Business Edge 31

Inside | 04 welcome | 05 business matters| 14 the expert | 22 cover feature | 32 chamber benefits | 38 new members

MAY/JUNE 2016

the magazine for sussex chamber of commerce members

British is Best at South of England Show Page 22

Sussex Chamber of Commerce

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contents 3

Sussex Chamber of Commerce

this month

Sussex Chamber of Commerce currently represents over 1,000 member businesses.

Membership of Sussex Chamber of Commerce offers access to invaluable business advice, money saving benefits, networking opportunities and provides a voice for businesses at a local, regional and national level. Business Edge is delivered free of charge to all Sussex Chamber of Commerce members as well as key business decision makers across the county.

It has a circulation of 4,000 copies per issue.

10

Bonieri: The Taste of Turin

The Piedmont region in northern Italy is well known for its wines, truffles and slow food movement.

22 British is Best at South of England Show

The best of British farming, food and drink is celebrated at the spectacular South of England Show, which is being held for the 49th year at Ardingly.

Business Edge is a Sussex Chamber of Commerce publication.

If you have any stories you would like to tell us about or any comments please drop us an email at enquiries@ sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

24 ÂŁ22m investment

continues pioneering tradition at Sussex company

SUSSEX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

These are exciting times at ophthalmic device company Rayner, which has just opened a ÂŁ22million R&D, training and production facility in Worthing.

Unit 4, Victoria Business Centre, 43 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9LR

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

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Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Millburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2384 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

MAY/JUNE 2016

John Neilson, Business Development Manager, Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Millburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2343 Email: john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

the magazine for sussex chamber of commerce members

DISCLAIMER British is Best at South of England Show

FEATURE EDITORS

E-BOOK

n 04 welcome n 05 business matters n 06 business matters n 08 business matters n 09 business matters n 10 focus on n 12 feature: food and drink n 14 the expert n 15 fine print n 15 business matters n 18 feature: business support n 20 feature: finance n 22 cover feature n 24 inspirational leaders n 18 feature: hospitality/events n 33 chamber benefits n 35 business matters n 36 business matters n 37 business matters n 38 new members n 40 diary n 42 five minutes with... n 42 movers and shakers

Inside | 04 welcome | 05 business matters| 14 the expert | 22 cover feature | 32 chamber benefits | 38 new members

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Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Distinctive Publishing or Business Edge cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Business Edge.

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Please let us know if there are any burning issues you want us to take up.

Send your letters to the Editor to enquiries@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk may/june 2016 business edge

4 welcome

Welcome to the May/ June Issue!

Ana Christie CEO at Sussex Chamber of Commerce

may/june 2016 business edge

There are so many fantastic food and beverage places in Sussex. I am sure we all have our favourites. I love supporting our local pubs, bakers, butchers and fishmongers because of the quality, variety and often value for money.

I enjoy experimenting and trying new foods and at the same time endeavour to keep active and healthy.

With such a variety of foods and drinks, there is a need to control and lessen our intake of salt, fat and sugar content. In the recent budget announcement the taxation on sugary drinks was announced. This can only be a good thing to help decrease any health issues and reduce the demands made on the medical world.

The food and beverage continues to be the largest manufacturing sector in the UK. The industry employs over 400,000 professionals across the UK. There is such a high demand from international markets and great

opportunities exist for food and beverage producers to export. Over 90% of businesses in this industry are micro to medium-sized. The Food and Drink Federation’s statistics show that in 2014 export sales reached £19bn with the key exports being salmon, chocolate and cheese. However recent statistics show a slight decline in this industry, which our Chairman, David Sheppard, refers to in his column.

The Sussex Chamber has set up some new Food and Beverage Forums this year. We will also be forming a steering group, made up from member businesses to help drive these forums forward. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact me.

With such a wonderful array of fantastic food and drink producers, venues and places in Sussex, choices are made even more difficult. Go on....treat yourself and enjoy the wonders that Sussex has to offer.

Kindly go to our twitter account @SussexChamber and let the Chamber know whether you wish to stay or leave the EU. Ana Christie - Chief Executive, Sussex Chamber of Commerce

business matters 5

Barclays Launches Eagle Labs – Inspiring the UK to Get Making

n Almost half (47%) of Brits have never taken steps to boost their digital skills n Barclays to open up branch and office space around the country to increase digital skills and confidence in the UK n Pioneering spaces will benefit individuals, schools, community groups and local businesses n Brighton is chosen for the site of the third Eagle Lab in the country Barclays has announced plans to open up under-utilised spaces in its branches and offices to help boost the UK’s digital and ‘maker’ skills.

Through the launch of Barclays Eagle Labs, the bank will give customers and non-customers in local businesses and communities the opportunity to learn about new technologies and techniques that will be critical to helping the UK to thrive in the digital age.

The third Eagle Lab in the country opened at the former Barclays branch in Preston Road Brighton after successful pilots in Bournemouth and Cambridge, Barclays is announcing plans to open up to 20 Eagle Labs as part of its wider roll out across the UK, including in Birmingham and Huddersfield.

The facility was officially opened by the Executive Director of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club and Chairman of Albion in the Community Martin Perry. Mr Perry said: “It is a privilege and an honour to take part in the opening of this fantastic Eagle Lab. Barclays has always been at the heart of the community and this is

a new really valuable asset and amazing community resource which will help many young local businesses to grow and flourish. I wish them every success.”

New research from Barclays has found that almost half (47%) of UK respondents have never taken steps to boost their digital skills, and of those who have, only one in six (16%) have done so in the last year.

The Barclays Eagle Labs are specifically designed around the needs of local businesses and communities, often in partnership with local government, companies and universities to ensure that each Lab launched is tailored and relevant to each community. The Labs will be supported by Barclays’ Digital Eagles, with a Lab Manager and Lab technician on hand to provide support and guidance. There are two types of Lab: n Barclays Eagle Lab – MakerSpaces offering access to 3D printers and laser cutters, providing businesses with access to the tools they need to rapidly produce and test prototypes without having to import from overseas. The MakerSpaces will also be available for community events, corporate team days, training sessions around topics such as cyber fraud and coding as well as more basic digital skills training (Tea & Teach). n Barclays Eagle Lab – Incubators specifically targeting high-growth firms and entrepreneurs projecting 20 per cent growth or more, and will benefit from collaborating with other like-

minded business, and mentoring from Barclays industry experts.

In addition to the business community, the Barclays Eagle Labs initiative will be available to community groups, hobbyists, children, students and the elderly, with the aim of bringing together and developing useful manufacturing skills to help inspire future innovators, rejuvenate communities by driving commercial and social benefits, and give the UK’s digital skills a much needed boost.

Martin Bonner, Barclays Head of Business and Corporate in Sussex said: “Brighton is a uniquely creative and entrepreneurial place and an ideal location for the first Eagle Lab in the South East.

The facility will complement the thriving Maker Space Community in this area of Brighton and I encourage people to visit the site to see what is on offer.

Bankers have traditionally been at the heart of the community, supporting people with their finances, and helping local businesses to grow. Our Eagle Labs initiative is reaffirming that core community role by enabling people to embrace new and emerging technology. We are passionate about helping individuals build digital skills and confidence which is key to helping the UK to thrive in this digital age. The roll out of Eagle Labs is a natural extension of our work to support this aim through our Digital Eagles, Tea & Teach and coding sessions.”

Anyone interested in booking space at the Eagle Lab should go to: www.barclays. co.uk/eaglelabs

may/june 2016 business edge

6 town chamber news

The Bognor Regis Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRCCI) – A new team The chamber has recently undergone some changes at the top with Adam Cunard being elected as the new Chairman and Nick Stuart-Nicholson becoming President. A new streamlined executive committee has been formed.

The aim of the new committee is to build on the achievements under the previous regime whilst creating a forward thinking environment where local businesses can gather and join forces to produce a strong vocal representation at local and national government levels.

There is a drive to increase membership, a new logo and a website

to give the organisation a fresh and modern look. Members will be encouraged to develop a sense of co-operation and attend regular BRCCI meetings where company owners can pass on information affecting the local business community.

An opportunity will be given to air views on matters directly affecting local business, as well as matters arising from the Chamber itself. Regular networking meetings are now being held. It’s an excellent opportunity for businesses large and small to be involved and have their say on promoting increased commercial activity within Bognor Regis.

Crawley – asking the big question Paul Roe, President of Crawley & Gatwick Chamber, highlights an important event in their calendar “We take an apolitical stand on the forthcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. The Crawley and Gatwick Chamber believe that the potential impact of the decision we will make on 23rd June is too important to local businesses to have to rely on rumour and gut feeling. To that end,

may/june 2016 business edge

we have opened our May members’ meeting to anyone interested in this subject. For the small amount of £5, we invite any interested business person to join us at the Arora Hotel, Crawley, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on Friday, 20th May. From 4.00pm, after tea and cakes and in a Question Time format, Henry Smith MP will put the case for EU Exit and Peter Lamb, Crawley Council Leader, will argue for remaining in the EU.” All are welcome, details and booking via http://crawleychamber. co.uk/open-eu-debate/

Billingshurst Chamber - it’s never dull!

Chairman Martin Spurrier summed up ‘another year of change and achievements’.

“We pursue our vision of a ‘Prosperous Billingshurst’ through five tactical programmes under our umbrella strategy of ‘The Extra Dimension’”, he said. “We strive to bring something extra to each of our Members - something that they do not have, or do not have the time or money to have”, he said.

He said that the Chamber’s ‘Enhancing local trade’ programme is anchored in its highly successful monthly BilliBiz Links networking lunch re-launched last September by Jeremy Quin, MP. The Sussex Chamber’s Chief Executive, Ana Christie, will speak on 12 May. The Chamber’s ‘Billingshurst’s future strategy’ programme scored a huge result after four years working with the HDC, Parish Council and Community Partnership.

A Supplementary Planning Document that will regenerate High Street and Station area is now out for public consultation.

He said that the Chamber is the ‘Voice of the Business Community’ through its involvement in strategic issues, and through close relations with the media and other influential groups, including the Sussex Chamber. On ‘Young business people’, it is working with Weald School Sixth Form.

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may/june 2016 business edge

8 business matters

David Sheppard

Chairman of Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Forum will support food and drink sector This Business Edge focuses on the food and beverage sector, an area which, as consumers, we all feel expert.

Vineyard proves a hit with tourists Charlotte Linter from Bolney Wine Estate explains more about how they are developing their vineyard.

Tourism is paramount to healthy retail sales. Aside from our website, cellar door sales are a large portion of our income.

We attract potential tourists with our vineyard tours. Offering a source of entertainment on their visit gives people a reason to visit us, as we are not easily accessible. We opened an on-site CafĂŠ in 2012 to compliment this, due to the booming restaurant industry in the UK. Tourists expect full facilities and enough space to meet visitor number demands.

We have recently invested in expanding our visitor space by 125% and moving our facilities so they overlook the vines. We have also expanded on the products we sell in our shop. We make quality still and sparkling wines, so have plenty to offer, but we now sell complimentary products from other companies to boost income.

We only sell produce made in the UK, as our brand is all about reducing food-miles by supporting local products and promoting a sense of nationalism, by buying from home-grown brands. This has been a very popular food and drink trend over the last few years and is still reflected in consumer trends today.

Our plan for the future is to continue investing in tourism, by expanding on what we have to offer here, hopefully opening a wine museum in the future.

may/june 2016 business edge

Whether it’s our favourite tipple, pub, restaurant or supermarket we all have a view on what constitutes superb value and great service.

However, I expect we all underestimate the amount of hard work which is involved in maintaining a high standard.

The sector’s economy has for the past few years been particularly buoyant. However, the large decline in retail sales in March (down 1.3% on the month) is particularly disappointing, and although longer-term comparisons show that sales are still expanding, the pace of growth is slowing. These figures reinforce the view that UK economic growth overall has continued to slow down in the first quarter of 2016, pressure that our food and beverage companies in Sussex feel particularly strongly.

Also, store prices declined further in March confirming the assessment that overall inflationary pressures in the economy are still muted, and strengthens the argument for the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to persevere with the current low level of interest rates for the time being to support the fragile recovery.

These harsh realities of the economy and the uncertainty around the referendum on Europe makes running a food and beverage company all the more difficult and perhaps provides the impetus to think more creatively about providing the goods and service we all so enjoy. With this in mind the Chamber is setting up a food and beverage sector forum for our members with two events already planned. Run on similar lines to our manufacturing and construction forums, it will be the opportunity for like-minded businesses to network, swap ideas, debate issues and drive new ideas for growth.

If my judging experience for the Sussex Business Awards is anything to go by, there are great companies out there ready to take on the rest of the country by providing the best that Sussex can offer and we hope to provide a little more help in making them a continuing success.

David Sheppard Chairman, Sussex Chamber of Commerce

business matters 9

A bright light among apprentice employers A Crawley electrical contractor has been named as a Top 100 Apprentice Employer at the National Apprenticeship Awards.

Clarkson Evans, which operates out of premises on the GIDC Trade Park, off Cobham Way, Crawley, was recognised for its first class apprenticeship training and the way in which it develops apprentices within the company.

The company, which specialises in wiring new homes, opened its Crawley branch four years ago and has benefitted from the upsurge in new homes being built in Sussex.

Although big enough to win repeat contracts from the UK’s leading house builders, like Barratt, Redrow, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon, Managing Director Steve Evans takes a personal interest in the career development of each apprentice.

With a philosophy of growing its own talent, Clarkson Evans has seen its turnover increase by 178% from 2011 to 2015. Now a £40 million turnover business the company

offers long-term career opportunities for its staff.

More than 70% of the firm’s team leaders and area managers trained with the company. In fact two of the current board of directors, Leigh Mason and Nathan Evans, are former apprentices.

“By recruiting the best people and giving them every opportunity to develop, we know that we’ll continue to be market leaders in electrical contracting – and a great place to work,” said HR & Training Director Lindsey Young.

“Our apprentices learn from some outstanding electricians, gaining broad practical experience on housing development sites in their local area, supplemented by classroom and workshopbased training at one of our in-house training centres.

“We have won a clutch of awards for our apprenticeship training and have a reputation for being leaders in our field.”

As new members of the Sussex Chamber Clarkson Evans is hoping to forge stronger links in the Crawley business community as well as with local schools and colleges who can refer budding electricians to join their team.

The firm plans to stage an open day at its premises on Thursday June 16, between 3pm – 6pm, for would-be apprentices and qualified electricians to discover more about the electrical contractor. They are also keen for careers advisers, teachers and other members of the local community to come along and find out more about the company.

As well as the company being recognised as a national Top 100 Apprentice Employer, Clarkson Evans apprentice Luke Mullan was named Electrical Apprentice of the Year at the Electrical Industry Awards.

Yet despite the firm’s reputation on the national stage, Lindsey admits that it can sometimes be a struggle to recruit good quality candidates in the Crawley area.

“We have 16 branches across England & Wales and in other parts of the country we are over-subscribed with apprentice applicants, yet in Crawley we have a disappointing level of interest,” said Lindsey.

“Our open day is designed to open people’s eyes to the opportunities we offer in Crawley and be the springboard for our continued expansion in the area,” she added.

may/june 2016 business edge

10

focus on

Bonieri: The Taste of Turin

The Piedmont region in northern Italy is well known for its wines, truffles and slow food movement. Not so well known perhaps, is Turin’s heritage in the world of chocolate.

The Piedmont hazelnut, or ‘Nocciola Tonda Gentile’, is the only hazelnut to be given Protected Geographic Origin (IGP) status. It is this hazelnut that is at the heart of luxury chocolate brand Bonieri’s extensive range.

A former journalist, PR consultant and Turin resident, Amber couldn’t find the same chocolates she knew and loved in Turin, back in the UK. Using her experience of promoting other brands, she decided to launch and promote her own brand of Italian chocolates. Bonieri was set up by Amber Rust two years ago, to bring Turin’s speciality gianduja chocolates, spreads and other hazelnut specialities into the UK market.

“It was an exciting idea to launch a new brand from scratch.” said Amber. “I wanted a box of chocolates that embraced

may/june 2016 business edge

everything I loved about Italy: taste, colour, style, family, luxury. There is a rich history of chocolate in Turin I wanted to share that story too.”

“Gianduja started in Turin in the 1800s. I wanted Bonieri chocolates to be authentic and reflect that heritage.

The chocolates are made using natural high quality ingredients, artisan family producers and traditional recipes.”

Amber launched the company at Taste of London, Christmas 2013 and secured significant PR coverage including the Telegraph ‘Top Ten Chocolate Boxes for Christmas”.

Following an email pitch, Harrods picked up the brand for Easter 2014 on an exclusive basis for six months.

“We were very excited to secure a deal with Harrods straight away” said Amber. “Being unable to sell our products anywhere else was hard but we focussed on PR, entering competitions and being visible at consumer shows.”

The world’s largest blind tasting competition is the Great Taste Awards. Called the Booker prize for food, and recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike, Great Taste values taste above all else with all branding removed during judging. Over 400

judges decide which products are worthy of a coveted gold star award.

Bonieri was awarded two Great Taste gold stars in summer 2014. Another three gold stars were won last year.

“Winning gold stars was fantastic news for us,” said Amber. “Having the Great Taste label gives consumers a stamp of approval that our chocolates not only look good but they taste great too!”

By Christmas 2015 Amber had secured a deal with Selfridges, Amazon Europe Luxury Grocery among others.

Bonieri partnered with Bottega Prosecco at Christmas, supplied chocolates for the Brits goody bags and recently provided chocolates for a MaxMara USA promotion.

In February Amber secured a place on the business accelerator programme Entrepreneurial Spark based in Brighton. Powered by NatWest, the programme offers free office space, coaching, mentoring and workshops from KPMG and NatWest.

“The help and support I’ve received from Entrepreneurial Spark has been invaluable and 2016 is set to be our time for real growth. We have secured new premises in Arundel and will be looking to take on more staff. Different opportunities are presenting themselves to us all the time.” said Amber. “The chocolate market is worth over 98 billion dollars- we want a piece of it!”

focus on 11

Just Drinking Water Ltd – leading the way Haywards Heath based Just Drinking Water Ltd have come a long way since joining the Sussex Chamber, shortly after they launched the UK’s first ‘un-bottled’ mineral water.

“I know it’s a real cliché” says founder Neil Tomlinson, “but if we knew then what we’ve learned since, the task would have been oh so much easier…”

“When we first launched Aquapax natural mineral water, we were probably at least five full years ‘ahead of the curve’, if not more,” said Neil, “and that’s before we encountered the challenge all small companies faced in 2009 when the face of banking and access to capital changed dramatically!”

“Having set out our stall as the only natural mineral water packaged in a paper carton, we also really underestimated how the vast majority of retail buyers we encountered simply weren’t terribly imaginative when it came to seeing the potential for an innovative and funky looking new product without any established sales track record. If it weren’t for Sussex

based Infinity Foods expressing support, along with a positive understanding of issues with plasticisers within the food and beverage supply chain, we could quite easily have just given up”.

“A listing on amazon.co.uk was our next significant milestone, being able to point customer enquiries to an accessible product supply, allowing our early adopter customers to access their preferred mineral water brand, irrespective of their geographic location. I know amazon comes under a lot of flack from many high street retailers, some of it probably not unreasonable, but for us they’ve been fantastic, allowing us access to consumers right across Europe”.

“From there, we’ve moved our multi award winning brand Aquapax further upmarket, selling in department stores such as Selfridges and Fortnums here

in the UK, along with Chez Colette and La Grande Epicerie in Paris, plus the Sultan Mega Stores in the Middle East. Aquapax was always a premium quality natural mineral water product, but moving our brand further upmarket (while retaining pricing loyalty to those early adopter customers who still buy online), has been an effective strategy for removing ourselves from competitive comparisons with the cheap, and cheaper than that plethora of plastic bottled waters in the market.

The greatest learning we can share, has been not to allow ourselves to be compared with supposedly competitive products, which have little core integrity, and which can be produced for less than a third of our product price. That’s not a great way to stay in business in the long term and while it doesn’t always work for some of the discount minded sales channels, the ‘good’ ‘better’ and ‘best’ approach to product selection is in fact deeply rooted in most consumers at some level or other! Enter awards, win awards, differentiate and overcome”! Says Neil. aquapaxwater.com

may/june 2016 business edge

12 feature: food and drink

Hygienic Food Shelving Mark Richardson, MD at Stakrak, explains the benefits of investing in hygienic shelving for the food sector Food storage may not be the most exciting topic, but it is one that dramatically impacts on staff safety, efficiency and legal compliance. Nowhere is this more evident than in the fast paced, high impact industry of hotels and restaurants.

The importance of keeping kitchens organised cannot be understated. The risks to the health of patrons and staff are paramount, and poorly organised storage can not only introduce unacceptable risk to both, but also induce financial cost through shrinkage generated by damage and loss

of products. Effective shelving both front and back of house can dramatically reduce costs and increase efficiency and sales of stock.

The legal implications of poor stock management are easily overlooked, but the law is especially imperative when it comes to storing raw ‘detained’ meat. To meet Food Standards Agency standards, meat must be stored on “corrosion-resistant, cleanable materials with freedom to drip”.

Antibacterial, non-corrosive resistance shelving is available on wire ColdRoom+ shelving, providing use for both front of house retail display, as well as effective stockroom and kitchen management. A large amount of standard shelving may contain MDF or absorbent material, which is not permitted by the FSA. Wire shelving provides product visibility which helps increase date identification and encourage

regular rotation, further enhancing compliance with FSA. When looking for gains and improvements to be made in your business, consider the often overlooked infrastructure of your shelving system – the scope for improvement may be greater than you think.

The Curry Sauce Company produces a range of superb curry sauces that are ready prepared, offering wonderful convenience.

At the same time however, the sauces are so gorgeous that they allow your customers to prepare a meal in minutes every bit as good as they would expect from their favourite restaurant.

Our sauces, naan breads and chutneys are stocked nationwide by fine food retailers such as Delicatessens, Farm Shops and quality Butchers.

Call now for more information or to place your order. 01243 550045 Visit: www.currysauce.co.uk may/june 2016 business edge

business matters 13

Good start to the year 2016 has started at a frenetic pace for Jeanie Marshal Foods, as we celebrate our 23rd year in Business.

We are delighted to welcome aboard several new customers in the first quarter of the year which adds to our already diverse business split. Our first project of the year involved redesigning our new website, we worked with a great company called Kota Creative who are a design agency who specialise in the Food and hospitality Industry and are delighted with the outcome www.jeaniemarshalfoods. co.uk. We really wanted to show that we are an Artisan food producer and feel the new site does exactly that.

We have had great success at the British Pie awards with our chefs winning numerous awards which we are extremely proud of, and as result one of new customer’s is now listing one of our award winning Pies.

We pride ourselves on being very culinary based and our development team are constantly looking at innovative methods, new ingredients to ensure we are constantly on trend. We are lucky to be able to tap into the knowledge of Kent’s very own Michelin star chef Graham Garrett as several of our chefs have taken the opportunity to work with Graham which is great for their development and from an innovation point of view.

We have always been extremely proud of how we aim to develop our staff and last year we were one of the largest supporters of Crawley College.

Internship for your Business Have you got a project coming up that needs an extra pair of hands? Perhaps you have an employee who would like to take a sabbatical and don’t want to hire someone to replace them?

Internship in Brighton matches a European fully funded intern to your business. Our students are enthusiastic and incredibly bright and bring an abundance of energy to businesses in and around Brighton and Hove. Interns can be placed with your business for between 2 weeks to 6 months and will have accommodation provided for them through us.

We recently had the lovely Giacomo come to Brighton from Italy who interned with Viva Magazine and Latest TV. The internship was so successful that he secured a job in Milan.

It was wonderful to hear but sad for Viva as they didn’t want to give him back! Call us on 01273 251271 or email us info@ internshipinbrighton.com.

may/june 2016 business edge

14 the expert

You ask the questions Our panel of experts tackle your burning issues

Airberg is a British food exporter, based in East Sussex, mainly dealing with Airline Caterers, Supermarkets, and Hotel suppliers in the Middle, Far East and India.

The company has been supplying these regions since the mid 70’s. Food stuffs entering these areas, require quite a bit of re-working for want of a better word, to make them compliant with local rules and regulations, the paperwork and logistics can also be challenging to these parts of the world, so Airberg has been on a long and steep learning curve, unfortunately learning from this curve actually requires a lot of trial and error and a great deal of composure and self-control to grow.

From humble beginnings, starting in a garage processing endless bottles of Tomato Ketchup, then to a converted old World War two army barracks and now to our home of the last ten years in

may/june 2016 business edge

Crowborough East Sussex, which boasts two warehouses, one of which contains an all-purpose labelling facility as well as a large cold store (frozen and chilled) and large storage areas. We’ve recently completed a massive building project increasing the size of HQ, which we are hoping will mean we can remain in the current location for the next decade or so.

We also couldn’t resist embellishing our humble offices, so we now have an office that we aren’t ashamed to bring people to, I still haven’t mastered the art of a “tidy desk” but I’m working on it.

On a good week, we can ship by sea and air anything up to 300 tonnes, from sticks of gum, to bags of crisps, pots of yoghurts and even 25kg sacks of sugar. Basically anything you can find in UK supermarkets, will come through Airberg and end up on a supermarket shelf, a hotel buffet or airline tray in the more exotic parts of the world, we will even tackle goods of seven days shelf life, anything below that and our bravado and intrepidness tends to dessert us, but it does mean that Brits can still enjoy a fresh pork pie with their lunch and a sausage with their fry ups.

Airberg’ s reputation over the years has spread to many of this country’s biggest blue chip companies and supermarket chains, and we actually process goods for many of these types of companies, they don’t want to change their UK production runs for what they consider insignificant markets, so they send it to us, no one knows we are ever involved, and depending on the company our role varies a great deal, some companies are very hands on and want to be as helpful as they can be whereas others (mentioning no names) are very fond of washing their hands of all of it and letting us get on with it all.

One of our biggest clients, once remarked that Airberg’ s main strength is its flexibility, and in this job you really have to be flexible, it’s not the easiest way to make a living and can become rather all encompassing, but it is very rewarding and does mean we get to meet some fascinating people who have done nothing but broadened all our horizons. We never rule a region of the world out, and we are currently looking at a few customers in South America, how hard can it be?

business matters 15

fine print

The Fintech Book

Could you be line for an award?

Edited by Susanne Chishti and Janos Barberis Published by Wiley £23.99, Paperback and e-book ISBN: 9781119218876 Financial technology, or FinTech, is by its nature a fragmented world and this new book sets out to explain some of its challenges.

The FinTech Book, the first globally crowdsourced book on FinTech, was put together by Susanne Chishti and Janos Barberis, who describe how FinTech is a sector composed of companies that use technology to make financial services more efficient.

The book provides a single source on how it works and covers every major industry development in depth, complete with first-hand insights and lessons learned by practitioners at the cutting edge.

Because there was no single author, organisation, or region in the world that could exhaustively cover all the facets and nuances of FinTech, the book contains contributions from 85 expert authors from 20 countries.

Susanne Chishti is the CEO of Fintech Circle, Europe’s firet Angel Network focused on FinTech investments and is Chairman of Fintech Circle Innovate. Selected as one of the 100 leading Women in FinTech and top 15 FinTech UK Twitter influencers, she was recognised in the European Digital Financial Services ‘Power 50’ 2015, an independent ranking of the most influential people in digital financial services in Europe.

Janos Barberis is recognised as a top-35 global FinTech leader. His expertise is focused on the new regulatory considerations raised by the development of the sector and he sits on the advisory board of the World Economic Forum’s FinTech Committee.

You can find out more at www.wiley.com

Donna O’Toole, Awards Expert and Director at The Communications Director explains how to identify if your business could win a Queen’s Award - the most prestigious business award in the world.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are looking for entries from businesses excelling in International Trade, Innovation, and Sustainable Development. Winners are businesses that are growing in turnover and profit, and who are investing in their people, premises or products. A compelling story and strong evidence of how you have engaged with customers, employees, partners, and the community will also give you a competitive edge.

If you win a Queen’s Award the PR benefits are extremely valuable; you can use The Queen’s Awards emblem on your marketing materials for 5 years, and you will even be invited to a winners reception at Buckingham Palace.

Alongside The Queen’s Awards and with a wide range of categories to enter are the Chamber Business Awards. Entrants compete at a regional level first, and then all regional winners go into a national competition and the winners are announced at a gala dinner.

These are just two out of thousands of awards you could win depending on your achievements. But the competitions are rigorous, so don’t underestimate the preparation required to meet the deadlines, give yourself a fighting chance of success by getting your entry started early.

The only question you need to answer now is can you afford to let your competitors beat you, or are you ready to step up to the competition?

may/june 2016 business edge

16 feature: business support

What Lurks in the Shadows of Software?

It can be easy for people to be drawn into the shadows of the IT world, lured away from safe and sanctioned waters. But you can prevent this, by ensuring that you find software that meets everybody’s needs.

When Management have worked to find a piece of software that provides all the features they think the company needs as well as the security to keep all of their data safe, the last thing they want is for their staff to go off and use something else. But it happens and that’s where the contrast between Shadow vs Sanctioned IT has arisen.

Sanctioned IT is anything that has been given the green light by a company’s IT policy, it’s been approved, sanctioned, its security has been tried and tested to the limit, and finally procedures are produced on exactly how and where to use the system.

Unfortunately what happens so often is when these systems are implemented, they don’t suit everyone’s style of working and what they actually need from an application.

So people start to look elsewhere for their very own ‘cloud based soul mate’ – this becomes Shadow IT. A recent survey by Stratecast found that 80 per cent of employees in any organisation are using cloud-based systems that have not been approved by their business.

But can it really be such a bad thing if productivity levels and targets are going through the roof thanks to their chosen solution?

Well actually yes, and this is where the problem lies.

may/june 2016 business edge

It’s less about this being a rebellion of the workforce. Most of the people who are looking elsewhere for their systems are quite simply looking for the most efficient and productive way to do their job. In this age of apps, people want the right tools for each of the tasks on their desks. They may not want in-house, clunky and, more often than not, old-hat systems.

But they aren’t necessarily thinking about those bigger talking points that are so vital to the company as a whole. You only need to type Shadow IT into your favourite online search engine and hundreds of fear mongering results will come up, explaining its perils in great detail.

The reason companies need an IT policy is primarily to manage and oversee the entire security of your company’s corporate data, hence why it has traditionally been so important for these kinds of considerations to be at the top of the list when finding and implementing your sanctioned IT. The importance and safety of your company’s and client corporate data is paramount, and using any un-sanctioned online systems can easily weaken what you previously thought to be watertight.

Seems like we are at a sticking point doesn’t it? The company approves one thing and the employees need another, but when it comes down to it, you all want the same thing - an effective system to support your working day.

By implementing software and systems that can be completely tailored to the needs

of each department and working with the members of these departments to identify what they really need, you can significantly reduce the amount of unauthorised systems being used, aligning how teams and company work as a whole.

Add to this your IT policy, which may include ensuring that all data is stored in the EU, and you’ll be able to find some Sanctioned IT that eliminates the need your staff lurking about in the shadows.

At the end of the day, people want products that work for them (I know, big surprise!). Therefore the ideal scenario is to fuse together the needs of your company to find the right systems for everyone. It needs to be seen as an opportunity to increase productivity, improve your systems and processes, and make your team feel like they are making a difference in the workplace while still keeping everything secure and auditable.

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.

feature: business support 17 At night, do you know what’s happening in your factory, office or warehouse?

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Leading with Presence was a deeply personal experience and represents a moment of massive change for me. It has given me a fundamental pragmatism that I can bring into action in my day-to-day life and since completing the programme I have made some significant changes to the business that have had a positive impact on the way we operate, as well as our success and profitability. If I had not been on the programme, these changes would certainly not have taken place.

Recent programme participant

To request a copy of our latest programme brochure, please email info@roffeypark.com or telephone 01293 854059 Roffey Park Institute, Forest Road, Horsham, RH12 4TB. Roffey Park Institute is a charity, registered No 254591

may/june 2016 business edge

18

feature: business support

We all insure bricks and mortar, why not our reputation?

Someone writes an inaccurate but potentially damaging report about your business in the local or national newspaper.

Do you: a) Phone the journalist and threaten them with your solicitor; b) Ignore it in the hope it will go away; c) Panic and go into meltdown, or d) Implement your crisis management strategy?

Bravo if you chose the last option. For those of you who even considered any of the other options, read on.

If you have invested your hard earned cash and time into building a business, the

last thing you want is for it to be destroyed by a complaint or a misunderstanding.

Large or small, every organisation needs to be prepared for the worst.

A communication crisis management strategy makes sure you are ready for action should the need arise. It is about considering all your potential crises with a public relations eye; identifying

Your business has individual needs.

One size does not fit all!

the audiences affected and how best to communicate with them; actions to be taken within the first, second, third hour, and knowing what to say. jag would be delighted to talk with you about drawing up a bespoke crisis management strategy whatever your organisation’s size.

Contact Ann Grain on 01403 793 836 or email ann@jagpresspublicity.co.uk Website: www.jagpresspublicity.co.uk Twitter: @jagpr Facebook: jagpresspr

Want to optimise your business growth? Recruit & retain talent? Minimise your legal risks?

Services inlcude: n HR Healthcheck n Recruiting n Organisational Change n Employment contracts n Onboarding n Interim Support n Handbooks & policies n Managing Performance n Employee Relations

For a FREE no obligation consultation contact Zarina Calver, MCIPD

Tel: 07548 815268 | Email: ZarinaCalver@SussexPeopleSolutions.com www.SussexPeopleSolutions.com

may/june 2016 business edge

feature: business support 19

What’s your Challenge?

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Contract health checks – are they really worth it?

As the person responsible for commercial contracts in your business, you can breathe a sigh of relief – you’ve got standard contract terms which you use to buy/sell goods and services. That’s great but just how long ago did you have those contract terms drafted or legally reviewed? If it was more than 2 years ago, you’d be wise to read on!

The pace at which contract and common laws move on isn’t always fast but when they do move on it can, and often does, have a significant impact on your contract terms. This impact could transpire in a number of ways, including: • a previously enforceable provision becoming unenforceable: for example, if an exclusion of liability clause becomes unenforceable you could be faced with unlimited financial liability

01293 558593

• a previously reasonable clause becoming unreasonable: meaning it may not be enforceable and you may be financially exposed • terms being implied into a clause to fill a gap: you could be responsible for something that you hadn’t intended, or might not be aware of.

It is important that your contract terms protect your business as opposed to exposing it to unnecessary risks. By keeping your contract terms up-to-date, you will protect your business from uncertainty and challenge. We recommend a yearly legal health check. This doesn’t have to be, and very often isn’t, expensive. If your contract terms haven’t been legally reviewed for more than 2 years and you’d like to understand where you might be exposed, please contact Lisa Downs Commercial Partner and Lawyer at Rawlison Butler.

ldowns@rawlisonbutler.com

www.rawlisonbutler.com may/june 2016 business edge

20 feature: finance

Spofforths and Kreston Reeves announce plans to merge On 1st June 2016, Spofforths will be merging with Kreston Reeves, another highlyrespected, long standing firm of accountants and business advisers, creating one of the largest accountancy and financial advisory firms in the South-East.

The firm will continue to service the needs of entrepreneurial and growing

may/june 2016 business edge

businesses, and the needs of wealthy and private individuals, with a particular focus on the following sectors: academies and education, agriculture, charities, healthcare, life sciences, pension schemes, private wealth, professional practices, property & construction and technology.

Richard Spofforth, Managing Partner Spofforths comments “The merger is being undertaken by both firms from a position of strength, with each bringing skills and experience to the other. It’s going to be an exciting time for all of us: it’s a joint step forward and together we’re going to build a firm for the future that responds to all the changes around us”.

Our clients will continue to be looked after by the people they have always known. What will change is an increase in the depth and breadth of services we can offer.”

“For all the combined partners and staff there will be greater career development, fulfilment and all the other benefits that come from working as part of an ambitious and expanding firm.”

feature: finance 21

Selling Your Company It is often the case that an SME business owner will have much greater success selling his or her company to an existing shareholder or a management group than selling externally. It is in these internal sale situations that a purchase of own shares becomes a potentially tax efficient exit route.

The basic premise is to get your company to buy your shares, rather than the new owners. This will work where the company has sufficient distributable profits to which can be added any new issue of shares.

There are however both Companies Act rules and tax rules that need to be carefully considered, and they are not always complimentary.

It is rarely the case that the company has sufficient cash to pay out the owner, so the most common solution to this problem is either for the company to borrow the funds or for the sale to be spread over a period, or a combination of both.

In order that the buyback is treated as capital from the vendor’s perspective, (to secure the Entrepreneurs Rate of CGT of 10%), the vendor cannot accept a loan from the company in lieu of cash proceeds. There are also a number of other conditions that must be fulfilled for the capital treatment to be applied. One of those is that the vendor must not be connected with the company after the sale. In short this means retaining an interest of no more than 30%.

Chartered accountants and independent financial advisers

Where a sale is contracted to be spread over a period, it will be treated as having taken place at the contract date and so the tax on the total sale is payable as if the proceeds were received on the contract date. This may result in the tax becoming payable before the proceeds are received.

Careful planning is therefore required.

Whilst a share buyback can be quite complicated, with the right planning and advice it can be the most tax efficient solution for the sale of an SME business.

For further advice call 01323 412277 or visit our website www.honeybarrett.co.uk.

Paul Knight, FCA is Managing Director of Honey Barrett Chartered Accountants.

Selling your business?

Want to minimise your taxes? Need efficient tax plans?

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Or drop in to our office at 4-6 Church Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9AE

Honey Barrett Chartered Accountants: 53 Gildredge Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4SF Other offices at Bexhill and Wadhurst.

www.honeybarrett.co.uk

may/june 2016 business edge

22 cover feature

British is Best at South of England Show The best of British farming, food and drink is celebrated at the spectacular South of England Show, which is being held for the 49th year at Ardingly on 9, 10 and 11 June, coinciding this year with the Queen’s official 90th birthday weekend.

Iain Nicol, CEO of the South of England Agricultural Society, said: “For the three glorious days of the South of England Show, the South of England Agricultural Society will throw the spotlight on the best of British – both the new and traditional – with stunning displays of the best of British agriculture, equestrianism, countryside learning, country crafts and sports as well as great music, delicious food and drink and superb shopping. We are thrilled to be able to bring all of these elements together in one, great event specifically celebrating the South of England.”

The Show’s new look Food Village promises to deliver tasty and exciting produce with a firm message that ‘British is Best’.

Newly appointed Event Centre catering partner Graysons will also be championing this message, providing a mouth-watering menu in the Norfolk Pavilion Members’ café, with six outdoor food courts and a Harvey’s bar for the 70,000 expected visitors.

may/june 2016 business edge

Food and drink from the six counties of the South of England, reaching across from Berkshire and Hampshire to Surrey and Kent, will be featured at the show, with a particularly large representation of producers from East and West Sussex, who are known for their innovation and range.

Delicious, award winning handmade chocolate by West Grinstead based Cocoa Loco; cheeses from High Weald Dairy near the Showground; an array of home made pies and sausages from Rushfields Farm Shop in Poynings; rich rapeseed oils, dressings and mayonnaise from Sussex Gold in Partridge Green; to artisan breads and handmade cakes from Sussex-wide success story Truffles Bakers will offer a taste sensation.

One of the region’s oldest brewers, Hepworth & Co Brewers Ltd will provide a range of lager, ales and stout, some made using local hops and barley and all produced in West Sussex; whilst award winning sparkling wines from Carr Taylor and the Bluebell Vineyard Estate will be available to taste and buy, adding some fizz to the day out; and Wobblegate’s fruity apple juice and cider, made in Bolney, offer another flavour of the countryside.

The Show follows close on the heels of Britain hosting the International Cold Climate Wine Symposium, being held in Brighton and hosted by leading lights in the

cover feature 23

wine world from across the South Downs region. Ridgeview in Ditchling Common, Nyetimber in West Chiltington, the new Rathfinny Estate in Alfriston and the Plumpton College Wine Department will be sharing their experience and expertise with top wine makers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the US and other European wine making countries.

Provenance is becoming increasingly important to the British consumer and the South of England Show is a great place to start the journey of discovering just how good we are here in the UK at producing some of the world’s leading food and drink products, linking it right back to the farm where it all started.

This year, The Society celebrates Sheep and has been working closely with the National Farmers Union (NFU) who will provide some inventive lamb cookery demonstrations in the popular Food and Farmyard barn near Blue Gate.

Award winning chefs will be showing how versatile the different cuts of British lamb are as well as being affordable for younger people to enjoy – from slow roast recipes to tasty burgers, koftas and shawarmas, there will be something to tempt visitors of all ages. There will be various tasty Sussex sheep milk cheeses to try and to wash it down, some delicious samples of fresh

sheep milk – a new experience for some, but one worth trying!

The 150-acre showground will be alive with hundreds of competitions and entertainment for all ages including a new Music Stage, with zones focusing on Livestock, Discover the Countryside, Garden, Plants & Flowers, Equestrian, Skills & Craftsmanship, Country Sports and The Market Place retail area.

There will also be exciting arena action with hair-raising stunts from the White Helmets motorcycle display team and the popular Shetland Pony Grand National.

Visitors can also enjoy a fabulous bird’s eye view of the show from the brand new big wheel called the ‘Ardingly Eye’.

There will be new entertainment in the main ring this year with the Royal Signals White Helmet motorcycle display team who will be performing their death-defying stunts every day of the show. Other highlights include the high-energy, micro-sized Shetland Pony Grand National, on both Friday and Saturday; hound parades; and the famous livestock display where hundreds of beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs and goats have their moment of glory!

More than 1,500 horses and ponies will take part in the equestrian showcase that forms an enormous part of the three-day

extravaganza, featuring dozens of classes from impressive heavy horse turnouts to the fast paced inter-hunt relay, spectacular show jumping to beautiful hackneys.

And you can meet the best bred farm animals face to face and meet the people who care from across the showground. Anyone with an interest in food and farming, or who simply enjoys an exciting and fun day out in the countryside, should be there.

Ticket Information Family and friends can take full advantage of the ticket prices again this year with under 16s going FREE (accompanied by a paying adult £20); senior citizens and students over 16 £18. There is also FREE parking and a regular bus shuttle service from Haywards Heath train station to the showground.

Save up to 20% with early bird advance ticket discounts at www.seas.org.uk SouthOfEnglandShowground /SofEShowground

may/june 2016 business edge

24 inspirational leaders

£22m investment continues pioneering tradition at Sussex company n New £22m R&D centre will strengthen company’s position on the global stage n Company seeks to be the best in the world n Encouraging young talent a key part of company’s approach

These are exciting times at ophthalmic device company Rayner, which has just opened a £22million R&D, training and production facility in Worthing to strengthen its status on the global stage.

However, for all the company is looking to the future, the beginnings of the concept that is driving the new centre can be traced back to World War Two and attacks on Spitfires by the Luftwaffe.

Rayner has opened the Ridley Innovation Centre, which will further the company’s aim of providing surgeons with intraocular lens (IOL) lenses and proprietary injection devices used in the treatment of cataracts, and is capable of manufacturing three million lenses each year.

The company, which was formed in 1910 as

may/june 2016 business edge

an opticians, has named the new centre after surgeon Harold Ridley, who in 1949 helped create the first IOL lens which was manufactured

by Rayner. This came about when he noted that Spitfire pilots whose eyes were penetrated by shard of perspex from shattered cockpits came to no harm even though the fragments remained in the eye.

Company CEO Tim Clover said: “Harold Ridley and those he worked with realised that because the material used to create the cockpits could exist safely in the eye they could be used to make lenses, which led to the work on the first IOLs. “In the years that followed, the company developed its lenses but continued with the primary focus on running its opticians shops so other companies moved ahead of us on the lenses front.

“Two years ago we rethought our strategy and sold our 140 opticians to concentrate on making lenses.”

Rayner, which is the only IOL manufacturer in the UK, says that the Ridley Innovation Centre has been designed with the needs of the surgeon at its heart to enable training, education and research. It includes a wet lab, library, training facilities for surgeons to train on the technology and even a museum on the history of the IOL, all of which helps Rayner to partner surgeons and academics in new product development.

Tim Clover said: “The opening of The Ridley Innovation Centre marks a significant step

in what we plan to be an exciting, transformative period of growth ahead of Rayner. This major investment will treble our manufacturing capacity and put us in the best position to support the company’s ambitious business expansion.

“This is the beginning of a new era for our company. We are investing heavily in R&D and The Ridley Innovation Centre gives us the basis for substantial product development and exciting new areas of research as well as being a vote of confidence in high technology UK manufacturing, “Our old plant was producing 720,000 lenses a year and its capacity was 800,000 if we wanted to grow we had to move. Now, we are well positioned to take on the global giants of ophthalmology by being nimbler, flexible and closer to the voice of our customer.

“We aim to keep our model simple – design and produce IOLs but do it better than anyone else.

“We are very much targeted at the needs of surgeons carrying out these procedures and the market is growing, especially as the use of such procedures grows in the developing world.

“I think that at the moment we are at the top of the second tier in terms of global lens manufacturers worldwide but some of the bigger companies run the risk of spreading themselves too thinly, allowing a niche company like ours a chance to succeed.”

The company already has a strong track record in product development and was the first to introduce the intraocular lens in 1949 which has been followed by several breakthrough innovations. Now the company has eleven new products planned to launch in the next three years alone to transform Rayner into one of the leading manufacturers of IOLs.

inspirational leaders 25

THIS MAJOR INVESTMENT WILL TREBLE OUR MANUFACTURING CAPACITY AND PUT US IN THE BEST POSITION TO SUPPORT THE COMPANY’S AMBITIOUS BUSINESS EXPANSION.

The recently-appointed management team, including Tim Clover and Darren Millington, Chief Financial Officer, aim to double revenue within three years and significantly increase its share of a £3.5billion global market that is growing annually by 7%.

Rayner is also heavily committed to encouraging the next generation of new talent with the aim of encouraging local school children to pursue careers in the field of science and engineering.

Its Human Resource department at Rayner have been taking part in the 2016 Coastal STEMfest, a campaign which consisted of interactive demonstrations, workshops and roadshows to allow educational institutions to link with more than 90 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) businesses. The events held in Sussex so far, whose organisers included Sussex Chamber of Commerce, were aimed at everyone from the very young students through to the teenage cohort of STEM students.

Tim said: “Encouraging the next generation is really important for us. It is amazing how many of our people have worked for us over many years and we want to find the talented local young people to continue the trend.

“There is something very rewarding about what we do, which should appeal to young people. Yes, were are manufacturing a product but each of those 720,000 lenses we produce can help a person who is blind or near blind to see again.”

may/june 2016 business edge

26 feature: hospitality and events

Face-to-face contact the key in the world of conferences The conferences and event sector is booming at the moment, creating jobs and bringing investment to a wide range of venues.

An industry which employs more than 550,000 people, the UK events sector is estimated to contribute more than £36 billion to the UK economy each year with the Business Visits and Events Partnership having forecast that the figure will grow to £48.4 billion by 2020.

The main reason for the sector’s success, according to industry experts, is its ability to constantly try out new things while never losing touch with the needs of its clients.

Those clients say that, amid all the innovation and clever technology, the main reason they like conferences is their ability to provide face-to-face contacts.

Anyone in business will tell you that, despite the rapid advances in communications technology, face-to-face contact remains the best way of bringing in new contracts and retaining existing ones; humans still have a fundamental need to look each other in the eye when communicating despite the rapid growth of the Internet.

The key to making such events a success is spending a little time choosing the right venue and making sure that you get the right support from its staff.

Even if that may mean paying a little extra, it is money well spent because it does

not make sense to cut corners when such an approach could make your event less than effective.

When assessing the venue, be it a specialist conference centre or the likes of hotels, you are looking for a number of important factors.

Can the venue cope with the numbers expected to attend, has it got a good meeting room, will it provide equipment like projectors and Internet access, are the staff friendly and flexible in helping you meet your needs? If the answers to those questions are yes then the event is likely to be a success.

HASTINGS

WHITE ROCK

THEATRE

Looking for a prime location to host your event? Our unique and theatrical venue has a number of adaptable spaces for weddings, meetings, conferences, exhibitions or a special celebration. With experienced hospitality and event management staff, The White Rock Theatre can help you create the perfect event.

Day Delegate rate of £29.00 including VAT • Room Hire • Mid-Morning/Afternoon tea, coffee and biscuits • 2 course seasonal buffet lunch

• Bottled still and sparkling water • Flipcharts & pens/screen • Delegate pencils & pads • Complimentary wifi

01273 485 629

sales@pelhamhouse.com

Pelham House Hotel, St Andrews Lane Lewes, BN7 1UW

www.pelhamhouse.com For further details or to arrange a tour contact Kiera Turner on 01424 462290 or email kturner@whiterocktheatre.org.uk

whiterocktheatre.org.uk may/june 2016 business edge

feature: hospitality and events 27

SEA LIFE Brighton has opened its doors to corporate events!

As the world’s oldest operating aquarium, with all of its original Victorian architecture from 1872, SEA LIFE Brighton has opened its doors as an ideal venue for truly bespoke and unique events.

It has been open for more than 140 years attracting visitors who admire its 3,500 underwater creatures including sharks, turtles, seahorses, rays and even an anaconda!

A stalwart of Brighton & Hove’s business community, SEA LIFE Brighton was once again named ‘The Best Place to Visit’ at the 2015 Brighton and Hove Business Awards, testament to its enduring charm and appeal.

SEA LIFE Brighton pride themselves on their ability to organise truly memorable events - from lectures read from the Glass Bottom Boat to drinks receptions in the arcade - they can cater for all. The aquarium has previously been booked for corporate networking events, private parties, comedy nights, cocktail parties,

seminars and lectures, quiz nights and many more.

Chair of Brighton and Hove Tourism Alliance, Soozie Campbell, commented: “Not only is SEA LIFE Brighton one of the most unusual venues in the City, it is one that everyone loves to come back to time and time again. The best bit is that there is always something new to see - a new creature or a whole new exhibition.”

Exclusive hire of the venue offers access to the entire aquarium and events can be booked from 5pm until midnight, or later should the need arise. For more information please visit our website www.sealife.co.uk/brighton

TEN TOP TIPS FOR EVENT ORGANISERS 1. Location: Where are your delegates coming from? Is the place reasonable for everyone to get to?

6. Refreshments: Make sure the food and drinks work with your event and are appropriate for the time of day.

2. Access: How are your delegates travelling to the event? Have you allowed for all forms of transport?

7. Timings: Run through the event in advance, have timing facilities available on the day to ensure it runs to plan.

3. Ease: Walk the event space, from entry to desk, make sure signage is clear and effective.

8. Budgets: Have a clear idea what you want to spend and which elements are most important to you.

4. Comfort: Have you allowed for comfort breaks, are there suitable refreshments in the room?

9. Follow up: Make sure and gather delegate feedback so you can put on an even better event next time!

5. Layout: Does the room layout best complement your event?

10. Expertise: For all of these points, ask the opinion of the event hosts, they may suggest solutions you’ve never thought of!

Tel: +44 (0) 1293 555155

Web: www.sofitelgatwick.com

Sofitel London Gatwick, North Terminal, Gatwick Airport, West Sussex RH6 OPH may/june 2016 business edge

28 feature: hospitality and events

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

AT CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL

• Corporate hospitality • Cocktail receptions • Meeting rooms • Luxury accommodation

At Chichester Cathedral we offer a blend of luxury and flexibility that makes our venues equally well suited to large corporate events and small meetings.

The prime location of all our venues offers your guests the convenience of a city centre location within the tranquil setting of the Cathedral precincts. From the medieval Vicars’ Hall to the elegant tranquillity of 4 Canon Lane, we have something to suit every occasion.

01243 813586

bookings@chichestercathedral.org.uk

www.chichestercathedral.org.uk www.cathedralenterprises.co.uk

Tin can hospitality and barware range available at www.promocan.co.uk

Promocan Ltd Tel: 0845 612 0654 Email: enquiries@promocan.co.uk may/june 2016 business edge

feature: hospitality and events 29

When being hospitable pays off

The Cooden Beach Hotel

Directly on The Beach

For all your Conference and Training needs, directly on the beach

Tel: 01424 842281 Email: sales@thecoodenbeachhotel.co.uk www.thecoodenbeachhotel.co.uk /coodenbeach

@thecoodenbeach

The Cooden Beach Hotel, Cooden Sea Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN39 4TT

In an age that seems increasingly reliant on technology, corporate entertainment remains a key business tool. The main reason is that it helps companies to maintain personal relationships with their clients.

In a fast-moving age dominated by the Internet, texting and Cloud Computing, the personal touch remains highly valued because it is often when client and customer are together, and relaxed, that business is done, that relationships are forged and deals struck.

Creating that kind of environment takes many forms. For many companies, it often revolves around sporting events, a trip to the races, a day at the cricket or perhaps a meal followed by watching a football match.

However, there are other options for the more adventurous, daytrips, teambuilding events, extreme sports challenges, or for the more cultural, events such as trips to the theatre or to take in a show.

They may be diverse events in nature but the key to them all is that they represent time spent away from the office and a sense that the company staging the corporate hospitality truly values those whom it has invited, that their presence is seen as important.

Those companies that are prepared to invest in corporate entertainment do so if they can see something to be gained from showing clients and staff alike that there is life after work. And that can pay dividends.

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may/june 2016 business edge

30 feature: hospitality and events

Quench Street Bar & Kitchen Quench Bar & Kitchen 2-4 Church Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9AE Phone: 01444 253332 E-mail: contactus@quenchbar.co.uk

www.quenchbar.co.uk

n A great place to meet up with friends or colleagues, socialise or simply relax and unwind n Breakfast and lunches served daily, takeaway or enjoy in n Free WiFI n A perfect space available for hire for business meetings or social events from 50-120 guests n Fully stocked bar plus coffees, teas, shakes & smoothies n Local business discounts available on food

The Cock

The Highlands Inn

Food served 7 days a week, lunchtime and evening and all day Sunday.

Food served 7 days a week, lunchtime and evening and all day Sunday until 6.30pm.

• Large Garden and Sun Terrace

• Vegetarian Menu always available (5 choices)

• Log Fire in Winter

• Real Ales including Harveys and other locally source Micro Breweries

• Sports Bar showing all BT and Sky Sports fixtures with special Sports Bar Menu

• Real Ales including Harveys and other locally source Micro Breweries

• Formal Restaurant area with seating for 120 covers and separate restaurant bar area

• Extensive selection of wines by the glass

Old Uckfield Road (A26), near Ringmer, BN8 5RX

• Roasts served all day Sunday • Open all day on Bank Holidays

• Home Cooked Food – Something for every taste, diet and budget

tel: 01273 812040 www.cockpub.co.uk

may/june 2016 business edge

Eastbourne Road, Ridgewood, Uckfield, TN22 5SP

• Large Sun Trap Garden with al fresco Dining

tel: 01825 762989 www.highlandsinn.co.uk

feature: hospitality and events 31

Corporate Hospitality at Itchenor Sailing Club

First impressions are important. Getting the right venue for a business meeting or event can be the difference between success and failure. Itchenor Sailing Club offers organisations a unique venue to host corporate events in West Sussex.

Situated in Chichester, the club benefits from great rail links to London and road connections to the neighbouring towns.

It is also within close proximity to local hotspots such as Goodwood and West Wittering.

Ideal for businesses looking for an inspiring venue to host a company event, conference or presentation, the clubhouse is perched on Itchenor waterfront and provides stunning panoramic views across Chichester Harbour and to the South Downs. The venue has a peaceful, tranquil setting which helps ensure businesses hosting a corporate event are left undisturbed.

Itchenor can help facilitate corporate events with team building activities such as sailing, wine tasting, horseracing, motorsport, harbour tours and more.

Businesses can choose from one of our existing packages and add on additional

activities to create a unique corporate event for staff or an unforgettable event with clients. The club offers a range of team building activities and corporate days both on and off the water. Professional skippers, Olympic speakers and trips to the Isle of Wight can all be incorporated to make it a day to remember.

The beautiful listed clubhouse can be used as a conference and meeting venue throughout the year, with capacity for up to 150 delegates in a variety of meeting rooms to suit events of all sizes. The club has a variety of rooms available; from the beautiful dining room overlooking the waterfront through to the upper deck balcony and clubhouse lawn that make for wonderful break out spaces during the course of an event. A range of food options is available created by the club’s awardwinning chef.

For those guests that have travelled a long way, the clubhouse can also has overnight accommodation, to help ensure any weary delegates needn’t travel far after a busy day of meetings. The club has 14 comfortable double and twin rooms, several with en-suite facilities and beautiful views across the water. The rooms, which offer simple décor off-set by coastal charm come with a full English breakfast.

With its stylish bedrooms, excellent facilities and flexible meeting spaces, the Club is perfectly positioned to meet all your corporate meeting requirements.

For more information or to discuss your requirements please contact 01243 512400 or email office@ itchenorsailingclub.co.uk

may/june 2016 business edge

Save money on international transfers

Saving Chamber members money on international payments The British Chambers of Commerce have partnered with exchange experts moneycorp to provide money saving foreign exchange to Chamber members.

Key benefits: Bank-beating exchange rates Expert guidance on the markets Safeguarded client funds Fast online transfers 24/7 Get in touch To talk to us about our services call +44 (0)20 3823 0526 email chamberfx@moneycorp.com or visit www.moneycorp.com/chamberfx

Moneycorp is a trading name of TTT Moneycorp Limited. Registered in England: No. 738837. Incorporated 1962. Money Laundering Regulation (MLR) registration No. 12114128 VAT registration No. 897 3934 54. Registered office: 2 Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 9LA. TTT Moneycorp Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the provision of payment services.

may/june 2016 business edge

Sussex Chamber of Commerce

chamber benefits 33

CHAMBER HR Training Courses HR in 2 Days - Days 1 & 2

Time Management & Personal Effectiveness

Date: Thursday 17th March : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

Date: Wednesday 4th May : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

HR in 2 Days - Day 1

Developing Your Management & Leadership Skills

Date: Thursday 17th March : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

Date: Monday 9th May : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

Introduction Access to Supervision & Team Leadership to ChamberHR is free of charge. We invest in this service Date: Tuesday 22nd March : 09:30 - 16:30 Classification of Goods Using & so you’re protected and supported.

No need to pay for Commodity HR Or Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill Tariff Codes

employment advice, and you receive free over 440 Date: Thursday 12thaccess May : 09:30to - 12:30

HR in 2 DaysDocuments, - Day 2 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill including contracts of employment.

Date: Thursday 24th March : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

24/7 A Foundation Course in Importing Date: Monday 11th April : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

Date: Monday 16th May : 09:30 - 16:30 Telephone advice Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

n No need to book a call Confident & Effective Negotiation n No limit on the length or amount of calls Date: Thursday 19th May : 09:30 - 16:30

Personal Customer Service in the Digital Age Date: Tuesday 12th April : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

An Introduction to Export Procedures

Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

Professional Presentation Skills Online Database of Documents Date: Tuesday 24th May : 09:30 - 16:30

People and Team Management Venue: The Church, Burgess Hill n Over 400 documents toKings view Date: Tuesday 26th April : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill n You

can download the documents as many times Microsoft Excel - Level 2 (Intermediary) as you need Date: Thursday 26th May : 09:30 - 16:30

Persuading & Influencing with Impact Date: Wednesday 27th April : 09:30 - 16:30 Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

Venue: The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

Use it today

01444 259 259

contact

For additional information on any of the above member benefits, please visit our website www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk or call 01444 259 259

www.chamberhr.co.uk

may/june 2016 business edge

34 advertorial

Free Windows 10 upgrade deadline looms The deadline for your business to upgrade free to the new Microsoft Windows 10 operating system is fast approaching.

Sadly, many Sussex firms are still dragging their heels which is hardly surprising when computer manufacturers continue to ship equipment loaded with Windows 7. But make no mistake, support for the much-loved Windows 7 will end and companies will have to upgrade to Windows 10.

So why are businesses in Worthing, Brighton and Eastbourne still sitting on their hands? When the free upgrade deadline expires on 29 July, it will cost businesses around £160 per user to upgrade.

Clearly a lot of businesses are adopting a “wait and see” approach after the failure of Windows 8. That, however, is a mistake because Windows 10 will never be a White Elephant. It differs completely from previous operating systems because it’s frequently updated on an evolutionary basis. You’ll never need to go through a major upgrade again.

Growth in mobile workforces The move towards mobile smart devices is clear from the reduction in new PCs being

shipped. It’s a good indicator that businesses are choosing mobile technology to help their employees work anywhere, supported by secure cloud-based services.

By adopting a more mobile way of working, companies are slashing expensive city centre costs and making their employees more flexible and more productive.

A salesman who once had to drive to the city to log-on to his PC and report back to his supervisor about sales made the previous evening, no longer needs to make that journey. He can use a laptop or tablet to update his boss and the company’s sales records from home and then set off for the next sales appointment bright and early.

Windows 10 FAQs Microsoft has designed Windows 10 with this greater mobility and workforce flexibility in mind.

But if you’re still pondering whether to make the move, Microsoft provides comprehensive answers to many common questions online http://windows.microsoft. com/en-gb/windows-10/upgrade-towindows-10-faq. It’s also worth speaking

to your local IT services provider who can suggest the best technology to help you harness the full benefits of the new OS. “It’s quick and easy to install and makes large scale upgrades a thing of the past,” explains Gary Jowett from CNC in Shoreham-By-Sea. “You’ll never need to replace it with a different OS because it will be regularly updated as your business grows. And it offers many of the features people know and love from Windows 7.”

And if Gartner’s analysis is accurate 50 per cent of enterprises will have started deploying Windows 10 by January 2017.

What this means is that companies who rely on big business for large contracts need to be thinking ahead, to ensure their systems are compatible with those used by the big corporations they already serve and to be ready for any new customers who come knocking on their door.

THEY CALL IT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, WE THINK IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. We’ve been living and breathing technology for over nineteen years but what we really care about is our people and our customers.

Extensive, up to the minute knowledge allows us to help our clients achieve productive and reliable systems that power their thriving businesses. We believe the advisory relationship we build with our clients supports their success.

We would love to talk to you about your technology and offer a Free IT Health check with no obligations to use our services.

— 0845 0700 585 — sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk — www.cnc-ltd.co.uk

may/june 2016 business edge

Gary and Graham—our directors

business matters 35

Cloud applications, a great opportunity but beware the pitfalls Kevin Dixon, BizWorx It wasn’t too many years ago that many companies thought that the risk of having key business data and IT services hosted offsite too big to take, having seen the security risks mitigated and financial benefits proven, cloud applications are becoming widely adopted by SMBs. The days of believing it’s best to invest in IT technology and resources that reside in-house are now a thing of the past, and there are some interesting predictions and facts that support this: n European Commission states that Cloud tech could help 80% of organisations reduce costs by 10-20% n European SMB cloud service market will grow to €30.1B by 2018 n Cloud solutions can aid SMBs with some of their top 10 business issues,

including reducing operational costs, improving profitability, business growth and workforce productivity n 64% of SMBs are already using cloudbased software The types and numbers of different business cloud applications available is in the hundreds, some are core capabilities for any type business, whilst others are either departmentally focused or niche services.

A large number of cloud services aid the ever increasing amount of information created, captured, managed and actioned by businesses, much of which is still ineffectively stored on spreadsheets. This includes information about their products, services and stock, their employees, their customers, suppliers and partners, as well as orders and contracts.

The most successful applications to date include Document Management and CRM, with Accounting, HR and Collaboration growing rapidly. The second tier includes Expenses, Holiday, Contract, Project, Stock and Asset management.

So it’s not a case of if, but when, more SMBs embrace the potential that different cloud applications can bring to their business.

Think about a strategy In the past companies invested in various internal IT systems that worked independently, which created labour intensive processes that were prone to errors.

There is a real risk that the implementation of cloud services can go the same way. As companies buy individual cloud services it’s often too late before they realise how much they have invested and the complications they have introduced for their users.

Each service has a separate license cost and login, business data changes need to be updated across each application, and most worryingly there is no or limited workflow management between them that helps companies to achieve productivity and cost reduction improvements.

Think about the processes and workflows in your business, how they may be labour intensive and prone to error. Before you invest in individual cloud applications, contemplate the bigger picture rather than the individual function.

Consider the different administrative steps that are taken to manage your business information, and how they would improve if some of them were

automated. Whilst many businesses will have processes particular to them, here is an example of a common one.

Marketing Campaign - Lead – Opportunity – Quote – Order – Contract – Project Plan - Stock Allocation – Resource Allocation – Expense Submissions - Invoice If your business is serious about reducing costs and improving productivity and efficiency, then it will be important to take a holistic view of the types of services you will need to help achieve them, and then find a provider who can help with a cost effective solution, not just individual applications. www.bizworx.co.uk

may/june 2016 business edge

36 business matters

Being aware of risk Due diligence, Business intelligence, Background checks, Company profiling, Employee research, competitive intelligence – lots of different names for one essential business tool – Risk Investigations.

No matter how large you need the services of these professionals to ensure that your business Risks are managed.

If you are appointing an agent company, a new employee, a joint venture or partnership, new clients. You really need to know who you are dealing with, their reputation, honesty and integrity. Is there anything that you need to know now and not in a year’s time. Companies should also be aware of any procedures they operate that lay them open to internal fraud by employees or external fraud by outside forces.

Many companies are forced out of business because of internal theft and fraud. WIS International is an international company operating throughout the world in matter concerning Risk and Business Intelligence. www.wis-int.com

What further regulation of lending will mean for you Dave Farmer, from commercial lender Lime Consultancy, explains Regulation in financial services is nothing new. Mortgages, pensions, investments, they have all been subject to greater regulation over the last 10 years.

Generally, greater regulation has been to ensure a fair playing field for the customer and to ensure best practice and fairness prevails. In many ways it has succeeded in driving out malpractice and enforcing standards.

Commercial lending has always been classed as ‘unregulated’, meaning that the way deals are put together, structured and sanctioned has carried a high degree of flexibility and pragmatism.

What many businesses don’t realise is that whilst commercial lending itself may be unregulated anyone advising or broking any sort of commercial finance is required to be regulated by The FCA, any broker not authorised by The FCA faces heavy fines and up to two years imprisonment.

There are real benefits to using a business finance broker, however please make sure your broker is FCA authorised.

Unauthorised brokers will likely be working outside of any PI cover and not offering as wide a range of lenders to you.

Having been through the FCA approval process and now be fully authorised I know just how in depth the FCA look.

The practices, procedures and standards required post authorisation won’t stymie commercial lending, rather they will push brokers to work closer with the client which should lead to a better deal for everyone.

Outsourced HR professional can help your business Alison Lyon from Lyon HR Consultancy explains how an outsourced HR professional can help your business.

Creating a happy and productive workplace can be a challenge. As an employer, you may be unaware of your legal responsibilities, fearful of conflict or need help with improving staff performance and complex work place relationships.

People are complicated and no two companies are ever the same. A professional HR Consultant will deliver solutions that are specific to your employees and your organisation.

may/june 2016 business edge

As an employer, you have a number of legal obligations to meet. Are you sure you have the right policies and procedures in place? Do you ever feel out of your depth when dealing with a difficult staffing situation? How should you handle bullying allegations or long-term sickness, for example? Are your managers properly trained and contributing to your business?

Choosing an outsourced HR professional provides you with flexibility, affordability and objective, impartial advice. When you are no longer in your comfort zone dealing with a staff issue this sort of support is invaluable. Stress

free staff management ... and a happy, productive workforce from Lyon HR.

business matters 37 Karen Marnier, David Christmas, Colin Burgess and Mark Bennett.

An early Bennett Christmas present for St Peter & St James Leading Mid-Sussex insurance brokers Bennett Christmas has pledged its continued support of St Peter & St James Hospice at Chailey as one of its official local charities.

Staff at the firm’s offices in Burgess Hill have raised thousands of pounds for the Hospice and respite care facility over the past seven years, but CEO Mark Bennett said the company wanted to strengthen its relationship with the charity and step up the good work.

“I don’t think there’s anyone within our organisation whose family has not been touched in some way by St Peter & St James,” said Mark.

“The hospice offers outstanding care and as a local firm we wanted to publicly demonstrate our support and gratitude for the service it provides by formalising our commitment.”

Bennett Christmas Insurance Brokers’ MD David Christmas said being able to see the impact of their fundraising locally was a powerful incentive for staff.

“Unlike with the international charities, you can really see where the money raised is going at St Peter & St James and know how vital that is to us all in the community. It makes your efforts feel even more worthwhile,” he said.

Colin Burgess, chief executive of St Peter & St James, welcomed representatives from Bennett Christmas on a tour of the hospice to mark the company’s pledge.

Among them was Karen Marnier, personal assistant to the chief executive, who had a special reason to visit.

“My mother passed away at St Peter & St James in 2003 and our family couldn’t have wished for better care and support,” she said. “I believe it’s important for local employers to support local charities and I’m proud that the directors and staff at Bennett Christmas have chosen to make that commitment to St Peter & St James.”

Mr Burgess said he was delighted Bennett Christmas had chosen to adopt the hospice and looked forward to working more closely with the firm.

Stealth tax should prompt rethink on business insurance Businesses should examine their insurance policies carefully in the light of higher Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) announced in the Budget, Burgess Hill brokers Bennett Christmas said.

The Chancellor said the levy charged on most commercial and household policies would go up by 0.5% to 10%.

The tax hike follows a 3.5 percentage point rise in the IPT last year.

“But that’s unlikely to be the end of it,” said Mark Bennett, CEO of Bennett Christmas Insurance Brokers. “The IPT has already gone up once in the past six months and while this increase is less than was widely anticipated, the direction of travel is clear.

“Our concern is that small businesses will look to cut costs by reducing their cover and increasing their exposure when what they should be doing is looking at where the biggest risks are in the business and prioritising what they need.

“Most packaged insurance policies include the ‘must-haves’ but they also lump in some of the ‘can-do-withouts’. By looking carefully at the business, a good broker can build a bespoke policy that’s often better than what you had and costs you less.

“For example, many policies include cover for goods in transit but they don’t include cyber insurance. You may only carry a couple of thousand pounds worth of goods in a van, but your company’s cyber exposure could stop your business altogether if your computer network is infected and this is likely to cost a lot more; I think I know which I would choose to include in my policy.” may/june 2016 business edge

38 new members

Welcome to Sussex Chamber of Commerce Membership of Sussex Chamber of Commerce can help you increase profits, get the best from your people and find new clients. Also, it saves you money, gets your voice heard and puts you in contact with even more businesses.

Advance Electrical Contractors Ltd 16 Winston Business Centre, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8TU

BizWorx Ltd Littlehaven House, 24-26 Littlehaven Lane, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4HT

Document Workflow Solutions Suite C, 55 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9LH

01903 765 022 www.advance-ltd.co.uk

01403 732077 www.bizworx.co.uk

+44(0)844 800 4822 www.documentworkflowsolutions.com

Artemis Marketing Unit 3, Danworth Farm, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex BN6 9GL

Builders Beams Ltd Rutherford Way, Crawley Industrial Estate, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9PF

01273 645018

0870 9989900 www.buildersbeams.co.uk

Autism Sussex Sussex House, Tills Courtyard, Battle, East Sussex TN33 0AE 01424 773366 www.autismsussex.org.uk Beard Construction Stonemasons Court, Cemetery Pales, Guildford, Surrey GU24 0BL 01483 485180 www.beard-construction.co.uk/

Final Touch Sussex Based at Field Place, The Boulevard, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1NP

01323 640777 www.clarke-roofing.co.uk

07496 736067 www.finaltouchsussex.com

Clarkson Evans Ltd Unit 10, GIDC Trade Park, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9RX

Fuel Card Services 3 Estuary View Business Park, Boorman Way, Whitstable, Kent CT5 3SE

01452 858985 Cocoa Loco Ltd The Chocolate Barn, Hill House Farm, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 8LG

0140 3787930 www.bmarq.co.uk

0140 3865687 www.cocoaloco.co.uk

may/june 2016 business edge

0330 1242396 www.ecom90.co.uk

Clarke Roofing Ltd 4 Hammonds Drive, Hammonds Drive, Industrial Estate, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6PW

Benchmarq Ltd Unit 9 Laura House, Jengers Mead, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9NZ

contact

eCom90 Limited Afon House, Worthing Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1TL

0844 870 9586 www.fuelcardservices.com Global Occupational Health Solutions Burgess Hill, West Sussex 07963 513534

SUSSEX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 01444 259 259 www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

new members 39

Gran Stead’s Ginger Ltd 6 Thornhill Close, Hove, East Sussex BN3 8JL 0127 3231152 www.gransteadsginger.co.uk Greenways Residential Home 171 Comptons Lane, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6BW 01403 259081 www.ferndalenursinghome.co.uk

Marshall Leasing Bridge House, Orchard Lane, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire PE29 3QT

Sofitel London Gatwick Hotel North Terminal, London Gatwick Airport, Gatwick, West Sussex RH6 0PH

01480 414541 www.marshall-leasing.co.uk

01293 567070 www.sofitel.com/sofitel/gb/accueil/index.shtml

MCA Consulting Engineers Ltd Unit 8 Newhouse Business Centre, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4RU

South East Business Evegate Publishing Ltd, Spicer House, Hythe, Kent CT21 4LR

01293 851490

01303 233880 www.southeastbusiness.com

Groundsure Ltd Sovereign House, Church Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1UJ

Pace Sports Therapy 59-63 South Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 4LQ

08444 159 000 switchboard www.groundsure.com

07988 105325

Hussar Gruppa Ltd Suite 56, Basepoint Business Units, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 7XX

07990 536240 Rainbow International Unit 32, Huffwood Trading Estate, Horsham, West Sussex RH138AU 01403 711655

01293 813 904 Jace Training 12a Broadwalk, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1HQ +44(0)01293561244 Johnston Press (Hastings) Woods House, Hastings, East Sussex TN38 9LZ

The Communications Director Ltd 1 Wintons Close, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0FX

Ryebrook Resins Ltd Unit 4, Kelvin Business Centre, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9SF 01293 565500 www.ryebrook.co.uk

The Float Spa Basement 8, Third Avenue, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2PX 01273 933680 www.thefloatspa.co.uk The Martlets Hospice Wayfield Avenue, Hove, East Sussex BN3 7LW +44(0)01273747455 www.themartletshospice.net

01424 854242 www.johnstonpress.co.uk/locations-brands/ publications

may/june 2016 business edge

40 diary

Sussex Chamber of Commerce Networking Events Business Leaders Seminars The Jury’s Inn Waterfront Hotel, Brighton We are pleased to announce a series of four spectacular half day events, focused around the following, Grow (Open the door to new business opportunities), Develop (Increase skills and knowledge to develop a brighter and better future), Discover (Unearth export prospects and Global growth) and Influence (Have a voice at local and national levels).

All four events will have keynote speakers and a practical workshop, so you can apply what you have learnt in the workplace.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join; CEO’s, MD’s, Business Owners and Senior Executives to gain knowledge, listen to inspiring speakers, whilst communicating, interacting and networking with other senior business executives.

GROW/Wednesday 20th July 2016 DEVELOP/Wednesday 21st September 2016 DISCOVER/Tuesday 17th January 2017 INFLUENCE/Tuesday 14th March 2017 All 4 events will start at 12.00pm and will finish at 18:00pm

Putting for Success Date: Wednesday 18th May : 07:30 - 11:00 Venue: Mid Sussex Golf Club, Ditchling Fancy yourself as the next Justin Rose or Rory McIlroy? Or perhaps you are new to the game. Come and join us at our next Above Par Golf Networking event being held at the beautiful Mid Sussex Golf Course, Ditchling. All handicaps are welcome, beginners through to scratch. Don’t be afraid to book, players will be matched according to their ability. (Mark from the Chamber will be there and he plays off 50!).

This event includes a full English breakfast and 9 holes of Golf.

Contact may/june 2016 business edge

Construction Forum

Grow Your Connections

Date: Thursday 19th May : 08:00 - 10:30 Venue: Elekta, Crawley There will be an introduction to Elekta and Cornerstone the new development which will provide an International Campus to meet the Company’s operational needs, be sensitive to its surroundings whilst remaining sustainable and efficient. The Forum will include a tour of the new development. In order to participate in the tour, you must bring suitable PPE and safety boots as these will need to be worn (unfortunately we are unable to provide these). TO BOOK YOUR PLACE PLEASE CALL 01444 25925

Date: Thursday 26th May : 16:30 - 18:30 Venue: Burwash Hotel & Bear Inn, Burwash Join us at our informal bi-monthly purely networking event. These events is designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet other businesses, share best practice, grow your connections and widen your own network of customers and suppliers. Come along - it’s a great way to meet new people and network.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Policy Forum Date: Friday 20th May : 09:00 - 11:00 Venue: The Capitol Theatre, Horsham Our speakers for this event will be Dr Chris Lyons, Director of Planning, Economic Development & Property, at Horsham District Council and Jeremy Quinn MP, Conservative Member of Parliament for Horsham constituency. Topics to be discussed: Permitted development rights – shortage of business premises; Business taxation; Skills shortages. Nick Handley, Honorary President at the Chamber will introduce the work undertaken by Sussex Chamber, it’s work with the BCC & Government.

Networking Lunch - Building a Smarter, Resilient and Affordable Future Date: Monday 23rd May : 12:00 - 14:30 Venue: Tottington Manor, Henfield Join us for a Networking Lunch, at Tottington Manor, near Steyning. Our guest speaker will be Simon Oates, Director of Strategy at Southern Water. He will outline Southern Water’s plans for the future including their commitment to drive improvements in their overall service; enhance transparency and secure greater legitimacy with customers. This event will include a two course buffet lunch. To avoid disappointment, please book your place today.

EU Referendum Debate Should we stay or should we go?

Date: Friday 27th May : 14:30 - 17:30 Venue: Marriott London Gatwick Airport Hotel, Gatwick Join us for a lively afternoon debate on the EU Referendum, on Friday 27th May 2016, at the Marriott London Gatwick Hotel. The UK has an important decision to make on the 23rd June ...... Should we stay or should we go! Our guest speakers will be: Leave - Chris Grayling – Leader of the House of Commons Stay - Greg Mountain, Parliamentary Candidate for the Mid Sussex Constituency, the EU Champion More details will follow shortly. Places at this event are limited, so book today

Business Networking Lunch Leadership at Work Date: Thursday 2nd June : 12:00 - 14:30 Venue: Buxted Park Hotel, Uckfield Our June Networking Lunch is being held at The Buxted Park Hotel, Buxted, East Sussex. Our Guest Speaker for this event is Simon Clements, Director of Business Development, Sales & Marketing, Roffey Park Institute. Simon will be looking at what makes an effective leader. ‘What do effective leaders do’?, more importantly ‘what should effective leaders do’? Lunch is included - please book your place today.

If you would like to book a place onto any of the above events or would like information on membership, please visit our website www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk or call 01444 259 259

diary 41 Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum 2016 Date: Thursday 9th June : 08:30 - 14:00 Venue: Arora International Hotel, Crawley Nearly 200 leaders from the public and private sector come together for the annual Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum to identify and discuss opportunities, debate threats and celebrate success in the £22.3 billion Gatwick Diamond economy.

Food and Beverage Forum Date: Tuesday 14th June : 12:00 - 14:30 Venue: Carr Taylor Wines Ltd, Hastings Join us for the launch of our new Food and Beverage Forum, this will be held at Carr Taylor Vineyards, where David and Linda Carr Taylor have been owners for more than 40 years. On arrival we will be treated to a tour of the vineyards which will cover the history of the vineyard, growing methods, the trials of growing grapes in the UK and the winery with wine tasting, followed by a delightful Ploughman’s Lunch.

Numbers are limited, so please book today to avoid disappointment.

Networking Breakfast Ergonomics Rules Date: Thursday 16th June : 08:00 - 10:30 Venue: Roffey Park, Horsham Join us for our monthly Networking Breakfast which is being held at Roffey Park, Horsham. Our Guest Speaker for this event is Ian Fletcher-Price CEO from Posturite (UK) Ltd. Ian founded Posturite in 1991, and currently employs 185 staff. Three main reasons to attend: Understand the changing working environment What can you do to adapt How can your organisation benefit from improved ergonomics? A full English Breakfast is included. Please book today to secure your place.

£50.00 + VAT To secure your seat(s) contact Debbie Grundy - 01444 259105 or email debbie.grundy@sussexchamberofcommerce. co.uk

according to their ability. (Mark from the Chamber will be there and he plays off 50!).

This event includes a full English breakfast and 9 holes of Golf.

Business Networking Breakfast - The Risk Management Process

Business Networking Lunch Overview and Outlook for the UK economy

Date: Tuesday 12th July : 08:00 - 10:30 Venue: The Boship Lions Farm Hotel, Hailsham Join us for our July Networking Breakfast to be held at The Boship Lions Farm Hotel, Lower Dicker. The hotel is set in a rural location with lovely gardens. Our Guest Speaker for this event is Andy Hawkes, Chief Executive Officer, Cardinus Risk Management Limited. As management of risk becomes increasingly essential to running any business this session will help put a framework around the process needed to ensure an effective risk management system. A full English Breakfast is included.

Date: Tuesday 19th July : 12:00 - 14:30 Venue: Marriott London Gatwick Airport Hotel, Gatwick Join us for our Business Networking Lunch event which is being held at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Crawley. Our Guest Speaker for this event is Andrew Holder, Agent for Central Southern England, from the Bank of England. Andrew will discuss recent developments in the UK economy and the Monetary Policy Committee’s forecasts for economic growth and inflation. Two course lunch is included.

Please book your place today.

British Gold Cup Open Polo Championship & Summer Buffet Date: Wednesday 13th July : 12:00 - 18:00 Venue: Cowdray Park Golf Club, Midhurst We are pleased to offer our Premier and Gold members the opportunity to enjoy a Summer Buffet Lunch at Cowdray Park Golf Club, followed by an afternoon of watching the Semi-Finals of this Polo Tournament in the Park. This prestigious tournament draws aficionados from all over the globe. Tickets for this event are now available at a reduced rate of ONLY £55.00 per person + vat. If you would like to attend this prestigious event, please book online or telephone the office on 01444 259 259.

Business Leaders Seminar GROW Date: Wednesday 20th July : 12:00 - 18:00 Venue: Jury’s Inn Brighton Waterfront Hotel, Brighton Join CEO’s, MD’s, business owners and senior executives from across Sussex. Gain knowledge and listen to inspiring speakers, whilst interacting and networking. This event will arm you and your organisation with the latest tools and knowledge. Keep up to speed and glean new insights from our engaging expert speakers. Guest Speakers confirmed:- Liam Hackett – CEO - Ditch the Label Kevin Byrne – CEO – Checkatrade. com Anthony Stears – aka “The Telephone Assassin” EARLY BIRD

Putting for Success AEGON International Tennis Semi Final Date: Friday 24th June : 11:00 - 18:00 Venue: Sussex Chamber of Commerce, Burgess Hill Exclusive Premier Member Event - AEGON International Tennis Semi Final 11:00am at Eastbourne, Devonshire Park LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE Centre Court Seats:

Date: Thursday 14th July : 07:30 - 11:00 Venue: Mid Sussex Golf Club, Ditchling Fancy yourself as the next Justin Rose or Rory McIlroy? Or perhaps you are new to the game. Come and join us at our next Above Par Golf Networking event being held at the beautiful Mid Sussex Golf Course, Ditchling. All handicaps are welcome, beginners through to scratch. Don’t be afraid to book, players will be matched

For all bookings and enquiries, please contact us in the following ways: Tel: 0844 37 595 50 | events@ sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk www.sussexchamberofcommerce. co.uk/events

Opportunity to sponsor a series of Events We are proud to offer you a wonderful opportunity to sponsor a series of events. These packages can be discussed separately with the Chamber.

Please give us a call on 01444 259 259 for more information may/june 2016 business edge

42 five minutes with...

movers and shakers Jonathan Grant, Partner at DMH Stallard

Andrew Wickham

Managing Director, Weald Smokery

Andrew took over the business in 1990 from a husband and wife team and built up the company in the years that followed.

After a spell away, he returned in 2014.

The Weald Smokery, which produces traditionally smoked foods including meat, fish and cheeses, now employs 20 people.

1. What was your first job and what was the pay packet?

I worked in a creamery packaging cream. The pay was £1 an hour 2. What do you always carry with you to work?

My iPad 3. What is the biggest Challenge facing your business?

Bureaucracy. There is so much form-filling, particularly when it comes to risk assessment.

4. If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change to help business?

Ban the need for, and the words, risk assessment, they serve little purpose other than covering one’s back.

5. What can you see from your office window?

Our shop 6. If you could do another job what would it be?

I would love to be a crab and lobster fisherman, spending my time pottering around on a boat, lifting pots then heading to the pub at night

may/june 2016 business edge

7. As a business person, what are your three main qualities?

Honesty, commonsense and straightfowardness 8. What was your biggest mistake in business?

Buying a mailing list and sending out an expensive brochure, which achieved nothing. The Royal Mail might just as well have dumped the lot.

9. What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Do not expand too quickly – make sure you are good at what you do before you expand 10. Who do you admire most in business?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel – what he achieved in such a short time was remarkable

DMH Stallard completes speedy deal Award-winning Sussex law firm DMH Stallard has completed a significant deal for the owners of Cophall Parking Gatwick Ltd, which involved the sale of the business and site to Group First, the investment arm of Park First, who are renowned for their worldclass airport car parks.

Cophall Parking Gatwick, a family business with three decades’ experience in providing sophisticated car parking solutions at Gatwick Airport, was approached by Group First in December 2015 who expressed an interest in buying the business with its quality reputation and excellent position at Gatwick.

With more than 11 years’ experience supporting Cophall Parking Gatwick to obtain planning rights to operate their car park business, DMH Stallard was the natural choice to support Cophall Parking on this key deal.

DMH Stallard was first instructed to manage the deal just before Christmas and successfully completed the sale on 29th February.

Jonathan Grant, the Partner at DMH Stallard responsible for managing the sale, said: “We have a great working relationship with Cophall Parking Gatwick, but that’s not to say that this project didn’t come with its challenges. The nature of the deal required the sale of both the business and the land, but required careful planning to preserve an area of land for our client that neighboured the site sold.

We also had to satisfy the buyer’s requirements for site access and that our client had right of way over the retained land.

Emma Beasley from Cophall Parking Gatwick, said: “We were delighted that DMH Stallard’s combined corporate and property teams were able to deliver this complex sale involving a number of connected property titles and a trading business, whilst preserving the full value of the deal.

“We had no idea how difficult projects like this can be to coordinate. DMH Stallard supported us through the whole process and approached every query and challenge positively, finding a solution for us quickly and efficiently.

“It was very involved and at times quite stressful, so we were very thankful to have DMH Stallard in our corner. I certainly don’t think we could have done it without them. If we ever need support again, I will certainly be instructing DMH Stallard.”

DMH Stallard has four offices in the South East of England – in Brighton, Gatwick, Guildford and London. This year DMH Stallard won the Corporate Law Firm of the Year award at Insider’s South East Dealmakers Awards for the third time since 2012, which reinforces their reputation as a leading law firm in the South East region. www.dmhstallard.com

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Rewarding excellence

Rewarding in British excellence business in British business

Chamber Business Business Awards – Open forfor Entry Chamber Awards2016 2016 – Open Entry

Recognising and rewarding excellence in British business, the Chamber Business Awards is one of

Recognising and rewarding excellence in British business, the Chamber Business Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. Each year, from Aberdeen the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. Each year, from Aberdeen to Plymouth, organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles and the tonational Plymouth, organisations of all sizes and all sectors compete for the coveted titles and the recognition they bring.

Free entry forfrom members of Accredited Chambers of Commerce. national recognition bring.

Free entry for members of Accredited Chambers of Commerce.

Non-members entry they fee £195 +VAT. Non-members entry fee £195 +VAT. Visit www.chamberawards.co.uk now to view the 2016 Awards and to start your entry.

Visit www.chamberawards.co.uk now to view the 2016 Awards and to start your entry.

To view the categories and to enter, visit www.chamberawards.co.uk #chamberawards

To view the categories and to enter, visit www.chamberawards.co.uk #chamberawards

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