888 or email info@business-central.co.uk.

To find out more about IASME’s expert advice, you can go to www.iasme.co.uk.

May/June 2016

COVERFEATURE

GROUP HELPS HARNESS HEREFORDSHIRE’S MILITARY KNOW-HOW Few areas in the UK can point to such a wealth of military and technological expertise as Herefordshire and an exciting venture is seeking to dramatically increase the business opportunities.

The Herefordshire Security & Defence Group (HSDG) is an association of security and defence companies which has been formed by Herefordshire SMEs and is supported by organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce and UKTI. The aim is to create an Industry Group which can raise significantly the commercial capacity of the sector in Herefordshire by bringing together companies providing security services and those working on new military-based technologies.

Driving its formation was the presence of three regiments stationed at the special forces base in Hereford, including the SAS and Signals. On leaving military service, these highly skilled and trained specialists usually have families settled in the local

area so look to establish their own businesses in the county.

Former SAS personnel tend to enter the private security sector, carrying out close personal protection and surveillance work, whereas former SF Signals tend towards Defence Technology and develop IT they can sell to domestic and foreign forces.

HSDG was the idea of Duncan Williams, of IA Technology Limited, and Bruce Fullerton, of Antares Defence Systems, latterly supported by Richard Morgan, partner at law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys, which has offices in Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Cheltenham, Worcester, Reading and Birmingham.

Duncan and Bruce discussed, in separate conversations with Richard, development of "jamming" technology related to remote triggers for IEDs. Neither Duncan nor Bruce was aware of the other’s work in this area. They were introduced to each other by Richard, as a result of which they developed a hybrid technology which they have successfully sold to new markets.

They recognised that by working in

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

combination, companies in the local industry could achieve economies of scale by ordering goods and services as a group and tender for contracts as a consortium where the participants did not have individually sufficient resources to do so.

Richard said: “There is a wealth of innovation within Herefordshire, with the possibility for diverse applications for new technology, all of which will not necessarily and immediately occur to the creators working alone. We found that these small companies were isolated from each other and the group brings them together.”

According to UKTI, there are 120 companies in Herefordshire directly engaged in the security and defence industries, with a further 100 involved in the supply chain, ranging from sole traders to multi-nationals. In 2016, HSDG aims to increase its membership to 50 companies, expanding to 100 in 2017.

Richard said: “We are seeking to grow and are seeing companies benefiting from the experience of working together.”

For more information about HSDG go to www.hsdg.org

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CYBERSECURITY

GOOGLE CHROME GETS READY TO MARK ALL HTTP SITES AS ‘BAD’ Google’s push for all websites to be HTTPS has so far been all carrot. But the company is now using its big stick: a large red cross through every website that doesn’t offer an encrypted connection.”

So before anyone panics, what does this mean for you and your website?

Well it will still appear to your intended site visitors but with a twist that may reduce trust in your site to them.

Google’s Chromium Security team proposed marking all HTTP sites which are non-secure in 2014 and the company is preparing to implement the policy in Chrome during 2016.

As the company highlighted in its proposal HTTP sites provide no data security to users, so why don’t browsers warn users of this fact, say, by displaying a red cross over a padlock next to the URL instead of the status quo, which is no warning at all?

Google called on Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla to reverse the situation gradually, so that one day the only unmarked sites are those that have enabled the more secure protocol, HTTPS. With HTTPS, the connection to users is encrypted and the site’s digital certificate has been verified by a third-party certificate authority.

Google has already warned that non-secure sites will start to lose out in search engine rankings.

As yet there is no fixed date for this change to take place but it is worth considering taking action before it happens. This is for Search Engine Optimisation purposes if nothing else, however a big red cross against your company domain name in someone’s browser may cause them to leave rather than read the useful information you have provided.

The new marking in Chrome is designed to be the stick to the carrots Google has dangled to encourage wider adoption of HTTPS.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR SITE IS SECURE OR NOT?

Google argues that properly secured connections can frustrate surveillance attacks on the web. In 2014, it began using HTTPS as a positive ranking signal and in December adjusted its indexing system to crawl for HTTPS equivalents of HTTP pages and prioritize them where they’re available.

However, the best assumption is - if you have to ask then your site is probably not secure.

At the Usenix Enigma 2016 security conference, Google offered a snapshot of

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the future, showing what The New York Times website would like when Google implements the feature in Chrome.

The easiest way is to ask the company who provided your website. If you built one yourself using free space from your hosting company, then ask them.

SO HOW TO YOU GET YOUR SITE SECURED? The easy answer is again to ask your supplier for a quote to do this. In their

response there will be at least two elements to the fees they quote. A fee to do the work, the volume of which will depend upon the way the site was built, and a fee for a Certificate, which can be purchased for one, two or three years. If at all possible, take the three-year option as work (and thus fees) will be involved each time a certificate is installed.

WHEN SHOULD I ACT? If having a good position in the search engine rankings is important to your company, then the advice is do it now anyway.

If that is not the case, then you may choose to wait until Google do this and see the impact in your website Analytics results. If your website is mainly used to supply information to people who already know about you by name, then it will probably not impact you. However ultimately simple weight of numbers will make it sensible to do something as people become used to seeing all websites as secure and lose trust in those that are not.

If you have lost touch with your website developer then WSI can help you. Contact us on 01905 758034 to discuss what is involved for your website.

May/June 2016

CYBERSECURITY

LOCAL CYBER CRIME EXAMPLES Alarm Installation Company, 5 staff, email from supplier intercepted & changed so £9,000 paid into criminal account. Not insured.

The news is full of stories about international businesses suffering hacks and data breaches but does this mean the rest of us are immune? The following are all recent examples of local businesses that have fallen victim to cyber-crime:

Commercial Cleaning Company, 30 staff, contracted virus from contaminated email, £16,000 ransom and all data lost forever.

Not insured.

Retailer, sole trader, website hacked so customer payments went into criminal’s account, 8 days income lost. Not insured.

Legal Practice, 15 staff, fraudulent email led to over £100,000 of client’s money

School, contracted virus from contaminated website, computer system out of action for 3 weeks. Not insured.

being paid into criminal account. Only partially insured.

Consultant, sole trader, a disgruntled contractor hacked their email, website and social media and used them to discredit the business. Business forced to close. Not insured.

In most of these cases simple technical improvements and staff training would have prevented the loss and disruption.

Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers are working with the National Cyber Skills Centre, Worcestershire Business Central, West Mercia Police, Titana, IASME and Hereford & Worcester Chamber of Commerce to provide advice, support and services to businesses who want to improve their cyber security and reduce the consequences of a breach.

For more information contact duncan@ sutcliffeinsurance.co.uk or call 01905 21681.

Need help with your ICT Continuity Plans?

Recent surveys have shown that 31% of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control and 43% of companies that suffer major data loss never reopen for business.

IT Continuity plans help prepare for the worst by taking action to protect data and systems vital for business survival. Additional benefits include potential cost savings and efficiency gains.

Do you have a plan? Is it tested?

Member Offers To find out more about how to protect your business you can now take advantage of Two Member Offers and FREE Resources from Logiplex at

www.logiplex.co.uk/hwchamber

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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VISITHEREFORDSHIRE

Rural Media’s 'Golden Fire' app tells the story of Herefordshire cider

Image credit Phill Haynes

L-R: Viscountess Cobham, Wayne Jones, Sarah Jones, Joss Croft.

POSTON MILL CLAIMS TWO AWARDS NEW APP TELLS HEREFORDSHIRE CIDER STORY “Never to be forgotten, that first long secret drink of golden fire” - Cider with Rosie, Laurie Lee. Cider production is the beating heart of Herefordshire, and with the county’s pulse racing thanks to the craft cider boom, Rural Media has produced a new smartphone app filled with films, archive footage, photography, oral histories and tourist information that will guide visitors and locals alike around the county’s cider producers, festivals and growers. The app tells the rich, vivid story of the people, past and present, who make the “golden fire”. It can be downloaded for free from either the Apple or Android app stores from June 2016.

The Visit England Awards for Excellence highlight those who excel in the tourism industry – and it’s no surprise that Herefordshire’s own Poston Mill Park received two awards! They were awarded Silver for Dog Friendly Business and Bronze for Holiday Park/ Holiday Village of the Year.

Nestled in the Golden Valley, Poston Mill Park is a Holiday Home and Touring Park which also offers self-catering accommodation. The park is pet friendly with a dedicated dog field and dog trails along with a dog wash and dry room. Within the Mill courtyard is The Mill restaurant and bar. Poston Shop stocks the basics along with local crafts, all of which are also available in the Reception. The nine hole pitch and putt, outdoor play area and indoor games room makes Poston Mill a place which takes care of all guest needs. www.postonmill.co.uk

www.goldenfirehfd.co.uk

PROMOTING HEREFORDSHIRE’S HIDDEN GEMS Over the past couple of months, Herefordshire’s very own Rural Concierge has been busy exhibiting at the South West Show in Bristol, the Tourism & Attractions Show at West Midlands Safari Park and the British Travel and Tourism Show in Birmingham, promoting our beautiful area to group organisers, coach and tour operators with a brand new “One Stop Groups & Travel Guide”.

The brochure promotes a series of new

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“hidden gem” itineraries that visitors may not have heard, or even thought of covering in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the Heart of Wales.

Rural Concierge took a little bit of rural life to the NEC for the British Travel & Tourism Show which attracted a great number of visitors to the stand, including a familiar face from Countryfile, Adam Henson. www.rural-concierge.co.uk

WYE VALLEY RIVER FESTIVAL Launched in Hereford on Friday 29 April to its finale near Chepstow on Sunday 15 May, the Wye Valley River Festival is a series of innovative, intriguing and spectacular events across locations along a 60-mile stretch of the River Wye, under the central theme of Global Arteries.

A festival with the “wow” factor, the unique and creative Wye Valley River Festival is a biennial event inspired by the landscape and led by arts professionals, collaborating with the people who live in and around the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Environmentalists, artists and communities come together for themed events including fire and flame, riverside revelry, performances, walks and talks.

The focus of the Festival is a travelling Wye Serai; the main venues will be Hereford, Ross on Wye, Lydbrook, The Slaughters/ Symonds Yat, Monmouth, Llandogo and Chepstow, where the last Wye Serai will lead to a finale show and grand narrative denouement. www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk

Entries for the Visit Herefordshire and Visit Worcestershire Awards for Excellence 2016 are open this month – visit www.visitworcestershire.org or www.visitherefordshire.co.uk for more information

May/June 2016

VISITWORCESTERSHIRE

The Fleece Inn, Gold winner for the Tourism Pub of the Year Award

Eckington Manor, Gold winner for the Tastes of England Award

GOLD FOR WORCESTERSHIRE IN VISITENGLAND AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE VisitEngland revealed the winners for the Awards for Excellence 2016 at its 27th annual ceremony on Tuesday 8 March at the Winter Gardens Blackpool.

Celebrating excellence across the industry, the prestigious ceremony - held for the first time this year during English Tourism Week - announced 16 winners, including Best Tourism Experience, Best Visitor Attraction, Best Large Hotel and this year’s new edition, the Best Dog Friendly Business.

Eckinton Manor became the Gold winner for the Tastes of England Award, which recognises a tourism business which produces quality food or drink products with a strong emphasis on local sourcing.

The Fleece Inn in Evesham became the Gold winner for the Tourism Pub of the Year Award, which recognises a pub which provides an outstanding range of beverages and quality, locally produced food.

This year’s Awards featured 80 finalists: 16 Gold winners, 17 Silver winners, 16 Bronze winners and 31 Highly Commended were selected from over 400 entries by a panel of tourism industry experts.

Sally Balcombe, CEO of VisitBritain and VisitEngland, said: “The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence celebrate English tourism champions. My congratulations to all our winners, especially the Gold Award winners who are the standard bearers for English tourism.”

Ruth Thomas, Membership Executive for Visit Worcestershire, said: “It is fantastic news that two out of the sixteen National Gold winners are Worcestershire tourism businesses. This shows the high calibre of tourism businesses in the county and the national importance of Worcestershire as a tourism destination.”

FUNDING BOOST FOR MUSEUM OF ROYAL WORCESTER The Museum of Royal Worcester has received a confirmed grant of over one million pounds from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the project “Celebrating 250 Years of Innovation, Industry and Craftsmanship”.

Royal Worcester - the oldest porcelain manufacturer in Britain – touched the lives of thousands of people in Worcester, from its formation in 1751 to its closure in 2008. The project will bring the story of Worcester Porcelain alive, by focusing on social history, the sense of community that

the factory inspired and the extent of its worldwide distribution. Hidden stories and exhibits from the archives will illustrate the skills, techniques and developments of this remarkable factory.

Henry Sandon MBE, Museum Patron, said: “The museum possess a great archive of the lives and work of the thousands of craftsmen and it will be wonderful to display this in a modern way... we are looking forward to welcoming new audiences to our doors.”

Celebrations will begin around the Maypole this summer

START SUMMER AT HARVINGTON HALL Experience history being vibrantly brought to life at Harvington Hall this summer with an action packed programme of events. Take part in celebrations around the Maypole with May Day Revels on Sunday 1 and Monday 2 May. Find out what it was like to be a Tudor at the Elizabethan Living History event on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 May, or come and discover weapons from across the ages on Sunday 19 June.

On all open days, visitors can enjoy regular guided tours which highlight the Hall’s rare and stunning collection of original Elizabethan wall paintings and reveal Harvington’s many secret priests’ hiding places, one of which was so cunning that it remained undiscovered for centuries!

Harvington’s Moatside Tea Room offers homemade cakes and light lunches in an atmospheric setting. The Hall is open Wednesdays – Sundays from 11.30am – 4.00pm. www.harvingtonhall.com

Entries for the Visit Herefordshire and Visit Worcestershire Awards for Excellence 2016 are open this month – visit www.visitworcestershire.org or www.visitherefordshire.co.uk for more information

www.museumofroyalworcester.org

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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WORCESTERSHIREBUSINESSCENTRAL

ARE YOU MISSING OUT ON FUNDED SUPPORT? When businesses hears the term "funded support", their first thoughts usually assume finance.

The actual definition, however, is much wider than money and includes non-financial packages which can help organisations progress to the next level.

With individual businesses rightly focused on core trading, it is difficult to keep track of what support is potentially available.

What’s more, since the demise of Business Link and Regional Development Agencies, commerce has not readily known who to contact to identify what support they can access.

For Worcestershire based companies there is an established Growth Hub to help them understand exactly what is available. That Growth Hub is Worcestershire Business Central. Led by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and with key partners such as the County Council, District Councils and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, businesses within the county are benefiting from a truly joined up approach from stakeholders who can make a real difference.

Worcestershire is acutely aware that businesses themselves are a key partner in helping grow the local economy. A ten year Strategic Economic Plan has been agreed in liaison with local industry which sets out some ambitious targets. Responsibility for delivery of this Plan lies with the LEP; Worcestershire Business Central is one of the tools to help achieve those targets.

The responsibility for Business Central therefore is to signpost commerce to relevant sources of support. This could of course be financial and include funding such as Worcestershire Growth Fund.

Equally, relevant support could also centre on skills, property searches, inward investment, marketing, or even ensuring businesses are cyber secure.

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WBC Business Engagement Managers: Chris, Randesh, Phoebe and Peter

With a variety of packages available, there is potential support for all sizes of business, from new starters through to long established entities. Many companies do not realize that they could qualify for support and hence miss out on valuable opportunities.

Funded packages constantly change as do the businesses themselves. If for any reason there is not a package currently of relevance, that may not necessarily be the case going forward. Support packages however, are funded from a finite pot.

Once that pot is empty, it is empty. In that regard, it is key that organisations keep themselves updated to avoid missing out. Worcestershire Business Central can make keeping abreast of changes simple through www.business-central.co.uk or by signing up for the newsletter via info@ business-central.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can speak with one of the Worcestershire Business Central team. Our team includes four Business Engagement Managers. Although each manager works across all industry sectors, each also has their own specialism. Phoebe Dawson (Skills), Randesh Kalar (Agri-Tech and High Growth), Chris Pinder (Defence and Security) and Peter MacKenzie-Shaw

(Advanced Manufacturing) - all provide customer facing support. Ellie Brown, Stephanie Price and Simon Wood provide telephone support, whilst Wes Dance completes the team as Business Information Officer.

All of Worcestershire Business Central team are proactively liaising with businesses to understand current challenges to growth so that they can broker support of relevance to that individual business. It is worth highlighting that the many of the support packages are largely based around potential projects which would directly lead to an increase in employment and business growth. Support is also available for budding entrepreneurs via an informative “start-up” course which delivers the underpinning knowledge to make the big leap.

Through future pages in Business Direction, we will be keeping you updated with some of the schemes, initiatives and case studies. If you have not already looked into how Worcestershire Business Central can potentially support your business, why not contact us? It would be a shame to miss out simply because you were not aware there was support available to you!

May/June 2016

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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Call for a free 30 minute consultation with our Training Director

CONSTRUCTIONFEATURE

BUILDING REQUIREMENTS Buildings are an essential part of our lives – as homes, homes for businesses, and often as businesses themselves. They are also an extremely good investment. But what do we do when a structure is no longer suitable for our requirements?

The obvious answer is to move to a new location, or alter and extend your existing

property. Unless you are fortunate enough to find somewhere that is exactly right for your needs, you are probably going to need building work done.

small sums for professional advice. You are making a major investment, so do not assume that doing this in the cheapest possible way will work out best.

This can seem daunting – how do you set about this process, and how do you define what you want? What are the correct legal processes and how do you obtain the necessary permissions? And what will it cost, who can advise you on this, and how do you avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous contractors?

Again, there is an obvious answer – use reputable building companies with proven credentials, and do not avoid relatively

The building industry is currently expanding rapidly, after a number of years in recession. All sectors are busy, and prices are increasing. New start-up companies are appearing - some of these will employ people with many years’ experience, and should be applauded – others not so. How do you choose? The answer is to use firms with relevant trade or professional recognition, and seek proper independent advice at all stages.

Established in 1962, we are committed to providing a service equal to the highest professional standards, whatever your building project.

We have offices both in Hereford and Gloucester, but operate without geographical constraints and provide a full and comprehensive service to all our clients on every Project, from Inception to Completion.

We have a team of highly motivated, dedicated and professional staff with the skills required to work with a wide range of clients and contractors in both the Public and Private Sectors.

• Quantity Surveyors • Project Management • Design & Build Adams Fletcher & Partners Hereford Office Contact: John Crooks Office 9 The Rural Enterprise Centre Vincent Carey Road, Hereford HR2 6FE Tel: 01432 355432

Gloucester Office Contact: Nick Denman Unit S 04, Kestrel Court, Waterwells Drive, Quedgeley, Gloucester GL2 2AT Tel: 01452 306214

W: www.adamsfletcher.com

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CONSIDERING BUILDING WORK? Getting the best value from building works is down to a number of factors, but most important must be seeking good advice - avoiding relatively small professional costs at this stage can cost tens of thousands of pounds extra in additional, unnecessary or overpriced works.

Naturally, contractors are unwilling to offer their best rates for projects which are not adequately described, or where they are exposed to risk due to the extent of the work being undefined.

The role of the Quantity Surveyor is to minimise risks for both parties by defining the work content and terms of the contract as precisely as possible, thereby getting the lowest possible prices; and ensuring that stage payments made to builders are accurate, thus avoiding any chance of overpayment.

May/June 2016

CONSTRUCTIONFEATURE

MARSHALL STRUCTURES Marshall Structures Limited Structural Engineers | Party Wall Surveyors | Clerk of Works Professional and impartial advice for Home Owners, Architects, Estate Agents, and Builders. n Structural Advice for Extensions and New Buildings

Marshall Structures is now a well-established and growing Structural Engineering business. We operate from our base in Worcestershire and we are able to offer our services over the whole country. The practice was established by Paul Marshall who has over 25 years’ experience. When Paul set up the business he brought with him the ethos of working closely with clients and communicating effectively, together with providing a friendly and tailored service. This ethos has helped Marshall Structures become the trusted and respected business it is today.

We provide professional services for many building and structure types from state of the art to historic buildings, our projects range from small domestic ones to major projects.

Building, structural and subsidence investigation, foundation design, engineering advice and design are just some of the important professional services we provide.

n Structural Engineers’ Reports n Party Wall Notices and Awards n Clerks of Works Inspections Call now for independent guidance, for new or existing properties.

Follow our Facebook and Twitter pages

T: 01905 621662 E: admin@marshallstructures.co.uk www.marshallstructures.co.uk Unit 14b | Top Barn Business Centre | Holt | Worcestershire | WR6 6NH

We regularly advise and act as Party Wall Surveyors as defined by the Party Wall Act. We may advise upon owners’ rights and obligations, prepare schedules of conditions, serve notices, make appointments and prepare and serve Party Wall Awards in accordance with the Act. We are glad to discuss projects and give unbiased advice on whether a party wall surveyor is required.

We have considerable experience of offsite construction. Paul worked for a timber frame specialist for 4 years and also has experience of lightweight steel frame modular construction and design of pre-cast concrete. The civil engineering design for roads and drainage can also be carried out by the practice.

These are exciting times for us as we have recently taken on an Engineering Assistant to cope with the ever expanding workload.

BRIGGS BROS (ENGINEERS) LTD We specialise in the design and manufacture of high performance air power tools & motors for a wide range of industrial applications.

Our engineers also provide design guidance & support to customers who are developing new ranges of industrial products and/or looking for design modifications to existing products.

Latest CNC machining technology enables us to expand our specialisation in medium & low volume component manufacturing.

We manufacture consistently to the highest quality standards and engineering specifications.

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

info@briggsengineers.com www. briggsengineers.com

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INTERNATIONALTRADE

DEFENCE AND SECURITY: ASH SCIENTIFIC LTD Ash Scientific Ltd is set up to provide instruments that can detect explosives and chemical and biological compounds in various formats.

structures are similar yet constantly changing. High performance IMS with electrospray can also detect nonvolatile compounds, which has never before been possible with ion mobility technology.

Ion mobility spectrometry has a long and proven history in the security industry as an explosive detector. Its success has come from the fact that it is fast, robust, fieldable, and simple to operate.

Ash Scientific Ltd has also launched the next generation QC lasers that can detect biological, chemicals and warfare agents up to 5 km away. The Laser Warn is an open-path chemical detection system based on patented quantum cascade laser technology. It detects chemical threats, leaks, and fugitive emissions over a coverage area of thousands of square feet, and can be used in both indoor and outdoor applications.

With the development of high performance IMS, Excellims has advanced this technology and given it the ability to better quantify samples and further discern between compounds of similar structures. These features become especially important when dealing with the latest technological advances in security threats, for instance the emergence of designer drugs whose

Eye-safe laser beams and low-cost retroreflectors provide real-time, 24/7 early warning of Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs), Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and other chemicals. Any target gas crossing the lasers, even at low concentrations, will be detected with a sub-second response time. The system requires no consumables and is low

We are exclusive distributors for Excellims Corporation that have developed the next generation of Ion Mobility Spectrometry to detect illicit drugs and explosives.

THE EIGHT MOST PROMISING MARKETS OF 2016 Economic conditions across emerging markets deteriorated sharply in 2015.

The headwinds facing these markets are likely to continue into 2016. There are, however, some clear bright spots that are bucking the trend and showing strong performance. These are the markets with great opportunities for businesses.

India is top of the list, with GDP growth of 7.5%. Next is Tanzania with a GDP growth of 6.5%, Vietnam with growth of 6.4% and Bangladesh with growth of 6.3%. Kenya has a GDP growth of 6.0%, Philippines has 5.1%, Peru has 4.9% and Columbia has 2.7%. Opportunities for exporters range from chemicals and plastics to construction, retail, machinery and pharmaceuticals.

For a full breakdown and information on top performing sectors, please visit www.atradius.com

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Ash Scientific’s Laser Warn

maintenance compared to conventional networks of point sensors.

Unlike conventional open-path IR and FTIR systems, the Laser Warn is able to detect chemicals at great standoff distances (standard range of 500 meters, with extended ranges of up to 3 kilometres). An extremely wide range of gases are detectable, and at a weight of 5 kilograms, Laser Warn can be easily relocated and reprogrammed for rapid detection of new threats. www.ashscientific.com

CYBER EXPORT MISSION TO WASHINGTON UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and World Class Worcestershire are planning to take a cyber export mission to Washington, USA in September 2016.

The visit will be based around a cyber conference and will link to the British Embassy in Washington.

It will be a great opportunity to make new contacts in the cyber sector and showcase our regional capabilities at a strategic event.

To register your interest please contact Linda Smith, Director of International Trade at linda.smith@ mobile.ukti.gov.uk

May/June 2016

INTERNATIONALTRADE

FLYING HIGH AFTER FIRST BIRTHDAY: CIA TECHNOLOGY CIA Technology is a one stop mechanical and electrical engineering solutions provider incorporating consultancy, design, development, manufacture, integration and assembly. Their core capability is based around a team of multi-disciplinary Engineers who have a broad range of experience working with commercial partners, academic institutions and major defence prime contractors.

A successful first year saw delivery of several projects ranging from the supply of bespoke production line infrastructure through to test equipment and human

machine interface simulation hardware for the automotive industry. Other notable achievements were accreditation to ISO 9001:2008 and Cyber Essentials certification.

Starting their second year, the company are excited to be working on a lithium battery management and monitoring system feasibility study for application in civil and military aviation. The study will see the design, construction and rigorous testing of a representative aviation battery pack complete with a proprietary battery management system. This study will be undertaken with local partner Intercal UK and is co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. www.ciatechnologyglobal.com

IN THE TOP 100: SUPERDREAM

CAPLOR ASSISTS MALAWI FARMERS

Superdream, a full-service communications agency based in Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, were recently informed that they had made it in to the top 100 positions on the UK’s Recommended Agency Register 2016 performance review.

The company consists of more than 50 specialists working in owned, earned, paid and shared media. All work is driven by insight and focuses on achieving the client’s goals.

Hunger has been described as the world’s greatest solvable problem - in a world where so many of us have more than we need, around 2.8million people face acute food shortage in Malawi (total population of over 16 million). The impact of insufficient harvest can be devastating.

Managing Director, Jason Manning, said: “Superdream is an agency that prides itself on delivering creative and digital solutions that are underpinned by a real understanding of the client and the environment in which they operate.”

Gareth and Ian Williams from Caplor Horizons visited Malawi earlier this year, where they assisted the Exagris team to facilitate the development of their strategy.

Exagris is one of the largest farming operations in Malawi. It employs up to 4000 people and provides meaningful opportunities to over 15,000 smallholders.

Alongside commercial farming committed to sustainable land use, and responding effectively to climate change, Exagris enables substantial community development activities which focus on food security and small scale agribusiness.

Since the agency’s founding, they have built a team of people experienced in a wide range of sectors, SME business, B2C and B2B marketplaces. As part of their employee engagement process, five values were developed for the agency which are at the core of all their work: Client first: agency second, Insight fuelled, Collaboration, Creative with substance and Truly accountable. www.superdream.co.uk

www.caplorfarm.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

FRIDAY BEER CO. BEATS FUNDING TARGET A West Midlands brewery set up by three former research scientists has smashed its funding target on Crowdcube.

The Friday Beer Company was formed in 2011 by Gerald Williams, Perry Jackson and Andrew Keir. It launched a pitch for £150,000 to support its two-phase growth plan in January.

It has now raised more than £155,800 from 229 investors and will use the cash to double its capacity, increase headcount and purchase more equipment.

The company currently produces an average of 3,000 bottles of ale per week from its 13,000 sq ft base in Malvern. The range of five ales is sold to 55 outlets from Birmingham across to Cheltenham, the Welsh borders, the Cotswolds and to the north of Liverpool. www.thefridaybeer.com

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COMMERCIALPROPERTY

GREEN LIGHT FOR BROMSGROVE WAITROSE STORE Planners have given the green light for a new retail development, anchored by a Waitrose store, on Bromsgrove’s former Market Hall site.

TRADITIONAL VALUES LOCAL KNOWLEDGE REGIONAL COVERAGE

HELPING BUSINESSES THROUGH THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MAZE SO

Developer, the Hinton Group, expects to start construction soon of the 16,000 sq ft Little Waitrose store, which will create an estimated 60 jobs, with completion due in quarter 1 2017. The current car park on the site will be kept and refurbished.

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In a deal brokered by Worcestershire commercial property consultancy GJS Dillon Limited, the 1.78 acre former Market Hall site on St Johns Street, at the southern end of the town’s High Street, was acquired by the Hinton Group from Bromsgrove District Council and will be built out in two phases starting with the new Waitrose Store.

Presently consisting primarily of a council owned car park, plus two buildings fronting on to Worcester Road, the former Market Hall site is regarded as one of the key gateways into the town centre and is considered in the Bromsgrove Town Plan as an important new retail led mixed use location, which will add to the overall retail offer and create an anchor at the southern end of the town.

Sales & Lettings Acquisitions Management Dilapidations Surveys Rent Reviews Investment Advice Valuations Visit our website for a full list of available properties: www.gjsdillon.co.uk

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May/June 2016

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As a company we pride ourselves on meeting the needs of all individuals and helping to ensure that you receive the personal touch to any of your catering requirements whether these are personal REDDITCH business centres or business. Brookes Catering is well established and has been trading for 15 years and has recently received The once again a 5 move star hygiene rating. next for your company

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Brookes Catering offers catering for a lots of events such as: n Corporate buffets n Weddings n Dinners

n Canape Parties n Corporate event catering

Within Brookes Catering we are currently undergoing a new look with our website. We are creating a more accessible and user friendly website with downloadable menus. Please keep an eye out for the new look on the website www.brookescatering.co.uk We can supply you with new displays or refurbish your existing expo units with updated graphics, giving them a new lease of life

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

For more information, questions or quotes please do not hesitate to contact us on either 01905 356282 or info@brookescatering.co.uk 049

CONFERENCEWORCESTERSHIRE

www.visitworcestershire.org/conference-meetings.aspx

GROWING FACILITIES AT WILDLIFE TRUST The staff at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, based in Worcester, are keen to grow the venue hire business of the local charity.

Lower Smite Farm features four fully-equipped rooms suitable for conferences, meetings and family gatherings, conveniently situated between Worcester and Droitwich, just one mile from Junction 6 of the M5. Rooms, available for full or half days, can accommodate up to 90 people in a range of layouts and have their own kitchen facilities.

Mandy Butterworth, the new Meetings Co-ordinator at the Trust, commented: “Our rooms, situated at the Trust’s beautiful headquarters, are ideal for training days, meetings, conferences and even family functions. I’m currently developing a series of offers and discounts and am really looking forward to meeting clients old and new.”

Anyone interested in booking a room should contact Mandy on 01905 754919 or bookings@worcestershirewildlifetrust.org

IDEAL LOCATION AT NEW ROAD Situated on the west bank of the River Severn, conferencing at New Road is ideally located in central Worcester. Complemented superbly by stunning views of Worcester Cathedral and the Malvern Hills, this beautiful complex possesses five suites of varying sizes facilitating events from 2-300 delegates.

The venue offers dedicated conference coordinators and a vastly experienced in-house catering team who are always on hand to support you in building the perfect bespoke package for your conference.

A 120 room on-site hotel, 450 complimentary on-site car parking spaces and close proximity to all forms of public transport ensure that access for delegates couldn’t be any easier and that every element of your event is catered for. Visit the website for more information or contact the Events Team at New Road on 01905 337940 or events@wccc. co.uk to discuss your conferencing requirements and arrange a visit to view the venue. www.newroadevents.co.uk

SHELSLEY WALSH HILL CLIMB What better location for entertaining your clients and guest than in the picturesque surroundings of the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, with its stunning views, great location and amazing trackside facilities.

Our modern meeting room can hold up to 36 people (dependant on layout) for meetings, workshops, student or adult learning activities and training courses.

Delegates can use our brand new 60” screen for presentations using a HDMI hook-up and a flipchart.

We have an on-site catering company who can cater for all your requirements from tea and coffee to breakfast, lunches and receptions. You and your attendees will be welcome to walk the hill climb course or view our working water mill whilst you are here.

Hire cost is £50 for half a day and £100 for a full day (all prices ex VAT), catering is to be arranged separately with our caterer.

We require a minimum of five working days’ notice of bookings, subject to room availability. www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk

www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk

SHOWCASE YOUR FACILITIES HERE Worcestershire boasts a large range of conference venues, from large, state-of-the-art conference centres, stately homes set in acres of picturesque grounds, venues with excellent “green” credentials, or smaller,

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more quirky venues.

If you are a member of Visit Worcestershire and would like to showcase your facilities in Business Direction free of charge, please contact

Ruth Thomas on 01905 673 628 or email rthomas@visitworcestershire.org. For a full list of conference facilities available, please visit the website at the top of the page.

May/June 2016

FOCUSONHEALTH

Wellbeing at Work with Kathy Scott from Hands on at Work massage therapies

JOIN US ON OUR ADULT FIRST AID COURSES We have a new addition to the team of CPR manikins! Good old FAT FRED has come on to our team – don’t get to worried, that’s his name.

Be worried because it gives your first aiders a representation of an older larger person within today’s medical emergencies.

Simple exercises you can do at work to keep flexible All too often at work, especially if you have a job that involves a great deal of sitting, you can find that you start to ache and lose flexibility.

These easy exercises, which can all be done whilst sitting at an office desk, will help you stay flexible.

For back, neck and shoulders Ensure your chair is stable and that you have plenty of room. First, with your hands resting on your waist, move your shoulders fully up and down a number of times. Then, whilst keeping your hips facing forward, cross your arms on your chest and turn your upper body first to the far left and then to the far right. You can also extend your arms fully out to each side and keeping them straight, cross them high in the sky and then back down to your side as though you were signalling to someone from a distance.

For feet and legs Sitting comfortably and squarely in your chair and with your heels on the ground, begin by tapping your toes on the floor as though you’re drumming with your feet. Follow this by lifting your toes up and down a number of times. You can also, with your heels still on the ground, straighten out each leg in turn, tense the muscles and hold for a few seconds. Combine these three to exercise both your lower and upper leg muscles.

Still aching? Then we can help!

We hope you’re feeling better already but if you still ache and you’d like to know more about restorative massage therapies from Hands on at Work, then please call 07989 367669 or email info@handsonatwork.co.uk

www.handsonatwork.co.uk Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Visit our Website and find out about our range of competitively priced courses. Try our New Calculator to find out how many First Aiders you require?

We help your organisations meet all its Health & Safety requirements and keep you on top of Health & Safety legislation.

COURSES INCLUDE: WORKPLACE TRAINING PACKAGES n 3 day QA Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work (QCF) n 2 day QA Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work (QCF) Requalification n 1 day QA Level 2 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work

SCHOOLS/ NURSERIES TRAINING PACKAGES n 2 day Mandatory (Ofsted Compliant) Paediatric Emergency First Aid

BESPOKE TRAINING PACKAGES n Evacuation Chair training Phone for information on mandatory Health & Safety requirements or to simply just get your training started.

Call today on: 01527 457527 Email: info@imsfirstaid.com Web: www.imsfirstaid.com Try out our NEW CALCULATOR. Find out how many First Aiders you require for your business.

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Limited

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CHARITYNEWS

Guide Dogs puppies

The Albion Foundation’s Powerchair Football team

CYCLE CHALLENGE RAISES £25,000 March saw the 2016 Baggies Bike Challenge in aid of The Albion Foundation take place, where 28 cyclists successfully conquered the grueling 180 miles. They made their way from Carrow Road, Norwich to The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, with stopovers at Peterborough and Coventry. Within the group of Worcestershire and Black Country cyclists was Neil Bettridge of AMROS Golf plus former Baggies Legend Bob Taylor and Blind Dave Heeley.

On a foggy Thursday morning they set off, arriving on Saturday morning at The Hawthorns a little tired. The group raised approximately £25,000, which is helping to fund The Albion Foundation’s Powerchair Football team to travel to Denmark to take part in the Prestigious Champions League seven day Tournament, where ten teams will represent countries from across Europe.

The Albion Foundation supports thousands of youngsters with disabilities and challenges throughout The Black Country and Worcester through different sports and education. www.thealbionfoundation.co.uk www.amrosgolf.co.uk

WEBBS CUSTOMERS READY FOR PUPPY LOVE Customers at Webbs Garden Centres show so much love for Guide Dogs that they’ve raised enough money to name and help raise a new puppy for the charity.

During the last year, generous customers have donated over £5,000, giving them the opportunity to name a puppy and sponsor it for the first year of its life. This will be the third Webbs puppy, following on from Webster and Wooster which have gone on to change the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

Webbs Chairman Ed Webb said, “It’s fantastic that, once again, the generosity of our customers will significantly improve the quality of life of a blind or partially sighted person and we can now become part of their life-changing story.”

The puppy will be cared for by a volunteer Puppy Walker who will bring the puppy for visits to the Wychbold store. www.webbsdirect.co.uk

The 2015 Rory Golf Day

TACKLE PROSTATE CANCER WITH RORY THE ROBOT Prostate cancer currently affects one in eight men across the UK, making it the most common male cancer. Currently across Worcestershire 2,500 men are being treated. The Rory the Robot Appeal is raising £1.6 million on behalf of Worcester Acute Hospitals Charity to equip our surgeons with the very latest surgical robot which will speed up recovery through less invasive surgical techniques.

There are many events being held this year, from a Rory Golf Open Day at the Worcestershire Golf Club on Thursday 9 June, a Charity Ball at the Bank House Hotel, Bransford on Saturday 9 July and a cycle event on the Sunday 11 September.

The appeal has had great support from many individuals and organisations and currently stands at £170,000.

With support from Worcestershire businesses, reaching that target can become a reality so let’s all support Rory!

For more information contact Andy Smart at andy.rorytherobotappeal@gmail.com.

HEREFORD FIRM OFFERS FREE WILL WRITING SERVICE Vitally important emergency service, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, has partnered with a network of leading solicitors including Kidwells in Hereford, to offer a Free Will Writing Service to the public.

The charity responds to on average 2,000 incidents each year, with four in every ten missions funded through a

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gift in a Will. The new Free Will Writing Service has been developed to raise awareness of how vital this type of fundraising is.

to a good cause, such as the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, which relies so heavily on legacies to fund their life saving missions.”

Zoe Smith from Kidwells said: “Making a Will is extremely important, as it ensures a person’s assets and possessions go to those they care about the most. It is also an opportunity to leave a gift

The charity’s Free Will Writing Service is available to those aged 55 and over. www.midlandsairambulance.com www.kidwellssolicitors.co.uk

May/June 2016

FOCUSONCHARITY

CAN YOU HEAR ME? HEARING LOSS is a hidden disabling condition and affects most people at some point in their lives: If not ‘you’ it will be a relative, friend, neighbour, work colleague.

If you know someone who needs help contact Deaf Direct.

Deaf Direct is a registered charity and the only user led specialist voluntary organisation working with Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf Blind people across Herefordshire, Worcestershire Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.

1 in 6 people suffer with hearing loss which means up to 95,000 people in Worcestershire and 31,000 people in Herefordshire.

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Deaf Direct can help provide: Information, Advice and Advocacy: Interpreters, Lip Readers, Note Takers: Training in Deaf Awareness, British Sign Language (BSL), Lip Reading: Assistive Technology assessments and equipment: Outreach Support: Children/Young People Activity Breaks: Elderly People Support: Deaf/Hard of Hearing Social/Community Groups.

We are building a sustainable future for Deaf Direct in what are difficult economic circumstances and we would like to request your consideration of supporting Deaf Direct:

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Make a Donation! Please see ‘MY DONATE’ on our website www.deafdirect.org.uk this can be Gift Aided. Donations large or small are much appreciated.

Please contact info@deafdirect.org.uk / training@deafdirect.org.uk or on 01905 746301

Business Community Support: We can provide your workforce with Deaf Awareness training or Interpreters at events or for employees.

Make MakeaaDifference Difference ….. …..Volunteer!

Volunteer!

Volunteering not only changes the lives of the people we work with, but it can change yours too!

Volunteering not only changes the lives of the people we work with, but it can change yours too!

Reconnections

Reconnections

Reconnections aims to Reconnections aims to support lonely older support lonely older people across people across Worcestershire by Worcestershire by connecting them with connecting them with interests and activities interests and activities in their local area.

WeWe in their local area. are looking for people are looking for people whowho could spare a a could spare small amount of time small amount of time every week to help every week to help make a life lessless lonely. make a life lonely. @AgeUKHW @AgeUKHW

Home from Hospital

Home from Hospital

After a stay in After a stay in hospital many older hospital many older people feel people feel vulnerable, isolated vulnerable, isolated and unable to cope and unable to cope with day totoday with day daylife. life.

We are looking We are lookingfor for people who people whocan can support older support olderpeople people toto regain regaintheir their independence independenceand and improve their improve theirquality quality life. ofoflife.

Footcare Assistants Footcare Assistants

Our footcare service Our footcare service provides regular toe provides regular toe nail cutting to older nail cutting to older people who are people who are struggling manage struggling to to manage their their own own footcare. footcare.

We for We are are looking looking for people who could people who could provide service in in provide this this service people’s or at at people’s homes or clinics in in the South clinics South of of Worcestershire.

Worcestershire.

Professional Support

Professional Support To help us identify

To help us identify older people who older people who need our services, we need our services, we also look for also look for individualswho who can individuals can offer skills and offer skills and experienceinin experience supporting roles such supporting roles such as: photographers, as: photographers, digitalmedia mediaexperts, experts, digital marketers data marketersand and data inputters. inputters.

What we offer

What we offer 

Training

 Training  Personal  Personal Development Development  Expenses  Expenses Events Social  Events andand Social Activities Activities checks  DBSDBS checks Flexible roles  Flexible roles Office  Office andand community based community based roles roles much more…  And And much more…

Tofind findout out more, more, please To please contact contactus: us: 01905 740950Email: Email:volunteering@ageukhw.org.uk volunteering@ageukhw.org.uk Website: Tel:Tel: 01905 740950 Website:www.ageukhw.org.uk www.ageukhw.org.uk Malvern Gate, Bromwich Road, Worcester.

WR2 4BN Malvern Gate, Bromwich Road, Worcester. WR2 4BN Charity No: 1080545

Charity No: 1080545

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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CYBERSECURITY

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We’re on our way thanks to Affinity

May/June 2016

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER YOUR STAFF A NEW VOLUNTARY BENEFIT AT NO COST TO THE ORGANISATION? Staff are attracted to companies for a variety of reasons, and the benefits offered can make all the difference. Finding new voluntary benefits can be confusing and time consuming and can often be costly to implement.

NO COST TO JOIN Bewdley based Affinity Leasing offers brand new cars and light commercial vehicles on monthly finance with discounts of up to 45%. Supplied direct from the manufacturers, with full manufactures’ warranties, Chamber members are able to join their scheme at no cost to the organisation.

VOLUNTARY BENEFIT – CASH OPT OUT – COMPANY CARS Whether it is to offer a new voluntary benefit (available to employees friends and families also), sourcing industry leading discounts for cash allowance drivers or to supply company cars or vans, Affinity Leasing can help.

FROM £99 A MONTH Affinity Leasing Director, Michelle Howles explains “with prices starting at £99 a month for a brand new car, our employee benefit scheme is the ideal way to reward your staff at no cost to your organisation.

Deals with no deposits are available also.”

negligible in terms of cost or time. Drivers can chose cars to suit their driving and credit history needs, and if they leave the organisation, the car goes with them.

To discuss how this scheme could benefit your employees at no cost to your organisation, call Michelle Howles on 01299 269521, email Michelle.Howles@ affinityvehicleleasing.com or visit www. affinityvehicleleasing.com/benefits

CARS TO SUIT EVERYONE The voluntary benefit scheme requires virtually no administration by the employer meaning launching the scheme is

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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MEMBERSSERVICES

DELIVER YOUR BUSINESS TO THE WORLD WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPECIALISTS DHL Express is the global market leader in the international express business, specialising in time and day critical shipments to all corners of the world. With the global marketplace growing ever more connected, you can rely on the expertise of our local people in more than 220 countries and territories to ensure your shipment is delivered securely and on time.

With the global marketplace ever more connected, we want to help you deliver your business to the world.

As a Chamber member, DHL’s international specialists can help guide you in your export journey. Offering half price shipments for your first year of exporting, using the service will give you a head

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start and help you to price yourself competitively, plus giving you more money to invest in other areas of your business.

“Britain has talent and creativity in abundance. Millions of people in emerging markets are hungry for quality British goods and services. And we can reach them faster and more easily than ever before. No matter how small you are don’t hesitate for one second to think big.”

- Phil Couchman, CEO, DHL Express UK & Ireland.

To find out more about how DHL can help your business or to sign up, visit www. simplydhl.com/uk/chambers or call 0844 248 0675. #JOINYOURCHAMBER

DID YOU KNOW? n 44% of firms see a link between exporting and increased turnover n Businesses trading overseas are 11% more likely to survive n International Trade leads to Innovation and new ideas for 59% of UK businesses n Exporting leads to “Levels of Growth not otherwise possible” for 58% of entrepreneurs n 44% of firms say exporting increases their credibility

May/June 2016

BUSINESSNEWS

AGENCY CELEBRATES DRAYTON MANOR JUBILEE Award-winning Midlands marketing agency, Gough Bailey Wright, has been presented with a commemorative silver tray during Drayton Manor Park’s 65th anniversary party to mark fifteen years of working with the attraction.

Corporate Transparency and Persons of Significant Control: Company Law Changes from 6 April 2016

Gough Bailey Wright receive a commemorative silver tray from Drayton Manor

During the longstanding relationship between the full-service agency and the Staffordshire based leisure destination, the family-owned Drayton Manor Park has welcomed millions of visitors, opened multiple new rides including a 4D cinema and launched Thomas Land™, the first and only Thomas & Friends™ themed attraction in Europe. Celebrity visits, special events and fundraisers are all examples of the daily goings-on in the theme-park, making the PR and Marketing duties very diverse.

One of the favourite moments of the agency was the 2013 Onesie World Record attempt which saw the amusement park earning its rightful place in the Guinness Book of Records. The park welcomed over 700 visitors wearing onesies, smashing the record for the greatest number of people wearing onesies gathered in one place. www.gough.co.uk

In light of changes to UK company law, and indeed the recent Mossack Fonseca scandal, businesses need to consider their corporate structures, ascertain who has control of their business and create a new register which thereafter should be maintained.

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 imposes various new requirements effective as at 6 April 2016, including to maintain a register of persons with significant control (PSCs).

The Act is concerned with increasing corporate transparency and the PSC register will be publically available and show who owns and controls the business.

Organisations and individuals failing to comply with the new rules could face heavy penalties including criminal sanctions. The rules apply to all UK companies and LLPs. An individual or relevant legal entity will be a PSC if they either:

Colour Queen Jane Brook helps SME lawyers brighten up their working look

WORKPLACE STYLING Suited and booted in dull colours is a stereotype for lawyers.

The nature of their work requires a sombre look. Or does it?

To investigate this and brighten up their working look, four legal eagles from SME Solicitors took the plunge into the world of workplace styling and colour. Each felt there was scope to improve how they dressed for work and were interested to see what difference it made.

Enter Jane Brook, a colour queen and stylist who has transformed business men and women into a better, more colourful version of themselves.

SME’s Managing Partner Yvonne Tivey now uses the knowledge on a daily basis. She said: “The psychology of colour has long been used in business, but only recently has it become something that individual workers can tap into via styling. I’m working hard to get away from an entirely black or grey suit and am steadily introducing more colour.” www.houseofcolour.co.uk/janebrook

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

1. Directly or indirectly own more than 25% of the shares in the company; 2. Directly or indirectly hold more than 25% of the voting rights in the company; 3. Directly or indirectly have the power to appoint or remove the majority of the board of directors of the company; 4. Otherwise have the right to exercise or actually exercise significant influence or control over the company; 5. Have the right to exercise or actually exercises significant influence or control over a trust or firm that is not a legal entity, which in turn satisfies any of the first four conditions over the company.

As of 6 April 2016, companies and LLPs will be required to maintain a register of PSCs at a known location that may be viewed by anyone upon request – from 30 June 2016 companies will also be required to file the register at Companies House. The Registrar of Companies must be updated through the company’s Confirmation Statement which replaces the Annual Return.

For further information: Peter Bond - Company and Commercial 01432 278 279 pb@kidwellssolicitors.co.uk www.kidwellssolicitors.co.uk 057

NEWPEOPLETODOBUSINESSWITH BROMSGROVE

MALVERN

ยงHappy Day Cars LTD

Ecl-ips

GANDT Design Studio

www.happydaycars.co.uk

01527 872 000

07907 111 220

www.ecl-ips.com

wearegandt.com

Flexible Minds

Worcestershire Animal Rescue Centre

0121 661 6495

07970 269 912

01905 831 651

www.flexibleminds.co.uk

www.wars.org.uk

Johnson Fleming Ltd

REDDITCH

www.johnsonfleming.com

Ridgeways Surveyors Ltd

Mbolo Life Style Ltd

07932 066 664

Origin Arts Limited

01905 355 502

www.originartsgallery.co.uk

01527 571 300

01527 894 514 Midway Quality Management ltd

www.ridgewaysqs.co.uk

www.mqmltd.com

ROSS-ON-WYE

07793 258 911

DROITWICH

bizGraph Ltd

01989 750 854

SpaFitness UK

www.bizgraph.co.uk

www.spafitness.co.uk

Julu Ltd

07773 771 128

0330 223 2855

EVESHAM

www.juluhome.co.uk

Attwood Media Ltd

Transformational Techniques Ltd

07429 149 243

www.attwoodmedia.com

07475 185 716

www.transformationaltechniques.co.uk

Monssi Limited

TENBURY WELLS

www.monssi.com

Alpha HGV

01386 424 717

01905 571 223

HEREFORD

www.alphahgv.co.uk

Meridian Business Support

WORCESTER

www.meridianbs.co.uk

Creative Mouse Ltd

01432 261 444

01905 642 830 Milnet Ltd

www.creativemouse.co.uk

07984 403 984 GAAP Finance Limited Padstone Financial Management Ltd

01432 820 710

01905 401 926

Proptarts

01684 594 957 www.proptarts.org

SJL Insurance Services

01905 277 75

www.sjlcommercial.co.uk

UK Food Exports Ltd

01386 793 894

www.uk-foodexports.com

OUT OF AREA Integral Partnership Limited

07947 168 037

www.integralpartnership.com

Kerax Ltd

01527 502 252 www.euro-oils.com / www.kerax.co.uk

Phoenix Group

0203 567 9154 www.thephoenixgroup.com

Rentokil Specialist Hygiene

0203 535 9344

S.W. Asset Protection Limited

01743 233 000

www.swassetprotection.co.uk

www.gaapfinance.com

www.padstone-fm.co.uk

Powell Lloyd

07855 245 527 www.powell-lloyd.co.uk

Treelinks (Ingredients) Ltd

01989 730 255 www.treelinks.net

KIDDERMINSTER Mercure Hotel Kidderminster

0844 815 9033

www.mercurekidderminster.co.uk

Moule & Co

01299 250 184 www.mouleandco.co.uk

LEDBURY Create Theatre

07879 048 040

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May/June 2016

NEWPEOPLETODOBUSINESSWITH

CREATIVE AGENCY ON YOUR DOORSTEP Creative Mouse are an award winning creative design agency based in Hallow, Worcester. With over 30 years experience, their roots are set firmly in catalogue and brochure design.

However, over the years Creative Mouse have branched out into a multi skilled agency who are always on the look out for new techniques and the latest trends to keep their design work looking fresh. With a down to earth approach, their dedicated team of designers work closely with clients to produce creative results and form strong working relationships.

As well as their busy creative office, Creative Mouse has an in-house photography studio with 800 square feet of floor space. This is the perfect place to shoot simple tabletop products through to highly detailed room sets.

Most of the agency's business comes through recommendations outside of Worcester, so they have joined the Chamber to meet and work with businesses a little closer to home.

Jimmy Swan beside the copper at Swan Brewery

HAND CRAFTED IN HEREFORDSHIRE Jimmy Swan is the Founder and Head Brewer at Swan Brewery, based in Leominster. Jimmy brews by hand in small batches in a ten barrel brewery, applying his expertise to create the very best ales, following careful selection of raw materials and precisely honed recipes.

Swan Brewery aims to practice environmentally friendly, sustainable brewing. Look out for the #greenswan tag on Twitter to follow that angle and #howtobuildabrewery for how Swan Brewery came in to being. You’ll find Swan Brewery ales initially in pubs in the north of Herefordshire, but talk to your local publican and they might be available in a pub near you!

Think of your favourite beer styles, and imagine them brewed exceptionally well. That’s Swan Brewery ales – hand crafted in the heart of Herefordshire.

www.swanbrewery.co.uk

www.creativemouse.co.uk

A beautiful book arch, created by Proptarts

BESPOKE DESIGN AND BUILD With Contemporary Art and Theatrical backgrounds, Eleanor Thomas and Fabienne Williams began Proptarts just over three years ago, to bring a combined effort of scenic and sculptural arts to the local and regional communities.

Working for youth groups, schools and local businesses, Proptarts deliver a bespoke design and build service in-house from their base in Worcestershire, utilising large-scale props, sets and staging to transform any space they work in. They continue to follow their passion to bring the stories, brands and events of people forward for audience members, visitors and guests to enjoy.

Having joined Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, Proptarts are now looking forward to developing further connections between the Arts and projects across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Look out for their spectacular creation at the Chamber Business Awards on Thursday 9 June! www.proptarts.org

HEREFORDSHIRE SAMARITANS At difficult times in our lives, a listening ear can just make all the difference!

Challenges to our ability to cope are varied. They could come from bullying at school, the challenges of university, a rocky marriage or difficulties at work.

Feelings can even get so overwhelming that the only way out seems to be to end it all.

Herefordshire Samaritans has over 100 volunteers. In 2015, they took 20,000 calls, over 6,500 e-mails and met 200 people at the Hereford branch. With an annual cost of £60,000, the branch is 100% self-funded and dependent on local donations and support. To ensure better sustainability, a Charity Shop is now open on Whitecross Road and

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

the team are developing training in listening skills to support managers at work. Sponsorship partnerships could also help Samaritans support those in Hereford who need a listening ear. www.samaritans.org/branches/ herefordshire-samaritans

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BUSINESSNEWS

Children learn about a sustainable future with Keen to be Green

NEW DEGREE FOR ENTREPRENEURS The University of Worcester has recently validated a new BA (Hons) Degree in Entrepreneurship, which is recruiting now for a September 2016 start. The new degree is aimed at all budding entrepreneurs interested in gaining a degree to support their Business Start-up ambitions, whilst working on their business idea to make their vision a reality! It is also likely that some “new and existing” entrepreneurs may be interested in attending certain modules on a part-time basis.

The new degree complements the University’s current support for new entrepreneurs, for example, our Worcesterpreneur monthly events (www. worcesterenterprise.org) to which all are invited. You may be interested in sponsoring or supporting our Entrepreneurship initiatives from within your own organisation. Businesses may also be interested in the Foundation Degree/ BA (Hons) in Leadership and Management available through the University of Worcester Business School. For more information, please contact Worcester Business School at wbs@worc.ac.uk

Anja and Tanith from Print Strategy Europe exhibiting at the Chamber Business Expo

NEW BUSINESS ON YOUR DOORSTEP Print Strategy Europe had a brilliant time at the Expo in March which proved, if ever proof was needed, that there are lots of great companies to do business with in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Managing Director Rob Newton explains: “This Year’s Expo was brilliant for lots of reasons. The guest speakers were both entertaining and informative, our stand was full throughout the day and we’ve got some fantastic leads which have already turned into actual business.

It was truly inspiring to see so many enterprising people and businesses within 50 miles of our office. We’d say to any business looking for new customers or suppliers, whatever line of work you are in, start with Herefordshire and Worcestershire; the very best is already on your doorstep”. www.printstrategy.eu

www.worcester.ac.uk

TAKING SUSTAINABILITY TO SCHOOL With support from local businesses, Kingspan, Cargill and the Chamber, Concern Universal have recently delivered a sustainable education project, "Keen to be Green", in 13 primary schools. The project has engaged 2312 local children in learning about how to build a more sustainable future.

Keen to be Green was delivered with the belief that sustainability is a vital part of a thriving local community and economy, making businesses well placed to share best practice with schools to help inspire the next generation to become responsible, global citizens.

As well as taking part in fun, interactive workshops making fuel efficient stoves and TV reports, children interviewed parents and grandparents and compared different businesses’ perspectives on sustainability.

Next term children will lead their own Keen to be Green assemblies and share their learning and eco action plans with their school and community. To get involved with next year’s Keen to be Green, email jo.davies@concern-universal.org www.concern-universal.org

HOLIDAY PAY DECISION WILL AFFECT FIRMS Worcestershire employment lawyer Sally Morris has warned that businesses could face significant financial pressures following a high-profile court case which will see employers having to pay commission as part of holiday pay arrangements.

Sally, Partner and Head of Employment and HR services at mfg Solicitors, said: “Businesses across Herefordshire

060

and Worcestershire who operate commission-based pay schemes should be in no doubt that the decision earlier this year in the Lock v British Gas case will have a significant impact on them in personnel terms, but also financially.

It is a game changer for pay laws and employers.

“Commission and overtime, whether guaranteed or regular, will have to

be part of holiday pay going forward and the ruling may also open up the floodgates to a variety of historic claims from employees.

“The decision is going to pile the pressure on employers so preparation is the key.” www.mfgsolicitors.com

May/June 2016

MOVERSANDSHAKERS Sonia, Martyn and Liz

NEW APPOINTMENTS AT HAINES WATTS

THREE NEW STARTERS AT THE CHAMBER In February, the Chamber welcomed Martyn Hammond as the new Director of Marketing and Commercial Services.

Martyn is responsible for all the Chamber’s marketing, including Visit Herefordshire and Visit Worcestershire. Sonia Meyrick joined the Chamber in March as Business Relationship Manager - Wocestershire, responsible for recruitment, and Liz Pullin recently joined Visit Herefordshire as a Tourism Assistant. There have also been recent changes in the Events team; Olivia Williams is now the Events and Training Manager for the Chamber and Lauren Salisbury has started as Events and Training Sales Administrator. www.hwchamber.co.uk

GOUGH BAILEY WRIGHT APPOINTS NEW TALENT Award-winning marketing communications agency Gough Bailey Wright has appointed two new members to its West Midlands based offices.

Scott, from Birmingham, joins the company as an apprentice in the Creative Services team. Scott brings previous experience in account management and will support the team with media buying and the production of creative literature for a range of clients. The PR department has also appointed Sara Gillespie as a Senior Account Executive. Her responsibilities include managing Twitter and Facebook accounts for a variety of clients, as well as Pinterest and Instagram as part of integrated social media.

Worcester based accountancy firm Haines Watts has recently made an internal promotion, welcomed back a former employee and taken on a new trainee.

As the company continues to grow across its Worcester and Evesham offices, it has promoted Charlotte Turner, who joined the firm in summer 2015 as Assistant Manager, to Accounts Manager. Haines Watts has also welcomed back James Howard, who has re-joined the firm as Accounts Manager. The firm’s new Trainee is Daniel Bird, who will be based in the busy outsourced services team while studying for his Association of Accounting Technicians.

JEMMA JONES, LANYON BOWDLER The Commercial Dispute Resolution team at a Hereford law firm has been bolstered by the arrival of a new solicitor.

Jemma Jones has joined Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors, which has offices in Broad Street, Hereford, as a specialist in dispute resolution. She will deal with a wide range of disputes affecting both business clients and private individuals, including those relating to contracts, property and negligence, as well as agricultural disputes and claims for possession of residential property. www.lblaw.co.uk

www.hwca.com

www.gough.co.uk

LIZ COLESBY, GORDON LUTTON The residential property team at Gordon Lutton Solicitors continues to thrive with the recent appointment of Liz Colesby to Business Development Manager.

Liz joins the firm from a Birmingham city centre law practice and will be responsible for growing the firm’s property departments in both Worcester and Hereford.

She has over 25 years’ experience of all types of residential property transactions and is one of the first non-qualified lawyers in the country to gain accreditation from the Law Society as an “Approved Non-Lawyer Manager”. www.gordonlutton.co.uk

ALEX MILLS, VENTUTEC

NEW STAFF AND NEW LOOK New staff and a new look are contributing to the expansion of Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ Hereford office; the firm now occupies the whole of the corner of Broad St and King St, replacing Brightwells Property on the ground floor.

Neil Etherington, Penny-jo Wilson and Kirsty White have all joined the office since the beginning of the year, adding expertise to the firm’s Commercial Property, Family Law and Litigation teams in Hereford. www.hcrlaw.com

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Creative Design and Digital Agency, Ventutec, have welcomed Alex Mills as their new Web Developer/ System Administrator. Alex will strengthen the existing team of Website Developers working on client web projects and provide increased monitoring and resilience across the infrastructure of Ventutec’s sister brand Siteopia, supplying domain names and web hosting services.

Alex brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience; he graduated in Computer Science in 2012 and has held a number of Web Developer, DevOps and System Administrator roles. www.ventutec.com

NEW HEAD OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FOR THURSFIELDS Thursfields Solicitors has welcomed Louise Jones as Head of Residential Property.

Louise has vast experience in the new build sector which adds to the team’s already long established expertise.

Louise offers advice in all areas of Residential Property, from sales and purchases of freehold and leasehold property for first and second time buyers to the more complex property transactions for those seeking to add to their property portfolios.

Sidrah Walimia has also recently joined the expanding team. www.thursfields.co.uk

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LASTWORD

MANUFACTURING – THE FOCUS OF THE NEXT BUSINESS DIRECTION The two counties are home to some strong manufacturing businesses and some world recognised brands.

For the Last Word we spoke to Deborah Gittoes, Managing Director of Arctic Circle Ltd in Hereford, about the local manufacturing industry and how she is supporting the next generation.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT ARCTIC CIRCLE My late husband and I started Arctic Circle thirty years ago. He was the engineer and my background was in administration and accounts. Based in Hereford, the company currently employs just shy of 80 staff. We design and build equipment for the heat transfer market, typically providing supermarkets with their refrigeration needs selling these products nationwide. We are at the forefront of the new technology that is being driven by changes in legislation. Being an SME we have had to be smarter, adaptable, quicker to market with a flexible workforce in order to compete and be successful.

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING PART OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN HEREFORDSHIRE? 20% of our workforce are either on, or have just completed a four-year Technical Apprenticeship. This has been a core necessity; our industry sector has under invested in training over the past fifty years, making it difficult to find the skills we need. The obvious option was to train our own. Yes, some of those we train end up going to work for someone else, however we get a payback within the timeframe of the apprenticeship. What alternative is there? You never know who

they will end up working for either! As a result we have an industry reputation for well trained experienced staff.

HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH EQUIPPING THE NEXT GENERATION? Like many other employers, I have been underwhelmed by the quality of the candidates we interview. This seems to make no difference whether they are just out of school or university graduates. I am not talking about hard skills; I expect to have to equip our own staff with these. The lack is more often what is

termed “soft” skills and I call “life” skills; communication skills, emotional maturity, critical thinking, problem solving. Deciding to put up or shut up, I got involved with a new breed of school recently opened in Hereford, The Robert Owen Academy.

They treat each student as an individual and tailor the curriculum accordingly.

There is a focus on academic learning through vocational subjects, thus making students “job ready”. I think this school will become a model for others to replicate.

Watch this space! www.acl-online.com

HEREFORDSHIRE & WORCESTERSHIRE CHAMBER GOLF SOCIETY In association with AMROS Golf and West Midlands Business Golf Society THURSDAY 23 JUNE Charity Golf Day Sponsored By Handelsbanken Hereford The Herefordshire Golf Club Charity: St Michael’s Hospice & Wye Valley NHS Trust Charity

WEDNESDAY 29 JUNE Charity Golf Day Sponsored By Nicklin Business Advisers & mfg Solicitors Kings Norton Golf Club Charity: Midlands Air Ambulance WEDNESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER Charity Golf Day Sponsored By CB, Chartered Accountants The Vale Golf & Country Club Charity: Acorns Hospice

Golf days are open to male and female players of all abilities, members and non members of a Golf Club or the Chamber.

For more information and to book visit www.amrosgolf.co.uk, email sales@ amrosgolf.co.uk or phone Neil Bettridge on 07792620355.

We’d love to hear the news from your business - please email your stories to businessdirection@hwchamber.co.uk by Wednesday 1 June. For more information visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/business-direction

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May/June 2016

WE’RE SHARPER THAN THE AVERAGE MARKETING AGENCY

• • • •

Digital/offline marketing Web based work flow systems PR and reputation management Print and project management

• • • •

Website design and online strategy Brand development and awareness Customer engagement Targeted campaigns

Contact us to discuss your marketing problem...

01905 821919 | wecare@nexuscl.com | www.nexuscl.com

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SHARP OBJECTS

WE LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE AND FOCUS ON SOLVING YOUR PROBLEMS THROUGH BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.

£1 m May lending

2016

in

BUSINESS LOANS

Impetus Business Loans are now available

Got a great business start-up idea?

Want to take your existing business to the next level?

Need a cash injection?

Accessible business start-up and growth loans are now available for companies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and right across the West Midlands.

Loans start at £1,000 and go up to £150k.

The application and approval process is easy and swift and repayment terms are three months to five years.

These commercial rated loans help out when bank support is limited.

To apply please visit www.impetus-marches.co.uk You can also call the Impetus team for more details on 01386 556000 or email info@impetus-marches.co.uk

www.impetus-marches.co.uk